Mark 1   Jumping right in to the ministry of Jesus, Mark covers a lot of ground in every chapter.  He goes from John the Baptist's introduction of Jesus to the calling of His disciples, and to the healing of many.   What strikes me as I read this chapter is that Jesus is noted for His preaching with
"authority".   Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, He commanded unclean spirits to leave and to not speak, and He healed all that came to Him.  But it is His teaching that amazes them the most!

Verse 15 " ..the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" seems to summarize the message that Jesus came to preach.  (v38)  So, I find myself thinking... what exactly is He saying?  When we talk about the "gospel", we usually mean the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and what He accomplished by dying on the cross for us.   But, this message is preached from the beginning of Jesus' ministry.   The Bible Knowledge Commentary says that Jesus is making two proclamations:

1) "The time has come" - is a proclamation that the Old Testament era has now been fulfilled.  As Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4-5 " But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that the might receive the adoption as sons."
and...
2) " ... the kingdom of God is at hand".  -  Kingdom - means "royal rule" or reign.  BKC says that this refers to " God's sovereign activity of ruling over His Creation."   It is near, "in the sense that Jesus, the Agent of God's rule, was present among them".

Jesus preached with authority and acted with authority, because all authority was given to Him by the Father.  Jesus gives 2 commands that required a response in light of His proclamations -

1) Repent - turn away from all other things that one has trusted in
2) Believe- trust in His good news - " to commit oneself wholeheartedly to an object of faith. Thus to believe in the good news meant to believe in Jesus Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God.  He is the content of the good news.  Only by this means can one enter into or receive (as a gift) the kingdom of God." BKC


Father in heaven, thank You for bring us into Your Kingdom, under Your rule and reign.  May we all repent and believe! There is nothing in this world that is worth our devotion, but Jesus only! Once again stir our hearts to be fully committed to following You. Be glorified and exalted in all the earth.  We need to know You more and more. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, we pray.  In Jesus' name.  amen