Mark 3:7-21 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Amazing Success Brings Fervent Opposition From His Family And Friends (3:7-21).

Jesus' success expands as He continues to build up His forces for the proclamation of the truth and against the powers of evil, although it is at some personal cost and results in those who have known Him from the past deciding that He needs brining under control.

Analysis.

a And Jesus with His disciples withdrew to the sea, and a great crowd from Galilee followed, and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great crowd, hearing what great things He did, came to Him (Mark 3:7-8).

b And He spoke to His disciples, that a little boat should wait on Him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him, for he had healed many, insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him (Mark 3:9-10).

c And the unclean spirits, whenever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, “You are the Son of God.” And He strongly charged them that they should not make him known (Mark 3:11-12).

d And He goes up into the mountain, and calls to Him whom He Himself would, and they went to him (Mark 3:13).

c And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach, and to have authority to cast out devils (who are then named) (Mark 3:14-19 a).

b And He comes into a house, and the crowd comes together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread (Mark 3:19-20).

a And when His family and friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on Him, for they said, “He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21).

Note that in ‘a' great crowds heard the great things that He did and came to Him, and in the parallel His family and friends heard what He did and came to Him, but for a very different reason. In ‘b' Jesus was thronged by the crowds and had to take to a boat, and in the parallel He was thronged by the crowd and could not eat. In ‘c' the unclean spirits are forced to admit to Who Jesus is, much to His displeasure, and in the parallel He appoints His disciples and gives them authority to cast out such evil spirits. Centrally in ‘d' He takes His disciples up into a mountain and calls those whom He has selected to come to Him.

Related Commentaries of Mark 3:7

Mark 3:7-21

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

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.

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

10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;

17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went intoc an house.

20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21 And when his friendsd heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.