Let Us Pray: Dear Heavenly Father we pray for you to give us wisdom and guidance to learning your Holy Words and ways, so that we may become better children, and servants of yours that we may by our actions, behaviors and words glorify you among the unbelieving and the believers of this world. AMEN!

1) John the Baptist Prepares the way - Mark 1:1-8  - Matthew 3:1-12 - Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28 - 

a) Mark 1:1-3- John Prepares the people - John is a Prophet, a Messenger of God that was sent to prepare the peoples, hearts and minds

(Isa 40:3 & Mal 3:1) in repentance, a change of ways, action done, for the coming of the Lord, the Son of God, our Messiah Jesus Christ.  These are 2 prophecies fulfilled concerning John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ.

b) Mark 1:4-5 - Water Baptized For Repentance of Sins - People from all over came to John the Baptist to be baptized in water for the

remission of sins. (A complete submersion in Water).  Water Baptism represents (is symbolic, i.e. Purification) for the washing away of sins, a washing away of dirt and filth that once consumed our hearts and our minds. Yes Water Baptism is required as part of salvation.  As it is written; Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

DEFINITION of Baptism From Interlinear Bible, Greek - NT:907 bapti/zw baptizo (bap-tid'-zo); from a derivative of NT:911; to immerse, submerge; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the N. T.) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism:

c) Mark 1:6 - Johns Appearance & Behavior - John didn't behave like anyone normal, nor did he dress with nice clothing, nor did he ever

marry or do anything like the prophets, priest or pastors of today does. His appearance seems to be more like a homeless man on the street.  Yet he is a true Prophet, a Messenger of God. His only purpose and goal in life was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. He was not called to be as the world nor have the mind set of the world. His eating habits was very repulsive to say the least.  Many of churches of today would most likely have kicked him out and many of Christians of today would have treated him as if he was a major bum or worse.

d) Matthew 1:7-8 - Jesus Baptizes with the Holy Spirit - Even though John himself was a very high ranking many of God, he was so

humble and knew that he to is unworthy where he didn't even deserve to so much as untie Jesus sandals. Here John spoke of 2 Baptisms, one of water that he baptized with for repentance of sins and one a person repented then he could receive the next

baptism of Jesus Christ, that is receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the seal of God as a guarantee of our salvation, to which

the Holy Spirit will guide us and teach us into all truths.

2) The Baptism of Jesus - Mark 1:9-11 -  (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34) - To Top^

a) Mark 1:9 - Jesus Traveled to Jordan - As we know in Jesus ministry times that he traveled mainly on foot and according to my (Bible

Maps) with its measurement of miles, our Lord Jesus Christ walked roughly 40 to 50 miles from Nazareth the region of Galilee to the Jordan River to have John Baptize him.

b) Mark 1:10-11 - God Pleased with His Son - Jesus was immersed in water when John the Baptist, Baptized Jesus, and when that took

place, and Jesus got Baptized, the complete power of God came to our Lord Jesus Christ and then God said : "This is my beloved Son,

in whom I am well pleased".  Here God seems to be pleased with his son Jesus Christ because Jesus did not give into the ways of the world, he did not sin, and is right on the path of Gods will and Plans.

3) The Temptation of Jesus - Mark 1:12-13 - (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13) - To Top^

a) Mark 1:12-13 - The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the Wilderness - Mark (Possibly) sir name for John did not provide much information

about this time in Jesus Life, so I will use Matthew & Luke for this as well, so this will be brief.  It was the Holy Spirit that led Jesus

into the wilderness with wild animals, in the middle of no mans land, to fast for that time frame of 40 days, so that he may bring his

flesh under complete submission to him rather than him being submissive to the flesh (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:2). And at the end of the

40 days Jesus was to be tempted by the devil 3 times (Matthew 4:3-10, Luke 4:3-10). After the 40 days and the temptations of Satan,

the angles of the Lord came to Jesus Christ in order to nurse him back to health since he was very weak physically from hunger and

the elements (Matthew 4:11).  

4) Jesus begins his Ministry - Mark 1:14-15 - (Mathew 4:12-17; Luke 4:14-15) - To Top^

a) Mark 1:14 - Jesus Went to the Gentiles - When Jesus Christ has heard of John being put into prison because of King Herod

wickedness, this was a signal for Jesus Christ to start his ministry.  John had to become less so that Jesus Christ could be more.  So then Jesus Christ left Nazareth (MT 4:12-13) and went up about 20 miles NE of Nazareth to the Gentiles at Capernaum near the sea, for them to hear the good news, so they can have hope and freed from their darkness of sin. The following is a Old Testament prophecy directly related to this scripture.

Isaiah 9:1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

b) Mark 4:15 - Jesus Christ Begins to Preach.... - According to Adam Clarkes Commentary, when Jesus Christ said "The Time is

Fulfilled" means it is time for Jesus Christ to preach the Good News, to start up his ministry, since John the Baptist has finished

preparing the way for Jesus Christ and John became less by being put in prison so that all attention would be taken off of John and placed on Jesus Christ instead.  Now this scripture also shows us that Gods Kingdom is at hand, that is if we repent of our sins, he

shall give us grace and forgive all that we have done against him and his Holy Kingdom.  Then Jesus is telling us to repent, he is not asking us, he is commanding us to repent, to STOP SINNING!  And He COMMANDS US to believe in the Gospel as well.  WE must

not reject nor ignore any scripture that applies to us, especially the teachings of Jesus Christ, cause if we do, then that would mean we don't believe and therefore we don't have faith in Jesus Christ and only those with Faith in him are saved!

c) Definition of Gospel - (From Easton's Bible Dictionary) - Gospel

a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning "God's spell", i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, "good spell", i.e.,good news. It is the rendering of the Greek evangelion, i.e., "good message." It denotes (1) "the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers. (2.) It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord's life, published by those who are therefore called 'Evangelists', writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion). (3.) The term is often used to express collectively the gospel doctrines; and 'preaching the gospel' is often used to include not only the proclaiming of the good tidings, but the teaching men how to avail themselves of the offer of salvation, the declaring of all the truths, precepts, promises, and threatening of Christianity." It is termed "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24), "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23), "the gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16), "the gospel of peace(Ephesians 6:15), "the glorious gospel," "the everlasting gospel," "the gospel of salvation" (Ephesians 1:13).

c) Definition of "Kingdom of Heaven" or (MT 4:17) i.e. Gospel of the Kingdom of God - (From Faucets Bible

Dictionary) - (Greek "the heavens"): of God. The former is Matthew's phrase, the latter Mark's phrase and Luke's phrase. Derived from Daniel 2:44; 4:26; 7:13-14,27. Messiah's kingdom, as a whole, both in its present spiritual invisible phase, the gospel dispensation of greet, and also in its future manifestation on earth in glory, when finally heaven and earth shall be joined (John 1:51; Revelation 21:1-22:21). Our Lord's parables designate several aspects and phases of it by the one common phrase, "the kingdom of the heavens," or "of God, is like," etc.

- - Friends Kingdom of Heaven seems to be said in Parables regarding the mysteries of Salvation by Jesus Christ  .....

as it is Written; Matthew 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 
11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 
16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 
NKJV

d) Definition of Repentance - (From Easton's Bible Dictionary) - Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt

and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Psalms 119:128; Job 42:5,6; 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent Endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.

5) Four fishermen called as Disciples - Mark 1:16-20 - (Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 5:1-11) - To Top^

a) Mark 1:16-18 - 2 Brothers, Simon (Peter) & Andrew Called - On these few Verses Mark did not go into as much detail as

Matthew and Luke did when mentioning the same thing regarding the calling of the 2 disciples.  Now Jesus Christ called the

2 disciples Simon (Peter; Matthew 16:18) and Andrew to sacrifice all that they had and all that they are (Matthew 19:27). 

They just dropped their fishing nets, their fishing business, their partnership with Mr. Zebedee and his 2 sons and started following Jesus Christ without a 2nd thought to it.

b) Mark 1:19-20 - 2 Brothers, James & John Called - Now I am not sure exactly why our Lord Jesus Christ chosen (Called)

James and his brother John, but of course Jesus does know.  Just as Jesus Christ called Simon and Andrew to leave

everything and follow him, like wise he called James and John the same (Matthew 19:27).  They left their dad and his

servant in the boat and all the fish they caught and followed Jesus Christ.  Can you imagine what their dad, thought and

said regarding this?

9) Preaching in Galilee - Mark 1:35-39 - (Matthew 4:23-25; Luke 4:42-44;) -

a) Mark 1:35 - Jesus Christ Teaches Us More about Praying - As soon as Jesus Christ awakens, way before day light, he

goes out by himself to pray to God.  He prayed before he did anything, including eating breakfast.  He is showing us that praying is more important than anything else including food for the belly.  We all should learn and do as he did in order to

be Christ like!

b) Mark 1:36-37 - People's desires to be with Christ - The peoples desires to be with Christ, especially the disciples are

such that when they awoke from sleep they got extremely worried that Jesus Christ was not there with them. They acted

like lost puppies looking for their mother in a sense.

c) Mark 1:38-39 - The Purpose of Jesus Christ - Jesus Christ is telling the disciples why he came, that is to preach the

"Good News" (Mt 4:23, Mk 1:14, Lk 1:19, 4:18) to the poor. (From Barnes Commentary Notes) By the "poor" are meant allthose who are destitute of the comforts of this life, and who therefore may be more readily disposed to seek treasures in heaven; all those who are sensible of their sins, or are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3); and all the "miserable" and the afflicted,Isaiah 58:7.

10) Jesus cleanses a Leper - Mark 1:40-45