JESUS CALLS THE TWELVE

Mark 2:23-3:19 Mark’s Gospel Study

Key Verse: 3:13,14 Lesson 4

1. As Jesus and his disciples walked through the grainfields, what did the Pharisees
complain about (2:23,24)?
Mk 2:23
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along,
they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing
what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

The Pharisees were accusing Jesus and his disciples of a Sabbath violation. The Sabbath is
extremely important and holy for Jews; this was especially apparent throughout the gospels.

Why (Ex 34:21)?

Ex 34:21
“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing
season and harvest you must rest.”

The idea of Sabbath was established by God to his people very early on. In Genesis 2, God saw
all that he created was good and He rested. Sabbath is meant to honor God by taking a day of rest
to concentrate on God.

With whose example did Jesus defend his disciples (25,26; 1Sa 21:1-6)?
25
He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry
and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the
consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his
companions.”
1Sa 21:1
David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is
no one with you? ” 2 David answered Ahimelech the priest, “The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, ‘No one is
to know anything about your mission and your instructions.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now
then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” 4 But the priest answered David, “I
don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves
from women.” 5 David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s things are holy
even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no
bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day
it was taken away.

Jesus used the example of King David cited above. The message of Jesus’ argument is one of
intent. It was not Jesus’ or his disciples mission to “work” on the Sabbath. In fact, they were
merely hungry. Can it really be a sin to eat when one is hungry and food is available? Jesus once
again has illustrated the extremes that the Pharisees were going in their interpretation of the Law.

What did Jesus teach them about the Sabbath (27,28)?

27
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son
of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
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Jesus was saying that human needs sometimes override the ceremonial observance of the
Sabbath. Jesus said that the Sabbath is for man and his benefit. Because Sabbath was a gift from
God, that means that Jesus too was Lord of the Sabbath. Verse 28 is a clear identification of
Jesus’ divinity.

2. What was the serious life problem of the man whom Jesus met in the synagogue
(3:1)?
3:1
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.

The man was handicapped by a “shriveled hand”. In other words, the man could not use his
hand. As mentioned earlier in Mark, handicaps were looked at as society as God punishing the
person for sinning.

What were the Pharisees doing at this time (2)?

2
Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if
he would heal him on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees clearly do not like Jesus – they probably are intimidated by his authority which
they call blasphemous. Once again, they were looking to accuse Jesus of a Sabbath violation –
this time for healing a man. What could be more good and more Godly than someone being
healed of a handicap on the Sabbath? The Pharisees could not see past the letter of the Law.

What did Jesus say to the man with the shriveled hand (3)?
3
Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Jesus was not going to hide what he was going to do for the man. Jesus wanted everyone to see
the good he was about to do.

What would this mean to the man?

If the man was healed, he could once again fit into society. Clearly, his handicap being healed
would enhance his life experience.
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To Jesus?

Healing the man in front of everyone was a risk Jesus was willing to take to help prove his
position as the Messiah that the Jews had so desperately longed for. His actions would mean a
clear Sabbath violation witnessed by all.

To the Pharisees?

This would be their chance to accuse Jesus of a Sabbath violation. How could this man be divine
if he didn’t even hold to the Sabbath? They aimed to disprove Jesus’ authority.

3. What question did Jesus ask and how did the Pharisees act in response (4)?
4
Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life
or to kill?” But they remained silent.

Jesus asked “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
The Pharisees did not respond to Jesus. Once again, they could not see past the letter of the Law.

How did Jesus respond to their silence (5a)?

5
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the
man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Jesus was angered by their lack of response. Clearly, Jesus wanted them to see past the letter of
the law to the intent of Sabbath observance. Instead, they remained stubborn, refusing even to
answer Jesus.

What did He do for the man (5b)?

Jesus healed the man.

How did the Pharisees respond (6)?

.6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
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They were outraged and angered. Who did this man think he was? His actions were blasphemous
to the Pharisees. They were so filled with anger that they plotted to kill Jesus for his blasphemy
in claiming that he was the Messiah and the Son of God.

4. Where did Jesus his disciples go from there (7)?

7
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.

Jesus withdrew from the situation, knowing that his time on earth was limited. Crowds followed
Jesus and his disciples to the lake.

How did the crowd react to Jesus’ ministry (8,9)?

8
When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea,
and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his
disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.

People came from everywhere to see Jesus. Many Jews were starting to believe that Jesus truly
was the Messiah.

What does this reveal about the people of that time?

The people yearned for truth – something that the Pharisees did not give them. The people
yearned to be saved from their sins and to have a relationship with God. Only through Jesus
Christ can people truly know and have a relationship with God. This is the culmination of the
deep religious movement that John the Baptist started.

What did Jesus do for the forceful crowd (10-12)?

10
For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11
Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of
God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

Jesus healed many and stopped the demons from revealing who he was. Why did Jesus stop them
when he clearly showed that he was the Messiah in our last study? Its safe to assume that Jesus
also taught and preached to the crowds the Word.
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5. Where did Jesus after go caring for the crowd (13a)?

13
Jesus went up on a mountainside…

Jesus went to be alone on the mountainside. Jesus’ continual withdraws teaches us that we need
to have a personal relationship with God and that prayer is important to a good relationship with
God.

Why (Mt 9:37,38; Lk 6:12)?

Mt 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the
Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Lk 6:12
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to
God.

Jesus went to pray to God.

Who did he call (13b)?

… and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.

Jesus called the Apostles to be with him.

What do verses 14 and 15 teach us about Jesus purpose in appointing the Twelve (think
about the event in the previous chapters)?
14
He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he
might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus appointed a select few for leadership in what would become the Christian faith. Jesus had a
large following at the time but he chose a select few to help him lead.

6. Who were the twelve that Jesus called (16-19)? What can we know about these
twelve men?
16
These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of
Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of
Thunder); 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter)

James son of Zebedee to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder

John James’ brother

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Andrew

Philip

Bartholomew
(Nathaniel)
Matthew

Thomas

James son of Alphaeus

Thaddaeus

Simon the Zealot

Judas Iscariot who betrayed him

7. Think about Jesus who called the twelve and trained them as his disciples for the
future work of the salvation.

Ok thought about it :) I’m not sure what the question here is…