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What does Mark 1 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

The book of Mark is attributed to John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), who deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary trip (Acts 13:13). Mark was quickly reconciled with Barnabas (Acts 15:37–39) and eventually renewed his friendship with Paul (2 Timothy 4:11). Scholars suggest Mark may have been the young man who ran away naked from Jesus' arrest (Mark 14:51–52), and if so, it would mean he actually knew Jesus. The book of Mark is one of the four Gospels which tell the story of Jesus' ministry on earth. It's believed Mark wrote his Gospel based on Peter's witness.

Mark's writing style is one of action, not heavy theology or quiet, scholarly contemplation. He skips Jesus' early life and opens with John the Baptist's ministry and Jesus' baptism. These two events stand as a transition from the era of the Old Testament prophets to the time of Jesus—a transition Jewish leaders found difficult to make. The remainder of the first chapter covers important events such as the temptation of Christ, the calling of the first disciples, and Jesus' earliest ministry in His home territory of Galilee. Woven into the action are various themes and struggles Jesus must face throughout His time on earth.

Like us, Jesus' first audience focused on what He could do instead of Who He was and why He had come. Where Jesus wanted to use His authority to teach, people instead looked to the signs of His authority—His miracles. Where He wanted to prove He was the Messiah through His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, His identity was instead publicly announced by demons. And although Jesus wished to explain His position in the legitimacy of the synagogue, His popularity quickly drove Him to the wilderness.

Mark chapter 1 illustrates that, despite Jesus' God-given authority and His temptation-tested righteousness, we too often would rather use Him to make our lives comfortable than listen and follow His words. We should not be quick to trek to the wilderness in hopes that Jesus will heal us, but neglect to obey Him in the comfort of our own homes. God has always used miracles to authenticate His servants so that people would listen to their message. Miracles are a tool, not the message.

Even so, Jesus' willingness to perform miracles and the way He performed miracles shows His love for us. He touched a woman (Peter's mother-in-law) and a man with leprosy—both unheard of for a man who claimed to preach the Word of God. As much as God wants us to follow Him, He also cares about us right here and right now. When it comes to healing, we should have the attitude of the leper who was convinced Jesus could heal him, but would only do so if it was according to Jesus' plan. True healing—spiritual restoration with God—comes from the gospel Jesus came to preach, through trusting His sacrifice on the cross to cover over our sins.

Mark 1:1–13 rapidly introduces the ministry of Jesus, as introduced by John the Baptist. While other Gospels include many details, the Gospel of Mark briefly sets the stage for Jesus' baptism by John. In a few short verses, we are told that John preached a message of repentance, that Jesus came to be baptized, and that Jesus spent forty days being tempted in the wilderness. The narrative quickly moves on to describe Jesus' miraculous healings.

Mark 1:14–20 describes Jesus' call of the first disciples. First, Jesus approaches Simon—later named Peter—and Andrew, and then speaks to James and John. Both pairs of men choose to leave their fishing businesses behind, in order to follow Jesus. As the following passage shows, this means abandoning everything, as Jesus' ministry will take Him away from this region. Other Gospels give additional details on these encounters (Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42).

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.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/18/2024 8:08:08 PM