Mark 3

What is the background?

Since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and His baptism, tensions rising between Jesus and the culture of the day, particularly with the religious authority at this point.  We have seen particular miracles He has done with eyewitnesses to affirm Jesus possesses a certain authority, but perhaps not fully revealed in its completeness.   Moving on from who Jesus is, chapter two focuses on the conflict Jesus’ ministry and followers are facing from everyone around them.

The episode with the man with a withered hand answers the question with the finality of where Jesus ministry is going to lead, in opposition to Jewish traditions and culture, yet not at the expense breaking Scripture.  The culture has distorted the purpose of Scripture to become a system of control for religious leaders who abuses God’s people. Jesus heals the man’s hand on the Sabbath day and from this point on His enemies are set, plotting to destroy Him and His ministry (v6).

His follower’s exponential multiply, an obvious response to His miraculous power, yet it is a mixture of belief in the hearts of people.  Jesus does not foster a false or superficial belief in Himself though such a following could produce the kind of prestige ordinary men crave.  He orders the devils to keep silent and those that have been healed to not publish His power (v8).

Jesus especially chooses twelve as a part of His strategy which hasn’t yet been fully revealed, but it is obvious that Jesus’ movements are calculated and planned.  As opposition swells, lines are drawn for people to decide who Jesus is.  Is He crazy as some of His friends accuse?  Is He out of line and needs His mother and family to draw bring Him back into line?  Decisions are being made as tensions are forcing the crowd of followers to make their verdict.  The faithful however will see Him as God’s chosen and place Him in priority for the sake of God’s kingdom, even before family (v35).

Theological Observations

God will allow His enemies room to work. I think we would do well to think on this a bit more as students of God. In the context of a war, what kind of general would allow his opponent to make unimpeded maneuvers and plan attacks?  We might argue, humanly, that a very unwise general might do so.  But the wisdom of God is such that He will gain the victory no matter how His enemies move pieces across the chess board.

So far in Mark we have seen a pattern where Jesus’ miracles are met with opposition, challenging His authority to oppose the traditions of the elders and ruling class.  Rather than calling down fire from heaven, such as the disciples would do, Jesus simply allows the opposition the freedom to work against Him.  In chapter three, Jesus heals on the sabbath, His enemies devise a plan to kill Him, yet He simply withdraws Himself, v7.

God’s plan to rescue involves the personal discipleship of individuals. The ordaining of the twelve reveals the strategy and model for which Gospel work was to proceed.  Jesus is clearly pushing away superficial popularity.  He has healed many and is taking measures to keep His distance making evident the existence of a larger purpose and strategy.  What kind of strategy would entail keeping one’s distance from those who would follow albeit superficially?

This kind of training is highly personal. Sleeping, eating, living in close intimacy with their Master, they were inspired by His private life as well as His public ministry, v12. The relationship and fellowship around the Kingdom of God He shared with them would surpass the importance of family ties, v35.   The purpose of their selection was to be sent out to preach the Kingdom and go with the authority over sickness and demons as an extension of the Master’s ministry.

How Does The Passage Point to the Gospel?

God allows His enemies to work as the means of Salvation through Christ. Such is the wisdom of God that by the work of sinners, Christ was crucified bringing atonement to the repentent and utter defeat of Satan’s counsel.  The chess match which began in the garden was decisively over at the cross.  The heal that was bruised finally crushed the serpents head.

Bringing about salvation to all in spite the attempts of Satan and other opponents produces in believers the confidence in God that He is able to work all things to the good of those that love Him.   Knowing that nothing, not even the enemy, can seperate us from the love of God.  Where death might seem so final, yet even death is the last enemy that will utter be destroyed, by the means of death of Christ.  God just doesn’t win, He wins with a great deal of irony, that the devices used against Him is the weapons He used to wrought such a victory in Christ.

Jesus’ model of discipleship is the best strategy to evangelize the world.  Perhaps there has never been a time in church history where believers universally understood the model Christ gave for evangelistic strategy.  For the church through the ages has always seem to faulter in fulfilling the great commision, getting the Gospel the nations.  Even today where there are supposedly two billion individuals who claim the name of Christ, would it be so difficult to evangelize the other five billion? All a Christian would have to do is tell three other people about Jesus in his or her life-time and the commission would be fulfilled.  Yet today we have billions who yet to hear the Gospel even once.

What then is our strategy?  Build more buildings? Build more bible colleges?  Have more tent meetings?  More mass services? Have you ever read in the scriptures where Jesus selected twelve out of the masses “that they should be with him”, v14?  If our omniscient Lord chose only twelve to impart His life more personally, then how much more should we make personal discipleship a priority a matter in our life.  As we ourselves are sent out to preach, let us to continue the strategy Christ begin by imparting the savor of Christ personally into the lives of the next generation.

Application

I will be better informed when I pray, knowing the trials brought about opposing forces is yet in the Lord’s hand and often He chooses the opposition to be the means by which the gospel is preached.

In my preaching ministry, I will not neglect the calling of others to ministry.  I will continue the pattern of which Christ used to instill His life personally into others.  Also I know discipleship is not the imparting of myself and my opinion, but rather the life of Christ.