Jesus, the kingdom and the movement

Christ Calling the Apostles James and John - Edward Armitage 1869

Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Mark 1:14-17

What’s the relationship between the kingdom of God and the movement Jesus started?

According to RT France, in Mark’s Gospel the kingdom of God comes as a mustard seed through the gathering of a group of ordinary people in an unnoticed corner of rural Galilee. Jesus is launching a movement that will carry his cause to the ends of the earth, yet it goes unnoticed, for now.

The calling of the first disciples comes right at the beginning of Jesus’ mission. The story that has been announced as the good news of Jesus Christ is the story of Jesus’ movement. From Galilee until Gethsemane Jesus is constantly accompanied by his disciples, and their training and development is one of the main focuses of the story. They may disappoint and fail him, but they are crucial to the achievement of his mission, for it is through this flawed and broken group of people that God’s kingship will be established. The Gospels track their development as disciples, their successes and failures. Why? So that we can build our discipleship on their example.

From the start, the key elements of their discipleship are a relationship with Jesus who they follow and engagement in his mission, learning to fish for people.