How Does Jesus' Gospel Message Reshape Our Daily Lives?

The coming of the Kingdom of God was central to Jesus’ teaching and preaching. Occasionally, people offer that the heart of Christ’s teaching was the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Others suggest that Jesus message can be summed up in the call to “love one another” (John 13:34). While the themes of love and righteous living are present in Christ’s teaching, these statements are mere subcomponents of the central theme of Christ’s preaching. The fact is, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God more than any other topic. Fundamentally, Jesus came proclaiming the good news that God’s kingdom had broken into the world and was active around us.

Still, this begs the question: What is God’s Kingdom? Importantly, the Kingdom of God is not a thing to hold. It is not a castle or a place. God’s kingdom is God’s activity, manifest in human life. This is exactly what we pray for in the Lord’s prayer. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth” (Matthew 6:10), we ask that our lives on earth cohere with God’s purposes. Because God’s activity has come to earth uniquely in Jesus Christ and is present with us today in the Holy Spirit, we are invited to experience all that defines God’s blessed rule.

Jesus stands amongst the people and says, “Now is the time. Everything you have been waiting for is present for you. Repent and believe in the good news.”  Repentance is obviously a loaded word. We have images of red-faced street preachers who scream scripture into people’s faces and talk more about hell than they do about heaven. But repentance simply means to change your mind – or to turn around.   

Think of it like this: Imagine that you are on your way to church on Sunday morning. If you find yourself approaching the next town over, then you need to repent, literally. You will need to turn around and head the other way. This is what Repentance means, and it is what Jesus is getting at when he calls people to this action. Repentance is an invitation to turn into the good things Jesus Christ offers us. Because, after all, if it is true that the full manifestation of God’s kingdom has come upon the earth, isn’t this a reality that we want to turn into? If Jesus stands in our midst and offers forgiveness of sins and a love that casts out any fear over divine punishment, isn’t this something we want to turn to and embrace? 

Jesus calls us to believe this good news. To turn into it, accept it, and base our life on it. Believing the gospel isn’t just about intellectual assent or answering biblical trivia questions correctly. Believing the gospel is about deciding that my life going forward will involve Jesus. Believing in Jesus is the act by which we turn to Jesus each day and embrace him. When we turn to Jesus and dare to believe that our lives can be touched by his, we uncover the rich things of God’s kingdom made manifest in our lives.

The gospel that Jesus proclaimed and incarnated is not time-bound. It didn’t fade away by the centuries. It is as relevant and as powerful for us today as it was to the people when Jesus walked. And so, today, the message comes: “The time is at hand, the kingdom is here, turn into it and believe this good news.”

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Aiden Franklin

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.