The Message of the Revolution

by Tom Johnston

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 ESV

The message of Jesus is the message of the Kingdom. It is this message, the proclamation of a new ruling order, which is at the core of the Revolution. The coming of the Kingdom of God is what the Revolution is all about – the overthrow of one world order for another. Jesus is the ultimate revolutionary – and He is still at work.

When Jesus was declaring the “good news” He was speaking forth the euangélion – the glad tidings of a victory which has established the empire – and consequently – a new peace (Isaiah 52:7). Also, euangélion was proclaimed at the birth of a new Roman emperor - a time of great joy and celebration, as this meant to the people that the government and peace they enjoyed would continue unbroken (in reference to Christ, see Luke 2:10-14). This term was a Greco-Roman political term, and in understanding it, we understand what the message of Jesus is all about. Jesus came proclaiming God’s right to rule on earth, and to be Lord in the affairs of men. He came to proclaim the overthrow of a rebellious world order and the re-establishment of the Father’s unquestioned dominion.

The message He preached was the Gospel (euangélion) of the Kingdom. It might surprise some that he did not come preaching the Gospel of Salvation. Salvation for humankind is not the core of the Gospel – the Kingdom is. Salvation for us is a blessed outcome of God’s kingdom rule in our lives. No Kingdom rule re-established, no salvation for humankind. The Cross is God’s weapon of His warfare (Colossians 2:15) in reclaiming His universe – and His people. The message of Christ and His Cross is the message of spiritual revolution, overthrowing the kingdom of darkness and re-establishing the Father’s blessed realm.

It is this revolutionary message we preach – a Christ-centric message. We are not preaching a human-centered (read: self-centered) message: the Self-improvement Gospel, or the Health & Wealth Gospel, or the Social-welfare Gospel. We preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, the message of revolution, which demands all from those who would enter the Kingdom (Mark 8:34-38). In that Kingdom (which is now, but not yet fully here), as a result of God’s rule, our souls are enriched forever, every need is met in Christ, every injustice is set aright – in the “now” in part and completely in the “not yet.”

In Mark 1, Jesus proclaimed the emergence of a new universal order, one in which we are to trust completely. We are to trust it in such a way as to rely completely upon it, changing our heart and mind, reorienting life and ministry around the commands of the King. The time has come for us to embrace this revolutionary message afresh, in our own lives and in our ministry, and join the Revolution of Jesus.