Jesus Announces the Good News

~Mark 1:14-20~

In-person service at

Second Baptist Church

2412 Griffith Ave.

Los Angeles

William S. Epps, Senior Pastor

Sunday, January 21, 2024

¹⁴After 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 has come near. Repent

and believe the good news!” ¹⁶As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸At once they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Mark 1:14-20

Introduction

We began the year with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan sharing with you the significance of baptism as an initiation and orientation of belonging and being set apart for something special. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and was identified as the Son of God in whom God was well pleased. Baptism sets you apart to be used by God in the world to present and reflect the presence of God in life’s changing scenes. The

Lord is present to you and the Lord comes to you in the midst of the circumstances you experience to make you part of the Lord’s presence in the world through you.  

On the second Sunday we were made aware that the Lord finds us and invites and convicts, convinces and converts us to believe in Christ as the Son of God. We then, like Philip share that we have found the Messiah about whom Moses and the Prophets spoke. Some of the time our witness is met with skepticism, with a question that asks, "are you sure?"  Nathaniel questioned whether anything good could come out of Nazareth. Philip’s response was not to coerce; he simply extended an invitation to come and see for yourself. Jesus convinced, convicted and converted Nathaniel. That is the way we have all come to be part of the fellowship of faith. We have been invited, some willingly come, other come with a skepticism that needs to be addressed. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ convinces, convicts and converts. 

The passage today shares an interesting detail about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ ministry begins with John the Baptist being put in prison. John the Baptist carefully puts himself in proper relationship to the one who is coming after him. That one (Jesus Christ) will be more powerful, and will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

John is unworthy even to untie the thong of his sandals (vv. 7-8).

Consider what it means that Jesus’ ministry begins when things

are seemingly at their worst, John the Baptist has been arrested

and everything is just going wrong.

Monday, January 22, 2024

Mark tells us that Jesus began His ministry only after John was arrested (paradidomi—handed over, delivered up). Paradidomi combines the Greek para (over to) and didomi (to give), and means, “to give over to” or “to deliver up.” The World English Bible translates it, “after John was taken into custody,” and the NRSV says “arrested.” However, you say, “Now after John was delivered up” or “handed over,” captures something of the sinister nature of John’s arrest. (Richard Niell Donovan)

In John’s Gospel (3:22-30), John and Jesus have overlapping ministries for a time. Mark tells the story differently, taking John the Baptist out of play before Jesus begins His ministry—possibly because Mark wants to emphasize John’s role as forerunner.

Once Jesus is on the scene, John is no longer needed.

Bear in mind, it was after John the Baptist was put in prison that Jesus’ ministry begins with Him inviting persons to join Him in His ministry. Imagine, when something less desirable occurs, the ministry of good news with Christ begins. The good news of the Lord comes when life is challenging, confusing, and contradictory to what one believes should be happening. The Lord’s presence is most often discovered in the midst of difficulty, dismay, and distress about some development or developments that are disheartening. 

This passage brings this reality to mind in a striking way. Mark begins his Gospel with the words, “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ” (v1) and narrates the ministry of John the Baptist (vv. 2-8), the baptism of Jesus (vv.9-11), and Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (vv. 12-13). 

Consider what it means that just when things just seem to go from

bad to worst, good news comes from the Lord. 

Our Gospel lesson is the story of the call of the first disciples, which opens Jesus’ ministry. Jesus calls His disciples and begins His public ministry; healing a person with an unclean spirit (vv. 21-28), healing Simon’s mother-in-law and others at Simon’s house (vv. 29-34), preaching in Galilee (vv. 35-39), and cleansing a leper (vv. 40-45).

Mark’s Gospel is fast-paced, rather like a series of images flashed on a screen one after another, moving almost too fast for us to keep up. Mark uses the word (euthus) often translated "immediately," which appears 41 times. 

"Come after me and I will make you fishers of people," are the words of Jesus to

Simon and Andrew his brother, and they forsook what they were doing and followed Him. Likewise, Jesus went a little further and saw James and John the son of

Zebedee, and He called them and they left their father and the hired servants and went after Him. 

Jesus extends an invitation to persons to come follow Him with the assurance that they will be more purposeful with their lives. Jesus says, I will make you more than you realize; instead of working to make a living, you can work to make a life. 

"Making a living" refers specifically to how one earns money. It may be the minimal money needed to support a basic life, or the much larger amounts needed to support a wealth or opulent lifestyle. In any case, "making a living" more often is specifically

about the method of obtaining income.

However, "making a life" refers to a person's overall life experience. It is about having

a sense of purposeful fulfillment. Mark Twain, an American writer, humorist, essayist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer is credited with saying, “the two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why." 

Fulfilling the purpose for which you were born into time and space is making a life worthwhile. 

Consider what it means to make a life rather than make a living. 

Let me share a few of the salient aspects of this passage as it relates to each of us. 

Firstly, Jesus came into Galilee (v. 14b) “preaching the Good News (euangelion) 

of God” (v. 14c). The good news of God is that God loves us and has made provision to save us. In the New Testament, euangelion is usually the good news of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He offers. In this case, however, Jesus proclaims the good news of God. The Good News of God in Christ is that the kingdom of God is at hand. (v.15). It has been suggested that the term used for kingdom (basileia) might be translated as kingship. The word kingdom implies the geographical territory over which a king reigns. However, God’s kingship is the Lord’s sovereign rule over the hearts of people.  

Jesus tells of a very different kind of kingdom—a kingdom that “is at hand” (v. 15)—a kingdom that is realized when we surrender our hearts to God—a kingdom that began with Jesus’ first coming. 

Jesus will say much more about the Kingdom of God. Jesus made many references to what the kingdom of God is like:

“The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn’t know how” (4:26-27). 

“How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it? It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth.” (4:30-31).

“Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (10:14).

“How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.” (10:23-24).

Jesus answered a query about the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, your mind and strength and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. The favorable response an inquirer receives from the Lord is “thou are not far from the kingdom of God.” (12:34).

Given that Jesus made the Kingdom of God such a central part of his teaching and preaching, we disciples need to do the same. The Church, however, is always tempted to let other things displace the proclamation of the kingdom of God. When we allow that to happen, we are being unfaithful. Whatever we thought was more important than the proclamation of the kingdom becomes an idol, and cannot serve either the church or society well.

Jesus sows the seed in the hearts of persons who produce the fruit of the Spirit of Christ (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control ~Galatians 5:22-26). Paul reminds us that the Lord is at work with us, in us and through us until Christ is formed in us. (Galatians 4:19)

Consider the meaning of the good news Jesus brings to your life.  

Secondly, to embrace the kingship/kingdom of God, one repents and believes the good news. 

“Repent, and believe in the Good News” (v. 15b). The appropriate response to the coming of the kingdom is twofold: Repent (Greek: metanoeo—to change one’s mind or direction) and believe the good news!

We tend to think of repentance as feeling guilty, but it is really a change of mind or direction—seeing things from a different perspective. Once we begin to see things rightly, we will probably feel bad about having been wrong for so long—but repentance starts with the new vision rather than the guilt feelings.

When Jesus called the Israelites to repentance, He was calling them to turn away from false gods (human efforts or alliances that would betray them in the end) and turn to the true God (who could and would save them).

“And believe (pisteuo) in the Good News” (euangelion) (v. 15c). To believe (pisteuo) is to be convinced that something is true—to trust it—to have faith. The author of Hebrews defines faith as the “assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Belief makes it possible for people to live confidently in the midst of difficulty. Belief makes it possible to keep moving forward toward seemingly impossible odds. Belief makes it possible for us to step out into the darkness, certain that God will give us sure footing.

In whom or in what do you believe? The one or the what in whom you believe will make or break you, help you or hurt you, propel you or prevent you from fulfilling who you have the capacity to become. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Life which is fulfilling is faithful.  I’m reminded of the poem entitled, “What I Live For" by George Linnaeus Banks:

I live for those who love me, whose hearts are kind and true,

For heaven that smiles above me, / And waits my spirit, too;

For all the ties that bind me, / For all the tasks assigned me.

And bright hopes left behind me, / And good that I can do.

I live to learn their story

Who've suffered for my sake,

To emulate their glory,

And follow in their wake;

Bards, patriots, martyrs, sages

The noble of all ages,

Whose deeds crown history's pages,

And Time's great volume make.

I live to hold communion

With all that is divine,

To feel there is a union

'Twixt Nature's heart and mine;

To profit by affliction,

Reap truths from fields of fiction,

And, wiser from conviction,

Fulfil each grand design.

I live to hail that season,

By gifted minds foretold,

When men shall rule by reason,

And not alone by gold;

When man to man united

And every wrong thing righted,

The whole world shall be lighted

As Eden was of old.

I live for those who love me,

Whose hearts are kind and true,

For heaven that smiles above me,

And waits my spirit too;

For the cause that lacks assistance,

For the wrong that needs resistance,

For the future in the distance,

And the good that I can do.

This might sound like idealistic nonsense but that is why God sent Christ to engage those who would be willing to join in receiving the good news of God about the possibility of achieving God's purpose for life and the world.

Consider what it means to believe the good news of Christ and repent and change the direction, devotion and desire of your life.  

Thirdly, Jesus enlist those who in faith, are willing to believe what the good news of God says they can achieve. 

Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to let go of everything that they know so that they can step out onto a pathway that He will show them—a pathway that He does not define for them in advance—a pathway that they will not understand until they have walked it. That is what discipleship involves—faith to step into the unknown, trusting Christ to lead us to the right destination.

Why does Jesus call these four disciples? Why do they follow? Nothing in the text fully answers either question. Apparently Jesus sees something worthwhile in these four persons—not necessarily what they are but what they could be. Apparently the four persons see something compelling in Jesus—something that causes them to walk away from that which is precious to follow Him. For Simon and Andrew, the sacrifice is leaving their nets. For James and John, it is leaving their father.



These men did not seek to become Jesus’ disciples. They had not presented Jesus with their resumes and begged Him to accept them as students. It was Jesus’ initiative, not theirs, that resulted in their becoming Jesus’ followers. That is typical of call stories. (See the story of Abraham {Genesis 12:1-9}; Moses {Exodus 3:1-21}; Samuel {1 Samuel 3:1-18}; Isaiah {Isaiah 6:1-8}.) God chooses whom God chooses.

Consider what it means to follow the Lord who offered you an

opportunity to receive what the Lord has to offer as good news if

you are willing to redirect your life.  

Conclusion

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;

Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,

Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

Jesus calls us from the worship

Of the vain world’s golden store,

From each idol that would keep us,

Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,

Days of toil and hours of ease,

Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,

“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,

Savior, may we hear Thy call,

Give our hearts to Thine obedience,

Serve and love Thee best of all.

The good news of God is that God loves us and has made provision to save us.

To embrace the good news of God is to repent (have a change of mind and heart) and believe the good news, the kingship of God.

Jesus enlists those who in faith are willing to believe what the good news of God says they can achieve. 

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;

Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,

Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

Will you follow Christ?

Consider what it means to follow Jesus in a world where you are

challenged to follow others who will lead you away from what

the Lord intends you to believe and achieve.

Second Baptist Church Los Angeles

2412 Griffith Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90011 

Phone: (213) 748-0318