Life Of Christ – Part 2

By Jonathan | March 9, 2015

“Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

These words are not original to Jesus. In fact, he stole them from his cousin, John the Baptist. I wonder what it would have meant for the first century Jewish person to hear those words. They long awaited the arrival of one who would announce the Kingdom of God (/heaven if reading Matthew) as the Prophet Isaiah foretold (40:3-5). For them, this meant national resurrection, a return to the glory days of David and Solomon, and a final end to the exile started in 586 BCE by Babylon.

Yet, for John it meant so much more. When we study his message in the early chapters of the Gospels we find that he is calling them to a way of living that is rebellion. He called for a type of rebellion worthy of Micah 6:8, “Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Luke 3 has the crowds question him, “what should we do now that we have repented?” He calls for them to give up their extra shirt for the one who has none, for tax collectors to be fair, and demanded honesty from soldiers. This is hardly the creed an oppressed nation would hold toward the overlord, Rome. Yet, John grew in popularity and influence.

The ministry of Jesus was probably about three-and-a-half years. We get this number by doing a harmony of the gospels. Interpreters believe that they can identify three Passovers in the gospel of John. Those three Passovers point to three years when intertwined with the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). This is the main reason we hold to a three-year ministry. If we only followed the synoptics then we would assume an 18-month ministry.

He began his ministry with a significant event. He traveled from his hometown of Nazareth to Bethany on the other side of the Jordan to be baptized by the Baptizer. Matthew 3 records the scene as he and John argue over who should baptize who. John submits to his Lord and immerses the carpenter in the Jordan like all the rest. I doubt, however that this had anything to do with repentance but acceptance. He has chosen for himself the way of the cross. This would fulfill all righteousness, or right relationship with God.

Following his dip in the river and the pronouncement from heaven, he slips away into the wilderness to be tempted by that ancient serpent. He overcomes all occurrences by quoting from Deuteronomy certainly representing himself as Israel. Upon return, he calls five disciples from John’s gathering and heads back to Nazareth for a wedding. We know what happens next. The banquet depletes the wine reserve and Jesus is forced to act by his mother’s request. He does. He then also heals the nobleman’s son.

Another series of events are about to occur that significantly change Jesus’ ministry. First, John is arrested and put in prison. Jesus gives his inaugural address in the Synagogue of Nazareth. This forces his own neighbors to excommunicate him from their community and he moves to Nazareth. Certainly, these would be transitional events in any man’s life. But Matthew 4:17 makes this interesting statement, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” We’ve heard those words already, right? From JTB. But now that John’s ministry is over, Jesus has announced his agenda and moved to a more strategic location it is his proclamation to make.

The Kingdom of God is the center of the New Testament message. Jesus is going to start it and die for it. The apostles are going to spread it and write about it. You and I are to join it. But, what is it? Many authors have written books about this very thing. N.T. Wright identifies it as God’s way of making the world, which has gone wrong, right again. One of my professors defined it this way, “It is that group of people who live as if God was their king.” They live out the Micah 6:8 command, “Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

There is much more to be said about the Kingdom of God, but we do not have time here. I simply ask you to think about your role in the Kingdom. What are you doing to fight injustice? What are you doing to overflow with mercy for others, and how does humility shape your everyday life? Following Jesus is more than believing in him. It is being apart of this kingdom he pronounced 2000 years ago. A kingdom that seeks justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly with its King.

So, if I may borrow John and Christ’s thesis to their message, “Repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is here!”