Session 1
Mark 1:1-13
Memory Verse: Mark 1:11
Jesus is the eternal Son of God.
Have you ever watched the inauguration of the President of the United States? Because of our access to televi-sion and other video resources, we’re able to witness the fanfare associated with that important celebration. Jesus began His public ministry without the extraordinary displays of the affirmation afforded to presidents, kings, or other world leaders. He didn’t make speeches or wear regal robes or a crown. However, His introduc-tion turned out to be far from ordinary. An unequaled display of divine affirmation underscored the beginning of His public ministry.
As you begin this study on the Gospel of Mark, reflect on Jesus’s identity, His baptism, and the heav-enly affirmation that came with His introduction as the eternal Son of God. Ask God to reveal Himself to you in a special way in your preparation so you can point the adults in your group to Jesus through your words and actions.
All your relationships have something in common. In one way or another, you were introduced to that person by someone, either another person or yourself. With family members who are older than you, it may be difficult to recall the exact moment of the introduction. Nevertheless, every relationship has some type of an introduction because each has a beginning point. Being introduced to someone has the capacity to change your life forever. (PSG, p. 10)
For centuries, the Jewish people had been longing for the Messiah’s arrival. But since they were expecting a military leader who would free them from Roman rule, many missed the significance of Jesus once He burst onto the scene. Mark, an early follower of Jesus, provided what many believe is the first written account of His ministry and the monumental turning point His presence created in human history.
One signature element of Mark’s writing style is his commitment to action, and the early chapters of his Gospel set that tone. Even in offering a brief introduction to John the Baptist and his ministry (1:1-8), Mark quickly emphasized the superiority of Jesus. And after setting that stage, he immediately set about fo-cusing on the work and words of Jesus and how they validated Him as Messiah.
Foregoing information about Jesus’s birth or childhood, Mark painted a picture of a Messiah on the move. His baptism (1:9-11) signified the beginning of His earthly work, followed quickly by a temptation in the wilderness (1:12-13).
Through these episodes, Mark showed that Jesus really was the Messiah. The baptism account revealed Jesus’s special relationship with the Father, while the temptation demonstrated His dominion over the enemy. In each case, Jesus embraced His role as the One sent by God to redeem the world.
From those episodes, Jesus jumped into His ministry with both feet, preaching the good news of salva-tion (1:14-15) and calling disciples to follow Him (1:16-20). Throughout this first chapter—and really his en-tire Gospel—Mark revealed Jesus as a “doer.” He focused on Jesus’s message and His miracles, along with significant teachings. All of this led to the point where the messianic picture culminated: Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection in Mark’s final chapters.
Mark’s writing also highlighted the importance of following Jesus—not just physically, but also spir-itually. As the Messiah, Jesus served as the bridge connecting God to humanity. Finding that new relationship with the Father required loyal and committed discipleship—a close following that produced a transformed life. So, the disciples were not just students learning at the feet of Jesus. They were also followers chosen to spread His message around the world.
After chapter 1, Mark continued providing evidence of Jesus as the Messiah. Through exorcisms
(1:21-28), physical healings (1:29-45), and even a controversy surrounding the forgiveness of sins (2:1-12), Jesus demonstrated that He was the Messiah and that He was worthy of being followed.
As you read Mark 1:1-13, think about the role of John the Baptist. Why would his message make such an impact in first-century Israel? What can we take away from his example of pointing people to Jesus?
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. 3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
The Setting for Mark 1:1-13: Mark’s Gospel is all about Jesus. From the very first verse, Mark let readers know that his narrative is about the gospel. While he didn’t begin by sharing Jesus’s birth, he did emphasize His earthly ministry. His writings were inspired by the preaching and teaching of Peter, with whom he was closely associated. Mark, also known as John Mark, was not an apostle, and his firsthand knowledge of Christ’s ministry would have been limited. Peter’s influence is evident in the way Mark wrote and the lan-guage that he used. Mark is also believed to the be the first of the four Gospels written. These first thirteen verses include the prologue, the introduction of Jesus as God the Son, prophecies fulfilled through John the Baptist, and the beginning of Jesus’s earthly ministry.
(v. 1) The beginning: Every great story has a beginning, and Mark began his Gospel with the introduction of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He didn’t begin with Jesus’s birth and early years, as Matthew and Luke did. Instead, he pointed readers toward the beginning of Jesus’s earthly ministry. His first sentence is a declaration, a title page for the One being introduced: Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
There are three distinct “beginnings” in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 points us to the initiation of all creation. John’s Gospel (1:1) emphasizes the pre-existence and deity of the Word (Jesus). And in Mark 1:1, readers find the beginning of the gospel, the opening act in the life and ministry of God’s Son.
(v. 1) Gospel: The word gospel comes from the Greek “good news.” Mark laid the foundation for what his Gospel was about—the good news that Jesus Christ would bring redemption and salvation for all humanity. The term originally meant any good news, but ultimately it came to represent the story of Christ’s ministry and sacrifice as He provided salvation to the world.
(v. 1) Jesus Christ: The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “the Lord is salva-tion.” The Greek word for Christ means “anointed” and corresponds to the Hebrew word “Messiah.”
(v. 1) Son of God: Mark proclaimed the deity of Christ, affirming that Jesus is fully God and fully man. This is a recurring theme in his Gospel. He also included five additional situations where Jesus was identified as God’s Son: His baptism, by demons, at the transfiguration, at His trial, and the centurion’s confession. Each of these validate the truth that Jesus is the Son of God.
(vv. 2-3) As it is written: Following the introduction of Jesus as the Son of God, Mark immediately pointed readers to two Old Testament prophecies: Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. Both predict that God would send someone as a forerunner to the Messiah. This “someone” would prepare the way for Christ.
By quoting from these passages, Mark identified Jesus as Messiah and John as the messenger prepar-ing the way. In ancient cultures, a royal official would announce a king’s entrance into a village and make whatever arrangements were necessary. This included preparing the path for the king’s entrance. Jesus was the ultimate King, and John the Baptist was the one crying out in the wilderness.
Mark’s reference to these two prophecies was important to his message because they affirmed that Je-sus’s coming was part of God’s plan all along. The ancient prophets had predicted the Messiah’s arrival and the coming of His forerunner hundreds of years earlier.
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
(v. 4) In the wilderness: Mark emphasized that John’s ministry took place in the wilderness. The wilderness is often a reference to the Israelites’ four decades of desert wandering. It also pointed readers to God’s re-demption that ultimately led His people out of the wilderness. John was known for his baptisms. While many religious leaders practiced baptism, few baptized as John did, fully immersing individuals under the water.
(v. 4) Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins: For most Jews, baptisms were just ceremonial wash-ings, the ritual mikvah baths. These washings served as a public confession that they needed to get right with God. Gentiles who wished to adopt Judaism also went through a ceremonial cleansing. This one-time event symbolized their rejection of pagan practices and their acceptance of the “true” faith.
John baptized far away from the ritualistic practices of the temple. His baptisms were not focused on keeping the traditions, but the need for repentance—an individual’s complete turn from an old lifestyle to a new commitment. Mark used metanoia, indicating a change of mind or a conversion.
John’s baptism also focused on the need for forgiveness and personal preparation for the One who was coming. The Messiah would be baptizing with the Holy Spirit rather than water. Those who were baptized gave evidence of a changed life, but the baptism to come would carry the significance of the death and resur-rection of Jesus Christ.
(v. 5) The whole Judean countryside: John was preaching something different than what the first-century Jews had been hearing. As a result, he created a great deal of excitement throughout the region. He provided the kind of message of hope and truth that the religious leaders of the day were not preaching. John’s preach-ing created so much excitement that it had people talking across the region. Great numbers were flocking to the countryside to hear him preach.
This would not have been an easy trip since the Jordan River is more than twenty miles from Jerusa-lem, including a descent of around 4,000 feet. Those who traveled to hear him were committed to hearing what he had to say. Going out suggests that people were continually coming. While some may have been mo-tivated by “the show,” the majority were intent on hearing a new message after centuries of silence.
(v. 6) Camel-hair garment: While one might imagine John as a crazy man because he dressed in camel hair and ate strange things. But he wasn’t. In all likelihood, he was dressed like the prophets from the Old Testa-ment. For example, Elijah dressed in a similar fashion. He was even likened to Elijah, who was expected to return before the day of the Lord and call the nation to repentance. While John’s personality was different from Elijah, his message was the same. In addition, the locusts he ate were considered a kosher food, and he could have harvested honey from local bees.
(v. 7) I am not worthy: John consistently placed his emphasis on Jesus, not on himself. While many religious leaders of the day built themselves up in the eyes of the people, John did just the opposite. Tying or untying the laces on sandals would have been a servant’s job. Rabbis taught that a master or teacher could ask their servant or pupil to do just about anything except tying or untying shoes. John indicated that he was not even worthy to perform this humblest act of service for the Messiah.
(v. 8) Baptize you with the Holy Spirit: While John was baptizing with water, he pointed toward a day when the Messiah would pour out His Spirit on His followers. John’s baptism was for the body, while Christ’s is for the soul. Rather than a post-conversion experience, John was describing the forgiveness and empowerment that the Spirit provides at the moment of salvation.
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” 12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
(v. 9) Jesus came from Nazareth: Mark followed John’s comments about the One who is greater with the statement that Jesus came from Nazareth. While the writer didn’t go into detail about Jesus’s life prior to this moment, we know that Jesus spent his early years in Nazareth. It was a tiny town, known primarily for the Roman army guard that was stationed there.
(v. 9) The Jordan: Jesus would have traveled around fifty miles from Nazareth to reach the Jordan River. While we don’t know the exact location of Jesus’s baptism, we can speculate that John would have been preaching near a crossroads people would have used. It is also interesting to note that the Jordan was not used for purification purposes according to the Mishnah (an early record of rabbinic traditions).
Jesus didn’t have to be baptized for repentance because He was completely sinless. Instead, He chose to be baptized out of obedience to the will of His Father (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18).
(v. 10) As soon as: The Greek word euthus generally means “suddenly” or “next.” Mark used this word more than forty times in his Gospel. It emphasizes a sense of urgency throughout his Gospel.
(v. 10) Being torn open: Immediately after Jesus’s baptism, three things happened. First, the heavens opened. In Isaiah 64:1 the prophet announced that God would rend the heavens. Isaiah’s prayer was that God would come down and reside with humanity. God had answered Isaiah’s prayer through Jesus.
Next, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. It is important to understand that the Spirit didn’t just rest on Jesus. He empowered everything Jesus did in His ministry and life.
(v. 11) My beloved Son: In Mark’s opening verse, he declared that Jesus was the Son of God. Here, he added that God was well-pleased with Jesus’s faithfulness. This was the first time that God had spoken audibly to His people in at least 400 years, and He left no doubt that Jesus was co-equal to Him. The presence of the Fa-ther, Son, and Spirit means each member of the Trinity participated in this event.
(v. 12) Drove him: The same Spirit who had just descended on Jesus now drove Him into the wilderness. The wording is strong here, indicating that the Spirit was insistent that Jesus go. Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, obeyed.
(v. 13) Forty days: The number appears throughout Scripture, including the accounts of Noah (Gen. 7:11-12), Israel (Num, 32:13), Moses (Ex. 24:18), and Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-8). For more details about Jesus’s tempta-tion, see Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.
(v. 13) With the wild animals: Mark is the only Gospel writer to mention the wild animals. While animals would have been common in the desert, the Greek wording suggests Jesus was not afraid of them, but that He was exerting authority over them.
Evangelism and Missions
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeav-or to make disciples of all nations. (See Gen. 12:1-3; Acts 1:8.)
Read, reflect on, and react emotionally to a Bible verse.
Read aloud slowly and reflectively Jeremiah 1:4-8. Try to imagine how you would feel if you were in Jeremi-ah’s situation. Consider God’s calling on your life and share honestly with Him any fears or concerns you may have about pursuing it. How does God’s reply to Jeremiah’s concern (Jer. 1:7-8) give you courage to represent God in the world.