2023. 7. 9. Sunday message
Mark 3:7-19
In last week’s passage, Jesus proclaimed that he is the Lord of the Sabbath, and he healed a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. Through this, Jesus taught about the true meaning of the Sabbath, which is to do good and save life. After this event, the Pharisees began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. The Pharisees and the Herodians were originally opposing groups, but the fact that they joined forces to kill Jesus shows that Jesus was completely rejected by the religious leaders of Israel.
In today’s passage, we see Jesus beginning the creation of a new community, a new people of God who will embody the kingdom of God, by appointing the twelve disciples. I pray that we may also accept Jesus’s calling and live according to the purpose of his calling.
Let’s pray
Look at verses 7-8. 7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
Due to the persecution by religious leaders, Jesus temporarily withdrew to the lake.
However, what happened there?
In contrast to the religious leaders who tried to kill Jesus, many people, both Jews and Gentiles, from a wide range of areas came to Jesus. To keep the people from crowding him, Jesus told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him. Why did this large crowd come to Jesus? Verse 10. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. They heard that Jesus healed many people including the demon-possessed, a man with leprosy and a paralyzed man. They also heard the news that Jesus befriended tax collectors and sinners who were hated by others. Such news spread throughout the surrounding regions of Judea through people's mouths. Upon hearing this news, people were moved and eagerly desired to see Jesus. Those who were suffering from diseases and rejected by society heard the news of Jesus and came to him. They were like sheep without a shepherd (Mk 6:34). Look at verse 11. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” The evil spirits saw what the religious leaders of Israel couldn't. They saw who Jesus was. The teachers and leaders should have been the ones declaring the truth, but chose to remain in the dark. In this kind of dark time where people had no true shepherds, what did Jesus do?
Look at verse 13.
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
Luke 6:12 says: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” Through this, we can see how important Jesus considered the task of appointing the twelve disciples.
First, we see that Jesus called to him those he wanted. Jesus did not advertise or accept applications to recruit disciples. It implies that this calling is entirely up to Jesus. It is God's sovereign decision. This calling is initiated by God's will, not human desires, making it an irrevocable and absolute calling that no one can invalidate. This calling is solely based on grace. Jesus’ disciples are called by God out of sheer love and grace. There is no indication that they were “top of their class”. The twelve disciples were all ordinary people. They did not possess great wealth, hold high social positions, or have extensive knowledge of the Bible. In fact, they were often slow to learn and hardhearted and cowardly. It shows that they were called totally on the basis of grace, not their human merits.
In John 15:16, Jesus said to his disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit”
Like these twelve disciples, we are also called as Jesus’ disciples, not because we are great but based on grace. This is humbling. Yet it can also bring security, because Jesus’ love for us is not based on our performance and strengths, but on our relationship. This self-understanding is at the very root of what makes Christians different. Jesus’ calling is without regret, so he patiently waits for us to grow as disciples.
How did those who were called respond? In verse 13b, it says "they came to him." The twelve disciples responded to Jesus' calling by coming to Him. All we need to do in response to Jesus’ calling is to accept and come to Jesus.
Jesus appointed twelve, and the number 12 typically means perfection or authority in Hebrew culture and the Bible. There seems to be a direct parallel in this passage between the formation of Israel in the book of Exodus and the formation of the church. Just as God, after the Exodus, called his people together and entered into a covenant relationship with them, so Jesus now signals that he is re-constituting a people, a nation. Specifically, Jesus calls twelve disciples, just as God made a covenant with twelve tribes.
Then, for what purposes did Jesus appoint twelve disciples?
Look at verse 14. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
First, Jesus appointed twelve so that they might be with him.
Jesus appointed twelve to have them be with Him. This is the significant difference between the crowds and the disciples. The crowds only seek Jesus when they need Him. They come to Him for healing from diseases and demons, and then return to live the life they desire. However, Jesus wanted to have his disciples who could continue his ministry after his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. To achieve this, Jesus taught his disciples through his own life.
Afterward, the twelve disciples could spend the whole day with Jesus and learn everything about Him. Being with Jesus, the disciples experienced Him up close and gradually became more like Him. Jesus increasingly shaped their lives. By being with Jesus, they gradually let go of their own thoughts and adopted Jesus’ thoughts as their own. This is crucial. Relying solely on human passion, without being with Jesus, the disciples would not be able to carry out their ministry. Fellowship with Jesus must precede preaching about him. Jesus Himself is the Word. Only when we are with Jesus, learning from Him wholeheartedly, can we gain the strength to undertake the task of spreading the Gospel.
When we look at the initial appearance of the twelve disciples, they seem inadequate and unstable. However, they all end up living the life of a great evangelist of the gospel. How is that possible? When they are with Jesus, He personally enables them to live such a life. If we are with Jesus, He pours out all His abilities upon us. Being with Jesus is the foremost requirement for anyone who desires to be a true disciple of Jesus. We must have a strong inner life of fellowship and intimacy with Jesus if we are to have a strong “outer” life of ministry and effectiveness with others. Jesus’ disciples are trained by living with Jesus. Every part of their lives is conducted with Jesus in the center of it.
Second, Jesus appointed twelve so that he might send them out to preach.
Just as God chose Israel to be a “kingdom of priests” (Ex 19:6) (a priest was one who brought people to God), so the disciples were called to preach and do Jesus’ ministry of healing. Luke 6:13 says that Jesus also designated twelve disciples as “apostles”, which means the sent ones. In other words, we are all to do the ministry of Jesus in some way.
The disciples of Jesus are those who go out into the world to testify to what they have learned from the Lord and serve others that God entrusts to them. The ultimate purpose of evangelism is to help someone experience the Kingdom of God. What should we proclaim? We must proclaim the words of Jesus. We must proclaim His crucifixion and resurrection. In order to proclaim the words to others, we must first deeply accept even one word of Jesus in our own lives. When we hold onto one word deeply, struggle with it, and ultimately experience it, then we can proclaim that word to others. I pray that we may always keep close to the words of Jesus, experience them in our lives, and live as disciples of the Lord who proclaim His words.
Third, Jesus appointed twelve to give authority to drive out demons.
Look at verse 15.
The world we are living in is a spiritual battlefield. When we do not submit to God's rule, we inevitably fall under the dominion of Satan, that is, the rule of demons. Since Adam's sin in Genesis Ch.3, Satan has constantly attacked humans. Satan always tempts us to love ourselves more than God. All problems stem from loving ourselves more than God. Jesus expelled these demons through His words. Now Jesus also desires to give the twelve disciples the authority to cast out demons in the same way. Through this, Jesus wanted the disciples to take the lead in the mission of saving souls.
Now, let’s take a closer look at who the twelve disciples are (v16-19).
Peter is introduced first and foremost. Actually, Peter was the first among the twelve disciples and played the role of being a representative and the founder of the early Church. Jesus gave the name Peter to Simon. Although Simon appeared strong outwardly, he had many fears within him. Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means Rock, with the hope that he would become a person of unwavering faith like a rock.
James and John were brothers. Jesus gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”. James and John were ambitious. Peter, James, and John were specifically chosen by Jesus as key disciples and received special training. Andrew was a person with simple and pure faith, while Philip was quick-witted in calculations. Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was considered an honest person. Matthew was a tax collector who was hated by Jews, and Thomas was skeptical. There is not much record about James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot. Judas Iscariot had a strong greed for money and would eventually betray Jesus.
We see that the twelve disciples all had distinct personalities and characteristics.
It was a strange group of men. Five of them were fishermen, one a hated tax collector, another a member of a radical and violent political party. The reason these twelve diverse individuals were able to live together is because of Jesus. As they drew close to Jesus, they could also grow as one.
We must see ourselves being called into a community, not just an individual relationship with Jesus. Jesus didn’t disciple people one-on-one in a series of appointments. He created a new “family”.
How did we come together in one place like this? It is because Jesus called each of us and formed a new spiritual community, a family. Let us remember this fact and pray that we may become a growing community of the disciples of Jesus together.
As I prepared for the sermon, I realized again how great the grace of Jesus is, for calling me as His disciple when I had nothing to boast about. I used to live a selfish life, seeking success and recognition in the world. Although I grew up in a Christian family, attended church, and learned the Bible from a young age, I did not see myself as a disciple of Jesus. I was like the crowds who only came to Jesus when I needed Him, such as before exams or when I was sick. I lived a habitual religious life for a long time, which made my life weary. However, God did not give up on me. In 2018, when I started my Ph.D. program, I had one-to-one Bible study once a week. During this period, the Holy Spirit worked on me, and I came to realize that I am a sinner. I had thought that I lived a sincere and exemplary life, but I constantly struggled with selfishness, judging others, and lust of the flesh and the eyes, which made my heart heavy. When I confessed my sins before Jesus and received forgiveness, peace filled my heart. Afterward, I began to meet young students at the university I was attending and started living a life of witnessing about Jesus and teaching the Bible. Although my progress in my doctoral research was slow, every time I held onto the words of the Bible and put the Lord's work first, I experienced miraculous results. Through my graduate studies, I actually experienced the words of the Bible, which I was able to preach to others. After completing my doctoral degree, God led my family to UT Austin as a postdoc researcher. It was not easy to share the Gospel with students in English in America. I felt my limitation repeatedly. However, through today's sermon, I learned once again that fellowship with Jesus should precede evangelism and any other explicit activities. Even if languages and environments change, there will be no problem as long as I am always with Jesus. I am grateful for being called as a disciple of Jesus and being able to be with Jesus. I pray that I may devote myself to prayer and meditation on the Word, so that I could be with Jesus everyday. I pray that I may be used by the Lord in sharing the Gospel, leading other souls to Jesus, and fulfilling the work with the abilities that the Lord has given me.
In conclusion, Jesus called each one of us as his disciple. This calling is based on Jesus’ love and grace toward us. Being with Jesus is the first purpose of his calling. When we draw near to Jesus' Words and build an intimate relationship with Him, Jesus becomes revealed through our lives. I pray that we may hold firmly our identity as Jesus' disciples, be with Him, and live a life of proclaiming Him.