Mark 6

• The teaching of Jesus amazed the people because of his wisdom and his ability to heal and drive out demons.

• "Where did this man get": His early life in Nazareth had not prepared them to accept him as a teacher and healer who spoke and acted with authority.

Nazareth’s rejection of Jesus stands in sharp contrast to the faith shown by others. The few miracles he did there also contrast with the greater displays of power seen in other places.

• The people of Nazareth saw Jesus only as a carpenter (literally craftsman).

• He is just a carpenter, the son of Mary: Calling Jesus the son of Mary instead of the son of Joseph likely means Joseph had died by then.

• brother … his sisters: See study note on 3:31–35.

• They were very offended: They believed Jesus was pretending to be someone he could not possibly be.

• Faith and healing are often connected in Mark (2:5; 5:34, 36; 9:23–24; 10:52). The miracles of Jesus were not performances but miraculous signs of God's kingdom. To enter this kingdom and receive its benefits, one must repent and have faith (1:15).

• Jesus healed some sick people, but the lack of faith in his own village amazed Jesus. This was unusual.

• This part of Mark describes Jesus being rejected by (3:7–6:6a):

  • his family (3:21, 31–35),

  • the scribes (3:22), and

  • the people of Gerasa (5:17).

  It ends with rejection by people in his hometown (6:1–6a).

  Along the way, a few people believed and Jesus healed them. This ending is similar to the end of the previous section (1:14–3:6).

This summary of the healing and preaching ministry of Jesus leads to a story about the disciples. Jesus likely taught from village to village near the Sea of Galilee, and perhaps in Capernaum (see 2:1).

The mission of Jesus and the misunderstanding of the disciples are prominent themes in this section.

• two by two: This practice fulfilled the Old Testament rule of needing two witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; see Matthew 18:16). It also allowed for them to have companionship and mutual help Acts 13:1–3; 15:22, 39, 40).

• giving them authority: Jesus can give his authority to others (see Mark 1:27; 2:10).

• Jesus told the disciples to drive out unclean spirits and to preach and heal (6:12–13; see 6:30).

Jesus sent the disciples to preach and heal. During this mission, they memorized the teachings of Jesus by repeating them. This prepared them to later recall and share what Jesus did and taught (Luke 1:2).

The instructions for the disciples' mission focused on what they should leave behind (bread …bag …money … second tunic). They were to travel with little and rely on Jewish kindness to strangers for food and a place to sleep at night (see Luke 22:35–37).

They were to sleep in the same house and not take advantage of kindness of their hosts by looking for better food and another place to sleep at night.

shake the dust off your feet: This represents God's judgment on those who rejected the apostles' message (see Acts 18:6). To reject it was actually to reject Jesus and God, who sent him (9:37).

The call to repent is a short form of the fuller message in 1:15.

• Jesus’ name had become well known: The successful mission in Galilee and Perea by six teams of disciples helped spread news about him throughout the region (6:12–13).

• John the Baptist has risen from the dead!: King Herod may have thought that John the Baptist had come back to life and was now working through Jesus. This idea is similar to how Elijah's spirit came upon Elisha.

  Or, he might have been expressing frustration, saying something like, “This is John the Baptist all over again!” (the same kind of powerful prophet has appeared again).

The story of John the Baptist's death, placed between the disciples' mission and return, emphasizes the authority and power of Jesus (see 6:7, 14). John's end and the warning to the disciples during their mission also point ahead to the death of Jesus (6:11). The one greater even than John (1:8) would soon be handed over to religious and political leaders and put to death (8:31; 9:31; 10:33).

The return of the prophet Elijah had been prophesied in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5–6 (see also Mark 9:11–13).

• that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned: The Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 18.5.2) says that John was imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus in Perea.

• Josephus (Antiquities 18.5.1–4) also mentions that Herodias was the wife of Herod Antipas's half-brother, Herod Philip.

• Mark explains the moral and religious reason for the arrest and execution of John the Baptist. The Jewish historian Josephus gives a political reason instead. He says Herod feared that John’s popularity might lead to a rebellion (Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.2).

  In a similar way, the charges against Jesus began as religious concerns (Mark 14:63–64). But when he was brought before Pontius Pilate, the charges became political (15:2; Luke 23:2–3).

• It is not lawful: John said that Herod’s marriage was wrong. It was adultery (Leviticus 20:10). It also broke the law that forbids a man from marrying his brother’s wife (Leviticus 18:16; 20:21).

Herodias's role in John the Baptist's murder is similar to the story of Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1–2). Like Jezebel, she pushed for the death of a prophet.

Herod gave in to pressure (Mark 6:26–28). This points ahead to what Pontius Pilate later did. Pilate ordered that Jesus be put to death even though he believed Jesus was innocent (compare 6:20, 25–28 with 15:6–15).

the daughter of Herodias: The first-century Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Herodias's daughter was also named Salome (Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.4).

This verse is similar to the description of the death and burial of Jesus (see 15:43–46). Disciples of John existed after his death until at least the AD 200s (see Acts 18:24–19:7).

• Mark refers to the disciples of Jesus as apostles to show their new role as those who had been sent out (see study note on 3:14–15). This also helps avoid confusion with John the Baptist’s disciples.

• The apostles reported the success of what they had done and taught.

The disciples finish their mission (6:6–13, 30–34). Then the story of feeding the 5,000 follows (6:35–44; see also Matthew 14:13–21; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–15). The feeding of the 4,000 is different enough to show these were two separate events (see Mark 8:1–10).

• Come with me: Jesus and the disciples likely traveled north along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee toward Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). As they moved, the crowds could still see them along the shore.

• many people: The large crowds show the success of the apostles' mission and the greatness of Jesus, whom the apostles represented.

they were like sheep without a shepherd: God's people need guidance (Numbers 27:16–17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; see Jeremiah 13:10; Ezekiel 34:23). In Jewish writings, teaching God's word is like feeding sheep (for example, Ezekiel 34:1–24; 2 Baruch 77:13–15).

The place where Jesus taught was remote (far from towns), but it still had farms and villages nearby where people could buy food.

Jesus suggests that, just as the disciples were able to drive out demons and heal through his power (6:7, 13, 30), they should be able to feed the crowd. Their reply shows that they were thinking only about what they could do on their own. They did not take into account the power of Jesus (his ability to act with God’s authority).

The words taking, blessed, broke, and gave reflect the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper (14:22–25). Both events imagine the final messianic feast where Christians will eat and drink with Jesus in the kingdom of God (14:25; Matthew 5:6; 22:1–10; see Revelation 2:7; 19:7–9; 22:1–2, 14, 17–19).

This miracle makes Elisha’s miracle of feeding 100 people with 20 loaves seem less impressive (2 Kings 4:42–44). We should ask ourselves, “Who is this?” (Mark 4:41). He is the Christ, the Son of God (1:1).

The disciples went to Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter and Andrew (John 1:44). Meanwhile, Jesus dismissed the crowd and went away by himself to pray.

Jesus regularly prayed (Mark 1:35). He also urged his disciples to pray (see 14:38).

This story shows the glory of Jesus (his divine power and greatness) to the disciples (6:48–50). It is also a rescue story, because Jesus comes to help them in danger (6:47–48, 51).

At the same time, it shows that the disciples did not understand what was happening (6:51–52).

• About the fourth watch of the night: This was about three o'clock in the morning. This Roman way of telling time suggests that Mark wrote for Christians in Rome.

• Mark does not explain how Jesus saw his disciples struggling in the middle of the lake at night. It is not important to the story.

• Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea: It seems Jesus came to rescue them from the storm. But Mark says that Jesus intended to pass by them. Many have tried to explain this, but perhaps the best explanation is that to pass them by refers to a divine appearance. This is similar to events in Exodus and 1 Kings, where divine glory is shown. The disciples' fear supports this idea, as fear often accompanies divine appearances.

• Many have tried to explain the miracle of Jesus walking on water. But Mark, Matthew, and John saw it as a miracle without a natural explanation. If Jesus is truly the Son of God, there needs to be no other explanation.

• The disciples were very afraid, and this reaction makes sense. People cannot walk on water, so they thought they were seeing a ghost.

  As in many times when God appears (divine manifestations, when God shows himself), the Lord spoke words of comfort: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

  It was not a ghost but Jesus (their friend, Savior, and Lord).

• It is I : Jesus walking on the sea and calming the storm were miracles (acts of God’s power). Because of this, Mark’s first audience would have understood the words I am as more than a simple statement. They would have heard a connection to how God describes himself in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10–13). This suggests that Jesus shares in God’s identity (he is divine).

• When Jesus got into the boat, the storm stopped.

• utterly astounded: The disciples were filled with awe and reverence (deep respect and wonder) at the greatness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (compare 2:12; 5:24; Matthew 14:33).

The account ends with a comment about the disciples’ lack of understanding. This was not because they lacked the opportunity to believe in Jesus. They had seen the miracle of the loaves and many other miracles.

Instead, their hearts were too hard (they were not open to understanding). This is usually a quality of those who oppose Jesus (for example, 3:5; see also 8:17, 21; 9:32).

Later, their hearts would be changed. They would come to understand these things (Luke 24:44–49; John 12:16; 13:7).

Gennesaret was a fertile plain (good land for growing crops), about 5.6 kilometers long (3.5 miles) and 0.8 kilometers wide (0.5 miles). It lay between Tiberias and Capernaum on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The disciples first planned to go to Bethsaida (6:45). One possibility is that strong winds (6:48) pushed the boat off course, and they landed at Gennesaret instead. Another possibility is that 6:45 describes the direction of travel (toward the northeast), not the exact destination.

This short summary of the work Jesus did in Galilee shows how popular he was and how he healed many people.

the fringe of His cloak: This refers to the tassels that Jewish men wore on the edges of their robes (see Numbers 15:38–39; Deuteronomy 22:12). Touching the fringe of His cloak brought healing to sick people (see also Mark 3:10; 5:28).