Mark 1:15-20
The change in seasons can be a nasty misnomer. Especially springtime – think about it: the onset of spring makes you think sunshine, warm, and growth, but in reality the beginning of spring is cold and wet. The season of spring may begin in March, but it takes a while until the full warmth from the sun is in full effect. It may often be May before you experience the warmth and growth of spring, depending on where you live. Thus “spring” can be a difficult idea to comprehend: it’s now, but it’s also not yet. Now and not yet is a phrase that’s used in Christianity to describe the tensions in our Christian faith. We have Christ with us now, but we are not yet face to face with Him. We are saints now, justified before God as sinless, but we have not yet achieved sinless perfection. This is a tension; we are sinless, yet we still sin.
Following His baptism, Jesus’ introduced Himself to the world by announcing that the Kingdom has come and is here. But there were no boundary markers, no government installation, no heralding parade to signify the arrival of this Kingdom. There weren’t even any official forms to fill out. So, what is the Kingdom? How do we understand it, how do we see it? What space does it occupy in our lives here towards the end of 2025? If we are to respond to Christ’s proclamation, it would be helpful to know what we are signing up for.
The Kingdom is Real
If the Kingdom is here, what does it look like? How does that affect our national citizenship? And what exactly is the gospel? Is it news, a story, a situation or event? Adam had connectivity with God in the garden but ruined it by desire for self. God promised in Isaiah 7:14 that He will be with us again (Immanuel). This is fulfilled in Christ; the King is here! The scattered children of Abraham can re-unite with their King who is real-time on earth and physically accessible. With the King comes the Kingdom. With the King comes restoration and redemption. The Kingdom (the family of God) can come back to the garden.
Yet this Kingdom is not geographically or politically defined. It is bound not by physical markers, but by personal allegiance. One must choose to be a part of Jesus’ Kingdom, which we do by trusting in Him – not simply His actions on one particular weekend (though very important), but by fully recognizing and standing with Him as your King. John 1 makes the connection that Jesus is God and that Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully man to live a life that fulfills the Law and be a qualified representative for humanity. This was fulfilled in His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, defeating death and evil and providing forgiveness to those who would believe Him. Through faith, we believe in Jesus and in turn celebrate admission into His Kingdom. This means we are citizens of our home country, but also citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. It may not be visible or fully realized yet (as the spring season is in March), but it is real, and it is here – and there is an open invitation.
The Kingdom Starts with an Invitation
The book of Mark can be a jarring read at times – there’s not a lot of transitional sentences to smooth out the jumps from scene to scene (more on that later) – but with the very next occurrence after Jesus publicly proclaims the Kingdom, we see Him making initial invitations to follow Him. There are two short, but impactful points out of Mark 1:16-20 I’d like to make here: 1) the invitation comes from Christ for a purpose. From day one, Jesus offers the Kingdom to others; this means that a person’s decision to accept that invitation (even if it comes from your mouth) is a response to Jesus, not to us. But He invites us in to that work – a fisher of men. We participate in the work of inviting others. Invitations come from Christ through our actions and words. And 2), it is a high value opportunity. Note that these early followers left everything they had to follow Jesus. They gave up their security, their comforts, and their lives. 1 Cor 6:20 says that we were bought with a price – meaning that we accepted God’s invitation into the Kingdom and the price was that He is now our King and we owe Him our submission and allegiance.
Next Steps
I invite you today to respond to Christ’s invitation to His Kingdom:
- Trust Him by sharing yourself with Him in prayer and relationship.
- Submit to His directions as King – give God your allegiance – your time, treasures and talents.
- Participate with Him by engaging in ministry activities.
We have rights and responsibilities as Americans – voting, jury duty, selective service, etc. We do those things because we like living here. Heaven is a great place too – purpose and joy without toil, face to face relatinoship with God, etc. The value of Christ’s Kingdom far surpasses anything the US offers. Will you submit and respond?
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