Chapter 1:14-28 Jesus Preaches in Galilee

1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

When Jesus began to preach in Galilee; After that John was put in prison. When he had finished his testimony, then Jesus began His.
Sometimes a loss may be a gain, and if the loss of John was the means of bringing out Jesus, certainly both the Church and the world were the gainers.
Note, The silencing of Christ's ministers shall not be the suppressing of Christ's gospel; if some be laid aside, others shall be raised up, perhaps mightier than they, to carry on the same work.

1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

What He preached; The gospel of the kingdom of God.
Observe, The great truths Christ preached; The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. This refers to the Old Testament, in which the kingdom of the Messiah was promised, and the time fixed for the introducing of it.
The time is fulfilled - That is, the time appointed for sending the Messiah; and particularly the time specified by Daniel, Daniel 9:24-27. Here are four points worthy of deep attention, in the preaching of the Son of God.---Every thing that is done is according to a plan laid by the Divine wisdom, and never performed till the time appointed was filled up.
It is clear, from this passage, that our Lord exhorted men to repent, and to believe the gospel. There are some, who profess to be His followers, who will not suffer us to do this.

1:16 Now as He walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Andrew his brother - Instead of the common reading, αδελφον αυτου, his brother, the best MSS. and versions have αδελφου του Σιμωνος, the brother of Simon, which should be received into the text.

*The instruments Christ chose to employ in setting up His kingdom, were the weak and foolish things of the world; not called from the great sanhedrim, or the schools of the rabbin, but picked up from among the tarpaulins by the sea-side, that the excellency of the power might appear to be wholly of God, and not at all of them.

1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
The gospel minister is like the fisherman with a net. 

The business of ministers is to fish for souls, 

and win them to Christ.

 
1:18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.
Those whom Christ called, must leave all, to follow Him; and by His grace He inclines them to do so.

1:19 And when He had gone a little further thence, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

Christ puts honor upon those who, though mean in the world, are diligent in their business, and loving to one another; so those were, whom Christ called.

1:20 And straightway He called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after Him.
Mark takes notice of James and John, that they left not only their father (which we had in Matthew), but the hired servants, whom perhaps they loved as their own brethren, being their fellow-laborers and pleasant comrades; not only relations, but companions, must be left for Christ, and old acquaintance.

1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

When Christ came into Capernaum, He straightway applied Himself to His work there, and took the first opportunity of preaching the gospel.

1:22 And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

He did not do as the scribes did, who made a great parade of learning by quoting this Rabbi and the other, but spoke as one who felt that he had authority to speak in His own name, and in the name of God his Father. This method of teaching quite astonished the Jews.

1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

A man with an unclean spirit - This demoniac seems the man had lucid intervals; else he could not have been admitted into the synagogue. Unclean or impure spirit - a common epithet for those fallen spirits: but here it may mean, one who filled the heart of him he possessed with Lascivious thoughts, images, desires, and propensities. By giving way to the first attacks of such a spirit, he may soon get in, and take full possession of the whole soul.

1:24 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.

The rage which the unclean spirit expressed at Christ; He cried out, as one in an agony, at the presence of Christ, and afraid of being dislodged;
(1.) He calls Him Jesus of Nazareth;
(2.) Yet a confession is extorted from him—that he is the holy One of God,
(3.) He in effect acknowledgeth that Christ was too hard for him, and that he could not stand before the power of Christ; "Let us alone;" This is the misery of those wicked spirits, that they persist in their rebellion, and yet know it will end in their destruction.
(4.) He desires to have nothing to do with Jesus Christ; for he despairs of being saved by him, and dreads being destroyed by him. "What have we to do with thee?"

Q: How often that is still the cry of sinners, 

"Let us alone." 

1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

And Jesus rebuked him - A spirit of this cast will only yield to the sovereign power of the Son of God. All watchings, fasting, and mortifications, considered in themselves, will do little or no good. Uncleanness, of every description, will only yield to the rebuke of God.

1:26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
For, if Satan must come out of a man, he will do him as much mischief as ever he can before he departs. His wrath is all the greater because his time is so short.

1:27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.

It astonished them that saw it; They were all amazed. It was evident, beyond contradiction, that the man was possessed—witness the tearing of him, and the loud voice with which the spirit cried; it was evident that he was forced out by the authority of Christ; this was surprising to them, and put them upon considering with themselves, and enquiring of one another, "What is this new doctrine?

Blessed be God. 

Christ has not abdicated His authority.

1:28 And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

It raised his reputation among all that heard it; Immediately His fame spread abroad into the whole adjacent region of Galilee, which was a third part of the land of Canaan.