This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent. 14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Most scholars hold that it is significant that Jesus does not enter upon his own distinctive ministry until after John has been arrested. They suggest that the wording of v.14 is such that Jesus is restrained by God from his ministry of proclamation until the Baptist is removed from the scene. His arrest indicates that the time has come for Jesus to act. Jesus enters into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent: He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. A detail recorded only by Mark is that Jesus was with the wild beasts in the wilderness. “Wild beasts” therion occurs only here in all of the gospels. In ancient Greek, therion especially referred to animals that were hunted.  It is unique in Mark’s account of the testing. It is a word that refers to any wild animal or beast. It is used in Acts 28:4-5 for the viper who bites Paul. It is used in Revelation to refer to the “beast” who is worshiped rather than God. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent: he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. “Satan” comes from the Hebrew verb STN meaning “to be hostile, to oppose”. The noun means “adversary,” who usually is an earthling in the OT, but in 1 Chr 21:1; Job 1 & 2; Zech 3:1, 2 it refers to a heavenly being and is transliterated “Satan”. Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent. 12 At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, 13 and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

The account of the baptism moves immediately into Jesus’ test in the wilderness (eremos) as seen in the phrase “At once.” Jesus’ expulsion into the desert is connected to his baptism; it is the same Spirit who descended upon Jesus at his baptism who now forces him to enter more deeply into the wilderness. In Mark, the Spirit is “casting out” or “throwing out” (ekballo) Jesus into the wilderness. (Matthew and Luke are a bit less graphic with the Spirit “leading” [anago & ago] Jesus.) In the wilderness Jesus is to be tested (peirazo) by Satan (Mk) or the Devil (Mt & Lk). Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent. When we read this account in Mark, it is natural to insert the familiar details of the wilderness temptation from Matthew and Luke. Those are accounts that are filled with details of fasting, the appearance of Satan, more robust descriptions of the details of the encounter. Those details naturally lend themselves to placing more emphasis on  an extended period of time in the desert. Some commentators find it of interest that Matthew and Luke do not mention the presence of the “wild beasts.” Continue reading →

This coming Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Lent in Lectionary Cycle B. The Gospel of Mark is noted for its brevity and perhaps no better example exists than the narrative of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness: 12 At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, 13 and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Continue reading →