When John was locked up, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, a town at the top of the Sea of Galilee (a lake about twelve miles long and seven miles wide). It was a very short move. He started to preach, just like John: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

People were excited about Jesus. He taught. He healed people. He preached. People walked for miles to hear him, to see him, to be touched by him. He was always compassionate, but he made it clear that his primary calling wasn’t as a healer. One evening, early in his ministry, crowds showed up at the end of the day. He healed many and then stopped for the night. Early in the morning, as the crowds began to wake up, his followers looked around for him. He was gone, off into the wilderness. When they found him, they were excited about the attention that his ministry was getting. He was going viral. He wouldn’t go back. He left the sick people waiting. He went on to other towns.

His purpose was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

But what is this kingdom Jesus was talking about?

It was a question for the people living when Jesus lived. It’s still a question that matters a lot to people who are interested, maybe, in following him. We want to know more about this kingdom. What are the rules, what are the boundaries, what are the expectations? And maybe, most importantly, what does it mean for me right now?

Jesus knew that people had these questions. He went up on a hillside one day. He sat on a rock. His followers, his fans, the curious, all gathered around. There were lots of people.

And he started to speak.