Following Jesus

Mark 3:7-35

Introduction

Have you seen the car commercial in which a family follows a bearded man who takes them to all kinds of crazy places. The commercial is promoting how great the 4x4 is because it can drive anywhere. That may be so, but I think I would be pretty careful about following a random individual to crazy places. I am not sure I would trust them to get me there safely.

Last summer we drove the "Going to the Sun" road in Glacier National Park. It was under construction and we got to a certain point where we had to wait until all the vehicles had come through because there was only one lane of traffic. Then we were able to follow the pilot vehicle through this area. It was comfortable to do so because we knew that even though there was only one lane, we would not drive into oncoming traffic. We trusted the pilot vehicle. You have to be careful who you follow.

When Jesus began his ministry, people saw by what He taught and by the way he healed that He was a unique individual, but many did not understand who He was and struggled to trust Him. In Mark 3:7-35 we have four stories which do two things. First of all they help us understand who Jesus was which is the basis of trust on which we can follow Him. Secondly, these verses help us understand what it means to follow Jesus.

I.                Who Is He?

I attended a seminar at CMU a few months ago and saw a man walking back and forth between the front and the sound booth. His appearance and what he was doing seemed to suggest that he was the sound guy. When the meeting began they introduced the speaker and this guy that I thought was the sound guy came to the front and began to speak. His actions and appearance confused me about who he was. In the early chapters of Mark, we have read about Jesus’ ministry. Because we have read the Bible to the end of the story we have a pretty good understanding of who Jesus was, but as people in that day observed Him for the first time, they didn’t yet have complete information. The things he did and said did not fit into any category they had ever encountered before, so there was a lot of confusion about His identity. The stories in today’s text reveal this confusion, but also reveal who He was.

In Mark 3:6 we read about the plot of the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus. Mark 3:7 seems to respond to this rejection when we read that “Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea.” If we study the locations of Jesus’ ministry, we notice that before this Jesus was in the synagogue several times, but after this he appears in a synagogue only once more. Instead, we find that his ministry takes place around the lake. Because of the rejection of the religious leaders it was better for him to change the location of his ministry.

But rejection did not mean rejection by all. In fact, in Mark 3:7-10 we find that his popularity increased even more. In Mark 1:28 we read that news about him spread all over Galilee. Now we see that “a great multitude from Galilee followed him” but there were also people coming from many other places. They came from as far east as the other side of the Jordan, from as far south as Idumea and Jerusalem, as far west as Tyre and Sidon and as far north as Galilee. There were many people who were curious about Jesus and sought him for healing. His popularity spread all over and people came to see what He was all about. But did they really understand who he was or were they just interested in him because of what he could do for them?

Among them were those who were possessed by evil spirits. These evil spirits recognized who Jesus was. They cried out that He was the “Son of God,” but Jesus told them to be silent. It may seem strange to us that Jesus refused their recognition and “he sternly ordered them not to make him known.” Why did Jesus refuse their testimony? The reason is that although they knew who He was, they did not follow Him. Cole says, “The Lord wanted men to find out who He was by listening to His words and by watching His deeds.”

Even though He was rejected by some, there were many who followed Jesus, who were beginning to understand who Jesus was and in Mark 3:13-19, Jesus chose twelve of them to be apostles so that they could grow in their understanding. Geddert suggests that a change of leadership was taking place. The scribes and Pharisees had been the leaders of God’s people, but they had rejected Jesus and now Jesus was choosing a new group of people who would lead God’s people and these 12 were the foundation of this group.

After he had chosen and commissioned the 12, he went into a house and the crowds gathered once again. Among those who came to see what was happening was his family. We only realize that it was his family at the end of this section. It is a case in which the story begins in verses 20, 21, but another story comes in between and the story about his family isn’t completed until verses 31-35.

When they saw what was happening, his own family had a hard time understanding who he was. For 30 years Jesus had been an ordinary man, a carpenter, a son, a neighbor. All of a sudden he changed completely. He never came home any more. He never worked in the carpentry shop any more. He worked so hard that he didn’t have time to eat. He taught things that were radical and he healed all those who were coming to Him. When His family saw this, they could not understand who He was and Mark 3:22 tells us that they "were saying, 'He has gone out of his mind.'”

Before Jesus had a chance to respond to them, however, we read that “the scribes” who had come from Jerusalem, possibly as an official delegation, also had an opinion about who Jesus was. Just as his family “were saying” he was crazy, the teachers of the law “were saying” He is demon possessed and by the prince of demons is driving out demons. They had two accusations - one related to who he was the other to the source of His power. They clearly did not accept Jesus. This opinion of Jesus stuck and in Jewish literature written after His ascension, there is a quote about Jesus which says, “Yeshu of Nazareth was hanged on the day of preparation for the Passover because he practiced sorcery and led the people astray.”

            But in defending Himself from this accusation, Jesus reveals a powerful truth about who He was. First of all he told them that it made no sense that he was casting out demons by the power of Satan. If that were true, that would mean that there was civil war in Satan’s camp and if that were the case his reign could not stand. He further clarifies the true meaning of his identity and reveals what was really happening. His power to cast out demons indicated that a change of times was happening. His authority indicated a victory over Satan and the beginning of the eternal victory of God. Geddert says that this means that “Jesus the stronger one has arrived” and that “Jesus is plundering the house and releasing Satan’s captives.”

            In these stories we see that there were many opinions about who Jesus was. Some saw Him simply as a healer, some recognized that He was someone to follow and some thought He was either crazy or demon possessed. As Jesus responded to these different opinions, we begin to get a picture of who He really was. We discover that He has power to heal and that He is the Son of God. We learn that He has authority to call out a new people of God. And we rejoice to know that He has power to defeat Satan and establish the eternal reign of God.

II.             How Do We Follow Him?

Since that is who Jesus is we have a foundation upon which to trust Him. Since Jesus is the Son of God He deserves respect and honor. Since He is establishing a new eternal people of God He is worth following. Since He is defeating Satan, we might as well live on the winning side. As we examine this passage once again with some understanding of who He is we also come to understand what it means to follow Him.

A.              By Being with Him

When Jesus chose the twelve to be apostles, he chose them out of the many who had begun to follow Him. However, later we discover that we are all called to the same kind of following as these 12 were called to. If we understand that we too are chosen by God to be disciples then this section helps us understand what following means.

We notice, first of all, that he chose them “to be with him.” We often think that they had a privilege that no one else has ever had. They were physically with Jesus 24/7 and saw everything he did, how He responded, what His goals were, His power and heard all of His teaching. The call to discipleship hasn’t changed and because of the Spirit of God it is still possible for us also to be with Jesus 24/7. In fact that is a large part of what it means to be a disciple. Following Jesus means spending time with Jesus, being in the presence of Jesus. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

How are we with Jesus? Do we set aside special time to acknowledge His presence and communicate with Him? Do we have a constant awareness of His presence? Do we always recognize that we are in His presence as we work, play and make decisions? That is what it means to be a disciple. It means being with Jesus and letting Him influence us.

B.              By Proclaiming Him

As disciples they were also called by Jesus "to be sent out to proclaim the message.” In Mark 6 we read that they actually  did this. The twelve were sent out by twos and preached from village to village. But we would be mistaken if we thought that this intent was fulfilled in that preaching mission. When Jesus was with His disciples just before He ascended into heaven He told them in Matthew 28:19 to “go and make disciples of all nations, teaching…” In Acts 1:8 we have a similar commission when he said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”

This also is what it means to be a disciple today. If we are followers of Jesus, we are those who have been given the task of making the name of Jesus known. That is why we send missionaries.  That is why it is good for us to find out what God is doing in mission all over the world by attending Missionfest Manitoba. But that is also why we as a church are always seeking ways in which we can create opportunities to share the message of Jesus. May we be motivated to follow Jesus into His mission.

C.              By Having His Authority

The third intent of Jesus in calling the disciples was that they would “have authority to cast out demons.” It is interesting that casting out demons is presented in Mark as an authority issue. In Mark 1:27, Jesus had just cast out a demon and the crowd observed that this was “…A new teaching—and with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Jesus indicated that He had authority over evil Spirits and demonstrated that authority by casting them out.

Jesus gave that authority to his disciples and in Mark 6 when they went out to preach, they also demonstrated that power. Does this authority also pass down to us? It does if we believe Romans 16:20 which says, "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet."

Not only do we continue to have authority over evil spirits, but we do all of our ministry in the authority of Jesus. In Matthew 28: 18-20, Jesus says, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” On the basis of that authority statement, Jesus commissions all disciples to go and make Him known. So we see that we also go out into the world in the authority of Jesus.

            In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised the disciples power. In Acts 3:12, after having healed a crippled man and being questioned about it, Peter responded by saying that they had not accomplished this by their own power, but that they had healed by the power of Jesus. Then when they were arrested and were being tried, we read once again in Acts 4:7 that they recognized that they were working, teaching and doing their entire ministry in the authority and power of Jesus.

            Today as we live in this world and serve Christ in this world, we also do not do so in our own strength or by the power of the church or any other power. Our authority for living, ministering, teaching, serving is the power of Jesus. May we recognize and rely on that power and authority.

D.             By Recognizing His Divine Spirit

As we have already seen, the Jewish leaders did not get who Jesus was. But when we hear them suggest that Jesus "has Beelzebub and by the ruler of the demons He casts out demons" we realize that their opposition is pretty serious. In fact, Jesus calls their statement "an eternal sin" and warns that their blasphemy “will never have forgiveness?”

What was so serious about what they were saying? In Mark 3:30, we read that they were saying that Jesus had an unclean or evil spirit. Because they did not believe in who Jesus was, they could not explain the power with which Jesus cast out demons. Therefore, they attributed it to evil spirits. But in Mark 1 we learned that the Spirit who descended upon Jesus in order to empower Him for His work was the Holy Spirit. What they were doing by their accusation was calling the Holy Spirit evil. Their “eternal sin” was the sin of refusing to recognize the presence of God. It was the sin of declaring the good work which Jesus was doing in the power of God as having an evil source. In other words, they were calling God evil and rejecting Him. That is the sin that cannot be forgiven because it refuses God's forgiveness. Geddert says, “Those who attribute the work of Jesus to Satan and satanic power cannot simultaneously receive the forgiveness that depends on recognizing Jesus as God’s agent for salvation.”

The root of the unpardonable sin is the inability to see the divine in Jesus. 1 John 4:15 says, “God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.” Following Jesus begins in and must continue with the recognition that Jesus is God. Apart from that recognition, it is not possible for us to trust Him for forgiveness. Apart from that recognition it is not possible for us to know that God continues to do His work in us. Philippians 2:13 (NIV) affirms this when it says, “…for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Therefore, being a follower of Jesus, means being able to see the divine in Jesus. It is the recognition that it is the Spirit of God who is at work in us to bring us to God and to cause us to grow in Him.

E.              By Being Part of His New Family

The story of Jesus’ encounter with his family may puzzle us. Does His reply to them imply that Jesus rejected his family? It is more accurate to recognize that his family was rejecting Jesus. They did not understand what Jesus was all about and who he was. Yet when Jesus answered the inquiries of his family, we learn some more important things about what it means to be a disciple.

When Jesus looked at those seated around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers,” he was indicating the existence of a new family. He did not reject his family because we see in John that he still cared for his mother when at the cross he assigned John to look after her. But we also recognize that the family to which Jesus calls all those who follow Him is not limited to a biological family, but rather is the family of those who follow Him. Jesus introduces a new family and being a follower of Jesus means recognizing that family.

Chuck Smith writes, “I was over in New Guinea and I had this native chieftain come up to me. He had to speak to me through an interpreter. And he had these spears in his hand. He said, "I used these to kill men. But," he said, "now that they have brought me this," holding up his Bible, "I don’t need these any more, and I want to give them to you." And there came an instant bonding between this chieftain and myself. My brother in Jesus. Though we could not communicate linguistically, we communicated spiritually, as he grabbed hold of me and I grabbed hold of him and we began to embrace each other in the love of Jesus Christ. And how I felt God’s love just pouring out from that man to me. And how I was bonded to him in the Spirit, as I realized, "This man’s my brother in Jesus." It was a tremendous spiritual experience for me, being bonded by the Spirit to this native who just not too many years ago was a cannibal. But now, because of the work of God’s grace in his life, he’s a brother in Christ. And though we are culturally worlds apart, though linguistically we cannot communicate, yet there was such a spiritual communication and a spiritual bond that I’ve never felt quite that experience of bonding before as I did with that native chieftain as we stood there in the village and embraced each other.”

The new family of His followers is further identified by Jesus in Mark 3:35 when he says, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Geddert says, “His true family does not stand outside and seek to control him. Jesus’ true family gathers around him and learns from him what it means to hear and do the will of God.”

This has implications in a church such as ours where many are connected to one another in biological families. It challenges us to make sure that we do not create walls by our biological connections. It challenges us to learn to treat our spiritual brothers and sisters as just as much family as our biological family.

Conclusion

Just as we are comfortable following a pilot vehicle through the instability of a construction site, so we have reason to follow Jesus through the instability of life. Because He is the Son of God who has come into this world to overcome Satan and to create a new people of God, we can trust Him. If we do, then the things we have learned today will be true of us.

We will desire to be with Him.

We will want to make His name known.

We will work in His authority and power.

We will recognize that the work of Jesus is divine work and continues to work in us.

We will recognize His family as the family of those who obey Him and we will rejoice to be a part of that family.

May we know Him and follow Him.