Mar 3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 3:1-6: 3:1-6 This account concludes the collection of controversy stories (2:1–3:6 ). As in the preceding story, Jesus is in conflict with the Pharisees over the Sabbath; as with the first story, the controversy involves a healing (2:1-12 ). Summary for Mark 3:1-2: 3:1-2 The scene again involves a synagogue , probably in Capernaum (1:21 , 29 ). The presence of a crippled man on the Sabbath (3:1-2 ) created a situation that Jesus’ enemies wished to exploit if he healed the man’s hand , so they watched him closely .

Summary for Mark 3:1-6: 3:1-6 ^a This account concludes the collection of controversy stories (2:1–3:6 ^b). As in the preceding story, Jesus is in conflict with the Pharisees over the Sabbath; as with the first story, the controversy involves a healing (2:1-12 ^c).
Summary for Mark 3:1-2: 3:1-2 ^d The scene again involves a synagogue, probably in Capernaum (1:21 ^e, 29 ^f). The presence of a crippled man on the Sabbath (3:1-2 ^g) created a situation that Jesus’ enemies wished to exploit if he healed the man’s hand, so they watched him closely.
Summary for Mark 3:3-4: 3:3-4 ^h Jesus challenged his enemies’ view that doing good deeds was forbidden on the Sabbath (cp. Luke 13:10-17 ⁱ).

• To destroy . . . life may refer to an incident in which the Maccabees decided to fight if attacked on the Sabbath (1 Maccabees 2:32-41). These great Jewish heroes were willing to kill on the Sabbath, yet the Pharisees would not allow good deeds on the Sabbath. Jesus’ question shamed them into silence but did not change their hearts (Mark 3:5 ^j).
Summary for Mark 3:5-6: 3:5-6 ^k Jesus’ opponents’ hard hearts would not listen to sound reason, so instead of having changed attitudes, they began to plot how to kill him (see also 11:18 ^l; 12:12 ^m; 14:1-2 ⁿ, 10-11 ^o).
Summary for Mark 3:7-12: 3:7-12 ^p Jesus’ departure to the lake (the Sea of Galilee) sets the scene for 4:1–5:43 ^q. The multitude that came to see John the Baptist (1:7 ^r) was surpassed by the multitude that came to see Jesus.

• Idumea was a region in southern Judea that had been occupied by the Edomites after the Exile.

• Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast that Jesus later visited (7:24 ^s, 31 ^t).
3:9 ^u The boat probably belonged to Peter and Andrew or to James and John. The crowd’s desire to see Jesus was so great that he needed to escape the crush of people (4:1 ^v; 5:24 ^w, 31 ^x).
3:10 ^y Jesus healed many people that day; perhaps he healed all the sick (cp. Matt 12:15 ^z).
Summary for Mark 3:11-12: 3:11-12 ^aa The evil spirits knew who Jesus was (1:34 ^ab; see also 1:22 ^ac; 5:7 ^ad), but Jesus did not want his identity revealed.
Summary for Mark 3:13-19: 3:13-19 ^ae The scene now changes to a mountain, and Mark tells how Jesus called his disciples, which is reminiscent of God’s call of Old Testament prophets (Exod 3:14-22 ^af; 1 Sam 3:4-14 ^ag; Jer 1:5-19 ^ah).
Summary for Mark 3:14-15: 3:14-15 ^ai Jesus appointed twelve to represent Israel’s twelve tribes and to proclaim that the Kingdom of God had arrived. He called them apostles (Greek apostoloi, “emissaries”). He chose them to accompany him and to be sent out (Greek apostellō) to preach and to cast out demons. They represented Jesus and were endowed with his authority.
Summary for Mark 3:16-18: 3:16-18 ^aj Simon and Andrew were brothers, as were James and John (1:16-20 ^ak).

• Peter is the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic kepa’, meaning “rock.”
3:17 ^al but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”: This nickname probably speaks of their character (cp. Luke 9:53-54 ^am).
3:18 ^an Philip is fifth on all four lists of the twelve disciples (Matt 10:1-4 ^ao; Luke 6:12-16 ^ap; Acts 1:13 ^aq); James the son of Alphaeus (not the son of Zebedee and brother of John) is always ninth. Bartholomew might be Nathanael (John 1:43-51 ^ar), and Matthew is probably Levi, the tax collector (Mark 2:14 ^as; Matt 9:9 ^at). Although Thomas is referred to as “the twin” (John 11:16 ^au; 20:24 ^av; 21:2 ^aw), nothing else is said in the New Testament about this. Thaddaeus (Matt 10:3 ^ax) is missing from Luke’s list; he might be Judas, the son of James (Luke 6:16 ^ay; Acts 1:13 ^az). That a government official (Matthew) and an anti-government activist (Simon ... the zealot) were among the twelve apostles testifies to Jesus’ ability to change people’s hearts and overcome natural antagonism.
3:19 ^ba Identifying Judas as Iscariot suggests that Mark wanted to avoid confusing him with another Judas (Luke 6:16 ^bb; Acts 1:13 ^bc). Iscariot probably comes from ’ish (“man of”) qeriyoth (“Kerioth,” a town in Judea).

• who later betrayed him: See Mark 14:10-11 ^bd, 43-46 ^be.
Summary for Mark 3:20-35: 3:20-35 ^bf This story about Jesus and his family (3:20-21 ^bg and 31-35 ^bh) brackets a controversy story about Jesus’ exorcisms (3:22-30 ^bi); this arrangement identifies Jesus’ family with the religious leaders in opposing him. 3:20 ^bj That Jesus and the disciples can’t find time to eat emphasizes Jesus’ great popularity with the crowds (3:7-9 ^bk).
3:21 ^bl He’s out of his mind: Mark does not explain whether the attempt by Jesus’ family to seize him was motivated by sincere but misguided concern, or by hostility. Jesus’ brothers and sisters were not among his followers until after his resurrection (3:31-35 ^bm; John 7:3-5 ^bn; 1 Cor 15:7 ^bo mentions James, the brother of Jesus, who became a leader of the Jerusalem church, Acts 15:13-21 ^bp).
3:22 ^bq The teachers of religious law (see study note on 1:22) from Jerusalem attributed Jesus’ apparent madness to his being possessed by Satan (Greek Beelzeboul; see study note on Matt 10:25). Jesus’ opponents credited his miracle-working ability to Satan (as in the rabbinic work, Sanhedrin 3:43a, where miracle-working is ascribed to sorcery).
Summary for Mark 3:23-27: 3:23-27 ^br Jesus showed the absurdity of this charge by giving several analogies. Satan would not undo his own work.
3:27 ^bs Jesus provided a better explanation for his ability to cast out demons: Someone stronger than Satan had arrived (1:7 ^bt) and was able to loot Satan’s house. Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God (1:1 ^bu), was introducing God’s Kingdom and rescuing people from Satan’s power.
Summary for Mark 3:28-30: 3:28-30 ^bv The phrase I tell you the truth introduces many of Jesus’ sayings and gives emphasis to what follows (see also 8:12 ^bw; 9:1 ^bx, 41 ^by; 10:15 ^bz, 29 ^ca; 11:23 ^cb; 12:43 ^cc; 13:30 ^cd; 14:9 ^ce, 18 ^cf, 25 ^cg, 30 ^ch).

• All sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but there is a sin with eternal consequences—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to attribute the work of God to an evil spirit. Resisting and denouncing the work of God in this way prevents the convicting work of the Spirit that leads to repentance, saving faith in God, and pardon for sin (see study notes on Matt 12:31-32; cp. Heb 6:4-6 ^ci; 1 Jn 5:16-17 ^cj).
Summary for Mark 3:31-35: 3:31-35 ^ck Mark resumes from 3:20-21 ^cl.

• Your mother and your brothers: Jesus’ brothers are commonly understood to have been children born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus’ birth (see also 6:3 ^cm; Matt 1:25 ^cn; 12:46 ^co; John 19:26-27 ^cp); some interpreters instead believe that they were either Joseph’s children by an earlier marriage or Jesus’ cousins, due to the Roman Catholic belief that Mary was perpetually a virgin.
Summary for Mark 3:33-34: 3:33-34 ^cq In God’s Kingdom, one’s true relatives are determined not by blood but by a faith relationship (see also 10:29-30 ^cr).
3:35 ^cs Doing God’s will includes repentance from sin, faith in God, and following Jesus (1:15 ^ct, 18 ^cu, 20 ^cv).