Mark 3:7-35, Following Jesus

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Today's passage begins with the latest “update” on the ministry of Jesus (v7-12).  The multitude came from all over Israel (v7-8).  Mark says Jesus was not allowing the unclean spirits to make Him known (v11-12).  As we have said, they knew Christ from before the incarnation.  To me the reason Jesus forbid them was that their “testimony” just complicated it for people coming to see Him and consider His message. 

Again, what does it mean to “follow Jesus” (v7).  It is obvious, to me at least, that this whole multitude did not consist of believers.  Yet they are said to have followed Him.  Jesus’ message of repentance indicates that all in the crowd had not yet repented.  In this context, following Christ was not the same as “trust me as Savior.”  Many were following but had not come to the point of faith.

We continue to ask our question as we see Jesus choose twelve of His disciples to be Apostles (3:13-19).  “Twelve” is the Jewish number of completion, as in the twelve sons of Jacob.  But these twelve included Judas, who Jesus knew would betray Him.  And it included two volatile brothers (“sons of thunder” they were called).  Jesus knew that some self-proclaimed disciples did not believe (Jn. 6:64).

In 3:20-30 Jesus warned about the “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.”  The opposition had to come up with a way of describing Jesus’ amazing ministry that included such powerful miracles and that attracted such a large crowd.  So they put forth the idea that He was actually working for and from the power of the devil.  Jesus knew this reflected a growing rejection of Him by the shepherds of Israel.  So His warning had to do with the growing hardness of their hearts.  What we learn here, about following Jesus, is that a person must come to a decision, a choice.  Many followed Him and not all believed.  But all would make a choice.

Lastly, in 3:31-35, we see the rejection of Jesus by His earthly family.  They came to take Him away, as a crazy man.  Jesus’ answer shows how He is thinking in what we might call the “spiritual world” but it is the real world where we all live.  To follow Him is to be His true family.  Even His earthly family must make the choice.  They cannot claim to be His “family” if they are not subject to God’s will.

These are the stories that we think of when we consider C. S. Lewis’ call to receive Christ.  As Lewis put it, you cannot call Jesus a good man or even a great teacher.  Either He was a liar, lunatic or the Lord of all!  The multitude followed Jesus in that they hung around and heard Him and saw Him.  But hearing and seeing Jesus demands a response.