Evidence Matters
What Jesus Actually Brought to Earth
Ask any American churchgoer the question what did Jesus bring to earth, and you will receive a variety of answers. Take a moment and consider the question yourself; what is your conclusion(s)?
Common answers include salvation, the image of the Father, forgiveness, redemption, and more. These answers are not wrong, but they are NOT the principal item Jesus brought us. By obscuring this understanding, our adversary, the Devil, wreaks havoc across today’s Christian denominations.
First, a prophecy of Isaiah recorded roughly 735 years before Christ was born on earth:
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Frequently quoted during the Christmas season, most churches focus on this ancient passage’s foretelling the human birth of the coming Messiah. Less studied is the phrase And the government will be upon His shoulder. Examining the author’s culture, “upon his shoulder” referred to a servant employing a yoke to carry a load for their master (see image below).
Applying this cultural context, the verse highlights the coming Messiah as a servant, carrying a government for those whom He will serve. The next critical question: What type of government did He bring. For that answer, we turn to the words of Jesus Himself.
After being filled with the Holy Spirit and subsequently recovered from His 40 day fast in the wilderness, Jesus began His official ministry. The gospel of Matthew records Jesus’ first message:
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
-Matthew 4:17 Emphasis added
Jesus didn’t bring a religion, He didn’t bring a denomination, He didn’t bring tradition; He brought a Kingdom!
Not long after, Jesus, while correcting false accusations from the Pharisee’s, clarified when this kingdom arrived:
But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Jesus’s human life delivered His Heavenly Kingdom to Earth. His Kingdom remains today, welcoming all who repent of their sins and accept His gift of Salvation. One day soon, those who are citizens of His Kingdom will further enter and experience the full dimensions thereof.
After Jesus’s victory over death, He ascends back to Heaven, where He currently rules at God’s right hand, with “angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him.” - 1 Peter 3:19-22
Today, Jesus intends for His Kingdom’s citizens to boldly enter and approach Him at His throne. Jesus doesn’t desire they spend their lives at the gate, camped out and worshiping the entrance. His citizens are called to equip themselves as ambassadors for the Heavenly Kingdom, taking part in colonizing earth for their Eternal King.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
May today’s Christians mature, purifying themselves by the blood of Christ, and grow in their relationship with their Savior and King! Through this growing maturity, they become equipped as God’s ambassadors, going forth into the world with boldness and authority from their King!
For more information on this topic, is recommended to test and evaluate the teachings of Dr. Myles Munroe.
Conclusion: Christ Jesus brought us a Kingdom! The Cross and Salvation are the doorway into that Kingdom. Citizens of this Kingdom must not stop at and focus on the door but proceed inward towards the foot of the throne where Jesus sits today, receive their specific instructions, and go forth in accomplishing their assignments.