◄ Mark 1:15 ►
"The time is fulfilled," He said, "and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!"
Study Bible
“The time is fulfilled,” He said,

Jesus announced that God’s appointed season had arrived in His own coming and ministry. The promises given through the prophets were reaching their intended goal, including Daniel’s vision of the coming Anointed One and Isaiah’s hope of God’s saving reign.

Gal 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son,…
Eph 1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things…
Heb 9:26 Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly…

“and the kingdom of God is near.

God’s reign had drawn near because the King stood among His people. Jesus demonstrated that reign through His authority over demons, disease, sin, and death, while also pointing ahead to the day when God’s kingdom will be openly established in righteousness and peace.

Luk 21:31 So also, when you see these things happening,…
Mat 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent…
Luk 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them,…

Repent

God calls sinners to turn from self-rule, unbelief, and disobedience and to return to Him with changed hearts and lives. John the Baptist had prepared Israel for this summons, and Jesus made repentance the necessary response to God’s approaching kingdom.

Act 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,…
Act 3:19 Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped…
Luk 13:3 No, I tell you. But unless you repent, …

and believe in the gospel!”

Faith receives the good news that God has acted to save through His Son. Jesus would accomplish that salvation through His death and resurrection, fulfilling the Scriptures and calling all who hear Him to trust Him as Savior and Lord.

1Co 15:1-2 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel…
Eph 1:13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth…
Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God. His ministry marks the fulfillment of God's promises.

2. The Kingdom of God
A central theme in Jesus' teaching, representing God's sovereign rule and reign, both present and future.

3. Galilee
The region where Jesus began His public ministry, as described earlier in Mark 1.

4. John the Baptist
Preceding Jesus, John prepared the way by calling people to repentance, setting the stage for Jesus' message.

5. The Gospel
The good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, which requires a response of repentance and faith.
Teaching Points
The Urgency of the Message
Jesus declares that "the time is fulfilled," indicating the urgency and immediacy of His message. Believers are called to respond promptly to the gospel.

Repentance as a Heart Change
The Greek word for repentance, "metanoia," implies a change of mind and heart. True repentance involves turning away from sin and turning towards God.

Faith in the Gospel
Believing in the gospel is not merely intellectual assent but involves trust and reliance on Jesus Christ for salvation.

The Present and Future Kingdom
The kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope. Believers are called to live under God's rule now while anticipating its full realization.

Living Out the Gospel
The call to repent and believe is ongoing. Christians are to continually align their lives with the gospel, reflecting God's kingdom values in their daily actions.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean for "the time to be fulfilled" in the context of Jesus' ministry, and how does this understanding affect our sense of urgency in sharing the gospel today?

2. How does the concept of repentance in Mark 1:15 challenge our current understanding of sin and transformation in our lives?

3. In what ways can we actively participate in the kingdom of God as described in this passage, both individually and as a church community?

4. How does the message of Mark 1:15 connect with the broader account of Scripture regarding God's plan for salvation?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced a significant change in your understanding or practice of faith. How did repentance and belief play a role in that transformation?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 4:17
This verse parallels Mark 1:15, emphasizing the call to repentance as Jesus begins His ministry.

Acts 2:38
Peter's call to repentance and baptism at Pentecost echoes Jesus' message, showing the continuity of the gospel message.

Romans 1:16
Paul speaks of the gospel as the power of God for salvation, reinforcing the importance of believing in the gospel.

Isaiah 61:1-2
This Old Testament prophecy speaks of the good news and the coming of God's kingdom, fulfilled in Jesus' ministry.

Revelation 11:15
This verse speaks of the ultimate fulfillment of God's kingdom, when it will be fully realized on earth.
Sermons
Christ Preaching RepentanceJ. Carter.Mark 1:15
Faith and Repentance InseparableCharles Haddon Spurgeon Mark 1:15
Gist of the Saviour's TeachingQuesnel.Mark 1:15
Jesus in GalileeSermons by Monday ClubMark 1:15
Jesus in GalileeSermons by Monday ClubMark 1:15
Low in Repentance, High in FaithC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 1:15
Nature and Evidence of RepentanceW. W. Whythe.Mark 1:15
Preaching RepentanceMark 1:15
Repent and BelieveJ. G. Pilkington.Mark 1:15
RepentanceMead., Secker., Bernard., Mason., Dyer.Mark 1:15
Repentance a Daily DutyM. Henry.Mark 1:15
Repentance a Reversal of ConductSunday School TimesMark 1:15
Repentance and FaithJ. Crowther., H. Melvill, B. D.Mark 1:15
Repentance and FaithR. Dixon, D. D.Mark 1:15
Repentance and Faith InseparableC. H. Spurgeon.Mark 1:15
Repentance and Faith Twin DutiesJohn Trapp.Mark 1:15
Repentance Bears Sweet FruitScholiast in Mark 1:15
Repentance Dear to the ChristianMark 1:15
Repentance LifelongBishop Ryle.Mark 1:15
Repentance not Immediately Followed by FaithR. Dixon, D. D.Mark 1:15
The Call to Repentance and FaithJ. Thornton.Mark 1:15
The Look of Repentance Backward and ForwardJ. G. Pilkington.Mark 1:15
The Repentance of BelieversJohn Wesley Mark 1:15
The Time FulfilledPrincipal A. M. Fairbairn.Mark 1:15
The Way to the KingdomJohn Wesley Mark 1:15
Tokens of RepentanceG. Petter.Mark 1:15
The Galilean MinistryJ.J. Given Mark 1:14, 15
The Ministry of MercyA. Rowland Mark 1:14, 15
The Fishers of MenR. Green Mark 1:14-20
People
Andrew, Ephah, Isaiah, James, Jesus, John, Simon, Zabdi, Zebedee
Places
Capernaum, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judea, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Wilderness of Judea
Topics
Believe, Close, Drawn, Faith, Fulfilled, Fully, Glad, Gospel, Hearts, Kingdom, News, Nigh, Reform, Reign, Repent, Saying, Sin, Tidings
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 1:15

     2345   Christ, kingdom of
     2363   Christ, preaching and teaching
     2375   kingdom of God
     4903   time
     4909   beginning
     4915   completion
     4945   history
     5048   opportunities, and salvation
     5052   responsibility, to God
     5204   age
     5426   news
     6512   salvation, necessity and basis
     6733   repentance, nature of
     8023   faith, necessity
     8438   giving, of time
     8489   urgency
     9140   last days
     9145   Messianic age

Mark 1:14-15

     5335   herald
     6029   sin, forgiveness

Library
What 'the Gospel' Is
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.--Mark i. 1 My purpose now is to point out some of the various connections in which the New Testament uses that familiar phrase, 'the gospel,' and briefly to gather some of the important thoughts which these suggest. Possibly the process may help to restore freshness to a word so well worn that it slips over our tongues almost unnoticed and excites little thought. The history of the word in the New Testament books is worth notice. It seldom occurs in those …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ's Touch
'Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him.'--Mark i. 41. Behold the servant of the Lord' might be the motto of this Gospel, and 'He went about doing good and healing' the summing up of its facts. We have in it comparatively few of our Lord's discourses, none of His longer, and not very many of His briefer ones. It contains but four parables. This Evangelist gives no miraculous birth as in Matthew, no angels adoring there as in Luke, no gazing into the secrets of Eternity, where the Word who afterwards …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Strong Forerunner and the Stronger Son
'The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. 4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Mighty in Word and Deed
'And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24. Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God. 25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Healing and Service
'Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell Him of her: 31. And He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.'--Mark i. 30, 31, R. V. This miracle is told us by three of the four Evangelists, and the comparison of their brief narratives is very interesting and instructive. We all know, I suppose, that the common tradition is that Mark was, in some sense, Peter's mouthpiece in this Gospel. The truthfulness of that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Parable in a Miracle
'And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. 41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; he thou clean. 42. And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.'--Mark i. 40-42. Christ's miracles are called wonders--that is, deeds which, by their exceptional character, arrest attention and excite surprise. Further, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Composite Picture.
It may be helpful to make the following summary of these allusions. 1. His times of prayer: His regular habit seems plainly to have been to devote the early morning hour to communion with His Father, and to depend upon that for constant guidance and instruction. This is suggested especially by Mark 1:35; and also by Isaiah 50:4-6 coupled with John 7:16 l.c., 8:28, and 12:49. In addition to this regular appointment, He sought other opportunities for secret prayer as special need arose; late at night …
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Way to the Kingdom
"The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15 These words naturally lead us to consider, First, the nature of true religion, here termed by our Lord, "the kingdom of God," which, saith he, "is at hand;" and, Secondly, the way thereto, which he points out in those words, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." I. 1. We are, First, to consider the nature of true religion, here termed by our Lord, "the kingdom of God." The same expression the great Apostle uses in his Epistle …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Repentance of Believers
"Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15. 1. It is generally supposed, that repentance and faith are only the gate of religion; that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course, when we are setting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may seem to be confirmed by the great Apostle, where, exhorting the Hebrew Christians to "go on to perfection," he teaches them to leave these first "principles of the doctrine of Christ;" "not laying again the foundation of repentance …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Lord and the Leper
The Lord Jesus Christ at this day has all power in heaven and in earth. He is charged with a divine energy to bless all who come to him for healing. Oh, that we may see today some great wonder of his power and grace! Oh, for one of the days of the Son of Man here and now! To that end it is absolutely needful that we should find a case for his spiritual power to work upon. Is there not one here in whom his grace may prove its omnipotence? Not you, ye good, ye self-righteous! You yield him no space …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

Faith and Repentance Inseparable
I. I shall commence my remarking that the gospel which Christ preached was, very plainly, a command. "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Our Lord does condescend to reason. Often his ministry graciously acted out the old text, "Come, now, and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool." He does persuade men by telling and forcible arguments, which should lead them to seek the salvation of their souls. He does invite men, and oh, how lovingly he woos them to be …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 1863

Answer to Mr. W's First Objection.
I WILL first consider all Mr. W's objections to these literal stories. Mr. W. says in his preamble, before he comes to propose his objections in form: That these three miracles are not equally great, but differ in degree, is visible enough to every one that but cursorily reads, and compares their stories one with another.--The greatest of the three, and indeed the greatest miracle, that Jesus is supposed to have wrought, is that of Lazarus's resurrection; which, in truth, was a most prodigious miracle, …
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles

The Fellowship of Prayer
THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." -- Phil. 4:6 This timely exhortation stresses the fact that God's people should consult with Him in every matter pertaining to life. Unless they see the imperative necessity of prayer, and give it an important place in daily life, they cannot expect to be maintained by the ample resources of a generous Saviour. It is apparent that we cannot obtain …
T. M. Anderson—Prayer Availeth Much

Healing a Demoniac in a Synagogue.
(at Capernaum.) ^B Mark I. 21-28; ^C Luke . IV. 31-37. ^b 21 And they [Jesus and the four fishermen whom he called] go into { ^c he came down to} Capernaum, a city of Galilee. [Luke has just spoken of Nazareth, and he uses the expression "down to Capernaum" because the latter was on the lake shore while Nazareth was up in the mountains.] And ^b straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. { ^c was teaching them} ^b 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
^A Matt.VIII. 2-4; ^B Mark I. 40-45; ^C Luke V. 12-16. ^c 12 And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities [it was a city of Galilee, but as it was not named, it is idle to conjecture which city it was], behold, ^b there cometh { ^a came} ^b to him a leper [There is much discussion as to what is here meant by leprosy. Two diseases now go by that name; viz., psoriasis and elephantiasis. There are also three varieties of psoriasis, namely, white, black and red. There are also three varieties …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Way from Sin to Perfect Salvation.
We have learned that sin entered this world and that all mankind have sinned. We have also learned that Jesus came to save man from his sins. Now the question may arise in the mind of some, what must I do to be saved? We hope in this chapter to quote such scriptures as will plainly teach you the way of salvation, or how to be fully saved, and also the scriptures describing each experience. Repentance. The first step for the sinner is to repent. When on Pentecost men were pricked in their hearts …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Jesus' Conception of Himself
252. When Jesus called forth the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi he brought into prominence the question which during the earlier stages of the Galilean ministry he had studiously kept in the background. This is no indication, however, that he was late in reaching a conclusion for himself concerning his relation to the kingdom which he was preaching. From the time of his baptism and temptation every manifestation of the inner facts of his life shows unhesitating confidence in the reality …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

John the Baptist
Matt. iii. 1-17; iv. 12; xiv. 1-12; Mark i. 1-14; vi. 14-29; Luke i. 5-25, 57-80; iii. 1-22; ix. 7-9; John i. 19-37; iii. 22-30. 72. The first reappearance of Jesus in the gospel story, after the temple scene in his twelfth year, is on the banks of the Jordan seeking baptism from the new prophet. One of the silent evidences of the greatness of Jesus is the fact that so great a character as John the Baptist stands in our thought simply as accessory to his life. For that the prophet of the wilderness …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

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