Friday, January 9, 2015
Mark 1
Mark 1 has about 9 subsections. Mark starts will John the Baptist preparing the way for Christ through teaching and baptism. Then John baptizes Jesus. After that we only a few verses about Jesus going out into the wilderness and being tempted by the devil. When He comes out of the wilderness is when Jesus begins his ministry. From their he calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John as His disciples. Jesus travled to many places with His disciples precision the Gospel. While they were in Capernaum and Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a man with an unclean spirit approached Him and said, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are- the Holy One of God." Jesus hen proceeds to rebuked the man and cast out his demon. The people then began to wonder at Him for He taught with authority and the evil spirit obeyed him. Later while in the house of His disciples Simon and Andrew, He healed Simon's mother in-law of a fever and she immediately began to serve them. That night many sick and possessed came to the house and were healed. Jesus and his Disciples left the day to preach in the other towns. At a later time, a leper came to Jesus and begged to be healed. He healed him and charged him not to tell anyone, but the man went and spoke of what was done for him so Jesus' fame spread.
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Some things I noticed as I read Mark 1 -
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit descended on Jesus - and immediately drove Him out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. WOW! Before Jesus begins His public ministry, He must face and withstand the temptation of the evil one. What does this say to me?
After John was arrested, Jesus came in, proclaiming the gospel. John had to be made less and Jesus be made more. John had a purpose; John served his purpose - he was preparing the way for the Holy One.
ON the Sabbath - Jesus went into the synagogue to teach. God's timing is always perfect. Jesus was consistently teaching in the synagogues - He came first to the Jews, His people.
Immediately is certainly a key word in this chapter. It is used again & again. There is no time wasted. It is urgent. God's timing is always perfect and He is proving it over and over.
A man *in the synagogue* had an unclean spirit. He cried out, "I know who you are - the Holy One of God." The demons believe, they know who Jesus is - and yet they do not willingly bow the knee to Jesus. They are forced to obey, required to obey. This reminds me of Revelation that one day every knee will bow - yet salvation is for those who submit themselves to Jesus, who walk by the obedience of faith in the Holy One of God. This demon recognized the truth of Jesus. How many people profess a knowledge of Jesus, but their lives deny him.
Jesus "would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him." (v. 34). The demons have to obey.
Yet, Jesus charges the man he healed of leprosy "to say nothing to anyone," (v. 44) but "he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter." (v. 45)
The man does not obey him, even though Jesus has just healed him!
Why does Jesus not want the healed man to speak? Why does Jesus command the demons to be silent? Was it not yet his time? Was it because He knew this would hinder Him from going openly into the town? Or was this part of the plan, too, that Jesus simply knew the healed man would be all the more urgent to tell people when Jesus had told him not to?