Gospel of Mark. Bible online Mark 1 chapter
1:1 Beginning. Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Gospel of Mark does not include the birth of Jesus. The "beginning" (cf. Gen. 1:1; John 1:1) here is the ministry of John the Baptist (cf. Acts 1:22) and the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of John.
Gospels. Translated from Greek: "good news".
Jesus Christ."Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, meaning "savior" (Matthew 1:21). "Christ" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "mashiach" - "anointed one".
The words "Gospel of Jesus Christ" can be understood in two ways: as "the gospel of Jesus Christ" or as "the gospel that proceeds from Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:9; 1 Cor. 9:12; 2 Cor. 10:14).
Son of God. These words can be taken as a messianic title (see Ps. 2:7, where they refer to David), but their meaning is not exhausted by this, since Mark at the beginning of his Gospel presents Jesus as the eternal Divine Son (see on n. 13:32; 14:36; Rom. 1:3).
1:2 As it is written. The unchanging nature of inspired Scripture is emphasized. Mark shows that revelation is an organic process, the arbiter of which is the Lord God - the Lord of history. If the Old Testament serves as the beginning and source for the Gospels, then the Gospels are the final and inspired completion of the Old Testament message in the light of the person and work of Jesus Christ.
prophets. Isaiah the prophet (quoted from Bible Societies). The following quotation is a string of texts (Ex. 23:20; Is. 40:3; Mal. 3:1) that speak of forerunner messengers sent by God.
1:4 John. The OT quotations show that John's coming was planned by God before history even began.
in desert. A symbolic reminder to Israel of the conditions under which God made a covenant with this people (cf. Jeremiah 2:2).
baptism of repentance. The Qumran community, with whom John may have had some contact in his youth, practiced ceremonial cleansing by immersion in water. Gentiles who converted to Judaism were also baptized. What was new about John was that he required baptism from the Israelites who already belonged to the covenant community. His demand for the Jews to perform this act, which symbolizes resolute repentance, testified that he himself was already on the threshold of a new covenant.
for the forgiveness of sins. John's baptism did not provide real forgiveness of sins. The Greek preposition translated "for" here means rather "in preparation for" or "with a view to". The final forgiveness of sins is possible only within the framework of the new covenant (Jer. 31:34), which was to bring the Messiah.
1:5 the whole country... all were baptized. Hyperbola. The author wants to say that the people of the covenant came out to John en masse, whole families (4:1; 6:44&N).
1:6 from camel hair. The clothes and food of John are typical of the Old Testament prophet (2 Kings 1:8; Zech. 13:4).
1:7 And he preached, speaking. About whom exactly John preached, saying that he was not even “worthy to untie the strap of his shoes” of this person, it becomes clear from the Old Testament prophecies cited above - this is the Lord, who will “come to his temple”, the “angel of the covenant”, whose coming precedes the appearance of "My Angel" (Mal. 3:1).
1:8 by the Holy Spirit. New Testament brings rebirth to the people of God (Ezek. 37:14; Jer. 31:33-34) through the Son and the Spirit who is fully present in the Son (Is. 42:1; 61:1).
1:9 in those days. According to In. 2:20, one of the earliest acts of Jesus' public ministry took place in the forty-sixth year of the rebuilding of the temple. Since Herod began it in 19 BC, Jesus' baptism took place in 27 AD or a year earlier.
from Nazareth. Nazareth is a small town in the Galilee that is never mentioned in the OT. Jesus came from despised (John 7:41-52) "pagan" (Matthew 4:15) Galilee.
1:10 immediately. A word that is specific to this gospel. If in all other books of the NT it occurs only twelve times, then Mark uses it forty-two times. Probably, it points not so much to the speed of the events taking place, but to the immutability of the fulfillment of God's plan, and reminds of the "straight paths" prepared by God's providence for the coming and ministry of Jesus.
Spirit... descending. A visible sign of the anointing with the Spirit as a symbol of the Messiahship of Jesus (see 1:8N). In the baptism of Jesus, as later in Christian baptism (Matt. 28:19), all three Persons of the Trinity participate: the initiative comes from the Father, the Son takes upon Himself the substitutionary work, and the Spirit manifests a glorifying, creative power.
1:11 You are my Son. In this declaration of God, the mystery of the identity of Jesus finds its expression. He - the Second Person of the Trinity - is at the same time the representative of all believers, as well as the true and faithful Son of Israel (Ex. 4:23), Who pleases the Father and whom the Father recognizes as His Son (Ps. 2:7; Is. 42, 1; see comment to article 1).
in whom I am well pleased. These words characterize the special relationship that exists between the Father and the Son, which is further emphasized in the original Greek by the repetition of the definite article.
1:12 Immediately. See com. to 1.10.
The Spirit leads Him. The idea of divine and spiritual necessity. The Spirit leads Jesus straight into the wilderness, i.e. in the same way that God led Israel, who was also called the son of God (Ex. 4:23), baptized "into Moses ... in the sea" (1 Cor. 10:2; cf. Ex. 14:13-31 ) and was led by the Spirit, who took the form of a pillar of cloud and fire (Ex. 14:19-20), in the wilderness along the path of trials.
1:13 forty days. The above comparisons here undoubtedly reveal a parallel with the forty years spent in the wilderness by the Israelites (Deut. 1:3).
tempted. Translation of a Greek word meaning, on the one hand, "test", a useful experience with which God enriches His people, and on the other hand, "temptation", the malice of the devil. God turns "temptation" into "test" by His power.
Angels served Him. Angels also accompanied Israel during the Exodus from Egypt (Ex. 14:19; 23:20; 32:34; 33:2). Jesus in the wilderness symbolizes the Christian in the world under the control of Satan (Eph. 6:12).
1:14 After John was betrayed... into Galilee. By saying that the ministry in Galilee began after the arrest of John, Mark does not deny the fact of an earlier ministry in Judea, he simply does not include it in his narrative, i.e. there is no contradiction here with the chronology of the Gospel of John.
1:15 is the time. The time has come when salvation is achieved through Jesus Christ.
the kingdom of God is near. The Kingdom of God is that final state of things when God will be the Sovereign Ruler in the hearts of His redeemed and glorified people.
1:16 Sea of Galilee. An inland lake, 19 km long and 10 km wide, also called in the NZ the Lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Tiberias.
James 1:19...and John. Jesus recruited future apostles and "fishers of men" not from among the religious intelligentsia, but from among the common people.
1:21 on Saturday. The Hebrew word "sabbath" means "seven"; the seventh day is the day of rest dedicated to God (Genesis 2:2-3). God's plan for the coming of His kingdom does not contradict previous revelation, which required, in particular, the observance of the Sabbath and regular meetings of His people (Lev. 16:24-31; Deut. 5:12-15; Isaiah 56:1-7). Thus, Jesus combines the custom of the synagogue Sabbath worship with His missionary activity (Matt. 4:23).
learned. The teachers in the synagogues were respected rabbis.
1:22 as having authority. Although Mark does not go into the details of this teaching, he does describe its general style. The teaching of Jesus is not like the teaching of the scribes because: 1) it is directly related to the person of Jesus (2:10) and to His interpretation of Scripture (12:35-40); 2) was new, because it announced the coming of the Kingdom of God (1.15) and the victory over Satan (1.27).
1:24 what have you to do with us. An idiomatic turn characteristic of the NT language.
Nazarene. Those. "a man from Nazareth", the hometown of Jesus, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Holy God. This is the only time in the entire NT that Jesus is addressed in this way (Luke 4:34).
1:25 shut up. Lit: "put on a muzzle." Expression of categorical prohibition.
1:29 with James and John. See Art. 19.
1:32 when the sun went down. Those. when Saturday ends. Not daring to break the ordinances about the Sabbath day, people waited until the sun went down and only after that they brought the sick to Jesus.
did not allow the demons to speak. Jesus also has power over demons who obey His command (cf. 7:29; Matt. 8:32; 17:18; Luke 4:41; 9:1).
1:35 a deserted place. A symbol of the spiritual walk of ancient Israel and modern Christians (1 Cor. 10:1-11; Heb. 13:12.13).
1:40 leper. In the Old Testament, leprosy made a person not only physically, but also ritually unclean, excluding him from the life of the community (Lev. 13:46).
1:43 looking... strictly. Lit.: "angry." The anger of Jesus is explained by the fact that the leper, having approached Jesus, who was "surrounded by people", thereby violated the law of Moses, which forbade the "unclean" to enter the camp of Israel (see Lev. 13:46).
1:44 what Moses commanded. Jesus points out to the leper the need to keep the law of Moses. Jesus Himself stands above the law, and therefore His touch with the leper healed the latter and did not make Jesus Himself unclean.
1:45 proclaim and tell. Lit.: "to preach a lot." The time for open gospel preaching has not yet come.
1–8. Book writing. John the Baptist. - 9-11. Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. - 12-13. Temptation of Jesus Christ. - 14-15. Presentation of Jesus Christ as Preacher. - 16-20. The calling of the first four disciples. – 21–28. Christ in the synagogue of Capernaum. Healing the demoniac. – 29–31. Healing mother-in-law of Simon Peter. - 32–34. Miracles in the late evening. – 35–38. Christ at prayer in the early morning and the coming of the disciples to Him. - 39. The activity of Christ in all Galilee. - 40-45. Healing a leper.
. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
"Jesus Christ" (see).
"Son of God". If the Evangelist Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for Christians from the Jews, had to show them that Christ comes from the forefathers of the Jewish people - David and Abraham (), then the Evangelist Mark, as he wrote his Gospel for Christians from the Gentiles, did not need such an indication. He directly calls Christ the Son of God - of course, in the exclusive sense, as the Only Begotten from the Father (see). But if the Gospel, which Mark further offers to his readers, comes from the Son of God, then, as he says, it must have indisputable authority for all.
. as it is written in the prophets: behold, I am sending my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you.
. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.
. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
These three verses represent one period. “According to (the union “as” in the best Greek codes corresponds to the particle καθώς, and not ὡς, as in our Receptus code) with the predictions of the prophets Malachi () and Isaiah (), who predicted the coming of the Forerunner of the Messiah, who will prepare the Jewish people for the acceptance of the Messiah, John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Thus, the appearance of John was not something completely unexpected, it had long been predicted. The prophecy of Malachi about John the Baptist (see comments on the book of the prophet Malachi) the evangelist cites earlier than the prophecy of Isaiah, an older prophet, of course, because the first prophecy speaks more definitely about the coming of the Forerunner - the Messiah than the second. It is remarkable that the Evangelist Mark cites the prophecy of Malachi not according to the original and not according to the translation of the Seventy, which in this case quite accurately repeats the thought and expression of the original, but follows the Evangelist Matthew in this place. Instead of expressing the original text "before me," the Evangelist Matthew, followed by Mark, reads: "before you." Consequently, according to the translation of both evangelists in Malachi, he refers to the Messiah Himself with a prediction about the message before His coming of a special Angel or harbinger - the Forerunner. The prophet contains Jehovah's appeal to the Jewish people.
The prophecy of Isaiah about the voice of one crying in the wilderness (see comments on) is given here as an explanation of the above prophecy of Malachi and together as the fundamental principle of the first prophecy. The messenger of Jehovah, about whom Malachi spoke, is exactly the same one that the prophet Isaiah foretold even earlier - such is the meaning of bringing the prophecy of Isaiah. From this, anyone can see that the evangelist identifies Jehovah, Who in the Old Testament through the prophets foreshadowed His coming, with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Evangelist Mark cites a place from Isaiah according to the text of the translation of the Seventy (cf.).
"In desert" (). Evangelist Mark does not define what kind of desert he means (Matthew directly calls it Judaic:). This can be explained by the fact that Mark, as a resident of Jerusalem, considered superfluous the closest definition of what he meant by "wilderness": the Jerusalemites used to understand by "wilderness" precisely the Judean desert, i.e. country between the mountains of Judea and the Jordan, northwest of the Dead Sea (cf.;).
"Preaching". The evangelist Mark conveys John's sermon in his own words, while Matthew brings out John himself speaking (cf.).
"Baptism of Repentance"(cm. ).
"For the forgiveness of sins". The forgiveness of sins was necessary condition so that mankind could enter into a new life, which opened with the appearance of the Promised Messiah in the people of Israel. But, in any case, this forgiveness seemed to be something in the future, which had yet to come. Indeed, the sins of mankind could be considered forgiven only when a completely satisfactory sacrifice had been offered for them to the truth of God. And such a sacrifice had not yet been made at that time.
. And all the country of Judea and Jerusalem went out to him, and they were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
Evangelist Mark repeats here what is said in the Gospel of Matthew (). Only he first mentions the "Jewish country", and then about the "Jerusalemites". Perhaps this is the intention of Mark, who wrote his Gospel for Gentile Christians, who could not sympathize with the city in which Christ was killed, to place Jerusalem in a place that is not in such a prominent place as Matthew, who wrote his Gospel for Jewish Christians, puts it. (Prof. Bogoslovsky “Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ”, issue 1, p. 36).
. John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey.
The evangelist Mark speaks of John's attire in accordance with Matthew (), but describes this attire after he mentioned the crowds of people who came to John to be baptized.
Was not Mark himself among those who made the journey into the wilderness to John? At the very least, it is hardly possible that he, being a young man and undoubtedly interested in religious matters, could sit quietly at home in Jerusalem at a time when nearby, in the wilderness of Judea, John was performing a symbolic act of great importance - baptism.
. And he preached, saying: The strongest of me is coming after me, in whose presence I am not worthy, bending down to untie the strap of His shoes;
. I baptized you with water, and He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Now the evangelist more precisely, more fully reports the content of the sermon of the Baptist. This is a sermon about the Messiah (see). John considers himself unworthy to correct even the work of a slave in the Messiah: to bend down and untie the strap of his shoes. Here the Evangelist Mark is closer to Luke () than to Matthew.
. And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Evangelist Mark accurately indicates that Christ came from Nazareth (for Nazareth, see comments on).
. And as he was coming out of the water, immediately John saw the heavens open, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him.
. And a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
. Immediately after that, the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness.
The Evangelist Mark says that the Holy Spirit with force draws (ἐκβάλλει ) Christ into the wilderness. Christ feels, as it were, an irresistible attraction to go into the desert and there to fight with Satan.
. And He was there in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and angels ministered to him.
Evangelist Mark briefly conveys about the temptations of Christ by the devil, obviously having before him a detailed account of the history of temptation by the evangelist Matthew (). But he adds that Christ was in the wilderness "with the beasts." By this the evangelist wants to say that Christ, through His victory over Satan, restored those relations of subordination of animals to man, in which all animals were in relation to the still sinless Adam. The desert is thus transformed by Christ into a paradise (cf. Isaiah 11ff.).
"And Angels ..." (see).
. After John was betrayed, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
. and saying that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel.
The Evangelist Mark, like Matthew (), skips the history of the activities of the Lord Jesus Christ in Judea and upon His arrival in Galilee, which John the Theologian () speaks about in detail and which embraces time for at least about one and a half years. The imprisonment of the Baptist, according to the evangelist Mark, prompted Christ to come out into open activity in Galilee.
"Kingdom of God". Evangelist Mark uses this expression about 14 times. He takes it, of course, in the same sense in which Matthew mostly uses the expression "Kingdom of Heaven." But the Evangelist Mark, as writing his Gospel for Gentile Christians, found it better to use a direct, strict and precise designation of the Kingdom that Christ came to establish, than, like the Evangelist Matthew, who wrote for Jewish Christians already familiar with theological terminology, to use a metaphorical expression , descriptive - the Kingdom of Heaven - an expression that still requires explanation for itself. For the interpretation of the very term "Kingdom of God", see the comments to; cf. .
"Time is up"- more precisely: the term or period has come to an end, i.e. the period appointed by God to prepare mankind for the acceptance of the Savior (ὁ καιρός , not χρόνος ). The present time, which the listeners of Christ are still experiencing, is the time of transition to a new order of life - to the Kingdom of God.
"Believe in the Gospel". In the Greek text, this is ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ - in the gospel. This expression is unusual in the New Testament - the verb πιστεύειν is used everywhere with the preposition of the accusative case. Therefore, it is better with some ancient codes (for example, with) to read the expression τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ without any pretext and translate "believe the Gospel", i.e. God who speaks to people in the gospel.
Other see comments to .
. And as he passed near the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother throwing their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen.
. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
. And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
. And having gone a little way from there, He saw James Zebedee and John his brother, also in the boat mending the nets;
. and immediately called them. And they, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the workers, followed Him.
For the calling of the first 4 disciples, see the comments on. The Evangelist Mark mentions workers such as Zebedee had (verse 20), Matthew does not speak about these workers.
This call, of course, was not the first. As can be seen from the Gospel of John, the four disciples mentioned here were called to follow Christ a long time ago - after the baptism of Christ in the Jordan (John 1ff.).
. And they come to Capernaum; and soon on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught.
"Come" - of course, the Lord with four of His disciples.
"To Capernaum" (see).
"On Saturday" . In the Greek text, the plural is here (τοῖς σάββασιν), but the evangelist Mark uses it in the sense of the singular (cf.).
"To the synagogue" (see).
"Learned" . The content of Christ's teaching here was probably the same as stated above in verse 15.
. And they marveled at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as scribes.
. In their synagogue there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, and he cried out:
“And marveled” (see).
"Possessed by an unclean spirit"- the same as the demoniac (see).
. leave! what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? You have come to destroy us! I know You who You are, Holy One of God.
"Leave" - in Greek ἔα. It is rather an exclamation, equal to our "ah" (cf.).
"What do you want" (see).
"Nazarene". So the demon calls Christ, probably with the aim of arousing distrust in his listeners as a resident of the despised city of Nazareth (cf.).
"Holy of God". In the Old Testament, the high priest Aaron () and the prophet Elisha () are so named. But here, obviously, this expression is taken in a special, exclusive sense, as denoting the divine origin and divine nature of the Messiah (cf.: "Son of God").
. But Jesus forbade him, saying, Be silent and come out of him.
The Lord does not want to hear the recognition of His Messianic dignity from the lips of a demon-possessed person: afterward they could say that only madmen recognized Christ. Along with the command to “be silent,” the Lord gives the command to the evil spirit to “come out” of the possessed one. By this the Lord shows that He really defeated Satan.
. Then the unclean spirit, shaking him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
. And everyone was horrified, so that they asked each other: what is this? What is this new teaching that He commands the unclean spirits with authority, and they obey Him?
. And soon a rumor about Him spread throughout the region in Galilee.
The words of eyewitnesses of the incident according to the best reading (Wolenberg) should be conveyed as follows: “What is this? New teaching - with power! And He commands the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” (In the Russian translation, the “command” of unclean spirits is made dependent on the “teaching” of Christ, and such an explanation has no support) The Jews, therefore, were perplexed, on the one hand, about the nature of the new teaching that Christ offered them, and on the other hand the other is about the very fact of exorcising the demon, since Christ did this work without any preparation, while the Jewish exorcists performed experiments on exorcising demons through various rather lengthy spells and manipulations.
“And soon a report about him spread throughout the region in Galilee”. More precisely: "in the countries surrounding Galilee", i.e. not only in Syria, but also in Perea, Samaria and Phoenicia. The basis for this "rumor" was not only the miracle of healing the possessed, but in general the whole activity of Jesus Christ (see verses 14-15).
. Leaving the synagogue soon, they came to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
. Simonov's mother-in-law lay in a fever; and immediately tell Him about it.
. Approaching, He lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and the fever immediately left her, and she began to serve them.
For the healing of Simon's mother-in-law, see.
. When evening came, when the sun was setting, they brought to Him all the sick and possessed.
. And the whole city gathered at the door.
. And He healed many that were afflicted with various diseases; cast out many demons, and would not allow the demons to say that they know that He is the Christ.
The Lord healed “many” of “all” the sick brought to Him, obviously those who were in His sight or who deserved healing (see). Evangelist Mark adds to Matthew's words that the Lord did not allow demons to say that they know Him. It seems better to see here an indication that the Lord did not allow the demons to speak at all. We find a hint of this in the very expression by which the word "to speak" is here indicated (λαλεῖν, not λέγειν). The Lord did not allow the demons to speak because they knew about Him, Who He is, and Christ did not want to allow such a recognition of His dignity from the lips of the possessed for the reasons indicated above (verse 24). The healings took place, as Mark accurately indicates, on a Sabbath evening, when the sun was already setting. Only now was the Sabbath rest over, and it was possible to carry out the transfer of the sick, which was not allowed on the Sabbath.
. And in the morning, getting up very early, he went out and retired to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
Early in the morning, almost at night (ἔννυχον λίαν ; in Russian translation inaccurately - “very early”), the Lord left the house of Simon, where He found shelter, and retired to a secluded place for prayer. For the prayer of Jesus Christ, see comments on. Spurzhon says about this in one of his conversations: “Christ prays. Does He find rest for Himself in this after a hard day's work? Are you preparing for the next day's work? Both. This early morning spent in prayer explains His strength as He revealed in the evening: And now that the work of the day is done and the glorious evening has passed, it is not all over for Him yet—He still has the work of His life to do, and therefore He must pray: Worker again approaches the source of strength, so that, going out into the struggle that is set before Him, he again girds His loins with this strength” (“Christ at Prayer”).
) Look for him. Having found Christ, they informed Him that everyone, the whole city, was already looking for Him, apparently in order to listen to His preaching and receive healing from Him for the sick. But the Lord does not want to return to Capernaum. He calls the students to neighboring towns (it is better to translate the word here κωμοπόλεις , in Russian translation for some reason divided into two words “villages” and “cities”), i.e. to small cities, which are similar in their structure to simple villages (this expression is no longer found in the New Testament and even in the translation of the Seventy). The Lord wants to preach there as well, because that is what He came for, or, more precisely, “came out” (ἐξελήλυθα ). The last expression undoubtedly indicates that Christ was sent into the world by His Father (cf.). According to ancient church interpretations, Christ points here to the truth of His Divine dignity and to the voluntariness of exhaustion (see Volenberg, p. 68).
. And He preached in their synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out demons.
So, Christ did not return to Capernaum, but preached the Gospel in the synagogues of other places and cast out demons. At the same time, He was apparently accompanied by the above-mentioned four disciples. The Evangelist Mark mentions the exorcism of demons, without reporting on the healings of other sick people, of course, because this matter seemed to him the most difficult, since here it was necessary to enter into a direct struggle with the spirits of malice, while in the healing of ordinary sick the Lord did not strike Satan. directly, but only as the culprit of original sin, which entailed all sorts of illnesses in humanity.
. And he said to him: Look, don't say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
. And he, going out, began to proclaim and tell about what had happened, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside, in desert places. And they came to Him from everywhere.
For the healing of a leper, see. However, here the evangelist Mark makes some additions. So, he reports that, having healed the leper, the Lord became angry with him (ἐμβριμησάμενος; in Russian translation inaccurately - “looking at him severely”) and expelled (ἐξέβαλεν; in Russian translation - “sent away”). The anger of Christ is explained by the fact that the leper, by his approach to Christ, Who was surrounded by people, violated the law of Moses, which forbade lepers to enter "into the camp" of Israel (). Then the Evangelist Mark adds that the healed man did not keep the prohibition of Christ and everywhere divulged about the miracle that had happened to him, which is why an extremely large number of people began to follow Christ, who wanted from Him not the teaching about the Kingdom of God, but only miracles, who waited for Christ to declare Himself the Messiah that the Jews were then waiting for. Even in desert places, Mark notes, Christ did not find peace for Himself, and whole crowds of people came to Him there.
The expression of verse 45, "going out," used of the leper, may indicate that, after being healed, he went to his house, where hitherto he had no right to appear, and, after spending some time there, went to tell about the miracle performed on him.
I. Title (1:1)
Mar. 1:1. The first verse (in which there is not a single verb) contains the title of the book and reveals its theme. The word gospel (euangeliou - "good news") in this case does not refer to the book of Mark, known as the "Gospel of Mark", but to the good news about Jesus Christ.
Those who were familiar with the Old Testament knew how high the word "gospel" and words derived from it are filled in it (Is. 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1-3). In its usual meaning, the word "news" (or "news") implies that, behold, something important has happened. But Mark uses this word at a time when it has already become a kind of Christian term for preaching about Jesus Christ. "Good news" or "Gospel" (Greek) is the announcement of God's power working in Jesus Christ for the salvation of all who believe (Rom. 1:16). The term plays an important role in Mark's theological narrative (Mark 1:14-15; 8:35; 10:29; 13:9-10; 14:9).
For Mark, the beginning of the gospel was the historical facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Later, the apostles proclaimed the Good News, beginning with (eg, Acts 2:36) where Mark ended.
So, the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" means: The good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. "Jesus" is His proper name given to Him by God (Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31; 2:21); it is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Yoshua" meaning "Jehovah is our salvation."
The word "Christ" is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew title "Mashiach" ("Messiah" or "Anointed One"). The Jews used it in reference to the Deliverer whom they expected; in their view, it was God's Messenger (Mediator) who would come to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies (for example, Gen. 49:10; Ps. 2:109; Is. 9:1-7; 11:1-9; Zech. 9 :9-10). Jesus was the Messiah they were waiting for.
Although from the beginning of the Christian era the title "Christ" became, as it were, part of own name Jesus, Mark uses it precisely in the sense of a title full of power (Mark 8:29; 12:35; 14:61; 15:32). Another title of Jesus, "Son of God," refers to His very special relationship with God. He is a Man (Jesus) and God's "special Mediator" (Messiah), fully possessing the same Divine nature as the Father. As the Son of God, He is obedient to God the Father (Heb. 5:8).
II. Introduction: preparing for the ministry of Jesus to the people (1:2-13)
In a brief introduction, Mark dwells on three "preparatory" events that had great importance for a correct perception of the whole life-ministry of Jesus. These are: the ministry of John the Baptist (verses 2-8), the baptism of Jesus (verses 9-11), and the temptation of Jesus (verses 12-13). The decisive role is played in the introduction by two words, repeatedly repeated in it - "desert" (eremos; verses 3-4,12-13) and "Spirit" (verse 8, 10,12).
A. Forerunner of Christ - John the Baptist (1:2-8) (Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-37)
1. THE FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY IN JOHN THE BAPTIST (1:2-3)
Mar. 1:2-3. Mark begins his story in an Old Testament context. And this is the only place where he refers to the Old Testament, except for quotes from it, cited by Jesus Christ.
Verse 2 is a "confusion" of what was said in Ex. 23:20 and Malachi (3:1). And in 1:3 the prophet Isaiah is quoted (40:3). Moreover, Mark proceeds from the traditional understanding of the mentioned Old Testament verses and therefore does not explain them. But he clearly emphasizes the word "way" (hodos, literally "road"), which is of key importance in Mark's interpretation of the essence of Christian discipleship (Mark 8:27; 9:33; 10:17,32,52; 12 :fourteen).
"Mixed" citations in verses 2-3 Mark prefaces with the words: As it is written in the prophets... Such "mixed" or "united" references are generally characteristic of New Testament authors. In this case, the "unifying theme" is the "desert", which has played a special role in Israeli history. Since Mark begins his narrative with the ministry of John the Baptist in the wilderness, the words of the prophet Isaiah about the voice of one crying in the wilderness are decisive in quoting him ...
Guided by the Holy Spirit, Mark interprets the Old Testament texts in a "messianic way", deliberately changing the phrase "the way is before Me" (Mal. 3:1) to Your way and "the paths of our God" (Is. 40:3) to His paths. Thus, I refer to God, who sends His Angel (John) in the presence of Jesus ("before Your face"), the Angel who will prepare the way of Jesus ("Your way"). John was the "voice" calling on Israel to prepare the way for the Lord, that is, Jesus, and to make straight paths for Him (Jesus). The meaning of these metaphors is revealed in the words about the ministry of John (1:4-5).
2. JOHN AS A PROPHET (1:4-5)
Mar. 1:4. In fulfillment of the aforementioned prophecies, John appeared on the historical scene as the last of the Old Testament prophets (compare Luke 7:24-28; 16:16), and this marked a turning point in God's relationship to the human race. John was baptizing in the wilderness (literally, the uninhabited area parched by the sun)… preaching the baptism of repentance. The word "preaching" (the Greek word "kerisson") could be rendered - in the light of the prediction in Mar. 1:2-3 - as "proclaiming, being a herald, a messenger."
On the one hand, the baptism of John was not something fundamentally new, since the Jews required the performance of a similar ritual from the pagans who converted to Judaism - self-immersion in water. What was new, however, was that John offered to "be baptized" not to the pagans, but to the people chosen by God, i.e., the Jews, and at the same time demanded repentance from them - in the face of the Messiah coming after him (Matt. 3:2).
This baptism is said to be associated with repentance or expressing repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This very word - "repentance" ("metanoia") is found in the Gospel of Mark only here. And it implies a "turn by 180 degrees" - a change in the way of thinking, and, accordingly, behavior (Mat. 3:8; 1 Thess. 1:9).
"Forgiveness" (aphesin) literally means here "removal or destruction of the barrier (or "debt") of guilt." It is implied - by God's mercy, for it is precisely by it - on the basis of the sacrificial death of Christ (Mat. 26:28) - that "sins" are annulled (like a debt). Forgiveness was not a consequence of the ritual of baptism, but was a visible evidence that the person being baptized repented, and as a result, God, in His mercy, forgave him of his sins (Luke 3:3).
Mar. 1:5. By resorting to hyperbole (compare also verses 32-33, 37), Mark sought to show how great John's influence was on the Jews in general and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem in particular. People came from all directions and were baptized by him ... in the Jordan River (compare verse 9), confessing their sins. The imperfect form of the Greek verbs in this verse emphasizes that the human flow was continuous, that people walked and walked - to listen to John's sermon and be baptized by him.
The verb "to baptize" here (baptiso is an amplifying form of bapto - "to dip") literally means "to lower, immerse in water". To be baptized by John in the Jordan River meant for a Jew to "turn to God." He thus became part of a repentant people ready to meet the Messiah.
The very act of baptism included an open, public confession of sins. The verb "confess" (exomologoumenoi - literally "to agree, acknowledge, confess" - Acts 19:18; Phil. 2:11) is a strong-sounding word. Those who confessed publicly acknowledged the justice of God's condemnation of their sins (here gamartias is literally "missing the target", in the sense of (their) inconsistency with God's standards). Every Jew who knew the history of his people knew that Israel had failed to fulfill Heavenly Father's requirements. The willingness to be baptized by John "in the wilderness" corresponded to his acknowledgment of his disobedience to God and the expression of a desire to turn to Him.
3. JOHN'S LIFESTYLE WAS THE PROPHET'S LIFESTYLE (1:6)
Mar. 1:6. The clothes and food of John the Baptist betrayed in him a "man of the wilderness", and they also testified of him as a prophet of God (compare Zech. 13:4). In his appearance, John resembled the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), who was identified by the prophet Malachi (Mal. 4:5) with God's Angel or Messenger (Mal. 3:1); quoted above (Mark 1:2; compare Mark 9:13; Luke 1:17).
Those who lived in the desert regions of Palestine often ate locusts (locusts) and wild honey. In Lev. 11:32 locusts are counted among the "clean" food.
4. SERMON OF JOHN - SERMON OF A PROPHET (1:7-8)
Mar. 1:7. Literally the first words of this verse are: "And he spoke as a herald, saying" (compare verse 4). John's sermon Mark reduces to its main point in order to emphasize it: to the announcement that someone much greater is following him, who will baptize the people with the Holy Spirit (verse 8). The words are coming behind me (meaning "after (in time) me") Strongest me, like an echo, reflect what was said in Mal. 3:1 and 4:5, but who exactly the "Strongest One" who "goes after him" was hidden even from John until Jesus was baptized from him (compare John 1:29-34). Mark undoubtedly avoided the word "Messiah" - for the reason that the misinterpretation of it among the people was inextricably linked with this concept. Then, in verse 8, Mark explains why the One who follows John is "stronger than him."
John points to the greatness of the Coming One and shows his own humility (compare John 3:27-30), saying that he is not worthy to bend down (these words are recorded only by Mark) to untie the strap of His shoes (sandals). But even a slave who was in the service of a Jew was not required to do this for his master!
Mar. 1:8. In this verse I is contrasted with He. John performed an act of outward character - baptism with water, and the one who follows him will pour out the life-giving Spirit on them.
Greek word "baptiso". if in meaning it is connected with the word "water", it usually means immersion in water, and only (verses 9-10). But when combined with the words Holy Spirit, it means entering the sphere where the life-giving power of the Spirit operates.
I baptized you with water...probably indicating that John was speaking to people who had already been baptized by him. His baptism "in the water" was preparatory in nature. But those who were baptized by John made a promise to receive the One who "followed him" and to whom it was given to baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; 11:15-16). The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the expected action of the coming Messiah (Is. 44:3; Eze. 36:26-27; Joel 2:28-29).
B. Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (1:9-11) (Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22)
1. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS IN JORDAN (1:9)
Mar. 1:9. Mark quite unexpectedly introduces the Follower of John as Jesus. Unlike the others who went to the Baptist, who were from "Judea and Jerusalem," Jesus is said to have come from Nazareth of Galilee. Nazareth was a little-known town that was never mentioned either in the Old Testament, or in the Talmud, or in the historical narratives of Josephus Flavius, a famous Jewish historian who lived in the first century A.D. Galilee was one of the three provinces into which it was divided then Palestine (Judea, Samaria and Galilee), and occupied an area of about 100 by 45 kilometers; it formed the most populated northeastern part of Palestine.
Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan (compare verse 5). Greek prepositions ("eys" - "in", verse 9, and "ek" - "from", verse 10) refer to baptism by immersion in water. In all likelihood, Jesus was baptized near Jericho. He was then about 30 years old (Luke 3:23).
Unlike everyone else, Jesus did not confess sin (compare Mark 1:5) because there was no sin in Him (John 8:45-46; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 -John 3:5). Mark does not explain why Jesus was baptized by John, but three reasons can be suggested for this: 1) It was an act of obedience, indicating that Jesus fully shared God's plan and agreed with the role assigned to John in its implementation. baptism (Mat. 3:15). 2) It was for Him an act of identifying Himself with the people of Israel, to which He ranked Himself by His earthly origin and whose unenviable position in the eyes of God He was also ready to share. 3) It was for Jesus an act of consecrating Himself into the messianic ministry, a sign of officially accepting it, entering into it.
2. GOD'S VOICE FROM HEAVEN (1:10-11)
Mar. 1:10. Here Mark used the Greek eutis ("immediately") for the first of 42 times in his gospel. He uses it in different meaning- both in the sense of "immediateness" of this or that action, and in the sense of a logical sequence of actions (for example, 1:21, where the same adverb is translated as "soon").
During the baptism of Jesus, three events occurred that did not accompany the baptism of others. First, John saw the heavens open. Strong-sounding words "opening heaven" is a metaphor that reflects God's intervention in human affairs - in order to save His people (Is. 64:1-5, where a similar image). Secondly, John saw the Spirit as a dove descending on Him, that is, in the form of a dove, in a form accessible to human vision (compare Luke 3:22).
The image of a dove, apparently, symbolizes the creative activity of the Spirit (Genesis 1:2). In Old Testament times, the Spirit descended on some people in order to infuse them with strength for service (for example, Exod. 31:3; Judg. 3:10; 11:29; 1 Sam. 19:20,23). The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus gave Him power for His messianic ministry (Acts 10:38) and for the baptism of others with the Holy Spirit, as John foretold (Mark 1:8).
Mar. 1:11. Third: And a voice came from heaven (compare 9:7). The words of the Heavenly Father, in which He expressed unconditional approval of Jesus and His mission, echo in three verses of the Old Testament - Gen. 22:2; Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1.
The first declaration - You are My Son - affirms Jesus' special relationship with His Heavenly Father. The majestic meaning of these words is explained in Ps. 2:7, where God refers to the anointed King as His Son. From the moment of His baptism in the Jordan, Jesus officially assumes the role of God's Anointed One (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 89:27; Heb. 1:5).
The word Beloved (ho agapetos) in relation to the Son can be understood in the sense of the Old Testament "only" or "only begotten" Son (compare Gen. 22:2,12,16; Jer. 6:26; Am. 8:10; Zech. 12:10), that is, as an equivalent of the Greek word "monogenos" (single, unique - John 1:14,18; Heb. 11:17).
The phrase in Whom My favor sounds "out of time" and indicates that the Father always favors the Son. This favor of God had no beginning and will have no end. This idea is echoed in Is. 42:1, where God speaks to His chosen "Servant" (in English translation - "Servant"), on Whom He is ready to pour out His Spirit. With Is. 42:1 begins the first of four prophecies about the true Servant-Messiah, who is contrasted in them with the disobedient "servant-people", i.e. Israel (Is. 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-9 ; 52:13 - 53:12).
The true Servant (or Slave) must suffer much in order to fulfill the will of God. He is to die as a "propitiation offering" (Isaiah 53:10), having become the sacrificial Lamb (Isaiah 53:7-8; John 1:29-30). This is the role of the suffering Servant Jesus began to fulfill from the moment of His baptism. And it is this aspect of His messianic ministry that Mark emphasizes (8:31; 9:30-31; 10:32-34,45; 15:33-39).
The ritual of baptism itself had no effect on the divine status of Jesus. It was not at the moment of baptism that He became the Son of God, nor at the moment of His transfiguration before the eyes of the disciples (9:7). Rather, baptism pointed to the far-reaching significance of Jesus responding to His messianic calling both as the suffering Servant of God and as the Messiah, the Son of David. He became the Messiah, being the Son of God, with whom there is always the favor of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit (and not vice versa). All three Persons of the Godhead are "included" in the phenomenon of His messianism.
C. Temptation of Jesus by Satan (1:12-13) (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
Mar. 1:12. Immediately after the baptism, the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. A more accurate translation is not “leads,” but “drives,” for the Greek verb zkballo is used here, which Mark uses elsewhere when talking about casting out demons (verses 34,39; 3:15,22-23; 6:13 ; 7:26; 9:18,28,38). Used here, this word indicates Mark's penchant for "strong expressions" (compare Matt. 4:1 and Luke 4:1, where the other two evangelists resort to another Greek word rendered in Russian as "raised up" and "behaved"). The thought here, however, is that in His action upon Jesus the Spirit had recourse to a strong moral impulse—that Jesus should go towards temptation and evil, and not try to evade them.
The wilderness (compare Mark 1:4) is a waterless, uninhabited area; according to the traditional ideas of the ancient Jews, the "wilderness" was inhabited by evil spirits and all kinds of unclean forces (Matt. 12:43; Luke 8:29; 9:24). Tradition says that the temptation of Christ took place to the northwest of the Dead Sea, near Jericho and slightly to the west of it.
Mar. 1:13. And He was there in the wilderness for forty days... If we look for a parallel to these "forty days" in the Old Testament, then perhaps the closest will be the story of David's victory over Goliath, who kept the Israelites in fear for 40 days (1 Sam. 17:16 ).
Jesus was... there... tempted by Satan. "Tempted" - from the Greek word "peyrazo", which means "put to the test", "test" - in order to find out what the "test" is. This word can be used both in a positive sense (1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 11:17, where it is translated as "tempt"), and in a negative sense, when Satan or his demons are "tempted" by sinful temptations. But in this case, both meanings are implied.
Jesus was put to the test by God ("The Spirit leads Him into the wilderness") in order to show His suitability for the messianic task entrusted to Him. But at the same time, Satan was also at work, trying to distract Jesus from fulfilling his God-appointed mission (compare Matt. 4:11; Luke 4:1-13). The sinlessness of Jesus did not mean that He could not be tempted; could, and this showed that He was indeed a man (compare Rom. 8:3; Heb. 2:18).
The tempter was Satan himself, the enemy of the human race and the enemy of God. Mark does not use here the term "devil" ("slanderer"), which we find in Matthew and Luke (Matt. 4:1 and Luke 4:2).
Satan and the evil forces subordinate to him, constantly opposing God and the realization of His purposes, were especially active in opposing the mission of Christ. As you know, Satan is always trying to turn people away from God, and then, when they fall, he accuses them before God and tries in every possible way to destroy them. Before coming out to fight the spirits of evil, Jesus gave battle to their "prince". He came to earth precisely in order to defeat him by His ministry and free the people enslaved by him (Heb. 2:14; John 3:8). The Son of God, defeated Satan in the wilderness, and the demons recognized that He really is from God, His Son (Mark 1:24; 3:11; 5:7).
Only Mark mentions the beasts. According to the Old Testament idea, the "desert" was therefore deserted, dull and dangerous, serving as a haven for terrible gluttonous beasts (Is. 13:20-22; 34:8-15; Ps. 21:12-22; 90:11-13), that God cursed her. It is hostile to man by its nature, and the "beasts" living in it testify that Satan rules over this place.
The image of the Angels who served Jesus contrasts with the image of the "beasts". Angels were Jesus' helpers during His trial, they, in particular, strengthened in Him the confidence that God would not leave Him. Mark does not mention that Jesus fasted (compare Matt. 4:2; Luke 4:2), perhaps because His very being in the wilderness implied it. In general, the scene of temptation is conveyed by Mark briefly (unlike Matthew and Luke).
He does not say anything about what exactly the “temptation” consisted of, nor about the fact that it ended with the victory of Jesus over Satan, who in various cunning ways tried to draw Him away from the fulfillment of the waves of God (Mark 8:11,32-33 ; 10:2; 12:15). Jesus entered into a direct confrontation with Satan and the infernal forces led by him because, having received baptism, he officially assumed the fulfillment of the mission entrusted to Him by God.
The Gospel of Mark is precisely the story of the struggle of Jesus with Satan, which culminated on the Calvary Cross. From the very beginning, Jesus showed that He was stronger than Satan. And the fact that later He cast out demons from the possessed became possible precisely because of the victory He won over Satan at the beginning of His earthly ministry (3:22-30).
III. The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry in Galilee (1:14 - 3:6)
The first main section of the Gospel of Mark includes: a summary of Jesus' sermons (1:14-15); His calling of the first disciples (1:16-20; 2:14); a description (as part of Jesus' ministry) of His casting out demons and healing the sick in and around Capernaum (1:21-45); finally, a description of a whole series of clashes between the Savior and the religious leaders of the Jews (2:1 - 3:5). The section ends with the account that the Pharisees and Herodians conspired with each other to kill Jesus (3:6). Throughout this section, Jesus is the supreme authority over all things, both in His words and in His deeds.
A. Jesus' sermon - a brief, introductory summary of it (1:14-15) (Matt. 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-21)
Jesus began His ministry in Galilee (1:9) after John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas for the reason mentioned in Mark. 6:17-18. Before coming to Galilee, Jesus served in Judea for about a year (John 1:19 - 4:45), but this is not mentioned in Mark. This indicates that Mark did not set himself the goal of describing the life of Christ in chronological order.
Mar. 1:14. The word betrayed, by which Mark refers to the imprisonment of John the Baptist, in both Greek and Russian texts, has a common root with "betrayed" (compare 3:19, which refers to the betrayal of Jesus himself by Judas; from this we can conclude that Mark seemed to draw a parallel between the fate of John and Jesus (compare 1:4 and 14a).
The passive voice in which the word "betrayed" appears, perhaps, emphasizes the implementation of God's will in the "tradition" of John (note the "consonant" passages regarding Jesus Himself in 9:31 and 14:18). So the time has come for Jesus to begin his ministry in Galilee (compare the interpretation with 9:11-13): Jesus came into Galilee preaching (compare 1:14) the gospel (compare verse 1) of the Kingdom of God.
Mar. 1:15. His preaching consisted of two declarations and two commands. The first statement - the time was fulfilled - expressed the idea that the time appointed by God to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and wait for Him (the Old Testament era) ended - in full accordance with God's plan (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:2; 9:6- fifteen).
The second statement - the kingdom of God is at hand - defines the essence of Jesus' gospel. The word "Kingdom" (basileia) is used here in the sense of "reigning" or "royal rule." This concept includes the supreme power of the ruler, the very activity of His management, as well as the sphere of His government and the advantages arising from the enumerated. Thus, the "Kingdom of God" is the concept of a dynamic (rather than static, frozen) state, which is determined by all the activities of God as the Supreme Ruler who controls His creation.
This concept was well known to Christ's contemporaries on the basis of Old Testament prophecies (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Is. 11:1-9; 24:23; Jer. 23:4-6; Mic. 4:6-7; Zech. 9:9-10; 14:9); they lived in anticipation of the future messianic (David's) kingdom on earth (Matt. 20:21; Mark 10:37; 11:10; 12:35-37; 15:43; Luke 1:31-33; 2:25 38; Acts 1:6). Therefore, Jesus did not have to make any effort to arouse their interest in His message.
The Kingdom of God, about which He spoke, His hearers were ready to identify with the messianic kingdom they had been waiting for so long, predicted in the Old Testament. So, the time to make a decision has come; for Jesus expected from his hearers a corresponding response to his two demands: Repent and believe in the gospel.
Repentance and faith were connected by Him into one whole (they did not break up into two successive actions). To "repent" (compare Mark 1:4) meant to turn or turn away from the present object of their faith and hope (which, in particular, is one's own human self). "Believing" here means giving oneself wholly to the object of true, not erroneous, belief.
That is, to believe the Gospel means to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God. (So the "content" of the Good News is He Himself - verse 1.) Only in this way can one enter the kingdom of God (compare 10:15) or receive it (as a gift).
As a people, Israel officially rejected these demands (3:6; 12:1-2; 14:1-2,64-65; 15:31-32). Meanwhile, Jesus taught that His earthly kingdom (David's) would not come immediately or "immediately" (Luke 19:11). But this will not happen until God has fulfilled His present purpose - the salvation of Jews and Gentiles through the establishment of His Church (Rom. 16:25-27; Eph. 3:2-12). And then Jesus Christ will return to earth to establish His Kingdom on it (Matt. 25:31,34; Acts 15:14-18; Rev. 19:15; 20:4-6). Then Israel will be "restored" and "redeemed" (Rom. 11:25-29), then they will find joy in the fulfilled Kingdom promises.
B. Jesus calls four fishermen to serve (1:16-20) (Matt. 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11)
Immediately after the presentation of the essence of Jesus' sermon, Mark writes about His calling to the service of four fishermen - "two pairs" of brothers. He seems to emphasize by this (and clearly shows) that to repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15) means to immediately and decisively break with the past way of life and follow Jesus, follow His call. Jesus began his ministry in Galilee with the aforementioned call of the four. This will be followed by His selection and blessing for the work of the rest of the Twelve (3:13-19; 6:7-13,30).
Mar. 1:16. The Sea of Galilee is a warm lake about 12 km wide and about 20 long, located about 200 meters below sea level; fishing was the main occupation of those who lived along its banks. This lake was, as it were, the "geographical center" of the Galilean ministry of Jesus Christ. Passing near the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, throwing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen by the nature of their occupation, Mark emphasizes.
Mar. 1:17-18. The words follow me meant: follow me as my disciples. In those days, it was customary for those who wanted to study to "find" rabbis for themselves; they waited until the disciples came to them. In contrast, Jesus took the initiative by calling His followers. "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," He promised. Jesus "caught" them for His Kingdom and will now prepare them (the corresponding Greek phrase has just such a semantic connotation) so that they, in turn, will go out to "catch" other human souls.
The image of "catching" like catching fish is probably inspired here by the profession of the four disciples, but it should be noted that in the Old Testament it also occurs frequently (Jer. 16:16; Eze. 29:4-5; Am. 4:2; Hab. 1:14-17). True, the prophets resorted to this metaphor, speaking of the coming judgment of God, but Jesus used it in the "opposite" sense - meaning liberation from this judgment. In light of the coming righteous rule of God (1:15), Jesus called four fishermen to the labor of "fishing" people out of the "sea of sin" ("the sea" is an Old Testament image of sin and death; for example, Isaiah 57: 20-21).
And ... immediately Simon and Andrew, leaving their nets (their former work, calling), followed Him. In the Gospels, "follow (akolouteo) after", when the subject (actor) is this or that person, means his entry into the path of discipleship. Subsequent events showed (verses 29-30) that entering this path did not mean that the disciples abandoned their loved ones and left their homes; for them it meant rather unconditional loyalty to Jesus (10:28).
Mar. 1:19-20. Around the same time, Jesus saw James Zebedee and John his brother (cf. 10:35), also in the boat mending their nets before the next night's fishing. They were Simon's companions (Luke 5:10). And immediately Jesus called them to follow Him. They immediately parted with what determined their former way of life (the boat and fishing nets), and with what was the value of her (their father Zebedee ... with the workers), and followed Him.
Mark does not mention the previous contacts of these fishermen with Jesus, but from the Gospel of John (John 1:35-42) we learn that Andrew and Simon had previously recognized Him as the Messiah of Israel.
After some time. Jesus gathered all the Twelve around Him and initiated their discipleship (Mark 3:14-19).
The "historical part" of Jesus (the beginning of the ministry) is summarized by Mark (1:14-20), making the main emphasis on the authority Jesus enjoyed among the people and on the obedience of His followers to Him. The theme of discipleship dominates the Gospel of Mark. The very fact of the "calling" of disciples by Himself, in all likelihood, prompted the readers of Mark to ask two questions: "Who is He, this Caller?" and "What did it mean in practice to follow Him?" The evangelist answers both potential questions. Mark apparently proceeded from a certain similarity between the twelve disciples (interpretation of 3:13 and 13:37) and his readers, believing that whatever the latter learn about the former will be of great use to them in the light of their own discipleship.
in. Jesus' authority over demonic powers and disease (1:21-45)
The authoritative tone of Jesus (verse 22) and the special significance of His words (verses 38-39), which the four fishermen first experienced in their experience, later found justification in the amazing deeds of Jesus. In verses 21-34, one apparently typical Sabbath day in Capernaum is described for the Lord: on that day He showed His power over demons (verses 21-28), healed Peter's mother-in-law (verses 29-31), and after sunset - and many others (verses 32-34).
Then in verses 35-39 it is briefly told that in the morning ... very early He prayed, and in a few words about how He began to preach in Galilee. One of the remarkable events of His preaching journey was His healing of a leper (verses 40-45). Jesus spoke and acted "as one with authority", and this caused amazement, but at the same time - gave rise to many disputes and disagreements (2:1 - 3:5).
I. HEALING THE POSSESSED SPIRIT (1:21-28) (LUKE 4:31-37)
Mar. 1:21-22. The four disciples went with Jesus to Capernaum, located nearby on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. This was the city where they lived and became the center of Jesus' "Galilean ministry" (Luke 4:16-31). With the onset of the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue, to the usual service that day. There He began to teach - no doubt at the suggestion of the ruler of the synagogue (compare Acts 13:13-16). Mark often mentions what Jesus taught (2:13; 4:1-2; 6:2,6,34; 8:31; 10:1; 11:17; 12:35; 14:49), but that's what He taught, takes a little space.
Jesus' listeners marveled (exeplessonto, literally, "were amazed"; the same word is found in 6:2; 7:37; 10:26; 11:18) both at His manner of teaching and at the content of His words. He taught as having authority from God, and therefore made people think about what they heard. And this was very different from what the scribes taught; they were trained in the law in all its recorded nuances, and in the oral interpretation of what was written, but they invariably kept themselves within the bounds of "tradition", and their interpretation was essentially reduced to references to what had been said before them.
Mar. 1:23-24. The very presence of Jesus in the synagogue and the authoritative tone of His teachings provoked a violent reaction from the man who was present there, who was possessed by an unclean spirit. It was the "unclean spirit" or "demon" who cried out through his mouth: What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazarene? These words convey a Hebrew idiomatic expression meaning the incompatibility of opposing forces (compare 5:7; Jos. 22:24; Judges 11:12; 2 Sam. 16:10; 19:22).
You came to destroy us... "Destroy" is not used in the sense of "destroy", but in the sense of "deprive of strength". The double pronoun "us" in verse 24 emphasizes that the demon was well aware of what it was - the presence of Jesus for all evil forces; He was the most terrible threat to them and their activities. Unlike most people, the demon did not doubt the true nature of Jesus: You, the Holy One of God! - he exclaims (compare 3:11; 5:7), that is, the One whose source of power is the Holy Spirit. In other words, it was clear to the demon where this authority came from in Jesus.
Mar. 1:25-26. In a few simple words (not incantations), Jesus rebuked (cf. 4:39) the evil spirit and commanded it to come out of the possessed person. In obedience to the authority of Christ, the demon, shaking the unfortunate man with a cry (cf. 9:26), came out of him.
The attempt of the evil spirit to "protect" himself and his "tribe" (1:24) Jesus rejected - after all, His task was to engage in battle with Satan and his forces and defeat them. His revealed power over unclean spirits testified that the power of God was working through Jesus (verse 15). This first case of deliverance of a man from the evil spirit that tormented him was the beginning of Jesus' constant confrontation with demons, about which Mark writes especially much.
Mar. 1:27-28. The people who witnessed the incident were horrified (here in the sense of "were shocked" - compare 10:24,32). Their exclamations What is this? - related both to the nature of His teachings and to the fact that, before their eyes, He cast out the demon from the possessed - by means of only one order to him. They could not fail to see that the power, unaccustomed to them, which sounded in His qualitatively new, different teaching, also extended to demonic forces forced to obey Him (compare 4:41). And soon (literally - "immediately"), writes Mark, - the rumor about Him spread throughout the neighborhood in Galilee.
2. HEALING OF SIMON'S MOTHER-IN-LIGHT (1:29-31) (MATT 8:14-15; LUKE 4:38-39)
Mar. 1:29-31. Leaving soon (after the end of the Sabbath service) from the synagogue, Jesus and His disciples came to the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew. This house became a permanent home for Jesus during His ministry in Capernaum (2:1; 3:20; 9:33; 10:10). Simonov's mother-in-law lay in a fever; and immediately tell Him about it. Moved by compassion, He approached her and this time, without saying a word, simply lifted her up, taking her by the hand. And the fever immediately left her, obviously, and the weakness that accompanies high temperature for the woman got up and began to serve them.
3. HEALING OF MANY PEOPLE AFTER DOWN (1:32-34) (MATT 8:16-17; LUKE 4:40-41)
Mar. 1:32-34. This short description vividly testifies to the excitement produced in Capernaum by the miracles performed by Christ on the Sabbath day. The clarification of the circumstance of time - at the onset of the evening, when the sun was setting ... - is not accidental here; this emphasizes that the inhabitants of Capernaum were waiting for the end of the Sabbath (at sunset), and only after that they began to bring their sick relatives to Jesus - so as not to violate the law (Ex. 20:10) or rabbinical regulations that forbade carrying any load on Saturday (Mark 3:1-5).
The whole city gathered at the doors (of Simon's house) - a hyperbole (compare 1:5) expressing the concept of a multitude; people carried to Him all the sick and demon-possessed. And again, moved by compassion, Jesus healed many (the Greek text here is a Hebrew idiom meaning "all who were brought" - compare with verse 32; 10:45) suffering from various diseases. He also cast out (compare Mark 1:39) many demons, but as before (verses 23-26), He would not allow the demons to speak about who He was, and by making them silent, He revealed their powerlessness before Himself.
The miracles that accompanied the preaching work of Christ naturally contributed to the growth of His popularity. But He did them not to "impress" people, but to convince them of the truth of His teaching (verse 15).
4. JESUS REMOVES TO PRAY AND THEN GOES TO PREACH IN GALILEE (1:35-39) (LUKE 4:42-44)
Mar. 1:35. Despite the extreme intensity of the past Sabbath day (verses 21-34), Jesus, having risen very early (in the original - "before dawn", apparently around 4 o'clock in the morning), went out and retired to a deserted place (compare verse 4) and prayed there. (In the same desolate place He resisted temptation and defeated Satan - verses 12-13.)
Mark singles out three prayers of Jesus in three special situations from a multitude of others; each was performed by Him alone and under the cover of night: the first at the beginning of the service (verse 35), the second in the middle of it (6:46) and the third at the end of the service (14:32-42). In all three cases, it would seem that He had an opportunity to take an easier path to achieve His messianic goal. But every time He drew strength from prayer in order to follow the path that the Father showed Him.
Mar. 1:36-37. Meanwhile, crowds of people returned at daylight to Simon's house, hoping to see Jesus, but He was not there. Simon and those who were with him followed Him (in the Greek text here is an expression found nowhere else in the New Testament - "followed His path"). Their exclamation - everyone is looking for You, apparently, was fraught with some annoyance: it seemed to the disciples that Jesus here, in Capernaum, was missing a great opportunity to "make capital" of universal reverence and reverence.
Mar. 1:38-39. It followed from Jesus' response that the disciples still did not understand either Himself or the nature of His mission. His goal was to go everywhere, in particular, to the neighboring villages and cities of Galilee and preach there too - not only in Capernaum. For I have come for this, He explains. To preach the gospel (verse 14) and invite people to repent and believe in it (verse 15). But the inhabitants of Capernaum saw in Him only a miracle-worker, and it was in this capacity that they sought Him, and therefore He left them to preach in other places.
Verse 39 briefly speaks of His journey throughout Galilee (compare verse 28), which probably lasted several weeks (Matt. 4:23-25). His chief work was to preach in the local synagogues, and the fact that He cast out demons impressively confirmed the truth of the message with which He was coming.
5. PURIFICATION OF A LEPER (1:40-45) (MATT 8:1-4; LUKE 5:12-16)
Mar. 1:40. During the days of Jesus' stay in Galilee, a leper comes to Him (this in itself was a great courage on his part). (In those days, the concept of "leprosy" included a whole range of skin diseases - from ringworm to real leprosy (excited by the so-called Hanson's bacillus), which entails physical decay and progressive disfigurement of the patient's body.) The person who turned to Christ eked out a miserable existence due not only to his physical suffering, but also to ritual impurity (Lev. 13-14), the result of which was his expulsion from society. No wonder leprosy, associated with all kinds of suffering - physical, mental and social - serves in the Bible as a type of sin.
The rabbis considered leprosy to be an incurable disease. In the Old Testament, only two cases of cleansing from it by God Himself are described (Numbers 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:1-14). However, this leper was convinced that Jesus could cleanse him. Its if you want sounds like "if it be thy will." If you want, you can cleanse me. He fell on his knees before Him, praying for cleansing.
Mar. 1:41-42. Jesus, having mercy (splanchnisteis - literally "imbued with deep compassion") over him ... touched the untouchable and healed him, hopelessly ill. This touch itself showed that Jesus did not consider Himself bound by the rabbinic regulations regarding ritual uncleanness. Both this symbolic touch of Him (compare 7:33; 8:22) and His powerful words, I want, be cleansed, led to the healing of the leper. Healing happened immediately (immediately), in front of everyone around, and was complete.
Mar. 1:43-44. After healing, Jesus immediately sent him away, sternly warning him not to tell anyone. Most likely, this warning was of a "temporary" nature and was supposed to remain in force until the priest declared the former leper clean. However, Jesus often demanded silence from people on other occasions in order to reduce the spread of the rumor about Him as a miraculous Healer (1:25,34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 9:9). The question arises: why?
Some theologians believe that Mark and other evangelists "inserted" these orders of Jesus from themselves, resorting to them as some kind of literary device - to explain why the Jews did not recognize Christ as their Messiah during His earthly ministry. This understanding was called the "messianic mystery" - after all, according to him, Jesus Himself wanted to keep His Messiahship a secret.
More convincing is the other view that Jesus wanted to avoid any misunderstanding which, in turn, could lead to premature and/or misunderstood popularity of Him (interpretation at 11:28). He did not want to "declare" Himself before He made the nature of His missionary service completely clear in the eyes of the people (commentary on 8:30; 9:9). He thus wanted the gradual removal of the “veil” from His person until the moment when He spoke openly about Himself (14:62 and compare with 12:12).
Further. Jesus told the former leper to show himself to the priest, who alone had the right to declare him ritually clean, and to offer the sacrifice set by Moses (Lev. 14:2-31). This requirement is "deciphered": in witness to them. This phrase can be understood both in a positive sense (into "convincing" evidence) and in a negative sense (into evidence to condemn them), and it can refer both to the people in general and to priests in particular.
In this context, as in the other two cases (Mark 6:11; 13:9), the understanding in the negative sense is preferable. This, most likely, is about the priesthood, about the evidence against it. The fact is that Christ's cleansing of a leper and how it happened served as an undeniable messianic "sign" (compare Matt. 11:5; Luke 7:22) - a sign that God began to work in a new way. And if the priests recognized the fact of cleansing, but rejected the One who cleansed, then their unbelief would become evidence against them.
Mar. 1:45. Instead of obeying Jesus and remaining silent, a man healed of leprosy began to proclaim and tell about what had happened, and the news began to spread far and wide. (Mark says nothing about whether the healed man visited a priest.) As a result, Jesus had to stop preaching in the Galilean synagogues (verse 39). He could no longer openly enter the city, since He was immediately besieged by crowds of people who expected the manifestation of worldly graces from Him. Even when He was ... in desert places (i.e., remote and uninhabited - compare verse 35), people came to Him from everywhere.
The healing performed by Christ went beyond the jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law and the rabbinical ordinances. Although the law provided for the performance of an appropriate ritual in the case of a leper who had already been cleansed, he was powerless to give him deliverance from the disease, as well as internal spiritual renewal.
D. Jesus' disagreement with the religious leaders in Galilee (2:1 - 3:5)
Mark gives five different episodes in this section because they are "united" by a common theme - Jesus' disagreements with the religious leaders in Galilee. The evangelist does not adhere to the chronological order here. A similar "association" of the five disputes in the Temple of Jerusalem is found in Mark at 11:27 - 12:37.
Here the conflict arose over the question of whether Jesus had power over sin and the law. The first incident is preceded by a brief "introduction" (2:1-2). Mark is characterized by this brief "statement" of the activities of Jesus, followed by a summary of events - in accordance with the goal set by the evangelist (1:14-15,39; 2:1-2,13; 3:7-12,23; 4 :1,33-34; 8:21-26,31:9:31-, 10:1; 12:1).
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
2 as it is written in the prophets: Behold, I am sending my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.
Saint Mark. Painter Gortzius Geldorp 1605
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5 And all the land of Judah and Jerusalem went out to him, and they were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey.
7 And he preached, saying, The strongest of me is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy, stooping down to untie the strap of his sandals;
8 I baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist. Artist G. Dore 9 And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 And as he was coming out of the water, immediately John saw the heavens open, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him.
Baptism of Christ. Painter Andrea Verrocchio 1472-1475 11 And a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
12 Immediately afterwards the Spirit leads him into the wilderness.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and angels ministered to him.
14 And after John had been betrayed, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel.
16 And as he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother throwing their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen.
The calling of Peter and Andrew. Painter Domenico Ghirlandaio 1481-1482 17 And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19 And going a little way from there, he saw James Zebedee and John his brother, also in the boat mending the nets;
20 and immediately called them. And they, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the workers, followed Him.
The call of James and John. Author unknown 15th-16th century. 21 And they come to Capernaum; and soon on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught.
22 And they marveled at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as scribes.
23 In their synagogue there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
Leave 24! what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? You have come to destroy us! I know You who You are, Holy One of God.
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent and come out of him.
Healing of the demoniac. Artist Brothers of Limburg 1413-1416 26 Then the unclean spirit, shaking him, and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him.
27 And they were all terrified, so that they asked one another, What is this? What is this new teaching that He commands the unclean spirits with authority, and they obey Him?
28 And soon a report about him spread throughout the region in Galilee.
29 And leaving the synagogue soon after, they came to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's mother-in-law lay in a fever; and immediately tell Him about it.
31 And coming, He lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and the fever immediately left her, and she began to serve them.
32 And when evening came, when the sun was setting, they brought to him all the sick and the demon-possessed.
33 And all the city assembled at the door.
34 And He healed many that were afflicted with various diseases; cast out many demons, and would not allow the demons to say that they know that He is the Christ.
35 And in the morning, rising very early, he went out and went into a deserted place, and there he prayed.
36 Simon and those with him followed him
37 And when they found him, they said to him, Everyone is looking for you.
38 He said to them, Let us go into the neighboring villages and cities, that I may preach there also, for for this I have come.
39 And He preached in their synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out demons.
40 A leper comes to Him and, imploring Him, falling on his knees before Him, says to Him: If you wish, you can cleanse me.
41 Jesus, having mercy on him, stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, I am willing, be cleansed.
42 After this word, the leprosy immediately left him, and he became clean.
43 And looking at him sternly, he immediately sent him away
44 And he said to him, Look, don't say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
45 But he went out and began to proclaim and tell about what had happened, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside, in desert places. And they came to Him from everywhere.
Synodal translation. The chapter was voiced according to the roles by the Light in the East studio.
1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
2. as it is written in the prophets: “Behold, I am sending my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
3. "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight."
4. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5. And all the country of Judah and Jerusalem went out to him
and they were all baptized by him in the Jordan River
by confessing their sins.
6. John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey.
7. And he preached, saying: The strongest of me is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy, bending down to untie the strap of his shoes;
8. I baptized you with water, and He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
9. And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth
of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan
.
10. And as he was coming out of the water, immediately John saw the heavens open, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him.
11. And a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
12. Immediately afterwards the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness.
13. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and angels ministered to him.
14. After John had been betrayed, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.
15. And saying that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.
16 And passing by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother throwing their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
19 And having gone a little way from there, he saw James Zebedee and John his brother, also in the boat mending the nets;
20. And immediately he called them. And they, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the workers, followed Him.
21. And they come to Capernaum
; and soon on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught.
22. And they marveled at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as scribes.
23 In their synagogue there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, and he cried out:
24. leave! what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazarene
? You have come to destroy us! I know You who You are, Holy One of God.
25. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent and come out of him.
26. Then the unclean spirit, shaking him and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him.
27. And they were all horrified, so that they asked one another: What is this? What is this new teaching that He commands the unclean spirits with authority, and they obey Him?
28. And soon a report about him spread throughout the region in Galilee.
29. Soon leaving the synagogue, they came to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30. Simonov's mother-in-law lay in a fever; and immediately tell Him about it.
31. And coming, He lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and the fever immediately left her, and she began to serve them.
32. When evening came, when the sun was setting, they brought to Him all the sick and the possessed.
33. And the whole city gathered at the door.
34. And He healed many who were afflicted with various diseases; cast out many demons, and would not allow the demons to say that they know that He is the Christ.
35. And in the morning, rising very early, he went out and retired to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
36. Simon and those with him followed him
37. And when they found him, they said to him, Everyone is looking for you.
38. He says to them: Let us go to the neighboring villages and cities, that I may preach there also, for I have come for this.
39. And He preached in their synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out demons.
40. A leper comes to Him and, imploring Him, falling on his knees before Him, says to Him: If you wish, you can cleanse me.
41. Jesus, taking pity on him, stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, I am willing, be cleansed.
42. After this word, the leprosy immediately left him, and he became clean.
43. And looking at him sternly, he immediately sent him away
44. And he said to him: Look, do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and bring for your purification, what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
45. And he, going out, began to proclaim and tell about what had happened, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside, in desert places. And they came to Him from everywhere.