Chapter 3

3:1-6

3:7-12

3:13-19

3:20-30

3:31-35

Recap

A. Find Out:

1. What was wrong with the man? v.1

2. What were some of the men there looking for? v.2

3. What were they expecting? v.2

4. What did Jesus ask about the Sabbath? v.4

5. What did Jesus feel about them? v.5

6. What did they do when the man was healed? v.6

B. Think :

1. How would you describe these people who opposed Jesus?

2. If you had been Jesus, how do you think you might have felt as you

     became aware that they were watching you to accuse you?

3. What does it say about Jesus that he just carried on and healed the man

     regardless?

C. Comment :

      First note that these men in the synagogue were looking for some reason to accuse Jesus. It wasn't a case of him doing something wrong which they noticed. They were out to find something wrong against him. These "religious" men were threatened by the life and vitality that Jesus brought, which showed up the deadness of their own beliefs. As we have seen previously, they had preconceived ideas about what should or should not be done on the day of rest. They had taken the law far beyond anything God had meant it for. Now they were going to say healing was work and therefore banned on this day, but Jesus works on the basis of compassion, not rules.

     This passage shows us the danger of "rule-centred" religion that overrides love and compassion. Here was God coming to bless His world, and men were more concerned with the rules they had made! Rule keeping comes out of love, not the other way round! Majoring on the rules often prevents the care and compassion of Jesus shining through!

D. Application?

1. Make a fresh assessment of your Christian life. Is it keeping rules or is it

     a loving response to the wonder of Jesus' love for you?

2. Express your love for Him to Him today.

Chapter: Mark 3

Passage: Mark 3:7-12   

A. Find Out:    

1. What did Jesus go to do? v.7

2. Why did many people come to him? v.8

3. Why did he ask for a small boat? v.9

4. Who were trying to get to him? v.10

5. How did the demon possessed react to him? v.11

6. What did he instruct them? v.12?

B. Think :

1. Why was Jesus so popular?

2. What apparently was the state of Israel in Jesus' day?

3. What may we conclude, perhaps, about the state of our own country?

C. Comment :

      In these few verses we see a major problem that Jesus had - of popularity! Because people had begun to hear, right across the country, that he was healing all who came to him, they now flocked to him in their desperation.

      The one thing, it seems, that we all want, is to be well! They wanted a "religion that worked!" It is interesting to remember that God had promised the Israelites, when they left Egypt many hundreds of years before, that part of their inheritance would be good health (Exo 15:26/Deut 7:15) IF they followed Him closely.

    We now find a nation filled with sickness, it seems. Not only that, there appear to be many demon possessed people, and people don't get demon possessed unless they are giving themselves to Satan. The conclusion we have to reach is that Israel had gone far from God and was now reaping the harvest of that - the absence of His protection & blessing and the abundance of the activity of Satan in their lives. Romans 1:24 ,26,28 show us that when people turn from God, God turns from them. THAT is judgement here and now!

D. Application?

1. As you consider the state of our own country today, pray that the Lord

    will have mercy on it and visit it with power in the same way He did

    through Jesus.

2. Pray that your life will so show Jesus that others will be attracted to Him

     through you.

Chapter: Mark 3

Passage: Mark 3:13-19    

A. Find Out:

1. Where did Jesus go? v.13

2. What did he designate the twelve? v.14a

3. Where were they first to be? v.14b

4. What was he to send them out to do? v.14c

5. What authority did he give them? v.15

6. What different ways are the apostles described? v.16-19

B. Think :

1. Why do you think the apostles needed to spend time with Jesus before

     going out?

2. What lesson is there for us in that?

3. What were they called to do? How does that tie in with Jesus' earlier

     preaching about the coming of the kingdom or rule of God?

C. Comment :

     We first see that these men are SEPARATED OUT from other men. Jesus calls them apart so that before they do anything else, they spend time with him. Christians, before they DO anything, are called first of all to BE with him, to have a relationship with Jesus.

     Second, we see they are APPOINTED for a task; they have been called for a job. When Jesus chooses us for any task we may be confident in performing it, because he doesn't make mistakes in who he chooses, and he doesn't make mistakes in the tasks he gives us to do. He gives specific tasks to specific people. He will equip you for what he has for you to do. Romans 12:3,6 show us that God is the provider of the grace and gifts that we have, we are what we are from Him!

     Finally, they are SENT OUT. That is the meaning of "apostle" - sent one. They will go because Jesus has sent them to do this task. They are not called just to stay with Jesus but to GO and DO what he says. Christianity isn't only about “knowing” but also about “doing”.

D. Application?

1. Do we try to serve Jesus without really knowing Him on a daily basis?

    Tell Him of your love today. Stop and listen to Him today.  

2. Are we available to Jesus to do the things He wants us to do, to go to the

    people He wants us to speak to, or simply pray for today?

Chapter: Mark 3

Passage: Mark 3:20-30  

A. Find Out:

1. Why weren't Jesus & his disciples able to eat? v.20

2. What did Jesus' own family think about him? v.21

3. What did the teachers think about him? v.22

4. How did Jesus show this was silly? v.23-26

5. What does Jesus say he is doing against Satan? v.27

6. What sin does he say cannot be forgiven? v.29

B. Think :

1. Why do you think Jesus' family felt about him as they did?

2. Why do you think the law teachers felt about Jesus as they did?

3. Why do you think we misunderstand people sometimes?

C. Comment :

     Here we see the opposition against Jesus that comes first from his own family. Perhaps they had only heard about his teaching and had not yet encountered his miraculous teaching ministry. When we think we know someone well, it is sometimes hard to accept that it is God moving through them.

    Next the opposition came from the leading religious teachers who appear to be speaking out of pure spite. Jesus obviously challenged their own powerless teaching, and as they assumed God was on their side, Satan had to be on Jesus' side! Jesus simple logic refuted this foolishness: Satan doesn't war against himself!

     Finally we see a reference to the unforgivable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, has been teaching, healing and casting out demons. The teachers of the law attribute all these good works to Satan. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is calling His works the works of Satan. The person who maintains that must be completely blind, and is clearly not in God's kingdom and so if he continues to maintain it, he cannot not be able to be forgiven, remaining as he is in his state of wilful sin.

D. Application?

1. Ask the Lord to give you an understanding heart that never maintains

    that evil is good or good is evil. See Romans 16:19b

2. Thank the Lord for the understanding you do have.

Chapter: Mark 3

Passage: Mark 3:31-35    

A. Find Out:

1. Who had come? v.31a

2. What did they do? v.31b

3. Who was with Jesus? v.32

4. What did Jesus ask? v.33

5. Who did Jesus say were his family? v.34

6. How did he justify that? v.35

B. Think :

1. What must it have been like to have large crowds around you?

2. What do you think are the key characteristics of a real "family"?

3. How would you think that applies to what Jesus said?

C. Comment :

     Consider first, the reason for Jesus' family being there. Back in verse 21 we saw they were coming because it was being said he was out of his mind, so perhaps they thought he was mentally unbalanced, and they had therefore come to take him away. Second we should note that Jesus is again surrounded by a great crowd. Such is his popularity that there are many many people with him.

      Then we see that Jesus takes this news of the arrival of his family as an opportunity to state an important principle. Jesus often took such interruptions as opportunities to either say or do something spectacular. Again and again Jesus takes the opportunity of something happening to speak something important. Do we hear when he tries to speak to us through everyday type events?

     Jesus doesn't exclude his family by his words but extends it. He makes the point that the family he wants to be known as part of is the family of God, the family of those who obey God. The people that were around him were expressing "family", being close to him, wanting to share life with him, be related to him; that is family!

D. Application?

1. Do we need to take steps to strengthen our natural family, to become

    closer?

2. Are we aware of being part of God's family, sharing with Him, close to

    Him, doing things together?

RECAP:  "Expanding Ministry & Continuing Conflict" - Mark 3

SUMMARY :  

In these 5 studies we have seen :-

COMMENT :

      Yet again we have seen Jesus continuing to teach and to heal and to cast out demons, each of which is an expression of the rule of God on earth, setting people free. There is also continued opposition and misunderstanding from both the religious people who are upset by him, and by his family who can't understand him. The truth and activity of God blesses some and upsets others!

LESSONS :

1. The Christian life is about receiving the love of God & responding to it, and not just

     keeping rules.

2. Health & godliness are so often linked, as are sickness or demon possession and

     ungodliness

3. Jesus wants disciples who are available to first of all know Him, then serve Him.

4. We should always be careful not to call evil good, or good evil.

5. As Christians we are part of God's family.

PRAY :

1.Thank the Lord again for His love to you and ask Him to help you to be open to receive His love more and more.

2. Ask for His grace to cope with those times when others oppose you for being a Christian.

PART 4 : Parables and a Miracle

     In this next Part watch for Jesus' teaching ministry coming to the fore in the form of the parables. See what we can learn about Jesus' ideas of the kingdom.