The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand

Matthew 4:12-17 (ESV)
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. [13] And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

[15] "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
[16] the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned."

[17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

John was arrested. So Jesus goes to an area, where if he isn’t out of the reach of Herod, he atleast is not right under his nose. In doing this another great prophecy is fulfilled. It seems Galilee was heavily populated by Gentiles. Archeology finds no end to the evidence of pagan populations in this area. It makes sense. It is a beautiful area of Israel lush and green with a beautiful climate. Other areas of Israel tend to be barren, with a harsh climate of extreme heat. Immigrants and colonizers would have been attracted to the area of Galilee.
It is here that Jesus starts his ministry, in an area where the gentiles too would hear his preaching, though he concentrates on the Jewish population. Here a great light is seen. And here Jesus begins to preach in a manner similar to John’s preaching, picking up where he left off. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
One might be tempted to think Jesus was delusional if they aren’t careful. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand? So often we think of the kingdom of glory as it is known theologically. That kingdom that is ushered in with the second coming of Christ. Of course the kingdom of power through which he rules the world, governs it and so forth, even as he allows the corruption to continue though he keeps it in check has always been with us. But the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and this is the kingdom of Grace. Forgiveness is at hand. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of grace by which Jesus rules our hearts through the forgiveness of sins. And this was at hand. It had dawned. It is here.