阅读经文 

世界需要一位真正的君王，整本圣经都在宣告和指向这个事实，而很多故事、话剧、史诗、神话和童话，也以不同的版本来表达这个主题。这个世界已弄得一团糟，它失去了它真正的统治者；它本来有极大的潜力，可惜它却一败涂地了。我们仍然在等待世界真正的君王显现，祂要把各种不同和交织一起的盼望与期待、应许与潜力凝聚在一起。

在新约圣经中，我们看到耶稣降临这一幕。祂到来“传道”，传道的意思是“宣告、传达君王的文告”。圣经的中心信息，是宣告和公布来自君王的真正好消息，这个好消息说，在耶稣里，天国已经近了。

天国是什么？简单来说，天国就是任何由神作王的地方——由神掌管、由祂塑造人的生命和治理世界的地方。耶稣到来体现和宣告这个国度，祂不是寻找投祂一票的人或慷慨解囊的政客，祂乃是呼召我们来尽忠于祂：“来，跟从我。”祂让我们有份参与拓展祂的国的事工：“我要叫你们得人如得鱼一样。”

今天，祂仍然不断在呼唤我们：“天国近了，你们应当悔改。来，跟从我。”

The world needs a true king. The whole Bible proclaims and points to this fact. Many stories, plays, epic poems, mythologies, and fairy tales echo some version of the theme too. This world is messed up; it has lost its true ruler; it has tremendous potential but falls terribly short. We are all waiting for the world's true King to be revealed, to pull together all the diverse and tangled strands of hope and longing, promise and potential.

In the New Testament we come to the arrival of Jesus on the scene. He comes "preaching," a term that means "to herald, to make a royal proclamation." The Bible's core message is a royal proclamation and announcement of truly good news. This is the news that in Jesus, the kingdom of heaven has come near.

What is the kingdom of heaven? It is, most simply, wherever God is King—where God is in charge, shaping people's lives and ruling the world. Jesus comes to embody and announce that kingdom. He is not a politician seeking someone's vote or generous donations. He is the King calling us to true allegiance: "Come, follow me." He makes us participants in his kingdom's advance: "I will send you out to fish for people."

He continues calling today: "Repent. Come. Follow me. The kingdom of heaven has come near."