Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Times have changed. Or I wasn’t observant. If I remember correctly, the news used to come on just at night—at 6:00 and 10:00 PM. Now the news is on in the morning and in the evening, as well as in the middle of the day. There are even cable channels with around the clock news. When there is breaking news, it breaks into the news. It is not unusual then to hear news right now—at this hour. But it is a different kind of news. It’s time for the good news—about Jesus’ coming and about Jesus calling. We read from … Mark 1:14-20 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ whom we go along with in the Word and go out with into the world, The word “news” is really neutral. News can be either good or bad. But turn on the news on TV and except for a fast, feel-good human interest story in the last thirty seconds of the broadcast, from start to finish it seems as if it is all bad—in our community and around our country, cruel violence to cold weather. Maybe that is why we get so accustomed to thinking that news is bad. There is such a thing as good news. It comes from God. That is why we say … It’s Time for the Good News 1. About Jesus’ coming (14,15) 2. About Jesus’ calling (16-20) 1. About Jesus’ coming (14,15) We are in the season of Epiphany. It is a word that means “revealing”—to show forth or to make known. This is when we focus on the fact that the good news of the angels to the shepherds on Christmas evening that a Savior has arrived really is for all people (Lk 2:10,11)—including us. That is the good news that God wants to announce. That is what we key on and concentrate on during this stretch on the church calendar. It’s time for the good news about Jesus’ coming. John the Baptist had appeared on the scene, sent by God. He prepared the people, getting them ready for Jesus’ arrival. He did that faithfully as he pointed them to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29,36). But his circumstance had changed. He was no longer on the other side of the Jordan River, but in the cell of a prison. Herod had put him there because John’s preaching about Herod’s sin of stealing his own brother’s wife hit too close to home (Mk 6:17,18). He had John arrested and incarcerated. It was then that Jesus moved his ministry to the region of Galilee (Mk 1:14), bringing the light of salvation where there was the darkness of sin (Mt 4:16). The messenger was shut in, but he message was not shut down. It would not be silenced or stopped. Mark reports that Jesus headed north, “proclaiming the good news of God” (Mk 1:14). He heralded what came from God. “The time has come” (Mk 11:15). It was the moment that God had determined and decided. All of the promises and prophesies of the Old Testament were about to be fulfilled. And so Jesus continued: “The kingdom of God is near” (Mk 1:15). That was the same as what John was declaring in the desert region (Mt 3:2). The difference was that John spoke of One to come. Jesus was the One who had come. God’s kingdom was near—as close as Jesus was to them. God’s kingdom is his royal reign and rule in hearts through the good news of his Son, Jesus Christ, the King descended from David to do in the devil and to defeat death (2 Sa 7:16; Is 9:7; Ge 3:15). It was time—time for the good news about Jesus’ coming. He was there. But the way to enter that kingdom was not by birth or by blood, by accomplishments or achievements. “Repent and believe the good news” (Mk 1:15). There was to be a change of mind—sorrow over their sin and confidence in their Savior. Jesus was the One who would rescue them and release them. They could rely on him and remain with him. The good news of the past is the good news of the present. God’s kingdom is for us. He wants us to be part of it. And so he sent Jesus at the right time to be put on the cross so that we could live in his kingdom (Ga 4:4). But we need to alter our thinking. Sin is not something fun or funny, something to downplay or deny. It is something damaging and deadly, something frightening and fatal. It ruins and wreaks our relationship with God. Repent! Recognize the severity and seriousness of it. That was the plea of Jonah in the great city of Nineveh: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” (Jonah 3:4). Seeing our sin is only good news because there is a solution for our sin—Jesus. Repent and believe the good news. Like those citizens of Nineveh, we believe God (Jonah 3:5; Mt 12:41). Our salvation comes from him alone (Ps 62:1). We take him at his word when we look to the cross on Calvary to see our Savior spill his blood, cleansing us from all of our guilt. Sin enslaves; our Savior frees. We continually turn away from sin and constantly trust in our Savior. That is good news. It’s time for the good news about Jesus’ coming to carry off our guilt and to bring us into his kingdom. 2. About Jesus’ calling (16-20) What the angels revealed to the shepherds—the good news of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds showed forth and made known to others (Lk 2:17,20). Good news needs to get out and go on. That is the emphasis of Epiphany. It’s time for the good news about Jesus’ calling. Jesus made his way around the Sea of Galilee one day, not to get some fresh air, but to get some fishermen. He spotted two brothers, Simon (also called Peter) and Andrew. They were casting out nets. These had weights on the edges. As they sank in the sea, it surrounded the fish as the net was hauled back in by hand. It was not recreation for them like ice fishing in Minnesota on the weekend, but it was their occupation (Mk 1:16). Jesus approached them and asked them: “Come, follow me” (Mk 1:17). It was an invitation to be his disciples—to listen to him and learn from him. And to that he added a purpose: “And I will make you fishers of men” (Mk 1:17). They would work with him because one day they would witness about him (Acts 1:8). And Jesus connected their current job with their future vocation. They understood the one—fishermen. Now they would undertake the other—fishers of men. They would need the same patience and perseverance, not knowing the results, in their new career and calling, trusting God to bless their efforts. But they would not use a net of twine to capture and sell, but the net of the good news of Jesus to free and to save. They would use their skills and talents from the fishing industry to bring people into the kingdom of God. Mark relates their response. “At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mk 1:18). They didn’t waver. They went. What training they received as they trailed Jesus to pay attention to what he had to say and take note of what he had to do. That was a topnotch and first-rate education. It was time for good news about Jesus calling. He was training individuals to spread the truth of salvation. It is correct that Jesus still calls people to serve him fulltime in the ministry. They deserve our support. But it is not only their responsibility. All of us can share the good news. But that is when the excuses come. “I don’t know enough.” “Come, follow me,” Jesus beckons. We sit and study at his feet. We grow in wisdom and willingness. Like those common fishermen, we become competent fishers of men. It’s time for the good news about Jesus’ calling. He involves us in the work of reaching others. He reels them into his kingdom as he makes use of the aptitudes and abilities that he has entrusted to us. It was the same scenario a bit farther down the beach. Two more brothers, James and John, were fixing and folding their nets for another night of fishing (Mk 1:19). Jesus called them too. There was no objection from them, not even any opposition from their father, Zebedee. Right away they went with Jesus (Mk 1:20). A disciple of Jesus doesn’t have to give up or give away everything. What we have is a blessing from God. Some are nice; some are necessary. But when we follow Jesus, our attitude is different. The apostle Paul guided us when it comes to what God has given to us. We don’t live for things or long for things. They are not the be all and end all of life, our aim or ambition (1 Co 7:29-31). We don’t set our hearts on them (Ps 62:10). Following him is superior to anything else in life. We fear, love, and trust in him above all things (cf. Explanation to the Frist Commandment). It’s time for the good news of Jesus’ calling. And we go after him with our all and our everything. There are news programs when the sun comes up and when the sun goes down, and before and after that in addition. Most of the time we complain that it is bad news. But there is such a thing as good news. It’s time for the good news of Jesus’ coming. He came for us to save us. It’s time for the good news of Jesus’ calling. He calls to us to serve him. Now that is news, good news. Amen. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. January 22, 2012