Mark 1: 35 – 39
Quality Time With The One You Love
35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” 39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
There was another Gospel written before Mark wrote down this event. The Apostle Matthew recorded this same situation. Later the disciple Luke also penned this unique miracle of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, let’s see what they say and then compare all three to gather more information.
Now please remember that Matthew was probably there when these things happened. In addition, although Mark probably wasn’t there, his step father in the faith, Peter, was there and witnessed the very things that our Lord said and did. Luke wasn’t there with our Lord but later came back to Jerusalem and interviewed those who were there when these things occurred. So, let’s see what all three have in common and are different.
Luke 4: 42 – 44, “42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” 44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
Matthew 4: 23 – 25, “23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Peter was there throughout our Lord’s earthly ministry and often observed our Lord slipping away. He knew from personal observation why our Lord did this. Our Lord wanted some quality time alone with Adoni Yahweh, His and our - Father God – ‘35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.’
Our Great God has given us something to spend each day. Do you know what it is? It is time. He has given us 24 hours in which to spend. You can’t save any time and you can’t borrow any time. Yet, many of us try. Now, like an old watch, we need to be re-wound each day. We get our clocks energized by sleep. To a large degree this act requires 8 hours. Some people try to take short cuts on this necessary action and in one way or another will pay the price, either in emotional or physical problems.
So, out of 24 we take 8 hours. Now we have 16 hours in which to invest. Oh, I forgot to mention another thing. Because of the curse our ancestor Adam caused, we have to work. Many people when they do their day timer, just write in 8 hours for work. They are missing some things, like travel to and from work. So, a very reasonable guess is to put down 10 hours.
Oh, wow, let’s see 8 plus 10 is 18 minus 24. I ran out of fingers and toes. Oh, yes, the answer is that we now have a total of 6 hours in which to use.
If you are married and have kids then this is all that you have left in a day to spend with them.
A more important thing to think about is ‘what about spending time with the Lord.?’ How do we set aside any time in which to be with the One Whom we say we love.
Our Lord Jesus knew the right priorities. The first thing and early in the morning He valued and set aside the time to fellowship with The Father.
Sure we are down to 6 hours in which we need to accomplish a lot. However, our Lord counsels us on how we can accomplish everything and get the most out of every relationship. He says in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 4, “32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’
You will begin your day without being stressed and upset when other new demands come your way like the way of our Precious Adoni Yeshua, our Lord Jesus Christ - 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” 39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
Our Lord had a busy schedule with all the people needing Him. As you can see that His main message was proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
Have you ever had a second chance given to you? It could be in love, a marriage, a job, etc. The most important 2nd chance we have been hoping for since the fall of Adam was a chance for a new beginning with a relationship with El Shaddai – God Almighty. Now, there was no longer any waiting. The appointed time for this to happen was here. God had sent His Promised Messiah. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this special Holy One.
Isaiah 61, ““The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.’
Isaiah 52: 7, ‘7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Please note that in Mark’s Gospel, he is the only one to mention our Lord’s message about preaching ‘the kingdom of God’. Now that sounds all nice and religious but what does it really mean?
John had preached that the ‘Good News’ was coming. Now our Lord Jesus Christ proclaims that the ‘Good News’ was present.
We know from our Bibles in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 33 that our Precious Holy Adoni Yahweh established His rule over His people at Mount Sanai – ‘5 And He was King in Jeshurun, when the leaders of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.’
However, the rest of the Old Testament became evidence that our Lord’s Rule over us sinful people never became a reality. Our Precious Holy King told us ahead of time that this would happen as we read in Isaiah 63 ‘19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, those who were never called by Your name.’
The prophets spoke then of a future day when God would change the hearts of people by pouring our His Holy Spirit and would establish His rule. Look at these prophecies;
Isaiah 44, 3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; 4 They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.’ 5 One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s’; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel. 6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.’
Ezekiel 36, 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.’
Jeremiah 31, ‘3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel you shall again be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
All these promises was linked with the coming a great king.
Isaiah 11, ‘11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.
Now, says our Wonderful Adoni Yeshua, that time is here.
Now this kingdom of God is not limited to any one geographic territory. His kingship was to rule over His people no matter where they live. So it is with ‘the Kingly Rule of God’. Where God’s rule is established in one’s heart, there is His kingship revealed, and thus in a real sense where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was, there too was the kingdom. And where His true people are who are in submission to His Rule, there is a manifestation of His Kingship. Thus His rule was among them and in them - Pretty awesome, if I may say so.
His rule is ‘at hand’ which seeks men, women, and children to respond. Do you want Him to rule over you, is the question? If you respond to this question in the ‘yes’ then you are His now and forever. He Is your king and your are presently in His kingdom.
Now in order for this to happen then this statement from our Holy Ruler applies, ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel.’ Repentance is a change of heart and mind which is a turning to God. Without repentance there can be no kingly rule over you life.
Here we see the similarity and difference between John and our Lord Jesus’ message. Both demand a change of heart towards sin and towards God and both promise future blessing. But now our Precious Holy Master introduces Himself as the Promised Anointed One from the Father. He Is The One Who ushers in the time of The Holy Spirit.
