Introduction

If you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to the Gospel of Mark. And we’ll be continuing our teaching series through Mark this morning. This part of the Bible contains a record of Jesus’s life. But from the very beginning, Mark has made it clear that he isn’t just giving us a general biography. Instead, he’s telling us about Jesus’s life in order to make the point that Jesus is supernaturally significant – that Jesus is divine, that he’s the Son of God. And Mark has been telling us about a number of events in Jesus’s life to drive this point home. We’ve seen, so far, that Jesus has healed skin diseases, he’s made a paralyzed man walk again, he’s forgiven sins, he’s confronted the errors of Jewish teachers and has given true Biblical interpretation, Jesus has cast our demons in front of a crowd, he’s brought restoration to shriveled, deformed hands – and we’re not even a full three chapters in.

And as these things have been happening, the latest news about Jesus has been spreading like lightning throughout the whole region. People are coming out in droves to see Jesus. And that’s where things pick up for us in our text this morning. So we’ll be in Mark, Chapter 3 this morning. And I’ll be reading verses 7 through 19. But before I read the text for us, please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

The Crowd May Not Be What It Seems

Appearances can be deceiving. It’s simply a fact of life that things can sometimes look a certain way, and then turn out being something different. This is why there are old sayings like, “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover,” or “all that glitters isn’t gold.” Sometimes an apple looks good on the outside, but when you cut into it, the inside is tinted brown, and the texture’s all wrong. Or you might buy a new coat that’s on clearance, thinking that you’ve just found a good deal – but then after two weeks when the cheap zipper is broken, you might realize why there was such a steep discount. Appearances can be deceiving.

And the same is true in our text today. Because at first, in our text, it appears that Mark is simply telling us about the increased popularity of Jesus – about all the ways that people are following him. But when we look closer, we’ll see that the loyalty of the people around Jesus isn’t quite what it seems. In one sense, these people are following Jesus – but in another sense, many people in our text have hearts that are still far away from him. And so as we work through these verses together, my hope is that the Lord will give us a better understanding of what it means to be sincere followers of Jesus.

I’ll be splitting the text into three points this morning. I’ll first explain the fickleness of Jesus’s Crowd. Second, I’ll explain the falseness of Jesus’s Confessors. And then third, I’ll give attention to the followers that Jesus calls. (So those will be my three points: The Fickleness of Jesus’s Crowd, the Falseness of Jesus’s confessors, and the followers that Jesus calls.)

The Fickleness of Jesus’s Crowd

So let’s turn our attention, first, to the fickleness of Jesus’s crowd – how inconsistent these people are in their respect for Jesus. If you look at verse 7 in our text, Mark explains that Jesus withdrew from town with his disciples. And he went out along the shore of a nearby sea. The Sea of Galilee. And Mark tells us that a “great crowd followed…” And when Mark speaks about all these people coming out to see Jesus, at first it sounds like a really good thing. Even though Mark has mentioned crowds gathering around Jesus already, here, for the first time, Mark says that it was a great crowd – a great multitude. We don’t know the exact numbers here. But later on Mark, when Mark uses the same phrase to refer to crowds of 4000 and 5000 men. So Mark seems to be indicating that multiple thousands of people are coming out to hear Jesus. Which is great, right? This is exactly what they should be doing. So far this sounds really good.

But what’s even better is that Jesus is drawing people from all over the place. We’re told that people in this crowd came from Galilee – which is the local area where Jesus was at. But they also came from Judea and Jerusalem, in the south. They came from Idumea, from the Southeast. They came from beyond the Jordan, from the east and northeast – from regions that were largely polytheistic and influenced by Greek culture. They came from Tyre and Sidon, from the Northwest – regions which were still influenced by Canaanite paganism. People came from all over the place, from many different backgrounds.

And you may remember from Mark, Chapter 1, God had sent a messenger ahead of Jesus, to prepare the way for him. That was John the Baptist. And though John’s ministry was influential – even though Mark told us that all the country of Judea and Jerusalem were going out to see John, Jesus’s publicity is explained in even bigger terms. Jesus is drawing a bigger following, from a bigger geographical area. People are hearing about all that Jesus is doing, and they’re coming from far and wide to see him. And so as we imagine this multitude of people, flocking around Jesus, we might imagine that everything is going well – that all these people around Jesus must be full of faith and committed to him.

But as these crowds press in, they actually don’t show much reverence or respect for Jesus. In fact, the crowd becomes so chaotic – almost violent, even – that Jesus is put in physical danger. So in verse 9, that’s why he tells his disciples “to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him.”

And even though this isn’t the main point of our text, notice here – when Jesus is in danger, he does very practical, physical things to protect himself. He asks his disciples to prepare a boat. He makes use of the God-given resources around him to reduce the danger he’s in. I think some people have the wrong idea that if you really trust God – then the faithful thing to do is simply to pray. They may think that taking any other step or using physical resources is an act of unbelief.

But Jesus shows us that this isn’t the case. When he uses this boat, he isn’t denying the ability of his Father in heaven to protect him. Instead, he’s affirming that when God provides for his people, he most often does so through physical means – physical resources. Though God can accomplish things supernaturally and mystically, he most often works through physical things, like boats, and through our personal effort. The ordinary way he gives exhausted people energy is by giving sleep. The ordinary way God works to give people spiritual health, is by giving them His Word, prayer, and committed fellowship with other Christians in a healthy church. God gives practical resources for our good. So since Jesus makes good use of this boat, we shouldn’t think it’s unspiritual for us to make use of God-given tools as an expression of our faith.

But as a I said, that’s all a sidenote. Because the main thing Mark focuses our attention on is the unruliness and intensity of the crowd. And you’ll see in our text, the violence of the crowd has nothing to do with them being angry. There’s no hostility against Jesus. The people aren’t trying to crush him or hurt him. But Mark explains in verse 10, that Jesus had healed many people – that was a well-known fact. And there were many diseased persons in the crowd who were desperately, forcefully trying to touch him, to get cured. If you’ve ever seen one of those ant hills, where there’s a patch of ground that is basically black because of the mass of ants that are climbing over each other to get into the ant hill – that’s basically what this crowd was like, as people competed with each other to get to the front of the line.

And by giving us this explanation, Mark is helping us to see – even though these people appeared to be followers of Jesus, they actually don’t have their priorities lined up right. For one thing, they treat Jesus as though he’s less than human. As these people are pushing and shoving each other to grab ahold of Jesus – there’s no concern for Jesus’s well-being. There’s no thought of having a personal interaction with Jesus. Instead, for many of these people – they’re just treating him like a thing that can magically make their problems go away. Or he’s some sort of carnival attraction to gawk at. It’s actually pretty offensive. These people treat Jesus as though he’s less than human.

But of course, Jesus isn’t less than human. In fact, he’s actually more than human. Jesus’s miracles and his messages up to this point have made that clear. No human has the power to make paralyzed people walk. A mere human doesn’t have the right to decide whether your crimes against God have been forgiven. And yet Jesus himself has direct power to do these things. He isn’t just truly man – but he’s also truly divine. And so Jesus deserves to have our honor and our loyal service, to an even higher degree than our fellow human beings.

So imagine the sort of respect you would show to a Senator, or a Supreme Court Justice, or a General of the armed forces. How would you treat them? In terms of human greatness and authority, these people are toward the top. And yet the supernatural power of Jesus is a reminder that his greatness is even more ­­– more than human. And this makes it all the more shameful when this great crowd fights over him, like children fighting over a cookie. This makes it all the more shameful, when you and I ignore Jesus, or when we give Jesus less attention than we give to our pets, to our video games, or to our shoe shopping. We shouldn’t treat Jesus as less than human, but more.

But there’s a second issue that we see with this crowd. Mark helps us to see that they aren’t even all that invested in Jesus himself. That’s not what they care about. They just want Jesus’s gifts. All they want is to receive his healing powers. We see very little evidence that these people have love and commitment for Jesus. Instead, they seem to be driven by selfish passions. For the people in this crowd, their love and commitment is just focused on themselves.

And it’s important to see this. Because even in our own day, there are crowds of people who seem interested in Christianity. They gather around Jesus, around church, around the Bible. For a time, they might follow closely, even passionately, like this crowd. But at the end of the day, the question is – are they really following Jesus, or are they still just following their own cravings and passions? Are they hoping that Jesus will rescue them from their selfish desires, or are they hoping that Jesus will indulge their selfish desires?

These are the kinds of questions we should ask ourselves. Do you value Jesus himself, or are you just trying to manipulate Jesus to get something else that you value more than him? It’s so easy to be just like these people, in this fickle crowd. You might say that you want Jesus – but what you really want is for Jesus to give you more money. Or more friends. Or a godly spouse. Or good grades, or a good job, or whatever. You might be happy to follow along with Jesus if it’s convenient. But what happens when the good feelings you used to have go away? What happens when Jesus speaks from the Bible here to tell you that you need to change? Will you really be a follower of Jesus, or will you ultimately be a follower of your own priorities and desires?

The Falseness of Jesus’s Confessors

But Mark doesn’t stop with showing us the fickleness of the crowds. He also goes on to describe the falseness of Jesus’s confessors. Look with me at verse 11. Mark tells us that whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him, and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’”

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen situations like this. People possessed by demons – by evil spirits – they’ve come to Jesus. And the evil spirit within each of these people has been aware of who Jesus is. And the demon has cried out, acknowledging Jesus’s identity. Well, the same thing is happening here in verse 11. People possessed by demons are coming up to Jesus, they’re falling down before him, and they’re crying out that Jesus is the Son of God.

Yet as Mark explains what’s going on, the really bizarre thing, here, is that – in some respect – these unclean spirits appear to be doing something that’s actually appropriate. I mean, isn’t this what the crowd should have been doing, instead of fighting and stampeding to force their way up to Jesus? They should have been respectful. Taking a humble posture in Jesus’s presence – falling down before him – that would have been right. And affirming his true identity as the Son of God would seem to be good, too.

So why is that these unclean spirits seem to be treating Jesus so well? And in verse 12, why does Jesus give them strict orders, that they mustn’t make him known? What’s going on here?

Well, it would seem that Mark is again forcing us to think about what it really means to follow Jesus. He again shows us that there’s a difference between honoring Jesus outwardly, superficially, and actually following him from the heart.

Because from outward appearances, these demon-possessed people – they were outwardly expressing the right type of behavior – they were bowing before Jesus. And they were saying the right words. They were affirming that Jesus is the Son of God. And yet, none of what the unclean spirits did – none of it was real worship. The demons had no love for Jesus, no real plans of following him. It was just a performance. It was all a lie.

And the reason why it’s important to point this out, is because it shows us that evil takes many different forms. I think that many of us assume that 100% of the time, demons would lead people to curse Jesus’s name, or that demons would encourage people to be violent and hateful against Christians. But, in our text, Mark tells us about evil spirits who do the opposite. These demons encourage people to be fake followers of Jesus. They encourage people to go through motions, in order to look good on the outside. But even though it looks good – even though these people know the right behaviors, and they know the right things to say – at the root, this counterfeit Christianity is demonic, and evil.

So when it comes to being a follower of Jesus, the question isn’t can you perform the right actions. Because even demons can put on a show – even they can pretend to be something they’re not for a while. We can’t even say that it’s a question of whether you know that Jesus is the Son of God, and the Savior of sinners. Because the demons know who Jesus is. Instead, here’s the question to wrestle with – are you personally convinced that you need Jesus? Have you trusted in him, to take away your evil, and to transform your attitudes and affections? It’s not just enough to know about Jesus. But you need to receive Him, by faith.

I think many people have the wrong idea. They assume that as long as they have nice things to say about Jesus, as long as they come to church every so often, as long as they’re decently friendly and moral – then that’s all that matters. But Mark wants us to know, even demons can do those things. And yet no demon is a follower of Jesus. Our confession of Jesus’s identity – and our eagerness to bow before him – it shouldn’t just be a show. It shouldn’t be fake. But we should be just as earnest to honor Jesus when we’re at home, when we’re at work, when we’re with friends – regardless of whether we’re with people, or whether we’re alone. Even the demons can go through the motions. But Jesus wants our hearts.

And so Jesus wants to silence the unclean spirits. He doesn’t want people to be learning what Christianity is from these counterfeit followers – from these unclean spirits. He doesn’t want the good news of his identity to be distorted in some way. And so it makes sense why Jesus orders the evil spirits to stop talking in verse 12. Jesus wields his authority to show that he’s opposed to the artificial religion of the unclean spirits. And he silences the demons so that he can reveal himself accurately, by his own time table, for the good of his people.

The Followers that Jesus Calls

But in our last section of text, Mark shows us something interesting. Even when Jesus steps away from the crowd, and the false confessors – even when he takes charge and hand-chooses who his closest disciples will be – even then, not all of the people he selects are faithful men. And this brings me to third and final point, about the followers that Jesus calls.

In verse 13, we’re told that Jesus manages to leave the seashore, and he goes up onto a nearby mountain. And we’re told that “Jesus called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.” And it would seem that Jesus’s selection was carried out in a rather thoughtful way. In verse 14, the text suggests that Jesus had a very specific number in mind – that he wanted to call twelve men. And for the Jews living in Jesus’s day, the significance of the number twelve would have been obvious. The nation of Israel had been formed by the descendants of twelve brothers – there were twelve tribes. And so by choosing twelve – one for each tribe – Jesus was affirming God’s continued commitment to his people and his promises to them.

And our text explains that these twelve men who he appointed – he also named them apostles. Now, the word apostles was used generically by the Greek speaking world to refer to messengers or ambassadors – people who were sent off for a certain mission, or to deliver a message. And so in some situations, the word apostle can carry that kind of generic meaning. But in verse 14, it’s quite clear that Jesus gave these twelve men a very specific, very unique title. He named them apostles. And Mark tells us a couple specific reasons why Jesus did this.

First, we’re told that he did this so that they might be with him. Notice, it’s not so that Jesus could be with them. It’s not that Jesus was lonely, and so he roped in these twelve guys to give him company. Instead, it’s so these twelve men could be with him – to know him, to learn from his example and his teaching, to enjoy the closeness of his friendship and loyalty. Jesus is very relational here. When he calls, he calls people to be with him.

And yet Mark also explains that Jesus called these apostles in order to send them out on a particular mission. He sent them out to preach – to preach the good news of the kingdom. And verse 15 says he also sent them out to cast out demons. When we compare this verse to Matthew 10, verse 1 – this authority to cast our demons is probably a summarized way of saying that Jesus sent them out to perform a variety of miraculous signs, to confirm the authority of their message. And so what we see is that Jesus’s call is a call into relationship, and a call into responsibility.

Now, certainly, when Jesus called the apostles, they had special access to Jesus, physically. And they were given special roles and abilities that are different from Christians today. But it’s helpful to point out that when Jesus savingly calls people today, he calls them with similar purposes in mind. He calls us into relationship – he wants us to spend time with him, to be listening from His Word, and engaged in prayer. He wants us to find comfort in his promises, and to be emboldened by the presence of His Spirit. He calls us to be with him.

And then, of course, if Jesus has called you from the Scriptures to repent and believe – if he has called you into his service, that means that he has good work for you. Because even with earthly business managers – when they call someone to offer them a place in the company, it’s because the manager has work for that employee to do. And since Jesus is even more perfect in how he manages things, he most definitely has an important job for you. The various members of the Church all have roles to play, in our service and mission to the world. So I hope you can see evidence of this here – when Jesus calls us to himself, he isn’t just calling us to join him in the afterlife. More than this, He’s calling us to live for him now. We see this in the way that Jesus called these twelve apostles. And this should shape our expectations as you and I are called to live for Jesus today.

But you’ll see in verses 16 through 19, Mark goes on and he mentions who these twelve disciples are that Jesus called. Simon, who’s also called Peter – he’s mentioned first. He often functions as a spokesman for the twelve. And then there are James and John – who must have had rather strong personalities, because they were nicknamed the sons of thunder. And then there’s Andrew. These first four all had similar backgrounds. They were all fishermen.

But then there are eight others. And even though we don’t know the full story about each of these disciples, Mark gives us enough information to figure out that Jesus picked a diverse group of people. Because two of the disciples here were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Matthew – also called Levi – he was a tax collector. We saw that back in Chapter 2. And this meant that he was a collaborator with the Roman Empire – a government loyalist. But at the end of verse 18, we’re also told that Jesus called Simon the Zealot – Zealot meaning that he was a rebel against the government. He was opposed to the pagan Roman Empire and was probably trying to overthrow it. It’s hard to imagine two people who would have been more different – or who would have had a harder time getting along.

And yet even though these two men have very different backgrounds, the most important thing here is what these two men have in common. They’re both called by Christ, to be his disciples. It’s true that they both have very different starting places, and yet these men are being called in the same direction – they’re being called to humble themselves before Christ, to trust him, and to follow him. And for you and I – it’s helpful to remember, that every Christian is ultimately united in this call – this call to Christ. We’ll probably have brothers and sisters who are starting in different places – we may be at different stages of the journey – but let’s not forget that Christ’s call brings us together, to labor together and to learn together.

But when we get to the end of the list, there’s one more surprise. Mark tells us that among these twelve men who Jesus hand-selected, Jesus picks Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. And from this comment, it’s implied that even this early, as Jesus was selecting his disciples – he knew what Judas Iscariot would become. And yet Mark wants us to know that Jesus deliberately chose Judas to be one of the twelve.

And in Judas, we see one more example of what it looks like for someone to look like a follower of Jesus, but to not actually be the real thing. See, after years in this inner group – even after years of serving Jesus and doing good for a lot of people – at the end, Judas’s unbelief finally becomes apparent. For quite some time, he looked just as invested as all the other apostles. It probably helped that there was so much excitement. For a time he probably enjoyed Jesus because he could tell that something spiritual was happening, there was power, he had a special position. But ultimately, Judas didn’t want Jesus. And so Judas, instead of just parting ways quietly – he ends up becoming one of Jesus’s most vicious enemies. Judas betrays his old friend – his old teacher.

One of the most discouraging things is when a well-known pastor, or someone who wrote as a Christian author – it is profoundly discouraging when people like this renounce their faith, and when they become enemies of the Jesus they once claimed to love. And yet, even though this may catch us by surprise, this isn’t a surprise to Jesus. Even among the people who are hand-selected by Jesus – even among the people who are given substantial influence and power – Jesus intentionally picks someone, who ends up being a traitor. To us, it might seem like foolishness. But the wisdom of Jesus is much greater than ours. And certainly, in the case of Judas Iscariot, Jesus had a very important reason for making that choice.

And that’s because Jesus knew that it was necessary for him to be betrayed, to fulfill the Scriptures – Psalm 41, verse 9. And it was also necessary for our sake – Jesus came to be betrayed. He came to suffer, and to die in the place of wrongdoers, for the penalty of our crimes. And he did this so that everyone who receives him from the heart – so that everyone who believes would be raised up out of death with him, to receive forgiveness, and peace with God, and eternal life.

Jesus has proven his commitment to his people. He’s given us proof that he’s reliable, and faithful to us – even to the point of death. And this Jesus is still calling people to follow him today. Even now, Jesus wants you and I to be with him, and to be sent out for good work. But Mark wants to make sure you and I understand – we can’t be like the fickle crowd, or like the unclean spirits. That’s not what Jesus is asking for. And frankly, Jesus deserves more than that from us. Instead, he calls us to follow for real, from a heart of faith. Minute to minute – day by day – year after year. Christ is calling from His Word. So let’s be serious about following. Let’s pray.