Verse by Verse

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.

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

¹⁸ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

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.

²⁰ And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Also found in Matthew 4:18-22.

The men mentioned in this passage had already met Jesus on a previous occasion (John 1:35-42).

[Jesus] does not, as unthinking readers fancy, come upon two utter strangers, fascinate and arrest them in a moment, and sweep their lives into the vortex of His own. Andrew had already heard [John] the Baptist proclaim the Lamb of God, had followed Jesus home, and had introduced his brother, to whom Jesus then gave the new name Cephas. Their faith had since been confirmed by miracles. The demands of our Lord may be trying, but they are never unreasonable, and the faith He claims is not a blind credulity.

Nor does He, even now, finally and entirely call them away from their occupation. Some time is still to elapse, and a sign, especially impressive to fishermen, the miraculous draught of fishes, is to burn into their minds a profound sense of their unworthiness, before the vocation now promised shall arrive. — Chadwick, page 19.

casting a net (v.16) = lit. “to throw on both sides,” actively fishing.

follow (v.17) = “come after,” in the sense of joining one’s party.

make you become (v.17) — a long process

followed (v.18) … from a word meaning “to walk the same road.” The word is used with the associative-instrumental case, the idea being “to follow with” another. It implies fellowship, joint-participation, a side-by-side walking with another. Thus it has come to mean, “to join one as a disciple, to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and, if need be, in dying.” — Wuest, page 29.

called (v.20) = called aloud, uttered in a loud voice. The boat they were in wasn’t a small rowboat but a larger fishing vessel, which would probably have been out from the shore in deeper water (unless there was a wharf).

servants (v.20) — perhaps an indication that their business was prosperous.

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Also found in Matthew 4:12, 17 and Luke 4:14.

preaching (v.14) = making proclamation as a herald

the kingdom of (v.14) — not in many texts

of God (v.14) = from God.

time (v.15) — kairos, referring to a particular time marked by an epochal event, not chronos, time as such. The older order was giving place to a new one, the dispensation of law to the announcement of the good news of God as later defined, the Kingdom of Heaven, namely, the Messianic earth-rule of Messiah. But that rejected by Israel, the gospel of grace and the Age of Grace would be brought in, with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ functioning in the interim between the rejection of Israel and its dispersion A.D. 70, and its regathering for the Millennial Kingdom. It is like Paul’s “The fullness of times” of Galatians 4:4. — Wuest, page 27.

is fulfilled (v.15) = tense indicates “has been fulfilled”—the change to the kingdom was near at hand.

¹² Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

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.

Also found in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

Only Mark mentions that Jesus was with wild beasts. Also, it’s interesting to note that he doesn’t give the outcome—he just assumes his readers know.

drove (v.12) — Stronger than Matthew’s “was led up,” and Luke’s “was led,” literally, “to throw out from within, to cast out, to drive out.” It is used of our Lord’s expulsion of demons (Mark 1:34, 39). [It occurred immediately after the Lord’s baptism.] Thus, the first act of the indwelling Holy Spirit was to bring Messiah to the place of testing and temptation. — Wuest, page 25.

tempted by Satan (v.13) — tense indicates a continuous action. The Lord was tempted by Satan for all of the forty days. The three temptations recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 were probably a ramping-up in intensity at the end of the forty days.

tempted (v.13) = to put to the test to see what good or evil there is in a person. So, since people so often fail under temptation, it also means “soliciting to do evil.

The Last Adam was being put to the test to show that He was equipped and ready for His ministry as prophet, priest, and king. The universe was looking on, God the Father and the holy angels, the fallen angels, and the demons. What a battle royal was waged there. What tremendous things were at issue. But not only was He put to the test. He was solicited to do evil by Satan. [Regarding the wild beasts,] The first Adam fell into sin in an environment that was prefect and harmonious. The Last Adam maintained His sinlessness in an environment that was hostile. — Wuest, page 26.

Satan (v.13) = lit. “an adversary”

the angels ministered to Him (v.13) — “the” angels. No humans were around.

ministered (v.13) = To serve one, used especially of those who execute the commands of others. In this case, the commands of God the Father. Tense indicates continuous action—the angels ministered for all of the forty days. Matthew 4:11 says the angels came after the temptation. That likely indicates physical service, such as food. The ministering during the forty days, therefore, was spiritual.

⁹ It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰ And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

¹¹ Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Also found in Matthew 3:13-17 and Luke 3:21-23.

parting (v.10) = cleaved asunder, divided by rending.

upon (v.10) = lit. “into”

This was the act of the Holy Spirit taking up His residence in the Messiah. This was the anointing with the Spirit for His three-fold ministry of Prophet, Priest, and King, the dynamic equipment which would enable the Messiah to discharge the duties connected with these offices (Luke 4:16-19). — Wuest, page 23.

like a dove (v.10) — Luke 3:22 adds the detail that “…the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove …”

The form assumed by the Spirit, “like a dove” may be related to Genesis 1:2, which pictures Him hovering over the waters, as a hen resides on her nest. — KJBC, page 1238.

All three members of the Trinity. The Son was baptized. The Spirit descended. The Father spoke from heaven.

you (v.11) — [The form of the word indicates,] “As for you, in contradistinction to all others.” Messiah is the unique Son of God. Believers are sons of God, but they sustain a different relationship to the Father than the Son does. Messiah claimed to be the Son of God in a unique way, for He said that God was His own private, personal unique Father (His, not the personal pronoun of the third person (autos), but idios, the latter word speaking of what is one’s own, private, unique, absolute possession (John 5:18). The order of the Greek words are, “as for you, you are my Son, the beloved One.” Here, equal emphasis is laid upon the fact that Messiah is the Son of God, and that He is the beloved Son. the particular word for “love” here is agape which in the classics spoke of a love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved. The Son of God is infinitely precious to God the Father. This love is called out of the Father’s heart by the preciousness of the Son. — Wuest, page 24.

well-pleased (v.11) — with the idea of delight, pleasure, satisfaction. The tense includes the past. The Father has always been well-pleased with the Son and is well-pleased now. His “well-pleasedness” never had a beginning and will never have an end.

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

⁵ Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

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.

⁸ I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Several of my commentaries try to show that John’s baptism was just symbolic, but Mark clearly states that it was a type of baptism that released those baptized from their sin — a forgiveness. Obviously, the baptism itself didn’t save, but without the baptism, a Jew wouldn’t be saved, so it was necessary. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved …” (Mark 16:16). This baptism has ceased (Ephesians 4:5).

John came (v.4) — The word “came” is much stronger in the Greek. It refers to a person’s arrival on the stage of history — in this case in specific fulfillment of the prophecy in vs.2-3.

baptizing (v.4)  = placing into

wilderness (v.4) — same as in v.3, the unfarmed land in Judea

preaching (v.4, 7) = heralding, officiating as a herald, proclaiming openly

A herald, a messenger vested with public authority who conveyed the official messages of kings, magistrates, princes, military commanders, or who gave a public summons or demand. The English word “preach” brings to our mind, a minister of the gospel in his pulpit expounding the Word of God. But the word Mark uses here, pictures John as a herald with an official proclamation from a coming King, the Messiah of Israel. He acted as one, making a public proclamation of the news of the advent of the Messiah with such formality, gravity, and authority as must be listened to and obeyed. — Wuest, page 17.

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repentance (v.4) — A change of mind and thus of action consequent upon the realization that one has sinned and that sin is wrong. The “baptism of repentance” is a baptism the characteristic of which was repentance, which involved an obligation to repent.” — Wuest, page 18.

So, no repentance, no baptism — no baptism, no repentance. It wasn’t symbolic. Both were necessary for forgiveness of sins.

went out to him (v.5) — tense indicates a continuing action. The people of Judea went in droves to see John. John wouldn’t have baptized them if they had simply gone out as sightseers. They went because of who John was and what he preached.

confessing (v.5) = to speak the same thing that another speaks, to agree with someone else. — in this case, to look at sin from God’s point of view and respond accordingly — the Greek indicated that they confessed openly, not in private to John

clothed (v.6) — his usual clothing, not an affectation. Not camel “leather,” but cloth woven from camel hair. Perhaps modeling the clothing of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).

One (v.7) — in Greek “the One.”

not worthy (v.7) — It was the menial task of a slave in an oriental household [to take] off the guest’s sandals and wash their feet as they entered the home. John was anxious that men would not form a wrong impression of him and his ministry. He took a place beneath that of an oriental slave. — Wuest, page 21.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (v.8) — John was prophesying about Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4), when the Lord baptized the Jews with the Holy Spirit, giving them the ability to speak in tongues, heal the sick, and perform other miracles.

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.”

³ “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ ”

beginning (v.1) = origin, the first person or thing in a series. In Greek, it does not have a definite article, which makes it a title. Mark may have intended this first sentence to be his title for the book.

gospel (v.1) = a message of good news. The word was used in the first century to refer to good news of any sort.

Of Jesus Christ (v.1) — [Jesus is] the transliterated form of the Hebrew word we know as Jehoshua, which means “Jehovah saves;” Christos, the transliterated form of the Greek word which means “The Anointed One;” in the first name we have the deity, humanity, and atonement of our Lord, in the second, the fact that He is the Anointed of God, to Israel, its Messiah. [The tense indicates that] the good news is not preached by Jesus Christ but is concerning Him. The message announces Him. … The word “Son” is without the article in the Greek text. Emphasis is therefore upon character or nature. Jesus Christ is Son of God by nature. — Wuest, page 11.

As (v.2) = just as. In Greek, written in a way that emphasizes the accuracy of what has been written.

In the Prophets (v.2) — The best Greek texts have “in Isaiah the prophet.” The quotation is from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. That the first verse isn’t from Isaiah isn’t an issue since Mark used it simply as an introduction to the Isaiah quote in v.3.

Behold (v.2) — “Pay attention.”

send (v.2) = commission, like an ambassador or envoy. John was God’s ambassador who was given a commission to proclaim Christ.

messenger (v.2) — basically, the same as “send,” but as a noun instead of a verb.

prepare (v.2) = furnish, equip, prepare, make ready.

Your, You (v.2) — referring to Jesus Christ.

way (v.2) = road.

The voice (v.3) — In Greek “a” voice. John wasn’t the only messenger sent to Israel.

crying (v.3) = shout, speak with a high, strong voice –“to cry out” in a way that expresses feeling.

wilderness (v.3) = a solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited place. Specifically, land in Judea suitable only for pasture.

prepare (v.3) — Used as a figure drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads and make them passable, thus [here], to prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception and secure His blessings. … [the tense indicates] a summary command given with military snap and curtness, and was a command to be obeyed at once. — Wuest, page 14.

make (v.3) — The tense indicates a command to be continuously obeyed.

paths (v.3) — not a literal road or path, but the attitude of the people of Israel.

Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels. It (and John) present events in the life of Jesus Christ chronologically, while Matthew and Luke arrange events topically.

The theme of Mark is Jesus Christ as servant (Zechariah 3:8; Philippians 2:7) and as sacrifice. This theme is summed up in Mark 10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Mark’s name was John Mark, and he sometimes appears in Scripture as simply John.

According to Acts 12:12, Mark’s mother Mary had a large house that was used as a meeting place for believers in Jerusalem. Peter apparently went to this house often because the servant girl recognized his voice at the gate (Acts 12:13-16). Barnabas was Mark’s cousin (Colossians 4:10), but Peter may have been thee person who led him to Christ (Peter called him “Mark my son,” 1 Peter 5:13. … Peter was evidently Mark’s primary source of information. [This doesn’t mean that Peter dictated the Gospel to Mark–Mark was inspired by the Holy Spirit to author it.] It has been suggested that Mark was referring to himself in his account of “a certain young man” in Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52). Since all the disciples had abandoned Jesus (Mark 14:50), this little incident may have been a first-hand account.

Barnabas and Saul took Mark along with them when they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch (Acts 12:25) and again when they left on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:5). However, Mark left early and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). When Barnabas wanted to bring Mark on the second missionary journey, Paul’s refusal led to a disagreement. The result was that Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus and Paul took Silas through Syria a Cilicia (Acts 15:36-41). Nevertheless, Paul wrote that Mark was with him during his first Roman imprisonment (see Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24) about twelve years later, so there must have been a reconciliation. In fact, at the end of his life, Paul sent for Mark, saying, “he is useful to me for ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). — from Talk Thru the Bible, by Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, page 319.

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The distinctive word of [Mark] is euthus, translated “immediately” or “straightway.” … [Mark] uses the historic present tense 151 times to depict action in progress. — Wilkinson, page 321.

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The omissions [things that appear in the other Gospels but not in Mark] are, mainly, that here is no genealogy, for in a servant men seek a character and not a pedigree; here is no miraculous birth or reference to childhood at Nazareth, as in Luke, or to His pre-existence and Deity, as in John; there is not sermon on the Mount, for that became a king and not a servant; no claim to authority, as for example, in the parable of the tares, for the command to the reapers is omitted; here is no sentence passed upon Jerusalem, or woes denounced upon the Pharisees; no Bridegroom as in Matthew 25; no Lord judging between faithful and unfaithful servants, and no king separating the nations to the right and left hand. If parables and discourses are recorded, titles and actions are omitted. In Gethsemane, there is nothing said about twelve legions of angels; on the cross there is no promise of the kingdom to the dying thief; and prior to His Ascension there is no statement as to His having all power in heaven and in earth. He simply dismisses the disciples to service and goes forth working with them as a servant (Mark 26:20). The apostles are here regarded rather as companions that servants; they never call Him Lord in this Gospel, and in His miracles this title is suppressed.

The additions peculiar to this Evangelist appear in the following passages: Chapters 1:31, 35-38, 41, 3:5, 20-21, 4:26-29, 33, 36, 5:36, 6:3-6, 31, 7:24, 32, 34, 8:22-23, 33, 9:22, 27, 36, 10:16, 21, 23, 15:20, 22, 16:7.

All these additions harmonize with the Spirit’s design in here portraying Jehovah’s Servant. They demonstrate perfection and not inaccuracy, as some ignorantly declare. — Williams, page 732.

Resources that I am using for this study:

The Gospel According to St. Mark, by G.A. Chadwick

Commentary on Mark, by Arno Gaebelein

The New Bible Commentary, by d. Guthrie and J.A. Motyer

A Harmony of the Gospels, by Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry.

Williams’ Complete Bible Commentary, by George Williams

Mark in the Greek New Testament for the English Reader, by Kenneth S. Wuest

King James Bible Commentary

When I quote from these works, I will use the author’s (or the first author’s) name. For the King James Bible Commentary, I will use “KJBC.”