October 24, 2006

• The Kingdom of Heaven-The Kingdom of God     Luke 4:43
  “Jesus Preaches in Galilee”

  
  

  Luke 4:43 “Jesus Preaches in Galilee” (8 min, 11 sec)

  
  

   
  
  

  NOTE: Click on the “POD” icon to download this MP3, Click on the title to go to the LaleoCafe Podcast Site.
  
  

  Direct download: Luke_4_43.mp3        Category: The Kingdom of Heaven

  
  (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20) (Part 21) (Part 22) (Part 23) (PART 24) (Part 25) (Part 26) (Part 27)(Part 28) (Part 29) (Part 30) (Part 31) (Part 32) (Part 33)(Part 34) (Part 35) (Part 36) (Part 37) (Part 38) (Part 39) (This is Part 40)

  
  

  The message in this Scripture is simple, yet, I believe, very important. Just prior to this Jesus spent the day and night healing people and driving out demons (Luke 4:31-41). There are two primary things we will look at, but first, let’s look at the Scripture, the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4, verses 42-44:

  
  

  42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

  
  

  As mentioned earlier, Jesus had been attending to the afflictions of others all night long. We see here in verse 42 that Jesus retreated to a “solitary place” to be alone, setting aside time in prayer with the Father. In fact, during His time on earth, Jesus was constantly in contact with the Father. This same story is told in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 35-39. Just as Jesus intentionally took time with the Father, I believe that we need to be careful not to be so busy that we neglect our relationship with God. Just like we do in our closest relationships with people, we should seek out one on one quality time with God. I would point out here that it was just as difficult for Jesus to spare the time as it is for you and me. It was also just as important.

  
  

  As we continue to look at verse 42, we see that the people continued to seek Jesus out, trying to keep Him from leaving them. I mean, who would want to lose this kind man who could heal any sickness or drive out demons with just a word or a touch? But Jesus put’s things in perspective.

  
  

  Let’s look at verse 43, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” Three key terms describe Jesus’ understanding of his mission on earth: must, kingdom of God, and sent. The sentence Jesus spoke here is unique to Luke; it explains that Jesus’ primary mission was to bring people to a place of decision to have faith in God, not merely to remove their pain.
  
       1.    The word “must” conveys Jesus’ sense of call and urgency.

  
  

       2.    The “kingdom of God” was the core of Jesus’ teaching. This is the kingdom where God reigns—it is a present reality and a future hope. Today Jesus Christ reigns in the hearts of believers, but the kingdom of God will not be fully realized until all evil in the world is judged and removed. Jesus came to earth first as a suffering Servant; he will come again as King and Judge to rule victoriously over all the earth. The nature of this kingdom, and those who would become its inhabitants, were key themes in Jesus’ messages. The kingdom of God was good news! It was good news to the Jews because they had been awaiting the coming of the promised Messiah ever since the Babylonian captivity. It is good news for people today as well because it means freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness. The kingdom of God is here and now because the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers. Yet it is also in the future because Jesus will return to reign over a perfect kingdom where sin and evil no longer exist.

  
  

       3.    The word “sent” stresses Jesus’ understanding of who was in charge. The Father, to whom he had just been talking in the wilderness, had sent him for this purpose. (1)

  
  

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Today’s CLUE: Jesus’ primary mission was to bring people to a place of decision to have faith in God, not merely to remove their pain. The kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God is Good News! It is good news because it means freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness. The kingdom of God is here and now because the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers. Yet it is also in the future because Jesus will return to reign over a perfect kingdom where sin and evil no longer exist.
  
  WHAT DO YOU THINK?

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  (1) Life Application Bible Commentary

  • 7:19 am
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