TEXT [Commentary]

6. Summary of Jesus’ early ministry (3:7-12; cf. Matt 12:15-21; Luke 6:17-19)

7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[*] spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.

NOTES

3:7 Jesus went. Some suggest that Jesus’ withdrawal in 3:7 is really a “fleeing” from the plot, because the term for “withdraw” (anechōrēsen [TG402, ZG432]) used here can have that meaning (Matt 2:12-14, 22; John 6:15; Marcus 2000:257). However, Jesus’ move did not put him in less contact with people or restrict his access to them.

3:8 as far north as Tyre and Sidon. These towns were not part of Israel. They indicate that Jesus’ popularity had extended beyond the nation, although many Jews lived in these regions. The locales in Idumea and east of the Jordan make a similar point. The only areas not mentioned are Samaria and the Decapolis, which were predominantly Gentile. The point of popular attention was Jesus’ miraculous activity, a focus Jesus had tried to prevent (1:44).

3:9 crowd would not crush him. So many were present that the disciples had to work to prevent Jesus from being crushed (thlibō [TG2346, ZG2567]; BDAG 457) by the crowd. Jesus worked from a boat at the edge of the shore so that people could approach without crushing him.

3:10 eagerly pushed forward. The NLT has translated the force of the verb epipiptō [TG1968, ZG2158] (“to press upon”; BDAG 377) very well here. People were eagerly approaching Jesus to be healed of their various tormenting conditions (mastigas [TG3148, ZG3465]; BDAG 620). This term for “disease” referred to a whip or a lash, but metaphorically had come to also refer to tormenting illnesses. Their desire to touch Jesus reflects cultural ideas shared with the OT (1 Kgs 17:21; 2 Kgs 4:34; 13:21; Guelich 1989:148). They believed that bodily contact would put them in touch with Jesus’ healing power.

3:11-12 the Son of God! . . . commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. Jesus commanded them to be silent. The Gr. epitimaō [TG2008, ZG2203] often translates a Heb. term denoting rebuke (Job 26:11; Ps 80:16; 104:7; 106:9; Zech 3:2; Lane 1974:130). Jesus refused such disclosure from the world of spirits. He preferred for his identity to emerge from his words and deeds. This silence is part of the “messianic secret” theme in Mark (see the “Major Themes” section in the Introduction).

COMMENTARY [Text]

Despite the rise of opposition, Jesus’ popularity and ministry continued as before, except that now the crowds were growing, as they came in from virtually everywhere in the region. Healings and exorcisms continued as the crowds pressed upon Jesus to gain access to the physical deliverance he provided.

Jesus also continued to exercise authority over demons and to silence their confessions of him as the “Son of God.” This title is rare in Mark, appearing only here, in 1:1 (in the introductory heading of the Gospel), and in 15:39 (in the climactic moment of the centurion’s confession). A variation of the expression appears at 1:11 (the voice of God at Jesus’ baptism calling Jesus the beloved son), 5:7 (also at an exorcism), and 14:61 (in the question at Jesus’ examination). Jesus did not use this title of himself in Mark. Jesus had silenced a demon making a similar confession in 1:24-25 (“the Holy One sent from God”). As discussed there and in 1:34, the silencing had to do with the source of the confession as well as with a concern for timing and for potential confusion about what such a confession might mean. The consistency of the demons’ confessions stand in contrast to the various opinions expressed by humans in Mark (1:27; 2:6-7; 4:41; 6:2-3, 14-16; 8:27-28).

From a literary perspective, this unit is a bridge to the next phase of Mark’s Gospel. The section ends with Jesus’ ministry gaining wide attention, even as it surfaced opposition. The next unit will detail the nature of his teaching and further trace his impact.