The gospels of Matthew chapter 4:17 say that from the time Jesus began to preach he said "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Verse 23 states "Now Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people."
To be clear the scriptures tell us that those who come to him must believe that he is and he is a reward- er of them who diligently seek him. So being me I started with historical Jesus. Now a rabbi friend of mine once told me that their are historical writings about this Young man who caused a great stir among the people during the years just before the common era. It supposedly states how it was plotted to have him arrested and killed for treason against Ceaser. This type of uprising was common among the people and their was even suppose to be another of the same name who made claim to being the sent one, The Christ.
I found that my looking up the ruler's names mentioned that I could get a better understanding of the times, cultures and people that lived when Jesus did. The book of John does an excellent job of presenting intellectual material in which to base ones conviction concerning the man Jesus. In fact he states he wrote "that ye may believe that Jesus is the son of God and that believing you may have life." KJV In each of the gospels I fine the presentation of Jesus to be given in such a way as to provide evidence of his position as the Christ. I would find it hard to understand that the persons written to would believe what they read if there had not been a base for plausibility in the presented words and deeds of the man. They had to believe that what had been presented as their history was indeed true. That what could be called miracles had been seen before and could be seen again.
To believe in my opinion requires both knowledge and volition. ( the power to choose or determine)
Just in Matthew, and we will be mostly in Matthew, we can find at least seven references to Jesus offering himself as I AM. I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the true vine, I am the way the truth and the life. This was to establish in the minds of those he spoke to that he had the power and the right to do and say what he did and said.
Now, Jesus said a lot about the kingdom. What the kingdom is like, what those who entered the kingdom were like, what they'd have once they entered the kingdom, and where the kingdom is.
But he disclosed this information using parables. The word parable does not indicate an intention to make the information hard to understand or a mystery. Instead it was designed to give an example or comparison as the kingdom of heaven is like or as ...using examples that the people were familiar with.
So you see how my simple request for answers concerning the kingdom of heaven/God became a long blog.
The people of Jesus' time were wanting and expecting a deliver to stand up to Rome. Military leader such as David had been. They were ready to fight for their release from these gentiles. Many of them were as many are today. They had heard scriptures, they went through the motions of gathering them selves and some interpreted the scriptures in ways that could seemingly justify their behaviors. But because they did not have knowledge (an intimate relationship) of the scriptures they missed some key points that would have caused then to identify Jesus for who he was and understand the parables as the revelations they were meant to be. However, one needed to have heard in order to hear.
Jesus spoke with his disciples concerning the type death he would die. They didn't get it. They'd forgotten that this had been written of the Christ by the prophets. They did not realize that the Christ could not have been born sooner nor could come to die at a later time. Why not? Glad you asked.
The usual way was to conquer a people, take away their daughters their smartest young men and their young men who were old enough and strong enough to work at hard labor but young enough to change their way of thinking to accept the master's culture and treatment of them as right, just and good for them. They were to become slaves, compelled to work and with out a choice. Later in history slaves were servants. They could be given their own homes and a piece of land. They could even make a profit and buy them selves and their families out of bondage. Now, the Romans had a better idea. Leave the people on their land, leave alone their gods, let them have their names and their languages. Set up their religious leaders in high places, give them a little power under the rulers assigned to the land. Give these leaders a perception of wealth above the rest of the people.( along with the threat of keeping the people under control or facing criminal punishment and the loss of all wealth for all of your kind) Let the people continue their chosen occupations then tax um ta death. For those who rebel against the gracious generosity of Rome they set up one of the most cruel public displays of punishment known to man. Crucifixion.
There is a reason you say for Jesus being born, living and dieing under these conditions? Yes.
One is that Rome was the first and only kingdom to annex other countries and peoples to themselves. They added every place they conquered to "the kingdom of Rome".
Then they set up their government to dictate the laws of the land concerning commerce and finance.
they slowly injected their moral attitudes as not to get the older people overly stirred up so that they would be complacent concerning them. The younger one would as they reached the age of self direction would embrace the new morals after having been exposed from a young age. ( sound like today) But the real kicker is The way they punished those considered criminals.
The natural leaders of the people had a right to punish to a point for having sinned but to put someone to death was left up to the HRIC. (head Roman In Charge).
No other government hanged anyone on cross bars of wood. There was not a different word for tree and wood in Hebrew at that time. The person so sentenced was not hanged by the neck using a rope. remember that method was used during Ester's time. The rulers before that tossed you into fire or fed you to lions. beheading and stoning were popular in the region. As Egyptian slaves being beaten to death was the entertaining method of their rulers. Again none of which was carried out on Hebrew soil. Nails had to pierce his hands and feet.(not different word for wrist and ankle) Some one who had no respect for the Jewish scripture would even consider this form of death. It was an insult to injury. " Cursed is any man that hangs upon a tree". You might risk your physical life as a Jew but to be cursed of God". Nooooo! Had the Romans beaten him to death then it would have disqualified Jesus as being who he said he was, because he had to fulfill all of the prophesy. Not just die and come back. You do remember that their were other who had died and came back even during the time of the prophets.
OK, history and reasoning lesson over. We will next look at the gospels and get some understanding.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...
