On numerous occasions, Jesus said, “Except you humble yourself and become as a little child, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (See Matthew 18:16 and Luke 18:16). Jesus said it. I do not. Jesus condemns those who judge others before first judging themselves: "Judge not, that ye be not judged.". The apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:19 1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison; American King James Version × that Jesus "preached to the spirits in prison" through the power of God's Spirit and that these spirits had been disobedient. Best regards and God bless. Within the discourse on ostentation, Matthew presents an example of correct prayer. It is essentially a nation, with all of its citizens, land, and laws, ruled by a government. The New Testament Jesus did not love or pray for his Jewish adversaries in any interaction with them. (Luke 4:43), » Now it came to pass, afterward, that [Jesus] went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings [gospel] of the kingdom of God. Jesus is recorded as forgiving the sins of those who sinned against others (Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5, John 8:11); he is even supposed to have told God to forgive (Luke 23:34), but, he himself forgave no one who disagreed with him (Luke 19:27) or did anything against him (Matthew 26:24). No. However, from my experience, most Christians are not very familiar with Jesus’ words – that is, what he said while he was on the earth. It did then and it does now. The Sermon on the Mount is generally considered to contain the central tenets of Christian discipleship. next week=> Kingdom Study 2: What Did the Apostles Preach About? We self-important earthlings who set ourselves up as Divine Advisors will just have to deal with this. Those who disagreed with him were vilified, called unrepentant sinners, and condemned. (Luke 4:43), » Now it came to pass, afterward, that [Jesus] went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings [gospel] of the kingdom of God. The views expressed by posters and commentators are not necessarily endorsed by Living Hope International Ministries. The discourse goes on to condemn the superficiality of materialism and calls the disciples not to worry about material needs, but to "seek" God's kingdom first. It's not about if those who perpetrated unspeakable violence against Jews in the name of Jesus were actually his followers or not. In Bethlehem, the entrance to the Church of the Nativity was partially bricked in during the Middle Ages (to keep enemies from riding their camels inside, we’re told) so that those entering must bow low. And yet, let’s give it a try anyway. He is either a usurper of the first degree or the Son of God in the flesh. [3], This is the first of the Five Discourses of Matthew, the other four being Matthew 10, Matthew 13 (1–53), Matthew 18 and the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24.[4][5][6]. What are the implications of this? How Do You Know if Someone Is the Antichrist? In biblical usage, a kingdom can also mean a family from a single parent grown into a nation. My yoke. May I direct your attention to Matthew chapter 11, verses 21 through 30? (Matthew 4:23), » And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. I would never have thought of that. For the Gospel's Jesus, the dictum, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44), did not rule out the oppression and slaughter of those who did not accept him. (Matthew 4:23) [30] Modern scholarship has almost unanimously agreed that claims of the travels of Jesus to Tibet, Kashmir or India (see Unknown years of Jesus) and the influence of Buddhism on his teachings are without historical basis. Did Jesus preach the coming of the kingdom as a future reality, as many Christian affirm? The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). He has the right to issue commands to God’s people. And that is exactly right. Come to Me. [7][8], Matthew 5:3–12 discusses the Beatitudes. (The Greek word “know” here is epignosko and means “full knowledge,” not just a passing acquaintance.). It's about Jesus - What did Jesus teach and preach. “Who is this man?” the crowds wondered as they listened to Jesus teach and saw Him work. In other words, most Christians know that Jesus performed miracles, and that he died for our sins. Thanks. [1][2] It is the first of the Five Discourses of Matthew and takes place relatively early in the Ministry of Jesus after he has been baptized by John the Baptist, finished his fasting and meditation retreat in the desert, and begun to preach in Galilee. In Matthew, there are eight (or nine) blessings, while in Luke there are four, followed by four woes. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, doubtless it’s true that the “best things ever said” is also arbitrary. (Matthew 4:23), » And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. I will give you rest. Likewise, those who had it all and became hypocrites and deceivers and abusers are destined for the lowest regions of hell. They don’t like sermons and have little use for a system that centers around preaching. The "gospel of Jesus Christ" is simply the message of good news that Jesus preached—not a message about Jesus. (Matthew 24:14). Rejoice! Jesus was condemned by Jews because he preached an older religion than Judaism, therefore they did not believe he was the messiah, Christianity has only been around since Jesus and is based on Jesus and his teachings but what was the religion that Jesus taught called? Jesus did not speak His own words, but the words that the Father gave Him (John 8:38-42; 12:49-50; 14:24). And we are invited in. Jesus Christ was the Son of Joseph, carpenter of Nazareth, and the Son of God. Heaven is available. His message was not primarily about Himself, but rather the good news that the Father ordained to be announced on earth. It’s all about Jesus. The students are who they are. (Matthew 24:14). We know Him. [18] Various religious and moral thinkers (e.g. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. I don’t have to play that game anymore, and there’s a freedom in that. As a result, it was those "unbelieving" Jews who he condemned and ordered his followers to murder (Luke 19:27). Elsewhere, in John 8:12, Jesus applies Light of the World to himself. You preach your hardest to get across some wonderful insight from Scripture and some close-minded hearers reject the teaching without even considering it. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Three: “Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight” (Matthew 11:26). If Christianity is judged solely on the person of Jesus, as the Gospels depict him, the result is a negative one. Indeed, it has led to the slaughter of Christians deemed heretics by other Christians as well as millions of others who would not accept the "peace Christ has to offer.". If we ignore any one of these essential elements—if we ignore the message that Jesus Christ brought from the Father—we will have a distorted faith, one that will not bring salvation. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. Yes, it's about Jesus, the Jesus of the New Testament. While this selfless act was and is unquestionably momentous, and its effects exceedingly far-reaching, many would be shocked to find out that the Bible defines the gospel differently than what they have always been told. But if the events of His life are not seen in the context of what He said, the resulting "faith" will be full of error and ultimately disastrous! Thus h… While Jesus Christ was categorically the most important individual ever to walk this earth, the Bible shows clearly that the gospel that Jesus brought was not simply about Himself. True enough. ( Matthew 9:35 ) » Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God , and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. To the leper who, against all regulations, ran to Jesus and fell down before Him, saying, “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” our Lord said, “I am willing.” (Mark 1:41). (Luke 8:1), » The law and the prophets were until John. Feel free to disagree with us as we all work together to discover the truth of Scripture. Some things God does simply because doing so pleased Him. (Matthew 9:35), » Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. he is also head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:15-18), And this: “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete; He is the head over all rule and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10). If the Lord’s people see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12), it’s no stretch to say that we write through a glass darkly too. Jesus' supposed prayer, "Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34a), an interpolation not found in the earliest manuscripts of Luke, is carefully crafted to exonerate the soldiers who physically affixed him to the cross.