From a Rocky Hillside

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
February 4, 2024
Mark 1:29-39

Often people speak of seeking Jesus as if he can be found. Instead of us finding Jesus, he finds us. Some think if others can find Jesus, he’ll solve their problems or take up their cause. But that’s putting the cart in front of the horse. While it is worthy to seek Jesus, scripture tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God.^[1]There might be a difference. 

We’re not to go out to find Jesus just for him to take care of our issues. God’s kingdom is about something far more important than individual needs. Furthermore, it’s not enough just to seek Jesus. When we encounter Jesus, we must be ready and willing to follow him.^[2] We’ll see this in our text this morning from Mark’s gospel. The disciples seek Jesus so that he can tend to the crowds, but Jesus has a different plan. 

In my email “musings” that I sent out yesterday, I linked to an article by James Bratt, a professor emeritus from Calvin College, who describes our purpose in God’s plan in this manner: 

God is not just saving individuals from hellfire but is in the business of redeeming the whole world, the entire cosmos, from the blight of the fall. The “saved” at the end of time will populate the new earth, but in the meantime, they are to witness to that coming kingdom in every domain of human life, here and now. We are means, not the end; agents, not the goal.^[3]

Before reading the scripture:

As I have tried to express in my first sermons from Mark, the gospel is fast paced. One of Mark’s favorite Greek words is euthys. Mark uses this word to express immediacy. It’s translated as “soon,” “just then,” “immediately,” “directly” or if you prefer the older English King James Version, “forthwith.” We find this word eleven times in the first chapter of Mark. It’s used a total of forty times in the entire gospel.^[4] We see this in our reading this morning. 

Immediately after casting out the demon or unclean spirit, Jesus leaves the synagogue and heads to the home of Peter (referred to here as Simon). Peter and his brother Andrew’s home appears to have been right behind the synagogue. Archeologists are pretty sure where this home was located. Graffiti scratched in the wall in the late first or early second century, identify the site. It became an early church, venerated as having belonged to Peter.^[5] There Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law. 

Our reading today might be called “A Night in the Life of Jesus.” For after Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, the sun sets. The sabbath restrictions on travel is over. Now, people can freely move about, and they rush to be healed by Jesus. It’s chaotic. Before the sun rises and morning comes, after getting a little sleep, Jesus slips away for quiet time with his father. And the disciples head out in the dark in search of him. 

Read Mark 1:29-39

We can’t control Jesus. He doesn’t serve as our personal physician or miracle maker. Instead, Jesus came to inaugurate God’s kingdom and to show his followers what the kingdom should look like. As we see in this passage, Jesus resists becoming a freak show or circus act. As the crowd builds, instead of basking in their praise, he slips away. Even Jesus needs quiet time. 

Furthermore, Jesus’ message can’t be confined to a particular locale. While a personal relationship with Jesus is necessary, we must never forget that Jesus’ role in God’s plan of salvation is not just for us, as individuals. Jesus came and gave his life for the life of the world.^[6]

In this text we also see Jesus’ human needs. His life consists of work, worship, and rest. He heals, then he gets away to rest and to reconnect with the Father. All aspects of his life are important. The same goes for us. We’re to work hard, but we’re not to forget to connect with God through prayer and worship. And it’s important for us to take time for ourselves. 

Now let’s look at the text. Mark uses that favorite word I told you about which emphasizes immediacy. As soon as they leave the synagogue, they enter the Peter’s house. Mark likes to create fast action, but here it might not just be rhetorical. As I mentioned, Peter’s home was next to the synagogue, so it really was immediate. Jesus walks out of one door and into the next door, as Peter and Andrew’s home shared a wall with the synagogue.^[7]

As they enter the home, they learn of Peter’s mother-in-law’s illness. She has a fever, which in those days before aspirin and iburpofen, was serious. Unlike other faith healers of the day, or even today, we’re not told of any prayer or incantation. He doesn’t make an ointment. Instead, he demonstrates his power by just taking her hand and raising her up. Instantly healed and starts serving them. 

In a way, it doesn’t seem right. She is healed and immediately goes back to work. Again, as I pointed out in the quote from Professor Bratt, Jesus doesn’t just save us for our own well-being. There is a purpose in our lives. 

Sadly, but not unsurprisingly, some have used this passage to demonstrate how women are supposed to serve men. But that’s a misinterpretation. The word used for serving is the same word used to describe the angels tending to Jesus in the wilderness. It’s also the root of the word Jesus applies to himself. He’s the one who came to serve.^[8] As we follow Jesus, we are to serve one another. 

Let me reiterate. This text in no way implies that just women are to serve. Instead, it means that those who follow Jesus (men and women, rich and poor, young, and old) are to be in service to others.^[9] God’s kingdom turns the ways of the world upside down. We’re not to look to get all we can for ourselves. All are to be in service to others. A question to ask ourselves, “how are we at serving?”

Of course, the word of this instant healing spreads fast. After sunset, when the Sabbath is over and people can mill around, everyone gathers at Peter and Andrew’s door. 

I remember the first medical mission trip I attended in Jesus’ de Ortoro, Honduras.^[10] We announced in the community and surrounding villages there would be American doctors and medical personnel available on a particular day. The clinics opened at 8 AM, and by 7 AM, there was a line of folks stretching down the dusty street. Vendors popped up to sell food as many had to wait for hours. Desperate people grasp at any hope, and so all who have needs come out just as it was in Jesus’ day. Jesus heals many. He casts out many demons. 

After Jesus’ visit to the Capernaum synagogue, the demons know who he is and fears him.^[11] Jesus establishes his kingdom by defeating the evil powers in the world. But he doesn’t let them identify himself. He wants his disciples and followers to come to their own understanding to his identity and purpose. 

Now all this happened in the evening. Mark doesn’t tell us what time the clinic closed, but at some point, everyone heads home. Jesus, exhausted, gets a bit of sleep. Then he’s up early, setting off to find a place where he could be alone in prayer. 

Remember, while it’s morning, it’s still dark. And in the darkness, Simon and the other disciples go in search for Jesus. They find him and, in some ways, boldly chastise him. Essentially, they imply, “why are you hiding, everyone is looking for you.” But Jesus can’t be controlled. Instead of returning to Capernaum, he has them pack up and head to other towns in Galilee, proclaiming this same message. Jesus’ fame grows. 

We learn from this passage, as did the disciples, that we should follow Jesus and not try to control him. While we might seek Jesus, we’re not to seek him for our own selfish purposes. If Jesus saves us, he expects us to be of service to others, as Simon’s mother-in-law demonstrates. 

The disciples want Jesus to go tend to their neighbors and kinfolk. But Jesus has bigger plans. And he calls us to follow him, not just to save our souls, but to for us to participate in God’s grand plan to restore the world, not by might, but by love, not by power, but with grace. Amen. 

^[1] Matthew 6:33. 

^[2] Mark later tells the story of one who sought Jesus but wasn’t willing to follow him. See Mark 10:17-22. 

^[3] https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2024/02/02/dutch-reformed-vs-evangelical-i-salvation/#comment-90066

^[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 58-59. The use of the word in other translations came from my own research as I looked at the KJV, NIV, Living Bible, RSV, NRSV, and Message.

^[5] Edwards, 59. 

^[6] We shouldn’t forget that John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world…” not “God so loved me.” God loves us and everyone.

^[7] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox 1996), 29. 

^[8] See Mark 10:45. 

^[9] Edwards, 60. 

^[10] I wrote about one of my trips to Honduras in an article for the Presbyterian Outlook in 2007 and reprinted it last year in my blog. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2023/02/02/a-return-visit-to-honduras/

^[11] Mark 1:21-28. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/01/21/jesus-in-the-synagogue/

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
January 21, 2024
Mark 1:21-28

At the Beginning of Worship

I finished Harrison Scott Key’s book, How to Stay Married last week. Harrison teaches at Savannah College of Arts and Design, and I have met him several times. His recent book is the only one of his I have that is not signed. Harrison is a funny writer, even when he writes about how his marriage almost ended. I quoted this in my Saturday musings yesterday and thought it fit for today’s message. 

When I was growing up, my grandmother would often say, ‘I’m sweating like a whore in church.’ As a kid, I assumed this imaginary whore was sweating in church because she knew Jesus was watching her and scowling his disapproving scowl. But I now know. The whore is not sweating in church because of Jesus. She’s sweating because of all the Christians.^[1]

The Jesus of scripture has compassion on us. We’ll see this in today’s passage as he frees a man possessed by an evil spirit. Interesting, the encounter happens in a synagogue, the church of the day.

We who strive to follow Jesus, need to also show compassion to others. Let’s make sure no one should be sweating in church (unless it’s a hot summer day and the air conditioning is out). 

Before reading the Scripture

Mark cobbles together short vignettes of Jesus and places them back-to-back. The fast pace of Mark’s writing provides little time to contemplate what happens before we’re into a new story. It’s easy, almost, to ignore the miraculous nature of the episodes, as we’ll see today.^[2] But when we pull all these stories together, we’re overwhelmed. Mark does this on purpose. Without saying, “Jesus is God” or a similar proclamation, these stories help us understand that Jesus’ uniqueness. He’s truly God’s Son, the one welding the power to save the world. Today, and in the weeks ahead, we’ll see this at work. 

Another interesting thing about Mark is how he refers to Jesus’ teachings but says less about what Jesus taught than the other gospels.^[3] Jesus teaches, people are amazed with his teaching, but we are not privy to what he taught. Instead, as we’ll see today, Mark provides us with a surprise reaction to Jesus’ teachings. This reaction comes from the demonic world. 

Read Mark 1:21-28

When I was a child, whenever we were away from home on Sunday, my parents found a church for us to attend. Sometimes it was just for Sunday School, but at least for part of Sunday morning, we were in church. Mostly these were Presbyterian Churches, but on occasion it was a Methodist or Baptist Church. 

When we were in my family’s home territory in Moore County, North Carolina, we always attended Culdee Presbyterian Church in Eastwood. First, we would attend Sunday School, often taught by one of my father’s parents, followed by worship. It seemed we always sang “Holy, Holy, Holy,” a song I later heard a Church of God pastor label as the “Presbyterian National Anthem.”^[4] That was, by-the-way, meant as a compliment. I still can recall my grandfather singing that song boldly even though I think I inherited his lack of a musical voice. 

I remember us having some reason to be in Moore County on a Sunday afternoon, so we’d break the three hour drive up by attending church in either Riegelwood or Elizabethtown. And if we were vacationing in other places, we’d attend church there. I remember going to church in St. Louis and around Washington DC. We’d attended church because it was expected. 

Church was where we were to be on Sunday. As the boy Jesus said to his parents when he was lost in Luke’s gospel, “where else should I be but in my father’s house.”^[5] So we went to church.

Of course, there was another reason. Attending church, in those days, was a bit like being a Rotarian and having to “make up” meetings you missed. If we attended another church, we still received credit toward earning our perfect attendance pins. Do you remember them? But whatever the reason, whether for a perfect attendance award or because it was the right thing to do, it was good to be in our heavenly father’s house on the Christian Sabbath. 

Likewise, for Jesus, a Jew, when the Sabbath rolled around, he wanted to be in the synagogue. We see this in today’s reading, where Jesus and the disciples who’d just signed up to follow him, are in Capernaum, the first disciples’ hometown. 

There is some evidence that after Jesus left Nazareth, he made his home in Capernaum, the “village of Nahum,” as the name translates. It was a city on the north shore of Galilee and prosperous in the first century. Supposedly, there was an eight-foot seawall that ran for nearly a half mile along the sea, with piers that jutted out into the water. Fishing was a main industry, and the fish were not just consumed locally, but dried and shipped to other towns. In the countryside, there were fertile farms. And the city, lying next to major roads, served as a center of trade.^[6]

Today, there are ruins of a magnificent ancient synagogue in Capernaum built of imported white limestone. But that was constructed in the 4^th Century. In Jesus’ time, there was an older synagogue, the foundation of which is underneath this more magnificent one. That synagogue was constructed out of the black basalt, a rock common to the area. That older synagogue was possibility where Jesus visited in our story today.^[7]

A synagogue is essentially a meeting place for the Jews. There were no sacrifices or anything like that. Instead, the faithful gathered and the Torah was taught, often by lay people like Jesus. 

On this day, Jesus must have been on fire. His teaching amazes everyone. Again, we don’t know what he taught, but he caught the attention of those gathered. So amazed, they bragged about how his teaching had authority. Again, as we’ve seen, Mark’s use of the Greek is informative here. The word for authority used here, in other writings of the time, convey a supernatural power. It’s as if his teaching comes from God. 

When the crowd says Jesus teaches not like the scribes, they’re not saying anything bad about the scribes. Instead, they imply a freshness of Jesus’ message. The scribes’ message came from the traditions of the Hebrew Bible, but Jesus’ message comes direct from the Father.^[8]

Instead of learning what Jesus taught, we see the reaction to the message. While everyone is amazed, a demon or unclean spirit, who inhabited a man present at the gather, goes berserk. It cries out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth. Here, the demon calls Jesus’ earthly identification. It knows his name and from where he came. By naming him, the unclean spirit attempts to overpower Jesus, because the ability to name was considered powerful in the ancient world.^[9] But it doesn’t work. 

The demon essentially implies that Jesus is trespassing on his turf. A cosmic battle exists between the unclean, the demonic, and the powers of heaven. And now, as a part of this battle, a skirmish occurs in Capernaum. And here, Jesus shows us the world still belongs to God. Jesus isn’t trespassing. The ones trespassing are Satan’s minions. 

The demon knows it’s in trouble for it encounters the “Holy One of God.” Interestingly, long before Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah,^[10] this unclean spirit identifies Jesus’ divine role. Knowing Jesus identity is not the same as believing in or following him, as we see in this encounter. As James teaches, “even the demons believe and tremble.”^[11]

Jesus then rebukes the unclean spirit. Notice, however, Jesus doesn’t rebuke the man with the unclean spirit! By rebuking the unclean spirit, Jesus shows compassion to the man inhabited by the demon. With convulsions and crying, it leaves the man. Here, at the first instant of Jesus’ public ministry in Mark, we witness his power, the power that can only come from God and will reclaim the earth for God’s good purposes. Jesus’ power is greater than that of the evil in the world.  

And, as we can imagine, word gets around about Jesus. The event in Capernaum helps bolster Jesus’ fame. We’ll see how Jesus’ actions in the first chapter of Mark becomes like an avalanche, growing and gaining power as he moves from one place to the next. By the end of the first chapter, we learn Jesus can’t escape the crowds.^[12]

This story, at the beginning of Mark’s gospel, sets the stage for what will happen in the first half of Mark’s story. Chapters 1 through 8 show Jesus moving around the countryside. Through his teaching and healing, his power over evil and the weather, demonstrate how the kingdom has come near. 

What might we take from this passage that will help us live as a follower of Jesus? We’re reminded of Jesus’ power, in which we’re to trust. That which is evil has no power over our God. We don’t have to fear such evil. Instead, let’s give thanks to God in whom we find hope. We trust God. When overwhelmed by dark forces, we call upon God. Amen. 

^[1] Harrison Scott Key, How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told (New York: Avid Reader Press, 2023), 284. 

^[2] Mary Ann Tolbert, Sowing the Gospel: Mark’s World in Literary-Historical Perspective (1989, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1996), 135. 

^[3] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997), 61. 

^[4] I heard this from the pastor of a large Church of God at a Ben Johnson’s evangelism seminars at Columbia Theological Seminary in 1992. 

^[5] Luke 2:46-50

^[6] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 52-53. 

^[7] Edwards, 53. 

^[8] Edwards 55 (see also 53-54).

^[9] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996), 28.

^[10] Mark 8:27ff. 

^[11] James 2:19. 

^[12] Mark 1:45. 

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
January 14, 2024
Mark 1:14-20

At the beginning of worship: 

In her book, God is No Fool, Lois Cheney shares this bit of dialogue: 

“Moses said, ‘Oh, Come on now! Be sensible! Not me! I’m a terrible speaker. They’ll never listen.’ And God said: ‘Oh, for crying out loud! Use your brother to help with speaking.’ And Moses led God’s people out of slavery. 

And Jonah said, ‘Oh, Come on now! Be sensible! Not me! I’m not the type.’ And after a rather unexpected vacation in a fish, just thinking things over, he talked the people of Nineveh into repentance. 

And Zacharias said, ‘Oh, Come on now! Be sensible! Not me!  My wife and I are too old to have kids.’ And God said: ‘Oh shut up! He did shut up—for nine months. And John was born, and the way of Christ was opened. 

And I heard a child say: ‘I can’t serve God, I’m too young.’

A senior citizen said: ‘I can’t serve God, I’m too old. 

And I heard a boy say: ‘I can’t serve God, I’m not good enough.’

And I heard a woman say: ‘I can’t serve God, I’m not skilled enough.’”^[1]

What excuses do we give God? This is a good question for us to ponder as we explore the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as he calls disciples.

Before reading the Scripture:

Last week we began exploring the gospel of Mark, looking into the opening verses of the chapter. As I indicated then, Mark doesn’t make a big deal about John the Baptist. Mark’s subject is Jesus Christ and the good news he brings to earth. 

Today, we’ll pick up where we left off. As in verse 1, verse 14 reiterates Jesus’ purpose announced in verse 1, “To proclaim the good news of God.” Following this, Jesus summarizes his message, followed by the calling of the first four disciples. 

Read Mark 1:14-20

When asked what miracle Jesus first performed, most will say it was the turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.^[2]

But I think there’s another overlooked miracle. Jesus calling the fishermen. How many true fishermen and fisherwomen do you know, who’d leave their tackle behind to follow some stranger on the beach? 

But let’s be a bit more serious as we look at today’s text. Mark places the beginning of Jesus’ ministry after John’s arrest. The first two verses of our text sets things in context. Verse 14 serves as a press conference, announcing Jesus’ entry on the scene. The spotlight focuses on Jesus, not John. While most translations say John was arrested or placed into prison,^[3] the Greek word used by Mark translates directly as “handed over.” 

This is a kay word for Mark, for later the gospel author will use that same word for Jesus being handed over to the Romans and for the fate of Jesus’ followers who suffer persecution.^[4]

Mark’s point is that John has done his work; it’s now time for the focus to be on Jesus. However, the language used by Mark foreshadows what will happen to Jesus and perhaps us. Danger lurks when the gospel is proclaimed. 

Next, Mark summaries Jesus’ ministry. Jesus proclaims the good news of God. I spent a lot of time last week discussing the meaning of the gospel or good news.^[5] Now, I want to point out something often overlooked. We tend to think of the good news from our own vantage point. We privatize the gospel, so we understand it personally. And while that’s important, here Mark indicates the good news is “of God.” It’s not just for me. God works through Jesus to restore the world to himself and in our text this morning, we see Jesus setting the stage for this work. 

The following sentence from Jesus summaries his gospel.^[6] “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.” 

I could probably do a whole sermon on this one sentence. There’s much here to unpack here. I’ll break it down quickly, starting with the first phrase, “The time is fulfilled.” The Greeks had two words for time. The one we are more familiar with is chronos. This is time understood with clocks and calendars. From this word, we get chromometer, which is an excellent timepiece that was necessary, pre-GPS, for navigation. If it was this word, it would mean, “The clock has run out.” 

But instead, the other word Greeks used for time is karios. This word implies it’s the right time for something to happen. Looking back to the prophets whom the Jews had placed their hope, we see that it is the time for the fulfillment of their hope. We move from “anticipation to actualization.”^[7]

This is not the end of history, but an ongoing beginning of a new history. 

Next, we are given what I think is a riddle. “The kingdom of God has come near.” God’s kingdom here implies the “rule of God,” instead of a particular territory. The Jewish hope that God would assert his authority and put an end to human rebellion has begun.^[8] The term, “come near” is in the perfect tense, implying that the action began in the past carries on in the present.^[9] It’s still ongoing, in the life of the church. 

Jesus ends his summary of the gospel with a command: Repent and Believe. Both verbs are imperative. They’re important. Repent implies to turn around. We’re to turn away from sin. Believe is what we are to turn toward or to.^[10] We turn toward and trust God’s good news.

Now that the spotlight is on Jesus and his teachings, he sets out to recruit assistants by calling a group of fishermen. Here we see an example of those who live out Jesus’ command. Like with repentance, they turn their backs on their previous life and turn to the one who has the good news. 

This is a miracle. They hang up their nets and leave behind their family and coworkers to follow Jesus. Jesus demands obedience. We are not privy to why they were so willing to follow Jesus. For all we know, they haven’t even heard him preach. Maybe, as was suggested in this week’s men’s Bible Study, the blues weren’t running. 

But we know this. Their decision to follow Jesus helped change the world. These four would become key leaders, not just among the disciples, but in the early church. We see them take off after Jesus without hesitation, unlike Moses, Jonah, and Zacharias. However, we know later they will have doubts.

In my last year of seminary, I worked halftime at Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, a community on the northside, west of Pittsburgh. The pastor, Brent Dugan, started out as a mentor of mine and over time, we became close friends. Sadly, he died in 2006, which is why I still have this shirt that’s over 25 years old. It’s probably the oldest t-shirt I own. When I was in Utah, Brent came out several times to ski and on one of the trips, sometime back in the 90s, he presented me with this shirt. On the back it reads:

Simon Peters Offshore Shop
Supplying Fishers of Men since 33 AD
Charter Boats * Cruise Ships * Pier Fishing * Outrigging
Net Mending * Scuba Gear *Rod and Reel Rentals
Tackle, Gaffs, Lures, Hook, Line, & Sinkers, Bait Bags and Tanks
“EVERYTHING FOR THE HARDCORE BORN AGAIN ANGLER!”
Located on the Shores of Galilee.

I really like the phrase at the bottom of the shirt. You’ll have to look close to see:
“You catch ‘em, He’ll clean ‘em!”

I think I know why these guys were so willing to follow Jesus. “You catch ‘em, He’ll clean ‘em!” 

As everyone knowns, it’s fun to catch fish, cleaning them is at best mundane! Jesus calls us to go out and cast the net, to go out and proclaim the gospel in the hope we’ll lure in with the gospel message those in need of love and forgiveness. We’re fishing for Jesus. He is the only one who can forgive those who repent. He’s the only one who can cleanse one contaminated with sin.

Like the disciples, we follow Jesus. He does the heavy and dirty work, cleansing us and others. We follow Jesus and are to be faithful, for we have hope in the kingdom that has come near and will one day be experienced in the fullness. Amen. 

^[1] From K. R. Conover in the bulletin board, “Bottom Drawer (#3065), January 24, 1997. From Lois A. Cheney, God is No Fool. The words have been slightly altered.  I used this clip in a sermon preached in Cedar City, Utah on January 26, 1997. 

^[2] This is certainly the first miracle recorded in John’s gospel. See John 2:1-12. 

^[3] The NRSV, Revised Standard Version and Living Bible translate as “arrested.” The King James Bible and NIV translate as “put in prison.”

^[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 41. This word (paradidomi) is used by Jesus to refer what is to happen in Mark 9:31 and 10:33. It is used 8 times in Mark 14 and 15 to describe what happens to Jesus. I tis also used in Mark 13 three times to refer to what may happen to believers in Mark 13. 

^[5] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/01/07/marks-prologue-preparing-for-jesus-ministry/

^[6] While this is often seen as a summary of the gospel, at least one scholar notes that while it is true for the historical Jesus, it is less true for Mark (this is the only time Jesus speaks like this). See Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996), 20. 

^[7] Hare, 20-21. 

^[8] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishing, 1977 ), 55.

^[9] The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, NRSV with the Apocrypha (Nashville: Abingdon, 2003), 1806, note on 1:15.

^[10] Edwards 47. 

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
January 7, 2024
Mark 1:1-13

At the beginning of worship:

Have you experienced temptation in your lives? How many of you have found yourself tempted shortly after experiencing something wonderful? Maybe you received a big promotion and then temptations came knocking at your door.

I have shared a lot with you about my ministry in Cedar City, Utah. Shortly after I arrived, the congregation set out to build a new facility to meet the need of a growing church in a growing city. We purchased the land and drew up plans. We raised money, broke ground, began construction. Exciting times. 

But as construction started, we began to lose members. Several of our members, most of whom worked for the Park Service and the National Forest, were transferred. Others moved because of personal situations. In the first half of 1997, we lost 7 families, all who moved out of state. 

It was a scary time. I worried if we were in over our head. I was temptation to throw in the towel. But all worked out. It became a reminder that life has its ups and downs, and we must trust God. Often, when we think we’re hot stuff, temptations overwhelm us. If we don’t learn to depend on God to provide, we faulter. 

It was no different in Jesus’ earthly life as we’ll see in our text for today. At Jesus’ baptism, he’s confirmed by God. Jesus rides high, but instead of celebrating or getting right to work, he’s led to the desert to be tempted. Expect temptations. 

Before the reading of scripture:

I plan to spend much of 2024 in the gospel of Mark. It’s the shortest of the gospels. Over the years, I’ve preached straight through much of the other gospels. And, of course, I’ve preached many sermons from Mark. But I have not gone through the book in a systematic fashion, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, seeing how the text lays out before us. Mark seems to be a good book for me to dig deep into to help us all develop a compressive understanding of the life and work our Savior. That’s my hope.

We must start somewhere. Matthew provides a genealogy of Jesus’, placing him in the line of David. Luke starts with angels setting up the birth of John the Baptist… John starts with Jesus’ being the Word present at creation.^[1] And from these points they all go on to tell the story of Jesus.

Mark, however, doesn’t see himself writing a biography of Jesus. Instead, of a book, Mark writes a proclamation. He proclaims Jesus as Lord, as God’s son. He proclaims the truth found in Jesus.  As the opening line goes, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ…” 

In these opening verses of Mark, it’s as if we’re provided a heavenly vantage point of the drama around God entering history.^[2]

The good news or “gospel” (as it can also be translated) was a common word to Mark’s contemporaries. At this point in history, it had not taken on the technical definition it later would as in referring to the gospel as a book.^[3]  

The Greek word for the good news or gospel is where we obtain the English words evangelical and evangelist. The good news, the gospel, or the Greek evangelion, was used to proclaim a victory or a great event. At the time of Jesus’ birth, on Caesar Augustus birthday, people shouted evangelion, proclaiming Augustus as the leader who brings peace. 

But with Mark, there’s a subtle difference. The Romans used the word in the plural. Caesar birth or a victory on a battlefield was only one piece of good news among many. It might be the headline story in the evening news, but there were others. Mark and the other gospel writers use the word in the singular. Jesus is the good news; there is no other.^[4]

Read Marks 1:1-13

Mark begins his gospel (again, it’s not a book, it’s a proclamation) with John the Baptist. The role the baptizer plays shows God fulfilling divine plans set forth centuries earlier. As we have in the other gospels, the Baptizer is heralded as the one fulfilling Isaiah’s promise. 

We are provided a bit more insight into John the Baptist in Mark than in John’s gospel, which we looked at during Advent.^[5]However, Mark is still concise, especially when compared to Matthew and Luke. He portrays John’s role to prepare for Christ, then quickly moves to Jesus’ baptism. Mark isn’t proclaiming John, only using him to point to the subject of his proclamation.

During this era of Judaism, there was a belief Elijah would return before the Messiah. For Mark, John role portrays an Elijah-like^[6]character who serves as the forerunner to the one “more-powerful.”^[7] Like Elijah, John is associated with the wilderness and his dress, which would have been as unusual back then as today, was Elijah-like.^[8] Elijah also wore a garment of animal hair with a leather belt.^[9]

What Mark suggests to us about John’s baptism is that it’s symbolic. It points to what’s coming. John prepares people for the one who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit, a prophecy fulfilled on Pentecost.^[10]

Mark doesn’t provide us with a dialogue between John and Jesus prior to his baptism as does Matthew,^[11] nor does he give us a first-person account of it. Instead, he reports Jesus’ baptism something that has happened. Instead of focusing on the details in the Jordan, Mark reports on God’s action. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart as the Spirit descends as a dove. And then God speaks. “You are my Son, the Beloved.” When God speaks, grammatically the text shifts from the past tense to the present. 

The rending of heaven and God’s proclamation show us something miraculous and cosmic happens. God steps into history. Here, at the baptism, the three persons of the Trinity are represented. The Son, who was baptized, the dove who symbolizes God’s Spirit, and the voice of God the Father. 

Mark, it’s generally assumed, wrote for a Gentile audience, and draws less from the Old Testament than the other gospels.^[12]Gentiles would have not been as familiar with the Old Testament; yet his narrative around Jesus’ baptism is steeped in the Hebrew Bible. Like the humble servant of Isaiah, God’s splendor is displayed in the Son. And God refers to Jesus as the Beloved, which reminds us of Abraham’s love of Isaac, who was to continue to carry the promise.^[13] Mark wants to place Jesus in the lineage of what God started with the call of Abraham.

Furthermore, by referring to Jesus as God’s Son, we see the bond between the Father and Son, the one in which the Son is not only of God, nor can only speak for God, but is God. As we go through Mark, we’ll see the Son doing the things of God: forgiving sin, healing the sick, casting out demons, controlling the weather, and challenging the religious authorities of the day. 

After his baptism and confirmation, we’d think Jesus would punch in on the time clock and start working. But before Jesus starts, or to change metaphors before he gets off pit-row and onto the racetrack, there’s a speed bump. God has an adversary who wants to destroy this new challenger on earth before he can get very far. 

Unlike Matthew and Luke,^[14] Mark only provides the bare minimum of information about Jesus’ temptation. But like both other gospel writers, it occurs right after Jesus’ baptism. All three Gospels speak of God’s Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness where he faces temptations. But instead of telling us about the type of temptation he faced, Mark provides only a few bits of information. The wilderness experience lasted forty days. Satan tempted Jesus. During this period, Jesus lived among wild beasts. And angels waited on him. 

This brief description of the temptation continues Mark’s display of God directing and controlling the events. It’s an overhead view of what happens before Jesus starts his ministry. Mark has set the stage. Next week, God willing, we’ll watch as Jesus’ ministry unfold. 

These opening verses in Mark’s gospel are like the opening of John’s gospel. They serve as a prologue. They prepare us for what is to come, reminding us that Jesus is not just a special man, but is God’s answer for the human situation. Jesus is the good news. To him we are to praise, and to follow. In him, we find life and our hope. Amen. 

^[1] Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 1:5-25, and John 1:1-18.

^[2] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), 32

^[3] Hooker, 33. 

^[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 24. 

^[5] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2023/12/17/a-voice-crying-out-in-the-wilderness/

^[6] As we saw in the John passage, the Baptizer didn’t see himself as Elijah, which is why I use the term “Elijah-like character.” See John 1:21. 

^[7] Edwards, 29. 

^[8] Edwards 32. Edwards cites 1 Kings 1:8 for Elijah’s dress, obviously a typing error that was not caught in proof-reading. 

^[9] 2 Kings 1:8

^[10] Acts 2ff. 

^[11] Matthew 3:13-15.

^[12] Edwards, 26. Mark may have been written in Rome and uses more Latin terms. See William Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974), 24-25.

^[13] Edwards, 36-38. See Isaiah 49 and 42:1 and Genesis 22.

^[14] See Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.