Mark 3 - If Your Pastor Called You to Preach on Sunday What Would You Do?
Mark 3 - Enduring Word Commentary
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some 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. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
Jesus' heart was always to reach his fellows Jews, so he continued to teach in the local synagogue. On this particular Sabbath day, there was a man with a shriveled hand.
“The man’s hand was withered, but God’s mercy had still preserved to him the use of his feet: he uses them to bring him to the public worship of God, and Jesus meets and heals him there. How true is the proverb – It is never so ill with us, but it might be much worse!” (Clarke)
Jesus' critics, probably the religious leaders, watched him closely to see if Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath. Jesus seemed to know what they were thinking, so he asked the man to stand up in front of everyone.
4 Then 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.
Knowing what was in there hearts, he started with a question, which he often did. Asking a someone a question makes people think before they react. In this case about what was right to do on the Sabbath. Jesus asked them if was right to do good or save a life on the Sabbath. It was a rhetorical question but the answer seems pretty obvious.
5 He 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. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus knew in their hearts they were looking at him judgmentally. He knew they were more interested in the Sabbath laws, than the man with a shriveled hand right in front them. When the man stretched out his hand at Jesus request, the hand was completely restored to the way it used to be. The Pharisees were furious and began to plot with the Herodians on how they might kill Jesus.
It is hard to match with punishment with the crime. Healing a man on the Sabbath is deserving of death. We see how angry these men were and how fearful they were of losing their power.
The Herodians and Pharisees were usually enemies. The Herodians sided with Herod and the Roman government, who the Pharisees hated. But Jesus posed a threat to both of them because of the power they had. The Herodians feared that Jesus posed a serious political threat. So you have both the religious and secular powers united in their opposition to Jesus. Their common enemy made them friends.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When 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. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.
Jesus always sensed when the uprising against him was fomenting, and he needed to remove himself. So he withdrew with his disciples to the Sea of Galilee. The news about Jesus miracles and deeds of power had spread quickly. And people came from all around. In some cases for many miles to see him. Jesus got in a boat so he had some space between he and the people.
People were pushing others aside to be healed by Jesus. I probably would too, if I thought Jesus could heal me. Even the evil spirit recognized him and cried out that he was the "Son of God". Now that's some power. It is always so ironic that the religious leaders who studied the Law and the Prophets could not see Jesus was the Messiah, but the demons did.
Jesus told them not to tell others about him? Why? Because Jesus knew the quicker the word came out that he was the Son of God, the quicker his death would come. He still had people to reach with the message about the kingdom.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
It was time for Jesus to call the full number of his disciples. Note he appointed 12 to be with him so that they could not just listen to him teach but also do the things he was doing. They would also preach and have the ability to drive out demons. Jesus gave them his authority. They were not doing this in the power of their name but his. Then Mark lists the 12 disciples, who are also called apostles.
With the crowds mounting Jesus knew he needed to equip his disciples before his departure. Any good leader knows that they will not be around forever. That is why every leader needs to be training others who can do what they do in Jesus' name and power. As we say, "We need a deep bench!" Or, in the sports they say, "Next man up!"
If your pastor got sick and called you to preach on Sunday what would you do? Just asking!
"A preacher will only be as useful to Jesus to the extent that He has “been with” Jesus. There is little done for eternal good by those who preach without having a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ." (Guzik)
“A disciple was a learner, a student, but in the first century a student did not simply study a subject; he followed a teacher. There is an element of personal attachment in ‘disciple’ that is lacking in ‘student.’” (Morris)
Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
At this point even Jesus' family opposed him.
"Jesus constantly faced the rejection of the religious and political leaders of the day, and in a way their hatred of Jesus made sense – He actually threatened their status quo. Undoubtedly, it was far more painful and challenging for Jesus to deal with the way His own people rejected Him. It isn’t easy to be profoundly misunderstood as you try to walk with God. “When the Lord said ‘a man’s enemies will be those in his own home’ (see Matthew 10:36), He may well have been speaking from bitter experience.” (Cole)
Jesus warned his disciples that all people might like you because of me, even your family.
22 And 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.”
Often when people can't explain things happening around them, especially if it poses a threat, they lash out against those whom they fear. In this case laughably the teachers of the law accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul, which is a another name for "Satan". It literally means "lord of the flies".
23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
Jesus shows the ridiculous nature of this claim. Why would Satan be against himself? If Jesus was driving out demons, why would he be possessed by a demon. Any house divided will fall. Jesus uses the analogy that you can't enter a strong man's house without first tying him up.
Jesus showed that if He were an agent of Satan and was working against Satan, then surely Satan’s kingdom was in a civil war and would not stand. Jesus said this to show that Satan would not work against himself. - Guzik
In this parable Satan is the strong man who guards what belongs to him. Jesus’ ministry was defeating this strong man, both in the case of casting the demon out of the man who was mute and in the broader sense. - Guzik
Then Jesus brings up a much debated subject, "the unforgiveable sin". There is a sense in which no sin is unforgiveable, because Jesus died for all of our sins. But Jesus points out the irreparable nature of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is to attribute something he is doing to the evil one. They are claiming the power Jesus is using to deliver demons is coming from Satan, when it is coming from the Holy Spirit.
But what does this mean? What is the unique nature of this sin?
Therefore, when we persistently reject the work the Holy Spirit wants to do in us and when we have a continued, settled rejection of what He wants to tell us about Jesus, then we blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven – not because it is a sin “too big” for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way.
As Martin Luther said, "We cannot by our own effort come to know Jesus as Lord, but the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, and enlightens us in the one true faith."
To deny or blaspheme the Holy Spirit denies the work of salvation God wants to do through Jesus in our hearts!
30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A 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. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
The crowds then told him his brothers and mothers were looking for him. Mark has already told us that they thought he was out of his mind, and now they are looking for him. Jesus then said, "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus was not disrespecting his family, but beginning to teach them about the family of God, which would eventully be called the church.
This is why when we are around a brother or sister in Christ, they are like family to us!
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