A. D. 26. 5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did • Lev. 11. 22. eatlocusts and wild honey; f John 1. 27. Acts 13. 25. g Acts 1. 5. & 11. 16. h Isai. 44. 3. 7 and preached, saying, "There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 § I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 9 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of 1 Cor. 12. 13. John in Jordan. & 11. 15, 16. A. D. 27. 30th Year of our 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a John 1.32. dove descending upon Him : Lord's life. 2 Or, cloven, or, rent. k Ps. 2. 7. ch. 9. 7. 11 and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. other words St. John's baptism was the sign of both sanctifying and justifying grace. Yet Christian baptism has a higher promise yet (See on St. Matt. iii. 11.). 5. "All the land of Judea." Perhaps we do not always remember what a very great religious movement, or 'revival' (to use a word sometimes applied to religious movements), this was. It appears to have stirred the people very deeply, though the chief priests and Pharisees were too proud to yield to it. Observe how carefully the Baptist guarded against any wild and self-deluding fancies by the practical advice he gave to those who came to him (St. Luke iii. 10-14.). 9-11. The Baptism of Christ. St. Matt. iii. 13-17. St. Luke iii. 21, 22. 9. "Jesus came." Thus is the Lord first introduced by St. Mark. He comes forward, in the ripeness of full age, to be proclaimed by the voice from heaven as the "Beloved Son." Little encouragement is given in the Gospels to that curious spirit, which would take delight in dwelling upon the early years of Jesus, and which gave rise, in primitive times, to a false Gospel of the Childhood' of our Lord. The Holy Ghost knew that such records would only draw away the mind from the great work of the Redeemer. Therefore this veil over His earlier years. 10. "Opened." St. Mark uses a stronger word here than that used by St. Matthew and St. Luke. It means literally cleft' or 'rent 'asunder.' 12 ¶ And immediately the spirit driveth Him into A. D. 27. the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him. A.D. 28. king-of our 14 ¶ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the dom of God, the 15 and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 16 Now as He walked by the sea of Galilee, He 12, 13. The Temptation. St. Matt. iv. 1-11. St. Luke iv. 1-13. 32nd Year Lord's life. Dan. 9. 25, Eph. 1. 10. Gal. 4. 4. m Matt. 3. 2. 12. "Immediately." This is a very common word with St. Mark, who passes rapidly, as if full of eagerness in the telling of his story, from one point to another. "Driveth." This is one of St. Mark's strong vigorous words. 13. "With the wild beasts." This is named only by St. Mark. The lions touched not Daniel because God sent His Angel and shut their mouths so that they should not hurt him. Now the wild beasts know the presence of their Lord and Creator, and obey His will. 14-20. The beginning of Christ's Ministry, and St. Matt. iv. 12-25. St. Luke v. 1—11. 15. "The time is fulfilled." That is, the set time of waiting and preparation, the time of God's sending His servants the prophets, the time of the old covenant. And now God is about to speak to us by a "Son" (Heb. i. 1, 2.). "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Christ takes up the preaching of the Baptist (See on St. Matt. iii. 2.). He is in truth His own Forerunner, for His earlier teaching is ever preparing the way for His later. Yet a new word is even now added: " Repent, and believe." Doubtless, when "Repent" alone was the Baptist's cry, some faith was also supposed and doubtless also the preaching of faith always supposes a true repentance: for the two-repentance and faith-are inseparably joined together. Yet the "Believe" must ever come more and more to the front, as the Object of all living faith becomes more and more revealed. True, it is not yet, Believe in Me,' but they that believed "the gospel of the kingdom" would not be long in learning to believe in the King. 14. "The gospel of the kingdom of God." See on St. Matt. iv. 23. A. D. 28. saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. Matt. 19.27. 18 And straightway "they forsook their nets, and followed Him. Luke 4. 31. 19 And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. : 20 And straightway He called them and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after Him. Matt. 4. 13. 21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. 66 16. Casting a net into the sea." No need to leave our daily calling and labour to find Jesus. Let us do our duty where God has placed us, as unto Him, and lo! Jesus will find us. If He wants us elsewhere, He will call us away. If not, He will stay with us. 17. "Fishers of men." It is a common remark, but one not the less worth thinking about, that those who were called to do the grandest work, to make the profoundest changes, and to found the most wonderful society, the world has ever known, were simple men, taken from an ordinary and humble calling. Their success owed nothing to worldly aids. Its secret lay not in the wisdom, or wealth, or rank, or influence, of those who won it. What else then could have gained such great triumphs with such small means, save the power of an Almighty Arm? That these fishermen did not wholly give up all connection with their former trade we may gather from the fact that after the Resurrection they returned to it for a little while (See on St. John xxi. 3.). 20. "With the hired servants." This is an addition given by St. Mark, and very probably learnt by him from St. Peter's lips. We see from this hint that the fishermen were not of the very poorest, though their possessing their own boats, and employing hired servants, do not imply more than that they were prospering in their trade. 21-28. The casting out of a devil in the synagogue at Capernaum. St. Luke iv. 33-37. 21. "On the sabbath day." It was our Lord's custom to attend the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath. He ever showed a pattern of respect for the national Church and services. We here see Him stand forth as the great Prophet, teaching with an authority which astonished His hearers (See on St. Matt. iv. 23. and vii. 28.). 22 PAnd they were astonished at His doctrine: for A. D. 28. He taught them as one that had authority, and not P Matt. 7. 28. as the scribes. 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, Let us alone; a what have we to do Matt. 8. 29. with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God. r 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy' peace, and come out of him. 8 r ver. 31. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, ch. 9. 20. and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him. 28 And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. 23. "A man with an unclean spirit." No doubt this man was not at all times violent, or he would not have been in the synagogue. It was the presence of Christ, which caused the evil spirit to cry out. 24. "The Holy One of God." The testimony which evil spirits bore to our Lord's Person and character is very remarkable. They plainly possessed a spiritual insight far beyond that of man. The presence of Christ is a trouble to them. They know His power, and holiness, and they shrink and cower before Him. They "believe and tremble" (St. James ii. 19.). He has but now conquered their prince; and they may well ask, "Art Thou come to destroy us?" But not them as yet, only their works. They are reserved "unto the judgment of the great day" (St. Jude 6.), but "for this purpose the Son of God was mani"fested that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 St. John iii. 8.). We may behold in these evil spirits, who knew and acknowledged Christ, the picture of that character which is most hateful to God,-namely, knowledge without love, or outward acknowledgment of Christ with inward hatred of His holiness. 25. "Hold thy peace." Christ will not accept the witness of evil. It might have been a stumbling-block to some, if He had suffered His power and His holiness to be proclaimed by devils, besides that many would have declared such witness to be lying witness. 28. "Torn him." This does not mean wounded him,' but simply 'convulsed him,' or 'threw him into a fit.' 27. "They were all amazed." It seems that as yet the Pharisees had not begun to find fault with our Lord for His miracles of mercy performed on the Sabbath (See St. Matt. xii. 10.). 23. "An unclean spirit." See on St. Matt. viii. 28. A. D. 28. 29 ¶ And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell Him of her. 31 And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not 16. 17, 18. the devils 2 to speak, because they knew Him. t ch. 3. 12. See Acts 2 Or, to say that they knew him. 35¶ And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 29-34. Healing of Simon's wife's mother, and many others. St. Matt. viii. 14-17. St. Luke iv. 38-41. 29. "The house of Simon and Andrew." Though natives of Bethsaida (St. John i. 44.), these brothers seem to have removed to Capernaum, which was not far off, and made that place their home, so far as they could call any place 'home.' Possibly St. Peter's wife's family belonged to Capernauin. 31. "He took her by the hand." St. Matthew has simply "touched "her hand," so that we may gather that He took her hand lightly, and not so as to use any force in raising her up, this being the simple result of His miraculous healing. 33. "All the city was gathered together at the door." This is one of St. Mark's little descriptive touches, which add so much force to his style. Here too again we can well understand that, if he were not eye-witness of the scene himself, he knew it, as it were, by heart from the lips of one who was (See on Title.). No doubt the fame of the earlier miracles, especially of that in the synagogue, collected so large a multitude together to St. Peter's house. There they would probably soon hear of the new miracle, and perhaps see St. Peter's mother-in-law at the door. Probably our Lord passed about among the crowd in the street, laying His healing Hands on the sick, and casting out devils, until it was too dark to go on. 35-39. Christ retires to pray, and preaches throughout Galilee. St. Luke iv. 42—44. 35. "A great while before day." Blessed are they who, like their 34. "Suffered not the devils to speak." See on 25. |