The Unstoppable Proclamation
Introduction: The King's Unhindered Advance
We live in an age that is terrified of authority and allergic to proclamations. Our culture prefers suggestions, options, and a buffet of personal truths. The idea of a singular, authoritative announcement that demands a universal response strikes the modern ear as tyrannical. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is precisely that: it is not a suggestion, but a declaration. It is not an invitation to a focus group, but the summons of a King.
And Mark, in his gospel of immediate action, shows us that this royal proclamation does not wait for ideal circumstances. In fact, it thrives in what the world would call a crisis. The world thinks that when a prophet is silenced, the message dies. When a good man is thrown in prison, the movement is over. Herod thought he could put a stop to this talk of repentance and kingdoms by arresting John the Baptist. But you cannot imprison the Word of God. The kingdom of God proceeds from triumph to triumph, and all of them are cleverly disguised as disasters. The arrest of John the Baptist was not a setback for the kingdom; it was the signal for its public unveiling. It was the changing of the guard.
Herod’s actions were meant to intimidate, to send a message that the powers of this world will not tolerate a rival kingdom. But God’s response, in the person of Jesus Christ, was to step onto the stage and amplify the message a thousandfold. The forerunner is taken off the scene, and the King Himself steps up to the microphone. This is not a retreat. This is an escalation. The gospel does not advance when it is safe; it advances when it is proclaimed. And here, at the very outset of His public ministry, Jesus lays down the non-negotiable terms of His kingdom.
The Text
Now after John had been delivered up into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:14-15 LSB)
The Tyrant's Futility (v. 14)
We begin with the historical setting that Mark provides.
"Now after John had been delivered up into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God..." (Mark 1:14)
Mark’s pacing is, as always, rapid and potent. He does not give us the details of John’s arrest here; he simply states it as the catalyst for what comes next. John, the great forerunner, the voice crying in the wilderness, has been "delivered up." This is the world’s way. The world hates the prophetic voice because it cannot control it. When a man speaks for God, he introduces an authority that earthly rulers cannot stomach. So Herod does what all tyrants do: he tries to silence the man in order to silence the message.
But look at the divine response. It is not to organize a protest or a prison break. It is for Jesus to come into Galilee, "preaching." The word is kerusso, which means to proclaim, to herald, to announce as a king's emissary. The kingdom of God does not negotiate; it announces its arrival. And where does Jesus go? He goes to Galilee, "Galilee of the Gentiles," a place looked down upon by the Judean elite. This is strategic. The kingdom will not be a palace movement centered in Jerusalem's corridors of power. It will be a grassroots invasion, starting in the backwaters, among the fishermen and the common folk. The light dawns not in the center of the old world, but on its periphery, which is about to become the center of the new.
And what does He preach? He preaches "the gospel of God." This is crucial. It is not His own philosophy or a new self-help program. It is God's good news. It is a message that originates with God, is about God, and leads to God. The world may have its Herods and its prisons, but God has His gospel, and it is on the march.
The Divine Timetable (v. 15a)
Jesus’ proclamation itself begins with two foundational statements about time and reality.
"...and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand...'" (Mark 1:15a)
First, "The time is fulfilled." This is not just saying, "It's time to begin." This is a declaration that all of history has been leading to this precise moment. Every prophecy, every sacrifice, every covenant, from Genesis 3:15 onward, has been a signpost pointing to this instant. The entire Old Testament was a long pregnancy, and now the water has broken. Paul says the same thing: "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4). History is not a random series of events; it is a story with an author, and the author has just announced that the central chapter is beginning.
Second, as a consequence of this fulfillment, "the kingdom of God is at hand." The verb here means has drawn near, has arrived. This is the central theme of Jesus' preaching. The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is not primarily a future hope, something to be established after we all get evacuated to heaven. No, Jesus says it is "at hand." It has broken into history. The stone cut without hands that Daniel saw is now striking the feet of the great pagan statue (Dan. 2:34-35). This is D-Day. The invasion has begun.
This is where our eschatology must be robust. Many Christians today live as though the kingdom is perpetually "out there" somewhere. But Jesus inaugurated the kingdom in His coming. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension established His throne. He is reigning now. And His kingdom is like a mustard seed, which starts small but grows into a great tree that fills the earth. It is a process, a gradual, slow, and certain advance. What Jesus announced in Galilee was the beginning of a worldwide conquest that has been proceeding for two thousand years and will continue until He returns. He is not waiting to become king; He is King, and He is putting all His enemies under His feet through the power of the gospel.
The Unchanging Demand (v. 15b)
This royal announcement requires a response. It is not information for our consideration; it is a command for our obedience. And the command has two parts.
"...repent and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15b)
First, "repent." The Greek is metanoeite. It means to change your mind, but not in a trivial sense, like changing your mind about what to have for dinner. It means a complete revolution of your thinking, a fundamental reorientation of your entire life. It is turning away from your own autonomy, your self-rule, your sin, and your rebellion. It is admitting that you have been going the wrong way, that your own kingdom-building project is bankrupt and treasonous, and that you must surrender unconditionally to the rightful King.
Repentance is not simply feeling bad about your sins. It is a change of allegiance. You stop trusting in yourself, your own righteousness, and your own definitions of good and evil, and you turn to God. This is not a one-time act, but the beginning of a new way of life. We are called to keep repenting, constantly turning from our sins and toward Christ.
Second, "believe in the gospel." Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. To repent is to turn from sin. To believe is to turn to Christ. The word "believe" (pisteuete) means to trust in, to rely on, to cling to. Believe what? Believe "the gospel", the good news that the King has come, that He has dealt with our sin and rebellion on the cross, that He has conquered death in the resurrection, and that He offers full pardon and citizenship in His kingdom to all who will lay down their arms and trust in Him alone.
This is not belief in a set of abstract doctrines, though it includes that. It is personal trust in a living King. It is entrusting your entire existence, your past, present, and future, into His hands. It is to believe that His announcement is true: the time is fulfilled, the kingdom is here, and He is Lord.
Conclusion: The Unavoidable Choice
The message of Jesus in Galilee is the same message for us today. It has not been updated or revised for modern sensibilities. The kingdom of God is still at hand. It is advancing through the preaching of the gospel, the sacraments, and the faithful lives of His people. It is growing, taking territory, and transforming cultures from the inside out.
And the demand remains the same. The proclamation of the kingdom forces a choice upon every person who hears it. There is no neutral ground. You are either a citizen of the kingdom of God or you are in rebellion against it. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot pledge allegiance to both Christ and your own autonomy.
Therefore, the call to you is the same one that echoed across the hills of Galilee. Repent. Change your mind. Abandon your foolish rebellion. Lay down your arms. And believe. Trust in the good news that the King has come to save rebels like you. Trust that His death paid for your treason and His resurrection guarantees your new life. This is not a suggestion. It is the command of the King. And obedience to it is the only path to life.