Mark Vol. 1 - Week 9 (3:7-19)
Mark 3:7-19
〰️
Jesus Is No Ordinary King
〰️
Mark 3:7-19 〰️ Jesus Is No Ordinary King 〰️
Mark 3:7-19 brings us to an interesting point in Jesus' ministry. There's nothing grand or noticeably spectacular here, but we can glean a thing or two from the words Mark chose when writing this passage. When we read 7-19, it feels like we are moving at a very fast pace, almost like a montage in a movie meant to convey the passing of time. What we gather from the first half of the passage is that Jesus is crowded on every side because the people Jesus previously healed were not keeping quiet as he instructed them (1:44-45). It's interesting to see that folks who physically interacted with Jesus received healing and were given instructions but didn't listen and were disobedient. It doesn't feel far off from how we respond to Jesus or live today. Healing and restoration by Jesus don't correlate to full obedience or perfect living. Here, Jesus is experiencing direct repercussions when people go out and proclaim Jesus' works after being given direct instructions to remain silent. But again, why does Jesus tell people not to proclaim His name?
Jesus, understanding His purpose on earth, knows that His time has not yet come. An increase in public recognition would have hindered His physical ability to teach those around Him. Yes, it would have meant more could receive healing, but Christ's purpose on earth was to be more than just a healer or teacher, but the Savior Israel has waited for.
As we see in 7-12, the crowd was so large that it became difficult for Jesus to disciple His inner circle of followers, so they retreated. Through the Gospels, we see this ebb and flow of Jesus healing and teaching and then retreating to the quiet and private places to be with the Father and those closest to Him. In this passage, the twelve Jesus appointed were those whom He wanted to train and teach to do three things:
Be with Jesus
Be sent out to teach about Jesus
Have authority
We see this discipleship and commissioning pattern throughout the Scriptures, particularly in the New Testament. We see Moses as an example in Exodus, too. 1) Moses encounters God (Ex. 3:1-12), 2) Moses is sent out (3:13-22), and 3) Moses is given authority by God (4:1-9). Similarly, we see this commissioning of Saul in the book of Acts, where 1) he encounters the Lord (Acts 9:1-14), 2) he is sent out to proclaim the name of Jesus (9:15-25), and 3) he is given authority (v15). This pattern we see through Scripture is one we can learn from as the church strives for obedience in Jesus' final command to make disciples and teach (Matthew 28:19-20).
So, with this in mind, we want to look at two things in our discussion together this week. Firstly, we want to look at Jesus' example in the Gospels of discipleship and the importance of individual investment. Secondly, we want to analyze ourselves and prayerfully consider whether the Lord is calling us to disciple or be discipled by someone. Jesus spent time with the disciples apart from His more extensive, corporate teachings to be with them. At its core, discipleship is inviting someone alongside you to do ordinary things.
A pastor from our sending church once told me the story of a friend who was discipling him early on in his walk with Jesus. One Saturday afternoon in the summer, the gentleman discipling him called. "Hey! Do you want to come dig a hole in my front yard with me?" Remarkably, he said yes, and they spent the afternoon sweating and heaving over a hole for a post, talking about faith and life's difficulties. The point of the story is this: discipling isn't doing something crazy or spending excessive amounts of your free time studying theology with someone younger in their faith than you. Discipleship is more about the relationship and the shared experiences than the specific activities. It's about bringing someone alongside you in your daily life and routines, sharing your joys and struggles, and leading by example.
Key Terms and Doctrine
A New Nation
We read in this passage that Jesus chose twelve disciples to learn from Him, teach His gospel, and have authority over demons. But why did He choose twelve? In our discussions around the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another, we see the same here in the number of individuals chosen. In the Old Testament, Jacob/Israel's twelve sons formed tribes from their families and ancestors. These tribes carried the lineage and name of the Israelites, each taking their own portion of the original land. By the time they left enslavement in Egypt, they numbered 600,000 men, with many more women and children not accounted for, leading us to believe a total population of around 2.4 million (Numbers 1:17-47). From this point until Jesus' arrival, atonement, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins were only accessible to the twelve tribes in the nation of Israel. With Jesus' arrival and subsequent upheaval of Jewish law, covenant, and structures, we see Him appoint the twelve because a new nation is being born. The twelve were to continue Jesus' work after He returned to the Father. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, this new nation would welcome all who believe, not only those included by ancestry.¹ Acts 10 and Ephesians 3 display this in black and white for us, as we read that "in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:35) and "The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Eph. 3:6). This new nation of the Lord includes all who will believe, including you and I.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Do you have any questions about this passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Why do you think Jesus continued to tell the unclean spirits "not to make him known"?
What do v14-15 say about the purpose of Jesus appointing the twelve?
Read Matthew 28:16-20. Why do you think it was important for Jesus to focus on twelve individuals rather than teaching a crowd?
How would you define discipleship?
Has anyone ever discipled you? What did it look like?
Have you ever considered discipling or being discipled by someone?
1. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament Vol. 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook COmmunications Ministries, 1989), 119-120.