Mark 3:7-12

Mark 3:7–12 KJV (WS)

7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. 9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. 11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. 12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

Introduction

Jesus rejected two of modern Christianity’s most sought after achievements.

Large numbers.

Truth without change.

This account takes place after the plotting of the Pharisees to kill Jesus.

This passage marks the closing of the 2 sub-section of this book.

Jesus makes a permanent break with the religious leaders.

He is about to call his 12 disciples.

Before he does that, though, he attempts to get away for a moment.

Jesus expects renewal as he withdraws to the sea.

Instead of rest he finds people.

Lots of people.

Huge crowds resort to Jesus by the sea.

From a human standpoint, this seems like a tale of success.

A multitude of Galileans followed him as he moved out of the region.

Another host of people came to him from far off cities.

The list of places that these people traveled from is incredible.

It points to the broader mission that the gospel would realize after Jesus’ death.

Their is cause for concern however.

The gracious words of Christ had no impact on the multitudes.

They came to him because of what he did.

They had heard stories.

They kept hearing stories.

They had to come and see him

They did not come to listen to him.

We see in this passage, that Jesus finds no gratification in the crowds.

He does not rebuke them, however, for their self-interest.

He receives them without complaint, even if he does show a measure of reserve.

He asks his disciples to keep a boat ready for him should the press of the crowd become too much.

I love how Jesus leveraged the boating skills of his disciples.

I wonder how many times those fisherman fed the group.

The boat was there for a quick escape should he need it.

It’s a good thing he did this because there is a bit of a Black Friday atmosphere to this passage.

As Jesus healed many, the crowd pushed in further and further.

The people were clamoring to get to Jesus.

Not all of these people spoke the same language either.

Some of these cities did not speak Aramaic, they only spoke greek.

Imagine the problems this caused in the crowds.

The passage says that the press became so severe that people began to fall on Jesus trying to touch him.

Crowds are not always a good thing.

The best Christian work is hindered not helped by popularity.

The people that came out that day were there for the show and for what they could get from Jesus.

They did not come for a relationship with him.

Their interest in him was purely transactional.

This is not the way Jesus would have things to go.

Jesus was not impressed by huge, faceless crowds.

He was interested in the individual, the outcast, the lonely.

While these crowds missed out on the true value of Jesus, another group knew exactly who he was.

Unclean spirits proclaim him the messiah.

The only ones who seem to to perceive the true identity of Jesus are the unclean spirits.

As Jesus confronted them and cast them out, the demons make proclamations about Him.

As they cast their victims to the ground they shout.

“THOU ART THE SON OF GOD!”

The demon’s confession is correct but it is hostile.

These demons have no interest in nor ability to repent.

They had a relationship with Jesus and they chose to follow Satan instead.

Jesus orders them to keep silent.

It was not their place to declare who he was.

Jesus had provided enough evidence for his identity through his words and actions.

He would not rely on demons to announce him.

Here’s what’s interesting though, weren’t they right?

Then why stop them?

They were right in their announcement but they were not the right announcers.

Seems like there might be something more important than just saying the right things…

Application

Jesus seeks in us something more than numbers and something more than exactitude.

What do we spend so much time pursuing, though?

Crowds and exactitude.

So much of the mega church movement is built on the same concept as what we see in this passage.

What kind of perks can you offer me?

I’m not saying that the leaders feel this way or even all of the members.

But there are many who are drawn to mega-churches solely for what they can get from them.

There are some things that a larger church can offer that a smaller church cannot.

Anonymity is probably one of the biggest offerings.

It’s important to remember that the actual mission of the church is not out of reach no matter how big or small the congregation is.

We must remember that numbers for numbers’ sake is not why we exist.

We can be just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to caring about numbers.

I guarantee you I have to guard against this as much as anyone else.

Then, there are many who are consumed with being right.

I am supposed to go preach at a preacher’s meeting on Tuesday.

I shudder to think about being around other preachers.

So many of them are annoying sticklers for being right all the time.

Don’t say the right thing the wrong way or they’ll have to point it out.

Lots of us can be this way.

Grammar police?

Social media arguments?

We almost can’t help ourselves when we know the right answer and we catch someone who doesn’t.

We like being right.

It’s not enough to just hold the right positions.

Even in religion.

The Bible makes it clear that the demons believe in and fear God.

So, what is Jesus interested in?

If it’s not numbers, then what?

If it’s not holding all the right positions, then what?

He’s looking for disciples that will obey him.

Even if they are flawed.

Even if they are few.

Think of the 12,

Weren’t there more than 12 people hanging around Jesus?

Were these men known for saying the right thing?

These are the men Jesus chose.

Conclusion

Jesus isn’t as interested in the size of the crowd as we think he is.

There are more important things in our spiritual walk than saying the right things.

Instead we should pursue authenticity, obedience, and growth.

Both as a church and as individuals.