Mark 1:1–32

John Prepares the Way—Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18

¹This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

²The prophet Isaiah wrote, 

“I am sending my messenger ahead of you 

to prepare the way for you.” 

³“A voice cries out in the desert: 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord! 

Make his paths straight!’ ” 

⁴John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance^afor the forgiveness of sins. ⁵All Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 

⁶John was dressed in clothes made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 

⁷He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

John Baptizes Jesus—Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:21–22

⁹At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove. ¹¹A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.” 

Satan Tempts Jesus—Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13

¹²At once the Spirit brought him into the desert, ¹³where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. He was there with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. 

Calling of the First Disciples—Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11

¹⁴After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and told people the Good News of God. ¹⁵He said, “The time has come, and God’s kingdom is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News.” 

¹⁶As he was going along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the sea because they were fishermen. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish.” ¹⁸They immediately left their nets and followed him. 

¹⁹As Jesus went on a little farther, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat preparing their nets ⸤to go fishing⸥. ²⁰He immediately called them, and they left their father Zebedee and the hired men in the boat and followed Jesus. 

Jesus Forces an Evil Spirit out of a Man—Luke 4:31–37

²¹Then they went to Capernaum. On the next day of rest—a holy day, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their experts in Moses’ Teachings, he taught them with authority. 

²³At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, ²⁴“What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 

²⁵Jesus ordered the spirit, “Keep quiet, and come out of him!” ²⁶The evil spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out of him with a loud shriek. 

²⁷Everyone was stunned. They said to each other, “What is this? This is a new teaching that has authority behind it! He gives orders to evil spirits, and they obey him.” 

²⁸The news about him spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. 

Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others—Matthew 8:14–18; Luke 4:38–41

²⁹After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went with them. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. ³¹Jesus went to her, took her hand, and helped her get up. The fever went away, and she prepared a meal for them. 

³²In the evening, when the sun had set, people brought to him everyone who was sick and those possessed by demons.