Matthew 3:1-4 (KJV)

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

When John appeared upon the shores of the Jordan River proclaiming, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” this was not a deep mystery to the Jews.  They had suffered for centuries under the rule of one empire after another.  They had suffered under the tyranny of Babylon, the Meads and Persians, and the Assyrians. At the time of John the Baptist, the Roman Empire was their oppressor.

Through their suffering under all these empires, God sent His prophets proclaiming a Deliverer who would once and forever put away their oppression. The following passages illustrate this;

Daniel 2:44 (KJV)

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel 7:13-14 (KJV)

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Psalms 89:29 (KJV)

29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

Psalms 89:36-37 (KJV)

36 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.

37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (KJV)

5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Zechariah 12:7-8 (KJV)

8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

The Jews believed that God would raise up another king like David, a Messiah who would put down all oppression and restore their nation to the greatness it knew under David’s reign.  When David became king, he united the fragmented tribes and unified them into a mighty nation.  Mighty men rallied around him, and through his leadership, they put down every enemy that ever came against them.  So powerful were the armies he commanded that even the most powerful nations came bearing gifts and asking for peace.  The Jews longed for the Messiah to come. 

Yet when the Messiah came the Jews did not recognize Him.  Why?  Because they misunderstood the scriptures they professed to cherish.  We read this and are unmoved.  But consider carefully that only a remnant of godly people did understand.

Matthew 16:13-17 (KJV)

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Why was this such an important event?  We read this passage and think, of course He was the Christ.  After all, consider the miracles He did.  Consider the power He demonstrated over nature.  It doesn’t take the Holy Spirit to see that He was the Son of God.  But to the Jews, Jesus’ life presented many major problems that could not be explained.

The Christ was to be king.  Where were the prophets anointing and announcing Him as king as they had with David and Saul?  The Christ was to come out of Bethlehem.  The Christ was to unify the fragmented tribes of Israel, whereas this man’s teaching was divisive.   Why wasn’t He rallying the mighty men to battle?  Why wasn’t He confrontational with the Roman government?  These unanswered questions presented major obstacles to the Jews.

However, here in this passage, Peter was able to set aside his preconceived notions concerning the Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit speak to his heart.

Acts 1:4-6 (KJV)

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

After spending 3½ years with Jesus, they were still waiting for the Messiah to put down Roman rule and establish Israel as a mighty kingdom.

Matthew 28:16-18 (KJV)

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

“But some doubted.”  Consider the gravity of this statement.  They saw Jesus heal every form of sickness.  They saw Him demonstrate His power over nature.  They saw Him multiply the food, raise the dead, and do so many miracles “that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written (John 21:25 KJV).”   They had now just witnessed Jesus’ death, the earth’s trembling, and sun’s refusal to shine.  Then Jesus arose from the dead.  Yet “some doubted.”  Given all that had taken place over the prior 3½ years, how is it that anyone could doubt? 

Religious traditions are difficult to overcome.  Everyone conceded that Jesus was a rabbi because of His teachings.  Many could even bring themselves to allow Him to be called a prophet because of His miracles.  But to acknowledge Him as the Messiah?  That would go against the very fabric of their faith.

The Jews weren’t completely wrong.  They believed in one God: Jehovah.  They believed in the Word of God.  They held sacred God’s law and upheld its righteousness (Matthew 19:16-20).  Where they missed it was in their understanding of the Kingdom of God and the prophecies concerning it.  The Jews were quick to heed the instruction of John the Baptist: they repented and were baptized.  However, his preaching concerning the Kingdom, the Word embraced by Jesus and His disciples, was completely contrary to their established doctrines and understanding of biblical prophecy.  They could not accept it.

Ironically, we find a similar issue with God’s people today.  By and large, the Church believes in God, His Word, and the righteousness He demands.  There is little controversy over the need to repent or be baptized.  The controversy centers mostly on the understanding of the Kingdom of God.

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The Kingdom of God itself was not observable.  This is not to say that the effects of God’s kingdom were not observable by those with whom it came into contact.  Consider the following scripture:

·         “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you (Matthews 12:28 KJV).”  Is this not observable?

·         “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17 KJV).”

·         “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20 KJV).”

A few days ago as I came home late from work, I turned the radio on to listen to music.  Instead of music, I heard a speaker say, “You may have the Spirit of God and don’t even know it.  It came with the package of salvation.  At some point in time, the Spirit of God moved into your life, set up His kingdom, and you weren’t even aware of it.”

I was stunned by his assertion.  Is it possible for the God of the universe to move into your heart without your being aware of it?  Do you believe that if a devil suddenly were to possess you that you would fail to know it?

The Power of God is active

The power of God is not passive but active.  It compels us into righteousness, love, and humility.  If you struggle with these things in your life, then you should question whether or not the Holy Ghost is present.  God’s kingdom is not a mystical place beyond the stars where He dwells in a heavenly abode.  It’s present!  It’s with us!  It’s in our very hearts.  John said that the kingdom of God is at hand.  “At hand” means near to us.  It’s within our reach!

Romans 8:11 (KJV)

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Paul could have written, “…if the Spirit of God dwell in you.”  But he did not.  Instead he wrote, “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you.”  Why?  To underscore the working of the Spirit of God.  He is a life-giving spirit.  When the Spirit of God is present, It brings life to that which is dead.  It drives out death and corruption.

·         Life finds a way, violently if necessary.  In the winter, a white blanket of snow covers the mountains and valleys, and the trees are barren.  But when springtime comes the snow melts and life burst forth in unquenchable violence. 

·         Life can be fierce.  Roots have been known to penetrate an iron sewage pipe or a cement slab.  How much more the “life giving” Spirit of God? 

·         The Kingdom of God could not be prevented.  Both the religious and the demonic tried to prevent it but could not.

Romans 8:9 (KJV)

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Conversion and change are not optional, nor are they accomplished through determination, self-control, or discipline.   The Spirit of God drives out death, sin, and self.

Colossians 1:13 (KJV)

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

We have been “translated,” moved from darkness into light.  Yet many well-intentioned teachers profess that Christians remain “sinners” every day throughout their entire lives.  When Jesus saw sin within the temple, He drove it out with zeal and passion.  Sin was not tolerated.  But yet we are taught that Jesus sympathizes with our sin and understands our failures.  We convince ourselves that somehow sin in the temples of our bodies will be overlooked.

We could also ask, did Jesus lose His power when He left this earth?  Or, why is it that when He walked this earth He held complete dominion and all things were obedient to His command, but now that He lives and has dominion in our hearts, obedience has become optional?

2 Chronicles 5:1-2, 11-14 (KJV)

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

When the Spirit of God was present, it drove out that which was fleshly.

Distractions are prevalent

That which keeps us from God is prevalent.  It’s all around us.  If they hear a message that stresses the importance of holiness, many Christians begin to feel uncomfortable as the result of their conviction, and consequently, view it as negative.  Why?  Churches have been invaded with men whose goal is to make people feel good when they attend.  That way they will want to return.  This behavior also has a biblical pattern. 

Did you ever consider why Israel so easily turned away from God?  First of all, there was but one Tabernacle.  There was only one place to worship God, but there were idols and shrines everywhere catering to the whims and passions of people.  Satan made it easy and appealing to serve him by making prevalent the opportunity to miss God.  Consider the following two passages:

1 Kings 14:21-23 (KJV)

23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.

2 Kings 17:7-12 (KJV)

10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

Conclusion:

·         Men have always looked for a natural kingdom, but instead God brought a spiritual one.

·        We, just like Peter, need to be a people that goes beyond preconceived ideas and traditions in order to be able to see Jesus as the Messiah, our King.

·        Religious traditions, if not overcome, will hold us back from walking in the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

·        God has “translated” us from a natural world of sin and corruption into a supernatural kingdom of power and life through His Son Jesus.

·        In these last days, there are people who have only a form of godliness but deny that power.

·        The Kingdom of God is within us, and it is present today!  It is not a kingdom that we must wait for after we die, but one that we can and should be walking in today.  In this we can truly be alive!

·        We must view the Kingdom of God like the man in the parable (Matthew 13:44) who went and sold all that he had to purchase that field which had treasure hidden in it. He valued that treasure above all else that he owned.

·        Finally, there is this challenge: have you sold all to purchase the Kingdom of God?  Have you abandoned all to seize the prize?  Are you walking in the power of the Kingdom of God? If not, are you willing to set aside the traditions and the preconceived ideas that are holding you back?

May the grace of God be with you always.

Amen.