Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 1:15

"and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel." — Mark 1:15 (ASV)

Jesus now begins his Galilean ministry. The opening of his public ministry is related to that of John the Baptist. Not until “after John was put in prison” (v.14) and perhaps put to death did Jesus begin his ministry. John, the forerunner, had completed his God-appointed task. Mark may be hinting that just as John’s ministry ended in death, so will the ministry of Jesus. The content of Jesus’ preaching is “the good news of God.” The Good News is both from God and about God. The gospel is the very best news ever to come to the hearing of humankind, because it contains the message of forgiveness, restoration, and new life in Christ Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus witnesses to God’s action for our salvation by saying, “The time has come.” This is the decisive time for God’s action. With the coming of Jesus, God was doing something special.

The concept of the “kingdom [GK 993] of God” is basic to the teaching of Jesus. It relates directly to the kingship of God described in the OT (e.g., Exodus 15:18; Psalms 29:10; Isaiah 43:15). The Lord’s kingship is both a present reality (God is exercising his authority now) and a future hope (God will reign in the End, when he finally puts down all opposition to his reign).

The same tension between the kingdom of God as both present and future exists in the teaching of Jesus. Here Jesus proclaims, “The kingdom of God is near” (cf. Matthew 12:28). In Jesus’ actions God’s rule has invaded this present world. But in other sayings the kingdom is spoken of as still future (e.g., Matthew 8:11; 20:21). The solution to the dilemma of both a present and a future kingdom is not to be found in rejecting one or the other but in recognizing that both are true. The kingdom is present now, but there will be a full manifestation of it in the future.

In Mk 1:15 the kingdom is emphasized as having drawn near in the person of Jesus. The only appropriate response is repentance and faith. There is an urgency about the nearness of God’s kingdom. Since it ushers in the End, it speaks of judgment.