When Jesus was physically here on earth, what was the main subject of his preaching?

The Kingdom of God The Cross

Main Idea: Do we know how God rules? God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ— who showed all humanity how God reigns, not through the love of power, but through the power of love, at the Cross of Calvary.

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Kingdom of God The heart of Jesus' teachings centers around the theme of the kingdom of God. This expression is found in 61 separate sayings in the Synoptic Gospels. Counting parallels to these passages, the expression occurs over 85 times. It also occurs twice in John (3:3, 5). It is found in such key places as --  the preaching of John the Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matt 3:2 );  Jesus’ earliest announcement, "The time has come… The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15 ; cf. Matt 4:17; Luke 4:42-43);  the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, "your kingdom come" (Matt 6:10);  in the Beatitudes, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3 Matthew 5:10);  at the Last Supper, "I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God" (Mark 14:25); and,  in many of Jesus' parables (Matthew 13:24 Matthew 13:44 Matthew 13:45 Matthew 13:47; Mark 4:26 Mark 4:30; Luke19:11).

MATTHEW 6:9-15 The Lord’s Prayer 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

MATTHEW 6:16-24 Fasting 16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Treasures in Heaven 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

MATTHEW 6:25-34 Do Not Worry 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

O.T. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “ Your God reigns! ”

JESUS IS KING In our Spiritual Transformation THE KINGDOM OF GOD CHARACTERIZED BY THE MESSIANIC PEACE (ISA. 9:6) SHALOM AS A WAY TO UNDERSTAND ‘THE KINGDOM’ JESUS IS KING In our Social-Political Transformation JESUS IS KING In our Economic-Ecological Transformation JESUS IS KING In our Psycho-Social Transformation KINGDOMBUILDING=SHALOMLIVING

“... when we turn to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John we discover that they at least think it’s important to retell the history of Israel and to show that the story of Jesus is the story in which that long history, warts and all, reaches its God- ordained climax.”

JOHN 19:28-30 The Death of Jesus 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Cross “If the cross is to be interpreted as the coming of the kingdom on earth as in heaven, centering on some kind of messianic victory, with some kind of substitution at its heart, making sense through some kind of representation, then the four gospels leave us with the primary application of the cross not in abstract preaching about “how to have your sins forgiven” or “how to go to heaven,” but in an agenda in which the forgiven people are put to work, addressing the evils of the world in the light of the victory at Calvary. Those who are put right with God through the cross are to be putting-right people for the world.” (p. 244)

JESUS IS KING In our Spiritual Transformation THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS PROPHESIED IN THE O.T. (ISA 9:6; 52:7) THE MESSIANIC VICTORY INAUGURATES JESUS IS KING In our Social-Political Transformation JESUS IS KING In our Economic-Ecological Transformation JESUS IS KING In our Psycho-Social Transformation KINGDOMBUILDING=SHALOMLIVING

Summary Yes, we know how God rules! God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ — who showed all humanity how God reigns, not through the love of power, but through the power of love, at the Cross of Calvary.

HOW SHOULD WE THEN PUT THESE KINGDOM PRINCIPLES INTO ACTION? Enjoy your spiritual intimacy with the King—day by day. Submit your being to the rule of the King—moment by moment. Love the Other with the love of the King. Take good care of the physical properties of the King.

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