January 5, 2024
What if
Pastor Rok Lee
Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
I enjoy Marvel movies, so I try to watch them whenever I can. But did you know that Disney has created Marvel series in a TV-show? One of those series is called What If. It explores various alternate stories based on the concept of “what if.” Personally, I didn’t find it very entertaining, but the “what if” concept was refreshing.
Sometimes we ask questions like this: “What would you do if you only had one week left to live?” Since we’re in a worship, let me ask it in a Christian context: “What would you do if Jesus were coming back in a week?”
Now, you might be thinking, ‘It’s only the first Sunday of 2025, and our pastor is already talking about the end of the world!’ But this is exactly how Jesus began His ministry.
In today’s passage, we see Jesus speaking to people for the first time. More specifically, it’s the content of His very first sermon. In this moment, Jesus delivers a very short and concise message: “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” In the Gospel of Matthew, it’s even shorter: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
At the very start of His ministry, Jesus preaches about the end of the world. And He does so with just one sentence, without any additional background or explanation. The Bible doesn’t record if Jesus said more after this or if Jesus healed the sick among the crowd.
From the beginning, Jesus talks about the end times—and nothing else. From a common-sense perspective, we usually put a lot of effort into preparing for our first attempt at something. Imagine a new employee giving their first presentation at work—they would likely spend a lot of time preparing to make a good impression.
I remember preparing my very first sermon. I gathered research, looked for examples, and tried to include every possible insight, as if I were writing a groundbreaking academic paper. I wanted to share what I thought was the essence of the Bible. I also felt like I had to prove myself and show everything I could.
But Jesus’ first sermon is incredibly simple. So simple, in fact, that it feels almost too simple. Yet, it contains everything we need—nothing to add, nothing to remove.
In just one sentence, Jesus answers all the key questions:
Who? Us. When? Now. What? Repent and believe the good news. Why? The kingdom of God has come near.
Why did Jesus choose to preach about the kingdom of God in His first sermon? It’s likely because He saw it as the most important message to share. The term “kingdom of God” refers to God’s rule and reign. It’s not about a physical place, but about God’s authority and influence being exercised. So, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of God has come near,” He’s declaring that God’s rule is forthcoming.
This message was urgent because it required an immediate response. When raising children, we often hear that saying “no” frequently can have negative effects, and that explanations should accompany such warnings. But in urgent situations, we still find ourselves shouting “No!” to quickly prevent harm. Similarly, Jesus delivers this message with urgency, as it required swift action.
This urgency becomes even clearer when we consider the context. The sermon takes place after John the Baptist has been arrested. John, who had been preaching the message of repentance and the nearness of God’s kingdom, could no longer proclaim God’s word. What was John’s message? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2).
Jesus steps in to continue this message. He doesn’t hesitate, even though John’s arrest shows the potential danger of preaching such words. Whether John was imprisoned for political or religious reasons, it would have been natural for Jesus to be watchful. After all, preaching the same message could lead to the same consequences.
Yet, Jesus is fearless. Jesus isn’t deterred by the risk to Himself because delivering God’s message is more important than His own safety. This shows the depth of Jesus’ commitment to His mission and to the people who needed to hear the truth.
What Jesus expected from the people who heard His message was repentance. When Jonah proclaimed God’s message in Nineveh, warning that judgment would come in 40 days, the people listened and repented. Seeing their repentance, God relented and did not bring the judgment.
Similarly, Jesus desired that the people repent and avoid judgment. When people repeatedly asked Jesus to perform miracles, Jesus responded by saying that the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. This “sign of Jonah” has two meanings: first, it foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection after three days, and second, it highlights that God offers forgiveness when people repent.
Just as Jonah called Nineveh to repentance, Jesus was urging the people to turn back to God. Jesus’ message was clear: if they repent, God will forgive them. This underscores the heart of Jesus’ ministry—calling people to repentance and offering them the hope of reconciliation with God.
However, there is a difference between how this message is presented in Matthew and Mark. In Matthew’s Gospel, the message is simply, “Repent,” but in today’s passage from Mark, Jesus says, “Repent and believe in the good news.” The addition of “believe in the good news” emphasizes faith alongside repentance. This combination is also seen in Jonah’s story: “The people of Nineveh believed God” (Jonah 3:5a). Here again, repentance and belief go hand in hand.
To enter the Kingdom of God, both repentance and faith are necessary. Repentance without faith is incomplete, and faith without repentance is hollow. When someone repents of their sins, they must turn to faith in Jesus. Likewise, true faith in Jesus naturally leads to seeking forgiveness for sin. These two aspects—repentance and faith—which do not follow the other, but go hand in hand, working together in harmony.
Who are the people that inherit the Kingdom of Heaven according to Jesus? They are: The poor in spirit, blessed those who mourn, blessed the meek, blessed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed the merciful, blessed the pure in heart, blessed the peacemakers, blessed those who are persecuted for righteousness.
These people embody humility, sorrow for sin, and a deep desire to live like Jesus. They carry Jesus’ heart, loving others and living in alignment with Jesus’ will. So, what is needed to belong to God’s Kingdom? It is repentance—turning from sin in humility—and faith—believing in Jesus and adopting His heart to love others. This is what repentance and faith truly mean.
Jesus is teaching us that since God is about to establish His reign, we must repent of our sins and love one another. Jesus emphasizes that only those who live this way can experience the Kingdom of God.
Think about it: if the world were filled with people like this—those who hate sin and sincerely love each other—wouldn’t it feel like heaven on earth? A world where people turn away from wrongdoing and live in harmony and love is the beautiful Kingdom of God we all dream of.
From the beginning, when God created humanity, God blessed the humankind with a purpose: “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).
For Christmas on this earth to truly be a time of joy, we must share this love to the ends of the earth. Dear church, I encourage you to share love this Christmas. Share love so that everyone can experience the true joy of Christmas together. May this world be filled with joy this Christmas, and may you all have a Christmas overflowing with love and joy.
This wasn’t an invitation to exercise power for selfish gain. Rather, it was a call to steward creation wisely and make the earth into a beautiful place, reflecting the perfection of heaven.
In the same way, Jesus tells us today: have faith, love one another, avoid sin, live humbly. Why? Because Jesus is inviting us to help establish God’s rule here on earth. By living in obedience to God, with love and faith guiding our actions, we can bring God’s Kingdom closer, creating a world that mirrors the harmony, joy, and beauty of heaven.
Now we’ve entered a new year, 2025. Don’t we want our life this year to reflect Jesus a little more than last year? Don’t we long to live in a better world than before? Today, Jesus shows us how to achieve that: Repent of our sins and love one another.
Dear church, as we begin this year, let’s hold on to Jesus’ words. Let’s dream of God’s Kingdom together. Let’s commit to turning away from sin and genuinely loving one another. When we do, God’s reign will be present in our hearts, guiding us to live in God’s peace and joy. Let’s make this year one where God’s Kingdom shines through us.