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Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
- Mark 1:14-28
In yesterday's reading, we began the Gospel of Mark, with the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. First, Mark quotes as it is written in the Prophets: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'" We read about John the Baptist, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. All of Judea and Jerusalem went to him and were baptized, we are told. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw
the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased." Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.
And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was
with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." Mark's gospel moves very quickly, but in this juxtaposition of the events of John's arrest and Jesus' mission, we see a kind of "handing over." John is known as the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. My study bible emphasizes Jesus' mission as one of living and experiencing the Kingdom at hand. It says, "To repent denotes an about-face in life, a necessary part of faith and the experience of the Kingdom as a present reality. The Kingdom is yet to come, but it is also at hand, already here. It is inaugurated but not yet fulfilled." In the Person of Jesus, the good news or good message is revealed, through all He is and does in the world.
And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. My study bible says that "time has elapsed and many events have occurred between the temptation of Jesus and the call of the first disciples. Jesus chooses simple fishermen as messengers of the divine gospel." It points out that these men already have known Jesus, so when the call comes, they "immediately" drop their their nets to follow Him. They trust Him. We must understand that in this trust is the expression of faith: in the Greek, the verb for believe (pistevo) and the noun for faith (pistis) contain the meaning to trust. My study bible adds, "Called suggests discipleship is an invitation issued by Jesus, the emphasis being on His initiative -- the opposite of rabbinic discipleship, where the student took the initiative to follow the leader (rabbi). Jesus does not hesitate to include groups of friends and relatives among His disciples. Here are two sets of brothers, and the two families are friends, perhaps even relatives."
Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. John baptized all in Judea and Jerusalem, near the Jordan. But here, Christ's ministry begins in Galilee, the home to Himself and these disciples, and not in the center of Jewish religious life and establishment. And immediately the impact is of one with authority; that is, not one with authority given or vested by another human being, but a surprising authority in His Person. My study bible notes: "The scribes speak by virtue of their official role and scholarly education. They quote others, usually earlier, well-known teachers; at times they must be boring. Jesus speaks and acts by an inner, divine authority. He needs no credentials nor the renown of others to back Him up."
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. My study bible says, "Jesus demonstrates His authority not only by His teaching, but by dealing powerfully with this unclean spirit. Not one demon ever successfully resists His command. Here a spirit tries to command Jesus: Let us alone. It does not work. Jesus responds with two commands: (1) be quiet, and (2) come out. The unclean spirit has no choice but to obey Jesus because God has authority over these spirits (Matt. 8:16). The demons recognize Jesus as God without having full understanding of what this means. But they do rightly fear that, with the coming of the Holy One, the time of their confinement has come."
What does it mean to bring a Kingdom into this world, invading a kingdom that has already bound and afflicted so many human beings? As noted in yesterday's commentary, Jesus has characterized His mission as that of a "stronger man" binding up and taking the kingdom of a "strong man" (Satan). Here we see it immediately put into action, just upon calling His disciples and immediately going to the synagogue to preach. One of this kingdom of the "strong man," a demon, knows who He is and sets out to defy Him. But Jesus doesn't want His identity to be revealed this way; that revelation will await the time He is ready to do so. His power and authority are revealed not only in the ways in which He preaches the good news, the good message of His Kingdom, but also in the way in which He summarily deals with the demon. Exorcism was already known and practiced in Judaism, so this isn't a new idea being introduced in the synagogue. What is "new" is the authority in the Person of Jesus. As He lives His life and expresses His ministry, we are introduced to the effects of this Kingdom coming into the world, being revealed and inaugurated with a new fullness in the Person of Christ. Jesus will call Himself the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and we await the expression of all that this means in His Person, in and through His ministry, in His relationship to His disciples and to those who will follow and believe, and trust in Him. How do you experience this trust in yourself, in your heart? What does it reveal to you in your life and in your walk of faith? How does trust in Him reveal to you ways to become more like Him?
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." Mark's gospel moves very quickly, but in this juxtaposition of the events of John's arrest and Jesus' mission, we see a kind of "handing over." John is known as the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. My study bible emphasizes Jesus' mission as one of living and experiencing the Kingdom at hand. It says, "To repent denotes an about-face in life, a necessary part of faith and the experience of the Kingdom as a present reality. The Kingdom is yet to come, but it is also at hand, already here. It is inaugurated but not yet fulfilled." In the Person of Jesus, the good news or good message is revealed, through all He is and does in the world.
And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little further from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. My study bible says that "time has elapsed and many events have occurred between the temptation of Jesus and the call of the first disciples. Jesus chooses simple fishermen as messengers of the divine gospel." It points out that these men already have known Jesus, so when the call comes, they "immediately" drop their their nets to follow Him. They trust Him. We must understand that in this trust is the expression of faith: in the Greek, the verb for believe (pistevo) and the noun for faith (pistis) contain the meaning to trust. My study bible adds, "Called suggests discipleship is an invitation issued by Jesus, the emphasis being on His initiative -- the opposite of rabbinic discipleship, where the student took the initiative to follow the leader (rabbi). Jesus does not hesitate to include groups of friends and relatives among His disciples. Here are two sets of brothers, and the two families are friends, perhaps even relatives."
Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. John baptized all in Judea and Jerusalem, near the Jordan. But here, Christ's ministry begins in Galilee, the home to Himself and these disciples, and not in the center of Jewish religious life and establishment. And immediately the impact is of one with authority; that is, not one with authority given or vested by another human being, but a surprising authority in His Person. My study bible notes: "The scribes speak by virtue of their official role and scholarly education. They quote others, usually earlier, well-known teachers; at times they must be boring. Jesus speaks and acts by an inner, divine authority. He needs no credentials nor the renown of others to back Him up."
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. My study bible says, "Jesus demonstrates His authority not only by His teaching, but by dealing powerfully with this unclean spirit. Not one demon ever successfully resists His command. Here a spirit tries to command Jesus: Let us alone. It does not work. Jesus responds with two commands: (1) be quiet, and (2) come out. The unclean spirit has no choice but to obey Jesus because God has authority over these spirits (Matt. 8:16). The demons recognize Jesus as God without having full understanding of what this means. But they do rightly fear that, with the coming of the Holy One, the time of their confinement has come."
What does it mean to bring a Kingdom into this world, invading a kingdom that has already bound and afflicted so many human beings? As noted in yesterday's commentary, Jesus has characterized His mission as that of a "stronger man" binding up and taking the kingdom of a "strong man" (Satan). Here we see it immediately put into action, just upon calling His disciples and immediately going to the synagogue to preach. One of this kingdom of the "strong man," a demon, knows who He is and sets out to defy Him. But Jesus doesn't want His identity to be revealed this way; that revelation will await the time He is ready to do so. His power and authority are revealed not only in the ways in which He preaches the good news, the good message of His Kingdom, but also in the way in which He summarily deals with the demon. Exorcism was already known and practiced in Judaism, so this isn't a new idea being introduced in the synagogue. What is "new" is the authority in the Person of Jesus. As He lives His life and expresses His ministry, we are introduced to the effects of this Kingdom coming into the world, being revealed and inaugurated with a new fullness in the Person of Christ. Jesus will call Himself the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets and we await the expression of all that this means in His Person, in and through His ministry, in His relationship to His disciples and to those who will follow and believe, and trust in Him. How do you experience this trust in yourself, in your heart? What does it reveal to you in your life and in your walk of faith? How does trust in Him reveal to you ways to become more like Him?
