- 1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
- 2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
- 3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- 4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
- 5And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
- 6And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
- 7And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
- 8I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
- 9And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
- 10And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
- 11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- 12And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
- 13And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
- 14Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
- 15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
- 16Now 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.
- 17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
- 18And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
- 19And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
- 20And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
- 21And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
- 22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
- 23And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
- 24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
- 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
- 26And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
- 27And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
- 28And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
- 29And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
- 30But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
- 31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
- 32And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
- 33And all the city was gathered together at the door.
- 34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
- 35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
- 36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
- 37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
- 38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
- 39And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
- 40And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
- 41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
- 42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
- 43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
- 44And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
- 45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
KING JAMES VERSION
MARK 1
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Mark 1 — Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, calls disciples, teaches with authority, and compassionately cleanses the suffering.
About this illustration
The cleansing of the leper anchors the scene as a visible expression of the authority displayed throughout the chapter. The baptism, wilderness temptation, and earlier healings are not compressed into the same image.
Scripture basis: Mark 1:1–45King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
First century BC–first century AD; abandoned by AD 70
Magdala Synagogue and Stone
A pre-AD 70 synagogue at Magdala contained a richly carved limestone furnishing whose menorah and Temple imagery reveal how a Galilean community imagined Jerusalem's sanctuary while it still stood.
Matthew 4:23 · Mark 1:39 · Mark 15:40
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchaeological site
First century AD domestic remains; synagogue phases through Late Antiquity
Capernaum Synagogue and First-Century Domestic Complex
Excavated Capernaum preserves a first-century basalt village, a later monumental synagogue over earlier remains, and a domestic complex successively transformed into a Christian gathering and pilgrimage place.
Matthew 4:13 · Matthew 8:5–14 · Mark 1:21–31
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
First half of the sixth century AD
Codex Purpureus Beratinus
Beratinus 1 is a sixth-century Greek purple Gospel manuscript of Matthew and Mark preserved through Albania's turbulent history, but its text, once known chiefly through Batiffol's nineteenth-century edition, is now receiving overdue reassessment from the original leaves.
Matthew 5:1–12 · Mark 1:1–15
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Late 2nd–early 3rd Century
Papyrus P137: Mark 1:7–9; Mark 1:16–18 in a Greek Witness
Papyrus P137, P.Oxy. LXXXIII 5345, is a late-second- or early-third-century codex fragment of Mark 1 whose publication corrected years of unsupported 'first-century Mark' claims.
Mark 1:7–9 · Mark 1:16–18
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
8th century
Codex Regius (GA 019)
Codex Regius (GA 019) is a 8th century Greek parchment codex preserving the four Gospels with lacunae.
Matthew 1:1–17 · Mark 1:1–15 · Luke 1:1–25
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
9 BC
Priene Calendar Inscription
The Priene copy of an Asian provincial decree made Augustus' birthday the beginning of a new calendar year and celebrated his arrival with the language of good news and salvation.
Mark 1:1 · Luke 2:10–11
View all 13 archaeology resources
- Codex Koridethi: The Georgian-Held Greek Gospels
- Octagonal Memorial Church at Capernaum
- Codex Boreelianus (GA 09)
- Codex Sangallensis 18 (GA 0130): Gospel Undertext beneath Latin
- Book of Mulling: An Irish Gospel Book
- Book of Dimma: An Irish Pocket Gospel Book
- P.Oxy. III 405: Irenaeus Quoting Matthew in an Early Codex
Prophecy Events
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
28
Isaiah 40:3–5 · Malachi 3:1 · Malachi 4:5–6A Forerunner Prepares the Way
Isaiah and Malachi announce a messenger who prepares the Lord’s way. The Gospels identify John the Baptist with that messenger, while Josephus independently describes John’s public teaching, baptism, following, imprisonment, and death under Herod Antipas.
Prophetic signJohn the BaptistJesus ChristIsaiahMalachi
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
28
Isaiah 9:1–2The Ministry Shines in Galilee
Isaiah associates dawning light with Galilee of the nations. Matthew explicitly quotes the passage as Jesus begins preaching in Galilee; excavations at Nazareth and Capernaum confirm the first-century Jewish landscape, though they do not independently prove His itinerary.
Prophetic signJesus ChristGalileeNazarethCapernaum
Sermons
Oh They Perish
In “Oh They Perish,” Pastor Dean Odle reflects on Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and argues that Christians should share Christ’s grief for people who are spiritually lost. Moving through Luke 19, Ecclesiastes 8, and the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, he stresses judgment, repentance, and the urgency of proclaiming the gospel. Odle criticizes churches that avoid hell, Christ’s exclusivity, biblical authority, and sound doctrine, while calling every believer—not only pastors—to evangelize boldly. Personal testimony, Daniel’s end-time witness, and Paul’s travail for the Galatians support his appeal for compassionate truth-telling, perseverance, and obedience to Jesus Christ.
Salvation and the GospelChristian LivingDoctrine and DiscernmentChurch and Ministry
View sermon The Resistance
In “The Resistance,” Pastor Dean Odle presents Ephesians 6:10-18 as a direct call for Christians to recognize and actively oppose spiritual powers rather than drift into passivity. He argues that the conflict is intimate—touching thoughts, homes, relationships, churches, and public life—and that believers must answer it through submission to God, persistent prayer, Scripture, corporate fellowship, discernment, and the authority of Jesus Christ. James 4:7, Luke 10:19, Hebrews 10:25, John 10:10, and related passages reinforce the message’s central appeal.
Spiritual WarfareApostasy and DeceptionBible ProphecyChristian Living
View sermon Knowing the Healer
Dean Odle teaches that Jesus still heals and that healing belongs within the gospel witness, while rejecting formulas that blame every unhealed person or forbid medical care. He begins candidly by saying that he has witnessed striking miracles and answered prayer, but has also seen faithful people suffer and die. Drawing from Isaiah 53, the Gospels, Acts, and Paul’s testimony, he connects Christ’s suffering with forgiveness and healing while refusing to turn that conviction into a guarantee that every prayer will produce an immediate visible result.
Holy Spirit and Spiritual GiftsHealing and MiraclesPrayer and RevivalChrist AloneDoctrine and Discernment
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 5 sermons
Music
Come Honestly
A Scripture-rich gospel appeal to come to Jesus without pretense: confessing sin, trusting His crucifixion and resurrection, receiving salvation by grace through faith, and following Him in repentance and new life.