Mark : 1

❇️Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: See that you don’t tell this to anyone (v43 & 44)

❇️ In a world full of publicity mongering people who want to flaunt their power, position and achievement our Lord Jesus Christ stands out as someone who shunned publicity by warning those whom he healed not to tell anyone about it.

❇️ This shows his humility and selflessness and his sensitivity to people’s need and their misery more than his share of glory.This was because he was focussed on glorifying his Father by playing his role perfectly as the son of God.

❇️ Even in his prayer life he shunned publicity. Whenever he prayed in public it was always a short prayer. For example in the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish he simply looked up to heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves (Mat.14:19).

❇️ While in public he never offered long prayers to show off his spirituality but in private he spent long hours of prayer alone without others watching. Sometime entire night he was praying or early morning while it was dark in a solitary place (Mk.1:35).This shows him following a model of short prayer in public and long prayer in private.

❇️ Our Lord was consistent in all areas of his ministry. He only brought glory to his Father on earth by completing the work he gave him to do (Jn.17:4) without flaunting his achievement.

❇️ Let us do a self check to find out our model of prayer. Is it like that of Jesus Christ or long prayer in public and short prayer in private ?Let us follow Jesus model of prayer and shun publicity in our calling.

✅ Insights learnt:

▪️ Lord Jesus avoided publicity
for his miracles

▪️Lord Jesus offered short
prayer in public and long
prayer in private.

Dr. E. Christadoss
Vellore 🙏🏽

John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10; Acts 4:36-37; 11:19-30) and the son of Mary, a leading woman in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:12). He helped Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25-13:5) but for some reason did not remain with them (Acts 13:13). That failure caused Paul and Barnabas to separate, but Barnabas gave Mark another chance (Acts 15:36-41). In later years, Mark became one of Paul’s associates (Philemon Vs.24); and Paul commended him for his work (2 Timothy 4:11). It all ended well.

First Peter 5:13 suggests that John Mark was converted through Peter’s ministry. Many Bible scholars believe that Mark’s gospel is a record of Peter’s reports of the ministry of Christ, presenting Jesus Christ as the Servant of God (Mark 10:45). Mark often used the word immediately, for he describes the work of a Servant who was busy obeying His Father and meeting the needs of people (1:10, 12, 20-21, etc.). Mark wrote with the Romans in mind, an active people who admired accomplishment.

After a brief introduction (1:1-13), the book tells of Christ’s ministry in Galilee (1:14 – 9:50), His journey to Jerusalem (chap. 10), His ministry in Jerusalem, climaxing with His crucifixion (chaps. 11-15), and His resurrection and ascension (chap. 16).

Posted by brother Narayan

270 Days Bible Study Insights Mark 1-2
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Jesus did not arrive unannounced or unexpected. The Old Testament prophets had clearly predicted the coming of a great One, sent by God himself, who would offer salvation and eternal peace to Israel and the entire world. Then came John the Baptist, who announced that the long -awaited Messiah had finally come and would soon be among the people. In God’s work in the world today. Jesus does not come unannounced or unexpected. Yet many still reject him. We have the witness of the Bible, but some choose to ignore it, just as many ignored John the Baptist in this day.

Mark was not one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, but he probably knew Jesus personally. Mark wrote his Gospel did in the form of a fast-paced story, like a popular novel. The book portrays Jesus as a man who backed up his words with action that constantly proved who he is—the Son of God. Because Mark wrote the Gospel for Christians in Rome, where many God’s were worshiped, he wanted his readers to know that Jesus is the one true Son Of God.

Omitting the birth of Jesus, Mark begins with John the Baptist’s preaching. Then, moving quickly past Jesus’ baptism, temptAtion in the desert, and call of the disciples, Mark takes us directly into Jesus public ministry. We see Jesus confronting a demon, healing a leper, and forgiving and healing the paralytic lowered into Jesus’ presence by friends.

NExt, Jesus called Mathew (Levi) and had dinner with others and his questionable associates. This initiated the conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders who condemned Jesus for eating with sinners and breaking the Sabbath.

1:14,15. What is the good news of God? These first words spoken by Jesus in Mark give the core of his teaching: the long awaited Messiah has gone to break the power of sin and begin God’s personal reign on earth. Most of the people who heArd this message were oporessed, poor, and without hope. Jesus’ Words were good news because they offered freedom, justice and hope.

Why didn’t Jesus want the demons to reveal who he was? (1). By commanding the demons to remain silent. Jesus proved his authority and power over them. (2). Jesus wanted the people to believe he was the Messiah because of what he said and did, not because of the demons’ words. (3). Jesus wanted to reveal his identity as the Messiah because of what he did and not because of the demons’ words. (3) Jesus wanted to reveal his identity as the Messiah according to his timetable, not according to Satan’s timetable. Satan wanted the people to follow Jesus around for what they could get out of him, not because he was the Son of God who could truly set them free from sin’s Guilt and Power.

2:24. Many of the Pharisees were so caught up in the man-made laws and traditions that they lost sight of what was good and right. Jesus implied in Mark 3:4 that theSabbath is a day to do good. God provides the Sabbath, as a day of rest and worship, but he didn’t mean that concern for rest should keep us from lifting a finger to help others. ‘Don’t allow your Sabbath to become a time of selfish indulgence.
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Clara Radhakrishna