Jesus wants a response to his message

Jesus requests a response to the good news.

Mark 1:14-15 ¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

These verses raise three questions for me:  What is the the good news?  What is the Kingdom of God?  And have I responded to Jesus' command to "repent and believe?"

What is the the good news?  There are several things to consider about the good news in these two verses.  It is Jesus' job to reveal it - it is why he took on a human body and is going to engage us; it is from God about God; and it has to do with the Kingdom (or reign) of God.  But other than that, Mark doesn't attempt to define it in a few words.  The whole life, the teaching, the very person of Jesus are going to be needed to define it.  Mark is going to take the whole rest of his book to give witness to what he knows about the good news.

What is the Kingdom of God?  From these verses we learn that  its time has arrived.  In other words, something huge is happening!  All of the Old Testament verses where people sang out "And he shall reign forever and ever" are becoming a reality through what Jesus is about to do. And yet, Mark calls this "kairos" time - it is both already (forever) and yet to be (and ever).  It doesn't run parallel to "chronos" time - which we can measure with our watches.  We also learn that the location of Kingdom of God is "near."  It is to be found in the person and work of Jesus.  And when the Spirit dwells within us... it is found within us too.  And again, Mark is going to take the whole rest of his book to give witness to what he knows about it.

So Mark pulls us into his book... we need to read the whole thing to even begin to understand the good news and the kingdom of God.  Mark wants us to be patient and listen.  BUT one thing Mark is not patient about.  And that is Jesus' command to respond to what it is that we are about to learn by repenting and believing.  Jesus didn't just come to teach us.  He also came to tell us to respond: "Repent and believe!"  Jesus is telling us to respond to the good news that he is going to reveal by turning from our brokenness to following - trusting in - his way.

Do we ignore Jesus' command to turn from our brokenness and follow him?  Are we ready to renounce the reign of this world (its governments, its political parties, its clubs) and instead allow God to reign over us?  Or do we just think it is enough to show up at church when it is convenient?  Give some token amount of our wealth to those in need every now and then?  Pray occasionally when we need something?  Use our old ways for better causes?  Or is Jesus calling us to leave all of our brokenness behind for a whole new way of being?  A way of being where God reigns?  Well, Mark is going to use the rest of his book to give witness to what he has seen and heard...