Stretch Out Your Hand
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. ... And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
A Brief Review of Mark’s Introductory Chapters
The opening three chapters of Mark are descriptive of Jesus’ ministry and set the stage for His messianic mission. Obviously, the Marcan account is more truncated than its synoptic cousins, but each of the Synoptic Gospels in their own way prepares the reader for the public ministry of Jesus. In the case of Mark’s Gospel this begins in earnest in chapter four. Commenting on Mark’s introduction to Jesus’ ministry, Robert Capon makes the following observation: “… it was an odd and troubling one. And even though its peculiarities, as Mark presents them, succeed one another with such speed and apparent randomness that they are easy to miss, I think that they can be made at least a bit more evident by classifying them under the headings of four tendencies” Capon, Robert Farrar Kingdom, Grace & Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus p. 49).
1. While Jesus encourages messianic expectations of the people at the same time he seems to flout the very Law that his Jewish hearers expected the Messiah to fulfill to perfection. For example, he says the “time (kairos season) is here, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Unlike other religious leaders he draws attention to himself; he does not point others toward God or Moses (Law). He is calling Simon and Andrew to follow him. He refers to himself as the Son of Man – presumably a messianic title. He performs Messianic miracles, casts out demons, cleanses a leper and heals a paralytic. At the same time, he is associating with “sleazy types that no proper Messiah would have any truck with.” He calls Levi, a tax farmer, to be his disciple and he justifies his behavior by claiming that he has come to call not the righteous but the sinners to himself (Mark does not use the word repentance as does Luke). To top it all off he “violates” the Sabbath twice; claiming to be the Lord of the Sabbath. Scarcely two chapters into the Gospel two opposing factions, the Pharisees and the Herodians conspire together how to destroy him.
In other words, by the time Mark reaches chapter 4 and introduces the parable of the Sower (the first of the explicit parables of the messianic kingdom), he has already established Jesus not only as a wonder-working, demon-exorcising claimant to the messianic title but also as a Sabbath-breaking upstart with a dangerously arrogant sense of his own authority – as somebody, in other words, who is neither interested in, nor palatable to, the religious sensibilities of expert Messiah-watchers.
To sum it up, therefore: by the end of chapter 3, his family thinks he is crazy (21); the scribes are sure he is possessed by Beelzebub (v.22); and Jesus’ patience is already beginning to wear thin. The Satan talk, he insists, is sheer nonsense (vv.23-29); his real family consists of anybody who does the will of God (v.35); and those who say he has an evil spirit are themselves guilty of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (vv.29-30). (Capon p.51)
2. Jesus promotes himself as the final authority but ironically at the same time seeks a degree of anonymity. The “Messianic” secret is, in fact, no secret. Though Jesus performs signs in keeping with that of the Messiah, it is equally clear that no one in Mark’s Gospel, save the centurion at the cross, gave testimony to his true identity: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Only the demons recognized him from the outset and Jesus silenced them. There is little doubt that the commonly held perception of what the Messiah ought to be doing was fallacious and Jesus sought to correct that misperception.
3. The style and substance of what Jesus proclaims is inconsistent with the religion his hearers are accustom to hearing. Most certainly it is out of sync with the religious hierarchy. Jesus claim to be the Messiah coupled with his “irreligious” behavior is enough to provoke the “experts in religion” to agree that he has committed a capital offense.
4. From the outset he exhibits a penchant for “bent rather than straight discourse.” This tendency is evident by observing that from the outset Jesus resorts to parabolic sayings no less than seven times before the first extended parable of the sower (cp. Capon pp. 49-53).
The prologue to Mark’s Gospel (1.1-13) is comprised of three events: the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. While these events are given more attention in the other two Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke), Mark’s truncated account of the events accentuates his stress on the centrality of the gospel and the urgency of its message. He focuses on the person of Jesus and the coming kingdom of God. Indeed, all the characters in the Gospel pivot around the central figure of Jesus. The opening statement: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a summary of the Gospel. Although Mark begins his revelation of the gospel with the ministry of John the Baptist (cp. Acts 1.22; 10.37; 13.24; Matthew 11.12 etc.) it merely serves as an introduction to the ministry of the promised Messiah. “Mark may be imitating the opening verse of the LXX [Septuagint, the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament] (en arche, ‘in the beginning,’ Gen 1:1) and wants his readers to realize that his book is a new beginning in which God reveals the Good News of Jesus Christ. Taken in this way, the first verse is not only a title for the entire book but a claim to its divine origin” (EBCNT, p. :618).
Jesus’ Baptism
John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Robert Stein writes: “John’s baptism was essentially ‘ecclesiastical’ in nature. It was not primarily a personal experience performed in splendid isolation for the individual but a corporate rite that involved becoming part of a community awaiting the promised Messiah. Thus, the experience of repentance and the rite of baptism were inseparable” (Robert Stein, Jesus the Messiah, p. 93). The One of whom John spoke would usher in the kingdom of heaven. Those being baptized by John renounced a life of sin and identified themselves with the coming kingdom. Since Jesus had no sin, the symbolism of repentance associated with John’s baptism appears problematic. Indeed, John was reluctant to baptize him (cp. Matthew 3.14, 15); John did so only at Jesus’ instance. However, Jesus was not acknowledging personal sin by his baptism, but was associating Himself with the sinfulness of a community that was seeking the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ baptism was the inaugural event of His ministry just as the “cup” was the concluding event of His ministry. That his baptism is not often referred to throughout His teaching ministry does not diminish its importance. This is evident from his comment to the sons of Zebedee. When they asked for a position of honor in the coming kingdom, Jesus responded: “You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with” (Mark 10.38)? In another context Jesus spoke of His ministry as that which divides men and that He was distressed until His baptism was to be accomplished (cp. Luke 12.50). Thus, understood, His baptism must be associated with His vicarious death and passion (cp. ISBE, vol. 1, p. 411).
That the baptism of Jesus was an inaugural event in His ministry is also clear from the word of approbation He receives from his heavenly Father: And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1.11; cp. Matthew 3.16-17). The Spirit whom Jesus would bestow upon others had anointed Him.
The epochal importance of this anointing for Jesus and his awareness of how this experience led to a new period in his life is evident from his first sermon in Nazareth. There, opening the scroll of Isaiah, he selected the following passage from Isaiah 61:1-2: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19; compare Acts 10:38). Upon returning the scroll to one of the officers of the synagogue, Jesus said, ‘today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4:21). At his baptism Jesus was aware that he had been anointed for a divine task. Serving God quietly as a carpenter in Nazareth was a thing of the past. The Spirit had anointed him, and his messianic mission had begun. (Stein, p. 99)
Jesus’ temptation
As with the account of Jesus’ baptism, His temptation is more detailed in the other Synoptic Gospels. However, it is Mark’s reference to the wild beasts in the wilderness that suggests Jesus’ motivation for going into the desert was not contemplative, but confrontative. William Lane notes that the wilderness motif dominates the prologue. Indeed, it is a reoccurring theme throughout Mark’s Gospel: “It is significant that Mark does not report the victory of Jesus over Satan, nor the end of the temptation. It is the evangelist’s distinctive understanding that Jesus did not win the decisive victory during the forty days nor did he cease to be tempted. Jesus is thrust into the wilderness in order to be confronted with Satan and temptation. It is this confrontation which is itself important, since it is sustained throughout Jesus’ ministry. This explains why Mark does not say anything about the content of the temptation: his whole Gospel constitutes the explanation of the manner in which Jesus was tempted” (William Lane, Gospel of Mark). Stein suggests that Jesus needed to decide what kind of messianic role He would fulfill. “In order to plunder Satan’s kingdom, Jesus would have to defeat him (Mark 3:22-27), and resisting the temptation would be the first of His adversary’s defeats (compare Mark 1:21-28, 39; 3:11; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-29; and so on)” (Stein, p. 103).
Jesus begins His ministry
At the close of John the Baptist’s ministry, that is, when he was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus began His ministry in Galilee saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The content of the gospel is the forgiveness of sins, the restoration to fellowship with God, and a new life in Jesus Christ (cp. 2 Corinthians 5.17). The kingdom of God is at hand because Jesus God’s Son is present. “The kingdom has drawn near, spatially in the person of Jesus who embodied the kingdom in a veiled way, and temporally because it is the only event which takes place prior to the end. In the person of Jesus men are confronted by the kingdom of God in its nearness. A faithful response to the proclamation of the gospel is imperative” (William Lane, Mark, p. 65). The only acceptable response to Christ is repentance and faith. God’s visitation brings with it both judgment and salvation.
Mark’s Gospel seems to suggest that Jesus began gathering a coterie of disciples at the very onset of his preaching ministry; though the appointing and the naming of the twelve takes place in chapter three. The good news of the kingdom of God is of paramount importance and the urgency of believing the gospel is stressed by the manner in which Mark portrays the calling of the disciples. There is no indication that Mark was aware of a previous meeting with Simon and Andrew (cp. John 1.35-42). However, it is not Mark’s purpose to delineate all the details of Jesus’ life and ministry, but to demonstrate the necessity of an immediate response to the gospel. Both the language and the pace of the narration suggests an urgency to respond to the gospel. Before Mark records any miraculous event, he stresses the need to follow Jesus. The disciples are challenged to become fishers of men in response to the content of the gospel, not merely in astonishment of Jesus’ miracles. Moreover, there is in the Old Testament motif of fishermen a suggestion of God’s judgment (cp. Jeremiah 16.16; Ezekiel 29.4-5; Amos 4.2). Andrew and Peter leave their nets immediately to follow Jesus, as do James and John, who are unhesitating in their response to Jesus’ invitation.
The first miracle in Mark takes place at a synagogue in Capernaum. Capernaum, located on the northwest shore of the sea of Galilee, was Peter’s hometown and became the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Jesus’ teaching astonished His hearers because He taught with an authority that came directly from God. He did not attempt to validate his teaching with references to well-known rabbinic scholars. His teaching was interrupted by a man possessed by a demon who cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” It is the demon who is speaking, not the man himself. The demons recognize the true identity of Jesus and that He has come for judgment. Jesus exorcised the demon with a simple command for him to leave the man. Not surprisingly the people were amazed. His authoritative teaching was accompanied by authority over unclean spirits. This remarkable event is followed in rapid fire by the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, the healing of a multitude of people from various diseases, more preaching throughout Galilee, and the cleansing of a leper. It is as though Mark shot Jesus out of a cannon: by the end of the first chapter the ministry of Jesus is up and running at full speed.
As with the fast pace of chapter one, so too the second chapter of Mark records in rapid succession a series of events that illustrate the identity of Jesus. It is at this early point in Jesus’ ministry that we witness a rapidly accelerating conflict with the religious leadership. The chapter opens with an extraordinary account of Jesus forgiving the sins of a paralytic and then healing him of his infirmity. It is followed by the call of Levi, Jesus identification as the bridegroom, and two incidents wherein He claims to be Lord the Sabbath. This collection of five events illustrates Mark’s focus on Jesus as the central and heroic figure of his Gospel. “Mark’s prologue (1:1-13) describes the earthly ministry of Jesus, beginning with his baptism (vv. 9-11), and his narrative ends with an account of Jesus’ death and resurrection (chapters 14-16). As Donahue observes, Jesus is the constant initiator of action and the subject of the narrative’s verbs until his arrest in 14:43. After that point, he is passive and becomes the object of the verbs in Mark” (John H. Augustine in A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. Ryken and Longman III, p. 390).
Miracles and the gospels
A brief excursus about the importance of miracles in the Gospels may be of some profit at this point. As we have already observed, Mark’s Gospel moves rapidly from one event to another with few if any transitions (a paratactic literary style). Mark makes declarative statements about Jesus. Jesus’ teaching is authoritative because He is the author of truth and His teaching is supported by His many miraculous works. Indeed, nearly one third of the Gospel details the miraculous works of Jesus. Consequently, believing in Jesus’ ability to accomplish the miraculous is essential for anyone who claims to have a biblical faith. Robert Stein’s comments on the miraculous are instructive, particularly as they apply to Mark’s Gospel.
A basic issue involved in the study of the life of Jesus is the problem of miracles. No one can investigate his life without first coming to grips with the issue of the miraculous. The Gospels contain more than thirty miracles associated with the life and ministry of Jesus. In Mark alone 209 of the 661 verses deal with the miraculous. We read about various healings involving fever (Mk 1:29-31), leprosy (Mk 1:40-45), paralysis (Mk 2:1-12), a withered hand (Mk 3:1-6), hemorrhage (Mk 5:25-34), muteness (Mt 9:32-34), blindness (Mk 8:22-26), epilepsy (Mk 9:14-29), deformed limbs (Lk 13:10-17), dropsy (Lk 14:1-6), demon possession (Mk 1:21-28) and even a sword wound (Lk 22:49-51). There are raisings from the dead (Mk 5:35-43; Luke 7:11-15; Jn 11:1-44) and various nature miracles, such as the feeding of the five thousand (Mk 6:30-44) and the four thousand (Mk 8:1-10), the stilling of a storm (Mk 4:35-41), the cursing of a fig tree (Mk 11:12-14, 20-25), walking on water (Mk 6:5-52), the catching of a fish with a coin (Mt 17:24-27), a miraculous catch of a fish (Luke 5:1-11; Jn 21:1-14), the turning of water into wine (Jn 2:1-11), a virginal conception (Mt 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) and an ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9). It is evident that a person cannot come to terms with the life of Jesus without coming to terms with the issue of miracles. (Robert Stein, Jesus the Messiah, p. 18)
Jesus as Lord (2.1 – 3.6)
Just as Mark was quick to introduce his readers to the teaching and miraculous works of Jesus, so too, he is quick to portray the Divine nature of Jesus as the Messiah. The four pericopes of the second chapter and the first narrative of chapter three have the common thread of highlighting the messianic role of Jesus as Lord and exposing the conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership. It is highly improbable that these events happened in chronological sequence or that they all took place in the same geographical area. Mark uses a series of confrontational events to highlight the identity of Jesus. These are the beginning of a series of conflicts between Jesus and His adversaries that will include Satan, demons, the Jewish authorities, and on occasion even His disciples. The conflicts often center on the nature of His identity (cp. Ryken, p. 387). William Lane makes the following observation of these events:
"It is unlikely that these five incidents happened consecutively or even at the same period in Jesus’ ministry. Mark introduces them in a most general way: “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting …”; “One sabbath he was going through the grain fields …”; “Again he entered the synagogue …” These were probably brought together in the tradition to which Mark was heir by the common element of conflict in Galilee. The incidents were remembered because they illumined aspects of the messianic mission: Ch. 2:1–17 concerns sin and sinners, and the forgiveness of God; Chs. 2:18–3:6 concern fasting and the observance of the sabbath, and the intention of God. This Galilean unit occupies an important position early in the Marcan outline and is balanced in the latter half of the Gospel by a series of five controversies in Jerusalem (Chs. 11:27–12:37). Together they indicate that the intrusion of the radically new situation provoked sustained conflict with the old and was the historical occasion for the decision that Jesus must be put to death" (Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark p. 91).
The paralytic & the authority to forgive sins (2.1 – 12)
Jesus declared that the sins of the paralytic man are forgiven. The scribes took offense at Jesus’ statement by questioning, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They mused in their hearts that Jesus was neither God, nor God’s representative and was therefore guilty of blasphemy for speaking like this. Perceiving this, Jesus responded to the scribes with this question: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” Of course, it is impossible for a man to forgive sins. But it was equally impossible for a man to command a paralytic to walk. Jesus then demonstrated his authority to forgive sins by healing the invalid of his infirmity. More importantly, Mark uses this occasion to introduce Jesus as the “Son of Man.” (This is Jesus’ favorite self-description and occurs 81 times in the Gospels.) That Mark uses this designation for Jesus here and in 2.28 is unusual because of the fourteen times that he uses this designation, only these two occur prior to Peter’s confession at Caesarea-Philippi that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8.31). It may be Mark’s purpose to draw the reader’s attention early in his Gospel to Jesus’ true identity. In this way, the relationships that develop throughout the remainder of his Gospel may be more dramatically contrasted. Jesus is the Son of Man and as such He has authority to forgive sins, to validate this miracle that cannot be seen He performs a miracle that cannot be denied (cp. Walter Wessel, EBCNT, Mark 2:10-11).
"The Present Authority of Jesus. Jesus speaks of his authority to forgive sins (Mk 2:10) and of his lordship of the Sabbath (Mk 2:28). In both cases the context makes it clear that it is the authority of Jesus which is at issue; he exercises it there and then; and it is an authority which would normally belong to God or to somebody authorized by him. It is possible that the phrase might signify “human” in a generic sense (i.e., any particular member of the species; see further below), but it is doubtful whether a Greek reader would take this sense from the phrase" (I. H. Marshall, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, p. 776)
Calling Levi and its aftermath (2.13-17)
Following the healing of the paralytic and much to the disapprobation of the scribes and Pharisees Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to be His disciple. Afterwards, as He was eating with His disciples, friends of Levi, and other people commonly recognized as sinners, the religious leaders questioned His disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” At this point Jesus identifies the purpose and the parameters of His mission, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” This is heart of the gospel; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1.15). He does not exclude those who are well, but He has come for those who are outcasts (see miracles above; cp. Matthew 11.28-29).
Jesus as the bridegroom & a question about fasting (2.18-22)
Jesus was questioned by the people: “Why do Your disciples not fast, when such a practice is common among the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist?” John’s disciples fasted to demonstrate repentance and sorrow for sin. They were preparing themselves for the coming of the Messiah: the inauguration of the new age of God’s salvation. When that day came, it would be a time of celebration and rejoicing. Jesus explained that that day had come, and His disciples did not fast because the Bridegroom was with them. Jesus is the bridegroom and His appearance marks the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth (cp. Mark 1.15). Jesus represents the age of salvation; God’s promised redemption is being realized. The wedding imagery is metaphorical allusion to the eschatological fulfillment of God’s salvation and that a new age of God’s salvation has been inaugurated. This narrative further supports Mark’s identity of Jesus as the Son of Man.
Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (2.23 – 28 and 3.1-6)
Finally, Jesus declares that He is lord even of the Sabbath. He illustrates this in two ways. First, the disciples pick grain and eat it on the Sabbath and second, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand, also on the Sabbath. The significance of Jesus claiming to be lord of the Sabbath ought not to be minimized. The Sabbath law is the groundwork for Jewish life and practice. The Sabbath was established in the creation narrative when God rested on the seventh day. By doing this He laid a foundation for the law, particularly the Sabbath law. Through Adam’s sin, mankind’s unhindered fellowship with God was broken and they lost their Edenic “Sabbath rest.” However, within the providence of God’s grace, the progeny of Adam and Eve were assured of a future salvation and in the progress of redemption there would be a new creation and a Sabbath rest for the people of God (cp. Hebrews 4.9).
There are a variety of biblical motifs associated with the Sabbath. The first and most obvious is the cessation from work. God finished the work of creation in six days and He rested on the seventh. Second, the Sabbath is linked to remembrance and commemoration (Exodus 20.8); not only were the Israelites to remember God’s handy work in creation, but they were to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Third, the Sabbath is something set apart from the ordinary; it is a time for holy reflections (Genesis 2.3; Deuteronomy 5.12; Leviticus 23.3). It was an extension of the covenant sign that God had set apart the nation of Israel as His distinct people (Exodus 31.15-16; cp. Ezekiel 20.12). Fourth, the Sabbath command is embedded in the Law of God; the keeping of the Sabbath is an imperative. Fifth, the Sabbath is associated with worship (Numbers 28.9-10; Isaiah 66.22-23). Sixth, the rest that is symbolized in the Sabbath is ultimately found in God alone who is the believer’s inheritance (Psalm 62.1,5; Joshua 13.33).
But here in Mark Jesus directs His disciples’ attention to Himself. He is the true Sabbath-rest for believers: There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. … Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4.9, 11).
Mark has shown that Jesus is a teacher of unparalleled ability and authority. Moreover, He heals the infirmed of every affliction and He liberates the spiritually possessed from the demonic control over their lives. Jesus’ claim to be Lord of the Sabbath provoked the Pharisees to conspire with the Herodians as to how they might put Him to death. Thus, it is near the outset of Mark’s Gospel that he introduces the imminent death of Jesus. This serves to heighten the intensity of the narrative and the urgency of believing in the gospel (1.15). Having laid this groundwork, Mark shifts gears and begins to flesh out the teaching and ministry of Jesus. From Mark 3.7 through 6.13 he develops his account of the ministry of Jesus with a variety of events and teachings: first, there is the appointment of the twelve apostles (3.13-19); then there are several additional units dealing with the hostility and rejection of Jesus and His ministry (3.20-30, 31-35; 6.1-6). However, the primary focus is on the parables about the kingdom (4.1-34) and Jesus’ miraculous powers over creation (4.35-40), over demons (5.1-20), and even over death itself (5.21-43).
Summary statement and transition (Mark 3.7-13)
Perhaps to avoid an untimely confrontation with hostile religious leaders (Matthew 12.15) Jesus withdrew to the sea. He was followed by a great crowd of people from every region is Israel (Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from the other side of the Jordon River, and even from the Mediterranean coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon). In short, the scope of Jesus’ influence was far reaching. Jesus’ popularity was so great that He found it necessary to provide an escape route should the crowds press upon Him too closely (3.9). Probably more than His teaching, Jesus’ reputation as a healer attracted great masses of people. Despite Jesus’ miraculous works people did not recognize Him for who He was. Though, demons consistently identified Him as the Son of God – not as an act of submission or mere recognition, but in a vain attempt to gain mastery over him. On every occasion of their confession Jesus silenced them. “The disciples’, crowd’s and opponents’ knowledge of Jesus was incomplete, not necessarily wrong. More had to be known about Jesus’ ministry in light of the cross and resurrection (9:9). Thus, the cries of the unclean spirits, whose knowledge was accurate and complete, had to be stifled. Only Jesus’ ministry as seen in 1:16-3:12 and including the cross and resurrection could ultimately reveal him to be the Son of God. That was the ‘gospel of Jesus Messiah, Son of God’ for Mark” (Robert Guelich, Mark, p. 150).
Appointing the twelve (Mark 3.13-19)
The appointment of twelve of His followers to be apostles anticipated the extension of His ministry through them. Initially the preaching of the good news took place in the immediate proximity of the land of Israel, but after His resurrection, there were no geographical limitations (Acts 1.8). Mark devotes considerable space in his Gospel to the training of the disciples. They are the subjects for Jesus’ instructions (particularly in the second half of the Gospel). Mark informs us that Jesus chose them so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach. There could be no greater opportunity for the disciples to learn what Jesus required of them than simply being with Him.
"The purpose for which the Twelve were appointed was twofold: (1) “that they might be with him”; (2) “that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” The Twelve were to be brought into the closest association possible with the life of the Son of God. They were to live with Jesus, travel with him, converse with him, and learn from him. Mark’s Gospel indicates that much of Jesus’ time was occupied with their training. The training was not an end in itself. They were to be sent out (in Mark’s Gospel not until 6:7). And their ministry was to consist of preaching the Good News and driving out demons (v. 15). The two are closely associated. The salvation Jesus brings involves the defeat of Satan and his demons" (EBCNT, Mark 3.14-15)
The twelve disciples are an unusual collection of men. Four are fishermen, another is a tax collector; one is a member of a radical and violent political party (Zealots); of the other six little is known. However, not one was chosen because he was a Scriptural scholar (though they would all be identified as men knowledgeable of Scripture and bold in their preaching because they had been with Jesus: cp. Acts 4.13). These handpicked men, along with Paul who was, in his own words, born at the wrong time (1 Corinthians 15.8), would be the leaders of the New Testament church.
"James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" (v. 17). This was probably descriptive of their disposition; it had something of the thunderstorm in it. Since Bartholomew (v. 18) is not a personal name but a patronymic, meaning "son of Talmai," he probably had another name (Nathaniel? cf. John 1:45). Matthew is doubtless to be identified with Levi (2:14), but Mark makes no point of it. Thaddaeus is probably the Judas son of James of Luke's lists (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). Simon is called "the Zealot." This may simply be a description of his religious zeal; but it is more likely a reference to his membership in the party of the Zealots a Jewish sect bent on the overthrow at all costs of the Roman control of Palestine. Judas's surname is given as Iscariot (v. 19), which probably means "the man from the place called Karioth." Karioth (Kerioth) is identified either with Kerioth Hezron (Josh 15:25), twelve miles south of Hebron, or with Kerioth in Moab (Jer 48:24). Judas is further identified as the man who betrayed Jesus" (EBCNT, Mark 3.16-19)
Jesus’ family and blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mark 3.20-21)
The account of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is preceded by a brief statement that Jesus’ family had heard of His feverish lifestyle and concluded that He was out of His mind. The disjointed account of Jesus’ family is intentional. It emphasizes the similarity between those in His family who attribute His actions to mental exhaustion (3.21), and those who claim that He is able to do the things He does because He is in league with Satan (3.22). The contrast between the two accusations is striking: in verse 21 his family declares that He is out of His mind and in verse 30 the scribes claim: He has an unclean spirit. The charges emanate from two distinct, but presumably reputable, sources. Either claim, if validated, would have the same effect, namely, that Jesus’ work ought to be terminated.
The second charge against Jesus, that he was possessed by Satan, is the more serious of the charges. The former charge came from His family’s concern for His well-being; the later, from a group of religious leaders (presumably the Sanhedrin) who traveled up from Jerusalem as a part of a group investigating the potential subversive nature of His teaching. Their accusations branded Jesus as unlawful (cp. William Lane, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, p. 142). Jesus’ responded to the charges by stating the obvious: How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If the charge against him were true, then Satan would be defeated – clearly this was not so. Consequently, one must conclude that the charge was fallacious.
The opening three chapters of Mark are descriptive of Jesus’ ministry and set the stage for His messianic mission. Obviously, the Marcan account is more truncated than its synoptic cousins, but each of the Synoptic Gospels in their own way prepares the reader for the public ministry of Jesus. In the case of Mark’s Gospel this begins in earnest in chapter four. Commenting on Mark’s introduction to Jesus’ ministry, Robert Capon makes the following observation: “… it was an odd and troubling one. And even though its peculiarities, as Mark presents them, succeed one another with such speed and apparent randomness that they are easy to miss, I think that they can be made at least a bit more evident by classifying them under the headings of four tendencies” Capon, Robert Farrar Kingdom, Grace & Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus p. 49).
1. While Jesus encourages messianic expectations of the people at the same time he seems to flout the very Law that his Jewish hearers expected the Messiah to fulfill to perfection. For example, he says the “time (kairos season) is here, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Unlike other religious leaders he draws attention to himself; he does not point others toward God or Moses (Law). He is calling Simon and Andrew to follow him. He refers to himself as the Son of Man – presumably a messianic title. He performs Messianic miracles, casts out demons, cleanses a leper and heals a paralytic. At the same time, he is associating with “sleazy types that no proper Messiah would have any truck with.” He calls Levi, a tax farmer, to be his disciple and he justifies his behavior by claiming that he has come to call not the righteous but the sinners to himself (Mark does not use the word repentance as does Luke). To top it all off he “violates” the Sabbath twice; claiming to be the Lord of the Sabbath. Scarcely two chapters into the Gospel two opposing factions, the Pharisees and the Herodians conspire together how to destroy him.
In other words, by the time Mark reaches chapter 4 and introduces the parable of the Sower (the first of the explicit parables of the messianic kingdom), he has already established Jesus not only as a wonder-working, demon-exorcising claimant to the messianic title but also as a Sabbath-breaking upstart with a dangerously arrogant sense of his own authority – as somebody, in other words, who is neither interested in, nor palatable to, the religious sensibilities of expert Messiah-watchers.
To sum it up, therefore: by the end of chapter 3, his family thinks he is crazy (21); the scribes are sure he is possessed by Beelzebub (v.22); and Jesus’ patience is already beginning to wear thin. The Satan talk, he insists, is sheer nonsense (vv.23-29); his real family consists of anybody who does the will of God (v.35); and those who say he has an evil spirit are themselves guilty of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (vv.29-30). (Capon p.51)
2. Jesus promotes himself as the final authority but ironically at the same time seeks a degree of anonymity. The “Messianic” secret is, in fact, no secret. Though Jesus performs signs in keeping with that of the Messiah, it is equally clear that no one in Mark’s Gospel, save the centurion at the cross, gave testimony to his true identity: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Only the demons recognized him from the outset and Jesus silenced them. There is little doubt that the commonly held perception of what the Messiah ought to be doing was fallacious and Jesus sought to correct that misperception.
3. The style and substance of what Jesus proclaims is inconsistent with the religion his hearers are accustom to hearing. Most certainly it is out of sync with the religious hierarchy. Jesus claim to be the Messiah coupled with his “irreligious” behavior is enough to provoke the “experts in religion” to agree that he has committed a capital offense.
4. From the outset he exhibits a penchant for “bent rather than straight discourse.” This tendency is evident by observing that from the outset Jesus resorts to parabolic sayings no less than seven times before the first extended parable of the sower (cp. Capon pp. 49-53).
The prologue to Mark’s Gospel (1.1-13) is comprised of three events: the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. While these events are given more attention in the other two Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke), Mark’s truncated account of the events accentuates his stress on the centrality of the gospel and the urgency of its message. He focuses on the person of Jesus and the coming kingdom of God. Indeed, all the characters in the Gospel pivot around the central figure of Jesus. The opening statement: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a summary of the Gospel. Although Mark begins his revelation of the gospel with the ministry of John the Baptist (cp. Acts 1.22; 10.37; 13.24; Matthew 11.12 etc.) it merely serves as an introduction to the ministry of the promised Messiah. “Mark may be imitating the opening verse of the LXX [Septuagint, the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament] (en arche, ‘in the beginning,’ Gen 1:1) and wants his readers to realize that his book is a new beginning in which God reveals the Good News of Jesus Christ. Taken in this way, the first verse is not only a title for the entire book but a claim to its divine origin” (EBCNT, p. :618).
Jesus’ Baptism
John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Robert Stein writes: “John’s baptism was essentially ‘ecclesiastical’ in nature. It was not primarily a personal experience performed in splendid isolation for the individual but a corporate rite that involved becoming part of a community awaiting the promised Messiah. Thus, the experience of repentance and the rite of baptism were inseparable” (Robert Stein, Jesus the Messiah, p. 93). The One of whom John spoke would usher in the kingdom of heaven. Those being baptized by John renounced a life of sin and identified themselves with the coming kingdom. Since Jesus had no sin, the symbolism of repentance associated with John’s baptism appears problematic. Indeed, John was reluctant to baptize him (cp. Matthew 3.14, 15); John did so only at Jesus’ instance. However, Jesus was not acknowledging personal sin by his baptism, but was associating Himself with the sinfulness of a community that was seeking the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ baptism was the inaugural event of His ministry just as the “cup” was the concluding event of His ministry. That his baptism is not often referred to throughout His teaching ministry does not diminish its importance. This is evident from his comment to the sons of Zebedee. When they asked for a position of honor in the coming kingdom, Jesus responded: “You don't know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with” (Mark 10.38)? In another context Jesus spoke of His ministry as that which divides men and that He was distressed until His baptism was to be accomplished (cp. Luke 12.50). Thus, understood, His baptism must be associated with His vicarious death and passion (cp. ISBE, vol. 1, p. 411).
That the baptism of Jesus was an inaugural event in His ministry is also clear from the word of approbation He receives from his heavenly Father: And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1.11; cp. Matthew 3.16-17). The Spirit whom Jesus would bestow upon others had anointed Him.
The epochal importance of this anointing for Jesus and his awareness of how this experience led to a new period in his life is evident from his first sermon in Nazareth. There, opening the scroll of Isaiah, he selected the following passage from Isaiah 61:1-2: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19; compare Acts 10:38). Upon returning the scroll to one of the officers of the synagogue, Jesus said, ‘today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4:21). At his baptism Jesus was aware that he had been anointed for a divine task. Serving God quietly as a carpenter in Nazareth was a thing of the past. The Spirit had anointed him, and his messianic mission had begun. (Stein, p. 99)
Jesus’ temptation
As with the account of Jesus’ baptism, His temptation is more detailed in the other Synoptic Gospels. However, it is Mark’s reference to the wild beasts in the wilderness that suggests Jesus’ motivation for going into the desert was not contemplative, but confrontative. William Lane notes that the wilderness motif dominates the prologue. Indeed, it is a reoccurring theme throughout Mark’s Gospel: “It is significant that Mark does not report the victory of Jesus over Satan, nor the end of the temptation. It is the evangelist’s distinctive understanding that Jesus did not win the decisive victory during the forty days nor did he cease to be tempted. Jesus is thrust into the wilderness in order to be confronted with Satan and temptation. It is this confrontation which is itself important, since it is sustained throughout Jesus’ ministry. This explains why Mark does not say anything about the content of the temptation: his whole Gospel constitutes the explanation of the manner in which Jesus was tempted” (William Lane, Gospel of Mark). Stein suggests that Jesus needed to decide what kind of messianic role He would fulfill. “In order to plunder Satan’s kingdom, Jesus would have to defeat him (Mark 3:22-27), and resisting the temptation would be the first of His adversary’s defeats (compare Mark 1:21-28, 39; 3:11; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-29; and so on)” (Stein, p. 103).
Jesus begins His ministry
At the close of John the Baptist’s ministry, that is, when he was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus began His ministry in Galilee saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The content of the gospel is the forgiveness of sins, the restoration to fellowship with God, and a new life in Jesus Christ (cp. 2 Corinthians 5.17). The kingdom of God is at hand because Jesus God’s Son is present. “The kingdom has drawn near, spatially in the person of Jesus who embodied the kingdom in a veiled way, and temporally because it is the only event which takes place prior to the end. In the person of Jesus men are confronted by the kingdom of God in its nearness. A faithful response to the proclamation of the gospel is imperative” (William Lane, Mark, p. 65). The only acceptable response to Christ is repentance and faith. God’s visitation brings with it both judgment and salvation.
Mark’s Gospel seems to suggest that Jesus began gathering a coterie of disciples at the very onset of his preaching ministry; though the appointing and the naming of the twelve takes place in chapter three. The good news of the kingdom of God is of paramount importance and the urgency of believing the gospel is stressed by the manner in which Mark portrays the calling of the disciples. There is no indication that Mark was aware of a previous meeting with Simon and Andrew (cp. John 1.35-42). However, it is not Mark’s purpose to delineate all the details of Jesus’ life and ministry, but to demonstrate the necessity of an immediate response to the gospel. Both the language and the pace of the narration suggests an urgency to respond to the gospel. Before Mark records any miraculous event, he stresses the need to follow Jesus. The disciples are challenged to become fishers of men in response to the content of the gospel, not merely in astonishment of Jesus’ miracles. Moreover, there is in the Old Testament motif of fishermen a suggestion of God’s judgment (cp. Jeremiah 16.16; Ezekiel 29.4-5; Amos 4.2). Andrew and Peter leave their nets immediately to follow Jesus, as do James and John, who are unhesitating in their response to Jesus’ invitation.
The first miracle in Mark takes place at a synagogue in Capernaum. Capernaum, located on the northwest shore of the sea of Galilee, was Peter’s hometown and became the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Jesus’ teaching astonished His hearers because He taught with an authority that came directly from God. He did not attempt to validate his teaching with references to well-known rabbinic scholars. His teaching was interrupted by a man possessed by a demon who cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” It is the demon who is speaking, not the man himself. The demons recognize the true identity of Jesus and that He has come for judgment. Jesus exorcised the demon with a simple command for him to leave the man. Not surprisingly the people were amazed. His authoritative teaching was accompanied by authority over unclean spirits. This remarkable event is followed in rapid fire by the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, the healing of a multitude of people from various diseases, more preaching throughout Galilee, and the cleansing of a leper. It is as though Mark shot Jesus out of a cannon: by the end of the first chapter the ministry of Jesus is up and running at full speed.
As with the fast pace of chapter one, so too the second chapter of Mark records in rapid succession a series of events that illustrate the identity of Jesus. It is at this early point in Jesus’ ministry that we witness a rapidly accelerating conflict with the religious leadership. The chapter opens with an extraordinary account of Jesus forgiving the sins of a paralytic and then healing him of his infirmity. It is followed by the call of Levi, Jesus identification as the bridegroom, and two incidents wherein He claims to be Lord the Sabbath. This collection of five events illustrates Mark’s focus on Jesus as the central and heroic figure of his Gospel. “Mark’s prologue (1:1-13) describes the earthly ministry of Jesus, beginning with his baptism (vv. 9-11), and his narrative ends with an account of Jesus’ death and resurrection (chapters 14-16). As Donahue observes, Jesus is the constant initiator of action and the subject of the narrative’s verbs until his arrest in 14:43. After that point, he is passive and becomes the object of the verbs in Mark” (John H. Augustine in A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, ed. Ryken and Longman III, p. 390).
Miracles and the gospels
A brief excursus about the importance of miracles in the Gospels may be of some profit at this point. As we have already observed, Mark’s Gospel moves rapidly from one event to another with few if any transitions (a paratactic literary style). Mark makes declarative statements about Jesus. Jesus’ teaching is authoritative because He is the author of truth and His teaching is supported by His many miraculous works. Indeed, nearly one third of the Gospel details the miraculous works of Jesus. Consequently, believing in Jesus’ ability to accomplish the miraculous is essential for anyone who claims to have a biblical faith. Robert Stein’s comments on the miraculous are instructive, particularly as they apply to Mark’s Gospel.
A basic issue involved in the study of the life of Jesus is the problem of miracles. No one can investigate his life without first coming to grips with the issue of the miraculous. The Gospels contain more than thirty miracles associated with the life and ministry of Jesus. In Mark alone 209 of the 661 verses deal with the miraculous. We read about various healings involving fever (Mk 1:29-31), leprosy (Mk 1:40-45), paralysis (Mk 2:1-12), a withered hand (Mk 3:1-6), hemorrhage (Mk 5:25-34), muteness (Mt 9:32-34), blindness (Mk 8:22-26), epilepsy (Mk 9:14-29), deformed limbs (Lk 13:10-17), dropsy (Lk 14:1-6), demon possession (Mk 1:21-28) and even a sword wound (Lk 22:49-51). There are raisings from the dead (Mk 5:35-43; Luke 7:11-15; Jn 11:1-44) and various nature miracles, such as the feeding of the five thousand (Mk 6:30-44) and the four thousand (Mk 8:1-10), the stilling of a storm (Mk 4:35-41), the cursing of a fig tree (Mk 11:12-14, 20-25), walking on water (Mk 6:5-52), the catching of a fish with a coin (Mt 17:24-27), a miraculous catch of a fish (Luke 5:1-11; Jn 21:1-14), the turning of water into wine (Jn 2:1-11), a virginal conception (Mt 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) and an ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9). It is evident that a person cannot come to terms with the life of Jesus without coming to terms with the issue of miracles. (Robert Stein, Jesus the Messiah, p. 18)
Jesus as Lord (2.1 – 3.6)
Just as Mark was quick to introduce his readers to the teaching and miraculous works of Jesus, so too, he is quick to portray the Divine nature of Jesus as the Messiah. The four pericopes of the second chapter and the first narrative of chapter three have the common thread of highlighting the messianic role of Jesus as Lord and exposing the conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership. It is highly improbable that these events happened in chronological sequence or that they all took place in the same geographical area. Mark uses a series of confrontational events to highlight the identity of Jesus. These are the beginning of a series of conflicts between Jesus and His adversaries that will include Satan, demons, the Jewish authorities, and on occasion even His disciples. The conflicts often center on the nature of His identity (cp. Ryken, p. 387). William Lane makes the following observation of these events:
"It is unlikely that these five incidents happened consecutively or even at the same period in Jesus’ ministry. Mark introduces them in a most general way: “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting …”; “One sabbath he was going through the grain fields …”; “Again he entered the synagogue …” These were probably brought together in the tradition to which Mark was heir by the common element of conflict in Galilee. The incidents were remembered because they illumined aspects of the messianic mission: Ch. 2:1–17 concerns sin and sinners, and the forgiveness of God; Chs. 2:18–3:6 concern fasting and the observance of the sabbath, and the intention of God. This Galilean unit occupies an important position early in the Marcan outline and is balanced in the latter half of the Gospel by a series of five controversies in Jerusalem (Chs. 11:27–12:37). Together they indicate that the intrusion of the radically new situation provoked sustained conflict with the old and was the historical occasion for the decision that Jesus must be put to death" (Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark p. 91).
The paralytic & the authority to forgive sins (2.1 – 12)
Jesus declared that the sins of the paralytic man are forgiven. The scribes took offense at Jesus’ statement by questioning, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They mused in their hearts that Jesus was neither God, nor God’s representative and was therefore guilty of blasphemy for speaking like this. Perceiving this, Jesus responded to the scribes with this question: “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?” Of course, it is impossible for a man to forgive sins. But it was equally impossible for a man to command a paralytic to walk. Jesus then demonstrated his authority to forgive sins by healing the invalid of his infirmity. More importantly, Mark uses this occasion to introduce Jesus as the “Son of Man.” (This is Jesus’ favorite self-description and occurs 81 times in the Gospels.) That Mark uses this designation for Jesus here and in 2.28 is unusual because of the fourteen times that he uses this designation, only these two occur prior to Peter’s confession at Caesarea-Philippi that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8.31). It may be Mark’s purpose to draw the reader’s attention early in his Gospel to Jesus’ true identity. In this way, the relationships that develop throughout the remainder of his Gospel may be more dramatically contrasted. Jesus is the Son of Man and as such He has authority to forgive sins, to validate this miracle that cannot be seen He performs a miracle that cannot be denied (cp. Walter Wessel, EBCNT, Mark 2:10-11).
"The Present Authority of Jesus. Jesus speaks of his authority to forgive sins (Mk 2:10) and of his lordship of the Sabbath (Mk 2:28). In both cases the context makes it clear that it is the authority of Jesus which is at issue; he exercises it there and then; and it is an authority which would normally belong to God or to somebody authorized by him. It is possible that the phrase might signify “human” in a generic sense (i.e., any particular member of the species; see further below), but it is doubtful whether a Greek reader would take this sense from the phrase" (I. H. Marshall, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, p. 776)
Calling Levi and its aftermath (2.13-17)
Following the healing of the paralytic and much to the disapprobation of the scribes and Pharisees Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to be His disciple. Afterwards, as He was eating with His disciples, friends of Levi, and other people commonly recognized as sinners, the religious leaders questioned His disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” At this point Jesus identifies the purpose and the parameters of His mission, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” This is heart of the gospel; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1.15). He does not exclude those who are well, but He has come for those who are outcasts (see miracles above; cp. Matthew 11.28-29).
Jesus as the bridegroom & a question about fasting (2.18-22)
Jesus was questioned by the people: “Why do Your disciples not fast, when such a practice is common among the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist?” John’s disciples fasted to demonstrate repentance and sorrow for sin. They were preparing themselves for the coming of the Messiah: the inauguration of the new age of God’s salvation. When that day came, it would be a time of celebration and rejoicing. Jesus explained that that day had come, and His disciples did not fast because the Bridegroom was with them. Jesus is the bridegroom and His appearance marks the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth (cp. Mark 1.15). Jesus represents the age of salvation; God’s promised redemption is being realized. The wedding imagery is metaphorical allusion to the eschatological fulfillment of God’s salvation and that a new age of God’s salvation has been inaugurated. This narrative further supports Mark’s identity of Jesus as the Son of Man.
Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (2.23 – 28 and 3.1-6)
Finally, Jesus declares that He is lord even of the Sabbath. He illustrates this in two ways. First, the disciples pick grain and eat it on the Sabbath and second, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand, also on the Sabbath. The significance of Jesus claiming to be lord of the Sabbath ought not to be minimized. The Sabbath law is the groundwork for Jewish life and practice. The Sabbath was established in the creation narrative when God rested on the seventh day. By doing this He laid a foundation for the law, particularly the Sabbath law. Through Adam’s sin, mankind’s unhindered fellowship with God was broken and they lost their Edenic “Sabbath rest.” However, within the providence of God’s grace, the progeny of Adam and Eve were assured of a future salvation and in the progress of redemption there would be a new creation and a Sabbath rest for the people of God (cp. Hebrews 4.9).
There are a variety of biblical motifs associated with the Sabbath. The first and most obvious is the cessation from work. God finished the work of creation in six days and He rested on the seventh. Second, the Sabbath is linked to remembrance and commemoration (Exodus 20.8); not only were the Israelites to remember God’s handy work in creation, but they were to commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Third, the Sabbath is something set apart from the ordinary; it is a time for holy reflections (Genesis 2.3; Deuteronomy 5.12; Leviticus 23.3). It was an extension of the covenant sign that God had set apart the nation of Israel as His distinct people (Exodus 31.15-16; cp. Ezekiel 20.12). Fourth, the Sabbath command is embedded in the Law of God; the keeping of the Sabbath is an imperative. Fifth, the Sabbath is associated with worship (Numbers 28.9-10; Isaiah 66.22-23). Sixth, the rest that is symbolized in the Sabbath is ultimately found in God alone who is the believer’s inheritance (Psalm 62.1,5; Joshua 13.33).
But here in Mark Jesus directs His disciples’ attention to Himself. He is the true Sabbath-rest for believers: There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. … Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4.9, 11).
Mark has shown that Jesus is a teacher of unparalleled ability and authority. Moreover, He heals the infirmed of every affliction and He liberates the spiritually possessed from the demonic control over their lives. Jesus’ claim to be Lord of the Sabbath provoked the Pharisees to conspire with the Herodians as to how they might put Him to death. Thus, it is near the outset of Mark’s Gospel that he introduces the imminent death of Jesus. This serves to heighten the intensity of the narrative and the urgency of believing in the gospel (1.15). Having laid this groundwork, Mark shifts gears and begins to flesh out the teaching and ministry of Jesus. From Mark 3.7 through 6.13 he develops his account of the ministry of Jesus with a variety of events and teachings: first, there is the appointment of the twelve apostles (3.13-19); then there are several additional units dealing with the hostility and rejection of Jesus and His ministry (3.20-30, 31-35; 6.1-6). However, the primary focus is on the parables about the kingdom (4.1-34) and Jesus’ miraculous powers over creation (4.35-40), over demons (5.1-20), and even over death itself (5.21-43).
Summary statement and transition (Mark 3.7-13)
Perhaps to avoid an untimely confrontation with hostile religious leaders (Matthew 12.15) Jesus withdrew to the sea. He was followed by a great crowd of people from every region is Israel (Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from the other side of the Jordon River, and even from the Mediterranean coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon). In short, the scope of Jesus’ influence was far reaching. Jesus’ popularity was so great that He found it necessary to provide an escape route should the crowds press upon Him too closely (3.9). Probably more than His teaching, Jesus’ reputation as a healer attracted great masses of people. Despite Jesus’ miraculous works people did not recognize Him for who He was. Though, demons consistently identified Him as the Son of God – not as an act of submission or mere recognition, but in a vain attempt to gain mastery over him. On every occasion of their confession Jesus silenced them. “The disciples’, crowd’s and opponents’ knowledge of Jesus was incomplete, not necessarily wrong. More had to be known about Jesus’ ministry in light of the cross and resurrection (9:9). Thus, the cries of the unclean spirits, whose knowledge was accurate and complete, had to be stifled. Only Jesus’ ministry as seen in 1:16-3:12 and including the cross and resurrection could ultimately reveal him to be the Son of God. That was the ‘gospel of Jesus Messiah, Son of God’ for Mark” (Robert Guelich, Mark, p. 150).
Appointing the twelve (Mark 3.13-19)
The appointment of twelve of His followers to be apostles anticipated the extension of His ministry through them. Initially the preaching of the good news took place in the immediate proximity of the land of Israel, but after His resurrection, there were no geographical limitations (Acts 1.8). Mark devotes considerable space in his Gospel to the training of the disciples. They are the subjects for Jesus’ instructions (particularly in the second half of the Gospel). Mark informs us that Jesus chose them so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach. There could be no greater opportunity for the disciples to learn what Jesus required of them than simply being with Him.
"The purpose for which the Twelve were appointed was twofold: (1) “that they might be with him”; (2) “that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” The Twelve were to be brought into the closest association possible with the life of the Son of God. They were to live with Jesus, travel with him, converse with him, and learn from him. Mark’s Gospel indicates that much of Jesus’ time was occupied with their training. The training was not an end in itself. They were to be sent out (in Mark’s Gospel not until 6:7). And their ministry was to consist of preaching the Good News and driving out demons (v. 15). The two are closely associated. The salvation Jesus brings involves the defeat of Satan and his demons" (EBCNT, Mark 3.14-15)
The twelve disciples are an unusual collection of men. Four are fishermen, another is a tax collector; one is a member of a radical and violent political party (Zealots); of the other six little is known. However, not one was chosen because he was a Scriptural scholar (though they would all be identified as men knowledgeable of Scripture and bold in their preaching because they had been with Jesus: cp. Acts 4.13). These handpicked men, along with Paul who was, in his own words, born at the wrong time (1 Corinthians 15.8), would be the leaders of the New Testament church.
"James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" (v. 17). This was probably descriptive of their disposition; it had something of the thunderstorm in it. Since Bartholomew (v. 18) is not a personal name but a patronymic, meaning "son of Talmai," he probably had another name (Nathaniel? cf. John 1:45). Matthew is doubtless to be identified with Levi (2:14), but Mark makes no point of it. Thaddaeus is probably the Judas son of James of Luke's lists (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). Simon is called "the Zealot." This may simply be a description of his religious zeal; but it is more likely a reference to his membership in the party of the Zealots a Jewish sect bent on the overthrow at all costs of the Roman control of Palestine. Judas's surname is given as Iscariot (v. 19), which probably means "the man from the place called Karioth." Karioth (Kerioth) is identified either with Kerioth Hezron (Josh 15:25), twelve miles south of Hebron, or with Kerioth in Moab (Jer 48:24). Judas is further identified as the man who betrayed Jesus" (EBCNT, Mark 3.16-19)
Jesus’ family and blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mark 3.20-21)
The account of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is preceded by a brief statement that Jesus’ family had heard of His feverish lifestyle and concluded that He was out of His mind. The disjointed account of Jesus’ family is intentional. It emphasizes the similarity between those in His family who attribute His actions to mental exhaustion (3.21), and those who claim that He is able to do the things He does because He is in league with Satan (3.22). The contrast between the two accusations is striking: in verse 21 his family declares that He is out of His mind and in verse 30 the scribes claim: He has an unclean spirit. The charges emanate from two distinct, but presumably reputable, sources. Either claim, if validated, would have the same effect, namely, that Jesus’ work ought to be terminated.
The second charge against Jesus, that he was possessed by Satan, is the more serious of the charges. The former charge came from His family’s concern for His well-being; the later, from a group of religious leaders (presumably the Sanhedrin) who traveled up from Jerusalem as a part of a group investigating the potential subversive nature of His teaching. Their accusations branded Jesus as unlawful (cp. William Lane, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, p. 142). Jesus’ responded to the charges by stating the obvious: How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If the charge against him were true, then Satan would be defeated – clearly this was not so. Consequently, one must conclude that the charge was fallacious.