Both John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministries with the exact same urgent message. They weren’t just telling people to repent; they were announcing a massive shift in world history: a coming Kingdom.
Matthew 3:1–2
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'”
John was the herald. “At hand” means it was within arm’s reach, right at the door. He was preparing the people to meet the King.
Matthew 4:17 & 23
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ … And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom…”
The word “gospel” simply means “good news.” The good news Jesus preached was that God’s sovereign rule was invading earth to displace the broken kingdoms of men and Satan.
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Many people assume the ultimate goal is just to leave earth and live in the clouds. But Jesus teaches that the ultimate inheritance for His people is a restored, renewed earth under His righteous rule.
Revelation 5:10, 19:11–16, 20:6:
These passages describe Jesus returning as King of kings, judging the corrupt kingdoms of this world, and establishing a reign where His followers “shall reign with Him a thousand years” right here on the earth.
Salvation isn’t an escape pod; it is an enlistment into a physical, literal kingdom where we will rule and reign alongside the Messiah.
The Response to the Gospel
If a Kingdom is coming, how do we get in? On the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot), the Apostle Peter preached the very first sermon after Jesus’ resurrection, explaining how Jesus was now both Lord and Messiah.
(In Matthew 16:19 Yeshua gives Peter the keys to the kingdom:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”)
Acts 2:36–37
“‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?'”
When people realize that their own sins contributed to the death of the Messiah, it causes deep conviction (“cut to the heart”). The natural question of a convicted heart is always, “What must I do to fix this and align with the King?”
Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”
This is the foundational blueprint for entering the Kingdom. Peter gives three distinct steps that allow a person to personally respond to and apply the work of Jesus.
Obeying the Gospel via the Death, Burial, and Resurrection:
The “gospel” is technically defined as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We don’t just believe it historically; we must obey it experientially. We align our lives with His journey.
1. Death: Repentance
1 John 3:4
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is the transgression of the law.”
Before we can change, we have to recognize what’s broken. Sin is breaking God’s holy standard—His law. Repentance means choosing to “die” to our old way of living, turning 180 degrees away from sin, and surrendering our will to the King.
Galatians 3:19
“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
It is important to understand what Paul means by “the law” here. When Israel sinned by worshipping the golden calf at Mount Sinai, God added a secondary system of laws—found heavily in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. These additions included the sacrificial system, ceremonial rituals, and civil penalties.
They were temporary measures “added because of transgressions” to keep Israel in relationship until Jesus (the Seed) came.
2. Burial: Water Baptism
Romans 6:4
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death…”
When a person dies, you don’t leave them out; you bury them. Water baptism is our spiritual burial. When we are immersed in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), our old history, our guilt, and our past sins are buried and washed away forever.
3. Resurrection: The Holy Spirit
Romans 6:4 & Acts 2, 8, 10, 19:
Scripture Summary: “…that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Throughout the book of Acts, when people received the Holy Spirit, it was a tangible, observable event, accompanied by speaking in tongues.
You cannot live a supernatural “new life” on human willpower alone. Just as Jesus was raised by the power of the Spirit, we are resurrected to new life when God fills us with His literal presence.
The New Exodus and the Law on the Heart
God is a God of patterns. What He did for the physical nation of Israel in the Old Testament, He does for us in the Renewed Covenant. Acts 2:38 is actually a beautiful, spiritual “New Exodus.”
The Pattern of Deliverance
* The Blood: In Egypt, Israel was saved from death by putting the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts (Exodus 12). In the Renewed Covenant, we apply the blood of Yeshua for the remission of our sins through repentance.
* The Water: Israel left Egypt by passing completely through the waters of the Red Sea, cutting off Pharaoh’s army forever (Exodus 14). In the Renewed Covenant, we pass through the waters of baptism, cutting off our past.
* The Spirit: Israel was guided, protected, and enveloped by a supernatural pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13). In the Renewed Covenant, we are immersed and filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
* The Covenant Law: Exactly fifty days after leaving Egypt, Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, where God gave them His Law written on stone tablets (Exodus 19-20). This event was the original Shavuot.
The Ultimate Transformation
Jeremiah 31:33 & Ezekiel 36:26–27:
“‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord: ‘I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts… I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…'”
On the Day of Pentecost (which is the Greek word for Shavuot), God fulfilled this promise. He didn’t write the law on external stone tablets this time. When the Holy Spirit came with the sign of tongues, God bypassed human intellect and wrote His holy commandments directly onto the fleshy tablets of human hearts. The Spirit gives us both the desire and the power to live out the holiness of His Kingdom.
And now, why do you wait? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on Yeshua! Acts 22:16
Get to Know Leslie Ann Seiler
“I currently reside in Sebastian, Florida with my two cats. Born at West Point, I spent my early years on Army bases across Kansas, Germany, Kentucky, and Virginia.
Raised Catholic, I’d never heard of the Holy Ghost, but at age 12, God filled me with His Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues! At 15 in Florida, a street preacher shared Acts 2:38, and I was buried in the only Name whereby we must be saved.
As a young adult, I participated in an incredible revival ministry where many obeyed the gospel.
But there’s more!
Yehovah later called me into the deeper truths of the Sabbath and Feasts. I’m amazed by how Yehovah has guided my life and so grateful to be part of Torah Observant Apostolics and the beautiful ministry of Elder and Sister Mayberry. I’m excited to see what He has planned for us!”
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