See note Mark 1:31¹.

Lit., scourges. A metaphor for afflictions, calamities.

Lit., fell upon.

The demons' crying out concerning the Slave-Savior was a further frustration to His gospel service. He charged them not to make Him known.

This was for the spreading of the Slave-Savior's gospel service.

See note Rev. 21:12^2b.

Some MSS omit, whom He also named apostles.

See note Mark 1:14^2b.

The Slave-Savior needed first the sea (v. 7) and then a little boat to escape the pressing of the crowd, indicating that the crowd's thronging Him was a frustration to His gospel service.

See note Mark 2:6¹.

See note Mark 1:31¹. The restoration of the withered hand displayed the power of the Slave-Savior's deity.

Toward the opposers the Savior's anger was exercised, and He was greatly grieved at their hardness; but toward the sick His compassion was exercised, and He restored the withered member. His anger and grief may be considered the expression of the genuineness of His humanity, whereas His compassion and healing were a merging of His human virtue with His divine power, which were manifested simultaneously to men. Thus, His deity in His humanity was again expressed before men. See note Mark 10:14¹.

Lit., soul.

This implied that the Slave-Savior was the Emancipator, who set the suffering one free from the bondage of religious ritual.

For vv. 1-6, see notes in Matt. 12:9-14.

See note note Mark 1:23¹. To preach (v. 14) the gospel was to minister God to people; to cast out demons was to keep Satan away from people. These constituted the main purpose of the Slave-Savior's gospel service.

For vv. 16-19, see notes in Matt. 10:2-4.

Lit., placed on, or, put on. So in v. 17.

Greek from Aramaic. A name added to James and John because of their impetuosity (cf. Luke 9:54-55; Mark 9:38 and note).

Lit., delivered Him up. So throughout the book.

Some MSS read, they came.

This indicates the busyness, diligence, and faithfulness of the Slave-Savior as the Slave of God in His evangelistic service.

For vv. 22-30, see notes in Matt. 12:24-32.

See note Mark 2:6¹.

Sinners kept in Satan's house for his kingdom. The Slave-Savior bound Satan, the strong man, and entered into his house to plunder the sinners so that through regeneration they could be brought into the house of God (Eph. 2:19) for the kingdom of God (John 3:5).

This indicates that while the Slave-Savior was doing the gospel service, He was binding the strong man, Satan. The gospel service is a warfare to destroy Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

This was a word of blasphemy ushered in by the exclamation of natural concern in v. 21.

The Slave-Savior cast out demons, the evil workers for the dark kingdom of Satan, yet the opposers said that He did it by the ruler of the demons. What a subtlety of the evil one, who motivated these evil opposers to say this! They were the co-workers of the evil one and even were one with him.

This indicates that Satan has not only a house but also a kingdom. His house is a house of sin (1 John 3:8, 10), and his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13). The sinners belong to both his house and his kingdom. The demons belong to his kingdom and possess people for his kingdom.

This shows that the Slave-Savior's gospel service, especially in casting out the demons to destroy the dark kingdom of Satan, was by the Holy Spirit, with whom He was anointed and by whom He was being led continuously in His move (Luke 4:18, Luke 4:1; Mark 1:12).

A sin that will not be forgiven forever.

After the opposers' blasphemy, which was instigated by Satan, the relatives of the Slave-Savior came again to trouble Him with their natural concern for Him. Undoubtedly, this too was motivated by the evil one.

See note Matt. 12:48¹. This indicated the Slave-Savior's rejection of His relatives' natural concern. To defeat the evil one's schemes and to fulfill His gospel service, He refused to remain in any relationship in the natural life. This displayed His absoluteness for God in His humanity.

See note Matt. 12:50^1a.

Through His gospel service the Slave-Savior made the believing sinners His spiritual relatives, who became His many brothers (Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11) in the house of God (Heb. 3:5) and His many members for the building up of His mystical Body (Eph. 5:30; 1 Cor. 12:12) to do the will of God.