Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark

A Commentary

J. C. Ryle

• Publisher: Aneko Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781622456864
• eBook ISBN: 9781622456871

"Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" – Mark 4: 41Wisdom, encouragement, and exhortation is contained in these pages. Not because of the author's brilliance, but because of the words of truth contained in the gospel of Mark. And just as the apostle Mark didn't draw any attention to himself, so also J. C. Ryle clearly and wonderfully directs his words and our thoughts towards the inspired words of scripture. If we truly love God, we will love His word; and the more study His word, the more we will love God.

Mark Chapter 1

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

THE GOSPEL OF MARK, which we now begin, is in some respects unlike the other three Gospels. It tells us nothing about the birth and early life of our Lord Jesus Christ. It contains comparatively few of His sayings and discourses. Of all the four inspired histories of our Lord’s earthly ministry, this is by far the shortest.

But we must not allow these peculiarities to make us undervalue Mark’s Gospel. It is a Gospel singularly full of precious facts about the Lord Jesus, narrated in a simple, terse, and condensed style. If it tells us few of our Lord’s sayings, it is eminently rich in its catalogue of His doings. It often contains minute historical details of deep interest which are wholly omitted in Matthew, Luke, and John. In short, it is no mere abridged copy of Matthew, as some have rashly asserted, but the independent narrative of an independent witness who was inspired to write a history of our Lord’s works rather than of His words. Let us read it with holy reverence. Like all the rest of Scripture, every word of Mark is inspired by God, and every word is profitable.

Let us observe in these verses what a full declaration we have of the dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ’s person. The very first sentence speaks of Him as the Son of God.

These words, the Son of God, conveyed far more to Jewish minds than they do to ours. They were nothing less than an assertion of our Lord’s divinity. They were a declaration that Jesus was Himself very God and equal with God (John 5:18).

There is a beautiful fitness in placing this truth in the very beginning of a Gospel. The divinity of Christ is the citadel and preservation of Christianity. Here lies the infinite value of the atoning sacrifice He made upon the cross. Here lies the peculiar merit of His atoning death for sinners. That death was not the death of a mere man like ourselves, but of one who is over all, God blessed forever (Romans 9:5). We need not wonder that the sufferings of one person were a sufficient propitiation for the sin of the world when we remember that He who suffered was the Son of God.

Let believers cling to this doctrine with jealous watchfulness. With it, they stand upon a rock. Without it, they have nothing solid beneath their feet. Our hearts are weak. Our sins are many. We need a Redeemer who is able to save to the uttermost and deliver from the wrath to come. We have such a Redeemer in Jesus Christ. He is the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6).

Let us observe, in the second place, how the beginning of the Gospel was a fulfillment of Scripture. John the Baptist began his ministry as it is written in Isaiah the prophet.

There was nothing unforeseen and suddenly contrived in the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. In the very beginning of Genesis, we find it predicted that between your seed and her seed, He shall bruise you on the head (Genesis 3:15). All through the Old Testament we find the same event foretold with constantly increasing clearness. It was a promise often renewed to patriarchs and repeated by prophets that a Deliverer and Redeemer should one day come. His birth, His character, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His forerunner were all prophesied long before He came. Redemption was worked out and accomplished in every step just as it was written.

We should always read the Old Testament with a desire to find something in it about Jesus Christ. We study that portion of the Bible with little profit if we can see in it nothing but Moses, and David, and Samuel, and the prophets. Let us search the books of the Old Testament more closely. It was said by Him whose words can never pass away, “It is these that testify about Me” (John 5:39).

Let us observe, in the third place, how great were the effects which the ministry of John the Baptist produced for a time on the Jewish nation. We are told that all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River.

The fact here recorded is one that is much overlooked. We are apt to lose sight of him who went before the face of our Lord and to see nothing but the Lord Himself. We forget the morning star in the full blaze of the sun. And yet it is clear that John’s preaching arrested the attention of the whole Jewish nation and created an excitement all over Palestine. It aroused the nation from its slumbers and prepared it for the ministry of our Lord when He appeared. Jesus Himself says, “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light” (John 5:35).

We ought to notice here how little dependence is to be placed on what is called “popularity.” If ever there was one who was a popular minister for a season, John the Baptist was that man. Yet of all the crowds who came to his baptism and heard his preaching, how few, it may be feared, were converted! Some, we may hope, like Andrew, were guided by John to Christ. But the vast majority in all probability died in their sins. Let us remember this whenever we see a crowded church. A great congregation no doubt is a pleasing sight. But the thought should often come across our minds, How many of these people will reach heaven at last? It is not enough to hear and admire popular preachers. It is no proof of our conversion that we always worship in a place where there is a crowd. Let us take care that we hear the voice of Christ Himself and follow Him.

Let us observe, in the last place, what clear doctrine characterized John the Baptist’s preaching. He exalted Christ – “After me One is coming who is mightier than I.” He spoke plainly of the Holy Spirit – “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

These truths had never been so plainly proclaimed before by mortal man. More important truths than these are not to be found in the whole system of Christianity at this day. The principal work of every faithful minister of the gospel is to set the Lord Jesus fully before His people and to show them His fullness and His power to save. The next great work he has to do is to set before them the work of the Holy Spirit and the need of being born again and inwardly baptized by His grace. These two mighty truths appear to have been frequently on the lips of John the Baptist. It would be well for the church and the world if there were more ministers like him.

Let us ask ourselves, as we leave the passage, How much do we know by practical experience of the truths which John preached? What do we think of Christ? Have we felt our need of Him and fled to Him for peace? Is He king over our hearts and all things to our souls? What do we think of the Holy Spirit? Has He wrought a saving work in our hearts? Has He renewed and changed them? Has He made us partakers of the divine nature? Life or death depend on our answers to these questions. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (Romans 8:9).

Mark 1:9-20

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” As He was going along by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

This passage is singularly full of matter. It is a striking instance of that brevity of style which is the peculiar characteristic of Mark’s Gospel. The baptism of our Lord, His temptation in the wilderness, the commencement of His preaching, and the calling of His first disciples are related here in twelve verses.

Let us notice, in the first place, the voice from heaven which was heard at our Lord’s baptism. We read, A voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

That voice was the voice of God the Father. It declared the wondrous and ineffable love which has existed between the Father and the Son from all eternity. “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35). It proclaimed the Father’s full and complete approbation of Christ’s mission to seek and save the lost. It announced the Father’s acceptance of the Son as the Mediator, Substitute, and Surety of the new covenant.

There is a rich mine of comfort i...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• Mark 1:1-8
• Mark 2:1-12
• Mark 3:1-12
• Mark 4:1-20
• Mark 5:1-17
• Mark 6:1-6
• Mark 7:1-13
• Mark 8:1-13
• Mark 9:1-13
• Mark 10:1-12
• Mark 11:1-11
• Mark 12:1-12
• Mark 13:1-8
• Mark 14:1-9
• Mark 15:1-15
• Mark 16:1-8
• J. C. Ryle – A Brief Biography
• Other Similar Titles