Tyndale Open Study NotesMark 3

Five controversy stories (2:1–12, 13–17, 18–22, 23–28; 3:1–6) are grouped together because they share a common theme. Each story shows a conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. In these accounts, Jesus says or does things that challenge their beliefs and practices. These stories show the great authority that Jesus has.

The scene again involves a synagogue, probably in Capernaum (1:21, 29). The man with a withered hand was present on the Sabbath (3:1–2). The enemies of Jesus wanted to use this situation against him. If he healed the man, they could accuse him, so they watched him closely.

This story ends the collection of controversy stories (2:1–3:6). Like the previous story, Jesus argues with the Pharisees about the Sabbath. As in the first story, the controversy involves a healing (2:1–12).

• Jesus challenged his enemies' belief that God did not allow doing good works on the Sabbath (see Luke 13:10–17).

• to save life or to destroy it: This might refer to an incident in which the Maccabees decided to fight if attacked on the Sabbath (1 Maccabees 2:32–41). These great Jewish heroes were willing to kill on the Sabbath day. But the Pharisees did not allow good works on that day. The question Jesus asked embarrassed them. It shamed them into silence, but they still refused to change (Mark 3:5).

Those who opposed Jesus were stubborn and would not listen to good reasoning. Instead of changing, they began to plan how to kill him (see also 11:18; 12:12; 14:1–2, 10–11).

• Jesus went to the lake (the Sea of Galilee), which prepares for the events in 4:1–5:43. The large crowd that came to see John the Baptist (1:7) was smaller than the crowd that came to see Jesus.

• Idumea was a region in southern Judea, settled by the Edomites after the exile in Babylon.

• Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast that Jesus later visited (7:24, 31).

The boat likely belonged to Peter and Andrew or James and John. The crowd wanted to see Jesus so much that he needed to avoid being crushed by the people (4:1; 5:24, 31).

Jesus healed many people that day. He might have healed all the sick (see Matthew 12:15).

The unclean spirits knew who Jesus was (1:34; see also 1:22; 5:7). But Jesus did not want people to know his identity.

The scene shifts to a mountain. Mark describes how Jesus called his disciples to come to him. This is similar to God's call to Old Testament prophets (Exodus 3:14–22; 1 Samuel 3:4–14; Jeremiah 1:5–19).

Jesus chose 12 men to represent Israel's 12 tribes and to announce that the kingdom of God had arrived. He called them apostles. The Greek word apostoloi refers to people sent on a special mission.

Jesus chose them to travel with him and to be sent out (Greek apostellō) to preach and cast out demons. They represented Jesus and had his authority.

• Simon and Andrew were brothers, just like James and John (1:16–20).

• Peter is the Greek version of the Aramaic word kepa’, which means “rock.”

whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”: This likely describes their character. It may suggest strong emotions, boldness, or quick reactions. For example, they once wanted to call down fire on a village that rejected Jesus (see Luke 9:53–54).

Philip is fifth on all four lists of the twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1–4; Luke 6:12–16; Acts 1:13). James son of Alphaeus (not the son of Zebedee and brother of John) is always ninth. Bartholomew might be Nathanael (John 1:43–51). Matthew is probably Levi, the tax collector (Mark 2:14; Matthew 9:9). Thomas is also called Didymus (a Greek word meaning “twin,” John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2). The New Testament does not explain this name further. Thaddaeus is missing from Luke’s list (Matthew 10:3). He might be Judas, the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13).

The presence of a government official (Matthew) and an anti-government activist (Simon the Zealot) among the twelve apostles shows the ability of Jesus to change people and overcome the natural hostility between them.

• Identifying Judas as Iscariot suggests that Mark wanted to avoid confusing him with another Judas (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). The name Iscariot likely comes from the Hebrew phrase ’ish qeriyoth, meaning “man of Kerioth” (a town in Judea).

• who betrayed Jesus: See Mark 14:10–11, 43–46.

This story about Jesus and his family (3:20–21 and 31–35) surrounds a controversy story about Jesus driving out demons (3:22–30). This arrangement connects his family with the religious leaders, since both groups misunderstand him and stand against him.

Jesus and his disciples could not even find time to eat. This shows how large the crowds were and how popular Jesus had become (3:7–9).

He is out of his mind: Mark does not explain whether the attempt by the family of Jesus to seize him was motivated by sincere but misguided concern, or by hostility. The brothers and sisters of Jesus were not among his followers until after his resurrection (3:31–35; John 7:3–5). First Corinthians 15:7 mentions James, the brother of Jesus, who became a leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13–21).

The scribes … from Jerusalem claimed Jesus was crazy because they believed Satan possessed him (see study note on 1:22) (Greek Beelzeboul; see study note on Matthew 10:25). The opponents of Jesus said his ability to perform miracles came from Satan (see the Jewish rabbinic work, Sanhedrin 3:43a, where they credit the working of miracles to magic).

Jesus showed that this charge made no sense by using several examples. Satan would not work against himself.

Jesus explained his power to drive out demons by saying someone stronger than Satan had arrived and could take control of Satan’s house (1:7). Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, was introducing God's kingdom and rescuing people from Satan's power (1:1).

• The phrase Truly I tell you often introduces the sayings of Jesus and emphasizes their importance (see also 8:12; 9:1, 41; 10:15, 29; 11:23; 12:43; 13:30; 14:9, 18, 25, 30).

• the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies: One sin has eternal consequences. This is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit means attributing the work of God to an unclean spirit (an evil spirit). Resisting and rejecting God's work in this way prevents the convicting work of the Spirit, which leads to repentance, faith in God, and forgiveness of sin (see study notes on Matthew 12:31–32; compare Hebrews 6:4–6; 1 John 5:16–17).

• Mark returns to the story from 3:20–21.

• Your mother and brothers: Many people understand the brothers of Jesus to be children born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born (see also 6:3; Matthew 1:25; 12:46; John 19:26–27). Some interpreters think they were Joseph’s children from an earlier marriage or the cousins of Jesus. They hold this view because of the Roman Catholic belief that Mary remained a virgin for her whole life.

In God’s Kingdom, one’s true relatives are determined not by blood but by a faith relationship (see also 10:29–30).

Doing God's will includes repentance from sin, faith in God, and following Jesus (1:15, 18, 20).