What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
The Authority of Jesus: Exploring Mark Chapter 1
Have you ever wondered what made Jesus' teaching style so revolutionary that even demons trembled at his words? The Gospel of Mark offers us a front-row seat to the explosive launch of Jesus' ministry, and today's study takes us deep into Mark chapter 1.
We begin by uncovering who Mark was - not just a name on a gospel, but a Jewish man from a prominent Jerusalem family who likely witnessed Jesus firsthand, saw the crucifixion, and walked with the apostles. This unique perspective qualified him to pen one of history's most important accounts.
Mark wastes no time with lengthy introductions. After briefly touching on John the Baptist's ministry and Jesus' baptism, he thrusts us into the heart of Jesus' work in Galilee. What immediately stands out is the stark contrast between Jesus' teaching and that of the religious scholars. While scribes taught as those who had studied scripture, Jesus taught as its author. This authority extended beyond words - when Jesus commanded unclean spirits, they had no choice but to obey the same voice that spoke creation into existence.
Perhaps most captivating is Jesus' encounter with a leper. When this outcast approaches with profound faith - "If you will, you can make me clean" - Jesus responds with both compassion and power. The healed man's inability to contain his testimony despite Jesus' instructions reveals our all-too-human struggle: even after experiencing divine transformation, we still wrestle with complete obedience.
Whether you're new to biblical study or a seasoned scholar, this episode offers fresh insights into Jesus' character, authority, and heart for humanity. Subscribe now and join us next time as we continue our journey through Mark's gospel!
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll and this is what Do I Know? All right, in today's Bible study we are going to be starting the book of Mark. So who's Mark and what gave him the ability to write the gospel? Well, the first time we hear about Mark is actually in Acts, acts the 12th chapter. When Peter's been arrested and he's in prison sleeping between two guards and an angel, he comes and delivers Peter out of the prison. When he gets outside and the angel disappears, he realizes he's not in the vision and he goes to a woman's house and the woman is the mother of a man named John, who they call Mark. Now we understand that they lived in Jerusalem, that Peter knew the family so well that he knew that the people would be there praying for him, would be at her house. So it gives you a little understanding of who Mark is.
Speaker 1:Jewish man live in a prominent house in Jerusalem. He would have known Jesus if he knew the apostles a prominent house in Jerusalem. He would have known Jesus if he knew the apostles. He was a believer in Jesus because if he was a Jew living in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a firsthand experience with Jesus to believe in him. So he would have lived in the time of Jesus, he would have saw Jesus, he would have known Jesus, he would have saw the crucifixion. He walked with the apostles. He had a very unique life that gave him a perspective to be able to write the gospel. All right, so let's begin in Mark 1.
Speaker 1:The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In the wilderness and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and he wore a leather belt around his waist and he ate locusts and wild honey and he preached, saying After me comes he who is mightier than I and the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit In those days. Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan, and when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven you are, my beloved Son, with you. I am well pleased. The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and the angels were ministering to him.
Speaker 1:Now, after John was arrested, jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. Passing alongside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen, and Jesus said to them Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going a little further, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them and they left their father, zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants and they followed him and they went into Capernaum and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were all astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit and he cried out what have you to do with us, jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him, saying Be silent and come out of him. The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him and they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying what is this? A new teaching with authority, he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.
Speaker 1:And at once his fame spread everywhere, through all the surrounding regions of Galilee. And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a fever and immediately they told him about her and he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her and she began to serve them that evening. At sundown they brought to him all who were sick and oppressed with demons and that whole city was gathered together at the door and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and he cast out many demons and he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him. After rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went to a desolate place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with him searched for him and they found him and said to him Everyone is looking for him. And he said to them and he went through all the Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Speaker 1:All right, let's stop here at verse 39. All right, we see Mark is focusing his gospel on the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. He only gives us a little small, a little foreknowledge of John and Jesus being baptized and going out into the wilderness, but he really focuses on the beginning of Jesus' ministry, how he calls his disciples and how he teaches. And when he teaches he teaches with authority, not as a scribe. Now, what is a scribe?
Speaker 1:A scribe is those guys that would. Their whole job was to copy the Bible so they would read and then they would copy, word for word, everything their Bible, the Judean Bible, the scrolls that they had, the same Old Testament books that we have. They had, and their job was to write those down, to copy them so that there would be more prints. They don't have copy machines like we do today, so they would actually, word for word, write this down. They would do it every day. So they had a really acute knowledge of the scriptures. And when they taught, they taught as one knowing what the word said. Jesus taught as one who wrote the Bible. When they taught, they taught one who had read it. So there was a very big difference in the teaching styles between the two. They were well accustomed to the scribes' teachings, but when Jesus came it was completely different and he spoke with authority, even to the point where he would cast out demons.
Speaker 1:Now understand something there's obviously an opposition between the light and the dark and the demons. They said what do we have to do with you, jesus? We know who you are, the Holy One. The dark and the demons. They said what do we have to do with you, jesus? We know who you are, the Holy One of God, and Jesus has the authority, the power in his word to cast these demons out, these unclean spirits out of people. Remember, it was the same word, the same power that Jesus spoke these beings into existence. So of course they have no choice but to obey when he commands them. When he speaks, there's power. All right, let's continue at verse 40.
Speaker 1:And a leper came to him, employing him, kneeling. He said to him if you will, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him If you will, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him I will be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once and said to him See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing, what Moses commanded for a proof to them. But he went out and began to talk freely about it and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town but was out in desolate places and people were going out to him from every quarter. All right, that is the end of Mark 1. So let's talk about the leper Now I think the leper story is a beautiful story and it's one that really highlights the compassion of Jesus.
Speaker 1:Jesus knew that leper was going to spread word about him and make his ministry harder, but he had compassion for him. Now let's think about this for a second. The leper came to Jesus and he says if you're willing, you can make me clean. So he already had the knowledge that Jesus could make him clean, because he didn't say if you can make me clean, or he says, you can make me clean, god's will.
Speaker 1:Jesus goes to God in the Garden of Gethsemane and says not my will, your will be done. This man comes in a very humble way to Jesus and he kneels down on his knees and he says if you're willing, you can make me clean. Jesus, moved with compassion, says I am willing. And he puts his hands on him and he cleanses him from his leprosy, changes his whole life, so much so this man cannot keep quiet but goes out and testifies to the whole world about it.
Speaker 1:But at the same time, the same Jesus who had just cleansed him had gave him an order. It wasn't a command, it was an order. He gave him an order saying go and show yourself to the priest and tell no one about it. So in one sense, he wants to honor God with what God has done. He can barely contain himself but at the same time he disobeys Jesus. It's just another example of how we fail as believers. It's a beautiful story of the compassion of God and the desire of someone who's been touched by Jesus to proclaim it to everyone. At the same time, we fail in what we're asked to do. All right, I'm going to end this one here. We'll be in Mark 2 in our next Bible study. Until then, god bless you guys. I love you, goodbye.