After his baptism and temptation, Jesus makes a dramatic entry onto the scene of first century Israel. As king, he brings with him the promised kingdom of God. He announces the coming of the kingdom and calls everyone to repent of their sins, believe the kingdom of God has come and follow him. Jesus is still making the call. These are marching orders. Repent, believe and come follow the king.
John the Baptist announces the coming of the Lord. The ancient prophecies where God said he would come to restore his people are about to be fulfilled. The prophecies will be fulfilled by the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit (Mk 1.1-8). Jesus steps on to the scene.
Jesus is baptised by John and the Spirit comes down on him ‘like a dove’. The Father in heaven announces to the world that Jesus is his beloved Son and with him he is well pleased. Jesus is effectively anointed as king and Christ, the representative of all God’s people (Mk 1.9-11).
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. (Mk 1.12-13)
No sooner than the Spirit comes down on Jesus does He then drive him into the wilderness. He is there for a time of testing. Forty days he spent in the wilderness. The number echoes the number of years Israel spend wandering in the wilderness before they entered the promised land.
Jesus coming anticipates a new entry into God’s promised land.
Jesus faces his first temptation by Satan. It won’t be his last. Nothing is said about the temptation. But Jesus emerges victorious.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1.14-15)
During this time John the Baptist was arrested. John’s absence filled with someone of much greater worth (Mk 1.7).
Jesus announces ‘the time is fulfilled’. God in the Old Testament promised numerous times his coming to redeem his people. Jesus announces the time has come.
Jesus says the ‘Kingdom of God is at hand’. The Kingdom of God is – God’s people – living under God’s rule – in God’s land. Jesus is the King. The kingdom is as God intends this world to be. Without suffering, sickness, sin and death. When Jesus first came he inaugurated the kingdom. It broke into the world. But the kingdom is a work in progress and wont be complete till Jesus returns to judge and set things right.
The kingdom of God has come with the presence of the King. King Jesus.
The king has come to restore order. He will judge. Thus the following and very necessary call.
Jesus commands his listeners to ‘repent’. Repentance recognises God is justly angry at all sin and wrongdoing. God as king judges us by the way we live and rewards or punishes accordingly. Repentance must therefore involve;
Recognising anything in us that is sinful, evil or wrong,
Knowing the right way God wants us to live, and
Turning around from wrong to right.
God has mercy on those who repent. He forgives their sins. So hear the call to repent.
“Brothers, it is time to pass from evil to good, from darkness to light, from this most unfaithful world to everlasting joys, lest the coming judgment take us unaware in which our Lord Jesus Christ shall come to make the round world a desert, and to give over to everlasting punishment sinners who would not repent of the sins which they did.” (Ritzema, E. & Brant, R. eds., 2013. 300 quotations for preachers from the Medieval church, Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
Jesus calls his listeners to ‘believe in the gospel’. The gospel message Jesus preaches here is about the coming of his kingdom. He is the promised king of God’s kingdom and he brings the kingdom with him.
Do you believe the kingdom of God is at hand?
Anon, 2009. 1000 Bible Images, Stuttgart, Germany: German Bible Society.
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (Mk 1.16-18)
The call to repent and believe the gospel is completed with his summons to follow. Jesus gives Simon and Andrew a new job. Formerly fishermen, they will now catch men. Jesus has big plans for them.
Jesus personally calls us all to come follow him. Have you heard his call?
19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (Mk 1.19-20)
James and John are called by Jesus to follow him. They leave their former lives behind.
About Jesus
After his baptism and temptation, Jesus makes a dramatic entry onto the scene of first century Israel. As king, he brings with him the kingdom of God.
He announces the coming of the kingdom and calls everyone to repent of their sins, believe the kingdom of God has come and follow him. Jesus is still making the call.
These are marching orders. Repent, believe and come follow the king.
After his baptism and temptation, Jesus makes a dramatic entry onto the scene of first century Israel. As king, he brings with him the promised kingdom of God. He announces the coming of the kingdom and calls everyone to repent of their sins, believe the kingdom of God has come and follow him. Jesus is still making the call. These are marching orders. Repent, believe and come follow the king.12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. (Mk 1.12-13)
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1.14-15)
