48 – Withdrawal to the Sea of Galilee; Matthew 12:15-21, Mark 3:7-12

Matthew 12:15 But Jesus, [a]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to [b]tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18 “Behold, My [c]Servant whom I [d]have chosen;

My Beloved in whom My soul [e]is well-pleased;

I will put My Spirit upon Him,

And He shall proclaim [f]justice to the [g]Gentiles.

19 “He will not quarrel, nor cry out;

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20 “A battered reed He will not break off,

And a smoldering wick He will not put out,

Until He [h]leads [i]justice to victory.

21 “And in His name the [j]Gentiles will hope.”

Mark 3:7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9 And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And He earnestly warned them not to [a]tell who He was.

Footnotes (Matthew)

a. Matthew 12:15 Lit knowing

b. Matthew 12:16 Lit make Him known

c. Matthew 12:18 Lit Child

d. Matthew 12:18 Lit chose

e. Matthew 12:18 Or took pleasure

f. Matthew 12:18 Or judgment

g. Matthew 12:18 Or nations

h. Matthew 12:20 Or puts forth

I. Matthew 12:20 Or judgment

j. Matthew 12:21 Or nations

Footnotes (Mark)

a. Mark 3:12 Lit make Him known

Commentary

The last passage we studied in Matthew closes with the Pharisees devising a plot to kill Jesus. Therefore, this passage begins with the phrase, “But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there.” This foreshadows the Old Testament reference that follows, where Jesus is described as a gentle servant. Rather than taking the Pharisees and Herodians head on, Jesus withdrew to continue His ministry, peacefully converting believers. This quiet approach is consistent with His admonition to His followers not to tell anyone who He was: “He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.”

Matthew’s reference is to a passage from Isaiah chapter 42, in which Isaiah is speaking to the oppressed Israelites, giving them hope for relief from the oppression they have been experiencing. However, Isaiah also reveals to them that their savior will not only redeem their situation, but that of their oppressors (and Gentiles at large), as well. What a shock it must have been to them! But at least their fears were assuaged by the idea that God was sending someone to save them. They held onto this hope for generations, looking for their mighty savior, only to be confounded again when Jesus manifested first as a gentle servant and promised to return as almighty king. They wanted to make Him king right away (see John 6:15), which is another reason He wanted them to keep quiet about who He was.

I have often considered why God would choose a specific group of people to be His favorite, when all people are part of His creation. Why doesn’t He treat them equally? Studying this passage from Isaiah gave me some insight into that. “Throughout these closing chapters of Isaiah’s prophecy, it becomes more and more evident that he foresees a time of Gentile salvation. Therefore, the election of Israel as the chosen people of God is not viewed as an end in itself, but rather as a means toward the goal of the salvation of the nations” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 821). There are so many times, through my study of scripture and reflection on my own life, that I get a glimpse of God’s plan and humbly recognize how much higher God’s ways are than our ways. This is one of those times. I had felt a little slighted, not being part of God’s chosen people, and then, through closer study, I was able to recognize how far out of His way God went to win me. A whole people group to record and carry out His plans, a Son to die for my sins, and a history of Christian oppression that facilitated the growth of Jesus’s movement, resulting in the founding of America and the opportunity for me to be born here. Obviously, God’s plan doesn’t center around me, but when I think about all it took for me to be born into a Christian family where I can comfortably celebrate and share my faith in peace, I see that there is so much more to His love for the world than I can understand.

Moving on from the passage in Matthew to the passage in Mark, we get some further detail, with groups of people travelling long distances to track Jesus down and seek healing. So many people, in fact, that He had to start having boats ready for Him whenever He was out, since He couldn’t be effective with people pressing in on Him for healing. He still took the time to heal the afflicted, but His objective was to teach. The healing, as we have discussed previously, was a miracle that supported His legitimacy, but it was not his primary reason for coming.

Additionally, He interacted with evil spirits. So far in the study of the gospels, I have had several occasions to discuss demon possession. I have mentioned a number of reasons why the demons were acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, but He wouldn’t allow them to speak. While reading a Bible commentary on Mark 3:11, I came across another insight into this phenomenon. (In this week’s study passage, Mark does not say Jesus wouldn’t allow them to speak, but based on other passages we have studied, as well as the commentary insight, I’m projecting the same conflict onto this situation.)

“Two facts should be mentioned regarding the words “fell down”. First, the Greek ‘prospipto’, being in the imperfect tense, signifies continuous action: “they kept on falling down before Him and crying.” Secondly, it may be that the reason for this action was not to worship, but to confuse the multitudes. If they heard unclean spirits announcing His title as the Son of God, they might think that good and evil in the spirit world are not totally opposite each other” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1241).

Jesus would not allow the evil spirits to feed into any superstition or perversion of the faith. He instead dealt with them efficiently, and moved on with His care of the multitudes.

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2020/02/15/the-twelve/

Scripture References

Matthew 12:15

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Luke 5:22 Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus replied, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Luke 9:11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and He healed those who needed healing.

Matthew 12:16

Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 9:30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”

Matthew 17:9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Matthew 12:18

Isaiah 42:1 Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.

Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Matthew 17:5 While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

Luke 9:35 And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”

John 3:34 For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

Matthew 12:19

Isaiah 42:2 He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.

Matthew 12:20

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.

Matthew 11:7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

Matthew 12:21

Romans 15:12 And once more, Isaiah says: “The root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.

Mark 3:7

Matthew 4:25 The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Mark 1:45 But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.

Mark 3:20 Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

Luke 6:17 Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon.

Mark 3:8

Joshua 15:1 Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

Joshua 15:21 These were the southernmost cities of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur,

Ezekiel 35:15 As you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, so will I do to you: you will become a desolation, O Mount Seir, and so will all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Ezekiel 36:5 Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all of Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and with utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.’

Matthew 4:25 The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Luke 6:17 Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon.

Mark 3:9

Matthew 15:39 After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

Mark 4:36 After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.

Mark 5:2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs.

Mark 6:32 So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

Luke 5:1 On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,

Luke 5:3 Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.

Mark 3:10

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 9:21 She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.”

Matthew 14:36 and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

Mark 5:29 Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

Mark 5:34 “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

Mark 6:56 And wherever He went–villages and towns and countrysides–they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him to let them just touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

Mark 8:22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

Luke 5:3 Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.

Luke 6:19 The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.

Luke 7:21 At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.

Mark 3:11

Matthew 4:3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

1 Corinthians 11:34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you come together it will not result in judgment. And when I come, I will give instructions about the remaining matters.

Mark 3:12

Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 9:30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”

Commentary

John 6:15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were [a]intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.