Lord Jesus, as I come to you today, help me to obey what you ask me to do and trust you to work in and through me.
Read MARK 3:7–19
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about 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. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure 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 others about him.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 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.
Footnotes
- Mark 3:14 Some manuscripts twelve—designating them apostles—
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
List ten things you can thank God for – and praise him.
Think Further
Despite the Pharisees’ hostility to Jesus, his popularity with ordinary folk continued to grow and he was surrounded by a large number of people. Many of them had journeyed considerable distances to be healed. Others appear to have regularly traveled around with him.1 It was from this group of followers that Jesus selected the twelve. Despite having many people around him to choose from, those he called as apostles were not obvious choices. Simon Peter was impulsive and would go on to deny Jesus not long after promising him his undying loyalty. John and James were nicknamed ‘sons of thunder’ (v. 17), possibly because they wanted to send down fire to burn a non-receptive village!2 Matthew is probably another name for the tax collector Levi, who was in a profession renowned for its corruption. Simon was nicknamed ‘the Zealot’ (v. 18), suggesting that he may have been part of a political group wedded to violence. Thomas would famously go on to doubt Jesus’ resurrection; and, of course, Judas would betray him.
Why did Jesus pick these men? The only clue Mark gives us is their full-blown commitment. Peter and Andrew left their fishing business ‘at once’ to follow Christ and similarly, John and James appear to respond straightaway and leave their father and their nets behind.3 Levi, too, forfeits his livelihood at the tax booth to follow Jesus without any apparent hesitation.4 In today’s passage we are simply told that Jesus ‘called to him those he wanted, and they came to him’ (v. 13). When we select people for church roles, how important is a candidate’s love for, and commitment to, Christ? How can we assess that? What encouragement can we take personally from Jesus’ choice of the twelve?
Apply
Pray for anyone who struggles to believe God can work through them, that their confidence in Christ may increase.
Closing prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for the privilege that is mine to follow you. Help me to follow closely; use who I am and the gifts you have given me to honor you and proclaim the gospel.
Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by kingstar
