Mark 1:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God."

NIV: "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!"

NASB: saying, 'What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are: the Holy One of God!'

CSB: "What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

NLT: Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!'

KJV: Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

NKJV: saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Being a spirit, the demon knows information not yet revealed in the physical world. Anyone there could have known that Jesus was from Nazareth, but few would have made the connection with Isaiah 9:1 that prophesies the Messiah will come from Galilee—the district of Nazareth and Capernaum. But the fearful questions "What have you to do with us?" and "Have you come to destroy us?" could only come from a being who really knew Jesus' identity—which the demon affirms—and has reason to fear.

The destruction of demons is an unclear subject in the Bible. The Greek root word used here, apollumi, can mean "to render useless, kill, or send to eternal misery in hell." After the crucifixion, Jesus will preach to the "spirits in prison." These are apparently demons from before the Flood who sinned so grievously God imprisoned them (1 Peter 3:18–20). These demons may also be the locust horde that will be released during the tribulation (Revelation 9:1–6). Apparently, the demon understands that if He wants to, Jesus can banish it to the same place.

Though those in the audience are still wondering about Jesus, this evil spirit knows Christ's identity. Jesus is the Holy One of God (Luke 4:34; John 6:69). This "holy one" was noted by the psalmist (Psalm 16:10; 78:41; Acts 13:35) and was a term used of God. This spirit recognizes Jesus as divine (1 John 2:20; Revelation 3:7; 16:5).

Mark 1:21–45 opens a longer section describing the healing and preaching ministry of Jesus Christ. In this segment, Jesus impresses onlookers with His mastery of the Scriptures. He also amazes people with His authoritative style. During this teaching, Jesus heals a man afflicted with demonic possession. The resulting publicity brings a massive crowd to the home of Simon Peter, where Jesus is staying. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law of a fever, and cures a leper, before leaving the region to continue His ministry.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.