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Mark Chapter
One
I. Content of the Chapter
The
Beginning of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ
A. The beginning of Jesus Christ’s being
introduced ---- the ministry of the forerunner
John the Baptist (v.1-8);
B. The beginning of Jesus Christ’s being
accepted ---- His baptism (v.9-11);
C. The beginning of Jesus Christ’s triumph ----
His being tempted (v.12-13);
D. The beginning of Jesus Christ’s preaching
the gospel ---- His messages (v.14-15);
E. The beginning of Jesus Christ’s calling the
disciples ---- His first disciples (v.16-20);
The
Beginning of the Service of the Bondservant and the Savior
A. His teaching ---- as one having authority (v.21-22);
B. His power ---- even the unclean spirits obey Him (v.23-28);
C. The regions of His service:
1. From the house of Simon (v.29-30);
2. The whole city was gathered
together before Him
(v.32-34).
3. Throughout all
D. The example of His service ---- He cleaned the leprosy (v.40-45);
II. Verse by Verse commentary
Mark. 1:1
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ
the Son of God.”
YLT: ”A beginning of the
good news of Jesus Christ
Son of God.”
Meaning of Words:
“Jesus”:
Jehovah the savior
the salvation of Jehovah; “Christ”: the anointed
one; “gospel”: good news
a good message; “beginning”: first
the outset;
Literal Meaning:
“the Son of God”
the substance of this book is that Jesus Christ is “the Son
of God” (see 1:11; 3:11; 5:7; 9:7; 14:61; 15:39)
therefore He has
the divine power to heal the diseases and cast off the devil and perform signs
or miracles.
“Jesus
Christ”
“Jesus”
the name indicates that He is Jehovah Himself who came to be
our savior to grant us God’s salvation. The name “Christ” shows
that He was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit (Luke. 4:18
Dan. 9:26) and was separated
unto God to be the king and the priest of the
“Jesus” is the name of him in
humility; “Christ” is the name of His being honored by men.
He humbled Himself at first
and was then highly exalted (see
Phil. 2: 6-11).
“The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ”
“the gospel
of Jesus Christ”
it carries two meanings: (1) the gospel that is of Jesus Christ; (2) the gospel
concerning Jesus Christ.
“The
beginning of the gospel”
it also contains
two meanings: (1) the preparing work of John the Baptist is the
beginning
of the gospel of Jesus Christ; (2) What is recorded in the whole book of
the gospel of Mark is the beginning of the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Mark. 1:2 “As
it is written in the Prophets: "Behold
I send My
messenger before Your face
Who will prepare Your way before You."”
YLT:
“As
it hath been written in the prophets
`Lo
I send My messenger before thy face
who shall prepare thy way before thee
' --”
Meaning
of Words: “prepare”: to construct
create;
The
Background: when the king in the old times was on
a tour of inspection
there were a group of people being sent forward to
prepare the way by crying and cheering. If the road was rugged or crooked
they had to make the road straight
before the king came.
Literal
Meaning: “as it is written in the Prophets”
the words in the next quotation marks ---- the
first sentence is quoted from the Book of Malachi (3:1)
and the other one from
the Book of Isaiah (40:3). Therefore
there is no mention of the name “Isaiah”
in some old scriptures.
“I send
My messenger before Your face
Who will prepare Your way before You.” ---- “I” refers to God; “My messenger”
refers to John the Baptist. “You” speaks of Jesus Christ.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The primary work of the servant of the Lord
is to prepare the way for the Lord. Every work that has not given increasing
places to the Lord in men is not the work of serving the Lord
2) The way of the Lord is neither the rigid
doctrines
nor customs
nor methods
nor systems
but the “men” like us. If “man”
is right
the Lord will have His way.
Mark. 1:3 “"The voice of one
crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the
LORD; Make His paths straight."'”
YLT:
“`A
voice of one calling in the wilderness
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
straight make ye his paths
' --”
Meaning
of Words: “prepare”: provide
make ready for; “way”: mode
means; “straight”:
forthwith
immediately; “path”: a rut or worn track;
Literal
Meaning: “prepare the way of the Lord
make His paths straight”
it shows
that the mission of John the Baptist is to prepare the way for the Lord ------ to make men’s heart turn to
God so that the
Lord can enter men’s heart through straight paths and reign in them. Note
that the way of the “Lord” and “His” paths do not refer to the “paths of righteousness” (Ps. 23:3) which we should walk in after we have believed the Lord.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Voice fleets and vanishes without a trace. John was the “messenger” of the Lord only
without keeping anything for himself. We
should bear witness of the Lord instead of ourselves.
2) One who serves the Lord
should do his utmost to bring men before the Lord without caring for
his own gain
loss
status or fame
much less scheming
to bring others to follow himself.
3)
“Crying” showed that John was full of burden in his heart so
that he couldn’t help crying. It is the burden that makes us serve the Lord
and we shall fully pour
out the burden within us.
4)
Our heart was originally rugged and crooked. The true
“repentance” is to bring one’s heart low and make one’s heart straight
i.e. “to prepare the way of the Lord
to make His paths straight”.
5)
We should not only turn to the Lord
but also let the Lord have straight
path in us
so that He can fully occupy us in
our heart.
Mark. 1:4 “John came baptizing in
the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins.”
YLT:
“John
came baptizing in the wilderness
and proclaiming a baptism of reformation --
to remission of sins
”
Meaning
of Words: “came”: appear
to cause to be; “preach”: herald (as a public crier); “repentance”: compunction
(for guilt
including reformation)
a change of heart; “baptism”: to immerse
submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully
wet);
The
Background: after the
forefathers of the Jews came out of
Literal
Meaning: “wilderness” lies in the dry lands of the north and west part of the Dead
Sea
including the large areas of the
“Preaching
a baptism of repentance”
“repentance”
it
does not contain any meaning of action
but the change of heart and mind. Men
were originally far away from God with our back toward God
but now men should
turn unto God form the inner heart.
The baptism of John was different from the baptism for Christians in the name of the Lord Jesus. The baptism for Christians emphasized on the union with the
Lord
which included both the negative burial
namely
being dead with Christ
together as well as the positive resurrection
namely
rising again with Christ together (Rom.
6:3-5). The baptism of John was to bring men to believe into the one who was coming after him (see v.11)
which merely focused on the negative aspect ---- one’s all sins that forsook God in the past would be put over through the baptism into water. Therefore
it was also called “the baptism of repentance” (Acts. 19:3-4). “The baptism
of repentance” was not being unto Christ
but the one who was baptized had changed his view towards himself. Men who came to be baptized by John
confessed their sins to him. The wage of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
Therefore they declared through the baptism that they were only worthy of
death.
Spiritual
Meaning: “the wilderness”
symbolizes the separation from the world. John the Baptist was the one who led men
to repent and prepared the way of the Lord (v. 3). Therefore he stood in the
place opposite to the world and made his dwelling “in the wilderness”.
“Baptism” is to plunge those who have repented
entirely into the water
declaring that the one who was baptized had changed
his view towards himself ---- he was only fitted to die and he was buried.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We should be separated from the world so that we can bear witness of Christ
(preach the baptism of repentance).
2) If any one love the world
the love of the Father is not in him (1John.
2:15). Therefore
he who serves God has to come out of the world at first and then live a life in reliance on God
by faith.
3) John grew up in the wilderness (Luke. 1:80)
and also preached in the wilderness. It showed that what he preached was in accord
with his life.
4) The repentance is not the modification of
deeds
so it is not simply refusing evil and choosing good. Instead
it is the
change of one’s heart and mind ---- to turn one’s heart from all the men and
things outside of God to God Himself.
5) The worst sin of men before God is the
rebellious heart and the disobedience unto God. This is the “sin” that we have
to confess when we are repenting. Every sin of men is out of rebelling God.
6) If our heart only cares for the religion
reasoning
customs
and ministry only
but ignores the Lord Himself
we should repent.
Mark. 1:5 “Then
all the
YLT:
“and
there were going forth to him all the region of Judea
and they of
Meaning
of Words: “confess”: acknowledge
agree fully;
Literal
Meaning: “then all the
1) He had the word of God (Luke. 3:2).
2) He preached the epochal information (v.3).
3) He had distinct feature and witness of
life (v.6).
“Confessing their sins” is to confess the sin of forsaking God in their heart. All
the sins of men originate from their departing from God.
Controversial
Clarification: some ministers take
this verse as the proof that he who truly repents should confess his sins
publicly. However
since the baptism in this verse is an individual action
obviously
the confession of sins should also be an individual action. Therefore
we can not agree with the above-mentioned idea of “confessing sins publicly”. What
is really important is to “confess the sins” towards God instead of men.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
John preached in the uninhabited wilderness
but he had attracted the attention of the masses. What really
matters is not the place where
one does the works of the Lord
but whether the work comes
from the Lord. The work coming from the Lord will attract people’s attention.
2)
The messenger that John preached as well as his life
were both simple
but he had affected the land of Judea
for his words matched with his
deeds ---- what he preached was what he had experienced and done. Therefore his information was
living and powerful.
3)
Those who repented came to John to do two things ---- firstly they “confessed their sins” and secondly “they were baptized
by him”. Everyone who has truly repented should know that he is a sinner and he should be put to death.
4)
The confession of sins should be done before the baptism. If a man does not confess his sins or that he should die
he
has never changed his view towards himself
nor repented. A baptism
without repentance is only a meaningless ceremony.
5)
We should hate ourselves and feel too ashamed
to show our face before God. Therefore we ask for the baptism to be buried
with water.
Mark. 1:6 “Now John was clothed with
camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist
and he ate locusts and
wild honey.”
YLT: “And John was
clothed with camel's hair
and a girdle of skin around his loins
and eating
locusts and honey of the field
”
The
Background: the father of John the Baptist was a priest (Luke.1:8-13). Priests had to serve in the
Spiritual
Meaning: “clothes” symbolizes the walking of men (Rev. 19:8); “food” symbolizes the source of the power
of life and the provision of life.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The core of the information from John the
Baptist was to make men repent. Therefore
he stood in a position opposite to the
world and his food and clothing were different from the world. Today we
Christians should not rigidly learn from John the Baptist about his food and
clothing
lest we may be misunderstood as strange ones. However
we
should learn from him spiritually.
2)
A camel features in kneeling down before the
master to carry and take away heavy burdens and making long journeys in the wilderness
with heavy burdens. We should kneel down before the Lord to receive burdens
from the Lord and serve Him diligently.
3) The servants of God should not only endure humiliation to carry out the important
task but also kneel down before God to have intimate fellowship with God. The
servants of God should give themselves up to prayer (Acts. 6:4). Nothing should
be done before prayer.
4) The bondsmen of the Lord should constrain their own behaviors (gird
their loins) in order to serve the Lord well (Luke.12:35
17:8). They
should especially bind on humility before men (1Pet. 5:5).
5) “With a leather belt around his waist”
it symbolizes that the cross
has put our natural life to death and becomes our constraint.
6) “Locusts
and wild honey” are natural products. We should live a life by trusting in God instead
of men only (1Tim. 6:17).
7) The servants of the Lord should live a simple life instead of a luxury
one
the simpler one’s food and
clothing is
the more powerful one’s service to the Lord is. Today
some of the ministers lead a luxury life but offer unacceptable service to the
Lord.
8) It is the witness of the forerunner ---- he stood in an unconventional position (in “the wilderness” instead of
the city)
did not wear sumptuous clothes (“in camel’s hair”)
constrained his
behavior (“with a leather belt around his waist”) and did not rely on the
provision of men (“his
food was locusts and wild honey”).
Mark. 1:7 “And he preached
saying
"There comes One after me who
is mightier than I
whose sandal strap I am not worthy
to stoop down and loose.”
YLT: “and he
proclaimed
saying
`He doth come -- who is mightier than I -- after me
of
whom I am not worthy -- having stooped down -- to loose the latchet of his
sandals;”
The
Background: the Jews put on
sandals without uppers when they went out
and took off the sandals when they
entered their houses. One of the works of the lowest bondmen was to loose the
sandal straps
take off and carry the sandals for their hosts and the guests
and then pour
water into a basin to wash their feet.
Literal
Meaning: “there
comes One after me”
it refers to Jesus Christ.
“Whose
sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose”
he thought he that he was even unworthy of being
His servant.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
John the Baptist was
the forerunner of the Lord. His duty was to bring men to repent and pointed to
Christ. We should also bring men before the Lord in this way.
2)
Repentance is not
the purpose
but a way that leads men to Christ (“there comes One after me”). Repentance makes men lose him
but faith
enables men to obtain Christ. The former is negative
but the latter is
positive. Faith must be added to those who have repented. If one has the
repentance only
it still has no effect
for it only makes us notice our
failure
like paying attention to the “goodness” of us in the past.
3)
Jesus Christ is the
Son of God
so He has the heavenly and transcending power (“who is mightier than I”).
4)
He who serves the
Lord should have the humble and gentle attitude like John the Baptist (“whose sandal strap I am not
worthy to stoop down and loose”).
Mark. 1:8 “I
indeed baptized you with water
but He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit." ”
YLT: “I indeed did
baptize you with water
but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'”
Literial Meaning: “I…but He…”
the sentence structure in the
original especially emphasizes the contrast.
Spiritual
Meaning:
“I indeed
baptized you with water”
“baptism with water” is the mark of the ministry of John
namely
to immerse the one who has repented into the water and end his old life.
“But He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”
“baptism with the Holy Spirit” is the mark of the ministry of Christ
namely
to baptize those who have repented and believed the Lord with the Holy Spirit
so that they will obtain the life of God and become the body of Christ ---- the
church (1Cor.12:13; Acts2:2-4).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The baptism with
water is the end of the old life
but the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the
start of the new life. The former requires repentance only
but the latter
needs repentance and believing the gospel as well (see v.15).
2)
If men have not
repented to receive the baptism with water
they will be suffered by the
baptism with fire (see Matt.3:11-12). All those who are willing to believe and
receive the baptism with water have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit
at the same time (1Cor.12:13).
Mark. 1:9 “It came to pass in those
days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized by John in the
YLT: “And it came to
pass in those days
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized by
John at the
Literal
Meaning: “in those days”
it referred to the
time when John the Baptist baptized others at the
“Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee”
“Galilee”
the area in the west part of the
“And was baptized by John in the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
In the Gospel of John
the baptism of the Lord Jesus was not
recorded because John declared that Jesus is God. The other three Gospels all recorded the baptism of the Lord
showing that He is man. Everyman should be put to death.
2)
The Lord was baptized in the
3)
The Lord came from “Nazareth
of Galilee” in the Gentile place instead of
4)
The Lord had no
sins
so He had neither to repent nor being baptized. However
He was willing
to stand on the position of sinners and turned unto God and confessed that men
ought to be put to death. How much more shall we repent and turn to God?
5)
The Lord started His
work on the earth from the baptism
which spoke of the principle of service
namely
supplying life through death.
Mark. 1:10 “And immediately
coming up
from the water
He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him
like a dove.”
YLT: “and immediately
coming up from the water
he saw the heavens dividing
and the Spirit as a dove
coming down upon him;”
Meaning
of Words: “immediately”: as soon as
forthwith
shortly
straightway;
Literal
Meaning: “coming
up from the water”
it showed that when He was baptized
His whole body was immersed into the water.
“He saw
the heavens parting”
“the heavens parting”
it means that men are able to see the scenes in the heavens with their physical eyes
(Acts. 7:56).
The parting heavens to Him indicated that God had accepted Him. The Holy
Spirit showed that God had granted Him the power of ministration.
Spiritual
Meaning: “dove”
the sign of the Holy Spirit
symbolizes gentleness
meekness and simplicity of the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit of God descended upon Him
showing that He is Christ (the
anointed one) anointed by God with the Holy Spirit.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The Lord had been baptized with water and the
Holy Spirit before the assembly received the baptism of water and Spirit. It
shows that all the spiritual reality and principles are firstly in the head. The full Christ is
the fountain of all spiritual abundance.
2)
The heavens are only opened for those who were
dead and have come to life again. If we the believers stand in the position
that we were dead and have risen with the Lord together
the heavens will be opened to us in like manner.
3)
The heavens
used to be shut up because of
men’s rebellion
were opened to Him for His obedience to the authority of the heavens.
Then all the heavenly abundance was brought down-------the Spirit of God
the
words of God and the delight of God.
4)
Since every spiritual blessing is inherited by
Him
we can become partakers of the heavens and all that
of the heavens through the union with Him only.
5)
We should ask the Lord to pour the Holy Spirit
out upon us richly (Tit. 3:6) so that we will
receive spiritual power and bear good witness of the Lord (Acts. 1:8
2:18-21).
6)
The one who is full of the Holy Spirit will be gentle towards men like a
dove and have a sincere and perfect heart towards
God.
7)
The anointing oil declares the ownership of God
(Lev. 8:12
30). If we want to be possessed by God
we must go through the process of death and resurrection.
Mark. 1:11 “Then a voice came from
heaven
"You are My beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased." ”
YLT: “and a voice
came out of the heavens
`Thou art My Son -- the Beloved
in whom I did delight.'”
Literal
Meaning: “a voice came from heaven”
it was the voice of God our Father (2Pet. 1:17).
“This is My beloved Son.” ---- It is God’s declaration and introduction to Jesus
showing
the divinity of Jesus
who came to the world to
declare God the Father (John. 1:18).
“In whom I am well pleased.” ---- God admitted His being and His works
which made God the Father well pleased. It implies that we should hear His Son (Matt. 17:5).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Jesus is God’s beloved Son ---- son is the manifestation and declaration of the father ---- only through the Lord
Jesus we could see and know God.
2)
In Christ
God is well pleased ----
if we want to please God
we should listen to the Lord only and abide
in the Lord.
3)
The praise from God the Father to the Lord
shows that:
a) The thirty years of life of
the Lord Jesus before the baptism well pleased God.
b) The obedience of the Lord
Jesus shown by the baptism was well acceptable to God.
Mark. 1:12 “Immediately the Spirit
drove Him into the wilderness.”
YLT: “And immediately
doth the Spirit put him forth to the wilderness
”
Meaning
of Words: “immediately”: as soon as
forthwith
shortly
straightway; “drove”: cast (forth
out)
expel
send away;
Literal
Meaning: both the Gospel of
Matthew and the Gospel of Luke had recorded that Jesus was “led
up” by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1; Luke4:1)
but Mark used the
word “drive”
for Mark recorded that Jesus was a bondservant. The Holy Spirit
firstly descended upon Him and fully filled in Him and then “drove” Him to the
wilderness.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
That the Holy Spirit
descended upon a man was for the purpose of manifesting the works of God and
making his walking in the government and guidance of God.
2)
Concerning the works
of the Holy Spirit in men
they are “forbiddance” and “suffering somebody not”
(Acts.16:6-7) in the negative aspect
and “driving” and “expelling” in the
positive aspect.
Mark. 1:13 “And He was there in the
wilderness forty days
tempted by Satan
and was with the wild beasts; and the
angels ministered to Him.”
YLT: “and he was
there in the wilderness forty days
being tempted by the Adversary
and he was
with the beasts
and the messengers were ministering to him.”
Meaning
of Words: “Satan”: the devil
the accuser; “tempt”: try;
The
Background: Moses and Elijah had abstained from food and water for forty days
(Exod.34:28
1Kings.19:8). They were the typification of the
Lord who was God’s servant and
prophet (Heb. 3:5
Matt. 16:14).
Literal
Meaning: “and He was there in the
wilderness forty days
tempted by Satan”
that the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil
was driven by the Holy Spirit. Therefore
we can say that God wanted to reveal
the triumph of Jesus through the temptation of the devil.
“And was with the wild beasts”
only the Book of Mark mentioned the “beasts”
it
might be for the purpose of indicating that: (1) it was a place without any signs
of human habitation
but an environment where had beasts only ---- He resisted
the devil alone. (2) He not only prevailed over the inner temptation of Satan
(see Matt.4:2-10)
but also overcame the threat of Satan (namely
the fierce
beasts). (3) He is the Messiah. When the kingdom of the Messiah is accomplished
on the earth
the beasts will dwell with men together without hurting them (see
Is.11:1-9).
“And the angels ministered to Him”
angels are all ministering
spirits
sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation
(Heb. 1:14).
Spiritual
Meaning: in the Holy Bible
the number “forty” represents sufferings and trials. When the people of Israel came out of
Egypt
during the forty years in the wilderness
Jehovah Elohim humbled and
tried them in order to reveal that they were the chosen people of God who would
keep the commandments of God
(Deut.8:1-5). Therefore
the baptism of the Lord Jesus was like the people of
Israel’s passing through the Red Sea
and His forty days in the wilderness
amounted to the forty years of the people of Israel in the wilderness
and that
Jesus actively received the temptation of the devil meant equal to the Israel’s
being humbled and tried
showing that the Lord Jesus was the true Israel
the
beloved Son of God (see v.11).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
When we achieve a spiritual peak
the valley of test is always
waiting for us ahead. Take heed that the present success can not assure the success of us all the
time.
2)
The guidance of the Spirit proved that
Christ was not being tested passively. He firstly took the initiative to consume all the
power and doings of the enemy and then followed up the victory.
3)
The Spirit took the initiative to lead Jesus to
be tempted of the devil
indicating that
the Lord had firstly bound the strong and then plundered the goods (Matt. 12:29) so that He could
save the world that lied in the devil.
4)
The Lord was full of the Spirit at first (Luke.
4:1) and then fought against the devil. One can win in the spiritual
battles through being filled with the Holy Spirit and guided by the Holy Spirit only.
5)
The Lord’s being tempted was out of the
guidance of the Spirit
so we could say
that it was God that tested Him. God often
puts us in temptations to test our hearts towards God.
6)
If we live by the Spirit
let us walk also by
the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).
7)
For
in that himself has suffered
being
tempted
the Lord is able to help those that are being tempted (Her. 2:17-18).
His reaction towards temptations is an example to all believers when being
tempted.
8) The Lord was tempted in the wilderness. If the condition is difficult
and helpless and has no enjoyment
the devil will come to induce us to compromise with him so that we may be comfortable
immediately.
9)
Every saint can also enjoy the ministration of
the angles. When we are in difficulty
may God open our eyes to see that the
angles are encamping round about us to protect us (Ps.34:7; 2King6:17)
Mark. 1:14 “Now after John was put in prison
Jesus came to Galilee
preaching the gospel of the
YLT: “And after the
delivering up of John
Jesus came to
Meaning
of Words: “be
put in prison”: to surrender
yield up;
The
Background: John the Baptism
was put in prison for criticizing the Herod the king
that it was unlawful
for Herod to have his brother’s wife Herodias (Matt. 14:3-4).
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus
came to
Spiritual
Meaning: “Jesus came to Galilee”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
John the Baptism was
the introducer of the Lord Jesus.
When the one being introduced started His work
publicly
the introducer should retreat and not compete with Him. Unfortunately
John the Baptist had not noticed this point
and therefore God raised a circumstance to put him in prison.
2)
“Being put in prison” means one’s actions are limited. He who
bears witness of the Lord usually has no freedom of actions but gives the
priority to the will of the Lord in everything.
3)
We were foolish
weak
ignoble
despised (like
4)
Though John who
preached the glad tidings of the
5)
If the messages that
we preach are truly out of God
we may pass away but the messages will never be withered.
Mark. 1:15 “and saying
"The time is fulfilled
and the
YLT: “and saying --
`Fulfilled hath been the time
and the reign of God hath come nigh
reform ye
and believe in the good news.'”
Meaning
of Words: “fulfill”:
be full
accomplish
perfect; “gospel”: the glad
tidings; “at hand”: before one’s eyes (concerning location)
approach
(concerning time); “repent”: the change of mind and thought; “believe”: commit to trust
put in trust with;
Literal
Meaning: “the time is fulfilled”
it is according to
the time table of the dispensation of God’s redemption of God. The time of
sending His Son Jesus Christ to come into the world to carry out the dispensation
of God
“And
the
“Repent”
it indicates that the mind of men was originally
far away from God with our back toward God
but now men should turn unto God
form the inner heart in order to come into the kingdom of God. “Repent”
it does not contain
any meaning of action in the original
but the change of heart and mind.
“And the
“And believe in the gospel”
“believe” means “accept and receive” (see John
1:12).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Where there is no
the obedience to the authority of God
there is no the
2)
Whenever our hearts
turn to God
the
3)
One should be
governed by the authority of God
and then he will bring others under the
authority of God.
4)
“Repent
and believe in the
gospel”. Repentance is
first
and believing follows afterwards. If a man wants to believe the gospel
he should repent. A man who has truly believed must have been repented first
and believe afterwards.
5)
Every true faith
follows after repentance. And all the true repentance must lead to true faith.
Mark. 1:16 “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee
He saw Simon and Andrew his
brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ”
YLT: “And
walking by
the sea of Galilee
he saw Simon
and Andrew his brother
casting a drag into
the sea
for they were fishers
”
Meaning
of Words: “Simon”:
hearer; “Andrew”: strong
man;
Literal
Meaning: “walked by the Sea of
Galilee”
actually the Sea of Galilee was a small freshwater lake
which was also called the
Lake of Gennesaret (Luke. 5:1)
the Sea of Tiberias (John. 21:1) or the Lake of Chinnereth in the old times (Num. 34:11).
Spiritual
Meaning: “casting a net into the sea”
“sea” symbolizes the world; “casting a
net” symbolizing that the church preaches the gospel corporately
(“fishing” represents preaching the gospel individually).
Mark. 1:17 “Then Jesus said to them
"Follow Me
and I will make you become fishers of men." ”
YLT: “and Jesus said
to them
`Come ye after me
and I shall make you to become fishers of men;'”
Literal
Meaning: Peter and Andrew had early followed the Lord Jesus (John. 1:40-42) and returned to make a living by fishing. Now the Lord
called them for the second time to give up their career and preach as fishers of men.
“Follow Me”
come
to be my disciples. In the old times
the rabbi who received
disciples not only taught the disciples doctrines
but also let them
learn the walking of the teachers by living with him together ---- wherever the rabbi went
his disciples would follow him and learn from the rabbi’s.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
What men wish is “fishes” ---- the earthly wealth
but what God desires is “men” ---- to whom God shows His
grace. Those who follow the Lord should give up the fishes to gain men for the
Lord and he should be gained by the Lord at first.
2)
If we hold fast Christ and follow in His steps
(“follow me”)
we will draw more people to follow Him (as “fishers of men”).
3)
It was the second time that the Lord called them. They were saved by the
first call of the Lord (John. 1:35-42). They were called to be fishers of men
by the second one. First of all
one should be saved and will gain men afterwards.
4)
“I will make you become
fishers of men”
they did not
change their work after being saved
and still kept the same work after being
called. However
the net was changed
and the purpose was changed. They became
the fishers of men. All that men have learned before being called are not vain
for they will be brought before the Lord after those men are called
and the
Lord will use them again.
5)
What the Lord had
arranged for us before being saved was usually a previous good preparation for
us to be used by the Lord after being saved. The way of our whole life has been
early governed by the hand of the Lord.
Mark. 1:18 “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
YLT: “and
immediately
having left their nets
they followed him.”
Literal
Meaning: this
verse used the word “immediately” again
showing that there was not any hesitation
or delay between the calling and following. They left all things (left their nets) without any consideration
and followed
the Lord.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The true
reason of men’s following the Lord
is that the Lord draws them (John. 12:33). The moment the Lord calls men
they will give
up everything immediately and follow Him.
2)
Draw me
we will run after Him (S. of Sol 1:4).
3)
He who follows the Lord should leave
something. Anyone who is not willing to give up for the
Lord is not worthy of being His disciples. All those who want
to follow the Lord are willing to pay for the cost of “being the disciples”.
Mark. 1:19 “When He had gone a little
farther from there
He saw James the son of Zebedee
and John his brother
who
also were in the boat mending their nets.”
YLT: “And having gone
on thence a little
he saw James of Zebedee
and John his brother
and they
were in the boat refitting the nets
”
The Background: Salome
mother of Jacob
and John
was the sister of Mary and
the mother of the Lord Jesus (see
Mark. 15:40
John. 19:25). Therefore
they were cousins of the Lord
Jesus. Their father Zebedee might be rich and influential
so he was affordable
to hire servants (Mark. 1:20) and his son John was
familiar with the high priest (see John. 18:15).
Literal
Meaning: “mending the nets” includes washing and mending the nets
and hanging
the nets up to dry it for the fishing next day.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The Lord kept “going on” and kept working.
How urgently He desires to gain men!
2)
John was mending nets when he was called
and the main work of him in the assembly (“boat”) later
was mending the breaches
to guard against the invasion of heresy (see 1John
2John
3John).
Mark. 1:20 “And immediately
He called them
and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the
hired servants
and went after Him.”
YLT: “and immediately
he called them
and
having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the
hired servants
they went away after him.”
Literal
Meaning: “immediately He called them”
the word “immediately” indicated the urgency of the Lord’s call on them.
“Call” is not a common call in the original
for it carries the meaning of “inciting”
and “urging”.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
He who wants to be a
Christian should have an absolute attitude at any price. But only when the Lord calls us
personally
can we follow Him at any price.
2)
If the Lord has indeed called us
the former status (“boat”)
and relationship (“father”) in the past days
will not remain.
3)
He who does not know the Lord refuses the Lord. He who knows the Lord is unable to refuse the
Lord ---- if we have truly known the preciousness of the
Lord
the color of the world will fade.
Mark. 1:21 “Then they went into
YLT: “And they go on
to
Literal
Meaning: “went into
“He
entered the synagogue and taught”. ---- “Synagogue”
was generated after the Jews were carried away to
Mark. 1:22 “And
they were astonished at His teaching
for He taught them as one having
authority
and not as the scribes.”
YLT: “and they were
astonished at his teaching
for he was teaching them as having authority
and
not as the scribes.”
Literal
Meaning: “and they were astonished at
His teaching”
it indicated that His teaching was out of the
ordinary.
“As one having authority
and not as the scribes”
“scribes” refers to those who had good
research in the law of the Old Testament
and most of them were the Pharisees. The
differences between the teaching of the Lord and that of the scribes were as
follows: (1) the teaching of the scribes was: “it was said to the ancients”
but the teaching of the Lord was “I tell you” (see Matt.5:21-22). (2) The
scribes explained the external knowledge of letters
but the Lord set forth the
spirit and reality of the letters (see 2Cor. 3:6). The former was of no power
but the latter carried authority and power that made men obtain the
enlightenment in the word of God so that they would fear and obey God.
Mark. 1:23 “Now there was a man in
their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried
out
”
YLT: “And there was
in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit
and he cried out
”
Literal
Meaning: “with an unclean spirit”
the “unclean spirit”
the living creature before the age of Adam
was
lured by Satan to follow it to rebel God and then was judged to become the evil
spirit without a body. The unclean spirit originally lived in the sea
but then
attached to the body of men to have rest after the corruption of men. “Unclean
spirit” shows the nature and actions of the devil
namely
filth and
uncleanness.
“With
an unclean spirit” or the unclean spirit “dwelt”
all those who have the indwelling
unclean spirit may usually have the supernatural actions for being controlled
by the evil spirit.
Spiritual
Meaning: that the unclean
spirit dwells in the body of men typifies that Satan forcibly occupies the men
who are created by God for His purpose and makes men become its tool against
God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Even in the place
where the Jews worshipped God (“synagogue”)
there was a man
with an unclean spirit. Today
in the church
perhaps there are also many
believers who are controlled by the power of Satan (see Rev.2:13).
2)
The devil does not
fear that there are men who have only a form of piety but fear those who have the
power of godliness (see 2Tim 3:5).
Mark. 1:24 “saying
"Let us alone!
What have we to do with You
Jesus of Nazareth? Did You
come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" ”
YLT: “saying
`Away!
what -- to us and to thee
Jesus the Nazarene? thou didst come to destroy us; I
have known thee who thou art -- the Holy One of God.'”
Literal
Meaning: “what have we to do with You
Jesus of Nazareth?”
“what have we to do with You”
it is a Hebrew idiom in the original.
“I know who You are”
the subject was changed from “we” to “I”. It
might be many evil spirits in that man
and one of them began to speak on
behalf of them.
“The Holy One of God”: the Holy One of God
another name of the Son of
God;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The “unclean spirit”
and “the Holy One of God” are contrary and can not
exist together.
2)
To this end the Son
of God has been manifested
that he might undo the works of the devil
(1Jn.3:18).
3)
Though the unclean
spirit knew the Lord is the Holy One of God
he had nothing to do with him and
could not change its filthy nature. Obviously
the objective knowledge has no
great help.
4)
The unclean spirit
clearly knows its end is perdition
but it still does evil. Many people do not
care for the eternal torture in the future
but merely for the apparent
enjoyment.
5)
The evil spirit can
also know those who are of God and the real condition in them (see Acts.19:15).
Mark. 1:25 “But Jesus rebuked him
saying
"Be quiet
and come out of him!" ”
YLT: “And Jesus
rebuked him
saying
`Be silenced
and come forth out of him
'”
Literal
Meaning: “be quiet”: shut up. The Lord did not allow the devil
say: “the Holy One of God”. For when the Lord was on the earth
He was always
standing on the status of “the Son of Man” to fulfill the will of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Even though the
testimony of the devil is true
the Lord will also not receive it.
2)
When Satan uses
those who oppose the Lord to speak many words
we can ask the Lord to prevent
the devil from opening its mouth or raising any voice.
Mark. 1:26 “And when the unclean spirit
had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice
he came out of him.”
YLT: “and the unclean
spirit having torn him
and having cried with a great voice
came forth out of
him
”
Literal
Meaning: “and when the unclean spirit
had convulsed him”
“convulsed”: to mangle
i.e. convulse
with epilepsy instinctively;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The evil spirit
usually makes men to do something
out of control and disobey their
own will.
2)
Man with an unclean spirit may have many sins
and he has to pass
through much pain before obtaining the salvation of the Lord. Though the Lord
has the grace of forgiveness
the sinners can still not escape the torment of
birth.
3)
The dirtier the
devil is
the harder it will be cast off. The more sins one has
the harder the
sins will leave.
Mark. 1:27 “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." ”
YLT: “and they were
all amazed
so as to reason among themselves
saying
`What is this? what new
teaching this? that with authority also the unclean spirits he commandeth
and
they obey him!'”
Meaning
of Words: “amazed”: astound
astonished;
“questioned”: to investigate jointly
discuss; “command”: order;
Literal
Meaning: “What new doctrine is this?” ---- The word “new” does not represent the
newness in respect of time
but the unusual freshness of one matter by nature.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
There is authority
in the Lord’s word
which is able to cast off the unclean spirit. Believers can
also draw the power in the Lord’s word through faith to deal with the devil.
2)
Even the unclean spirits obey Him. Today
how can we
believers of the Lord not hear His word?
Mark. 1:28 “And immediately His fame
spread throughout all the region around
YLT: “And the fame of
him went forth immediately to all the region
round about
of
Meaning
of Words: “fame”: hearing
report; “spread”:
go out; “around”: all the areas
and all the places.
Mark. 1:29 “Now as soon as they had
come out of the synagogue
they entered the house of Simon and Andrew
with
James and John.”
YLT: “And
immediately
having come forth out of the synagogue
they went to the house of
Simon and Andrew
with James and John
”
Meaning
of Words: “as soon as”: immediately
instantly;
Mark. 1:30 “But Simon's
wife's mother lay sick with a fever
and they told Him
about her at once.”
YLT: “and the
mother-in-law of Simon was lying fevered
and immediately they tell him about
her
”
Literal
Meaning: “Simon's wife's mother”
it could be seen that Peter had married
and Peter took her around as his fellow-worker (see 1Cor.9:5). It was said that
both of them were martyred for the Lord.
Spiritual
Meaning: “his wife’s mother” stood for the Jews.
“Sick with a fever”
symbolized two points:
1) The Jews would suffer extreme misery in the
great distress.
2) The Jews were exceedingly zealous of the law and the doctrines of
their fathers (Gal. 1:14
Acts. 21:20).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
If we
believers are zealous of
things besides the Lord but
neglect the Lord Himself
it is sick with a fever in the eyes of God.
2)
When she was “sick with a
fever”
she felt different from others
because she was the only one who felt fevered.
All the abnormal excitement or zealousness may be
“sick with a fever”.
3)
“Being
sick with a fever”
it also symbolizes
the unrestrained temper. If we can not control out temper
we will be like the
one who is sick with a fever and is abnormal in the eyes of others.
4)
“They told Him about her”
we should pray for others who are in
abnormal conditions. May the Lord show grace to them.
Mark. 1:31 “So He came and took her by
the hand and lifted her up
and immediately the fever left her. And she served
them. ”
YLT: “and having come
near
he raised her up
having laid hold of her hand
and the fever left her
immediately
and she was ministering to them.”
Spiritual
Meaning: this verse symbolizes that when the Lord comes again
the
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The Lord’s “taking” solved all the problems.
Unless there is real
contact with the Lord
everything will be done in vain.
2)
When our hands that serve
works only are touched by the Lord
the abnormal fever
will leave and then we can perform true
ministry to the Lord.
3)
One shall be healed
first
and then enter the service. If we want to serve the Lord and the
assembly
we must ask the Lord to heal the sickness in our life first.
Mark. 1:32 “At evening
when the sun
had set
they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were
demon-possessed.”
YLT: “And evening
having come
when the sun did set
they brought unto him all who were ill
and
who were demoniacs
”
Spiritual
Meaning: we can see from the
words that the Lord said to the sick person for many times in the books of
Gospel
many disease was caused by sins (Matt.9:2; John5:14 and etc.).
Therefore
healing the disease symbolized the
remission of sins and dealing with sins.
Enlightenment
in the Word: the whole world
lies in the wickedness (1John 5:19) and is deceived by it. However
thanks to the
Lord! He has delivered us from the devil and removed all the torment of our
life.
Mark. 1:33 “And the whole city was
gathered together at the door.”
YLT: “and the whole
city was gathered together near the door
”
Mark. 1:34 “Then He healed many who
were sick with various diseases
and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak
because they knew Him.”
YLT: “and he healed
many who were ill of manifold diseases
and many demons he cast forth
and was
not suffering the demons to speak
because they knew him.”
Literal
Meaning: “did not allow the demons to
speak
because they knew Him”
the Lord did not allow the demons to
speak
for the witness of the
demon could only arouse the misunderstandings of the people toward the Lord and
even disturbed His works.
Mark. 1:35 “Now in the morning
having
risen a long while before daylight
He went out and
departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”
YLT: “And very early
it being yet night
having risen
he went forth
and went away to a desert
place
and was there praying;”
Literal
Meaning: as a man
the Lord
had to keep good fellowship with God the Father through prayer and thus drew
power from God the Father.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The Lord worked till
deep in the night
and the next day He still got up early at dawn to enjoy the
fellowship with God. No matter how many works there were
they could not
disturb His fellowship with God the Father. The works had not occupied the
necessary position of God in Him. This was why His works were efficacious.
2)
No matter how busy
we believers are
we can not forget to set aside a period of time to enjoy the
fellowship with God.
3)
The most significant
thing of serving God is that one should first know the will of God through
prayer. One should never serve God according to his own will.
4)
One can not serve
God without prayer. Sometimes
we may have no service
but we can not live without prayer.
5)
The best time for
believers to draw near God is the time before daylight. It has not only the
quietest physical environment
but also the most peaceful and suitable mood in
men.
Mark. 1:36 “And Simon and those who
were with Him searched for Him.”
YLT: “and Simon and
those with him went in quest of him
”
Literal
Meaning: “searched for Him”
it carried a meaning of “being in
hot pursuit”.
Enlightenment
in the Word: every morning
we
shall pursue the Lord with our spiritual partners together (2Tim. 2:22).
Mark. 1:37 “When they found Him
they
said to Him
"Everyone is looking for You." ”
YLT: “and having
found him
they say to him
-- `All do seek thee;'”
Literal
Meaning: “everyone is looking for You.” ---- That everyone looked for the Lord was not for
the sake of the Lord
but for curiosity
or joining
for fun
or making Him the king
or even eating full (see John 6:26).
Mark. 1:38 “But He said to them
"Let us go into the next towns
that I may preach
there also
because for this purpose I have come forth." ”
YLT: “and he saith to
them
`We may go to the next towns
that there also I may preach
for for this
I came forth.'”
Literal
Meaning: “that I may preach there
also
because for this purpose I have come forth”
the Lord refused all those who sought Him
for
He was unwilling to reveal Himself (see 1:44-45; 3:12; 5:43; 6:32; 7:36; 8:26;
9:30). Mark recorded it particularly to explain the Lord’s status of being a
bondservant. He was neither willing to be advocated by others to be king
nor
satisfied the curiosity of men or the desire of fun
for He had a single
purpose on the earth
namely
preaching the word of God. He “had come forth for
this purpose”.
Enlightenment
in the Word: when everyone was
looking for the Lord (v.37)
the Lord even left them intentionally. To be the
worker of the Lord
one shall not seek “followers”
but fulfill the will of God
wholeheartedly.
Mark. 1:39 “And He was preaching in
their synagogues throughout all
YLT: “And he was
preaching in their synagogues
in all
Mark. 1:40 “Now a leper
came to Him
imploring Him
kneeling down to Him and
saying to Him
"If You are willing
You can make me clean." ”
YLT: “and there doth
come to him a leper
calling on him
and kneeling to him
and saying to him --
`If thou mayest will
thou art able to cleanse me.'”
Literal
Meaning: “kneeling down to Him”
it was a humble action
showing that he knew the authority of the Lord.
“Lord
if You are willing
You can make me clean.” ---- It shows that on one hand he knew his corruption and he needed healing
and on
the other hand
he knew that the power of the Lord could heal him.
Spiritual
Meaning: “a leper”
according to cases in the Old Testament
leper is connected with rebelling the authority
and disobeying the commandments (see Num.12:1-10
2Kin.5:9-14)
therefore this leper
is a typification of the disobeying people
namely
the
In the Bible
leper is the typification of
men’s unclean sins:
(1) Which starts from the inner part
symbolizing that
sin is out of men’s nature.
2) Which is difficult to be healed
symbolizing that sin is difficult to be changed.
3) Which is
contagious
symbolizing that sin is contagious.
4) Which can make men rot and stink to death
symbolizing the dirtiness of sin and
the dreadful and miserable end of sin.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
Men’s flesh and nature
full of sins
always offend God.
We are all lepers in God’s eyes.
2)
This verse reveals us the conditions for being healed as a sinner:
a) Who has to admit his
corruption and helplessness.
b) Who has to come and worship the Lord and confess his sins.
c) Who has to trust in the Lord’s power of healing.
d) Who has to ask the Lord Jesus.
3)
We have to come down from our own throne and
come to the Lord with humbleness (“come and worship Him”) so that we
will experience His power.
4)
Many times we believe in the Lord’s
almightiness and we dare not believe in His willingness. Believers should not
only believe in His power but also His love.
5)
The Lord’s “can” is the matter of His power.
The Lord’s “willingness” is the matter of His will. The Lord’s power is
dominated by His will.
Mark. 1:41 “Then Jesus
moved with
compassion
stretched out His hand and touched him
and said to him
"I am
willing; be cleansed." ”
YLT: “And Jesus
having been moved with compassion
having stretched forth the hand
touched
him
and saith to him
`I will; be thou cleansed;'”
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus put out His hand and touched him”
men often
do not touch lepers lest they may be infected with the uncleanness.
However the Lord Jesus acted in an opposite way and brought cleanness to the one He had touched.
“I am
willing”. ---- It unveils that the Lord does not only have the power to heal men but also His heart was “willing”.
Spiritual
Meaning: “Jesus put out His hand and touched him”
the Lord’s touching was direct physical contact
which symbolized that the Lord came into the Jews by incarnation. He was the one whom the
Jews had heard
whom had seen with their eyes
whom
they had looked upon
and whom their hands handled (1John. 1:1).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
The Lord could say
only a word to heal the leper
but He “touched” him ---- this was an
action of love. The Lord is able to sympathize with our
infirmities (Heb. 4:15) and our sufferings. He likes to enter our feelings (“Jesus put
out His hand and touched him”) to sympathize with us.
2)
“Touch” represents union in the Bible. The
Lord
the heavenly doctor
heals us from our inner part through union with us.
3)
The Lord “can” heal
the sick men as well as that He is “willing” to heal them. If He is “unwilling”
we can still not profit from His “power”. However
His hand is “powerful”
and
His heart is “willing”.
4)
The Lord said “I am willing”. Sinners are in
the heart of the Lord. Moreover
He enters the feelings of sinners and feels sinners’ sufferings as if it were
received in person.
5)
The Lord not only said that He was willing
He
but also put out His hand and touched Him
indicating that His willingness was true and complete. If a
man has not been saved
it is not due to the unwillingness of the Lord
but the unfaith of men as well as unwillingness of coming to the Lord.
6)
“Be cleansed”
there is power in the words of
the Lord. Once the word is spoken by the Lord
it will take effect.
7)
Most of the works of the Lord are done
by His words. If we want to work with the Lord together
we should
firstly obtain His words.
Mark. 1:42 “As soon as He had spoken
immediately the leprosy left him
and he was cleansed.”
YLT: “and he having
spoken
immediately the leprosy went away from him
and he was cleansed.”
Mark. 1:43 “And He strictly warned him
and sent him away at once
”
YLT: “And having
sternly charged him
immediately he put him forth
”
Mark. 1:44 “and said to him
"See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way
show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing
those things which Moses commanded
as a testimony to them." ”
YLT: “and saith to
him
`See thou mayest say nothing to any one
but go away
thyself shew to the
priest
and bring near for thy cleansing the things Moses directed
for a
testimony to them.'”
The
Background: according to the law in the Old Testament
when a leper was healed
he would show himself to the
priest. After the priest had pronounced him clean
he would be able to
sacrifice to the Lord. After offering the sacrifice to the Lord
he would have witness before the people
thus becoming an unshakable fact (Lev. 14:2-20).
Literal Meaning: “say nothing to anyone”
it was because that the Lord knew what was in men (John. 2:25) and He did
not want men to follow Him with evil motives.
“But go
your way
show yourself to the priest
and offer the gift that Moses
commanded.” ---- Since it was a transitional period
and the time of grace had not come yet (the Lord had not
fulfilled the great redemption by His crucifixion)
the Jewish believers still walked according to regulations of the law
in the Old Testament.
“As a
testimony to them”
it proved that the leper had been fully recovered and he was able to contact with others normally.
Spiritual
Meaning: “offer the gift that Moses commanded”
the “gift” typifies Christ. He is the proof for a sinner of being acceptable to God (see Heb. 9:9
14
24-28).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
A man of heaven does not like to show off (“see
that you tell no one”)
but likes to hide himself.
2)
The Lord did not fully disregard the
righteousness of the law (Matt. 3:15). Believers should not disregard the right
and lawful testimony before men (“as a testimony to them”) on the excuse of
being spiritual.
3)
After we are saved
we have to continually offer Christ and
manifest Christ as to be acceptable to God.
4)
If an infamous sinner
who has been saved has no testimony of repentance before the people
his
testimony will be weak.
Mark. 1:45 “However
he went out and
began to proclaim it freely
and to spread the matter
so that Jesus could no
longer openly enter the city
but was outside in
deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. ”
YLT: “And he
having
gone forth
began to proclaim much
and to spread abroad the thing
so that no
more he was able openly to enter into the city
but he was without in desert
places
and they were coming unto him from every quarter.”
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1)
How humble and poor
of many people who kneel down when seeking grace! However
having received the
grace
they forget the Lord totally as well as the previous poor conditions. This
is the mirror of many Christians.
2)
If one preaches the
word of the Lord without hearing the word of the Lord
he will only find the
contrary result ---- the Lord will no longer openly reveal Himself among them.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
A Model Worker of
the Lord ---- the Example of John the Baptism
a) Who did not preach other things ---- he
preached Jesus Christ only (v.1).
b) Who did not live for other things ---- he
lived for Jesus Christ only (v.2-4).
c) Who did not boast other things ---- he
boasted Jesus Christ only (v.5-7).
d) Who did not know other things ---- he knew
Jesus Christ only (v.8).
The Ministry of the
Forerunner
A. “Prepare
the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight (v.3).” --- to prepare the
heart of men for the Lord;
B. “There
comes One after me who is mightier than I (v.7)” ---- to
point Christ to men;
The Testimony of the Forerunner
A. “In the wilderness (v.3)” ---- who stood in
the transcending status;
B. “Who was
clothed with camel's hair (v.6)” ---- who had no
splendid appearance;
C. “And with a
leather belt around his waist (v.6)” ---- whose
conversation was constrained;
D. “And he ate
locusts and wild honey (v.6)” ---- who did not
receive the supplication of men;
The Spirit of the Forerunner
A.
Who did not seek his
own glory
but was only a “voice” (v.3);
B.
Who “cried” (v.3) ----
be full of burden;
C.
Who bore witness of
the Lord (v.7-8);
D.
Who was humble and
held His status (v.7);
The Result
of the Lord’s
Baptism (v.10-11)
A.
The heaven was open
for Him.
B. The Spirit of God descent on Him.
C.
There was sound of
praise from God the Father in the heavens
who bore witness of Him.
The Example of Jesus
the Bondservant of God
A. Who had the experience of cross ---- being
baptized (v.9)
B.
Who had the pouring
of the Holy Spirit ---- The Holy Spirit of God descent on Him (v.10).
C.
Who had the word of God
---- a voice
came from heaven (v.11)
D.
Who had the
triumphant life ---- who overcame Satan (v.12-13)
E.
Who had the central
message ---- The
F.
Who had followers
---- who called the disciples (v.16-20)
One Certain Day of Jesus Christ
A.
He entered the synagogue in the morning and taught (v.21-28) ---- he preached the messages in the
morning in the gathering.
B.
He came out of the synagogue and entered Simon's house to heal his wife's mother (v.29-31) ---- he visited others in the afternoon.
C.
When
the sun had set
He healed many sick
people (v.32-34) ---- he served those who were in need.
D.
Now
in the morning
having risen a long while before daylight
He went out and prayed (v.35) ---- he held the morning watch.
Three
Different Kinds of Testimonies
A.
The testimony of
John the Baptism ---- His life was worthy of His testimony (v.6-7; Phi. 1:27)
so he was acceptable to the Lord.
B.
The testimony of the
unclean spirit ---- its nature and action are contrary to its testimony
(v.24-25)
so he was rebuked by the Lord.
C.
The testimony of the
leper after his being healed ---- he had not obeyed the command of the Lord
(v.44-45)
so he was unprofitable to the Lord.
An Example of Prayer
A.
A prayer without
scruple ---- he “came” (the leper could not come to be close with
others).
B.
An eager prayer ----
he “implored”;
C.
A humble prayer ----
he “ kneeled down”;
D.
A obedient prayer
---- “If You
are willing”;
E.
A prayer with a
concentrated purpose ---- “make
me clean”.
F.
A prayer with great
faith ---- “can”;
G.
An effective prayer
---- “he was cleansed”.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou