Gospel of Mark/Chapter 1:1-28/Commentary

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1:1-28 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” While John goes back to eternity (John 1:1), Luke to the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1) and Matthew to the birth of Christ, Mark starts with John’s baptism. All of these are correct, for there are a number of beginnings. The book of Acts places the beginning of the gospel with the baptism of John as well (Acts 1:22; 10:37). Consider the following passages as well (Acts 13:24; Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16; John 1:6).

1:1 “Gospel”: The term originally meant the reward for bringing good news but then came to mean the good news itself. Thus, Mark is saying that what he is writing is the “good news” brought by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1:2 “As it is written”: This is in the perfect tense. It denotes completed action in the past with continuing results. The idea is, “it was written and it is still written”.

Or, it is still the word of God, it is still truth, it still backs authority. “In Isaiah the prophet”: The quotation in verse 2 is from Malachi 3:1 and the quotation in verses 3 is from Isaiah 40:3. New Testament writers often quote more than one prophet while naming only one. Mark is probably demonstrating that any real 1

understanding of Jesus must first be found in the prophecies of the Old Testament.

1:2 “Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way”: It is customary in eastern countries to send messengers to see that all is prepared before the king takes a journey.

1:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness”: John himself described himself as “the Voice” (John 1:23). After John’s birth we see no more of him until he starts preaching out in the middle of nowhere. John appears suddenly and does not seek out the big cities and town for listeners, rather people must come to him.

The term wilderness does not necessarily mean a “desert” but rather means open, wild country.

1:3 “Make ready the way of the Lord”: Observe that John is preparing the way— not for a mere man, but for “the Lord”. A mere good man is not coming. Even a prophet is not coming. God Himself in the flesh (John 1:14) is coming.

1:4 “Preaching a baptism a repentance for the forgiveness of sins”: It was a repentance-baptism that John was preaching, that is, being baptized indicated that repentance had already or was being practiced. The end result of forgiveness of sins. Even though Jesus has not yet died, forgiveness was available, just like it was said to be available in the Old Testament. The blood of Christ would cover those who repented and were baptized and who died before Acts 2. Those who were baptized under John’s baptism needed to be baptized once Jesus was died and resurrected (Acts 2; Acts 19).

1:5 “All the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem”: John’s preaching kept attracting people, it created tremendous interest from both the country-side and the urban areas. It seems strange to modern church growth experts to have John preaching in such a desolate region, after all there were no great cities here. But God thinks differently than we do.

Such a desolate background was away from the distractions of city life. Jerusalem was at least twenty miles from the Jordan. Without living there we might not understand that took a lot of effort to yet to where John was. “It was hard going down the rugged Judean hills to the Jordan and even harder coming back up” 2

(The Expositor’ Bible Commentary, Editor Frank E. Gaebelein, p. 620). “Confessing their sins”: Indicating that John did not baptism anyone who refused to confess their sins. Mark is very brief here, nothing is said about John’s rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 3:7-10), to the crowds (Luke 3:10-11), or to the tax collectors and soldiers (Luke 3:12-14).

1:6 “John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt about his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey”: Looking much like Elijah is described in the Old Testament (2 Kings 1:8). His outer garment was woven camel’s hair and it was all held in place by a leather belt.

Malachi had said that Elijah was coming before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6). The physical appearance of John the Baptist should have informed those knowledgeable in the Scriptures that this just might be the Elijah mentioned in Malachi. Locusts were permitted in the Law as an article of food (Leviticus 11:2122). The common brown locust was about three inches long. They could be dried in the sun, sprinkled with salt, eaten with butter, boiled or roasted.

1:7 “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals”: Mark focuses on what John said about the one coming after him. In preaching, John did not draw attention to himself, rather he pointed people to the coming Messiah. “To bear, to fasten or to loose the sandals of a great personage was the work of a menial slave. John uses this comparison to show how far he was before Christ. His language shows how exalted were his ideas of the dignity of Christ” (Bible Study Textbook, The Gospel of Mark, B.W. Johnson and Don DeWelt, p. 31).

This clearly demonstrates that John knew that Jesus was far more than just a good or great man, for even the best of men still have sinned (Romans 3:23). John would not have said of any mere mortal, “I am not fit to untie His sandals”.

John is doing what he can to make sure that no one thinks he is the Messiah or that men do not follow him, rather, that they look for the coming one.

1:8 “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”:

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John is not downgrading the importance of his baptism, for it was God’s will (Luke 7:29-30). Jesus Himself will commission His disciples to baptize in water (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36ff). Yet Jesus has the power to personally administer the coming of the Holy Spirit upon someone in a miraculous sense. Jesus Himself later told His apostles that this promise specifically applied to them (Acts 1:5) and happened in Acts 2:1-4. The only other outpouring like this is found in Acts 10 (see 11:16-17). This is not a promise that Jesus would baptize everyone in the Holy Spirit or even every believer (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).

The Baptism of Jesus 1:9 “And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan” Jesus was not baptized because He needed to repent or had sins (1 Peter 2:22), rather, John’s baptism had two clear purposes. One was to prepare people morally so they would be ready to accept what Jesus was going to teach them.

The other purpose was to introduce Jesus as the coming one (John 1:31-32) and so John could give his testimony that Jesus was the Christ.

“From Nazareth in Galilee”: This mountain town in Galilee had been Jesus’ home since He returned with His parents from Egypt. Nazareth was about 70 miles north of Jerusalem and probably around 80 miles from where John was baptizing.

In the time of Jesus it had a population around 6000.

Matthew tells us that John was reluctant to baptize one so much higher than him and even says that he needs for Jesus to baptize him! Jesus said that such a baptism should be permitted to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). The statement, “Permit it now”, suggests that there was another purpose for Jesus being baptized. First, it did reveal to John the information he needed to declare that this was the Messiah (John 1:33-36). Secondly, Jesus came to do the will of the Father. I believe there is an important lesson here. The fundamental reason man should obey God is simply because God said so. Yes, there are other reasons, but if we can’t understand why God tells us to do something, or if we can’t see the immediate benefit of such obedience, our obedience is still required simply 4

because God said to do it. Fulfilling all righteousness means doing the will of the Father without any rationalization or excuses.

In addition, Jesus’ example as one who was righteous would have been seriously hindered if He would have opted out of a baptism which was from God (Matthew 21:25). “Jesus submitted, not with any ulterior motive, but because John’s baptism was from God. He refused to expect of others what He Himself had not undergone. Had He not so completely done God’s will, His condemnation of the religious leaders (Matthew 21:25) would have had a hollow ring to it” (Bible Study Textbook, Matthew, Fowler p. 115).

1:10 “And immediately coming up out of the water. He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him” “Immediately”: Mark will use this word some 41 times. The term “opening” is a strong word here, it means, “to tear or rend”. We are not told what was visible when the heavens were suddenly opened. We know that Jesus and John saw these events (compare with Acts 7:56 and 10:11). All four Gospels unite in using the expression, “as a dove”. This dove was clearly visible and had a definite bodily form (Luke 3:22). Luke says that all of this was “like a dove” (3:22). Which may suggest that this was not a literal dove, but that the descent of a literal dove was the best earthly example of give as to what this looked like. Compare with Acts 2:1-4.

The Spirit coming upon Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach…”; Luke 4:18 and Acts 10:38). Luke records that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus when He was praying (Luke 3:21). This event served as Divine authentication of His identity. He and no other is God’s Son, the Messiah (the anointed one). It was His public anointing as God’s Messiah. From this point on the New Testament links the Holy Spirit with Jesus’ work (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1,14,21; Matthew 12:18f; Luke 10:21).

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1:11 “And a voice came out of the heavens; ‘Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased’” Here we see all three persons in the Godhead working together, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This verse really undermines the idea that there is only one person in the Godhead, and that one person plays all three roles. The Father does not mince any words. Jesus is the Son of God and the Father is pleased with Him, which means that whatever Jesus accomplishes for man’s salvation, the Father will accept. While there are many proclaimed Saviors or sources of salvation in the world, the only Savior Who has the Father’s stamp of approval is Jesus. The Father will speak again at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), and shortly before His time of suffering (John 12:28-30).

Jesus’ Temptation 1:12 “And immediately”: Mark stresses the close connection between Jesus’ baptism and the Temptation. The same Holy Spirit that came upon Him at His baptism now drives Him to go out into the wilderness. “The Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness”: This verse tells us that the Temptation that Jesus encountered was actually anticipated by God. The plan was to immediately face the devil head-on and demonstrate Jesus’ superiority.

When the text says that Jesus was led up by the Spirit (Matthew 4:1), it doesn’t mean that Jesus lost all control of His own will. Since the Spirit and Jesus are both Divine, they are working together. The Spirit is impelling (Mark 1:12) Him, for it is the will of the Father that Jesus met the devil at this particular time. It is also the will of Jesus, since Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30), to face the devil.

Hence, Jesus isn’t being impelled to do something against His will.

“The passive verb in no way expresses a human shrinking from the ordeal that lay ahead of Jesus. The popular translation of Mark 1:12 seems to suggest that Jesus was somehow ‘thrown out’ into the desert against His own will. Yet, there is evidence that ekballo (impelled) can also be used without the connotation of force (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; John 10:4; James 2:25; Acts 16:37). Thus, rather than

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being reluctant to face the coming trials, Jesus willingly followed the Spirit’s direction” (Fowler p. 128).

“This temptation was in the sense of testing. A new railroad bridge, rumored to be structurally unsound, was shown to be reliable when the management lined up locomotives on it from one side to the other. That was not done to see if the bridge was strong, but to demonstrate to all that it was absolutely safe. The Spirit led the Lord Jesus into the wilderness to seek out this encounter with Satan. The purpose was not to see if the Savior had flaws, but rather to demonstrate once for all His perfections” (Luck p. 45).

1:13 “He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him” “Mark’s account of the Temptation is very brief. He devotes only two verses to it whereas Matthew has eleven and Luke thirteen. No specific temptations are described and no victory over Satan is recorded. By this Mark wants to emphasize that Jesus’ entire ministry was one continuous encounter with the Devil and not limited to a few temptations in the desert during period of forty days. Indeed, in his Gospel he vividly describes this continuing conflict. The forty days have symbolic significance and recall the experiences of Moses (Exodus 24:18) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8,15)” (Gaebelein p. 623). “With the wild beasts”: Mentioned only in this gospel. “Angels were ministering to Him”: How they helped Him we are not told.

Various theories exist as to why Jesus met the devil at this time. 1. He must personally conquer Satan and demonstrate to all men that their trust in Jesus is well-founded and meaningful. 2. He must show His tempted followers how to overcome trials, and the power of using Scripture to counter the attacks of the devil. 3. He demonstrated that He can certainly sympathize with our trials (Hebrews 4:14ff). He knows what it feels like to be physically suffering, racked with the pains of hunger, and being offered to take the easy way out. 4. He demonstrated that God does always provide the way of escape, even in the most severe trials (1 Corinthians 10:13). He clearly proved that God can be trusted.

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Jesus Starts Preaching The purpose of this section (Mark 1:14-3:6) is to describe the opening stage of Jesus’ preaching in Galilee. The introduction here (1:14-15) is followed by Jesus calling His disciples (1:16-20), His preaching in and around Capernaum (1:21-34), and a series of conflicts He has with the opposition (2:1-3:6).

1:14 “And after John had been taken into custody”: Mark lets us know that Jesus did not start His ministry until John had been arrested. “Mark apparently wants to show that John, the forerunner, completed his God-appointed task; and only after that had occurred did Jesus enter His ministry” (Gaebelein p. 624). “Preaching the gospel of God”: That is, the good news that comes from God and yet equally the good news that talks about God. So what will Jesus be preaching and talking about? He will be preaching the gospel. Therefore, Jesus is not teaching the Law of Moses, rather He is teaches a message that applies to us today.

1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” The kingdom promised in the Old Testament (Daniel 2:36-44; Isaiah 2:2-4) was at hand. John the Baptist had preached the same message (Matthew 3:2). The term repent should have told the Jewish people that entrance into this kingdom wasn’t automatic for Jews or Gentiles. This kingdom would only be composed of contrite and humble believers. The kingdom promised is what Jesus later called the church (Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:47=Colossians 1:12-14). Jesus didn’t bring a message of God’s unconditional salvation. To receive the salvation that God is offering, man must do something, i.e., repent. This kingdom would come within the lifetime of Jesus’ disciples (Mark 9:1). Preaching the gospel included preaching the kingdom or church (Mark 1:15; Acts 8:12; Matthew 13:19).

Calling His Disciples 1:16 “And as He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen”

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1:17 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men’” 1:18 “And they immediately left the nets and followed Him” The Sea of Galilee is about 6 miles wide and 12 miles long. It is 682 feet below sea level and is surrounded by mountains, which rise from 600 to 1000 feet above it.

Its greatest depth is about 165 feet. The circumference of the lake is 32 miles.

The Sea of Galilee contains more than 22 species of fish and the best fishing was at the North end of the lake, near the city of Capernaum. The actual type of net mentioned is a draw net, a circular bell-shaped affair, which was thrown upon the water, so that it spread out and caught, by sinking, whatever was below it.

Remember, Simon and Andrew had already met Jesus and spent some time with Him (John 1:40-42). Hence, this call isn’t out of the blue or completely by surprise.

While the gospel would separate some families and brothers (Matthew 10:21), it did not separate these two. Carefully note that the disciples of Jesus had not been “deadbeats”, or the type of people just looking to start trouble. They were “blue-collar” workers, worked hard, and had families to support (Mark 1:30).

McGarvey notes, “Jesus called them from a lower to a similar but higher labor. He calls all honest tradesmen in this manner. His invites carpenters to building His temple, servants to serve the great King, physicians to heal souls, merchants to invest in pearls of great price, etc. The fishermen found many points of resemblance between the old and the new calling, such as, daily hardships and dangers; the earnest desire for the objects sought; skill and wisdom in the use of means” (Fourfold Gospel p. 162). Be impressed that Jesus called ordinary people to spread the gospel. It doesn’t take an expert to convert the lost, because the power is in the message, not the messenger (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

1:18 “Immediately”: They dropped their nets at once. “Their obedience was immediate and unhesitating, it is hard to understand such an immediate acceptance without the account which John gives of their earlier association” (The Life of Christ, Foster p. 407).

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1:19 “And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets” 1:20 “And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him” The name Zebedee (ZEBB uh dee), means “gift of Jehovah”. Of these two brothers, James would be the first apostle to be killed (Acts 12:1-2), and John was apparently the last apostle to die. Nothing in the text suggests that these brothers were idle, discontent with their former lot, or ambitious for worldly fame or glory. In the eyes of the world such brothers were undistinguished in practically every regard, but God sees differently than man sees. These brothers were accustomed to hardship, they were well-seasoned men. They were humble men, capable to being taught, and their heads were not filled with pride. They were diligent, workingmen, not ashamed of honest toil or seeking the easy life. Mark adds that they also left hired servants (1:20), which is an indication that these men and their father were successful in the fishing business.

Jesus had already said that the kingdom of God was “at hand”, so the situation is urgent! Therefore, there is a need to obey immediately.

1:20 “With the hired servants”: “James and John were not leaving him entirely alone to run his fishing business” (Gaebelein p. 625).

Jesus In Capernaum 1:21 “And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach” Again, note the urgency. Jesus comes to Capernaum and immediately seizes an opportunity to teach.

1:22 “And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching as one having authority, and not as the scribes” “Jesus did not have to quote the authorities (Rabbi-so-and-so says such and such).

His authority came straight from God” (Gaebelein p. 627). When the scribes 10

taught, they would appeal to Jewish traditions and the authority of past great Jewish rabbis. “A passage taken from later rabbinical writings starts thus: ‘Rabbi Zeira says, on the authority of Rabbi Jose bar Rabbi Chanina, and Rabbi BA or Rabbi Chija on the authority of Rabbi Jochanan” (McGarvey p. 167). Compare this with Jesus’ common expression, “I say to you” (Matthew 5:18,20,22,26,28,34 ).

1:23 “And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out” 1:24 “saying, ‘What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’” Demons clearly knew and believed that Jesus is the Son of God (James 2:19), and they fear His judgment and power. Jesus addressed demons as distinct persons and they spoke as such. Hence we cannot regard demon possession as a psychological disease. In addition, the New Testament clearly distinguishes between physical diseases, like epilepsy and demon possession (Matthew 4:24).

One theory in some religious circles is that demons are the departed spirits of the wicked, but Luke 16:19ff clearly makes the point that the wicked are confined after they die and the same truth is found in 2 Peter 2:9.

McGarvey notes, “The frequency of demoniacal possession in the time of Jesus is probably due to the fact that His advent formed a great crisis in the spiritual order of things” (Fourfold Gospel pp. 167-168). Since we find demon possession primarily around the time of Jesus and the apostles, it would appear that demon possession is something God allowed for the purpose of demonstrating Jesus’ power over the devil. In Zechariah 13:2, God says that He will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. Apparently, when the spiritual gifts ceased, which included the gift to cast out demons, demon possession also ceased.

1:24 “Have You come to destroy us?”: “The demons recognize—far more clearly than the synagogue congregation—the role of judgment in the ministry of Jesus” (Gaebelein p. 627). The demons know that “hell” is real—and it is not their home, they don’t want to end up there! The word “destroy” does not mean to 11

annihilate, for the devil will be “tormented” day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10), and the angels that sinned are awaiting judgment (2 Peter 2:4).

This evil spirit resented Jesus’ entrance into this world. Thus, people who resent God’s standards, God’s authority and God’s judgment upon sin are acting like this demon.

1:24 “I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”: Demons are in rebellion, yet they are not so foolish as to deny God’s existence or that Jesus is the Son of God. 1:25 “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’”: Jesus did not need any magical formula’s to cast out this evil spirit. In addition, Jesus had no interest in furthering this conversation further. The demon deserved no explanations or answers.

1:26 “And throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him”: The demon put up a fight, he did not want to come out—but immediately lost. Observe that the demon cries out, the demon shrieks and is forced out against his will.

1:27 “And they were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him’” This was something entirely new. Man had been helpless in the face of demon possession and now here was someone who could cast them out with authority.

No slow gradual process—but immediate explusion. They had no previous experience with teaching or power like this. Jesus’ power to cast out demons proved that Jesus’ teaching on other subjects was just as true.

1:28 “And immediately the news about Him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee”: The news about Him just flew and people were talking about what He was teaching and doing.

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