Author: 杨 全荣

• Jesus called the twelve and appointment them to (v14)

1. be with Him
2. to send them out to preach
3. to cast out demons

• Mark 3:20 – Mark 6:6 is a record of Jesus spending time with His apostles, training and preparing them to preach
• Went back to Capernaum,  Peter’s house, also Jesus’s home in Capernaum (3:20)
• Jesus was serving the people, He and his disciples did not have time to eat! (3:20)
• Oppositions were building up

1. Mark 2:7 – How can this man forgive sins?
2. Mark 2:16 – Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?
3. Mark 2:18 – Why didn’t your disciples fast?
4. Mark 2:24 – Why did the disciples of Jesus pluck the heads of grain on Sabbath?
5. Mark 3:2 – They watched Jesus, waiting for Jesus to heal the man with withered hand so they can accused Jesus

• Jesus just cast out a demons-oppressed man who was blind and mule (Matt 12:22)
• 2 group of people, 2 accusations

1. Jesus family
   1. accused Jesus was out of His mind (v21)
   2. Why did they accuse Jesus? What was their intention?
2. Scribes from Jerusalem
   1. Processed by Beelzebul (v22) – criticized the person of Jesus
   2. By the prince of demons he cast of demons (v22)  – criticized the work of Jesus

• Jesus replies

1. First, Jesus pointed out the false logic of the accusers philosophy (3:23-26)
   1. Kingdom that is divided against itself cannot stand
   2. House that is divided against itself cannot stand
   3. Thus if Satan is against himself he cannot stand
2. Second, Jesus told them what secret of His power (3:27-29)
   1. The strong man is Satan
   2. But Jesus is the stronger man who binds the strong man

• Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

1. What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
2. Why can’t the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit be forgiven?
3. Can we commit the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit today?

• Why did Jesus said “Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother?” (3:35)

1. • A great crowd followed Jesus (Ch3:7-12)
   1. While the Pharisees and Herodians were planing to destroy Jesus, the people continue to come to Jesus to be healed.
   2. Can you locate these places in the map? (3:7-8)
   3. All unclean spirits knows who Jesus is, and submitted His authority.
   • Meaning of apostle
   1. A person sent by another, a messenger, envoy
   2. Jesus is the Apostle sent by God
      1. Heb 3:1  Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession
      2. Joh 20:21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
   3. There are other apostles other than the twelves:
      1. Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:14)
      2. Matthias (Acts 1:26)
      3. Silas and Timothy (2 Thes 1:1,2:6)
      4. Maybe Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7)
      5. Maybe others as well (1 Cor15:7)
   • His election of the twelve
   1. Whom He desire
      1. Shows the sovereignty of Jesus
      2. His choice is based of His infinite wisdom
      3. No man can influent His decision
      4. Not because they had asked to be called
      5. No room for protests of inability
      6. Jesus assumed responsibility
   2. Call to Himself
      1. Set them free from any responsibility
         1. John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…
         2. If there were detects in them, Jesus must deal with them and remedy them
      2. Yet imposed upon them serious responsibility
         1. Obedience to His commands, yield to His power (v13 they came to Him)
         2. confidence in the wisdom of His choice
   • His appointment of those whom He elected
   1. To be with Him
      1. To know more about Jesus, to have more intimate closeness with Jesus
      2. Jesus begin to spend more time with the apostles to train them, to prepare them for ministry
   2. To send them forth to preach and to have authority to cast out demons
   • What do you know about these 12 apostles?
   1. Peter
   2. James
   3. John
   4. Andrew
      1. disciples of John the baptist (John 1:35)
      2. brother of Peter (John 1:40)
      3. from Bethsaida (John 1:44)
      4. brought Peter to Jesus (John 1:41)
      5. Wondered how 5 loaves and 2 fishes can feet 5000 (John 6:9)
   5. Philip
      1. From Bethsaida (John 1:44)
      2. Brought Nathanael to Jesus (John 1:45)
      3. Jesus tested Philip on where to buy bread to feet 5000 (John 6:5)
      4. Brought Gentiles to Jesus (John 12:21)
      5. Asked Jesus to show them the Father (John 14:8)
      6. Philip the apostle and Philip the deacon are two persons (Acts 6:5)
   6. Bartholomew (Nathaniel)
      1. Was introduced to Jesus by Philip (John 1:45)
      2. Doubted anything good can come out of Nazareth, after conversation with Jesus, he proclaimed Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel (John 1:45-51)
   7. Matthew
      1. A levi
      2. A tax collector
      3. Writer of Matthew
   8. Thomas
      1. aka Didymus (Twin) (John 11:16)
      2. He said to Jesus “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”(John14:5)
      3. Doubted the resurrection of Jesus (John 20:24-25)
      4. later proclaimed Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)
      5. was with the other 6 apostels when Jesus appeal to them by the sea of Galilee (John 21:2)
   9. James the son of Alphaues
      1. May be the brother of Matthew (Mark 2:14)
   10. Thaddaeus (Jude)
       1. aka Judas (John 14:22)
       2. son of James (Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13)
       3. asked Jesus “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”
   11. Simon the Cananaean
       1. was member of the Zealot (Luke 6:15)
   12. Judas Iscariot

Opposition stirs against the Ministry of Jesus based on 4 events

• Jesus with the tax collectors and sinners  (v16)
• Not observing fasting  ()
• Getting food on the Sabbath ()
• Healing on the Sabbath ()

1. Tax collectors
   • Calling of Levi (Matthew)
   • Shown to be universally as corrupt
     • Luke 18:13
     • Zacchaeus Luke 19:2 – 8
   • Hated by the religious authorities
     • Collected taxes for the Herodites and Romans.

Pharisees accuses Jesus of defilement due to a fellowship with sinners.

Response from Jesus

• Jesus is among sinners because they need Him v17
• Jesus is shown to be a healer/physician Luke(4:)

1. Fasting

• Fasting is not something God explicitly commands people to do often. (Lev 16:29-31)
• If done, it must be done for the right reasons

• Done in secrecy, and humbly (Matt 6:16)

• Understanding that it is not necessarily of spiritual value

Charge against Jesus’ disciples is the lack of seriousness and solemnity in life.

Response from Jesus

• 2 illustrations

• Wedding – Feasting in joy because of the Jesus v19

• Illustrates the joy that all who are near Jesus can possess.
• David and the return of the Ark. God’s presence brings joy. (2Sam 6:16)
• Foreshadows, that Jesus will be taken away, and mourning will come (v20)
• Wineskin and cloth
  • Contrast new and old. V21-22, Matt 9:17
    • Jesus brings a new way of experiencing God
    • Fast vs Feast; Sackcloth vs. Purple cloth, solemn vs Joy

True fasting (Isaiah 58)

1. Sabbath

Disciples were gathering food to eat on the Sabbath (v23), Deut 23:25, Luke 6:1-2

• Technically nothing wrong.

Charge is against Jesus and His disciples’ failure to recognize and separate the secular and  sacred.

Response from Jesus

• Illustration using David. 1Sam 21:1-6

• David and his companions were hungry and in need

• Hunger is a natural response
  • To feed oneself is a sacred and healthy thing
  • To feed oneself in a way forbidden is wrong
  • Refer to Col 2:16

• Jesus reveals the true purpose of the Sabbath

• It is made for man.

• It is to be a benefit for the people, (restoration)
• A shadow of the eternal peace in Jesus (Hebrews 10:1)

• Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

• “Our Lord however answered the charge of failure to distinguish between the sacred and the secular, by enlarging the area of the sacred, and bringing into it man with all his essential needs; for the sanctity of man is the final secret of the sanctity of the Sabbath. Therefore whatever is necessary for holiness and health, is sacred as is the hour of worship, and must be observed. “ Morgan Campbell

1. Healing on the Sabbath
   • Important things to know.
     • Pharisees believed in the miracles that Jesus performed
     • The man was not in any danger of dying

Jesus shows us that there really is no middle ground.

Matt 12:11-12; Luke 6:9

Jesus did not sit and wait till the next day to heal. He healed on the Sabbath. 

Pharisees  were intent on killing Jesus on the Sabbath.

In Capernaum

• When if was still dark, Jesus got up (1:35).
  • Even though Jesus had a long day on Sabbath (teaching, casting out demons, healing)(1:21-34)
  • Jesus escaped the city, the crowds, to be alone with God the father
  • He knew a busy day is ahead of Him, He needed to draw energy from God
  • When do you wake up?
  • How much time you spend in prayers?
• Jesus’s quiet time was broken was Peter’s and friends (1:37)
  • Many came to look for Jesus because they heard what Jesus did the day before
  • Why do these people came to look for Jesus?
  • Jesus’s response: “Let us go somewhere else to preach…” (1:38)
  • Why did Jesus want to return back to Capernaum?
  • What is Jesus’s primary ministry? Teaching? Healing? Casting out demons? (1:38)

• Jesus went to synagogues in smaller towns and villages throughout all Galilee to preach, casting out the demons (1:39), and healing (Matt 4:23)
  • The Gospel is for everyone, regardless of where they stay, in cities or in villages
  • Large crowds followed Jesus, they came from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, beyond the Jordan (Matt 4:25)
• Healing of the leper (1:40-45)
  • Took place at the foot of the mountain where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount (Matt 8:1)
  • Why didn’t Mark record the sermon of the mount (Matt Ch5-Ch7)?
  • Healing and holiness
  • Jesus moved with compassion, touched the man (1:41). Our Lord is always willing to forgive our sins when we cry out to Him (1:41)
  • Law regarding dealing with leprosy – Lev Ch 13-14
    • Ch 13 – Identifying leprosy
    • Ch 14 – Cleaning leprosy
      • Two birds
        • What do these birds represent?
      • 2 + 1 lambs
        • What do these lambs represent?
        • blood on right ear, right thumb and right big toe (Lev14:34)
        • oil on right ear, right thumb and right big toe and on head(Lev14:35)
        • guilt offering (Lev 14:12) sin offering (Lev 14:19) burnt offering (Lev 14:20) grain offering (Lev 14:20)
  • Jesus told the man to obey the law to find a priest (1:44)
  • Jesus told the leper not to tell anyone, but the leper told everyone (1:44-45)
    • Jesus told us to tell anyone about Him, but we often keep Jesus to ourselves
• Because the disobedience cleansed leper, Jesus could no longer publicly enter any city, He stayed out in unpopulated areas, people still came to Him from everywhere (1:45)

Back to Capernaum

• Healing of the paralytic (2:1-12)
  • Took place at Peter’s or Jesus house (2:1)
  • The house was fulled with people (2:2)
  • Jesus was preaching (2:2)
  • holiness and healing
  • Compare the scribes with four men (2:6)
    • These four men had faith in Jesus
    • The scribes had doubt in Jesus (2:7) – none can forgive sins except God alone
      • They came with critical minds
      • The were jealous of the popularity of Jesus
      • Beginning of opposition that ultimately led to Jesus’s arrest and death
      • Jesus knew what was in their mind (2:8)
  • Jesus forgives sins, that shows His divinity – and He proved it by healing the man (2:11)
  • “Son of Man” emerges here (2:10)
    • Dan 7:13-14
    • Jesus used this title about eighty times in the Gospels
    • linked Jesus to other men
    • the Self-emptied One Who laid aside the powers and attributes of Divine Sonship, and limited Himself within humanity as a perfect servant for the doing of the work of God

Jesus’ ministry of 3 years can be separated into 3 parts

• Year of Obscurity (Judea)
• Year of Favor (Galilee)
• Year of oppositions (Galilee and other parts)

Year of Favor

John the Baptist’s arrest and death (Matthew 14)

Jesus’ ministry as recorded by Mark begins when John’s end and Jesus enters Galilee  (v14)

• As recorded in Mark 1:14 and  Matthew 4:12
• One year passed in between of the baptism and when Jesus enters Galilee

• Recorded in Gospel according to John from John1:29 to John 2:11.

• Silencing the minister of God does not stop the work of the God

The work being done is the preaching of the Gospel:

2 truths – the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand

2 duties – repent and believe in the Gospel

Time is fulfilled:  Prophesised by prophets – Jer 31:31    

Jesus’ arrival was sign that time of fulfillment has arrived Gal 4:4

Fulfill the law – Matthew 5:17

Kingdom of God:   Zechariah 9:9

Kingdom of God is not what Jews expected ( Luke 10:9 , 17:21)

Reign of the Messiah over all things (Ephesians 1:10)   

Repent: To change our minds for the better: worldly to heavenly.

   There is a consequence to not repent – death.(2Peter 3:9), (Luke 13:3)

   Example of repentance Matt 21: 28 – 29

   Reverent fear and love bring people to repentance (2 Cor 5:10-11 ,Rom 2:4)

Believe: Not simply to believe the Gospel, but believe in it. Not simply to know, but to       have saving faith in it. (James 2:19)

   What belief is required: Jesus is son of God (Act 8:37)

         Jesus is savior (1 Jo 4:14)

          Redemption on the cross (1Cor 15:3 – 4)

Jesus chooses his disciples

Jesus choose people who were working and not especially prestigious since they were  fishermen.

Jesus choose at first fishermen whose work may be dangerous like those who may be  ministering in foreign lands.(Matt 10:16)

To be a disciple, one has to leave the old things in order to properly serve. (v18,,20)

Luke 14:26

Andrew – Disciple of John the Baptist first before following Jesus, brother of Peter

Simon(Peter) – Impulsive, model of what a Disciple should be.

James  – one of the “Sons of Lightning”, killed by Agrippa I

John – Wrote Revelations on  Patmos. Died in Ephesus
Jesus teaches with authority 

People were always amazed – Matt 7:28-29, v22

Angels ministered to Jesus – Matt 4:11

Demons recognized His power – v25

Nature obeyed Him – Mark 4:41

Jesus heals

Jesus heals the physically sick and the spiritually sick

Physical – Simon’s mother v 30

Man with unclean spirit  v26

Jesus restores order

Simon’s mother was healed so that she could serve v31

Jesus shows us that a servant needs to be hardworking

Jesus taught during the day – v21

Healed during the evening – v31-33

Woke up in the morning to pray – v35

1. Prophesies fulfilled
   1. Malachi
      1. Malachi 3:1 prophesied about two messengers
   2. Isaiah
      1. Mark quoted Isaiah 40:3
      2. Isaiah ch40-66 talks about the suffering Servant of God
      3. Isaiah 40:9 – Good news = Gospel
      4. Peter quoted Isaiah 40:8 in 1 Peter 1:24-25
2. Meaning of Gospel
   1. Gospel = Jesus Christ, the Son of God
   2. Greek – Evangel – good news
   3. Mark 1:1 – The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
   4. Mark 1:14-15 – Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of God, told people to repent and believe in the gospel
   5. Mark 8:35 – Jesus called His disciples to deny themselves and take up the cross for His sake and gospel’s sake
   6. Mark 10:29 – …for My sale and for the gospel’s sake
   7. Mark 13:10 – The gospel must first be preached to all the nations
   8. Mark 14:9 – wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her
   9. Mark 16:15 – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation
3. Christ
   1. After Mark 1:1, Jesus was referred to as the Christ first by Peter in Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:29)
   2. Mark 9:41 Jesus referred to Himself as Christ
   3. Mark 12:35 the Christ is the son of David
   4. Mark 13:21 false Christs
   5. Mark 14:61 High priest questioned Jesus, “Are You the Christ?…”
   6. Mark 15:32 Jesus was mocked on the cross
4. Son of God
   1. The evil spirits recognized Jesus as the Son of God (3:11,5:7)
   2. Mark 14:61 – High priest questioned Jesus,”…Son of the Blessed One?”
   3. Mark 15:39 – Centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
5. Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee (1:9)
   1. Hebrew = Joshua, Greek = Jesus, very common name in Jesus time
   2. Nathaniel said “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
   3. Life in Nazareth – life as a son of a carpenter in an ordinary Jewish family
6. John the baptist
   1. John’s story was recorded in Luke Ch1,Ch3
   2. Israel had no had a prophet for 400 years
   3. Preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins
   4. Many people came and heard his message, confessed their sins and were baptized
   5. John’s ministry is to prepare to way for Jesus
7. Jesus’s baptism
   1. Symbolized Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection
      1. Repentance alone can never produce righteousness
      2. Jesus was baptized for the repentance and confession of sins, but not His own sins, it was for the sins of mankind
      3. 2 Co 5:21 – He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him
      4. Jesus was baptized so He can identify Himself with the sinners, in order that righteousness should become possible to the sinners whose sins He bore and whose sorrows He endured
         1. Matt 3:15 – Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness
   2. Jesus baptism was His act of dedication, the coming of the Spirit was God’s act of consecration
8. Holy Spirit
   1. Holy Spirit is always with Jesus, in Jesus’s baptism the Holy Spirit was given to Jesus in a new sense, in a new significance, and with new powers.
   2. Holy Spirit is referred like a dove, symbolizes the infinite gentleness and harmlessness of Jesus
   3. Sacrifice of the lowest level
   4. A fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1
9. God the Father
   1. God approved the dedication of His son
10. 40 days in the wilderness
    1. Tempted by Satan
    2. He was with the wild beasts
    3. Angels were ministering to Him
    4. Victory