A New Community / Mark 3:13-35

Well, good to see you again here this week, church. Do me a favor: as you grab a seat, turn to Mark chapter 3. If you’re a guest with us here at The Well, my name is Shea Sumlin. I’m one of the pastors here, and I am excited to continue our series, Follow the Servant, walking through the Gospel according to Mark.

The Provocative Question of Time

I want to begin by asking: how many in this room right now are fans of board games or card games? Growing up in the Sumlin household, games were a pretty big deal. We loved board games. For a while, I’m pretty sure I thought Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers were distant uncles of ours. We played old-school Monopoly, Scrabble, Checkers, Operation, and Mousetrap—though I don’t know that we ever actually played Mousetrap by the rules; we just set up the contraption and let it rip.

All those games were great, but I’ll never forget when games began to shift right around junior high. Suddenly, board games weren’t cool anymore, and we moved into these conversational question games. First came Truth or Dare. I don’t know who invented that game, but it never ends well. When I played with my brothers, it never ended with, “Truth: When is the last time you got a C on a test?” It never had, “Dare: Go share the gospel with somebody.” When I played with my brothers, it usually ended with either something illegal or me trapped outside the house locked out in my underwear. It never ended pretty.

Eventually, those question games shifted into hypothetical scenarios. You’ve heard them around campfires or small groups: “If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing you’d want with you?” Or, “If your house was on fire, everybody got out safe, and you only had time to grab one item, what are you grabbing?”

Then there is the most provocative question of all: “If you found out today that you only had one year left to live—or one week left to live—what would you do?”

When faced with that question, your mind starts racing. Do you make up something radically spiritual so you don’t feel ashamed of how you’re currently living? Or are you completely honest and say, “Man, if I only had a year left, I’m hitting the road, seeing the world, and knocking out my bucket list”? That question gets us thinking because facing our mortality reshifts everything. The shortness of life brings perspective. The answer either radically reshapes our trajectory or validates what we are already doing.

A Ticking Clock

In Mark chapter 3, we see a moment where Jesus faces the reality of a ticking clock. In the opening verses of chapter 3, Jesus performed miracles and signs to validate who He was as the Messiah. Right at the beginning of the chapter, He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.

That did not sit well with the religious leaders. They weren’t consumed with joy that a man was transformed before their eyes; they were infuriated that Jesus broke their Sabbath traditions.

Mark 3:1-6 (NASB)

He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him [to see] if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Get up and come forward!’ And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately [began] conspiring with the Herodians against Him, [as] [to] how they might destroy Him.

In Mark 3:6, something happens for the very first time in Mark’s Gospel: the Pharisees went out and immediately began plotting with the Herodians against Jesus, looking for a way to destroy Him.

Jesus was always fully aware of His mission. Everywhere He went, He stated His mission clearly.

Luke 19:10 (NASB)

‘For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’

John 3:17 (NASB)

’For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Mark 10:45 (NASB)

‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’

Jesus was constantly presenting His heavenly calling card: “This is who I am, and this is why I came.” But all the Gospel writers agree that something trajectory-shaping happens right here in Mark 3. The plot to kill Jesus is officially set in motion. The clock is ticking in a whole new way. At this point, Jesus has roughly two to two-and-a-half years left before He hangs on a cross.

What do you do when that diagnosis comes? Matthew tells us that immediately around this time, Jesus retreated up a mountain to pray and fast all night. What was He praying for? Was He praying for an RV so He could hit the road for His final two years? Was He busting out a bucket list: “I created Hawaii; maybe I should go visit it again before the cross. Maybe I should tour every ballpark”?

What did Jesus do when faced with His impending death?

Calling the Twelve

Mark shows us what Jesus did in verse 13. When the clock started ticking toward His death, Jesus focused on raising up a new community.

Mark 3:13-19 (NASB)

And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He [could] send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons. And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), and James, the [son] of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, ’Sons of Thunder ’); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

By this point in Jesus’ ministry, He already had multitudes following Him. He had many disciples. We know from chapter 1 that He had four fishermen—Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Men like Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas had been following Him since His baptism. Jesus had hundreds of followers.

Yet out of those masses, Jesus officially called out twelve individuals to serve as the appointed representatives of a new community He was establishing on earth: the Church.

Notice the two-fold purpose for calling them in verse 14: first, that they might be with Him; and second, that He might send them out to preach gospel words and practice gospel deeds with His authority.

This was Jesus’ intentional legacy plan to ensure that after He died and resurrected, the gospel message would advance for generations to come. In chapters 3 through 5, the Twelve are with Him, learning and watching. By chapter 6, He empowers them and sends them out. That rhythm continues through the centuries, eventually reaching this very room today.

Why did Jesus choose twelve? Why not ten, eleven, or thirty?

To understand this, we need a quick look at the Jewish culture of discipleship. In that day, Jewish boys (and initially young girls) went through formal stages of education.

Around age five, children entered Bet Sefer (“House of the Book”). They began memorizing the Torah—the first five books of the Old Testament. By age twelve or thirteen, most kids finished their schooling. If you didn’t excel, you went home and learned the family trade—fishing, carpentry, masonry.

Only the best students progressed to Bet Midrash (“House of Learning”) around age thirteen to study the oral traditions and rabbinic interpretations of the Law.

Only the elite of the elite from that group moved on to Bet Talmud. At that point, a young man would seek out a prominent rabbi and ask to become his talmid (disciple). He would follow that rabbi everywhere, memorizing his words and mimicking his actions, hoping one day to become a rabbi himself.

Now look at who Jesus called in verses 16 through 19. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. Simon was a Zealot—part of a political faction committed to the violent overthrow of Rome.

These men were not the scholarly, blue-chip draft picks of the religious school system. In the South, we’d call them the “cull.” They were common tradesmen who had already washed out of the elite rabbinical track and gone back to their nets and tax booths.

Look at the diversity of the group: Matthew the tax collector worked on behalf of Rome, taxing his fellow Jews, while Simon the Zealot hated Rome and wanted to assassinate Roman sympathizers. Yet Jesus called them both. He chose them not based on their prestige, nobility, or religious accomplishments, but entirely by His gracious sovereign choice.

Why twelve? The number immediately calls to mind the twelve tribes of Israel. God gave His promises to the twelve sons of Jacob, but the nation of Israel continually stumbled and failed to be the light to the nations they were called to be. Jesus is now establishing a new Israel, a new community centered on Himself.

Jesus took twelve ordinary, flawed men so that in their weakness, His power would be made visible. And He used them to turn the world upside down.

Three Camps That Try to Control Jesus

Mark sandwiches the calling of the Twelve between two fascinating stories that illustrate what this new community is—and what it is not.

Mark 3:20-22 (NASB)

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard [of] [this], they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, ‘He has lost His senses.’ The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.’

The crowds were pressing in so intensely that Jesus and His disciples couldn’t even eat a meal. In the midst of this chaos, three different groups tried to step in and manage Jesus.

First, in verse 21, His own people—His extended family and neighbors from Nazareth—heard about what was happening and went to seize Him. They said, “He is out of His mind. He’s lost His senses.” They thought Jesus had gone crazy, and they wanted to pull Him out of the public eye to protect the family reputation.

Second, in verse 22, the scribes from Jerusalem arrived. They didn’t just think He was crazy; they claimed He was demonic: “He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons He casts out the demons.”

Jesus systematically dismantled their ridiculous logic.

Mark 3:23-27 (NASB)

And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, ’How can Satan cast out Satan? ’If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ’If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ’If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! ’But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

Jesus said, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.” It makes no sense for Satan to fight his own forces.

Then Jesus gave the parable of the strong man: to plunder a strong man’s house, you must first tie him up. Jesus was saying, “My ministry is not doing Satan’s work; I am invading Satan’s territory, binding the strong man, and setting his captives free!”

Then Jesus issued a solemn warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:28-30 (NASB)

’Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin ’– because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

People often stumble over verse 29 and wonder, “Have I committed the unpardonable sin?” Look at the context. The religious leaders were looking directly at the divine work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus and calling it demonic. They were committing high treason by totally, decisively rejecting the Messiah.

The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the outright, hardened rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior. If you reject the only remedy for your sin, you have no Savior left to forgive you. But for all who repent and trust Him, every sin and blasphemy is covered by His grace.

Finally, the third group arrives at the end of the chapter: His mother and brothers.

Mark 3:31-35 (NASB)

Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent [word] to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.’ Answering them, He said, ‘Who are My mother and My brothers?’ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, ’Behold My mother and My brothers! ‘For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.’

Mary and Jesus’ brothers stood outside and sent someone in to call Him out. In the Greek, the language conveys an effort to summon and take charge of Him.

Jesus looked at the disciples sitting in a circle around Him and said something radical: “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus was not dishonoring Mary; He was redefining family. The true community of Jesus is not determined by biological pedigree, social status, or mere proximity. The true community consists of those who sit at His feet, surrender their lives, and do the will of God.

Living as the New Community

This passage sets the trajectory for the rest of Mark’s Gospel. What does this mean for us today? Let me give you three clear takeaways.

1. Relationship Precedes Mission

Before Jesus sent the Twelve out to do things for Him, He called them to be with Him.

The very first thing God wants from you is not your labor, your performance, or your resume; He wants your heart in relationship. He did not choose you because of your perfect church attendance, your religious pedigree, or your moral achievements. He chose you by His grace alone.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)

’Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ’Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ‘For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’

The world places a heavy yoke on your back, demanding that you perform to earn love and acceptance. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” The word “learn” shares the root for “disciple.” Jesus invites us to step out from under the crushing weight of legalism and enter into a gracious relationship where His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

2. We Are Commissioned for Gospel Words and Gospel Deeds

Once we are rooted in relationship with Jesus, He sends us out.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ’All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’

We are not called to be keepers of an aquarium; we are called to be fishers of men. Gospel in, gospel out. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are commissioned as this new community to proclaim gospel words and display gospel deeds to a broken world.

3. Our Time Is Short

Facing the ticking clock reminded Jesus of His purpose, and it should remind us that our time on earth is brief. We are not here forever.

Think about Moses leading Israel in the wilderness. Because of Israel’s rebellion, God declared that the entire generation would wander for forty years until they passed away. Scholars estimate that up to two to three million people came out of Egypt. If an entire generation died over forty years, that works out to over a hundred funerals every single day.

Moses lived surrounded by the constant reality of death. In Psalm 90, he wrote a prayer reflecting on the brevity of life.

Psalms 90:12 (NASB)

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” God did not put us here just to make a temporary splash; He put us here to leave eternal gospel ripples for generations to come.

For me personally, that means being intentional with the years I have. Every couple of years, I grab a handful of young men to pour into and disciple, so that long after I’m gone, a legacy of gospel ministry continues. For my wife and me, raising our five young daughters is our primary frontline of discipleship. We want to teach them what it means to follow Jesus so they can herald the gospel long after we are off the scene.

That is why we exist as a church. Ephesians 4 says we exist to equip the saints for the work of ministry. At The Well, we want to equip you to make disciples who make disciples:

• We offer the Academy, a three-year theological journey taught by Rick Taylor that gives you a deep understanding of God’s Word.
• We offer the Perspectives course to align our hearts with God’s global mission for all nations.
• We have our Residency Program and emerging leader initiatives to train future pastors, church planters, and marketplace leaders.
• We have our Sending Program, preparing people to plant churches in places like Kingsburg, Madera, and Turlock, and to take the gospel overseas to Thailand, Russia, China, and South America.

Time is short, church. Let’s not be like the religious leaders who tried to fit Jesus into their own small box. Let us live in radical surrender to His mission, investing our lives in the gospel that transforms hearts by His grace.

Celebrating the New Community at the Table

As we close our time together, we have the opportunity to participate in an ordinance that beautifully pictures this new community: the Lord’s Supper.

Just as baptism is our public identification with Jesus and His body, communion is our ongoing family meal where we identify with His death, His resurrection, and His people. We come to this table as a diverse group of broken sinners, united by one thing: the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

When you take the bread, remember that His body was broken on your behalf. When you take the cup, remember that His blood was poured out to establish the new covenant and forgive all your sins. It was not your works that saved you; it was His finished sacrifice.

And as we eat and drink, we also look forward to that promised day when we will sit face-to-face with Jesus and celebrate the great marriage feast of the Lamb.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, we invite you to come to the stations around the room, take the elements, and remember what He has done. If you have not yet placed your faith in Jesus, I encourage you to hold off on the meal and instead consider the grace being offered to you right now in Christ. Turn to Him, receive His forgiveness, and join His family.

Let’s pray together.

Father, we thank You for the calling of the Twelve and for the glorious truth that You call ordinary, broken people into Your family. Thank You that our salvation is based not on our pedigree or performance, but on Your sovereign grace. Empower us as a church not to drift into spiritual slumber. Teach us to number our days, give us hearts of wisdom, and send us out by Your Spirit to make disciples who make disciples. May Jesus be glorified in our lives. In His name we pray. Amen.