The Children's Sermon: Mark 1: 14-20

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Epiphany 3B
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20

Fulfillment

Highlighted Verses: Mark 1: 14-20

¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” ¹⁶As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁷And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” ¹⁸And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Have you ever made a promise?

A promise has two parts - doesn't it? The first part is something you say - but the second part is something you do.

If I were to promise that next week I'm going to bake cookies and that after church I'd give you all one, that would be the talking part - but then you'd expect me to actually do it, right? That's the important part of a promise - keeping it.

There's a word for this. When we keep a promise, by actually doing what we've said, we say that the promise has been "fulfilled."

This week's Gospel lesson is about a promise that has been fulfilled.

For hundreds of years - and all throughout their scriptures - the people of Israel have been promised that the kingdom of God is coming. And this week Jesus tells them that the promise has been kept - and that the time they've been waiting for has come.

And just like in last week's reading, Jesus finds new helpers who leave their work to follow him. This time it's two sets of brothers - Simon and Andrew and James and John. All four were fishermen - and when Jesus comes across them he explains that he has an important new calling for them: he wants them to help him "fish for people" - to help him spread his teachings.

Will you be a "fisher of men" and help fulfill God's promise this week? Good. Let's pray.

Dear God,

Thank you for sending your son Jesus to fulfill your promise. Help us to be "fishers of men" during the week ahead.

Amen