John Mark Hicks

Mark’s action-soaked narrative testifies to the identity of Jesus. Who is Jesus? He calms storms, exorcizes demons, heals diseases, and raises the dead. The question the disciples raised after Jesus calms the storm is answered by a demon named “Legion.” Ferried to the eastern side of the lake, “the region of Gerasenes,” Jesus encountered a […]

The last line of this section describes the ministry of Jesus in Galilee:  “he went into the synagogues everywhere in Galilee, heralding and casting out demons.” I call this “practicing the kingdom of God.” That is, Jesus announces that the kingdom of God has drawn near and demonstrates its presence through redemptive acts.  This is the […]

Mark begins his snapshot of a day in the life of Jesus at the synagogue in Capernaum, a village located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus goes to synagogue–he participates in the community of Israel as a practicing Jew, a descendant of Abraham. But there is something new, something different, about Jesus. […]