"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ~ Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17
Jesus’ words, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," found in Matthew 4:17, marked the beginning of His public ministry and were more than just a call to change behavior—they were an invitation to a whole new way of life. Imagine standing in a crowd, hearing Jesus for the first time. He wasn’t offering abstract philosophy but urging people to reorient their hearts, because God’s presence was breaking into the world in a powerful and personal way, right then and there.
What makes this message so compelling is its immediacy: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Not some distant promise or far-off hope, but right now, within reach. Through Jesus, the reign of God was no longer just an idea or prophecy—it was unfolding in real-time. This wasn’t just about individual repentance; it was about aligning with God's work as His kingdom was advancing.
Interestingly, this call wasn’t unique to Jesus. John the Baptist echoed the same message in Matthew 3:2, preparing people’s hearts to receive the Messiah. But where John’s words carried the urgency of a prophet on the cusp of change, Jesus’ words carried fulfillment—the change had arrived.
When we hear these words today, they carry the same weight. Jesus is still calling us to turn from anything that distances us from God and to step into the fullness of life in His kingdom. It’s not just a warning; it’s an invitation to be part of something divine, happening right here and now. Let's dive deeper into this phrase and what it means for us today.
What it Means to Repent
John the Baptist has blasted onto the scene. His message was “Repent ye!” Repentance is when a person does a turnaround or an about-face, which means a 180-degree turn from the direction that the person was headed.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:1).
Every military organization utilizes an about-face in their troop marching process. The leader of that troop sees what lies ahead. The troops are marching in a specific direction toward a specific destination.
The leader may call the troops to halt, which means to stop proceeding further, then he will call an about-face, thereby the troops will turn around in an organized fashion to face the direction from whence they came.
Spiritually speaking, this means abandoning the sort of egotism that prompts wrong activities like lying, cheating, tattling, vengeance, misuse, and extramarital perversion. An individual who repents quits revolting and starts to follow God to glorify him — to be in his presence.
How Can We Be a Part of the Kingdom of Heaven?
The initial phase in turning to God is to concede our wrongdoing, as John asked. Then, at that point, God will get us and help us to live in the way he wants us to live. Only God can dispose of sin and transgression. He does not anticipate that we should tidy up our lives before we come to him.
Repent is an articulation that has consistently been given to the people of God as a test to pivot, or to turn from. The word repent in Greek is metanoó or metanoia, which means to adjust your perspective or to change your mind. You are going one way, pivot, and change course.
Is repentance primarily for saved people? Those are the ones who, when they become cold and uninterested, are told to come back to God. Some may inquire if the unsaved individual is dependent upon repentance.
The jailer was advised by Paul and Silas to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). At the point when an unsaved individual believes in Jesus, that individual is repenting.
Having faith in Christ means that a person is turning to Christ. When someone turns to Christ then that person must be turning away from something. Having faith and confidence in Christ implies that an individual is going to Christ.
When somebody goes or comes to Christ then that individual should abandon or leave something else. Assuming an individual does not abandon that something, then that individual must not be fully going to Christ. Repentance is essential for someone who is beginning to believe.
How is the Kingdom of Heaven at Hand?
The Kingdom of Heaven drew near to us when God himself came to earth as a man. This is what is meant by John when he said, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He implied that the kingdom of heaven is now available today in the Person of the King.
The Jewish religious leaders were looking for an actual physical kingdom, not a spiritual one. So, one could say that the kingdom of heaven is a reality now in the present.
Today, Jesus Christ lives and reigns in the hearts of all believers, yet the Kingdom of Heaven will not be completely acknowledged until all evil on the planet is judged and eliminated.
Christ first came to earth to live and fulfill the role of a suffering servant. One day, he will return as ruler and judge to govern over all the earth.
The individuals who come to Christ as Savior and recognize him as their Lord are converted into the realm, the kingdom of the Son. They have a place with Jesus now. Christians have a closer connection with Jesus than that of a subject of an earthly king.
We are the bride; Christ is the groom. As subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are to carry out God’s orders. We humbly obey God because of our love for what Christ has done for us.
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).
The exact wording of “the Kingdom of Heaven” is only found in the Gospel of Matthew over 30 times.
The phrase “Kingdom of God” is utilized in the New Testament over 70 times, with five of those mentioned in the Book of Matthew.
The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God
There is no genuine distinction between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. The two expressions are basically two unique approaches to show the same thing: a system of government or a kingdom that is ruled and controlled by God.
The authority to rule was given to Jesus Christ by the Father, who is now situated at the right hand of the Father. At an assigned future time, at the hour of Christ’s subsequent returning, Christ will then, carry this rule from Heaven to earth. As such, Christ will reign with the authority and power of God and of heaven.
Why the difference in phraseology? It is possibly due to Matthew not wanting the people to become confused and not understand the meaning of the kingdom. As stated earlier, many of the Jewish religious leaders were awaiting a physical kingdom to occur.
They did not grasp the concept of a spiritual kingdom. As Jesus stood before Pilate, he clearly stated that his kingdom was not of this world.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36).
Regardless of how we utilize the wording “the Kingdom of Heaven” or “the Kingdom of God,” they both should be pointing toward Christ, the reason that Christians are joint heirs.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:16-18).
For further reading:
How Do We Seek First the Kingdom of God?
Why Is it Important to Have an Eternal Mindset?
What Is the Millennial Kingdom and Reign?
What Does it Mean to Be Heirs with Christ?
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