Over and over again, Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was close, at hand, or within reach. His message drew thousands of people eager to listen. The Jewish people at that time recognized two distinct "ages" or periods of time. The first was their current age, marked by hardship, suffering, and evil. They also anticipated a future age which they referred to as "the kingdom of God", where all suffering would come to an end. So, when Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near, they understood Jesus was saying the future age was breaking into their present reality. Thousands of years later, we still find ourselves positioned between these two ages. Even though God’s kingdom hasn’t come in fullness, it has come in part because God’s presence is here. Therefore, we can experience the reality of the future kingdom in the midst of our fallen world. And that is the good new, or gospel, that Jesus came to proclaim.
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