Read: Matthew 10:5-15
And proclaim as you go, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7 ESV)
For hundreds of years the Jews had been waiting for the Messiah. He had arrived. Jesus was on the scene. As he selected, trained, and sent his disciples he granted them authority to do miracles, to proclaim the good news of the Gospel, and to invite people into the Kingdom of God.
They spread out across the region sharing the Gospel. The message; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It was at hand. It was near. It was now. It was attainable. It was within reach.
This incredible spiritual happening was happening in the here and now for them. It continues today. No longer was a relationship with God something to be gained through ritual, rules, and religious regulation. God could be known simply by reaching out to know Him. Jesus personified this. He made it possible.
Jesus is the door to the Kingdom. To know God is to know Christ. To know Christ is to know God. Want relationship with the Father? Get to know the Son. Need the restoration of the Father? Seek the hand of the Son.
Even today God longs to reconcile us to Himself. It is the work of salvation. It is the mission of the Incarnate Christ. It is at hand.