Mark3

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, provoking the Pharisees and Herodians to plot against him. He then withdraws, gathers a great multitude, and appoints twelve apostles to preach and cast out devils. Later, Jesus refutes accusations of casting out devils by Beelzebub, warning against blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, and declares that his true family consists of those who do God's will.
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Healing on the Sabbath Day

1
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had his hand withered. ​
2
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. ​
3
And he saith unto the man that had his hand withered, Stand forth.
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And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored. ​
6
And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. ​

Jesus Ministered to Great Crowds

7
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judæa, ​
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and from Jerusalem, and from Idumæa, and beyond the Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him. ​
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And he spake to his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him:
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for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him.
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And the unclean spirits, whensoever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. ​
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And he charged them much that they should not make him known.

The Appointment of the Twelve Apostles

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And he goeth up into the mountain, and calleth unto him whom he himself would; and they went unto him. ​
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And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, ​
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and to have authority to cast out demons:
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and Simon he surnamed Peter;
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and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder: ​
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and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphæus, and Thaddæus, and Simon the Cananæan,
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and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And he cometh into a house. ​

The Beelzebul Accusation

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And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
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And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
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And the scribes that came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons. ​
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And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
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And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
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And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
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And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
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But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
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Verily I say unto you, All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
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but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: ​
30
because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. ​

Jesus Defines His True Family

31
And there come his mother and his brethren; and, standing without, they sent unto him, calling him.
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And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
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And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren?
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And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren!
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For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. ​

Study Notes for Mark 3

Verse 1

This incident continues the conflict motif established in Mark 2, where Jesus deliberately challenges the legalistic interpretations of Sabbath observance held by the Pharisees.

Verse 2

The religious leaders are not present to seek healing or truth, but to act as witnesses for a legal accusation, prioritizing strict law over human need.

Verse 5

Mark uniquely emphasizes Jesus’ emotional reaction: anger (orge) directed at their spiritual stubbornness, combined with grief (synlypomenos) over the hardness of their hearts. This shows the divine judgment and human compassion of Christ.

Verse 6

This verse marks a major escalation: the Pharisees (religious legalists) ally with the Herodians (political supporters of Rome) to plot Jesus’ destruction, indicating that Jesus is now a serious political and religious threat.

Verse 7

Jesus strategically withdraws from Galilee after the threat of execution, moving his ministry to the seashore to avoid immediate confrontation while continuing to teach.

Verse 8

The list of geographical locations (including Idumea, Tyre, and Sidon) emphasizes that Jesus’ fame had spread throughout both Jewish and surrounding Gentile territories, demonstrating the universal appeal of his power.

Verse 11

The demons consistently acknowledge Jesus’ true identity ('Son of God'), contrasting their immediate faith with the slowness of human belief and the hostility of the religious leaders.

Verse 13

The mountain setting often symbolizes a place of divine encounter and covenant making (cf. Sinai). Jesus formally establishes a new leadership structure for his burgeoning movement.

Verse 14

The selection had two primary purposes: first, that they should 'be with him' (discipleship and training), and second, that he might 'send them forth' (mission and apostleship).

Verse 17

Boanerges, meaning 'Sons of Thunder,' likely refers to the fiery zeal, intensity, and ambition of James and John, traits that would later be tempered and channeled by Christ.

Verse 19

Judas Iscariot is listed last and is immediately identified as the one who would betray Jesus, a tragic inclusion that foreshadows the failure and treachery within the inner circle.

Verse 22

The scribes from Jerusalem, representing the highest religious authority, accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul (a name for Satan), thereby attributing the power of God to the power of evil.

Verse 29

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is understood here as the final, willful rejection of God’s saving work—seeing the manifest power of the Spirit in Jesus’ deeds and deliberately declaring it to be demonic.

Verse 30

Mark clarifies that the unforgivable sin is not a rash word, but the profound, stubborn attribution of Christ's divine works to Satan, hardening the heart against the only source of forgiveness.

Verse 35

Jesus radically redefines kinship, asserting that spiritual obedience to God's will creates a bond stronger and more significant than biological ties, establishing the church as a new spiritual family.

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