Ryle on Mark 1:9-20

Imported boundary: J. C. Ryle's Expository Thoughts on Mark from the Internet Archive DjVu OCR for the 1858 Robert Carter St. Mark volume. Title pages, preface, contents, running heads, page numbers, OCR boilerplate, and indexes are not mirrored. The source includes Ryle's printed Scripture text and exposition; this scan-derived text remains needs-verification.

Primary passage: Mark 1:9-20.

Source Text

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove de- scending upon him : 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my "beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit dri- veth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilder- ness forty days, tempted of Satan* and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : repent ye, and believe the Gospel. 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea : for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. This passage is singularly full of matter. It is a strik- ing instance of that brevity of style, which is the pecu- liar characteristic of Mark's Grospel. The baptism of our Lord, His temptation in the wilderness, the commence- ment of his preaching, and the calling of His first disci- ples are related here in eleven verses.

Let us notice, in the first place, the voice from heaven ivhich was heard at our Lord's baptism.

We read, " There came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my be- loved Son, in whom 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 eter- nity. " The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand/' (John hi. 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, Substi- tute, and Surety of the new covenant. There is a rich mine of comfort, in these words, for all Christ's believing members. In themselves, and in their own doings, they see nothing to please God. They are daily sensible of weakness, shortcoming, and imperfection in all their ways. But let them recollect that the Father regards them as members of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. He sees no spot in them. (Cant. iv. 7.) He beholds them as "in Christ," clothed in His righteous- ness, and invested with His merit. They are " accepted in the Beloved," and when the holy eye of God looks at them, He is " well pleased."

Let us notice, in the second place, the nature of Christ's preaching.

We read that he came saying, " Kepent ye, and believe the Gospel." This is that old sermon which all the faithful witnesses of God have continually preached, from the very begin- ning of the world. From Noah down to the present day the burden of their address has been always the same - " Repent and believe." The apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders, when he left them for the last time, that the substance of his teaching among them had been " repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts, xx. 21.) He had the best of precedents for such teach- ing. The Great Head of the Church had given him a pattern. Eepentance and faith were the foundation stones of Christ's ministry. - Eepentance and faith must always be the main subjects of every faithful minister's instruction. We need not wonder at this; if we consider the ne- cessities of human nature. All of us are by nature born in sin and children of wrath, and all need to repent, be converted, and born again, if we would see the kingdom of God. - All of us are by nature guilty and condemned before God, and all must flee to the hope set before us in the Gospel, and believe in it, if we would be saved. All of us, once penitent, need daily stirring up to deeper repentance. All of us, though believing, need constant exhortation to increased faith.

Let us ask ourselves what we know of this repentance and faith. Have we felt our sins, and forsaken them ? Have we laid hold on Christ, and believed ?

We may reach heaven without learning, or riches, or health, or worldly greatness. But we shall never reach heaven, if we die impenitent and unbelieving. A new heart, and a lively faith in a Redeemer, are absolutely needful to salvation. May we never rest till we know them by experience, and can call them our own ! With them all true Christianity begins in the soul. In the exercise of them consists the life of religion. It is only through the possession of them that men have peace at the last. Church-membership and priestly absolution alone save no one. They only die in the Lord who " repent and believe." 9

Let us notice, in the third place, the occupation of those who ivere first called to be Christ's disciples.

We read that our Lord called Simon and Andrew, when they were " casting a net into the sea," and James and John while they were " mending their nets." It is clear, from these words, that the first followers of our Lord were not the great of this world. They were men who had neither riches, nor rank, nor power. But the kingdom of Christ is not dependent on such things as these. His cause advances in the world, " not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zech. iv. 6.) The words of St. Paul will always be found true : " Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." (1 Cor. i. 26, 27.) The church which began with a few fishermen, and yet overspread half the world, must have been founded by God.

We must beware of giving way to the common notion, that there is anything disgraceful in being poor, and in working with our own hands. The Bible contains many instances of special privileges conferred on working men. Moses wTas keeping sheep, when God appeared to him in the burning bush. Gideon was thrashing wheat, when the angel brought him a message from heaven. Elisha was ploughing, when Elijah called him to be prophet in his stead. The apostles were fishing, when Jesus called them to follow Him. It is disgraceful to be covetous, or proud, or a cheat, or a gambler, or a drunkard, or a glutton, or unclean. But it is no disgrace to be poor. The laborer who serves Christ faithfully is far more honorable in God's eyes, than the nobleman who serves sin.

Let us notice, in the last place, the office to which our Lord called His first disciples.

We read that He said, " Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." The meaning of this expression is clear and unmis- takeable. The disciples were to become fishers for souls. They were to labor to draw men out of darkness into light, and from the power of Satan to God. They were to strive to bring men into the net of Christ's church, that so they might be saved alive, and not perish ever- lastingly.

We ought to mark this expression well. It is full of instruction. It is the oldest name by which the minis- terial office is described in the New Testament. It lies deeper down than the name of bishoj), elder, or deacon. It is the first idea which should be before a minister's mind. He is not to be a mere reader of forms, or ad- ministrator of ordinances. He is to be a " fisher" of souls. The minister who does not strive to live up to this name has mistaken his calling. Does the fisherman strive to catch fish ? Does he use all means, and grieve if unsuccessful ? The minister ought to do the same. - Does the fisherman have pa- tience ? Does he toil on day after day, and wait, and work on in hope ? Let the minister do the same. - Happy is that man, in whom the fisher's skill, and dili- gence, and patience, are all combined !

Let us resolve to pray much for ministers. Their office is no light one if they do their duty. They need the help of many intercessions from all praying people. They have not only their own souls to care for, but the souls of others. No wonder that St. Paul cries, " Who is sufficient for these things " (2 Cor. ii. 16.) If we never prayed for ministers before, let us begin to do it this day.