Mark 1
A Man Named John (Mark 1:1-8)
Mark begins abruptly with an announcement of the start of the good news concerning Jesus, who is the Anointed One (the Christ) and the Son of God. This Jesus was predicted by the prophet Isaiah to arrive after a messenger came to prepare his way (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). (Here and in Mark 15:28 are the only two places where Mark mentions prophecies about Jesus). This messenger was John the Baptist. The qualifier on John’s name distinguishes people with the same name. Since there is also a John who was an apostle of Jesus, the qualifier “the Baptist” tells the reader we are talking about a different John.
John’s duty was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. He would announce in the wilderness regions of Israel that the people of Israel needed to get ready by making the path of the Lord straight. “Straight” refers to a direct and easy path to travel. Thus, the people needed to lighten the workload of the Lord by making preparations in their own lives to receive the Lord.
John announced a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance refers to a complete reversal of attitude that becomes apparent in the person’s change in behavior. Although John was in an unpopulated area, people from Jerusalem, Judea, and the areas around the Jordan came to him to hear his message. John was the first prophet to appear in Israel in almost 450 years. And they responded to the message by confessing their sins and being baptized.
This is the first mention of baptism in the Bible. Water was used in the Old Testament for ceremonial cleansing to remove uncleanness (Numbers 19:7), but there is no mention of complete immersion, particularly concerning the removal of sin. That it was a new rite is shown by the Jews’ question of John, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (John 1:25). They questioned his right to add a new ordinance if he did not have sufficient authority.
Why baptism? John’s baptism demonstrated a willingness to submit to God’s will. It became a marker, if you will, of the changed life: burying the old life of sin to rise to a new life (Romans 6:4). Jesus’ baptism later adds further meaning to baptism, noting that it also represents Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-7).
Mark mentions that John made for a colorful character. He wore a garment made of camel hair, which is coarse hair and is considered to be a low-quality garment. He also ate locusts and wild honey, indicating an austere life. Yet there is more to it than simple, frugal living. It appears that God’s prophets in the past wore course hair garments (Zechariah 13:4). The prophet Elijah was noted for his leather belt (II Kings 1:8).. While we might turn up our noses at a meal of locust, it was allowed food for an Israelite (Leviticus 11:22). It is likely that the garb and plain lifestyle invoked memories of Elijah (Malachi 4:5).
Comparing John to the Christ (Mark 1:7-8)
The authority for John’s teachings came from the one who would follow him. John warned the people that this man’s authority was so great that John wasn’t worthy to serve him in even the lowest of ways, such as taking off his sandals.
Where John’s baptism was with water, the mighty one would baptize people with God’s Spirit.
The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11)
Jesus arrives to where John is preaching from the town of Nazareth in the region of Galilee. John then baptizes him. The word “baptized” means “immersed.” You can see the word's meaning in action because when Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Sprinkling or pouring was not used. John selected his locations for baptisms based on the amount of available water (John 3:23).
As Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon him, and a voice spoke from heaven declaring that Jesus was His Son, in whom He was well pleased. The event is significant because it reveals Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, all being present but doing different things in different locations.
It would be incorrect to assume that the Spirit’s coming upon Jesus changed him in any way. Rather, this event gives him the title “Christ,” “Messiah,” or “the Anointed One.” Instead of being anointed with oil, Jesus is anointed with the Spirit of God (Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1).
There is another interesting parallel to be observed. At Jesus’ baptism, he was recognized as God's Son. When we are baptized, Christians are recognized as being adopted children of God (Galatians 3:26-29; 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). We, too, receive the Spirit of God as a part of that adoption (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:15).
Jesus’ Temptation (Mark 1:12-13)
Mark tells us that Jesus was led into the wilderness for forty days immediately after his baptism by the Holy Spirit. The region is most likely the western shore of the Dead Sea, which is not far from the Jericho and the Jordan River but is desolate of people and, as Mark notes, filled with wild animals.
Satan is presented as an actual being, not a mythological force. He tempts Jesus to sin, but Mark doesn’t record the details of Jesus’ temptations. After Jesus defeated Satan’s schemes, he was cared for by the angels.
Jesus Returns to Galilee (Mark 1:14-15)
Sometime after Jesus’ baptism, John was arrested (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14). Jesus returned to Galilee and became openly active in teaching the gospel (Mark 1:14). John might have been arrested, but Jesus quickly took up the fallen mantle and continued the work (Mark 1:15). Jesus taught that long-awaited kingdom was soon to arrive; therefore, people needed to repent and believe the good news being taught.
Fishers of Men (Mark 1:16-20)
As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Seeing two empty boats, he found Simon and his brother Andrew nearby, washing their nets after a night of fishing. Jesus tells them to follow him because they would now be fishing for men; that is, they were to catch men for the Lord (I Corinthians 9:20-22; II Corinthians 12:16). Implied in Mark’s account is that Simon and Andrew had already met Jesus before, which is confirmed in John’s account. They immediately left their equipment behind and followed Jesus.
Nearby, Jesus found James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting with their father and hired servants, mending their nets. Like Simon and Andrew, we know that John had already met with Jesus (John 1:35-40) and traveled with him for a time because of the events recorded in John chapters 1-4. Jesus called to them, and they, too, left everything behind, including their father.
The Healing of the Demonic (Mark 1:21-28)
Upon his arrival in Capernaum, Jesus went to the synagogue on the first Sabbath after his arrival and began teaching. His teaching was unlike what the people were used to hearing. Jesus taught with authority; in other words, he taught confidently as one who knew his topic well. The scribes, the traditional teachers of the law, would be much like our modern-day teachers. They knew much about God’s word, but there would be many things that puzzled them, and they would admit that they were uncertain about the meaning. Like we do today, they would cite scholars to support their views. Jesus didn’t cite others for support of his explanations of the Scriptures. He often started his explanations with “but I say unto you.” The people were amazed at Jesus' competency with the word of God – not necessarily with the eloquence of his discussions.
One of the prevailing ideas in Gentile society in those days was that either good or bad spirits could possess people. The gospels consistently state that demons who possessed people were unclean. While these demons cause maladies of various sorts, they are not to be confused with the maladies themselves. Demons had intelligence and personalities. Here, it is shown that demons possessed knowledge that others did not.
On this Sabbath day, a demon-possessed man entered the synagogue and claimed that Jesus unfairly came to destroy them. As many aggressors do in self-defense, the demon portrayed himself as the victim. However, remember that the demon sought out Jesus and not the other way around. The demon, to prove his claim of being out-muscled, declared that despite his human form, Jesus was the Holy One of God (Psalm 16:10; Daniel 9:24). These incidences where demons acknowledge Jesus for who he is form the proof of James’ statement, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!” (James 2:19).
Jesus simply tells the demon to be quiet and to leave. The demon apparently was reluctant to do so as he sent his host into convulsions, but with a cry, he left. The power and authority Jesus demonstrated were amazing. He followed no ritual. He did not invoke the name of God or another authority. His words indicate that he told the demon to leave based on his own authority.
Many Jews witnessed the event because it occurred in the synagogue on a Sabbath day. Jesus' teachings were new, and his obvious authority was beyond what anyone had witnessed. Thus, this miracle bolstered the people’s acceptance of Jesus’ teaching. Word of Jesus spread throughout the region.
The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Mark 1:29-34)
Leaving the synagogue, Jesus goes to Simon Peter’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever (or great fever), so those at Simon’s house asked Jesus about the condition. Once again, Jesus's authority is seen as he takes her by the hand and lifts her up. The fever immediately leaves the woman. Unlike modern medicine, there is no long recovery period. Simon’s mother-in-law immediately arose and began serving her guests.
By that evening, everyone who had someone sick brought the person to Jesus. The whole city turned out that night. He healed all sorts of diseases and cast out many demons.
The demons cried out that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of God, but Jesus quieted them, not allowing them to speak of this matter. Knowing that these demons were from Satan, we should wonder why they were so eager to announce who Jesus was to the people. However, Jesus had no interest in witnesses to himself from evil sources. Even though what they cried out was accurate, it was not being given from a credible source.
Jesus Tours Galilee (Mark 1:35-39)
After a long night and a short rest, Jesus prayed before dawn for a solitary place outside the town. It was a while before the disciples found him, and they told him that everyone in town was looking for him. Luke notes that a crowd from town followed as well. But rather than return to Capernaum, Jesus said they needed to visit other towns. His purpose was to preach, and he couldn’t accomplish this in one town.
As Jesus traveled, he continued to preach and cast out demons.
Healing of the Leper (Mark 1:40-45)
A leper approached Jesus. The man had heard of Jesus’ miracles, and bowing before him, he declared that if Jesus was willing, he could be made clean. Jesus replied that he was willing. Out of compassion for the man, he touched him, something that a Jew would not do because the man was unclean. But at Jesus’ touch, he immediately became clean.
Jesus firmly told him not to tell anyone but to go straight to the priests, tell them, and make the offerings for cleansing (Leviticus 14:2-20). Despite the order, word traveled quickly because the man could not contain his news. It could have been that Jesus did not want the man to tell of his healing until the priests verified it. Without the priest's testimony, it was only one man’s word. With the truth verified, news of what happened would make a more powerful impact. But we also see the result of the man’s proclamation. Crowds gathered in such numbers that Jesus could not enter a town without being mobbed. People came to hear Jesus’ teachings and have people healed of their diseases. Thus, Jesus had to spend more time in deserted places to reduce the number of people following him.
