Why did Jesus preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand?
Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand because He was the King and was ready to set up the kingdom in fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants. He continued the same message John the Baptist had begun, calling Israel to repent.
Les explains that from Matthew 4:17, Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This was the same message John the Baptist began. John would slip off the scene and end up in prison, and Jesus picked up the same message. Jesus preached this because He was the King, ready to set up the kingdom in fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants. Even though the nation rejected it, His salvation would extend to the ends of the earth. Les also ties this to Isaiah 60, where the glory of the LORD rises upon His people, and to a reference in Ephesians 2, where despite darkness covering the earth, Gentiles shall come to His light.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
More Questions
What message did Jesus preach at the beginning of His ministry?
Jesus started His ministry with the same message John the Baptist preached: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'