Chapter 1
t 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Note the differences between the 3 other gospels. Matthew begins with a genealogy starting with Abraham. Luke begins with the announcement of the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus. Then moves through time to John baptizing Jesus. This is when Luke will recall the genealogy of Jesus. John will begin with the preexistence of Jesus. Mark is a summarizer, he says it all with "the Son of God" Beginning=source of gospel=good news Gospel was used to describe the message that the Apostles taught of Jesus, it became a description of the 4 books around the middle of the 2nd century. Jesus=Joshua=God Saves=His humanity Christ=anointed one=Messiah=His divinity 2 as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Here Mark uses Malachi 3 to declare John the Baptist purpose. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight [b]in the desert A highway for our God. In both 2 and 3 John the Baptist is who is being described. He will proclaim from the wilderness (400 years of desert with regard to a word from God to his people). The wilderness is also the place that God meets, reveals, tests, and saves his people. He will prepare the people (prepare their hearts for repentance and forgiveness) and make his paths straight (John heralds the coming of the Messiah with the mantle of Elijah, he becomes famous for Baptizing for the remission of sins. This clears the way for Jesus, The Son of God.) 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Baptism grew out of the jewish tradition of ritual washing, also gentiles that wished to become believers in Judaism would accept this ritual cleansing. The word is a transliteration from the Greek. Meaniing to dip or immerse, an example would be dying cloth. Exodus 29 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. Numbers 8 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. Bill Creasy states that the road between Jerusalem an the Jordan river is 17.3 miles long and Jerusalem is 2500 feet in elevation. While Jericho is 900 feet below sea level. John has so many people coming to be baptized the Matthew records that a delegation of religious leaders come to see what is going on. Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; John was not part of the religious elite. He was possibly a member of the Essene community, which separated themselves from the political landscape of Jerusalem. The Essene's were the community that stored the scrolls in the Qumran caves. 7 and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. As famous as John has become, he declares that the One to come is so great that he is not worthy to take off his sandal. 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Johns baptism was symbolic of cleansing of sins by confession and washing. The baptism of the Holy Spirit will change who they are. A new identity in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. Jesus is baptized as an example to all who will accept him. It may well symbolize his death burial and resurrection. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: The heavens are torn apart, and the Spirit and He are joined. 11 and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. All 3 persons of the trinity are present for the initiation of Jesus' ministry. 12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. 21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. 28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. 29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. 38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth. 39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. 40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith untoscreenshot__17_.png him, I will; be thou clean. 42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter. |