Mark 1:1-45
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance fora the remission of sins.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7 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.
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened,b and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying,The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
16 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.
17 And Jesus said unto them,Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 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.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying,Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27 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 even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak,c because they knew him.
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38 And he said unto them,Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
40 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.
41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him,I will; be thou clean.
42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44 And saith unto him,See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
45 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.
Christ in the Bible: Mark’s Gospel
Keith Simons
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.About Mark’s book
The Bible has 4 books about Jesus’ life. They are called the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. People often call them ‘the Gospels’, which means ‘the good news’.The Book of Mark is the shortest Gospel. Like the other Gospels, it tells us about the things that Jesus did. And it tells us some things that he taught.
The writer of the book was Mark. He belonged to a family who lived in Jerusalem. Mark became a Christian and he joined the church there. Then he travelled to tell people about Jesus. Mark worked with both Paul and Peter.
Bible students think that Peter helped Mark to write his book. But Mark was present at some events that he describes. He was a young man then.
Mark wanted to help people across the world. He wanted to teach them about Jesus. And Mark wanted people who never met Jesus to know God’s good news. Mark wrote his book for those reasons.
Chapter 1
John *baptises Jesus
Verses 1-8Before Jesus began his special work for God, there was John the *Baptist.
Mark uses words from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 to describe John’s work. People prepared the roads before a king came. And John prepared people before Jesus came. John told them that they were doing many wrong things. They must change their minds, because the *Lord was coming.
John did not go into the towns. He stayed near the river Jordan. But people came to him. Large crowds came. They listened to the words that he spoke. They believed that he was right. They asked him to *baptise them.
Verses 9-11
People came across the country called Israel to meet John. They came from Judea (that is, the south). And they came from Galilee (that is, the north).
Jesus was among the people who came. And John *baptised him. Then something happened that surprised John. The sky seemed to open. The *Holy Spirit came from *heaven. And then the *Holy Spirit came upon Jesus.
And God spoke from *heaven. He said that Jesus was his son.
Verses 12-13
Jesus left John. Jesus did not return to the towns yet. Instead, he prayed for 40 days. No people were there, but God’s *angels were with Jesus.
During those 40 days, *Satan spoke to Jesus. *Satan wanted Jesus not to obey God.
But Jesus always obeyed God completely.
The first 4 *disciples
Verses 14-20These 4 men worked on the lake called Galilee. They had their own boats. They caught fish on the lake. That was their work. It was a family business. In other words, their families had done this work for a long time.
Then Jesus came. He told the men that God had other work for them. They must leave their work, their boats and their families. The men had worked with fish. But soon, the men would work with people. Jesus would teach the men. They became his *disciples, that is, his special students.
Jesus in Capernaum
Verses 21-28There was a special building in Capernaum. People prayed together in that building. Many towns had buildings for that purpose. Those buildings were called Synagogues.
The *Jews did not work on Saturdays. They called that day: the Sabbath. They rested on that day. And they met to pray. They also read the Bible. And a teacher taught them about the Bible.
On this Saturday, Jesus taught the people. He spoke with authority. He explained the Bible well. And the people understood it.
The people were listening to Jesus quietly. But then a man came into the building and he screamed!
This man had a bad *spirit. That *spirit had authority over the man. The man could not do the things that he wanted to do.
The *spirit knew who Jesus was. But Jesus would not let the *spirit speak. He told the *spirit that it must leave the man. And so the *spirit left the man.
The people could see that the man was well again. They were very surprised. Clearly, Jesus had authority that they did not understand.
Verses 29-34
Jesus made many people well. This was part of Jesus’ special work for God. Jesus did this often, in many places.
God had sent Jesus to help the people. So the people knew that God loved them. And they knew that they must believe God.
Verses 35-39
Jesus loved his father, God. So Jesus prayed often.
Some people only pray if other people can hear them. But Jesus prayed alone.
Jesus makes an ill man well
Verses 40-45This man had a bad illness. People were afraid of anyone who had that illness.
After the man got his illness, he had to leave his family and friends. He lived alone. People kept away from him.
The man knew something about Jesus. He knew that Jesus was able to make him well. But the man did not know whether Jesus wanted to do this.
God is always good and kind. And Jesus was kind to the man. Jesus was not afraid of the illness. He knew that God had given him the authority to make the man well. So Jesus touched the man. And the illness left that man.
Jesus wanted the man to obey God’s *law (Leviticus chapter 14). So Jesus told the man that he must go to the *priest. And the man must give a special gift to God.
The man wanted to do other things. He wanted to tell everyone about Jesus. But Jesus did not want all the people to know about him yet. It was not the right time. And the people had many wrong ideas about the things that God was doing.
But the man did what he wanted to do. He told many people about Jesus. The result was that Jesus had to stay away from the towns. Too many people wanted to see him. They travelled long journeys to meet him. And very many people were talking about him.
This book is in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).
Gospel ~ a book that tells about the things that Jesus did. And it includes some things that he taught. There are 4 Gospels in the Bible. They are the books by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
baptise ~ to wash a person in a special way while people pray for that person. John baptised the people who came to him. The people were sorry for all the wrong things that they had done. And they wanted to obey God.
Baptist ~ John was called John the Baptist because he baptised people.
baptise ~ to wash a person in a special way while people pray for that person. John baptised the people who came to him. The people were sorry for all the wrong things that they had done. And they wanted to obey God.
Lord ~ a name for God or for Jesus. The word means ‘master’. But it also translates God’s name from the language called Hebrew. And in that language, God’s name may mean ‘He is always God.’
holy ~ special for God.
heaven ~ God’s home.
angel ~ one of God’s special servants in heaven. Angels bring messages from God.
heaven ~ God’s home.
Satan ~ the bad angel whom God sent away from heaven a long time ago.
angel ~ one of God’s special servants in heaven. Angels bring messages from God.
heaven ~ God’s home.
disciple ~ a student of a great teacher. Usually, the disciple travelled with his teacher and he worked for his teacher.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
spirit ~ the part of a person that is alive, but which we cannot see. There are also bad spirits and good spirits. The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit.
holy ~ special for God.
law ~ a country’s rules; the rules that God gave to Moses; one of these rules. The Jews had to obey the laws that God gave to Moses.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
priest ~ a man who offered gifts to God on behalf of other people. The Jews had priests who worked in *God’s Great House.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the families of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Mark’s Good News
Mark’s Gospel
Hilda Bright
About Mark
*New Testament references
A The *disciples met in Jerusalem at the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).B Mark was a relative of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). He went to help Paul and Barnabas on their first journey to *preach the good news (Acts 13:5). He turned back at Perga and he went home (Acts 13:13). Paul, therefore, refused to take him on the next journey. Mark then went with Barnabas to Cyprus (Acts 15:37-39).
C Mark was a ‘worker’ with Paul. Paul was in prison in Rome (Philemon 1:24; Colossians 4:10). He had been a help to Paul. Paul wanted Timothy to bring Mark to him. He would help Paul again (2 Timothy 4:11).
D Peter called him ‘Mark, my son’ (1 Peter 5:13). This was probably because he had helped Mark to believe in Christ.
Early Christian writers
There are some details that are in this *Gospel only. These details show that they probably come from an eye-witness. An eye-witness was there when the events happened. Two early writers said that Peter gave Mark the information for his *Gospel.Tradition
Mark went to Alexandria, the important centre for trade and learning. There he started a Christian church.When Mark wrote his *Gospel
Most writers agree that Mark was the first person to write a *Gospel. Both Matthew and Luke seem to use it. Mark perhaps completed it in the year 65, soon after Peter’s death.What Mark wrote in his *Gospel
1 Mark wanted to show that Jesus was the ‘Son of God’. So he emphasises how the crowds and the *disciples were very often astonished at Jesus’ actions. Jesus made the storm on the lake become calm (4:41). Then the *disciples asked, ‘Who is this?’ They had a feeling of fear. And they greatly respected Jesus. Evil *spirits recognised who Jesus was. Mark also records that (3:11; 5:7).2 At the same time, Mark shows that Jesus was really human. He was ‘the *carpenter’ (6:3). He became tired and he became asleep (4:38). He had human feelings. He felt sad (6:34), and he was angry at wrong ideas and actions (3:5; 11:15-17).
3 There are details that are only in Mark’s *Gospel. They give us the idea that someone had been an eye-witness. (See ‘Early Christian writers’ above.) In the account of the storm on the lake, ‘there were other boats with him’. Jesus was ‘in the back of the boat with his head on a cushion’ (4:35, 38). The groups of people were sitting on the ‘green’ grass (6:39). On the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ‘ahead of them’ (10:32). Jesus ‘took the children into his arms’ (10:16). The blind man ‘threw off his coat’ (10:50).
4 Mark records some of the actual *Aramaic words that Jesus used. He gave James and John the name ‘Boanerges’ (3:17). He raised Jairus’s daughter with the words ‘Talitha cumi’ (5:41). He said ‘Ephphatha’ to the deaf man (7:34). He called his Father ‘*Abba’ (14:36). The cry from the *cross was in *Aramaic (15:34).
5 Mark shows how the crowds, the *disciples and Jesus’ own family did not understand Jesus. The *religious leaders opposed him. Most people had the wrong idea about what the *Messiah should be like.
6 Christians were suffering for their *faith when Mark wrote. He showed them that Jesus suffered. He suffered in the plan of God and he made the *Scriptures come true.
7 Mark uses the word ‘immediately’ very many times. He wants to emphasise the power of Jesus, whose command always brought a quick result (1:20, 42; 2:12; 5:42). It is also as if he is anxious to reach the end of the story. He cannot wait to tell everyone about the death and *resurrection of Jesus. Mark knew that these two events were ‘good news’ for everyone. When Jesus suffered, it made it possible for God to *save people. ‘The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. Instead, he came to serve other people. He came to give his life as the price to make many people free’ (10:45).
Chapter 1
The heading 1:1
v1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Verse 1 The first verse is also the title of the *Gospel. The human Jesus was the Christ, the *Messiah that the *Jews were expecting. The *Greek word ‘Christ’ and the *Hebrew word ‘*Messiah’ mean the ‘*Anointed Man’. To *anoint someone showed that God had chosen them for a special responsibility. Samuel *anointed Saul to be king (1 Samuel 10:1). Jesus was the king who came to bring people into his *kingdom. He came to make people free from the power of *sin. Moses made Aaron and his sons special as priests by *anointing them with oil (Leviticus 8:12). Jesus was also a priest who was giving a *sacrifice to God. The *sacrifice that he gave was himself. Jesus is both king and priest. That is the good news.
Mark writes about Jesus as the true ‘Son of God’. As the Son of God, he showed God’s love and power in all that he did. Mark records more of Jesus’ actions than of his words.
The work of John the *Baptist 1:2-8
*Old Testament *prophecy spoke about someone who would prepare the way for the *Messiah. John the *Baptist urged people to show that they were ready for the *Messiah. When they wanted to change their behaviour, John *baptised them in the River Jordan.v2 In the book of the *prophet Isaiah, God said,
‘Look, I am sending my *messenger before you.
And he will prepare your way.
v3 A voice is calling out in the wild country,
“Prepare the way for the *Lord.
Make straight paths for him.” ’
v4 This *messenger was John the *Baptist. He appeared in the desert. He was *preaching that people should turn away from their *sins. *Baptism would show that they wanted God to forgive them. v5 People from all the country of Judea and from Jerusalem went out to John. They confessed that they had done wrong things. So John *baptised them in the River Jordan. v6 John wore clothes that he had made from camel’s hair. He had a leather belt round him. He ate insects called locusts. And he ate wild honey that came from another kind of insect. v7 He announced, ‘Someone will come after me. He is much greater than I am. I am not even good enough to be his slave. v8 I have *baptised you with water. But he will *baptise you with the *Holy Spirit.’
Verses 2-3 John the *Baptist’s work was like that of someone who announced the arrival of an important official. There had been no *prophet for 400 years, since the time of Malachi. Malachi wrote about the *messenger (verse 2 is from Malachi 3:1). Mark combines this verse with one from Isaiah (40:3). Isaiah describes a ‘voice’ that is shouting in the desert. John the *Baptist describes himself as that ‘voice’ (John 1:23).
Verses 4-5 The *Jews *baptised *Gentiles who wanted to accept the *Jewish *faith. John changed this custom. Water cleans the body. John *baptised *Jews to be ‘clean’ in their behaviour towards God and other people. Then they would be ready for the *Messiah. The Messiah would help them to know that God had really forgiven them.
Verse 6 John lived a simple life in the desert. He wore rough clothes like those of the *prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). He was therefore very different from the proud *religious leaders with their long clothes (Mark 12:38). His food was simple. Locusts were insects that the law allowed people to eat (Leviticus 11:22-23). John could obtain honey from wild insects.
Verse 7 John was humble. The *Messiah would be much more important than he was. John knew that. He said that he was not even good enough to be the *Messiah’s slave.
Verse 8 John’s *baptism with water showed that people were willing to turn away from their *sin. Jesus’ gift of the *Holy Spirit would give people the power to live a new life.
The *baptism and *temptation of Jesus 1:9-13
Jesus came to the River Jordan, where John *baptised him. Immediately afterwards, he went into the desert, where *Satan *tempted him.v9 At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John *baptised him in the River Jordan. v10 When Jesus came up out of the water, at once he saw the heavens open. He saw the *Holy Spirit. The Spirit came down like a gentle bird on Jesus. v11 Then a voice from heaven spoke. ‘You are my son whom I love. I am very pleased with you’, the voice said. v12 The Spirit immediately made him go out into the desert. v13 He was in the desert for 40 days. There *Satan *tempted him. Jesus was with the wild animals. God’s *messengers took care of him.
Verse 9 Jesus did not need *baptism, because he had no *sin to confess. But he made himself united with the people that he came to rescue from their *sins. His *baptism also was to show the beginning of his work.
Verse 10 The *Holy Spirit gave him the power for his future work. The *Holy Spirit came in the shape of a gentle bird. This may mean that he came in a gentle way. He came as a bird would fly down. This would also remind Mark’s readers of the same kind of gentle bird in Genesis 8:5-12. That bird came back to Noah in his special boat. It was the sign of a new beginning (Genesis 8:6-12).
Verse 11 The message from heaven used words from the *Old Testament. Isaac was the son whom Abraham loved (Genesis 22:2). God was ‘very pleased’ with the Servant whom he had chosen. Jesus therefore knew that God approved of him. He also knew that his work would be that of a servant. He would know that the last of Isaiah’s ‘Servant’ songs spoke about a ‘suffering’ servant (Isaiah 53).
Verse 12 ‘made him go’. Jesus had a very powerful feeling that God was urging him to go into the desert. For Mark’s readers, the desert was a place where evil *spirits lived. Jesus went there to begin the battle with *Satan.
Verse 13 ‘Forty (40) days’ may be an exact number or it may mean a fairly long time. ‘*Satan’ is God’s enemy. He tried to make Jesus use his power in ways that would not please God. Mark does not record the nature of the *temptations. Matthew and Luke tell us how *Satan *tempted Jesus. He tempted him to gain *disciples by providing for their *physical needs. They would follow him if he astonished them with *miracles. They wanted a *Messiah who would lead an army against the *Romans to gain their political freedom. Jesus chose the hard way to persuade people to love and obey God. He would love them. Love meant that he would suffer. But he would satisfy ‘*spiritual hunger’ and he would give people freedom from *sin. Jesus can encourage Christians because he has had all sorts of *temptations himself. ‘The Devil tried to make him do all kinds of wrong things. So, Jesus understands all the wrong things that we might do. But he never did anything wrong himself’ (Hebrews 4:15).
Mark adds that Jesus was ‘with the wild animals’. This detail may show that the desert was a very frightening place. But it may also be Mark’s way to show the age when men and animals would live together in peace (Isaiah 11:6-9). Jesus could live in safety with the animals. This would be because the animals were already recognising him as their king.
‘God’s *messengers took care of him.’ God does not leave men alone in a time of *temptation. His *messengers helped Jesus.
The message of Jesus 1:14-15
After Herod put John in prison, Jesus went into Galilee. He *preached that God’s *kingdom had arrived. Men must change their ways and believe him and his message.v14 After Herod put John in prison, Jesus came into Galilee district. He *preached the good news about God’s rule. v15 He said, ‘The right time has come. God’s rule is coming near. *Repent and believe in the good news.’
Verses 14-15 Mark explains in chapter 6:17-18 why Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, put John in prison.
‘The right time’. God chose the time to send Jesus when everything was ready. There were good *Roman roads. *Greek was a very well-known language. The message could therefore spread easily. *Jewish belief in only one God also prepared for the good news.
The *kingdom of God is not a place. It is God’s rule over the world. All those people who let God rule over their lives belong to his *kingdom. God had always been king. But, by Jesus, he was giving people a new opportunity to obey him. The message was ‘good news’. It helped people to have peace because God had forgiven them. It helped them to hope that they could win the struggle against *sin.
‘*Repent’ means to turn away from wrong things and to turn to God. It means that we decide to live in a new way. We start to obey God.
‘Believe’ means ‘trust in’. Those who believe Jesus have confidence in him. They know that he spoke the truth. And they know that he will *keep his promises.
Jesus calls his first *disciples 1:16-20
v16 Jesus was walking along next to lake Galilee. There he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake because they were working. Their work was to catch fish. v17 Jesus spoke to them. ‘Come and follow me. I will show you how to fish for people’, he said. v18 Immediately, they left their nets and they followed him. v19 Jesus walked on a little distance from there. Then he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother. They were in their boat and they were mending the nets. v20 Immediately, he called them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the paid servants. And they went after Jesus.
Verse 16 Galilee is a lake about 12 miles long. To catch fish was an important business. Many men earned their income by supplying fish to people in their own country. They also exported fish, even as far as Rome. Salt stopped it from going off.
Verses 17-20 These four men, who became Jesus’ first *disciples, had met him before. They were probably John the *Baptist’s *disciples in Judea (John 1:35-42). They had listened to Jesus and they had talked with him. He called them while they were carrying out their ordinary work.
Verse 17 They had worked to bring in fish. So they must work to bring people to Jesus. They needed patience and skill to catch fish in their nets. Jesus would teach them the patience and skill to bring people into his *kingdom.
Verse 20 Zebedee still had his paid servants. They would look after him and his business when his two sons left to follow Jesus.
Jesus in the *Jewish meeting place at Capernaum 1:21-28
Jesus astonished people by the authority with which he taught. And he astonished people by his power to cure a man with an evil *spirit.v21 They went into Capernaum. Immediately on the *Sabbath day, he went into the *Jewish meeting place and he taught. v22 They were astonished at the way that he taught. He taught them like someone who had real authority. He did not teach as the *scribes did. v23 And immediately, a man whom an evil *spirit possessed was in the meeting place. v24 He shouted out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Holy Man that God has sent.’ v25 But Jesus gave a command. He said, ‘Be silent and come out of him!’ v26 Then, the evil *spirit threw the man down and it shook him hard. Then it screamed and it came out of him. v27 All the people were astonished. They asked each other, ‘What kind of teaching is this? He has such authority. He even gives orders to evil *spirits and they obey him.’ v28 The news about what Jesus had done spread quickly through the whole of Galilee.
Verse 21 Capernaum was an ideal place for Jesus to work in. Both *Jews and *Gentiles would hear his message because Capernaum was an important town on a trade route. The *Sabbath was the *Jewish day of rest from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It was a special day for *worship. There was a meeting place wherever there were ten *Jewish families. In this meeting place, *Jews met to pray, and to study the *Old Testament. They would attend other public meetings there. On the *Sabbath, people would go to the meeting place in order to hear a teacher. The teacher would read and explain the *Scriptures. There was no permanent teacher. So the leader would invite visiting teachers to give the talk. Jesus was therefore able to teach in meeting places wherever he went.
Verse 22 *Scribes were men who studied the *Old Testament, especially the first five books. These five books were the ‘Torah’, which means the ‘Law’. These experts never gave their own decision about the meaning of a passage. They always gave the opinions of well-known teachers. Because they gave more than one opinion, people did not receive satisfactory answers to their questions. Jesus knew the *Scriptures. And he knew what they meant. He spoke with his own authority. He often used the words, ‘I say to you’ (Matthew 5:18-44).
Verses 23-24 A man whom an evil *spirit possessed. Some people say that this was a way to describe mental illness. They say that evil *spirits did not exist. But people in those days believed that they existed. And they believed that they could control a person. Many people believe that evil *spirits did exist in the time of Jesus. They believe that they still exist today. The evil *spirits inside the man recognised that Jesus had come to destroy every evil thing. They were afraid and they asked Jesus not to do anything against them.
Verses 25-26 Jesus stopped the man from shouting. He gave a strict command and he cured the man. People who tried to send evil *spirits out of people used all kinds of ceremonies and special words. But Jesus threw out the evil *spirit by his order alone.
Mark tells us about many other times when Jesus sent evil *spirits out of people. He wanted to show the authority and power of Jesus. He wanted to show that Jesus is the *Messiah, the Son of God.
Jesus cures the mother of Peter’s wife 1:29-31
v29 Immediately, Jesus and his *disciples left the meeting place. They went to Simon and Andrew’s home. James and John were with them. v30 The mother of Simon’s wife was ill in bed and she was very hot. They spoke to Jesus about her at once. v31 Jesus came and he took her by the hand. He helped her up and the illness left her. She prepared a meal for them.
Verse 29 Mark does not use the name ‘Peter’ until he gives the list of the 12 *apostles (Mark 3:16). Jesus gave Simon the name ‘Peter’ when they met in Judea. John tells us that (John 1:42).
Verse 30 Peter was married. After the *resurrection, he and his wife travelled together in God’s service (1 Corinthians 9:5).
They told Jesus about her illness. Perhaps they were explaining why a meal was not ready. They may have hoped that Jesus would help her. Christians can always tell Jesus about the needs of other people.
Verse 31 Usually people feel very weak after they have been ill like that. Jesus cured this lady completely. She was able to get up at once and she prepared a meal for them.
Jesus cures many people 1:32-34
v32 That evening at sunset, people brought to Jesus all the people who were sick. They also brought those whom evil *spirits controlled. v33 And the whole city gathered together at the door. v34 And Jesus cured great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases. He ordered many evil *spirits to come out. But they knew who he was. So, he would not allow the evil *spirits to speak.
Verse 32 People could not carry their sick relatives on the *Sabbath. The *scribes said that to carry something was ‘work’. The *Sabbath ended when the sun set on Saturday. Then they brought their sick friends and relatives to Jesus.
Verse 33 Mark probably did not mean that all the inhabitants of Capernaum were outside Peter’s door. He meant that there was a large crowd.
Verse 34 Jesus would not allow the evil *spirits to speak. They knew that he was the *Messiah. Jesus wanted people to discover for themselves who he was. They would follow him for the wrong reason if they thought of him as a political leader. Jesus was a *Messiah who would suffer to free them from *sin. He wanted to show people that.
Jesus’ prayer 1:35-39
v35 In the morning, a long time before day, Jesus got up. He went out to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed. v36 Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. v37 When they found him, they said, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ v38 Jesus replied, ‘Let us go on to the next towns so that I can *preach there also. Because that is why I came.’ v39 So Jesus travelled all through Galilee. He *preached in the places where the *Jewish people met. And he threw out evil *spirits.
Verse 35 Jesus had helped crowds of people. He needed to pray to God in order to receive new strength and peace of mind. He also needed God to guide him. He must decide whether he should continue to work in Capernaum. He needed to know if it was right to move to other places.
Verses 36-37 Simon and his friends realised that Jesus had gone. The people who were searching for Jesus probably hoped for more healing *miracles.
Verse 38 Jesus knew that his first task was to *preach. He must take time to invite people into his *kingdom. He had come into the world to teach as many people as possible.
Jesus cures a man with a very bad skin disease 1:40-45
The man had a skin disease that prevented him from living a normal life. Jesus cured him. So he was able to go back to live among other people.v40 A man who had a very bad skin disease came to Jesus. He went on his knees in front of Jesus and he asked Jesus to cure him. ‘If you want to, you can make me clean’, he said. v41 Jesus pitied him greatly. He reached out and he touched the man with his hand. He said, ‘I do want to. Be clean.’ v42 Immediately, the disease left him and he was clean. v43 Jesus sent him away at once. He gave him a strict order. v44 He said, ‘Do not tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest. Offer to God the gift that Moses ordered. That will show people that you are clean.’ v45 But the man went away and he began to talk to everyone. He spread the news, so that Jesus could not enter a town in public. He had to stay outside in places where few people lived. People still came to him from everywhere.
Verse 40 The word ‘leprosy’ is in many Bibles and it can mean various skin diseases. One was the serious disease that is called ‘leprosy’ today. Anyone with this disease had to stay away from other people. He suffered in two ways. He had to suffer from his disease. He also suffered from his lonely situation outside society. This man approached Jesus. He believed that Jesus had the power to cure him. But he did not know that Jesus loved people. He was not sure whether Jesus would want to cure him.
Verse 41 Jesus touched the man who had the skin disease. When he did that, Jesus showed his love. *Jews would not normally want to touch anyone who had such a skin disease. They believed that such an action would make them unholy.
Verse 44 Jesus was obeying the law when he sent the man to the priest. The priest would examine him. And the priest would decide that he was healthy again. After the man had carried out the proper ceremonies, he would be able to mix with other people again (Leviticus 14:1-32).
Verse 45 The man who had the skin disease did not obey Jesus. So, he made it difficult for Jesus to continue his work in towns. There were so many people who wanted to see Jesus. They came because of curiosity or because they needed his help.
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about Jesus’ works and the things that he taught and about the first Christians.disciples ~ people who follow someone in order to learn from him.
preach ~ to tell and explain the good news about Jesus to someone or to a group of people.
gospel ~ good news that God saves people from sin by Jesus Christ.
Gospel ~ one of the first four books in the New Testament.
save ~ rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about Jesus’ works and the things that he taught and about the first Christians.
spirit ~ the part of a person who is alive that we cannot see. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan and his angels.
angel ~ God’s special messenger.
Satan ~ the chief evil spirit.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
carpenter ~ a worker in wood or large trees, for houses, boats and buildings.
Aramaic ~ the language that the Jews spoke when Jesus was on earth.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
Abba ~ Aramaic word for father.
Aramaic ~ the language that the Jews spoke when Jesus was on earth.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together in the shape of a cross. People put Jesus on a cross in order to kill him.
religious ~ something that people do as part of the worship of God.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
Messiah ~ the Jews' word for the king who would come and rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
faith ~ belief in someone or something, or things that Christians believe about Jesus.
scriptures ~ the books in the Old Testament or in the Bible.
Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.
resurrection ~ when a dead person becomes alive again.
save ~ rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
Greek ~ the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about Jesus’ works and the things that he taught and about the first Christians.
Hebrew ~ the language of Jewish people.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything about Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil; sometimes it showed that God had chosen that person.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil; sometimes it showed that God had chosen that person.
kingdom ~ people or place that a king rules; or people that God rules.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something. A gift to God, often an animal or bird, by the Jews to ask God to forgive their sins. Jesus gave himself to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people (like John the Baptist).
baptise/baptism ~ to put a person in water, or to put water on a person. It is to show that they want to follow Christ.
'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.prophecy ~ words that God gave to a person to speak or to write down.'baptise/baptism ~ to put a person in water, or to put water on a person. It is to show that they want to follow Christ.
prophet ~ a person who told people what God wanted.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
Lord ~ master; a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we obey them.'baptise/baptism ~ to put a person in water, or to put water on a person. It is to show that they want to follow Christ.'Holy Spirit ~ God’s Spirit. We cannot see him but he is there.
Gentiles ~ people who are not Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything about Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.'baptise/baptism ~ to put a person in water, or to put water on a person. It is to show that they want to follow Christ.
temptation ~ something that tries to make us do wrong things.
Satan ~ the chief evil spirit.
spirit ~ the part of a person who is alive that we cannot see. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan and his angels.
angel ~ God’s special messenger.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
tempt ~ to try to make someone do wrong things.
physical ~ about the body.
miracle ~ a wonderful work that someone does by God’s power.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.'spiritual, spiritually ~ about the part of us that never dies.
repent ~ to change; to stop doing wrong things and to start to obey God.
Sabbath ~ seventh day of the week, a day of rest for Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
scribes ~ writers, especially the Jewish lawyers.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything about Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
scribes ~ writers, especially the Jewish lawyers.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything about Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
apostle ~ one of the 12 special men that Jesus sent out.