Epiphany 3: Gospel, Mark 1:14-20                            

Mark 1:14-20

In the gospel of Mark things come along quickly. So quickly in fact that things can be missed for the brevity and motion we encounter even as careful Bible readers. Our gospel reading begins with an account immediately following the temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. Jesus, the true Israel, completed His trek successfully where the people of Israel had failed in their wilderness wandering time and again. But even though Jesus’ time in the wilderness displayed His mastery, what immediately followed could have spelled real problems for His plan. Could have.

The bulk of this gospel reading has to do with Jesus calling the first four of the twelve to change the direction of their vocation from fishy fish to human ones. But as I just indicated, this is a place where we can miss something significant by focusing on other things significant. It’s all good, but I want to make sure we see a simple point: Nothing interrupts the gospel plan of God.

John, the Savior’s dear cousin has been imprisoned and in just a couple chapters we will read of his execution. Jesus knew it was coming and by common sense, John knew his time was short as well. But Jesus, entering Galilee following John’s arrest was not deterred. The message? “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15). John and Jesus brought the same message and they were not the last to carry it. 

Nothing stopped the message during Scripture history and that is and must be the case for us. No matter what. Jesus loved his cousin dearly. And the arrest and death of John was part and parcel of the mission. Jesus loved the mission and loves the idea of all of us joining Him in it and living with Him forever because of it. It will be completed. The gospel will triumph. No interruptions.