Imagine with me, all your life you’ve been oppressed by the worst regime in the last century. God’s been silent for the last 400 years, but you’ve been told all your life that the Messiah will conquer the Romans and put Israel in its rightful place above all nations. But then this Jesus person comes, and he says something completely different.
He says Repent.
He calls you to move from your sin and follow him. He is radical. His words are challenging, and they are still challenging to us today. In this major turning point in Matthew, I ask us to consider what is the kingdom of God and why is this the first command that Jesus gives his people in his ministry?
Matthew 4:17
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ The first phrase of this verse is, “From this time on,” how does Matthew tie together both the past and the future Consider that this is the turn towards Jesus’ boyhood to his ministry
+ The first word of Jesus’ ministry that Matthew chooses to record is repent. Why is this?
+ We generally think of repentance as merely asking for forgiveness, but it also contains the idea of turning toward something. How does this inform why Jesus might connect the ideas of repentance and the kingdom
+ How is this different from what the Jews who Matthew is writing to would have expected?
+ If repentance is what allows access to the kingdom, how does Jesus’ kingdom have a fundamental difference from all others?
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What similarities do you see here that point towards the sacrifice of Christ?
+ How is God calling you to live in his kingdom?
+ Is there something that you need to repent of that is not allowing you to enjoy being in Christ’s kingdom?
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?
+ Is there someone who needs to repent for the first time in order to enter God’s Kingdom