MARK LESSON 6

     We will begin this lesson in Mark 3:1.

     Mark 3:1 "And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was
a man there which had a withered hand."

     In Luke 6: 6, we read that this withered hand, was the man's right
hand and it probably kept him from making a living for himself and his
family. It seems that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath when
He was near enough to attend.

     Mark 3:2 "And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the
Sabbath day; that they might accuse him."

     We see, here, that the scribes and Pharisees were following Jesus
around so that they might find Him doing something that they could
complain about. The Sabbath day was their favorite time, because
anything that could be thought of as labor on that day was against 
the Mosaic law. Perhaps, their jealousy of His ability to heal
and deliver the oppressed drove them to this. At any rate, they
watched His every move so that they could find fault.

     Mark 3:3 "And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand,
Stand forth."

     Jesus would not let these scribes intimidate Him. When He saw the
man in need, He boldly told him to come to Him. It made no
difference that these scribes were looking on.

    Mark 3:4 "And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the
sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held
their peace."

     Jesus did not wait for them to say something. He asked them a
question that they could not answer. There was no way to criticize what He
was doing when He put it this way. If they answered at all, they would
have to agree that it was good to do good and to save life. He only
gave them two choices. So that they would not agree with what He was
doing, they just didn't answer at all.

     Mark 3:5 "And when he had looked round about on them with anger,
being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man,
Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] out: and his hand was
restored whole as the other."

     We see, here, that Jesus had no patience with those who were
constantly finding fault with those who were trying to do good. He could
look right into their hearts, and He didn't like what He saw. Their
hearts were so hardened that they did not have compassion on those who
could not help themselves. Jesus was grieved so deeply that the people of
the church (who should be seeking to do good) were just like the world
and didn't care for the needy around them. He openly defied those cold
hearted scribes and Pharisees and healed the man's hand right in front
of them, sabbath or not. Notice that Jesus told the man to do
something: to extend his hand. As an act of faith, he had to extend
his hand showing that he believed it would be restored. Faith is
important in receiving healing.

     Mark 3:6 "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took
counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him."

     It seems these Herodians and Pharisees (who had been enemies in
the past) had now joined forces to oppose Jesus together. Jesus
really did no physical labor when he healed this man with the withered
hand.  He spoke, and this man was restored anew.  Now, these jealous
church leaders of that day were looking for some way to stop Jesus,
because He was showing the weakness in their ministry.

    Mark 3:7 "But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the
sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from
Judaea,"

     We see, here, that Jesus had been away from Capernaum at an
interior city. The Herodians were more prominent in the interior where
Herod's headquarters were. The word had spread about Jesus' miracles,
and this multitude had gathered from many miles around. Jesus had
returned again to the sea of Galilee where, you remember, Peter had a
home.

     Mark 3:8 "And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and [from] beyond
Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they
had heard what great things he did, came unto him."

     I really believe the reason these two paragraphs were separated was
to show that a multitude came from Galilee and Judea, and another
multitude came from Tyre, and Sidon and, Jerusalem and all those cities
listed in verse eight.

     Mark 3:9 "And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should
wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him."

    We see, here, that there were so many people that Jesus had a
small boat to stand by in readiness in the chance that these people
would press on Him so greatly that it would overwhelm Him. He could
minister from the boat, if necessary.

     Mark 3:10 "For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed
upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues."  Mark 3:11 "And
unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried,
saying, Thou art the Son of God."

     We have discussed before how just touching Jesus' garment could
heal as it did the woman with the issue of blood. Virtue went out from
Jesus to the person healed each time. You can easily see how this
could be so tiring, even for the Son of God. We, also, have mentioned
before that the reason these unclean, demon spirits recognized Jesus
was because they had been in heaven with Jesus before they made the
terrible mistake of following Lucifer. They had been angels; but when
they decided to follow Lucifer, they became demons (evil spirits).
Notice that even evil spirits are subject to Jesus, and must bow.

     Mark 3:12 "And he straitly charged them that they should not make
him known."

     We see, here, that Jesus did not want these people to follow Him
because of the miracles or even because of these spirits telling them
who He is, He  wanted the message of grace to win them.

     Mark 3:13 "And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth [unto
him] whom he would: and they came unto him."

     Jesus removed Himself from the masses of curiosity seekers and
just called the ones to Him in the mountain whom He would. Unless the
Holy Spirit draws the person, they will never come to God. It is God's
will, however, that all of us come. In this case, He was calling the
disciples.

     Mark 3:14 "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him,
and that he might send them forth to preach," Mark 3:15 "And to have
power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:"

     This "ordained" carries much more power than what we think of as
ordaining today. This means empowers to preach, heal and cast out
devils. These men had not been in school training. This is a little
like Jeremiah's call to minister. Jeremiah, as these 12 apostles,
was not trained by the world to take over his job. Jesus touched them
and prayed over each of them, and His virtue flowed into these
disciples. They were really just an extension of Him. They preached in
His name, they healed in His name, they cast out demons in His name.
The power was in His name. Just as God touched Jeremiah's lips and put
the words in Jeremiah's mouth, Jesus touched the disciples and
empowered them to minister.

     Mark 3:16 "And Simon he surnamed Peter;" Mark 3:17 "And James the
[son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them
Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:"  Mark 3:18 "And Andrew, and
Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son]
of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite," Mark 3:19 "And
Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house."

     We see here the chosen twelve. "Peter" means a rock. The Lord
giving James and John this name "Boanerges" indicated that Jesus knew
they both had the zeal and power to fulfill the great work He had for
them to do. John, my favorite penman, was very bold in announcing
Jesus as the Word and God in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This was, also, the
same John who was banished to the Isle of Patmos for speaking out so
boldly for Christ.  So many people wonder why Jesus chose Judas
Iscariot.  Jesus knew someone had to betray Him. He was obedient to
the will of the Father even in choosing Judas as a disciple.

                           Mark 6 Questions

1.  Where did Jesus encounter the man with the withered hand?
2.  Which hand was withered?
3.  Why is this important?
4.  Who watched Jesus constantly?
5.  Why were they watching this closely?
6.  What was, probably, their problem?
7.  What were the first two words Jesus said to the man?
8.  What question did Jesus ask the scribes that they could not answer
    without trapping themselves?
9.  What feeling did Jesus have toward these scribes?
10. Why was Jesus' heart grieved?
11. What did the man with the withered hand have to do to be
    restored?
12. What one word shows what we must have to be healed?
13. These Pharisees joined in with their unusual enemies against
    Jesus. Who were they?
14. Where did Jesus withdraw to?
15. Where did the multitudes come from to throng Jesus?
16. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do to insure Him from being
    thronged?
17. Why did they want to touch Him?
18. What did the unclean spirits do when they saw Jesus?
19. How did they know Him?
20. What did Jesus tell these evil spirits to do?
21. When Jesus went to the mountain, who came to Him?
22. How many did Jesus ordain?
23. What does the word "ordain" really mean here?
24. What was Jesus ordaining them to do?
25. How were they able to do all these things God had called them to
    do?
26. What other name did He give Simon?
27. What does it mean?
28. The name Boanerges that He gave James and John showed what about
    their personalities?
29. Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve?
30. Which is your favorite disciple? Explain.

                                 Notes