A Summary of the Galilean Ministry, Part 2

Mark 1:14-15 Gospel of Mark

Pastor Martin expounds Mark 1:14-15, focusing on Jesus' Galilean preaching. He identifies two 'indicatives'—"The time is fulfilled" and "The kingdom of God is at hand"—and two 'imperatives'—"Repent ye, and believe in the Gospel." Martin argues that true gospel preaching always begins with God's sovereign acts (indicatives) and then moves to human responsibility (imperatives). He applies this pattern to contemporary preaching, emphasizing the spiritual nature of God's kingdom and the inseparable necessity of repentance and faith for entering it, urging all hearers to embrace Christ as presented in the gospel.

3 illustrations in this sermon

The Structure of Jesus' Galilean Preaching: Indicatives and Imperatives

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Mother and Tomboy Daughter

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to Mark 1:15, identifying two couplets in Jesus' continuous message: two 'indicatives' (statements of what is) and two 'imperatives' (commands of what to…

A mother tells her tomboy daughter, 'You are a young lady' (indicative), then 'act like one' (imperative). This illustrates how facts about reality lead to commands for behavior, mirroring the structure of Jesus' preaching.

And they are so joined as to make it evident that our Lord continually brought forward these two imperatives in this expanded description of His preaching in Galilee. Now we often bring these two things together. Here's a mother. And she's, out with a young teenage daughter who's been somewhat of a tomboy.

12:08 - 12:33 Read in full sermon

The First Indicative: 'The Time is Fulfilled'

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Filling a Glass of Water

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds the first indicative, 'The time is fulfilled,' explaining it as the culmination of centuries of prophecy, types, and shadows pointing to the Messiah. He uses the…

A deacon filling a glass of water drop by drop until it's full and overflowing illustrates the meaning of 'the time has come to the full and remains full,' signifying the complete fulfillment of prophecy.

And two of them would have been these indicatives. You would have heard Him saying, first of all, again and again, the time is fulfilled. Perhaps a better translation would be the time has come to the full and remains full. It's the picture of someone filling up a glass of water.

14:49 - 15:12 Read in full sermon

The Second Imperative: 'Believe in the Gospel'

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Diamond in an Engagement Ring

Driving home: There can be no saving dealings with the person and work of Christ apart from the objective truth about Christ couched in the gospel.

Christ is the 'diamond' of the gospel, but He never comes without a 'setting'—the objective truths and facts about His person and work. This illustrates that saving faith must be in the gospel's specific content, not a vague mystical notion.

and this we should be able to relate to, as a young woman shows off her engagement ring, she doesn't show you the diamond apart from its setting. Her diamond is set in the midst of those prongs that are attached to the ring. Christ is the diamond of the gospel. Mark made that plain in the opening words.

32:09 - 32:37 Read in full sermon

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