The Kingdom Is at Hand

MEMORY VERSE: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” —Matthew 4:23

MATTHEW 4:12-25

THE title of this lesson is suggested by verse 17, in which Jesus is quoted as saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Emphatic Diaglott translation reads, “The Royal Majesty of the heavens has approached.” Jesus was that “Royal Majesty of the heavens,” and since he was present in Israel beginning the preparatory work of the kingdom, it could quite properly be said that “the kingdom of heaven was then at hand.

Jesus is the light of the world, that “true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:9; 8:12) The work of enlightening the world has not yet been accomplished, but Jesus, the source of enlightenment, had “approached” at the time of the first advent, so the prophecy quoted in the lesson concerning those who saw a great light was then fulfilled in part.—vss. 12-16; Isa 9:1,2

While the people to whom Jesus ministered, and with whom he mingled, saw the great Light of prophecy, not many of them appreciated what they saw, because Satan, the god of this world, had filled their minds with darkness. (II Cor. 4:4) However, some received and were blessed by the Gospel of the kingdom as it was presented by Jesus, and these became the nucleus of that “little flock” who will live and reign with Christ when his kingdom is fully established.—Luke 12:32; Rev. 20:4,6

Verses 18-22 contain an account of Jesus’ selecting four of his apostles—Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These were fishermen, and to Peter and Andrew he said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It was not God’s plan that all the fish in the sea should be caught during the Gospel Age. Indeed, in one of his parables Jesus taught that at the end of the age there was to be a sorting of the fish which were caught, and the unsuitable ones thrown back into the sea—the world.—Matt. 13:47,48

The work of God in the earth during the age beginning with Jesus’ first advent has been the calling and selecting of a company to be associated with him in the rulership of his kingdom. The calling of these from the world has been accomplished through the power of the kingdom Gospel. By preaching the Gospel every disciple of Christ has been a “fisher of men.”

Jesus was very zealous in the work of preaching the Gospel. At the time referred to in this lesson he was centering his attention on Galilee, the northern part of Palestine. He taught in the synagogues, and wherever opportunity offered. His message was “the Gospel of the kingdom,” which was the good news that the God of heaven would establish a world-wide government of peace and security which would bring health and everlasting life to all who would obey its laws.

Jesus was not limited to the use of words in proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, for he was endowed with power to perform miracles to illustrate the full meaning of his message. After Pentecost, when Peter and John were instrumental in healing a man who had been lame from birth, Peter explained that following Christ’s second coming there would be “times of restitution,” or restoration “of all things,” and then added that this had been foretold by the mouth of all God’s holy prophets since the world began.—Acts 3:1-21

The “times of restitution” is the period in which Christ’s kingdom will be controlling the affairs of men, and as Peter explained, all God’s holy prophets had foretold the blessings of restitution, or restoration, which would then reach the people. It was appropriate, therefore, that in preaching the Gospel of the kingdom Jesus should illustrate his message by miracles of healing.

The resurrection of the dead had also been foretold by the prophets as taking place during “the times of restitution,” and Jesus awakened some from the sleep of death to illustrate this aspect of the future kingdom work. While Jesus’ oral presentations of the Gospel were powerful, they were made even more effective by the miracles which he performed.

However, it was not the divine intention that the disciples of Jesus were to continue his program of miracles. The apostles did perform miracles for a time, but when they fell asleep in death this phase of preaching the Gospel ended. But we rejoice that it will become world-wide when Christ’s kingdom is fully established.

QUESTIONS

What did Jesus mean by the expression, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”?

When will Jesus enlighten all mankind?

What is the work of God during the Gospel Age?

How did Jesus illustrate his kingdom message?

When will all mankind be healed and given life?

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