THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Mark 1:1 The superscription of the Gospel: THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. It is characteristic of the evangelist's nature, which expresses itself in his style of writing, that he loses no time in preliminary discussions and long introd... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE PROPHETS, BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE, WHICH SHALL PREPARE THY WAY BEFORE THEE.... [ Continue Reading ]
John's ministry in agreement with prophetic vision:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN DID BAPTIZE IN THE WILDERNESS, AND PREACH THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS. Two of the prophets of olden times had distinctly described the person and the work of John the Baptist, and the evangelist combines their prophecies for the purpose of brevity. The first prophecy, Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
The effect of John's preaching: AND THERE WENT OUT UNTO HIM ALL THE LAND OF JUDEA AND THEY OF JERUSALEM, AND WERE ALL BAPTIZED OF HIM IN THE RIVER OF JORDAN, CONFESSING THEIR SINS. A man with a message such as John's, supplemented by the oddity of his dress and habits, was bound to attract attention... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOHN WAS CLOTHED WITH CAMEL'S HAIR AND WITH A GIRDLE OF SKINS ABOUT HIS LOINS; AND HE DID EAT LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY;... [ Continue Reading ]
John's appearance and message of Christ:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PREACHED, SAYING, THERE COMETH ONE MIGHTIER THAN I AFTER ME, THE LATCHET OF WHOSE SHOES I AM NOT WORTHY TO STOOP DOWN AND UNLOOSE.... [ Continue Reading ]
I INDEED HAVE BAPTIZED YOU WITH WATER; BUT HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST. The appearance of John did much to call attention to his message, especially as the people of Judea were familiar with the description which the Old Testament gives of the great prophet Elijah, 2 Kings 1:8. His one... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST AND THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY. AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS THAT JESUS CAME FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE, AND WAS BAPTIZED OF JOHN IN JORDAN. The Mode of Baptism The Lutheran Church has always held that it is a matter of indifference, so far as the command of God is conc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STRAIGHTWAY COMING UP OUT OF THE WATER, HE SAW THE HEAVENS OPENED, AND THE SPIRIT LIKE A DOVE DESCENDING UPON HIM;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE CAME A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, THOU ART MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. "In those days," while John was having such marvelous success with his message and with his baptizing, in the days when the crowds that resorted to him were largest. Note. Jesus does not expect John to lo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IMMEDIATELY THE SPIRIT DRIVETH HIM INTO THE WILDERNESS.... [ Continue Reading ]
The temptation:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS THERE IN THE WILDERNESS FORTY DAYS, TEMPTED OF SATAN; AND WAS, WITH THE WILD BEASTS; AND THE ANGELS MINISTERED UNTO HIM. "Immediately," not a mere introductory word here as so often in Mark's Gospel, but emphasizing quick action. Christ was now formally installed and prepared for His work... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AFTER THAT JOHN WAS PUT IN PRISON, JESUS CAME INTO GALILEE, PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,... [ Continue Reading ]
The beginning of Christ's preaching:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAYING, THE TIME IS FULFILLED, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND; REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. The narrative moves forward very rapidly, since the evangelist merely sketches the early days of Christ's official work. He omits the visit to Samaria, the journey to Galilee, and the return to J... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AS HE WALKED BY THE SEA OF GALILEE, HE SAW SIMON AND ANDREW, HIS BROTHER, CASTING A NET INTO THE SEA; FOR THEY WERE FISHERS.... [ Continue Reading ]
The formal call of the first disciples:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, COME YE AFTER ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU TO BECOME FISHERS OF MEN.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STRAIGHTWAY THEY FORSOOK THEIR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD GONE A LITTLE FARTHER THENCE, HE SAW JAMES, THE SON OF ZEBEDEE, AND JOHN, HIS BROTHER, WHO ALSO WERE IN THE SHIP MENDING THEIR NETS.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND STRAIGHTWAY HE CALLED THEM; AND THEY LEFT THEIR FATHER ZEBEDEE IN THE SHIP WITH THE HIRED SERVANTS AND WENT AFTER HIM. Here is an interesting feature: the prominence given to the call of Peter and his brother. Probably Peter, in the course of his Gospel-teaching, loved to dwell especially upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT INTO CAPERNAUM; AND STRAIGHTWAY ON THE SABBATH-DAY HE ENTERED INTO THE SYNAGOGUE AND TAUGHT.... [ Continue Reading ]
PREACHING AND HEALING IN CAPERNAUM. Christ's manner of teaching:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS DOCTRINE; FOR HE TAUGHT THEM AS ONE THAT HAD AUTHORITY, AND NOT AS THE SCRIBES. In Capernaum Jesus had His headquarters and here also Peter and Andrew now lived. Jesus may have called the four disciples on a Friday and arrived at Capernaum the same evening, before the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS IN THEIR SYNAGOGUE A MAN WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT; AND HE CRIED OUT,... [ Continue Reading ]
The man with the unclean spirit:... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, LET US ALONE; WHAT HAVE WE TO DO WITH THEE, THOU JESUS OF NAZARETH? ART THOU COME TO DESTROY US? I KNOW THEE WHO THOU ART, THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS REBUKED HIM, SAYING, HOLD THY PEACE, AND COME OUT OF HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE ALL AMAZED, INSOMUCH THAT THEY QUESTIONED AMONG THEMSELVES, SAYING, WHAT THING IS THIS? WHAT NEW DOCTRINE IS THIS? FOR WITH AUTHORITY COMMANDETH HE THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS, AND THEY DO OBEY HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IMMEDIATELY HIS FAME SPREAD ABROAD THROUGHOUT ALL THE REGION ROUND ABOUT GALILEE. By chance, as the average person would say, but as we say, by God's dispensation, there was present in the synagogue, on that Sabbath morning, a man with an unclean spirit, possessed with a demon. Spiritually uncle... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FORTHWITH, WHEN THEY WERE COME OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE, THEY ENTERED INTO THE HOUSE OF SIMON AND ANDREW, WITH JAMES AND JOHN.... [ Continue Reading ]
The healing of Peter's mother-in-law:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SIMON'S WIFE'S MOTHER LAY SICK OF A FEVER, AND ANON THEY TELL HIM OF HER.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CAME AND TOOK HER BY THE HAND, AND LIFTED HER UP; AND IMMEDIATELY THE FEVER LEFT HER, AND SHE MINISTERED UNTO THEM. Mark tells this story with greater attention to detail than Matthew, undoubtedly because Peter had taken note of all the things which concerned him closely. By the word "forthwi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT EVEN, WHEN THE SUN DID SET, THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM ALL THAT WERE DISEASED, AND THEM THAT WERE POSSESSED WITH DEVILS.... [ Continue Reading ]
Healing of various diseases:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE CITY WAS GATHERED TOGETHER AT THE DOOR.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HEALED MANY THAT WERE SICK OF DIVERS DISEASES, AND CAST OUT MANY DEVILS; AND SUFFERED NOT THE DEVILS TO SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY KNEW HIM. Jesus had little chance for rest, once the power was known which people had witnessed in Him. The people waited indeed until the Sabbath was past, for the day... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE MORNING, RISING UP A GREAT WHILE BEFORE DAY, HE WENT OUT, AND DEPARTED INTO A SOLITARY PLACE, AND THERE PRAYED.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus retires for rest and strength:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SIMON AND THEY THAT WERE WITH HIM FOLLOWED AFTER HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD FOUND HIM, THEY SAID UNTO HIM, ALL MEN SEEK FOR THEE.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, LET US GO INTO THE NEXT TOWNS, THAT I MAY PREACH THERE ALSO; FOR THEREFORE CAME I FORTH. It had been long after sundown, probably as long as twilight lasted, that Jesus had been busy with the sick people. And yet, before the dawn brightened the hills on the eastern shore of La... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PREACHED IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES THROUGHOUT ALL GALILEE, AND CAST OUT DEVILS.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEALING OF A LEPER The beginning of the Galilean journey:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE CAME A LEPER TO HIM, BESEECHING HIM, AND KNEELING DOWN TO HIM, AND SAYING UNTO HIM, IF THOU WILT, THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS, MOVED WITH COMPASSION, PUT FORTH HIS HAND, AND TOUCHED HIM, AND SAITH UNTO HIM, I WILL; BE THOU CLEAN.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS SOON AS HE HAD SPOKEN, IMMEDIATELY THE LEPROSY DEPARTED FROM HIM, AND HE WAS CLEANSED. Mark relates the events of the Galilean journey very briefly. Jesus went, He carried out His intention at once, perhaps without returning to Capernaum; the anxiety to perform His work urged Him on. Througho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE STRAITLY CHARGED HIM, AND FORTHWITH SENT HIM AWAY;... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ's attempt to avoid unwelcome publicity:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAITH UNTO HIM, SEE THOU SAY NOTHING TO ANY MAN; BUT GO THY WAY, SHOW THYSELF TO THE PRIEST, AND OFFER FOR THY CLEANSING THOSE THINGS WHICH MOSES COMMANDED, FOR A TESTIMONY UNTO THEM.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE WENT OUT, AND BEGAN TO PUBLISH IT MUCH, AND TO BLAZE ABROAD THE MATTER, INSOMUCH THAT JESUS COULD NO MORE OPENLY ENTER INTO THE CITY, BUT WAS WITHOUT IN DESERT PLACES; AND THEY CAME TO HIM FROM EVERY QUARTER. Here is a matter which might seem strange at first glance. Speaking to the former le... [ Continue Reading ]