Mark 3:13
Verse
Context
Sermons
Stephen Olford
Jim Cymbala
J.B. BuffingtonJim Cymbala
Dick Woodward
Walter Beuttler
W.H. Griffith ThomasSummary
Commentary
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
John Gill Bible Commentary
And he goeth up into a mountain,.... Near Capernaum, being solitary, and a place of recess and retirement, "to pray", as Luke says, Luk 6:12, who adds, "and continued all night in prayer to God", notwithstanding the great fatigue of the day past. His prayer, as is very probable, was chiefly concerning the great and important work, which was upon his mind, and he was about to do; the making and constituting twelve of his disciples, as his apostles, to preach in his name, and work miracles: and calleth unto him whom he would; that is, "when it was day", as the above evangelist observes; when he called his disciples, such as had been for some time followers of him, as many of them as he thought fit: for it seems by the same evangelist, that others were called to him besides the twelve; and out of them he chose them: the phrase "whom he would", is in the Arabic version rendered, "whom he loved"; and it is a common observation of expositors, that the choice and call of the apostles to office, were not according to their will, works and merits, but according to the sovereign will and grace of Christ, who chose them, and not they him: but to me there seems no foundation for such a remark here, though it is a truth; because this regards not the call of the twelve only, and much less of them to office, but a call of many of the followers of Christ to come to him on the mountain: and they came unto him; as many as he called out of the multitude; and from among these he made the following choice.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses, we have, I. The choice Christ made of the twelve apostles to be his constant followers and attendants, and to be sent abroad as there was occasion, to preach the gospel. Observe, 1. The introduction to this call or promotion of disciples; He goes up into a mountain, and his errand thither was to pray. Ministers must be set apart with solemn prayer for the pouring out of the Spirit upon them; though Christ had authority to confer the gifts of the Holy Ghost, yet, to set us an example, he prayed for them. 2. The rule he went by in his choice, and that was his own good pleasure; He called unto him whom he would. Not such as we should have thought fittest to be called, looking upon the countenance, and the height of the stature; but such as he thought fit to call, and determined to make fit for the service to which he called them: even so, blessed Jesus, because it seemed good in thine eyes. Christ calls whom he will; for he is a free Agent, and his grace is his own. 3. The efficacy of the call; He called them to separate themselves from the crowd, and stand by him, and they came unto him. Christ calls those who were given him (Joh 17:6); and all that the Father gave him, shall come to him, Joh 6:37. Those whom it was his will to call, he made willing to come; his people shall be willing in the day of his power. Perhaps they came to him readily enough, because they were in expectation of reigning with him in temporal pomp and power; but when afterward they were undeceived in that matter, yet they had such a prospect given them of better things, that they would not say they were deceived in their Master, nor repented their leaving all to be with him. 4. The end and intention of this call; He ordained them (probably by the imposition of hands, which was a ceremony used among the Jews), that they should be with him constantly, to be witnesses of his doctrine, manner of life, and patience, that they might fully know it, and be able to give an account of it; and especially that they might attest the truth of his miracles; they must be with him to receive instructions from him, that they might be qualified to give instructions to others. It would require time to fit them for that which he designed them for; for they must be sent forth to preach; not to preach till they were sent, and not to be sent till by a long and intimate acquaintance with Christ they were fitted. Note, Christ's ministers must be much with him. 5. The power he gave them to work miracles; and hereby he put a very great honour upon them, beyond that of the great men of the earth. He ordained them to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. This showed that the power which Christ had to work these miracles was an original power; that he had it not as a Servant, but as a Son in his own house, in that he could confer it upon others, and invest them with it: they have a rule in the law, Deputatus non potest deputare - He that is only deputed himself, cannot depute another; but our Lord Jesus had life in himself, and the Spirit without measure; for he could give this power even to the weak and foolish things of the world. 6. Their number and names; He ordained twelve, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are here named not just in the same order as they were in Matthew, nor by couples, as they were there; but as there, so here, Peter is put first and Judas last. Here Matthew is put before Thomas, probably being called in that order; but in that catalogue which Matthew himself drew up, he puts himself after Thomas; so far was he from insisting upon the precedency of his consecration. But that which Mark only takes notice of in this list of the apostles, is, that Christ called James and John Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder; perhaps they were remarkable for a loud commanding voice, they were thundering preachers; or, rather, it denotes the zeal and fervency of their spirits, which would make them active for God above their brethren. These two (saith Dr. Hammond) were to be special eminent ministers of the gospel, which is called a voice shaking the earth, Heb 12:26. Yet John, one of those sons of thunder, was full of love and tenderness, as appears by his epistles, and was the beloved disciple. 7. Their retirement with their Master, and close adherence to him; They went into a house. Now that this jury was impanelled, they stood together, to hearken to their evidence. They went together into the house, to settle the orders of their infant college; and now, it is likely, the bag was given to Judas, which pleased him, and made him easy. II. The continual crowds that attended Christ's motions (Mar 3:20); The multitude cometh together again, unsent for, and unseasonably pressing upon him, some with one errand and some with another; so that he and his disciples could not get time so much as to eat bread, much less for a set and full meal. Yet he did not shut his doors against the petitioners, but bade them welcome, and gave to each of them an answer of peace. Note, They whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with great inconveniences to themselves, in the prosecution of it, and will rather lose a meal's meat at any time than slip an opportunity of doing good. It is happy when zealous hearers and zealous preachers thus meet, and encourage one another. Now the kingdom of God was preached, and men pressed into it, Luk 16:16. This was a gale of opportunity worth improving; and the disciples might well afford to adjourn their meals, to lay hold on it. It is good striking while the iron is hot. III. The care of his relations concerning him (Mar 3:21); When his friends in Capernaum heard how he was followed, and what pains he took, they went out, to lay hold on him, and fetch him home, for they said, He is beside himself. 1. Some understand it of an absurd preposterous care, which had more in it of reproach to him than of respect; and so we must take it as we read it, He is beside himself; either they suspected it themselves, or it was suggested to them, and they gave credit to the suggestion, that he was gone distracted, and therefore his friends ought to bind him, and put him in a dark room, to bring him to his right mind again. His kindred, many of them, had mean thoughts of him (Joh 7:5), and were willing to hearken to this ill construction which some put upon his great zeal, and to conclude him crazed in his intellects, and under that pretence to take him off from his work. The prophets were called mad fellows, Kg2 9:11. 2. Others understand it of a well-meaning care; and then they read exestē - "He fainteth, he has no time to eat bread, and therefore his strength will fail him; he will be stifled with the crowd of people, and will have his spirits quite exhausted with constant speaking, and the virtue that goes out of him in his miracles; and therefore let us use a friendly violence with him, and get him a little breathing-time." In his preaching-work, as well as his suffering-work, he was attacked with, Master, spare thyself. Note, They who go on with vigour and zeal in the work of God, must expect to meet with hindrances, both from the groundless disaffection of their enemies, and the mistaken affections of their friends, and they have need to stand upon their guard against both.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:13-19 The scene now changes to a mountain, and Mark tells how Jesus called his disciples, which is reminiscent of God’s call of Old Testament prophets (Exod 3:14-22; 1 Sam 3:4-14; Jer 1:5-19).
Mark 3:13
The Twelve Apostles
12But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.13Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Call to Leadership
By Stephen Olford1.5K1:00:24LeadershipMAT 4:17MAT 6:33MRK 3:13JHN 17:8JHN 17:14ACT 4:201JN 5:4In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the message preached at the Keswick convention, which is centered around three key words: victory, purity, and unity. The speaker highlights the importance of living in victory over the flesh, the devil, and temptations. He references Jesus' prayer for his disciples to be kept from the evil one as they are sent out into a hostile world. The sermon also emphasizes the training and example Jesus provided to his disciples, teaching them to trust in the Father and to preach the gospel with boldness and conviction.
Out of His Mind
By Jim Cymbala1.1K36:16MindMRK 3:13In this sermon, the speaker discusses the perception of being "crazy" when it comes to being enthusiastic about God versus other worldly pursuits. He emphasizes the importance of being in God's presence and pouring out one's heart in worship. The speaker also highlights the need for prayer and spending time with God, using Jesus as an example of someone who chose his disciples after spending the night in prayer. The sermon concludes by contrasting society's acceptance of extreme dedication in areas like making money or collecting sneakers, while viewing the same level of dedication to God as "crazy."
An Invitation to Closeness
By J.B. Buffington95551:41IntimacyGEN 12:8MAT 17:1MRK 3:13MRK 5:37JAS 4:8In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having goals in various aspects of life, such as personal, church, family, and business goals. He highlights that without goals, life can become frustrating and unfulfilling. The preacher shares an example of a church that had a goal to pay off all their debts, which they achieved, but then lacked further goals and eventually died out. The sermon then focuses on the invitation to draw near to God, emphasizing that our relationship with God can be as close as we desire, and that God will draw near to us when we draw near to Him. The preacher concludes by discussing the wonder of relationships and the possibility of having an even closer tie with God than John the beloved apostle.
General Session 2 W/ Pastor Cymbala
By Jim Cymbala93055:28ConferenceMAT 4:19MAT 6:33MAT 28:19MRK 3:13LUK 10:19EPH 6:11REV 2:1In this sermon, the speaker expresses his confusion about the idea of planning out sermons for the next two years. He questions whether this approach aligns with what Jesus would speak to the church. The speaker emphasizes the importance of pursuing what Jesus would say and being aware of the devil's tactics. He shares a personal story of a woman being set free through the power of Jesus' name. The sermon concludes with a reading of Mark 3:13, highlighting Jesus' selection of the twelve apostles and their purpose to preach and drive out demons.
The "Me-First" Club
By Dick Woodward71120:27AttitudesMAT 7:7MAT 11:28MRK 3:13LUK 6:41JHN 14:6ROM 12:2JAS 1:22In this sermon, the speaker discusses the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. He emphasizes the importance of looking inward and examining our own attitudes before judging others. Jesus invites us to come to him and find rest for our souls. The speaker encourages listeners to apply Jesus' teachings to their own lives and become solutions and answers to the problems in the world.
The Call of God
By Walter Beuttler0PSA 5:3ISA 50:4EZK 1:1DAN 5:12MRK 1:17MRK 3:13JHN 5:19JHN 14:10REV 3:8Walter Beuttler emphasizes the importance of being called by God and the process of transformation that should follow. He stresses the need for personal application of biblical truths, leading to a life-changing experience. Beuttler highlights the significance of being with the Lord before engaging in ministry, focusing on the relationship with God above all else. He shares personal experiences of submission, obedience, and being led by the Spirit in various ministry opportunities, showcasing the faithfulness of God when one is faithful to Him.
The Ministry of the Twelve
By W.H. Griffith Thomas0PSA 115:1MRK 3:13LUK 10:1JHN 4:35ACT 18:10ROM 10:151CO 6:1W.H. Griffith Thomas preaches about the importance of ministerial work, focusing on the preparation, plans, protection, proofs, and the call to service, character of the worker, and the consequence of labor. The sermon emphasizes the need for personal contact with Christ, the significance of a true confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the assurance and authority that come from a genuine experience with the Master. It highlights the principles of ministry, including prayer, preaching peace, and the importance of maintaining a constant dependence on God for guidance and strength.
Apprenticeship for the Kingdom of God
By T. Austin-Sparks0Spiritual IdentityDiscipleshipMRK 3:13T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the significance of Jesus' deliberate choice of the twelve apostles as a foundational act for establishing a new Israel and a new Kingdom of God. He explains that this apprenticeship involves being with Christ to learn and grow spiritually, which is essential for effective ministry and service. The sermon highlights the spiritual constitution of the new Israel, characterized by a unique relationship with God as Father, and the necessity of the cross in realizing this new identity and purpose. Sparks encourages believers to embrace their spiritual inheritance and the transformative power of Christ in their lives, as they are called to be part of God's Kingdom. Ultimately, the message calls for a deeper understanding of our identity in Christ and the importance of spiritual growth through discipleship.
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
John Gill Bible Commentary
And he goeth up into a mountain,.... Near Capernaum, being solitary, and a place of recess and retirement, "to pray", as Luke says, Luk 6:12, who adds, "and continued all night in prayer to God", notwithstanding the great fatigue of the day past. His prayer, as is very probable, was chiefly concerning the great and important work, which was upon his mind, and he was about to do; the making and constituting twelve of his disciples, as his apostles, to preach in his name, and work miracles: and calleth unto him whom he would; that is, "when it was day", as the above evangelist observes; when he called his disciples, such as had been for some time followers of him, as many of them as he thought fit: for it seems by the same evangelist, that others were called to him besides the twelve; and out of them he chose them: the phrase "whom he would", is in the Arabic version rendered, "whom he loved"; and it is a common observation of expositors, that the choice and call of the apostles to office, were not according to their will, works and merits, but according to the sovereign will and grace of Christ, who chose them, and not they him: but to me there seems no foundation for such a remark here, though it is a truth; because this regards not the call of the twelve only, and much less of them to office, but a call of many of the followers of Christ to come to him on the mountain: and they came unto him; as many as he called out of the multitude; and from among these he made the following choice.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
In these verses, we have, I. The choice Christ made of the twelve apostles to be his constant followers and attendants, and to be sent abroad as there was occasion, to preach the gospel. Observe, 1. The introduction to this call or promotion of disciples; He goes up into a mountain, and his errand thither was to pray. Ministers must be set apart with solemn prayer for the pouring out of the Spirit upon them; though Christ had authority to confer the gifts of the Holy Ghost, yet, to set us an example, he prayed for them. 2. The rule he went by in his choice, and that was his own good pleasure; He called unto him whom he would. Not such as we should have thought fittest to be called, looking upon the countenance, and the height of the stature; but such as he thought fit to call, and determined to make fit for the service to which he called them: even so, blessed Jesus, because it seemed good in thine eyes. Christ calls whom he will; for he is a free Agent, and his grace is his own. 3. The efficacy of the call; He called them to separate themselves from the crowd, and stand by him, and they came unto him. Christ calls those who were given him (Joh 17:6); and all that the Father gave him, shall come to him, Joh 6:37. Those whom it was his will to call, he made willing to come; his people shall be willing in the day of his power. Perhaps they came to him readily enough, because they were in expectation of reigning with him in temporal pomp and power; but when afterward they were undeceived in that matter, yet they had such a prospect given them of better things, that they would not say they were deceived in their Master, nor repented their leaving all to be with him. 4. The end and intention of this call; He ordained them (probably by the imposition of hands, which was a ceremony used among the Jews), that they should be with him constantly, to be witnesses of his doctrine, manner of life, and patience, that they might fully know it, and be able to give an account of it; and especially that they might attest the truth of his miracles; they must be with him to receive instructions from him, that they might be qualified to give instructions to others. It would require time to fit them for that which he designed them for; for they must be sent forth to preach; not to preach till they were sent, and not to be sent till by a long and intimate acquaintance with Christ they were fitted. Note, Christ's ministers must be much with him. 5. The power he gave them to work miracles; and hereby he put a very great honour upon them, beyond that of the great men of the earth. He ordained them to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. This showed that the power which Christ had to work these miracles was an original power; that he had it not as a Servant, but as a Son in his own house, in that he could confer it upon others, and invest them with it: they have a rule in the law, Deputatus non potest deputare - He that is only deputed himself, cannot depute another; but our Lord Jesus had life in himself, and the Spirit without measure; for he could give this power even to the weak and foolish things of the world. 6. Their number and names; He ordained twelve, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are here named not just in the same order as they were in Matthew, nor by couples, as they were there; but as there, so here, Peter is put first and Judas last. Here Matthew is put before Thomas, probably being called in that order; but in that catalogue which Matthew himself drew up, he puts himself after Thomas; so far was he from insisting upon the precedency of his consecration. But that which Mark only takes notice of in this list of the apostles, is, that Christ called James and John Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder; perhaps they were remarkable for a loud commanding voice, they were thundering preachers; or, rather, it denotes the zeal and fervency of their spirits, which would make them active for God above their brethren. These two (saith Dr. Hammond) were to be special eminent ministers of the gospel, which is called a voice shaking the earth, Heb 12:26. Yet John, one of those sons of thunder, was full of love and tenderness, as appears by his epistles, and was the beloved disciple. 7. Their retirement with their Master, and close adherence to him; They went into a house. Now that this jury was impanelled, they stood together, to hearken to their evidence. They went together into the house, to settle the orders of their infant college; and now, it is likely, the bag was given to Judas, which pleased him, and made him easy. II. The continual crowds that attended Christ's motions (Mar 3:20); The multitude cometh together again, unsent for, and unseasonably pressing upon him, some with one errand and some with another; so that he and his disciples could not get time so much as to eat bread, much less for a set and full meal. Yet he did not shut his doors against the petitioners, but bade them welcome, and gave to each of them an answer of peace. Note, They whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God, can easily bear with great inconveniences to themselves, in the prosecution of it, and will rather lose a meal's meat at any time than slip an opportunity of doing good. It is happy when zealous hearers and zealous preachers thus meet, and encourage one another. Now the kingdom of God was preached, and men pressed into it, Luk 16:16. This was a gale of opportunity worth improving; and the disciples might well afford to adjourn their meals, to lay hold on it. It is good striking while the iron is hot. III. The care of his relations concerning him (Mar 3:21); When his friends in Capernaum heard how he was followed, and what pains he took, they went out, to lay hold on him, and fetch him home, for they said, He is beside himself. 1. Some understand it of an absurd preposterous care, which had more in it of reproach to him than of respect; and so we must take it as we read it, He is beside himself; either they suspected it themselves, or it was suggested to them, and they gave credit to the suggestion, that he was gone distracted, and therefore his friends ought to bind him, and put him in a dark room, to bring him to his right mind again. His kindred, many of them, had mean thoughts of him (Joh 7:5), and were willing to hearken to this ill construction which some put upon his great zeal, and to conclude him crazed in his intellects, and under that pretence to take him off from his work. The prophets were called mad fellows, Kg2 9:11. 2. Others understand it of a well-meaning care; and then they read exestē - "He fainteth, he has no time to eat bread, and therefore his strength will fail him; he will be stifled with the crowd of people, and will have his spirits quite exhausted with constant speaking, and the virtue that goes out of him in his miracles; and therefore let us use a friendly violence with him, and get him a little breathing-time." In his preaching-work, as well as his suffering-work, he was attacked with, Master, spare thyself. Note, They who go on with vigour and zeal in the work of God, must expect to meet with hindrances, both from the groundless disaffection of their enemies, and the mistaken affections of their friends, and they have need to stand upon their guard against both.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:13-19 The scene now changes to a mountain, and Mark tells how Jesus called his disciples, which is reminiscent of God’s call of Old Testament prophets (Exod 3:14-22; 1 Sam 3:4-14; Jer 1:5-19).