MarkStudy Guide

Chapter 3

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

Just read this chapter →

Scripture

KJV

1And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

8And 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.

9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.

11And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.

12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

13And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.

14And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

15And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

16And Simon he surnamed Peter;

17And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

18And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

19And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

20And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

22And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

23And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?

24And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

27No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

28Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:

29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

30Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

31There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!

35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Key VerseMark 3:35

For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Overview

Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, provoking the Pharisees and Herodians to conspire against Him. He withdraws to the sea, where great multitudes follow Him, and He ascends a mountain to appoint twelve apostles. When the scribes accuse Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, Jesus warns of the unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Key Themes

1

Growing Opposition

The religious establishment moves from questioning Jesus to actively plotting His destruction, revealing that those who should recognize the Messiah are instead His fiercest enemies.

2

The Appointment of the Twelve

Jesus personally selects twelve men to be with Him and to be sent out to preach and cast out demons, establishing the foundation of His church through ordinary, flawed individuals.

3

The Unpardonable Sin

By attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, the scribes commit the ultimate spiritual error — permanently hardening themselves against the only power that can bring them to repentance.

Study Questions

1.

Why does Jesus ask 'Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?' — and how does this expose the Pharisees' true priorities?

2.

What is the significance of Jesus choosing exactly twelve apostles, and how does this connect to the twelve tribes of Israel?

3.

Jesus appointed the Twelve first 'that they should be with him' before sending them out — what does this teach about the proper order of Christian ministry?

4.

How should we understand the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and why does Jesus say it has no forgiveness?

5.

When Jesus redefines His family as 'whosoever shall do the will of God' (v. 35), how does this challenge and comfort us regarding our spiritual identity?

Connection to Christ

Mark 3 shows Jesus as the authoritative Lord who heals despite opposition, builds His kingdom through chosen vessels, and defeats Satan's domain. His willingness to face mounting hostility while continuing to do good foreshadows the suffering servant who will lay down His life for those who reject Him.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Mark 3. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Mark

3 of 16