The Moment We All Have Been Waiting For.
When John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus steps forward. The moment we have all been waiting for finally begins. But before we rush into the excitement of Jesus’ public ministry, Matthew wants us to see how carefully God has prepared for this moment. Scripture tells us that God is patient. He is not late, and He is not careless with time. As Peter says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise… but is patient… not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). From the very first promise in Genesis 3:15, God has been working steadily toward this day. He has been shaping His people through stories, covenants, failures, and hope—teaching them what salvation looks like and preparing them to receive it.
John the Baptist is the final act of that preparation. He calls people to repent. He uses water to get them ready to receive the Son. God does not overwhelm His people all at once. He forms them slowly and carefully, like a potter shaping clay. That means waiting does not mean God has forgotten you. It means He is working. God’s timing is intentional, and His patience is for our good. When the moment comes, it is not just the right time—it is the perfect time.
With the preparation complete, Jesus begins His ministry with a declaration: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the heart of the gospel. The good news is not only that sins can be forgiven, but that God’s Kingdom has arrived. Heaven is no longer distant. The King has come near. Jesus is announcing that God is now ruling on earth in a new and powerful way through Him.
This changes how we understand Christianity. Following Jesus is not just a personal belief; it is belonging to a Kingdom. A Kingdom has a King, citizens, a culture, and a way of life. The Church exists as an outpost of this heavenly Kingdom on earth. What Jesus announced in Galilee is what the Church continues to proclaim today: God has come down to rescue, restore, and renew what was lost.
Jesus does not just announce the Kingdom—He begins to spread it. The first people He calls are fishermen. He tells them they will become “fishers of men.” This was not a random image. Israel knew this language well. The prophets had described Israel being “caught” like fish by foreign nations and dragged into exile (Jeremiah 16:16; Amos 4:2). They were hooked, pulled from their land, and enslaved by the empires of the world.
But now the image is reversed. Jesus, the true King, comes to overthrow those powers. He will fish for people not to enslave them, but to free them. These fishermen are sent out to gather people into life, light, and forgiveness. Jesus builds His Kingdom with an eye for an eye. He will fish for men and bring them into His kingdom, like they were hooked and dragged into the darkness and sin.
This is still the mission of the Church. We are citizens of the Kingdom and ambassadors of the King. We are sent into dark places to cast the net of the gospel of the Kingdom and bring people to Jesus, trusting Him to give them new life.
Matthew shows us that the Kingdom Jesus announces is not just words—it has power. Jesus teaches, heals diseases, and drives away suffering wherever He goes. Nothing is beyond the reach of His Kingdom. No sickness, no darkness, no brokenness is too strong for the King.
Notice that people bring others to Jesus. They gather the hurting, the broken, and the lost and place them before Him. This is what Kingdom work looks like. We bring people to Jesus, and He does what only the King can do. The power of the Kingdom flows through faith, prayer, and proclamation. The gates of hell cannot stand against it.
The Kingdom is here. Jesus is the King. And we are His ambassadors. Our task is not to fix the world by our own strength, but to bring people to the King who can. We trust Him to heal, forgive, and restore by His power.
This means we must learn to live as citizens of heaven and like foreigners in this world. We work for our King now, knowing that a day is coming when heaven and earth will be fully joined. When that day comes, there will be no more sorrow, no more darkness, and no more death. Christ will reign forever, and His Kingdom will never end.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Bruce
