Mark 1:15—“… The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:15 records the opening proclamation of Jesus’ public ministry. Spoken in Galilee, immediately after John the Baptist’s imprisonment, these words announce a decisive turning point in redemptive history. “The time is fulfilled” declares that God’s appointed moment has arrived. Centuries of promise, prophecy, and expectation now converge in the person of Christ. History is not random; it moves according to God’s sovereign timetable, and that timetable reaches its fullness in Jesus.
Jesus also said that “the kingdom of God is at hand”, and that means that God’s work of salvation has drawn near in the King Himself. This is not merely future hope, but present reality. In Christ, God’s rule breaks into a fallen world with authority, grace, and power to save. The nearness of the kingdom demands response, not observation. Neutrality is impossible when the King stands before us.
Jesus’ call is twofold: “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Repentance is a decisive turning, a change of mind and direction away from sin and self-rule. Faith is not mere agreement, but wholehearted trust in the good news that God saves sinners through Christ. These are not separate stages, but two sides of the same response. True faith always turns from sin; true repentance always turns toward Christ.
These words of Christ press upon every hearer the urgency of the Gospel of Christ. His call is not to be postponed until life is settled or circumstances improve. The kingdom is near us, now. The Redeemer-King, the Lord Jesus Christ, addresses us where we are, calling us to forsake false securities and rest in Him alone. For the weary sinner, this is good news: God has acted, salvation is offered, and the door of grace stands open. To repent and believe in Christ is to enter life under the gracious reign of Jesus Christ, both now and forever.
