The evangelist Mark summarises the content of... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

Jesus came to Galilee saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:14.15

The evangelist Mark summarises the content of Jesus Christ's preaching in this terse phrase. It was an unusual, indeed a stirring message. Understandably, many became agitated about it.

Christ's coming was to mark the start of God's kingdom, a kingdom over which Jesus Christ was to reign. The Jewish people awaited it, and their hope of the Messiah formed part of their faith.

As things stood, however, the people were not in a state to enter the kingdom of God. They needed a fundamental change of heart, in a word, "repentance". Excessive guilt had affected their relationship with God. He could no longer deal with them as He had originally purposed. This proved especially true when Jesus came to earth: the Son of God was faced with indifference, rejection, even hatred without His ever giving them any reason for it. Consequently, the establishment of the earthly kingdom of God in Israel had to be postponed for a later time.

Since then nothing has changed. Most people still reject Jesus Christ, and their own wrongdoing and self-will prove to be the hindrance today, as it was then.

God is gracious, however. He still has the same message announced A complete roundabout turn to Him is necessary, besides faith in Jesus Christ, who died as the substitute for the guilt of lost sinners on the cross. Whoever lays claim personally to His grace becomes more than a mere citizen of God's kingdom: he becomes a child of God.

Today's reading: Jeremiah 16:1-21 · Luke 23:1-12