Mark 1:28 - Fame Don't Equal Comfort

The Verse

Mark 1:28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. (ESV)


My Paraphrase

Immediately, Jesus got super famous in all of Galilee.


My Thoughts
This should show us the impact we can have simply by standing firm and wielding God's authority with wisdom. Authority sets us apart. Authority gets people dialoguing about God. Even though we are about to see Jesus trying to keep Himself a secret in the next few verses (Mark 1:34, 44), at this point, the news needed to spread and God's Authority was what compelled that to happen. 

I think it's funny that in our day and age, there is such a desire among all of us to be "liked" and "favorited" on social media. Any of us would kill for half the followers Jesus was accumulating--but why? For our own egos? So we feel self-worth? So we can be successful? Jesus had no desire for popularity (because His self-worth came from God alone), but popularity was a side effect of his obedience to God and His filling of the soul-deficit in the people. 

Yes, we would all kill for that kind of impact, but we need to realize that there is a responsibility attached to popularity. We all like the fame, but we don't like the repercussion. As Loretta Lynn famously wrote, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." This is so true. People may follow you in scads at the beginning, but it takes only one little issue, one little complaint, and they drop you like a rock. Note: when the masses dropped Him, Jesus' popularity directly resulted in His crucifixion! 

Now, I'm not saying that if you become popular, that you will also be crucified, but it should at least make you aware of the fickleness of humanity and what responsibility attached to fame should actually look like. (Also, Jesus was perfect, so. . .if people drop you a little faster than they did with Him, it's probably because you're not.) That should tell you something about people. And guess what, all those followers that you want more than anything are, you guessed it, people. 

However, God is God, so. . .He's really efficient and uses everything at His disposal, even the negative. It's really important to realize that God used both Christ's popularity and the ensuing crucifixion for our good and His Glory. Consider this: If Jesus had been a nobody with no impact, He would never have been able to pay for sin. God caused Him to become popular in order to save billions of people. That includes all the fickle people who like you and then drop you. And that includes you.

And that, Charlie Brown, is what Christmas is all about.

So remember, if you are obedient to God and you happen to get really popular, keep God first and He will guide you. But also know that while you aren't necessarily guaranteed to be crucified when and if people drop you, God-given fame doesn't often guarantee a super comfortable life.

It's like Spiderman's Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." 

Mark 1:27 - Want Revival? Accept God's Authority

The Verse

Mark 1:27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him." (NIV)


My Paraphrase

Compelled by amazement, the people asked each other, "What just happened? Is this a new teaching that actually holds water? He even has authority over demons!


My Thoughts

I like that the text says, "The people were so amazed that they asked each other." In other words, their amazement spurred on an ensuing discussion. In other other words, this was a tough crowd. I imagine these men as self-proclaimed intellectuals that didn't just buy the first thing that was thrown at them (and probably not the second, third, or fourth either). However, after an amazing event like this, they needed to vent and debrief each other. "Did you see that?" "What just happened?" Whereas perhaps a more Spirit-driven (and some would term: simpler and more ignorant) synagogue would have been amazed and praised God and skipped the discussion.

(This is not to say skepticism is without merit. I just mean that there is a chasm of difference between a skepticism fueled by the Holy Spirit and one that is complacent and arrogant.)

But what caused this intellectual complacency? Simply: They were used to hearing watered-down, lackluster reading and teaching. They were the congregation who would come to church out of obligation, or need for a social life, and sit self-righteously in their seats while demonized men ran rampant in their midst. No one ever did anything about the demons because no one ever felt it was within his/her wheelhouse. No one was was empowered because the teaching they received was bland and non-compelling. This sounds so much like churches today, it makes me sick. How many congregations are told that the miracles of the Spirit were only for "then" and not now? How many church members reduce the Holy Spirit to a glorified Jiminy Cricket and that believing He is more than that is a direct ticket to Crazy Town? How many of them are taught to be so skeptical when they hear of modern miracles that they end up robbing themselves and others of blessing and testimony? This synagogue was clearly suffering from the same lies because they obviously hadn't done a thing to fix their supernatural problems. . .Yet--and here's the kicker--they were actually living right in the middle of the biggest "then" that there ever was! That should tell us something. I've heard so many atheists and non-believers with the argument "Well, I'd believe in God if He actually came to earth and physically talked to me." Is that really all it would take? Because, guess what, He already did that and people still chose not to believe in Him! Which should show us, logically, that the problem doesn't lie within God manifesting Himself or not, but within humanity who either chooses to accept or reject the manifestation! 

It's called free will, People. 

So this congregation, who under normal circumstances would have been silent (and probably asleep from boredom), saw this miracle and were revived and awakened to the point of dialoguing and asking each other about Christ. (I've been, granted, pretty hard on these people in this post so far, so I'll let up on them now. I don't mean to dismiss the fact that they were talking about God, and talking about God is great.) This was new for them. This was good for them. They hadn't done this before. They were finally witnessing something in church that warranted an after-party of discussion. 

Jesus got them talking.

And this, Class, is the truest definition of revival. Christ's authority compelled what was formerly dead to come to life--instantly. Shaking the foundations of mere belief and reforming it into the structure of true faith. This is what repentance looks like: A change of mind. Their minds were changing from the obligation and rules of their current Scriptural interpretations into the freedom and live-giving power of which the Scriptures had been speaking all along. 

A man had been freed from possession, but revival was the bonus miracle.



They asked each other, "Is this a new teaching?" According to Solomon, there is nothing new under the sun. However, it wasn't the concept but the perspective that was brand-spanking new to them. They had heard of demons being cast out many times in the stories of old. However, what they didn't realize was that casting out demons was a power that any person with faith in God could have. Apparently, a lie had been perpetuated and believed that either none of them could actually cast out demons--so no one ever tried--or that only a select few past prophets could have done it, and that's it. God was closed for business otherwise. 

With that in mind, do you see how absolutely mindblowingly revolutionary this event was now for these people? When a lowly carpenter's Son, and Friend of working-class fishermen--a Nobody among nobodies--came along, he not only taught but performed this exorcism with all the authority of God Himself? 

I mean. . .I'd be talking too. . .In fact, I am! Ha!



Looking back at verse 22, we see that the people were initially amazed at His teaching authority, but what sets them over the edge, to the point of discussing it all, is this verse 27. "He even gives orders to impure spirits." In other words, He is a great public speaker, but much more than that--His speaking commands demons. 

This should encourage all preachers and teachers of the Word. Your message can have ultimate authority. When you put aside your own agenda-driven ego and pick up God's Authority, you will become a force to be reckoned with. Notice too, if you really want revival in your church: It's not the pyrotechnics of the exorcism that spurred revival; it was the authority by which Christ did these things. Authoritative messages stir up revival. Authoritative sermons bind the enemy. Authoritative messages change the face of history.

Mark 1:26 - A Tantrum of Demonic Proportion

The Verse

Mark 1:26 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.


My Paraphrase

As the demon came out, he threw a big tantrum, shaking the man and shrieking.


My Thoughts

Lots of things to note in this verse. My main question: Why did Jesus allow the demon to make such a scene? I mean, He's Jesus, right? If He has power to calm a storm, surely he can cast out a demon perfectly and quietly--no muss; no fuss, right? Well. . .since we know Jesus is perfect, we can assume that this was the most perfect way to cast out a demon. There are plenty of reasons that Jesus didn't completely silence the demon outright, so read on. 

(1) To sober us to the severity of demonic stronghold. The shrieking and shaking could have been directly related to the strength of the dependence that the man had in the demon. When Jesus cast it out, the demon had been so deeply embedded into the man that in coming out, shaking and shrieking were inevitable. Jesus allowed the scene so the on-lookers (and readers like us) could learn a lesson on the severity of strongholds.

(2) To give us a heads up that exorcism is not something to take lightly, nor does the enemy go quietly. If demons make a scene in front of God Himself, than we can expect at least the same when we confront them. This doesn't need to intimidate us, and we can go ahead and realize that a big noisy scene is par for the course.

(3) To create a witness and testimony. If the demon had gone quietly into the night, the rest of the synagogue could have assumed that there was really nothing wrong with the man. They could have explained the miraculous away. Sometimes, people need a "show" in order to "get it."

(4) To illustrate that actions have consequences. It was the man that had allowed the demon to come in in the first place. Demons don't just inhabit willy-nilly. They only come in when invited either directly by occult invitation or indirectly by sin. If you are going to make a self-destructive and disobedient choice, you can expect some "violent shaking" when God removes it. That's a scientific anomaly called "cause and effect." Did God pull the Israelites out of horrible fates time and again? Did the prodigal son get to return to his father with full forgiveness? Yes, but look what it took--what pain they had to go through--to get there. Bottom line: If you want the path of least resistance, don't create resistance! This is exactly why we are called to peace (Colossians 3:15).

(5) To prove demonic disregard for human life. Demons don't care about you. All they care about is torture and destruction. Even at their last contact with you, they are going to do all they can to stress you out, scare you, shake you, and hurt you. So. . .turn your life over to God and stop living for yourself. Otherwise, you're only hurting yourself.

(6) To show that demons are spoiled brats. Think of the brattiest child in the trashiest of Wal-Marts throwing the biggest tantrum you can picture and know that doesn't even compare to the fit a demon could pitch! Even the most unruly child still has a conscience somewhere deep inside (having been created in God's image, after all). However, a demon cannot and will not ever operate within moral standards. (Incidentally, think about the tantrum Satan will throw when he is finally cast into hell for eternity--"Weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth" doesn't quite cover it!) A being becomes a spoiled brat when he/she lacks gratitude for a position or situation, yet feels overwhelming entitlement. Satan himself said, "I will be like the Most High" thinking his former appointment as heaven's worship leader as something he'd gotten of his own volition. No thankfulness whatsoever. Talk about bratty entitlement! Demons are just spoiled angels. Remember that everything you have is a gift from On High: your house, your job, your talents, your intellect--the second you take credit for these things is the same second you open yourself up for bratty, demonic influence!

(7) To prove that demons operate out of fear and intimidation. The fact that they put on such elaborate shows during exorcism is sort of their last hurrah of incurring fear in people. Since all they know is fear and intimidation, their demise includes screaming and shaking to the very end. However, this also shows how stupid they are. It's like, you know what? You can scream and shake all you want, but you're still getting defeated! The demon's little charade may have amazed the onlookers, but it didn't take Jesus by surprise. It shouldn't take us by surprise either.

(8) To further emphasize Jesus' Messiah-ship. You'd think demons would be smarter and not bring so much attention to Jesus being God's Chosen, but they are true idiots. Go ahead and scream, you're only furthering the Gospel!



This brings up one last point. . .Wouldn't you think that the demons and the devil would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah? And. . .honestly, they probably did. Here's the thing though: 

(9) This tantrum proves that demons had NO IDEA WHAT "MESSIAH" MEANT. Clearly they didn't. Every time they see Him they say, "If you are the Son of God..." or "What do you want with me/us?" I mean, listen. . .If you'd seen God create the universe from nothing, felt His wrath as he threw you out of heaven, plus had seen all the Old Testament miracles firsthand, do you really think you'd ever say "If" to Him or try to intimidate Him? Those are tactics that work on men, not God. They had no idea that the Messiah was Him...like with a capital "H"! No one did! Remember how the Bible says that Jesus was "of no reputation" (Philippians 2:7-9) and that if we looked upon Him, we'd never "esteem Him" as anything important (Isaiah 53:4)? Revelation and all that hadn't been written yet and demons don't know the future. I don't think they even get an inkling of Jesus being God Himself until at least chapter 5. . .so. . .stay tuned!  

Mark 1:22 - No Authority?...Try Grace

The Verse

Mark 1:22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

My Paraphrase

The people were amazed at the authority of His teaching, because it wasn't like their normal bland teachings.

My Thoughts

This verse always perplexes me. How could there have been, prior to Jesus' arrival, teachers teaching anything if they weren't being authoritative?  Doesn't teaching, by definition, naturally carry authority?  I mean, can it even be called teaching if it doesn't?  On top of that, these teachers had the Torah!  From God's own mouth!  So. . .what were they wasting time saying??  I mean, we find out later in Mark that the Pharisees had added thousands of rules and regulations to the law. So. . .how did they foist these rules onto their congregations if not authoritatively?  

I've always wonder what the teachings were like before Jesus showed up.  

I grew up in a church environment and I have heard my share of bland, lifeless sermons (as well as many good ones, don't get me wrong), but. . .in the end, even the tritest, most boring messages still proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus along with whatever else they were saying, so there were still things to quicken your heart into an "Amen" agreement. . .

So. . .I always wonder what these lackluster teachings sounded like.  Social reform?  Behavior modification?  Slaps on wrists?  I mean, even a rote, monotone reading of Scripture is still the Words of a Holy God, right?  So these Pharisees and rabbis must have been so way out in left field, it took the preaching of The Author of Creation only once to get the people excited and interested again!  

Anyway, this is obviously to show that Christ was God, and Life-Giver, in all respects.  He healed, did miracles, and even raised people from the dead; and in addition, He taught with authority--bringing souls back to life.  But what made Him so different as a teacher (besides being the Son of God and all)?  I think, it is because, unlike the other teachers, He taught with Grace.  

See, the concept of Grace naturally has more authority than mere law.  This is why: People, believers and non, will always question a rule with, "But why should I follow it?"  That is just human nature.  A law-slave can only answer, "Because God said so."  The most authority a law-slave can experience is guilt.  Which isn't a very strong selling point to an unbeliever (nor a believer like me, frankly).  However, Grace answers the "why" question like this: "Because God has paid a way for sinful souls to enter holy heaven and therefore calls us all to walk in newness of Life."  

Even if you reject that statement, or even if you don't quite understand it, it does give you pause.  It makes you think.  It changes your heart.  The question is no longer "why should I do....(fill in the blank)?"--which is easy to ignore. Instead, it becomes, "But why would a Holy God do that for me?"  There is something wonderful, awe-inspiring, and terrible in that statement.  And isn't authority much deeper and truer when it is based on love and empowering rather than guilt and force? 

How the Eclipse is Like the Trinity

Okay, so you know how you know people who constantly try to over-spiritualize everything? And you are like,...'I'm pretty sure that's not what that verse means...ever.' Well, don't judge me too harshly before you hear me out, but I just had some thoughts, as have many of us, about this past Solar Eclipse that happened Monday. It's like my friend Stephanie posted, "Ah eclipse day. Do you hear that? That's the sound of millions of pastors' heads exploding with metaphors." 

Anyways. . .I thought I would share my explosions.

To begin. . .my dad reminded me of the fact that even though the Sun, Moon, and Earth are all completely different sizes, God has set them up at perfect distances, so that they appear to us to be all the same size. I've actually heard testimonies from scientists who, after years of freaking out about this fact and how IMPOSSIBLE it could be to be mere chance, give up the atheist fight and convert to Christianity over this phenomenon.

Have you ever sat and thought about this? It's truly amazing. How can we experience BOTH lunar and solar eclipses so perfectly? When the Moon intersects the distance between the Earth and Sun, we get to see a solar eclipse. When the Earth intersects the Moon and the Sun, we get to see a lunar eclipse. Perfectly. Both the Moon and the Earth appear equally to block out the light of the Sun and Moon, respectively. What is the point of that? Why do they all three appear to be the same size to us? I mean, okay. . .I could maybe chalk up two to chance. . .But all three??? I'm sorry, but there has to be some reason! None of the other observable planets share this anomaly. Just us.

Why?

Okay, so. . .here is where I'm going to go all crazy and spiritual. . .but let me disclaim that none of these thoughts are in place of Scripture, nor are they in any way fundamental to the doctrines of the faith. Nor am I suggesting that we start treating the Sun, Moon, and Earth as the persons of the Trinity or worship them in any way. These are just some interesting thoughts that popped into my head, and they were too cool to keep to myself.


The Sun: God the Father

The sun is kinda like God the Father. It sustains life. It warms us. It keeps us on our path. It guides us. It gives us hope every morning waking us with the dawn. Without it, deficiencies result.

It's light is the brightest light in the heavens to us. No man-made light can compare to natural day light. Even a tiny sliver of the Sun can light up an entire side of the Earth. Darkness must flea when in its presence. Secrets are revealed in its light.

It has requirements. The sun has a schedule. We live life the best when we keep this schedule, but we are free to disobey it as well. (However, disobedience comes at a cost.) The sun requires respect. We can't just do whatever we want in the sun and expect not to have permanent damage. Staring directly at the sun for as little as two minutes, for instance, can result in blindness. Certain care must be taken when dealing with the sun. Certain protocol must be observed. It isn't because the sun is evil or judgmental or "has it in" for us. It's because the sun is a force to be reckoned with.

The Father is terrifying like the sun, in the sense that He is like a controlled fire. At any point, He could wipe us all out and start over, but He holds back this fear-inducing power--power that could be easily mistaken for evil by the willingly ignorant--for our own good. His fire refines us and brings us forth as gold. His fire burns in our hearts. His fire melts our worries. His fire punishes the unjust.

The sun is the largest of the three bodies. Like, immensely big. Like 864,938 miles across, to be exact. (That's 109 earths lined up.)--Now, I realize that God the Father is infinite in size, so much so that the word "size" doesn't really makes sense in relation with Him. . .but the sun's immensity dwarfs us by comparison. The sun's size reminds us that there is Something out there far greater than we are.

In proximity, the sun is also the farthest away. God the Father is the most "removed" from us--not technically, but philosophically.  In other words, The Father is perfect, holy, infinite, etc.--pretty much everything we are not. In that sense, He is the farthest away from us.

However, if you want to get technical, God the Father is actually omnipresent. Even though the sun is 93,000,000 miles away from us, it is always present as well. It affects us every second of every day. Even when we think it's gone entirely and the night is pitch black, it still effects the tides, our bodies, and plant life, while its gravity holds the Solar System in place. It is also right around the corner ready to shed light on us the next day.


The Moon: Holy Spirit

The moon is kinda like the Holy Spirit. The moon shines the light of the sun upon us. The Holy Spirit reveals God's truth to us even in the dark. The Holy Spirit carries the light of the Father to sinful people.

Like the sun, the moon is always present. Always influencing us, but never forcing us.

Our relationship to the Holy Spirit tends to come in phases. One day we are on a spiritual high. A few weeks later, a low. If we look at these phases as our own efforts, we miss the whole point. Like the phases of the moon, this waxing and waning is necessary to sustain our spiritual lives. If life were all full-moon-spiritual-highs, we wouldn't appreciate them and we wouldn't understand them for what they are. It would throw off our entire spiritual eco-system. We would never learn. We would never grow.

The moon causes surges in the oceans the way the Holy Spirit is constantly moving us. Like the tides, He is constantly wearing away who we think we are and replacing it with who God says we are.

In proximity to the Sun, the Moon is very near us. Like the moon, the Holy Spirit is our "go between." He covers us. As the Moon orbits the Earth, the Holy Spirit surrounds us in holiness. He makes us blameless before the Father. He hears the prayers of fallen people and speaks them before a Holy God.

Traditionally, the moon has been a representation of the feminine. This is not to say that the Holy Spirit is feminine--as God is neither male nor female and is referred to as "Him" because we are too finite to understand how else to personally relate to Him--but as Eve was created as a "comforter" for Adam, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. Likewise, the moon provides a very comforting light. A respite. A time for stillness. For reflection. For peace. For rest.


The Earth: Jesus

The earth is kinda like Jesus. Like Jesus, the earth represents humanity. It is the home for humanity. This is where we live and exist. Jesus came here as one of us, but not only that: We were made by Him and through Him. He is the only perfect human to have walked this earth, and He is our human example, brother, Messiah, and Lord.

Like Jesus, the earth has faced the direct effect of sin that it did not commit. The earth has received punishment for our choices. (I'm not referring to global warming as much as I am referring to the devastating effects of the Fall from Eden and the Flood.) Christ took all our sin upon Himself, just as the Earth broke apart because of sin.

By Him, all things consist and have being. Without this planet, none of us would be here. He brings us life abundantly just as the earth is abundant with life.

While on earth, Jesus repeatedly told us that His "kingdom is at hand." Hold out your hand, Earthling. There it is. Jesus is here.

One day, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. This second "incarnation" of sorts will be due to Christ's Second Coming. Jesus will reign supreme from then to eternity future, and every knee will bow and tongue confess.

Jesus is called the "first-fruits" of creation. Meaning, as I said before, that all things were made by and through Him. He is the example by which all creation is modeled. Have you ever noticed that the earth was the first thing created? Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This was even before day one of creation! Before dark and light. Before the firmament. Before the other heavenly bodies!

The human body was created from the dust of the earth. The human body is also close to 70% water. So is the earth's surface. Jesus is fully man and fully God. The earth is clothed in both life-sustaining land and water. . .but at it's core it is as hot as the surface of the Sun. (I just learned that last fact while writing this, and it blew my mind.)


The Eclipse: The Trinity

So, if you've stuck with me this long, let me now bring this all full circle (pun intended), and get back to my original point: Why do all three heavenly bodies appear to us to be the same size--even though each is a completely different size and plays an entirely different role? What is the point of that? To me, I think one answer is that all persons of the Trinity are equal, connected, but completely different. I am not suggesting that the Trinity is exactly like the Sun, Moon, and Earth or that this analogy is perfect, but I am wondering if maybe. . .just maybe. . .these thoughts might shed just a little more light on the words of the Psalmist who said, "The heavens declare the glory of God!"

Mark 1:18 - Drop Your Nets

The Verse

Mark 1:18 At once they left their nets and followed him.


My Paraphrase

Immediately, they dropped their nets to the ground and followed Him.


My Thoughts

They don't even hesitate. They drop their nets right where they are and they go with Christ. According to a parallel passage, in John 1:40-42 Andrew had actually brought Simon to Jesus prior to this event, so they both already knew who He was and that He was endorsed by John the Baptist. Jesus had even changed Simon's name to "Peter" during that prior meeting. (Side note: I wonder what Peter thought about this Man and His constant, holy wordplay: "Peter/petros" and "fishers of men"! Did he find it as weird as I think he did?)

However, at this particular moment, I am personally struck by their immediate reaction to drop the nets. What fueled that instantaneous obedience? I think it's easy for us to get all "Holy Renaissance Painting" about it and imagine that these men were just really righteous and informed and that they knew exactly what Jesus was wanting and what kind of lives they would live as a result. But I honestly don't think that was the case. They were just men like you and me. True, they'd been followers of John the Baptist (or at least Andrew had been for sure) and his teachings on the Messiah to come, but did they really know what "Messiah" meant? No. They didn't. Not in the sense that He was God incarnate and that He would die to save souls. No one really understood that until after the Resurrection. All these men had to go on was John's endorsement and Jesus' winning personality!

Listen, I know plenty of charismatic people, and I'm not dropping everything I have for them. So why did Jesus' command compel them to drop everything?

Did they leave their nets out of coincidence because they'd just been talking about this Jesus a second before He showed up? Did they truly follow out of this blind obedience that we've come to imagine? Did they follow out of hopeful zealotry--did they think Jesus would over-throw the Romans? Why were they so immediate with their obedience? Did they even know it was obedience? It almost seems like a supernatural magnetism, rather than a conscious choice, that compels them to follow this Vagabond. Were they simply drawn by curiosity? It would seem so from the text at face value--a guy tells them he will make them fish for people. 
"What in Galilee does that mean?" 
"I have no idea. Let's find out!" 

Whatever their personal reasons for following, to drop everything put them at risk of losing their jobs--or at least losing the day's catch. Apparently, they thought following Him was worth that risk. One day, on the other side of heaven, I intend to have a little chat with Peter.


However, in the here and now, here's what I find really interesting and the point I was setting up in my last post about verse 17. Being a fisherman isn't intrinsically wrong or sinful. Your actions and career and hobbies are not intrinsically wrong or sinful either. But look at this beautiful metaphor that we have been given in this verse: The nets. Can you get a more perfect illustration for life's entangling pursuits than fishermen's nets?


While fishing isn't sinful, here is the problem with the lives they were leading prior to Jesus' calling: They were letting the nets define "fishing" instead of letting God define it. Prior to verse 18, their identity had been bound up in the nets. In verse 18 and after, their identity was now found in Christ. When they gave the nets power over their lives, they remained fishermen. However, this wasn't God's plan for them. When they gave Jesus power over their lives, they were fishers of men who became something far greater than themselves. That was God's plan for their lives!

This paradigm shift was spiritually illustrated by their physical spurning of the nets.

So what nets do you need to drop--spiritual and physical? Listen, these men remained fishermen until their dying days. The subject of the fishing changed, but the ability didn't. So, tying in Jesus' command over their abilities from the last verse and Simon and Andrew's literal dropping of the nets in this verse, my question is this: What are your abilities and what are your nets? What entanglements of the world are you letting determine your skills and identity? There is a big difference between nets and skills, so think about the difference in your own life. When you figure this out with God's guidance, simply leave the nets behind and allow God to define your identity. Instead of trying to effort your Christianity, just become willing to think differently about who you are, and let God redeem what He's already put within you!


If a handful of redeemed fishermen could change the world, imagine what God can do with you!

Mark 1:14-15 - Jesus Preaches the Gospel

The Verses

Mark 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”


My Paraphrase

After John's capture, Jesus proclaimed the gospel in Galilee. "You're wait is over. God's Kingdom is right here. Turn from sin and believe the Gospel!"


My Thoughts

Since John was a harbinger of the Gospel, his job was done. He says in other gospels that he must decrease while Jesus increases. Jesus now takes over the role as repentance-commanding prophet, but becomes so much more than that. I find it interesting that Jesus didn't just start His ministry healing people, preaching love, and doing miracles. Like. . .Listen guys, He's gonna start doing miracles in a just a few days, but He doesn't start there. He started with repentance. Repentance is super important to God, so much so that He had a guy come and lay the ground work before He even got there. 

Likewise, we cannot jump into the story of Jesus without repentance. Otherwise, He makes no sense as our Savior and just becomes another figure in history for us to study. I mean, think about it. Why did Jesus change history more than any other figure? Lots of guys have healed. Lots of guy have run their mouths for the cause of an agenda. Lots of guys have rallied for revolution. None of them are as big a deal as Jesus, because Jesus is our Savior and fulfillment of repentance. For salvation, repentance is key.

I wonder what people thought when they heard Jesus tell them that time was fulfilled. What a truly bold statement! "Your wait is over! Here I am! God's gift to all of you!" (I mean, we see people who act like this all the time. . .And. . .you know what I'm sayin'?) This was a ballsy move, not only because the message He proclaimed had a certain potential arrogance about it (arrogance only if it hadn't been true, of course), but also think about this: John had just been thrown in jail because of preaching the Gospel--which I'm sure was no secret to anyone, since "the whole Judean countryside and all. . .of Jerusalem" (vs. 5) heard him and knew about him. I wonder how many people John had openly baptized who went into hiding at this point--fearful of Herod's muscle-flexing. Fearful of what fates they might suffer if Herod caught wind of their being "John Followers." But then, just at the moment when everyone is on edge and full of anxiety, here comes his Cousin--right out in the open--yelling the same message (with a decidedly MORE poignant twist) throughout Galilee! Like, at least John did all his stuff out in the wilderness and didn't claim to be God Himself! 

I think there is a silent message within these verses that if we are to follow Christ's example truly, we definitely shouldn't fear men. If it's our time to go, then we go down proclaiming Christ. Otherwise, if it's not our time to go, there's really NOTHING anyone can do to us!

(Note: Of course in later verses we are going to see Jesus constantly telling people not to talk about Him and not to tell people about Him, but that's only after He starts doing miracles and He gets so popular it hinders His actual ministry. . .Like, hinders as in. . .not being able to walk through town because of all the people in the way wanting "a piece.")

Mark 1:12-13 - Satan Has No Clue

The Verses (NIV)

Mark 1:12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.


My Paraphrase

Immediately the Spirit sent Him to the wilderness for 40 days. He was tempted by Satan. He was among dangerous animals, but angels took care of Him.


My Thoughts

(In case you are wondering why I paraphrase the verse first, it just helps me to think more about the verse if I have to write it in my own words--even if it's pretty much the same thing.)


First of all, we see complete obedience to the Spirit's command. He is baptized and He immediately goes to the wilderness. No hesitation. He had a job to do, but the Spirit wanted Him to fast and pray first--before starting His ministry. So He obeyed. I bet a huge portion of us Christians have never even thought about fasting for answers to dilemmas in our lives. I know I barely ever do. It's hard not to eat. I have a huge prayer request right now where someone dear to me is making a huge life-long mistake, and reading this verse really convicts me about fasting about it. If we want God to mean business in answering our prayers, can we not just forgo a little bit of food every now and then to show that we are totally relying on Him?

We look at His situation--no food, no human contact, in a desert--going, "That sounds awful!" especially since, not only was he being tempted by Satan himself, but there were also a lot of wild animals that could attack at any second! It's like, this poor guy can't catch a break! But that's just the point. The Spirit calls us to be dangerous, not to be comfortable.  Jesus didn't feel sorry for Himself.  We can assume that He "counted it all joy" like James tells us to, because the Father--in the prior verse--just said He was well-pleased with Jesus. The actions Jesus took brought Him (and as a result, us) joy. 

I heard a great teaching once by Pastor Dennis McCallum explaining this temptation by Satan. We take for granted that Satan knew everything about Jesus, but Satan is actually extremely limited. For one thing, he isn't omniscient, so he doesn't know everything. If we look at the facts that Satan was privy to at the time, all he really knew was that this Guy was some kind of "higher David"--another of "God's men." With that in mind, the temptations themselves make a lot more sense. For instance, if Satan knew who Jesus really was, why would he have offered Him all the nations of the world? Jesus created every nation, for heaven's sake! All Satan knew was that he had successfully tempted past "God men" with fame and glory and had made them fall. If he could just now get the greatest of them to fall, what a delightful feather in his cap! 

However, Jesus passed all tests and came forth as gold, which: brought further glory to God (glory which, incidentally could not have been brought had Jesus not had temptation); salvation to us (It's not just Jesus' death that brought us life. Every test He passed proved His perfection and the newness of life he offered.); and total befuddlement to the enemy (Satan never saw it coming, and by "it" I mean the crucifixion bringing salvation.)!


I never noticed the part about the wild animals before.  According to my Archaeological Study Bible, back in the day, there were many wild animals in that part of the world (remember Sampson and the lion carcass?). I just never thought about how Jesus had so much to deal with out in the wilderness. However, in the midst of Satan and the wild animals, we see that God did send angels to take care of Him.  I wonder if they talked or if they were invisible as they are to us today. Either way, it's worth remembering that even in our darkest times, God still sends us His attending angels. We don't need to pray to them or anything like that (Speaking to anyone invisible--except for God--is a bad idea.)! Still, it is nice to know they are there. 

In another gospel, one of Satan's temptations was for Jesus to throw Himself off a building because Satan wondered if the angels would actually save Him. Obviously, they were there and they probably would have, but that would have been showing off and Jesus isn't a show off. It would also have been indulging Satan, and. . .for obvious reasons, Jesus wasn't going to do that! Lastly, it would have been testing God--expecting God to do a magic trick in the event of doing something stupid, potentially suicidal, and disobedient.