Mark 3:7
Changing with the Times
Outline:
I. \\#Mark 1:1-15\\ Introduction
A. \\#1:1-8\\ Jesus Was Announced
B. \\#1:9-11\\ Jesus Was Authenticated
C. \\#1:12-13\\ Jesus Was Proven
D. \\#1:14-15\\ The Bridge
II. \\#Mark 1:16-2:28\\ Meet Jesus
A. \\#1:14-2:12\\ Jesus’ Authority
1. \\#1:16-20\\ Jesus Has Authority over Men
2. \\#1:21-22\\ Jesus Has Authority in Doctrine
3. \\#1:23-28\\ Jesus Has Authority over Demons
4. \\#1:29-39\\ Jesus Has Authority over Sickness
5. \\#1:40-45\\ Jesus Has Authority over Disease
6. \\#2:1-12\\ Jesus Has Authority over Sin
B. \\#2:13-28\\ Jesus Cares for Sinners
C. \\#2:13-28\\ Jesus Is Not Like Others
1. \\#2:13-17\\ He’s not like everyone else.
2. \\#2:18-22\\ He’s not like the disciples of John or the
Pharisees.
3. \\#23-28\\ He’s not like the Pharisees.
III. \\#Mark 3:1-35\\ Things Are Changing
A. \\#3:1-6\\ The Relationship Between Jesus and the Pharisees
B. \\#3:7-12\\ The Relationship Between Jesus and the People
C. \\#3:13-19\\ The Relationship Between Jesus and His Disciples
D. \\#3:22-30\\ The Relationship Between Jesus and the Scribes
E. \\#3:31-35\\ The Relationship Between Jesus and His Family
Mark 3 is the "change chapter." Not all of the changes are of great
importance but they are recorded which makes them worth our attenion.
The first thing that changed was the relationship with the Pharisees.
The Pharisees came to see Jesus as a danger and in \\#6\\, they
determined to eliminate that danger. Jesus’ relationship with them
will also change. While Jesus will still desire their salvation, He
will deal with them more and more sternly.
Notice some other things that change.
I. \\#7\\ Jesus’ Location Changed
Mark 3:6 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,
A. Jesus withdrew Himself from the crowded areas on the north
shore of the Sea of Galilee.
1. In Matthew 11-12, Matthew pointed out that Jesus had been
in the area of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, and He
was not impressed with their response to His preaching.
2. In fact, Jesus had just warned them, telling them that it
will be better for Sodom in the judgment than for them.
3. Somewhere in that area, He had worshipped on the Sabbath
Day, healed a man with a withered hand, and offended the
Pharisees.
4. While they begin to plot how to kill Jesus, He left.
5. Jesus got into a boat and sailed away.
B. It is amazing how the Bible continues to teach me things.
1. As things were changing for Jesus, so things are changing
for Christians.
a. The world was offended at Jesus and wanted to kill
Him.
b. Christians have offended this world too, and we are
going to do a lot more of it.
c. I think it will not be long before they will begin to
demonstrate their dislike for us as they did for
Jesus.
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a
green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
2. But remember, we can leave.
a. God is not interested in us showing the world how
brave we are.
b. He is interested in us showing the world that He died
on the cross for them.
c. We must adjust our thinking for these changing times.
(1) Many of us have been taught, "Don’t start any
trouble but if it gets started, finish it."
(2) Others have been told that only a coward runs
away.
(3) I’m not advocating cowardness either in general
or for the cause of Christ, but I am telling
you that Jesus didn’t throw His life away for
nothing—and neither should we.
(4) Each and every Christian will have to determine
when God would want them to leave and when He
would them to stay, but there is no doubt that
Jesus knew what the religious leaders were
thinking—and He left.
d. Not only should we look at what Jesus did, but we need
to listen to what Jesus said.
Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in
this city, flee ye into another: for verily I
say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the
cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
3. Perhaps you and I will not need to be reminded of this
truth for many years yet; but one day we will need it so
file it away for future reference.
4. Jesus changed His location.
II. \\#3:8-12\\ Jesus’ Relations with the Gentiles Changed
Mark 3:8 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.
A. Jesus’ reputation continued to grow.
B. Not only were the Jews coming to Jesus now, but Gentiles as
well.
1. \\#8\\ Idumaea, beyond Jordan, Tyre and Sidon - These
were predominately Gentile areas.
2. Maybe they were mostly Jews who had moved out of Israel,
but some Gentiles came as well.
a. It will be much later but \\#John 20:20-21\\ tell of
Greeks who came to see Jesus.
b. The Bible never really tells us what happened, but I
assume they got to talk directly to Jesus; and I
hope they trusted Jesus, and we will get to see them
in heaven one day.
3. While Jesus’ ministry was not primarily TO the Gentiles,
He did not send them away.
a. There is one case where Jesus was very harsh on a
Gentile woman who came to seek help for her child,
but even then Jesus healed the child.
b. Someone might ask, "Why was Jesus so hard on that
woman?"
c. Indeed, what was He so hard other Gentiles, even
telling the disciples not to go to the Gentiles
with the gospel?
d. We do not know for certain, but I would guess it might
be because He was presenting the Kingdom to the Jews
not the Gentiles.
(1) Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, come to the Jewish
nation, to offer them the Jewish kingdom.
(2) It would have to be their decision what to do
with Jesus who is called the Christ—and they
made it.
C. This would probably put us into the second year of Jesus’
ministry. That is based in part on the growing popularity of
Jesus and the fact that these accounts are also recorded
toward the middle of the book of Matthew.
III. \\#13-19\\ Jesus’ Method Changed
A. With more people willing to listen, Jesus needed more people
willing to go tell them. so He appointed and empowered 12 to
GO preach.
1. I say GO because \\#14\\ said Jesus sent them "forth to
preach."
2. Many things make the New Testament different from the Old.
a. One is evangelism.
b. We are not building a building for people to attend,
but enlarging a kingdom by inviting lost souls to the
Savior.
B. This was major change, not just for Jesus but for the
disciples.
1. Jesus had called the disciples to come and follow Him.
2. Now He was appointing them to lead others.
3. This is when the sheep became the shepherds.
a. I have used that expression a lot over the years, but
it is impossible for me to preach much in a gospel
without seeing the completed transformation.
(1) When God births us, we are His sheep.
(a) We are blessed with eternal life, the
filling of the Holy Ghost, and all the
privileges of being adopted into God’s
family.
(b) And many Christians seem content to be God’s
sheep.
(c) But the transformation is not completed yet.
(2) When God grows us, we become His shepherds.
(a) It is at this point that the sheep ceases to
merely wander behind the Shepherd and
learns of purpose.
(b) It is at this point that the sheep ceases to
merely have the Holy Ghost and starts to be
filled with Him.
(c) It is at this point that the sheep ceases to
take all of God’s blessings and begins to
share them.
b. There is no joy like becoming a shepherd to others and
there should be no hindrance that can stop us from
attaining to it.
C. The group Jesus called was a strange lot.
1. If there was ever a group of men destined to fail, it
should have been these.
a. \\#16\\ Peter we know: loud, boastful, impulsive, a
bit power hunger.
b. \\#17\\ James and John were known to be short
tempered. Jesus the nicknamed them, Bo-an-ner-ges,
"sons of thunder."
c. \\#18\\
(1) Matthew was a publican, hated by the Jews.
(2) Thomas will be nicknamed by history a doubter.
(3) \\#Luke 6:15\\ called Simon the Canaanite a
zealot, most probably because of his extreme
political views.
d. \\#19\\ Let’s not forget Judas, the one who would
betray Jesus.
2. Six of the 12 disciples that Jesus picked had some flaw,
whether great of small, in their character.
a. If you think that isn’t so bad, remember, three or
four of them have nothing written about them at all
in the Scripture.
b. All we have is their name in a list of disciples and
apostles.
3. The next time you think God cannot use you, just remember
those with which He began—and remember.
a. It is not who you are the day God calls you that
counts.
b. It is who you will let God make you to be.
(1) Every servant that God has ever had had to be
shaped and molded.
(2) Every servant.
(3) If you hold nothing from Him, there is nothing
God cannot do with you.
IV. \\#21\\ Jesus’ Relationship with His Friends Changed.
Mark 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they
went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is
beside himself.
A. That is almost mind-blowing.
1. Whoever thought of Jesus as having friends, at least
friends other than the disciples?
2. Obviously He did—and some of them may have rejected Him.
3. Some of them definitely thought He was crazy.
B. As far as I know, this is the only verse in all of the Bible
that speaks of Jesus’ early friends.
1. Yet, the Bible does say that He was tempted in ALL points
like as we are, yet without sin.
2. So if you have ever had to walk away from a friendship
for the gospel’s sake, don’t think you are the first.
3. Even Jesus had to do so.
4. And remember, all though the Bible may not say so, in all
points means Jesus was tempted in ALL points.
Someone has said that each of us carry three identities.
1. Who we think we are.
2. Who people think we are.
3. Who we really are.
The people in Jesus’ day had many different opinions concerning who
Jesus was. Marked recorded a few in this chapter.
1. \\#3:6\\ The Pharisees thought Jesus was a menace.
2. \\#3:13-19\\ Eleven of His disciples thought He was Master.
3. \\#3:7-12\\ The people thought He was a Miracle Worker.
4. \\#3:21\\ His "friends" thought He was mad.
5. \\#3:22\\ The scribes thought He was possessed.
Well, those were the opinions. Only one was right while four were
wrong. But opinions, even if they are right, mean nothing unless you
act on them. Even though most of the people thought well of Jesus.
few would actually forsake all and follow Him.
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