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Texts -- Mark 1:1-31 (NET)

Context
The Ministry of John the Baptist
1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ , the Son of God. 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet , “Look , I am sending my messenger ahead of you , who will prepare your way , 1:3 the voice of one shouting in the wilderness , ‘Prepare the way for the Lord , make his paths straight .’” 1:4 In the wilderness John the baptizer began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins . 1:5 People from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem were going out to him , and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins . 1:6 John wore a garment made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist , and he ate locusts and wild honey . 1:7 He proclaimed , “One more powerful than I am is coming after me ; I am not worthy to bend down and untie the strap of his sandals . 1:8 I baptize you with water , but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit .”
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
1:9 Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River . 1:10 And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water , he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove . 1:11 And a voice came from heaven : “You are my one dear Son ; in you I take great delight .” 1:12 The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness . 1:13 He was in the wilderness forty days , enduring temptations from Satan . He was with wild animals , and angels were ministering to his needs .
Preaching in Galilee and the Call of the Disciples
1:14 Now after John was imprisoned , Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God . 1:15 He said , “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near . Repent and believe the gospel !” 1:16 As he went along the Sea of Galilee , he saw Simon and Andrew , Simon’s brother , casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen ). 1:17 Jesus said to them , “Follow me , and I will turn you into fishers of people .” 1:18 They left their nets immediately and followed him . 1:19 Going on a little farther , he saw James , the son of Zebedee , and John his brother in their boat mending nets . 1:20 Immediately he called them , and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him .
Jesus’ Authority
1:21 Then they went to Capernaum . When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach . 1:22 The people there were amazed by his teaching , because he taught them like one who had authority , not like the experts in the law . 1:23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit , and he cried out , 1:24 “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene ! Have you come to destroy us ? I know who you are – the Holy One of God !” 1:25 But Jesus rebuked him : “Silence ! Come out of him !” 1:26 After throwing him into convulsions , the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him . 1:27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this ? A new teaching with authority ! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him .” 1:28 So the news about him spread quickly throughout all the region around Galilee .
Healings at Simon’s House
1:29 Now as soon as they left the synagogue , they entered Simon and Andrew’s house , with James and John . 1:30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down , sick with a fever , so they spoke to Jesus at once about her . 1:31 He came and raised her up by gently taking her hand . Then the fever left her and she began to serve them .

Pericope

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Arts

Hymns

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  • Dari Terbitnya Surya T'rang [KJ.137]
  • Dengar Panggilan Tuhan [KJ.357]
  • Kiranya Langit Terbelah [KJ.80]
  • Lihat Salib di atas Bukit Golgota [KJ.182]
  • Mahaterpuji Allahku [KJ.79]
  • Mari Menjadi Penjala Orang [KJ.431]
  • Masih Banyak Orang Berjalan [KJ.429]
  • Ya Bapa, Jamah AnakMu [KJ.459] ( Dear Lord and Father of Mankind )
  • Ya Roh Kudus Berkurnia [KJ.238]
  • Yesus Kristus Memerintah [KJ.220]
  • Yesus, Tuhan, Engkaulah Mesias [KJ.141]
  • [Mar 1:1] Saint Who First Found Grace To Pen, The
  • [Mar 1:9] O Thou Who In Jordan
  • [Mar 1:13] Awhile In Spirit, Lord, To Thee
  • [Mar 1:13] Forty Days And Forty Nights
  • [Mar 1:13] The Glory Of These Forty Days
  • [Mar 1:14] Come Sing, Ye Choirs Exultant
  • [Mar 1:15] Arise, Sons Of The Kingdom
  • [Mar 1:15] Arise, The Kingdom Is At Hand
  • [Mar 1:15] Let The Earth Now Praise The Lord

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

General; Expulsion of demons; How Jesus Interacted With People; Fishers of Men; Unclean Spirits; Called…; Matthew 11:28; The Invitations of Christ; Well Pleased; A Kingdom Implies a King; Names of Jesus; The Invitations of Christ

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • There are three major views concerning the relationship of 1:1 to the rest of the creation account.1. Verse 1 describes an original creation of the universe. God began fashioning the earth as we know it in verse 2 or verse 3....
  • The context of this section is significant as usual. Verses 1-8 deal with people who ministered to Yahweh in various ways for the people, and verses 15-22 concern the delivery of God's revelations to His people. Verses 9-14 c...
  • This celebration consisted of the seven-day dedication of the bronze altar followed by the seven-day feast of Tabernacles. The very large number of sacrifices Solomon offered seems incredible, but there are records of other l...
  • The first strophe of this poem (vv. 1-2) sets the tone for the rest of the chapter and for the rest of the book. It is an introduction to an introduction. In spite of affliction that lay ahead for the Judahites, God's ultimat...
  • God next called His people to prepare to receive the salvation that He would provide for them. They would have to lay hold of it by faith for it to benefit them.52:1 God called Israel to awake and to be strong (in the strengt...
  • The following three pericopes bracket assurance of imminent judgment for Judah with promises of distant blessing for Israel and the nations. This passage promises deliverance from the captivity for the Israelites. It appears ...
  • "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions--which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . --consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the...
  • The name of the writer is the title of this book."Malachi"means "my messenger."We know nothing of the prophet's parentage, ancestral or tribal roots, geographical origin, or other vocation. All we know is that he received and...
  • That another oracle is in view is clear from the question and answer format that begins this pericope, as it does the others. Verse 17 contains the question and answer, and the discussion follows in 3:1-6. The Israelites' cha...
  • It was common when Jesus lived for forerunners to precede important individuals to prepare the way for their arrival. For example, when a king would visit a town in his realm his emissaries would go before him to announce his...
  • Jesus' baptism was the occasion at which His messiahship became obvious publicly. Matthew recorded this event as he did to convince his readers further of Jesus' messianic qualifications.3:13-14 John hesitated to baptize Jesu...
  • Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
  • The calling of these four men shows Jesus' authority over people. The response of these disciples was appropriate in view of their summons by the King. They obeyed "immediately"(vv. 20, 22).4:18-20 The Hebrews referred to lak...
  • 27:3 Judas evidently felt remorse because he realized that he had condemned an innocent man to death. His remorse (Gr. metamelomai) resulted in a kind of repentance (Gr. metanoeo), but it was not complete enough. The first of...
  • Notice first some linguistic characteristics. Mark used a relatively limited vocabulary when he wrote this Gospel. For example, he used only about 80 words that occur nowhere else in the Greek New Testament compared with Luke...
  • These characteristics help us understand Mark's purpose for writing, which he did not state directly. Mark's purpose was not just to give his readers a biographical or historical account of Jesus' life. He had a more practica...
  • Matthew presents Jesus in the purple and gold of royalty. Mark portrays Him in the brown and green of a servant who has come to do His Father's will.The message of the book is similar to Matthew's message. A concise statement...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-13A. The title of the book 1:1B. Jesus' preparation for ministry 1:2-131. The ministry of John the Baptist 1:2-82. The baptism of Jesus 1:9-113. The temptation of Jesus 1:12-13II. The Servant's early Galil...
  • Mark may have intended this sentence to introduce the ministry of John the Baptist since that is what follows immediately. It could also refer to the inception of Jesus' public ministry and therefore be a title of the Gospel'...
  • The writer pointed out that the ministry of Jesus' forerunner fulfilled prophecy. It made a significant impact on those whom John contacted. Then Mark recorded the essence of John's message.1:2-3 Mark began with a quotation f...
  • Mark next recorded two events that immediately preceded the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, His baptism and His temptation. The first of these events signaled His appearing as Messiah and His induction into that office. ...
  • Jesus' temptation by Satan was another event that prepared the divine Servant for His ministry. Mark's account is brief, and it stresses the great spiritual conflict that this temptation posed for Jesus. The writer omitted an...
  • Mark omitted Jesus' year of early Judean ministry (John 1:15-4:42), as did the other Synoptic evangelists. He began his account of Jesus' ministry of service in Galilee, northern Israel (1:14-6:6a). Because of increasing oppo...
  • Mark introduced his readers to the message of the Servant (vv. 14-15) and the first disciples of the Servant (vv. 16-20).
  • This topic sentence summarizes Jesus' whole ministry in Galilee. It identifies when it started, where it happened, and the essence of what Jesus' proclaimed that was the basis of His ministry.1:14 Jesus began His Galilean min...
  • The account of the calling of these first disciples clarifies that to repent and believe the gospel (v. 15) should result in abandoning one's former life to follow Jesus from then on. This is the appropriate response that Mar...
  • 1:21 Capernaum became Jesus' base of ministry in Galilee (cf. Luke 4:16-31). It stood on the Sea of Galilee's northwest shore and was the hub of the most populous district in Galilee. Archaeologists have done extensive restor...
  • This little pericope shows that the former two healings were not isolated cases. Jesus' power benefited many people who came to Peter's house after sundown ended the Sabbath and enabled the Jews to travel farther to obtain Hi...
  • While these verses record the itinerant ministry of Jesus, Mark's emphasis was clearly on Jesus' spiritual preparation for that ministry. It highlighted His dependence on His Father.1:35 Mark implied that these events happene...
  • This pericope evidently describes one incident during the Galilean preaching tour just summarized. It provides a striking example of Jesus' supernatural power. This is only one of two healings of lepers that the Gospels recor...
  • 2:1-2 These two verses are an introduction to what follows. Mark frequently used summaries such as this one (cf. 1:14-15, 39; 2:13; 3:7-12, 23; 4:1, 33-34; 8:21-26, 31; 9:31; 10:1; 12:1). They are a mark of his literary style...
  • The call of Levi as one of Jesus' disciples was the setting for the second instance of opposition from the religious leaders that Mark recorded in this section.2:13 "Again"(Gr. palin) identifies this incident as a different o...
  • The following incident demonstrated Jesus' sovereign authority over the Sabbath. This is the last in this series of conflict accounts. It provides the climax in this section of Mark's narrative.3:1-2 This event happened on a ...
  • There are some structural similarities between 1:14-3:6 and 3:7-6:6a. The beginnings and endings of these two sections are similar. The first section describes Jesus' ministry in Galilee before the religious leaders determine...
  • This section is similar to 1:14-20 in that it records a general description of Jesus' ministry (vv. 7-12) and His calling of more disciples (vv. 13-19)....
  • This pericope introduces Jesus' continuing ministry in Galilee following the religious leaders' decision to kill Him (cf. 1:14-15; 2:13). It provides much more detail than the parallel account in Matthew.3:7-8 The sea to whic...
  • Jesus' selection of 12 disciples constituted an important advance in His ministry. These men would be the primary beneficiaries of His training for leadership to carry out His mission. The plot to take His life made the train...
  • Even though Mark had already reported that Jesus had exorcized many demons, this case was extraordinary.5:1 Mark and Luke called this area the country of the Gerasenes, but Matthew called it the country of the Gadarenes. Gerg...
  • Jesus continued to minister in Galilee. His ministry to the Twelve was an important part of His ministry. It prepared the disciples for further future service. It also anticipated His ministry through them following His ascen...
  • Mark expressed the crowd's amazement with a strong word that appears only here in the New Testament, hyperperissos. It means "extremely overwhelmed"(cf. 1:22; 6:2; 10:26; 11:18). Their statement that Jesus did everything well...
  • 8:31 Jesus' clear revelation of His coming suffering, death, and resurrection resulted from Peter's confession of faith. The disciples were now ready to receive what would have been completely incomprehensible if they still v...
  • Jesus now proceeded to explain to His disciples that suffering would not only be His destiny but theirs too.8:34 Jesus addressed the crowds as well as the disciples because the requirements are the same for anyone who contemp...
  • This event not only fulfilled Jesus' prediction in verse 1, but it also confirmed what Peter had confessed in 8:29. Despite Jesus' coming death (8:31-32) it assured His disciples of eventual glory (8:38). Jesus had just finis...
  • The simple trust in Jesus that the children in this pericope demonstrated contrasts with the hostility of the Pharisees in the previous paragraph.10:13-14 Mark's account of this incident is very similar to Matthew's. However,...
  • This was Jesus' second messianic act that constituted part of His formal presentation to Israel. The first was the Triumphal Entry (vv. 1-11).11:15-16 The market atmosphere existed in the court of the Gentiles, the outermost ...
  • "The other major example of the concentric [chiastic] pattern in Mark's story [beside 2:1-3:6] is the series of Jesus' conflicts with the authorities in Jerusalem [ch. 12], comprised of seven episodes: Episodes A and A1 invol...
  • 13:1 This discourse evidently followed Jesus' departure from the temple on Wednesday with His disciples. The stones that caught the disciple's eye were probably those above the floor of the temple courtyard. Herod the Great h...
  • Several themes peak in this section. Here we have the clearest evidence that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God (cf. 1:1; 8:29). Here, too, Jesus' conflict with the religious leaders, His foes, came to a head (cf. 3:1, ...
  • Mark's account of Jesus' death included five climactic events: the darkness, two of Jesus' cries, the tearing of the temple veil, and the Roman centurion's confession. All of these events happened during the last three of the...
  • 16:1 The Sabbath ended with sundown Saturday evening. The women did not come to the tomb until Sunday morning (v. 2, cf. Matt. 28:1). Why did Mark refer to the Sabbath at all? Probably he did so to clarify that Jesus had been...
  • 16:19 This event happened 40 days after the appearances that Mark just recorded (cf. Acts 1:3). Mark narrated the ascension and session of Jesus simply. The title "Lord Jesus"occurs only here and in Luke 24:3 in the Gospels. ...
  • Adams, J. McKee. Biblical Backgrounds. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1965.Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Gospel According to Mark. 1881. Reprint ed. London: Banner of Truth, 1960.Alexander, William M. Demonic Possession in the N...
  • Luke stressed how the Spirit who had come upon Jesus at His baptism guided and empowered Him in His temptation and how Jesus, God's approved Son, pleased His Father by His obedience. Jesus overcame the devil who opposed God's...
  • In contrast to most people, the inhabitants of Jesus' hometown did not praise Him. When Jesus began to speak of God extending salvation to the Gentiles, a particular interest of Luke's, the Jews there opposed Him violently. P...
  • Luke's account of this incident is the longest of the three. Luke stressed Peter and omitted any reference to Andrew, his brother (Matt. 4:18; Mark 1:16). He characteristically focussed on single individuals that Jesus' touch...
  • The theme of discipleship training continues in this section of verses. The 70 disciples that Jesus sent out contrast with the three men Luke just finished presenting (9:57-62). This was a second mission on which Jesus sent a...
  • John the Apostle introduced John the Baptist because John the Baptist bore witness to the light, namely Jesus. John the Baptist was both a model evangelist pointing those in darkness to the light and a model witness providing...
  • The writer recorded John the Baptist's witness to Jesus' identity as preparation for his narration of Jesus' public ministry. He was the first of the Apostle John's witnesses to the Incarnation.Previously the writer had menti...
  • John the Baptist continued his witness to Jesus' identity by identifying Him publicly as the Lamb of God. This witness is a crucial part of the writer's purpose of promoting faith in Jesus.1:29 The very next day John saw Jesu...
  • The writer now turned his attention from John the Baptist's witness to Jesus to record the reactions of some men to Jesus' witness. Two of John the Baptist's disciples left him to follow Jesus when they heard John's testimony...
  • The disciples of John were not the only men who began following Jesus. Andrew continued to bring other friends to Jesus. This incident preceded Jesus' formal appointment of the Twelve, but it shows Him preparing those who wou...
  • The first miracle that Jesus performed, in His public ministry and in John's Gospel, was semi-public. Apparently only Jesus' disciples, the servants present, and Jesus' mother understood what had happened.2:1 The third day ev...
  • Sometime after the miracle just narrated, Jesus went down topographically from Cana to Capernaum. Cana was on a higher elevation than Capernaum, though Capernaum was about 13 miles northeast of Cana. Some family members (cf. ...
  • The writer next noted the parallel ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus in Judea. John the Baptist readily confessed Jesus' superiority to him even though they were both doing the same things. This was further testimony t...
  • 6:66 Jesus lost many of His followers because of the Bread of Life discourse (cf. v. 60). His explanation to them following the discourse did not change their minds. He had made no concessions. They had understood Him correct...
  • 7:14 Toward the middle of the week Jesus began teaching publicly in the temple. This verse sets the scene for what follows immediately.7:15 It was quite common for Jewish males to read and write. The people do not appear to h...
  • 12:27 Anticipation of the death that had to precede the glory troubled Jesus deeply (Gr. tataraktai, cf. 11:33; 14:1; Mark 14:32-42). It troubled Him because His death would involve separation from His Father and bearing God'...
  • As the other evangelists, John alternated his account of the events surrounding Jesus' religious trial. He described what was happening in the courtyard (vv. 15-18), then what was happening inside (vv. 19-24), then what happe...
  • 21:1 John recorded still another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples. It undoubtedly occurred during the 32-day period between Thomas' confession (20:28) and Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:9). Exactly when is uni...
  • Jesus now proceeded to use the miracle that He had just performed as the background for important instruction. John presented Jesus doing this many times in this Gospel. The repetition of this pattern in the epilogue is an ev...
  • Luke wrote these introductory statements to connect the Book of Acts with his Gospel.17In the former book Luke had recorded what Jesus had begun to do and to teach during His earthly ministry. In this second book he wrote wha...
  • 1:9 Jesus Christ's ascension necessarily preceded the descent of the Holy Spirit to baptize and indwell believers in God's plan (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Acts 2:33-36). "While they were looking on"stresses the fact that t...
  • 2:14-15 Peter, again representing the apostles (cf. 1:15), addressed the assembled crowd. He probably gave this speech in the Temple outer courtyard (the court of the Gentiles). He probably spoke in the vernacular, Aramaic or...
  • 2:37 The Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon to bring conviction, as Jesus had predicted (John 16:8-11). He convicted Peter's hearers of the truth of what he said and of their guilt in rejecting Jesus. Their question arose from t...
  • "In his former address Peter had testified to the power and presence of the Spirit of God at work in a new way in the lives of men through Jesus. Now he proclaims the power and authority of the name of Jesus by which his disc...
  • 3:17-18 If Peter's charges against his hearers were harsh (vv. 13-15), his concession that they acted out of ignorance was tender. Peter undoubtedly hoped that his gentle approach would win a reversal of his hearers' attitude...
  • 4:13-14 The Sanhedrin observed in Peter and John what they had seen in Jesus, namely courage to speak boldly and authoritatively without formal training (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; Mark 1:22; Luke 20:19-26; John 7:15). They may also ...
  • Luke recorded three of Paul's evangelistic messages to unbelievers: here in Pisidian Antioch, in Lystra (14:15-17), and in Athens (17:22-31). This is the longest of the three, though Luke quite certainly condensed all of them...
  • Luke devoted more space to Paul's evangelizing in Philippi than he did to the apostle's activities in any other city on the second and third journeys even though Paul was there only briefly. It was the first European city in ...
  • This is the first of two incidents taken from Paul's ministry in Ephesus that bracket Luke's description of his general ministry there.19:1-2 Two roads led into Ephesus from the east, and Paul travelled the northern, more dir...
  • The surface manifestation of this serious problem was the party spirit that had developed. Members of the church were appreciating their favorite leaders too much and not appreciating the others enough. This was really a mani...
  • "Walking by the Spirit will mean not only avoidance of mutual provocation and envy (5:26) but also, positively, the rehabilitation of those who have lapsed into sin."204The situation Paul envisioned here is that of sin overta...
  • A. A loyal group of women accompanied Jesus and served Him on His ministry tours (Luke 8:1-3; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:41).B. In contrast to normal custom and rabbinic standards, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman and revealed to...
  • The writer proceeded to explain the exaltation of Jesus Christ to help his readers appreciate the fact that He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy concerning the Son of David. He did this so they would appreciate Him properly an...
  • The writer of this epistle was evidently the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:19) and the brother of Jude, the writer of the epistle that bears his name (cf. Matt. 13:55). This was the opinion of many of the earl...
  • 1:13 "Therefore"ties in with everything Peter had explained thus far (vv. 3-12). He said in effect, Now that you have focused your thinking positively you need to roll up your sleeves mentally and adopt some attitudes that wi...
  • Peter now reminded his readers of the consequences of Jesus' response to unjustified persecution. He did so to strengthen their resolve to rededicate themselves to follow God's will wholeheartedly and confidently. He also wan...
  • "This writing begins without any of the formal features characteristic of a letter, such as we found in 2 John and 3 John. Since the conclusion also lacks any typical features of a letter, we must conclude that the writing is...
  • Ephesus was a leading seaport and the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Paul had evangelized it and used it as a base of operations for at least three years (Acts 18:19-21; 19; 1 Cor. 16:8). Timothy had labored the...
  • Philadelphia (lit. brotherly love; cf. Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; et al.) lay about 30 miles southeast of Sardis. A Pergamenian king, Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), founded it. The town received its name from his nickna...
  • The final three bowl judgments all have political consequences.16:12 The problem that this judgment poses for earth-dwellers is not a result of the judgment itself but its consequences, namely, war. It does not inflict a plag...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Mark 1-9
  • The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,'--Mark 1:1.MY purpose now is to point out some of the various connections in which the New Testament uses that familiar phrase, the gospel,' and briefly to gather some of the impor...
  • The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2. As At is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. 3. The voice of one crying in the wildern...
  • We need not discuss the grammatical connection of these verses, nor the relation of Mark 1:2-3 to the following section. However that be settled, the result, for our present purpose, is the same. Mark considers that John's mi...
  • And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 2...
  • The language seems to imply that this wretched sufferer burst hurriedly into the synagogue and interrupted the utterance of astonishment by giving it new food. Perhaps the double consciousness of the demoniac may be recognise...
  • Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell Him of her: 31. And He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.'--Mark 1:30-31, R.V.THIS mira...
  • Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him.'--Mark 1:41.BEHOLD the servant of the Lord' might be the motto of this Gospel, and He went about doing good and healing' the summing up of its facts. We have in it comparatively few ...
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