Mark Vol. 1 - Week 3 (1:14-20)
Mark 1:14-20
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The King's First Sermon
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Mark 1:14-20 〰️ The King's First Sermon 〰️
Mark's gospel continues this week with a few key events taking place. In verses 14-20, we see the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus speaking for the first time, and him calling the first disciples to join him. There are a few takeaways that we want to focus on this week, as Mark uses a more interesting literary structure alongside a major point from Jesus. This passage shows the conclusion of John the Baptist's ministry in preparing the way for the Lord (v3) and the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
John Mark is at it again with his specific choice of words and the connections he's trying to draw us to. Now, it's lost in the English translation, but in the original Greek, Mark uses the word paradidōmi (παραδίδωμι) for the word "arrested" in verse 14. Another meaning of this word is "deliver up or hand over," which is the same language and word that Mark uses when describing the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Mark is quite the writer, and no doubt wanted readers and hearers of this word to remember this connection when arriving upon Judas two chapters later in 3:19. Mark's use of this word and theme doesn't stop there, as he uses paradidōmi fifteen times in his gospel account, crafting his version of the story with clear notes of mystery, drama, and conspiracy. As we wrote in the first guide for Mark, the original primary audience of this book was not strangers to the gospel or the story of Jesus. So why would Mark write this in such a way? He wanted to capture the audience. Like a good book or movie, we can read or watch and be fully pulled in and wrapped up in the world. This is likely what Mark intended by including connecting threads like this.
We're next confronted with Jesus' words, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (v15). Words like this raise some questions, but at the end of this guide, there's a brief explanation of what the Kingdom of God is and what it means for it to be "at hand" and "near." On the other side of the cross, we can read this and rejoice in the good news that the Kingdom is here: Christ has come, salvation is granted by God to those who believe, and the Holy Spirit is available and present in those who have been redeemed.
The latter half of this week's passage reads of Jesus calling the first disciples. At first, this seems entirely out of the blue and can make you scratch your head, wondering why these people would follow some random man calling to them while they're fishing. Thankfully, we can find the answer in Luke 5. Here, we read of how Jesus meets Simon (Peter), James, and John. In Luke's account, Jesus climbs into their boats while they fish and instructs them to let down their nets. After kindly telling him they have already tried, they do it again. This time, "they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear..." (Luke 5:6). Jesus then tells them, "From now on you will be catching people" (v10). Now, this begins to make more sense. The reason for Mark's omission of this detail isn't apparent, but reading Luke gives us a chance to rationalize their decision to follow Jesus a little bit.
As we close and prepare to jump into our group's discussion, I want us to look carefully at verses 17-20 again. We see Jesus calling Simon, James, and John as a group here. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of God calling and appointing individuals and large groups. We specifically see Jesus calling a handful of people who already knew one another well. James and John were brothers who were fishermen alongside Simon, along with their hired hands, who dropped their things and followed Jesus. This is crucial for us to grasp this week. In the American Church, we so often view our calling on an individualized basis. We see our faith, relationship with the Lord, and walks of life as separate from our community. But here we see this shared calling that's quite simple: "Take what you know about your craft, skill, or trade, and apply it to pointing people to the Lord." As a church community and sub-communities (groups, serving teams, etc.), we are to carry this shared responsibility and calling to bring the Gospel of Jesus to those in our neighborhoods, communities, and workplaces, fishing for people.
Key Terms and Doctrine
The “already” and “not yet” of the Kingdom of God
One of the most misunderstood concepts of Jesus' teachings and in Scripture as a whole (myself included) is the understanding of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God exists in a weird place in our understanding of reality in that it is both here and on its way here. A resource I recommend is George Eldon Ladd's The Gospel of the Kingdom. In his book, Ladd defines the Kingdom, unlocking all of Jesus' teachings on the subject. Ultimately, "The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority."[1] The Kingdom of God is not a physical realm or a firey storm that will overtake our world upon His return, but God's rule and reign. So when Jesus tells us in Mark 1:15 that "the kingdom of God has come near," He means that God's rule, while always in perfect existence, is coming. The age of the Enemy's free reign is over: death is defeated, and the salvation of Christ has come; the Kingdom is here. But this doesn't "fix" everything, as we still experience sin, pain, and suffering. Upon Christ's return, the final in-breaking of the Kingdom of God will take place, and all wickedness and sin will be removed: the Kingdom of God is on its way.[2]
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
What are some repeating words, phrases, or concepts in this passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
What do you think Jesus meant by saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near"?
In what ways is the Kingdom of God already here?
Let's read verses 17-20 again. What does it mean for you to see that Jesus first called a group of people?
What would it look like for us as a community group to answer the call of Jesus and "fish for people"?
George Eldon Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1959), 21.
Ibid., 21.