I BELIEVE IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT NOBODY WANTS TO BE LEFT OUT OR OVERLOOKED. WE PRAY THAT WE’RE NEVER PICKED LAST. WE ALL WANT TO FEEL INCLUDED AND ACCEPTED. WE HOPE TO BE THE ONE HIRED, ASKED, CHOSEN, AND OR INVITED. WELL, WE HAVE!
EPHESIANS 1:4, “EVEN BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD, GOD LOVED US AND CHOSE US IN CHRIST TO BE HOLY AND WITHOUT FAULT IN HIS EYES.” GOD LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY AND CREATED YOU TO HAVE A LOVING AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN, THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS, HAS BEEN TO RESTORE US BACK TO HIM IN AN INTIMATE AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP. ANY REPENTANT SINNER HAS AN OPEN INVITATION TO COME AND RECEIVE THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE.
REVELATION 22:17, THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, “COME.” LET ANYONE WHO HEARS THIS SAY, “COME.” LET ANYONE WHO IS THIRSTY COME. LET ANYONE WHO DESIRES DRINK FREELY FROM THE WATER OF LIFE.”
GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY AND TO FULLY EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE FOR YOU. WE MUST WANT THIS DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP AS NOTHING WILL FORCE IT UPON US. WE HAVE TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO RECEIVE JESUS AS BOTH SAVIOR AND LORD.
THE TIME TO MAKE THAT DECISION IS NOW AS THE “WINDOW OF GRACE” THAT GIVE US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO GOD’S MESSAGE, THROUGH JESUS, IS LIMITED. THE DAY WILL COME WHEN THIS OFFER IS RESCENDED AND IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN THAT JESUS STATES, HERE, AT THE START OF HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY THAT WE ARE TO REPENT AND TURN TO GOD BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR. PAUL TELLS US, 2 CORINTHIANS 6:2, “…INDEED, THE ‘RIGHT TIME’ IS NOW. TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.”
LET US THINK ABOUT WHAT JESUS IS SAYING HERE. HE IS NOW, LITERALLY, “THE NEW EXODUS.” WE REMEMBER HOW MOSES LED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF BONDAGE TO SLAVERY IN EGYPT, SO WE NOW SEE JESUS WITH THE MANTLE OF LEADERSHIP TO LIBERATE US OUT OF SLAVERY TO BOTH SIN AND DEATH. JESUS INVITES US TO OUR OWN EXODUS, IN ORDER TO LIVE WITH THE GLORIOUS FREEDOM AS “HEIRS” AND AS GOD’S CHILDREN.
FIRST, JESUS SAYS TO REPENT! REPENTANCE IS MANDATORY IF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS TO BE FOUND AND ENJOYED. THE WORD “REPENT” MEANS “TO TURN” OR “REVERSE DIRECTION.” WE WOULD CALL THIS A “180-DEGREE TURN” SIGNIFYING A RADICAL AND COMPLETE CHANGE OF DESIRE, THOUGHT, AND DIRECTION.
TRUE REPENTANCE GOES FAR BEYOND JUST FEELING SORRY FOR OUR SINS. REPENTANCE GROUNDED IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CREATES WITHIN US SINCERE CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR, HEART AND MIND. REPENTANCE IS A GROWING AND MATURING PROCESS THAT CREATES A COMPLETE CHANGE OF OUR WAY OF LIFE.
THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH, SAYS, “…REPENTANCE CALLS FOR A SINCERE AND THOROUGH CHANGE OF MIND. TO REPENT IS TO TURN FROM SIN WITH GENUINE SORROW AND TO TURN TO GOD IN CONFESSION AND SUBMISSION. THE WHOLE PERSON IS INVOLVED: MIND, FEELINGS, WILL. REPENTANCE IS MORE THAN REGRETFOR WRONGDOING OR SORROW AT BEING CAUGHT. IT IS PERSONAL SORROW THAT ONE HAS SINNED AGAINST GOD. REPENTANCE DEMANDS A RADICAL TURNING FROM SIN AND A SINCERE TURNING TO GOD….”
REPENTANCE, LIKE THAT OF ZACCHAEUS, IS EVIDENCED BY OUR “ACTS OF RESTITUTION” THAT TESTIFY OF OUR REPENTANCE THROUGH OUR CONDUCT, OBEDIENCE, SERVICE, WORSHIP AND EFFORT NOT TO FALL BACK INTO OUR FORMER WAYS OF SIN.
WE MUST BE CONTINUALLY WORKING TO TURN AWAY FROM OUR SELF-CENTEREDNESS AND THE IDOLATRY OF WORLDLY PURSUITS. WE PASSIONATELY MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF JESUS BY BELIEVING IN AND TRUSTING FULLY IN HIM.
JESUS THEN STATES “FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR.” THE CONCEPT OF THE KINGDOM BEING OF “HEAVEN” OR OF “GOD” ARE THE SAME MEANING. MATTHEW IS SIMPLY BEING RESPECTFUL TO HIS JEWISH LISTENERS WHO DID NOT OPENLY PRONOUNCE GOD’S NAME OUT OF THE UTMOST REVERENCE FOR GOD.
JESUS WAS NOT IMPLYING THAT, AS THEIR LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH, HE HAD COME TO INAUGURATE AN EARTHLY KINGDOM. GOD’S KINGDOM HAD BEGUN WHEN HE ENTERED HISTORY AS A HUMAN BEING IN THE FIRST ADVENT.
JESUS WOULD USHER IN GOD’S KINGDOM, NOT BY MILITARY CONQUEST, BUT THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS OWN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. JESUS DIDN’T COME WITH PEN IN HAND TO SIGN AN ARMISTICE TREATY. HE CAME, WILLINGLY, TO OFFER HIMSELF AS THE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR ALL SIN.
1 JOHN 2:1-2, “MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS I WRITE TO YOU, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. AND IF ANYONE SINS, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS. AND HE HIMSELF IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS, AND NOT FOR OURS ONLY BUT ALSO FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.”
WE MUST LOOK BEYOND OUR OWN GOVERNMENT AND ALL OTHER WORLDLY POWERS AS JESUS WILL NOT RULE IN ANY OF THESE COUNTRIES. THE LOCATION GOD DESIRES TO RULE IS IN PEOPLE’S HEARTS. HE WANTS US TO SURRENDER TO “SELF” AND GIVE OUR HEARTS AND LIVES COMPLETELY TO HIM.
WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING IS THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AS “NEAR” AS PEOPLE’S WILLINGNESS TO MAKE JESUS KING OVER THEIR LIVES. LUKE 17:21, “ONCE, ON BEING ASKED BY THE PHARISEES WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WOULD COME, JESUS REPLIED, ‘THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE OBSERVED, NOR WILL PEOPLE SAY, ‘HERE IT IS,’ OR ‘THERE IT IS,’ BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.”
THE FULFILMENT OF GOD’S WORK AND THE RETURN OF JESUS AS THE “PRINCE OF PEACE” CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME, YET ITS SPIRITUAL REALITY IS AS NEAR AS ACCEPTING JESUS AS SAVIOR. WE MUST TURN FROM OUR SINS BY TURNING TO GOD BY ALLOWING HIM TO FULLY GOVERN OUR LIVES THROUGH DAILY SURRENDER.
WHAT MATTHEW IS STATING IS A PROPHECY-FULFILLING REVELATION: WHEN JESUS ARRIVES IN CAPERNAUM HE BECOMES THE LONG-AWAITED “LIGHT;” THE MESSIAH.
SO, NOT ONLY “THE PEOPLE WHO SAT IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT,” BUT JESUS NOW PUTS INTO CONTEXT THE WORDS OF ISAIAH 9:6-7, “FOR A CHILD IS BORN TO US, A SON IS GIVEN TO US. THE GOVERNMENT WILL REST ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED: WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE.” HIS GOVERNMENT AND ITS PEACE WILL NEVER END. HE WILL RULE WITH FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE FROM THE THRONE OF HIS ANCESTOR DAVID FOR ALL ETERNITY. THE PASSIONATE COMMITMENT OF THE LORD OF HEAVEN’S ARMIES WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN!”
THIS IS TRULY THE “GREAT INVITATION” AS THE LIGHT AND SALVATION IN CHRIST IS FOR ALL PEOPLE. GALATIANS 3:27-29, “AND ALL WHO HAVE BEEN UNITED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM HAVE PUT ON CHRIST, LIKE PUTTING ON NEW CLOTHES. THERE IS NO LONGER JEW OR GENTILE, SLAVE OR FREE, MALE AND FEMALE. FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. AND NOW THAT YOU BELONG TO CHRIST, YOU ARE THE TRUE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. YOU ARE HIS HEIRS, AND GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM BELONGS TO YOU.”
THIS IS WHY, TO ME, “REPENTANCE,” ACCEPTING JESUS AS SAVIOR, AND LIVING FOR JESUS GOES SO FAR BEYOND THE ONE, LONE, CONCEPT OF “GOING TO HEAVEN.” WE HAVE PROMISE, HOPE, RELATIONSHIP, LOVE, AND ETERNITY WITH GOD THE FATHER WHO LONGS FOR SUCH A RELATIONSHIP.
WILL YOU ACCEPT GOD’S GREAT INVITATION? ROMANS 10:13, “FOR “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” LET US HEED THE WORDS OF JESUS TO REPENT BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR!
