In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Jesus came to John to be baptized, to take His place among the line of sinners. It was His Baptism by John that sanctified all waters to be a wonderful washing away of sins.
The Latin church father Tertullian writes about the Holy Spirit's descent in the form of a dove, saying (On Baptism, 8):
The Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove in order that the nature of the Holy Spirit might be made plain by means of a creature of utter simplicity and innocence. For the dove's body has no gall in it. So after the deluge, by which the iniquity of the old world was purged away, after, so to speak, the baptism of the world, the dove as herald proclaimed to the earth the tempering of the wrath of heaven--sent forth from the ark and returning with an olive branch, which is a sign of peace among the nations.
Mark 1:12-13
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 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.
St. Mark's use of the word "immediately" is extraordinary. Everything in the Gospel hinged on the urgency of Jesus' return. The urgency of Mark's writing of the Gospel at the urgent behest of the Roman Christians may have lent to the use of this word.
In Mark's Gospel, there is an ambiguity in the reading when compared to Matthew or Luke. Was the tempting of Jesus during the forty days (Mark) or after the forty days (Matthew, Luke)? Either way works because it is the doctrine of temptation in the Christian life.
Once again, the number "forty" comes around again with the length of Jesus' stay in the wilderness. It mirrors the forty days of the rain in the Flood, the forty years in the Wilderness. It is also the basis for the forty days of the season of Lent.
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
When did Jesus begin to preach? After John the Baptizer had been arrested. It was the greatest example of John's own prophecy: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). John can do no more public ministry being in Herod's underground dungeon. Now, it was time for the increase of Jesus' ministry.
The great message of Jesus comes through loud and clear. He proclaims, "the kingdom of God is at hand." The kingdom of God is standing in front of them and speaking to them. The Gospel is that good news that the kingdom of God has come down and put on human flesh. The good news that God had come down and was bringing about the reconciliation of mankind to God. But His ministry was one that He would not do alone.
Mark 1:16-20
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. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
The first four disciples Jesus called into the ministry were fishermen by trade. Jesus called them to become fishers of men, in fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:16: "Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the LORD, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks." The fulfillment of the restoration of Israel begins with the calling of the disciples.
Mark 1:21-28
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus went back into his home base of Capernaum and taught in the synagogue. They were astonished, amazed, at Jesus' teaching because He taught "as one who had authority." They were not used to hearing the teachers speaking their own words instead of referencing previous rabbis' interpretations of passages.
The demon wished to derail Jesus' ministry by speaking the truth about Jesus' identity. This half-truth comes at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry to try and derail it off God's plan of salvation and ministry. But Jesus would not be undermined. He cast the demon out and silenced him.
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