Mark 1:33 - Printer Friendly

Jesus had dealt with a large crowd before (Luke 5:1–3), but this event is overwhelming—the "whole city" shows up. Though this is Mark's only use of the phrase "whole city," it is used elsewhere in the New Testament. In Matthew 21:10, the "whole city" of Jerusalem is stirred up. In Luke 8:39, the man freed from an evil spirit proclaimed "throughout the whole city" how much Jesus had done for him. In Pisidian Antioch "almost the whole city" comes to hear Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:44). The term does not necessarily mean every single person in the city, but gives the general idea that the entire city seems to be there, similar to "all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem" who came to see John the Baptist (Mark 1:5).

The idea of a crowd "gathered together at the door" portrays a picture of more people than could fit in the house. This is a large crowd, perhaps a few hundred people, all coming to be healed, bringing others to be healed, or watch Jesus at work. His actions change the entire town in a day. The next morning, Jesus will take His disciples and leave to preach in other parts of Galilee (Mark 1:35–39).

This scene illustrates why Jesus had to leave and send the Holy Spirit after the resurrection. God interacts with humankind in different ways at different times. In the time of the nation of Israel, God spoke through prophets. Once the last Old Testament-era prophet—John the Baptist—had completed his work, Jesus' ministry began. But as a physical man, Jesus can only be in one place at a time. The way He worked during His time on earth was usually with one person at a time and, except in the face of extraordinary faith (Luke 7:1–10), with the person directly in front of Him. When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of each Christ-follower (John 14:16–17). The Holy Spirit guides us, strengthens our faith, and gives us discernment. As wonderful as it would be to physically see Jesus today, it would require fighting through a much larger crowd than the one that showed up at Simon Peter's door!

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 Peters' 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.