What Did Jesus Say? (Mark 1:14)

The first words that Jesus spoke in the gospel of Mark were, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.” I hear the words of Jesus and I see in my mind what Daniel saw in the night visions. “I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13,14). The time had come for the curse to be broken. When the curse was broken the arrogant words of Satan would be silenced and dominion would be given to the rightful king.

I hear in the words of Jesus the long-awaited fulfillment of this prophecy for the coming of the rule and reign of the Son of Man. This is good news! However, I also look with wonder at the setting in which Jesus made this proclamation. John has been arrested. Israel is under the heels of Rome. It doesn’t look like a picture of the Son of Man establishing His kingly rule - His dominion - His sovereign government. But what did Jesus say? “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15).

Those who had been waiting for the coming of messiah believed that he would come and break the yoke of Rome, but there was a greater plan. The messiah had come to break the yoke of Satan in the heart of every man. His rule and reign would include ruling and reigning in the lives of every people, nation and language. In order to establish the kingdom of God, the serpent’s head must be crushed and the Son of Man’s heel must be bruised. The kingdom of God was near because the time had been fulfilled. Jesus had come to break the curse by His death on the cross.

But there was more to this proclamation of good news. There was a call to respond. “Repent and believe in the good news.”  Repent, to change the mind, to accept the will God. This was the message of John, who had gone before Jesus to prepare the hearts and minds of the people for the kingdom of God. Those who had repented were able to hear the good news, but those who didn’t humble themselves with repentance rejected the messiah.

Jesus not only said to repent, He also said to believe in the good news. What does it mean to believe? It means that you put your confidence and trust in the One who came to set up His kingdom. Satan came into the garden offering man the right to rule himself and be his own god. He lied, and man’s rebellion against the dominion of God brought death. Now, at last, the time was fulfilled for the curse to be broken. Jesus came saying, “Believe the truth, reject the lie. The kingdom of God is near.”