A recurring theme in Jesus preaching was “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mathew 3:17). He was the Kingdom of God. It is through his birth, death and resurrection that we have been rescued from our deserved punishment of eternal separation from God.
The people’s religion had become centered on the temple. To swear by the temple had become a guarantee that the person would be true to his or her word. To swear by the altar carried even greater weight. But Jesus said to them, “One greater than the temple is here” (Mathew 12:6).
Jesus prophesied that terrible things were going to happen to Jerusalem because the people did not recognize their hour of visitation by God (Luke 19:44, John 1:10). They had plenty of opportunity to turn toward God and away from self-centered ambitions.
The same word applies to us. If we are allowed to live a full life we may reach age 80 or 90. Many more are reaching the age of 100 than in the past. But there is also an increase in the dying of the young by accidents, murders, heart disease etc.
The point is this. None of us know the number of days we have to live. We assume there will be many and that we have plenty of time, but so did the almost everyone who was killed in an automobile accident last night. The kingdom of heaven is at hand for us now, we may not reach tomorrow.
Therefore, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
