No, He preached the “gospel of the kingdom” to the nation of Israel. Matthew 4:17 reads, “From that time (after John the Baptist was killed) Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (NKJV). God had promised the nation of Israel that He would send a Messiah to rule over them and the whole world and that His kingdom would be forever (see 2nd Samuel 7:12-13). Jesus was that Messiah! John the Baptist had preached the same message before Him but he and his message was rejected. Jesus also sent His 12 apostles out to the nation of Israel with the exact same message. We see this in Matthew 10:5-7, “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: DO NOT GO INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’.”

So, the “gospel of the kingdom,” which was promised to Israel, was meant only for their ears. They should have had “open ears” and “open hearts” and gladly received the Lord Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah of Israel. But their ears and hearts were closed to the truth and like John the Baptist, they reject Jesus and His message and eventually delivered him over to the Gentiles to be crucified.

We must not think that the Gentiles were excluded from blessing though, for when Jesus Christ returns at His Second Advent to establish His kingdom on earth they will be blessed along with the nation of Israel. We see a foreshadowing of this in Matthew 15:21-28 where Jesus healed a Gentile woman’s daughter. Let’s read that whole passage, for it is beautiful example of God’s grace blessing one who had faith.

“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon (in Gentile territory). And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

The Lord tested this Gentile woman’s faith deeply and He even made it clear that He was not sent to preach to the Gentiles but to “the lost sheep of house of Israel.” Yet her faith was so strong that she continued to beg for mercy and she even called Him “Lord” three times and “Son of David” once. She truly believed WHO HE WAS, the promised Messiah to the nation of Israel. Her faith did not go unanswered, for the Lord was so moved by her “great faith” that He healed her daughter instantly. Again, this is a picture of what will happen when the Lord Jesus reigns over the earth, for the WHOLE WORLD will be blessed in that Golden Age that we call the Millennial Kingdom.

It should be said in closing that after the Jews had the Lord Jesus crucified, He rose from the dead and told His disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit and PREACH THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION TO THE WHOLE WORLD (see Acts 1:4-8; Mark 16:15). Later, Saul of Tarsus was saved and became the “apostle to the Gentiles” (see Acts 9:1-16; Romans 11:13; 15:16). Thus during this present age (the “Church Age”) the Jews have been set aside (temporarily) and the Gentiles are the special object of God’s grace. (277.7) (DO)