Page 31 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Present Aspect of the Kingdom

poor and blind (Matthew 5:3; 11:5; 15:14; 23:16–19; 26:11; Luke 6:39;
John 9:39–41). They were held in spiritual captivity and oppression
(Luke 11:21–22; 13:16; John 8:34). He set them free by preaching the gospel
to them and ministering to them in the power of the Spirit (Matthew 12:28;
Mark 1:14, 25; Luke 6:17–19; Acts 10:38).

While Jesus focused primarily on people’s spiritual needs, He did not
neglect their emotional and physical needs. He healed their emotional
brokenness and their physical blindness (Matthew 15:30; Luke 6:21;
7:21). He also showed great concern for the physically poor (Mark 14:5;
Luke 12:33; 14:13). Jesus’ kingdom ministry,
however, was not political. He did not lead
a revolution or a political movement, even
though He could have if He had wanted to Jesus did not
(Matthew 26:53; John 6:15; 18:36).
neglect people’s

In His Nazareth Manifesto, Jesus also emotional and
revealed the time of His kingdom ministry. physical needs.
He said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled
in your hearing” (Luke 4:21, emphasis
added). Christ’s kingdom ministry was in
the present. The “year of the Lord’s favor” had arrived (v. 19). It was
similar to the Old Testament year of Jubilee, a time when people would
be released from bondage and debt, and thus a time of great rejoicing for
the people (compare Leviticus 25:8–55). The Messianic Age had dawned
and Jesus had come to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God”
(Luke 4:43).

The Kingdom Comes in the Power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus Performed His Ministry in the Power of the Spirit

As noted above, Jesus began His kingdom ministry by announcing that
the Spirit’s anointing was upon Him (Luke 4:18–19). In this announce-
ment, Jesus revealed that the Spirit of God was the source of His
kingdom power.

Jesus’ entire ministry was done in the power of the Spirit. In fact, He
did not begin to minister until He was first empowered by the Spirit
(Luke 3:21–23). Luke states that immediately after His baptism “Jesus…

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