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Mark | 1:1-11 | 1:12-34 | 1:35-45 | 2:1-20  | 2:21-3:12 | 3:13-35 | 4:1-20 | 4:21-41 | 5:1-20 | 5:21-43 | 6:1-13 | 6:14-29 | 6:45-56 | 7-12| 13-16 |

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Mark 1:12-34 Bible Study Guide and Questions – Jesus’ Tempted – Jesus Calls The Disciples

Outline

I. Jesus tempted for 40 days (12-13)
II. Jesus calls the first disciples (14-20)
III. Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit (21-28)
IV. Jesus heals many (29-34)

I. Jesus tempted for 40 days (12-13)

Discussion Questions

• Why did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus to the wilderness?
• What do you think God wanted to accomplish through this 40-day event?
• How could this time help prepare Jesus for the ministry that the Father had called Him to do?
• What additional insights can you gain into this from other gospels?
• What do we learn about Jesus’ character from this experience?
• How can the realization that Satan is real affect us?
• How can we hope to make it through similar times of testing?

Cross-References

Matthew 4:1-11 – This passage is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.

Ephesians 6:10-11 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Jesus’ temptation – The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. While God did not tempt Him (James 1:13), it was part of His sovereign plan to allow Satan to tempt Jesus. This encounter would serve as an example for us of how to face temptation. It also shows us Jesus’ victory over temptation and evidence of His sinlessness.

Mark 1:13 – And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.

This verse implies that Jesus was being tempted throughout the forty days. The gospels only record the culmination of those temptations at the end of the forty days, not every single one that Jesus experienced.

Matthew 6:13 – And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

In the Lord’s model prayer in Matthew 6:13, we learn that we should pray and ask God not to lead us in to temptation.

God Himself will never tempt us and He has also promised to never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). At the same time, He may allow Satan to tempt us, but then use those temptations as a trial to teach us to rely on Him more.

Reflect – Can you think of any examples in the Bible where God allowed His people to be tempted?

In the book of Job, God allows Satan to tempt Job severely. At the same time, He used it as an opportunity to teach Job and his friends (and by extension through the book of Job all of us) more about God. While God may providentially use temptations in our lives, we should still do our best to avoid them.

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was tempted as we are. Yet I believe it is also true that He faced even many more temptations than we do. Think about it. If Satan could just get Jesus to sin one time, then he would win. All of humanity would be lost and would be without any hope of redemption. Jesus had a larger target on His back than anyone else who ever lived.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus resisted? If during those 40 days almost 2000 years ago, Jesus, for even one second, compromised, then we would be separated from God forever. Think about that the next time you face temptation and pray that God would give you the same strength that He gave to Jesus.

Application – Jesus responded to each temptation by quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). More than just quoting Scripture, Jesus was obeying the principles within the Scripture He recited.

Jesus’ model gives us a vivid example of what to do when we face temptation. Like Jesus, we should fill our minds with Scripture. When we are tempted, we should remember those Scriptures, quote them, and obey them.

Satan and the world attempt to deceive us. Most temptations come with a big promise. God calls us to stand firm on the truth and don’t be deceived.

II. Jesus calls the first disciples (14-20)

Discussion Questions

• Where did Jesus start preaching?
• What do you notice about the content of His message?
• What does it mean that the “kingdom of God is at hand?”
• Why “repent and believe?”
• Why do you think Jesus chose fishermen to be His disciples instead of people who were more educate?
• What can we learn from this about what God wants in a disciple?
• What do we learn about Jesus as a speaker from verse 17?
• What did Jesus call them to?
• How did this call effect their lives?
• Explain the phrases “follow me” and “fishers of men.”
• How would they become fishers of men?
• What was their response?
• What possible risks might they face by following Jesus?
• What possible reasons might they have had for not answering His call?
• Is there anything we need to do based on this passage?

Cross-References

John 1:40-42 – One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Matthew 9:9 – As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Matthew 10:38 –And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. John arrested – John was arrested because he had spoken against Herod’s unlawful relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias (Mark 6:17-29).

When John was taken out of the picture, Jesus continued on. It seems that God planned for Jesus’ ministry to fully begin only after John had finished his. The harvest had been prepared and now it was time to start reaping it.

2. The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand –

The Jews had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries. They had thought perhaps John the Baptist was the Christ, but he said he wasn’t (John 1:19-28). Now Jesus is telling them that their time for waiting is over. God’s plan of salvation is now coming to fruition. His kingdom was at hand. They had the opportunity to be part of it right in front of them. All that they needed to do was repent and believe.

3. Repent and believe – The content of Jesus’ message was very similar to John’s. A key focus was on repentance.

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for “repent” is “Teshuvah” – תשובה .

It means to “return” or “turn back to God.”

Joel 2:12-13 – “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Has root word for turn שוב)

It is not just stopping down the road we are going. But it is turning back to the Lord. A ship that is not going anywhere will simply drift with the current. Scripture tells us there is a negative thing to avoid and a positive thing to go toward. We need to flee sin pursue Christ (2 Timothy 2:22).

Repentance itself is an inward act. It is a change of our heart attitude toward the sin and toward God. We need to be careful that we don’t confuse repentance with works.

On this, Oswald Chambers said, “The danger is to put the emphasis on the effect instead of on the cause. Is it my obedience that puts me right with God? Never! I am put right with God because prior to all else, Christ died.”

In simple terms, repentance happens when we turn to the Lord in our hearts.

Jesus also asked them to “believe in the gospel.” Here we start to see how faith is so important. Even if we repent, it doesn’t mean we will never sin again. Faith is trusting that God will forgive us even when we sin.

Application – Have you repented of your sins and placed your faith in Jesus for salvation? Are there any sins which you are tolerating and need a heart adjustment toward?

4. The calling of the four core disciples (verses 16-20) –

A. Fishermen – The four disciples who later would form Jesus’ inner circle were fishermen. They were not highly educated. They didn’t have a high position. They were not rich. They were part of a lower socioeconomic class. This choice was not by accident.

In general, it is easier for poorer people to accept Christ than rich people (Matthew 19:24), who have the tendency to be very self-confident and rely on themselves and the riches they have stored up. Jesus knew that for all the rest of human history His choice of disciples would be closely scrutinized.

Reflect – What can we learn from this about Jesus and what He was looking for in a disciple?

B. Jesus’ command – Jesus commanded them, “Follow Me.” Here we see Jesus’ authority. This was a simple, but powerful instruction. There is a hint of Jesus’ deity inside. I would not dare to tell anyone “Follow me” because I am not worth following. But Jesus did because He is the only one worth following. The command is a call to action. The disciples needed to respond in obedience. There was no room for passivity. A disciple must be active to obey Jesus and go wherever He leads.

At the same time, this instruction shows the new direction the disciples needed to go. They could no longer follow their own desires, plans, or pursue their own careers. Rather they must submit themselves to the Lord and agree to put Him as the first priority. Following Jesus also meant giving up something, namely their past lives. It is an important reminder that we cannot follow Jesus while still living our lives the same way as before.

Application – What are some things that you have given up in order to follow Jesus? Is there anything else which you need to give up to follow Him more fully?

C. The new calling –

“And I will make you become fishers of men.”

Jesus clearly told them what would happen if they submitted themselves to Him. They would become fishers of men. Men are a lot more valuable than fish are. Therefore, their lives would be much more significant and meaningful than before. Fish brought temporal value in the money they could sell them for, but this passed quickly. Catching men was a mission with eternal value. While there is a high cost of following Jesus, the result is always worth it.

Application – Jesus calls all of His disciples to win souls. We are to share the gospel with the lost. Think about your own circle for friends and family. Choose one person you know that is not saved. Start to pray for that person while looking for opportunities to sow the seed of the gospel in their life.

D. Jesus transforms – How would they, poor, uneducated, fishermen, ever hope to be able to influence people’s souls for eternity? Jesus said, “I will make you become fishers of men.” They could never hope to achieve this lofty calling on their own. But Jesus could train them and transform them. Later in the book of Acts, the Jewish leaders marveled that fishermen from Galilee could be such bold and persuasive speakers, and then remembered that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 – Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Application – Jesus transforms. He is still in the business of transforming people today. He wants to transform you if you will let Him. Will you let Him?

We don’t become disciple makers because we are powerful. Throughout Scripture, we see over and over that we are weak. But He is strong through us when we are weak.

Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). But using us, He can and does accomplish great things (Romans 1:16).

4. The disciples answered the call –

Mark 1:18 – And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

They immediately left their nets and followed Him. The disciples had a lot of faults. Sometimes they were slow learners. At times they lacked faith and courage. They would argue about who was the greatest. But their response here was very commendable and many of their mistakes pale in comparison to the step of faith they took on this day when Jesus called them. The disciples faced a lot of risks because of their decision.

• They were giving up their income and source of livelihood and trusting that God would provide for them.
• They were giving up stability and home to follow Jesus (who had no place to lie His head) traveling mostly on foot throughout the whole region.
• They would face many increased spiritual attacks.
• They would face all types of persecution.
• They would die as martyrs, many of them far from home.

Any one of these would be enough to keep many people from making this commitment. At the time they didn’t know all of this would happen, but they knew some of it and they knew there were many risks. Yet they still gave up all to follow Jesus. That is what a disciple is.

Application – Will you give up all to follow Jesus? Or do you try to follow Jesus while still living your life the same as before?

III. Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit (21-28)

Discussion Questions

• Where is Capernaum?
• What insight does verse 21 give into what a synagogue meeting was like?
• What do we learn here about Jesus’ ministry?
• How did they react to his teaching?
• What difference was there between his teaching and that of the scribes?
• Why do you think this demon possessed man went to this service?
• What did this demon admit what most people in Israel denied?
• What does this tell us about what true belief is?
• Why might Jesus have told this demon to “be quiet?”
• Can we learn anything from these verses about Satan’s plan, demons, or demon possession?
• How did the people react?
• What insight does their reaction give into this event?

Cross-References

Titus 2:15 – Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

James 2:19 – You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Capernaum was on the northwest bank of the Sea of Galilee.

2. Jesus’ synagogue ministry – A large part of Jesus’ ministry was teaching in synagogues on the Sabbath. The fact that He was able to go and speak in this and other synagogues tells us about the style of meetings there. The meetings appear to be open and allow any Jew to join. The male Jews would have been permitted to speak.

3. Jesus taught with authority –

Mark 1:22 – And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

The people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching. He got this reaction a lot! His teaching was far more authoritative than the scribes they were used to. He surely didn’t use any “maybes” in His sharing. Beyond that, He taught with personal authority. He didn’t have to rely on the opinions or writings of others. Instead, He could directly teach the truth, right and wrong. This powerful teaching tended to either really attract people or turn them off.

Jesus was the expert. He did not need to quote others.

Application – Apologetics and debating have their place. But our primary goal when evangelizing should be to bring people to Christ. His words are authoritative and true. Therefore we should help people encounter the words of Christ and allow Him to change their hearts.

4. The demon-possessed man –

A. Opposition – Jesus’ work brought all types of opposition. It was common for Him to face these types of demon possessed people. Where God is working, Satan also worked to try to thwart Him.

Most likely, these demons attempted to disrupt Jesus’ ministry by distracting people from His message.

B. The demon – The demon was speaking through the human “shell.” The demon’s spirit overwhelmed and suppressed the person’s spirit to the point that the demon’s words were coming out of the human’s mouth. We can see that by the question, “Have you come to destroy us?”

C. False belief – Demons clearly believed Jesus. It is amazing that the demon admitted both Jesus’ holiness and deity, while most Israelites denied both. It is clear that intellectual belief is not enough for salvation.

James 2:19 – You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

While the demon believed, he would not have obeyed Jesus’ command to “Follow Me.”

Application – Believing in the facts about Jesus is not enough. Earlier in this passage, we saw that “repent and believe” was the message Jesus preached. One must repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus for salvation.

D. Be quiet – The demon spoke truth about Jesus. But Jesus wanted no partnership or help from it. This demon was a disruption and sought to distract from the message Jesus was preaching. At the same time, Jesus likely didn’t want to open Himself up to any claims that He was in league with Satan, since some blasphemers would later say this anyway.

E. Come out of him! – Jesus showed His authority over the spirit world. Not only did the demon come out, but it didn’t speak any more. It certainly didn’t want to obey as evidenced by the loud cry, but it had no choice. While Satan and demons are strong, they are nothing compared to Jesus’ power.

5. The people react – The people were once again amazed. Word of mouth spread and the news of what Jesus was doing went like wildfire into the surrounding districts.

IV. Jesus heals many (29-34)

Discussion Questions

• Where did Simon and Andrew live?
• What do we learn about Simon?
• Why might his mother-in-law have been living with them?
• What do you think they expected of Jesus when they told Jesus about her fever?
• What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?
• Why do you think Jesus did not permit the demons to speak about his identity in verse 34?

Cross-References

1 Corinthians 9:5 – Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Luke 4:38 – And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Simon’s home life – Simon Peter was married. It seems his mother-in-law lived with him.

2. The fever – The fever must have been very serious since it caused her to be bed-ridden and not able to get up and show the normal hospitality one would have expected from her.

The fact that they told Jesus about it seems to imply that they expected something from Jesus. They had already witnessed Jesus’ power over the demon and likely some other miracles as well.

3. Jesus healed her – We see both His compassion and His power. The fever left her immediately. She completely recovered and was able to serve them.

4. Jesus healed many from the city –

Mark 1:33 – And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

News of Jesus’ exploits traveled fast. All the sick and demon possessed were brought to Jesus. Note that Jesus wasn’t outside. It wasn’t his normal “office hours.” He was resting and having a meal with his friends when he was interrupted. Never once did Jesus complain about the number of people. He didn’t drive them away. Instead, He stopped what He was doing and healed them. Jesus humbly served others and put their needs above His own.

Application – Jesus is our ultimate example. If Jesus, who deserved to be served, served others in this manner, how much more should we?