No greater statement has ever been made; no words mean more than Jesus' announcement at the beginning of his ministry: "The kingdom of God is near." Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, describes this statement as saying, "All the preliminaries have been taken care of, and the rule of God is now accessible to everyone."
The good news that Jesus proclaims at the start of his ministry is that there is a shift in God's relationship with his world. The moment Jesus walks onto the scene, God comes near to his people in a way he never has before. Through Jesus, the barriers are broken down and God himself walks among us as a human being.
Even more wonderful, Jesus invites us to join his mission. His mission is simple: to defeat the powers of sin and death and to make new life available to every person. That's the ministry of Jesus: "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
To accept this invitation to change the direction of our lives, we embrace Jesus as our Savior. God's forgiveness through Jesus gives us a new lease on life. It means stepping into the abundant and purposeful life that God has in store for us.
This is good news! If you have not placed your life into the loving, powerful hands of Jesus, I invite you do that today.
Dear Lord, thank you that through Jesus the door to the kingdom of heaven has been opened. Lead us all to grow into a closer relationship with you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
About the author — Kevin DeRaaf
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