Introductory remarks:
This first chapter of Mark's Gospel begins immediately by introducing the Servant Christ. As we mentioned before Mark does not give a genealogy, as does Matthew because Matthew presented Christ as the King of Israel whereas Mark introduces us to the Servant of Israel. This chapter is outlined as follows: The preaching of John the Baptist vv. 1-8; the baptism of Jesus vv. 9-13; the beginning of the Galilean ministry vv. 14-15; the calling of four fishermen vv. 16-20; the man with the unclean spirit vv. 21-28; the healing of many people vv. 29-34; a preaching tour vv. 35-39; the cleansing of a leper vv. 40-45.
The Preaching of John the Baptist
(Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-9; John 1:19-28)
Verse 1, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;"
LGT "Beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ [Son of God];"
The Greek text has no article before the word 'beginning' so Matthew intended on this verse to be a title of the paragraph, vs. 1-8, introducing the forerunner, John the Baptist introducing Jesus Christ.
Verses 2-3, "As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
LGT "Just as it has been written by Esaiai the prophet:
Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare the way for you: a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Prepare you all the way of the Lord. Make straight His paths."
"The quotation comes from Mal. 3:1 and Isa. 40:3; but Isaiah is mentioned as the chief of the prophets. This is Marks only prophetic quotation on his own account.
God is coming to His people to deliver them from their captivity in Babylon. So the prophet cries like a voice in the wilderness to make ready for the coming of God. When the committee from the Sanhedrin came to ask John who he was, he used this very language of Isaiah (John 1:23). He was only a voice, but we can still hear the echo of that voice through the corridor of the centuries. Paths straight (eutheias tas tribous). Automobile highways today well illustrate the wonderful Persian roads for the couriers [messengers] of the king and then for the king himself. The Roman Empire was knit together by roads, some of which survive today. John had a high and holy mission as the forerunner of the Messiah." (A.T. Robertson).
Verse 4, "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
LGT "John came baptizing in the wilderness, and proclaiming [the] baptism of repentance unto [with reference to] the forgiveness of sins."
The Jews were already practicing baptism for proselytes [converts] who became Jews. This baptism did not bring about God's forgiveness, but as I have made the distinction in my LGT, John baptized with reference to the forgiveness of sins; that is, the one that John would baptize had already repented, that is, changed their minds about their sins. The Greek word eis may be translated into or unto and the context of the entire doctrine of Salvation begs the word unto. As I have noted in my other expositions on the Gospels of John and Matthew, baptism is not a practice that should be observed during this age of grace, because we have the completed Word of God, and there is no longer a need for signs; it is alright if you disagree with me, however, as Vernon McGee said, "if you want to be right, you will agree with me". John would not baptize anyone who would not repent, and repentance is the basis for forgiveness; even among we believers in this age of grace, when we confess our sins, that is, name them to God, He is faithful and just, and does forgive all sins (1 John 1:9).
Therefore it is concluded then, that John's baptism was a preparation for the coming King and His Kingdom, that is, complete restoration to their King and their land. If John's baptism actually remitted sins, Christ could not have submitted to it, for we know that Christ was sinless, until the cross, of course; Christ could submit to John's baptism on the grounds that it was a preparation for the coming Kingdom. Even most of those who practice what is called Christian Baptism admit that it does not save; of course their are some false cults, such as the Church of Christ, and Mormons, and Jehovah witnesses etc., who claim it is necessary for heaven. The only preparation needed in the age of grace is faith alone in Christ alone.
Verse 5, "And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins."
LGT "And went out to him all the country of Judea and they all of Jerusalem, and
were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins."
The Greek word for 'went out' is an imperfect exeporueto, meaning a constant going out, that is, they kept going out to him. There was a steady stream of Jews going out to the last Old Testament Prophet to be baptized unto the forgiveness of sins, awaiting the coming Messiah.
"John's baptism was a symbol of another and no less significant fact; the baptized were not simply the penitent, but the expectant, men consecrated to a great hope. They formed a community that had renounced with their sins the older Judaism, with its civil kingdom and political Messiah, and stood expectant, waiting the coming of Him who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Under this aspect his baptism had affinities with the events and customs dear to the Hebrew. When Moses descended from the mount to sanctify the people, he made them 'wash their clothes.' When the Gentile became a Jew he was purified by water. What is to us a sensuous [deep] symbol was to him a translucent [transparent] form of an eternal truth" (Fairbairn - Life of Christ quoted by Pentecost).
Verse 6, "And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey."
LGT "And John was clothed in the hair of a camel, and a girdle of leather around his loins, and eating locusts and wild honey."
John wore a coat woven from the hair of a camel, and a leather girdle around his loins; he also had a diet of locust and wild honey. I am sure that people today would scoff at such a preacher and say that he must be nuts, but not the people of the surrounding cities of Jerusalem and Judea; they all traveled out into the wilderness to hear him. If you watch the so-called evangelists on TBN, you will notice that they sport very expensive suits, paid for by the so-called, love-gifts, of the stupid TV audience. These TV charlatans also have a hair-fetish, and they aren't Nazarites. Christ did not have long hair either, as Salmon depicts Him in his painting; some think Christ took the Nazarite Vow, but that is bogus. There is absolutely no excuse for a man to have long hair today, unless, of course, he also has the soul of a woman. It is a shame today, even as it was in Paul's day for a man to have long hair.
Verse 7, "And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose."
LGT "And proclaimed, saying, The One who comes after me, [is] mightier than I, of Whom I am not fit, having stooped down to loose the thong of His sandals."
This attitude of John the Baptist, a man who attracted multitudes to come out into the wilderness to hear him preach, is remarkable. He knew his mission as the forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he thought only of the Lord, and yet, he didn't feel worthy to be that voice crying in the wilderness. John always pointed out to the Christ; the direction men must see Jesus. Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, and John pointed the way to Him. This is all we, in this age of grace can possibly do, that is, point out so men can see Jesus.
Verse 8, "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."
LGT "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with [the] Holy Spirit."
This is the real baptism; Spirit baptism happens the moment a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Spirit baptism is when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the life of the believer. Water baptism is symbolic of Spirit baptism. Water baptism is a ritual that the early church practiced as a testimony of what had taken place in them by the Holy Spirit, testifying that they were born again, that is, it was a ritual that preached the Good News of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Bible was completed and taken out to the world. Now that we have the Word of God, we have no need of the ritual of baptism.
Baptism of Jesus
(Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22)
Verse 9, "And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan."
LGT "And it came to be in those days, [that] Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan [river] by John."
As has been noted, Jesus did not need John's baptism, for He had no sin to confess; there are two really significant reason He submitted to John's baptism; (1) that He might fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15), and (2) that He might be anointed by the Holy Spirit for His Messianic Ministry:
On His fulfilling all righteousness Shepherd wrote:
"From earliest times, it has always been a question why Jesus went and was baptized. There have been many explanations, as to why He took His place among the penitent and submitted to the rite, which symbolized the cleansing away of sin. The true reason is in the reply of Jesus: 'Suffer it now; it is becoming for us to fulfill all (vicarious) righteousness.' Jesus was born under the law, and in His infancy was circumcised and redeemed. At the age of twelve He became a son of the law. He later paid the Temple tax, though as the Son of God He should have been exempt. It was fitting that He should fill out all the ordinances of the Abrahamic covenant to completion. From a later deliverance, we know that He came not to abrogate [do away with] the Mosaic Law but to fill it out, giving a deeper meaning (Matt. 5:17). Throughout His life He fulfilled the law that He might redeem them that were under the law (Gal. 4:4-5).
On His being anointed by the Holy Spirit for His Messianic Ministry Edersheim wrote:
"Here, at these waters, was the Kingdom, into which Jesus had entered in fulfillment of all righteousness; and from them He emerged as its Heaven-designated, Heaven-qualified, and Heaven-proclaimed King. As such He had received the fullness of the Spirit for His Messianic Work - a fullness abiding in Him - that out of it we might receive, and grace for grace."
Verse 10, "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw heaven opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:"
LGT "And immediately, going up from the water He saw the heavens parting asunder, and the Spirit, as a dove, descending upon Him."
As Jesus came out the water He saw the heavens parting, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him in the form of a dove; John also saw this, and others who were there.
Verse 11, "And there came a voice from heaven saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
LGT "And a voice came out from the heavens, You are My Son, the Beloved One, in You I have found delight."
Verses 10 and 11 give us a good solid picture of the Trinity; we have the Father's voice, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and the Son of God, who in Whom God is delighted, coming up out of the water. The world could have rejoiced, for now the Son of God will begin His public ministry. John the Baptist had already introduced Christ to the world, and now the Father places His seal of approval on Him, and the Holy Spirit empowers Him to His great Work.
The Temptation of Jesus
(Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
Verse 12, "And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness."
LGT "And immediately the Spirit drives Him into the wilderness."
Immediately the Holy Spirit drives Christ into the wilderness in order that the Son of God can prove His superiority over the Satan. "The forty days in the wilderness were under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. The entire life of Jesus was bound up with the Holy Spirit from His birth to His death and resurrection" (Robertson).
McGee adds:
"Drives is a word of fierceness and seriousness. The Spirit of God moved Him right out into the wilderness that He might be tempted. This is something that is very important for us to see. We come again to that question: Can He do the job? Other men had failed; they couldn't stand up under temptation. Adam failed. Noah got through the Flood, and then he miserably fell on his face. We saw that Abraham failed. Moses failed - he led the children of Israel out of Egypt, but he wasn't permitted to enter the Promised Land. And poor David failed. So we see that the temptation initiates Him into His work."
Verse 13, "And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him."
LGT "And He was in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."
This is all that Mark records of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Mark does not give the account as does Matthew of the threefold basis of appeal used by Satan; the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life. However Mark does add this little bit of information of being among the wild beasts. 'This wilderness just alluded to abounds in boars, jackals, wolves, foxes, leopards, hyenas, etc." (Vincent).
Barnes notes on the wilderness:
"And was with the wild beasts, is added to show the desolation and danger of His dwelling place there. In this place, surrounded by such dangers, the temptations offered by Satan were the stronger. Amid want and perils, Satan might suppose that He would be more easily seduced from God. But He trusted in His Father, and was alike delivered from dangers, from the wild beasts, and from the power of temptation, thus teaching us what to do in the day of danger and trial."
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
(Matt. 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15)
Verse 14, "Now after that John was put in prison. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God."
LGT "And after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Glad Tidings from God."
"Now after that John was put in prison."
Herod imprisoned John for condemning Herod's marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias, Philip's wife, the great granddaughter of Herod the Great. Herod was guilty of two crimes condemned by John; (1) Herod was living in adultery and (2) Herod was guilty of incest, being married to a near relative. Herod responded to John's reproof by having him put in jail.
"Jesus came into Galilee,"
Jesus went into Galilee to avoid any contact with Herod, for He certainly would have arrested Jesus also, but the Lord's time is not yet.
"Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,"
The literal translation is preaching the Gospel from God. The translators added the Kingdom of God from Matthew's account. The difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven is that the former is God's rule over the entire universe, and it is a universal plan of salvation for all; the latter is God's rule over the earth. Matthew presented Christ as the King who would eventually rule for a millennium (Chap. 24-25), and He refers to the Gospel as The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, while Mark presents Christ as a Servant, written to the Romans, with the universal emphasis on Salvation from God, that is, The Gospel from God. In these two accounts we see the entire plan of God unfolded; one, the plan for the world, and two, the plan for Israel; the one distinctive for both is You must be born again.
Verse 15, "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
LGT "And saying, the time is has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near: repent and believe in the Glad Tidings [Gospel-Good News]."
Jesus begins His earthly ministry with the universal plea to repentance and acceptance of the Good News, that is, all that the Word says about the Lord Jesus Christ; faith alone in Christ alone; this is eternal salvation.
The word repentance is metanoeite meaning to change ones mind in regards to their life. Repentance and believing affect one another. A person's Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and a change of mind allows one to see clearly and believe. There is in no way a work of the flesh involved in either repentance or believing; a man changes his mind with regard to Christ and believes with his mind in Christ; emotions always follow the turning around, it never precedes it.
The Calling of Four Fishermen
(Matt. 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11)
Verse 16, "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."
LGT "And passing by the Sea of Galilee He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon, casting a large net into the sea: for they were fishers."
Christ begins His ministry by choosing common people for His disciples; Christ did not go to the Sanhedrin to pick some of the religious theologians for His disciples, but everyday fishers.
Verse 17, "And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
LGT "And Jesus said to them, Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."
It would take Jesus three years to teach these disciples to become [an addition of Mark] fishers of men; in fact, it would not be until after His resurrection that the disciples would become true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fact that Christ did not set up His Kingdom immediately was an issue with His disciples, but to the unbelieving Pharisees and Scribes Christ was a stumbling block of religious contention.
Verse 18, "And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him."
LGT "And immediately, having left their nets, they followed Him."
There was something about Christ that commanded immediate obedience from these disciples. They left their place of business and immediately followed Christ.
Verse 19, "And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets."
LGT "And having gone a little farther on He saw James the [son] of Zebedee and John his brother, and they were in the ship mending the nets."
These two brothers were in a lucrative fishing business with their father (see Mathews account); they were preparing their nets for the next haul of fish.
Verse 20, "And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him."
LGT "And immediately He called them. And having left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, they went after Him."
James and John left their lucrative business, and their father with his deck hands, and immediately went after Jesus. Having hired servants suggests that Zebedee had a better than average fishing business, but the authority of Christ was greater than family ties or making money; we have now the account of fishermen following Jesus.
A.T. Robertson writes:
"Mark alone has the detail of the hired servants left with Zebedee. They left the boat and their father (Matt. 4:22) with hired servants. The business would go on while they left all (Luke 5:11) and become permanent followers of Jesus."
McGee adds:
"There were three separate and distinct calls made to the apostles:
In John 1:35-51 we are told that when Jesus went up to Jerusalem He met these men and gave them a general call, informal and casual. They wanted to know where He lived because John the Baptist had marked Him out, and some of John's disciples followed Him. But they didn't stay with Him - He didn't ask them to at this time. They went back to their fishing business in Galilee.
Now, we find here in Mark that at the beginning of His ministry, He walks along the sea and finds the disciples fishing, and He calls them to discipleship. They are to be 'fishers of men.' However, we find in Luke 5:1-11 that again they went back to their fishing.
The final call was a call to apostleship. It is recorded in Mark 3; Mathew 10; and Luke 6. They had gone back to fishing, and Simon Peter said to Him, " Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord' (Luke 5:8). What he is really saying is, 'Why don't you go and get somebody else. Let me alone because I have failed you so - I'm a sinful man.' But the Lord didn't give up; thank God for that. So the Lord came to them the third time and appointed them to apostleship."
The Man with the Unclean Spirit
(Luke 4:31-37)
Verse 21, "And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught."
LGT "And they go away into Capernaum: and immediately on the Sabbath, having gone into the synagogue, He taught."
Jesus was not an elder or a priest, but the Rabbis welcomed him; it is assumed that His reputation had preceded Him.
Barnes notes:
"In the synagogue, the presiding elder, after reading the Scriptures, invited any who chose to address the people, Acts 13:15. Though the Savior was not a priest of the Levitical order or an officer of the synagogue, yet we find him often availing himself of this privilege, and delivering his doctrines to the Jews."
Verse 22, "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes."
LGT "And they were amazed at His teaching: for He was teaching them as having authority and not as the scribes."
Those that heard Christ teach in the synagogue were amazed at His doctrine; what I find amazing is that they were amazed at all; Christ created this universe and created all things, even the doctrine He was teaching; they should have been amazed that he wasted His time in teaching them anything. "The scribes method of teaching was to quote the ancients and compare teacher with teacher."
"The scribes were learned men of the Jewish nation, the men who had to do with letters .Almost all the writing was required in the nation would be done by them; most of the reading too. The transcribing of the Scriptures would devolve [transfer] on them; and as the nation was emphatically ecclesiastically, the chief currents of their engagements would flow in a biblical and religious direction. Hence the interpretation of the law and the prophets, in the synagogues, would devolve chiefly on them; and the people would, to a large degree, be dependent on their instructions. They would vary greatly, like other men, in ability, character, and qualifications; but it would appear that in the time of our Lord the great bulk of them were pedantic [nit-picking] in things that were obvious enough, and frivolous [thoughtless] and jejune [immature] in all things that lay beyond. They would be admirable guessers, and mighty in platitude [cliché]. They would be ingenious in raising microscopic doubts, and perfect adepts in conjuring up conceit to do battle with conceit. They would be skilful in splitting hairs to infinity, and they would be proud of their ability to lead their hearers through the endless mazes of the imaginations of preceding rabbis, imaginations that ended in nothing or in something that was actually worse than nothing. But they would have no power, or almost none, to move the conscience toward true goodness, or stir the love of the heart toward God and toward men. They might speak, indeed, with positiveness enough: but it would be with moral power. They might assert with dictatorial self-sufficiency; but it would not be with 'demonstration of the Spirit,' demonstration flashing in conviction even upon reluctant and hard-winning souls" (James Morrison, A Practical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Mark - Quoted by Pentecost).
Verses 23, 24, "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God."
LGT "And immediately in their synagogue was a man in an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, What to us and to Thee, Jesus [the] Nazarene? Are You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy [One] of God."
"And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit;"
The literal translation of this phrase is, and immediately in their synagogue was a man in an unclean spirit; Immediately after Jesus had finished teaching, there came a man in an unclean spirit; Immediately Christ is confronted by a man demon possessed; this is divinely intended for Jesus to prove His authority of His message; there will be no reason for anyone to reject His claims of Deity.
The demon was in the man and the man was in the demon, the same as we speak today of a man being in love or in a jamb etc. Demon possession is a very difficult subject today, because since we have the word of God the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased; and since they no longer exist, demon possession must also have ceased; for their could be no demon possession without the gift of casting out demons; and if there was the gift of healing and casting out demons, it only stands to reason that there would be the gift of raising the dead etc., and every honest Christians knows that these gifts are no longer available. I believe a person today that rejects Christ is a child of the devil, and as such, he may act the part of someone being possessed of demons; however, one is willful while the other is not. Remember unbeliever's sin as a way of life, and they do not need transformation, they need regeneration.
"Saying, let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?"
The demons are crying out, "What have I and others like me to do with You." The demon had nothing in common with the Lord. "The recognition of Jesus by the demons may surprise us since the rabbis (the ecclesiastics) failed to do so" (Robertson).
"Art thou come to destroy us?"
The demon cries out this question of whether or not Jesus has come to destroy him and us, the man the demon has possessed.
"I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God."
This demon knew full well who Christ was, for he calls Him a common term used by His own disciples at a later date. "He acknowledged Jesus to be the Holy One of God. He recognized the authority of Christ when he asked; Have you come to destroy us? The demon recognized that Jesus Christ was judge and that the demonic world was under divine judgment. The demon knew that before the institution of the millennial kingdom Satan would be bound and those who served under him would likewise be bound. Messiah would thus reign over an earth that was delivered from Satan's power and influence (Rev. 20:1-3)" (Pentecost).
Verse 25, "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him."
LGT "And Jesus rebuked him saying, Be quiet, and come out of him."
The Greek word for 'hold thy peace' is phimotheti, a first aorist passive imperative meaning, be silent, gagged, muzzled, quiet; English equivalents are Be quiet, be gagged, or more crudely, shut-up. I chose be quiet in the LGT, because it fit better in Christ's rebuke to the demon. Christ, even when angry, kept complete control of His emotions, and was always the Perfect Gentleman, although His displeasure could always be noted. I should not forget to mention a very important point in this rebuke of the demon that Christ would not accept testimony from an unclean being concerning His Person, as the Holy One of God.
Verse 26, "And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him."
LGT "And the unclean spirit, having thrown him into convulsions, having cried with a great voice, came out of him."
Luke mentions that the demon had thrown the man down in their midst, tearing at him. The Greek word sparazan means convulsing, throwing into a spasm. "This reveals a characteristic of the malady under which the man suffered. He appears to have been an epileptic. The Gadarene demoniac was a madman. This was the final fit before recovery" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 27, "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."
LGT "And they were all astonished, so that they questioned together among themselves saying, what is this? A new teaching with authority: Even the unclean spirits He commands and they obey Him."
They were all astonished; they had heard Him preach in the synagogue and then immediately commands the demon to come out of the man possessed; they all recognized divine authority in His message, and then even the evil spirits obey Him; how they marvel now, but later they will crucify Him for these very acts of mercy. The preaching of Christ in the synagogue coupled with His casting out the demon caused great astonishment among them that they questioned among themselves as to what manner of Man is this.
Verse 28, "And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee."
LGT "And immediately the report of Him went out everywhere into all the region around Galilee."
They had no cells phones in those days, but the word of mouth spread His fame everywhere all around Galilee.
The Healing of Many People
(Matt. 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41)
Verse 29, "And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John."
LGT "And immediately having gone out of the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John."
Peter lived in his house with Andrew his brother, with his wife and mother-in-law. Jesus left the synagogue immediately with His four disciples into Peter's house.
Verse 30, "But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her."
LGT "And the mother-in-law of Simon was lying in a fever, and immediately they speak to Him concerning her."
"Peter was evidently married before he began to follow Jesus. Later his wife accompanied him on His apostolic journeys (1 Cor. 9:5). This incident followed immediately after the service in the synagogue on the Sabbath. All the Synoptics give it. Mark heard Peter tell it as it occurred in his own house where Jesus made His home while in Capernaum. Each Gospel gives touches of its own to the story. Mark has 'lay sick of a fever' (katekeito puressousa), lay prostrate burning with fever. Matthew puts it 'stretched out (beblemenen) with a fever.' Luke has it 'Holden with a great fever' (en sunechomene puretoi megaloi), a technical medical phrase" (Robertson).
Verse 31, "And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them."
LGT "And having come to [her] He raised her up, having taken her hand: and the fever left her, and she ministered to them."
What a beautiful picture this presents; Jesus, the Great Physician taking her gently by the hand, lifting her up, while the other disciples stand by and watch her instant recovery upon Jesus' touch of His hand in hers. And instead of the usual days spent in recovery, she went immediately to serving them.
Verse 32, "And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils."
LGT "And evening being come, when the sun went down, they brought to Him all the ones who were sick and those possessed with demons."
At sunset, the Sabbath being over, Jesus was at liberty to begin healing the sick, and casting out of the evil spirits.
Verse 33, "And all the city was gathered together at the door."
LGT "And the whole city was gathered together at the door."
The word of Jesus' power spread very fast as before noted; the city that was in need gathered together at Peter's door for healing. Mark is the only one of the evangelists that records this detail, because Peter himself with great pride gave it to him.
Verse 34, "And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils (demons); and suffered not the devils [demons] to speak, because they knew him."
LGT "And He healed many that were sick of various diseases, and cast out many demons, and suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew Him."
The word devils should always be translated demons. As I have pointed out before, Christ would not allow the demons to speak about His Person, because He did not need publicity from the father of lies.
A Preaching Tour
(Luke 4:42-44)
Verse 35, "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
LGT "And very early while yet night, having risen up, He went away into a desert place, and there was praying."
Here we have Jesus rising before daybreak and going off into a deserted place He communes with His Father before He begins His tour of duty. I remember in Bible School how they used this verse to encourage students to do the same; what they accomplished at the school was a monastic spirit, rather than a true spirit of devotion and communion with the Father. Real communion cannot be taught, it must come from a person's heart, and all kinds of pretending will only accomplish spiritual failure; we cannot and should not encourage imitating the life of Christ; we should encourage Bible study, and the fact that Christ indwells every believer, and that no matter how hard we try to imitate, God knows our hearts, and it is impossible to fool the Lord. This principle of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and Christ should influence every phase of our lives, and we should always be true to Him, and never pretend we are something we are not; I know how hard this is, but we still should be aware of it and try.
Verse 36, "And Simon and they that were with him followed after him."
LGT "And Simon and the ones with him, chased after Him."
The Greek word for 'followed' is dioksen from dioko meaning to hunt or pursue, and that is the reason I used the word chase in my LGT; the disciples did not just follow the Lord, they chased after him and kept up there search until they found Him; "they sought Him as a fugitive" (Vincent).
Verse 37, "And when they found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee."
LGT "And having found Him, they say to Him, All are seeking You."
Peter, by telling the Lord that all the people of Capernaum were seeking him, would naturally persuade Him to come back with them.
Verse 38, "And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth."
LGT "And He says to them, Let us go from here into the village towns, in order that I also may preach there: for unto this I come forth."
Christ now informs His disciples that the reason He left Capernaum is that He may go to the village towns to preach in the un-walled villages surrounding Capernaum, for unto this I come forth; this seems to be the context, however, His mission as Messiah included preaching the gospel of the Kingdom throughout the whole land.
Pentecost writes:
"While the multitudes in Capernaum would have heard Jesus gladly, many others had not personally heard His message; therefore, it was necessary for Him to 'preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also. Thus Christ turned from the popularity that was His in Capernaum and extended His ministry to other areas in Galilee. He considered Himself to be bound by a necessity to do so. He said, 'I must preach to the other towns also.' Christ recognized His mission as Messiah to proclaim the good news that God had honored His covenant promises and had sent Messiah to the nation. The fact that Christ recognized a compulsion to preach was evidence that He had been commissioned to preach, and God's commission conveyed authority on the One commissioned. This was not a mission He undertook Himself but was one to which He had been appointed; and that appointment conferred authority on Him. Thus Christ traveled throughout Galilee both teaching and authenticating His word by the miracles He performed (Matt. 4:23-24). As a result, multitudes were attracted to Him, not only in Galilee but also in Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan (v. 25). We see the widening influence of Jesus as a result of His words and His works."
Verse 39, "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."
LGT "And He came preaching in their synagogues in all Galilee, and casting out the demons."
This is Christ first preaching tour, of which, we are told very little, only that He was teaching and casting out demons, and various other miracles, testifying to His authority. The Word of God only records a fraction of Christ's actual healing ministry; the reason He goes into the synagogues is that at first His ministry was exclusive to the lost sheep of Israel, and the lost of the lost were in the synagogues.
The Cleansing of the Leper
(Matt. 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
Verse 40, "And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."
LGT "And a leper comes to Him pleading with Him [kneeling down] and saying to Him, If You will, You are able to cleanse me."
This is a picture of desperation on the part of the leper; he knew Christ could heal, but he wasn't sure Christ would heal someone who was regarded as unclean, and the leper probably had never heard of one in his condition ever being healed.
Edersheim writes about leprosy:
"In the elaborate code of defilements leprosy was not only one of the 'fathers of uncleanness,' but, next to defilement from the dead, stood foremost amongst them. Not merely actual contact with the leper, but even his entrance defiled a habitation, and everything in it, to the beams of the roof. But beyond this, Rabbinic harshness or fear carried its provisions to the utmost sequences of an unbending logic. It is, indeed, true that, as in general so especially in this instance. Rabbinism loved to trace disease to moral causes. 'No death without sin, and no pain without transgression;' 'the sick is not healed, till all his sins are forgiven him.' These are oft-repeated sayings; but, when closely examined, they are not quite so spiritual as they sound. For, first, they represent a reaction against the doctrine of original sin, in the sense that it is not the Fall of man, but one's actual transgression, to which disease and death are to be traced, according to the saying: 'Not the serpent kills, but sin.' But their real unspirituality appears most clearly, when we remember how special diseases were traced to particular sins. Thus, childlessness and leprosy are described as chastisements, which indeed procure for the sufferer forgiveness of sins."
Verse 41, "And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."
LGT "And Jesus, being moved with compassion, stretched out [His] hand, He touched him, and says to him, I will, be cleansed."
This phrase moved with compassion is only found here in Mark's account. Only God can heal a man, and Christ proves His deity by healing this leper. When the sinless Christ stretched out His hand and touched the leper, all the effects of sin on the leper's body was immediately clean. It was completely impossible for Christ to be affected by any thing that was the result of original sin; He had to submit to allow Himself to become sin on the cross, and therefore die spiritually for us all, and then eventually die physically; He could not have died physically until He became sin for us.
Verse 42, "And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed."
LGT "And having spoken to him, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed."
This verse goes with the last verse; Jesus touched the leper and spoke words of compassion be clean, and immediately he was cleansed.
Verses 43, 44, "And he straightly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."
LGT "And having strictly charged him, He immediately sent him away, and says to him, See [that] you speak to no one anything [lit. Nothing]; but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses ordered, for a testimony to them."
The Lord meant that the leper was to be a testimony not only to the people, but also to the priests. "The reason for this charge and dismissal lay in the desire of Jesus not to thwart His ministry by awakening the premature violence of His enemies; who, if they should see the leper and hear his story before he had been officially pronounced clean by the priest, might deny either that he had been a leper or had been truly cleansed" (Vincent).
Verse 45, "But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter the city, but as without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter."
LGT "But he having gone out, began to proclaim [it] much, and to spread abroad the word, so that He no longer was able to openly enter into the city; but was without in the desert places; and they came to Him from every quarter."
The disobedience of this leper caused our Lord to go into the deserted places in order to avoid being arrested; however, this did not slow things down much; the crowds kept coming to hear Him. McGee stated that the best way to get a person not to do something is to tell them to do it. Chapter two is a continuation of chapter one.
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