The gospel of the kingdom

Matthew 9:35 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people”.

 The Baptism of the Lord Jesus by John-the-Baptist marked the beginning of His ministry after which he was crucified and raised again from death. St. Matthew tells us not only did Jesus preach the gospel regarding the establishment of a future kingdom of God, but that Jesus healed every kind of disease and infirmity among the people. The amazing miracles which Jesus did was designed to authenticate His claims of deity and to confirm the truth of His message concerning the future kingdom of God. (“On earth as it is in heaven”)

The Scriptures teach that God is the Creator of life, and all physical and material things in our universe, and in the infinite number of other galaxies and universes that may exist in the far reaches of space. Furthermore God, from the beginning, has chosen the one who will ultimately rule over the future eternal Kingdom.

In the Bible, the phrase, “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of Heaven” are synonymous terms appearing over a hundred sixty times in the New Testament and mentioned in dozens of ancient prophesies of the Old Testament. But in the Old Testament the king was called, “Messiah” who would ultimately establish God’s kingdom over the entire world.

“Messiah” is the Hebrew word, corresponding to the Greek word, “Christ” in the New Testament. And “Christ,” means, “anointed one.”

The great Hebrew prophet Jeremiah, for example, writes an astonishing prophecy of the Messiah, in Jeremiah chapter 23 verses 5 &-6: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the lord, “that a King shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. in his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is his name by which he will be called: The lord our righteousness.”

Thus, according to both Old and New Testament, Christ is identified as the ultimate and eternal king. His birth was celebrated throughout the whole world just last month. The purpose for the incarnation of Christ two thousand years ago, was to give evidence of His royal identity by fulfilling prophesies concerning himself and exercising many other, “infallible” proofs according to. Acts chapter one, verse 3.

Jesus was also identified by the apostle Peter in the gospel of Luke, chapter nine, verse 3. Jesus had asked Peter the question, “Who do you say that I am”. Peter’s answer was, “The Christ of God.”

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the King of all Kings and, ultimately, every knee will bow before Him and every mouth will confess His Divine origin. Those who don’t will be excluded from His kingdom. But the sad fact is, alternatives will be limited to only the kingdom of evil and darkness which will be eliminated and destroyed forever during His inauguration and the establishment of His kingdom.

Pastor Gene Holman of Living Word Fellowship in Gardnerville is a member of Carson Valley Ministers’ Association