Mark 1:1-5

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Mark 1:1

1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God—By the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ here is evidently meant the blessed Story which our Evangelist is about to tell of His Life, Ministry, Death, Resurrection, and Glorification, and of the begun Gathering of Believers in His Name. The abruptness with which he announces his subject, and the energetic brevity with which, passing by all preceding events, he hastens over the ministry of John and records the Baptism and Temptation of... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Mark 1:2

2, 3. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee— (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Mark 1:3

3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight—The second of these quotations is given by Matthew and Luke in the same connection, but they reserve the former quotation till they have occasion to return to the Baptist, after his imprisonment (Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:27). (Instead of the words, "as it is written in the Prophets," there is weighty evidence in favor of the following reading: "As it is written in Isaiah the prophet." This reading... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:1

A. The title of the book 1:1 (cf. Luke 3:1-2)Mark may have intended this sentence to introduce the ministry of John the Baptist since that is what follows immediately. It could also refer to the inception of Jesus’ public ministry and therefore be a title of the Gospel’s introduction (Mark 1:1-13). It seems more probable, however, that this verse is a title for the whole book. It summarizes Mark’s whole Gospel. Incidentally the New Testament never uses the word "Gospel" to describe a book of... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:1-13

I. INTRODUCTION 1:1-13This opening section of the book sets the stage for the presentation of Jesus Christ as the unique Servant of the Lord. Mark omitted references to Jesus’ birth and youth. These subjects are irrelevant when presenting the life of a servant."The accent falls upon the disclosure that Jesus is the Messiah, the very Son of God, whose mission is to affirm his sonship in the wilderness. His encounter with Satan provides the background for the delineation of the conflict between... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:2-3

Mark began with a quotation from the Old Testament. A proper understanding of Jesus’ ministry requires understand of prophecy concerning Messiah. He wrote literally, "It stands written" (perfect tense in the Greek text). The early Christians believed that the Old Testament was God’s authoritative Word.This quotation is a blend of words taken from the Septuagint version of Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3. Mark shaped this quotation to stress the messianic emphasis in these Old... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:2-8

1. The ministry of John the Baptist 1:2-8 (cf. Matthew 3:1-6, 11-12; Luke 3:3-6; 15-18)The writer pointed out that the ministry of Jesus’ forerunner fulfilled prophecy. It made a significant impact on those whom John contacted. [Note: For parallels between the ministries of John the Baptist and Elijah, See Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1:255-56.] Then Mark recorded the essence of John’s message. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:2-13

B. Jesus’ preparation for ministry 1:2-13Mark proceeded to record three events that the reader needs to understand to appreciate Jesus’ ministry correctly. They are John the Baptist’s ministry, Jesus’ baptism, and Jesus’ temptation. Two words that recur through this section of the text are key to understanding Mark’s emphasis: desert and the Spirit. [Note: See Frank J. Matera, "The Prologue as the Interpretive Key to Mark’s Gospel," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 34 (October... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:4

The wilderness or desert (Gr. eremos) where John ministered was dry and uninhabited. It was the wilderness of Judea west and north of the Dead Sea (Matthew 3:1).John baptized people when they gave evidence of repentance. "A baptism of repentance" means a baptism characterized by repentance. The Jews John baptized not only changed their minds, the basic meaning of metanoia, but they also changed their behavior. This is the only occurrence of metanoia in Mark. The changes were for and resulted in... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Mark 1:5

Multitudes of Jews responded enthusiastically to John’s ministry. Large crowds from southern Palestine and Jerusalem went to the Jordan River in response to his call to prepare for Messiah’s appearance. Mark’s use of "all" was hyperbolic. Every individual did not come out to John, but very many did. Those who did confessed their sins by submitting to baptism. By allowing the forerunner of Messiah to baptize them, the Jews who submitted to his baptism were pledging to receive Messiah when He... read more

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