1:21
Capernaum was a fishing town or village, somewhat larger than Nazareth. Notice the word “immediately”, already used by Mark in 1:12. Mark is focused on the action, and the purposefulness (or intentionality) of Jesus. He sees Jesus as a man with a definite mission. Things did not just happen to Jesus, they were intended. So Jesus entered the Sabbath and began teaching. Although Mark gives a rather limited account of Jesus’ teaching, he does on several occasions note the fact that Jesus did teach. Matthew, Luke and John, especially John, focus a lot more on what Jesus taught. If we ever forget that Jesus is a teacher we miss an essential part of who He is and what He did, and if our churches neglect teaching we are neglecting a vital part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
1:22
This is a prime example of Mark’s approach. He describes the reaction of the people to Jesus’ teaching, but giving no details of what was taught. Mark’s emphasis here is on the fact that Jesus taught with authority. “Not as the scribes”. This is a damning indictment upon the scribes, the ones who were meant to teach the word of God. If we are teachers or preachers we need to ensure that we teach with authority. This means having a Godly lifestyle, a devotion to the Scriptures, faith in Christ. Although Mark does not give details of what Jesus taught, we do know from v14 that the essence of His teaching was “repent and believe for the kingdom of God is at hand”. His teaching was no gentle affair.
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