What Did Jesus Preach?

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

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To listen to discussions about Jesus in public venues, one would have a very skewed perception of who he was.  The most common statement that I hear in public discourse is:  “Jesus is Love”.  While that is not a false statement, as it is used, is VERY misleading.  This statement has to be understood by the person using it and the context it is being used.  Most often, it is spoken in the context of a topic being discussed that is widely believed to be a sinful lifestyle or behavior.  And to throw out the statement that “Jesus is Love” is intended to convince the masses that Jesus doesn’t care about the sinful lifestyles or behaviors of others.  He only cares about “Love”.  The other primary issue is that the person making this claim has NO idea about what Jesus’ meaning of love is.  But that is a topic for another day.

Our passage today gives us some very important clues to who Jesus is as a teacher.  It is worth our time and effort to understand who Jesus really is.

1.  Jesus Began to Preach

Words mean things.  For the most part, writers are very careful to choose just the right word to convey the delicate nuance of what they are trying to convey.  The Bible is no different.  There are many ways that the Bible could have described what Jesus did in his ministry.  It could have said that ‘Jesus began to encourage’.  Or ‘Jesus began to uplift’. Or ‘Jesus began to spread love’.  Instead, it says that ‘Jesus began to preach’.  The word ‘Preaching’ is a unique word.  It is usually isolated to religious teachings.  It also conveys a sense of persuasion – trying to get the listener to react in a prescribed manner.  In every recorded sermon, lesson or teaching of Jesus, he tried to get people to leave the life that they had and change to be able to follow him.

2.  Jesus Preached Repentance

So what did Jesus preach?  He preached Repentance!  His primary message was NOT his “love” for us.  His primary message was not “tolerance”.  His primary message was not “acceptance”.  Instead, as our passage today clearly states, Jesus preached Repentance!  

So what is the inference that we must conclude from this truth?  To get that, we must understand what “Repentance means”.  The best definition that I have hears is that Repentance is a change of heart which will lead to a change of life.  Change!  Ok…change from what to what?

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Luke 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

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Acts 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 

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Repentance is a change of mind that will lead to a change of life from a state of sin or wickedness to going in the opposite direction…towards God! Therefore, if Jesus preached repentance, he, by necessity, preached about sin.  And since he was preaching repentance, we know that Jesus did not endorse ignoring sin, or excusing sin, or acting like it was no big deal.  To Jesus, sin is a HUGE deal.  It was the sole reason that he had to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus preached repentance because he wanted us to cease from sin and to follow him!

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Acts 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 

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3.  Jesus Preached about the Kingdom

The other main topic that Jesus preached about, from this passage is the Kingdom.  It is not good enough for us just to repent.  We must also become citizens of his great Kingdom, of which he is King, Ruler, and Master!  We know that the Kingdom that Jesus established is his church (Matt 16:18-19).  Many religions want to separate the King from the Kingdom.  Meaning, that you can believe in Jesus (the King) and not necessarily have any thing to do with his church (his kingdom).  Jesus did not see it that way.  Once one repents, Jesus expects them to become citizens of his Kingdom, of which he has total authority.

Examine the ministry of Jesus in the four accounts of his Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  You will not find a passive, feel-good, let’s-all-get-along message coming out of his mouth.  What you will find is that Jesus hated sin and wanted to save as many people from the curse of sin as possible.  Certainly Jesus represents Love.  So much so that he made the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate his love for us.  But Jesus dedicated his life to preaching repentance and His Kingdom!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Look for the King!

 Look For the King!

Matthew 2:1-12 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (3) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (4) And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. (5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, (6) And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (7) Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. (8) And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. (9) When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. (10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (11) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (12) And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

In the United States, every four years, our country gets turned upside-down as we search, evaluate, and elect a new president to lead the direction of our country.  The process lasts for well over a year as we narrow the field to the final two and then the real fight, bickering, positioning, gaming, and politicking takes place.  As voters, we gather as much information as possible as we watch the debates, watch interviews with the candidates, listen to what others say about the candidates, examine each of their records, watch rallies and speeches…all to attempt to make the most informed decision as possible.

All this to select the person to lead a country for four to eight years.

What might we go through if we were selecting a King for life?  What should we then go through if we were searching for a King for Eternity?

In our text today, we find events surrounding the birth of Jesus.  Specifically we read of the wise men’s search for the recent birth of the “King of the Jews”.  I think there are 3 things that we can learn from these searchers.

1.  It was Wise Men that Searched for Jesus

Generally speaking, at each end of he spectrum we have two extremes:  Foolish and Wise.  I di not know of  a single person that would claim they  are aiming for or even want to fall on the side of the foolish.  Foolish people focus on trivial things that entertain them for the moment.  Wise people focus on how to improve their situation for the long term.

It is no accident that the Bible describes the men that searched for Jesus as “Wise Men”.  The men most likely would have been men of stature and significance in their far away lands.  They brought significantly valuable gifts, so they would have been men of means and influence.  And yet with all of these other characteristics, they understood the importance of  seeking Jesus the King!

2.  They Sacrificed to Find the King

These men did not come from down the street, or across town, or even from the same country.  They traveled a great distance from another country in the east to seek out Jesus.  Not only was time and inconvenience involved, they also brought him valuable gifts.  Sacrifice is a critical part of serving Jesus.  Jesus sacrificed his life to save ours and he expects us to make some sacrifices in out life that we might serve him.

3.  They Followed the Star

As these men searched for Jesus they were guided by a Star in the sky which led them to his location.  We may not have a physical star to guide us, the the principle is not much different.  In Psalms 119:105  it says  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. “  We can find the King too because God similarly gave us a light to follow.  His Word is the ONLY thing that can lead us to the cross of Jesus.

4.  They Worshipped Him

When they found the King.  They worshipped him.  I think this is particularly significant because the “King of the Jews” had to be very different than the birth of other Kings.  There was no fan-fair.  There was no celebration.  They did not find him in a palace surrounded by a powerful family and riches.  They found a baby that few knew about and was born in the least likely a place for a King to be.  And yet, they did not let their blown expectations deter them.  They still knew he was THE King and they worshipped him.

Often times, people have unrealistic expectations of Jesus.  And when they discover he is different than they hoped they are like Naaman, the walk away mad.  The world has created a narrative about Jesus that man will not like.  But in the end, we must understand what God has told us about our King, accept it, and Worship him.  Because in the end, Our King is victorious and we need to be on his side.

You need to Look for the King if you have not already found him.  If you have questions, ask me.  I will shine the Light on the subject!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com