The Forgotten Jesus预览

Jesus’ Teaching Ministry

We often think of the kingdom of heaven as a place we go after we die. While it’s true that heaven awaits those who believe in Jesus, reducing the kingdom of heaven to a future destination lessens its importance for us here and now. The kingdom of heaven was the most important concept that Jesus ever talked about; He talked about it more than anything else. This concept is confusing to us because we think of the kingdom of heaven as something coming in the future. But for Jesus, it is a present reality. The kingdom of heaven is a person—Jesus, a power, and a place.

When Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven, it was something that was dependent upon Him. It was available right then and there. That’s why the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It was present and among them just as Jesus was present and among them. 

The kingdom of heaven was a power. Jesus directed the disciples to go and do ministry in the power of the kingdom that He brought with Him. The power of the kingdom was what allowed them to heal the sick, perform miracles, and cast out demons. The kingdom power fueled their ministry. We call the power of the kingdom down when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. The prayer asks God to make earth like heaven. Kingdom power makes heaven touch earth. When Jesus comes His will will be done. When we live for Christ, the kingdom comes to earth and makes it a real place among us. 

When Jesus saved us, it wasn’t just from something but for something. The church is Christ’s body among the people on earth. That means we represent Jesus, act on His behalf, and share His message while we wait for Him to take us home. Our lives will be drastically different once we understand what it means to the kingdom to be at hand.