In 2025, we're working our way through the gospels and invite you to join us as we seek to learn from Jesus. Find all our notes, from this year and past years, at the Faith Food tab. And if you'd like ideas for suggested pacing, download our April calendar. Welcome, friends, we're so glad you're journeying with us. Let's grow together!

Our notes on Mark 1 include:

Background on Mark
An Overview: Topic, Themes, and Summary.
An Outline Of our thoughts and questions.
Exploration On seeking solitude and privacy.
A Reflection On the excitement of Jesus' ministry.
An Invitation to Respond To God's authority.

Background

Genre

Gospel or Historical Narrative
Shortest of the Gospels, making it the cheapest and most widely circulated.

Purpose

To tell and explain the gospel to Gentile Christians from a Roman perspective.

Compared to Matthew, it is shorter, punchier, and argues Jesus' superiority using Rome's favored Hellenistic measures of health, education, athleticism (accomplishments), and theater (storytelling).
Mark's natural ending, at 16:8, ends with a feeling of terror, forcing Romans to test their allegiance.

To show Jesus is the Son of God, a Servant Messiah who died as a ransom for sinners.
To encourage perseverance in suffering and persecution. Likely written during Nero's Roman rule. (Nero is infamously known for his persecution of Christians.)
To highlight the Messianic Secret, knowing that the Kingdom will come but that not everyone will see it.
To identify miracles as manifestations of God's coming reign, a glimpse of God's kingdom breaking through.
To explain Jesus' life as the "mustard seed" stage of the Kingdom of God, our lives make up the next part as we prepare the way for every nation to know God's salvation.

Author

Mark, also known as John Mark, was a Jewish Christian who likely grew up in Roman culture.
Likely worked closely with and recorded testimony of Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. (See I Peter 5:13)
Possibly, Mark was Barnabas' cousin. (See Colossians 4:10)
Scholars believe Matthew and Luke drew on Mark's gospel for their own.

Audience

Gentile Christians
Persecuted Christians
Likely written just before or after Peter's martyrdom ~ A.D. 64-75.

Sources:

Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty Solomon, pp. 139-140.
NIV, CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS STUDY BIBLE : Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. Zondervan, 2011. (Articles on Mark and The Gospels pp. 1598-1606)
The New Testament Handbook. Holman Reference, 1 Feb. 2024.
"Who was John Mark in the Bible?" at Got Questions.
The Voice Bible. Thomas Nelson, 2012.

Mark 1

Crocuses by Couleour at Pixabay

Overview

General Topic

Establishes evidence that the Messiah, the long awaited one, is here.

Key Themes

Good News! Authority. Privacy.

Summary

Jesus, the Messiah, is here! After being baptized and tried, Jesus gathers disciples and begins to heal and preach. While Jesus tries to lay low, people cannot help but talk about Him and find Him. He is known for His authority of scripture, over demons, and to heal.

Thoughts, Questions, and Connections

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, and ! a connection. Researched answers are in italics. Behold requires our attention; it marks our partnership with God.

On Prophecy Fulfillment (Mark 1:1-8)

We know Jesus is the Son of God because behold John's message fulfills prophecy.

x For more on John's fulfillment of prophecy, see Matthew 3:1-11 and our Matthew 3 notes.
x Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, Even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: Behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:1 KJV (See Mark 1:2.)
x "There is a voice of a man who calls out in the desert: 'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.'" Isaiah 40:3 ICB (See Mark 1:3 and our Isaiah 40 notes.)

John taught and demonstrated through baptism, that inward change marks true conversion. Believers were to confess a need for change (inward) before undergoing the ritualistic sign of conversion (outward).

*This message continues to apply to us. God cares about the state of our hearts, not the motions we undertake.
The symbols John surrounds himself with point to the Exodus story. Preaching in the wilderness reminded the Israelites of the 40 years in the desert, baptism in the Jordan hearkens crossing over to the promised land. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
! In Isaiah 7:15, we learn the Messiah was raised on milk and honey, and John ate a diet of locusts and honey (Mark 1:6).
? Were the clothes John wore of any significance?

The camel's hair was a sign of mourning, likely John mourned the sins of Israel. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
x Also links John to Elijah. (See 2 Kings 1:8, Matthew 11:14, and our Matthew 11 notes.)
Some of the Hebrew prophets dressed similarly. The Voice

Jews had many immersion rituals, one was converting Gentiles to Judaism. It marked a turning to a new way of life. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

x I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, And, as a cloud, thy sins: Return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Isaiah 44:22 KJV (See our Isaiah 44 notes.)
x Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Jeremiah 3:12 KJV
x Like Jacob you must return to him. You must be loyal and true to him. You must do what is honest and just. You must always trust in him as your God. Hosea 12:6 ICB

? Why was confession necessary? Because inward cleaning was required first. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

x "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes. But inside they are full of things that you got by cheating others and pleasing only yourselves. Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean and good. Then the outside of the cup can be truly clean. Matthew 23:25-26 ICB

John also prolifically proclaimed the imminent arrival of Jesus, the Son of God, along with His superiority.

? How did John know about the baptism by the Spirit?

x Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and your idols. Also, I will teach you to respect me completely. I will put a new way to think inside you. I will take out the stubborn heart like stone from your bodies. And I will give you an obedient heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit inside you. And I will help you live by my rules. You will be careful to obey my laws. Ezekiel 36:25-27 ICB
x This will continue until God puts his Spirit from above into us. Then the desert will be like a fertile field. And the fertile field will be like a forest. Isaiah 32:15 ICB (See our Isaiah 32 notes.)
x I will pour out water for the thirsty land. I will make streams flow on dry land. I will put my Spirit into your children. My blessing will be like a stream of water flowing over your family. Isaiah 44:3 ICB (See our Isaiah 44 notes.)

Only God could baptize by the Spirit. So this is John's way of saying, "Jesus is God". NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

x I will not turn away from them anymore. I will put my Spirit into the people of Israel, says the Lord God." Ezekiel 39:29 ICB
x "After this, I will give my Spirit freely to all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. At that time I will give my Spirit even to servants, both men and women. Joel 2:28-29 ICB

On Jesus' Baptism (Mark 1:9-13)

Jesus endorsed John's teaching when He was baptized by Him.

x For more on John's baptism practices, see Matthew 3:3-17 and our Matthew 3 notes.
* It says nothing about Jesus first confessing, which is logical. Surely John did not ask because there would be nothing for Jesus to confess. This is yet another sign of Jesus' divinity.

And God endorsed Jesus by publicly announcing His pleasure in Him.

x Then God said, "Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love. Go to the land of Moriah. There kill him and offer him as a whole burnt offering. Do this on one of the mountains there. I will tell you which one." Genesis 22:2 ICB
x Now I will tell you what the Lord has declared: He said to me, "You are my son. Today I have become your father." Psalm 2:7 ICB
x Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:10 KJV (See cross references.)

And the Spirit endorsed Jesus by sending Him to endure trials.

* It seems odd that God says, "I am well pleased with you", now "Go and be tried". Yet, how true. How touching.

Before we prove ourselves, God already loves us.
And, His love for us does not mean He keeps us from trouble, but rather that we must endure it so we can be refined.

x For more on Jesus' trials, see Matthew 4:1-11 and our Matthew 4 notes.
* While Matthew goes into detail about Jesus' trials, Mark does not. Which fits with their intended audiences. Matthew would want the Jews to understand the layered meaning of each of Jesus' trials, while Mark knew the Romans would not relate to it.
? Why does Mark mention the presence of wild beasts? To set the scene? Because the Romans entertained themselves by forcing people to battle wild beasts in the Colosseum? As a reference to demonic activity, like in Isaiah 34? (See our research notes.)

On Jesus Gathering Disciples (Mark 1:14-20)

Authorities tried to silence John, but God's message carried on through Jesus who began preaching...

x For more on Jesus gathering disciples, see Matthew 4:18-22 and our Matthew 4 notes.
! "God always has another move." - A favorite reminder of our retired pastor.
🎵You can bury the workman / but the work will go on / You can silence the voices / but you can't stop the song🎶- "Bury the Workmen" performed by Unspoken

...and gathering disciples.

On Jesus' Authority (Mark 1:21-28)

But, unlike John, Jesus did not stay in the wilderness. Jesus went straight to the synagogue.
Where He stood out as one with authority in understanding scripture...

It is common practice for Rabbis to approach scripture by asking questions, creating stories that explored possible themes, and allowing exploration of possibilities. Scripture discussion is an exercise in thinking. *Which Jesus would not engage in because He KNEW the meaning of scripture. "What is BEMA?" by BEMA Podcast

...and in having power over evil.
The news of Jesus' authority of scripture (mind) and over evil (soul) spread quickly.

On Jesus as Healer (Mark 1:29-39)

Jesus' authority extended to the physical realm (body). He quickly became known for His power in healing.
Although, He tried to keep people from hearing about His authority.

x You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too! And they shake with fear. James 2:19 ICB

Jesus sought solitude with God, but even that was hard to come by.

? What more does the Bible say about seeking solitude and/or privacy. In this chapter alone it's mentioned several times: Mark 1:13, 25, 34, 35, 44 & 45 *R

When found, He accepted His mission and began traveling to preach, cleanse, and heal.

? Is there a specific reason Mark mentions demons so frequently in this chapter? To showcase Jesus' supernatural power?
x For more on Jesus' healing, see Matthew 8:2-4 and our Matthew 8 notes.
! Jesus' willingness to heal shows the depth of His caring. I love the phrasing in the KJV: Jesus, moved with compassion... (Mark 1:41). Jesus' emotion is described differently in various interpretations: sorry (ICB), indignant (NIV), and overly moved (VOICE).

Jesus still tried to keep people quiet about His ministry while encouraging them to follow Jewish law.
But it didn't work. Though He asked for their silence, the people could not stop talking about what He was doing. Though He sought seclusion, people found Him.

The KJV says the people "publish[ed] it much" and "blazed abroad the matter" (Mark 1:45)
The NIV says Jesus stayed in "lonely places". (Mark 1:45)
*It does seem contradictory, Jesus asking for our silence here when we're frequently encouraged tell of His unfailing love and wonderful deeds (See Psalm 107.). Perhaps, it is because at this time Jesus is human and it is not yet God's timing to reveal His divinity to all mankind.

Exploration

What does the Bible say about seeking solitude or maintaining privacy. In this chapter alone, the topic surfaces in several verses.

On Solitude

Verses

The Lord is in his Holy Temple. So all the earth should be silent in his presence. Habakkuk 2:20 ICB
For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place Like a clear heat upon herbs, And like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." Isaiah 18:4 KJV (See our Isaiah 18 notes.)
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15 NLT (See our Isaiah 30 notes.)
God says, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations. I will be praised throughout the earth." Psalm 46:10 ICB
Just leave in peace the one who waits in silence, patiently bearing the burden of God; Lamentations 3:28 VOICE (See also Psalm 62:5.)
When you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you. Matthew 6:6 ICB
He gives me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. For the good of his name, he leads me on paths that are right. Psalm 23:2-3 ICB

Examples

Moses met with God face to face in the tent of meeting and Joshua remained there when Moses would leave to speak to the people. (Exodus 33:7, 11)
Jacob is left alone to wrestle with God. (Genesis 32:22-24)
Elijah retreated to a cave to find God and encountered His still, small voice. (I Kings 19:9, 12)
Jesus consistently sought solitude. (Mark 1:12-13, 35, Luke 5:16, 6:12-13; 11:1-2; Matthew 14:13; John 6:15)
Jesus' followers also retreat to solitude regularly. (Mark 6:31-32; Matthew 11:28-30; 17:1-2; Acts 1:13-14, 10:9-11; Galatians 1:15-17; Ephesians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 12:2; Revelation 1:9-10)

Verses On Keeping Things Secret

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Psalm 51:6 KJV
There are some things the Lord our God has kept secret. But there are some things he has let us know. These things belong to us and our children forever. It is so we will do everything in these teachings. Deuteronomy 29:29 ICB
My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Psalm 139:15 KJV
Yet, nothing is kept secret from God. (Ezekiel 28:3 and Mark 4:22)

*Thoughts: Some things God wants just between us. Solitude with God matters because that's where we fix our focus, release harmful thoughts, seek forgiveness, turn back to the path of righteousness, and find restoration in Him. In Him, we are. We lose track of that in the noise of this world. He is the One our soul loves. He knows everything about us, still loves us, and wants us to seek Him out to spend time with Him. Sometimes what He reveals to us in our time alone with Him is meant only for us. Perhaps that's why it's impossible for others to feel our personal testimonies the way we feel them. Perhaps that's why Jesus asked people to stay quiet about what He had done for them because He wanted them to cherish that intimacy. Perhaps that's why Jesus did not want the news of who He was and what He was doing to spread so quickly because He knew it would become increasingly harder to find alone time with God.

Sources:

"Bible Verses on Solitude and Silence" at Soul Shepherding
"Right to Privacy" at UMCJustice.org

Reflection

What an exciting time it must have been to live when Jesus walked the earth. To hear news of His coming. To witness His baptism. How many, I wonder, were baptized after Him? I would guess the line was long.

Then, just after God confirms His identity, Jesus disappears. Everyone must have wondered where He went. For forty days people were talking of Him, but He was nowhere to be found. Surely the buzz died down. Or, perhaps, it was just enough time to thoroughly spread it.

What was it like for Jesus? Going from exaltation at His baptism to immediate isolation and tribulation. Did he know why He was there? And, if He did, did it make the trial more bearable? I would guess so. When we know how the story ends, it gives us strength for the journey. That's what fuels us through this life, too - knowing how our story ends.

Jesus' trials parallel our own. When we give our lives to Jesus, Satan comes after us. But, there is strength in knowing that Jesus endured and so can we.

Shortly following His trials, John is arrested. How the crowds must have protested. Yet, John had to be removed from the scene so people would listen to Jesus. Was it a rocky or smooth transition?

For Jesus, it seems uncertain. Even the Son of God needed solitude to be strengthened for His mission. I wonder what happened in His alone time. If it were me, I would be telling God I don't know if I have it in me to do what He's calling me to do. And God would be telling me to do it anyway. Surely, Jesus knew the beginning of His ministry was the end of the quiet, peaceful life He once knew.

And, once started, Jesus' ministry shoots off like a rocket. Though He tries to slow it, it flares across the dark night sky. Here is a man who speaks confidently about God, who overpowers demons, and who instantly and completely heals. How could we stay quiet? This is our God!

Respond

Connect

God is the authority on truth, over the spiritual realm, and over our bodies.

Reflect

How is accepting that God is the authority on truth uncomfortable? How is it encouraging?
How is accepting that God is the authority over the spiritual realm uncomfortable? How is it encouraging?
How is accepting that God is the authority over our bodies uncomfortable? How is it encouraging?

Act

Arise, stand firmly on God's truth.
Arise, rest confidently in God's power over evil.
Arise, walk intimately with your Creator and Redeemer.

In Closing

Father God, only You reign supreme, and somehow You chose me. To know You is to love You, for in You I know truth, safety, and life. Thank you for giving me a mind, soul, and body to praise You with. May I live every day to honor Your truth, Your power, and Your compassion.

Ready for Mark 2?

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