Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
What is the gospel?
More specifically, what is the gospel of the kingdom which Jesus proclaimed?
To begin, look back to the centuries and millennia at the role of kings in general.
Kings do not rule a republic. Kings do not rule a democracy. The power of a king is absolute and those who rule in the king’s domain (territory, dominion, lands) tell the king’s people (subjects) what to do and because they are subjects of the king the people must do what their king demands.
The message is NOT one from a common subject to other subjects of the king. No, a proclamation is written and spoken by the authority of the king and ruler of his subjects. This is true of the Kingship of God, as well as that of a mortal king.
The ‘proclamation, qara‘ is spoken to the subjects of the king with the expectation of obedience by the king’s subjects. Someone (in the Bible, sometimes an angel or a Prophet) has met with the king (or with God our Heavenly King), heard the message or news to be heralded or proclaimed and by authority of the king, he tells everyone.
Most are familiar with the first announcements of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Luke 2:10-11 KJV And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
The announcement by an angel from God is that the King has been born, a King of the Jews, as Jesus will come to be known as He becomes the sacrifice for our sins on a Cross.
God is NOT like any other mortal king and God has proclaimed Himself through Scripture.
Exodus 19:7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.
Moses is proclaiming the gospel of God. Moses has met with the King of Creation and proclaims the good news to the captives of Pharaoh.
8 All the people answered together and said,
“All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
The Hebrew slaves of Pharaoh might as well have said, “We accept the LORD as our King in the place of Pharaoh our king.”
And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”
Again, God! our King and Leader and Ruler and Sovereign, and Creator of all things, judge of all souls!
Christ Jesus IS God incarnate; that is: Jesus Christ is GOD in the flesh! He has set the captives of this world free from sin and the ruler of this world.
What had happened earlier, when God our Heavenly King challenged the king of Egypt (Pharaoh) with plagues and curses on the lands Pharaoh ruled, a land where the Hebrew people had been subjects of the lowest caste as slaves below every man and woman of Egypt?
Why had God chosen to take His own subjects, chosen by His covenant through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph?
(Here is God’s proclamation to Pharaoh, a mere mortal king of men, through Moses.)
Exodus 9: ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews,
“Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.
16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
And from the days of Moses until this day the Name and Power of God is proclaimed in all the earth and the miracles the LORD did for His people of Israel in the desert at Sinai, as they were led from the slavery of Pharaoh to God’s promised land.
To be continued…
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