Signs of the Kingdom
| Matt 9:35 | And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. |
| Matt 10:7,8 | And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.’ |
| Matt 12:26-28 | And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. |
| Luke 9:1,2 | And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. |
| Luke 9:11 | When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. |
| Luke 10:8,9 | Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ |
It is clear from these verses that the kingdom of God here is all about healing and casting out demons. This is what the announcement of the kingdom is all about. The teachings and miracles are intertwined throughout the Gospels. The message of the kingdom was the message of freedom. Obviously there is the spiritual freedom from sin and there is forgiveness, but this was not clearly distinguished from healing and deliverance from satanic power.
But here is the important point: Jesus told us to preach this gospel until the end of the world. If we say “The kingdom of God is here,” but we don't have any healing or any casting out of demons, something very central is missing.