1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Chapter 3 of the Gospel of Mark in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is a critical chapter that contains several significant events and teachings of Jesus Christ. The chapter starts with Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, which stirs controversy among the Pharisees. It continues with Jesus withdrawing to the sea with a large crowd following Him, and later appointing the Twelve Apostles. The chapter concludes with an encounter between Jesus and the scribes, who accuse Him of being possessed by Beelzebub, and a brief interaction between Jesus and His family.
One of the main themes that emerge from this chapter is the escalating conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of His time, primarily the Pharisees and the scribes. It also introduces the theme of the Kingdom of God, the power of faith and the significance of spiritual kinship.
The chapter begins with Jesus entering a synagogue where He encounters a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees, who were meticulously observing Jesus, were eager to find a reason to accuse Him. They were watching whether He would heal the man on the Sabbath, an act they considered a violation of the law. Jesus, being fully aware of their intentions, proceeded to heal the man and confronted the Pharisees by asking, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” (Mark 3:4, KJV). The Pharisees remained silent, unable to respond to His question. This incident reveals Jesus’ compassion for the suffering and His readiness to challenge the legalistic interpretations of the law that hindered love and mercy.
The Pharisees' reaction to Jesus' healing on the Sabbath was one of anger and hostility. They began to plot with the Herodians on how they might destroy Jesus. This signifies the beginning of a serious conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders, a theme that progresses throughout the Gospel of Mark.
After withdrawing to the sea due to the rising opposition, Jesus is followed by a multitude of people from various regions. Seeing the growing need for laborers to minister to the spiritual needs of the people, Jesus goes up into a mountain and calls unto Him those He wanted. He appointed twelve, who He also named apostles, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. The twelve apostles included Simon (whom He surnamed Peter), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, whom He surnamed Boanerges, meaning sons of thunder), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Him.
The appointment of the Twelve Apostles is a significant event in Jesus' ministry. It signifies the establishment of a new community, which is a central theme in the Gospel of Mark. These apostles were not only His close companions but were also entrusted with carrying on His mission after His departure.
The scribes, who came down from Jerusalem, accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, by whose power they claimed He was driving out demons. Jesus refuted their accusation with a parable, stating that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand; therefore, Satan cannot drive out Satan. He further warned them about the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This passage emphasizes the power of Jesus over the forces of evil and His authority to establish the Kingdom of God. It also highlights the gravity of attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan.
The chapter concludes with an encounter between Jesus and His family. His mother and brothers came to see Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd. When told that His family was looking for Him, Jesus responded by saying, “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:35, KJV). This statement underscores the importance of spiritual kinship based on faith and obedience to God's will, a theme that runs throughout the Gospel of Mark.
In summary, the third chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the KJV Bible presents several significant events and teachings of Jesus Christ. It highlights the escalating conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders, the appointment of the Twelve Apostles, the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and the importance of spiritual kinship in the Kingdom of God. These themes are central to understanding the nature and mission of Jesus Christ as portrayed in the Gospel of Mark.
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