The Crowd: Mark 3:20-22
“20) And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21) When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22) 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.”” Mark 3:20-22
Jesus had become so popular that crowds gathered everyplace He went. When He came home, the multitude gathered to such an extent that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal. Jesus had become famous and any hope of peace and quiet were lost. Large crowds began pouring into His home town seeking Jesus.
As the text continues, His critics had two opinions. First, His own people complained He had lost His senses and went out to take Him into custody. The claim of Him being the Son of man sounded to them like He had gone crazy. They were dismayed that He had abandoned the carpenters shop. Strangers could be misled, but they knew His true identity.
Transformed believers often face the same unbelief. People hold them hostage to their former reputation and practices. Family members and neighbors are sometimes among the strongest critics.
The second group of critics were led by the Scribes. They had come from Jerusalem and accused Him of being demon possessed. They claimed He was possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. They were loud, vocal and condemning.
This verse gives insight into the great distance from which the crowd had come. It was a three days journey from Jerusalem to His home region. Even prestigious Scribes and Pharisees had made the journey in an attempt to discredit Jesus. They were on mission to destroy Him.
Think about it, the crowd was made up of three groups of people. Most were believers and sincere followers. Jesus had healed them and changed their lives. Others like the Scribes and Pharisees were dogmatic critics sent to do damage control. They were jealous of Jesus and wanted to stop Him. The third group represented His home town. They were perplexed by all the commotion and thought Jesus had lost His mind. They wanted peace and tranquility to return to their quaint little community.
It intrigues me that everyone had an opinion about Jesus. Rather than watching and listening, many wanted to pass judgement on Jesus based on hearsay, spin and propaganda.
Not much has changed. Most negative bias against Jesus today comes from hearsay and unfounded ignorance.
My challenge to you is simple, take the time to read the four Gospels and the book of Acts and investigate the historical story for yourself! Then interview those whose lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ. Get the full story before passing judgement.
Caution: Sincerely following this advice might change your life!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“20) And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21) When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22) 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.”” Mark 3:20-22
Jesus had become so popular that crowds gathered everyplace He went. When He came home, the multitude gathered to such an extent that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal. Jesus had become famous and any hope of peace and quiet were lost. Large crowds began pouring into His home town seeking Jesus.
As the text continues, His critics had two opinions. First, His own people complained He had lost His senses and went out to take Him into custody. The claim of Him being the Son of man sounded to them like He had gone crazy. They were dismayed that He had abandoned the carpenters shop. Strangers could be misled, but they knew His true identity.
Transformed believers often face the same unbelief. People hold them hostage to their former reputation and practices. Family members and neighbors are sometimes among the strongest critics.
The second group of critics were led by the Scribes. They had come from Jerusalem and accused Him of being demon possessed. They claimed He was possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. They were loud, vocal and condemning.
This verse gives insight into the great distance from which the crowd had come. It was a three days journey from Jerusalem to His home region. Even prestigious Scribes and Pharisees had made the journey in an attempt to discredit Jesus. They were on mission to destroy Him.
Think about it, the crowd was made up of three groups of people. Most were believers and sincere followers. Jesus had healed them and changed their lives. Others like the Scribes and Pharisees were dogmatic critics sent to do damage control. They were jealous of Jesus and wanted to stop Him. The third group represented His home town. They were perplexed by all the commotion and thought Jesus had lost His mind. They wanted peace and tranquility to return to their quaint little community.
It intrigues me that everyone had an opinion about Jesus. Rather than watching and listening, many wanted to pass judgement on Jesus based on hearsay, spin and propaganda.
Not much has changed. Most negative bias against Jesus today comes from hearsay and unfounded ignorance.
My challenge to you is simple, take the time to read the four Gospels and the book of Acts and investigate the historical story for yourself! Then interview those whose lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ. Get the full story before passing judgement.
Caution: Sincerely following this advice might change your life!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
