Introduction What single person has had the greatest impact on human history? The Lord Jesus Christ. The historian Phillip Schaff wrote; "This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science...he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times." Yale Historian, Kenneth Scott Latourette says; It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being, that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many peoples and languages, and that far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount. In the third chapter of Mark Jesus has been called a law breaker (vv.1-6); a miracle worker (vv.7-12); later Jesus will be called master (vv.13-19). The third chapter reveals Christ s courage (vv.1-6); compassion (vv.7-12) and will later focus on the call (vv.13-19) of his disciples. But criticism will continue from his enemies (vv.20-30). Love Jesus or hate Jesus; everyone seems to have some opinion about him. What do you think about Jesus? Was Jesus a lawbreaker? A miracle worker? Master? Or is He the King of Reality, the Lord of the Universe, The Creator and Sustainer of all things? In this passage Jesus heals those who are sick and restores those who are possessed. The religious leaders have rejected Jesus and seek to kill him. But even in the presence of such hostility the popularity of Jesus continues to swell among the masses. Hostility and popularity combine to create huge pressure for Jesus. What does Jesus do when faced with hostility and popularity? He will remove Himself to a place where he will be less vulnerable to their strategies and pressures. Later in the chapter Jesus will share the growing demands and responsibilities with others. Dividing the workload can often diffuse the pressure. The Servant Withdraws (v.7a) Mark 3:7 (NKJV) But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. In the previous passage the religious leaders plot Christ s death. Jesus withdraws with His disciples to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is not inviting death nor is he running from His enemies. Jesus had one great purpose; to fulfill God s will. Jesus will face His enemies and sometimes Jesus will withdraw from harm s way. Jesus was not afraid to stay; or afraid to go. 1
We seek to live peaceably among all people. But sometimes withdrawal from a hostile crowd is the best course of action. In Mark s Gospel we see Jesus withdraw in chapters 6:31, 46; 7:24,31; 10:1; 14:34-35. The Servant s Impact On People (vv.7b-10) And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea. Jesus has reached the pinnacle of popularity. Mark points out that people came from all over the nation and later from foreign countries. At that time the Galilee was a heavily populated area with over 200 cities with populations sometimes in excess of 15,000 people (Josephus). Crowds are not always a sign of success. But crowds can serve as a means of ministry. The fame of Jesus grew, and as Christ s fame grew so did the crowds. In Christ s earthly ministry there were certain physical limitations. Jesus had no problem generating a crowd, but he also had no problem thinning the ranks. People are easily influenced. I think there is a legitimate popularity that comes from God given favor. I think of Billy Graham. I think of Joel Rosenberg. I think of the simple message of the Gospel and the reality of how people need to hear the gospel. Mark 3:8 (NKJV) and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. Twice the phrase a great multitude appears in verse 7 and again in verse 8. Crowds came from Jerusalem and Judea; this was over a hundred mile journey. Idumea was the province south and east in modern Jordan and was the ancestral home of Herod The Great. It s borders extended all the way down to Arabia. Idumea was the Greek and Roman name for the ancient land of Edom or the land of Esau (Gen.25:30; 36:1,8). Tyre and Sidon were north of the Galilee; and constituted the remnants of the ancient kingdom of Phoenicia. People traveled significant distances to see Jesus. Mark gives the reason; when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. News travelled quickly. The amazing abilities of Jesus defied logic and the laws of nature. Was Jesus the long awaited Jewish Messiah? Was Jesus the one sent by God to provide the solutions to man s deep seated problems? One of the most effective questions you can ask anyone is Who is Jesus? Like the crowds of old, how can we get close enough to Jesus to see who He really was? The popularity of Jesus and His followers ebb and flow. The efforts of Christians will be accepted by some and rejected by others. Mark 3:9 (NKJV) So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 2
The crowds became overwhelming to the point of threatening his life. Jesus ordered a small boat (ploiarion), cast off from the shoreline in order to keep the crowd from crushing Him to death. We sometimes forget that Jesus was a human being with all the limitations of being a human being. The pressure on Jesus on Jesus must have been intense! It seems like such a small request. Jesus says, get me a boat. Get the boat and keep it ready. No service, no matter how trivial it may seem to you, is disdained by Jesus. The popularity of Jesus was complimented by his adaptability. Jesus could preach in the synagogue, on the shore, on a boat, in a grocery store! Jesus was prepared to preach under favorable and no so favorable circumstances. Jesus would not allow popularity and success or even human need to divert Him from His primary ministry. The primary ministry of Jesus was not to heal the sick or deliver the afflicted from demons. The primary ministry of Jesus was to preach the gospel of the Kingdom--the necessity of repentance from sin and to believe God s message of hope and forgiveness in the person of God s Messiah Jesus Christ. In the very first chapter of Mark s gospel in verse 15 Jesus said, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel. Jesus was willing to push off a little way to teach and preach His message. Jesus has pushed off a little ways from the dark blue pearl we call the earth and is seated on His throne in heaven. Jesus speaks even now. Jesus did not leave the earth and go to heaven to make it more difficult to reach human beings; but to make it easier! We know that with a vast crowd, a gigantic multitude, only a few could get close enough to see Jesus or touch Jesus. Jesus is now in a place where all can see Him by faith! I have watched people in the jungles of Columbia see Jesus by faith, I have seen people near the shores of the pacific ocean in Chile, and Mexico, and California see Him by faith. I have watched people in Jerusalem and Bombay, look into heaven and see Jesus by faith! We live in a world where people will mob Lady Gaga, Oprah, and Justin Bieber. We live in a world where people are attracted to celebrity. But the celebrity status of Jesus is met with mixed reviews. Mark 3:10 (NKJV) For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. Jesus offered healing, Jesus offered hope. He healed many so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. The word afflictions literally means a whip or a lash ; it was sometimes translated plagues or scourges (See MacArthur Study Bible note; on this verse p. 1464). 3
The crowds represent two primary sources of needy people. Those troubled in body--those with serious physical illnesses; and those troubled in soul--to the point of being possessed by demons! Jesus heals the body in order to demonstrate what he can do for the spirit. The miracles of Jesus illustrate, demonstrate, express in visible real tangible ways the lovingkindness of God, His goodwill towards human beings; His desire for our happiness and willingness to shield us from evil. The miracles were meant to demonstrate the power of Jesus as true King and true Lord. And God in His grace and mercy allows the supernatural intervention of His power in our lives to remind us of that grace and goodness. Desperate people came to Jesus for a miracle! Who can blame them? Does Jesus offer real hope? What did the afflicted do? They pressed about Him. The verb is epipipto fall upon the picture is of great crowd pressing forward to touch Jesus to receive healing. The danger for Jesus is that he will be pushed into the lake. Some came to Jesus seeking a miracle. Some came to Jesus as skeptics. Some came to Jesus as critics. Some were curious. Some came to Jesus entirely motivated by what some might perceive as selfish reasons. Some may have came intrigued by the strange and wonderful and penetrating teachings of Jesus. But were there a few who were drawn by the possibility that Jesus could cure the most miserable problem of all; sin and estrangement from God? Mixed motives? Indeed. Does Jesus change His message or lower moral demands for the benefit of the crowds? I don t think so. One of the things about the popular ministry of Jesus and the enormous crowds is that Jesus never asks for their help or requests the multitude to help Him in His ministry endeavors. Can something as simple as the proclamation of the gospel with power by God s servant draw crowds? There is no single subject that can generate such lasting change as the proclamation of the Gospel and the hope found in the person of Jesus, the sacrifice of Jesus and the love of Jesus Christ. What constitutes the convincing power of God in Christ that Christianity is true, that Jesus is Lord and that human beings have hope? We could point to many things; the fulfilled prophecy, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; changed lives! Mark leaves us with the impression that more people were interested in what Jesus could do for them and less interested in what Jesus had to say to them. The Servant s Impact On Evil Spirits (vv.11-12) 4
Mark 3:11 (NKJV) And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, You are the Son of God. What was the impact of Jesus upon demonic beings? The demonic spirits acknowledge Christ s identity and Deity. They are not motivated by love or admiration but raw terror. The unclean spirits are profoundly aware of their final destination. The lake of fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels. The spirits are called unclean for good reason. They are morally and spiritually filthy. They are evil spirits and urge others to participate in evil. Think of the tragedy--that demonic spirits are willing to confess the supremacy of Christ, but mere mortals, foolish human beings are unwilling to confess Christ. Demons should never be seen as a credible source of revelation. Paul wrote; Colossians 1:18 (NKJV) And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Or...that in everything He might have supremacy. David Bryant has written a book entitled; Christ is All. In the book Bryant defines and describes that supremacy in terms of focus, fulfillment, fullness and fervency. This is a hope shaped by who Jesus is as the Son of God; that is the focus of His Supremacy.It is a hope shaped by were Christ leads in the purposes of God...this is the fulfillment of His Supremacy. It is a hope shaped by how Christ imparts the resources of God...this is the fullness of His supremacy. It is a hope shaped by what Christ receives from the people of God, this is the fervency of his supremacy (see xiii; Title page of the book). Some people mock God calling Him the invisible Man in the sky. Mark 3:12 (NKJV) But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. The expression sternly warned or gave them strict orders not to tell (NIV) is too mild. The verb epitimao is often translated rebuke -- Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea--the thrust seems to be put a sock in it or be gagged. Why? Once again Jesus does not rely on the testimony of unclean spirits. Jesus did not desire that men then or now believe Him, trust Him, love Him, on the basis of the testimony of evil spirits. 5
The same thing happened to Paul the Apostle in the book of Acts. A woman who had a spirit of divination followed Paul and Barnabas and repeatedly cried out, These men are servants of the most High God! Paul cast the demon from her. Both Jesus and the apostles rejected this kind of testimony. Demons have no desire to advance the cause of Christ. Demons mislead people. They use deceit as their useful tool. The religious leaders will later claim that demons and Jesus are allies (v.22). The truth? Jesus has power over demons. That should bring comfort and assurance to the saints and terror to the unbeliever. The confession Jesus is looking for is that of a broken heart and contrite spirit. Jesus is looking for the person who is willing to repent from their sin and trust Him as Lord and Savior. Psalm 34:18 (NKJV) The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, have a contrite spirit. And saves such as Conclusion Are you under pressure? Is something wrong at home, at work, in your friendships or marriage? Is it becoming increasingly difficult to tell who are your friends and who are your enemies? Do you make an effort to do what s right and then are completely misunderstood by family or friends or even enemies? In a book Joy That Lasts Gary Smalley tells the story of Jim. Jim had been married almost ten years. There was nothing terribly wrong in his marriage but there was something missing. The excitement, the joy, the novelty had gone. In an attempt to re-capture some of those old feelings Jim asked his secretary what suggestions she might have for their upcoming anniversary. Flowers, she said. Get her flowers. And buy a big box of candy as well. In fact, you might even find a romantic poem, memorize it, and recite it to her when you give the gifts. Jim really wasn t a flowers, candy and poem reading kind of a guy. But he decided to take his secretary s suggestion. He cancelled all his afternoon appointments, drove to the florist and to the candy shop. He went into the library and got a book of poems. Nearly bursting with excitement, Jim drove to his house, carried his pile of presents to the front door, and rang the doorbell. When his wife answered the door, Jim started to recite the poem he had selected and handed her the candy and flowers. She stared at him with a blank stare for a moment. Then she burst into tears and sobs. What s the matter honey? Jim asked. What s the matter? What s the matter! She cried. The garage door opener broke this morning; the baby is sick and is running from both ends; the dog ate the remote control for the television and now you come home drunk! Just like real life. Sometimes we get just the opposite response we re looking for. We are misunderstood. Has your hard work been rewarded with criticism? Did you expect a word of 6
hope and encouragement and then gotten yelled at? Did you pour your heart out only to have it stepped on? How did you deal with the pressure? Have you found a place where you less vulnerable to the pressures? Are you willing to share the growing demands and responsibilities with others? 7