Mark chapter 1
Jesus gets baptized, goes into the desert, then begins his ministry in Galilee. He calls his first disciples, casts out a demon, and heals many people.
THE BEGINNING OF THE GOOD NEWS
VERSE 1. The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
JOHN BAPTIZES IN THE JORDAN RIVER
VERSE 2. As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:
VERSE 3. the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’ ”
VERSE 4. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins.
VERSE 5. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.
NIV translation: “Confessing their sins, they were baptized.” First they confessed their sins. That is, they repented. After that, they got baptized. Repentance precedes baptism.
VERSE 6. John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
VERSE 7. He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.
The mighty John the Baptist knew that he was nothing, compared with Jesus Christ. He saw his purpose as pointing people to the Lord Jesus. Read more »
VERSE 8. I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus Christ says he will baptize us with fire. What does that mean? Is it a baptism with the fire of suffering? Or with the fire of the Holy Spirit? Read more »
The mighty John the Baptist knew that he was nothing, compared with Jesus Christ. He saw his purpose as pointing people to the Lord Jesus. Read more »
JOHN BAPTIZES JESUS
VERSE 9. In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
VERSE 10. Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
When the Lord Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit appeared. God the Father said Jesus was his beloved Son. Read more »
VERSE 11. A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
You are my beloved Son. When the Lord Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit appeared. God the Father said Jesus was his beloved Son. Read more »
in whom I am well pleased. God the Father takes delight in Jesus. Wouldn’t it be great to hear the Father say that to you?
JESUS IS IN THE DESERT FOR FORTY DAYS
VERSE 12. Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.
VERSE 13. He was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.
JESUS HEARS THAT JOHN WAS ARRESTED
VERSE 14a. Now after John was taken into custody,
JESUS BEGINS HIS MINISTRY IN GALILEE
VERSE 14b. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom,
VERSE 15. and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.
NIV 1984 translation. The time has come. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe!
Joel 2:1. Blow the shofar in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD comes, for it is close at hand:
God’s Kingdom is at hand. The kingdom of God is part of the message of Jesus Christ.
Psam 85:9. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
Mark 4:26. He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
believe in the Good News. Jesus begins his public ministry with evangelism! Are you able to go out and do the Ministry of Evangelism?
Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city: for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you.
JESUS CALLS HIS FIRST DISCIPLES
VERSE 16. Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
VERSE 17. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”
This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.
VERSE 18. Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
VERSE 19. Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
VERSE 20. Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
JESUS CASTS OUT A DEMON
Summary: On the Sabbath, Jesus led his new disciples to a synagogue where he taught. The people were amazed at his teaching. But a demon-possessed man stood up and confronted Jesus. What did Jesus do? He spoke directly to the problem. He commanded it to leave.
VERSE 21. They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.
VERSE 22. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes.
VERSE 23. Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
a man with an unclean spirit … cried out. If a demon-possessed man confronted you, what would you do? Perhaps most of us would run away. Or wait for someone else to do something. Or recite prayers.
VERSE 24. saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”
VERSE 25. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
Be quiet, and come out of him. While Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, a demon-possessed man stood up and confronted Jesus. How did Jesus handle this situation? What did he do? He spoke directly to the problem. He commanded it to leave.
The Lord Jesus did many acts that were inexplicable by natural or scientific laws. We call them miracles. Here are the miracles of Jesus we find in the Gospel of Mark. Read more »
When the Lord Jesus encounters a problem, he speaks directly to it. He commands the problem itself. The Gospel of Mark has many such narratives. Read more »
VERSE 26. The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
VERSE 27. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!”
VERSE 28. The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.
JESUS HEALS SIMON’S MOTHER-IN-LAW
VERSE 29. Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
VERSE 30. Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
VERSE 31. He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.
JESUS HEALS MANY PEOPLE
VERSE 32. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons.
VERSE 33. All the city was gathered together at the door.
VERSE 34. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
The Bible seems to promise healing of our illnesses. We should expect miraculous healing. It should be commonplace. But it is not. Why? Read more »
JESUS DEPARTS CAPERNAUM
VERSE 35. Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Mark and from the entire Bible.
Early in the morning, while it was still dark. The Lord Jesus had a time for prayer each day. He arose early in the morning, and went to a place where he could be alone. There, he was absorbed in prayer. Read more »
VERSE 36. Simon and those who were with him searched for him.
VERSE 37. They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
VERSE 38. He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.”
What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels »
I came out for this reason. Jesus tells us why he came to the world. Many people say it was so he could die. However, in this verse, he says it is to preach.
VERSE 39. He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
JESUS HEALS A MAN OF LEPROSY
VERSE 40. A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
VERSE 41. Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.”
The Lord Jesus did many acts that were inexplicable by natural or scientific laws. We call them miracles. Here are the miracles of Jesus we find in the Gospel of Mark. Read more »
When the Lord Jesus encounters a problem, he speaks directly to it. He commands the problem itself. The Gospel of Mark has many such narratives. Read more »
VERSE 42. When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.
VERSE 43. He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out,
VERSE 44. and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
VERSE 45. But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.
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(Matthew chapter 28)
MARK
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality, Miracles
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.