introduction—recap—in the gospel of mark we have seen Jesus healing the multitudes, he is casting out demons, he is performing miracles and mighty works, and therefore his popularity has grown immensely.  this was the healer, the man who does away with the demons, he is the one who the fishermen follow, who the tax collectors follow—he is the one who heals and performs miracles even on the sabbath.  this is the one who spends his time with sinners.  Jesus’ popularity is growing and here in chapter three, a transitional piece which shows Jesus traveling and moving about the land with the crowd following.

tonight we will see a summary of the activity of Jesus in galilee, and also a call narrative.  let’s stand and read mark 3:7-19—Pray

v.7—Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from galilee followed.

Jesus withdraws to the sea of galilee from capernaum, and crowds stream to him.

v.8—when they heard all He was doing, many people came to Him from judea, jerusalem, idumea, and the regions across the jordan and around tyre and sidon.

the crowds stream to Him from a widening circle reaching beyond the confines of palestine.  this passage highlights Jesus’ popularity and it foreshadows his ministry beyond palestine.  i mean, just look at from where the people have come from to see Jesus.  it says from idumea to sidon.  that’s quite a distance. some have traveled well over sixty miles—and typically, this traveling was done by foot!  people were drawn to Jesus because of something real and tremendous.  journey the church—and i know that we aren’t Jesus, but we are the body of Christ—and it is an awesome experience to see the Holy Spirit bringing people along to share in this journey of faith.

v.9—because of the crowd He told his disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, to keep the people from crowding Him.

i think this is a funny part of scripture, both matthew and luke omit the part about having the small boat ready—they sort of take away the perhaps rashness of the markan narrative—it would be like saying if i were Jesus speaking here today that i need jeff to start my pimped out 1997 forest green honda accord dx edition so i can jet out of here before the crowds crush me.  the niv translation is rather soft in it’s translation here—it says that the small boat is made ready to keep the people from crowding him.  the nlt is in agreement with numerous other translations as it says: Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.

the greek word is θλίβω—and it refers to the smashing of grapes, in order to make wine.  they were afraid that the crowds were so big that Jesus would be smashed like a grape to make wine.  and so Jesus instructs the disciples to prepare a boat so that the crowds wont crush him.  but the crowd keeps on pressing, trying to get as close as they can to Jesus—to His healing and powerful touch.  they trust and they believe that he can heal, that he can do mighty works.  and i know that in my life—i need to be as close as i can to Jesus and His healing and powerful touch.

vv.10-12—for He had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him. 11 whenever the evil 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 who He was.

it’s interesting that in our passage tonight, the only persons speaking in dialogue (that is—with quotes around their words) are the demons.  but the evil spirits know exactly who Jesus is, and their words are the truest affirmation of Jesus we find in the gospel—You are the Son of God.  this recurring theme in the gospel of mark shows that the outsiders understand, and those who are marginalized are the ones who truly know who Jesus is—the outsiders become insiders and the insiders become outsiders.

and here we also see the recurring theme of the Messianic secret—that is when Jesus gives strict instructions not to tell who he is—there are two basic explanations for the “Messianic secret”—historical and literary explanations.  the historical explanation of the Messianic secret (of Jesus giving strict instructions for the demons and the healed to be silent) is that Jesus concealed his identity here to avoid arrest or to quiet the idea that he would bring militaristic views of violent rebellion.

the literary explanation of the Messianic secret is theological in its nature: the true Messianic identity can only be known as crucified messiah.  you cannot understand the Messiah without understanding the crucified Messiah—only when we know the end of the story can we begin to understand—this is absolutely foundational and critical to the gospel of mark—the Messiah is a crucified Messiah (and seemingly a Messiah who has failed—and yet the tomb is empty, and as Jesus was not confined in the tomb—neither can the promise of life everlasting be confined).  but here with the Messianic secret, the people are told to be silent for both historical and literary reasons as we have mentioned.

now the markan narrative shifts from a transitional summary of the activity of Jesus in galilee to a call narrative.  in the old testament there are three significant call narratives.  and though there are a number of call narratives, some of the most significant are those of: moses (exodus 3), isaiah (isaiah 6), and jeremiah (jeremiah 1).  i invite you to study these call narratives, to see the common threads or differences throughout each.

martin luther king jr.—plowing in a field, he was wrestling with things, and a cloud formed the letter “p”—felt he was called to be a preacher—his wife looked to him and said why don’t you think it means plow?  maybe some things are clear to you but not to others.  what is clear is as it says in v.13 that…

v.13—Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those he wanted, and they came to Him.

as in the old testament, the mountain symbolizes a place of divine disclosure.  flip back to exodus 19:3-6—this markan passage evokes mount sinai where moses received the covenant that was to guide and constitute the people of israel.

vv.14-15 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus selects the twelve disciples as a symbolic representation of the twelve tribes of israel. these twelve are to be with Jesus and also, they are given the authority to preach and to drive out demons.

the chronology of mark shows an important step—the disciples have already been called in methods very different from the formal action of the day—we see people called out of fishing boats and out tax booths—and although there are large crowds of people following Jesus, this passage, marks (no pun intended) the beginning of the emphasis on the intensive training of a small group of disciples.

verse 14 says that Jesus appointed the twelve—the word for appointed literally means he made.  what is God making out of us?  and are we dedicated enough to begin intensive training to become disciples of Jesus.

vv.16-19—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.

these disciples were not drawn from the educated or upper classes—but there are plain old people.  this list of the twelve includes simon the zealot—a radical believer opposed to foreign rule in palestine, as well as judas iscariot who will later betray Jesus.  the list includes a doubter named thomas, and a denier named peter.

at first glance this list of disciples is less than impressive.  but reading the rest of the new testament, especially the book of acts, it is amazing to see what God can do with people who don’t have it all together.

-j.a.kays