New Testament · Gospels and Acts

Mark chapter 1

This is where the about Jesus, , the , begins.It happened just like the Isaiah wrote: “Look—I’m sending my ahead of you, who will prepare your way.”“A voice is shouting out in the : ‘Get the road ready for ! Straighten out the paths for him!’”And that’s exactly what happened: John showed up in the wilderness, people and announcing, “Be submerged as a sign that you’ve —and your will be forgiven.”People from the whole and everyone in Jerusalem kept coming out to him. They were being submerged by him in the Jordan River as they their failures.John wore clothes made from with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.He kept announcing, “Someone than me is coming after me. I’m not even worthy to bend down and .”I’ve submerged you in water, but he will submerge you in .It happened during that time that Jesus came from in and was submerged by John in the Jordan.The moment he came up out of the water, he saw the sky and coming down to him like a .And a voice came from the sky: “You are my , and I you. You bring me so much .”, the Breath into the wilderness.He was out in the wilderness for , being by . He was among the wild animals, and took care of him.After John was , Jesus went into Galilee announcing God’s :“,” he said. “ is right here, right now. , and this good news.”As he walked along the shore of , he saw Simon and his brother Andrew into the lake—they were fishermen.Jesus said to them, “Come , and I’ll make you .” they dropped their nets and followed him.Going on a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in their boat, .Right away he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the and followed him.They went to , and as soon as the came, Jesus went into the and started teaching.The people were by his teaching, because he taught them like someone with real —not like the .Just then, a man in their synagogue who was under the control of a screamed out,“, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know exactly who you are. You’re !”“!” Jesus commanded sharply. “Come out of him!”The corrupting spirit threw the man into convulsions, let out a piercing scream, and came out of him.Everyone was so they kept asking each other, “What is this? Some kind of —and it comes with authority! He even gives orders to corrupting spirits and they obey him!”News about him spread everywhere throughout the whole surrounding region of Galilee.As soon as they left the synagogue, they went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John.Simon’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a , and they immediately told Jesus about her.He went over to her, , and . The fever left her, and she began them.That evening , people brought to Jesus everyone who was sick or under the control of corrupting spirits. gathered at the door.He many people who had all kinds of diseases and drove out many corrupting spirits. But he , because they knew who he was. the next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, slipped out, and went to a where he .Simon and the others him,and when they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!”He told them, “Let’s go somewhere else—to the nearby towns—so I can there too. .”So he traveled throughout all of Galilee, announcing the message in their synagogues and driving out corrupting spirits.A man with a came to him, got on his knees, and begged him, “If you’re willing, you can .”, Jesus reached out his hand and . “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean.” the skin disease left him, and he was made clean.Jesus sent him away at once with a :“Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go and offer what Moses required for your cleansing, as to everyone.”But instead, the man went out and began , everywhere. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but had to stay out in . And still people kept coming to him from everywhere.