Jesus Ministry in Galilee
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted
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35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
36 Simon and his companions searched for him,
37 and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 And he said to them, “Let’s go on to the neighboring villages so that I may preach there too. This is why I have come.”
39 He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus’ early Galilean ministry focuses on preaching about the kingdom of God ad performing healings and exorcisms that demonstrate his authority to inaugurate the kingdom (1:14-2:12).
This episode is within four miracle stories
It illustrates Jesus’ complete dependence on God through prayer and his priority on proclaiming the message of the kingdom of God over receiving adulation from the crowds.
This passage serves as a brief interlude, where Jesus affirms his kingdom priorities in the midst of Mark’s fast-paced and action packed narrative.
Mark 1:35 - Despite Jesus’ ministry late into the night (1:32), he rises before dawn to spend time in prayer alone with God, his source of strength and guidance.
Jesus made personal time with God a high priority, since it was his source of strength and guidance.
We can see this frequently throughout the gospels.
After a late no doubt exhausting, night of teaching, healing, and exorcism, Jesus rises before sunrise to spend time alone with God.
Jesus is at prayer three times in Mark’s gospel.
Here at the beginning of his Galilean ministry
after feeding the five thousand
46 After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray.
in the Garden of Gethsemane
32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”
35 He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?
38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing.
He also encouraged his disciples to pray
29 And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”
24 Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.
18 “Pray it won’t happen in winter.
38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The word “deserted” is the same term used for the “desert” or “wilderness” in 1:3, 4, 12, 13. While here the word simply means an unpopulated or isolated “place” (there is no desert in the surrounding area or district of Capernaum).
Mark’s readers would likely hear an echo of the wilderness motif introduced earlier.
Jesus escapes to a place where he can encounter God and prepare for the ministry ahead.
Mark is careful to distinguish this location form the “wilderness” This is neither the “wilderness of Judea”
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.
nor the eschatological wilderness of Isaiah we see in Mark 1:3-4.
3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus no doubt sought to be alone at times in order to pray.
On the level of personal ministry, we also need not see a conflict, because at times certain desires and wishes need to be subservient to the overall purpose. Just as it was in Jesus ministry.
Mark 1:36-37 We see here Simon appears to be a spokesperson and representative of the disciples. A role that he will perform throughout the gospel tradition.
Simon’s companions are probably referring to Andrew, James, and John (1:16-20, 29), since no other disciples have yet appeared in the narrative.
They are evidently awakened by the townspeople hoping to see Jesus perform more exorcisms and healings.
The verb rendered “went out searching” is a strong one that can mean to “pursue” or “persecute” Here the sense is urgent searching.
Mark 1:38 The people in Capernaum want Jesus to stay because they are had an admiration for his teaching and his miracles.
But Jesus has a greater purpose than fame or popularity.
To announce and inaugurate (begin or introduce) the kingdom of God.
The healings and exorcisms serve merely to confirm the presence and power of the kingdom of God.
Mark’s point here seems to be that Jesus is intentionally moving outward from Capernaum into the surrounding towns and villages throughout Galilee.
Mark 1:39 Mark concludes by summarizing Jesus’ activity in Galilee, described as “preaching” and “casting out demons.”
A note that it is curious that healing is not mentioned, but this probably results from Mark’s stylistic variety.
The summaries in 1:32-34; 3:7-12; and 6:13 mention both healing and exorcism, while 6:53-56 refers only to healing.
There may, however, be a slight hint of the priority of exorcism.
The appointment of the Twelve mentions preaching and exorcism, but not healing, as the reason for appointing them
14 He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach,
15 and to have authority to drive out demons.
Sending them out on their missions, he gives them “authority over defiling spirits” without mentioning the authority to heal.
7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
The summary of what they did, however, includes all three:
Preaching, exorcism, and healing.
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13 They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Key Priorities
Key Priorities
The priority of personal time with God.
The priority of personal time with God.
Jesus takes time to be alone with God.
He realizes that the success of his mission depends on his trust and reliance on God.
Significant to note that Jesus’ public ministry does not begin until he has been empowered by the Holy Spirit at his baptism (1:9-15)
John’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly says that he does nothing on his own initiative but only what the Father tells him to do.
30 “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own. But just as the Father taught me, I say these things.
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me.
And in Hebrews we see that Jesus “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death,” and that he “learned obedience from what he suffered.”
7 During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.
Jesus realized and understood that he can accomplish nothing apart from the empowerment and guidance that comes from the Father.
We can get so busy with family, work, church and play that we forget we have been created to be in a relationship with God and that we will never find true fulfillment or real success apart from him.
**If Jesus, the Son of God, needed time alone with his Father in order to accomplish his life’s purpose, how much more do we?
The priority of the Kingdom of God.
The priority of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus spent a great deal of his time during his Galilean ministry healing and casting out demons, these activities were ultimately subordinate to the priority of proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Not to say that these were unimportant or insignificant.
They demonstrated God’s love and compassion for people, and hence the reason Jesus came.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Also revealed the power and the presence of the kingdom and so confirmed the authority of Jesus’ words.
But his ultimate purpose was not to heal physical disease but to call people to
repentance and submission to God’s reign in their lives.
Physical healing is temporary, but a right relationship with God is eternal.
Bringing Physical and Spiritual Wholeness.
We see the value of the kingdom in Jesus’ parables of the hidden treasures and the pearl of great value
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
Why would someone sell everything they have to buy a field or to buy one pearl?
The answer is that the blessings of the kingdom of God are worth sacrificing all we have to obtain.
What is the eternal value of the kingdom of God worth for you?
For Christ the physical needs of the people in Capernaum were important, and he felt compassion for them.
But he had a greater task to perform, which was to bring people the urgent message that God was taking back his creation
That the kingdom of God was at hand.
23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them.
25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
32 So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place,