A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

MARK
CHAPTER 3

Mark moves quickly through some of the key events from Jesus’ early ministry. Here he briefly mentions an account of Jesus healing on the Sabbath and another of Jesus teaching and healing in Gentile regions, where the demons recognized Him as the Son of God. Mark also records the calling of the 12 disciples, or apostles, and a lengthy account of familial and pharisaical accusations against Jesus, which He turns into a lesson via parable whereby He explains the unforgivable sin – blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Let’s take a look:

1) V1-6 – 1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus seizes a perfect opportunity to teach an invaluable life lesson, and He asks a simple either/or question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or kill” (v4)? And the silence of the audience made Jesus angry. This was a simple, no-brainer question, and the audience hesitated with uncertainty. Jesus was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (v5), and He promptly healed the man with a shriveled man. Jesus answered the question He posed with action rather than words, and it was unmistakably clear. We know this, because “the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus” (v6). The Pharisees and Herodians couldn’t possibly get along and cooperate in anything – except in an effort to dispose of Jesus, who threatened them both.

2) V7-12 – 7Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8When they heard about all He was doing, many people came to Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9Because of the crowd He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, to keep the people from crowding Him. 10For He had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him. 11Whenever the impure spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12But He gave them strict orders not to tell others about Him.

Mark moves on as Jesus withdrew, but He couldn’t escape the crowd. People came to Him from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and all around the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon. He taught them from a boat, speaking back towards the shore. The crowd gathered less to hear Him teach, and more so because “He had healed many” (v10). Jesus’ actions were impressive, and “whenever the impure spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’ (v11).” The demons knew from Jesus’ deeds that He was the Son of God, but He commanded them not to tell others (v12) – and they obeyed.

3) V13-19 – 13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14He appointed twelve [– and designated them apostles –] that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. 16These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

Mark explains the call of the twelve apostles. Jesus “called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him” (v13). Though this verse doesn’t specifically talk about election unto salvation, it still makes me cherish that truth. Just as the demon spirits obey Jesus (v12), so His own people hear and obey His calling. He didn’t then, nor does He now, call all people to follow Him in this specific manner. We read elsewhere, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26). There’s general revelation, such as creation, that speaks to the existence and character of God to all people (Romans 1). But then there’s the specific revelation of God’s Word that comes only to those who hear and read it. Furthermore, there’s the outward call of the Gospel that extends to everyone with eyes and ears. But then there’s the inward call of the Gospel that extends only to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. This passage, again, doesn’t speak specifically to that truth; nevertheless, it’s worth calling to mind often. Rather, this passage explains that Jesus called 12 of perhaps a hundred potential men to be His full-time, devoted followers. He was an itinerant preacher, a Rabbi with a ministry; and Rabbis had a selection of followers who would train under and learn from them a life of holiness. Usually, a young man would be educated and apply to follow a particular Rabbi, entering the school of Hillel, for example. But here, Jesus handpicks ordinary, unschooled men who made no application – but they came. They followed Jesus.

The twelve were called for three tasks – to be with Him, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority over demons. They were to learn from Him, live with Him, and be His regular companions in His ministry. They were to preach the same message He preached, so that His message would spread farther and faster than He alone could spread it. And they were to heal, exorcize demons, and thereby reveal that the ministry of Jesus was absolutely from God. And that truth is what comes under fire in the next passage. But before we move on to the final section of this chapter, let’s acknowledge the twelve men:

Simon, labeled Peter (though he was hardly a “rock” during Jesus’ earthly lifetime), is usually the first named, as he took on a leadership role as the bold voice of the group. James and John – the sons of Zebedee, called the sons of thunder, were Jesus’ closest friends during His earthly life, and apparently they had the potential to be passionately argumentative and angry with dissidents to the ministry of Jesus (Luke 9:46-54). Andrew (Peter’s brother), was not among the inner circle of Jesus’ closest friends, but he was most loyal, also seeking to bring people to Jesus. We don’t know much about Philip, but Jesus chose him, perhaps because he was practically responsible (John 6:5). Philip was the one who brought Bartholomew (also called Nathanael) to Jesus (John 1:45-51). Matthew (also called Levi) was the tax collector and gospel author. Thomas was famous for doubting the resurrection until he saw Jesus and had the opportunity to touch His wounds. James was the son of Alphaeus and is considered James the less to distinguish him from the other James, the brother of John. Thaddeus was also called Jude, or Judas, but we know little else of him. Simon the Zealot, is traditionally linked with Thaddeus (Jude) as partners in later ministry, and questions arise over whether Simon the Zealot was simply a fervent man, filled with zeal for the things of God, or if he was a political rebel. The Zealot’s political prominence is presumed by many to have arisen later than the time of Jesus’ ministry. Finally, Judas Iscariot is labeled as the betrayer of Jesus, the son of perdition, and always appears last in lists of the twelve. He was handpicked by Jesus, but never has good things said of him in the gospel accounts. The twelve were certainly a mixture of the society of the day, and Jesus chose them to serve Him, respectively, in various ways during and after His earthly ministry.

4) V20-35 – 20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. 21When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” 22And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.” 23So Jesus called them over to Him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” 30He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” 31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. 32A crowd was sitting around Him, and they told Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for You.” 33“Who are My mother and My brothers?” He asked. 34Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus was prepared to eat with His disciples, but the crowd that followed and gathered around proved too large. Jesus’ family heard about the circumstance, presumably His mother, Mary, and brothers and sisters. They went to “take charge of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind’” (v21). It’s hard to read this without wondering what would lead the family of Jesus to think this way about the Lord and Savior of all. But we may misunderstand their thoughts. Expositor John Gill suggests they are not hating Jesus in any way but genuinely concerned for His welfare, seeing that He has gathered such a crowd as to prohibit Him from engaging in the necessities of life, such as eating and having a moment of rest. Gill says the family considered of Jesus, “His zeal carries Him beyond due bounds; He has certainly forgotten Himself; He is unmindful of Himself; takes no care of His health; He will certainly greatly impair it, if He goes on at this rate, praying all night, and preaching all day, without taking any rest or food: wherefore they came out, in order to dissuade Him from such excessive labours, and engage Him to go with them, where He might have rest and refreshment, and be composed, and retire.”

So the family may have had strong positive feelings towards making Jesus pause in His ministry (v21), but the teachers of the law (v22) only wanted ruin to come to Jesus. They blaspheme Him by suggesting that He is demon-possessed. And so Jesus explains through a parable that Satan cannot drive out Satan. In other words, Jesus is not driving out demons by the power of demons, for that would be ridiculous, like a kingdom divided against itself. Rather, Jesus drives out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to attribute His power to demons is blasphemy, an eternal sin that will never be forgiven (v29). Jesus was the One who came to bind up the strong man and plunder his house (v27). In other words, Satan is the strong man who has many captives, and Jesus came to bind Satan and rescue many from his control (Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22; Isaiah 49:25), freeing their hearts to belong to God by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

As Jesus concluded His parable, His family arrived at the house and called for Him from outside. Jesus knew why they had come; they were genuinely concerned for His health and well-being. They thought He needed to have some family time, some downtime, time to get away and just relax. But Jesus announced that He was with His family, those who wanted to be in His company. He was in the very environment that He enjoyed, and there was no disrespect for His physical family. He just wanted everyone to know that “whoever does God’s will is” counted in the family of Jesus. And just so we don’t get too concerned that Jesus’ implication refers to some sort of works righteousness, we need to recognize that the will of God for us is this: to believe in the One He has sent (John 6:29). Jesus welcomes all into His family who believe in Him and trust Him to provide the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness needed to stand before God for eternity. He would rather be nowhere else than in the company of people like that.


Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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