Matthew 3, The Baptism of Jesus

After a brief comment that Jesus grew up in Nazareth, Matthew's gospel jumps ahead to the beginning of Jesus's ministry.  It begins with a strange wild man in the desert....

Matthew 3: 1-3, John the Baptizer

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

John is a strange prophet, hearkening back to the ancient days of Jeremiah and Isaiah.  Certainly an unusual sight!

The quote in verse 3 is from Isaiah 40:3.

Matthew 3: 4-12, The Baptizer's message
John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild  honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of  vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham  as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown  into the fire. 

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy  Spirit and with fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his  threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This prophet has an angry message, but a classical Old Testament one, speaking out against injustice and hypocrisy. (Sadly, some modern preachers believe that having an angry message suffices for being a prophet!)

The concept of covering people with water as a sign of repentance is an unusual one for the Jewish community, although it was probably linked to Jewish ritual washings and may have been practiced by those converting to Judaism.  If so, John is turning the tables, telling the Jews that they need to be baptized!  This message is certainly consistent with John's emphasis on reform.

Matthew 3: 13-17, Jesus is baptized
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." 

Then John consented.  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

John is surprised and disturbed that Jesus has come to be baptized by him!  But Jesus responds that it is all part of the plan.  (Why?)

In the next chapter, Jesus goes off into the desert, in preparation for his ministry to the cities and towns of Galilee.

Matthew 2, The Reception for the Messiah Child

Matthew records that shortly after Jesus's birth, there was a visit from some "wise men" from the east (from Persia?)

Matthew 2: 1-8, Herod hears

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: `But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means  least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a  ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them  the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful  search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

According to the NIV footnotes, "Magi" traditionally meant "Wise Men".  In verses 2 and 9 the phrase translated "star in the east" could also mean "star when it rose".

The quote in verse 6 is from Micah 5:2.

Despite our traditions, there is no mention of the number of wisemen.

Matthew 2: 9-12, The eastern visitors see the real king!
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The star may have been a true star (nova) or (more likely) something like the Shekinah Glory which led the nation of Israel in the wilderness.  If the "star" rose in the east just before dawn, it could have also been a comet.  Trying to identify the "star" with an astronomical event is a challenge that goes back to the days of Kepler in the sixteenth century.  (See for example this website or this one for some Christmas 2015 thoughts on the star.)

Matthew 2: 13-15, Joseph and family flee

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph  in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

The quote in verse 15 is from Hosea 11:1, a verse whose primary interpretatoin primarily recalls the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt in the days of Moses.

Matthew 2: 16-18, Weeping in Bethlehem
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in  Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.  Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was  fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

Most of the events in this chapter are reported only here; they are not mentioned in the other gospels. This is an especially poignant and sorrowful scene.

What would it have been like to have been the mother of one of those innocents? The world is cruel; even the arrival of the Messiah does not change the cruelty.

The quote in verse 18 is from Jeremiah 31:15.

Matthew 2: 19-23, The Nazarene
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

The quote at the end of this chapter is unclear. Matthew appears to be recalling a prophetic statement but this sentence does not appear in the Old Testament scripture that we possess.  It is possible it is quotes a variant of Isaiah 53:2, the Hebrew nasir being an alternate of the Hebrew word translated as "shoot" in that passage. Other ideas are given at this Wikipedia page.

And so Jesus grows up in Nazareth.  In the next chapter, Matthew's gospel jumps ahead to the beginning of Jesus's ministry.

Matthew 1, The Lineage of the Messiah

The gospel (or "Good News") of Matthew is a nice way to begin a reading of the New Testament. Matthew is a Jew writing to Jews, arguing that Jesus is the Messiah, the culmination of Jewish history.

Matthew 1:1-6, The Messiah's genealogy, Abraham to David

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 
Abraham was the father of Isaac, 
Isaac the father of Jacob, 
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, 
Perez the father of Hezron, 
Hezron the father of Ram, 
Ram the father of Amminadab, 
Amminadab the father of Nahshon, 
Nahshon the father of Salmon, 
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, 
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, 
Obed the father of Jesse, 
and Jesse the father of King David. 
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,

In fourteen steps, Matthew gets us from the founder of the Jews, Abraham, to great king David:
    Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez,
    Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nashon, Salmon,
    Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David.
One can read about these ancients in the Old Testament books of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth and the books of Samuel.

Matthew 1:7-11, The Messiah's genealogy, Solomon to the exile

Solomon the father of Rehoboam, 
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, 
Abijah the father of Asa, 
Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, 
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, 
Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 
Uzziah the father of Jotham, 
Jotham the father of Ahaz, 
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, 
Manasseh the father of Amon, 
Amon the father of Josiah, 
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

Another fourteen gets one from David to the Babylonian captivity:
    Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat,
    Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah,
    Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah (Jeconiah is the same Jehoiachin.)
These history are told in the Old Testament books of I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles.

Matthew 1:12-17, The Messiah's genealogy, from the exile to Jesus

After the exile to Babylon: 
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, 
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, 
Abiud the father of Eliakim,  
Eliakim the father of Azor, 
Azor the father of Zadok, 
Zadok the father of Akim, 
Akim the  father of Eliud, 
Eliud the father of Eleazar, 
Eleazar the father of Matthan,  
Matthan the father of Jacob, 
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

And finally another 14 generations that move the line of Israel from the Babylonian captivity to Jesus. The three sets of 14 is a convenient way of remembering the Jewish history and it clearly links Jesus into the line of David as the promised Messiah.  The genealogy is not exact; it skips some names and differs substantially, especially towards the end, with the genealogy given by Luke.

Note the significant women in the genealogy, women at the time of "questionable" character, all recognized as heroines by Matthew.

Matthew 1:18-25, The birth of the Messiah

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David,  do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" – which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus.

This scene begins with a disturbed Joseph who discovers his fiancee is pregnant.  He does not want to "out" Mary for what he believes are her indiscretions.   But then Joseph is told by an angel what is to happen and is reassured.  He apparently has no sexual relations with his wife until after the birth of the child.

Jesus means Savior.  It is the same Hebrew name as Joshua appearing in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament quote (in verse 23) is from Isaiah 7:14.

Monday we will read Matthew 2 about the earthly reception for this promised Jewish savior.

Mark 6: 1-29, Death of John the Baptizer

Jesus's ministry has drawn lots of attention, accompanied by miraculous healings.

Mark 6:1-6a, Hometown doubters
Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!  Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.  And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

How did they take offense at him?  Why?

Why is this, that the home town doesn’t give him honor?  (It does seem to be the human condition.)

Mark 6: 6b-13, Twelve sent out
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

This is a strange short piece with little detail.  In Luke 9: 1-6 Jesus sends out the twelve core disciples and then later (Luke 10:1-24), he sends out 70 (or 72) with similar instructions. (Wikipedia has an article on the 70.)

Why are the 12 successful here, and then so weak afterward?  They are so human....

Mark 6:14-16, Jesus draws the attention of King Herod
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."  

Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"

The ministry of Jesus, and the work of Jesus’ disciples, gets the attention of King Herod and leads Herod to wonder about his past actions.  

Mark goes on to explain....

Mark 6:17-29, The execution of John the Baptist
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 

When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered.

At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 

On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

This passage displays the many weaknesses of this Roman ruler.  Herod's sexual weaknesses lead him to marry his brother's wife and then to make a rash promise to Herodias, after her dancing. (Surely her dancing before the military commanders and "leading men" is sexual.) Eventually Herod is trapped precisely because he is weak and wants to appear strong.

What a gruesome request from the girl! What a horrific scene the platter must have presented at dinner. I can't imagine this sad dinner scene improving anyone's view of Herod, even though that is part of his motivation.

Of course this is all viewed very differently by John's grieving disciples.

Mark 6: 30-56, Pursued by Crowds
The disciples have been sent out into ministry and have returned to Jesus, excited about their success.

Mark 6:30-33, Excited disciples

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

The crowds recognize that Jesus is leaving with his disciples.  The crowds them follow him along the lake shore, trying to anticipate his destination.

Mark 6:30-33, Excited crowd, hungry crowd

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late.  Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."

But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"

"How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." 

When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish."

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

What a strange miracle!  The Jew would see it emulating the 40 years in the wilderness (Exodus 16) when the Israelites were fed bread (manna) from heaven.  

How, do you think, this miracle occurred?  And why are there two of these feedings? (There is one more coming. Here Jesus feeds over 5000 Jews; later he will feed 4000 Gentiles.)

Mark 6:46-50, Jesus walks by on the lake

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.

He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Another strange miracle....  What purpose does it serve?

Mark 6:51-56, Excited disciples

Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.  As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

And wherever he went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

What does it mean, in verse 52, that “their hearts were hardened”?  What did they not understand, his divinity?

Mark now makes it clear that everywhere Jesus goes, he is pursued by crowds.  This is the height of his popularity.

Mark 3: 20-30, Beelzebub and Blasphemy

Jesus has just appointed twelve disciples.

Mark 3: 20-22, Beelzebub and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 
21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

As the ministry of Jesus gains speed and popularity, he gets pushback from even his family (or closest associates) and, of course, the religious leaders traveling north from Jerusalem. Both accusations are strong, but the one of the religious leaders is especially damaging, as it suggests that Jesus does indeed have power, but of the wrong type!

NIV footnotes: "family"in verse 21 could simply mean "his associates".  

Beelzebub is an old Jewish term for Satan, probably associated with the Canaanite god Baal.

Mark 3: 23-27, Beelzebub and good works

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 
26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 
27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 

Jesus ridicules the claim that the good he is doing can be attributed to evil.

Couldn’t Satan fool people by pretending to be on the wrong side, by driving out demons?  (I don’t completely understand Jesus’ answer.)

Mark 3: 28-30, Beelzebub and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

Mark 3: 7-12, Crowded on the Shore

Jesus has healed a man on the Sabbath and drawn the ire of the religious leaders. He withdraws with his disciples but the crowds continue to follow.

Mark 3: 7-10, Healing people with evil spirits
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 
8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 
9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 
10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 

Those coming to Jesus comes from many miles away, possibly several hundred miles in some cases. With the lake at his back, Jesus keeps a boat handy so that, presumably, he can move out into the lake if pressed. He will teach from the boat at various times.

The crowds, at this time, appear to be driven by his physical healings. To many, his teachings are an afterthought.

Mark 3: 11-12, Dealing with evil spirits

Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 
12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

Although the people are not sure Who he is, the spirits know.  But Jesus does not want their endorsement nor does he need more attention.

Mark 1, The Son of God (Overview)

The gospel of Mark is one of the earliest New Testament writings, probably the earliest gospel.  It is brief, energetic, dynamic.  It starts right in....

Mark 1:1-8, The beginning of Jesus' ministry -- John the baptizer
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" -- "a voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The quote in verse 2 is from the Old Testament prophet, Malachi (Mal. 3:1) and the quote in verse 3 is from the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3.)  What do these quotes say about the expected recipients of this letter by Mark?

Judea was the center of the ancient homeland of the Jews, the descendants of Israel.  In this time, the region was under the control of the Roman empire, with considerable autonomy left to the local peoples.  The phrase, "make straight paths for him", is an announcement that significant change is coming.

How is John the Baptist described?  What type of individual is he?  And why does the story seem to begin with him?  (Even to the ancient reader, John is a strange character.  The reader is expected to be a little shocked by him -- and by his ritual of baptism.)

Mark skips any significant prologue.  The others gospels tell us a little about Jesus's life before his ministry began.  Mark is simpler, more direct.  All that matters here is the short three years of Jesus's ministry!

A pericope is a short dynamic story, somewhat self-contained.  Much of the Gospel of Mark consists of these short events, dramatically recalled by Peter, copied down later by Mark. Here is the second pericope in Mark's gospel:

Mark 1:9-13, The beginning of Jesus' ministry -- baptism and temptation
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Nazareth is some distance north of Galilee, 70-80 miles. 

Why is Jesus baptized?  What happens when he is baptized?  Theologically, philosophically, this is an intriguing passage.  If Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, as taught elsewhere in the New Testament – and in the early church – why does he need to be baptized? (Surely baptism comes from the Jewish ritual bathing, something especially required of a Jewish convert.)

Note that heaven was "torn" open!  This describes a dramatic, almost violent, action.

What does Jesus do after the baptism? Why?

Why does Mark leave out so much?  (Eg. "He was with the wild animals and angels attended him.") Couldn't he have said a little more? Mark's stories will be quick and short, usually with lots of energy.

Mark 1:14-15, The kingdom begins
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Jesus has finished his time in the desert and is ready for ministry.  The imprisonment of John seems to stir Jesus to ministry.

Jesus emphasizes the "good news" (or "gospel") of the coming kingdom.  The concept of repentance is a positive change, in the direction of the kingdom of God.

Mark 1:16-20, Four disciples
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  At once they left their nets and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

There are now four official disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John.  Why does Jesus suddenly pick these people?  (Is it really sudden?  Or does it appear this way through Mark's collapsing of time?)

Capernaum is near Nazareth, in northern Israel (Galilee.)  Jesus first begins teaching, as any Jew would, in a synagogue, on the Sabbath (Saturday.)

Mark 1:21-28, A different teacher!
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.  The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Of course news spreads!  Is this good?

How is Jesus's teaching received?

(NIV footnotes say "evil spirit" might be "unclean spirit".)  What is the effect of the "evil" or "unclean" spirit?  And why does Jesus hush it up?!

After Jesus has spoken in the synagogue and healed a man with an "unclean spirit", he visits the home of Simon and Andrew.

Mark 1:29-34, Also a healer!

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.  Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.  So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Simon Peter is surely the main source for the gospel of Mark.  One of the early miracles of Jesus is to heal the mother of Simon's wife.  We don't know the severity of the fever but, like a typical mother, once she is feeling better, Simon's mother-in-law begins to serve the small crowd in her home!

The effect is immediate.  After sunset (when it is cooler?) the crowds come.  The "whole town" has heard and shows up as the door.  And Jesus responds.  Once again there are "evil spirits"; once again they are commanded not to identify Jesus!

A few simple observations: Yes, we all need help -- both teaching and healing.  And there are times to identify Jesus (we will see some later) and times to be quiet.

William Barclay suggests that the reason for people bringing the sick after sunset is to avoid working on the Sabbath.

Mark 1: 35-39, The ministry begins

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

After healing Simon's mother-in-law and many in the community of Caesarea, Jesus begins a more general ministry throughout Galilee (northern Israel.)   The ministry begins with Jesus isolated and praying.  (Why does God need to pray?)

Where does Jesus preach?  What are the results?  (Why?)

Mark 1: 40-45, A leper approaches
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.   Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:

"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

What is Jesus's reaction to the leper's request?  (In verse 1:40 The Greek word translated leprosy here was used for various diseases affecting the skin--not necessarily leprosy.  But clearly this is a serious, incurable disease.)

Why did Jesus give him the strong warning?  What is wrong with the leper telling everyone of Jesus's work?