Seeing is Believing: The Good News
Jesus Shares News
Mark 1:14-20
Rev. Tim Callow
Preached Sun. January 24, 2021
Jesus is no abstract philosopher. He did not spend his life poring over ancient scrolls and writing dissertations. He did not idly stroll through Jerusalem disputing about the problem of the one and the many or whether virtue can be taught. The most important thing about Jesus’ message is not his moral teaching. The most important thing about Jesus’ message is the news he proclaims.
Mark tells us Jesus’ ministry began with this proclamation of good news, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” The good news of Jesus Christ is not a new theory. It is not a new philosophy by which to live life. It is not a new insight. It is not something to be discussed, disputed over, or systematized. The good news of Jesus Christ is precisely that, news. It is the announcement that something has taken place. It is the heralding of an event. That event is the Kingdom of God coming near. And with the proclamation of that event, God’s reign, comes a call. That call is to “repent and believe in the good news.”
That word, gospel, had a different meaning in the ancient world. When one King conquered another king he would send his heralds. And the heralds would announce to the people “good news” or “gospel.” The good news that a new king has come near, and with that new king would come peace, prosperity, and justice. All that was asked of the people was obedience. Jesus is doing a similar thing. A new King is in town, God. His rule has come near. Satan is being down underfoot. The powerful are losing their iron grip. Salvation has come. And with the rule of God comes a calling: repent. Turn from your former ways. If you are to be citizens of the King you will need to live differently. You will need to grow in righteousness. Repent, and believe in God’s rule in Jesus Christ. Accept the rule of God.
This, in a nutshell, is what Jesus came to proclaim. That is why the earliest Christian creed is as simple as “Jesus is Lord.” Jesus is the King. All who believe in Jesus Christ, and put their trust in him, join God’s rule. They become part of this new reality. We become part of this new reality.
I want to emphasize this because it is a temptation for me to treat the Gospel as if it were an idea and not news, and I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one. It’s easy to make Jesus out as someone who had some interesting ideas. Or the first person in human history to realize we should love one another. Jesus as moralist, or Jesus as philosopher, misunderstands the real importance of the gospel. The gospel is not up for debate. You accept it or you don’t. The gospel comes before every debate, because the gospel is proclamation. It’s the good news. The Gospel tells us what is. It’s where we begin. You are caught up in it, or you are not. It transforms your life, or it does not.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, is huge news! There has never been more important breaking news in the history of humanity. God’s rule has begun. And with it comes peace, joy, righteousness, and salvation. Eternal life can be ours, because God has come in Christ and has set up his Kingdom.
How does Jesus share this news? Where does he go? Does he go to the palace of the King? Does he take a boat and search for Caesar? Does he share it with philosophers or prelates or rich men? Not at all. Instead he finds some fishermen and offers them a place on the ground floor. “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
The good news of the Kingdom of God is not for the select few. And unlike some news stories we see on the TV it’s not something that effects some but not others. The Kingdom of God is for everyone, even the fishermen, even you. Jesus calls us, as Jesus called Simon and Andrew, he says “come follow me, come enter the Kingdom and join me in this enterprise of spreading the news.” As Andrew and Simon were called into the joy of the Kingdom and into the vocation of sharing the good news, we too are called into the Kingdom and called to share the news.
How do we share the news? Perhaps the better question is, how could we not? If you have entered into the new reality God has brought about, your life will change. If you have entered into the new reality God has brought about, you cannot help but let people know the great joy you have found. Not because you wish to argue, not because you are right and want other to know you’re right, but because you have found someone, because you have entered into something, and you want other people to know the Kingdom and the King.
Jesus comes proclaiming the Kingdom, and he calls us to enter in. But when we enter in, how can we help but to proclaim along with him? How can we help but spread the news?