Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 Vs. 15

 Jesus Begins His Ministry

Mark 1:15 “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The time is... There are 12 major events fulfilled at this time in God’s plan.

The Time Is Fulfilled For

1. The coming of the Messiah (Gen. 3:15; Dan. 9:24-26; Isa. 9:6-7)

2. The fullness of time (Gal. 4:4-6)

3. The last dispensation or probationary period before God takes over the kingdoms of this world (Mat. 13:1-58; Mat. 24-25; Rev. 11:15; 19:11-21; 20:1-10)

4. The final opportunity for Israel to prove herself worthy of God’s trust (Mat. 21:43; Rom. 9-11)

5. The fullness of grace and truth (John 1:16-17; 1Pet. 1:10-12)

6. The times of ignorance of God to cease (Acts 17:30)

7. The kingdom of heaven to be offered (Mat. 3:2; 4:17)

8. The full demonstration of the kingdom of God among men (Mat. 12:28; Acts 10:38; John 10:10; 2Cor. 4:1-18:20)

9. The acceptable year of God (Isa. 61:1-2; Luke 4:16-21; John 10:10)

10.The building of a church of both Jews and Gentiles (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:14-15; 3:1-6)

11. Evangelization of the world (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:4-8; 10:43)

12. Blotting out of the old covenant (Col. 2:14-17). For other points see, John 19:30.

The time (ὁ καιρὸς)

That is, the period completed by the setting up of Messiah's kingdom. Compare the fullness of the time, Gal. 4:4.

is at hand... Because the King was present.

repent ye, and... This was the message of John (Mat. 3:2), Jesus (Mat. 4:17), the apostles (Mat. 10:7-10; Mark 6:7-13), and the gospel preachers following them. It was not to be for Jews or the early church days only (Luke 13:1-5; Acts 2:38-39; 3:19; 17:20; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 28:31; 1Cor. 4:20). Repentance (see verse 4), and faith (see Rom. 1:16), are man’s required responses to God’s gracious offer of salvation (Acts chapters 20-21).

Repent (μετανοεῖτε)

A word compounded of the preposition μετά, after, with; and the verb νοέω, to perceive, and to think, as the result of perceiving or observing. In this compound the preposition combines the two meanings of time and change, which may be denoted by after and different; so that the whole compound means to think differently after. Μετάνοια repentance is therefore, primarily, an after-thought, different from the former thought; then, a change of mind which issues in regret and in change of conduct. These latter ideas, however, have been imported into the word by scriptural usage, and do not lie in it etymologically nor by primary usage. Repentance, then, has been rightly defined as such a virtuous alteration of the mind and purpose as begets a like virtuous change in the life and practice. Sorrow is not, as is popularly conceived, the primary nor the prominent notion of the word. Paul distinguishes between sorrow (λύπη) and repentance (μετάνοια) and puts the one as the outcome of the other. Godly sorrow worketh repentance (2Cor. 7:10). Mark adds and believe in the Gospel.

believe the gospel... Two things one must do to be saved:

1. Repent (Mat. 4:17; Luke 13:1-5; Rom. 10:9-10; 1Jhn. 1:9)

2. Believe (and obey) the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Rom. 1:16; 8:12-13; Col. 3:6)

Not time in a chronological sense, but the time for decisive action on God’s part. With the arrival of the King, a new era in God’s dealings with men had come (see Gal. 4:4).

Jesus’ proclamation stresses the importance of that present time. The sphere of God’s sovereign rule is extending into humanity with new intensity. All, even Israel, are to repent by God’s grace, turning from sin and to righteousness, not just outwardly but with the heart.

Along with repenting must come believing, putting trust in Jesus’ message and thus right from the start, to some extent, in Jesus Himself.

There was a gap of time here between the temptation and the time Jesus came into Galilee. This John spoken of here, is John the Baptist. He was imprisoned because he spoke out against Herod marrying his sister-in-law, Herodias. This is found (in Mark 6:18-19).

When Jesus came into any area, it was for a purpose. Here we see Him coming into Galilee, to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. The purpose of preaching is to change people, to cause them to begin again in Jesus. The gospel as we have said before, is good news. Believers are not like the world that has no hope. We have hope of an everlasting kingdom, if we believe in Jesus.

The kingdom of God is actually everything that exists. The whole universe is His kingdom. A really good way to say this would be that Jesus was preaching the good news that God is King of everything. And we are part of that kingdom, if we repent of our sins and make Jesus Christ Savior and Lord of our lives.

In (verse 15), the time is fulfilled, just means that the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies that Messiah will come, had happened. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. Christians should not dread death of the body; we should look forward to the everlasting life of the Spirit.

Rom. 10:9 tells us what this good news really is:

Rom. 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”. Amen

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe in the gospel.

Jesus’ two declarations and two commands summarize His message. The first declaration, the time has come, emphasizes the distinctive note of fulfillment in Jesus’ proclamation (cf. Luke 4:16-21). God’s appointed time of preparation and expectation, the Old Testament era, now stood fulfilled (cf. Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:2; Heb. 9:6-15).

The second declaration, the kingdom of God is near, presents a key feature of Jesus’ message. Kingdom (basileia) means kingship or royal rule. Involved in the term is the sovereign authority of a ruler, the activity of ruling, and the realm of rule including its benefits. Thus, the kingdom of God is a dynamic not static concept that refers to God’s sovereign activity of ruling over His Creation.

This concept was familiar to the Jews of Jesus’ day. In light of Old Testament prophecy (cf. 2Sam. 7:8-17; Isa. 11:1-9; 24:23; Jer. 23:4-6; Mic. 4:6-7; Zec. 9:9-10; 14:9) they were expecting a future messianic Davidic kingdom to be established on earth (cf. Mat. 20:21; Mark 10:37; 11:10; 12:35-37; 15:43; Luke 1:31-33; 2:25, 2:38; Acts 1:6). So, Jesus’ hearers naturally understood His reference to the kingdom of God to be the long-awaited messianic kingdom.

Jesus said God’s rule is near (ēngiken, has come near or has arrived; cf. same verb form in Mark 14:42 [Here comes]). But it was not near in the form the Jews expected. Rather it had arrived in the sense that Jesus, the Agent of God’s rule, was present among them (cf. Luke17:20-21). This was the good news from God.

The required response to which Jesus summoned His hearers was a double command: Repent and believe the good news! Repentance and faith (belief) are bound together in one piece not temporally successive acts. To repent (metanoē cf. Mark 1:4) is to turn away from an existing object of trust (e.g., oneself). To believe (pisteuō, here pisteuete en, the only NT appearance of this combination) is 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 (cf. Mark 1:1). Only by this means can one enter into or receive as a gift the kingdom of God (cf. Mark 10:15).

As a nation Israel officially rejected these requirements (cf. Mark 3:6; 12:1-12; 14:1-2, 14:64-65; 15:31-32). Furthermore Jesus taught that His earthly Davidic reign would not come immediately (cf. Luke 19:11). After God completes His present purpose of saving Jews and Gentiles and building His church (cf. Rom. 16:25-27; Eph. 3:2-12), Jesus will return and set up His kingdom on this earth (Mat. 25:31, 25:34; Acts 15:14-18; Rev. 19:15; 20:4-6). The nation of Israel will be restored and redeemed (Rom. 11:25-29).

So, the kingdom of God has two aspects, both centering in Christ (cf. Mark 4:13-31): (1) It is already present, though veiled, as a spiritual realm (Mark’s emphasis; cf. Mark 3:23-27; 10:15, 10:23-27; 12:34). (2) It is still future when God’s rule will be openly established on earth (cf. Mark 9:1; 13:24-27).