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the just result of our rebellion<br />
against God; our real problem<br />
is our sin and the destruction<br />
it brings (Isaiah 1:18; 59:2,<br />
Daniel 9:24, Zechariah 13:1,<br />
John 1:29).<br />
God made us in His own image,<br />
perfectly designed to love<br />
Him and each other. The first<br />
man and woman could have<br />
lived in absolute joy and peace<br />
forever. But they chose to listen<br />
to Satan instead, bringing<br />
death on all their descendants<br />
(Genesis 3). The disease of sin<br />
went far beyond the disobedience<br />
of Adam and Eve, and it<br />
wrecked our relationships with<br />
God and one another. Humans<br />
became selfish, greedy, and<br />
suspicious, lying, stealing, fighting,<br />
murdering, and raping one<br />
another.<br />
God never wanted this for<br />
His children, and ever since the<br />
first sin, His love has been working<br />
to restore the creation to its<br />
original perfection (2 Peter 3:9,<br />
Romans 8:18–25). As one of<br />
the first steps in that plan, God<br />
chose a faithful and obedient<br />
man named Abraham to begin<br />
a family who would learn to<br />
serve God and one day bless<br />
the entire world (Galatians 3:8).<br />
But Abraham’s descendants, the<br />
Israelites, forgot God’s call. They<br />
piled up wealth for themselves<br />
and neglected the poor and the<br />
foreigners. Even their kings and<br />
judges were corrupt. It was a<br />
mess.<br />
God sent prophets to call<br />
His people back to Him, and<br />
to announce the coming of a<br />
King who would restore the<br />
broken world. This King would<br />
bring justice to the poor and<br />
destroy the crooked oppressors.<br />
He would end all wars, and<br />
everyone’s weapons would be<br />
re-made into garden tools. The<br />
world would again be ruled by<br />
God, the just and merciful King<br />
(Isaiah 11:1–9).<br />
Centuries later, when Jesus<br />
was born to a working-class<br />
family in a barn in Bethlehem,<br />
the angel Gabriel told Jesus’<br />
mother her child would grow<br />
up to save His people from their<br />
sins (Matthew 1:21). When Jesus<br />
finally began His ministry, the<br />
first thing He preached about<br />
was the Gospel of the Kingdom.<br />
“The kingdom of heaven is at<br />
hand,” Jesus said. “Repent!”<br />
(Matthew 4:17)<br />
Repentance means changing<br />
your mind, turning your back on<br />
your old loyalties, and following<br />
a new King. Jesus was inviting<br />
His countrymen to follow Him<br />
into a new, peaceful nation<br />
where God rules. The first four<br />
books of the New Testament are<br />
6 | <strong>Loaves</strong> & <strong>Fishes</strong> • Issue <strong>27</strong>
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