Jesus Begins His Ministry. AG Sunday School Teachers

Memory Verse: Mark 1:14,15 – Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel, (KJV).

Lesson Text:
Mark 1:1-35.

Central Truth:
Jesus still ministers to those who believe in Him.

INTRODUCING THE LESSON
One of the striking things about Jesus is how quiet His life was for most of His first 30 years. Jesus’ childhood seems unremarkable. To those in His hometown, He was simply known as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55, KJV). He seemed so ordinary to them that they could not believe He was anything more than they themselves.

Unlike the other Gospels, Mark began his account of Jesus’ life with His introduction into public ministry, which was launched with His baptism in water. From that day on, Jesus lived a life that changed the world forever.

LESSON OUTLINE
1. BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL
A. Preparation By John – Mark 1:1-8
B. Inauguration Of Jesus’ Ministry – Mark 1:9-13.

2. PREACHING AND CALLING DISCIPLES
A. Announcing The Good News – Mark 1:14-15
B. Calling The First Disciples – Mark 1:16-20.

3. TEACHING AND HEALING
A. Authoritative Ministry – Mark 1:21-28
B. Miraculous Power – Mark 1:29-35.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Describe how Jesus
launched His public ministry.
2. Consider the implications
of following God’s call.

3. Be receptive to Jesus’ teachings and healing power.

The Holy Scriptures

Mark 1:1-4,9-12,16-17,21-22,34-35
[1]The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
[2]As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
[3]The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
[4]John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
[9]And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
[10]And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
[11]And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
[12]And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
[16]Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
[17]And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
[21]And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
[22]And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
[34]And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
[35]And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Commentary and Application

1. Beginning of the Gospel
A. Preparation by John–Mark 1:1-8
Mark starts at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry by stating He is the “Son of God” (Mark 1:1, KJV). Before making the case for Jesus’ being the Son of God, Mark described the preparatory role of John the Baptist. John was the prophesied forerunner who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies quoted in verses 2 and 3. This quotation is a combination from Malachi 3:1 and lsaiah 40:3 that tell of a forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah’s arrival. God’s plan, centuries in the making, was reaching a climactic point.

Question for Application
How did John the Baptist prepare the way for the Messiah ?

John prepared the way for Jesus by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin (verse 4). Many people responded, turning from their sins. They demonstrated their repentance by being baptised by John in the Jordan River (verse 5).

John was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (verse 3, KJV), dressed in a manner and lived a lifestyle like the prophet Elijah, indicated that he too was a prophet of God (verse 6; see 2 Kings 1:8). John’s role was to help people be prepared for the life-changing ministry of Jesus.

As he preached about repentance, John referred to “one mightier than I” who would baptise with the Holy Spirit (verses 7,8). John had followers, but he announced his deference to One coming who would be greater than him. The centuries of messianic expectation were about to be fulfilled.

Question for Application
How can the life of John the Baptist influence Christians today?

Like John the Baptist, we, as Christians, are to live a godly.lifestyle that points others to Jesus.
Believers are to tell sinners how to be saved and live as God wants. John was announcing the first coming of Jesus; it is now our responsibility to announce in our lifestyle and words that Jesus is coming again. We want people to be ready for Him when He comes.

B. Inauguration of Jesus’ Ministry–Mark 1:9-13
Jesus voluntarily submitted to the same baptism of repentance that John called his hearers to (Mark 1:9). Though He did not require repentance, Jesus’ being baptised in water was an act of identification and dedication. As Jesus Would later bear our sins by taking our place on the cross, by being baptised in water, He identified himself with sinful people. He dedicated himself to the ministry that was to climax in the death and resurrection water baptism pictures.

So in water baptism we identify ourselves with Christ’s death and resurrection and dedicate ourselves to live for Him (Romans 6:3,4). We make a public declaration of our faith in Christ and our intention to live a lifestyle that will continue to testify for Him.

After emerging from the water, Jesus received two indicators of His divine Sonship (Mark 1:10). First, the heavens opened and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove. Second, God voiced His pleasure with His Son (verse 11). Jesus’ identity as God’s Son received the divine witness of the Father and the Spirit. John’s preparation was now complete.

Jesus’ preparation for ministry continued as the Spirit led Him into the wilderness (verse 12). He was there 40 days, being tempted by Satan (verse 13). Wild beasts were there with Him. However, angels ministered to Him and kept Him safe.

Question for Application:
How can Christians overcome temptation?

Believers are to follow Jesus’ example through times of testing or temptation. Jesus shows us that temptation is not a sin and that those who are tempted should not believe the lies of the tempter. He tempts us to take the easy way out or to do what makes us feel good. We are to depend on God’s Holy Spirit for strength to do what is right and overcome the temptation to sin, just as Jesus did.

2.. Preaching and Calling Disciples
A. Announcing the Good News–Mark 1:14,15
God’s plan of salvation was unfolding. The prophecy regarding Galilee of the Gentiles in Isaiah 9:1,2 was fulfilled as Jesus began His public ministry there, announcing that the good news had arrived (Mark 1:14,15). Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe thẹ gospel” (verse 15, KJV).

Question for Application
How was Jesus’ message both similar to and different from John the Baptist’s message ?

John the Baptist and Jesus preached the message of repentance, turning away from sin. Where John called for repentance to be accompanied by baptism, Jesus called for repentance to be accompanied by belief or faith in the good news of the kingdom of God. John pointed his hearers to One who was coming in the future; Jesus announced that the kingdom of God had arrived.

Believers must be patient as they await God’s plan for their lives to unfold. God planned and prepared the world for centuries before Jesus’ arrival. Jesus himself lived in obscurity for 30 years before He launched His ministry. In a time where communications around the world can occur almost instantly, believers must remember to keep God’s long-term perspective in mind.

B. Calling the First Disciples–Mark 1:16-20

Questions for Application
Why would the four men Jesus called drop everything and follow Him (Mark 1:16-20) ?

This was not the first time these men had encountered Jesus. Simon and Andrew had met Him previously
(John 1:35-42), and James and John probably had also. Some of them had been disciples of John the Baptist. They had knowledge of Jesus. So when Jesus asked them to leave their fishing and follow Him, they dropped everything and followed Him to become “fishers of men” (verse 20, KJV).

There is always a cost in following Jesus.

Questions for Application
What kind of things must we leave behind to follow Jesus ?

While we often think of the sacrifices pastors and missionaries have made to follow Jesus, each person who chooses to follow Jesus must make sacrifices. The most important one is the choice to live not for self but for God. We offer our lives to the Lord and ask Him to use us as He wills. We are called to spend ourselves to advance the kingdom of God, trusting that God will supply our needs and make every sacrifice an offering of joy.

All Christ’s followers are called to “become” fishers of men. We do not need to wait until we become experts in the Bible or theology to witness of Christ. We can begin by telling others what Jesus did for us and how we know He wants to work in their lives as well. We are to be honest about not having all the answers and willing to assist unbelievers with their sincere questions.

3. Teaching and Healing
A. Authoritative Ministry–Mark 1:21-28
Jesus went to the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath and began to teach (Mark 1:21). While this may seem strange to us, in Jesus’ day each synagogue had a ruler who managed its affairs and invited visiting teachers whom he felt were competent to speak. As news about Jesus spread, He Could easily get invitations to speak in the synagogues.

The people in the synagogue were astonished because Jesus taught with authority, not as the scribes did (verse 22). They never gave their own opinions. They simply restated what famous rabbis had said by reading their opinions. In contrast, Jesus taught with personal authority, stating His personal knowledge of the Scriptures, ministering under the anointing of the Spirit, and speaking with moral authority that comes from character.

When confronted with spiritual power, the audience was astonished. But a demon-possessed man responded to Jesus’ authority by calling Jesus by name, acknowledging His power and His relationship to God (verses 23,24). Jesus’ authority often evoked strong responses from demons, for they knew that He had the power to destroy them.

Jesus rebuked the demon and ordered it out of the man (verses 25,26). This was one of the first miracles that demonstrated Jesus’ divine authority. Even evil spirits had to submit to His power (verse 27)!

Good news travels fast. Soon the whole region of Galilee had heard about Jesus’ power (verse 28). As is evident from later verses in Mark 1, people in need sought out Jesus in response to the authority He demonstrated that day in the synagogue.

B. Miraculous Power–Mark 1:29-35

Upon leaving the synagogue,.Jesus and His disciples, James and John, went to Simon and Andrew’s home, probably to share a Sabbath meal (Mark 1:29). Again, Jesus faced a human need. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever (verse 30). Mark records the straightforward facts- Jesus helped her get up out of bed, and she was healed of her fever. She then served them (verse 31).

This healing is an example of what simple faith can accomplish. Jesus performed no elaborate ritual. He apparently did not put His hand on her forehead or even say anything to her. He simply helped her up, and in that act, He healed her.

Questions for Application
Why did people come to Simon and Andrew’s house after sunset?
The Sabbath laws prohibited carrying anything on the Sabbath. When it ended at sunset, the people of the city came to the house (verses 32,33). They probably had heard what happened in the synagogue that morning and knew Jesus had power to do miracles.

Questions for Application
Why did Jesus not allow the demons to speak this time?

Jesus healed many people and cast out many demons, but unlike in the synagogue He did not allow the demons to speak (verse 34). At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He wanted to avoid a premature conflict with the religious leaders that would hinder the training of His disciples and the preaching of the gospel. Jesus often commanded people and demons not to tell who He was (see Mark 3:12; Matthew 8:4).

Questions for Application
What example does Jesus give us about spiritual renewal?

After a day of intense ministry that included teaching, healing, and casting out evil spirits, Jesus took time for spiritual renewal through prayer (verse 35). He could have justifiably slept late that next morning after a long day of ministry, but He was up before dawn the next day, praying. Other references to His praying suggest that Jesus followed a pattern of engagement in ministry and with drawal for spiritual restoration. He engaged the world to preach and meet their needs followed by withdrawal to replenish His spiritual resources through prayer. This pattern shows that Jesus did not rely on being divine or on His initial anointing by the Spirit at His baptism to carry Him through days of ministry. He prayed for daily renewal. If Jesus did this, how much more should we?

Call to Discipleship
John fulfilled his role as the one who announced Jesus’ ministry. After
years of living quietly as a carpenter’s son, Jesus voluntarily subjected himself to John’s baptism and to the Spirit’s leading in fulfilling His role as God’s Son. Both of these examples show the importance of preparation. John prepared the way for Jesus to launch His ministry. Jesus prepared himself during His 30 quiet years leading up to His 3% years of ministry.

What are you preparing for? Are you helping someone else to be successful in ministry? Are you preparing yourself to be an effective believer when your ministry opportunity comes? Both John and Jesus prepared for and fulfilled their ministry roles.

Following Jesus as His first disciples did required commitment to Him. As believers, we must still make the choice to leave everything behind that Would hinder us from completing the ministry God has planned for us. We must follow the disciples’ example and give ourselves completely to Him.

Ministry in Action
Jesus still ministers to those who believe in Him. Take time at the end of class to minister in His name to those in need. Ask students who would like the class to pray for them to stand up. Ask others in the class to lay on hands and pray for those who have expressed needs.

Action Point
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