Mark 3

He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there whose hand was withered.

They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.

He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Stand up.”

He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm? To save a life or to kill?” But they were silent.

When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.

The Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea,

from Jerusalem, from Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and those from around Tyre and Sidon. A great multitude, hearing what great things he did, came to him.

He spoke to his disciples that a little boat should stay near him because of the crowd, so that they wouldn’t press on him.

For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.

The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried, “You are the Son of God!”

He sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

He went up into the mountain and called to himself those whom he wanted, and they went to him.

He appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach

and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);

James the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);

Andrew; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot;

and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Then he came into a house.

The multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

When his friends heard it, they went out to seize him; for they said, “He is insane.”

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons.”

He summoned them and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

If Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he can’t stand, but has an end.

But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder unless he first binds the strong man; then he will plunder his house.

“Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”

—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to him, calling him.

A multitude was sitting around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”

He answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers!

For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter portrays Jesus as the authoritative Son of God whose healing power and teaching challenge religious hypocrisy, provoke escalating opposition, and redefine the true family of God. It moves from a controversial Sabbath healing to the appointment of the Twelve and culminates in a confrontation with both his relatives and religious leaders, clarifying that kinship with him is determined not by blood but by obedience to God’s will.

Flow.

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, exposing the hardness of heart in those who prioritize tradition over mercy.
Faced with growing opposition from the Pharisees and Herodians, Jesus withdraws but draws vast crowds eager for healing, while demons acknowledge his identity, which he restrains.
He appoints the Twelve to be with him and carry on his mission of preaching and exorcism.
When accused of demonic power and thought insane by his own family, Jesus teaches that spiritual kinship comes through doing God’s will.

Connections. Following chapter 2, where Jesus forgives sins and calls a tax collector, further highlighting his authority and association with the marginalized, chapter 3 intensifies the conflict over Sabbath observance and corrects false attributions of his power. The growing crowds and the selection of the Twelve prepare for the parables of the kingdom in chapter 4, which will unpack the nature of discipleship and the response to Jesus’ message.

What it teaches. Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath affirms that doing good is always lawful (WCF 21.8), upholding the moral substance of the Fourth Commandment while rebuking legalistic distortions (HC LD 38). His power over demons confirms his messianic identity (HC LD 15), yet he restrains premature revelation (WCF 8.2). The unpardonable sin—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—warns of a deliberate rejection of God’s saving work in Christ (WCF 10.4; Canons of Dort 5.12). True relationship with Jesus is established not by physical ties but by submission to God’s will (WCF 12.1; HC LD 33).

Apply. Belonging to Jesus means being drawn to him for healing, yielding to his Word, and finding one’s true family in those who obey the Father.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.