Mark 1

Mark 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark. It contains no birth narrative; instead, it opens with the ministry of John the Baptist and moves directly to Jesus' ministry in Galilee.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: The book opens with its superscription, followed by a quotation, attributed to Isaiah, concerning the messenger who will prepare the way.
• Verses 4–8: John the Baptist preaches a baptism of repentance in the wilderness. He testifies that the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
• Verses 9–11: Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan River. The Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice is heard from heaven.
• Verses 12–13: Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness for forty days.
• Verses 14–15: After John is arrested, Jesus preaches the gospel of God in Galilee.
• Verses 16–20: Jesus calls Simon and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
• Verses 21–28: Jesus teaches with authority in the synagogue at Capernaum and casts out an unclean spirit.
• Verses 29–34: Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law of a fever and, in the evening, heals many who are sick.
• Verses 35–39: After praying in a solitary place early in the morning, Jesus travels throughout Galilee preaching.
• Verses 40–45: Jesus cleanses a leper and charges him to say nothing to anyone.

Key Verses

• Mark 1:1 "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" – the superscription that states the theme of the entire book.
• Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand" – a summary of the message Jesus preached.
• Mark 1:35 "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day" – frequently cited as evidence of Jesus' habit of prayer.

People and Places

• John the Baptist, Jesus Christ
• Simon (Peter), Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John: fishermen on the Sea of Galilee and the first disciples to be called.
• Zebedee: the father of James and John.
• Jordan River, Galilee, Nazareth, Capernaum, synagogue

Points for Reflection

• The quotation in verse 2 actually combines words from Malachi and Isaiah. Some manuscripts read "in the prophets," and some manuscripts lack "the Son of God" in verse 1.
• The commands to silence in verses 34 and 44 are commonly discussed by scholars under the heading of the "Messianic secret."
• Baptists and others read "coming up out of the water" in verse 10 as support for baptism by immersion. Other denominations, by contrast, hold that the verse does not prescribe the mode of baptism (see Baptism and Immersion).
• The account of the wilderness temptation is brief. The three temptations are described in detail in Matthew 4 and Luke 4.

In the Korean Church

The phrase "fishers of men" in verse 17 is often used in sermons on evangelism and discipleship. Verse 35 is the passage most often cited to explain or encourage the dawn prayer meeting.