Bible Study -
Mark 1:16 - 39
Notes & Commentary
Mark 1:16 - 39
¶1: Jesus calls the fishermen (1:16 – 20)
Galilee was a region in northern Palestine, distinct from Judea both geographically and culturally. It was bordered on three sides by non-Jewish territories—the Decapolis, Samaria, and Phoenicia—making it a crossroads of imperial trade routes and cultural influence. One of its major cities was Sepphoris, a Greco-Roman cultural and administrative center located approximately 6.5 kilometers from Nazareth. During Jesus’ lifetime, Sepphoris had recently been destroyed by the Romans and was undergoing extensive reconstruction, likely creating demand for skilled labor in nearby villages such as Nazareth. Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas, a client ruler loyal to Rome, whose administration shaped the region’s economy, particularly through taxation and trade. Jews from Judea often regarded Galileans with suspicion or contempt, viewing them as religiously compromised due to their proximity to Gentile populations and exposure to Hellenistic culture.
The Sea of Galilee—also known in the Old Testament as the Sea of Chinnereth—is a freshwater lake approximately 21 kilometers long and up to 11 kilometers wide, situated about 211 meters below sea level. It was well known for its abundant fish and supported a thriving fishing and export industry that sustained much of the surrounding population. The lake’s geography made it vulnerable to sudden and violent storms caused by atmospheric downdrafts from the surrounding hills, a danger familiar to those who lived and worked in the region. In the biblical imagination, large bodies of water are often associated with chaos and unpredictability, a symbolic association present in various biblical texts (see Isaiah 9:1).
Fishing and fishermen played a central role in Galilee’s economy, with many families relying on fish—along with wheat and barley—for daily sustenance. Fishing was a skilled trade rather than untrained labor, requiring physical strength, endurance, and technical knowledge. Fishermen worked from oar-powered boats and used a variety of nets, including casting nets, drag nets, and trammel nets, each suited to different conditions and types of catch. The work involved long hours and careful coordination, often at night, and required continual maintenance of equipment. The phrase “mending their nets” (literally “preparing” them) refers not only to repairing tears but also to washing, drying, folding, and readying the nets for future use. Fishing businesses could vary in size, and the mention of hired servants in Zebedee’s household suggests a relatively established and profitable family enterprise. Leaving such work meant economic uncertainty and social disruption, as family businesses were central to stability and identity. In the Old Testament, fishing imagery could be used metaphorically for judgment, as in Jeremiah 16:16–18, where “fishers” are sent to gather people for accountability before God.
A disciple was literally a “follower” who attached himself to a teacher in order to learn his way of life. In Jewish rabbinic practice, disciples normally chose their own teachers after careful consideration, since discipleship often involved significant personal and economic cost. Jesus’ approach deviates from the norm: He does not wait to be chosen but directly calls His followers, exercising an authority that mirrors Old Testament prophetic call narratives, where God Himself initiates the call (for example, Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19–21).
Family was the primary social and economic unit, and honoring one’s parents was a core commandment of the Law (Exodus 20:12). To leave one’s family business and daily responsibilities was therefore a radical act.
Commentary
Jesus’ ministry begins with the proclamation of the good news of the kingdom (1:15), calling people to repent and believe. Immediately, Mark provides a concrete picture of what repentance and belief look like in action.
The first thing Jesus does as His ministry unfolds is to call people to follow Him. He sees individuals and personally summons them into relationship with Himself. Unlike the rabbis of His day, Jesus does not wait for people to seek Him out; He takes the initiative and calls them authoritatively. His invitation is not primarily to study the Law or master religious traditions, but to be with Him—to know Him—and to be shaped by Him for His mission.
Mark offers no explanation for why these fishermen respond so immediately. All the emphasis falls on the nature of the call itself and the response it demands. Jesus comes with great authority and when He calls, the only fitting response is unhesitant obedience. The repeated attention to what they leave behind—nets, boats, family, livelihood—underscores the radical nature of discipleship. To perceive the kingdom of God rightly is to recognize its surpassing worth, making everything else secondary.
This scene embodies repentance and belief. Repentance involves leaving behind former ways of life, allegiances, and securities; belief involves entrusting oneself fully to Jesus. When the kingdom of God comes near, it demands nothing less than a decisive reorientation of life. Yet those who respond are not merely called away from something—they are called into transformation. In the kingdom, disciples are reshaped by the One they follow.
Jesus’ call is also a call to be sent. As they follow Him, the fishermen are given a new identity: they are to become “fishers of people.” Discipleship and mission are therefore inseparable. To follow Jesus is to be drawn into His work of gathering others into the life of God’s kingdom.
When Jesus calls them to become “fishers of people,” He speaks in a metaphor drawn directly from their world. As fishermen, they would have immediately grasped the image of gathering, drawing in, and bringing out from danger, with the sea often symbolizing chaos and threat in Scripture. In Israel’s Scriptures, fishing imagery is often associated with divine judgment, as God “catches” His people to confront them with their sin and hold them accountable (for example, Jeremiah 16:16). Jesus’ use of this language therefore carries weight and urgency. Yet in calling these men to fish for people, He reorients the image toward salvation. They are to warn of coming judgment while at the same time drawing people into the safety and life of God’s kingdom. Their task will be to gather people to Jesus, where judgment is met with mercy and exile gives way to restoration.
It is striking whom Jesus chooses. He does not begin with religious authorities, social elites, or the influential. Instead, He calls ordinary people whose defining characteristic is not qualification but willingness. Mark presents this as a hallmark of the kingdom: God’s reign advances not through human status or achievement, but through responsive obedience to Jesus’ call.
At its heart, the kingdom of God is communal. Jesus’ first act is to gather a people to be with Him. This reflects the ultimate purpose of the kingdom itself—life with the King. This community is formed by repentance and faith, shaped by obedience, and centered around Jesus. As these first disciples follow Him, they are transformed into witnesses who proclaim both the seriousness of God’s judgment and the invitation to life in His kingdom.
When Jesus says, “Come, follow me,” people leave everything behind. The good news is that what they leave in repentance and faith is replaced by something far greater: entrance into the kingdom of God—a kingdom marked by authority, transformation, purpose, and life.
¶2: Jesus teaches with authority (1:21 – 28)
Tissot
Capernaum (literally “the village of Nahum”) was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, approximately 200 meters below sea level and a few kilometers west of the Upper Jordan River. Established in the second century BC, it became an important economic and trade center in northern Galilee due to its strategic location. Capernaum lay along the Via Maris, a major trade route connecting the Mediterranean coast with Damascus, and near the border between the territories of Herod Antipas and Philip. This location contributed to its relative prosperity and explains the presence of both a toll station and Roman military oversight. The town’s population in the first century is commonly estimated at around 1,500 inhabitants.
The Sabbath was established by God as a sign of His covenant with Israel and functioned as a weekly expression of trust in His rule and provision. Rooted in God’s rest after creation, the Sabbath marked Israel as a people set apart for Him and pointed forward to the rest associated with God’s kingdom. Observance began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. By ceasing from ordinary labor, Israel acknowledged dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency. By the time of Jesus, teachers of the law had developed detailed traditions defining what constituted work, seeking to safeguard proper observance of the commandment (see Exodus 20:8–11; Isaiah 58).
Synagogues (literally “gathering places”) were central to Jewish religious, social, and educational life. Unlike the Jerusalem temple, which was the sole location for sacrifice, synagogues functioned as local centers for prayer, Scripture reading, and instruction. They played a crucial role in preserving Jewish identity, particularly in regions distant from Jerusalem. Each synagogue was overseen by a ruler, typically a respected member of the community, who was responsible for organization and order. Visiting teachers were often invited to read from Scripture and offer instruction, especially on the Sabbath. In first-century Galilean synagogues, teaching commonly took place with listeners seated on the floor.
Scribes were trained specialists in the study, copying, interpretation, and application of the Law. Their role developed significantly after the Babylonian exile, particularly through figures such as Ezra, and they came to be regarded as authoritative interpreters of Scripture. Scribes were responsible for preserving tradition, adjudicating legal questions, and instructing the people in faithful obedience to the Law. Their authority was largely derived from established interpretations and precedents handed down through earlier teachers and oral tradition.
Unclean spirits were associated with impurity, disorder, and separation from community life. Those afflicted by such spirits were often cut off from normal participation in worship and social relationships. In the ancient world, spirits were commonly believed to possess supernatural knowledge, and naming or identifying a spiritual opponent was thought to confer a degree of control or resistance. Exorcistic practices typically involved rituals, incantations, or appeals to higher powers. In the Old Testament, direct accounts of relief from harmful spirits are rare, with the most notable example being David’s music easing Saul’s torment (1 Samuel 16:14–23). This background helps explain why Jesus’ manner of commanding unclean spirits—without ritual, invocation, or appeal to another authority—stood out as unusual and significant.
Commentary
Jesus has gathered His first disciples, whom He will teach and lead, and Mark now presents a scene that highlights the nature of His authority. It is the Sabbath—a day set apart for encountering God, remembering His covenant, and resting in His rule. On this sacred day, Jesus enters the synagogue in Capernaum and teaches, announcing through His words and actions that God’s kingdom has come near.
From Mark 1:15, we already know the substance of Jesus’ message: the kingdom of God is at hand, and people must repent and believe. This message fulfills Old Testament promises, yet when Jesus teaches, it is received as something radically new. He authoritatively announces a new era in God’s work. Unlike the scribes, who grounded their teaching in accumulated tradition and the authority of earlier teachers, Jesus speaks with direct authority. He does not merely interpret God’s word; He announces and embodies God’s reign. The people sense that something new is taking place, and their astonishment reflects the arrival of a long-awaited moment in God’s purposes.
Jesus’ mission to teach and call people to discipleship is immediately tested. In the synagogue, a man with an unclean spirit cries out, revealing the presence of spiritual disorder within a space devoted to worship and instruction. The setting itself heightens the shock of the encounter. The synagogue was meant to be a place of devotion to God, yet it becomes the scene of confrontation between God’s kingdom and opposing powers.
Mark presents this moment as an early indication that the arrival of God’s reign necessarily exposes and confronts what stands in opposition to it. It may even function as a quiet critique of the spiritual condition of God’s people at this time, underscoring the need for a deeper cleansing—one that only God’s kingdom can bring. As Jesus teaches, His ministry is interrupted by an unclean spirit, signaling a direct spiritual confrontation. The spirit publicly questions Jesus’ purpose—“Have you come to destroy us?”—casting His mission in terms of threat rather than salvation. This moment anticipates a recurring tension in Mark’s Gospel: Jesus’ presence exposes evil, but His authority is often misunderstood or misdirected, shifting attention from His message to His power.
The unclean spirit recognizes Jesus and attempts to assert itself by naming Him—a gesture reflecting ancient assumptions that naming could confer power or resistance. Jesus, however, does not engage the spirit on its own terms. Without ritual, incantation, or appeal to another authority, He rebukes the spirit and commands it to leave. His authority is immediate and decisive. In this act, Jesus—the Holy One of God—demonstrates power to cleanse what is unclean, a capacity associated in Israel’s Scriptures with God Himself. The spirit departs, and the man who was bound is now free. The kingdom of God advances as the power of darkness retreats, fulfilling prophetic hopes such as Zechariah 13, which anticipates a day when God will cleanse the land of unclean spirits.
Jesus also commands the unclean spirit to be silent, reflecting a recurring pattern in Mark’s Gospel often described as the “messianic secret.” Jesus does not allow His identity to be proclaimed prematurely or through hostile witnesses. Recognition of who He is must unfold through His ministry and, ultimately, through the path that leads to the cross.
This act of liberation confirms what the people have already sensed in Jesus’ teaching. His authority is not theoretical or rhetorical; it is effective. His word confronts disorder and restores wholeness. The crowd’s astonishment frames the episode from beginning to end, emphasizing its central claim: Jesus teaches with authority, and His authority is demonstrated through action.
As news of this event spreads rapidly throughout the region, Mark leaves the reader with a clear impression. Wherever Jesus goes, the kingdom of God advances. His word carries authority over people and over the forces that oppose God’s purposes. This is the good news announced at the outset of the Gospel: God’s reign has broken into the world through Jesus, and nothing remains untouched by His authority
¶3: Jesus heals many (1:29 – 34)
John Bridges
In first-century Galilee, households were commonly organized as extended family units that provided economic stability and mutual care. Newly married couples often lived within the groom’s family home, resulting in multigenerational living arrangements. The reference to Simon’s mother-in-law living in the household reflects a culturally typical family structure in this context.
Galilean homes were generally modest in size, often consisting of a single main room. Several homes commonly opened onto a shared courtyard, which functioned as a communal space for daily activities. These courtyards typically included millstones for grinding grain, hearths for cooking, hand-presses for food preparation, and stairways leading to flat rooftops, which could be used for storage, work, or additional living space. The close proximity of dwellings and shared courtyards helps explain how news could spread quickly and why crowds could easily gather at a single household.
In the ancient world, fever was often understood not merely as a symptom of illness but as a distinct affliction with religious and theological significance. Biblical texts such as Leviticus 26:14–16 and Deuteronomy 28:15–22 associate fever with covenant curse and divine judgment, shaping how illness was perceived within Israel’s worldview. Because of this, healing a fever was often seen as requiring divine intervention rather than simple medical treatment. Rabbinic traditions from this period reflect this perspective, including a saying that regarded the curing of a fever as a greater act than the deliverance of Daniel’s companions from the fiery furnace.
Commentary
Jesus continues to demonstrate the authority of the kingdom of God as it breaks into the world. His authority extends not only over unclean spirits but also over sickness, which belongs to the brokenness of life east of Eden and, within Israel’s Scriptures, is sometimes associated with covenant curse (Leviticus 26:14–16). As God’s reign advances, disorder and decay give way to restoration, life, and wholeness.
The healing of Simon’s mother-in-law brings this kingdom authority into the intimacy of everyday life. Jesus’ power is not exercised only in public spaces or dramatic confrontations but is revealed within the home. Although Simon has left his family to follow Jesus, this scene shows that those connected to him are not neglected. Jesus’ authority is not distant or domineering; it is marked by care and compassion. He takes her by the hand and raises her up, acting with a directness and tenderness that distinguish His healing from the techniques and rituals commonly associated with healers of the time. His authority flows from who He is, not from external power or incantation.
The language Mark uses to describe the healing is striking. Jesus “raises” her up, a verb that will later carry resurrection overtones in the Gospel. At this early stage, the emphasis is on complete restoration: the fever leaves her immediately, and she is returned fully to life and strength. Yet for readers who have been alerted from the beginning to hear this story through the voice of Isaiah (1:2–3), this act also carries deeper resonance. Isaiah speaks of the servant through whom God’s salvation will come, a figure who bears sickness and suffering as part of God’s redemptive work (Isaiah 53:4). Mark does not explain this connection here, but he allows the story itself to begin giving narrative shape to that prophetic hope. Each act of healing anticipates the greater work Jesus will accomplish through suffering and death, as God’s kingdom confronts the forces that lead toward decay and death and replaces it with restoration and life.
Her response confirms the completeness of the healing – she begins at once to serve. This highlights two key truths: first, the totality of her healing—she is not merely improved but fully restored to strength. Second, her response reflects the natural outcome of encountering Jesus. When He makes us whole, He restores us to our true identity as servants in His kingdom. This theme of servanthood echoes throughout Mark’s Gospel, seen in the angels ministering to Jesus (Mark 1:13) and Jesus Himself, who came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).
That evening, after the Sabbath restrictions had ended, people from the town brought many who were sick or demon-possessed to Jesus. People from across the town bring the sick and the demon-possessed to Him, gathering at the door of Simon’s house. This is again a picture of the kingdom of the world – desperate for help and deliverance – and the good news that the kingdom has come to bring restoration and healing. What began with a single healing now extends to many. Mark presents this movement from the particular to the general: the authority displayed in the synagogue and the compassion shown in the home are shown to characterize Jesus’ ministry as a whole.
Yet even here a tension begins to emerge. Jesus’ growing fame is tied especially to His power to heal and deliver. Many come seeking relief from suffering, and rightly so. But this emphasis already hints at a potential misunderstanding of His mission. Jesus has come not only to heal physically but to proclaim the kingdom of God and call people to repentance and faith. The question that begins to surface is whether the crowds will come to Him merely for what He can do—or whether they will listen to what He has come to say and follow Him as King.
¶4: Jesus prays (1:35 – 39)
Ivan Kramskoi
Ivan Kramskoi
For background on the wilderness or solitary places, refer to the notes on Mark 1:2–3. In this passage, Jesus rises exceedingly early, long before dawn, to seek solitude and pray. This timing is significant, as people in the ancient world typically began their day at sunrise. By leaving while it was still dark, Jesus ensured uninterrupted time for communion with God before the demands of the day began.
When Jesus speaks of going to the towns, the term refers more precisely to village-towns or market towns. These settlements were larger than small villages but smaller than major cities and often functioned as local centers of trade and social interaction. Their size and location made them important gathering points within the region, helping explain why they served as strategic places for teaching and proclamation.
Commentary
In this brief but weighty scene, Mark returns us to a wilderness-like setting, echoing the earlier time of testing and temptation that Jesus faced at the outset of His ministry. Once again, Jesus encounters a moment of testing—this time through pressure to redefine His mission. Simon and his companions come searching for Him, urging Him to respond to the demands of the crowds who are seeking Him. The temptation is subtle but real: to remain in Capernaum, where His power has been welcomed and His reputation is growing, and to allow His ministry to be shaped primarily by popular demand rather than by the calling He has received from the Father—to preach the gospel throughout the towns and villages.
This moment exposes a deeper tension that runs throughout the Gospel—the pull to prioritize immediate needs and human expectations over obedience to the Father’s purpose. Jesus does not deny the value of healing or compassion, but He refuses to allow these to displace the heart of His mission. In choosing to move on, Jesus reveals the kind of king He is: one who lives in attentive submission to the Father’s will.
At the center of this scene is prayer. Mark shows that Jesus’ authority and clarity flow from His dependence on the Father. By rising early, while it is still dark, and withdrawing to pray, Jesus seeks communion with God before responding to the demands of others. Mark’s description – “rising early in the morning” – subtly echoes language he will later use in connection with the resurrection, inviting readers to see Jesus’ life, ministry, and victory as rooted in His relationship with the Father. Prayer is not an escape from mission; it is the place where mission is discerned and sustained.
Mark reinforces the importance of this moment by highlighting its timing. In a world where the day began at sunrise, Jesus’ choice to pray before dawn signals deliberate priority. Later in the Gospel, after moments of intense public ministry, Jesus will again withdraw to pray. These patterns reveal that solitude and prayer are essential for faithful obedience, especially when success and acclaim threaten to obscure God’s purpose.
Jesus’ response to the disciples makes His mission explicit. He must go on to the neighboring towns to preach, “for that is why I came out” (1:38). This is the first of three key statements in Mark about Jesus’ purpose (the others appear in Mark 2:17 and Mark 10:45). Healing and deliverance accompany His ministry, but they are signs pointing beyond themselves to the announcement of God’s kingdom. Here, the earlier question of the unclean spirits—“Have you come to destroy us?”—is implicitly answered: Jesus has come to preach the coming of the kingdom, a message of hope, restoration, and God’s reign breaking into the world.
Mark concludes this section with a summary of Jesus’ ministry: “And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39). This summary highlights the breadth of Jesus’ mission and His commitment to proclaiming the kingdom of God while demonstrating its power—bringing deliverance and victory over darkness
Summary & Application
Mark 1:16 - 39
The kingdom comes in authority
Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God is here! In this section of Mark, He immediately reveals what that kingdom is like and why its arrival is such good news. At the center of the kingdom stands its King, whose authority is unlike anything the world has known. This authority is seen as Jesus calls people to leave their old lives and follow Him, to speak with divine authority, to heal the sick, and to exercise dominion over evil spirits. The good news is that Jesus wields His authority not to dominate but to serve, bringing freedom and life to others.
Mark points us to the source of Jesus’ authority: His relationship with the Father. Jesus withdraws to pray, seeking the Father’s will and direction. His authority flows from dependence, obedience, and communion with God. Prayer is not peripheral to His ministry; it is the wellspring from which His mission and clarity emerge.
This kingdom stands in contrast to the kingdoms of the world. It brings order where there was chaos, cleanliness where there was uncleanness, and health where there was sickness. Evil is confronted and driven back, and life is restored. It is a kingdom of peace, restoration, and transformation. Its mission is clear: the proclamation of good news and the invitation for many to enter.
This passage also clarifies what it means to repent and believe in the gospel. To repent is to turn away from former allegiances and ways of life that hinder belonging to God’s kingdom. To believe is to entrust oneself fully to Jesus—to follow Him as King. Those who respond receive life, transformation, and a new purpose. They are brought into a relationship with the King who leads them faithfully and compassionately.
Finally, the actions of Jesus in this section offer a foretaste of the kingdom’s ultimate fulfillment. His healing, deliverance, and authority over evil anticipate the day when God’s reign will fully renew creation. Once the beauty of this kingdom and the character of its King are seen, Mark leaves us with a clear implication: nothing else is worth clinging to. The only fitting response is to leave everything behind and make this kingdom—and this King—our home.
Ideas About Discipleship and Service
The good news of Jesus continues to transform lives. The kingdom of God has come, and we are invited to enter it by repenting, believing, and following Jesus. This means leaving behind anything that keeps us from Him—whether security, comfort, or personal ambitions. Just as the first disciples left their nets, we too are called to trust that Jesus leads us into something far greater than what we leave behind.
What does it mean for you to repent, believe the good news, and follow Jesus today?
Are there things—even good things—you might need to leave behind in order to be with Him and obey His call?
Following Jesus is not only about personal transformation; it is also about participation in His mission. Those who are called into the kingdom are also sent. Jesus makes His disciples into “fishers of people,” drawing them into His work of gathering others into the life of God’s kingdom. The gospel is not meant to be kept to ourselves but proclaimed through word and life.
How can you actively take part in Jesus’ mission to share the good news with others?
What obstacles do you face in doing so, and what encourages you to keep going?
The kingdom of God is unlike any other kingdom. Wherever Jesus goes, He brings healing where there is sickness, peace where there is chaos, and cleansing where there is impurity. He continues this work today, restoring what is broken in individuals, communities, and the world.
Where do you see brokenness or need that calls for Jesus’ healing and restoration?
How can you bring these places honestly before Him, trusting His authority and compassion?
Jesus also shows that prayer is central to life in the kingdom. Before moving forward in ministry, He withdraws to be with the Father, seeking direction and clarity. Prayer is not an escape from responsibility but the source of faithfulness and discernment. Jesus models a life shaped by dependence on God rather than by the expectations of others.
What role does prayer currently play in your discipleship and service?
What rhythms of prayer might help you become more attentive to God’s direction and priorities?
Jesus does not allow popularity or pressure to define His mission. He listens to the Father and moves forward in obedience, committed to proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. This remains the calling of His disciples today: to follow where Jesus leads and to bear witness to His kingdom with trust and courage.
In what areas of your life or service are you most tempted to be shaped by expectations rather than by Jesus’ call?
What would it look like to re-center those areas around His mission?
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