Follow Me
TRANSLATION
(14) After John was arrested, Jesus headed into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: (15) “The time has come, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!” (16) Walking beside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (17) And Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (18) And immediately they left their nets and followed him. (19) And going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were in their boat, mending their nets. (20) And immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
(21) And they came to Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and began to teach. (22) And the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, not as the teachers of the Law. (23) And immediately there appeared in their synagogue a man possessed by an impure spirit who cried out, (24) “What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” (25) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and leave him!” (26) And the impure spirit, convulsing him, departed with a shriek. (27) And everyone was amazed and asked themselves, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! And he even gives orders to the impure spirits who obey him.” (28) And at once his fame spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.
OBSERVATIONS
Several repetitions found in this segment help us understand how Jesus launched his earthly ministry. We find Mark’s most characteristic adverb, “immediately,” used four times (vss. 18, 20, 21, & 23) along with the synonymous phrase, “at once” (vs. 28). Twice, the verb “follow” is found, first as an imperative (vs. 17) and then as an indicative (vs. 18). Three times “teaching” was used, and twice it occurred with the accompanying word, “authority.” Three times Mark used the phrase, “impure spirit(s)” (vss. 23, 26, & 27). We could summarize Jesus’ ministry in this way: while proclaiming the Gospel of God, he called disciples to follow him, taught with unequaled authority, and cast out impure spirits whenever he confronted them. No wonder his fame spread throughout the region.
OUTLINE
I. In Galilee, Jesus’ earthly ministry began with his proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and calling disciples to follow him. (14-20)
II. In Capernaum, Jesus taught with authority and healed a man possessed by an impure spirit. (21-28)
IDEA STATEMENT
At its beginning, Jesus’ earthly ministry involved calling disciples to follow him, teaching with authority, and healing the afflicted.
APPLICATION
Throughout his earthly ministry, making disciples was an integral part of Jesus’ long-term strategy. In this segment we meet the first-named disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John. We are given the words Jesus used to invite them to join him: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mk. 1:17). We are told that these men immediately left their careers as professional fishermen in order to follow him.
What was it that compelled these men to make such a radical commitment to someone they hardly knew? Was it boredom with their fishing? Was it a thirst for new adventure? Was it the compelling person of Jesus, his authoritative teaching and personal magnetism, that drew them? Certainly, the idea of becoming “fishers of men,” doing something far more significant than providing food for Galilean tables, was part of the motivation that drew them. They never envisioned how transformative their relationship with Jesus would become as they began following him.
If we ask ourselves what motivates people today to become followers of Jesus and fishers of men, we would probably give a response similar to what Simon, later called Peter, told Jesus when he asked him if he would leave in John 6:68. He said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? (What else would we do with our lives?) You have the words of eternal life.” When we consider what the world offers us and compare that to the riches of the life that Jesus gives to those who follow him, we quickly reach the same conclusion: “Lord where else would we go?” What could be more important than devoting ourselves to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life?