1:14-15 ... after that John was put in prison, Jesus began his ministry, building on the foundation already laid. He was preaching, too, but his message had a new twist—The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. The power of God was in the world in a new way, and Jesus' commission was to show that way, to illustrate what it means for God's rule to be at hand. His task was to share that meaning, and he got right on with it, wasting no time.
1:16-20 Walking along, he saw Simon and Andrew fishing. He said, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. They did. The scene was repeated with James ... and John. They responded without hesitation. We can only marvel at the authority emanating from Jesus that would have impelled these four men to give up their livelihood as fishermen and their way of life at a moment's notice. Replete with exquisite details, the scene stimulates our imagination and our questions. Had they known each other before? How could they make such a decision? What about their families? We are amazed.
1:21-28 The next scene has Jesus teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. There, the people were astonished with the authority in his message. It was different from anything they had ever heard. Suddenly, his inspiring words were interrupted by a man with an unclean spirit ... Saying, Let us alone; ... Holy One of God. Jesus immediately rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. Amid much shaking and screaming, he did come out—not because obedience is typically associated with unclean spirits, but because unclean spirits are rendered completely powerless in the abiding presence of Spirit, God, which had descended upon him.
