Bible Understanding Made Easy: Volume 3: Mark’S Gospel

By Anthony L. Norwood

Bible Understanding Made Easy is a series of books used to inspire and teach the Word of God to sincere souls who are trying to draw closer to God. This volume is dedicated to building an understanding of the life of Jesus Christ through the book of Mark. Learn of the love of Jesus, His history, miracles, and compassion for mankind in simple, easy-to-read language. The method of teaching used in this book was purposely kept as simple as possible so beginning students of the Bible can be inspired and build a rich foundation of understanding the Bible that will last a lifetime! Learn at your own pace or use this great teaching tool to inspire others!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483616926

Anthony L. Norwood

Anthony L. Norwood has preached Gods Word since 1999. He is currently the minister to the Henry Street Church of Christ in Gadsden, AL, USA.

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Copyright © 2013 by Anthony L. Norwood.

Grammatical Editing by Clorine W. Drake and Jocelyn R. Norwood

ISBN:

   Softcover   978-1-4836-1691-9

   Ebook       978-1-4836-1692-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 03/27/2013

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Chapter One: Introduction To The Gospel According To Mark

Chapter One Questions

Chapter Two: The Ministry Of John The Baptist And The Baptism Of Jesus Christ

Introduction To Mark 1

Chapter Two Questions

Chapter Three: Jesus’ Ministry In Galilee

Introduction To Mark 2

Introduction To Mark 3

Introduction To Mark 4

Introduction To Mark 5

Introduction To Mark 6

Introduction To Mark 7

Introduction To Mark 8

Introduction To Mark 9

Chapter Three Questions

Chapter Four: Jesus’ Ministry In Peraea

Introduction To Mark 10

Chapter Four Questions

Chapter Five: Jesus’ Ministry In Jerusalem

Introduction To Mark 11

Introduction To Mark 12

Introduction To Mark 13

Chapter Five Questions

Chapter Six: Jesus’ Suffering, Death, And Resurrection

Introduction To Mark 14

Introduction To Mark 15

Introduction To Mark 16

Chapter Six Questions

God’s Plan Of Salvation

What Are You Going To Do Now?

Chapter Seven: Quiz Answer Key

Chapter One Answers

Chapter Two Answers

Chapter Three Answers

Chapter Four Answers

Chapter Five Answers

Chapter Six Answers

REFERENCES

DEDICATION

First and foremost, this book is dedicated to the most loving Person who ever lived. That is, this book is dedicated to Jesus Christ, Himself! This author is so grateful for His ultimate sacrifice being His life given on the cruel cross of Calvary for us! He is beyond worth of praise!

Second, this book is dedicated to the memory of Darryl Douglas Norwood (1988-2009). We love and miss you little brother. We miss your smile, sense of humor, and loving spirit! Rest in peace.

FOREWORD

Friend, thank you for using this commentary in your personal studies, Bible classes, etc. It is an honor to be serving you in this capacity.

This book’s main goal is to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the masses without any additions, opinions, or subtractions. As this author learns the truth, he only strives to deliver the pure, honest Word of God to whoever decides to use this set of commentaries. With this being said, there are things mentioned in this commentary that a reader will enjoy hearing. On the other hand, there are also things that will challenge any man or woman! This is because this is not going to be a watered-down set of commentaries. They are designed to deliver God’s complete message in a sound fashion.

Please enjoy this set of commentaries and be enriched with more knowledge of God’s Word for your life. May God bless you and keep you.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction to the Gospel According to Mark

The purpose of the Gospel of Mark is obviously to bring one to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Although the human author of these Words from God is not listed, it is generally believed to have been John Mark. John Mark was not an apostle. Instead, He shared a close relationship with the Apostle Peter. Most likely, Peter converted him to Christianity (1 Peter 5:13) (Nave, 1995). He was also a companion of the Apostle Paul and Barnabas as well (Acts 12:25; 13:5) (Pfeiffer, Vos, & Rhea, 2003). Thus, if any one heard the Gospel story of Jesus Christ, it was certainly Mark! A brief outline of the contents of this book are as follows, as selected and adapted from the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary (2003):

•   Introduction and title (Mark 1:1).

•   The ministry of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:2-13).

•   Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Mark 1:14-6:30).

•   Christ withdraws from the region of Galilee (Mark 6:31-9:50).

•   The Lord’s ministry in the region of Peraea (Mark 10:1-52).

•   Christ’s ministry in the city of Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-13:37).

•   Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection (Mark 14:1-16:20).

The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus in terms human-beings of today can relate to. Mark often presents the human side of Jesus Christ. This causes the reader to strongly identify with the Savior. For example, Mark presents Jesus’ emotions of compassion, anger, and even sadness (Mark 1:41; 3:5; 14:33) (Butler, 1991). The Words of Hebrews 4:14-15 comes to life in the narratives of Jesus’ life as presented by Mark. Remember, Hebrews 4:14-15 says, "14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (New King James Version). Enjoy this most beautiful work of God through the penmanship of Mark. It is a powerhouse of information and inspiration for the modern-day Christian!

Chapter One Questions

1.   Hebrews 4:14-15 tell us that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses. Why is this so?

CHAPTER TWO

The Ministry of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus Christ

The books in this subsection of the Gospel of Mark highlight 2 very significant events in Bible history. First, John the Baptist was a very significant figure due to Him being the prophet who would literally announce the arrival of the Son of God (John 1:19-36). John the Baptist was a very special prophet (i.e. spokesman for God) compared to other prophets, because the Old Testament prophets only had the privilege of saying, The Savior is coming, while John the Baptist was the one who was saying, The Savior is here! Of course, the baptism of Jesus Christ is the other very significant event. The water baptism of the Lord was the start of His ministry. He was baptized in water to fulfill all righteousness. In other words, since it was the Father’s Will for Him to be baptized by John the Baptist, He submitted to the authority of the Father and had Himself baptized (Matthew 3:13-17). Normally, baptism is for the forgiveness of one’s sins (Acts 22:16). In Jesus’ case, He did not have any sins to be forgiven of, because He was the only human being to live a perfect life in the sight of the Father God (Hebrews 4:14-16). Nonetheless, He knew being baptized was the right thing to do and thus, He submitted to the authority of the Father as all men must do to be saved. We all have to submit to every Word from the Father God to be saved (Matthew 7:21-23). Sit back and enjoy God’s teaching in the subsequent chapters of Mark as we study them together if the Lord Wills.

Introduction to Mark 1

This wonderful chapter begins God’s revelation of the Gospel according to Mark. It is an exciting chapter covering many topics, including: (1) The mission of John the Baptist (Mark 1:1-8); (2) The baptism of Jesus Christ at the hands of John the Baptist and the Father’s own testimony from heaven proclaiming Jesus as His Son (Mark 1:9-11); (3) The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness after His baptism (Mark 1:12-13); (4) The preaching ministry of Jesus begins in Galilee (Mark 1:14-15); (5) Jesus calls Simon and Andrew promising to make them "fishers of men" (Mark 1:16-18); (6) Jesus calls the two sons of Zebedee to be His followers being James and John (Mark 1:19-20); (7) The Lord enters Capernaum and teaches with Divine authority unlike the scribes of the time (Matthew 1:21-22); (8) He casts out a demon in a man at the synagogue of Capernaum and silences the demon to conceal His status as the Son of God (Mark 1:23-28); (9) The Lord heals Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick with a fever (Mark 1:29-31); (10) He heals many with diseases, demon-possession, etc. (Mark 1:32-34); (11) Jesus goes to pray alone in a solitary place (Mark 1:35-36); (12) He leads the disciples all around other regions of Galilee preaching the good news (Mark 1:37-39); and (13) Jesus heals a leper that He commands to not tell of the miracle, but the leper does not obey causing droves of people to flock the Lord (Mark 1:40-45).

•   Mark 1:1: This is the beginning verse of the book. The Words of Mark 1:1 should be quoted directly at this point in our study. Mark 1:1 reads, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Even these few Words tell us a lot of things. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember, the word Gospel means the good news! Why is it good news? It is because Mark will conclude the book with the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus says, 15 . . . Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16 New King James Version). The good news is the Father God has sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16). The good news is that eternal punishment does not await the Christian child of God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). The good news is the Father God accepts the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary as a substitute for the eternal punishment all mankind deserves (1 John 2:2). The good news is the reader of Mark is being educated and taught why Jesus is the Son of God! Remember, the words "Son of God, Messiah, Christ, and Lord" are all different ways of describing the Son of God. When one says they believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, he/she is automatically saying He is the Messiah, Lord, and/or Christ! Furthermore and before moving on to the next verse, you and I must realize that Mark uses a very effective method of teaching the reader. The Holy Spirit, through Mark, presents the conclusion and many pieces of supporting evidence to prove the conclusion. Mark began this book with the conclusion being that Jesus is the Son of God. The rest of the book of Mark will, without a doubt, prove that Jesus is certainly the Son of God! Only one whose heart is not open will deny that Jesus is God the Father’s Son!

•   Mark 1:2-4: These two verses reference the Old Testament of God’s Word. They are a reference to Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 (Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown, 2004). They describe God foretelling the coming of John the Baptist hundreds of years before His birth. John the Baptist was to prepare the way before the Son of God. Jesus said the following about John the Baptist, "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet" (Matthew 11:9 New American Standard 1995 Version). John the Baptist was certainly a prophet, because He preached the Word of God as given to Him by the Holy Spirit. But Jesus puts John the Baptist in a class by himself. All of the prophets, from Moses to Malachi spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:12-26; Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36; Isaiah 53:7-8; Matthew 27:12-14; Acts 8:26-40; Jeremiah 30:9; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Revelation 22:16; Daniel 9:26; 1 Peter 3:18; Micah 2:12-14; Revelation 17:14; Zephaniah 3:15; John 1:49; Zechariah 9:9; John 12:12-16) (Torrey, 1880). So did John the Baptist, but he had a special mission. John the Baptist’s preaching mission was similar to the following statement, The Son of God is here! On the other hand, the other prophets, who spoke about the coming of Jesus Christ, spoke about His coming hundreds of years before He was born. Their foretelling of the coming of Jesus was similar to the statement, The Son of God is coming one day! Thus, the ministry of John the Baptist was greater in the eyes of Jesus, because he was to announce the literal arrival of Jesus! The arrival of John the Baptist to the world was so special to God that He foretold the coming of John the Baptist by more than one prophet in the Bible hundreds of years before John’s birth (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 4:5-6) (Nave, 1995). John’s mission was not only to announce the arrival of the Messiah, which is another name for the Son of God, but He was to spiritually prepare the Jewish people for His arrival. How? Mark 1:4 tells us and reads, "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (New International Version). John taught the people to repent of their sins due to his preaching God’s Word which demanded repentance. Repentance means to make a true commitment to change their lifestyles. They were to change from sinful ways in order to be pleasing to God. If they would not change their ways, then the Messiah, Jesus, would not accept them as children of God. Turning the Jews from their sins was John’s mission of preparing the road for King Jesus to rule over them (Mark 1:2-3). Also, God the Father would not accept them as His children, because without repentance, they would not have had the forgiveness of God. Furthermore, in order to gain God’s forgiveness so that the Son of God would accept them, they had to be baptized in water (Mark 1:4, 9). As you can see, the requirement for the forgiveness of sins under the preaching ministry of John the Baptist was for one to repent and be baptized. This is no different today. In order to become a Christian, Jesus requires the same two things. Jesus also preached the following, "12 . . . Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13 New King James Version). He also said, " . . . The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15 New King James Version) (Torrey, 1880). Before moving on to the next grouping of verses, Jesus also said, " . . . Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15 New International Version). Unfortunately, the devil has created so much confusion in the world within folks who consider themselves Christians. It is Jesus who tells us the conditions necessary for the forgiveness of sin and salvation. No man alive has the ability to change the Word of God, because man does not have God-given authority to do so. The only Person with all authority is Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). This same Jesus, who has all authority over mankind, angels, and all creation, has said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). Thus, Jesus’ requirement of repentance and water baptism for the forgiveness of one’s sin and salvation will never change. Man is a liar who preaches otherwise. All lies originate with the devil (John 8:44). Friend, may God help you to see the truth! Lord Willing, we will study God’s complete plan of salvation at a later date. God requires more of us than just repentance and water baptism to be saved as well.

•   Mark 1:5-6: John the Baptist’s ministry was very popular. People swarmed his ministry in vast numbers (Mark 1:5). They submitted to water baptism as they acknowledged they were sinners in the sight of God (Mark 1:5). Even today, one must acknowledge he/she has sinned and needs the Savior, Jesus, in his/her life in order to have a relationship with God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Without this humble state of mind, one can never be saved, because he/she will never seek the Savior. Those who know they have nothing to offer God from a spiritual standpoint and feel guilty about this sad state can be saved according to Jesus (Matthew 5:3-4). Furthermore, other Scriptures show us that John the Baptist was very successful in bringing people back to the Lord, because many repented of their sins (i.e. abandoned their sinful ways) (Matthew 3:1-2; Luke 1:5-17, 76-80). This is the goal of any God-sent preaching ministry on earth. The preaching ministry is not about glamour. It is not about personal gain. It also is not about fame and fortune. Instead, it is about being effective to the glory of God. John the Baptist was a very plain man (Mark 1:6). He would not have gotten any rewards for fashion. Even his diet was humble. He ate simple things such as locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6). Despite his humble appearance and straight-forward preaching style, God used him in a mighty way! He can do the same for many plain, honest preachers of the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ today as well! The ministry is not about vain-glory! It is about being effective in bringing people to a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9-10).

•   Mark 1:7-8: These verses capture a small portion of the preaching of John the Baptist and read as follows, " . . . There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (New King James Version). John the Baptist openly confessed there was Someone greater than him. Of course, He meant the Son of the God was greater than him. John had a vast following of disciples. Nonetheless, he taught his followers that he must decrease and Christ Jesus must increase (John 3:26-28). In other words, John knew his ministry was only temporary and one day, he would have to fade into the background and allow Jesus to become the leader of God’s people. John the Baptist was so humble that he didn’t consider himself worthy to loosen the strap of Jesus’ sandal, which was a common task of a slave. John shows that Jesus would administer the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was applied to the twelve apostles of Jesus on that great Pentecost Day of Acts 2. Acts 2 happened after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 1). This baptism of the Holy Spirit meant an empowerment of the apostles to perform great miracles. For example, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, they were able to speak in languages of which they never studied (Acts 2:11). Furthermore, the apostles were able to heal the sick, cast out devils, and even raise the dead (Acts 9:36-43; 16:16-18; 19:11-12) (Nave, 1995). In so many words, they were able to perform many of the same miraculous deeds their Master, Jesus Christ, was able to do (Matthew 4:24; John 11). God empowered the apostles to do these great deeds with one purpose in mind. That purpose was to confirm the truth of their message (Mark 16:15-20). In other words, due to the many miracles of the apostles, the hearers were able to believe they were men sent from God with an authentic message from the Father as well! Today, you and I decide whether a person is telling the truth by studying the Bible and comparing the verbal message with the written truth of God’s Word. If they do not agree, then what was heard is not the Word of God and must be discarded (Acts 17:10-12).

•   Mark 1:9-11: These verses mark the point in Mark’s Gospel where Jesus is baptized in water by John the Baptist (Mark 1:9). Remember, in our day and age, God says water baptism is for at least two purposes. The first is described by Acts 22:16, which reads, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name" (New International Version). It is to "wash" away one’s sins. This is another way of saying that baptism results in the forgiveness of one’s sins (Acts 2:38). One may be saying the blood of Jesus washes away sins (Revelation 1:5). This is true. The Bible is not contradicting itself in Acts 2:38 and Revelation 1:5. The Bible is saying water baptism and the blood of Jesus work together. That is, when one submits to the watery grave of baptism, the Father applies the blood of Christ to the person. Revelation 1:5 tells us HOW one’s sins are forgiven and Acts 2:38 tells us WHEN one’s sins are forgiven! They work together. Remember, Jesus is the only human being to have ever lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:14-16). As a result, baptism was not necessary to wash away His sins. Instead, He submitted to John’s baptism, because it was the Will of His Father (Matthew 3:13-17). He was baptized as an example for us to obey God in ALL THINGS. Remember, Christians were created to imitate every thing Jesus did (Romans 8:29). As a result, when a person does not believe that baptism is necessary for salvation, he/she is not truly imitating Jesus and unfortunately, cannot be saved. Moving forward, the second purpose of baptism is stated in 1 Peter 3:21, which reads as follows, according to the New King James Version, "21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ . . . Even Jesus, Himself, commanded that one must be baptized to be saved. In a nutshell, the purposes of water baptism are for the forgiveness of one’s sins and salvation. One is not saved without obeying the Lord’s command of being baptized in water (1 Peter 3:21; Mark 16:15-16). Returning to Mark 1:10, after Jesus emerged from the watery grave of baptism, the Holy Spirit like a dove fell down upon Him. Remember, the falling of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus was John the Baptist’s sign from the Father that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:29-34). This incident of the falling down of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus started John the Baptist calling Jesus The Lamb of God and The Son of God" (John 1:29, 34-36). Last, but not least, regarding Mark 1:11, God confessed the following sweet Words from heaven, " . . . Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. As a result, we see the entire Godhead present at the baptism of Jesus. The Godhead means God in the form of His distinct persons called The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Remember, the Father is God (John 3:16). Jesus, the Son, is also God (John 1:1-3, 14). In addition, the Holy Spirit (also known as the Holy Ghost) is God (Acts 5:3-4). How can God exist as One and in three persons? That will be a mystery that only God can answer Himself. Some things in the Bible, we ought not try to rationalize, but just accept by faith, because the Word of God never lies (2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 John 1:5).

•   Mark 1:12-13: Mark’s Gospel presents an abbreviated version of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. A more detailed account of this momentous event is in Matthew 4:1-11. This event of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is great inspiration to the modern-day Christian. Although Jesus was Divine, meaning God in the flesh, He was fully human as well (John 1:1-13, 14). His human nature is stated in Hebrews 4:14-16, which reads, "14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (New King James Version). It is a comfort to know that Jesus was experienced in every type of temptation human beings encounter in this earthly life. This is why Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is so important to know. It is even more important to know how Jesus was victorious over the devil’s temptations. First, we are to understand that Jesus had the right attitude about life. He said, "And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him (John 8:29). He was not a self-serving type of person. Instead, Jesus’ goal was to please His Father in heaven. This is a submissive attitude toward the Will of the Father. A submissive attitude toward obedience to God is what will make the modern-day Christian successful. Remember, in order to be successful against Satan’s temptations, you and I have to take the attitude of James 4:7, which reads, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Without a submissive attitude toward the things of God, neither you nor I will resist the devil. We will do the will of Satan, if you and I have not surrendered our desires to the Will of God for our lives. Without submission, there is no resistance. Without submission, there is no success against temptation to sin. Remember, Jesus had a submissive attitude toward God and every time Satan tempted Him with something, the Lord would fight back by quoting Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11). In addition, this shows us the second ingredient to success against temptation is actually knowing, understanding, and believing God’s Word, which is a revelation of His Will for our lives. If you and I do not study daily, then we have no defense against the temptations of Satan (2 Peter 1:5). Remember, the Word of God is a sword (Ephesians 6:17). A sword is a weapon leading to victory against the devil and his temptations. Empower yourself with the Word of God today! If you are struggling with a tempting moment, take comfort and strength in knowing that if you are truly sincere about being victorious, you can pray to God for the strength to overcome the temptation. This is because Jesus can sympathize with your and my weaknesses, because He has experienced these temptations before us, and can give us the strength to be victorious. He has never been defeated by Satan’s temptations and thus, this makes Jesus the Expert in overcoming temptation! He will help if you and I will only pray for the strength and truly desire victory in our lives (Hebrews 4:14-16). He loves you and wants to see you and I succeed (John 15:13)!

Chapter Two Questions

1.   Mark 1:1 says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God . . ." What is the Gospel and why is it important?

2.   Why was John the Baptist’s ministry so special in comparison to other prophets in the Bible?

3.   Are repentance and baptism necessary for salvation along with faith or will faith alone save us?

4.   Why was Jesus baptized despite the fact that He never sinned?

5.   Can we truly teach that the entire Godhead was present at the baptism of Jesus?

6.   Who confessed from heaven that Jesus was His Son and well-pleasing to Him?

7.   Why was John the Baptist sent to baptize with water?

8.   Should churches bear John the Baptist’s name?

9.   Why was Jesus victorious over the devil when Satan was trying to tempt Him in the wilderness?

CHAPTER THREE

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

Galilee was the northern-most province of the land of Israel under Roman rule. Remember, the Jews were not a free, independent people in the time of Jesus living on this earth in the flesh. They had been conquered by the Romans and living as subjects to the Roman Empire. Caesar was their true king (John 19:15). Of course, there were hierarchies regarding Roman rule. For instance, Herod Antipas was a subordinate to Caesar. Herod was called a king, customarily, but was not a true king, because he had to report to Caesar (Mark 6:22). Instead, Herod was the ruler of the Jews in Galilee (Mark 6:21; Luke 3:1; 23:6-7) (Nave, 1995). The Romans, in the time of Jesus, controlled a massive amount of territory in modern-day Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. All of these areas surrounded the modern-day Mediterranean Sea. Thus, Herod only had control of a small portion of the Roman Empire. Herod was actually a tetrarch, which means a person over a portion or all of a Roman province (Matthew 14:1) (Smith, 1884). It is important to know that Herod was not an actual king, because the Bible foretold that Israel would not have a king when Shiloh, meaning the Messiah, would come. This is written in Genesis 49:10, hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, and reads, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (New American Standard 1995 Version). The Messiah means one who is King of the Jews, Son of God, and Savior of God’s people (Matthew 1:21; 2:2; 16:16; John 1:41; 4:25; Psalm 2; Acts 2:36).

Returning to the topic of Galilee, according to Bible scholars, the northern portion of the land is mountainous including an elevation of up to 4,000 feet above sea level. Furthermore, the southern portion is characterized by a more level terrain. Southern Galilee is much more accommodating to living and farming. Galilee was lined with many roads bringing in commerce from Egypt, Arabia, and Syria. Fruit and olive orchards were plenteous on the hills. Grain and grass thrived in the valley regions. The chief cities of Galilee were Capernaum, Nazareth, and Tiberias. Tiberias was the capital in the time of Jesus. According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, Galilee was made up of 240 cities and villages. The population of people was comprised of both Jewish and non-Jewish citizens (Pfeiffer, Vos, & Rea, 2003). Furthermore, according to Bible scholars, Galilee, did not occupy much territory. In fact, Bible scholars believe it covered a range of approximately 50 miles north to south and 30 miles east to west. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the province of Judaea, He grew up in the town of Nazareth in Galilee (Luke 4:16-30). He performed his first miracle in the town of Cana in Galilee where He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). Jesus’ first disciples, which would be later known as apostles, came from Galilee (Matthew 4:18-22; John 1:43-51; Acts 1:1-12; 2:1-7). As an adult, Jesus chose Capernaum of Galilee as His home base, because His own people of Nazareth rejected Him (Matthew 4:13-23; Luke 4:16-44; Matthew 9:1). The land of the Jews was divided into three major Roman provinces: (1) Galilee in the north; (2) Samaria in the middle; and (3) Judaea in the extreme south. As with any people divided by territory, there were different vocal accents that differentiated the people. The Galileans had an accent that set them apart from their Jewish brethren of Judaea (Matthew 26:73) (Tenney, 1967).

•   Mark 1:14-15: These verses read as follows, "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." After John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod, Jesus went into the Roman province of Galilee. This was the province of Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. Jesus preached the Gospel, which means the good news that the kingdom of God was near. Remember, Jesus preached that the kingdom was coming before His crucifixion (Matthew 4:17). Mark 1:14-15 is the time period before His crucifixion. After His death, burial, and resurrection, the kingdom of Jesus is identified as already in existence (Colossians 1:13). That kingdom is called the churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). Jesus was preparing the people for their entrance into that kingdom church when it came into existence on that Pentecost Day of Acts 2, which was after the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1. Jesus was showing the people that they must repent of their sins (i.e. abandon their sins) to gain entrance into that kingdom of saved individuals called the church (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 5:23). In addition, these folks who desired to be of that saved number must have been believers in Him as the Son of God (Mark 16:15-16; John 8:24; Acts 8:26-40). We will, if the Lord permits, study God’s plan of salvation when we arrive at Mark 16:15-16 in our studies.

•   Mark 1:16-18: These wonderful verses read as follows, "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." This is the calling of the disciples, which would comprise the twelve apostles later in Bible history (Mark 1:16). Simon and Andrew were brothers. Simon is also called Peter in the New Testament of the Bible. They were employing themselves as fishermen. This is encouragement for the average Joe Christian! Why didn’t Jesus stop by the local university for scholarly men? Why didn’t He stop by the synagogue to find those supposed experts of the Bible? These are questions only the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, can answer. There is no favoritism in God’s eyes, because He accepts rich, poor, educated, and uneducated alike (Acts 10:24-11:18). On the bright side, this is inspirational to all Christians to know that God uses people from humble circumstances to accomplish His work! Thus, as you will find out later, Jesus will thoroughly equip them with the knowledge they needed to preach the Gospel (i.e. good news) that salvation is available through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Christian, if you come from humble circumstances, God can still use you and may develop you into someone that makes a difference in this world when all is said and done! Thus, you and I cannot look with prejudice upon anyone that Jesus calls to be a Christian, because we do not know what God is going to do with him in the future! The future is only in the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God; not man! Furthermore and returning to Mark 1:17, Jesus was going to make them "fishers of men. Contrary to popular belief, all Christians are fishers of men. How? It is because not only are ministers supposed to bring others to a saving relationship with Jesus by teaching them the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, but all members are supposed to be equipped to win souls for Christ! This we know from Acts 8:1-4, which reads, 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. As a result of this knowledge, church leadership should be more proactive in destroying the that’s the preacher’s job mentality that develops in local congregations. Teach them that it is every one’s responsibility to win souls for Christ not just the local minister. That way, the church will potentially swell with saved souls! An army can win a war much faster than a lone soldier! Lastly, before moving on to another group of verses, notice that Simon and Andrew immediately left their fishing nets and followed the Lord (Mark 1:18). Now that is commitment! This is an example of Luke 9:23, which reads, And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Notice, this is a denial of self! Simon and Andrew did not say, Lord, wait until we are done with our daily activities and we will meet you later. They did not say, We are too busy right now. Can you come back later? Nor did they say, This may cost us a great catch today. We just can’t risk leaving right now." This is why every Christian must daily consider his/her priorities of the day. Is it Jesus as number one priority or our own selfish desires? If it is our selfish desires, then we are not truly His disciples (i.e. followers). Christian, if you have not made Him your number one priority, then it is not too late. God will forgive you if you truly repent, which means to recommit yourself to Him and leave sinful ways alone while praying that He will forgive you (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-10). By doing so, you will know He is a compassionate and forgiving God, because He immediately forgives you and me when we sincerely ask Him!

•   Mark 1:19-20: These verses tell us about Jesus calling two new disciples. These disciples would also become very well-known apostles later in Bible history. James is the first disciple that eventually sacrificed his life by preaching the good news (i.e. Gospel) of salvation in Jesus Christ, which resulted in his death at the hands of Herod and the Lord’s unbelieving Jewish enemies (Acts 12). He was truly a martyr. He is an apostle that this author admires, because he literally gave his life for the cause of Christ! John is also a very well-known apostle. In fact, the books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation came from the work of the Apostle John! These two extraordinary men immediately left their work as fishermen in order to follow Jesus as the Lord approached them while they were repairing their fishing nets (Mark 1:19-20)! On the bright side, you and I may mourn over the tragic death of James by the sword. On the other hand, his death, along with the death of all faithful Christians, is a bitter-sweet moment. Why? Matthew 16:25 tells us why. The guarantee given by Jesus, regarding us is mentioned as follows, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:25). When a faithful Christian loses his or her life at the hands of enemies, he/she has moved on to a better life. These are comforting words, because if we lose our earthly lives, Jesus is saying He is going to give us eternal life for the soul! You and I must always take inspiration from Revelation 21:4, which tells us about the heavenly state of the soul and reads, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. There will be no need for Kleenex tissues in heaven, because there will be no tears in heaven. There is no need for embalming fluids, funeral homes, and memorial services, because there will no longer be any death for the saved ones! There will be no crying, because there will only be joy in God’s heavenly abode of the soul. To make it even sweeter, there will be no need for aspirins, pain killers, intravenous fluids, hospitals, or hospice organizations, because there is no pain in heaven! God has so much in store for the child of God after death on this earthly planet. We must take courage in the following Words from God, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). If you have lost a loved one, who died as a faithful Christian, then take comfort in knowing that he or she has not met his or her end! Instead, he or she has begun a new beginning that is better than the old existence! Salvation of the soul is far superior to the salvation of the body! Please keep this in mind to eliminate your and my daily fears.

•   Mark 1:21-22: These fine verses read as follows, "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." At this point in Bible history, Jesus and His new disciples went into the town of Capernaum. As you and I studied in this author’s introductory notes to Mark 1, Capernaum became Jesus’ hometown after the residents of the town of Nazareth rejected Him later in Bible history (Matthew 4:13-23; Luke 4:16-44; Matthew 9:1). Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day (Mark 1:21). The Sabbath Day was the assembly and worship day commanded by God before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This we know from Exodus 20:8-11, which reads, "8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it (Nave, 1995). God’s Word also says the following about the Sabbath Day, For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord wherever you live" (Leviticus 23:3) (Holman Christian Standard Bible). So, as you can see, the Sabbath Day was a holy assembly day of worship for the Jews during the lifetime of Jesus Christ prior to His death, burial, and resurrection. Thus, Jesus was sinless, because He made sure He kept the Sabbath Day holy as the Father God commanded. Of course, this is just one example of the sinless nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life all of His existence in human flesh (Hebrews 4:14-16). Returning to the topic of Sabbath observance, you may be wondering, If God commanded mankind to obey the Sabbath commandment in the Old Testament of the Bible, then why do most Christians worship on Sunday? Well, this is a logical question, because the seventh day of the week is Saturday and Saturday is the Sabbath. God has what are called "covenants." A good definition of a covenant can be taken from Easton’s Bible Dictionary (n.d.), which reads, A contract or agreement between two parties. Of course, the terms of the covenant are not negotiable. The terms are designed by God, Himself. The books of the Old Testament of the Bible are called the Old Covenant. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born on this earth, God said the following Words about the Old Covenant (also known as the Old Testament), "31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Thus, the book of Jeremiah is showing us that God meant for the Old Covenant to be temporary in nature. He meant that the Old Covenant would pass away and be replaced by a New Covenant. That New Covenant is what is commonly known as the New Testament of the Bible and this is why there is a division in your Bible’s table of contents called The Old Testament and the The New Testament. The Bible also identifies when the Old Covenant was taken away and replaced with the New Covenant. Colossians 2:14 gives us this information with the following Words, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (New King James Version). When Jesus was nailed to the cross of Calvary and died there, the Old Covenant also died there. In other words, the Old Testament was taken away as the commandments man must follow in order to be saved. Instead, Hebrews 12:24 tells us that it was replaced! These verses show us the replacement and read as follows, "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Jesus gave us the New Covenant. This is why one MUST obey the New Testament of the Bible in order to be saved. Jesus’ Words, as captured in the New Testament, are the Words of God the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3). As a result, they are not up for negotiation. Compassionately and lovingly said, without obeying the New Testament and the New Testament only, one will not be saved. This is why one does not worship on Saturday, which is the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a part of the Old Covenant which was taken away. The only day of worship for Christians is defined in the New Testament book of Acts. Acts 20:7 gives us the day of worship as being Sunday with the following Words, And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." The first day of the week is Sunday and not Saturday. Furthermore, you and I see that two parts of worship were performed on that first day of the week, which were the breaking of bread (i.e. the Lord’s Supper) and preaching. These are not all the elements of worship in this New Testament era in which you and I live, but if the Lord Wills, we will study all the portions of worship during our examination of the book of Acts. Returning to Mark 1:21, we also see that Jesus not only attended worship service, but He would teach the Word of God there as well. The hearers were amazed, because Jesus taught with authority and not as merely interpreting the Scriptures (Mark 1:22). This is because God the Father was speaking through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). The scribes were the teachers of the Jews, but they could only interpret. Jesus could bring out the complete truth of the Scriptures without error and reveal information they did not have, because He revealed truth to the people. Many times, when Jesus spoke, He began to reveal the New Covenant to mankind for the first time. An example of this is the fifth through the seventh chapters of the book of Matthew.

•   Mark 1:23-28: These verses are an account of Jesus’ activities in the synagogue. While in the synagogue, the Lord encountered a man with an "unclean spirit" according to the King James Version (Mark 1:23). This is a demonic spirit as we would say today. This demon did not respond in a calm fashion, but screamed out as he laid eyes on Jesus Christ. For Christians today, we must always understand that wherever God’s people are, the devil will be also. This statement may be repetitive throughout this commentary, but all Christians have to come to the realization they do not worship the people called the church (Acts 2:38-41, 47). They worship God. As a result, Jesus taught us the following information about the church, which He calls the kingdom of heaven, "47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:47-50). The net is the church and the fish the net catches are all those who are supposed to be Christians. Some of the fish will be cast away, because they will be wicked. They will be hypocrites and not saved in the end (Matthew 7:21-23). Thus, some of the false Christians who masquerade as children of God will do all they can to discourage true, sincere children of God. This is why a strong Christian stays focused on obeying Jesus to the end, because He will give that sincere Christian eternal life (Revelation 2:10). Christian friend, never let any one run you away from Christ or the church. Be encouraged, because God is showing us that the church will not be perfect; only heaven will (Revelation 21:4). Returning to Jesus in the synagogue in Mark 1:24, the demon in the man asked to be left alone. He obviously did not want Jesus there. He asked what does a demon and Jesus have to do with each other? In other words, the demon was saying Jesus and he did not have any relationship. The devil was asking was Jesus there to destroy him? That was a valid question, because Jesus will certainly destroy the devil, his demons, and all of unsaved mankind in the lake of fire. Again, Jesus teaches that hell is real. He said the following about the judgment day, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels . . . (Matthew 25:41). The devil’s angels are commonly known as demons in our common, every day language. The demon called Jesus the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24). This expression just means the Son of God. Psalm 16:10 speaks of the resurrection of the Son of God who is called the Holy One (Torrey, 1880). Thus, the words Holy One was another name of the Son of God for hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ! Again, this demon was identifying Jesus as the Son of God. Upon the demon’s confession, Jesus silenced him and commanded the demon to come out of the man (Mark 1:25). Many people have wondered, including this author, why did Jesus silence the demon even though the demon was telling the truth? The answer is that God does not want immoral, wicked hearts proclaiming truth (Acts 16:16-18). Of course, this is a reflection upon God, Himself, when immoral people proclaim the Word of God. As a result, these folks must be silenced. God does not accept their testimony, because their lifestyles would actually keep the hearers from believing the truth. This is why all ministers are told to also be examples and not only those who preach the truth. The young minister, Timothy, was told the following, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12 New King James Version). All those who stand in front of God’s people in a preaching and/or teaching capacity must have the accompanying lifestyle. Otherwise, they will not see heaven as their home (Matthew 7:21-23)! This is why those who desire to be church leaders must consider these roles as ministers, elders (also known as bishops or pastors), or deacons very carefully, because they will be judged about their private lifestyles just like every one else (1 Timothy 3:1-13; James 1:20; 2:20). If you do not think you can live in a clean, solid Christian manner, then do not try to lead the church. It is healthier for your soul in the end, if you do not try to lead; knowing you have no intention of living a clean, Christian lifestyle. Furthermore, as George W. Dehoff (2001) wrote, The church should reject an unholy preacher. Moving on to Mark 1:26-28, these three verses complete this portion of Scripture and read, "And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee" (New King James Version). After throwing the man around, the demon screamed and came out of him. The crowd was amazed. They saw Jesus command with authority for the demon to come out of the man. Jesus did not ask the demon to come out. He did not plead that the demon would come out. Instead, by the Divine authority given unto Him by the Father, He commanded the demon to come out. This is proof for you today, reader and friend, that Jesus is Lord. If you have not given your life to him by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, then this incident alone shows you that He is worthy to be your and my spiritual leader. Jesus said the following to all mankind, after His death, burial, and resurrection, "18 . . . All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age . . ." (Matthew 28:18-20 New King James Version). Thus, all the angels in heaven and all of God’s creation, including mankind, are under the authority of Jesus Christ. This means He is the Boss. He is the only One that determines God’s plan of salvation and who will receive a home in heaven. This is why He can rightly and accurately make the following claim about Himself, " . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). As a result, friend, you cannot be saved without becoming a Christian. There are no exceptions to the rule (Acts 4:12). Even demons fear Him and are under His control (Mark 1:24, 27). Returning to our story at the synagogue, Jesus became very famous from this incident of casting out this demon around the Roman province of Galilee (Mark 1:27). His crucifixion and resurrection spread His fame as the Son of God and the world’s Savior