Did John prepare the way for the Lord? Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ baptism? How did Mark summarize the Good News that Jesus preached? What did Jesus tell his first disciples? Did Jesus heal many? Did people come to Him from everywhere? Let’s find out in Mark 1.
Serving as a good title for the whole book, let’s look at verse 1. The Gospel, or Good News, is about who?
The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, (Mark 1:1 CEB)
What did the prophets predict? Is that still relevant in some ways for us?
It began just as God had said in the book written by Isaiah the prophet, “I am sending my messenger to get the way ready for you. In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him.’ ” (Mark 1:2-3 CEV Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3)
What was John’s ministry? Was he based in a city or the wilderness?
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mark 1:4-5 ESV)
What was John’s lifestyle? Did he wear fancy robes or very simple clothing?
John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:6 HCSB)
What was his message? Did he glorify himself or someone else?
He kept proclaiming, “The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. I baptized you with water, but it is he who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8 ISV)
Did Jesus submit to John’s baptism? Did His coming up out of the water mean He was immersed, or could it simply mean He came up the river bank? Is this deliberately left unspecified and vague? What did God the Father say?
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:9-11 KJV)
What happened immediately after that? Did the Holy Spirit drive Jesus somewhere?
And immediately the Spirit drove Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. (Mark 1:12-13 LSB)
What is a summary of Jesus’ preaching? Do we preach like Jesus?
Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15 NASB)
How did Simon and Andrew respond? How quickly did they respond?
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18 NIV)
How did the Zebedee brothers respond? How quickly did they respond?
When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. (Mark 1:19-20 NKJV)
How different was Jesus’ teaching style? What is the teaching style of many modern preachers?
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. (Mark 1:21-22 NLT)
Was there an immediate demon response? Did they know who Jesus was?
Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:23-24 WEB)
How did Jesus deal with the demon? Did it obey Him?
“Silence!” Jesus said, speaking harshly to the demon. “Come out of him!” The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out. (Mark 1:25-26 CEB)
What was the people’s response? Were they surprised?
Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, “What is this? It must be some new kind of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him.” News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee. (Mark 1:27-28 CEV)
Did Jesus hang around or move on to other things? Was He making what we might call a whirlwind tour?
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. (Mark 1:29-31 ESV)
Did Jesus quickly move on to other things? Did He permit any other demons to speak?
When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all those who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and He healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him. (Mark 1:32-34 HCSB)
How early did Jesus rise? What did He do? Was Jesus very busy?
In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went to a deserted place and prayed there. Simon and his companions searched frantically for him. When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you.” (Mark 1:35-37 ISV)
What was Jesus busy doing? Did He travel throughout all of Galilee?
And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. (Mark 1:38-39 KJV)
What happened to a leper? Did Jesus show compassion?
And a leper came to Jesus, pleading with Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:40-41 LSB)
Was the man with a skin disease healed? How quickly was Jesus able to heal him?
And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 1:42 NASB)
What did Jesus warn him not to do? How did the leper spreading the news affect Jesus’ ministry?
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Mark 1:43-45 NIV)
Did John prepare the way for the Lord? Were Father, Son and Holy Spirit involved in Jesus’ baptism? How did Mark summarize the Good News that Jesus preached? What did Jesus tell his first disciples? Did Jesus heal many? Did people come to Him from everywhere? How would we have reacted, if we had been there? You decide!
