Mark 1:36
Simon and his companions went to look for Him,
Simon
The name "Simon" is of Hebrew origin, derived from "Shim'on," meaning "he has heard." Simon, also known as Peter, is one of the most prominent apostles of Jesus. His name signifies his role as a listener and follower of Christ. Historically, Simon Peter is seen as a foundational figure in the early Church, often characterized by his impulsive nature and deep devotion. His leadership among the disciples is evident, and his actions often reflect the human struggle between faith and doubt.

and his companions
This phrase indicates the presence of other disciples or followers alongside Simon. The Greek word for "companions" is "hoi met' autou," which suggests a group that is closely associated with Simon, likely including Andrew, James, and John. These companions represent the early community of believers who were drawn to Jesus' teachings and miracles. Their collective search for Jesus highlights the communal aspect of discipleship and the importance of fellowship in the Christian journey.

went to look for Him
The action of "went to look for" is translated from the Greek "katadiōkō," which implies a diligent search or pursuit. This reflects the urgency and determination of Simon and his companions to find Jesus. In the context of the Gospel of Mark, this pursuit underscores the disciples' growing recognition of Jesus' authority and their dependence on His guidance. Historically, this search can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual quest of believers seeking a deeper relationship with Christ. The disciples' initiative to find Jesus also illustrates the early stages of their understanding of His mission and their role in it.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Simon (Peter)
One of Jesus' first disciples, originally a fisherman. He is often seen as a leader among the disciples and is known for his impulsive nature and deep devotion to Jesus.

2. Companions
This likely refers to other disciples who were with Simon, possibly including Andrew, James, and John, who were also called by Jesus early in His ministry.

3. Jesus
The central figure of the New Testament, the Son of God, who was engaged in prayer and solitude before being sought by His disciples.

4. Capernaum
The town where Jesus was staying at this time, which served as a base for much of His Galilean ministry.

5. Event
The disciples searching for Jesus after He had gone to a solitary place to pray, highlighting the beginning of His public ministry and the demand for His presence and teaching.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Seeking Jesus
Just as Simon and his companions actively sought Jesus, believers today are called to seek Him through prayer, scripture, and fellowship.

The Role of Leadership in Discipleship
Simon's initiative in looking for Jesus reflects the responsibility of leaders to guide others in their spiritual journey.

Balancing Ministry and Solitude
Jesus' example of withdrawing for prayer teaches the necessity of balancing active ministry with personal time with God.

Community in Following Christ
The mention of "companions" highlights the importance of community and accountability in the Christian walk.

Responding to Spiritual Hunger
The disciples' search for Jesus reflects the spiritual hunger that should drive believers to pursue deeper relationship and understanding of Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does Simon's initiative in seeking Jesus teach us about the role of leadership in our spiritual communities?

2. How can we apply the example of Jesus' balance between solitude and ministry in our own lives?

3. In what ways can we actively seek Jesus in our daily routines, similar to how Simon and his companions sought Him?

4. How does the concept of community, as seen with Simon and his companions, influence our approach to discipleship and spiritual growth?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt a strong need to seek Jesus. How did that experience shape your faith journey, and how can it encourage others in their pursuit of Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Luke 4:42-44
This passage parallels the event in Mark 1:36, where Jesus is sought by the crowds after retreating to a solitary place, emphasizing His commitment to prayer and the mission to preach the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 14:23
Jesus often withdrew to pray, showing the importance of solitude and communion with the Father, a practice that His disciples observed and later emulated.

Acts 1:13-14
The disciples, including Peter, continued in prayer and fellowship after Jesus' ascension, demonstrating the lasting impact of Jesus' example of prayer.
The Illustrative Example of Christ's WorkR. Green Mark 1:21-39
A Physician for Both Body and SoulJ.J. Given Mark 1:32-39
An Unconscious ProphecyJ. Parker, D. D.Mark 1:36-39
Christ the Centre of Union for All MenJ. A. Picton, M. A.Mark 1:36-39
Christ, a Home MissionaryW. R. Williamson, D. D.Mark 1:36-39
Christian EvangelizationJ. S. Exell, M. A.Mark 1:36-39
The Desire of Humanity for ChristJ. A. Picton, M. A.Mark 1:36-39
The Reason for Christ's Apparently Unreasonable DeparturesJ. Cymore Davies.Mark 1:36-39
People
Andrew, Ephah, Isaiah, James, Jesus, John, Simon, Zabdi, Zebedee
Places
Capernaum, Galilee, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judea, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Wilderness of Judea
Topics
Companions, Everywhere, Followed, Pursued, Quest, Searched, Simon
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 1:36

     6650   finding

Mark 1:36-37

     5113   Peter, disciple

Library
What 'the Gospel' Is
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.--Mark i. 1 My purpose now is to point out some of the various connections in which the New Testament uses that familiar phrase, 'the gospel,' and briefly to gather some of the important thoughts which these suggest. Possibly the process may help to restore freshness to a word so well worn that it slips over our tongues almost unnoticed and excites little thought. The history of the word in the New Testament books is worth notice. It seldom occurs in those
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ's Touch
'Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him.'--Mark i. 41. Behold the servant of the Lord' might be the motto of this Gospel, and 'He went about doing good and healing' the summing up of its facts. We have in it comparatively few of our Lord's discourses, none of His longer, and not very many of His briefer ones. It contains but four parables. This Evangelist gives no miraculous birth as in Matthew, no angels adoring there as in Luke, no gazing into the secrets of Eternity, where the Word who afterwards
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Strong Forerunner and the Stronger Son
'The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. 4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Mighty in Word and Deed
'And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24. Saying, 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. 25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Healing and Service
'Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell Him of her: 31. And He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.'--Mark i. 30, 31, R. V. This miracle is told us by three of the four Evangelists, and the comparison of their brief narratives is very interesting and instructive. We all know, I suppose, that the common tradition is that Mark was, in some sense, Peter's mouthpiece in this Gospel. The truthfulness of that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Parable in a Miracle
'And 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. 41. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; he thou clean. 42. And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.'--Mark i. 40-42. Christ's miracles are called wonders--that is, deeds which, by their exceptional character, arrest attention and excite surprise. Further,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Composite Picture.
It may be helpful to make the following summary of these allusions. 1. His times of prayer: His regular habit seems plainly to have been to devote the early morning hour to communion with His Father, and to depend upon that for constant guidance and instruction. This is suggested especially by Mark 1:35; and also by Isaiah 50:4-6 coupled with John 7:16 l.c., 8:28, and 12:49. In addition to this regular appointment, He sought other opportunities for secret prayer as special need arose; late at night
S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon—Quiet Talks on Prayer

The Way to the Kingdom
"The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15 These words naturally lead us to consider, First, the nature of true religion, here termed by our Lord, "the kingdom of God," which, saith he, "is at hand;" and, Secondly, the way thereto, which he points out in those words, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." I. 1. We are, First, to consider the nature of true religion, here termed by our Lord, "the kingdom of God." The same expression the great Apostle uses in his Epistle
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Repentance of Believers
"Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15. 1. It is generally supposed, that repentance and faith are only the gate of religion; that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course, when we are setting out in the way to the kingdom. And this may seem to be confirmed by the great Apostle, where, exhorting the Hebrew Christians to "go on to perfection," he teaches them to leave these first "principles of the doctrine of Christ;" "not laying again the foundation of repentance
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Lord and the Leper
The Lord Jesus Christ at this day has all power in heaven and in earth. He is charged with a divine energy to bless all who come to him for healing. Oh, that we may see today some great wonder of his power and grace! Oh, for one of the days of the Son of Man here and now! To that end it is absolutely needful that we should find a case for his spiritual power to work upon. Is there not one here in whom his grace may prove its omnipotence? Not you, ye good, ye self-righteous! You yield him no space
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

Faith and Repentance Inseparable
I. I shall commence my remarking that the gospel which Christ preached was, very plainly, a command. "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Our Lord does condescend to reason. Often his ministry graciously acted out the old text, "Come, now, and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool." He does persuade men by telling and forcible arguments, which should lead them to seek the salvation of their souls. He does invite men, and oh, how lovingly he woos them to be
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 1863

Answer to Mr. W's First Objection.
I WILL first consider all Mr. W's objections to these literal stories. Mr. W. says in his preamble, before he comes to propose his objections in form: That these three miracles are not equally great, but differ in degree, is visible enough to every one that but cursorily reads, and compares their stories one with another.--The greatest of the three, and indeed the greatest miracle, that Jesus is supposed to have wrought, is that of Lazarus's resurrection; which, in truth, was a most prodigious miracle,
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles

The Fellowship of Prayer
THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." -- Phil. 4:6 This timely exhortation stresses the fact that God's people should consult with Him in every matter pertaining to life. Unless they see the imperative necessity of prayer, and give it an important place in daily life, they cannot expect to be maintained by the ample resources of a generous Saviour. It is apparent that we cannot obtain
T. M. Anderson—Prayer Availeth Much

Healing a Demoniac in a Synagogue.
(at Capernaum.) ^B Mark I. 21-28; ^C Luke . IV. 31-37. ^b 21 And they [Jesus and the four fishermen whom he called] go into { ^c he came down to} Capernaum, a city of Galilee. [Luke has just spoken of Nazareth, and he uses the expression "down to Capernaum" because the latter was on the lake shore while Nazareth was up in the mountains.] And ^b straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. { ^c was teaching them} ^b 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
^A Matt.VIII. 2-4; ^B Mark I. 40-45; ^C Luke V. 12-16. ^c 12 And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities [it was a city of Galilee, but as it was not named, it is idle to conjecture which city it was], behold, ^b there cometh { ^a came} ^b to him a leper [There is much discussion as to what is here meant by leprosy. Two diseases now go by that name; viz., psoriasis and elephantiasis. There are also three varieties of psoriasis, namely, white, black and red. There are also three varieties
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Way from Sin to Perfect Salvation.
We have learned that sin entered this world and that all mankind have sinned. We have also learned that Jesus came to save man from his sins. Now the question may arise in the mind of some, what must I do to be saved? We hope in this chapter to quote such scriptures as will plainly teach you the way of salvation, or how to be fully saved, and also the scriptures describing each experience. Repentance. The first step for the sinner is to repent. When on Pentecost men were pricked in their hearts
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Jesus' Conception of Himself
252. When Jesus called forth the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi he brought into prominence the question which during the earlier stages of the Galilean ministry he had studiously kept in the background. This is no indication, however, that he was late in reaching a conclusion for himself concerning his relation to the kingdom which he was preaching. From the time of his baptism and temptation every manifestation of the inner facts of his life shows unhesitating confidence in the reality
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

John the Baptist
Matt. iii. 1-17; iv. 12; xiv. 1-12; Mark i. 1-14; vi. 14-29; Luke i. 5-25, 57-80; iii. 1-22; ix. 7-9; John i. 19-37; iii. 22-30. 72. The first reappearance of Jesus in the gospel story, after the temple scene in his twelfth year, is on the banks of the Jordan seeking baptism from the new prophet. One of the silent evidences of the greatness of Jesus is the fact that so great a character as John the Baptist stands in our thought simply as accessory to his life. For that the prophet of the wilderness
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

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