Introduction

To encourage his readers to persevere through suffering and persecution, Mark presents Jesus as the Servant-Messiah and Son of God who died as a ransom for sinners.

Mark is said to have been a companion of Peter, and therefore this Gospel he penned would be his compilation of the preaching of that great Apostle. That makes sense to me, as Peter’s demeanor was to get to the point. This narrative does not mention anything about the Virgin Birth, for example. Why? I think it is because Peter’s story with Jesus started at the baptism of Jesus, and he is going to tell what HE experienced, not waste ink on things he had only heard. So Mark’s Gospel begins with the baptism of Jesus. It’s not that the Virgin birth and Jesus’ early years were not important… it is simply that Peter wants to get to the point.

The book’s distinctly non-Jewish flavor suggests it may have been written to Gentile believers in Rome. I find this interesting, since it was to Peter that God first revealed that Gentiles were to be welcomed into the Body of Christ. Even though Paul was appointed by Jesus to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, Peter apparently felt a draw to the Gentiles, and this Gospel is a clue supporting that.The Roman Empire, the dominant world power at that time, had begun to persecute Christians and Mark (with Peter) wanted to encourage them. There is also the fact that the Church was separating from the synagogue and becoming its own entity and was more and more NOT being considered an offshoot of Judaism but a standalone organization. It is my understanding that as the Church grew, it was becoming predominantly Gentile in its population, and Peter (as well as Paul) was therefore drawn to the center of the Gentile world – Rome. Peter and Paul would suffer martyrdom in Rome not long after this Gospel was written.

Mark (again, with Peter, I believe) portrayed Jesus as the suffering servant who came to die. More than 40 percent of Mark focuses on the anguish and sacrifice of Jesus during his final week on Earth. Mark also portrayed Jesus as the Savior of the entire world—Gentiles as well as Jews.

Here is the video link:

Mark 1

The Audio links are to the right – Spotify and iTunes.

Here is the transcript from which this podcast was derived:

Mark 1

Closing the door on the Old 

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[c]—

3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[d]

Yes, the audience is primarily Gentile, but the roots of the Church are firmly ensconced in Jewish thinking and Scripture. Jewish Scripture/prophecies  provide the proof of just WHO Jesus is – namely Messiah and Son of God. Much of what we need to know in order to understand the Nature of Jesus is to be found in Jewish Scripture and the Jewish culture of that day. There is a book titled “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Eidersheim that provides us with Jewish thought and mindset relevant to our understanding of the Gospels.. It is a harmony of the Gospels from the view of a converted Jew. It provides invaluable information and understanding necessary to our understanding of Who Jesus was and is.

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. God had been silent for 400 years, with no angelic appearances, no prophets, no new word at ALL until the angelic visitations to Johns parents and to Jesus parents roughly 35 years previous to John’s appearance at the Jordan river.

Opening the Door to the New

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

16 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. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

It was not uncommon for young men to set aside a few years to study under a Rabbi, before returning to their family work. Undoubtedly, these first disciples of Jesus were doing that.

Mark covers in 19 verses what took Matthew and Luke four chapters to cover. The summary is over… and now Peter is getting to the point.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 

What is the difference that is mentioned here? 

When I was getting my Masters degrees in Education and then in Music Composition, I had to write a thesis that was in effect a small book. The difference between a Master’s thesis and a  Doctoral thesis is that it is expected that a doctoral thesis introduce new knowledge into the world of the scholar, whereas the Master’s thesis is expected to draw conclusions from pre-existing sources, presenting a summary of pre-existing knowledge and information.

Jesus was introducing and demonstrating something new, not simply repeating what wise men had previously said.

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

As terrifying as demonic manifestations are, this incident introduces us to one aspect – demons are NOT all-knowing. They did not know if Jesus had come to destroy them or not. This impure spirit also is demonstrating that of the two, Jesus is superior.

I have had a handful of dreams where a demonic entity either approached me or attacked me directly. In each of these dreams my first reaction was to call on the name of Jesus. Each time I did that, I woke up, freed from whatever it was that was attacking me. I don’t understand why a demonic spirit would attack me, but I know this – the Name of Jesus is superior to that of any demon that would set its eyes on me.

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

One of my favorite actors of all time passed away recently. James Earl Jones gave so many incredible performances. My favorite role of his is when he provided the voice of perhaps the most iconic villain ever created – Darth Vader – in the movie series Star Wars. I can do a passable imitation of the voice of Darth Vader, but there is a palpable difference between my performance and that of James Earl Jones. Put the two of us together, and it is easy to hear who is the master and who is the wannabe. 

That is the difference between Jesus and His religious leader contemporaries. They could say the same words that He said, but it was HIS words that forced a reaction from the demonic entity that possessed that man, and it was HIS words and authority that drove that demon out of that man. It was He – Jesus of Nazareth – Who was a threat to the demonic kingdom, and not the religious leaders of that time.

Just a thought… am I more like the religious leaders, or more like Jesus? Do I pose a threat to the demonically populated world that surrounds me? Or do I say the right words, with no true effect on the world around me? What are the differences between the religious authorities of the day and Jesus? We will be coming back to that question again and again as we progress through this Gospel.

Jesus Heals Many

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Here is part of an article I read in Zondervans’ NIV First-Century Study Bible that addresses why Jesus was constantly on the move:

“Around the time of Jesus’ ministry, Herod Antipas levied additional taxes on citizens of Galilee that directly affected the fishing economy. What’s more, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, had publicly condemned Herod Philip (who ruled Bethsaida) and Herod Antipas (who ruled Capernaum and Tiberias). In the wake of John’s death, Jesus emerged in the backyard of those leaders, speaking publicly about an alternative kingdom. Is it any wonder that Jesus was constantly on the move and that such large crowds were attracted to his message?”

Copyright © 2014

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

40 A man with leprosy[h] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant.[i] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Why would Jesus tell the man to tell no one? Here is an interesting comment from the “NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible” from Zondervan:

“News of this particular healing could impede his mission (cf. v. 45). show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices. This testifies to the Jerusalem priesthood that Jesus both respects the law (cf. Lev 14; see notes on Lev 14:3, 8) and does what only God can do (2 Kgs 5:7). However, the man’s story also reveals that Jesus disregarded purity regulations by touching the leprous man, an act that brought defilement (see Lev 13, especially vv. 45–46; see also Lev 5:2), and this was bound to attract criticism.”

Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

Be Blessed!

Paige