The Full Gospel: Rediscovering the Kingdom Message
An objective of this discipleship study is to share the insights gained from Messianic Judaism and the practice of the Jewish people with the broader church, bringing these invaluable perspectives on the New Testament and the Gospel to the followers of Jesus. Why can these insights only be fully appreciated from a Jewish perspective? Because the New Testament, like the rest of the Bible, was written by Jewish people. Paul even says that the oracles of God were entrusted to the Jewish people. God declared to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, “If you will hear My voice and be My people, I will make you a holy priesthood, a nation set apart.” Although all the nations belong to God, Israel would be His special treasure, a priestly nation. But what does it mean to be a priest? A priest stands as an intercessor between God and the people, representing the people before God and bringing God's message to them. That was the role of the priests in the Old Testament, and as a nation of priests, the Jewish people continue in that role.
You may not have heard of Messianic Judaism. It is essentially the practice of the Jewish religion rooted in the Old Testament, but with the belief in Jesus as the Messiah. It's a growing movement that reconnects the church with its Jewish roots.
Many people think they know what the Gospel is, but in my experience, the Gospel as preached by Jesus and the apostles is not well understood. Many think the Gospel was simply believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins so that we can go to heaven when we die. But that’s not the full message Jesus taught. It becomes clear that the problem is a misunderstanding of what the Gospel really is.
The evangelical movement by the nature of the name takes the Gospel seriously. The term "evangelical" itself means "proclaimer of the good news." But the message we've been hearing in recent times isn't the same good news that Jesus, Paul, or the apostles preached. Nowhere in the Gospel of Matthew will you find Jesus saying, "Believe in me for the forgiveness of sins so that you can go to heaven when you die." Yet, that’s what many think the Gospel is. Instead, the Gospel has been reduced to a remedy for fear of death or punishment in the afterlife, which sells God’s message short.
So, it's important to revisit the basic question: what is the Gospel? The word "gospel" comes from Old English, meaning "good story" (from "god" meaning "good" and "spell" meaning "story"). In Greek, it comes from "evangelion," which means "good news," and in Hebrew, the word is "besorah."
The concept of "good news" actually appears multiple times in the Old Testament. You might be surprised to find the Gospel there, but it’s present. For instance, Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings besorah (good news, Gospel), who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" This good news could refer to any report of joy, but in the biblical context, the Gospel is the proclamation of the fulfillment of God’s promises—restoring Israel and establishing the messianic King, the Son of David, on His throne. This is the good news Isaiah speaks of, and it echoes throughout the Old Testament.
The good news is about the end of exile for God’s people, their restoration to the Promised Land, and the coming of the Anointed One, or Mashiach in Hebrew. The word mashiach means "anointed one," derived from mashaq, which means "to pour out oil." In Aramaic, the word becomes Messiahs, which was later transliterated into Greek as Christos (meaning "the Anointed One"), and then into English as Christ.
The Gospel is centered on the arrival of this promised Anointed One, who will redeem Israel and establish God’s kingdom on earth. Isaiah 40:3 begins with this Gospel message: “A voice cries in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” A few verses later, we read, "Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news... say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God!'" This prophetic message finds its fulfillment in the Gospels when John the Baptist becomes the herald of this good news, the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for Jesus.
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we see this prophecy fulfilled. John the Baptist is the one who comes proclaiming the good news, or as we might say, he was an evangelical—a proclaimer of the Gospel. His message was simple: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). That was John's sermon. And when Jesus began to preach, after John's arrest, He started with the very same message: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).
Interestingly, Jesus never gave a sermon about a plan of salvation, never passed out tracts, and never asked anyone if they were saved or going to heaven. Instead, He preached John’s message. When He sent out His disciples in Matthew 10, He told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons—and to proclaim the message, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The message of John, Jesus, and the apostles was consistently, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." So what does repentance mean? Some say it means "to change your mind," which is the Greek understanding. But in Hebrew, repentance means "to turn around," or more literally, "to return." It’s an urgent call to turn your life in the opposite direction, to stop sinning and start doing good, returning to obedience to God’s commandments.
Repentance is a fundamental part of the Gospel, yet it is often the least popular. The Gospel message comes with a serious moral imperative: to repent and turn back to God’s ways. While the Gospel is crucial, the law—God’s instruction—is what teaches people how to live righteously, transforming their lives after they repent and believe.
Despite its growth, the Gospel hasn't transformed the culture in a meaningful way. Basic moral principles are often missing in our culture. This issue applies to the whole church. The Gospel message must include God’s righteous standards—His declaration of what is right and wrong. It shouldn’t be a matter of choosing between the Gospel and the law, as if they are separate. The Gospel inherently assumes the law when it calls us to repent. Otherwise, what are we repenting towards? We must repent towards God’s standard of righteousness.
When we hear the phrase, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," we often think of a geographic territory with borders ruled by a sovereign. When we consider the kingdom of heaven, we tend to imagine something similar but in the sky, perhaps with pearly gates and streets of gold, or something in the future. But that’s not what the kingdom of heaven refers to. When John the Baptist and Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, or Malkut Shamayim, they were referencing something much more profound.
In the first century, and still today, Jewish people refrained from pronouncing God's name out of reverence. Instead, they used circumlocutions—substitutes like Adonai (Lord) or Hashem (The Name). Another common substitution was Heaven. So when they spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, they were really talking about the Kingdom of God.
Luke, writing primarily for a Gentile audience, makes this clear by translating the phrase as "Kingdom of God." At its simplest, the Kingdom of God refers to the kingdom promised through Moses and all the prophets—the Messianic Kingdom described in Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 31, and Ezekiel 36. This kingdom is the time when universal peace will reign, when Israel will be gathered from the four corners of the earth and returned to the land, when Jerusalem will be rebuilt as an eternal city, and the throne of David will be restored. The Messiah, the Anointed Son of David, will reign over the world from that throne.
In this Messianic era, even creation will be restored—wolves and lambs will lie down together, and lions will eat straw like oxen. Sin will be removed, forgiven, and forgotten, and the people will be cleansed. God will pour out clean water on His people and place a new spirit within them, making a new covenant. He will write His Torah on their hearts, and no one will need to tell their neighbor to know the Lord, for everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know Him. All nations will go up to Jerusalem to learn the Torah from the Messiah, as it says, “For the Torah will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
This is the Kingdom of Heaven—the reign of King Messiah on earth. Every disciple of Jesus is called to seek this first: "Seek first His kingdom." All other concerns of this material world are insignificant compared to this one overarching goal. We are to seek the Kingdom, the reign and rule of God through His righteous Son, King Messiah. The Kingdom refers to the Messianic era when the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth. There will be no agnostics or atheists in that day; the existence and presence of God will be undeniable to all.
Isaiah foretells that when the Kingdom comes, the Teacher will no longer be hidden, and all nations will ascend to the light of Messianic Jerusalem, where the righteous Messiah, the Son of David, will reign on David’s throne. In that era, swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, symbolizing the shift from war to peace, as resources once used for weapons will be devoted to productive, worthy ends. The Messianic era will flourish with miraculous abundance, eradicating poverty, as everyone will have their own fig tree, symbolizing self-sufficiency. Joy, gladness, and thanksgiving will fill the land, with no more hunger, disease, or suffering—everyone will have enough. In this Kingdom, God will raise the righteous to eternal life, and humanity will finally reach its true spiritual potential, free from the evil inclination, as Satan will be bound and no longer hold sway over human minds. The righteous will dine with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King Messiah, as Jesus himself promised, "I will drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom," and it will be said, "Blessed is everyone who eats bread in the Kingdom of Heaven."
Our holy Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, commanded us to seek this Kingdom with all diligence. Every disciple is called to live for this Kingdom, clinging to Jesus like a branch to a vine, with the promise that not only will we enter this Kingdom in the future, but we can also experience its power, peace, and joy right now. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand—it’s accessible to us here and now in a spiritual sense. The true disciple of Jesus lives every day for this Kingdom, constantly praying, “May Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Through our attachment to the Messianic King and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we seek to bring the Kingdom into this world. This is the essence of the Gospel—the good news predicted in the Torah and the prophets. It is not a New Testament novelty but a fulfillment of promises from the Old Testament, an earthly, Israel-centered Kingdom with Messianic Jerusalem at its heart.
Unfortunately, traditional theology has often rejected this literal vision of the future, allegorizing the promises of the prophets into spiritual abstractions. From the early church fathers, theologians have claimed that these prophecies symbolize the church, which has replaced Israel, and that the Kingdom is purely spiritual, fulfilled in heaven after death. As a result, the Gospel has been reduced to a message about joining the church to ensure entry into heaven after death, with different denominations offering different pathways.
However, biblically, the Gospel is much grander. It encompasses God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David, promises of radical transformation in the Messianic era. The righteous dead will be raised to life, a miraculous reality that is central to our faith. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom as something that is not coming with outward signs, saying, “The Kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20-21). From this perspective, the Kingdom is not merely a future place but a present reality for those who choose to submit to the King. Those who obey the King, surrendering to His rule, are already part of the Kingdom, and Jesus calls us sons and daughters of that Kingdom. To have a Kingdom, you need a King, and Jesus came as the promised King. John the Baptist fully expected Him to establish this Kingdom soon, which is why he proclaimed, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The contingency was clear: repentance. The Kingdom is near, but it requires hearts that are ready to receive it.
Repentance, as we know, did not occur as it should have, and so the plan took a different course. After our Master’s atoning suffering and His triumphant resurrection, on the day of His ascension, His disciples asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” His response was, “It is not for you to know the times or dates.” When He ascended, the angels declared that He would return in the same way He left. And that’s the gospel we are waiting for. So, if you condense the gospel into a simple statement, it’s this: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." But allow me to expand it further:
Here’s the gospel in fuller terms: Repent, because the Messianic age is near. How near? Near enough that the Messiah has already been identified—Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, attested by God through mighty works, wonders, and signs. He was delivered up according to God’s definite plan and foreknowledge, crucified by lawless men, and raised by God, breaking the chains of death because it was impossible for death to hold Him. He has ascended to the right hand of the Father, and after receiving the Holy Spirit, He has poured it out on His disciples. Therefore, repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Yeshua, the King, to become His disciple. You will receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. When He returns, He will bring the Messianic era, establish the kingdom of heaven, defeat Israel’s enemies, end the exile, and restore the kingdom to Israel as foretold by the prophets. At that time, God will raise His disciples from the dead to join Him, just as He raised Jesus. After the kingdom is established, the final judgment will come, when everyone will stand before the throne. Those who have obeyed King Yeshua and trusted Him will have their names written in the Book of Life. This promise is for the Jewish people, their children, and all who are far off—everyone whom God calls to Himself.
That’s how I would put it—or rather, that’s how Simon Peter put it on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It was a powerful message, as those who received it were baptized, and about 3,000 souls were added to their number that day.
Admittedly, this is a lot to convey. It might not fit on a tract, but it’s the complete gospel—the expanded version of “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” I’m not saying the traditional gospel presentation is wrong, but it’s incomplete. That means there are millions of brothers and sisters today who don’t know the whole story. How’s that for a mission field? Many Christians only know fragments of the gospel—a piece here, a piece there.
A gospel that doesn’t preach repentance is not the full gospel. A gospel that doesn’t preach baptism and transformation is not the full gospel. A gospel that doesn’t preach discipleship, the kingship of Jesus, and submission to His lordship is not the full gospel. A gospel that doesn’t teach the restoration of Israel and the coming kingdom of heaven on earth is not the full gospel.
The danger with a partial gospel is that it produces partial converts, not true disciples. Ironically, when the gospel is reduced to merely a message of personal salvation, it becomes so diluted that you wonder if it even has the power to save. It calls people to ask Jesus to forgive their sins without calling them to renounce those sins and surrender to the King. The true, full gospel transforms lives—it calls for submission, obedience, and trust in Yeshua as King. To the extent that we do this, we enter His kingdom.
The gospel, the good news of the kingdom, means that through faith and allegiance to Yeshua of Nazareth, we can experience the power of the Messianic age now. Yes, it brings salvation and eternal life, but it also transforms our homes, relationships, and behavior, offering forgiveness for sins, regeneration, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And most importantly, it brings us the opportunity to know the Lord—just as in the Messianic era when everyone will know God. We can have that relationship now, becoming sons and daughters of God.
That’s the gospel. When you hear this good news and believe it, it places a high demand on your life: repent, quit sinning, turn around, and start living a righteous, obedient life in conformity to God’s Word. Submit to the authority of Jesus, because the kingdom of God is here and now.
Conclusion
As we conclude this exploration of the Gospel, it becomes clear that the message is far more profound than just a personal salvation plan. The Gospel calls us to repentance, transformation, and alignment with God’s will, preparing us for the coming Kingdom of Heaven. It is a message of hope, not only for the individual but for all of creation, as it promises the restoration of Israel, the reign of King Messiah, and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. By embracing the full Gospel, we are called to live lives of obedience, reflecting the righteousness of God’s law, and bringing the power and peace of the Messianic era into our present reality. The kingdom is not just in the future; it is at hand, and as disciples, we are invited to participate in it now.