Why did God send Christ? Luke 4:43

I thought that the Lord sent Christ to save us from our sins, and Christ does that for us. But in Luke we find Christ was sent for another reason: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent”.

Matthew also told us: Matt_4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand".

In the gospels and Acts, my concordance only lists 14 verses about repentance, but 127 verses about the kingdom. Christ must have thought it was a very important message for us to receive.

In the OT it speaks of the kingdom that God prepared in earthly terms. To circumcise was to cut skin. Obedience resulted in good crops. Christ changed that, the kingdom of God changed. Christ said “you have been told” and “but I tell you”. Then Christ explained they had been told about the law that was the boundaries of these kingdoms, and how that law was now the spirit of the law.

What do you think God means by saying "the kingdom of God"? We pray daily for it to be on earth as it is in heaven, I have always thought of it as a road we travel on with the spirit of the law marking its boundaries. Is that a correct image?

I thought that the Lord sent Christ to save us from our sins, and Christ does that for us. But in Luke we find Christ was sent for another reason: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent”.

Matthew also told us: Matt_4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand".

In the gospels and Acts, my concordance only lists 14 verses about repentance, but 127 verses about the kingdom. Christ must have thought it was a very important message for us to receive.

In the OT it speaks of the kingdom that God prepared in earthly terms. To circumcise was to cut skin. Obedience resulted in good crops. Christ changed that, the kingdom of God changed. Christ said “you have been told” and “but I tell you”. Then Christ explained they had been told about the law that was the boundaries of these kingdoms, and how that law was now the spirit of the law.

What do you think God means by saying "the kingdom of God"? We pray daily for it to be on earth as it is in heaven, I have always thought of it as a road we travel on with the spirit of the law marking its boundaries. Is that a correct image?

Is your primary question stated in the thread title, the first paragraph, or the last paragraph? They are distinct topics, with each warranting its own discussion.

I thought that the Lord sent Christ to save us from our sins, and Christ does that for us. But in Luke we find Christ was sent for another reason: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent”.

Matthew also told us: Matt_4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand".

In the gospels and Acts, my concordance only lists 14 verses about repentance, but 127 verses about the kingdom. Christ must have thought it was a very important message for us to receive.

In the OT it speaks of the kingdom that God prepared in earthly terms. To circumcise was to cut skin. Obedience resulted in good crops. Christ changed that, the kingdom of God changed. Christ said “you have been told” and “but I tell you”. Then Christ explained they had been told about the law that was the boundaries of these kingdoms, and how that law was now the spirit of the law.

What do you think God means by saying "the kingdom of God"? We pray daily for it to be on earth as it is in heaven, I have always thought of it as a road we travel on with the spirit of the law marking its boundaries. Is that a correct image?

there a recurring promise in the ot it’s seen really clearly here

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭KJV‬


That’s the kingdom Christ came to preach it isn’t the same kingdom that was offered to isreal through Moses that was an earthly kingdom and they received it and defiled and left it desolate by their transgression . The kingdom of God was what Abraham was promised and later is more revealed to David ( which is where daniels vision began ) to David it was said

“And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭17:11-14‬ ‭KJV‬‬


This appears to be about Solomon but we find out later it isn’t because Solomon turned from God and died and his temple was destroyed when Christ came

when the gospel starts it immediately Hearken is back to Abraham’s promise for all nations , and David’s promise of his son and not to Moses and the law

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭

the son of David there that promise made to him out that eternal
Kingdom to come is actually fulfilled here

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:31-33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

and Abraham

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:27, 29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Which promise is that eternal heavenly kingdom where Christ is seated as king which will come to earth when everything is restored but already is in those who hear and believe the gospel of the kingdom receiving it by faith

it’s actually a recurring promise from Abraham forward Abraham was renamed Abraham when God told him to look up to the heavens and compare his children to the stars and then he was called father of many nations ( through Christ and the gospel being sent into all nations creating Abraham’s seed meant for the eternal
Kingdom

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬


the kingdom of this earth is desolate and is doomed to destruction because the covenant was broken but there’s a new covenant the kingdom of God preached by Christ that is in heaven where we go when we oss away who believe until he returns and restored his kingdom on the earth and also our bodies

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:20-21, 24-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the covenant made with Abraham ( not Abram the Hebrew) but his new name is what the kingdom is about and was foretold always through many prophets but was only fulfilled here when Christ was anointed and the time had come

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

So Christ replaced the kingdom set up with Israel, and Christ is the head, the president, the leader. It has no territory, like Israel had, but all people in any land can be a citizen of this kingdom. It has laws, like any kingdom, but the laws are he spirit of the law. To be a citizen of this kingdom absolute loyalty is demanded, It is at war with the demons who are in the world, and to be a citizen of this kingdom we must join in the fight against these demons just as earthy kingdom as men to fight in times of war. Does this describe the kingdom of God?

Just to offer an idea of the question posed in the title why God sent Christ
Read this prophecy as a whole but some highlights

“Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him;

and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:9-10, 12, 14-21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the darkness there ( no judgement )is why Christ was born in the world

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

…For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9:2, 6-8‬ ‭

he would deliver judgement to believers willing to hear ( hearken to) his word

“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51:2, 4-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Just to offer an idea of the question posed in the title why God sent Christ
Read this prophecy as a whole but some highlights

“Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him;

and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:9-10, 12, 14-21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the darkness there ( no judgement )is why Christ was born in the world

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

…For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9:2, 6-8‬ ‭

he would deliver judgement to believers willing to hear ( hearken to) his word

“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭51:2, 4-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus gave us the spirit of the law, Jesus took away the law in stone, and that spirit is a light to us when we follow it. Following Jesus means we walk in darkness no longer.

I thought that the Lord sent Christ to save us from our sins, and Christ does that for us. But in Luke we find Christ was sent for another reason: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent”.

Matthew also told us: Matt_4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand".

In the gospels and Acts, my concordance only lists 14 verses about repentance, but 127 verses about the kingdom. Christ must have thought it was a very important message for us to receive.

In the OT it speaks of the kingdom that God prepared in earthly terms. To circumcise was to cut skin. Obedience resulted in good crops. Christ changed that, the kingdom of God changed. Christ said “you have been told” and “but I tell you”. Then Christ explained they had been told about the law that was the boundaries of these kingdoms, and how that law was now the spirit of the law.

What do you think God means by saying "the kingdom of God"? We pray daily for it to be on earth as it is in heaven, I have always thought of it as a road we travel on with the spirit of the law marking its boundaries. Is that a correct image?

I thought that the Lord sent Christ to save us from our sins, and Christ does that for us. But in Luke we find Christ was sent for another reason: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent”.

Matthew also told us: Matt_4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand".

In the gospels and Acts, my concordance only lists 14 verses about repentance, but 127 verses about the kingdom. Christ must have thought it was a very important message for us to receive.

In the OT it speaks of the kingdom that God prepared in earthly terms. To circumcise was to cut skin. Obedience resulted in good crops. Christ changed that, the kingdom of God changed. Christ said “you have been told” and “but I tell you”. Then Christ explained they had been told about the law that was the boundaries of these kingdoms, and how that law was now the spirit of the law.

What do you think God means by saying "the kingdom of God"? We pray daily for it to be on earth as it is in heaven, I have always thought of it as a road we travel on with the spirit of the law marking its boundaries. Is that a correct image?

And I think you are correct. When we are Saved, we are on the road to the Kingdom of God.