"Repent and Believe in the Gospel" (Sermon for Ash Wednesday, on Mark 1:1-20)

stmatthewbt.org ^ | February 17, 2021 | The Rev. Charles Henrickson

[Charles Henrickson]

“Repent and Believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:1-20)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first of the forty days of Lent. And while we’re not able to meet in person today, due to adverse travel conditions, we still are able to meet here, online, to meditate on God’s Word. And we’re thankful for that.

One thing we’re encouraging our people to do this year for our Lenten devotion is to “Read Mark.” That is, we have recommended a schedule for reading through the Gospel of Mark over the forty days of Lent. The readings average only about seventeen verses a day, so that’s very manageable. We’ve included the reading plan as a bulletin insert the last couple of Sundays, I’ve posted the schedule on my Facebook page, and I’ve sent it out to our members for whom I have email addresses. If you would like a copy of the “Read Mark” devotional plan, let me know, with your email address, and I can email it to you.

The first reading today, to begin our readthrough of this gospel, is from Mark chapter 1, the first twenty verses. And not only does it get us started in Mark, it also works to get us going in Lent. For Lent is a penitential season, a season of repentance, as we hear now in the words of our Savior, “Repent and Believe in the Gospel.”

We’ll focus on verses 14 and 15, where it says, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” This is our text.

Jesus’ proclamation of the gospel begins with an announcement: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” What does Jesus mean by this?

First, “The time is fulfilled.” That is to say, everything that has been leading up to this moment and preparing for this time has now come to pass. All of Israel’s history, all of human history, has reached the point God had in mind. The prophecies foretelling what the Lord would do--those prophecies have now reached the point of fulfillment. This is the moment the world has been waiting for. Indeed, this is the moment the Lord has been waiting for and working toward. It is now here in the coming of Christ. All that is packed into Jesus’ words, “The time is fulfilled.” Think of what St. Paul says in Galatians, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” And this was that fullness of time. This was just the right moment for Jesus to come on the scene.

The time is fulfilled, “and the kingdom of God is at hand.” The kingdom of God: This is God’s gracious rule and reign among men. It is God’s end-time kingdom of grace and blessing. And Jesus is the king who ushers it in. That’s why Jesus can say that the kingdom is “at hand.” It’s right here among you. The kingdom arrives with the presence of Jesus. That’s how it comes near.

The Lord had promised this end-time kingdom in the prophecies of the Old Testament. The arrival of this kingdom would mark a time of marvelous abundance and blessing, of a sea-change in the affairs of men, and of a seismic shift in the ages. God would visit his people to bless them and redeem them. The Lord would come to act both in salvation and in judgment. All of that is wrapped up in Jesus’ announcement, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”

If the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand back then, it is certainly fulfilled and at hand now. So now what? What does this mean for our lives? What is Jesus’ message to us in view of these things? Here it is: “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

Repent and believe: The two go together like hand in glove. You don’t have one without the other. When Jesus calls you to repent, he also calls you to believe. Jesus calls you to believe in the gospel, so that your repentance would not leave you desolate and in despair.

“Repent and believe in the gospel.” What is Jesus saying to us with “Repent”? He’s saying: Turn from your sins. Turn away from them in sorrow and contrition. Mourn how you have messed things up. Change your mind, change your whole way of thinking. Turn from the world’s way of thinking and from the selfish desires of your flesh. Recognize how you have broken God’s commandments: that you have not loved God with your whole heart, that you have not loved your neighbor as yourself. For that’s what sin is. That’s what being a sinner is. Own it. Confess it. Don’t rationalize your sins or excuse them away. Don’t get by with just comparing yourself to other people, focusing on how bad they are. No, look in the mirror. See how you yourself have sinned--in thought, word, and deed, in what you have done wrong and in what you have failed to do right. Admit that you’re a sinner, lost without God’s mercy and forgiveness, with no righteousness of your own that would avail before God. Recognize your emptyhandedness before God’s throne of judgment. All of that is what’s packed into this one word, “Repent.” Do you hear this call to repentance? Jesus is speaking to you today.

But thank God, Jesus has another word to speak to us today. And it is this: “Believe in the gospel.” The gospel is the good news of God’s undeserved grace and favor toward sinners like you and me. This is something to rejoice over, that God speaks words of salvation and grace to us, words of comfort and consolation.

Now this gospel is not just some vague, fuzzy fluff, like “Everything’s OK. God’s a nice old softy. He doesn’t take sin that seriously.” No, it goes much deeper than that. And it has very specific content. The gospel is very specifically focused on and centered on God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only gospel there is. For Jesus Christ is the heart and soul of the gospel. His person, his work--the person and work of Christ is the specific content of this good news. Who Jesus is and what he has done--this is what makes the gospel good news.

You see, this man Jesus who is going about Galilee--he is the very Son of God come in the flesh, come down to earth to bring salvation to lost sinners. True God and true man, he is our brother and our Savior. As our brother, he fulfills the law on our behalf, always doing the right thing, the way man was meant to do it. And Jesus then is our substitute in taking the punishment that the law requires for sinners. Even though he had no sins of his own, Christ bore our sins in his body on the cross. He shed his holy precious blood for our forgiveness. And because he is the holy Son of God doing these things, his sacrifice is sufficient for all of us, for all men everywhere. Christ’s righteousness is enough to cover the entire world. God pronounces us righteous for his sake. It’s a free gift.

This gift, then, is received through faith. That’s why Jesus says, “Believe in the gospel.” To believe, biblically speaking, is not just to know about something in your head, with no connection to your life. No, rather, to believe is to trust, to entrust yourself to this gospel of Christ, to know in your heart that this is your only hope of righteousness before God. “Believe in the gospel,” that is to say, Trust in Christ. Take refuge in him. He is your Savior. He will save you from your sins. He will save you from death and damnation. He will save you by the power of his resurrection to eternal life, so that you will share in his resurrection on the last day. This is the content of our faith.

And this faith is worked in you by the Holy Spirit, creating faith and nurturing your faith through the means of grace, Word and Sacrament. The fact that you trust in Christ--this is itself a gift from God. The Holy Spirit gave you this gift of faith in Holy Baptism, and he continues to strengthen your faith as you receive Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. God’s mighty Word creates and awakens the very faith it calls for. And this is why it is so vitally important that you continue steadfast in the Word and the Sacraments, in the life of the church gathered together.

“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” Dear friends, Jesus comes to us today, to our Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God. It’s time for us, on this Ash Wednesday and throughout this season of Lent, to hear his call to repent and believe the gospel. And as you read Mark over these forty days, you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

[Charles Henrickson]

Mark 1:1-20 (ESV)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping.

[sauropod]

Bump

[piasa]

bump

[Cronos]

The kingdom arrives with the presence of Jesus. That’s how it comes near.

The Lord had promised this end-time kingdom in the prophecies of the Old Testament. The arrival of this kingdom would mark a time of marvelous abundance and blessing, of a sea-change in the affairs of men, and of a seismic shift in the ages. God would visit his people to bless them and redeem them. The Lord would come to act both in salvation and in judgment. All of that is wrapped up in Jesus’ announcement, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”

If the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand back then, it is certainly fulfilled and at hand now

Very correct Charles. The kingdom of heaven was already inaugurated at the first advent of Jesus.

[Cronos]

“Now after John was arrested, 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’” (Mk 1:14–15).

Here Mark describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and the core of His teachings.

We use the Greek word “evsngelion” to describe Jesus’s message, and that means a transforming message the Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion like worldly kingdoms.

Luke 17:20–21, “being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, ‘The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed [by neutral observers], nor will they say, “Lo, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’”

[MAAG]

They knew on Palm Sunday when Jesus allowed them to call Him King, that there was 7 years left of Daniels 490 years judgment, then the Kingdom would come.

They then rejected Jesus, killing him on the cross, after raising three days later the Risen Christ offered his own blood in heaven.

Came back and waited 40 days for them to change their minds.

Having hardened their hearts the Jews were put aside and thus the church came to be at Pentecost.

These things are clearly stated in the Gospels and the book of Acts.

Surely you are being disobedient in you Allegorizing and Spiritualizing the Truth of scripture.

[MHGinTN]

BTTT Amen.

[Cronos]

The kingdom was inaugurated.

Daniel’s visions end with the first advent of Jesus, who is the rock unseen by human hands, that became the mountain that is the church, the community of Christ.

The kingdom is already here, among us

[Cronos]

The proof that the kingdom of heaven is already among us, ie that the pre tribulation rapture point of view is false is seen in such statements as “the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15), it “has already come upon you” (Mt 12:28), it is “in the midst of you” (Lk 17:21)

Luke 17:20–21 tells us that, “being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, ‘The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed [by neutral observers], nor will they say, “Lo, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’”

The Messiah and His Kingdom were foretold to be coming during the fourth kingdom of the vision, when Rome ruled over Jerusalem. During that time, Christ would set up His Kingdom, which would grow to encompass the entire world and last forever. This dovetails with the teaching of Jesus. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matt. 13:31–32).

[MHGinTN]

You err ... boldly. You are probably a big fan of Augustine's 'City of God'.

Wherever the King is there is the Kingdom. Jesus is in Heaven, now. He will be coming back to usjer in The Kingdom on the Earth, but that is a future event receded by several signs and fulfilled prophecies not yet seen.

The principle of the imminent return to gather the Body fo Christ Believers to Himself and return to the Father's House where JESUS has been preparing a plaxce for us is a solid teaching of the New Testament. Your false belief discard the principle of imminence, as satan wants it discarded.

I am anticipating the great Departure with the appearing of Jesus in the air (not onto the mount of olives). Your belief system is looking forward to the rise of the antichrist, during the Tribulation. No sale

[MAAG]

The proof that the kingdom of heaven is already among us

The proof is all around you, death and destruction. Where is the One who rules with a rod of iron.

Zechariah 12:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [a]the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced;
and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

Until the Nation of Israel(house of David) calls out to the Lord, the world will continue on as it has since the fall, and is until now.

Genesis 3:17-19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

Cursed is the ground because of you;
With [a]hard labor you shall eat from it
All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
Yet you shall eat the [b]plants of the field;

19 By the sweat of your face
You shall eat bread,
Until you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Don’t argue with fools MAAG.

[MAAG]

Don’t argue with fools MAAG.

You are so right, but it does help keep me prepared for the times when someone truly asks about our reason for peace, while everyone else is running around like chicken little.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Correct, but there is a time & place for reasonable debate - not trolling however.

Proverbs 23:9
Proverbs 26:4
Matthew 7:6

[Cronos]

You quote Zechariah 12:10. This is the whole passage

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [h]the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn

Zechariah chapter 12 recapitulates the events of Daniel's last week

12:3 "all the nations of the earth will come together against Jerusalem" -- This happened when Titus invaded in 67 AD. his army was made up of soldiers from each of the ten provinces of the empire and mercenaries from outside the empire

The key passage - "they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son," -- this was fulfilled during the fall of Jerusalem to the Flavian armies

After Vespasian subdued Judah and laid waste their lands with sword and fire as in Zechariah 6 to 9, he then overthrew Jerusalem

When the inhabitants of Jerusalem were defeated, they realized that it was the punishment of God upon them for their treatment of the Messiah.

Until the Nation of Israel(house of David) calls out to the Lord, the world will continue on as it has since the fall, and is until now. -- Don't you realize that they DID??? Why did John write about "the synagogue of Satan"? Why did Jesus warn of being "beaten in the synagogues"?

The reason is that well until after the destruction of Jerusalem, the followers of Jesus were/are the Jesus-movement sect of Jews - think about it. This is a sect in Judaism that is threatening to take over ALL of Judaism - so the Pharisees and the Sadducees crack down upon this sect

See the above -- what we call Christianity is really just another 2nd temple Jewish sect -- the other sect that survived is Rabbinical Judaism - derived from the Pharisees. The Pharisees retained the name "Jew" and the Jesus-movement Jews took on the exonym "Christian"

[Cronos]

RWC -- foolish if one blindly believes in a 19th century fantasy like the pre tribulation rapture

[Cronos]

The thing is - this is shortsighted -- look at the Christians in Pakistan, in northern Nigeria etc. - burnt, raped, tortured etc. for Christ. They are already living through horrific tribulations.

This is similar to what Christians already faced in 1453 in Constantinople etc. RAturists focus on believing the chicken-little rapture instead of focusing on Jesus' message that the Kingdom is HERE

[Cronos]

MHGinTN “Jesus is in Heaven, now<”

And that is incorrect. Jesus is God - omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscience.

The Kingdom on Earth is already inaugurated . To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The seed and beginning of the Kingdom are the “little flock” of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is. The Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved with the 12 apostles representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem

Mark 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

And KEY —

Mark 14:25
Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

And we read about Him sharing a meal with His followers after He is resurrected.

Acts 10:41

Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

This is clear that the Kingdom is already inaugurated with His sacrifice.

[Cronos]

I am anticipating the great Departure with the appearing of Jesus in the air

The pre-tribulation rapture is not biblical

As 1 Thessalonians 4 says

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to [a]walk and please God (just as you actually do [b]walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from [d]sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to [e]possess his own [f]vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in [g]lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but [h]in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will [i]behave properly toward outsiders and [j]not be in any need.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [k]in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [l]and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [m]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [n]and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This very clearly REFUTES the fake 19th century secrete pre-trib rapture philosophy

What does this actually teach?

St. Paul wrote to the Thessalnian Christians because they were worried about those who died before Christ's return. Many in the ancient world believed that a person simply ceased to exist upon death. These was a rumor in Thessalonica at the time Paul wrote the letter that the dead Christians had lost out on any chance of a physical resurrection. St.Paul assures them that it was not so. In fact, "the dead in Christ will rise first" to meet Christ

The Thessalonians knew their dead would rise again but apparently feared that they would not find them in Christ’s retinue at the time of his glorious return. St. Paul assures them that their dead will indeed be there; “slept through Jesus,” a unique phrase, equivalent to “the dead who are in Christ” of 15, cf. Rom 14:7-8. “In (the) word of the Lord”

Paul The Thessalonians knew their dead would rise again but apparently feared that they would not find them in Christ’s retinue at the time of his glorious return. St. Paul assures them that their dead will indeed be there; “slept through Jesus,” a unique phrase, equivalent to “the dead who are in Christ” of 15, cf. Rom 14:7-8. “In (the) word of the Lord”

As it is clear from his answer to their second question (5:1-12) that neither he nor anyone else knows the time of the Second Coming, there can be no question here of his either teaching or hinting at the imminence of the Parousia, as many moderns have thought. His utilization of Matthew 24 is conclusive of his conformity with Christ’s own teaching on the Parousia,Rapturists make the mistake of thinking "meet the Lord in the air" is about Christ not actually touching the earth.

The word St. Paul uses for meeting the Lord "in the air" is aer the Greek word for atmosphere

This SAME word is used in Ephesians 2:2

And you [a]were dead [b]in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the [c]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

yet no one would claim that, because of this word, Satan wouldn't influence people on the earth

A consistent rapturist reading of this wod here would mean that only airplane passengers are influenced by Satan's power

NO, when Christ returns to the earth's atmosphere, He has returned to earth

Rapturists trying to point to the "coming in the clouds" -- but this ignores the symbol of divinity in the clouds

The Bible uses three Greek words interchangeably

1. parousia - coming
2. epiphaneia appearing
3. apokalupsis revelation

Rapturists think that there is a different usage for each, but that is false - parousia is not used just for some fake "rapture" and the others for the 2nd coming

Paul doesn't mention this 19th century rapture idea as occuring before the appearance of the antichrist and before the second coming is simple: it never entered into his mind that anyone would believe Christ would rapture His Church before the final Eschaton

In the apocalypse, that is referred to as the battle with Gog and Magog, Christians will participate in that confrontation because there will be no secret rapture before it. Our comfort rests in Him who will emerge from that confrontation as the Victor.

THAT is the reassurance Paul offers, not the promise of an escape from the great Tribulation.