Mark1

Mark chapter one introduces John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, who is baptized by John and declared the Son of God. Jesus then begins His ministry, calling disciples, teaching with authority, and performing numerous healings and exorcisms throughout Galilee. His fame quickly spreads, though He often seeks solitary places for prayer and continues to preach in various towns.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Beginning of the Gospel

1
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ​
2
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. ​
3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ​
5
And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
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;
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. ​
8
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

The Baptism of Jesus

9
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: ​
11
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Temptation in the Wilderness

12
And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
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. ​

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ​
15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. ​
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.
17
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. ​
18
And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19
And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20
And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Jesus' Authority in Capernaum

21
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
22
And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. ​
23
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24
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. ​
25
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26
And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
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.
28
And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

A Day of Healing

29
And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
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.
32
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. ​
33
And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34
And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. ​
35
And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. ​
36
And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37
And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38
And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. ​
39
And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

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.
41
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. ​
42
And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44
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. ​
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 into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter. ​

Study Notes for Mark 1

Verse 1

Mark opens with a clear thesis statement, identifying Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God, establishing the divine authority of the narrative immediately.

Verse 2

This quotation is a conflation of Malachi 3:1 (the messenger) and Isaiah 40:3 (the voice in the wilderness), demonstrating Mark's conviction that John’s ministry was prophetically ordained.

Verse 4

John's baptism was a unique, public ritual symbolizing repentance and moral cleansing, differing from the ritual washings (mikveh) common in Judaism, as it was performed once for forgiveness.

Verse 7

Unloosing or carrying the sandals was the task of the lowest slave, emphasizing John's profound humility and recognition of Jesus' immeasurable superiority and divinity.

Verse 10

The visible descent of the Spirit and the audible voice confirm Jesus' identity as the Son of God, marking his divine commissioning for public ministry.

Verse 13

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark presents the temptation briefly, emphasizing Jesus’ immediate obedience to the Spirit and his solidarity with humanity and creation ('wild beasts').

Verse 14

John’s imprisonment marks the transition point (chronological and theological) where Jesus assumes the prophetic mantle and begins his independent ministry.

Verse 15

This verse contains the core summary of Jesus' preaching: the Kingdom of God is imminent, demanding immediate repentance (change of mind/life) and belief in the good news.

Verse 17

The phrase 'fishers of men' transforms their familiar trade into a spiritual metaphor, indicating that their new vocation would involve gathering people into God's Kingdom.

Verse 22

Scribes merely quoted previous rabbinic authorities, while Jesus taught based on his own inherent divine authority (exousia), shocking the listeners.

Verse 24

The demons immediately recognize Jesus' true identity ('Holy One of God'), highlighting his divine nature even before the disciples grasp it.

Verse 32

The mass healings occurred after sundown because the Sabbath ended at sunset (V. 21), allowing the people to travel and bring the sick without violating Jewish law.

Verse 34

Jesus enforces the 'Messianic Secret' by silencing the demons. He did not want his identity proclaimed by unclean spirits, nor did he want his mission defined solely by miracle-working power.

Verse 35

Mark highlights Jesus' commitment to private prayer, often emphasized before significant decisions or amidst intense ministry, demonstrating his dependence on the Father.

Verse 38

Jesus clarifies that his primary mission is preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, not remaining in one place simply to satisfy the immediate demand for healings.

Verse 41

Leprosy was a devastating disease that rendered a person ritually unclean and socially ostracized. Jesus' action of touching the leper demonstrates radical compassion and his power over ritual boundaries.

Verse 44

Jesus instructs the man to follow the requirements of Leviticus 14. This validated the man's healing to the religious authorities and maintained Jesus' respect for the Law.

Verse 45

The man’s disobedience to the command of silence (the Messianic Secret) causes Jesus’ ministry to become logistically difficult, forcing him out of the towns and into the wilderness.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options