JESUS LAUNCHES THE TWELVE
Mark 6:1-13
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: It’s all a matter of how you look at it
1. Four people looked at the same glass of water and saw something different. The Optimist said, “It’s half full.” The Pessimist said, “It’s half empty.” A Hindu looked and said, “The glass in only an illusion.”
2. Last, the Hypochondriac said, “It’s tepid water, there’s a dirty smudge, it’s unclean, and if I drink it I’ll probably catch a virus and die!” Our perspective of things determines what we see!
B. TEXT
6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. MK. 6:1-13, NIV.
C. CONTEXT
1. The stories of Jesus’ visit to his hometown and his commissioning of the twelve are two separate stories. The first story has to do with belief and unbelief. The second story has to do with the call of disciples and the proclamation of the Gospel.
2. In chap. 5, Jesus demonstrated his great power on both sides of the Sea of Galilee— the Gerasene demoniac (5:1-20), Jairus’ daughter (5:21-23, 35-43), and the woman with the issue of blood (5:24-34). Jesus’ hometown folk should have been proud—but they weren’t.
3. Immediately following today’s passage, Mark tells us of the death of John the Baptist, 6:14-29. So the call of the disciples is sandwiched between two stories of rejected prophets—Jesus rejected by his hometown people (vss. 1-6) and John killed by the king (vss. 14-29).
4. Yet despite rejection, the church marches on triumphantly in success, evangelizing and expanding, Mark 6:30. God won’t be hindered even by deaths or rejections of His servants!
5. The title of this message is, “Jesus Launches the Twelve.”
I. PEOPLE OF NAZARETH OFFENDED AT HIM, 6:1-3
A. HE MINISTERS AT NAZARETH
1. “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples,” Vs. 1. “Hometown,” Greek ‘padrida,’ is from Papatros, the word for father. This was Jesus’ fatherland, His home turf. Nazareth was the place where he grew up—where his family lived—the place most familiar to Him with wonderful memories of childhood.
2. Nazareth was a small town of at most 2,000 people—a town small enough that everyone would know everyone else—and everyone else’s business. So they knew all about Jesus’ earthly life.
3. Jesus came as a Rabbi, with a retinue of disciples. The town had heard of His feats elsewhere. “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue,” vs. 2. In a day when many people couldn’t read and didn’t have access to the Torah, hearing the scriptures read and expounded in the synagogue was their primary way of learning about God.
4. But they responded, “Where did this man get these things? What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter?” And they took offense at him (Vss. 2-3).
5. Basically, they were saying, “Who does he think he is?” They said, “Isn’t this the tekton?” (carpenter or stonemason). This stonemason was trying to be a Rabbi – a very venerated position in that culture. Now Jesus had never had the formal training required for rabbis, so in their minds, he lacked the credentials of a teacher.
6. Secondly, Jerusalem scribes had previously spread malicious rumors about him— “He has Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of the demons he casts out the demons” (3:22). This caused a reluctance to accept him.
7. “They took offense at him” (6:3). Jesus had experienced opposition from demons (1:24; 5:7) and religious authorities (2:16, 18, 24; 3:6, 22) and even his own family (3:21), but this is the first time that he experienced rejection by ordinary Jewish people. It won’t be the last time (15:11-14).
B. HE MARVELED BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF
1. Jesus needed to respond to His rejection for the sake of His disciples’ morale, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house” Vs. 4.
2. Stephen told the Jews in Acts 7:52, “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” Rejection was a well-known problem among the Israelites. It involved unbelief.
3. Verses 5 & 6 say, “He could not do any miracles (Greek, “dunamin,” the word from which we get “dynamite”) there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
4. In chap. 5 He had performed great miracles – stilling the storm, driving out demons, healing & raising the dead – but here he can only heal a few minor sicknesses. Why? Had Jesus suddenly lost His divine power? No! The Nazarene’s unbelief short-circuited the miraculous.
5. HUMOR: God Not Involved. A son came home from public school and told his Dad that a boy at school told him about a guy named Jonah who was swallowed by a whale 3 days and lived to tell about it. “Do you think that’s humanly possible?” The Dad said, “Well, if God could create the world don’t you think He could do that?” The son said, “If I’d thought you’d bring God into it, I wouldn’t have asked!” That’s how many people think!
6. All things happen by faith and nothing without it. Hebrews 11 tells us that God created the universe by faith. God operates in the realm of faith, “Calling those things that be not as though they were.” Nothing can happen outside of natural laws unless it occurs in connection with faith in God and His limitless abilities. A crowd of doubters can dampen the operation of faith. That’s why a number of times Jesus had to take people out of towns to heal them.
7. “He was amazed at their lack of faith,” vs. 6. That’s the wrong way to amaze God! If we’re going to amaze Him, we should do it like the Centurion (Matt. 8:10) or the Canaanite woman (Mt. 15:28) by having extraordinary faith!
II. HE CALLED TO HIMSELF THE TWELVE, 6:6-7
A. JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF EVANGELISM
1. Verse 6b says, “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.” When you realize how small, insignificant, and poor these places were, you might wonder why the Son of God would waste so much of His 3 short years of ministry on such places. But there are several reasons why.
2. First, He was showing how much even the poorest life is worth to God. Secondly, he was setting us an example that we too should go from village to village, and town to town until ALL have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ!
3. Thirdly, He was giving His disciples on-the-job-training. They were getting an opportunity to preach and pray for people which they never would have been given if they had been in a financial center with lots of talented ministry people around. The 12 were called to be with Him; so are we! Don’t despise the day of small beginnings!
B. THE CALLING OF THE 12
1. Jesus chose 12 men to invest with leadership, authority, and to be witnesses of His resurrection. Why 12? Well, there were the 12 tribes of Israel and each tribe had a leader. The Number 12 is found in 187 places in God's word. The meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God's power and authority, as well as serving as a perfect governmental foundation.
2. Jesus designated 12 men to be part of this leadership unit and sent them out two by two (6 pairs of 2 witnesses). We are all aware what Eccles. 4:10 talks about the importance of not going alone, plus the importance of two having a unified testimony for something to be true (John 8:17).
3. Jesus gave these 12 authority over impure spirits, to heal the sick, and also to raise the dead (Matt. 10:8). In reality, this power was not to the 12 alone, but to anyone who performs Jesus’ will and does it in His name (Mk. 9:39). But Jesus initiated this spiritual power first with the 12. Why is this significant? Because we can all do the same works Jesus did today, if we trust & obey Him.
4. Jesus had “faith” instructions (“no money, food; random itinerary, etc.) These set them apart to divine mission, made them completely dependent on God, put them into people’s houses, and explained that they would not always be accepted.
C. MANNER & EFFECT OF THEIR MINISTRY
1. Their ministry consisted of preaching repentance of sin, driving out demons and healing the sick. This is the example of what we’re supposed to be doing. Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Lk. 18:8. See Heb. 12:13.
2. Thank God for Mark’s account, for he happens to mention they anointed the sick with oil, Vs. 13. This is significant because it’s only mentioned with public healing ministry here and in James 5. This shows us the anointing with oil was a normal part of healing ministry during the ministry of Jesus. This validates the use of anointing oil today since Jesus taught His disciples to do this.
3. In Mark 6:30 the twelve “gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” So teaching had also been a part of what they (and us) are supposed to do, but not the main part!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Discipleship like a Tandem Bike
1. When I met Christ, It seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.
2. I don’t know when it was that He suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I was in control, life was boring and predictable. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful trails, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds.
3. "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say "I’m scared," He’d lean back and touch my hand.
4. He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord’s and mine. And we were off again.
5. He said, "Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
6. I didn’t trust Him at first with my life; I thought He’d wreck it. But he knows how to make the sharp turns and scary passages. And when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore, He just smiles and says . . . "Pedal." - author unknown
B. THE CALL
1. Let’s make a new commitment to follow the example of Jesus in our lives. We’re supposed to go out and tell every person the Good News of Jesus. Will you tell someone this week?
2. Have you repented of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior? Let’s do that right now.
3. How many want to begin to step out and let trust God to use you in a supernatural way, by anointing people who are sick with oil and praying for their healing? Let’s pray about that.
[Section one draws on an unnamed message on this passage posted at sermonwriter.com]
