Mark 1:1-20 Why Should I Follow Jesus?
Good morning, everyone! This is the message I shared at the Mid-Valley conference last weekend. If you could not go to the conference, the conference comes to you. Today we want to learn why we should follow Jesus. Children ask why we have to go to school? Can’t we just play? Teens ask why do we have to do homework? College students ask why do they need to take exams and finals? Husbands ask their wives why did you marry me? Wives ask themselves why did I marry him? We need to find the right reasons and answers to these difficult life questions. But the most important question all believers and non-believers need to ask is, why should I follow Jesus? We want to find the answer to this vital life question through our study of Mark 1. We want to learn why we need to hear and obey Jesus’ words, “Follow me,” and answer the question of why we should follow Jesus. In my message I would like to focus on Jesus’ divinity, his victory over sin and Satan, and most importantly, Jesus’ calling “Follow me.”
“WHY SHOULD I FOLLOW JESUS?”
Mark 1:1-20
Key Verse: 17:
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’”
I. Follow Jesus because he is the divine Son of God and Messiah (1-11)
Look at verse 1. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here in verse 1, “the gospel” is also translated as “the good news.” Mark wrote to proclaim “Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” As the Messiah or Christ, Jesus is the Anointed One, God’s chosen King, as kings were anointed before taking their thrones. Jesus is God on earth. The Romans believed Caesar was a god over the Roman Empire. However, only Jesus is Lord and King of our lives. Where is Caesar now? Maybe you can find him at Little Caesar pizza place? But King Jesus sits at the right hand of God on his throne ruling now and forever more! He also lives and reigns in the hearts of believers who have love and faith in him. This is the greatest and best news that anyone can receive. Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Jesus’ beginning his earthly ministry was extraordinarily good news because it fulfilled the prophecies written centuries before his arrival.
Look at verses 2-3. “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John’s arrival fulfilled prophecy as the forerunner of the Messiah. He was like a loudspeaker getting people ready for Jesus’ coming. He prepared peoples’ rough and rocky hearts to receive their spiritual king. Those welcoming King Jesus needed to repent of their high-mindedness and pride, and humble themselves at his arrival. After writing that Jesus’ coming fulfilled Scripture, Mark briefly wrote about the forerunner—John’s life and ministry.
Look at verses 4-8. In these verses, we see John baptizing and preaching the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s message was simple but powerful—repent of your sins and be forgiven. Included in his ministry was the outreach of water baptism. John’s message and ministry was simple, but hundreds or thousands of people came to confess their sins and be baptized by him in the Jordan River. They were spiritually thirsty people. They were longing and seeking a Messiah to save them. But John only baptized with water, but the Messiah, Jesus, would baptize with the Holy Spirit. We all need to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus so we may be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38, “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Let’s have ready hearts for Jesus with sincere repentance. Next, Mark wrote about how Jesus was baptized by John.
Look at verses 9-11. “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” After six months of John’s ministry, Jesus began his. He traveled from Nazareth and found John baptizing in the Jordan. While Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. God revealed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed one. God was launching his Son’s ministry through this public inauguration ceremony. We see in the world inauguration ceremonies for a new president or a new pope. The Holy Spirit came down upon him like a crown from heaven. Earlier we learned that John was the voice in the desert, but here we see God’s voice from heaven. What did God say? “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” God was pleased that his plan of world salvation, which he had prepared long ago, was finally coming to fruition. The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and guided him what to do next.
II. Follow Jesus who defeated Satan to save us from sin and death (12-15)
Look at verses 12-13. “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” In Part I, we learned that Jesus just a wonderful inauguration ceremony, after being baptized by John. But now the same Holy Spirit that descended on Jesus, drove him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for forty days. It was a great spiritual battle that Jesus had to endure by himself. After the forty days of temptations the angels ministered to Jesus. Jesus overcame and defeated the devil because Jesus wanted to obey his Father God’s will absolutely. We can defeat the devil when we trust Jesus and resolve to obey him no matter what! I don’t know about you, but I would rather follow Jesus than any man, because he alone defeated sin and Satan.
Look at verses 14-15. “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” John was imprisoned by king Herod whom he rebuked for committing adultery. It was a dangerous time to speak the truth. But God’s work was not hindered because it was Jesus’ time to usher in the kingdom of God. All the prophecies of the coming Messiah were being fulfilled. Nothing or no one, could thwart God’s salvation plan. In Galilee, Jesus proclaimed the truth of the gospel that came from God himself. Jesus preached the spiritual kingdom that rules in the hearts of all believers. The King had arrived and brought his kingdom with him. Where Jesus is, there is the kingdom of God. Jesus is our King and we obey him. Next, Jesus called men who could be kingdom workers with him.
III. Follow Jesus who calls us to a greater life than we can imagine (16-20)
Look at verse 16. “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.” It is God’s will that this good news of the kingdom is passed on in the world through chosen people of God. When Jesus was looking for men to follow him to participate in his world salvation work, he did not go to the religious schools or among the priests. Instead, he went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Why did he go among the fishermen to choose disciples? At that time, Rabbis, or teachers, did not go looking for disciples or students to learn under them. Instead, students had to seek teachers and be accepted. But Jesus, by his one-sided grace, went to call disciples to follow him. Jesus later told them in John 15:16a, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.” Jesus was calling specific men for a specific purpose. What did he want them to learn from him?
Look at verse 17, our key verse. “And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’” As working-class people, Peter and Andrew didn’t have the opportunity to learn under a Rabbi. But Jesus gave them the opportunity of a lifetime to be his disciples with the words, “Follow me.” It meant not only to learn from Jesus, but to have a personal relationship with him. Like the first disciples, Jesus is calling us in our hearts to follow him, we need to seize the opportunity of a lifetime and follow Jesus. The first disciples also had to have a humble mind to learn from Jesus since he was not educated in the Rabbi’s tradition, but came also from the working class as a carpenter. Though their jobs as fishermen were important, Jesus wanted to give them a spiritual upgrade. He wanted to teach how to catch men for God instead of catching fish. By saying they will “become fishers of men,” Jesus was emphasizing the far greater importance of souls. Normal fish were to be caught and eaten, but they were to fish men to be saved out of the sea of death. Of course, they did not have the strength or ability to do this. But Jesus would make them fishers of men. That’s why verse 17b reads, “I will make you,” because Jesus would equip them with the necessary skills and power to catch men. Jesus called ordinary men so that he could do extraordinary work through them. It is interesting how God calls people from their vocation into a spiritual one. For example, David was a shepherd boy, but God called him to be the shepherd for his people. Jesus called fishermen to become fishers of men. In the past, I played American football for my glory. But in the end, I was not satisfied or happy. When I studied Genesis the first thing I learned was that God created man for his glory. So, I repented and decided from then on to live for God’s glory. Then new joy came into my soul. God has blessed and led my life since then. It is truly a privilege for us to be called by Jesus out of the world to be his disciples in our generation. I pray that all of you may hear Jesus’ calling today, “Follow me.”
How did Peter and Andrew respond to Jesus’ invitation? Look at verse 18. “And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Not only did they have spiritual desire, but they were also men of decision and action. They didn’t calculate or teeter-totter, but made a clear decision to follow Jesus. They left their nets and followed Jesus. It meant that they were leaving their old life behind to begin a new life with a clear purpose and destination. Following Jesus requires repenting of our sin and start a new life in Jesus. Once, Jesus asked Peter to take him a little way from shore because so many people had come to listen to him. Afterwards, Jesus told Peter to go to deep water and put down his net for a catch. By a miracle Peter caught so much fish that his net was about to break. Luke 5:8 reads, “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’” Jesus did not rebuke or shame him. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” God had a greater purpose for his life than to just catch fish. It was time to leave his sinful life behind and begin a new life to serve God’s will and purpose. Next, Jesus called two more fishermen disciples.
Look at verses 19-20. “And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” James and John were not only brothers but were fishermen also. They were of the same mold and background of Peter and Andrew. It seemed like Jesus had a natural affinity towards ordinary fishermen. Why? From a human perspective, they were just average and common men. Though they were ordinary, Jesus is extraordinary. In society, they were nobodies and your average Joe, but Jesus would make them history-makers and world-changing men. Apostle Paul wrote to Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” As disciples of Jesus, we have nothing to boast about because it is God’s changing work in our lives, not in our human qualification. We cannot boast that “Jesus called me to be a disciple because I’m such a smart and able person.” No, Jesus will do his own work in us when we hear and accept his calling, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” When James and John heard Jesus’ divine invitation, they also, like Peter and Andrew, immediately got up, left everything, and followed him.
What do we learn from Jesus and these men? Why did they follow Jesus, and why should we? First, we learned that Jesus is the divine Son of God and Messiah. It was the highest privilege and greatest honor for these four ordinary fishermen to be called by Jesus to follow him and learn from him. They saw God with their own eyes and heard with their own ears the very words of God. With God’s revelation, they saw that Jesus was no ordinary teacher but the Messiah and the Savior of the world. Matthew 16:16-17, “Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ 17 And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” Because of this understanding they could leave everything behind and make Jesus the first priority of their life. They knew the value of Jesus and that he was worth more than anything else in the world. Second, we learned that only Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations and defeated him. Only Jesus can help us have victory over the devil’s temptations in our lives. Third, they believed with all their hearts that God had a new and greater purpose for them than just trying to survive day by day catching fish. Though they may not have understood initially how Jesus would do it, but because of his promise they believed that they would one day “become fishers of men.”
In summary, this passage has been a powerful reminder of God’s mercy and blessing upon this unworthy sinner. God called me to follow him in 1983, when I was a freshman on the UIC campus. God’s word moved my heart so much that I wanted to be a Bible teacher and go fishing on the UIC campus. Though I fished and talked to many students, only a few studied the Bible faithfully. But I never gave up believing God called me to be a fisher of men. During that time because I wanted to be a Bible teacher, I studied the Bible regularly in order to prepare Bible study material. Then 20 years later, 2003, God called my family to be missionaries to Ukraine. We followed Jesus’ leading to Ukraine. We wanted to go fishing for men but we had a dilemma because we didn’t know the native language. Then Maria and I were inspired by Mother Barry who had English Bible study in Korea. We learned that there are many ways of fishing. So, we casted our net of English Club and English Bible study. By God’s grace he filled our net with many students who were coming to us to study the Bible in English. [Pic 1] As Jesus promised, he made us fishers of men. Through this I realize that Jesus’ words are true for our lives, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Maria and I praise God for using ordinary people like ourselves to do his extraordinary work. We need to pray, study the Bible, teach the Bible, and believe that Jesus will make us fishers of men when we follow him!
One of my favorite things I like to do as a grandfather is go fishing with my granddaughter, Stasia. She gets so excited to catch even a small fish. [Pic 2] But because she is only five years old, she sometimes gets discouraged when she doesn’t catch a fish after 5 minutes. Then she wants to give up and do something else. We can be like that when we don’t seem to have any fruit in our life or ministry. Maybe after 5 months or 5 years? We want to give up and do something else. We may even doubt and think Jesus’ promise to be a fisher of men is for someone else, not me. But we must be patient and prayerful and faithfully follow Jesus to the end because when we have faith and trust in him, he will keep his promise. It’s not by our work, but Jesus’ promise, “I will make you become fishers of men.” William Carey was known as the “father of the modern missions.” [Pic 3] He went to Calcutta, India as a missionary in 1793. His first years in the mission field were difficult and he struggled to support his family. Family members got sick and his son died due to illness. It looked like a mistake to go to the mission field and the fruit of his ministry seemed like nothing. But God used him mightily as a fisher of men. He learned and mastered the native language. Then he began to translate the Bible to the Indian local languages. God also used him to establish a college, that still exists today, [Pic 4] and other local educational centers. God used him to establish many local churches and send out local missionaries among the natives. He could not do it, but Jesus made him a fisher of men. Galatians 6:9 reads, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” To answer the question of “Why must I follow Jesus?” I would say that because we cannot serve God or change ourselves to be his disciples by our own strength. We follow Jesus because we have faith that he alone can change us by his grace to be his disciples and gospel workers for our generation. Listen to Jesus’ promise: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
From this passage we also learn that we must pray for the young people of our generation who follow want to follow others who do not lead them to salvation but death. Many want to follow a boyfriend or girlfriend or a You-Tube influencer or someone famous on Tik Tok or Instagram. You can see that some of these influencers have millions of followers. Especially, famous people, actors, actresses, and extreme people. Just as an example, Sean “Diddy” Combs is a famous hip-hop mogul had 20 million followers on Instagram. But if you have been watching the news you know that he was on trial due to allegations of sexual trafficking, abuse, and racketeering. And many famous actors followed him. Another influential man was Jeffrey Epstein who had a pedophile island where young girls were raped and imprisoned, but many famous people and politicians followed him to the island to satisfy their evil desires. We have to be very careful and prayerful who we follow in this evil world. The only one, believers should follow is Jesus. Amen.
Mark 1 1 to 20 WL Presentation
Footnotes
- Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts omit the Son of God
- Mark 1:2 Some manuscripts in the prophets
- Mark 1:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness
- Mark 1:11 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
- Mark 1:15 Or the kingdom of God has come near
- Mark 1:17 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women
Bible study questions:
“Why Should I Follow Jesus”
Mark 1:1-20
Key Verse: 17:
“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
1. What do verses 1-3 tell us about Jesus? Who was Mark’s target audience? Why did Mark not use genealogies like Matthew or Luke’s gospel? How did John prepare people to receive Jesus (4-8)? How does this apply to us today (Acts 2:38)?
2. What happened at Jesus’ baptism (9-11)? What does it mean that the heaven being torn open? (Is. 64:1) Why did Jesus have to be baptized? Who and what did the voice of heaven say? Who should we please in our lives?
3. How did Jesus encounter Satan and his temptations (12-13)? What do these events teach about following Jesus (Jn 15:9; Heb 4:15)? What spiritual hopes can we receive from Jesus with his victory?
4. What was the context in which Jesus began proclaiming the good news (14-15)? What is the kingdom of God, and how did Jesus bring it near? How should we respond to Jesus’ message? Why is repentance first necessary for salvation?
5. Who were the first disciples (16,19)? Why do you think Jesus went to the shores of Galilee to call his disciples? What did he call them to do, and what did he promise them (17)? What does it mean “I will make you”?
6. What did it mean to them to follow Jesus (18,20) Why were they willing to leave everything behind to follow Jesus? What does following Jesus mean to you? How can we “become fishers of men?”
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[a]
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,[b]
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare[c] the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;[d] with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;[e] repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”[f] 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Footnotes
a. Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts omit the Son of God
b. Mark 1:2 Some manuscripts in the prophets
c. Mark 1:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness
d. Mark 1:11 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
e. Mark 1:15 Or the kingdom of God has come near
f. Mark 1:17 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women
