Mark 3:7-12 7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a great crowd from Galilee followed, and from Judea 8and from Jerusalem and from Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all the things he was doing, they came to him. 9And he told his disciples to prepare a boat for him because of the crowd, lest they press upon him, 10for he had healed many, with the result that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they were falling down before him and crying out, “You are the Son of God.” 12And he strongly rebuked them not to make him known.
The identity of Jesus becomes even clearer in the next story. Verse 6 ended with Jesus’ opponents ready to kill him. Verse 7 begins with a large crowd following him. The passage is a pause in the larger story and provides a summary of Jesus’ ministry so far. Jesus’ popularity had substantially spread. Mark gives a large area from which the crowds come that covered most of the land where Jews lived, similar to the territory under the united monarchy of David. The whole people responded to news about Jesus and went out to see him for themselves. The pattern at the end of verse 8 is a paradigm of discipleship: when they heard . . . they came to him. This is the pattern seen with the calling of Simon and Andrew, James and John, and Levi.
At this point, Jesus moves away from teaching in synagogues, makes a significant break from the religious authorities, and begins a new phase of his ministry. The imperfect verb tenses in this section show ongoing activity: he was doing (verse 8), they were falling, they were crying out (verse 11). Jesus’ ministry was constant and extensive. He faced both rejection and widespread popularity. The crowds likely included both Jews and Gentiles since some of the areas mentioned included Gentiles. He introduced a new strategy to his disciples for preaching: go out in a boat so more people can be addressed and more can hear what he was saying. The two foci of his ministry are mentioned: healing and teaching. The faith of the people is evident with their hope even to touch him. Not even demons could remain quiet when they encountered Jesus. This summarizing section adds further proof to Mark’s central claim that Jesus is the Son of God. No one could do what he did. The implied question for the reader gets stronger with each incident: What will you do with Jesus?
For older posts, click here.