Mark 1: 14-15 - The King has arrived

Verse 14 tells us that the Lord Jesus’ public ministry began after John’s imprisonment. He came to Galilee and publicly proclaimed the good news. Here He made two declarations and gave two commands. He said that the time is now set and the Kingdom of God is near. The two responses expected from his hearers are: repentance i.e. to have a radical change of heart and mind and to believe in the good news

From these verses, we are told that God has set everything in its perfect place for the arrival of Christ the King. History was prepared for this specific moment. Paul in Galatians 4:4, calls it “… the fullness of the time…” and this moment has arrived. A look at the physical circumstances of that time, would attest to the truth that everything had indeed been prepared and put in place for the King to break into the world scene.  

We know from history that the Greek had united the world with a common language and had made it easy for the King to communicate the good news in a vernacular that the people could understand. We also know that the Roman dominance had provided the infrastructure that made it conducive for the establishment of the Kingdom of God. In God’s perspective, the Kingdom of God is about the reign of Christ the King. He is what the Kingdom of God is all about.

Mark’s hearers clearly understood what this meant. They knew what Jesus was saying. He was telling them that in Him the Kingdom of God had arrived.  It is not about a physical domain as they anticipated. To them and also to us, the Kingdom of God is about the reign of Christ the King in the lives of any individual who will make Him their Savior and Sovereign Lord. Everyone, young or old, man or woman, needs to know this King. As it was for Mark’s audience so it must be for us.  

In these two verses we are also implicitly introduced to the authority of Jesus. He not only has the power and right to announce the importance of this Kingdom, but He also has the right to expect repentance and obedience as reasonable responses to His command.  

Is Christ really the King of our lives? Having repented and believed in Him what must we do now? What are we doing with the good news of Jesus? The answer is obvious. We must continue to propagate the good news till everyone within the sphere of our influence acknowledges His Sovereign reign over his or her life. Let’s do it earnestly and diligently! We are called not only to touch the Kingdom of God but to enlarge it.