THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION

`Where is He that is born King of the Jews? ... In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, and

thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda: are not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a

Governor, that shall rule My People Israel' (Matt. 2:2,5,6).

The opening words of the Lord's ministry announce the kingdom :

`Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,

and saying, (1) The time is fulfilled (hence the kingdom is that of Old Testament prophecy), (2) the kingdom of

God is at hand (the King being present): and (3) repent ye, and believe the gospel (good tidings)' (the condition)

(Mark 1:14,15).

John the Baptist opened his ministry to Israel with the call to repent (Matt. 3). The Lord opened His ministry to

Israel with the call to repent (Matt. 4:17). Peter re-opened the ministry to Israel with the call to repent (Acts 2:38;

The miracles which the Lord wrought immediately following His opening words were with the confessed object

of bringing Israel to repentance, and thereby instituting the kingdom:

`Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not ...

Tyre and Sidon ... would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes' (Matt. 11:20,21).

The parables which immediately follow the Lord's rejection introduce the theme of the Restoration. Matthew 12

records the rejection of Christ by Israel; Matthew 13 records the first parables. These parables were uttered because:

`... they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the

prophecy of Esaias' (Isa. 6:9,10; Matt. 13:10-15).

The seed that is sown by the sower is `the word of the kingdom'; and although in its initial stages failure was

prominent, yet in God's good time that seed of the kingdom shall fall into good ground, and the harvest shall be

The Transfiguration testified to the fulfilment of prophecy concerning the kingdom of which both Law and

Prophets did speak. This is made perfectly clear by Peter's inspired testimony:

`... we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty ... We have also a more sure word of prophecy ...'

(2 Pet. 1:16-19).

The promise of the Lord to those who had forsaken all and followed Him, is directed to the restoration of the

` ... Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in

the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' (Matt. 19:28).

The final great prophecy of Matthew 24 and 25 necessitates the restoration of the kingdom:

`When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the

throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all NATIONS ... Then shall the King say ... inherit the

KINGDOM ... ' (Matt. 25:31-34).

In the last solemn verses, of trial, suffering, and crucifixion, the KING and the KINGDOM are prominent. The

High Priest said :

`I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto

him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand

of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven' (Matt. 26:63,64).

The Roman Governor said :

`Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest' (Matt. 27:11).

The Roman soldiers gave evidence that the Lord's claim to kingship was widely known and steadily maintained: