Mark 1
COMMENTARY:
: 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but HE shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (907 “baptize” [baptize] means to cause to be engulfed or plunged into something (whether literal or figurative), cause religious experience, to wash, to ceremonially cleanse, to show purity and initiation into Christ through repentance, or involving special manifestation of God’s power and presence.)
DEVOTION: John was to introduce his cousin to the rest of the world. He was given that assignment before he was born. The prophets told of this responsibility. He preached a message of repentance and baptized many. He lived in poor circumstances. Dressed according to the prophets dress of the time. He told everyone that he was a messenger sent from God to introduce the Messiah.
He knew the difference between his ministry and that of the Messiah. He knew that he had met the Messiah before he was born because he jumped in the womb of his mother when Mary came to visit them with Jesus in the womb of Mary.
He knew the difference between the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One was outward and the other inward. He could only baptize with water people who gave a testimony that they had repented of their sins. Jesus knew the heart of those who were being baptized as to whether it was genuine or not. If it was genuine there would be an internal baptism with the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came on people and left them. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit only enters believers and stays with them until they die or the LORD returns.
John knew that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was more enduring. He knew that Jesus would be greater than him. He was a voice in the wilderness. We sometimes feel that we might be a voice in the wilderness of our world but that is what we are called to do.
CHALLENGE: We have to spread the message of the LORD. The LORD provides the power to be the witness HE wants us to be if we will yield to the Holy Spirit.
: 34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. (1492 “knew” [oida] means understand, possess information about, comprehend the meaning of something, honor, perceive, recognize, or remember.)
DEVOTION: We have learned that the word used for “devils” really means one of his fallen angels. They are part of Satan’s army that possess a person causing him/her to act differently depending on their pleasure. These fallen angels can cause sickness, blindness, madness, and many other problems in those possessed.
Now we have to realize that even the fallen angels were created before the foundation of the world. All of the angels knew who Jesus was because HE is God as well. All three persons of the Godhead were known by all the angels for a time period before they followed Satan in his rebellion against the LORD.
Satan thought he could revolt against God and he lost. Now he and those who followed him which is thought to be about one third of the angels are still trying to hurt the plans of the Godhead. The reality of their plan was prone to fail. God always wins.
So when Jesus casts out the demons HE doesn’t allow them to talk because HE is still in the beginning part of HIS ministry. HE doesn’t want to give them a voice.
Demon possession is still happening today. Too often we don’t realize it is happening even here in America. We think it is only happening on other continents. There are many here that think it is good to worship the devil. This gives an opportunity for his angels to possess and use them to discredit those who are followers of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Know the enemies we are fighting each day. The three are the world, the flesh and the devil.
: 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (2048 “solitary” [eremos] means lonely, desolate, uninhabited, or wilderness.)
DEVOTION: As we start another Gospel we find the John the Baptist introducing the LORD. He not only introduces HIM but baptizes HIM. Then comes the temptation of Satan. From that point on Jesus starts HIS public ministry.
That public ministry starts in HIS home town. HE enters the synagogue and teaches them the Word of God with authority. They are all amazed. While HE is teaching a demon possessed man enters the synagogue and the demon speaks to Jesus. He questions Jesus on why HE is there now. Jesus tells him to hold his speech. Isn’t it amazing that the demons understood who Jesus was and yet the religious leaders did not. Also the demons are referred to as male all the time in Scripture. They referred to Jesus as the Holy One.
Next HE heals Simon’s mother-in-law, then a crowd who were sick and demon possessed. It was a long day.
The next morning, Jesus goes away from the crowd to a place to be alone. What does HE do? HE prays!! Why? HE renews HIS power by being in the presence of the Father. HE sets an example for us to follow. When we are busy we need to take time to be alone with the LORD.
The disciples find HIM and tell him everyone is looking for HIM. Why? They want healing. Jesus tells the disciples HE is moving on to a new location.
We learned just a couple of verse above this that HE was hungry after fasted for forty days. We would be hungry too. HE had been using HIS energy to heal the sick. HE had been using HIS energy to cast out demons. [Side note: there is only one devil- the word here is demon or one of the fallen angels who fell with Satan or the Devil or the Accuser of the Brethren].
We need to get alone with the Father on a daily basis to have a conversation with HIM. Sometimes people want to call HIM “Daddy” but we don’t think that is a right term to use in relationship to the Father. We call HIM Father because HE provided us with salvation through HIS Son, Jesus Christ.
We need to pray or have conversation with HIM. In our prayers we need to remember that the Scriptures teach that we address the Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name. We don’t have to repeat any name in our prayers. We don’t when we are talking with our friends. We also need to remember that Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. We need to remember that we need our alone time with God but we also need our together time with the saints each Sunday. Both solitude and church are commanded by God in the Bible.
CHALLENGE: Get alone with God often to find out what HE wants you to do with your life. Make a special effort this week. Just do it!!!
: 38 And HE said to them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also for therefore came I forth. (2784 “preach” [kerusso] means publish, proclaim, herald, to make known publicly and loudly, or tell.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was training HIS disciples to be individuals who traveled from village to village proclaiming the message of the LORD. HE was showing by example what they would be commanded to do the rest of their lives.
HE came with a purpose. HE came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Each individual has an opportunity to become a follower of the LORD. The choice is theirs. God knows before the foundation of the world who would become believers. Most of those who have lived from the beginning of time have rejected the message of the LORD.
Jesus knew this fact but still went from village to village preaching a message that HE knew would mostly be rejected but HE still did it. Remember HE only had three years to train HIS disciples in what HE expected of them.
Why are we here? It is to honor and glorify the LORD with our gifts. Each of us has a responsibility in the local church but we also have a general responsibility to reach all those in our world for the LORD.
Your witness is important to your neighbors and friends and relatives.
CHALLENGE: We are to reach all we can for the LORD. That is why HE came and we are to follow HIS example.
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