Jesus leaves the crowds behind to select twelve men to be His disciples. The inner circle, Peter, James, and John, have already been mentioned. Now Mark lists most of the rest of the crew.

Andrew may have been the first of the apostles to meet Jesus. He had been a disciple of John the Baptist, who had pointed Jesus out (John 1:35–40). Jesus selects Andrew and his brother Simon Peter in Mark 1:16–17, but Andrew does not spend much time in the inner circle.

John 1:43 says that Jesus calls Philip the day after He calls Andrew and Peter. Philip brings Nathanael, telling him that Jesus is the Messiah "of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote." Nathanael, also called Bartholomew which means "son of Talmai," responds with a proverb: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Jesus greets him, saying, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" (John 1:47). Jesus also tells Nathanael He saw him before Philip called when he was under a fig tree (John 1:48). This immediately changes Nathanael's perspective of Jesus, and he responds, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1: 49).

Mark 2:14 mentions a disciple called Levi. He's believed to be the same as this verse's Matthew, since he is identified as a tax collector as well (Matthew 10:3). As a tax collector, he would have supported, or at least benefitted from, the Roman occupation. It is he who invites Jesus to eat with the "sinners" (Mark 2:15–17).

Thomas is best known as the disciple who misses Jesus' first appearance after the resurrection and needs to be convinced that Jesus really did rise (John 20:24–28). But he should also be known as the disciple who willingly follows Jesus to Jerusalem despite believing they will all die (John 11:16). He is also known as "Didymus," which means "twin."

Not much is known about the second James except he is apparently Matthew's brother. He is neither James the brother of John nor James the half-brother of Jesus. He is called James the younger in Mark 15:40.

Thaddaeus is also called Judas and is identified as the son of James, but we're never told which James (Luke 6:16).

The second Simon is described as a Zealot. At the time Jesus chooses His disciples, the Zealots were not yet a clearly-defined political party, though they were by the time Mark wrote this account. The Zealots combine the religious fervor of the Pharisees with fierce national independence. Whether Simon's zeal is for the Mosaic Law or Jewish independence, his inclusion in the same group as Matthew—a Roman-sympathizing tax collector—is unusual.

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about the reactions people had to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. But they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority, and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew 10:1–4 and Luke 6:12–16.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

Mark chapter 3 continues in the same pattern as chapter 2, describing various teaching and healing encounters from the life of Jesus. These events are used to explain Jesus' overall message and demonstrate His power. They also serve to show how different people react to His teachings. Chapter 4 will focus more on Jesus' parables.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.

Accessed 5/4/2024 8:55:56 PM

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