READ: Mark 1-8

I want to help people become better readers of the Bible. Too often we read Scripture as isolated stories, sentimental verses that look great on a couch cushion, but we very rarely connect the dots in a meaningful way. I love to pull strings and see what other passages they are referencing. Once we see the bigger picture, we are able to understand the Bible on a deeper level. 

The Gospel of Mark is a great example of how the Bible builds upon itself. During an initial reading, it might appear to be random vignettes, but when we start to see the patterns forming, we can begin to understand the complexity of Jesus’ message. 

There are four examples of Jesus engaging with His disciples in the first half of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 1:16-20, 2:13-14, 3:13-19, 6:7-13). These passages can be a helpful structure to serve as an outline. Each section leads into a series of Jesus’ miracles and teachings that progressively show who he is, what his ministry is about, and what he is looking for from his followers.

FISHERS OF MEN

While doing ministry on the shores of Galilee, Jesus found two pairs of brothers fishing and mending their nets. He called them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). 

Later, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue when a demon possessed man confronted Him saying, “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” (Mark 1:24). Oddly, Jesus told him to be silent. This is an interesting detail unique to Mark’s Gospel where Jesus instructed the people he healed to be quiet, “He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him” (Mark 1:34), and “See that you say nothing to anyone” (Mark 1:44). Likewise, Jesus would often escape from the crowds and go off into desolate places (Mark 1:35, 45). 

Why did Jesus isolate himself and tell the people to remain silent? Doesn’t it make more sense to have them help promote his ministry by drawing in the crowds? 

Jesus was teaching his disciples how to fish in the right places. He was not interested in massive crowds who were only interested in his miracles. Jesus was looking for committed followers. 

Despite Jesus’ effort to keep his ministry quiet, his fame spread throughout the land making it impossible for him to preach. The crowds pressed in upon him at his home so that the four friends of a paralyzed man could not get anywhere near him. They climbed up on the roof, ripped a hole in the ceiling, and lowered their friend down (Mark 2:1-12). 

Instead of healing the paralyzed man right away, Jesus forgave his sins. This angered the scribes. As long as Jesus was performing miracles, they could get behind his ministry, but only God could forgive sins. Jesus was making a profound statement. He did not incarnate himself in order to cast out demons and heal the sick, he came to take away the sins of the world. But because it was impossible to visualize the forgiveness of sins, Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons to show that he had the power and authority to save us. 

NEW WINE SKINS

In the next section, Jesus called a tax collector, Levi, to be his disciple. This further incensed the religious leaders that Jesus would associate with sinners. Jesus responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). 

Following this, Jesus was confronted about the traditions of fasting and the Sabbath. This showed a glaring contrast between Jesus' ministry and the teaching of the Pharisees.

This point is made clear in three metaphors: “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them” (Mark 2:19). Jesus had already said that the Kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1:15). This is to say that you could reach out and touch it. Jesus is the king and his presence came with celebration. In fact, this is a key detail to Jesus’ healing ministry. He was demonstrating what his Kingdom is like: no more sickness, sadness, demons, sin, or death. 

The second metaphor described an old garment with a new patch. Because the two fabrics were inconsistent it made the tear worse (Mark 2:21). Jesus did not come to simply put a bandaid on us so that we would feel better about ourselves. Jesus came to offer us new robes of his own righteousness. 

Third, Jesus said that it is illogical to put new wine in old wine skins (Mark 2:22). Not only do we need new outer garments, we need the Spirit of God inside us. In order for that to happen we need to be made a new creation. 

THE FAMILY OF GOD

The next section starts with Jesus appointing his twelve disciples, preparing to send them out, and giving them authority to cast out demons. Mark also clues us in that Judas Iscariot would eventually betray him (Mark 3:13-19). 

Next we see that there were tensions between Jesus and his family. First, they came to seize him because they thought, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). Then, they came to get Jesus to come home, but he responded rather peculiarly, “‘Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother’” (Mark 3:33-35). 

Tucked right in the middle of these two passages was a question from the religious leaders of how Jesus was able to control demons. They accused him of being Satan himself. To this, Jesus offered yet another peculiar response, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mark 3:24). In this section Jesus was talking about the family of God and how we are either aligned with him or stand against him.  

Jesus then went on to explain to his disciples why he spoke in parables and why his responses were so vague, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 5:9). Jesus was not interested in appeasing the masses. He called people who recognized who he was and those who were willing to lay everything aside and follow him. 

We then see a similar pattern of miracles performed by Jesus. This time, however, when Jesus cast out the demons, the people were not happy with him, so Jesus tells the man, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). This was the first time he gave permission to someone to spread the good news. 

Then, while on his way to raise a child from the dead, a woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of his garment and was healed (Mark 5:25-34). This detail takes us back to where we saw Jesus touching a leper and making him clean (Mark 1:40-45). Within Jewish customs, anyone who touched someone who was unclean became unclean as well, but when Jesus touched them, he made them clean. This distinguished Jesus as something greater than anyone who came before him. Only he could welcome us into the family of God. 

OUR DAILY BREAD

In this final section, we see Jesus sending out the twelve disciples to expand the reach of his ministry. But he gave them clear instructions not to take any food or money with them (Mark 6:7-13). He was preparing them to recognize likeminded seekers of the Kingdom who would provide for their needs along their journey. 

The events that followed demonstrated the dangers of ministry, how God provides for those who seek him, and the marks of a true disciple. John the Baptist was beheaded at this point and it became increasingly apparent that Jesus was headed in the same direction. Jesus continued to perform miracles and teach on the topic of traditions and what makes someone clean or unclean. 

Jesus once again removed himself to the desolate places and the crowds followed him. This is where we see the miracles of Jesus feeding the five thousand and the later four thousand. Jesus also sent his disciples off in a boat on their own across the Sea of Galilee. In the previous section, Jesus had calmed a storm while with them, but now they found themselves alone and afraid in the midst of a storm. Jesus walked across the water and beckoned Peter to do the same. Each of these examples is meant to show how God provides and protects those who seek first his Kingdom. 

After all of these events, Jesus lectured his disciples about the multiplication of bread, but they still did not seem to comprehend what it all meant, “Do you not yet understand” (Mark 8:21)? They had not begun to connect the dots. 

The first half of Mark’s Gospel shows us that the vast majority of people did not understand Jesus, not the religious leaders, not his family, and not his followers. But those that Jesus healed demonstrated that they were desperate for him, they were completely changed by his presence, and they were compelled to share the good news with others. This is what Jesus is looking for from all of his disciples. 

Obviously, these were only a few of the strings we could have pulled in the tapestry of Mark’s Gospel. We weren’t able to get into the finer details of these stories. But now that you have a working knowledge of what is going on, we can explore these passages on our own while knowing where all of the pieces fit together. I’d encourage you to take the time to read through the first first eight chapters of Mark’s Gospel and see what other details stand out to you.