Introduction | Part One

The Gospel of the Kingdom
by Bob Hamp

From that time Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.”
Matthew 4:17

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
Matthew 4:23

For years after I came to know the Lord, I was taught to share the gospel in a variety of ways. Though I was always nervous, I loved to tell people the gospel message. Jesus died for their sins and was completely willing to forgive them, having paid the penalty Himself. Jesus came back to life to overcome sin and death, and He is completely willing to put that new life inside of them and make them a new creation. It was the best story I knew.

And then one day it struck me: it was absolutely impossible for this to be the gospel message that Jesus shared. All of the important events in the gospel I was sharing had not occurred during the time Jesus was sharing His gospel.

Ironically, the fact that He had not yet died, nor had He come back to life, did not seem to hinder Him at all. In fact, the Bible indicates that His message had a great deal of success. His message seemed to have more demonstrable effect than anything I had ever said or done. What was Jesus’ message? The Bible calls His message the gospel of the kingdom. While the gospel I had been sharing is true, and it is good news, it is not the same message that Jesus shared during His earthly ministry.

Listen to what He said: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This is not just the introduction to His message, it is the thesis statement. But, what does it mean? We will spend the next 30 days exploring that very question. For today, let me re-state His thesis to launch us on our devotional journey.

Jesus, the ruler of heaven and earth, stepped onto the earth, a battlefield for centuries under the rule of the one called the Adversary. Satan, through His influence, direct and indirect, had done everything he could to destroy all that God had made true about the earth. Men’s minds were blinded—allowing the kingdom of darkness to maintain control of their lives, bodies and relationships. It was into this setting that Jesus entered the fray with His declaration. Change the way you see, because the invisible rule of God is becoming visible again among men. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

1. Have you already received the new life Jesus offers through His death and resurrection?

2. Are you ready to embark on a new adventure as we enter into the kingdom of heaven?

3. In what areas of your life do you need to discover God’s willingness to take over?