Mark 1

Mark 1:1

¹The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark opens by naming Jesus Christ as the Son of God and declaring that what follows is Good News.

Mark 1:2-3

²As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: ³the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”

Prophecy from Isaiah and Malachi shows that God’s messenger would prepare the way for the Lord.

Mark 1:4-8

⁴John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. ⁵All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. ⁶John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. ⁸I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

John baptizes for repentance and points beyond himself to One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Mark 1:9-11

⁹In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father affirms Him as the beloved Son.

Mark 1:12-13

¹²Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.

The Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness where He is tempted by Satan for forty days.

Mark 1:14-15

¹⁴Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

After John’s arrest, Jesus proclaims that God’s Kingdom is near and calls people to repent and believe.

Mark 1:16-17

¹⁶Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”

Jesus calls Simon and Andrew from their fishing nets to become fishers of people.

Mark 1:18

¹⁸Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

Simon and Andrew immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus.

Mark 1:19-20

¹⁹Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. ²⁰Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

Jesus calls James and John, who leave their father and the family business to follow Him.

Mark 1:21-24

²¹They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. ²²They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ²⁴saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”

In Capernaum’s synagogue Jesus teaches with authority, and an unclean spirit recognizes Him as the Holy One of God.

Mark 1:25

²⁵Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

Jesus silences the unclean spirit and commands it to come out.

Mark 1:26-28

²⁶The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” ²⁸The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.

The spirit leaves, the crowd marvels at Jesus’ authority, and news spreads through Galilee.

Mark 1:29-31

²⁹Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. ³¹He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.

Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever; she rises and serves them.

Mark 1:32-34

³²At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. ³³All the city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

After sunset the whole city brings the sick and demon-possessed; Jesus heals many and silences the demons.

Mark 1:35-37

³⁵Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. ³⁶Simon and those who were with him searched for him. ³⁷They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

Jesus rises early to pray alone; the disciples find Him and say everyone is looking for Him.

Mark 1:38-39

³⁸He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” ³⁹He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.

Jesus insists He came to preach in other towns and travels through Galilee preaching and casting out demons.

Mark 1:40

⁴⁰A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”

A man with leprosy kneels and asks Jesus to make him clean if He is willing.

Mark 1:41-44

⁴¹Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” ⁴²When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean. ⁴³He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out, ⁴⁴and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”

Moved with compassion, Jesus touches and cleanses the leper, then sends him to the priest as Moses commanded.

Mark 1:45

⁴⁵But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.

The cleansed man spreads the news widely, so Jesus must stay in deserted places while people still seek Him.

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