What Jesus Preached
Jesus preached about the coming Kingdom of God (Heaven) and the need for God’s people, Israel, to repent. The Gospel writers often used the phrase, “gospel of the kingdom.”
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Matthew 4:23
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Matthew 9:35
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Matthew 107
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’ Mark 1:14-15
… but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.’ Luke 4:43
Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. Luke 8:1
He sent them to preach the kingdom of God. Luke 9:2
But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. Luke 9:11
Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.’ Luke 9:60
The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. Luke 16:16
There should be no question among Christians that Jesus preached the Gospel of God’s Kingdom. He made that clear throughout His earthly ministry.
The Lord’s apostles continued preaching about the Kingdom of God after Jesus returned to Heaven.
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12
And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Acts 20:25
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:1-2
Jesus explained many aspects of entering into the ‘Kingdom of God’ as He preached.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33
Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ Matthew 19:23-24
Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said to Him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. Matthew 21:31
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Matthew 21:43
But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ Mark 10:14-15
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ Mark 10:23-25
Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ Mark 12:34
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20
And He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the ‘mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, And hearing they may not understand.’ Luke 8:10
‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ Luke 10:11
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Luke 11:20
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:28-29
Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, ‘Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Luke 14:15
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’ Luke 17:20-21
Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ John 3:3
Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3
Jesus started and ended His earthly ministry by “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Jesus was laser focused on the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Faith in the King of Love
Jesus also preached “faith” in Him as King of His Kingdom. Jesus was a different kind of King. He was going to give His lives for His people. That was not what kings usually did. They conquered other kings. However, Jesus had come to conquer sin and death, which are a far worse enemy than any earthly king. Why did He give His life to save people from sin and death? Because He loved them.
Humans are all born under the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:1-3). We desperately need God’s forgiveness, but how can we receive His forgiveness when none of us have done anything worthy of it? (Romans 3:9-20)
Here are some examples of how King Jesus proclaimed His love, and the faith we must have to enter His Eternal Kingdom.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:6-9
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. Acts 16:31-34
But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:8-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10
The message that Jesus and His apostles preached is clear. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved because God loved us, even when we were dead in sin. He made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up together to be with King Jesus forever in His Eternal Kingdom.
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Next Time
We will look closely at how the Gospel that Jesus preached affects our evangelistic ministry today – in the next part of our special series, Evangelistic Apologetics – A Closer Look.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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