Matthew 9:35

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Our passage begins with a short summary that Matthew has already included earlier in His gospel. Back in Matt. 4:23 Matthew begins writing about the ministry of Jesus in the exact way He does in Matt 9:35 but only as a ministry that takes place in the region of Galilee. Matthew 9:35 marks a special transition in Matthew’s gospel that is communicating we have reached a new stage in Jesus’ ministry. From the span of Matthew 4 to Matthew 9 there is a progression taking place that reveals Jesus is carrying out a ministry that is meant to reach the rest of the world through three actions: teaching, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

At the foundation of Jesus’ ministry is His teaching as it the first action He does to begin with. The content of Jesus’ teaching is unique. He is described by many as a teacher with great authority and communicates like no one else who has come before Him. He consistently highlights key themes from the Old Testament law but in a new way than what people have heard before.

One of His most famous teachings appears in Matthew 5 to 6 known as the Sermon on the Mount. He teaches concerning hope for the weak, how to reconcile with your enemies, the importance of marriage, giving to the poor and even how to pray. While this sermon is long in length and expands on many other matters, it is rich in presenting a message focused on living a life not marked by “religion” but instead a life of love, generosity and compassion towards others.

The common teaching during the time of Jesus from the religious leaders stressed perfect obedience to the law. Do this and you will be rewarded. Do this and you will be recognized by others as worthy to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Their teaching was one that reflected “perfect religion” and was measured by speaking and doing rightly. They were concerned about earning holiness from a Holy God.

When Jesus appears on the scene and presents His teachings, He causes disruption and challenges everything they taught which they strongly disliked. Why? Because He is presenting a teaching opposite from them. While Jesus does value obedience, He greatly values the desire of the heart. If one’s heart is set not set on the things of God, then what good is it to live a life of obedience? Another reason for the religious leaders’ distaste for the Lord’s teachings is that He speaks graciously towards sinners. He communicates how fulfillment and reward is something not earned but rather given by the almighty God who is generous and loving towards the least worthy of people.

Jesus was a teacher, but not only was he a teacher, He was a messenger sent from God to present the gospel of the kingdom. The word gospel is a fancy term for “good news”. If Jesus is presenting the gospel of the kingdom, then what He is proclaiming is the good news of the kingdom.

What is good news of the kingdom? The good news of the kingdom is different from how we perceive the “gospel” we know. If you were to ask a Christian what the gospel is, they more likely would describe the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and how He saved humanity from their sins. While this is true, we must take into consideration that at this point in Jesus’ ministry His death has not taken place yet. There are moments when He alludes to His death, but His death has no connection to the “good news of the kingdom” He is proclaiming.

The good news of the kingdom concerns what is taking place through Him. Jesus is the messenger sent from the Father to make manifest the mysteries of God. Every time Jesus speaks, He presents new life, fulfillment, joy and everything perfect as He is perfect. What better news is this? Humanity has been granted direct access to God through the Son eliminating all separation between mankind and its Creator.

Jesus is a good teacher, a messenger from the Father, and thirdly, and most crucially, He is a healer who has power to heal every disease and every affliction. Between all four gospels there are many stories of miraculous healing never seen before. His healings are a huge draw for many people that come from all over. No matter how awful the situation is: sick, lame, leper, near dead or dead, He is able to heal on command. By healing people, He is accomplishing multiple things. He is confirming the words spoken about Him from the prophets and He is providing credibility to His teachings.

The ministry of Jesus is radically different. It’s transformational and presents hope for all. It presents good news of the kingdom and even restoration for those in need. Even greater, it’s a ministry done with compassion for the people as further stated in Matthew 9:36…