Month: November 2025

You have seen pictures on Christmas cards picturing the holy family: Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, his mother, Mary, and baby Jesus. Mark 3:20–21 and 31–35 introduces you to the holy family of Jesus — and lets you know that as you are connected to Jesus, you are part of that family!

Who is Jesus? Was he making false claims? Jesus had been making astounding claims, Mark 2:10, 27–28, so astounding that the leaders of Israel were seeking to kill him, Mark 3:6. In the scene sandwiched between his dealings with his relatives, at which we will look in more detail in the future, he is accused of being in league with Satan, Mark 3:22–30. According the religious leaders of Israel, Jesus was a liar, a false prophet, and was possessed by an evil spirit.

Continue reading “The Holy Family”

Can you think of time spent with someone who has had a profound influence on your life? Was it an elementary school teacher whose enthusiasm for science was contagious? A high school instructor who instilled a respect for the written (and spoken) word? A parent from whom you learned to love the Lord? A friend who motivated and encouraged you when you felt you were alone? Mark 3:13–19 tells you that Jesus called the twelve to be with him—and that is the heart of it. They were with him.

Jesus appointed twelve apostles. The calling of the twelve looks back– and forward. Calling the twelve looks back to the twelve sons of Israel, to the tribes which descended from them. It reminds you of the covenant people of God in the Old Testament. These are the people with which God made his covenant. To them he had displayed repeatedly his saving power. But the history of the twelve is a history of rebellion and problems. They turned to idols, experienced judgment, repented, were restored, and again turned to idolatry. The time of the kings was a brief period of glory followed by decline. Ten tribes disappeared into captivity, and finally Judah went into exile. At the time of Mark’s Gospel, the people of Israel were an oppressed group in Judea, and a people dispersed throughout the Roman empire. The choosing of the twelve looks back to the original establishment by God of the tribes as his people. But the number 12 also looks ahead. There were the representatives of the new people of God. It is not just Israel restored, it is God’s people becoming the blessing to the nations that was part of their original call. It is not that the church replaces Israel, but that we have joined our spiritual ancestors and have become the true Israel. These twelve would become the pillars of the church in the New Testament.

“This… number.. has a redemptive-historical significance. It must without doubt be related to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. And this not merely because in this number Jesus summons the whole of Israel, despite its unfaithfulness and unbelief, unto the kingdom of heaven and thereby exhorts it to repent; but much rather because these twelve disciples represent the new people of God.”

Herman Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom, pp. 198–199

Jesus selected the twelve he wanted. It is clear that Jesus is the one selecting, and he is doing so for his purposes. Simon is mentioned first, and the Greek name, Peter, which Jesus gave him is also mentioned. “Rock” is the meaning of the name. While is not a pope, he does have a certain priority, a first among equals status. Along with him are James and John, whom Jesus called “sons of thunder.” Those three were picked out from among the twelve at times by Jesus to be witnesses of certain events. The remainder are mentioned, and from this point on usually not specifically identified by name in this Gospel. Matthew may well be the Levi of Mark 2:14. Appreciate something of the contrast. Matthew had been part of the unpopular establishment, Simon was a Zealot, active apparently in opposing Roman rule. The last name is Judas, and even at this first mention, he is identified as the one who betrayed Jesus. That identity follows him “like a ball and chain” through the Gospel, as Sinclair Ferguson remarks. But the identification is from a post death and resurrection perspective. At this point the twelve are simply being called by Jesus.

What purpose did Jesus have in selecting them? Jesus called the twelve . . .

. . . to be with him. One basic reason for Jesus calling the disciples was simply for companionship. He wanted them to be with him. Jesus was truly human, and we were not created to be alone. Nor was he. You see him asking the disciples to pray as he goes beyond them in the Garden of Gethsemane and wrestles in prayer. This being with Jesus qualified them for the work they were to do, John 15:26–27. Having been with Jesus was what even critics took note of regarding the disciples, Acts 4:13. Through his Word and Spirit, you can continue to be with Jesus, learning from him, being equipped for the particular areas in which he calls you to serve.

. . . to be sent to preach. “Apostle” means sent. And the twelve were being sent as heralds of the kingdom. They went in a preliminary way during the earthly ministry of Christ—the preaching tours of the 70 and of the twelve. But the term becomes a description of the same group of men (with Judas replaced) on whom the Spirit came at Pentecost, and who became the pillars of the church. They become the crucial pillars for the new temple, the new people of God. The twelve apostles appropriately fulfill the role, in an expanded way, of the twelve tribes. In Exodus 19:4–6 God called his people to be a kingdom of priests. That is finally becoming a reality .

“… Christ is the true Israel, and as true Israel, he represents the church as the continuation of true Israel from the OT. Christ came to do what Israel should have done but failed to do. Those who identify by faith with Christ, whether Jew or gentile, become identified with him and his identity as true eschatological Israel…. [T]he church is not merely like Israel, but actually is Israel. This is most in keeping with the original purpose of Israel itself and why the OT prophesies that in the eschaton gentiles will become a part of Israel and not merely be redeemed people who retain the name ‘gentiles’ and coexist along side but as a separate people from redeemed Israelites. Rather, these converted gentiles would come to be identified with Israel and Israel’s God.”

G. K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology, pages 652–653

. . . to have authority over demons. The choosing of the twelve is bracketed by accounts of Jesus triumphing over demons, verses 11, 22. Mark is reminding you that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. Though the phenomenon of demon possession seemed to peak during Jesus’ earthly ministry (perhaps a dark parody by the evil one?), the nature of the conflict has continued unchanged. Ultimately it is the power of the Word of God that pushes back the forces of darkness. The emphasis in Mark is not on semi-magical procedures (do the exorcism just right and it will work), but on the power of the Lord, and the authority given to his church by him. That power continues to work in your life, and in the life of the apostolic church.

You are not alone. Though your Lord has ascended, you can still be with him. And his resurrection power continues to be at work in the life of his people. You are not alone. The community of the twelve has grown into the Lord’s church of every tribe, tongue, and language.

The Lord is risen indeed! That is a greeting, not only for Easter Sunday, but for each Lord’s Day, or, as it is sometimes called, the Christian Sabbath. As the risen, exalted King, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ. Even during his humiliation on earth he claimed the sovereign rights of the Son of man. And in Mark 2:27–28 he exerts that claim over a crucial area. The Son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.

You were not made for the Sabbath. The Pharisees guarded the law. The legalism of the Pharisees denied the authority of Christ. Human additions replaced God’s law. They accused Christ and his disciples of violating the Sabbath by plucking grain and by healing the man with the shriveled hand—while they plotted murder, Mark 3:6.

Jesus’ words protect you from man-made additions to God’s Word. Jesus’ response to the critics of his disciples points to the God’s concern for the well-being of his people. The Sabbath was never intended to be a burden. Even the Pharisees recognized that life-saving measures could be performed properly on the Sabbath, but healing a man with a paralyzed hand didn’t qualify for that, in their opinion. American Christianity may suffer more from ignorance of the Sabbath than for arbitrary expectations about it, but Jesus is reminding you that God’s Word is the final standard.

The Sabbath was made for you! Sabbath rest benefits you. You may live in a 24–7 society, but that is not the way God wants you to live. You need a day of rest. The Sabbath is a day of rest, but not a cessation of all activity. Jesus’ point in John 5:17,18, is that his Father has continued to “work” even though this six days of labor in creation have ended. And if the Father works, it is appropriate for the Son to do so as well. In Mark 2:23–26 Jesus defends doing works that are necessary. He is setting a principle, that may look different in different settings, but is an abiding principle. And the focus here is quite different from the burdensome day into which the rabbinic regulations turned the Sabbath. In Mark 3:1–5 Jesus makes a point of healing the man in the synagogue, in public, on the Sabbath. Deeds of mercy are appropriate on the day. Starting out with a list of “Things I May Not Do” is the wrong way to approach the Sabbath. Recognize the radical claim implied in keeping the Sabbath–I belong not to my earthly master or employer, but to God. Make the Sabbath a delight, Isaiah 58:13-14. Make use of the means of grace. Note the instruction and example of the New Testament for God’s people to gather for worship on that day. Appreciate the appropriateness of closing the Lord’s Day with a time of corporate worship.

God rested so that you might enter his rest. Go back to Genesis 2:1–3. God rested, not because he was weary, but for the purpose of mankind, male and female, entering his rest. Eden was a time of testing. It was not good for Adam to be alone. God created Eve from his side, not just to do chores, not just so that Adam could have a family, but to be a helper (the term is often used to describe God helping his people), assisting him in entering God’s rest. You know that she failed in that, and they sinned. Psalm 95 makes the point that disobedient Israel in the wilderness failed to enter God’s rest. Hebrews 3 and 4 takes the two passages, and points you to the true Joshua, who can give you rest. The author warns against having a hardened heart of unbelief that would keep you out of God’s rest. And Hebrews calls you to the Sabbathing, or Sabbath rest that still remains for God’s people. It is an anticipation of your final heavenly rest. God entered his rest so that you might join him there.

“The way in which Psalm 95 and Genesis 2 are brought together here [Hebrews 3:7–4:13] indicates the scope of the promised rest in the writer’s view. The fulfillment of the church’s hope represents nothing less that the fulfillment of the original purpose of God in creation, or more accurately, the realization of his purposes of redemption is the means to the end of realizing his purposes of creation.”

Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “A Sabbath Rest Still Awaits the People of God,” Pressing Toward the Mark, p. 40

Trust the Lord of the Sabbath! The Son of Man has divine authority. The legalism of the Pharisees denied the authority of Christ. Human additions replaced God’s law. They accused Christ and his disciples of violating the Sabbath by plucking grain and by healing the man with the shriveled hand—while they plotted murder, Mark 3:6. But Jesus self-identifies as “Son of man,” with all of the authority and majesty that Daniel 7 pours into that title. We live in a society that allows freedom to follow God, largely as long as it is confined to private exercises. Claiming that the Word of God has something to say about all of life is seen as bigoted. The authority of Christ extends to all of life. As Creator, he is sovereign. As the risen, exalted Lord, an additional authority, an earned Lordship, a name that is above every name, has been given to him. The Sabbath, like the tithe, functions to submit all of life to Jesus Christ. No moment of your time, no aspect of your life, is separate from his rule. You may feel like you belong to some faceless corporation that treats you as simply one more cost of production, replaceable when possible. Your Sabbathing reminds you that you actually belong to the Son of man! Clearly, God had made the Sabbath. It was not established by any human being. But Jesus claims to Lord, even of the Sabbath!

“The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath because the latter was made for man, not man for it. What binds the premise and the conclusion together is the principle that whatever concerns man as such falls under the jurisdiction of the Son of man…. Man as such could not possibly have been considered by Jesus sovereign over the Sabbath. The Sabbath comes under consideration as one thing — and an important one, for Jesus says ‘even (or, also) of the Sabbath’ — among the things to which the lordship of the Son of man extends.”

Geerhardus Vos, The Self-Disclosure of Jesus, p. 243

Trust Jesus to bring you into God’s Sabbath rest. Satan deceived Eve, and she, and Adam who was with her, ate the fruit and were excluded from God’s rest. They were expelled from the Garden — but not before God promised that a Son, born of woman, would ultimately crush the serpent’s head. You and I are sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. We live in a restless, broken world. But what our first parents lost, The Son has achieved for us. He has dealt the decisive blow to Satan. He did that by going through death, and then being raised on the third day. The change of Sabbath rest from the last day of the week to the first, the day of resurrection, is powerfully appropriate.

Because Jesus is Lord of all things, even of the Sabbath, use today to celebrate, to rejoice in who he is and what he has done for you.

A dinner invitation, and Jesus’ acceptance of it, became very problematic! In Mark 2:13–22 we find Jesus describing the purpose of his work. His words give profound comfort to us sinners.

Sinners join in a dinner with Jesus. The healthy do not need a doctor. The fact that Jesus called Levi (better known as Matthew, see Mathew 9:9–13; Mark 3:16–18) was bad enough. But the dinner invitation which Jesus accepted put him in association with Levi’s colleagues, tax collectors and “sinners.” Given both the tactics of the revenue collectors, and their association with the oppressive Roman rulers, Levi came from a questionable background. Yet Jesus was willing to accept the invitation to a meal with Levi and his friends. This is the first use of the term “Pharisees” in Mark’s Gospel. It was composed of followers of a group known as the Hasidim, 2nd century, B.C., that focused on personal and national holiness. In addition to emphasizing God’s Law, they added human regulations as fences. Dinner in the home of one associated with tax collectors or sinners could contaminate, because the food might be from a source that had not been tithed—even if the Levitical dietary regulations were followed. Mark describes a growing conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees, see his criticism of their practice in Mark 7:5–13. They could focus on minutiae of human regulations, but their criticism of Jesus soon moved beyond verbal opposition to plotting his death, see Mark 2:24 and 3:6.

Continue reading “Who Comes to Dinner?”