Leave A Mark - Jesus' Preaching

If ever a man spoke God's truth with authority, it was Jesus Christ (Mt. 7:28,29).

It was said that the scribes spoke from authority but Jesus spoke with authority. Mark does not record the beginning of our Lord's ministry, since He had already ministered in other places (John 1:35-4:4).  Mark is reminding us why Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee: Herod had arrested John and common sense would say it is time to move to another area.

Mark 1:14 and 15 explains to us what Jesus' preaching was like: "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  'The time has come,' he said. 'The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!" The text literally says that Jesus heralded this truth, calling it out loudly. 

There were three powerful points Jesus emphasized: the Kingdom of God, repentance, and belief.

Kingdom of God -
No doubt many of the Jews read "political revolution" into the phrase "kingdom of God," but that was not what Jesus had in mind at all.  His kingdom has to do with His reign in the lives of His people; it is a spiritual realm.

Believe -
The only way to enter God's kingdom is by believing the Good News and being born again.  Specifically He called them to believe the good news that the King was here.  "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31) 

Repent - 
Jesus preached that people should repent (change their minds) and believe (Acts 20:21).  Repentance alone is not enough to save us.  Repentance and belief are inseparable. We must also put positive faith in Jesus and believe His promise of salvation.

The response to Jesus' preaching was remarkable.  People began to follow Him.  They did not understand how, but were sure the Kingdom expansion had begun.  They had repented, and they were beginning to see that their beliefs were making demands on their life. 

There was a radical "now-ness" to Jesus' preaching.  Now is the time to believe, and now is the time to repent.

Next Step: Examine your life today, have you repented and believed, if not "now is the time"!