Mark 1:1 — The Gospel began to spread

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
(Mark 1:1)

In Greek, verse 1 has no verb. It is therefore an “incomplete” sentence. It is possible that Mark intended it to serve as the title of his book.

In the Old Testament, the verb "to proclaim good news"—or "to evangelize"—appears in the original language in passages such as Psalm 40:10, Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 41:27, Isaiah 61:1, and Isaiah 52:7:

"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.”
(Isaiah 52:7)

Jesus was a common name at the time. The Jewish historian Josephus mentions around twenty men named Jesus. The name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “the Lord saves” or “the Lord is victorious.” People hoped and longed for victory over the Roman occupiers, and this hope was reflected in the names given to their sons.

We often regard “Christ” simply as another name for Jesus, but in fact it is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “the Anointed One” (Matthew 1:16).

Mark places the most important truth right at the beginning: Jesus is the Son of God. This mystery is gradually revealed as the Gospel unfolds, moving towards the cross at Golgotha and the empty tomb.

The first word of verse 1 in Greek is beginning. Is Mark deliberately echoing the opening of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (compare John 1:1)? In any case, Jesus’s arrival in the world marked a new beginning: the era of the Law as a path to salvation was coming to an end, and the Gospel took its place.

John the Baptist — Mark 1:2–8

"the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight‘..."
(Mark 1:3)

The quotation in verse 3 comes from Isaiah 40:3:

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

John the Baptist brought 400 years of silence to an end. From Samuel (around the eleventh century BC) to Malachi (the fifth century BC), prophets had appeared almost continuously in Israel and Judah. But after Malachi, prophetic activity fell silent, and some even feared that it had come to a permanent end.

People expected Elijah to return (Malachi 3:23). John dressed like Elijah (verse 6; 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4; Mark 9:11–13). Elijah was expected to prepare the way for the Messiah. John understood his own mission in the same way (verses 7–8).

For the Jews, the wilderness was a place of divine revelation, where they believed they could be closer to God (Acts 7:37).

There was nothing unusual about the call to repentance and conversion. Virtually all the earlier prophets had proclaimed the same message. What was new, however, was baptism. It is possible that Jews began baptizing converts through the rite known as "proselyte baptism" only in the second century AD. The Essenes practised ritual washings repeatedly every day, whereas John’s baptism appears to have been a once-for-all act, performed only once.

John’s baptism involved confessing one’s sins and, at the same time, placing oneself in God’s hands. John’s preaching conveys the idea that there was still something people could do. Once the Messiah came as judge, it would be too late to act. Now was the time to turn to God.

When God gave the Law, the Ten Commandments, at Mount Sinai, the people first had to consecrate and purify themselves (Exodus 19:10). John’s baptism likewise prepared the people to encounter God.

The baptism of John was not Christian baptism, which is baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Law of Moses specified which locusts were permitted to be eaten (Leviticus 11:21–23; cf. verse 6).

Apparently, John ministered in various locations along the Jordan River (John 1:28, 3:23). The Jordan Valley served as a winter retreat for wealthy Jews. It was warmer there than in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 3:10–11).

Untying the thongs of one’s sandals could signify preparation for washing someone’s feet (cf. John 13:1–20). Rabbis taught that their students were expected to perform all the tasks of a slave for their teachers—with the sole exception of untying their sandals. It was a low-value job, suitable only for slaves.

Christian baptism is a baptism of water and the Spirit (verse 8; cf. John 3:5; see also Ezekiel 36:25–27).

Although John’s period of activity was brief—apparently lasting only about a year—he was a significant figure of his time. Even the Jewish historian Josephus mentions him. The movement he initiated continued after his death (Acts 19:1–7), though it remained relatively small. Some of his followers went on to become disciples of Jesus (John 1:35–39).

The Baptism of Jesus – Mark 1:9–11

“In those days” (verse 9) might be a reference to the messianic age (see Jer 31:29; Joel 3:1). In the prophetic language of the Old Testament, “days”—and specifically “those days”—can refer to a future time when God intervenes in the history of His people, restores them, and carries out His plan of salvation.

Nazareth in Galilee was a small and insignificant village. It is not mentioned even once in the Old Testament. Josephus does not include it in his list of Galilean towns; and in Jewish tradition, it is mentioned only once—as the home town of a certain priestly family. It appears that later Jewish literature deliberately remains silent about the home town of the founder of the “Christian sect”. See also John 1:46: "Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry likely took place in 27 AD (cf. Luke 3:1–2, John 2:20; construction of the temple began in 18 BC, and 46 years from that point leads to 26 AD).

Why did Jesus come to receive John’s baptism? Being sinless (Heb 4:15), He had no need for the atonement of sins (verse 4)!
Several reasons can be identified:

1. Jesus placed Himself in the position of humanity (Phil 2:5–11).

2. For John, the baptism served as a sign that the Messiah’s work had begun (John 1:32–34).

3. For Jesus, the baptism served as a confirmation to begin the mission entrusted to Him by God.

4. Jesus took the sins of humanity upon Himself. The journey toward the cross of Golgotha ​​had begun.

On the other hand, it is ultimately a matter of God’s choice: "But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented." (Matthew 3:15)

"And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove."
(Mark 1:10)

The same word is used for the opening of the heavens (verse 10) as for the tearing of the temple veil (Mark 15:38):

"And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom."
(Mark 15:37-38, ESV)

Whatever stood between God and humanity was set aside. God reached out to people (see Ezekiel 1:1: "the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God."; Revelation 4:1: "1After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven!"...).

There are many explanations for the symbolism of the dove. The dove was the only bird accepted as a sacrificial animal. It was, therefore, a bird chosen and approved by God. For this reason, it is well-suited as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

"And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
(Mark 1:11, ESV)

In God’s speech (verse 11), three Old Testament verses are combined:

• Genesis 22:2 – Abraham offering his only son: "And He (God) said: 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there...'"

• Psalm 2:7 – The King of Israel ascending his throne: "'I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.'"

• Isaiah 42:1 – The Lord’s suffering servant: "'Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. '

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the writings of the Old Testament:

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
(Luke 24:27)

At the baptism of Jesus, the entire Trinity was present: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the baptism, the word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit were united with the water (verses 11 and 8).

The Testing of Jesus – Mark 1:12–13

"Immediately" (verse 12) is one of Mark’s favorite words; it appears 42 times in the Gospel.

Note that it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus to be tempted by Satan. The spiritual life is a matter of a battle against Satan. We cannot withstand this battle on our own; rather, we must rely on God’s help (see Ephesians 6:10–20). Thus, the battle is not a sign of problems in one’s spiritual life—quite the contrary: if there are no battles, there is cause for concern.

Matthew (4:1–11) and Luke (4:1–13) provide a more detailed account of the events in the wilderness.

The 40 days recall Moses’ 40-day stay on Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of the Law (Exodus 24:18, 34:28) and Elijah’s 40-day journey to Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:8). The wilderness journey of the people of Israel lasted 40 years, during which it was determined whether the people wished to follow God or not (Deuteronomy 8:2–3). Israel fell into sin and rebellion against God, but Jesus endured the test and emerged victorious.

Angels (verse 13) are also mentioned during the wilderness journey (Exodus 23:20, 23; 32:34).

Jesus Proclaims His Mission – Mark 1:14-15

Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, imprisoned John the Baptist because John rebuked him for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife (Mark 6:17–20). The expression “was arrested” is in the passive voice, which is used to indicate God’s action. In accordance with God’s will, John stepped aside, and Jesus began his public ministry.

“The time is fulfilled” (v. 15) refers to the moment appointed by God (cf. Gal. 4:4; see also Isa. 40:2; 46:13). The kingdom of God drew near in Jesus (v. 15; cf. Luke 17:20–21). The kingdom of God is not static; rather, we may say that it is continually coming. It continues to expand and win over new people who turn away from their sins and believe the gospel.

The First Disciples – Mark 1:16-20

Once again, Mark tells the story briefly and concisely. Luke provides more details (Luke 5:1–11), whereas Matthew follows Mark’s account in this passage.

The question has been raised whether John’s account of the calling of the disciples (John 1:35–42) can be reconciled with the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels. Apparently, these four disciples initially followed Jesus intermittently. Mark, Matthew, and Luke describe their definitive commitment to following Jesus, while John has preserved the account of their first encounters with him (cf. Acts 1:22, “beginning from John’s baptism”). This would explain why the two pairs of brothers were so ready to follow Jesus: they already knew him, and now the time had come for them to leave everything and follow him full-time.

The calling of the disciples at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry reveals that he intended to establish a new fellowship - a group of followers. After his death, there would need to be people to continue his work: the apostles, the “fishers of men” (v. 17).

In the Old Testament, the imagery of fishing for people is associated with negative situations in which people are brought under God’s judgment (Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 29:4; Amos 4:2). Jesus gave this imagery a new, positive meaning.

In Judaism, a disciple would seek out a rabbi. Jesus did the opposite: he chose his followers, the apostles.

The Sea of Galilee (v. 16) was also called the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1) and the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; 21:1). The name Kinneret was also used. The lake is 21 kilometres long and 12 kilometres wide at its widest point. Its surface lies 200 metres below sea level.

The calling of the disciples probably took place near Capernaum, since Simon and Andrew lived there (v. 29). Simon is the Greek form of Simeon, while Andrew is a Greek name. Galilee was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles,” and Greek was widely spoken there.

The Old Testament recounts how Elijah called Elisha to become his successor (1 Kings 19:19–21). Elijah and Elisha had a conversation, and Elisha went to say goodbye to his parents before following Elijah. Jesus did not engage in discussion; he simply called the men to follow him (cf. Luke 9:57–62).

It is important to note that the disciples came just as they were. In Jesus’ company, they were transformed. Do we have the courage to invite people to follow Jesus just as they are, trusting that Jesus will transform them in his own time and according to his will? Or do we want to see changes first, evidence that they are serious about following Jesus?

In the Synagogue at Capernaum – Mark 1:21–28

Capernaum (v. 21) is not mentioned in the Old Testament either. At that time, its population was probably around two thousand. The name of the town means either “the village of Nahum” or “the village of comfort.” Capernaum became the base of operations for Jesus’ public ministry (see Mark 9:33: “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them"…).

Jesus followed the religious customs of Judaism: he attended the synagogue. Jesus did not wish to place himself outside the Judaism of his own time.

Even laypeople were permitted to explain the Old Testament Scriptures in the synagogue, with the permission of the synagogue leader (v. 21; see also Acts 13:15; 14:1; 17:2; 18:4).

The principle followed by the teachers of the law was that a good teacher did not teach anything new but simply repeated the teachings of his predecessors. It is no coincidence that the collection of rabbinic interpretations of the law is called the Mishnah, a name meaning “repetition.”

Jesus did not appeal to other authorities but spoke with authority of his own (v. 22). If Jesus’ teaching alone had already caused amazement, the casting out of an unclean spirit (vv. 25–26) astonished the people even more.

It was thought that knowing another person’s name gave one magical power over that person (v. 24). Jesus was not interested in such superstition but commanded the spirit to be silent and come out of the man (v. 25). The command to be silent was also connected with Jesus’ desire to remain “concealed”: he did not want to be associated with the people’s earthly messianic expectations. We will discuss this further later (see v. 34: “And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”).

Galilee was a relatively small region, just under one hundred kilometres long and a little over fifty kilometres wide. It is therefore hardly surprising that news about Jesus and the miracle he had performed spread quickly throughout the whole region (v. 28).

At Peter’s House – Mark 1:29–34

Peter and Andrew were originally from Bethsaida, which lay just under ten kilometres north of Capernaum (John 1:44). Perhaps their work as fishermen had brought them both to the hometown of Peter’s wife (1 Cor. 9:5).

Verse 30 does not explicitly present a request for Jesus to heal Peter’s mother-in-law. The problem is brought to Jesus’ attention, and he decides what to do. The completeness of the healing is demonstrated by the fact that the woman immediately begins to serve the guests who have arrived at the house. The Sabbath meal was usually eaten after the synagogue service.

This time, Mark does not explain Jewish customs but leaves the reader to work out why it was only after the Sabbath had ended that people brought the sick to Peter’s house (v. 32).

In the Jewish calendar, the day changes in the evening, around 6 p.m. A new day begins when two stars become visible in the sky. The end of the Sabbath meant that the prohibition against carrying burdens (Jer. 17:21–22) no longer applied. Moving around was freer, too.

Once again, Jesus forbids people to tell others who he is (v. 34). He did not want to be identified with the people’s expectations of a new Davidic king who would restore the independence they so passionately longed for (cf. Mark 11:1–10). Jesus wanted people first to learn what kind of Messiah he was before allowing them to use that title for him. As we shall see in Mark’s Gospel, even Jesus’ own disciples found it difficult to abandon their preconceived expectations of the Messiah and accept the path of the suffering Messiah chosen by God (Mark 8:27–33).

The Gospel Throughout Galilee – Mark 1:35–39

This passage deals with priorities.

First, it is worth noting that Jesus devoted time to prayer (v. 35). Mark describes three occasions on which Jesus prayed: this one, Mark 6:46, after the feeding miracle, and Mark 14:32–42, Jesus’ struggle in prayer in Gethsemane. Jesus surely prayed every day. We, too, should never be so busy that we have no time to maintain our relationship with God.

Second, Jesus reminded his disciples that he had not come to perform miracles or heal people of their illnesses; his primary task was to proclaim the gospel (v. 38; cf. Mark 1:14–15, Jesus’ “mission statement”). We, too, need to learn when success becomes a hindrance to us. Sometimes it is good to move on, even when things are going well in a particular place. Popularity must not determine what we do and what we do not do.

Third, Jesus does not want to be merely "the miracle-worker of Capernaum"; he wanted to proclaim the gospel throughout Galilee (v. 38). Church history shows that revivals which have not been accompanied by a vision for reaching new areas have sooner or later declined. A living Christian faith includes a vision for mission.

The mention of driving out demons (v. 39) is significant in several ways. Wherever God is at work, Satan launches a counterattack. During Jesus’ time, demonic activity was widespread. This was a spiritual battle, a state of warfare. Healings served as signs and confirmations that the kingdom of God had drawn near (v. 27; cf. Luke 7:18–23).

The Cleansing of a Man with Leprosy – Mark 1:40–45

Leprosy was a dreaded disease for which there was no cure. Those with leprosy were driven outside of society. Leprosy also made its bearer ritually impure, unclean. Touching a person with leprosy meant becoming unclean (Lev. 13:45–46; 5:2). Since the disease was believed to be contagious through physical contact, healthy people wanted nothing to do with those who suffered from it.

In the language of that time, the word "leprosy" was used for several serious skin diseases, not just the disease we know today as leprosy.

The rabbis regarded people with leprosy as virtually dead (Num. 12:12; 2 Kings 5:7), and their healing was considered a miracle comparable to raising the dead. The Old Testament records only two people who were healed of leprosy: Miriam, Moses’ sister (Num. 12:10–15), and Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5:1–14).

“If you are willing” (verse 40) shows that the man had strong faith in Jesus’ ability to heal him.

Notice the wording in verse 40: "cleanse", not "heal". Leprosy was, after all, above all a problem of ritual purity. It rendered a person unclean and excluded the sufferer from society.

Showing himself to the priest (verse 44) served as a sign to the Jewish religious leaders. It was believed that when the Messiah came, even those with leprosy would be healed (Matt. 11:5–6).

A Jew would kneel only before God. This was connected with the prohibition against making images of God (Exod. 20:4–5; cf. Rev. 22:8–9). The man’s kneeling may indicate that he regarded Jesus as God, or at least as God’s representative.

Verse 45 gives us a serious reminder that even well-intentioned “stubbornness”—doing things contrary to God’s will—does not bring blessing, but rather hinders the spread of God’s kingdom.

When Jesus could no longer enter towns openly, people came to him in deserted places instead (verse 45). His message drew people to him. If our message does not attract anybody, we may need to ask whether something is wrong with it.