The Kingdom of Peace Wages War

Introduction

When Israel came into the land of Canaan led by Joshua, Moses’ successor, the conquest was very physically apparent. It was violent, unrelenting, with the wicked enemies of God being put to sword, their cities burned to captured, their possessions destroyed, and their property siezed. It was very apparently a conquest, not unlike many other military campeigns like those of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans but on a much greater scale.

And yet, this physical conquest reflected a much more important spiritual reality. God over all the earth had promised a Kingdom to Abraham, a Kingdom in which the faith he shown by following God and believing his Word would be a light to a world of darkness that had turned its back on God. Every victory the Israelites had over the Canaanites was an expression of the the force with which the kingdom of light drives out the kingdom of darkness.

However, this was not the true fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. The promise was made to him and to his seed, which Paul tells us in Galatians is the promised Messiah that Isaac was merely a precurser of. The covenant made with Abraham was a covenant made with Christ, God in human flesh, and so the Kingdom would be his.

So how will he take this Kingdom? Will it be another violent conquest? Armies and battles and strength in weapons and stratigy? In truth, from an earthly perspective it doesn’t look like much of a conquest at all. Instead of marching around with armies, he walks about with fishermen. Instead of fighting with sword and spear, he teaches in synagogues and preaches good news. Instead of driving gentiles out of the land, he draws them by his miraculous healing. Instead of causing the inhabitants of the land to be in terror, it is demons that flee. In all appearances this is nothing more than a peaceful preacher with supernatural healing abilities. In spiritual reality, however, war is being waged and the Kingdom of Heaven is coming. The King has come to take what is rightfully his.

The Galilean Ministry

The first ‘missionary’ trip through Galilee (the second 9:35).

According to Josephus, there were 240 cities, towns, and villeges in Galilee, an area about 2/3 the size of the GTA.

A ‘going about’ ministry

The word translated “went throughout” emphasises a travelling that does not have a destination in mind, a wandering. Jesus isn’t doing his ministry on the side of other business, he is going about specifically to visit all of Galilee proclaiming the Gospel and doing all that is associated with that.

Without too much detail, we are told about three seperate parts of this ministry. It is helpful for us to examin them as Christ here was teaching his disciples about the nature of the Christ’s mission and therefore the nature of his disciples continuation of that mission.

Teaching

Expounding the OT. We get an example of this kind of teaching in Luke 4:16-22

Luke 4:16–22 ESV

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Preaching

Proclaiming his message of the Kingdom, likely in more public settings, as the fulfilment of the OT rightly expounded. Jesus’ preaching is founded on the OT, tying it to God’s greater plan already revealed through the prophets.

The Gospel is simply the news that what has been anticipated throughout God’s revelation has finally come to pass. The good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven, the New Zion discribed by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zecheriah, and many other OT writers, is finally here.

Healing

The visible, supernatural power that confirmed the legitimacy of the ministry.

Hebrews 2:3–4 ESV

how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Jesus’ ministry is much more than words and theology, it comes with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Syrian Ministry

Although the message of good news means little to gentiles, healing certainly means a lot. The immediate following Jesus gets are gentiles from Syria looking for healing.

There is a naturally fleshly response to the Gospel that is attracted to the affects of the Gospel but not the Gospel itself. While this may lead to some coming to true faith, the world will eventually reject the message wholesale because of unbelief.

Judean Crowds in Galilee

After this, we are told of great crowds of Jews that follow Jesus, going out from Galilee, to an area called the Decapolis, all the way down to Jerusalem and Judea and even beyond the Jordan to the Gentiles living on the other side of Israel.

The Gospel ministry comes first to the Jews, than is pursued by the Gentiles, and thier following makes Jews jealous to bring them to their true messiah

Romans 11:13–16 ESV

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

These crowds are also very attracted to Jesus’ healing ministry, a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4

Isaiah 53:4 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Ironically, they, along with the Gentile forces, will be the means by which he will be afflicted for their own salvation.

Conclusion

The Kingdom comes through the ministry of teaching and preaching.

The Kingdom comes in miraculous, supernatural power.

The Kingdom come with tangible compassion, especially for the weak and hurting both among the people of God and outside in the world.