Gospel of Mark Chapter
1:12-20 December 17, 2016
Short Review;
Mark 1:1 This is the
beginning of the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
Mark’s gospel is like a shooting
script, as for a movie or
television. It moves
rapidly through a series of scenes or visual images, emphasizing action.
8 mins – then commercial
John the Baptist Prepares the Way, Verses
1-8
The Baptism of Jesus – 3 verses, 9, 10, 11
Next Section:
The
Temptation of Jesus – 2 Verses 12, 13
(12)
Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.
Immediately used again. Mark uses 7 different words to represent this
one Greek word.
The Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness.
This expression does not imply any violence; but seems that impulse on our
Lord to
retire from society. Sometimes,
the Spirit gives us an impulse to do something. Do not know why.
The
wilderness: The place is unknown.
Paul went to Arabia
(Galatians
1:16-18). Elijah went to Mt. Sinai (Mt. Horeb) which is in Arabia, the wilderness 1 Kings 19:4-8).
(13)
And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was
with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Matthew 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was
hungry.
Mark summaries
the details.
Mark does not describe the three separate acts of
temptation which are given both in Matthew and in Luke. But he has some
features of his own. They are expressed in the words “immediately,”
“driven,” “wild beasts.”
Mark description of the Temptation
contains,
4 quick statements
1. The Driving of the
Spirit:
He was there in the
wilderness forty days: The
Wilderness: wild beasts in
the wilderness. It was the scary part of the night for the wolf, the boar, the hyena, the
jackal, the leopard. It was lonely and depressing in its isolation and even
dangerous.
“...forty days”: [The details of the 3 temptations are in Matthew
4:1-11 & Luke 4:1-13.] Forty days is viewed
by some as suggestive of the 40 years in the wilderness of Israel. Having triumphed over the enemy, Jesus could now go forth and call individuals to become part of the Body of Christ.
The number 40 is mention 146 times in the
Scriptures and the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing,
judgment, trial or probation and with an emphasize on spiritual truth.
Rain on Noah and the earth forty days
and forty nights. (Genesis
7:12)
Moses lived 40 years
in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness, 40 with Israel. Moses was also, not once, but two times on
Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights.
(Exodus 24:18, 34:28)
Moses sent spies
for 40 days to investigate the land God promise the Israelites. (Numbers 14:34)
The prophet Jonah warned ancient city of Nineveh, for
forty days, that its destruction would come because of its many sins. (Jonah
3:4)
Elijah fled from Jezebel and traveled 40 days
and 40 nights. (1 Kings 19:8)
This is
interesting, but there is a very large debate about Numerology, a special
meaning behind every number in the Bible.
Do I place much belief on numbers in the Bible, no, not really, but I do
find it interesting.
2. Tempted by Satan: Satan:
the prince of darkness, was personally engaged. Tempted:
it is implied here, that the
temptation continued during the forty days, but the more
personal assault was made at the end.
We are being tempted every day that all
believers face, but Jesus overcame completely over Satan.
3. Was with the wild beasts: The Wild
Beasts: a graphic touch, enhancing the horror of the
scene. Threatened with physical danger from the wild beasts.
The mention of
being with wild beasts might especially speak to Roman Christians who
had seen those terrors in the arena.
4. The angels ministered to Him: The Ministering
Angels: Most likely with food, though not mentioned,
is implied.
Mark alone mentions the angels who were ministering to Christ
through the forty days.
Jesus Begins His
Ministry - 2 Verses
14, 15
(14) Now after John was put in
prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
John was imprisoned by Herod, What was the reason of this imprisonment,
Mark
6:17-20 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in
prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married
her. (18) Because John had said to Herod, "It is
not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." (19)
Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she
could not; (20) for Herod feared John, knowing that he was
a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many
things, and heard him gladly.
Mark proceeds to
the account of the Savior's public ministry in Galilee.
Here Mark
passes over a full year of Jesus’s ministry.
A summary.
Jesus came from
Jerusalem, Judea, to Galilee, where He had been
teaching most of the time since His baptism.
Herod had imprisoned John the Baptist in Machaerus
Prison; it was then that Jesus began His Galilean ministry. He announced
His mandate from Isaiah 61:1, 2 at the synagogue in Nazareth
(recorded in Luke 4).
Herod and the Pharisees also wanted Jesus,
and He sought safety in Galilee. It
shows we can flee persecution without a sacrifice of principle. Members fled Jerusalem a number of
times. Matthew 24:16.
The gospel of the kingdom of God: Jesus teaching about His future kingdom
reining on the earth. The last statement
the Apostles ask before His ascension.
Acts 1:6-7 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying,
"Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (7)
And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons
which the Father has put in His own authority.
(15) and saying, "The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel."
The time is fulfilled: the time appointed
for sending and the appearance of the Messiah, the time so long foretold, has
come by the Prophet Daniel.
Daniel 9:25-26
"Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the
command To restore and build Jerusalem Until
Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. (26)
"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah
shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is
to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be
with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Is at Hand: for setting up of the kingdom. The kingdom of God was present because Jesus
was here, call for us now to repent and receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus proclaimed the kingdom
of God. It was the subject of OT prophecy, and the theme was familiar to
Jesus' listeners.
Repent, and believe are both acts of faith. When a person accepts the
only true and worthy object of faith, Nothing and no one can fill that
God-shaped vacuum but Christ.
Repent ye - Exercise sorrow for sins, and turn from
them
Remember Peter’s sermon at Pentecost.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them,
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Believe the Gospel: Trust in the Gospel
or believe the Good News about Jesus Christ—in this case as
King of the future Kingdom on the earth and who
Jesus is.
Jesus Calls the
First Disciples - 5 Verses 16
- 20
(16)
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.
Jesus begins His Galilean Ministry.
As He was passing along
by the seashore towards Capernaum, Mark makes the picture realistic and catches
this glimpse of Jesus in action. He encountered four
disciples of John the Baptist whom He had previously met before.
These four were disciples of John the Baptist and remember, John the
Baptist was a cousin of Jesus. They had
known Jesus, but were now being called to a lifetime of service. These four disciples were commercial fishermen,
which was their trade and business and were partners in the business. They probably knew each other from the
Synagogue where they worship and were educated.
As a side: With this type of
livelihood, I would think it would be hard to get the fish smell off of
them.
John 1:35-37 Again, the next day, John stood with two of
his disciples. (36) And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said,
"Behold the Lamb of God!"
(37) The two disciples heard him
speak, and they followed Jesus.
John
1:40
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother.
Simon
and Andrew, James and John. Brothers.
(17)
Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become
fishers of men."
Call of Peter and Andrew
Jesus said, follow me: Leave your worldly employments, and become my
disciples, I will make you become fishers of men:
To save the souls of men and women, are more important and worth more
than fishes.
It was the Lord Jesus who took the initiative.
This was not their initial call to faith and salvation; it was a call to discipleship.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that
whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
To become: Mark added this word
It would be a slow and long process (3 and ½ years), but Jesus would undertake to make fishers of men
out of fishermen, hardworking people. Jesus uses figures of speech that His
listeners would readily understand.
(18)
They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Here is that word, immediately again.
They left their nets and followed him: From this
time they never
looked back at what they were working at and then started their training for 3 ½ years under Jesus. This also meant they left their father and
mother and other family members.
(19)
When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son
of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending
their nets.
a little farther: Words Added by Mark
two sets of brothers
James, John: This description is
very colorful. Simon and Andrew are fishing when we encounter them; James and
John are mending their nets. Such details indicate the testimony of an
eyewitness, probably Peter.
Remember, James was killed by Herod with the sword and John was known as
the beloved disciple.
(20)
And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in
the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
They were not poor fishermen: had a fishing business, they had servants,
When the brothers left, the hired servants remained with their father. They owned the boats, not cheap.
Mark Gospel alone
has this detail of the hired servants left with Zebedee
At first thought, why would the brothers leave their father alone and no
help with the fishing business? This is
why Mark added the comments “with the hired servants” and we know there is help
for the father.
The hired servants were hired for that purpose, to assist in mending the
nets, and casting them, and managing the ship, and conducting it from place to
place, and therefore were not to help their father; and such was the power that
went along with Christ's call, that notwithstanding natural love for their
parents.
Apparently as many as seven of our Lord’s disciples
were fishermen
John 21:1-3 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the
Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: (2) Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael
of Cana in Galilee, the sons of
Zebedee, and two others of His
disciples were together. (3) Simon Peter said to them, "I am going
fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They
went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
Matthew was
a tax-collector (Matthew 10:3).
Judas, a man
from the south, a non-Galilean from Judah, handle the funds for the group, only none Galilee person from Kerioth,
Moab. Simon called Zealot (Luke 6:15) means
political - religious party for Jewish
political independence.
We will stop here and pick up next time when we cover the Gospel of
Mark.
Think about what we covered
Mark 1:12-20 Immediately the Spirit drove Him
into the wilderness. (13) And He was there in the wilderness forty
days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered
to Him.
(14) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came
to 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, and believe in the gospel."
(16) 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. (17) Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and
I will make you become fishers of men."
(18) They immediately left their nets and followed
Him. (19) When He had gone a little farther from there,
He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were
in the boat mending their nets.
(20) And immediately He called them, and they left
their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
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