12 Mark’s Sweeping Summary of Jesus’ Ministry
(Mark 3:7–19)

Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons. And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. (3:7–19)

Mark introduced his gospel history by identifying Jesus Christ as the Son of God (1:1). That declaration was affirmed by testimony from the Old Testament prophets (1:2–3), John the Baptist (1:4–9), and even God Himself (1:10–11). It was further validated by the miraculous works that Jesus performed. Throughout the course of His ministry, Jesus repeatedly demonstrated His deity through visible displays of divine power: over Satan (1:12–13), demons (1:23–27), disease (1:30–34), sin (2:5–12), and the Sabbath (2:23–3:6). Even His disciples immediately left everything to obey His summons (1:18, 20; 2:14). Time after time, as Jesus exercised His divine power, He gave incontrovertible proof that He is who He claimed to be: the incarnate Son of God and Savior of the world.

In this section (3:7–19), Mark offers a sweeping summary of Jesus’ ministry—highlighting in succinct fashion key themes he has already articulated. Specifically, these verses focus on three facets of the Lord’s ministry: His popular appeal with the crowds (vv. 7–9), His power and authority over the demons (vv. 10–12), and His personal appointing of the Twelve (vv. 13–19). These three themes revolve around and add weight to the central theological truth of verse 11, which says of Jesus, “You are the Son of God.”

POPULAR APPEAL

After Jesus’ showdown with the Pharisees in the synagogue, Mark 3:6 explains: “The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” Fully aware of their plot, Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples, knowing it was not yet God’s time for Him to be arrested and crucified (cf. John 7:8, 30; 12:23). In order to avoid His enemies, He distanced Himself from them by traveling along the north end of the Sea of Galilee to an isolated place.

At this point, His disciples consisted of an unknown number of followers. The Greek word mathētēs (disciple) means “learner” or “student” and refers to those who had moved beyond an initial interest in Jesus and desired to follow Him as their teacher. During His earthly ministry, Jesus had numerous disciples, many of whom were superficial and would not remain with Him (cf. John 2:23–25; 6:66). Yet, scattered among this crowd were those men who later became the twelve apostles. Jesus had already called Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathaniel, and Matthew to be His disciples (1:16–20; 2:13–14; John 1:35–51). Soon, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot would be added to that list (3:18–19).

By leaving the city, Jesus escaped His enemies for the time being. But He did not escape the relentless crowds. In fact, a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. The double use of great likely indicates thousands if not tens of thousands of people. The size of the multitude was indicative of the fact that Jesus’ fame had been spreading over the small region of Galilee and throughout Israel (cf. 1:28). His popularity made it difficult for Him to minister publicly in urban areas (1:45). Consequently, He often taught by the Sea of Galilee (2:13), away from the population centers. Even so, such crowds found Him.

Mark underscores the scope of Jesus’ popularity by noting the various geographical regions represented in the throng of people who pressed to see Him. Some were from the south—from Judea, from Jerusalem, and even farther south, from Idumea. Others came from the east, from beyond the Jordan. Still more traveled from the northwestern vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a predominantly Gentile area, to join with the fascinated masses from Galilee. Jesus’ popularity had no equal in the history of Israel. Even King Herod was intrigued by the news about Him (Luke 23:8; cf. Matt. 14:1–2).

Those who ventured out to see Jesus experienced miraculous displays unlike anything in history. The blind were given sight, the crippled walked, the deaf heard, the sick were made well, and the leprous cleansed. It was wonder upon wonder, beyond what anyone could have ever imagined. In an era nearly two thousand years before the development of modern medicine in the nineteenth century, Jesus banished disease and its effects from the land of Israel for the duration of His ministry. With nothing more than a word and a touch, He brought immediate, complete healing and restoration to those who suffered from even the most debilitating defects, diseases, and disabilities. In addition, demon-possessed souls were delivered instantly.

People from every region around Israel, even the bordering Gentile areas, flooded into Galilee, bringing sick family members and desperate friends to Jesus. The Lord’s miracles were public and undeniable, which is why the people kept coming. No one questioned His miracles. There is no record of any effort to deny any of them. Even His enemies, who would have strongly desired to discredit the reality of His miracles, never suggested they were not factual. Yet, they refused to believe in Him. Unable to deny Jesus’ power, these stubborn unbelievers attempted to discredit His person by attributing the source of His power to Satan (3:22).

Despite such sinister accusations, the religious leaders could not keep the people away from Jesus. At times the crowds were so dense that Jesus told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him. In order to avoid being crushed by the swarms of people, all of whom were pressing to be close to Him, Jesus would sometimes get into a small boat and be pushed out away from the shore. Mark 4:1 records such an incident, “He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.” On such occasions, the separation allowed Him to accomplish His priority of preaching the good news of the kingdom.

Most of the people who comprised the swarming crowds were eager to experience Jesus’ miracles. Though they were attracted by His powerful works, they were simultaneously offended by His piercing words. Even many of His disciples ultimately rejected His message and permanently deserted Him (cf. John 6:60–69). Sadly, in the end, Jesus Himself would pronounce judgment on the unbelief of the vast majority who had experienced His miracles and heard Him preach the truth of God (cf. Matt. 7:13–14, 21–23; 11:21–24).

POWER AND AUTHORITY

For He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. (3:10–12)

Jesus’ popular appeal with the people was fueled by His miracles, though popularity was not His goal. As manifestations of His divine power, His supernatural works were signs that authenticated His salvation message (cf. John 5:36; 10:38) as the divine messianic King. Most of the miracles Jesus performed were acts of healing (cf. Matt. 8:5–13; 9:32–33; Mark 1:30–31, 40–44; 2:3–12; 5:25–34; 8:22–26; 9:17–29; 10:46–52; Luke 13:10–17; 14:1–4; 17:11–19; 22:50–51; John 4:46–54; 5:1–15; 9:1–41). Those creative miracles required the instant reversal of disease and decay and the immediate restoration of the human body. For Jesus, the Creator of the universe (John 1:3), no sickness or disability proved too difficult to heal. He instantly created new limbs and organs—restoring eyes, ears, hands, feet, and bodies to full health and function.

The result was that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. The Greek word translated afflictions (mastix) literally refers to a scourge or a whip. Used figuratively, it was employed by the Jews to speak of a calamity or misfortune sent by God as a punishment. In first-century Judaism, it was common to interpret disease and disability as the judgment of God (Luke 13:2; John 9:2; Acts 28:4). Many of those suffering from physical ailments interpreted their hardship as God’s displeasure toward them. That notion made some particularly receptive to the good news of salvation. Jesus not only offered them physical healing but also spiritual healing—forgiveness from sin, reconciliation with God, and the hope of eternal life (cf. 2:1–12).

The people pressed tightly around Jesus, hoping just to touch Him in order to be healed (cf. 1:41). As Mark 6:56 reports regarding a later point in Jesus’ ministry: “Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.” They had learned that Jesus’ power was so available and effective that merely putting a hand on Him could produce instant and total healing.

Along with healing diseases, Jesus also cast out demons. Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. The agents of Satan were everywhere, as always covertly working to destroy the souls of those under their influence. Though demons prefer to hide, masquerading as angels of light (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14), they were unable to conceal themselves from Jesus. In His presence, they panicked, falling down before Him and blurting out His identity (Mark 1:24; cf. James 2:19): “You are the Son of God!” They fearfully recognized Him for who He truly was, the Sovereign of the universe (cf. Mark 6:6–7). Though their declaration of His identity was theologically correct, Jesus was not looking for publicity from demons (cf. Acts 16:16–18). He desired no promotion or testimony from the realm of Satan, so He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. Jesus’ authority over demons underscores His divine nature. Not only did they recognize Him as the Son of God, but when He cast them out, they fled under His authority. When He told them to be quiet, they obeyed. Though they were His most vicious enemies, they were constrained to submit to His commands.

Jesus’ unparalleled, unheard of power over the demons caused the people to wonder who He was (cf. 1:27). Who possessed such authority? Who could banish both demons and disease? Who was this Man? Mark’s history has repeatedly answered such queries: He is none other than the Son of God. The Father declared that reality at His baptism (1:11), and even the demons could not help but acknowledge it when He confronted them (3:11). Eventually, Jesus’ closest disciples would come to understand that same truth (8:29). The nation of Israel as a whole never did. Under the influence of their apostate religious leaders, the people rejected Jesus, refusing to confess Him as divine Messiah and King.

PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS

And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons. And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. (3:13–19)

Mark transitions from the popularity and power of Jesus to focus on a select group of His disciples. These twelve men, some of whom Mark has already introduced (1:16–20; 2:14–15), were personally chosen by Jesus as His apostles, who would be His legal representatives and royal ambassadors, even after He was gone.

When Jesus selected the Twelve, He was making a statement of judgment on Israel’s unbelief. The caretakers of apostate Judaism had totally rejected Him. The Sadducees resented Him for cleansing the temple and exposing their system of greed and corruption (John 2:14–18). The Pharisees and scribes wanted Him dead for opposing their Sabbath observances and for claiming equality with God (John 5:18). Even the secularist Herodians agreed that Jesus was an agitator who had be eliminated (Mark 3:6). When the leaders of Israel rejected God’s Son, God rejected them. The Pharisees and scribes, along with the Sadducees, had demonstrated their unworthiness as the shepherds of Israel (cf. Ezek. 34:1–10). The religious nobility and rabbinic academy of Judaism was altogether unqualified to represent God. They misrepresented the Old Testament, corrupted the people, and produced sons of hell (Matt. 23:15). They thought they were enlightened about God, but in reality they were “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt. 15:14 KJV). They perceived themselves to be the protectors and purveyors of God’s Word, when in truth, they had substituted the traditions of men for the commandments of God (Mark 7:6–13). Though they convinced themselves that they were pleasing the God of their fathers, they were actually children “of [their] father, the devil” (John 8:44). It was not Jesus who was of Satan but them.

Clearly, they needed to be removed. That Jesus did so by selecting a group of twelve nondescript laymen, none of whom came out of the religious establishment, was a rebuke to the entire system. The number twelve was not arbitrary or accidental. It represented the fact that, in the messianic kingdom, these twelve men would be given the responsibility to rule over each of Israel’s twelve tribes (cf. Luke 22:28–30; Rev. 21:12–14). By selecting twelve apostles, Jesus was sending an unmistakable message to the leaders of Israel that they were spiritually disqualified, and therefore shut out of His kingdom. He confronted them directly, publicly, and repeatedly with such denunciations. Instead of repenting, their determination to kill Him increased.

Jesus knew their hatred would eventually lead to His death, as the Father had planned (Acts 2:23–24; 4:27–28). The cross was looming nearer. As Jesus set His face toward Calvary, He also made preparations for what would happen after His death. Who would carry on the message of the gospel to the world after He, the Messiah, had been killed? The answer to that question started with these twelve men.

None of the Twelve turned in an application or submitted a résumé. Even if they had, their credentials would have been utterly unimpressive. Religiously, educationally, socially, they were unqualified commoners, but they were the ones Jesus Himself selected. Thus, His sovereign power and glory are displayed, not only through His miracles but also in the lowly men whom He chose, trained, and empowered to preach the gospel and establish the church (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26–31). As Mark notes, He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted. Knowing the importance of this selection process, Jesus isolated Himself up on the mountain and, according to Luke 6:12, “spent the whole night in prayer to God.” Only after a full night of communion with His Father did Jesus summon those whom He Himself wanted. In much the same way that He had earlier called Peter, Andrew, James, John (1:16–20), and Matthew (2:14–15), Jesus now commissioned those five men, along with seven others, to be His apostles. It was not that they volunteered, though they did not come unwillingly (cf. John 6:37). Rather, He took the initiative in pursuing them and selected them according to His sovereign prerogative. As Jesus would later remind His disciples, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (John 15:16). Up to this point, these twelve men had followed Jesus as part of His larger group of disciples (cf. 2:7). It was time for them to be pulled in closer to Jesus from the larger group. Over the preceding months, Jesus focused much of His time on the crowds. Moving forward, He would increasingly concentrate His attention on the training of these twelve men.

Mark articulates two reasons why He appointed the twelve. The first was simply so that they would be with Him. By constantly spending intimate time with Jesus, the Twelve would be personally mentored by the Messiah Himself. They would be trained as His apprentices. These twelve men would be responsible for the spread of the gospel and the establishment of sound doctrine, laying the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20). For the remainder of His earthly ministry, Jesus intensely invested Himself in preparing them. Second, Jesus appointed these men so that He could send them out to preach. They were trained to be the first generation of heralds of the good news of salvation, following in the footsteps of their Lord, who Himself proclaimed the gospel of God (1:14). Jesus was a preacher, as was John the Baptist and the Old Testament prophets before Him. The disciples were to follow in that legacy of preaching the truth of the gospel.

Their calling would not be easy (cf. Matt. 10:24–38). The religious establishment of Israel had only disdain for them and persecuted them. Even they often lacked the faith necessary for such a vital task (cf. Matt. 8:25–26; 14:31; 16:8; John 20:30–31). Yet, these twelve men would have a greater impact on the world than any group in history. On the day of Pentecost when Peter stood up to preach, three thousand people came to saving faith in Jesus (Acts 2:41). In the subsequent weeks and months, under their preaching tens of thousands more embraced the Savior. The only explanation for such immediate and widespread influence is that they had been with Christ and His Spirit empowered them (cf. Acts 4:13).

The twelve men chosen by Jesus would be given the responsibility of being His witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). He would commission them, as an initial generation of missionaries, to go “and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19 ESV). The church itself would be “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the corner stone” (Eph. 2:20 KJV). They would accomplish this task through the power of the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of Jesus’ teachings (cf. John 14:26) and impart to them new revelation from their Lord (cf. John 16:12–15; Acts 2:42). Through them, the doctrine of the new covenant was proclaimed, articulated, and written in the divine words of New Testament Scripture for all subsequent generations.

The Twelve did not start out as preachers. As many as seven of them were fishermen. One was a tax collector, another a freedom fighter. None of them had received a formal theological education. Yet when Jesus was done with them, those who started out as learners, or disciples, became sent ones, or apostles. They were His ambassadors, His representatives, and His heralds. He sovereignly selected them; He personally discipled them; He radically transformed them; and He empowered them with His Spirit. As the Son of God, Jesus possessed absolute authority over all things. When He selected His twelve apostles, He delegated His authority to them. In Jewish thinking, an apostle was considered a proxy of the one who sent him. As the emissaries of Christ, these men were endowed with the delegated authority of the Messiah Himself. They were elevated to act on His behalf in the exercise of His authority and for the benefit of His kingdom by proclaiming His words.

In keeping with their role as His delegates, Jesus also gave them authority to cast out the demons. Matthew 10:1 adds that they were also given the power “to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” In order to authenticate their position as His representatives, Jesus gave them authority in both the physical realm (over disease) and the spiritual realm (over demons). Like Jesus Himself, their message was confirmed by the supernatural signs that they performed by His power (cf. John 3:2; 2 Cor. 12:11–12). Speaking of the message of salvation, the author of Hebrews explains: “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard [i.e., the apostles], God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. 2:3–4). Like their Master, their words were validated by the supernatural works that they performed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The names of the Twelve are recorded in four places in the New Testament (Matt. 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13; cf. v. 26). In each list, their names are organized into the same three subgroups of four, arranged in order of decreasing intimacy with Christ. The first group was comprised of two sets of brothers: Peter and Andrew, and James and John. The second included Philip, Nathaniel, Matthew, and Thomas. The third consisted of James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot (who was replaced by Matthias in Acts 1:26). Though the order of the names changes slightly from list to list, they always remain in the same subgroup. Moreover, the name that starts each subgroup is also consistent: Peter always heads group one, Philip group two, and James the son of Alphaeus group three. This suggests that each of these subgroups had its own leader. Though a great deal is known about the men in the first group, there is increasingly less information about those who made up the second and third groups.

A closer examination of each member of the Twelve highlights the diverse makeup of this motley team. (For a thorough study of these twelve men, see chapters 11–17 in Matthew 8–15, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1987]; and also chapters 2–8 in Luke 6–10, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2011]; see also, Twelve Ordinary Men [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006].) In each list of the twelve apostles, Simon Peter is always named first, indicating that he was the spokesman for the other eleven. An impulsive man of action, Peter often spoke before thinking—a habit that got him into trouble on more than one occasion (Matt. 16:22–23; 26:33–35). Yet, the Lord would transform Peter into the grounded, steadfast leader of the apostles. That is why Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means “rock” (cf. Matt. 16:18; John 1:42). When Jesus first met Peter, he was anything but a rock, but he would become the dominant preacher among the apostles (cf. Acts 2:15–36; 3:12–26; 5:29–32) and a pillar of the early church (Gal. 2:9). It is likely that his preaching served as the basis for Mark’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry. (For more on that point, see the section on “Authorship” in the introduction to this volume.) Peter’s letters demonstrate the profound love for Christ that came to characterize him as a seasoned pastor and theological stalwart. According to tradition, Peter was executed as a martyr in Rome—being crucified upside down by his request because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. Like Peter, James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James would have their lives completely transformed by Jesus. The Lord also gave them a nickname, the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder.” In Peter’s case, his nickname indicated what Jesus wanted him to become. But in the case of James and John, their moniker depicted a hotheaded and judgmental attitude toward others that they needed to forsake (cf. Luke 9:54). By calling them “Sons of Thunder,” Jesus reminded them of an unrighteous attitude they needed to avoid. Along with Peter, James and John were both present at the transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2). They were also there on the day of Pentecost, gathered with 120 believers, including the other apostles, when the church was born (Acts 1–2). James was martyred early in church history, being beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in the mid-40s (Acts 12:2). John, by contrast, was the longest surviving member of the Twelve. He lived until approximately A.D. 100, penning five books of the New Testament and being exiled near the end of his life. That a major theme of his epistles is love (cf. 1 John 3:14–20; 4:7–21; 5:1; 2 John 6) underscores the radical change wrought in the life of a former “Son of Thunder.” Andrew was the final member of this first group. The brother of Peter, Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist who began following Jesus early in the Lord’s public ministry (cf. John 1:40). The few times Andrew is highlighted in the Gospels, he is often seen bringing people to Jesus—whether it was his brother Peter (John 1:41–42), a boy with five loaves and two fish (John 6:8–10), or a group of Greeks who wanted to see the Lord (John 12:20–22). According to tradition, Andrew died shortly after introducing the wife of a provincial governor to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When she refused to recant her faith, her angry husband had Andrew crucified on an X-shaped cross. He reportedly hung there for two days, preaching the gospel to anyone passing by until he died.

Philip was the leader of the second group. According to John 1:44, he was from Bethsaida, the same hometown as Peter and Andrew. Before the feeding of the five thousand, Philip openly wondered where they could buy bread for so many people (John 6:5). In the upper room, it was Philip who said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8). In response, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” (vv. 9–10). Philip’s thickheadedness on both of those occasions was typical of all the disciples, who only came to fully understand the truth about Jesus after His resurrection. Bartholomew began to follow Jesus through the influence of Philip (John 1:45). His name means “Son of Tolmai” and was, in reality, a surname. His first name was Nathaniel, which means “Given of God.” It was to Nathaniel that Jesus said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47). Matthew, the former tax collector, was introduced by Mark in 2:14–15. Like all who collected taxes for Rome, he was a despised man who was elevated by the Savior to the privilege of penning the opening gospel. Thomas rounds out the second group. According to John 11:16, his nickname was Didymus, which, in Greek, means “twin.” It is in that same verse that Thomas courageously, albeit pessimistically, told the other disciples, “Let us also go [with Jesus to Jerusalem], so that we may die with Him.” That pessimism surfaced again, after the resurrection, when Thomas refused to believe the other apostles that Jesus was alive (John 20:24–29). But when he witnessed the risen Christ, Thomas’s response was definitive: “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). Strong tradition from church history indicates that Thomas took the gospel to India, where he was martyred.

James the son of Alphaeus leads off the third group. Not much is known about either James or his father, Alphaeus. According to Mark 15:40, he was also called James the Less. He had a mother named Mary who also followed Jesus (cf. 16:1; Luke 24:10). Thaddaeus was also called Judas the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) or Judas “not Iscariot” (cf. John 14:22). Very little is known about Thaddaeus. Though some commentators have suggested that he is the author of the epistle of Jude, it is best to assign that letter to Jude the half brother of Jesus (cf. Mark 6:3). Simon the Zealot, as his name suggests, was an anti-Roman revolutionary. The fact that he and Matthew, a former tax collector for Rome, were both members of the Twelve illustrates the diversity of this group. Before meeting Jesus, Simon would have undoubtedly had no qualms about killing someone like Matthew to advance his anti-Roman cause. The ignominious Judas Iscariot is always mentioned last in the lists of the apostles because he betrayed Jesus. The defection of Judas may have been a surprise to everyone else, but Jesus was not deceived by Judas Iscariot’s treachery. As the Lord told His disciples in John 6:70, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Jesus knew all along that he would betray Him. In fact, that defection was part of God’s plan (cf. Acts 1:15–26).

From a human standpoint, these twelve men were odd choices, because they were uneducated, untrained, and uninfluential. Yet, from God’s standpoint, they were the perfect choice—weak and imperfect instruments through whom His power would be gloriously displayed (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26–31). Before their lives were over, they had been used to turn the world upside down (cf. Acts 17:6). That our Lord could use such ordinary vessels to accomplish His great purposes underscores the supernatural purpose of His sovereign power. As Mark’s sweeping summary has shown, that power was demonstrated in the miracles Jesus performed. It was also evidenced in the men whom He chose. He took a dozen ordinary men and transformed them into the powerful foundation stones of His church (cf. Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14).

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Mark’s Sweeping Summary of Jesus’ Ministry(Mark 3:7–19)

Mark’s Sweeping Summary of Jesus’ Ministry
(Mark 3:7–19)