Tuesday Night Group (TNG ) Notes
Stay up to date on our weekly study of the Gospel of Mark
Mark 1:12 – Jesus is our example of what it means to be saved.
“At once” – Mark has a sense of urgency.
The Spirit “sent”, “drove”, “led”, quite literally in the Greek “the Spirit cast him forth”.
“Wilderness” – Not just a physical location but a symbolic representation of a challenging situation where one’s character and commitment to God are tested.
Mark 1:13 – “Forty days” – The rain of the flood. Moses’ time on the mountain. Elijah’s time in the cave. Nineveh’s time to repent. Israelites time in the wilderness. Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
“Tempted” – Temptation isn’t sin, Hebrews 4:15.
“Satan” – Adversary or opponent – A Hebrew word (Old Testament) referring to someone who opposes or accuses another person. Used as a description of the personified evil force that goes by the name the Devil.
Matthew and Luke refer to three specific temptations of Jesus, all overcome by the word of God. Mark doesn’t refer to any specific temptations.
“He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” – Jesus is the master of creation. In Greek grammar, the emphasis on “with” represents that Jesus was at peace with the wild animals. Jesus also has authority over angels, because they attended to him.
Mark 1:14 - “After John was put in prison” – We will dig deeper into this in Mark 6:17-28. Suffice it to say, Jesus’ ministry started after John’s ministry ended.
“Jesus went to Galilee” – Most of Jesus’ ministry occurs in Galilee. Located north of Judea and Jerusalem, where Jews and Gentiles lived together, though usually in their own villages. According to Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian, the population was around 3 million. (Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Charlotte counties – 3.6 million)
“Proclaiming” – Preaching – Jesus brought the message of God’s rule on earth. Just not the message that many were expecting.
“Good news” – Gospel – A kingdom of love, not subjugation; of grace, not law; of humility, not pride; for all people, not only Jews; to be received by faith, not earned through works.
Mark 1:15 - “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near.” – Two Greek words for “time”: chronos meaning simple chronological time. And kairos, meaning the strategic opportunity, the decisive time. Jesus used kairos. The idea is: The strategic time of the kingdom of God is now. Now is your opportunity. Don’t miss it.
“Repent” – To turn around. You have to change your direction in order to experience the kingdom of God. Repentance doesn’t describe something we must do before we come to God; it describes what coming to God is like. If you are in Sarasota and I tell you to come to Tampa, I don’t need to tell you to leave Sarasota.
“Believe” – Not something that you do, but someone you are. Jesus wants you to know what it’s like to live in the kingdom. For the kingdom is not just about morality. It’s about trusting God and living in a relationship with God.
Jesus uses the word pisteuo that we translate as “believe”. This word means so much more than knowledge or agreement in the mind. It speaks of a relationship of trust and dependence. There’s a difference between believing the gospel and believing in the gospel.
Don’t just accept the gospel as intellectually accurate, but live in it, rest in it and let your heart find peace in it.
Mark 1:16 – Simon, who we know as Peter, and his brother Andrew were common men. Jesus chose disciples not because of how the culture labeled them. But for what Jesus could do through them.
The job of fisherman in Jesus’ day was difficult. Fishermen worked year-round in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, often at night. Fishermen were a hardy group of people, accustomed to difficult work and long hours.
The Greek word for fish (ichthus) came to represent Jesus’ name. The fish itself became the symbol for Jesus and a way for early followers to connect with each other. Because of Roman persecution, when a follower of Jesus would meet someone, they would draw half a fish and if the other person finished the fish they knew that they were also a follower of Jesus.
“Sea” and “lake” are both used to describe where Jesus met his first disciples. The Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias, Genezareth Lake or Lake Kinneret, will play a central role in Jesus’ ministry. Its total area covers 64 square miles. In comparison, Lake Okeechobee covers 730 square miles.
Mark 1:17 – “Come, follow me” – This is what Christianity is all about, following Jesus. Christianity isn’t about theological systems, rules or even helping people. Being a Christian means that you follow Jesus.
Following is a recognition of position - The superior always walks ahead and the inferior follows. There’s a teacher/student implication in the concept of following. Disciple literally means “someone who is being taught”.
“Send” – These men will receive something wonderful in following Jesus: forgiveness of sin, eternal life and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It’s only right for them to offer these very same gifts to others. An apostle is someone who has been sent. They aren’t apostles, yet. For Jesus will “send” them at some point in the future.
“Fish for people” – Notice that Jesus doesn’t send us out to “catch people”. When you load up your boat, pack your cooler and head out early in the morning, you’re going fishing. This doesn’t mean that you will catch anything. The goal of a follower of Jesus is to fish. The catching is not in our control. Yet, nobody catches if nobody goes fishing.
As followers of Jesus, we’re called to do what Jesus did. It’s the empowerment model of compounding interest – It all starts with one and then grows to four and then to twelve and then to hundreds and then thousands and then millions and on and on and on.
Mark 1:18 – “At once” – Mark uses the Greek word euthus, which means “immediately”, 40 times in his gospel. This contributes to Mark’s fast-paced, action-oriented narrative. Mark emphasizes the urgency of Jesus’ work, the importance of his mission and the need for immediate response.
Eschatological – “Relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.” Every New Testament author has an eschatological perspective. For every New testament author believed that they were living in the last days.
Mark 1:19 – “Preparing their nets” – The Greek term means to complete thoroughly, to repair or adjust, to fit, frame, mend, to make perfect, to perfectly join together, to prepare or restore. What James and John were doing to their nets was exactly what Jesus came to do to the world.
“Without delay” – Another of the 40 uses of the Greek word euthus.
“Left their father Zebedee” – To leave what you know to be, in pursuit of what can be. For what you know to be is good. But it just might be preventing you from experiencing the great of what can be. This wasn’t an attack on Zebedee or the family business. This was simply a new calling for James and John.
“John” – This is believed to be the author of the Gospel of John and the last book in the Bible, Revelation. If so, John was one of the first disciples called and the last disciple to die.
Mark 1:21 – “Capernaum” – A village on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. The Capernaum Beach area was where Jesus had been walking, when he called Simon and Andrew and James and John. Jesus will spend a considerable amount of time in Capernaum, serving as the home base for his Galilean ministry.
Capernaum means “village of Nahum”. Nahum was an Old Testament prophet who wrote about 660 years before Jesus was born. His name means “comfort”. Nahum’s message was a prophetic vision addressed to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The message was that God would destroy the city because of its wickedness. Not a word of comfort to Nineveh, but it was a word of comfort to Judah.
“Sabbath” – Saturday, the seventh day of the week. The day that God rested in the creation story found in Genesis. The Fourth Commandment found in Exodus 20:8 - “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” It is to be a day of rest and dedicated to God.
How one dedicates the Sabbath to God became a point of contention between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. The law taught that no work could be done on the Sabbath. Jesus taught that doing good and helping people, even on the Sabbath, was more important than following strict interpretations of the law.
“Synagogue” – Basically, a Jewish church. Comes from the Greek word sunagwghv, which means assembly. A Synagogue could only be established if there was a group of at least ten Jewish adult men, called a minyan.
All had a similar functional design. A large central space for worship. A Torah ark, usually opposite the main entrance. A bimnah, or raised platform for reading and conducting services. There would also be some sort of partition or mechitza, to separate the men and the women.
Typically, Synagogues had no set teachers. They practiced a custom of “the freedom of the Synagogue”, where guests were invited to speak on the Scripture reading for that day.
Mark 1:22 – “The people were amazed at his teaching” – We don’t know what Jesus taught, but we do know the response from the people.
“As one who had authority” – The scribes and teachers of Jesus’ day rarely taught boldly. They would simply repeat what other Rabbis had taught. Jesus taught with “authority” because he was God. Jesus taught with “authority” because he knew what he was talking about. He was actually present when the scriptures that he was reading were written.
What Mark is lifting up to us, his readers, is that authority flows from submission. Jesus submitted to being born as a baby in the manger. Jesus submitted to baptism. Jesus submitted to the Holy Spirit in the wilderness. Now, flowing out of that submission comes authority. And we are to submit to that authority.
Submission and authority are interdependent. Submission cannot exist without authority and authority is only meaningful when someone is willing to submit to it. It’s a voluntary relationship where one follows another’s lead. It’s an act of trust and respect for the authority. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your maters happiness.”
Mark 1:23 – “Just then” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
“Possessed by an impure spirit” – Mark uses the same grammar that Paul uses to describe a follower of Jesus being “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This demonstrates that Jesus is in us and we are in him. The same understanding that George Lucas brought us in the Star Wars universe – “I’m one with the Force and the Force is with me.” As a follower of Jesus, you’re possessed by the Holy Spirit, in the right sense. Because this possession is only for good.
Things that make you go “Hmmm?” Jesus’ first exorcism happens in church.
Mark 1:24 – “I know who you are” – The demon knew who Jesus was and testified that he was “the Holy One of God”. Don’t be fooled, the evil spiritual powers of this world know scripture better than you do.
Mark 1:25 – “Be quiet! Come out of him!” – Here we see the authority of Jesus, that the people experienced in his teaching, proved in a concrete way. There were other exorcisms in Jesus’ day. But most were theatrical, long and drawn out performances that brought fame and prestige to the exorcist. Jesus had no need or desire for a spectacle. He simply commanded the impure spirit to shut up and get out. And the spirit listened, because the spirit had no choice but to listen.
Mark 1:27 – “Amazed” – Greek thambeo which means “to be astonished, with a touch of fear.”
“What is this?” – The Hebrew for “What is this?” is manna. Moses describes manna as “the bread that the Lord has given you to eat”. (Exodus 16:15)
Mark 1:28 – “News about him spread quickly” – The story of Jesus exorcising a demon with just his words spread quickly. Many people are first drawn to Jesus by their physical need for a miracle. That’s a good place to start. But stay with Jesus for the spiritual healing.
Mark 1:29 – “As soon as” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
It’s the Sabbath, after Synagogue worship. Instead of going to a local restaurant for lunch, Jesus went to Simon and Andrew’s home with James and John.
Mark 1:30 – Simon Peter was married and his mother-in-law lived with them.
“Immediately” – Mark’s sense of urgency. Maybe they wouldn’t have said anything if Jesus hadn’t exorcised that demon in the Synagogue. But now they knew that he had the power to heal.
Mark 1:31 – It was the Sabbath but Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law simply by taking her hand and helping her up. Obviously, Jesus interprets the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” differently than the culture in which he was living.
We will see that Jesus heals people in a very personal way. No magical incantations or formula prayers needed. Jesus simply meets people where they are and heals them in the way they need to be healed.
In Jesus’ day Jewish civil and ceremonial law was governed by a book called the Talmud. In it, Simon’s mother-in-law had what was referred to as “a burning fever”. It was and still is very prevalent in that particular part of Galilee. The Talmud teaches how to deal with this kind of fever. A knife made of pure iron was to be tied by a braid of the sick person’s hair to a thorn bush. On successive days you would repeat, first, Exodus 3:2&3; second Exodus 3:4; and finally Exodus 3:5. Then a magical formula was pronounced, and thus the cure was supposed to be achieved.
“She began to wait on them” – Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t teaching that a woman’s place is serving men. This is simply the way that Simon’s mother-in-law showed her gratitude for being healed. She served in response to what Jesus had done for her.
Mark 1:32 – 34 - “After sunset” – The Sabbath was officially over. So, the word of what happened in the Synagogue had gone through the whole town. So, the people came with the sick and the demon possessed. Jesus healed them and drove out the demons. But he didn’t let the demons speak, because they knew who he was.
The Messianic Secret – Mark doesn’t want his audience to get lost in the miracles, the healings and the exorcisms. For Mark, it’s important that we know that Jesus came to die on the cross and be raised on the third day. Jesus came to save us from sin and death. The miracles, the healings and the exorcisms are simply icing on the cake.
Jesus didn’t just come to save us. He also came to show us what it looks like to be saved.
Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning” - Jesus found that very early in the morning was a wonderful time for him to be alone and pray. This in no way is a law. It’s not as important to focus on when Jesus prayed, but that Jesus prayed.
“Solitary place” – Along with the wilderness this represents a place of isolation and quiet, ideal for seeking God’s guidance and presence. Both are a place of encounter.
“Prayed” – Public Prayer – Involves a group of people – church, family meals, bedtime prayers with children, prayers for sick people in the hospital, etc. Public prayers are meant to encourage others in their faith and deepen one’s experience of being a child of God.
Private Prayers – Just you and God. More genuine, deeper, intimate communication with God. Complete sentences aren’t necessary. Rambling thoughts welcomed. And listening is encouraged.
Mark 1:36 & 37 – When do you realize that something is lost? When you want it. You don’t look for your car keys, until you want to take the car. Simon and the others wanted Jesus. So, they went to look for him. When they awoke and couldn’t find Jesus, they assumed he was lost. This was early in their relationship. They will soon learn that when they can’t find Jesus, he’s simply off in some solitary place praying.
Peter is the one who taught Mark. So, Mark is sharing Peter’s perspective. Peter, a few days earlier, had been a simple fisherman. Now he was playing host to Jesus and everyone was at his house wanting more Jesus.
This is a crossroad moment. An intersection where a decision must be made. Will Jesus go back to Simon and Andrew’s house and continue to heal and exorcise demons? Or will he do something else. One decision is good, the other is great. Sometimes it’s the good in our lives that prevents us from experiencing God’s great. This is precisely why private prayer, in a solitary place, is so vital. For you never know when one of these crossroad moments are going to occur.
Mark 1:38-39 – “Let us go somewhere else.” – Jesus could’ve gone back to Simon and Andrew’s house and built a successful church. The word was spreading and people would’ve come from all over the world to hear him teach and to seek a miraculous healing. Yet, Jesus didn’t come to start a church. Jesus didn’t even come to start a new religion. Jesus came to fulfill that which God has been up to since the beginning of time. Reconciling our broken relationships with each other and with God.
The Messianic Secret – Jesus came to die on the cross and on the third day rise from the dead. The teachings, the miracles, the healings and the exorcisms were good, but simply icing on the cake.
Mark 1:40 – “Leprosy” - Literally eats someone away until they die. Leviticus 13-14 teaches that lepers are to be carefully quarantined and examined. Lepers had to dress like people in mourning, because they were considered to be the living dead. They had to warn people around them by announcing “Unclean! Unclean!”
By Jesus’ day, leprosy wasn’t only seen as a horrible contagious disease, but it also became a physical example of the effect of sin in someone’s life. Leprosy was thought to be your fault, because of the sin in your life. Retribution Theory: If something bad happens to you, it’s been caused by your sinful life. Jewish custom taught that you had to stay six feet away from a leper.
“If you are willing” – This man believed that Jesus could help him. He just wasn’t sure if Jesus would help him.
“Make me clean” – This man didn’t ask to be healed. He asked to be made clean. Being made clean was such a bigger ask than simply being healed. Being clean meant that this man believed that he had sin in his life that needed to be exorcised.
Mark 1:41 – “Indignant” – Feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base. Some manuscripts use “filled with compassion”.
Indignant seems harsh. Yet, the passage doesn’t say that Jesus was indignant towards this man. Jesus’ indignation was toward a cultural context. A context that created a scenario in which a man, who was very sick, would come to Jesus, knowing that he could heal him. But asked if Jesus would be willing to heal him.
“He reached out his hand and touched the man” – Jesus meets people where they are. Jesus healed this man by touching him. Something that would have made Jesus unclean. In this healing touch, Jesus sent the message that the cultural context, for which Jesus felt so much indignation, was wrong. It probably had been a long time since this man actually felt the touch of another human being.
“I am willing” – What is God’s name? I Am (Exodus 3:14). God is willing. Willing to meet you where you are and touch you, cleanse you and heal you.
“Be clean” – Jesus gave this man exactly what he asked for, in verse 40. Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 both teach us this same truth: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you". For this man, he needed to be made clean in order to be healed. So, Jesus met him where he was and made him clean.
Mark 1:42 – “Immediately” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
“The leprosy left him and he was cleansed” – A two for one special. This man was not only healed of leprosy, he was also cleansed of what his culture had taught him about being unclean.
Mark 1:43-45 – “See that you don’t tell anyone” – Mark’s Messianic Secret
“As a testimony to them” – Jesus told this man to go to the priests to undergo the Levitical ceremony for the cleansing of a leper (Leviticus 14:4-7). This was to be a testimony to the priests because lepers were never healed. Thus, no priest had ever conducted this ceremony. This would be a testimony that the Messiah was among them.
“Instead…As a result” – The man didn’t listen to Jesus. He never went to the priests, as Jesus told him. He decided to talk freely to anyone and everyone about what Jesus had done. The result? “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.”
Mark 2:1 – “A few days later” – Mark’s sense of urgency is tempered, so that we would understand that Jesus had truly left Capernaum, like he said in Mark 1:38-39.
Mark 2:2 – We don’t know what Jesus was preaching, only that he was preaching. He couldn’t even get out of the house, before the people had gathered to hear him. We believe this to be Simon and Andrew’s house.
Mark 2:3 – We don’t know who these men were, but they believed that Jesus would heal their friend. For they carried him to Jesus.
In Jesus’ day it was rare that a paralyzed man would have four friends willing to risk cultural and religious alienation by coming into contact with someone considered to be unclean. Physical ailments were often seen as a result of sin – The Retribution Theory.
Mark 2:4 – Most roofs were accessible by means of an outside stairway. Roofs were extra, outside living spaces, like lanais. They were made of thatch, dirt or tile laid over beams.
A bold move tearing up someone else’s roof in order to get their friend to Jesus. And ponder this: The faith of the friends. For it would’ve been a lot harder to lift a paralyzed man back up through the roof, than it would be for him to simply get up and walk out of the house.
Mark 2:5 – “When Jesus saw their faith” – Faith is always revealed through actions. Jesus could literally see the faith of the four friends, who obviously were serving as the feet for the faith of the paralyzed man.
“Son, your sins are forgiven” – Jesus wasn’t confirming the Retribution Theory. He wasn’t saying that this man’s sin had caused him to be paralyzed. Jesus was simply meeting this man where he was. This man needed to know that his sins were forgiven, in order for him to be healed.
Mark 2:6 – “Teachers of the law” – Jewish scholars and experts on Mosaic Law, responsible for interpreting and teaching the scriptures.
Mark 1:22 - Jesus taught “as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law”.
“Thinking to themselves” – What we’re about to read is happening in the minds of the teachers of the law.
Mark 2:7 – “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” – This is the right question. But the wrong preconceived answer. The teachers of the law had a perspective problem. The Messiah was to be God’s chosen one. Not God in human form. The Messiah was to be an earthly, warrior king, who would release Israel from the bondage of the Romans.
They were unable to see God right in front of them. Because they weren’t looking for God, right in front of them. Thus, Jesus had to be a blasphemer. This is the very charge that in three years will bring Jesus to the cross.
Mark 2:8 – “Immediately” – There’s Mark’s sense of urgency again.
“Why are you thinking these things?” – Whether this was Jesus’ divinity shining through or if this was a spiritual gift of discernment, the teachers of the law had to be shocked and awed by the fact that Jesus knew what they were thinking.
Mark 2:9 – “Which is easier” – For humans, healing and forgiving sins are both impossible. Yet, for God, all things are possible. Thus, it’s a logical assumption that if Jesus has the power to heal the man’s disease, he also has authority to forgive his sins.
It was actually harder to heal the man. For the proof of healing could be seen. There’s no visual proof of forgiveness of sins.
Jesus was meeting the teachers of the law on their own scholarly ground. It was taught that there’s no sick man healed, until all his sins have been forgiven. To the Jews a sick man was a man with whom God was angry – Retribution Theory.
Mark 2:10 – “Son of Man” – Jesus often uses this title for himself. It’s a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the coming King of Glory, coming to judge the world, has the title Son of Man.
Mark 2:11 – “Get up, take your mat and go home” - Jesus didn’t touch the man. Jesus didn’t pray over the man. Jesus didn’t use a magical incantation. Jesus simply spoke his healing into being.
Mark 2:12 – “He got up, took his mat and walked out” – The tension in the room was thick. The teachers of the law were tense, because Jesus had challenged them. The paralyzed man was tense, because he wondered if he would be healed. The crowd was tense, because they sensed everyone else’s tension. Simon and Andrew were tense, because they had a hole in their roof. James and John were tense, because if Jesus failed, where would that leave them? The four friends were tense, because they were wondering what they had done. The only one not tense was Jesus.
Not only was this man healed, but he immediately had the strength and the muscle memory to get up and walk. No need for physical therapy or rehabilitation here.
“We have never seen anything like this” – Based on the beliefs of the teachers of the law, this man could not be healed, unless he was forgiven. He was healed. Thus, he must’ve been forgiven. Therefore, Jesus’ claim to forgive sins must be true and not blasphemy.
Mark 2:13 – “He began to teach them” – Jesus was focused. Continuing with his ministry outlined in Mark 1:38.
Mark 2:14 – “Levi son of Alphaeus” – This is Matthew. He refers to himself as Matthew is his own gospel (Matthew 9:9). There’s no official explanation of when or how his name was changed from Levi to Matthew.
More importantly than his name was his profession. Tax collectors were considered traitors, because they worked for the Roman government and had the force of the Roman army behind them. Tax collectors were known to charge more taxes than was needed. Thus, lining their own pockets with the profits.
Tax collectors were outcasts. They were disqualified as a judge or a witness in court, they were excommunicated from the synagogue and considered a disgrace to their extended family.
“Follow me” – The decision to follow Jesus was more of a risk for Levi (Matthew) than for Jesus. Yes, the religious leaders will be upset that Jesus was hanging out with tax collectors. But, they were already upset with him over the healing of the paralyzed man (Mark 2:7). Levi (Matthew) could never go back to being a tax collector again. Leaving his post would be seen by the Roman government as betrayal. And even though tax collectors were hated, the positions were sought after, because people wanted to be rich.
Mark 2:15 – “Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house” – Levi’s (Matthew’s) going away party! Eating at the same table with people was a sign of friendship and relationship.
“For there were many who followed him” – Here in lies the Jesus scandal, the revolutionary aspect of God’s nature that Jesus revealed: God actively seeks the lost. And the lost were starting to realize this truth and they were responding.
Mark 2:16 – “Pharisees” – The name Pharisee means “separated ones”. They separated themselves from everything they thought was unholy, and they thought everyone except themselves was separated from the love of God.
“They asked his disciples” – An attempt to triangle Jesus’ disciples. Since they were unsuccessful attacking Jesus head on, they now went to his disciples. The hope was to plant seeds of doubt that would destroy Jesus’ ministry from the inside.
Mark 2:17 – “On hearing this, Jesus said to them” – Jesus only had three years to get the disciples ready. So, he took every opportunity to teach. The disciples were ill-equipped to respond to the Pharisees. And Jesus knew the game they were playing. So, Jesus stepped in and gave an answer that was both simple and profound. An answer that both put the Pharisees in their place and taught the disciples a very important aspect of the nature of God. Jesus is the physician of the soul and it makes sense for him to be with those who were sick with sin.
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor” - Jesus is the perfect physician for your soul: He’s always available. He always has the perfect diagnosis. He provides a complete cure. And he even pays all the bills.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” – Who are the righteous? Not the Pharisees. Their behavior, just in these few verses, proves that they aren’t righteous. Not the tax collectors and the sinners. The only difference between them and the Pharisees is that the tax collectors and the sinners know that they aren’t righteous. For the Pharisees have been telling them this all their lives. So, who has Jesus come to call? All of us!
Mark 2:18 – “Fasting” – The voluntary abstinence from food and sometimes drink, for a specific period of time. The purpose is the seeking of God, repentance and humility, prayer and spiritual growth, seeking guidance or expressing grief or mourning.
“Some people came and asked Jesus” – The Pharisees were well known for fasting twice a week (Luke 18:12). The disciples of John fasted because his ministry stressed repentance. There’s a time for every season under heaven, even fasting.
Mark 2:19 – “How can guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?” – Jesus, again, responds to a question with a question. This puts the emphasis of thought and introspection back on the questioner.
The illustration of a wedding was powerful for Jewish people. During the weeklong wedding celebration, rabbis declared that joy was more important than observing religious rituals.
Mark 2:20 – “But the time will come…” – Always pay attention to the ”buts” in the Bible! Jesus knew his physical, immediate presence would not always be with his disciples. When he was physically gone, it would be more appropriate to fast.
“Taken” – Jesus’ first allusion to the fact that he would have to suffer, at the hands of others.
Mark 2:21 – “No one sews…” - The old garment represents the established religious traditions and practices of Judaism. The unshrunk cloth represents the new teachings of Jesus. The problem is if you sew a new piece of cloth on an old garment, the new piece of cloth will shrink more than the old, causing the patch to pull away and make the tear worse.
Mark 2:22 – “No one pours new wine…” – Old wineskins become stiff and brittle and their leather can no longer stretch to accommodate the pressure created by the fermentation of new wine. Which will result in the skins bursting, spilling the new wine and destroying the wineskins. The new wine represents the new teachings and covenant of Jesus, while the old wineskins represents the old religious practices and traditions.
Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old. This is what salvation is all about. In doing this, Jesus doesn’t destroy the old (the law), but he fulfills it. Just as an acorn is fulfilled when it grows into an oak tree. The acorn might be gone, but it’s purpose is fulfilled in the greatness of the tree.
Mark 2:23 – “Sabbath” – Exodus 20:8 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The seventh day of the week (Saturday). The day that God rested in creation. A day set aside for rest and a reminder of God’s creation.
By Jesus’ time a great deal had been added to this simple command to rest and remember God’s creation. Rabbis filled Judaism with elaborate rituals related to Sabbath observance. Like, a man could not carry something in his right hand or left hand, across his chest or on his shoulder. But you could carry something with the back of your hand, with your foot, with your elbow or in your ear, your hair or the hem of your skirt or your shoe or sandal. You were forbidden to tie a knot in anything, except women could tie a knot in their girdles.
“Pick some heads of grain” – There was nothing wrong with what they did because gleaning was not considered stealing, according to Deuteronomy 23:25. The issue was only the day on which they did it.
Mark 2:24 – “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” – The simple answer: They were hungry. The more complicated answer: Jesus often deliberately broke man’s legalistic additions to the law, in order to teach us something about God and ourselves.
Mark 2:25-26 – How did Jesus respond to the Pharisee’s question? With a question. Are you seeing a pattern? “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?”
1 Samuel 21:1-6 – David wants to eat the holy bread, set apart for the Lord and to be eaten only by the priests. He wants to feed himself and his hungry men. The survival of David and his men was more important than the religious ritual of holy bread.
This is what many people, steeped in tradition, simply cannot accept: That what God really wants is mercy before sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). That love for others is more important than religious rituals (Isaiah 58:1-9). “That the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart; these, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Any application of any religious law that becomes a detriment to people is out of harmony with God’s purpose.
“The days of Abiathar” – According to 1 Samuel 21:1 Ahimelech was the high priest and Abiathar was his son, who served as high priest after him. Possible explanations: Possibly Ahimelech and Abiathar served together as co-high priests. Possibly Jesus was simply stating that this happened while Abiathar was alive, not while he was high priest. Possibly Jesus used Abiathar to refer to the Old Testament passage about Abiathar, rather than a direct reference to the man himself. This is the way that the Jews identified sections of the Word, since their manuscripts did not yet have chapters and verses, as we have today in our Bibles.
Mark 2:27 – “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God’s intention in designating the Sabbath was for the benefit of all people. The Sabbath was meant to serve all of us. By Jesus’ day it had turned upside-down. We were serving the Sabbath. It had become something that we had to do, a law we had to keep, in order to stay in God’s good graces. As opposed to God’s original intention of the Sabbath being something that we wanted to do, because it was a gift from God.
Mark 2:28 – “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” “Son of Man” – Jesus often uses this title for himself. It’s a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the coming King of Glory, coming to judge the world, has the title Son of Man.
If the King of Glory, coming to judge the world, was not offended by his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath, then the Pharisees needed to not be offended either.
Mark 3:1 – “Jesus went into the synagogue” – Was he looking for trouble? Jesus went into the synagogue because that’s who he is, someone who worships.
“A man with a shriveled hand was there” – Was he there because he knew Jesus was going to be there? Or was he simply there because worshiping in the synagogue was who he was? Regardless of the reason, he was there and showing up is sometimes the hardest part.
Mark 3:2 – “They watched him closely to see if he world heal him on the Sabbath.” – It wasn’t a question of if Jesus could heal this man. The question was if Jesus would heal this man. The belief in Jesus’ ability to heal this man didn’t draw the Pharisees closer to Jesus. They had already made up their minds about Jesus and not even a miracle could change their minds. It’s as if a man could fly, but the authorities wanted to know if he had a pilot’s license. These critics had faith in Jesus. They simply didn’t like Jesus.
Mark 3:3 – “Stand up in front of everyone” – This man didn’t ask Jesus to heal him. We don’t even know if this man believed that Jesus could or would heal him. This poor guy was simply going to worship, minding his own business, and was suddenly thrust into the middle of a battle between the Pharisees and Jesus.
Mark 3:4 – “Jesus asked them” – Jesus directs a question to the Pharisees, who he knows are waiting to see what he would do. Nobody has said anything, but Jesus knows the hearts of those in the synagogue.
Again, we see that Jesus asks a question. The use of questions forces us, and those being asked, to think for ourselves. For we have to answer a question for ourselves, if only to ourselves.
“Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” Sabbath tradition taught that if you cut your finger, you could stop the bleeding. But you couldn’t put ointment on the cut. You could stop it from getting worse, but you weren’t allowed to make it better. In asking this question Jesus is emphasizing a truth about the Sabbath (and any other day for that matter) – There’s never a wrong day to do something good.
“But they remained silent” – Remained because nobody had said anything up to that point. Everything that we’ve read, in the first three verses of this chapter, have been from Jesus’ understanding of the hearts of those in the Synagogue. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
Mark 3:5 – “He looked around at them in anger” – Jesus wasn’t angry at their silence. Jesus was angry at what their silence said. Yes, there’s such a thing as righteous anger. It’s not only okay, it’s expected!
This was a perfect opportunity for all of them to change their minds about Jesus and their traditions. Yet, they had already made up their minds about Jesus and their traditions. Not even a miracle of healing, that they already believed Jesus could do, was going to change their minds.
Jesus was always teaching. He only had three years! He used this occasion to provoke a response, not only from the Pharisees, but also from everyone who was witnessing this event. Jesus could have done this the next day. Jesus could have done this privately. But he chose this time and this place. Again, the man with the shriveled hand has yet to ask Jesus to be healed.
“Stretch out your hand” – This command of Jesus would have been impossible for the man. For how could a man, with a shriveled hand, stretch it out? This is Jesus’ way of asking the man if he wants to be healed. If his answer is “Yes”, he will stretch out his hand. If his answer is “No”, he won’t. Finally, this man has a part in his own play.
Joshua 3:13 – The priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, had to step into the Jordan River and then God would stop the river from flowing. As followers, we’re called to believe, before we experience.
This is the possibility of faith. This man’s healing was possible. But he had to stretch out his hand in order to be healed. The stretching out of his hand didn’t heal him. His faith in Jesus, which was demonstrated by the stretching out of his hand, healed him.
In the same way, crossing the Jordan River safely was possible. But the Priests had to step into the very waters, that made the crossing impossible, in order for the crossing to be possible. The stepping into the waters didn’t make the Jordan River stop flowing. Their faith, which was demonstrated by stepping into the waters, made the Jordan River stop flowing.
Mark 3:6 – “Began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus” – Herodians – A political party that was sympathetic to King Herod and interested in maintaining the status quo of Roman authority in the region. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Even if you don’t agree with them on anything else but your shared enemy.
Which is worse – healing a man’s shriveled hand on the Sabbath or plotting the kill someone on the Sabbath?
This is the first recorded instance of the desire to kill Jesus, not just silence him or discredit him. This is the beginning of what would culminate in the crucifixion. Getting rid of Jesus once and for all. Jokes on them!
Mark 3:7 – “Jesus withdrew with his disciples” – We’ve just come out of the synagogue on the Sabbath and Jesus wants to get away with his disciples.
“A large crowd from Galilee followed” – We’re very early in Jesus’ ministry, but he already has a hard time getting away from the crowds.
Mark 3:8 – “When they heard about all he was doing” – The crowd was attracted to Jesus because of his miraculous works, not his message. Which is a very good place to start. We all come to Jesus because of what he can do for us. The trick is staying with Jesus because of who he is.
Jerusalem – 85 miles south of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon – 35 miles northeast of Capernaum. Idumea – 100 miles southwest of Capernaum.
Mark 3:9 – “Because of the crowd…” – Jesus wanted a small boat so that he could be a safe distance from the crowd. The boat also could be used as a pulpit, allowing Jesus to teach the crowds from the safety of the water.
Mark 3:10 – “Were pushing forward to touch him” – Can you blame them? If you were sick and Jesus was in the area, wouldn’t you want to go to see him?
Mark 3:11 – “Whenever the impure spirits saw him” – First of all, there were demon possessed people coming to see Jesus. Proving that a Jesus event was like a popular concert. Many people came to see Jesus that had no interest in who Jesus was.
“You are the Son of God” – This phrase points to Jesus being God in the flesh. This concept is both true and at the root of our faith as followers of Jesus. Yet, it might not have been what people would have immediately thought of when they heard this term in Jesus’s time, as this term had a variety of meanings. Angels were called “sons of God.” Perhaps even more relevant is the idea that the king could be called a “son of God.” We see God speak about a special relationship of sonship for the kings of Israel, so saying someone was a “son of God” might not mean that they are divine and worthy of worship. Even now, there is another sense in which we use the term “son of God” that does not point to someone being divine or equal in essence to God, as we say that fellow followers are “sons and daughters of God.” We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Thus, at first glance, one could think of Jesus’s identity as the “son of God” as being another reference to this identification as the promised one to come from the line of David to deliver God’s people.
Mark 3:12 – “But…” – Always pay attention to the “buts” in the Bible. Mark’s Messianic Secret. Jesus tries to keep his true identity a secret. Several thoughts as to why: One thought is that it was a way to reconcile the early church’s belief in Jesus as the Messiah with the fact that Jesus himself didn’t overtly claim this title for himself. Another thought is that Mark uses this theological concept to illustrate the point that Jesus’ miracles, teachings and healings were good. But the great of Jesus is found in the death and resurrection. Don’t get lost in all the other stuff and miss the true significance of who Jesus is. Finally, others believe that Jesus wanted to control the narrative. He didn’t want others introducing him to the world. He wanted to do that on his own terms, in his own time frame.
“At once” – Mark has a sense of urgency.
The Spirit “sent”, “drove”, “led”, quite literally in the Greek “the Spirit cast him forth”.
“Wilderness” – Not just a physical location but a symbolic representation of a challenging situation where one’s character and commitment to God are tested.
Mark 1:13 – “Forty days” – The rain of the flood. Moses’ time on the mountain. Elijah’s time in the cave. Nineveh’s time to repent. Israelites time in the wilderness. Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
“Tempted” – Temptation isn’t sin, Hebrews 4:15.
“Satan” – Adversary or opponent – A Hebrew word (Old Testament) referring to someone who opposes or accuses another person. Used as a description of the personified evil force that goes by the name the Devil.
Matthew and Luke refer to three specific temptations of Jesus, all overcome by the word of God. Mark doesn’t refer to any specific temptations.
“He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” – Jesus is the master of creation. In Greek grammar, the emphasis on “with” represents that Jesus was at peace with the wild animals. Jesus also has authority over angels, because they attended to him.
Mark 1:14 - “After John was put in prison” – We will dig deeper into this in Mark 6:17-28. Suffice it to say, Jesus’ ministry started after John’s ministry ended.
“Jesus went to Galilee” – Most of Jesus’ ministry occurs in Galilee. Located north of Judea and Jerusalem, where Jews and Gentiles lived together, though usually in their own villages. According to Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian, the population was around 3 million. (Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Charlotte counties – 3.6 million)
“Proclaiming” – Preaching – Jesus brought the message of God’s rule on earth. Just not the message that many were expecting.
“Good news” – Gospel – A kingdom of love, not subjugation; of grace, not law; of humility, not pride; for all people, not only Jews; to be received by faith, not earned through works.
Mark 1:15 - “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near.” – Two Greek words for “time”: chronos meaning simple chronological time. And kairos, meaning the strategic opportunity, the decisive time. Jesus used kairos. The idea is: The strategic time of the kingdom of God is now. Now is your opportunity. Don’t miss it.
“Repent” – To turn around. You have to change your direction in order to experience the kingdom of God. Repentance doesn’t describe something we must do before we come to God; it describes what coming to God is like. If you are in Sarasota and I tell you to come to Tampa, I don’t need to tell you to leave Sarasota.
“Believe” – Not something that you do, but someone you are. Jesus wants you to know what it’s like to live in the kingdom. For the kingdom is not just about morality. It’s about trusting God and living in a relationship with God.
Jesus uses the word pisteuo that we translate as “believe”. This word means so much more than knowledge or agreement in the mind. It speaks of a relationship of trust and dependence. There’s a difference between believing the gospel and believing in the gospel.
Don’t just accept the gospel as intellectually accurate, but live in it, rest in it and let your heart find peace in it.
Mark 1:16 – Simon, who we know as Peter, and his brother Andrew were common men. Jesus chose disciples not because of how the culture labeled them. But for what Jesus could do through them.
The job of fisherman in Jesus’ day was difficult. Fishermen worked year-round in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, often at night. Fishermen were a hardy group of people, accustomed to difficult work and long hours.
The Greek word for fish (ichthus) came to represent Jesus’ name. The fish itself became the symbol for Jesus and a way for early followers to connect with each other. Because of Roman persecution, when a follower of Jesus would meet someone, they would draw half a fish and if the other person finished the fish they knew that they were also a follower of Jesus.
“Sea” and “lake” are both used to describe where Jesus met his first disciples. The Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias, Genezareth Lake or Lake Kinneret, will play a central role in Jesus’ ministry. Its total area covers 64 square miles. In comparison, Lake Okeechobee covers 730 square miles.
Mark 1:17 – “Come, follow me” – This is what Christianity is all about, following Jesus. Christianity isn’t about theological systems, rules or even helping people. Being a Christian means that you follow Jesus.
Following is a recognition of position - The superior always walks ahead and the inferior follows. There’s a teacher/student implication in the concept of following. Disciple literally means “someone who is being taught”.
“Send” – These men will receive something wonderful in following Jesus: forgiveness of sin, eternal life and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It’s only right for them to offer these very same gifts to others. An apostle is someone who has been sent. They aren’t apostles, yet. For Jesus will “send” them at some point in the future.
“Fish for people” – Notice that Jesus doesn’t send us out to “catch people”. When you load up your boat, pack your cooler and head out early in the morning, you’re going fishing. This doesn’t mean that you will catch anything. The goal of a follower of Jesus is to fish. The catching is not in our control. Yet, nobody catches if nobody goes fishing.
As followers of Jesus, we’re called to do what Jesus did. It’s the empowerment model of compounding interest – It all starts with one and then grows to four and then to twelve and then to hundreds and then thousands and then millions and on and on and on.
Mark 1:18 – “At once” – Mark uses the Greek word euthus, which means “immediately”, 40 times in his gospel. This contributes to Mark’s fast-paced, action-oriented narrative. Mark emphasizes the urgency of Jesus’ work, the importance of his mission and the need for immediate response.
Eschatological – “Relating to death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.” Every New Testament author has an eschatological perspective. For every New testament author believed that they were living in the last days.
Mark 1:19 – “Preparing their nets” – The Greek term means to complete thoroughly, to repair or adjust, to fit, frame, mend, to make perfect, to perfectly join together, to prepare or restore. What James and John were doing to their nets was exactly what Jesus came to do to the world.
“Without delay” – Another of the 40 uses of the Greek word euthus.
“Left their father Zebedee” – To leave what you know to be, in pursuit of what can be. For what you know to be is good. But it just might be preventing you from experiencing the great of what can be. This wasn’t an attack on Zebedee or the family business. This was simply a new calling for James and John.
“John” – This is believed to be the author of the Gospel of John and the last book in the Bible, Revelation. If so, John was one of the first disciples called and the last disciple to die.
Mark 1:21 – “Capernaum” – A village on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. The Capernaum Beach area was where Jesus had been walking, when he called Simon and Andrew and James and John. Jesus will spend a considerable amount of time in Capernaum, serving as the home base for his Galilean ministry.
Capernaum means “village of Nahum”. Nahum was an Old Testament prophet who wrote about 660 years before Jesus was born. His name means “comfort”. Nahum’s message was a prophetic vision addressed to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The message was that God would destroy the city because of its wickedness. Not a word of comfort to Nineveh, but it was a word of comfort to Judah.
“Sabbath” – Saturday, the seventh day of the week. The day that God rested in the creation story found in Genesis. The Fourth Commandment found in Exodus 20:8 - “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” It is to be a day of rest and dedicated to God.
How one dedicates the Sabbath to God became a point of contention between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. The law taught that no work could be done on the Sabbath. Jesus taught that doing good and helping people, even on the Sabbath, was more important than following strict interpretations of the law.
“Synagogue” – Basically, a Jewish church. Comes from the Greek word sunagwghv, which means assembly. A Synagogue could only be established if there was a group of at least ten Jewish adult men, called a minyan.
All had a similar functional design. A large central space for worship. A Torah ark, usually opposite the main entrance. A bimnah, or raised platform for reading and conducting services. There would also be some sort of partition or mechitza, to separate the men and the women.
Typically, Synagogues had no set teachers. They practiced a custom of “the freedom of the Synagogue”, where guests were invited to speak on the Scripture reading for that day.
Mark 1:22 – “The people were amazed at his teaching” – We don’t know what Jesus taught, but we do know the response from the people.
“As one who had authority” – The scribes and teachers of Jesus’ day rarely taught boldly. They would simply repeat what other Rabbis had taught. Jesus taught with “authority” because he was God. Jesus taught with “authority” because he knew what he was talking about. He was actually present when the scriptures that he was reading were written.
What Mark is lifting up to us, his readers, is that authority flows from submission. Jesus submitted to being born as a baby in the manger. Jesus submitted to baptism. Jesus submitted to the Holy Spirit in the wilderness. Now, flowing out of that submission comes authority. And we are to submit to that authority.
Submission and authority are interdependent. Submission cannot exist without authority and authority is only meaningful when someone is willing to submit to it. It’s a voluntary relationship where one follows another’s lead. It’s an act of trust and respect for the authority. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your maters happiness.”
Mark 1:23 – “Just then” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
“Possessed by an impure spirit” – Mark uses the same grammar that Paul uses to describe a follower of Jesus being “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This demonstrates that Jesus is in us and we are in him. The same understanding that George Lucas brought us in the Star Wars universe – “I’m one with the Force and the Force is with me.” As a follower of Jesus, you’re possessed by the Holy Spirit, in the right sense. Because this possession is only for good.
Things that make you go “Hmmm?” Jesus’ first exorcism happens in church.
Mark 1:24 – “I know who you are” – The demon knew who Jesus was and testified that he was “the Holy One of God”. Don’t be fooled, the evil spiritual powers of this world know scripture better than you do.
Mark 1:25 – “Be quiet! Come out of him!” – Here we see the authority of Jesus, that the people experienced in his teaching, proved in a concrete way. There were other exorcisms in Jesus’ day. But most were theatrical, long and drawn out performances that brought fame and prestige to the exorcist. Jesus had no need or desire for a spectacle. He simply commanded the impure spirit to shut up and get out. And the spirit listened, because the spirit had no choice but to listen.
Mark 1:27 – “Amazed” – Greek thambeo which means “to be astonished, with a touch of fear.”
“What is this?” – The Hebrew for “What is this?” is manna. Moses describes manna as “the bread that the Lord has given you to eat”. (Exodus 16:15)
Mark 1:28 – “News about him spread quickly” – The story of Jesus exorcising a demon with just his words spread quickly. Many people are first drawn to Jesus by their physical need for a miracle. That’s a good place to start. But stay with Jesus for the spiritual healing.
Mark 1:29 – “As soon as” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
It’s the Sabbath, after Synagogue worship. Instead of going to a local restaurant for lunch, Jesus went to Simon and Andrew’s home with James and John.
Mark 1:30 – Simon Peter was married and his mother-in-law lived with them.
“Immediately” – Mark’s sense of urgency. Maybe they wouldn’t have said anything if Jesus hadn’t exorcised that demon in the Synagogue. But now they knew that he had the power to heal.
Mark 1:31 – It was the Sabbath but Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law simply by taking her hand and helping her up. Obviously, Jesus interprets the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” differently than the culture in which he was living.
We will see that Jesus heals people in a very personal way. No magical incantations or formula prayers needed. Jesus simply meets people where they are and heals them in the way they need to be healed.
In Jesus’ day Jewish civil and ceremonial law was governed by a book called the Talmud. In it, Simon’s mother-in-law had what was referred to as “a burning fever”. It was and still is very prevalent in that particular part of Galilee. The Talmud teaches how to deal with this kind of fever. A knife made of pure iron was to be tied by a braid of the sick person’s hair to a thorn bush. On successive days you would repeat, first, Exodus 3:2&3; second Exodus 3:4; and finally Exodus 3:5. Then a magical formula was pronounced, and thus the cure was supposed to be achieved.
“She began to wait on them” – Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t teaching that a woman’s place is serving men. This is simply the way that Simon’s mother-in-law showed her gratitude for being healed. She served in response to what Jesus had done for her.
Mark 1:32 – 34 - “After sunset” – The Sabbath was officially over. So, the word of what happened in the Synagogue had gone through the whole town. So, the people came with the sick and the demon possessed. Jesus healed them and drove out the demons. But he didn’t let the demons speak, because they knew who he was.
The Messianic Secret – Mark doesn’t want his audience to get lost in the miracles, the healings and the exorcisms. For Mark, it’s important that we know that Jesus came to die on the cross and be raised on the third day. Jesus came to save us from sin and death. The miracles, the healings and the exorcisms are simply icing on the cake.
Jesus didn’t just come to save us. He also came to show us what it looks like to be saved.
Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning” - Jesus found that very early in the morning was a wonderful time for him to be alone and pray. This in no way is a law. It’s not as important to focus on when Jesus prayed, but that Jesus prayed.
“Solitary place” – Along with the wilderness this represents a place of isolation and quiet, ideal for seeking God’s guidance and presence. Both are a place of encounter.
“Prayed” – Public Prayer – Involves a group of people – church, family meals, bedtime prayers with children, prayers for sick people in the hospital, etc. Public prayers are meant to encourage others in their faith and deepen one’s experience of being a child of God.
Private Prayers – Just you and God. More genuine, deeper, intimate communication with God. Complete sentences aren’t necessary. Rambling thoughts welcomed. And listening is encouraged.
Mark 1:36 & 37 – When do you realize that something is lost? When you want it. You don’t look for your car keys, until you want to take the car. Simon and the others wanted Jesus. So, they went to look for him. When they awoke and couldn’t find Jesus, they assumed he was lost. This was early in their relationship. They will soon learn that when they can’t find Jesus, he’s simply off in some solitary place praying.
Peter is the one who taught Mark. So, Mark is sharing Peter’s perspective. Peter, a few days earlier, had been a simple fisherman. Now he was playing host to Jesus and everyone was at his house wanting more Jesus.
This is a crossroad moment. An intersection where a decision must be made. Will Jesus go back to Simon and Andrew’s house and continue to heal and exorcise demons? Or will he do something else. One decision is good, the other is great. Sometimes it’s the good in our lives that prevents us from experiencing God’s great. This is precisely why private prayer, in a solitary place, is so vital. For you never know when one of these crossroad moments are going to occur.
Mark 1:38-39 – “Let us go somewhere else.” – Jesus could’ve gone back to Simon and Andrew’s house and built a successful church. The word was spreading and people would’ve come from all over the world to hear him teach and to seek a miraculous healing. Yet, Jesus didn’t come to start a church. Jesus didn’t even come to start a new religion. Jesus came to fulfill that which God has been up to since the beginning of time. Reconciling our broken relationships with each other and with God.
The Messianic Secret – Jesus came to die on the cross and on the third day rise from the dead. The teachings, the miracles, the healings and the exorcisms were good, but simply icing on the cake.
Mark 1:40 – “Leprosy” - Literally eats someone away until they die. Leviticus 13-14 teaches that lepers are to be carefully quarantined and examined. Lepers had to dress like people in mourning, because they were considered to be the living dead. They had to warn people around them by announcing “Unclean! Unclean!”
By Jesus’ day, leprosy wasn’t only seen as a horrible contagious disease, but it also became a physical example of the effect of sin in someone’s life. Leprosy was thought to be your fault, because of the sin in your life. Retribution Theory: If something bad happens to you, it’s been caused by your sinful life. Jewish custom taught that you had to stay six feet away from a leper.
“If you are willing” – This man believed that Jesus could help him. He just wasn’t sure if Jesus would help him.
“Make me clean” – This man didn’t ask to be healed. He asked to be made clean. Being made clean was such a bigger ask than simply being healed. Being clean meant that this man believed that he had sin in his life that needed to be exorcised.
Mark 1:41 – “Indignant” – Feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base. Some manuscripts use “filled with compassion”.
Indignant seems harsh. Yet, the passage doesn’t say that Jesus was indignant towards this man. Jesus’ indignation was toward a cultural context. A context that created a scenario in which a man, who was very sick, would come to Jesus, knowing that he could heal him. But asked if Jesus would be willing to heal him.
“He reached out his hand and touched the man” – Jesus meets people where they are. Jesus healed this man by touching him. Something that would have made Jesus unclean. In this healing touch, Jesus sent the message that the cultural context, for which Jesus felt so much indignation, was wrong. It probably had been a long time since this man actually felt the touch of another human being.
“I am willing” – What is God’s name? I Am (Exodus 3:14). God is willing. Willing to meet you where you are and touch you, cleanse you and heal you.
“Be clean” – Jesus gave this man exactly what he asked for, in verse 40. Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 both teach us this same truth: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you". For this man, he needed to be made clean in order to be healed. So, Jesus met him where he was and made him clean.
Mark 1:42 – “Immediately” – Mark’s sense of urgency.
“The leprosy left him and he was cleansed” – A two for one special. This man was not only healed of leprosy, he was also cleansed of what his culture had taught him about being unclean.
Mark 1:43-45 – “See that you don’t tell anyone” – Mark’s Messianic Secret
“As a testimony to them” – Jesus told this man to go to the priests to undergo the Levitical ceremony for the cleansing of a leper (Leviticus 14:4-7). This was to be a testimony to the priests because lepers were never healed. Thus, no priest had ever conducted this ceremony. This would be a testimony that the Messiah was among them.
“Instead…As a result” – The man didn’t listen to Jesus. He never went to the priests, as Jesus told him. He decided to talk freely to anyone and everyone about what Jesus had done. The result? “Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.”
Mark 2:1 – “A few days later” – Mark’s sense of urgency is tempered, so that we would understand that Jesus had truly left Capernaum, like he said in Mark 1:38-39.
Mark 2:2 – We don’t know what Jesus was preaching, only that he was preaching. He couldn’t even get out of the house, before the people had gathered to hear him. We believe this to be Simon and Andrew’s house.
Mark 2:3 – We don’t know who these men were, but they believed that Jesus would heal their friend. For they carried him to Jesus.
In Jesus’ day it was rare that a paralyzed man would have four friends willing to risk cultural and religious alienation by coming into contact with someone considered to be unclean. Physical ailments were often seen as a result of sin – The Retribution Theory.
Mark 2:4 – Most roofs were accessible by means of an outside stairway. Roofs were extra, outside living spaces, like lanais. They were made of thatch, dirt or tile laid over beams.
A bold move tearing up someone else’s roof in order to get their friend to Jesus. And ponder this: The faith of the friends. For it would’ve been a lot harder to lift a paralyzed man back up through the roof, than it would be for him to simply get up and walk out of the house.
Mark 2:5 – “When Jesus saw their faith” – Faith is always revealed through actions. Jesus could literally see the faith of the four friends, who obviously were serving as the feet for the faith of the paralyzed man.
“Son, your sins are forgiven” – Jesus wasn’t confirming the Retribution Theory. He wasn’t saying that this man’s sin had caused him to be paralyzed. Jesus was simply meeting this man where he was. This man needed to know that his sins were forgiven, in order for him to be healed.
Mark 2:6 – “Teachers of the law” – Jewish scholars and experts on Mosaic Law, responsible for interpreting and teaching the scriptures.
Mark 1:22 - Jesus taught “as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law”.
“Thinking to themselves” – What we’re about to read is happening in the minds of the teachers of the law.
Mark 2:7 – “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” – This is the right question. But the wrong preconceived answer. The teachers of the law had a perspective problem. The Messiah was to be God’s chosen one. Not God in human form. The Messiah was to be an earthly, warrior king, who would release Israel from the bondage of the Romans.
They were unable to see God right in front of them. Because they weren’t looking for God, right in front of them. Thus, Jesus had to be a blasphemer. This is the very charge that in three years will bring Jesus to the cross.
Mark 2:8 – “Immediately” – There’s Mark’s sense of urgency again.
“Why are you thinking these things?” – Whether this was Jesus’ divinity shining through or if this was a spiritual gift of discernment, the teachers of the law had to be shocked and awed by the fact that Jesus knew what they were thinking.
Mark 2:9 – “Which is easier” – For humans, healing and forgiving sins are both impossible. Yet, for God, all things are possible. Thus, it’s a logical assumption that if Jesus has the power to heal the man’s disease, he also has authority to forgive his sins.
It was actually harder to heal the man. For the proof of healing could be seen. There’s no visual proof of forgiveness of sins.
Jesus was meeting the teachers of the law on their own scholarly ground. It was taught that there’s no sick man healed, until all his sins have been forgiven. To the Jews a sick man was a man with whom God was angry – Retribution Theory.
Mark 2:10 – “Son of Man” – Jesus often uses this title for himself. It’s a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the coming King of Glory, coming to judge the world, has the title Son of Man.
Mark 2:11 – “Get up, take your mat and go home” - Jesus didn’t touch the man. Jesus didn’t pray over the man. Jesus didn’t use a magical incantation. Jesus simply spoke his healing into being.
Mark 2:12 – “He got up, took his mat and walked out” – The tension in the room was thick. The teachers of the law were tense, because Jesus had challenged them. The paralyzed man was tense, because he wondered if he would be healed. The crowd was tense, because they sensed everyone else’s tension. Simon and Andrew were tense, because they had a hole in their roof. James and John were tense, because if Jesus failed, where would that leave them? The four friends were tense, because they were wondering what they had done. The only one not tense was Jesus.
Not only was this man healed, but he immediately had the strength and the muscle memory to get up and walk. No need for physical therapy or rehabilitation here.
“We have never seen anything like this” – Based on the beliefs of the teachers of the law, this man could not be healed, unless he was forgiven. He was healed. Thus, he must’ve been forgiven. Therefore, Jesus’ claim to forgive sins must be true and not blasphemy.
Mark 2:13 – “He began to teach them” – Jesus was focused. Continuing with his ministry outlined in Mark 1:38.
Mark 2:14 – “Levi son of Alphaeus” – This is Matthew. He refers to himself as Matthew is his own gospel (Matthew 9:9). There’s no official explanation of when or how his name was changed from Levi to Matthew.
More importantly than his name was his profession. Tax collectors were considered traitors, because they worked for the Roman government and had the force of the Roman army behind them. Tax collectors were known to charge more taxes than was needed. Thus, lining their own pockets with the profits.
Tax collectors were outcasts. They were disqualified as a judge or a witness in court, they were excommunicated from the synagogue and considered a disgrace to their extended family.
“Follow me” – The decision to follow Jesus was more of a risk for Levi (Matthew) than for Jesus. Yes, the religious leaders will be upset that Jesus was hanging out with tax collectors. But, they were already upset with him over the healing of the paralyzed man (Mark 2:7). Levi (Matthew) could never go back to being a tax collector again. Leaving his post would be seen by the Roman government as betrayal. And even though tax collectors were hated, the positions were sought after, because people wanted to be rich.
Mark 2:15 – “Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house” – Levi’s (Matthew’s) going away party! Eating at the same table with people was a sign of friendship and relationship.
“For there were many who followed him” – Here in lies the Jesus scandal, the revolutionary aspect of God’s nature that Jesus revealed: God actively seeks the lost. And the lost were starting to realize this truth and they were responding.
Mark 2:16 – “Pharisees” – The name Pharisee means “separated ones”. They separated themselves from everything they thought was unholy, and they thought everyone except themselves was separated from the love of God.
“They asked his disciples” – An attempt to triangle Jesus’ disciples. Since they were unsuccessful attacking Jesus head on, they now went to his disciples. The hope was to plant seeds of doubt that would destroy Jesus’ ministry from the inside.
Mark 2:17 – “On hearing this, Jesus said to them” – Jesus only had three years to get the disciples ready. So, he took every opportunity to teach. The disciples were ill-equipped to respond to the Pharisees. And Jesus knew the game they were playing. So, Jesus stepped in and gave an answer that was both simple and profound. An answer that both put the Pharisees in their place and taught the disciples a very important aspect of the nature of God. Jesus is the physician of the soul and it makes sense for him to be with those who were sick with sin.
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor” - Jesus is the perfect physician for your soul: He’s always available. He always has the perfect diagnosis. He provides a complete cure. And he even pays all the bills.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” – Who are the righteous? Not the Pharisees. Their behavior, just in these few verses, proves that they aren’t righteous. Not the tax collectors and the sinners. The only difference between them and the Pharisees is that the tax collectors and the sinners know that they aren’t righteous. For the Pharisees have been telling them this all their lives. So, who has Jesus come to call? All of us!
Mark 2:18 – “Fasting” – The voluntary abstinence from food and sometimes drink, for a specific period of time. The purpose is the seeking of God, repentance and humility, prayer and spiritual growth, seeking guidance or expressing grief or mourning.
“Some people came and asked Jesus” – The Pharisees were well known for fasting twice a week (Luke 18:12). The disciples of John fasted because his ministry stressed repentance. There’s a time for every season under heaven, even fasting.
Mark 2:19 – “How can guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?” – Jesus, again, responds to a question with a question. This puts the emphasis of thought and introspection back on the questioner.
The illustration of a wedding was powerful for Jewish people. During the weeklong wedding celebration, rabbis declared that joy was more important than observing religious rituals.
Mark 2:20 – “But the time will come…” – Always pay attention to the ”buts” in the Bible! Jesus knew his physical, immediate presence would not always be with his disciples. When he was physically gone, it would be more appropriate to fast.
“Taken” – Jesus’ first allusion to the fact that he would have to suffer, at the hands of others.
Mark 2:21 – “No one sews…” - The old garment represents the established religious traditions and practices of Judaism. The unshrunk cloth represents the new teachings of Jesus. The problem is if you sew a new piece of cloth on an old garment, the new piece of cloth will shrink more than the old, causing the patch to pull away and make the tear worse.
Mark 2:22 – “No one pours new wine…” – Old wineskins become stiff and brittle and their leather can no longer stretch to accommodate the pressure created by the fermentation of new wine. Which will result in the skins bursting, spilling the new wine and destroying the wineskins. The new wine represents the new teachings and covenant of Jesus, while the old wineskins represents the old religious practices and traditions.
Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old. This is what salvation is all about. In doing this, Jesus doesn’t destroy the old (the law), but he fulfills it. Just as an acorn is fulfilled when it grows into an oak tree. The acorn might be gone, but it’s purpose is fulfilled in the greatness of the tree.
Mark 2:23 – “Sabbath” – Exodus 20:8 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The seventh day of the week (Saturday). The day that God rested in creation. A day set aside for rest and a reminder of God’s creation.
By Jesus’ time a great deal had been added to this simple command to rest and remember God’s creation. Rabbis filled Judaism with elaborate rituals related to Sabbath observance. Like, a man could not carry something in his right hand or left hand, across his chest or on his shoulder. But you could carry something with the back of your hand, with your foot, with your elbow or in your ear, your hair or the hem of your skirt or your shoe or sandal. You were forbidden to tie a knot in anything, except women could tie a knot in their girdles.
“Pick some heads of grain” – There was nothing wrong with what they did because gleaning was not considered stealing, according to Deuteronomy 23:25. The issue was only the day on which they did it.
Mark 2:24 – “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” – The simple answer: They were hungry. The more complicated answer: Jesus often deliberately broke man’s legalistic additions to the law, in order to teach us something about God and ourselves.
Mark 2:25-26 – How did Jesus respond to the Pharisee’s question? With a question. Are you seeing a pattern? “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?”
1 Samuel 21:1-6 – David wants to eat the holy bread, set apart for the Lord and to be eaten only by the priests. He wants to feed himself and his hungry men. The survival of David and his men was more important than the religious ritual of holy bread.
This is what many people, steeped in tradition, simply cannot accept: That what God really wants is mercy before sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). That love for others is more important than religious rituals (Isaiah 58:1-9). “That the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart; these, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Any application of any religious law that becomes a detriment to people is out of harmony with God’s purpose.
“The days of Abiathar” – According to 1 Samuel 21:1 Ahimelech was the high priest and Abiathar was his son, who served as high priest after him. Possible explanations: Possibly Ahimelech and Abiathar served together as co-high priests. Possibly Jesus was simply stating that this happened while Abiathar was alive, not while he was high priest. Possibly Jesus used Abiathar to refer to the Old Testament passage about Abiathar, rather than a direct reference to the man himself. This is the way that the Jews identified sections of the Word, since their manuscripts did not yet have chapters and verses, as we have today in our Bibles.
Mark 2:27 – “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God’s intention in designating the Sabbath was for the benefit of all people. The Sabbath was meant to serve all of us. By Jesus’ day it had turned upside-down. We were serving the Sabbath. It had become something that we had to do, a law we had to keep, in order to stay in God’s good graces. As opposed to God’s original intention of the Sabbath being something that we wanted to do, because it was a gift from God.
Mark 2:28 – “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” “Son of Man” – Jesus often uses this title for himself. It’s a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the coming King of Glory, coming to judge the world, has the title Son of Man.
If the King of Glory, coming to judge the world, was not offended by his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath, then the Pharisees needed to not be offended either.
Mark 3:1 – “Jesus went into the synagogue” – Was he looking for trouble? Jesus went into the synagogue because that’s who he is, someone who worships.
“A man with a shriveled hand was there” – Was he there because he knew Jesus was going to be there? Or was he simply there because worshiping in the synagogue was who he was? Regardless of the reason, he was there and showing up is sometimes the hardest part.
Mark 3:2 – “They watched him closely to see if he world heal him on the Sabbath.” – It wasn’t a question of if Jesus could heal this man. The question was if Jesus would heal this man. The belief in Jesus’ ability to heal this man didn’t draw the Pharisees closer to Jesus. They had already made up their minds about Jesus and not even a miracle could change their minds. It’s as if a man could fly, but the authorities wanted to know if he had a pilot’s license. These critics had faith in Jesus. They simply didn’t like Jesus.
Mark 3:3 – “Stand up in front of everyone” – This man didn’t ask Jesus to heal him. We don’t even know if this man believed that Jesus could or would heal him. This poor guy was simply going to worship, minding his own business, and was suddenly thrust into the middle of a battle between the Pharisees and Jesus.
Mark 3:4 – “Jesus asked them” – Jesus directs a question to the Pharisees, who he knows are waiting to see what he would do. Nobody has said anything, but Jesus knows the hearts of those in the synagogue.
Again, we see that Jesus asks a question. The use of questions forces us, and those being asked, to think for ourselves. For we have to answer a question for ourselves, if only to ourselves.
“Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” Sabbath tradition taught that if you cut your finger, you could stop the bleeding. But you couldn’t put ointment on the cut. You could stop it from getting worse, but you weren’t allowed to make it better. In asking this question Jesus is emphasizing a truth about the Sabbath (and any other day for that matter) – There’s never a wrong day to do something good.
“But they remained silent” – Remained because nobody had said anything up to that point. Everything that we’ve read, in the first three verses of this chapter, have been from Jesus’ understanding of the hearts of those in the Synagogue. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
Mark 3:5 – “He looked around at them in anger” – Jesus wasn’t angry at their silence. Jesus was angry at what their silence said. Yes, there’s such a thing as righteous anger. It’s not only okay, it’s expected!
This was a perfect opportunity for all of them to change their minds about Jesus and their traditions. Yet, they had already made up their minds about Jesus and their traditions. Not even a miracle of healing, that they already believed Jesus could do, was going to change their minds.
Jesus was always teaching. He only had three years! He used this occasion to provoke a response, not only from the Pharisees, but also from everyone who was witnessing this event. Jesus could have done this the next day. Jesus could have done this privately. But he chose this time and this place. Again, the man with the shriveled hand has yet to ask Jesus to be healed.
“Stretch out your hand” – This command of Jesus would have been impossible for the man. For how could a man, with a shriveled hand, stretch it out? This is Jesus’ way of asking the man if he wants to be healed. If his answer is “Yes”, he will stretch out his hand. If his answer is “No”, he won’t. Finally, this man has a part in his own play.
Joshua 3:13 – The priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, had to step into the Jordan River and then God would stop the river from flowing. As followers, we’re called to believe, before we experience.
This is the possibility of faith. This man’s healing was possible. But he had to stretch out his hand in order to be healed. The stretching out of his hand didn’t heal him. His faith in Jesus, which was demonstrated by the stretching out of his hand, healed him.
In the same way, crossing the Jordan River safely was possible. But the Priests had to step into the very waters, that made the crossing impossible, in order for the crossing to be possible. The stepping into the waters didn’t make the Jordan River stop flowing. Their faith, which was demonstrated by stepping into the waters, made the Jordan River stop flowing.
Mark 3:6 – “Began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus” – Herodians – A political party that was sympathetic to King Herod and interested in maintaining the status quo of Roman authority in the region. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Even if you don’t agree with them on anything else but your shared enemy.
Which is worse – healing a man’s shriveled hand on the Sabbath or plotting the kill someone on the Sabbath?
This is the first recorded instance of the desire to kill Jesus, not just silence him or discredit him. This is the beginning of what would culminate in the crucifixion. Getting rid of Jesus once and for all. Jokes on them!
Mark 3:7 – “Jesus withdrew with his disciples” – We’ve just come out of the synagogue on the Sabbath and Jesus wants to get away with his disciples.
“A large crowd from Galilee followed” – We’re very early in Jesus’ ministry, but he already has a hard time getting away from the crowds.
Mark 3:8 – “When they heard about all he was doing” – The crowd was attracted to Jesus because of his miraculous works, not his message. Which is a very good place to start. We all come to Jesus because of what he can do for us. The trick is staying with Jesus because of who he is.
Jerusalem – 85 miles south of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon – 35 miles northeast of Capernaum. Idumea – 100 miles southwest of Capernaum.
Mark 3:9 – “Because of the crowd…” – Jesus wanted a small boat so that he could be a safe distance from the crowd. The boat also could be used as a pulpit, allowing Jesus to teach the crowds from the safety of the water.
Mark 3:10 – “Were pushing forward to touch him” – Can you blame them? If you were sick and Jesus was in the area, wouldn’t you want to go to see him?
Mark 3:11 – “Whenever the impure spirits saw him” – First of all, there were demon possessed people coming to see Jesus. Proving that a Jesus event was like a popular concert. Many people came to see Jesus that had no interest in who Jesus was.
“You are the Son of God” – This phrase points to Jesus being God in the flesh. This concept is both true and at the root of our faith as followers of Jesus. Yet, it might not have been what people would have immediately thought of when they heard this term in Jesus’s time, as this term had a variety of meanings. Angels were called “sons of God.” Perhaps even more relevant is the idea that the king could be called a “son of God.” We see God speak about a special relationship of sonship for the kings of Israel, so saying someone was a “son of God” might not mean that they are divine and worthy of worship. Even now, there is another sense in which we use the term “son of God” that does not point to someone being divine or equal in essence to God, as we say that fellow followers are “sons and daughters of God.” We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Thus, at first glance, one could think of Jesus’s identity as the “son of God” as being another reference to this identification as the promised one to come from the line of David to deliver God’s people.
Mark 3:12 – “But…” – Always pay attention to the “buts” in the Bible. Mark’s Messianic Secret. Jesus tries to keep his true identity a secret. Several thoughts as to why: One thought is that it was a way to reconcile the early church’s belief in Jesus as the Messiah with the fact that Jesus himself didn’t overtly claim this title for himself. Another thought is that Mark uses this theological concept to illustrate the point that Jesus’ miracles, teachings and healings were good. But the great of Jesus is found in the death and resurrection. Don’t get lost in all the other stuff and miss the true significance of who Jesus is. Finally, others believe that Jesus wanted to control the narrative. He didn’t want others introducing him to the world. He wanted to do that on his own terms, in his own time frame.
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