What does it mean to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15)?

Answer

After the arrest of John the Baptist, “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). Jesus’ call for His listeners to repent indicated the need for them to change their minds. By instructing them to believe in the gospel, He showed them how their minds needed to change. Mark describes Jesus’ message as “the gospel of God” (verse 14, ESV) or “the good news of God.” It was positive news that the kingdom was near, and Jesus was preparing His listeners for how to participate in that kingdom.

Many in Jesus’ audience believed they were already righteous and would enter the kingdom of God because of their lineage to Abraham and Moses, and their observance of the laws given to Israel by Moses. In Matthew 5—7, Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount, teaching His listeners to reconsider how they could be part of His kingdom. Their lineage to Abraham and Moses was insufficient, and their outwardly righteous acts were inadequate. These were not the standards of righteousness that God required. Instead, Jesus explained that they needed genuine internal righteousness, which they lacked. They didn’t just need a king; they needed a savior. Unfortunately, only a few would acknowledge this necessity.

Jesus declared that the people must repent and believe in the gospel because the kingdom of God was near. God’s eternal kingdom currently resides in heaven. However, in passages like 2 Samuel 7 and Revelation 19—20, God promises that His kingdom will eventually come to earth in a physical form. The kingdom was near because Jesus the King had arrived on earth, presenting the opportunity for people to be part of His kingdom.

The kingdom and the wonderful news about it, along with how one can become part of it—by believing in the gospel. Regrettably, Jesus’ audience was not yet ready for the kingdom because they had not acknowledged the need for the Messiah to make them righteous, and that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Jesus’ message was truly good news, and the people needed to change their mindset from unbelief to belief. They had to believe in the Lord—as Abraham had done many years earlier “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)—to attain the righteousness necessary to enter God’s kingdom. They had to repent (change their mindset about entering the kingdom) and believe in the gospel now, as the kingdom of God was near. Some did change their perspective on righteousness and believed in Jesus, but most of the leaders and the nation as a whole did not believe (Mark 3:22-30). Due to this rejection, Jesus postponed the kingdom and redirected His focus and ministry to providing the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people.

One day, Jesus will return to the earth as King (Revelation 19-20), and based on what the Bible reveals about the future, we also must “repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of God is at hand.” We must shift from unbelief to belief and acknowledge that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we have faith in Christ, we are already transferred to His kingdom “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13)

According to Colossians 1:13, since His kingdom is not yet on earth, we should focus our thoughts on heavenly things where He is, instead of earthly matters as stated in Colossians 3:1-4.