Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Savior

Introduction

There is a big difference between popularity and faithfulness. Every year people pack stadiums to watch football. Thousands will stand, cheer, wear the jerseys, and know the statistics. But when the game is over, almost every one of them goes home unchanged. They are fans, not participants.

Something similar can happen in Christianity. A person can admire Jesus, enjoy His teaching, appreciate His morality, even be excited about what He can do, and yet never become His disciple. Crowds have always been easy to gather. Disciples have always been much harder to make.

As we come to Mark chapter 3 this morning, Jesus is more popular than ever. Crowds are coming from every direction. If success were measured by attendance, everything would look perfect. But Jesus sees something the crowds cannot. He isn't interested merely in gathering people around Himself. He is interested in making disciples

Mark 3:7–19 “Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known. Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”

Father in heaven,

We come before You this morning because You alone are worthy of our worship. You are the sovereign God who rules over all things, and we thank You that You have revealed Yourself most fully through Your Son, Jesus Christ. As we open Your Word today, keep us from being like the crowds who sought Jesus only for what He could give them. Instead, give us hearts that long to know Him, love Him, and follow Him. Remove every distraction, every idol, and every competing affection that would keep us from hearing Your voice.

We thank You for Your grace, that You still call sinners to Yourself and transform ordinary people for Your glory. As we study this passage, draw us nearer to Christ. Conform us to His image, deepen our love for Him, and prepare us to serve Him faithfully in the places You have called us. May Your Spirit illuminate Your Word, convict our hearts, strengthen our faith, and receive all the glory. We ask these things in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

I. Jesus Refuses to Be Defined by the Crowd (3:7-12)

Over the past few weeks we have seen the ever increasing popularity of Jesus. And this popularity was not always a good thing. It started to become quite challenging for Jesus to do the ministry He wanted to do. By the end of chapter 1, Jesus could not enter a city freely and instead has to stay in the desert places. The times he did go home, he was so quickly swarmed that those needing him, could not find their way in.

Some came to Jesus seeking the kingdom of God. But many came for the wrong reasons. Some sought a political figure while Jesus said His Kingdom was not of this world. Some sought the healing og their bodies, which was a fine thing, but they did not care about the forgiveness of sin.

And so the crowds continue to grow. And the phrisees begin their plot to kill Jesus. So Jesus decides it is a good time for a break.

Mark 3:7 “Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea,

Jesus regularly seeked time away from His public ministry. Sometimes it was to train up His closest followers. But often it was a time for rest and prayer.

Mark 3:7–8 “Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.”

Jesus’ attempt to be left alone did not work out. Instead when he gets to where theyre going, he is met by the largest crowd yet. People from all over Israel were there. But not just Israel. The region of Tyre and Sidon to the northwest was predominently a gentile area. So This crown from all over, with all different kinds of people begins to press in on Jesus.

Mark 3:9–10 “Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him.”

Its clear that the size of this crowd was enough to cause some concern for Jesus. He had His followers prepare an escape plan, keep a boat ready to go, just in case. But Jesus did not flee at the sight of the crowd. He was moved with compassion and took care of all their sickness. They were obsessed with Jesus. But not for the salvation He offered. It has been said that Enthusiasm without faith in Jesus will not last. Many even today may become infatuated by Christ without possessing saving Faith. This was not suprising to Jesus. He had already seen people want to use Him rather than obey Him. After the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus said this John 6:26 “Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

It is ok to care to care about our bodies. It is good even. But where is your focus? Is your religion all about what you can get in this life? Jesus is not the one to follow if that is your goal. For He promises that all who follow after Him will lose their life. But He also promises that all who lose it for His sake will only be rewarded in glory. So do not keep your eyes bound to earthly worries and comforts. But fix your eyes upon the glory of the unshakable God.

Mark Goes on. Mark 3:11–12 “Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.”

If you are feeling a little deja vu, I promise you are not crazy. For this is a scene that we have already seen play out in Mark chapter 1. And it is a scene that we will see again.

Earlier we saw Jesus cast out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue. There Mark noted that it was a sign of Jesus’ authority. The demon refered to Christ as Jesus of Nazereth, and the Holy One of God. And despite its best efforts, the demon had no choice but to obey. Here once again the text says the spirits fell down before Him. The crowds are pressing against Jesus.The demons are falling before Jesus. They have no choice but to assume such a posture before Him. And interestingly we see the first confession that Jesus was the Son of God. Not by His followers or the crowds. But by this fearful deomn. Mark’s original readers were likely gentile romans. And so this confession by the demons carries great weight.

The demons think they are being sly by trying to name Jesus before His appointed time. But when Jesus heard them, he sternly warned them to be silent. There is some subtle foreshadowing here. For whenever evil clashes with God, the inevitable result is silence. Whenever we see sinners before a Holy God, we see them cover their mouth, for they have nothing to say especially when judgement is to be rendered. My mind is drawn to Isaiah who says he is a man of unclean lips, amongst a people of unclean lips, But God in His mercy purifies Him. No sinner, or demon, has anything to say before a Holy God.

This passage forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: Why am I following Jesus? The crowds weren't wrong to seek healing. They weren't wrong to marvel at His power. But somewhere along the way they became more interested in what Jesus could do for them than in who Jesus is. They wanted relief more than repentance, miracles more than the Messiah, a better life more than a new heart. It is possible to be fascinated by Jesus without ever surrendering to Him. It is possible to enjoy the blessings of Christ while resisting His lordship.

We should be careful not to think we're above that temptation. We can come to church because we want our marriages fixed, our children to behave, our finances to improve, or our anxieties to ease. None of those are bad things to pray for. Our Father delights to care for His children. But if those things become the reason we follow Christ, we've settled for far too little. Christ did not come merely to improve your circumstances; He came to reconcile you to God. He did not come simply to make this life more comfortable, but to give you eternal life. The greatest gift Jesus offers is not health, wealth, or even happiness—it is Himself.

And that is exactly where Mark takes us next. The crowds are pressing in because they want something from Jesus. Jesus walks away from the crowd, climbs a mountain, and calls twelve men—not merely to receive something from Him, but to be with Him. That's the difference between admirers and disciples. The crowds want more miracles. Jesus responds by climbing a mountain and calling disciples.

II. Jesus Creates the Disciples He Desires (3:13-15)

Mark 3:13–15 “Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.”

After some time Jesus escaped the crowds and headed up the mountains. Mountins are normally places of significance where God’s people expect something significant to happen with their faith. It is where Abraham almost sacrificed Issaic. Its where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Its where Elijah saw the back of God’s glory. and on this mountain, what looks on the surface to be an ordinary moment, is one of great significance.

On this mountain Jesus is preparing His disciples for something momentous. It is not about Jesus ministering to them, but instead preparing them to minister. The language here is interesting. For He summoned those He wanted. The disciples did not apply, volunteer, or earn a position based on merit. But Jesus took the initiative. We tend to get a bit squirmy about certain doctrines in God’s Word. And Election is one of them.

But it reminds us of a truth we see throughout the Scriptures: our salvation begins with God's gracious initiative. Before we ever seek Christ, Christ seeks us. Before we ever choose Him, He has already been at work drawing us to Himself.

John 15:16 a“You did not choose me, but I chose you.

If you are a believer today, the ultimate explanation is not that you were smarter than everyone else, more spiritual than everyone else, or more deserving than everyone else. The ultimate explanation is the grace and mercy of God. As our Scripture reading this morning showed us, God chose us before the foundation of the world, before we did anything he did so according to His will

Romans 9:16 “So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.”

The doctrine of election was never given to make Christians proud. It was given to make Christians humble. If Jesus chose these men, as imperfect as they are, and if Jesus chose us, then all glory and all honor belongs to Him. I’m going to move on before I say something that gets me in trouble. Where was I? Jesus called them thats right. He appointed 12, whom he also named apostles. Now there seems to be more than 12 people here on the mountain with jesus. For Christ had many disciples, some say 4-5 hundred regular followers. It is likely that the author, John Mark is among them that day. But 12 of them are set apart.

The word “appointed” is intentional. Here is a spot where our english language fails us. Becuase its true that Jesus is picking 12 apostles. But theres something else going on as well. The greek word is pu eo. And this is a word about creation or making something, not recognition. It is the word used in the septuagent, the greek old testament, in Genesis 1:1 where God created the heavens and the earth. God did not appoint the universe. He did not select it. No He created it. In the same way, the 12 disciples are not merely selected, Jesus is makeing them into something. What is Christ making them into? Well in a sense, he is making them into the church. We often point to pentecost as the start of the church, but really here is the first whisper of it.

Why did Jesus pick 12 disciples? why not 5, or 10, or 50? why 12? 12 is not a common number in hebrew numerology, so there is really only 1 place we can go. It is a symbolic reflection of the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus is esteblishing a symmetry between the Old Testament, the old covenant, and the new testament, the new covenant, and the church. We talked about last week that with the new wine and the new cloth, Jesus is not here to dismis the old. Not is the church something completely new. Rather He is here to complete it and fufill it.

Notice what they are called to, in the middle of verse 14 they are called “to be with Him” The verb here means that these men remained with Him as His constant and closest companions. They are called to an intamate and dear relationship with Jesus. Before they go and preach, before they minister, before they exercise authority over the church, before they go on missionary trips, they are called to be near to Christ. How often are you intentionally near to Christ?

When we are saved we are saved INTO Christ. Galatians 3:27 tells us to put on Christ. Or John 15 compares us to vines, depending on Christ becuase if we were cuttoff we would wither. Or Acts 16:31 litterally calls us to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ. But we are not just in Christ. He is also in us.

Colossians 1:27 “God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

We are in Christ. And Christ is in us. What a profound mystical union we have. This is the begining of the communion of saints. Beleviers share a bond with each other and with Christ that will stretch into eternity. What an amazing gift and a blessing. To be in the pressance of Christ, to be with him, and him to be with us.

Isn't it amazing that before Jesus asked anything of these men, He simply wanted them with Him? Before He entrusted them with preaching, He invited them into His presence. Before He gave them authority, He gave them fellowship. Christianity is not first about what we do for Christ. It is about what Christ has done for us, and the relationship He has brought us into. We often reduce Christianity to serving in the nursery, teaching a class, attending church, or checking off another spiritual discipline. Those things matter. But before all of that, Christ calls us to Himself.

So the believer is called to be with Christ. Not only are they called to share in His presence, but also to share in His mission. Mark 3:14–15 “He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons.”

Notice the order here. Firsrt they are called to be with Christ. First they learn from Him. Then they go for Him. They are called to preach. To share the message He shared. Up until now, that was primarily the Gospel, which all of us are called to share. Then they are called to exercise authority. Did you know that Jesus has let you and I share in His authority? Matthew 28:18–20 “Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Jesus, the sovrgein God and sacrifice for our salvation, the one with cpomplete authority, has given you and I a mission. That mission is to reach the lost world. To share the Gospel. To baptize our new brothers and sisters, and to disciple them. That is a call for all of us.

2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.””

An ambassador has complete authority to act on behalf of the king. So we have been commissioned as ambassadors. So, are you evangelizing? Are you reaching the lost?

one of the sweetest truths in this passage is that Jesus calls these men to be with Him. What a privilege that is. The God who created the heavens and the earth invites sinners into His presence. Through Christ, we are no longer strangers or enemies, but beloved children who can draw near with confidence. We don't gather on Sunday because we have to punch a religious timecard. We gather because Christ has made a way for us to enjoy fellowship with the living God. We open His Word because we want to hear His voice. We pray because we have the ear of our heavenly Father. We sing because our hearts have been redeemed. If those things have become routine to us, perhaps the problem is not with the worship but with our wonder.

But drawing near to Christ should never leave us unchanged. The more we delight in Him, the more we begin to love what He loves. We begin to see the church not as a place where others serve us, but as a family where we gladly serve one another. We begin to see our neighbors not as interruptions, but as people who need the hope of the gospel. We begin to ask, "Lord, how would You use me?" A healthy church is not built by a handful of busy people while everyone else watches. It is built by disciples who have been with Christ and, because they have been with Christ, joyfully give themselves for His kingdom.

So let me encourage you this morning: draw near to Christ. Come eager to worship. Open His Word throughout the week. Cultivate a life of prayer. Treasure your communion with Him. And then, out of that communion, ask Him where He would have you serve. I have a few idea. Ask Him who He would have you encourage. Ask Him who needs to hear the gospel. The goal is not simply to be busy, nor is it merely to be comfortable. The goal is to know Christ so deeply that your love for Him naturally overflows into joyful service for His church and faithful witness to the world.

But if you're anything like me, you may be wondering, 'Why these twelve?' Surely there were better options. Surely there were holier men, wiser men, more educated men. Yet when we look at the list Mark gives us, we discover something remarkable. Jesus didn't choose perfect men. He chose ordinary sinners whom He intended to transform.

III. Jesus Uses Imperfect People to Build His Kingdom (3:16-19)

Mark 3:16–19 “He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”

We actually know shockingly little from Scripture about most of these men. Sure the inner circle of Peter, James and John are discussed more. But still not much. Church history helps us a little bit, but these men were not neccessarilly supposed to be celebrities. They were simply faithful men. But not perfect men.

We met Matthew 2 weeks ago. He was a tax collector, considered a traitor amongst His own people because of his work with Rome. Then you have Simon the Zealot, a member of an extremist anti roman group many saw as terrorists. I imagine they had some lively discussions. There was James and John, nicknamed the sons of thunder. It was a playful rebuke from Christ, becuase when they felt slightly disrespected in Luke 9, they thought it would be a great idea for God to call down fire from the sky. And they were always arguing about who was the greatest. You had Thomas, who had the most fervor out of all the disciples and was determined to die with Christ in John 11. Yet he doubted and was the most relunctant to believe the resurection. You have Peter, known for speaking before he thought and denying even knowing Jesus on the night of His betrayal three times. And then there was Judas who Jesus always knew would betray him. Yet at the last supper we see that Jesus even washes Judas’ feet.

What am I getting at here? This is not the dream team by any standard of man. These people were divided politically, economically, vocationally, tempermentally, and socially. They fought and bickered. They made mistakes. And Jesus brought them together.Bruce Barton says “The better we know the disciples, the more we come to see that God might actually choose us too.”

What strikes me is that Jesus didn't call these men because they already looked like apostles. He called them because He intended to make them into apostles. Peter would become the bold preacher of Pentecost. Matthew would become the author of a Gospel. Thomas, who once doubted the resurrection, would eventually carry the gospel farther east than perhaps any of the others. Even James and John, those fiery "Sons of Thunder," would become men known for faithful leadership and, in John's case, remarkable tenderness and love. Christ did not simply overlook their weaknesses; He transformed them through years of walking with Him. God specializes in calling the weak. He loves to use those the world would cast aside. And He makes them into a new creation.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.”

Perhaps you've convinced yourself that God can't use you because you're too ordinary, you've failed too often, or you simply don't have much to offer. Remember these men. Jesus has never been looking for perfect people. He is looking for willing disciples. The same Christ who transformed impulsive Peter, doubting Thomas, and hot-headed James and John is still transforming His people today. Don't wait until you think you've finally got it all together before you begin serving Him. Come to Christ as you are, remain with Him, and let Him make you into the man or woman He has called you to be.

We began with a crowd that wanted something from Jesus. We end with twelve ordinary men whom Jesus wanted for Himself. The crowds came to receive; the disciples were called to follow. And through those ordinary disciples, Christ turned the world upside down. Imagine what He might do through a church full of ordinary people who are committed to being with Christ and going for Christ.

Conclusion

As we close this morning, I want you to notice the movement of this passage one last time. It begins with ta great multitude of people pressing in on Jesus. They wanted something from Him. They wanted healing. They wanted relief. They wanted miracles. There was excitement, enthusiasm, and crowds everywhere. But Jesus didn't measure success by the size of the crowd.

Instead, He climbed a mountain and called twelve ordinary men to Himself. Why? Because Christ didn't come merely to gather admirers. He came to make disciples. And that raises an important question for every one of us. Which group do you most resemble?

Are you content to admire Jesus from a distance? To enjoy His blessings when life gets difficult, but keep Him at arm's length the rest of the week? Is your relationship with Christ limited to an hour on Sunday morning? Or has He become the treasure of your life? Do you long to be with Him? Do you hunger for His Word? Do you delight in worship? Do you seek Him in prayer? Because that is where discipleship begins—not with what we do for Christ, but with being with Christ.

But don't stop there. The disciples weren't called simply to enjoy Jesus' presence. They were called to join His mission. The same Christ who said, "Be with Me," also said, "Go." The church is not a collection of spectators. It is a family of disciples who have been called, transformed, and sent.

So let me encourage you this week to respond in two simple ways. First, draw near to Christ. Don't settle for a casual relationship with your Savior. Go public with your faith by getting baptized. Open His Word. Pray with expectation. Come to worship with a heart that is eager to meet with the living God. Make it your aim to know Him more deeply than you did yesterday. Or if you are here and do not know Christ, draw near for the first time GOSPEL

Second, ask Him where He wants to use you. Maybe that means sharing the gospel with a coworker. Maybe it means encouraging another believer. Maybe it means stepping into a ministry you've been hesitant to serve in. Maybe it means simply saying, "Lord, here I am. Use me." And be prepared for him to answer that prayer.

Remember, Jesus never called these men because they had it all together. He called them because He intended to make them into something they could never become on their own. And He is still doing that today. The good news of this passage is not that God is looking for extraordinary people. The good news is that an extraordinary Savior is still calling ordinary people to be with Him, to become like Him, and to go for Him. So don't remain in the crowd. Come to Christ. Walk with Christ. And let Christ make you into the disciple He has called you to be.

Gracious Father,

We thank You for the privilege of hearing Your Word. Thank You that Your Son did not come merely to gather crowds, but to call disciples to Himself. Thank You that You delight to show Your strength through weak and ordinary people like us.

Lord, forgive us for the times we have been content to seek Your gifts more than Your presence. Stir within us a deeper love for Christ. Give us a hunger for Your Word, a delight in prayer, and hearts that long to worship You with sincerity and joy.

And as we draw near to Christ, send us out with courage. Help us to serve Your church faithfully, to love one another sacrificially, and to proclaim the gospel boldly in our homes, our workplaces, and our community. May our lives reflect the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Keep us from complacency. Keep us from self-reliance. Remind us that the same Savior who called the Twelve is still building His church today. May we gladly answer His call, not trusting in our own strength, but resting in His sufficient grace.

We ask that when people see our lives, they would see Christ. And may everything we do bring honor and glory to His holy name.

Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.”