Mark 3 - The decisions the people made about Jesus
Introduction:
We have begun a study of the good news of Jesus Christ through the writings of Mark. This has been an opportunity to get to know Jesus more personally. It is also a chance to learn the story of Jesus so that we can share this story with those that we know who are lost in the world. In the first chapter we saw the authority of Jesus established, as Mark records Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits, diseases, illnesses, wild beasts, personal desires, and Satan himself. In chapter 2 we saw the opposition form against Jesus for this claim of authority of God. In Mark 3 we are going to see that the authority of God requires every person to make a personal decision about Jesus. We will notice some of the responses of the multitudes and notice Jesus' responses to some of these decisions.
"He is a Lawbreaker" (3:1-6)
Healing on the Sabbath
Jesus goes into the synagogue again and there is a man with a withered hand. Immediately we are introduced to the motives of the Jewish leaders. They are not watching Jesus to see if he will heal this man because it would be such a wonderful thing to help someone. Verse 2 tells us that they are watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, and then they could accuse him of violating the Sabbath. In other accounts, these Jewish leaders ask the question whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. So we have a great conflict brewing. What will Jesus do in this situation? The Jewish leaders are ready to accuse Jesus and are watching him closely. However, there is a man with a withered hand that can be healed. In verse 3, Jesus says to the man with the withered hand to step forward. This would be a teaching for all people to see and learn from. You can almost see the excitement in the Jewish leaders as Jesus asks this man to step forward. They are thinking in their minds that they have Jesus now. In verse 4, Jesus asks a very simple question, but it is easy to miss its great implications. "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"
To grasp the thrust of the question, we need to consider the implications of this question. Let us ask the question another way: Is it lawful on any day of the week to do good and to save life? The clear answer is yes, it is always lawful to do good on any day. Is it then lawful to do good on the Sabbath? Of course it is. The law of the Sabbath was simply not to do work. There was no prohibition against doing good to others and saving lives. However, the Jewish leaders treated healing as work, which was incorrect. But the question goes even deeper. Jesus is comparing the intentions of the Jewish leaders with the intentions of Himself. How can the Jewish leaders who have the intention of harming Jesus (see verse 6) condemn Jesus, whose intention is to heal a man's hand? Who is deserving of the condemnation? Verse 4 shows that the Jewish leaders are unwilling to answer the question, because they know what point Jesus is making. Therefore the Jewish leaders refuse to answer. Jesus has made his point, but the leaders will not listen.
Therefore, Jesus looks around at them in anger. I would like to know what that look was. Can you see the disdain in Jesus' face and the anger in Jesus' eyes, when in the face of clear logic, they refuse to hear what Jesus is saying? These leaders are blind, as the word is translated other places in the New Testament. They are callous, which is what the word "hardness" literally means. Nothing can penetrate their hearts. Jesus turns his attention back to the man with the withered hand and says to him, "Stretch out your hand." When the man stretched his hand out, it became restored, as whole as the other hand. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began to plot with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus.
Lessons
One of the personal decisions the leaders made was that Jesus was simply a lawbreaker. However, by their own silence, the leaders admitted that Jesus was not breaking the law of Moses. In fact, Jesus' intentions and works were greater and more in keeping with the law than the Jewish leaders. It was for this reason that the Jewish leaders looked to destroy Jesus. Motives must always be examined. It is unfortunate that many times those who call themselves Christians have the same attitude as these religious leaders. Some are always looking for the worst in someone else. Hoping for another to slip up and looking for a reason to accuse another person. Desiring to be critical of another and always watching to be able to pounce on another. Friends, I see it in some of our preachers today who think it is their responsibility to hope that others slip up. Shoot first and ask questions later. Write them up, publicly condemn them, even though their actions are not a violation of God's law. And we must beware among ourselves as well. Jesus is angered by this attitude and called it "hardness of heart." We cannot have the motivation of negativism in our lives. Further, would we have done what Jesus did? In the face of sure opposition, Jesus healed the person anyway, knowing the response of these Jewish leaders. We must still do the work of the Lord even in the face of opposition. We must still continue to do what we know is right even if others are critically looking at the things we are doing. All that matters is doing the will of God.
"You Are the Son of God" (3:7-19)
Jesus and the multitudes
Jesus withdraws with his disciples to the sea and the multitudes follow after him. It is interesting to see that all the multitudes did not follow after the Jewish leaders who were raising the opposition. No, the people are following Jesus. All of the people in the region of Palestine are following after Jesus. His fame has quickly spread, though he has hardly begun his ministry. We get an idea of the great multitude of people that was following him in verse 9, since Jesus tells his disciples to have a boat ready for them so they can get into it to prevent from being crushed. Verse 10 tells us that the reason the people were pressing against him was because he was healing the people of their afflictions. The people were trying to get close enough so that Jesus would heal them. Therefore, we have nearly a mob scene taking place as people cram in to get as close as they can. Jesus is also healing those with unclean spirits. And whenever the unclean spirits saw Jesus, they fell down before Jesus and cried out, "You are the Son of God." While the Jewish leaders condemn Jesus as a lawbreaker, the unclean spirits know and confess Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus instructs the unclean spirits not to continue to make this known. His popularity was already staggering, causing the Jewish leaders to plot against him. Further, as we will see later in this chapter, the confession of the unclean spirits was causing a misunderstanding among some.
Jesus appoints the twelve
Jesus then goes up on the mountain and calls certain individuals to him. Jesus then appoints twelve that would be with him and would be sent out to preach. These twelve were also given the power to cast out demons and heal sicknesses. It would be these twelve who would also recognize that Jesus is the Son of God. They accepted the calling of Jesus. In verses 16-19 we are told the names of the twelve who were called by Jesus. These men were already following after Jesus, as we had seen Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew already called to be disciples. But now these men are appointed to a greater work. There are some significant points that we must notice about the choosing Jesus makes.
These are average men. There was nothing spectacular about these men on the surface. Jesus changes Simon's name to Peter, yet it would be this very Peter who would deny Jesus three times. James and John would argue over being greatest in the kingdom to the point that their mother tried to have these two sit at his right and left hand. Verse 19 tells us already about what Judas would do as a betrayer of Jesus. We will read later in this book that all of these men would forsake Jesus and flee in Jesus' hour of need. These men had weakness and failings. They were average men who were willing to follow Jesus.
The Lord made these men great. Jesus had chosen these men to a special work. God can turn average men into useful servants, as he did these men. But only if we will allow him to. We find out that Judas was a thief and would later kill himself. He did not take advantage of the calling that Jesus had made. But we can become useful workers when we allow the Lord to work within us. When we walk in the Spirit and set our minds on the things above, then we become useful people to God. Do not think that there is nothing that you can do for the Lord. We must have an attitude that there is nothing which we cannot do for the Lord. Would you have entrusted the fate of the world in preaching the news of Jesus Christ in these twelve men? We would have been looking for scholars, debaters, eloquent speakers, and so on to be the deliverers of the good news. Jesus chose average men who stepped up to the challenge and fulfilled the work of Christ. The call is to us as well.
The work is not for fame. About half of these men we will not even hear about again. We do not know about the work and preaching of Thaddaeus, or Simon the Zealot, or Bartholomew. We never hear another word about Matthias who is chosen to replace Judas. The credit all belongs to the Lord, as we have confidence that they did the work. This is not a work for fame or credit. It is simply in pleasing our Lord.
"He is Out of His Mind" (3:20-21)
His own people
In verse 20 we see that the multitude has become so large that Jesus and his disciples could not even sit down to eat. Everywhere Jesus goes, the masses of people are following him. When his own people hear about this, they make a personal decision that Jesus is out of his mind. Who are "His own people?" The KJV and ASV say friends. The NIV, NRSV, and ESV say family. The NKJV and NASU say his own people. It is possible that we are talking about his own family. These words are used to speak about family in the Septuagint. However, the word is also used to refer to friends. So we cannot be definitive as to exactly who were are talking about except that these are very close people to Jesus. In seeing the things that are going on, they make a decision that Jesus is out of his mind. There is no need to listen to Jesus, because he does not know what he is talking about. It is a simple knee jerk reaction in many ways. Do not weigh the arguments and do not see the things that are going on. Just call Jesus a lunatic and then we do not have to consider the matter anymore. However, no one agreed with this assessment. This is not an acceptable answer. No one has the ability to say the things Jesus said and validate his statements with the miracles he performed and be a lunatic. He is the Son of God.
Application
How often this is the assessment made by people today when confronted with the evidence of Jesus Christ. Some do not want to weigh the evidence and the statements of the witnesses, all of which proves that Jesus is the Son of God. Religion is for the crazy or the mindless. If people that were very close to Jesus said that he was out of his mind, we cannot be surprised if those close to us believe that we are out of our minds for following after Jesus. Many are not going to understand what we are called to do. Why do you have to worship the Lord? Why go to services? Why get to know these people? Why help them out? Many will not understand. We must know that there will be opposition to our following Jesus. But we would be out of our minds to not follow him.
"He has Beelzebub" (3:22-30)
He is from Satan
Now the scribes have come from Jerusalem to lay accusations against Jesus. These scribes have also made personal decisions in regard to Jesus. The scribes from Jerusalem say that he has Beelzebub and that he has the power of demons to be able to cast out demons. Jesus responds to these decisions with a couple of analogies. In verses 23-26 Jesus points out how ridiculous it is to say that he has the power of Satan. If Jesus were from Satan, why would he be doing things against the will of Satan? Why would Jesus be casting out demons? A house divided against itself cannot stand. Therefore, Satan would have no power at all if there was this sort of conflict. It is not logical. In verse 27 Jesus takes the argument one step further. Jesus now shows that he is greater than Satan. Since Jesus is not from Satan but does works that are against Satan, then Jesus is more powerful. Jesus is the strong man who has bound Satan to plunder his goods. Jesus again argues that he is God, for who else is greater than Satan? Only God himself. Thus Jesus shows by his power to cast out demons that he must be from God.
Blasphemy
Jesus now gives these scribes a serious warning. Verses 28-30 have been the subject of debate in regard to what the sin is that does not have forgiveness. We do not have time, nor is it the focus of the lesson, to put our attention on this question. What we can see from the surface is clear enough. By suggesting that Jesus is working through the power of Satan, and has the power of an unclean spirit, is blaspheming the Holy Spirit. To reject the work, power, and message that Jesus brought is rebellion. It is an attitude, as we saw in verse 5, of not accepting the message brought by the Holy Spirit. In that condition, a person cannot be forgiven because they are unwilling to hear the good news and the requirements to be forgiven. It is a serious warning to not reject the words of Christ, and to not see the power of God in His Son.
We have read the responses of the people who saw Jesus. Some said that Jesus was a lawbreaker, which simply was false. Some said that Jesus was a lunatic who did not know what he was doing. This is also clearly false, for a lunatic could not perform the miracles Jesus worked. Others argued that Jesus' power was from Satan. This also could not be true because Jesus fought against Satan and bound Satan. Jesus worked righteousness and cast out demons, all things that are opposed to the work of Satan. The only reasonable response that is left is the response of the disciples. He is the Son of God and we must follow after him. Jesus is who he claims to be and we must serve him. With this decision made, Jesus called for a change in the way we view our relationships.
Christ Calls For New Relationships (3:31-35)
True family
The multitude is sitting around Jesus and he is likely healing and teaching as we have seen him do throughout this chapter. Some said to Jesus that his mother and his brothers were outside seeking him. Jesus' response is one that is as alarming now as it must have been when it was said to the multitude. In verse 33 Jesus asks, "Who is my mother, or my brothers?" Jesus then looks at the people surrounding him and declares that they are his mother and brothers. The point is made in verse 35. Whoever does the will of God is the family of Jesus.
Our relationship with Jesus
This teaching suggests to us a change in our view of one another and of Jesus. Generally speaking, we are most devoted to those who are our family. We often say that there is nothing stronger than the bond that exists through the blood of our families. Family is who we want to spend time with. It is family that we are close to, who we share with, and enjoy their company. This love and desire needs to be transposed to our spiritual family. There should be joy and desire to be together. We must want to have a close relationship to other Christians. We need to have that bond together that nothing can break. We must have that fellowship and togetherness because we are brothers and sisters in the Lord. How much more should our relationship be with Jesus? We must have the desire to be joined to Jesus because he is our kindred as well. There is a relationship that we must have with Christ which moves us to do the will of God. Yet too many times our relationships with Christ and with one another are deteriorated and really do not have the meaning that they ought to have. We must spend more time with the Lord and with one another. We must be doing the will of the Lord which includes looking out for the interests of others. We cannot have a selfish relationship. It is a relationship to give to the Lord.
Jesus also teaches us that our relationship to him must be stronger than any other relationship we may have on this earth. Jesus was not saying that he must ignore his blood family. He was not slapping them in the face. But he was teaching that we have a higher responsibility. We must see our relationship with God as our priority, and not family or the other things of life. This is Jesus' call to his disciples. Jesus gave it all up to redeem us from sin and death. Will we not give all things up for him? Will we not sacrifice all things for our Savior? He is the Son of God and with this as fact, we have no other response but to give to him as he demands.
