Introduction

I remember playing a football match, and with about 30 minutes to go, I was on the receiving end of a horrendous tackle! The funny thing is I was the one who usually ended up tackling poorly, not because I wanted to injure people but because my timing was awful. Yet, here I soon felt the thud of someone clattering into me, and I took off like an overloaded Boeing 747 down a runway before crash landing a few meters away. It was a horrendous tackle; worse was how my leg felt. I did not think I could play on, so I looked at our BB football coach, who just shook his head and motioned with his hand that excellent Northern Irish attitude of “Just run it off! I shouted that I did not think I could play on, and before I had finished, I heard even louder: “Just get on with it!”

“You just need to get on with it!” How often have we thought that to ourselves or had someone say that to us after we have experienced some Bump on the road/difficulty? It is the most Northern Irish of attitudes. Whatever it is that has happened, we will just put our heads down and get through it. We might never look back again because the best thing to do is keep looking forward! “The world keeps spinning, someone might say to us,” to encourage us that life moves on and time moves on, so we better move on. If we live long enough, something will come down the path that knocks us off our stride and leads us to wonder how we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, and get going again. It can be challenging when what we experience relates to something personal or someone close to us. The last thing we might want to do is “just get on with it.” How we react in those moments often speaks somewhat to who we are and what we live for. In adversity, we learn something about our priorities and motivations for living. When the bump comes, how we react will show those around us what we are living for. This should especially be true for the followers of Jesus because we are not only those whom Grace has saved but have given purpose to it. Grace is effectual in our lives because the Holy Spirit is at work in us, and Grace orientates our living to something beyond this world in every situation. Thus, no matter what earthly difficulty might affect us, our reason for living remains steadfast because nothing can influence it. What does Grace give us as it shapes our hearts and every area of our lives? A delight in God, a Desire to know and make him known as we live out his will in the world. John Piper captures it beautifully as he wrote:

“Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.”

Context of the Passage

We are correct at the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, and so much has happened in such a short time. Mark’s gospel is humorously known by many quips: rapid, bam!, or the And Gospel. Why? Because it skips much of the detail or description that you might often find when someone is writing about something that has happened. When Matthew writes about a situation that Jesus has been in, you will often see a description of the people around him or something else that is going on. Matthew paints a bigger picture and uses that Picture to help explain his point as he draws in Old Testament Imagery and links it to the work and person of Jesus. Mark does not care for details – his account of Jesus in the wilderness was two verses long and did not mention the role of the temper! Mark writes rapidly because he is trying to get somewhere and earn as much onto the pages about Jesus as possible.

Our passage rapidly and briefly, as Mark transitions the emphasis of his writing to Jesus. Yet, the transition is so rapid that we can almost miss what it describes and how difficult a season must have been for Jesus. Mark’s Gospel began with a statement about the Good News of Jesus that Isaiah and all the prophets had foretold long ago. Quickly, Mark moved onto the Ministry of John the Baptist as the one who is baptising, proclaiming, and making known to all who will hear that Christ is soon to come! So powerful has the ministry of John the Baptist been so powerful that “the whole Judean countryside and people of Jerusalem were going out to him… confessing their sins.” John was so important in this mission and work of God that he was the one who baptised the world’s saviour. Not many people could put that on their ministry CV! You would think that as Mark begins his Gospel, John will have a significant role; as the chapters go on, the impact and ministry of John the Baptist will increase.

Yet, no sooner had he appeared on the page than we were hit with the sudden news of his demise. If Mark were writing a novel, it would be the strangest way to introduce what appears to be a main character and then kill him before we even get to know him. We would wonder: “Was that it?” – yet that’s the point! That was it for John the Baptist because he had done what he had been called to do, and now the focus must move. Even though it must have been such a difficult time for Jesus as his cousin and someone he was close to and shared a purpose with was arrested, in this moment of adversity, we see what motivates Jesus. The priority of his life was—the kingdom of God and the message of the Gospel. As John is arrested and no doubt Jesus feels the weight of the moment, he reveals his priority and reason for living – the good news that John proclaimed about him, he will now proclaim to all who will hear. The Focus is all on Jesus, his saving work and the good news that it is to reveal it. Yet, there is something significant in the insignificance of John at this moment, a lesson for all disciples of Jesus to delight in and learn from.

The Signifance of Insignificance | John the Baptist

John is a footnote in this passage, be it in a devastating way, because we know that for all his popularity, he will soon lose his head for the message he preached. In the whole scheme of this passage, and the Gospel of Mark John is insignificant – really? Yet, when we think about the briefness of his mention, there is something beautiful and significant about his insignificance. The world tells us that to be somebody, we have to have influence; it’s insane when we think that now, we have people whose full-time career is to be “an influencer” online. They must try to be noticed in a world of want-to-be celebrities to be considered successful – to be an influencer. How do people get noticed? By doing stupid things, taking risks, and doing idiotic things to try and attract people’s attention, gather likes and bring algorithms to promote their content. How do people get noticed? Often, we examine the worst of our culture rather than try to improve it. Our culture glorifies those who promote themselves, and in life, with God and service of his kingdom; we are nothing more than John the Baptist. A Brief footnote that should point to the greater focus – the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and the message of his Kingdom. John the Baptist, even here, acts as a beautiful model of our importance to the Kingdom of God; we serve and are used in it. By His Spirit, we are faithful, and more beautifully, our insignificance in light of the Significant one. Thus, where the word delights in self-promotion, in the kingdom of God, our Motivation is the Glory of Christ and that all might know him, a motive that humbles us in selfless service as we serve the world and love one another so that people see the hope of Christ. We delight in our insignificance, to make known the significant one.

Passage | Mark 1:14-20

”After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told them, ‘and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”

1 | The Message We Proclaim | Mark 1:15

As we have discussed, this passage is rapid in its progress; it is like watching an Olympic relay team in which John the Baptist has been deliberately tripped up and out of nowhere. Jesus appears and takes the baton in hand, focusing on the finish line. It is not that Jesus is unconcerned with the arrest and soon execution of his cousin; no, of course, his heart is broken and heavy with grief. He knows that the thing John had begun must go on. The baton was too great to drop, and the urgency of the race too critical even to pause in.

We Go

Thus, we see the doing in two forms as Jesus picks up the mantle of proclamation. Firstly, he goes. Specifically, we are told that he goes to Galilee. This work of God requires movement – when we receive it, we carry it! Jesus here models in simplicity one of the basic tenets of being his disciple, moving because of the Good news we have received and with the good news. Specifically, we go where needed; now, we might think that everyone in Belfast has heard something about Jesus and what he has done for us, so there is no need to “go.” Yet, we are a people of presence; we carry the good news as we are being sanctified/transformed by it, and so when Darkness enters our city through tragedy amid our friends and family by being there, we are going. Or, new people move into the area as new generations are born. New houses are built there, suddenly become new communities in our city, places where we are not sure of what they have heard or of what they know of Jesus, so if we are indeed his disciples then we will delight in the opportunity to go and bring the good news of Jesus in whatever way God has gifted us. That means as individuals, we are people who trust as the Holy Spirit moves us to “go”, and in the ways God has gifted us, we bring the good news – whether it’s new communities, school, work, among family and friends or as. We interact in the local shops; we are people who go. Furthermore, and more significantly, thus should be our natural movement as a Church family; we are the body of Christ who gathers each Sunday to Worship him and then delight in moving out together for one cause and purpose to form our worship into the world. To join the Lord Jesus in declaring the message, and what is that message?

The Message

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus goes, and what is it he goes with – the message of the Gospel. The good news is that the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God has Come near: The beginning of the Rule and reign of God over people’s hearts and lives is being established. That which God begins, he will finish at the right time. How has the Kingdom come near? In the person of Jesus Christ. When he proclaims the good news of Jesus, we know his closeness to us. It is a message that demands a response. A response that Jesus makes clear and evident for all who will listen at the very beginning of his ministry is the same response John demanded. It is the only response to the good news of Jesus and the hope of the Cross: We trust him rather than the world and turn to him as we shift our back on earth things. That is what it means to Repent and Believe.

Repentance is an image of a changed mind; specifically in the Old Testament, it transformed our attitude and heart towards God. A chance that then bore fruit in who we were and how we lived. Repentance impacts every aspect of our lives and how we live because our motivation for living changes. The common metaphor used today is a literal 180-degree turn, which is what Jesus proclaims and the Gospel demands. Yet, repentance is not a burdensome choice but a delight when we hear it. It is true repentance that Simon, Andrew, James and John display for us in the following verses. As they turned their back on their earthly treasures and identities and turned to Christ – they did not know what they were getting into, but I can say with eternal confidence they did not regret their choices. They incarnate for us what it looks like to repent and believe. They Saw Jesus, turned to Jesus, and never looked back.

2 | An Irresistible Call | Mark 1:16-17

It is the most normal of scenes, yet with the most profound implications for our understanding of God and theology. Notice that as Jesus walks along the beach, he calls the brothers each time. Not they who contact him. What does that mean for us? Well, we do not choose God; he desires us. The gift of faith begins when God calls us to Himself, and we respond to his grace. The brothers did not see Jesus walking along the beach and thought, “There is an interesting teacher I want to follow and learn from.” No, they had not even noticed him until he had noticed them and called them out of their ordinary into his Kingdom and service. It must have been Irresistible, it must have been overwhelming, and I often wonder what their minds thought at that moment, what their eyes said and their heartfelt. It was the most normal of calls, “follow me,” yet they must have known there would be nothing moral about it. What did they do? They responded because when God speaks to us and calls us – Grace makes it arrestable.

Notice how Jesus contextualises what he calls them to do when they are his disciples and what their lives will be. He takes what they understand to help them comprehend what it means to follow him: You will be fishers of men.

People will go and make known the good news of Jesus in search of people catching it. It is another way of understanding what it means to “go” with the good news and how it is not for us. Additionally, it is a lesson for us to remember the importance of contextualising – communicating so that people can understand the good news of Jesus and what it means to follow him. Jesus spoke the people’s language and used imagery that Andrew and Simon would understand. Today, as we carry the Baton forward, we must be as considerate of our language in our mission.

3 | A Worthy Cost | Mark 1:18-20

It is such a walk down the beach, isn’t it? Again, the scene repeats itself. There, Jesus finds another set of brothers in their boats. Having finished fishing, they set their nets and prepare them for the next run. This double scene with almost the exact details emphasises the irresistible nature of this call of Jesus, the call to follow him. Again, there is no great drama or urgency: Jesus identifies two people who will become his disciples, he calls them, and immediately they follow. Mark is writing in ways that Emphasize the majesty of the call and the beauty of the moment.

As this walk along the beach unfolds, we are drawn to a moment of profound decision-making. When Jesus calls the two brothers for the second time, the weight of their choice becomes unmistakably clear. Do you see the emphasis on the cost of this response, yet how does Mark highlight its worth? Mark is saying the Gospel is worth it. It’s not just their personal routines and familiar waters they are leaving behind, but much more. They turn away from their father, boats, and hired hands. These were not mere fishermen making an impulsive choice; they were successful and established in their trade within the Galilean community. Successful enough to have people working for them. Yet, the power of Jesus’ call eclipses their normality and earthly achievements. At that moment, the Holy Spirit helped them to understand something deeply significant: that following Jesus meant relinquishing their current securities and comforts. This act of leaving everything is not just a physical departure but a profound testament to the irresistible and transformative nature of Jesus’ call. And an example to all who will indeed follow him. Grace is free, but its value means we will gladly pay a cost.

But why would they make such a choice? Why would they abandon a prosperous livelihood for an uncertain future? The answer is simple: The value of following Jesus far exceeds the earthly costs. These fishermen perceived that the invitation to follow Christ was an entry into something far more significant than their familiar world, even if they did not understand it fully. Their decision illuminates a profound truth: the cost of discipleship, though it may seem steep, pales compared to the eternal rewards it brings. The beauty of heaven, the richness of a life lived in close communion with our triune God, far outweighs the temporal successes and comforts they left behind.

4 | Immediately – The only Response | Conclusion

Today, the same God who called those four disciples with two words speaks the same invitation to each of us: “Follow me.” The question is, how will we respond? We have seen how arresting it is when we hear that two brothers abandoned the comfort of their routine for the Adventure of the Kingdom of God. They had some idea of what they would be doing as Jesus contextualised their mission and mandate in the imagery of their vocation – fishing. Yet, they had no idea what was ahead or the personal cost and toll it would take on their lives. Grace is free, the gospel of infinite and eternal value to all who grasp it with both their hands. Yet, as the second brothers show – it has a cost; when Jesus calls us to himself, he often calls us from something. To turn to him is to shift from something else – and that usually is the cost we pay. Yet, when our eyes are set on him, and our hearts genuinely begin to beat to his rhythm by grace through the work of the Holy Spirit, we instantly know the cost is worth it. When our eyes are set on Jesus for the first time like Andrew and Simon Peter, and we hear his invitation and move from what was into Life in the Kingdom, it is a moment in which we grasp the infinite worth of the Gospel of Jesus, the wonder and beauty of life with him, and its supreme reward that extends into eternity. Jesus says to each of us: Follow me so we consider how we will respond. One word in this passage immediately marks the four brothers’ response twice.

What might our movements say about our motivation? When life throws those curve balls out of the fog of life, we find ourselves knocked off balance. What do our lives display about our motivation and purpose in life and our living? Jesus has a difficult moment at the beginning of this passage, yet it is that moment that displays something profound about who he is, what he came to do and the message he carried. The urgency of the mission does not lessen the moment’s difficulty; however, it does reveal the majesty, beauty and wonder of the Gospel. John was trusted with beginning this work of God; when his service ended, Jesus picked up the baton and continued proclaiming and incarnating the Kingdom, with the Cross being his most excellent proclamation of the good news of Jesus, his ascension, his dismissal, and yet the moment when he passes the baton on. The work did not stop when Jesus ascended because the baton was passed on to the Apostles and every generation of the Church that has followed. As Jesus did, so must we.

We who worship him in Spirit and Trust are entrusted with the same baton and call to make known the good news of Jesus in word and deed. Our fruit in the Spirit proclaims to a waiting world, but the urgency of the Call: Repent and believe, and the hope of the Call: The Kingdom of God is at hand. So let’s give thanks that he has called us! Let’s get on with our call to fish today! Let us rejoice in knowing that the task we have been entrusted with is not ours alone but belongs to the whole body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. To each of us, he says: “Follow Me”, so to him, may we delight in stating: “Wherever you go, I will go.”