(Mark 1:14-45)
14 Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel.”TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:
In knowing all things, past, present and future, God always knew that John would be arrested. And since God had called John the Baptist as His prophet from the womb, in order to prepare the way for Jesus, this timing was "perfect". John introduced Jesus to the world, and now it was time for the Lord Jesus in flesh, to proceed, and do what He came to do.
God, in His sovereignty, also knew the exact timing regarding Jesus' ministry and crucifixion. Throughout the Old Testament, He gave us prophecies, which were all worked into the covenants He had made with Israel. The most poignant prophecy regarding the timing is in Daniel 9, where God lays out His overall plan.
The kingdom of God is when the Israelites, as a nation, all become believers, and have all of their promises fulfilled. The promises are that they will have all of their promised land, seed and blessings, with their perfect King sitting on the throne, bringing peace to the entire earth. They were given a specific amount of time. BUT, it is also prophesied that, with seven years remaining in the Jewish Age, there is a break. This is when the Israelites reject Jesus as their King.
Of course, being sovereign, the Lord God knew that the Jews would reject Him, and knew that they would want to crucify Him. As God does throughout history, what man intends for evil, God uses to bring about good! So - this rejection - He uses in His plan to bring about the way to be saved, once for all, for all people of all times.
Listen, never accuse the Jews of being "evil" because they "killed" Jesus. It is a very arrogant thing to think that we would "never". We are all guilty of sin, and it is as if we ourselves all helped put the nails into His body. It is because of sin that Jesus knew He had to come to earth in flesh, to die in our place, and take on the punishment that we all deserve.
Now, during the Church Age, at a time that no one knows about, the Lord will "rapture" (Greek word meaning "catch up") all those who have become believers, and then the last seven years of the Jewish Age will continue. At the end of those seven years, Jesus will return, to fulfill all remaining prophecies. All evil and unbelievers will be removed from the earth, with all of those who became believers during these seven years will remain.
Had Israel accepted Jesus the first time Jesus came, they would have gone straight into the kingdom of heaven (the Millennial kingdom). But then the Lord would not have been able to fulfill the last part of the Abrahamic covenant that says (of Abraham's seed), that "all nations will be blessed". As well, at that time, for Israel to have accepted Jesus as their King, they all needed to be in perfect obedience. Well, since all of us are born with a sinful behavior, this is impossible.
THE GOSPEL OF GOD IS - THE GOOD NEWS: Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, so that anyone who repents AND believes is eternally forgiven and saved. In that moment, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who changes us from the inside out, and we are covered by the Lord's righteousness - being seen as obedient in God's eyes, as He chooses to remember our sins no more. In this, we are then able to enjoy a close, personal relationship with God! As God intended right from the start. This is why He created us. This is why He came to die for us! To make salvation, and receiving all of His blessings, possible!
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