Mark 1:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

NIV: "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

NASB: And Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!'

CSB: Jesus rebuked him saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

NLT: But Jesus reprimanded him. 'Be quiet! Come out of the man,' he ordered.

KJV: And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

NKJV: But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

One of the miracles Jesus performs to authenticate His message is knowing what He could not, by natural means, know (John 4:28–30). Demons also know truths about the spiritual world that they sometimes communicate to people (Mark 5:7; Acts 16:16–17). But God does not want us to interact with demons, even to learn more about Him. Jesus is divine, as the spirit had noted (Mark 1:24), however, Jesus has His own plan regarding how and when to reveal Himself to humanity.

To keep the evil spirit from interfering, Jesus gives the demon two commands. First, he is to "be silent," or literally "muzzled." This is from the Greek root phimoo, used for the instrument used to keep an animal from opening its mouth. Similarly, when faced with demonic influences, our first act should be shutting our ears; Jesus does not want us to listen to them.

Second, Jesus commands the spirit to leave the person he is controlling. In that time, self-labeled exorcists used magical formulas or rituals in an attempt to remove unclean spirits. Jesus simply commands the spirit to leave. This act reveals His unique and ultimate power over evil. However, it also shows His submission to God. Jesus could have banished Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11), but the temptation was essential to establish Jesus' identity as the sinless sacrifice. This act also shows a contrast with His time on the cross. Though Jesus could have stopped the crucifixion, He chose to endure the will of the Father in order to complete the plan of God. His plan was to provide the opportunity for salvation for all people through His atoning sacrifice for sin (John 3:16).

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.