What Jesus Did

But Jesus reprimanded [the evil spirit]. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

—Mark 1:25-26 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus had power over the evil one and the vile power he seeks to wield. Jesus defeated the evil one during the temptation in the wilderness. He defeated him in every encounter during his life. Most gloriously, he defeated him in the place of Satan's greatest power...

 

Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!"

—Mark 1:23-24 NLT

Key Thought


One of the things that we will see again and again in the Gospel of Mark is that the demons know who Jesus is: He is the Son of God. The demons know he is more powerful than they: He casts them out, and they obey his commands. Jesus is...

 

Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority — quite unlike the teachers of religious law.

—Mark 1:21-22 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus went to church! Well, not exactly church as we know it, but he did go to the assembly of God's people at the synagogue. Weren't hypocrites, sinners, and worse there in those meetings? Yes...

 

A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

—Mark 1:19-20 NLT

Key Thought


There is a cost to following Jesus. Some people won't understand. Some of those who won't understand may even be in our own families. However, we are called to follow, knowing that others we love might not be willing to face...

 

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him.

—Mark 1:16-18 NLT

Key Thought


I don't know about you, but I love to fish. However, fishing is a hobby, not my livelihood. Jesus used a figure of speech to compare Simon...

 

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God's Good News. "The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"

—Mark 1:14-15 NLT

Key Thought


Mark wanted us to see that Jesus' baptism by John, Jesus' temptations in the wilderness, and John's arrest led to the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Jesus went to Galilee, the place of ministry in Mark's Gospel. He...

 

The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.

—Mark 1:12-13 NLT

Key Thought


When you feel alone, abandoned, and under attack, where do you turn for help? Jesus trusted in his relationship with his Father. He was being led by the Spirit. However, this passage reminds us of a truth we often forget: God does send his angels to help his faithful...

 

The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,...

—Mark 1:12 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus was led and guided by the Holy Spirit — in both good times and bad times. Just as Jesus went to face temptation in the wilderness immediately after his baptism, we too find ourselves in powerful temptation struggles after a major spiritual experience, a deepened spiritual commitment, or a special time of devotion. This temptation does not mean the Holy Spirit has abandoned us...

 

And a voice from heaven said [to Jesus following his baptism], "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."

—Mark 1:11 NLT

Key Thought


Isn't this what we all need to hear from the ones we love the most? Look at what was being said: "I claim you as my child! I love you! I am completely pleased with you!" The Father shared these incredible affirmations with his Son. In the subsequent verses, Jesus will face the temptations of Satan in the wilderness armed...

 

As Jesus came up out of the water [after his baptism], he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.

—Mark 1:10 NLT

Key Thought


Something dramatic, earthshaking, and eternally significant happened in Jesus' baptism. All who witnessed this event, and all of us who read about it, can't escape the power and significance of this moment. The heavens were torn apart (Mark 1:10 NRSV). The distance between God in heaven and mortals was...