Mark’s Gospel

A Family of Faith

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31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:31-35 ESV

An examination of the gospel accounts in Matthew and Luke reveals that Mark took some liberties with the timeline of this event. Both of the other two gospel writers indicate that Jesus had other things to say after His response to the accusation that He was demon-possessed. According to Matthew, Jesus had some very direct and condemning words for the scribes who had been so quick to dismiss His miracles as the work of Satan. Jesus used the metaphor of a tree. If a tree is good, it will produce good fruit. If it is bad, it will produce bad fruit. So, you can know the state of the tree by examining its fruit. Then, Jesus drove home His point.

“You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” – Matthew 12:34-37 NLT

 Matthew adds that these very same scribes, accompanied by some Pharisees, would later approach Jesus and demand, “Show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority” (Matthew 12:38 NLT). These are the same men who accused Jesus of being demon-possessed. They had flatly stated, “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons” (Mark 3:22 ESV). Now, they demand that He perform a sign to validate His authority. But Jesus called them out, exposing the true nature of their hearts.

“Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign…” – Matthew 12:39 NLT

Nothing Jesus could do would convince these men of His God-given authority. He even alludes to His pending death and resurrection by recounting the familiar story of Jonah.

“…as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” – Matthew 12:40 NLT

Even His death, burial, and resurrection would not convince these men. They would never accept His claim to be the Son of God.

“…you refuse to repent.” – Matthew 12:41 NLT

“…you refuse to listen.” – Matthew 12:42 NLT

And Matthew records that Jesus wrapped up His condemnation of the religious leaders by comparing them to someone who had been freed of a demon. With the coming of Jesus, they had been exposed to the truth and offered freedom from their captivity to sin and death. But even after hearing the truth, they refused to accept it. So, Jesus indicates that their rejection of Him will have dire consequences. Their “demon” will return, bringing his companions with him, and leaving them in a worse state than before.

“…the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” – Matthew 12:45 NLT

In his gospel account, Luke includes a series of parables that Jesus told the crowds. One was the parable of the soils, in which He explained, “The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity” (Luke 8:14 NLT). And Luke adds another insightful message from Jesus.

“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” – Luke 8:18 NLT

So, what does all this have to do with today’s passage? Everything, because it provides context. The way Mark describes the arrival of Jesus’ family could leave the impression that they just showed up right after His confrontation with the scribes. But as we have seen, Jesus had delivered a few other salient messages before their arrival. What He had to say is crucial to understanding His response to the news that His mother and brothers wanted to see Him.

John reveals that Jesus’ own family members struggled to accept that He was the Son of God. John flatly states, “…not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:5 ESV). According to Mark, their disbelief led them to conclude that Jesus had lost His mind (Mark 3:21).

None of the gospel writers tell us why Mary and her other sons showed up. According to Matthew, Jesus was given the message: “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you” (Matthew 12:47 NLT). Mark indicates that they stood outside the place where Jesus was teaching and “called him.”

Had Jesus’ brothers convinced Mary that her oldest son was crazy? Had they come to take Jesus away? Even though Mary had been given divine insight into her Son’s identity and mission, she likely struggled with His strange behavior. His actions would not have validated the message the angel Gabriel had given her more than 30 years earlier.

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – Luke 1:31-33 NLT

Since leaving their home in Nazareth, Jesus had traveled throughout Judea and Galilee, preaching, teaching, and performing miracles. Mary had kept up with His whereabouts and heard the rumors about Him healing and casting out demons. But she had also heard about the episode in Jerusalem when He had thrown out the money changers and overturned the merchants’ tables in the temple. She knew the religious leaders had made Him a target. And it is likely that she had heard all the rumors about her Son, including that He was demon-possessed. So she showed up with her other sons to talk to Jesus. As a loving and concerned mother, she wanted to see how He was doing. But when He heard that His mother and brothers were outside, Jesus responded, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” (Mark 3:33 ESV).

At first blush, this statement seems surprisingly harsh and uncaring, but we must consider the context. Jesus had been speaking about hearing and believing, and emphasized the tendency for some to reject His ministry and message. Luke records that Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah.

“When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.” – Luke 8:10 NLT

John reports that Jesus “came to his own people, and even they rejected him” (John 1:11 NLT).

Jesus had been teaching, preaching, and healing. He called the people of Israel to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4;17 ESV). Yet some still refused to believe, including His own brothers. So when Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He pointed to a relationship far more critical than mother to son or brother to brother. Being born into the same family as Jesus had not helped His brothers believe. Having a sibling relationship with Jesus was not enough to secure a faith relationship with Him. Even Mary and her sons had to believe who Jesus claimed to be.

This brings to mind a statement John the Baptist made to the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to the Judean wilderness to watch him baptize. When John saw them, he called them a “brood of snakes” (Matthew 3:7 NLT). Then he exposed the fallacy behind their assumption that, because they were blood descendants of Abraham, they were guaranteed a right relationship with God.

“Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” – Matthew 3:9-10 NLT

Notice his emphasis on the bad tree that produces bad fruit. He tells these men that being a blood-born relative of Abraham does not guarantee acceptance by God. John demanded that they repent and turn to God.

That was the very same message Jesus preached, and it applied to all, including His own family. They too would have to hear, receive, and believe. And Jesus turned and motioned to His disciples, saying, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:34-35 NLT).

According to John’s gospel, Jesus gave the only “work,” or requirement, God has placed on mankind.

“This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” – John 6:29 NLT

Everyone, regardless of their social status, religious affiliation, economic standing, or educational achievements, was required to believe in Him as the one sent from God. Being born a half-brother of Jesus did not provide you with immunity or absolve you from having to believe in His identity as the Son of God. The disciples were struggling, but continued to express their belief in Jesus. Mary and her sons were likely wrestling with the disconnect between Jesus’ behavior and their expectations. He wasn’t acting like a king and, if He was the long-awaited Messiah, His behavior wasn’t what they expected. The religious leaders flatly denied that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

But Jesus made it clear. To have a relationship with Him, everyone had to believe that He was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. As Jesus told Martha at the graveside of her brother Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Danger of Denial

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23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” – Mark 3:13-30 ESV

“He’s an amazing miracle worker.”

“He’s crazy!”

“He’s demon-possessed.”

The opinions about Jesus were all over the proverbial map. Some people loved Him, while others, like the Pharisees, harbored intense, growing hatred for Him. But despite the diversity of opinions, everyone agreed that this man from Nazareth was impossible to ignore. They couldn’t explain Him, but they couldn’t dismiss Him either.

Mark indicates that a group of scribes had traveled all the way from Jerusalem to Galilee just to investigate this rural Rabbi who was causing such a stir. These men were likely sent by the high priest and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, with the responsibility of finding legal evidence to use against Jesus. As experts in the Mosaic Law, as well as the oral and traditional regulations of the Jews, these men would have been well-qualified for their task.

Yet, their initial assessment of Jesus was far from legal in nature; they simply dismissed Him as demon-possessed.

“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” – Mark 3:22 ESV

Their use of the term Beelzebul was intended to demean Jesus’ ministry and reputation. This Greek epithet was a term of scorn adopted by the Jewish religious leaders to refer to Satan. It derived from the name of the Philistine god Baal-zebub, “the lord of the flies” (2 Kings 1:2). The Jews, sworn enemies of the Philistines, sarcastically changed the name to “Beelzeboul,” meaning “lord of dung.” The Pharisees eventually borrowed the term and applied it to Satan, “the prince of demons.” So, when the scribes declared Jesus to be possessed by Beelzebul, they were writing Him off as a pawn of Satan.

They couldn’t deny that Jesus did supernatural wonders and signs; it was obvious He had powers and abilities not of this world. But rather than admit that Jesus was the Son of God, they accused Him of being in league with Satan. By declaring that Jesus was “possessed by Beelzebul,” they were linking Jesus to the demonic realm. This accusation would have been well understood by all those who heard it, and it would have shocked and surprised them.

Matthew and Luke provide additional context for this scene. The scribes’ pronouncement didn’t come out of the blue; it was based on their assessment of a miracle Jesus had just performed.

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” – Matthew 12:22-23 ESV

The people were so impressed by what Jesus had done that they questioned whether He might be the Messiah, the long-awaited descendant of David, and the heir to his throne. But Matthew records the religious leaders’ quick, calculated rebuttal.

“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” – Matthew 12:24 ESV

They hoped to dispel any thought that this man, Jesus, had been sent by God. By linking His activities to Satan, they hoped to tarnish His reputation and turn the people against Him.

So, rather than wasting time gathering forensic evidence proving that Jesus had violated their written and oral laws, the scribes simply accused Him of being under the influence of Satan. In doing so, they put their argument against Jesus in terms the common people could understand. The scribes and Pharisees had little respect for the average Jew because they viewed them as being ignorant of the law. John records a blunt assessment these same religious leaders made of their own people.

“…this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!” – John 7:49 NLT

But if there was one thing these uneducated and superstitious people could understand, it was the difference between good and evil. By associating Jesus with Satan, the scribes explained His power and, at the same time, maligned His character. Yet rather than responding in anger, Jesus answered their accusation with a parable. He offered a well-reasoned response that quickly exposed its absurdity and their lack of judgment.

“How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.”  – Mark 3:23-26 NLT

With simple reasoning, Jesus dismantled the foundation of their argument, and He did so in terms the people could understand. You can almost see them looking at one another as Jesus spoke, nodding their heads in approval. What He said made sense. But Jesus was not done; He kept pointing out the flawed logic behind their accusation.

“Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.” – Mark 3:27 NLT

It would be counter-productive for Satan to cast out one of his own demons. And how could anyone cast out a demon unless he had power greater than the demon?

Whether the religious leaders realized it or not, Jesus was taking them to school. He was teaching them a lesson about divine power and authority. Jesus subtly shifted the emphasis from casting out demons to plundering the home of “a strong man.” Jesus focused on the religious leaders and the power they held over the nation of Israel. This helps to explain what happened when Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and saw how the priests of God had transformed His Father’s house into a carnival-like atmosphere.

He found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” – John 2:14-16 NLT

Jesus came to do the will of His Father, and He operated under the power of the Holy Spirit. He had God-given authority and Spirit-enabled power to do what He did. But when these pride-filled men accused Jesus of operating under the influence and power of Satan, they had crossed the line, and He clearly warned them that they were walking on thin ice.

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” – Mark 3:28-29 NLT

Their flippant, poorly reasoned accusation against Him was a dangerous mistake. Whether they realized it or not, He was the Son of God, and they had just accused Him of fraternizing with the enemy. They had also attributed the work of the Spirit of God to Satan. In doing so, they rejected the will of God. In essence, they offended all three members of the Holy Trinity, and Jesus calls it exactly what it is: blasphemy.

While blasphemy was normally a forgivable sin, in this case, Jesus described a condition in which men willingly and repeatedly reject the will of God, the claims of His Son, and the power of His Spirit. These men had been given ample evidence of who Jesus was. In a sense, the entire Godhead testified that Jesus was who He claimed to be: the Son of God. But these men refused to believe, and their stubborn rejection of the divine testimony was the unpardonable sin.

Blasphemy is nothing more than speaking of God in terms that are disrespectful and derogatory. It is dismissing the word of God and rejecting the will of God. In denying Jesus as the Son of God, the religious leaders were snubbing their noses at God Almighty and rejecting the truth of His Word. By attributing the power of the Spirit of God to Satan, they were robbing God of glory.

Blasphemy is a sin, and all sin is forgivable by God. But one who repeatedly rejects God’s testimony about His Son risks committing the unpardonable and unforgivable sin. The apostle John put it in rather stark but understandable terms.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
 – John 3:18 NLT

The religious leaders stood condemned because they refused to believe God’s testimony about His Son. At Jesus’ baptism, God had declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17 ESV). But the Pharisees and scribes refused to believe God’s word. Not only that, they dismissed the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power displayed through the Son’s life, falsely attributing it to the enemy.

By accusing Jesus of being possessed, they were able to dismiss His miraculous power as demonic. They were trying to portray Jesus as a man who was under Satanic control. When He was in His right mind, Jesus was nothing more than a simple Rabbi and moral teacher. But when the demon took over, Jesus had the power to perform miracles. But their assessment was meant to deny Jesus’ deity and identity. They denied Him to be the Son of God.

Today, there are those who deny that Jesus ever existed at all. Over the centuries, His virgin birth, sinless life, death, resurrection, and atoning work have all been rejected by men. In doing so, they have committed blasphemy. And all those who persist in rejecting the Son of God as the Savior sent by God will be “guilty of an eternal sin.” Their refusal to “believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31 ESV) will result in condemnation rather than salvation. But as Jesus told a crowd one day, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29 NLT). You can deny or accept Him, but your choice will have eternal consequences.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Called, Confused, and a Little Bit Crazy

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13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” 

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”  – Mark 3:13-22 ESV

Jesus had a lot of followers; you might even call them fans. Mark stresses that they came from “Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon” (Mark 3:7-8 ESV). In other words, they came from all over, and they followed Jesus wherever He went; to the point where Jesus had to institute His own form of crowd control.

…he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him. – Mark 3:9 ESV

But it would be wrong to assume that all these people were His dedicated followers. The crowds would have contained a mix of the curious and the semi-committed. Some were always searching for healing. Others were likely bored and seeking entertainment. And there is little doubt that some were legitimately intrigued by this Rabbi from Nazareth.

But Mark indicates that a time came when Jesus decided to narrow the field of His followers. Mark doesn’t explain how Jesus carried out this winnowing process; he simply says that Jesus “called for those he wanted, and they came to him” (Mark 3:13 NET). Did He walk through the crowd pointing out those He wanted to accompany Him? Did He call them by name? We don’t know. Did He call 50, 100, or more? The text doesn’t tell us. All we know is that Jesus consciously chose some and not others. We have no idea what criteria He used to make His selection. But we do know that from among all those He called, He set apart 12, and Mark provides us with their names.

Luke provides another important detail to the selection process. It seems that the entire process took place after a night-long prayer vigil.

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles… – Luke 6:12-13 ESV

Before Jesus prefaced His recruiting effort by seeking His Father’s will. This essential detail sheds light on another prayer Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father more than three years later.

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” – John 17:6 NLT

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory.” – John 17:9-10 NLT

Jesus sought to know His Father’s will and, in response, He was given the identities of those He would choose, including the 12. Mark provides us with their names.

Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. – Mark 3:16-19 ESV

Mark states that Jesus “appointed” (poieō) these men. The Greek word means “to make a thing out of something.” Jesus took these 12 men and ordained or set them apart for a special assignment.

…that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. – Mark 3:14-15 ESV

Jesus handpicked these ordinary men and gave them an incredible opportunity to serve as His apostellōs, or “sent ones.” They had been divinely chosen by God, called by Jesus, and set apart for a special two-part assignment. First, they were called to “be with him.” Jesus was inviting them to experience a personal and intimate relationship with Him. For the next three years, they would have the unique opportunity to spend all their time with Jesus, and this intensive, full-time exposure to the Son of God would prove life-transformative.

But as the term “apostle” implies, their relationship with Jesus would be about more than companionship. They would be expected to preach and be given the authority and power to cast out demons. These blue-collar nobodies from the backwoods of Galilee would become the hand-picked spokesmen for the Son of God. And to validate the message Jesus would give them, they would be equipped with divine power to perform miracles. But this would not be a permanent or full-time capability. Luke tells us that Jesus would dictate the time and place for their God-ordained powers to be revealed.

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. – Luke 9:12 ESV

Matthew adds another level of detail, outlining the instructions Jesus gave the 12 before sending them out on their own.

“Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

“Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.” – Matthew 10:5-10 NLT

The thought of possessing the power to heal or to cast out demons would have been heady stuff to these men. But Jesus wanted them to know their work would be more than performing miracles. Their ministry would be restricted to their own people, the Jews. They were required to use the supernatural powers placed at their disposal to validate the message that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, and their efforts were to be marked by humility and complete dependency upon God. They were to go empty-handed and wholly reliant upon God’s provision.

Over the next three years, these 12 men would learn some invaluable lessons. They would be tested and find themselves confused and conflicted by their relationship with Jesus. They would experience moments of awe and wonder as they took in all that Jesus said and did. But just as often, they would shake their heads in disbelief as they tried to comprehend Jesus’ puzzling parables and perplexing behavior.

Despite their close relationship with Jesus, even the 12 disciples found Him an enigma at times. Mark indicates that this confusion over Jesus was commonplace. Even Jesus’ family found His behavior difficult to defend and dismissed it as nothing less than insanity.

When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. – Mark 3:21 NLT

We know that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Technically, they were his half-brothers and half-sisters because Joseph was not Jesus’ father. But these siblings were confused by their brother’s actions. So much so that they assumed He was crazy. Keep in mind, they had witnessed an extreme change in Jesus’ behavior. At some point, He walked away from their home in Nazareth and made His way to the Judean wilderness, where John baptized Him. Then He disappeared for more than 40 days and nights, only to reappear, preaching repentance and declaring that the kingdom of heaven was near. This was not the Jesus they had grown up with. His sudden and strange change in behavior left them perplexed and concerned that He might be mentally unstable.

In his gospel account, Luke records that when Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds tending their flocks outside Bethlehem and announced, ““I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NLT). When the shepherds visited Mary, Joseph, and their newborn child, they shared what the angel had said and “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often” (Luke 2:18-19 NLT). It may be that Mary never shared Jesus’ identity with His siblings. For nearly three decades they had lived and worked alongside their older brother, never knowing the truth about who He was. So when, at 30, He began to display uncharacteristic behavior, they grew concerned. Mark adds that others also found Jesus’ actions less than normal.

But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.” – Mark 3:22 NLT

His family thought He was crazy. The religious leaders thought He was demon-possessed. Everyone else wrestled with their own opinions about who He was and how to explain the amazing things He said and did. And the 12 men He had just chosen found themselves at the center of all the controversy, wrestling with their own expectations and apprehensions about His identity and the nature of their relationship to Him. There’s little doubt that they had moments when they questioned their own sanity. Had they lost their minds? Were they crazy for following this strange Rabbi from Nazareth? Having left everything else behind, had they sacrificed it all just to become part of the lunatic fringe? Time would tell.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Love of God

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1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 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. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. – Mark 3:1-12 ESV

After dropping the bombshell statement, “the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28 ESV), Jesus simply walked away. Mark provides no details regarding the response of either the crowd or the religious leaders, but it’s safe to assume that it was a strange mix of awe, confusion, and anger. The people were fascinated with and strangely drawn to Jesus. But the religious leaders grew increasingly concerned about His growing popularity and blatant disregard for their oral laws.

Mark faithfully records Jesus’ remarks about the Sabbath and His relationship to it, then skips to yet another Sabbath encounter. Luke makes it clear that this event took place sometime later, but on a Sabbath.

On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. – Luke 6:6 ESV

Mark subtly reminds us that this was not the first time Jesus had attended the local synagogue in Capernaum.

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. – Mark 3:1 ESV

In chapter one, Mark described Jesus’ first visit to the Capernaum synagogue and the scene that took place.

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.…And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. – Mark 1:21, 23 ESV

On that occasion, Jesus created quite a stir by casting out the demon and restoring the man to health and wholeness. The people, who had marveled at the authoritative nature of Jesus’ teaching, had been treated to an even more spectacular display of His power.

Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” – Mark 1:27 NLT

Now, on yet another Sabbath, Jesus encountered a man with a withered hand. Was this just a coincidence? Had the man heard what happened the last time Jesus was in town and decided to seek healing? Or was this man a plant, purposefully placed in the synagogue by the religious leaders? This last option is not far-fetched because Mark indicates that these men “watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (Mark 3:2 ESV). So they could have encouraged the man with the withered hand to seek out Jesus on the Sabbath just so they could accuse Him of breaking the law.

To them, Jesus was already guilty because He had cast out a demon, healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and allowed His disciples to “harvest” grain, all on the Sabbath. Now, they were looking for additional evidence to convict Him as a serial violator of their Sabbath laws.

Jesus seemed to know that this man was being used and was nothing more than an innocent victim and an unwitting pawn in the evil schemes of the religious leaders. So, Jesus invited the man forward, then addressed His adversaries with an unexpected question.

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” – Mark 3:4 ESV

Jesus deliberately juxtaposed the law’s legal requirements with the moral obligations meant to accompany all of God’s commands. The Mosaic law was never meant to be a sterile list of dos and don’ts. God’s commandments were meant to guide His people toward behavior that reflected their love for Him and for one another. Later, some scribes asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” (Mark 12:28 ESV), and He responded, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31 ESV).

So when Jesus asked the religious leaders whether Sabbath laws were meant to produce good deeds or bad ones, they knew the right answer but refused to speak up, and their silence condemned them. They had no compassion for the man with the withered hand; he was just a means to an evil end. Their hearts were wicked, and their intentions were anything but good. They greatly desired to see Jesus heal the man, but not so they could rejoice in his miraculous transformation; they were hoping to use his healing as evidence against Jesus.

And Mark reveals that Jesus was fully aware of their evil intentions and angered and grieved by their actions.

He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. – Mark 3:5 NLT

But rather than lecture them about their faulty understanding of the law, Jesus simply turned to the man and said, “Stretch out your hand” (Mark 3:5 ESV). And as soon as the man did, his withered hand was miraculously and immediately restored.

When Jesus asked the religious leaders, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm?” He was asking whether doing something loving and beneficial for another human being could ever violate God’s commands. By healing the man’s withered hand, Jesus expressed love for His neighbor. In doing so, He showed love for someone made in the image of God. It would have been an act of hatred for Jesus to be able to heal the man’s condition and refuse to do so. The apostle John also shows why this kind of loathing of another human being is so dangerous.

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. – 1 John 2:9-11 ESV

And John provides further insight into the danger inherent in our failure to love others.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. – 1 John 4:20-21 ESV

The religious leaders would have vehemently defended their love for God. Yet, John infers that their lack of love for the man with the withered hand was proof of their hatred for God. They failed to love those that God loved, including the helpless, hopeless, defenseless, diseased, and disenfranchised. By healing the man, Jesus expressed His love for God by loving a child of God.

Just a few verses earlier in his letter, John wrote: “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12 ESV). John is saying that when we love others, we demonstrate God’s love; we become conduits of that love. The Greek word that is translated as “perfected” is teleioō, and it means “to accomplish” or “to carry through.” God’s love flows to us and through us to those around us. And, in the end, He receives glory.

But we get a glimpse into the darkened hearts of the religious leaders when Mark records that they “went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him” (Mark 2:6 ESV). Rather than rejoice over the clear display of God’s power as demonstrated in the miraculous restoration of the man’s hand, they stormed from the room and began plotting Jesus’ death.

But while His adversaries planned and schemed, Jesus continued to express God’s love by ministering selflessly and sacrificially to the growing number of people who flocked to His side.

Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. – Mark 3:7-8 NLT

News about Jesus spread far and wide, and people came from all over Palestine to see this miracle worker for themselves. Many who had made the arduous journey to see Jesus suffered from various diseases, disabilities, and even demon-possession. And Mark indicates that Jesus “healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him” (Mark 2:10 ESV). Jesus was literally mobbed by the masses of people, forcing Him to have a boat ready to aid His escape should the situation grow too intense.

Every time Jesus healed someone, He was manifesting His Heavenly Father’s love for them. He was living out John 3:16: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” But the greatest demonstration of God’s love was yet to come. And as He would later tell His disciples, the ultimate expression of that love would take the form of His own self-sacrifice.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13 ESV

We have all used the expression, “I love you to death!” But for most of us, it is just hyperbole, an exaggerated form of speech intended to drive home a point. Yet for Jesus, those words were more than rhetoric. He would actually love the world to death. Rather than offering healing from a physical disability, Jesus would offer His life as an expression of love so the spiritually sick might have life.

And it should not go unnoticed that every time Jesus cast out a demon, these otherworldly beings testified to His identity, saying, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 2:11 ESV). These demonic beings recognized His divine nature, power, and authority and were subject to it, but were incapable of experiencing His love. They could confirm His identity as the Son of God and the future Savior of the world, but rejected His loving offer of undeserved atonement. They feared Jesus but showed Him no reverence, and acknowledged Him as Messiah but not as their Master.

Jesus would later accuse the Jewish religious leaders of being in the same camp with the demons, and operating under the influence of Satan. Despite their religious rhetoric, priestly robes, and love for the law, they were blind to the truth about Jesus.

“If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!” – John 8:42-45 NLT

But whether the man with the withered hand had been an unwitting pawn of the religious leaders, He was made whole because of the selfless love of the Son of God.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Lord of Rest

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23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:23-28 ESV

John’s disciples came to Jesus asking why He and His disciples didn’t follow their lead and keep the fast days appointed by the Pharisees. Their question has a certain sense of superiority about it because the brand of Judaism under which they were raised placed a heavy emphasis on religious performance. In a sense, the practice of one’s faith had become competitive rather than contemplative. It had become more about outward appearances than the inner disposition of the heart.

That is why Jesus dedicated much of His Sermon on the Mount to addressing the hypocrisy of a performance-based religion.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity!” – Matthew 6:1-2 NLT

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.” – Matthew 6:5 NLT

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.” – Matthew 6:16 NLT

Jesus had come to provide freedom from this dead-end existence of religious ritualism and rule-keeping. Not long after delivering His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issued what has become known as His Great Invitation: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

Jesus offered rest to those worn out by the constant pressure to measure up and keep up with all the rules, regulations, rituals, and rites of their religion. It was a non-stop and never-ending treadmill of existence based on effort and earning. But Jesus had come to offer something far better: rest for their souls (Matthew 11:29).

Which brings us to today’s passage. The scene is a wheat field somewhere in Galilee.  Mark describes Jesus and His disciples taking a shortcut through the field, and as they did, the disciples casually plucked off the heads of grain and ate them as a snack. They were not doing anything illegal because the Mosaic Law allowed such behavior.

“When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not carry any away in a basket. And when you enter your neighbor’s field of grain, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you must not harvest it with a sickle.” – Deuteronomy 23:24-25 NLT

But as Mark reveals, the problem wasn’t what they were doing; it was when they were doing it. It was the Sabbath, and many rules were tied to that day of the week. God had originally established the Sabbath as a day of rest and had included its observance as part of the Ten Commandments.

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work.” – Exodus 20:8-10 NLT

God provided the people of Israel with the rationale for setting apart this one day above all the other days of the week.

“For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” – Exodus 20:11 NLT

It was a day of commemoration, when the people were to set aside their normal daily activities so they could recall what God had done on their behalf. He was the Creator-God, who made the universe and all that it contained, including them. Observing the Sabbath was intended to remind them of their complete dependence upon God. Their human effort was of no real value. Their very existence depended on God, and by resting on the seventh day, they placed all their hope in Him; He would meet their needs. God had illustrated this principle to the people of Israel long before He set apart the seventh day as holy.

As the Israelites made their way from Egypt to the land of Canaan, God graciously provided them with “bread from heaven.”

“Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” – Exodus 16:4-5 ESV

This bread from heaven (manna) was to be collected daily, but on the sixth day, they were to collect enough to meet their needs for two days. On the seventh day, they were to “rest” from gathering manna because God had provided all they needed the previous day.

The Sabbath was meant to remind them of God’s provision for all their needs. But over time, Israel’s religious leaders turned the Sabbath into a rule-laden, performance-driven day where everything was measured by human effort. They had transformed the God-ordained mandate to rest into a form of work. The religious leaders created a litany of man-made laws to measure the people’s observance of this day of rest. It became all about their ability to keep every law associated with this one day.

According to the Mishnah (the oral law of Israel), 39 different categories of laws were associated with keeping the Sabbath. They included laws concerning carrying, burning, cooking, washing, harvesting, and threshing. According to this oral law, a Jew was forbidden to light a candle on the Sabbath but could hire a Gentile to do it for him. It was also considered Sabbath-breaking to gaze at one’s image in a mirror. So this day of rest had become a day of wearisome, burdensome rule-keeping.

So, when the Pharisees observed Jesus’ disciples plucking wheat, they condemned them for “reaping” on the Sabbath, and they confronted Jesus for allowing His disciples to violate their oral laws.

“Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” – Mark 2:24 NLT

Jesus knew these men prided themselves on their knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and used a story contained in the writings of Samuel to justify the actions of His disciples (1 Samuel 21:1-6). Jesus recounts how David, who was on the run from King Saul, had arrived at the town of Nob and asked the high priest to provide food for him and his soldiers. The only bread available was “the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle” (1 Samuel 21:6 ESV).

According to the Mosaic Law, this bread was reserved for the priests alone. Yet, Jesus points out that when David “was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him…entered the house of God…and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him” (Mark 2:25-26 ESV). In doing so, David violated the law, but in this case, it was acceptable because David was the Lord’s anointed. The prophet Samuel had anointed David as the next king of Israel. He was to be the God-ordained replacement for the disobedient and disappointing King Saul.

By recounting this story, Jesus pointed out a major flaw in their understanding of the Sabbath.

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27 ESV

God had set apart the Sabbath as a reminder to the people of Israel that He was their provider; He would care for them. The Sabbath was the day they rested from all their vain efforts at self-provision and relied completely on the One who made the universe and all it contains. God allowed David and his men to eat the Bread of the Presence because David was the Lord’s anointed. David’s physical needs took precedence over the laws concerning the holy bread.

Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that, as the Son of Man, He was “lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28 ESV). As God’s anointed, Jesus had full authority to permit his disciples’ behavior. He was placing their well-being above the oral law of the Pharisees. God made the Sabbath, and as the Son of God, Jesus had every right to do what He deemed holy and acceptable on the Sabbath. 

Jesus came to bring rest to the weary and remove the burden of performance and religious rule-keeping. For the average Jew, the Sabbath had become a burdensome and tiring 24 hours marked by constant vigilance and fear of violating the rules. There was no rest, but Jesus had come to change all that. When He offered His Great Invitation, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT), He was speaking to those exhausted from trying to keep all the religious rules and burdened by the weight of trying to earn favor with God. He came to offer them “the bread of life” (John 6:35) and “living water” (John 7:37). He boldly claimed, “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:36 NLT). 

When Jesus encountered the Samaritan woman at the well, He offered her this living water, stating, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:13-14 NLT). The Samaritan woman was enticed by the idea of never having to draw water from the well again, but Jesus was offering her release from the burden of her sin. Her thirst went far beyond the physical; she longed for love, acceptance, forgiveness, and hope. As a Samaritan, she was despised by the Jews. As a woman with a checkered past, she was rejected by her own people. But Jesus offered her love, acceptance, hope, and a future free from the burden of sin. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The New Has Come

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18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” – Mark 2:18-22 ESV

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each reported this scene as having taken place immediately after Jesus shared a meal with “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mark 2:15 ESV). The timing matters because it sets the context for what happened next. Jesus’ decision to accept an invitation to dine at Levi’s (Matthew’s) house left the Jewish religious leaders disgusted. Their view of Him hit an all-time low because He chose to consort with known sinners. In addition to being a blasphemer and troublemaker, this radical Rabbi from Nazareth was a poor judge of character.

So, immediately after His dinner at Levi’s house, Jesus was questioned about His behavior, but the query came from an unexpected source. While Mark simply says that some “people” asked Jesus a question, Matthew reveals the actual source.

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” – Matthew 9:14 ESV

These men were confused by the behavior of Jesus and His disciples. They may have been just as alarmed by Jesus’ choice of dining companions, but instead of bringing up what Jesus had just done, they chose to question what He and His disciples failed to do: fast.

As good Jews, John’s disciples would have faithfully kept the various written and oral traditions of their people, and that would have included requirements regarding fasting. But under the Mosaic Law, God set apart only one day for fasting: the Day of Atonement.

It will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. This is a permanent law for you. – Leviticus 16:31 NLT

But over time, the Jews had prescribed additional fast days that were intended to demonstrate one’s dedication to God. By the time Jesus appeared, the Pharisees had instituted a twice-weekly fast, which is likely what the disciples of John referred. These additional fast days were visible acts of righteousness that let others know you took your religious commitments seriously. But Jesus warned about just such outward displays in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 NLT

Jesus purposefully focused on fasting and pointed out how this practice of self-denial had become a means of self-promotion.

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:16-18 NLT

Yet the disciples of John asked why Jesus and His disciples failed to honor the twice-weekly fast as they did. By admitting that they were fasting, these men violated the warning Jesus had issued: “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious.” But for them, fasting had become a sign of righteousness and a mark of one’s spiritual commitment.

But they failed to realize that Jesus had come to bring something new. Their attempts at self-righteousness were insufficient, and their outward displays of self-denial could do nothing to elevate their standing in God’s eyes. Their attempts to earn God’s favor through self-effort and adherence to religious rituals were meaningless because their hearts remained unrepentant. Centuries earlier, God had rebuked His people for their vain attempts to replace repentance with rule-keeping.

Bring no more vain offerings;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood. – Isaiah 1:13-15 ESV

The apostle Paul discussed this same subject in some of his letters because he wanted his readers to know that God’s laws were never intended to produce righteousness.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. – Galatians 3:21 NLT

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. – Colossians 2:16-17 NLT

Paul offers much-needed insight into what is happening in Mark 2:18-22. With the coming of Jesus, all of the rules associated with Judaism were changing. The temple, the Sabbath, the feasts, and the festivals were all intended to point toward the coming of the Messiah. They were, as Paul put it, “shadows of the reality yet to come” (Colossians 2:17). And as Paul makes clear, “Christ himself is that reality.”

The author of Hebrews reinforces Paul’s understanding about the purpose behind rules and regulations associated with the law.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. – Hebrews 10:1 NLT

Jesus’ arrival had ushered in a new era; the old was giving way to the new. Jesus came to do what the law was never intended to do: Restore sinful men and women to a right relationship with God.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. – Romans 8:3 NLT

Jesus drives home the point that His presence with them ruled out the need for fasting and rule-keeping. Their self-empowered efforts to earn God’s favor were no longer necessary. Just as a sick person cannot make themselves well, sinners cannot make themselves spiritually whole and acceptable to a holy God. They must admit they are sick and seek a physician.

So Jesus tells John’s disciples that their fasting was in vain. Rather than deny themselves food, they needed to recognize the Messiah’s presence and feast alongside Him. The tax collectors and sinners had dined with Jesus in Levi’s house, so Jesus invited John’s disciples to celebrate with Him, using the metaphor of a wedding feast to illustrate His point.

“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.” – Mark 2:19 ESV

The thought of guests fasting and mourning while attending a wedding feast should have been ludicrous. Celebrating someone’s marriage was the wrong occasion to go without food; it was a time for joy and enjoyment. Jesus wanted these men to know that His presence among them was intended to be cause for celebration. Their long-awaited Messiah had finally come, and He was bringing “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10 ESV). The angels told the shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus’ birth: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 ESV).

The Messiah (the bridegroom) had come, and that was cause for celebration. But Jesus indicates that a time of mourning would come soon enough.

“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.” – Mark 2:20 ESV

This somewhat cryptic statement referred to His pending death. While this foreshadowing of His future escaped His audience, it was meant to reinforce His call to celebrate. The Messiah was with them, and His presence should have brought joy and feasting. However, the Jewish religious leaders grumbled, doubted, and disbelieved, while John’s disciples fasted and mourned.

Jesus reinforced the radical new nature of the days in which they lived. He was disrupting the status quo, turning everything on its head, and introducing a whole new means for sinful mankind to be restored to God. His arrival wasn’t meant to be an add-on to the old way of doing things; it wasn’t going to be the law + Jesus. In fact, He had discussed this in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” – Matthew 5:17-18 NLT

He came to fulfill all that the law required and, in doing so, eliminated any requirement that men keep the law to assuage the anger of a just and righteous God. Jesus would satisfy God with the sacrifice of His own life.

To drive home His point, Jesus used the analogy of sewing a patch of new, unshrunk cloth onto an old garment. These two pieces of fabric would prove to be incompatible.  It would also make no sense to store new wine in an old wineskin because the fermentation of the new wine would cause the old wineskin to burst. Jesus had not come to add something new to the old; He had come to offer something completely different.

Jesus had come to do a new thing, and while the way He lived His life seemed to be inconsistent and incompatible with what the Jews had come to know, He was introducing “new cloth” and “new wine” – a new way that was meant to bring new hope to a lost and dying world. The apostle Paul would have us rejoice that the old has been replaced with the new, all because of Jesus.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Great Physician

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13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:13-17 ESV

Jesus had just displayed His power and authority over the physical realm by healing the paralyzed man. But more importantly, His astonishing ability to restore the man’s health demonstrated His God-given authority to forgive sin. As the Son of God, Jesus came to earth to set men free from slavery to sin and the death sentence that accompanied it. The formerly paralyzed man, while now physically whole and forgiven, would still commit sins and face the ultimate penalty for doing so: physical death and eternal separation from God.

But Jesus became a man so He could serve as the substitutionary atonement, the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. His death on behalf of sinful humanity would satisfy the just and righteous wrath of God, and provide all those who placed their faith in His atoning work with a way to be restored to a right relationship with His Father. As a result of Jesus’ selfless sacrifice, they would enjoy forgiveness of all their sins, past, present, and future. The author of Hebrews describes it this way:

…he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. – Hebrews 9:26 ESV

The psalmist gives a powerful reminder of the Son of God’s sin-forgiving power.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 – Psalm 103:12 BSB

Mark transitions his narrative from the crowded confines of Simon and Andrew’s home to the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. But he maintains his emphasis on Jesus’ power and authority to forgive sin, and continues to reveal the growing divide between Jesus and the religious authorities.

While walking along the seashore, Jesus taught the crowds that continued to follow Him wherever He went. As they made their way along the roadway from Capernaum to Damascus and onto the shore of the Sea of Galilee, they came across the tax booth of a man named Levi. This was not some chance encounter but a divinely scheduled appointment. When Levi woke up that morning, he had no idea that his day would include a one-on-one meeting with the Messiah of Israel. Matthew’s account of the same scene reveals that he was the man whom Jesus called.

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. – Matthew 9:9 ESV

Luke describes Levi (Matthew) as a “tax collector” (Luke 5:27), whose chosen profession made him highly unpopular with his fellow Jews. As an employee of Herod Antipas, the Roman-appointed puppet king of Israel, Levi’s job was to collect all taxes related to trade and customs. Because Capernaum sat on a major trade route from Damascus, Levi would have collected export and import fees, sales and customs taxes, and tolls. But what made men like Levi particularly unpopular was their tendency to extort additional fees and surcharges from the fellow Jews. People saw tax collectors as social pariahs who worked for the enemy and took advantage of their own people to line their pockets.

So, when Jesus issued Levi an invitation to follow Him, the Jews would have been shocked and appalled. In their minds, Levi was a traitor to his people and the epitome of a godless sinner. To make matters worse, Mark reveals that Jesus chose to share a meal with this social outcast. Luke records that Levi threw a party in Jesus’ honor and invited many guests.

Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. – Luke 5:29 ESV

Mark clarifies that the “others” reclining at the table were sinners.

…many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. – Mark 2:15 ESV

It seems Levi invited his friends, who, like him, were considered the dregs of the community. Yet, Jesus accepted Levi’s invitation to dine at his house and willingly chose to associate with those whom the Jews considered as unclean and unacceptable. And Jesus’ actions did not go unnoticed.

But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” – Mark 2:16 NLT

They were shocked and disgusted by this shameless display of poor judgment on Jesus’ part; He should have known better. By entering Levi’s home and sharing a meal with this motley collection of sinners, Jesus and His disciples contaminated themselves and became ceremonially unclean.

A clear us-versus-them vibe is at play. The Pharisees viewed themselves as righteous because of their meticulous adherence to both the written and oral laws of the Jews. They were the law-keepers and the law-enforcers, and, as far as they were concerned, Jesus had chosen to associate with the scum of the earth. By entering Levi’s home, Jesus had done the unthinkable and unforgivable.

The Pharisees had no compassion for people like Levi and no desire to reach out to those whom they considered sinners. They felt no responsibility for the spiritual well-being of the less fortunate, whom they considered unworthy of mercy. In the minds of the Pharisees, the sin-prone common people held back the nation of Israel and kept it from enjoying the full favor of God. To the self-righteous Pharisees, it was the sorry likes of Levi and his friends that kept Israel from being all that it could be. These “sinners” were a blight on the nation. Yet Jesus revealed His love for the undeserving and irredeemable.

Jesus was fully aware of the disgust and distaste His actions had caused, and He chose to address the issue head-on.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Mark 2:17 ESV

With this simple statement, Jesus exposed the glaring difference between Himself and His accusers. They considered themselves spiritually healthy and whole and had no need of a Savior. But what they failed to understand was that their good deeds were of no value to God. As the prophet Isaiah wrote hundreds of years earlier: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT).

Jesus was not impressed by the Pharisees and their outward displays of righteousness. He would later call them out for their hypocrisy and lack of compassion.

“…they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” – Matthew 23:3-4 NLT

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.” – Matthew 23:13 NLT

These men considered themselves to be the cream of the crop, the religious elite of Israel whose unblemished behavior guaranteed them a place in God’s kingdom. But Jesus let them know that their self-confidence was misplaced and mistaken. He had come to minister to the sick, those who recognized their spiritual malady and sought help. Like the paralyzed man, the tax collectors and sinners gathered in Levi’s home needed assistance. They knew they were sinners and were fully aware that they lacked what was necessary to “heal” themselves.

The apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV). The sinners reclining around the table with Jesus were just the kind of people Jesus came to save. They were sinners who needed a Savior, and if they would only confess their sin, they would know the joy of having their sins forgiven and their spiritual illness healed.

But the Pharisees, riddled with pride and a misplaced sense of self-righteousness, could not see their need and were unwilling to confess their sins. But their self-confidence would ultimately result in their own self-destruction. Their stubborn insistence that they were spiritually whole would be their downfall. The apostle Paul describes the dangerous path they had chosen and its deadly destination.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. – Romans 1:21-22 NLT

They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. – Romans 1:30-32 NLT

Paul also seemed to have men like the Pharisees in mind when he warned Timothy to avoid those who “act religious” but whose lives are marked by lovelessness, cruelty, slander, pride, and a love of pleasure.

For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! – 2 Timothy 3:2-5 NLT

While the Pharisees were well-respected, even revered, by the common people, Jesus was unrelenting in His criticism of them. At one point, He accused them of using their religious authority to do harm, rather than good.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!” – Matthew 23:15 NLT

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). His mission was to reach those in need of spiritual healing, and He was willing to risk “contamination” to see the sick made whole. When Jesus encountered the leper in need of healing, “he stretched out his hand and touched him…and immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean” (Mark 1:41-42 ESV). The Pharisees would have avoided this man like the plague. They would have banned him from entering the temple or synagogue. But in their arrogant display of self-righteousness, they were the unclean ones, passing their impurity on to everyone around them. This led Jesus to say of them, “You are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on” (Luke 11:44 NLT).

They were sick and in need of healing, but their pride blinded them to their true spiritual condition and Jesus’ role as the Great Physician. He came to offer hope and healing to the spiritually sick, so He took his message of restoration and reconciliation to those desperate enough to hear and receive it. Levi knew he was an outcast and a sinner, condemned and unclean. But he followed the doctor’s orders that day and received healing and forgiveness. And his admission of need led to a lifetime of service to the Son of God and the hope of eternal life.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Father and Son Reunion

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35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.  – Mark 1:35-45 ESV

Mark clearly shows that Jesus exuded power and authority, revealed in His words and actions. When He spoke in the synagogue in Capernaum, the people took notice, but when He cast out the demon, they were blown away. Jesus simply spoke a word of command and the demon was forced to leave the man he had been tormenting. The same thing happened when Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law. With nothing more than a spoken word, Jesus exorcised her debilitating fever and restored her to health.

But in today’s verses, Mark offers a glimpse of the source of Jesus’ power and authority. After a full day of activity, Jesus rose early the next morning, well before dawn. His disciples were likely still asleep when Jesus rose and “went out to an isolated place to pray” (Mark 1:35 NLT).

Mark provides no details concerning Jesus’ destination or the content of His prayer.  But this early-morning excursion reveals Jesus’ intimate relationship with His Heavenly Father and His desire for fellowship and instruction. The four gospels reveal that Jesus made a habit of seeking time alone with His Father. He regularly sought these secluded moments to communicate with His Father, to seek His will, and to demonstrate their unity of mind and mission. In his gospel account, John records Jesus confessing, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does” (John 5:19 NLT).

Jesus’ earthly mission had physically separated Him from His Father. Jesus’ incarnation broke their eternal, uninterrupted relationship. Paul describes how Jesus willingly left His Father’s side, setting aside His divine privileges to take on human flesh.

…though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. – Philippians 2:6-7 ESV

In His temporal, human form, Jesus could no longer enjoy the intimate fellowship He had always experienced with His Father. Jesus was no less divine, but by becoming human, He experienced the inevitable separation that all men encounter. Jesus committed no sins that could break His fellowship with the Father, but His humanity prevented Him from entering His Father’s presence. So, he regularly sought time to seek His Father’s companionship and guidance. Once again, John records Jesus’ admission of dependence on His Father.

“I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”  – John 5:30 NLT

“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” – John 12:49-50 NLT

Jesus, the Son of God, regularly sought time alone with God, but not just for fellowship. He also sought to know the Father’s will. Isaiah offered a Spirit-inspired, prophetic glimpse into this unique relationship between the Father and His Son.

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
    so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
    and opens my understanding to his will.
The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
    and I have listened. – Isaiah 50:4-5 NLT

Mark gives no indication of how long Jesus was gone, but when His disciples awoke, they wondered where He was and immediately began searching for Him; when they found Him, they asked Him where He had been.

This scene is reminiscent of one recorded by Luke in his gospel account. It took place in Jerusalem when Jesus was only 12 years old. He had traveled to the capital city with the rest of His family for the annual Feast of Passover. But when the feast ended and His family began their return trip home, they discovered Jesus was missing. They returned to Jerusalem, and three days later they found Jesus in the temple, “sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions” (Luke 2:46 NLT).

When Mary and Joseph expressed their frustration and concern to Jesus, He responded, “But why did you need to search?…Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49 NLT). The young Jesus used a Hebrew idiom best translated as, “Didn’t you know that I must be in the [things] of my Father?” Even at 12, Jesus sought the things that concerned His Father. Now, more than 17 years later, Jesus was still seeking to be “in the things of” His Father.

When the disciples found Jesus, they told Him, “Everyone is looking for you” (Mark 1:37 ESV). Jesus was in great demand, but while the disciples and the crowds desperately sought Him, He spent much-needed time alone with His Father.

When the disciples asked where Jesus had been, He didn’t explain His actions; He simply replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came” (Mark 1:38 NLT). Notice that Jesus emphasizes His intention to preach, which ties directly back to something Mark wrote in verses 14-15.

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” – Mark 1:14-15 NLT

The Father had sent Jesus to earth with a clear mission objective: He was to preach that the King of God was near and call the people of Israel to repentance. Jesus spent three years declaring the good news that God’s Kingdom was coming and that He was the means by which all men could enter that Kingdom. He would eventually offer His own life as the atoning sacrifice that would pay mankind’s sin debt and make entrance into God’s Kingdom possible.

Mark describes what happened next: “So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39 NLT). Jesus not only preached but cast out demons. He declared the coming of God’s Kingdom while, at the same time, single-handedly and systematically dismantling the kingdom of Satan. In a sense, Jesus was telegraphing the future impact and import of His coming crucifixion. With His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus destroyed Satan’s monopoly over the lives of men. The apostle Paul described the impact of Jesus’ substitutionary death.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. – Romans 6:6-7 NLT

While Mark indicates that Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in synagogues and casting out demons, the first miracle he describes involves a leper, not a demon. This man, who was obviously a Jew, suffered from a horrible disease that left him in pain and agony but also ostracized him from his faith community. Lepers were considered ceremonially unclean, and the visible symptoms of the disease would have made him an object of scorn and derision.

But despite his condition, this man approached Jesus, expressing his desperate need for help and his firm belief that Jesus could heal him.

“If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” – Mark 1:40 NLT

Mark provides no explanation for this man’s remarkable expression of faith. Most likely, news of Jesus’ healing power had spread to his community, and this man saw in Jesus a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be freed from his disfiguring and, ultimately, deadly disease. With great specificity, Mark describes what happened next:

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” – Mark 1:41 NLT

Jesus saw in this man a tangible illustration of every Israelite’s predicament; they were all unclean and condemned to a life of permanent separation. But, unlike this man, their separation was spiritual and left them alienated from God. They carried about them the scars of their sins, which made them unacceptable and unclean to a holy and righteous God. Like the leper, they could do nothing to help themselves. But Jesus demonstrated compassion and care.

This time, rather than using words alone, Jesus reached out and touched the man, and His actions were intentional. Despite the man’s unclean condition, Jesus willingly and deliberately touched him. According to the Mosaic Law, this action would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean, but He willingly took the risk. In a sense, Jesus took on the man’s leprosy and left him whole. This encounter with the leper foreshadows what Jesus would accomplish for all mankind with His death on the cross.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. – 1 Peter 2:24 NLT

He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows… – Isaiah 53:4 BSB

Mark reveals that the man’s condition was changed instantaneously.

Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. – Mark 1:42 NLT

Jesus commanded the man to tell no one, but to go straight to the temple to have the priest confirm his healing and present a thank-offering. According to Mosaic law, a leper had to be examined and declared free of the disease before he or she could be restored to fellowship within the community. Jesus also warned the man not to tell anyone what had happened. This may seem like a strange and unnecessary command, but when the man violated it, it becomes easy to see why Jesus gave it in the first place. No one can blame the man for his enthusiasm and excitement; he wanted everyone to know that he had been healed.

But as the news of his healing spread, Jesus was confronted by a mass of humanity, clamoring to see this miracle worker from Nazareth. As a result, Jesus was forced to take His ministry outside the crowded confines of the cities. But His relocation did little to stop the steady flow of people seeking healing, help, and hope.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Holy One of God

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21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. – Mark 1:21-34 ESV

In his gospel account, Luke reports that after Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, He “returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone” (Luke 4:14-15 ESV). And Mark provides a glimpse into one such occasion.

After calling Andrew, Simon, James, and John to be His disciples, Jesus and His new recruits made their way to the town of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. On the Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples visited the local synagogue. The synagogue was the building in each community where the Jews gathered for worship, prayer, and instruction. The Hebrew word is beit k’nesset (literally, “House of Assembly”). Jews typically referred to this building as a synagogue, the Greek translation of beit k’nesset.

The synagogue emerged during Israel’s Babylonian captivity. After the Babylonians defeated Judah in 597 B.C., they took tens of thousands of Israelites captive and transported them to Babylon. With no access to the temple, the Jews were forced to come up with an alternative place of worship. Even after the Jews returned to Judah and rebuilt the temple the Babylonians had destroyed, they continued to build synagogues in their local communities.

The synagogue was a place of prayer and instruction. When the Jews gathered on the Sabbath, they read from the Torah, the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). After the Torah reading, there was a time of teaching or instruction.

Mark indicates that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Because Jesus was recognized as a Rabbi, it would have been normal for the synagogue leadership to extend Him this honor. Mark emphasizes the people’s reaction to what Jesus taught, but provides no details concerning the content of His message. He simply states, “they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22 ESV). The Greek word Mark uses conveys that they were “blown away” by the force of Jesus’ words. But they were amazed, not so much by what Jesus said as by how He said it. Jesus spoke with authority. Mark chose the Greek word exousia to describe the “power, right, and authority” behind Jesus’ words. Those in the synagogue that day had never heard anything like it before. It was as if Jesus spoke like He knew what He was talking about.

Mark deliberately contrasts Jesus’ instruction with that of the scribes. These men were considered experts in the Law of Moses. Their job was to study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it. But Mark infers that these well-educated men lacked the authority and power that Jesus possessed. This is the first of many contrasts Mark establishes between Jesus and Israel’s religious leaders.

As if to show that Jesus didn’t just have a way with words, Mark describes an encounter between Jesus and a man with an “unclean spirit.” Mark indicates that when Jesus had finished speaking, this demon-possessed man interrupted the service, crying 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” (Mark 1:24 ESV).

Evidently, this man had been in the room the entire time. But Jesus’ authoritative teaching caused the demon(s) within the man to react in fear and anger. They had literally been struck by the power of Jesus’ words. The demon’s use of the plural pronoun “us” may indicate that the man had more than one demon or that other demons were present in the synagogue that day. Either way, the demon immediately recognized Jesus, calling Him “the Holy One of God.” This demonic being clearly knew who Jesus was and why He had come. He even asked if Jesus planned to destroy him and his fellow demons.

Through this description of the encounter, Mark establishes another point of conflict that will characterize Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus will not only find Himself at odds with the Jewish religious leaders, but also engage in a battle with what Paul describes as “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

But these spiritual forces were not relegated to the invisible world; they had infiltrated the realm of men and were wreaking havoc among God’s chosen people. This will not be the last of Jesus’ encounters with demons. However, these otherworldly invaders would prove no match for the Holy One of God.

Jesus refused to answer or even acknowledge the demon’s question, choosing instead to silence it by casting it out. The Greek word translated as “rebuke” can actually mean “to censure or silence.” Rather than verbally castigate the demon, Jesus simply removed his ability to speak by forcing him to vacate the man’s body. Jesus spoke with authority, commanding the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25 ESV), and the demon immediately obeyed.

And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. – Mark 1;26 ESV

With no host to occupy, the demon lost its means of communication. This strange and disturbing scene left those who witnessed it even more astonished. But they quickly connected what they saw to Jesus’ authority.

“What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” – Mark 1:27 NLT

Jesus’ words carried power. He could not be accused of being “all talk, no action.” The scribes could probably give a lecture about the Scriptural existence of demons, but Jesus could control them because He had power over them. His words had authority, and this distinction did not go unnoticed. Mark indicates that “the news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee” (Mark 1:28 NLT). Soon, news of what Jesus had done reached the religious leaders in Jerusalem. As Jesus’ fame spread, so did His infamy. Before long, Jesus found Himself fighting on multiple fronts.

But Jesus was not done demonstrating His power. After exorcising the demon in the synagogue, Jesus made His way to the home of Andrew and Simon. Mark indicates that Simon’s mother-in-law was ill. Simon (Peter) likely told this story to Mark, which is why it appears in his gospel account. When Jesus learned of the woman’s illness, He visited her home, took her by the hand, and she was immediately healed. At a touch from Jesus, she went from suffering to serving.

The order of these events is vital. In the synagogue scene, the emphasis was on Jesus’ words; He spoke with authority. But on this occasion, Jesus said nothing. He took the woman by the hand, and her body was made whole. Jesus demonstrated His power and authority, but without words.

This latest episode increased Jesus’ notoriety and further inflamed the people’s curiosity. Mark reveals that by the end of the day, the crowds had gathered outside the home of Simon and Andrew. News spread, and soon “all who were sick or oppressed by demons” came to Jesus. Mark indicates that “the whole city was gathered together at the door” (Mark 1:33 ESV).

Jesus’ demonstrations of power and authority drew a crowd, but rather than lock the doors and seek refuge, He “healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons” (Mark 1:34 ESV). He continued to exercise His power and authority over disease and demons, proving that what the demon had said was true. He was truly the Holy One of God, and His authority and power were divine, not human. He could do what He did because of who He was; His identity gave Him His authority.

But while the people were impressed by what they saw, they were not yet convinced of His divinity. He clearly possessed authority and power and could perform supernatural miracles, but His identity remained a mystery. Who was this man? How could this unknown Rabbi from Nazareth do what He did? Curiosity and the hope of healing drove many to seek out this miracle-working Rabbi, but they remained ignorant of His identity. And Jesus chose to keep it that way. Mark records. “Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak” (Mark 1:34 NLT). The first demon that Jesus cast out had identified Him as “the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24 NLT). But Jesus was not yet ready for the crowds to know who He was. If they discovered He was the long-awaited Messiah, they would try to force Him to serve as their King. John records in his gospel how another group of Jews responded when they saw Jesus perform a miracle.

When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. – John 6:14-15 NLT

So, at this stage in His earthly ministry, Jesus left the people guessing because His time had not yet come. He continued to speak and act with authority, performing miracles and teaching new truths to all who would listen. But for the time being, His divinity remained a mystery.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Follow the Leader

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16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. – Mark 1:16-20 ESV

After 40 days fasting and being tested by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus took no time off but went straight to work. But Mark alludes to something very significant that happened before Jesus began His earthly ministry: John the Baptist was arrested.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14-15 ESV

John, chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming, was removed from the scene, and Luke provides further details about what happened.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. – Luke 3:19-20 NLT

In a sense, John’s work was complete; he had done what God had commissioned Him to do. Now the Messiah had come, and John no longer needed to “prepare the way.” So, God sovereignly arranged for John’s ministry to come to an abrupt and final end. While we might find God’s method for ending John’s ministry a bit heavy-handed, we must recognize His sovereign orchestration and timing.

John’s removal from the scene was essential to God’s plan. It was vital that John not detract from Jesus’ ministry and mission. His job was to announce the coming of “the light” into the world, and now his work was done.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. – John1:6-8 NLT

But while preaching and baptizing in the wilderness, John had amassed quite a following.

People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. – Matthew 3:5 NLT

And there were all kinds of rumors circulating about John. So much so that the Jewish religious leaders sent a delegation into the Judean wilderness to determine who he was and what he was doing.

This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”

“Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”

“No,” he replied.

“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”[i]

“No.”

“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” – John 1:19-22 NLT

John was bombarded with questions about his identity, and it seems some believed him to be the Messiah. As long as John was on the scene, he would keep drawing crowds and creating confusion. So God brought his ministry to an end, removing any further suspicion that he might be the Messiah.

Luke records that Jesus “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (Luke 4:14-15 ESV). But before recounting one of those synagogue sermons, Mark inserts the story of Jesus calling His first four disciples.

Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee when He spotted Simon and Andrew, two brothers standing along the shoreline and casting their nets into the sea. Mark says Jesus called to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17 ESV), and the two men immediately left their nets and followed Him. At first glance, it seems Jesus walked up to two complete strangers, issued a strange and rather cryptic invitation, and they dropped what they were doing and robotically got in line behind him.

But John adds some important details that the Synoptic gospels left out. This was not the first time that Jesus had met these two men. In his gospel account, John records that Jesus spent time in Judea in the days following His baptism.

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). – John 1:35-42 NLT

So, this was not Simon and Andrew’s first encounter with Jesus. At some point, they traveled from Galilee to Judea because of rumors they had heard about John the Baptist, and Andrew became one of his disciples.  When Andrew heard John the Baptist call Jesus “the Lamb of God,” he immediately followed Jesus and later brought his brother to meet the one he called “the Messiah.”

Andrew and Simon likely returned to Galilee during the 40-day period Jesus spent in the wilderness, and after John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned. With John’s ministry curtailed and Jesus nowhere to be found, the two brothers returned home to run their father’s fishing business.

But after His 40-day stay in the wilderness, Jesus found them and officially called them to be His disciples. Their abrupt decision to follow Jesus becomes a bit more understandable when you consider all the facts. With Andrew and Simon in tow, Jesus made His way farther up the shoreline until He saw two more brothers mending their fishing nets. Luke reveals that these two men, James and John, were actually business partners with Andrew and Simon (Luke 5:10), and this was not their first encounter with Jesus either. Luke provides yet another detail concerning Jesus’ previous interactions with all four men.

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. – Luke 5:1-11 NLT

All four men were familiar with Jesus, having heard Him speak and teach, but they had not yet decided to become His disciples. Jesus found them casting and mending nets, which shows they were not yet fully committed to His cause. But when He extended the invitation, they immediately responded by leaving everything behind. Jesus would later tell His disciples, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you” (John 15:16 NLT). Their calling was up to Jesus, and He later admitted that God had given all His disciples to Him (John 17:6, 9). 

Jesus began His earthly ministry by calling a group of unexpected, unqualified men to become His disciples and, later, His apostles and ambassadors of the good news. In time, these four fishermen would be transformed into fishers of men, but that transformation would take more than three years and require the coming of the Holy Spirit to be fully complete. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were relatively uneducated fishermen who displayed a rough-around-the-edges attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit. They were anything but refined and well-respected members of society. But God ordained their selection, and Jesus chose them to be His disciples.

Their unlikely calling vividly illustrates God’s grace and the undeserved nature of the gospel. The apostle Paul, another improbable ministry candidate whom Jesus called, described God’s selection process in honest, but far-from-flattering terms.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT

God chooses, Jesus calls, and the foolish, powerless, poor, weak, and despised respond. In the next chapter of his letter, Mark records Jesus stating, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Mark 2:17 NLT). Jesus later claimed to have come “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV), and He began by choosing four leather-skinned, sin-prone fishermen from Galilee. They had no idea what they were signing up for when they said yes to Jesus, but they faithfully followed the leader.  

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.