The Good News that Jesus Preaches

I say preaches instead of preached because he still preaches through the Body of Christ and with the help of Holy Spirit.

But what is this Good News? It is different than a lot of us expect.

Mark 1:15 is the shortest version. We’ll explore other versions later – this is just a start. Mark gives key bullet points, a sort of minimal set of what this Gospel is. Depending on your translation, it goes something like this: “Now is the time. The Kingdom is at hand. Repent and believe the Good News”.

Let’s take a closer look at this –

• Now is the time. It has been a long time in coming. It’s a special moment. And, for humans, when someone – especially with the Anointing, says, “Now” — we tend to focus very much on the present moment. Which is good. Now is the only time decisions can be made. Especially deep decisions.
• The Kingdom is at hand – literally means is within reach. This is the Kingdom of God where God rules. Things are the way God wants and says. Not sickness, financial difficulties, relationship troubles – even in families. No trouble with bosses, financial cycles — none of the broken things of this world that affect us so much outside of the Kingdom of God.
• Repenting is to make a new and deep decision to turn around our lives and orient them towards God and the Kingdom. In this case, with Jesus preaching – the King is actually physically present. (After he ascended the Apostles taught and preached a bit differently – they had to. They were not the King being physically present.)
• And believe. Which can be to continue to believe, and to continue to orient our lives around God and his Kingdom.
• What a relief to have God’s Kingdom come and rule where we have troubles in our lives in this broken world.

This is the context, the preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom, by the King (Jesus the Anointed One), where the sick were healed, demons and unclean spirits exorcized, lepers cleansed, the dead raised – and disciples made.

In such a context, the preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom of God changes the atmosphere, and the context – and we more easily receive our Lord’s grace.

Where disciples heal, free the bound, and so forth. Where disciples make more disciples who multiply and make yet more disciples.

More on these things and how they are related in another posting.

Questions or comments? Love to hear them! Email me at David@DavidBurnet.com