19^th March

“Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where He preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” He announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!””

Mark 1: 14-15

When you think of good news, you don’t expect it to be coupled with bad news. Well, in Mark’s gospel, this is exactly what we read. Mark tells us that almost straight after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee to preach ‘good news’. Hold on, wait a second, how can there be ‘good news’ even though John has just been arrested. That was terrible news; News which no doubt shook the whole community. Yet, Jesus taught us and all those around Him, that His coming far outweighed the bad news of John’s arrest. It is not that Jesus wasn’t moved by John’s arrest, far from it, John was His cousin after all. Yet Jesus wanted to highlight that even when bad things happen, even things that result in death, the truth that the Saviour of the world had come to forgive sins and to right all the wrongs, stood as a firm foundation in the midst of bad news.

Even though John had just been arrested and Jesus’ followers must have been filled with fear, more kept following Him, even leaving their livelihood (v18) and family (v20). This shows us that in the midst of hardship, in the midst of bad news, there is always a light calling us and beckoning us with the ‘GOOD NEWS’. This news not only can change our current circumstances but can change our eternity. Don’t let bad news steal you away from the good news that Jesus has come. His Kingdom is here in our hearts and He lives among us!