During His earthly ministry, Jesus focused primarily on the sovereignty and the reign, or rule, of God. He spoke of Himself as being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and expectations (Matthew 5:17). He noted how many of the prophets looked forward to the day when God would not only restore the fortunes of His people Israel and Judah, but also establish an everlasting era of peace, justice, and mercy. Then, Israel and Judah would again become one Kingdom. This longing for the Kingdom is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and His body, which is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), where He currently reigns over His Kingdom as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Corinthians 15:24; 1 Timothy 6:15).
Jesus announced God’s expectations of those who surrender to His sovereignty as their King of kings and Lord of lords. Since there was such widespread misunderstanding regarding the nature of the Kingdom (and still is to thi sday in much of Christendom), many things had to be clarified, and this is why we find Jesus saying the following to His disciples: “ . . . the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:2) As Jesus Himself informed Governor Pilate, ”My Kingdom is not of this world: if My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My Kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36) In making these declarations, Jesus identified two things God is most concerned about: Priorities and purposes.
Jesus expected His followers to listen to Him. This is why we see throughout Scripture, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear…” (Matthew 13:15-16 and Matthew 13:43). And James, the Lord's brother, elaborates further by stating the type of hearing Jesus requires is one of obedience: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).
It readily becomes evident that Jesus’ preaching centered on two key themes: repentance and the imminent arrival of the Kingdom. By focusing on these topics Jesus makes it quite clear that He is most concerned with our direction, our ultimate destiny, our priorities and our purposes. And that is why He came to this Earth: to become the means of our salvation (John 14:6).
By addressing these topics, it appears that Jesus was most concerned about whether or not His message reached the hearts of His listeners. God has always desired for His people to have circumcized hearts. Paul writes, 28. For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28-29) I believe it is prudent that we give these much consideration in light of the amount of time Jesus spent on them.
Is the message of Jesus reaching the hearts of listeners today? Do we have ears to hear?
May the Lord bless you!
Jesus announced God’s expectations of those who surrender to His sovereignty as their King of kings and Lord of lords. Since there was such widespread misunderstanding regarding the nature of the Kingdom (and still is to thi sday in much of Christendom), many things had to be clarified, and this is why we find Jesus saying the following to His disciples: “ . . . the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:2) As Jesus Himself informed Governor Pilate, ”My Kingdom is not of this world: if My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My Kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36) In making these declarations, Jesus identified two things God is most concerned about: Priorities and purposes.
Jesus expected His followers to listen to Him. This is why we see throughout Scripture, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear…” (Matthew 13:15-16 and Matthew 13:43). And James, the Lord's brother, elaborates further by stating the type of hearing Jesus requires is one of obedience: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).
It readily becomes evident that Jesus’ preaching centered on two key themes: repentance and the imminent arrival of the Kingdom. By focusing on these topics Jesus makes it quite clear that He is most concerned with our direction, our ultimate destiny, our priorities and our purposes. And that is why He came to this Earth: to become the means of our salvation (John 14:6).
By addressing these topics, it appears that Jesus was most concerned about whether or not His message reached the hearts of His listeners. God has always desired for His people to have circumcized hearts. Paul writes, 28. For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:28-29) I believe it is prudent that we give these much consideration in light of the amount of time Jesus spent on them.
Is the message of Jesus reaching the hearts of listeners today? Do we have ears to hear?
May the Lord bless you!
No comments:
Post a Comment