Mark 1:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

NIV: 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.

NASB: And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time.

CSB: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.

NLT: Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

KJV: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

NKJV: Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

The previous day, Jesus had taught in the synagogue at Capernaum, healed a demon-possessed man who interrupted His teaching, healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law of a fever, and then seen to the needs of as many of the people of Capernaum as could get to Him. Instead of sleeping in, He recharges by finding a "desolate place" to spend quiet time with God the Father. The Greek word used here, eremos, means a solitary, lonely, uninhabited place, which may be in a desert or wilderness.

Somewhat of a pattern appears here early in the ministry of Christ in Mark's Gospel. Jesus spent time alone in the desert when He was tempted before He began His ministry (Mark 1:12–13). Here, Jesus spends time alone in prayer as He prepares to move to a new area to serve others in ministry. Later, He will spend some time alone praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before His most difficult ministry of all: His sacrifice on the cross.

His example is important for every believer. We cannot do the ministry God gives us to do if we are not filled with Him. Everyone who claims to follow Christ should take the time alone to recharge, talk to God, read Scripture, and consider what God has for us next. Doing ministry on our own power will likely lead to fatigue and burn-out or pride and a sinful fall from grace. Spending time with God keeps our focus on Him and off ourselves.

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.