Mark 3 | The Wolfe Notes

In 2025, we're working our way through the gospels and invite you to join us as we seek to learn from Jesus. Find all our notes, from this year and past years, at the Faith Food tab. And if you'd like ideas for suggested pacing, download our May calendar. Welcome, friends, we're so glad you're journeying with us. Let's grow together!

Our notes on Mark 3 include:

1. An Overview: Topic, Themes, and Summary.
2. An Outline Of our thoughts and questions.
3. Research On Jesus commanding the demon's silence.
4. A Reflection On protecting His image.
5. An Invitation to Respond to Upholding God's reputation.

Mark 3

Epimedium blossoms by Nennieinszweidrei at Pixabay 

Overview

General Topic

Jesus' reputation is on the line.

Key Themes

Soul Integrity. Family. Opposition.

Summary

As Jesus' popularity soars, so does His opposition. His adversaries collect and spread arguments against Him that include breaking Sabbath laws and being in league with Satan as the populace presses in for healing. His family tries to rescue Him from ruining His reputation, but instead He upholds God's reputation. He identifies His true family as anyone who protects the Father's reputation with Him.

Thoughts, Questions, and Connections

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, and ! a connection. Researched answers are in italics. Behold requires our attention; it marks our partnership with God.

On Sabbath Healing (Mark 3:1-6)

1. The Pharisees, who were always keeping a close watch on Jesus so they might arrest Him, witnessed Him approaching a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.
1. * What bravery, to come to the front knowing Jesus is being painted the enemy. Faith is required.
2. Before healing, Jesus asked, "Is it better to do good and save life on the Sabbath or to do harm and kill?"
1. * While Sabbath is meant to provide us rest, Jesus' healing brings us rest and He is our rest. Yet another opportunity to rethink traditions. 
2. It would not have been considered unlawful for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath. In fact, healing on the Sabbath was common practice. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
3. 🎶Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted / Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love / you speak life🎵 ("Speak Life" performed by TobyMac)
4. x I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Isaiah 45:7 KJV (See our Isaiah 45 notes.)
3. No one responded.
1. x And I looked, and there was none to help; And I wondered that there was none to uphold: Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; And my fury, it upheld me. Isaiah 63:5 KJV (See our Isaiah 63 notes.)
4. Jesus was angered by the hardness of their hearts.
1. * This verse struck me: it echoed my current struggle. Yet, though I feel anger, I must remember to be careful that I do not sin in my anger (Ephesians 4:26). My goal is to always love God and people well.
5. Then, He healed the man in full display of the disapproving Pharisees who marched straight to the Herodians to conspire against Him.
1. x She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20 KJV (See our Proverbs 31:20 notes.)
2. x And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. I Kings 13:6 KJV

On Jesus' Popularity (Mark 3:7-12)

Read Matthew 12:15-16 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 12 notes.)

1. Meanwhile, Jesus' renown only grows. Crowds, both Jew and Gentile, follow Him because they have heard of the great things He has done.
1. 🎵Praise the Lord / Praise the Lord / Let the earth hear His voice.🎶("To God Be the Glory" performed by Reawaken Hymns)
2. People came from both Jew and Gentile locations. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
2. So vast were the crowds that Jesus kept an escape route.
3. They kept pressing in on Him because they longed for the healing only He could offer.
1. ? Are you pressing in? Do you seek Him for the healing you need? Can you admit you need healing?
4. The demons would recognize Him and proclaim His identity, and Jesus continuously told them to stop.
1. ? Why did Jesus keep silencing the demons? Did He want the crowds to discover on their own who He was? Afterall, the source of information does matter. *R

On Gathering the Twelve (Mark 3:13-19)

Read Matthew 10:2-4 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 10 notes.)

1. [*So He could direct how His identity was revealed,] Jesus appointed twelve men to accompany Him, to preach, and to drive out evil spirits.
1. ? Why did Mark insert the gathering of the 12 here? Because of the crowds? His popularity? To record who His inner circle actually was? *It interests me that in the middle of a chapter on Jesus' reputation, there is a timeout to focus on the "others" that surround Him. Jesus even gives some new names, showing how intimately He knows them. Which is what a relationship with Jesus is all about: getting to know the truth of who He is as we accept that He already knows who we truly are (and still loves us).
2. ? Mark makes it sound like the 12 were summoned at the same time. Perhaps when and in what order they were summoned really is an insignificant detail. But then why set the scene? Why mention it was on a hillside?
3. The 12 disciples immediately make the Jewish crowd think of the 12 tribes of Israel. Any remnant or renewal moment would commonly involve 12 leaders. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
4. Verses 13 and 14, which describe the commissioning of the disciples, are commonly omitted. The Voice Bible
5. Simon, or Simeon, was a very popular name, so nicknames would often be used to prevent confusion. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
6. ? Why was each disciple chosen? Were they each from a different tribe? Is there a connection, other than that none of them were religious leaders?

On Blasphemy (Mark 3:20-30)

Read Matthew 12:25-29 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 12 notes.)

1. As Jesus' popularity soared, so did whispers about His sanity.
2. Jesus' family grew concerned and moved to intervene.
3. A most troubling accusation was the scribes' insinuation that Jesus was possessed. They reasoned that His ability to cast out devils was because He was working with them.
4. Jesus questioned their logic. "Why would evil cast out evil? A team that opposes itself will lose."
5. Then tells them that giving the devil credit for God's work is an unpardonable sin.
1. * They are so determined to discredit God, they will never see the truth of who He is.
2. Essentially, they are calling God Satan. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
3. Biblical law does not provide atonement for deliberate sin.
1. x "'But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the LORD's word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.'" Numbers 15:30-31 NIV
2. x Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, "I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way," they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the LORD will blot out their names from under heaven. Deuteronomy 29:18-20 NIV

On True Family (Mark 3:31-35)

Read Matthew 12:46-50 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 12 notes.)

1. Jesus' family arrives [*to try and save His reputation], but Jesus says Behold! His family is actually anyone who protects God's reputation.
1. ! "...[uphold] the truth in the teeth of tyranny and in the very jaws of death." Spurgeon
2. ! "Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience...Be not guided by the will-o'-the-wisp of policy, but by the polestar of divine authority. Follow the right at all hazards." Spurgeon
3. x "For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:25-26 PHILLIPS
4. ! "Be faithful in His family business."™  Brant Hansen 

Exploration

Why did Jesus command the demons' silence?

Referenced Verse

But he warned [the evil spirits] repeatedly that they must not make him known. Mark 3:12 PHILLIPS

Commentary Notes

• It was too soon to reveal His identity. He needed to build a foundation of trust first.
• It confirms the existence of demons. Because if they weren't from the spiritual realm, they would not know who Jesus was.
• It was not the source He wanted to be spreading the news.

Related Verses

• Behold my servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, And the smoking flax shall he not quench: He shall bring forth judgement unto truth. Isaiah 42:1-3 KJV *Jesus was not going to stand on a street corner and shout out who He was. His method is gentle. It is a still, small voice that invites people to come to Him and see who He is for themselves.
• "Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves. You can tell them by their fruit... A good tree is incapable of producing bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Matthew 7:15-20 PHILLIPS (See also Proverbs 31:31, our notes on Proverbs 31:31, and on Matthew 7.) *Jesus wanted to be known by what He does, not by whispered rumors from untrustworthy sources. 
• To the man who thinks that faith by itself is enough, I feel inclined to say, "So you believe that there is one God? That's fine. So do all the devils in hell and shudder in terror!" James 2:18-19 PHILLIPS *Jesus modeled what He wants from us: to do good works in faith. Just believing He is real is not enough; we must also do what He tells us to do.

*Thoughts: Jesus did not want the truth of who He was to be spread by demons. He wanted people to know Him for the good fruit that He produced and trust Him for that. Then, as they come to know Him, they will believe the truth of who He is. Beholding doesn't happen instantly; it takes time and intimacy.

Sources: Bible Hub commentary on Mark 3:12.

Reflection

Now Jesus can no longer hide: everyone knows of Him. And, as happens when a figure takes center stage, everyone picks a side.

On one side, we have the Pharisees and Jesus' blood relatives. 

The Pharisees simply cannot have Jesus undermine their authority, so they watch carefully for every opportunity to cast doubt against Him.

"He does not follow our laws! He is a rule-breaker. A rebel!"

"His power is not from God. He works with Satan!"

It would be difficult for a Jew who was trained to follow the voice of the Pharisees to ignore these claims. I'm certain that the Pharisees successfully cast doubt in the minds of many Jews - including His own family.

Jesus' family was scared about the effect His popularity would have on them. So, they rushed to silence Him.

But Jesus would have none of it. He turned to the people on His side and named them as His true family. 

Who were these people? 

People who believed He could heal. People who sought Him for the miracles He performed. People who stood up in their faith of Him while under the Pharisees' glare. People who longed to know Him more. People who gave up all that they had - family, possessions, security, reputation - to follow Him.

People like you. 

People like me.

In the end, all Jesus is asking is, "Who's side are you on?" 

Is your purpose firmly planted in protecting Jesus' identity by doing the will of the Father, or is it in protecting your own identity by holding others back and planting seeds of distrust so you can elevate your own image? 

Whose image are you protecting, yours or His?

Respond

Connect

God's reputation is what matters. That He is God and you are His, that is all we need to concern ourselves with.

Reflect

• How do you try to protect your own image? How can you change each of your self-protecting image behaviors into God-glorifying ones? Focus on choosing behaviors that will showcase your love for God and others.
• How do people know, from your behaviors and conversation, that you bear God's image? What behaviors or thought patterns detract from His image? What steps can you take to reflect His image better?
• Am I showing in my thoughts and actions that what I truly want is for myself and others to know God more? Or do my thoughts and actions show that I mostly care about what others think of me?

Act

• Arise! Live to love God and others well. Esteem them above yourself.
• Arise! Reflect His image to the world.
• Arise! Focus your efforts, for yourself and others, toward knowing God more.

*Related Sermon: "Authority, Obedience, and the Absence of Fruit" by Grant Agler

In Closing

Father God, I spend way too much time thinking about myself. I stew over how I've been wronged. I toss and turn over what I should have said or done differently. I lament at being unnoticed. And, in my self-inflicted torment, I lose sight of what really matters: You. I want my focus in every moment to be full of Your love. Because I know that if I stand in complete confidence of Your love for me, I can love others well. Break down my barriers and teach me to love recklessly. There are so many beautiful people on this earth who carry Your name, and the more I know them, the more I know You. Thank You for walking with me as I learn to step away from protecting my feelings and walk toward knowing You more by loving others better.

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