14 Now after
John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and
saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
You’ve got to get a running start to jump on board a
moving train. In the same way we need a running start, to get back on board
Mark’s Good News Express.
In about five seconds the Lord painted a picture of
the Trinity, in living color with sight and sound. Mark 1:9 Jesus was baptized
by John, 10 immediately, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended
like a dove, 11 and the Father spoke, “You are My beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10-11.
The perfect picture of Love and Power.
Then, in just a breath or two He revealed the war is
with our flesh and the devil.
12 Immediately, the
Spirit led Him into the wilderness, 13 where He fasted and prayed,
40 days (Matthew & Luke 4:1-2). He
was tempted by satan. He was in the presence of wild beasts. He was ministered
to by angels. And He emerged victorious walking in the Power of the Holy
Spirit. Luke 4:14.
14
Now after John was put in prison... means
some time passed before John was put in prison.
During that time (John 2-3), Jesus turned water into wine. Cleansed the temple. Had the famous nighttime talk with Nichodemus,
resulting in the beloved verse John 3:16.
John the Baptist was faithful in his mission as one
crying in the wilderness, “prepare the way of the Lord.” Isaiah 1:23.
John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30.
So, therefore, Jesus’ popularity increased, John’s
decreased, until the prophetic baton was passed from the final prophet, John,
to the Anchor of our soul, Jesus.
When John was put in prison is an event in
HIStory not only recorded in the Bible but also by secular history
documentation. Once again, adding validity to the integrity of Scripture.
Why was John put in prison?
For speaking Truth. For condemning Herod’s sin for
marrying his brother’s wife, Herodias. Matthew 14:3-4, Mark 6:17-18.
Herod imprisoned John in the hilltop fortress-palace
of Machaerus about 60 miles southeast of Jerusalem on the east side of the dead
sea. In modern day Jordan. (Per, 1st Century Historian Flavius
Josephus).
After John was put in prison, Jesus
came to Galilee.
Jesus set up his ministry headquarters about 80 miles
north of Jerusalem in Capernaum on the beautiful shores of Galilee.
There were multiple reasons for this.
It was fulfillment of a prophecy
spoken 700 years prior.
Isaiah 9:1b-2. In
Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of
death, upon them a light has shined.
Prophecy is HIStory told in advance.
Just one more undeniable evidence of God’s all-knowing
Sovereignty, and the inerrancy of His Holy Word.
Now, God doesn’t waste Words and doesn’t give prophecy
just for show like a fortune teller.
Jesus moving north had purpose and wisdom.
Fullness of Time (Kairos).
His forerunner, John, had just been arrested and would soon be beheaded. Jesus
had much to accomplish on His Divinely timed mission, (save the world). So, He
needed to avoid premature conflict, getting arrested—for now. This was
prudence, not fear.
Fishers of Men. Galilee
was scattered fishing villages, full of regular hard-working folks nobody paid
attention to. But Jesus noticed them. He knew them before they met Him. He saw
their hearts... perfect for making fishers of men.
Light in the Darkness. Just
down the road about ten miles or so from Capernaum was Magdala, known for its
ladies of the night. The hometown of Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus cast seven
demons. They were a mixed lot, marginalized, despised, rough around the edges,
living in spiritual darkness... perfect for shining His Love and Light.
14 Now
after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching...
John went to prison and Jesus went
to preaching.
Jesus revealing this is how you win the war.
He didn’t go to picketing the palace of Herod. His
friend was put in prison, so Jesus went to setting prisoners free.
His opening Scripture when kicking off His ministry
was:
Isaiah
61:1-2. “The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon Me, because
the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings
to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to those who are bound...
So, does that mean Jesus sent an angel to set at liberty, the captive, John, like He did with Peter (Acts 12:5-17)? Or did He send an earthquake to open the prison, like He did for Paul and Silas (Acts 16:16)?
Nope. Jesus sets him free, but nothing like that.
Only, we’ll have to wait until we get to Mark 6 to find out what happens.
Okay, now, back to Jesus, preaching.
Remember, the Lord opened this glorious gospel with
the words, “The beginning of the gospel...”
And then, He showed us how He built the Gospel, just
like, “In the beginning,” Gen. 1:1, He showed us how He built creation.
And what did we learn?
1. God
2. Word
of God
3. Messenger
of God
Now, here Jesus is showing us how it’s done. He is the
Gospel. All three in One.
He is God. The Word of God and the Messenger of God.
His plan of Salvation. God. The Word of God. The
Messenger of God.
We don’t need a concert, funny stories, big screens,
sound systems, lights, cameras, coffee and donuts...
We just need to stay the course that He has laid.
Romans 10:14. How then shall they call on
Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
1 Corinthians 1:21. For
since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of
preaching to save those who believe.
So, Jesus shows up preaching up and down
Galilee.
And what is He preaching?
Herod is such a wicked scumbag looser, he put John in
prison just for telling the Truth.
No! He didn’t preach the evils of Herod. He preached
the Goodness of God, the Gospel, the Good News.
He was on offense. Always.
Which means at times, He spoke the Truth about the
evils of men like Herod.
He never spoke from a place of victimhood,
always victory.
Jesus is our example. Therefore, if you have Jesus, you are not a victim. No matter your circumstance. "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
Gospel means the Good News.
Jesus came preaching Good News of the Kingdom
of God.
If you have a Kingdom, you have a King.
If you have a King, you have a court, a hierarchy,
with rules and regulations and processes and protocols and law and order; a
governmental system.
If you have a Kingdom, you have borders.
That’s just a few basic Kingdom principles.
Now, Jesus preaches the Gospel, the Good News, of the
Kingdom of God, painting Kingdom principles as a good thing, in a positive light.
Therefore, protesting or promoting defunding police,
or ICE or law enforcement, is contrary to the spirit of the Kingdom of God.
Abolishing borders goes against God’s Good Kingdom
principle.
Of course, no earthly kingdom is perfect, but we
should not reject the pattern the Lord has given.
The Kingdom of God is
different than that of man. God’s Kingdom operates on the Supreme Law of Love. That’s
why it’s Good News.
Our US Constitution is the best and longest surviving
ever established, probably because it was built on Biblical Kingdom Principles.
However, it’s fueled by the Law of Love. It won’t work
when the handlers are fueled by greed, or power or immorality, or selfish
interests.
That’s why our nation is so divided, why our congress
can’t get along, why judges don’t follow the law, why supreme court justices
are blind to the plain simple Truth of our US Constitution.
Jesus came preaching the gospel of the
Kingdom of God, saying, The time is fulfilled...
Time:
Kairos. God’s Divine Timing. Heaven’s clock. The
fullness of time.
Galatians 4:4-5
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to
redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
as sons.
The Kingdom of God is at hand,
the door is open, at this Kairos moment, now is the time, today
is the day, do not harden your heart, and miss your Kairos moment of His
visitation.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand repent.
Repent,
mentioned
over fifty times in the New Testament.
Repent, that your sins be wiped away.
It’s not a suggestion:
God commands all to repent. Acts 17:30.
It demands change in lifestyle:
Bear fruit reflecting repentance. Matt. 3:8. Luke 3:8. Acts 26:20.
Repentance and forgiveness are linked together:
Luke 17:3-4. Take
heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke
him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And
if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day
returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Romans 2:4. The goodness of God leads to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
Luke 24:46-49. Then
He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for
the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you
are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send
the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem
until you are endued with power from on high.”
And believe in the gospel.
Believe: 244 times in the
N.T.
Is a verb that demands corresponding action.
Don’t miss the powerful big little word, “in”
that normally follows “believe”.
Believe in... Picture
being outside, and then, going inside the Church, you’re fully committed, fully
in. Not outside, looking in.
Intellectual assent is not enough. James 2:19. Even
the demons believe and tremble.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. And for this
reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe
the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who
did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
To disbelieve is to disobey.
Acts 16:30-31, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you
and your household.”
There’s a big difference between, “I believe you” and “I
believe in you.”
Big difference between:
I believe I ought to pray, read my Bible and go to
Church.
I believe in praying, reading my
Bible and going to Church.
John 17 Jesus prayed repeatedly, “Father make them
one...”
John 17:20 “I
do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe IN
Me through their word; 21 that they all may be
one, as You, Father, are IN Me, and I IN
You; that they also may be one IN Us, that the world may believe that
You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave
Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 "I IN
them, and You IN Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the
world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved
Me.
John 14:19-20. “A little while longer and
the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will
live also. At that day you will know that I am IN My
Father, and you IN Me, and I IN you.
John 15:7-8. If you abide IN
Me, and My words abide IN you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My
disciples.
Galatians 2:20. I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives IN me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith IN the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Colossians 1:27. Christ IN
you the hope of glory.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, please help us to abide in You.
Thank You for this Word we’ve just heard. We pray for it to stay in us, to grow, to
bear much fruit, so that You are glorified in us. We pray this not for
ourselves alone but that other will see You in us, and be drawn to You, so that
of all those You’ve given us, none are lost.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
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Mark 1:14-15
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s
Seed for you to sow.
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