by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/31/2023)
Mark — Part 3
Mark 2:13-14 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Jesus called Levi to follow Him as one of His Disciples, and he followed Him. Levi was a tax collector for the Romans. His name would later be changed to Mathew.
Mark 2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
The word, “publicans,” is from the Greek, “tel-o’-nace.” which means “a tax farmer, that is, collector of public revenue.”
Jesus then went to visit at Mathew’s house to have supper, and naturally Mathew’s friends who came over were other tax collectors and other people around town who worked for the Romans as he did. And just as Matthew set an example, they followed Jesus, that is, they listened intently to His teaching.
Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
The scribes and Pharisees were shocked that Jesus would socialize with tax collectors and other people who worked for the Romans.
Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus explained that He was a Physician and that His mission was not to Call the Righteous people but He came to Call Sinners to Repentance. Those Pharisees were by no means righteous, but they were certainly Arrogant and Self-Righteous, so Jesus was not sent to teach them anything.
Mark 2:18 And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting: and they come and say unto him, Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
The disciples of John The Baptist and the Pharisees fasted, but Jesus and His Disciples did not fast. So the Pharisees asked Jesus why? This was purely a tradition invented by those hypocrites, because The Lord never gave us any Law requiring Fasting.
Fasting was a good method of purifying the body, by going without food for several days and only drinking water. And we know today, that Fasting does purify our body by purging toxins that have accumulated from our diet and other sources. But there is no Law requiring it.
Mark 2:19-20 And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.
Jesus explained that He is The Bride Groom, and His Disciples are His attendants, so they do not fast. But when He is taken away, then His Disciples would fast. How is it that Jesus was a Bride Groom? This is a Dark Saying.
Later we learn that all who enter into The New Covenant become members of The Body of Christ in this world continuing our Lord’s Work in His Name. And also we are declared to be as a Bride waiting for the return of her Groom that she is betrothed to. Christ is the Bride Groom and we, the body of believers, are the Bride.
Mark 2:21-22 No man seweth a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment: else that which should fill it up taketh from it, the new from the old, and a worse rent is made. And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the wine will burst the skins, and the wine perisheth, and the skins: but they put new wine into fresh wine-skins.
Sewing a new piece of cloth on old clothing would shrink the next time it was washed and likely cause it to tear. And new wine continues to ferment for a long time which causes a wine skin bottle to swell up while it is soft leather, and with age it will harden, thus putting new wine into an old bottle that has already hardened would cause it to rupture. This is a Parable about trying to put something new into something old which just will not work well.
We can understand it when we think of doctrine. People grow up believing the established doctrines of the time passed down by tradition from generation to generation. When someone presents a new way of thinking about things, most people are very resistant to accept it, because it is new and none of the respected elders or “experts” have mentioned it. Now what is a “New” person? A child. So the younger generations are able to accept a new doctrine more readily than the elderly who are set in their ways.
Mark 2:23-24 And it came to pass, that he was going on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
As they walked through a field, the Disciples picked some ears of grain to eat. It was lawful to pick some grain from a field or grapes from a vineyard as long as it was just for you to eat that day. That was NOT harvesting another man’s field, which would have been stealing. But some scribes and Pharisees accused them of doing what was unlawful by harvesting on the Sabbath day, which was a false accusation, because they were NOT harvesting, just picking some grain to eat while they walked.
Mark 2:25-26 And he said unto them, Did ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he, and they that were with him? How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat save for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him?
Once King David and his men were hungry, so they went into the Temple and the high priest gave them the showbread to eat, which was holy. It was sanctified and not for public consumption. Note that David had been Anointed by Samuel as King of Israel, so he had been consecrated to The Lord just as the priests were.
Mark 2:27-28 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.
Jesus explained that the Sabbath was made for man to rest, not a day for men to go hungry. And Jesus was The Son of Man, and also The Lord of The Sabbath.
Mark 3:1-3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had his hand withered. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man that had his hand withered, Stand forth.
Jesus is about to heal the man with a deformed hand, and it is the Sabbath day. The scribes and Pharisees are waiting for Jesus to heal the man so they can accuse Him of working on the Sabbath, which is unlawful. Jesus was a Priest, and the priest’s duty was to minister to the people on the Sabbath. So even though it was the Sabbath, it was lawful for the priests to work, and thus it was lawful for Jesus to work.
Mark 3:4-5 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored.
The gross hypocrisy and stubbornness of those scribes and Pharisees angered Jesus. So He healed the man in spite of those evil minded men.
Mark 3:6 And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
Immediately those hypocrites went to consort with partisans of Herod to plan how to kill Jesus. Quickly we can see the Murderous Nature of these men.
Mark 3:7-9 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, 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. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
Jesus left town and went to the coast of the Sea of Galilee to preach. People from all of the surrounding area came to hear Him, so many that Jesus told His Disciples to keep a boat waiting for Him near the shore in case the crowd overwhelmed Him.
Mark 3:10-12 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Jesus healed very many of them and cast out devils.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark — Part 4
Mark 3:13-15 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
Jesus had already called five Disciples to follow Him, and now He is calling more until He ordains twelve. And He commissioned them to preach and to have the power to heal the sick and to cast out devils.
Mark 3:16-19 And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
So now the Twelve Disciples are Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John the sons of Zebedee, Mathew (Levi) and his brother James the sons of Alphaeus, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot.
Note that Bartholomew is referred to as Nathaniel in other Gospels, so they are two names for the same man. And the term, “Canaanite,” does not mean that this Simon was a foreigner, but the word is used in the sense of, “Zealous, or Zealot.” In other Gospels he is actually called, “Simon Zealotes,” indicating that he was probably one of The Zealots of Israel who believed that all foreign rule over Jews was not scriptural, and opposed that rule in every way.
Mark 3:20-21 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
Again, a great multitude crowded around Jesus so that He was so busy that He didn’t take the time to eat, and His Disciples were concerned about Him.
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Beelzebub was a name of Satan, The Devil. So those hypocrites claimed that Jesus was possessed by The Devil.
Mark 3:23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
Jesus tries to reason with them using Dark Sayings, or Parables.
Mark 3:24-26 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
Jesus explained that if a kingdom or a household is divided, it cannot continue. And if Satan attacks himself dividing himself into pieces, then he will destroy himself.
Mark 3:27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
In order to rob someone’s house, the first thing required is to overpower and tie up the guard or householder, and then it’s easy to steal all of his stuff. Now in this case, in order for Jesus to cast out Devils who are the servants of Satan, the first thing Jesus must do is to bind Satan, and then He can cast out his servants.
Mark 3:28-30 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Jesus had The Holy Spirit and by The Holy Spirit He preached, healed the sick, and cast out devils. And those blood thirsty hypocrites accused Him of being possessed by Satan. Jesus explained that saying that The Holy Spirit of God was Satan The Devil is an unforgivable blasphemy against God. And a similar blasphemy was documented by Paul regarding someone who returns to sin after having entered The New Covenant.
Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
If anyone who has once repented and entered into The New Covenant and received the New Heart and Mind of Christ, and then turns away from Christ and returns to a sinful life, then it is as though they are nailing Jesus back up on the cross, and making a Blasphemy against The Holy Spirit that they had received. That act is unforgivable.
Mark 3:31-32 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
Jesus’ mother and step brothers came to see Him, and His Disciples told Him they were waiting outside.
Mark 3:33-35 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Jesus explained that everyone who does the will of God is His mother, brother, and sister. When anyone enters The New Covenant, they are given The Holy Spirit which is The Mind of Christ, which must grow and mature in them. So each of us becomes as the mother of Christ Jesus, spiritually, because Christ is Born in us. And also when Jesus resurrected, He became The Firstborn from the dead, and The Firstborn of many brothers. Because when we enter The New Covenant, we receive Eternal Life, so we also are risen from the dead, and become as the brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.