Here’s a question: What was the gospel Jesus preached?

We might answer: “Well, the gospel is: Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and death and hell so we could go to heaven when we die…” and it’s all by GRACE; you can’t earn it or deserve it.

But wait: Jesus hadn’t died yet…the gospel he preached could not have been that he died to save us from sin and death. So what did he preach? Hint: His gospel is about life, not just sin.

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

And just so we don’t miss what Matthew is saying, here it is a few verses later: Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…

What these words mean in the Greek:

“From that time”: means from that point, that pivotal divide, Jesus began to bring ONE MESSAGE: The KINGDOM OF GOD

“Repent”: to think differently afterwards, reconsider to feel compunction) TO RETHINK HOW YOU ARE: THINKING, FEELING, CHOOSING, SPEAKING, ACTING, RELATING…in light of this whole new luminous opportunity to walk right into God’s kingdom and join him in what he’s doing. Note: This is the opposite of the condemnatory “accusing finger in your face—repent!” which is not at all what Jesus was saying in Matthew 4:17.

“the kingdom of heaven” That is: the BENEVOLENT GOVERNANCE OF GOD. “royalty, realm, rule, government, kingdom, reign.”

“is at hand”: here and now, come, arrive, draw near, present here and now (not almost here or on its way).

Jesus is saying, proclaiming, publishing, articulating, this one brilliant reality:

The good governance of God is now accessible, available, ready to be applied to the lives of anyone humble enough to receive it!

And here and now in the 21st century, the message is still the same! So, the gospel Jesus preached was

The Gospel (“good news”) of THE KINGDOM:

The gospel Jesus PROCLAIMED and SPOKE was not about how to get rid of your sin and how to get into the good place when you die and avoid the bad place. It was about actually living your whole life, your real life, your right-now life in and under the good governance of the King of kings and his government—with your warts and all.

So, what IS the Kingdom of God? What’s a kingdom? A kingdom is essentially what a king does. It is where what the king wants done is done. Thus God’s kingdom is what God is now doing. It is where what he wants done is done. It is the range of his effective will. When you are and do God’s will you’re literally living in the kingdom of God. Cool.

Christ reigns through the heavens infinitely and eternally, yet currently in human hearts and everything we touch, he has made a sovereign decision not to rule unless he is personally invited. He waits patiently to reveal his glory in power until it covers the whole world as the waters cover the sea. Until that time all creation groans—and we groan with it! (Just watch the 24-hour news cycle—what you see and hear is creation groaning).

Hebrews 2:8-9 In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9 But we see Jesus,… God’s kingdom is God acting. What God is actually now doing in time, space, matter, energy, eternity and especially in humanity.

And what is God now doing? He is reconciling all things to himself in Christ 2 Cor 5:19

The gospel is about living your life here and now AND forever in the total sufficiency of the Kingdom of God.
The gospel is not about sin and death and hell. It’s about LIFE with God now in his kingdom come as his will is done on earth as it is in the heavens!!!
It’s not about getting you into heaven, it’s about getting heaven into you and everything your life touches.
It’s not a “fire-insurance” loophole; but an invitation to a whole new life.
The gospel is not just about living in the kingdom of heaven after I die. It’s about living in the kingdom of heaven before I die.
The gospel is more about HOW PEOPLE CAN LIVE than why Jesus had to die.
The gospel is about dying to my life my way so we can experience our life Christ’s way.

Paul understood all this:

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

Righteousness Is the ability to know and do the right thing. Righteousness is a pure gift from Jesus. No one can earn it. You can be fully assured that in your inmost being you are truly good and right before God and men—because of this gift from Christ. Paul speaks of it as the gift of righteousness In Rom 15:17

Peace: Resting your will by trusting in God’s ability and willingness to help you. Peace is the assurance about how things will turn out.

Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Joy:

A strong sense well-being based on knowledge of how things truly are. A delightful sense of an ever-increasing good that is well-secured. John 16:24 …Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Joy: Is actually relational. Joy is defined as someone who is glad to be with you. Many false joys abound in our addictive, hyper-sexualized, idol-ridden culture. We call these “BEEPS”, Behaviors, Experiences, Events, People and Substances. When you look to these for quick-fix joy, it evaporates before you can grasp it. Besides, joy is something you give away and graciously receive—not something you seize.

So, enjoy Jesus and his amazing kingdom today. It’s a beautiful day in the Lord. Don’t let it get away.