Mark 1:14-2:12 - Barnstorming Through Galilee

What did we notice from last week?

What is Mark’s central theme about the ministry of Jesus? What is He? (The Lion — The king)

How did the set up of Mark show us that Jesus identified with His people?

Baptism

Crossing the Jordan

He baptizes with the Spirit

Overcomes temptation in the wilderness (where we left off)

From the story so far, what would we miss if we didn’t have or didn’t understand or didn’t go back to reference the Old Testament?

Elijah

Genesis references — “In the beginning”, & “the Spirit like a dove”

Mark for You (Chapter 2: What Jesus Came For (Mark 1 Verses 14 to 45))

We turn now to the first of the three main movements in Mark: Jesus’ ministry in and around Galilee.

Mark for You (Chapter 2: What Jesus Came For (Mark 1 Verses 14 to 45))

1:14–45 is a snapshot of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. He preaches, calls disciples, casts out demons, and heals the sick. But these verses are structured in such a way to show the priority of preaching over healing. Casting out demons and healing the sick function as the proof of the message of Jesus’ preaching. When the disciples want Jesus to return to his healing ministry, he declares that they are taking him off mission. He has come out of heaven in order to preach the gospel, not merely to heal the sick.

Preaching The Gospel

Mark 1:14–15 (ESV) — 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus had just defeated temptation (vv.12-13). There is no good news unless Jesus was victorious.

John was arrested (the language is that of “handed over”), just as Jesus will be later. The forerunner has been rejected, so will the messiah be rejected. John will be killed, so will Jesus.

Jesus is not preaching timeless spiritual realities; He is preaching of an event. The time has come — repent, for the kingdom is at hand.

What do we think about repentance? What is it? What would the older brother demand of the younger in the parable of the Prodigal Son? What kind of excuses do we make? (Adam, Aaron - calf)

Older brother - compliance

Esau — sought repentance with tears but couldn’t find it

Not seeing our sin rightly — Aaron and Calf (making excuses, like Adam too)

Shallow view of sin:

This superficial attitude is satirized in a rewriting of the "Prayer of General Confession" from the Old Book of Common Prayer:

Benevolent and easy-going Father: we have occasionally been guilty of errors of judgment. We have lived under the deprivations of heredity and the disadvantages of environment. We have sometimes failed to act in accordance with common sense. We have done the best we could in the circumstances; and have been careful not to ignore the common standards of decency; and we are glad to think that we are fairly normal. Do thou, O Lord, deal lightly with our infrequent lapses. Be thy own sweet Self with those who admit they are not perfect; According to the unlimited tolerances which we have a right to expect from thee. And grant us as indulgent Parent that we may hereafter continue to live a harmless and happy life and keep our self-respect.

Repentance: not just in action, but in belief, in heart, in being. Turning too something else.

What Is The Gospel?

How did we describe what gospel meant in our last session? (Military conquest — like the land of Caanan. This world and this life belongs to Jesus. The nations belong to Jesus — enter that rest. Kiss the Son)

Mark for You (Preaching the Gospel)

Many texts in Mark record Jesus’ preaching without specifying the substance of the preaching (e.g. 1:38–39; 2:2). That is because Mark has already given a summary of his message in these verses.

What is the substance of the preaching? “Repent and believe” v.15

Isaiah 40:3 (ESV) — 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:10 (ESV) — 10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

Isaiah 61:1 (ESV) — 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Isaiah 52:7 (ESV) — 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Mark for You (Preaching the Gospel)

Jesus is a herald of this kingdom. In the ancient world, a herald would go into enemy territory in advance of an approaching army and warn of destruction unless the people there accepted the terms of peace (Jason Meyer, Preaching, p 23). That is what Jesus is doing when he calls people to repent and believe. Repentance means a change of mind and a change of direction: turning from rebellion and submitting to the terms of surrender. When we repent, there is a profound moment of realizing that rebellion against the King has been the pattern of our life. We confess that we have tried to be our own king. Faith then receives the terms of peace that have been extended and accepts Jesus as Lord. A good definition of faith is reliance. When we repent and believe, we turn from our rebellion to rely completely upon what God has done to save us.

The Bible also recognizes that repentance and faith have counterfeit expressions. Faith is dead if it is mere intellectual assent with no accompanying evidence or works (James 2:14–26). As for repentance, sometimes people mistake it for the tears that accompany it—as in this story about a drunk old man from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:

“After supper [the judge] talked to him about temperance and such things till the old man cried, and said he’d been a fool, and fooled away his life; but now he was a-going to turn over a new leaf … The judge said it was the holiest time on record, or something like that. Then they tucked the old man into a beautiful room, which was the spare room, and in the night some time he got powerful thirsty and clumb out on to the porch-roof and slid down a stanchion and traded his new coat for a jug of forty-rod, and clumb back again and had a good old time; and towards daylight he crawled out again, drunk as a fiddler.” (quoted in David Garland, The Gospel of Mark, p 65)

Repentance is easier said than done. How can we possibly change the core of who we are? How can such a deep work happen? Can we just decide to repent and believe? Repentance and faith happen within us, but they do not originate from us. The Bible says that both repentance (2 Timothy 2:25) and faith (Ephesians 2:8–9) are gifts that God must grant.

Authority to Call Disciples

Mark 1:16–20 (ESV) — 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Two scenes of calling disciples

Fishers of Men

Mark for You (Authority to Call Disciples)

An understanding of discipleship in the ancient world will help recover the shock value of this narrative. Normally, a disciple would ask a teacher if they could learn the Torah from him. But in this case, it is the other way around. Not only that, but Jesus did not ask. He commanded. In this sense he is more like a prophet than a normal teacher. But here the surprise goes further. Prophets did not call people to follow themselves but God. Yet Jesus commanded people to “follow me” (my emphasis). Jesus is more than a prophet. He is the Lord and King.

Illusion to this in Jeremiah — drawing God’s people back from captivity

Jeremiah 16:15–17 (ESV) — 15 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes.

Mark for You (Authority to Call Disciples)

Jesus’ use of this metaphor is a claim to deity because God himself is the one who sends for the fishers. Jesus was doing something that only God does because Jesus is God.

What happens to fish when they are caught? Everything changes. They die. Life as they knew it has changed forever.

The cost of following Jesus

Leaving the family and leaving the family business vv.18, 20

What does that look like in life? What does it look like for most of us? Does it look the same?

Mark’s text highlights the power of Jesus’ call. We don’t get some of the information of the other synoptic gospels (miracles); we just get call and response. Learning from Mark’s account, what are we supposed to make of that?

Jesus’ call is an effective call. It’s the call of God — the Creator Psalm 33:9

Psalm 33:9 ESV

9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

This theme becomes a pattern of Jesus’ ministry (His commands are effective — wind, demons, healing, etc.

Following Christ is more of a gift than an achievement. Grace.

What kind of people are Jesus’ followers? The wealthy, the important, the religious? They are normal men who give their lives to follow. Andrew and Peter leave their nets, James and John leave their father and their boat.

Disciples aren’t just in a classroom with Jesus, they are learning on the way. They are active in Christ’s mission.

Illustration: Can they be fishermen by putting up a sign that says, “Fish welcome here. Please come to net.”? They are meant to go out and catch fish. It’s not passive but active. We can be too comfortable with our marketing and our church signs. There are fish out there and they are welcome to join us. Sure, that’s right, but what about those who aren’t looking to be caught? We must go to them. How will they hear unless we go and preach? (Rom 10).

Perhaps that’s part of Jesus’ lesson to them that we see in other gospel accounts — you need to paddle out to the deep waters sometimes.

Mark for You (Authority to Call Disciples)

The language of discipleship has been changed in recent years. Contemporary preaching on discipleship tends to call for a commitment to Christ. But older generations heard a call not to “commit to Christ” but to “surrender to Christ.” The word “surrender” gives all control to Christ. The word “commitment” leaves the control with the disciple to determine how committed or uncommitted they are.

Question

Mark for You Questions for Reflection

Practically speaking, what do you think is the difference between “surrendering” and “committing” to Christ?

Mark for You (Authority to Call Disciples)

Here in Mark, the command “follow me” (Mark 1:17) is the key to the whole story. In fact, it is another overlooked proof of Jesus’ deity. Jesus does not coax these men or reason with them or try to persuade them. He just says, “Follow me,” and they follow.

Mark for You Authority to Call Disciples

The simplicity of the formula “follow me” plus “they followed” shows the reader the sheer power of the Creator at work. In the creation narrative, God said, “ ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). It is a word of command, not a word of appeal. “One begins to see that becoming a disciple of Jesus is more of a gift than an achievement” (Christopher Marshall, Faith As a Theme, p 136). When the Creator calls, creation obeys.

Mark for You (Part Two)

Authority to Teach

The next part of the narrative showcases more of the Creator’s words of command in the way he teaches and the way he casts out demons. The shift in scene is significant. The move from the seashore to the synagogue, and from the fishermen to the scribes, is a move from the margins of Jewish society to the center.

Jesus teaches in the synagogue, and his authority in teaching leaves the people awestruck because it is in such a stark contrast with that of the scribes (Mark 1:21). There is a constant refrain in Mark of conflict with the scribes over the question of authority (see 1:22; 2:6, 10; 3:15, 22; 11:27–29, 33). Jesus’ teaching was independent of the traditions of the scribes, and so they saw Jesus as a direct threat to their power and control over the people.

Mark for You (Authority to Teach)

The scribes were experts in the interpretation of the law. Their interpretations existed in an oral tradition which served as a kind of second law (Mark 7:5–13). Scribes taught by quoting other rabbis in a rapid-fire way—Rabbi Hillel says … but Rabbi Gamaliel says … but Rabbi Eleazar says … and so on. They spoke with derivative authority. Imagine the shock of someone coming with such direct authority as Jesus: “Truly, Truly I say to you …” Jesus did not quote the authorities; he spoke as the authority.

Yet the amazement of the crowd fell short of faith.

Authority to Teach and Cast Out Demons

Mark 1:21–28 (ESV) — 21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

The word Immediately again

Demonic possession a counterfeit indwelling of the Spirit.

Mark for You (Authority to Cast out Demons)

The demon speaks direct words of confrontation (v 24). The phrase “What have you to do with us?” is used by someone who is being attacked without provocation (see Judges 11:12; 2 Samuel 19:22; 1 Kings 17:18). “The demon seems to be suggesting that by his teaching there, Jesus had invaded the territory of this spirit” (Ben Witherington, Mark, p 91). The demon is saying, Why are you bringing this conflict to us? The plural “us” is probably a recognition that Jesus has come against the whole host of demons—not just this individual demon. The whole satanic realm is under attack because the rightful king has come to reclaim what has been lost

Mark for You (Authority to Cast out Demons)

It is also used for muzzling an ox (1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18). “Be muzzled” is just a way of saying, Shut up—not another word. Jesus has authority over demons just as a farmer has authority over livestock. He does not derive his power from anywhere else. It belongs to him.

Jesus has the authority of the Creator — He speaks and it happens

Mark for You Authority to Cast out Demons

So no one in the 1st century would have heard this account of Jesus’ authority over demons and said, “This is interesting, but it’s what we would expect of any remarkable religious person.” They would have been astonished—as we are meant to be. Astonishment is not the same as people repenting and believing. It just means that Jesus blew apart all of their categories for who he could be. We will find that no category except “divine” can explain what Jesus does and says.

For now, the crowd simply asks, “What is this?” And Jesus’ fame spreads throughout the region (v 27–28).

Gospel coming with power, not just erudition. Mark doesn’t give us a lot of the teaching content of Jesus, but it does focus our attention more on its power and effects.

Jesus is not just announcing the end of Satan’s reign; He is enforcing it.

Conversation about demonic uncleanness and sickness. What if Mark had said that the man had Tourette’s syndrome? Would we accept that more? The Bible makes a distinction between unclean spirits and actual sickness. Jesus can command the healing of both. When the unclean are ministered to, the uncleanness is taken away (not quite called healed), but the sick who are ministered to are called healed. Jesus may heal the flesh now, and he may make some clean now. What does the phrase uncleanness mean? Think of those who were marked unclean in the OT — they were removed from the presence of worship. Unclean spirits are those that are separating you from God.

Jesus is not just announcing the end of Satan’s reign; He is enforcing it.

Authority To Heal

Mark 1:29–34 (ESV) — 29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Fever was quite different back then — astonishing.

Mark for You (Authority to Heal)

The Old Testament sometimes presents fever as a divine punishment (Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:22), and the rabbis regarded fever as a heavenly fire that only God could put out (see David Garland, The Gospel of Mark, p 72). So the healing of this fever is yet another proof of Jesus’ deity. Jesus can extinguish what no one else can

Leviticus 26:16 (ESV) — 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Deuteronomy 28:22 (ESV) — 22 The Lord will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish.

What effect does Jesus authority have in these verses? — All are coming. But it is preaching that is the priority over the bodily healing.

Those who are healed are called to serve, like Peter’s MIL

From this Bible passage, can you explain why the coming of God’s kingdom is good news?

Jesus did not permit the demon to speak. How does this reflect on Adam in the Garden? Can that apply to us?

Priority of Preaching

Mark 1:35–39 (ESV) — 35 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. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Mark for You (The Priority of Preaching over Healing)

The deity of Jesus can be seen not only in his unique power over disease in healing but also in his unique intimacy with the Father in prayer. Unlike the Pharisees, who wanted everyone to see them praying, Jesus would often withdraw to desolate places to pray—as he does here in verse 35. The place of prayer did not matter as much as the person being prayed to. Have you ever wanted to spend time with someone and didn’t want anything to get in the way? Jesus wanted to get alone with his Father. You don’t suddenly slip away to do something you do not like. You don’t slip away to take out the trash or to do your taxes. You slip away from the hustle and bustle and pressure to do something you love—something that restores and strengthens. Jesus slipped away to pray because he prized his time with his Father.

Mark for You (The Priority of Preaching over Healing)

The disciples seemed to be caught up in the unprecedented results of Jesus’ healing ministry. The whole city was at the door. It would be a mistake to move on and not make the most of this moment.

But Jesus’ response shows that they do not understand his mission. Ultimately, he has not come to heal but to preach. In fact, Jesus declares that is why he came out (1:38).

Mark for You The Priority of Preaching over Healing

the disciples, like the crowds, don’t understand their main need. It is not healing. It is not exorcism. These things are secondary. Their main need is salvation. That is why Jesus came to preach the good news.

Jesus’ prayer is a model of His reliance and trust in the Father — a model of humanity. He is not a sorcerer, but one who is anointed with the Spirit.

The healings and miracles authenticated the preaching. Though the healing ministry is gone, the preaching and primary ministry remains — they continue to heal and bear miracles.

Healing of Man with Leprosy

Mark 1:40–45 (ESV) — 40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Mark for You The Healing of the Man with Leprosy

In Jesus’ times, few people were seen as more repulsive than those suffering from leprosy. Leprosy was a skin condition, and it was obvious to the sight. This disease was a social death sentence

The ostracization of a leper was for religious cleansing, not for sanitation and germs.

Leviticus 13:45–46 (ESV) — 45 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Mark for You (The Healing of the Man with Leprosy)

But the man in these verses dares to come close to Jesus. He draws near because he believes Jesus can heal him (Mark 1:41).

This faith is remarkable because every Jew knew that only God is able to heal leprosy. Take, for example, the story of Naaman the Syrian in 2 Kings 5. He was a mighty man in the Syrian army, but he had leprosy. The king of Syria, hearing that there was a prophet of God in Israel, sent a letter to the king of Israel asking him to heal Naaman of his leprosy. The king’s response is telling: “He tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?” (2 Kings 5:7, my emphasis).

Mark for You (The Healing of the Man with Leprosy)

This man in Mark has faith that Jesus can do what only God can do. He does not go to Jesus as a prophet who may intercede with God for him (which is what Naaman was looking for); he goes directly to Jesus as God. The man does not doubt the ability of Jesus to heal; he only wonders whether he will be willing to heal.

Mark for You (The Healing of the Man with Leprosy)

Jesus was moved with pity or compassion (Mark 1:41). This is the wonderful Greek word splanchnizomai, which comes from a word meaning “guts”—which is why the King James Version sometimes translates it as “the bowels of compassion.” Jesus is portrayed as compassionate to the core. The man with leprosy would have turned the stomachs of others with disgust, but he turned the stomach of Jesus with love.

Mark for You The Healing of the Man with Leprosy

And once again the command of the Creator creates what that for which it calls. “Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (v 42).

Mark for You (The Healing of the Man with Leprosy)

Jesus charged him to be silent, to show himself to the priest, and to offer the sacrifice Moses had commanded for cleansing (v 43–44). The fact that Jesus sent him to the priests shows not only Jesus’ high regard for the Law of Moses but also his great compassion for the man. The man would need the consecration of the priests to be reinstated into society. Jesus did not want him to remain in social isolation.

Because the view was that only God could forgive leprosy, and since leprosy was seen as a punishment for sin, there is an overtone here of what becomes explicit later —that Jesus can also forgive sins.

Telling the man to be silent may be a shrewd way of dealing with the priests. If they authenticate the healing, they authenticate the healer. They might not have done that if the man told them that Jesus did it.

It’s also possible that Jesus didn’t ask for the healed to share His name so that he wouldn’t be charged with insurrection, further highlighting his innocence.

Mark for You The Healing of the Man with Leprosy

The leper and Jesus have effectively traded places. Healed of leprosy, the man can now return to society, while Jesus has to start staying away from towns. Still, people come to him “from every quarter,” desperate to hear and see him.

Closing Thoughts:

Demons and religious leaders are threatened by the authority of Jesus. Jesus is not just announcing the kingdom — He is enforcing it.