Mark 1

Therefore, Jesus says to us, “Repent and believe the good news” (verse 15). The first step always is to repent (Acts 2:38; 17:30). Repentance is not only feeling sorry for our sins; it is also turning from our sins. To truly repent of a sin means that we cease committing that sin. Otherwise our repentance is false.

When we have repented, we are ready for the second step: to believe in the Savior Jesus Christ. To “believe,” that is, to have FAITH in Christ means not only that we accept Him as Lord of our lives but that we also obey Him. If we say we believe in Jesus but do not obey Him, we are liars (see Matthew 7:21; James 2:14,17,20-24; 1 John 2:4 and comments).

The good news is this: Jesus has come into the world to save sinners and to give all who believe in Him eternal life (see John 3:16 and comment). This, in short, is the Gospel of Christ.

Thus Jesus gives everyone a choice: to be a citizen of the kingdom of God or to be a citizen of the kingdom of Satan; to believe and receive eternal life, or to disbelieve and receive eternal punishment. In this life there are only two choices (see Matthew 7:13-14 and comment).

16-20 Mark here describes how Jesus chose His first four disciples. First He met Simon⁸ and his brother Andrew fishing in the Sea of Galilee.⁹

Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” At once they left their work and followed Him (verse 18). In the same way, He called James and John (not John the Baptist); they, too, immediately arose, left their family, their boat, their work, and followed Him¹⁰ (see Luke 5:1-11 and comment). Like Abraham, they didn’t know where they were going (Hebrews 11:8); but they knew who they were going with.

Earlier, Simon and Andrew had met Jesus and believed in Him (see John 1:3542). Now Jesus was calling them to be His close disciples. He was telling them to leave everything and follow Him. In the same way, Jesus also calls us to be His disciples. He says to us only this: “Come, follow me.” Like Peter and Andrew, James and John, let us, too, rise and without a word of argument follow Jesus.

Jesus said to Simon (Peter) and Andrew, “I will make you fishers of men” (verse 17). Jesus took their natural abilities (as fishermen) and transformed them into something useful for the kingdom of God. In the same way, Jesus takes us and our natural gifts and abilities and transforms us into useful disciples fit for the work He has appointed us to do.

Finally, we can see that these disciples were ordinary men—fishermen. They were poor men. They had to work hard and endure hardship. They were uneducated. They were from Galilee, the most backward province of Israel. Yet Jesus chose these men to help establish His kingdom.

(Luke 4:31-37)

21-22 Jesus and His four new disciples then went to Capernaum, Peter’s home town, near the Sea of Galilee. On the Sabbath—that is, Saturday—they went to the Jewish synagogue,¹¹ where the Jews met each week. There Jesus was invited to teach the people. The people were amazed because He did not teach like the teachers of the law.¹² These teachers of the law were scholars who knew all about the Jewish LAW, the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament), and other writings. These teachers taught not by their own authority but only with an authority derived from other writers. But Jesus taught by His own authority, which came directly from God (see Matthew 7:28-29 and comment).

23-28 One of the Jews in the synagogue was possessed by an EVIL SPIRIT. This evil spirit, or demon, immediately recognized who Jesus was. Though the others in the synagogue had read the prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament week after week, none of them recognized Jesus; only the evil spirit recognized Him. The evil spirit knew that Jesus had already overcome Satan during Jesus’ time of temptation in the desert (verse 13). He knew that Jesus had also come to destroy all of the evil spirits working under Satan. By saying Jesus’ name, the evil spirit hoped to prevent Jesus from exercising authority over him¹³ (verse 24).

But Jesus, with only a word, drove out the evil spirit, and the man was at once completely healed. Jesus’ power was in His word. The people were amazed. They had never seen anyone exercise authority over evil spirits like this.

We must remember that demon possession is not a form of mental disease. Demons, or evil spirits, are servants of the chief demon, Satan. They are workers of evil. When they come into a man, they make him a prisoner or slave of Satan. Only through the power of Jesus can these demons be overcome and the man be given freedom.

(Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-44)

29-31 Jesus then went to Simon and Andrew’s house, where He healed Simon’s mother-in-law. She was healed so quickly and completely that she was able at once to get up and serve Jesus and the four disciples.

32-34 Jesus is known as the “Great Physician.” According to Matthew 8:16, on this occasion He healed all the sick. He didn’t use medicine. His “treatment” was always successful; the sick were healed immediately and completely. Matthew says that this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases” (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17).

The people brought the sick to Jesus after sunset, because it was against the Jewish law to move the sick on the Sabbath day. According to the law, no work of any kind could be done on the Sabbath.

Jesus also cast out DEMONS from all who were demon-possessed. Again, only the demons knew who He was. Other people thought He was only a wonder-worker. But Jesus forbade the demons to say who He was (verse 34). Except for the disciples, He did not want others to know He was the Christ. Otherwise, all the people would try to make Him an earthly king. They would not understand that He had come to earth to suffer and die for their sins (see Mark 10:45 and comment).

35-39 Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He still needed to be alone and to pray and receive strength from God. Therefore, before dawn Jesus went away to a solitary place to pray. The disciples couldn’t understand why He had left suddenly and for no apparent reason, because there were still sick people coming to be healed. But Jesus told them that He hadn’t come to earth only to heal the sick. He had come mainly to preach that men should repent and believe the Gospel (verses 14-15). But when crowds of sick people gathered, it was difficult to preach. Therefore, He and His disciples left Capernaum and traveled to other towns throughout Galilee.

(Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)

40-42 A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees to heal him: “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” The man had faith in Jesus’ power, but he also submitted himself to Jesus’ will. So we, too, must pray with complete faith in Jesus and with earnestness. But at the same time we must also pray for Christ’s will to be done.

Christ was willing to heal the man. “Be clean!” He said. He healed the man’s leprosy by His word alone.

43-44 After Jesus healed the man with leprosy, He told him to go to the priest and offer sacrifices according to the commandment of Moses,¹⁴ that is, according to the Jewish law (Leviticus 14:1-20). Only the Jewish priests were qualified to determine if a leprosy victim had been cleansed or not. Therefore, Jesus wanted this man whom He had healed to be a witness, a testimony, to the priests and other Jews of the healing power that He possessed. Man is not healed and saved by following the law. Only through the power of Christ can man be healed and saved. Only through Christ’s power can the requirements of the law be fulfilled (see Romans 8:1-4 and comment).

45 In verse 44, Jesus had commanded the man with leprosy not to tell anyone about his healing (see verse 34 and comment). But the man, not obeying, announced the news everywhere, with the result that more and more people sought Jesus for healing. Therefore, Jesus could no longer go into the cities because of the crowds of sick people. Instead He preached in the countryside.