THE GOSPEL OF MARK "Behold My Servant!

   Jesus...His APPOINTMENT of apostles for global evangelism

Dealing with friends and followers and family and foes                    Mark chapter 3vv13-22.

In the next section, Jesus will declare His mission to the world, here we are introduced to the men through whom He will achieve it;   in the same context, He handles the fickleness of the crowds, and that of family and answers the objections of His enemies.   He goes up to a mountain, we know not which one, but His excursions to mountains were usually at momentous times, and this one is no different.

• Matthew 5v1             The sermon on the mount
• Matthew 14v23         Prior to the calming of the storm
• Matthew 15vv29-38  Prior to the feeding of 4000
• Matthew 17v1           The mount of transfiguration, where He previewed the kingdom.
• Matthew 27vv30-32  Prior to His death on mount Calvary, the mount of Olives, to which He often resorted, from which He ascended, and to which He will return to the earth.
• Revelation 14v1        Mount Zion in new Jerusalem, from which He will rule the world.
• Mark 3v13                 He chooses the apostles

Jesus is the servant of God, but in that service He is steward over God's administration, just as the steward of a large household would be over lesser servants;   and so He exercises His sovereignty in the matter of choice and "He called unto Him whom He would."    We also see His success as the steward in that  "they came unto Him".   This fulfils the prophecy of the perfect servant in Isaiah chapter 42vv1-4 "Behold my servant........He shall not fail nor be discouraged till He hath set judgment in the earth.....".   In the narrative we are discussing, it is clear He neither fails nor is discouraged in the task.   These men, whom He expertly chose, will learn from Him for the next few years before the mighty task.   There was an official appointment, just as there should be with any public servant today;   note the order..."He ordained twelve that they would be with Him and that He might send them forth to preach."   Those who would preach must first spend time with Him.

We note some facts concerning the men who brought the gospel to the world

• There is a very definite hierarchy.      Simon Peter is always first, and Judas Iscariot is always last
• They were just twelve ordinary men.     We would expect the apostles whom Christ chose were from the cream of society, but the opposite is the case.   None of them were part of the ruling elite in Israel, all of them were outside of the religious hierarchy; they had no connection to anyone famous, none of them were rich or had any notable parentage.   None of them had a college education, none of them were noted public speakers.   Four were fishermen (perhaps seven);  one was a tax collector, one was a militant protester against Roman occupation.   They were just ordinary men but they achieved extra-ordinary things.   In Acts 17v6 it is recorded  "these are the men who turned the world upside down."   They achieved global evangelisation in the space of just 30+ years.   In doing so they overcame every obstacle that came in their way.   They withstood ferocious religious resistance, they overcame strife issues from within.   They survived the onslaught of Satan's forces and took the gospel to global levels, such that almost 2,000 years later their work still goes on.   They became the foundation of the greatest global entity the world has ever known, the church, the body of Christ.   They completed the sacred writings of holy scripture to  produce a bible of integrated detail that is still the world's best seller.   Their names are upon the foundation stones of the city the new Jerusalem.   Yet they came from obscurity and their secret was simply this  "they were with Him and He sent them forth to preach."   

He is still calling and training and sending forth His people, for the perfect servant will achieve the purposes of God and He will do it with the most ordinary people.   The remaining verses reveal the reality of service for God.   There will always be people pressing especially where material benefits are involved;   there will always be family who think you are going too far and need to rein in your devotion;   there will always be foes who reject the message and who want to defame and hinder and insult.    As the Master, so the disciple, we must learn to serve the public in diverse situations, for this is the work, and it is the greatest work ever undertaken by ordinary people.