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The Gospel of Mark

Chapter 3: The Change of dispensation

Published since 02. Sep. 2025
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Mark 3
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And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was there a man having his hand dried up. And they watched him if he would heal him on the sabbath, that they might accuse him. And he says to the man who had his hand dried up, Rise up [and come] into the midst. And he says to them, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they were silent. And looking round upon them with anger, distressed at the hardening of their heart, he says to the man, Stretch out thy hand. And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored. And the Pharisees going out straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him. And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and beyond the Jordan; and they of around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, having heard what things he did, came to him. And he spoke to his disciples, in order that a little ship should wait upon him on account of the crowd, that they might not press upon him. For he healed many, so that they beset him that they might touch him, as many as had plagues. And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried saying, *Thou* art the Son of God.
And he rebuked them much, that they might not make him manifest. And he goes up into the mountain, and calls whom he himself would, and they went to him. And he appointed twelve that they might be with him, and that he might send them to preach, and to have power [to heal diseases, and] to cast out demons. And he gave to Simon the surname of Peter; and James the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariote, who also delivered him up. And they come to [the] house. And again a crowd comes together, so that they cannot even eat bread. And his relatives having heard [of it] went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind. And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons he casts out demons. And having called them to [him], he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom has become divided against itself, that kingdom cannot subsist. And if a house has become divided against itself, that house cannot subsist. And if Satan rise up against himself, and is divided, he cannot subsist, but has an end. But no one can, having entered into his house, plunder the goods of the strong [man] unless he first bind the strong [man], and then he will plunder his house. Verily I say unto you, that all sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men, and all the injurious speeches [with] which they may speak injuriously; but whosoever shall speak injuriously against the Holy Spirit, to eternity has no forgiveness; but lies under the guilt of an everlasting sin; --because they said, He has an unclean spirit. And his brethren and his mother come, and standing without sent to him calling him. And a crowd sat around him. And they said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek thee without. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother or my brethren? And looking around in a circuit at those that were sitting around him, he says, Behold my mother and my brethren: for whosoever shall do the will of God, *he* is my brother, and sister, and mother.

In the previous chapters, we have witnessed the perfect Servant in His ministry of grace and power, dispensing blessings among the Jewish nation. While this ministry illuminated the faith of a godly remnant, it also provoked the enmity of the nation's leaders, who dared to accuse the Lord of blasphemy, of associating with sinners, and of breaking the Sabbath.

This opposition foreshadowed the major change in dispensation that was about to occur. The Jews, who rejected their Messiah and committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, would be set aside, and grace would extend to the Gentiles. The old order of law in Judaism would give way to the reign of grace in Christianity. This transition in dispensation is indicated in this new section of the Gospel through a series of incidents that occur in the synagogue (1-6), by the sea (7-12), on the mountain (13-19), and in a house (19-35). Each location and scene holds its significance.

The first incident reveals that the Lord "again entered into the synagogue," emphasizing His presence among the Jewish people—the synagogue being their gathering place under the law. An arresting scene unfolds in this synagogue at Capernaum. God's perfect Servant, the Lord of glory, is present with the power to bless and grace in His heart to aid those in need. However, man stands there in his deep need, powerless to help himself because his hand is withered. Meanwhile, the religious leaders are there, oblivious to their own need and indifferent to those of others, lacking a true realization of the Lord's glory.

Among these Pharisees, it is noted that "they watched Him," not to learn from His ways or understand the grace in His heart, but in hopes that He would heal a needy man on the Sabbath. They sought this opportunity to accuse Him of working on the Sabbath. What a testament to Christ's perfection that His enemies do not anticipate any wrongdoing from Him; instead, they expect Him to do good! In our time, do not people of the world inadvertently testify to the truth of Christianity by expecting Christians to act differently and do good? If Christianity were false, why would unbelievers expect Christians to live better lives than themselves?

If the Lord were not the Son of God and the Servant of Jehovah, why would these Jews expect Him to heal this man? Their expectations unknowingly testify to the grace in His heart and highlight their hardened hearts. Knowing their intentions and that they were seeking an opportunity to accuse Him, the Lord could have chosen to refrain from healing the man publicly, thus denying His accusers the chance they desired. However, the Lord's purpose was to manifest God's grace, so He acted with utmost openness. He told the man to "stand forth" before them all. By this question, the Lord provided them with an opportunity to express their objections to healing on the Sabbath. Yet, "they held their peace." This silence was not a humble grace like the Lord's quietness in the face of insults; rather, it was the silence of mere strategy, which eloquently revealed the impotence of their hatred.

The Lord looked upon them with righteous anger, but beneath that anger was a sense of distress. He was grieved by the hardness of their hearts, which showed no concern for the helpless man, the one in desperate need, and yet perfectly opposed to the One who had both the power and grace to bless. Consequently, those who would not allow the Lord to do good on the Sabbath were, in fact, fully prepared to do evil. They had already been watching to accuse Him; now they plotted to destroy the Blesser.

The malice of the Jews cannot hinder the grace of the Lord or undermine His tireless service of love. While it may redirect that service into different channels, it also becomes the occasion for grace to reach a broader audience. This shift in God's ways is exemplified by the Lord withdrawing from the synagogue—the center of Jewish worship—and positioning Himself by the sea, which is often used in Scripture to symbolize the Gentile nations. The rejection of Christ by the Jews thus opens the door for blessings to be extended to the Gentiles.

Furthermore, this new setting indicates the new principles that characterize the current age of grace. In the synagogue, the Jews were governed by sight; they observed Him, and their hearts were hardened to their own needs, filled with hostility toward the One who could fulfill those needs. In contrast, by the seaside, a great multitude—including Gentiles—was drawn to the Lord "when they heard of the great things He did." Faith comes from hearing and arises from a sense of need. Though they were drawn to Christ by His grace, they also came because they recognized their need. As many as were suffering from plagues came to Him. Solomon, in his prayer, speaks of every person knowing "the plague of his own heart" and points to the only way of relief—laying it out before God (1 Kings 8:38). A heart plague is something only the individual knows, marring their joy. It may represent an unresolved issue between the soul and God, possibly a secret sin that remains unconfessed. Real faith can recognize the grace in Christ's heart, allowing one to bring their inner struggles before Him and find deliverance from every negative influence.

As the scene shifts from the sea to the mountain, we see the Lord leave behind the Jews in the synagogue, where He encountered only a withered hand, hardened hearts, and deep enmity. By the seaside, He gathered many needy souls, both Jews and Gentiles. We are elevated above the human condition on the mountain to gain insight into God's new ways. In His sovereign choice of the Twelve, we see the foundation for a new order of blessing. The Church is called out from both Jews and Gentiles and is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). When we ultimately receive a description of the Church in glory, we find the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed in the city's foundation (Rev. 21:14).

This new work does not stem from human responsibility; it is entirely of God. The Lord, having separated Himself from humanity and the world according to His sovereign choice, "calls to Him whom He wills." He calls them, ordains them, sends them forth, and grants them power. However, above all else, they are chosen so that "they should be with Him." The most cherished desire of His heart is to have His people in His presence. In this context, it is especially for the purpose of service, for which the true preparation is found in being with the Lord. Thus, He could proclaim in an earlier scene, "Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men," and later said, "If any man serve me, let him follow me" (John 12:26). To truly follow Christ, one must separate from the world, just as He did, which is illustrated by following Him up the mountain. There, in His company, they are sent forth to spread the good news. This was something entirely new; in the Jewish system, there was the reading and explaining of the law in synagogues, but there was no preaching. This new aspect included the power to heal diseases and cast out demons. Christ not only performed miracles Himself but also empowered others to do the same.

As He associates the disciples with Himself, the Lord enters a house. In this context, we see the familial relations of the Lord according to the flesh. While the mountain signifies the foundation of something completely new, the house reveals that the Lord no longer identifies with Israel in a worldly sense. His relatives felt the shame of being associated with someone condemned by their religious leaders, as His teachings and actions challenged the status quo. Unable to bear the reproach of Christ, they sought to restrain Him, claiming, "He is out of His mind." They likely acknowledged the harsh criticisms from their leaders but insisted, "He is beside Himself" and should be kept under control.

(V. 22) The scribes from Jerusalem, who possessed power and influence due to their official position and intellectual superiority, rejected the notion of madness. They understood that it was not the confused mind of a madman but a genuine power that cast out demons. They recognized it was a force greater than that of man. Rather than acknowledging it as divine, they were forced to attribute this power to the devil—the only alternative.

(Vv. 23-30) This grave accusation seals their fate. Yet, with perfect calm and grace, the Lord confronts this wickedness. In the mountains, He had just called the Twelve to associate them with Himself in blessing. Now, He calls His enemies to pronounce their doom—a solemn thought! The One who calls in grace can also call in judgment. The Lord demonstrates that their accusation was not only ignorant folly but also a deliberate blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This was a mighty presence, one stronger than the strong man and taking his goods, proving that He had bound the strong man. This power was exercised by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 10:38). Therefore, attributing His power to the devil equates to labeling the Holy Spirit as a demon—a sin that cannot be forgiven. This marked the end of all hope for Israel based on their responsibility. Thus, this is the solemn climax of all the Lord's gracious works in this world: "Man can see nothing in the activity of divine goodness but madness and the work of the devil." (J.N.D.).

(Vv. 31-35) The ensuing scene depicts the dire consequences for the Jewish nation. All ties with Israel after the flesh are renounced, and every connection with the nation is severed. However, the Lord distinguishes a remnant that is in relationship with Him—not due to their natural connection with Israel but through faith in His word (see John 6:39-40).

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