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 which had a withered hand. ​
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 which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
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.
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. ​
6
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. ​

Jesus Ministered to Great Crowds

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.

The Appointment of the Twelve Apostles

13
And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. ​
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And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, ​
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And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
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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: ​
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And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
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And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. ​

The Beelzebul Accusation

20
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 of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. ​
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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 cannot stand.
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And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
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No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: ​
30
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. ​

Jesus Defines His True Family

31
There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
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And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
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And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
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And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35
For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my 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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