And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who had need of healing. (Luke 9:10-11)

Speaking About The Kingdom Of God

Jesus was a masterful teacher. Multitudes came to hear Him speak, enthralled by His demeanor, demonstration, and declaration of God’s word. The people were astonished at His teaching. Jesus did not speak as the scribes or religious leaders of Israel but as someone with authority. His message implored the people to see the word of the Father as truth with clear implications for obedience. The teaching of the Jewish scribes had watered down the message and changed the force of the law to personal liberties, binding heavy burdens hard to bear. Hypocrisy filled the ranks of the religious leaders as they sought the praise of men. Jesus did not come boasting, bragging or berating the people. His message was clear, concise, and commanding.

The kingdom of God is the core message of the gospel. Jesus had taken His disciples to a deserted place to spend time with them. When the multitudes (at least five thousand) found where Jesus was, they followed Him. Taking any opportunity to share the word of His Father, Jesus accepts the crowd and begins to speak about the kingdom of God. The Lord also goes among the thousands and heals any who had need. Afterward, Jesus will feed the huge crowd with five loaves and two fish with twelve baskets of the leftover fragments remaining. Following the miracle of feeding more than five thousand people, Jesus again goes off for some private time. The crowds find Him the next day, chiding the Lord for leaving.

Jesus knows why the people had come. He spent the day speaking about the kingdom of God and while He performed many miracles that day, His purpose was not to heal the sick and feed the hungry. The bread they ate the day before was gone and they were hungry again but the manna of God’s word is what sustains eternal life. Food was the people’s desire, and they missed the power of the message. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God and the crowds did not follow Jesus to hear more about the kingdom but rather to find something to eat. They had missed the greatest miracle given to humanity – the word of the kingdom.

The kingdom of God is the fulfillment of the eternal plan of God. Jesus taught the kingdom of God because that is what saves men. He did not focus on healing the sick, raising the dead, or feeding the multitudes bread and fish. Those things would perish in time. The real message of Jesus Christ is the kingdom of God. When men spend more time talking about the bread and the fish, they will spend less time talking about the kingdom of God. The church must preach the whole counsel of God, but it must preach the kingdom.

When the life of Jesus is examined, it is evident that He healed many people and performed a lot of miracles. Jesus did not rise from the dead for men to seek after bread and fish but the power of the manna from above. The kingdom of God is the word of God. Salvation will only be granted to those who do the will of the Father. Paul told Timothy to do one thing: preach the word. That is preaching the kingdom of God.