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Mark | 1:1-11 | 1:12-34 | 1:35-45 | 2:1-20  | 2:21-3:12 | 3:13-35 | 4:1-20 | 4:21-41 | 5:1-20 | 5:21-43 | 6:1-13 | 6:14-29 | 6:30-44 | 6:45-56 | 7-12| 13-16 |

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Mark 6 Bible Study and Questions – Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Outline

I. Jesus is rejected by His hometown (1-6)
II. Jesus sends out the Twelve (7-13)

I. Jesus is rejected by His hometown (1-6)

Discussion Questions

• Where was Jesus’ hometown?
• What did Jesus do there?
• How did people react to Him? What did they recognize about Jesus in verse 2?
• So then why did they not accept Him?
• What is the main idea of verse 4? Why do you think this is true?
• Why couldn’t Jesus do miracles there? Did He lose His power?
• How did Jesus react to their rejection?

Cross-References

Matthew 2:23 – And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 13:55 – Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Jesus’ hometown was in Nazareth – This is where he was raised and grew up after his family returned from Egypt to escape Herod. His disciples went with him so this was a ministry trip and not just a quiet trip back to see His family. He had been preaching the gospel throughout the region and here we see that He doesn’t ignore His own hometown and relatives. Certainly, He knew it wouldn’t be easy preaching there and that He wouldn’t be received well. Yet Jesus was not dissuaded. He went anyway because it was important

2. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue and taught – Many people gathered there to listen to Him. Their initial reaction was astonishment. They realized that Jesus had extraordinary wisdom. They knew that He had also done amazing miracles. Intellectually, they could agree that Jesus’ teachings were full of wisdom and that He Himself was very powerful.

And yet despite their intellectual agreement and initial favorable conclusion, as a group they ended up rejecting Christ. The reason given in verse three is that they knew Jesus.

Mark 6:3 – Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

His family was known to them. He had grown up there. Joseph was a carpenter and therefore Jesus by extension was also a carpenter in their minds. It is unclear why exactly this turned them off.

Reflect – Why do you think Jesus’ history and previous occupation turned them off from believing in Jesus?

Here are a few possibilities.

A. Their pride kept them from believing in and following Him. In their minds, Jesus could not be a great prophet or the Messiah since they knew Him. He didn’t appear from heaven. He didn’t come on a flaming chariot or with a halo shining over His head. He grew up right in front of them and now He had grown too big for His own shoes. If He knew His place, He would stop all of these illusions of grandeur and go back to His family, town, and job where He belonged. As they say, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”

B. Their jealousy kept them from believing in and following Him. Jesus had grown famous and had a large following. He had “escaped” the rural town. They wished they could have left it and made another life for themselves, but they couldn’t. While Jesus had advanced far beyond His humble beginnings, they were still stuck. They may have hated Jesus for this.

C. Their guilt kept them from believing and following Him. The Pharisees and leaders rejected Jesus partially for this reason. These people too perhaps were unwilling to admit that Jesus’ teachings were true and they needed to repent. We may take correction from someone outside of our own group better. They may have questioned why their own neighbor should presume to teach them.

Perhaps it was a combination of all of the above.

It is interesting to note that the coldest reception Jesus received was in his own hometown.

3. A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown –

Mark 6:4 – And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

While others may respect and accept the prophet’s teachings, many times his own family members wouldn’t. There does sometimes seem to be a “How dare you teach me? Who do you think are?” attitude towards a family member who preaches the gospel with the rest of his family.

Application – Jesus was not well received by His family. His own relatives and kinsmen rejected Him. They didn’t appreciate all of the good He was doing for others, but instead scorned Him. The same is likely true of us today if we are a believer in a non-believing family. Do any of you face this type of situation? Do not be surprised if your family doesn’t listen to you when you share with them. Rather you can expect that it is likely. In fact, they may even scorn you or mock you.

But don’t get discouraged. Many of Jesus’ family eventually believed in Him including James and Judas. Your family’s positive or negative response doesn’t absolve you from responsibility towards taking the message to them. Keep doing what you should do and praying that one day they will believe like many of Jesus’ family did.

Over time, your humility and kindness may win them over.

4. Jesus could do no miracle there –

Mark 6:5 – And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

This is not because Jesus was limited in power. Rather it seems that He made a conscious choice to heal only people who exercised faith in Him. In Nazareth, there were few people who had this faith and therefore He did few miracles there.

5. He wondered at their unbelief –

Mark 6:6 – And he marveled because of their unbelief.

It was amazing to Jesus that those people who had seen such signs and miracles still refused to accept Him. It defied all logic and common sense. This goes to show just how depraved and hardened man’s heart is.

Reflect – Why do some people who see many of God’s miracles and experience His grace in their lives, still reject Him?

II. Jesus sends out the Twelve (7-13)

Discussion Questions

• What did Jesus have the disciples do in this passage? Is this at the end of their 3-year training period?
• Why did He wait to send them out until they knew more?
• Why do you think He sent them out in pairs?
• What were the benefits of the two-by-two method?
• How can we follow this principle today?
• What instructions did He give them?
• Why did He tell them not to take bread, bag, or money? Are there situations we should obey this principle today?
• What were they sent to do? From the parallel passage in Luke 10, whose house should they stay in?
• What were they to do if the town didn’t listen to them?

Group Assignment (You can do this together with a group in group study or by yourself if you are self-studying) – Study the parallel passage in Luke 10:1-12 in small groups.

Before studying this text, clarify that it is recorded that Jesus sent out his disciples at least two or three different times, and each time they were given essentially the same strategy (Matthew 10:5. Luke 9:1, Luke 10:1). What implications might this method Jesus used have for us in our efforts to accomplish the Great Commission?

In pairs or small groups study Luke 10:1-12 and make three lists.

A. List the characteristics of a worthy person of peace, with verse references.
B. List the tasks given to the ones Jesus commissioned, with verse references.
C. List what Jesus told the disciples NOT to do.

Report back to the large group and write lists on a whiteboard. Afterward, discuss the following questions:

• What can you learn from this passage about sharing the gospel and discipling?
• How is the method in these verses different from what maybe we do?
• What do we need to watch out for in verse 3?
• Why are these prohibitions in verse 4?
• What is a man of peace?
• How is finding this person important in evangelism?
• What might he/she look like today?
• Why do not move from house to house?
• Is the outsider supporting materially/financially the insider? Who is supporting who? How is this important? How could this be applied to missions?

Cross-References

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Luke 10:1-12 – This is Luke’s account of Jesus sending out disciples.

Matthew 10:5-18 – This is Matthew’s account of the commissioning of the twelve.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Jesus sent out the twelve –

Mark 6:7 – And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two.

He had been training them. They had been learning from him. Now was the time for them to put into practice what they had been learning. Note that they had not graduated from the three-year discipleship program yet. There were many questions they couldn’t answer. There were many things they couldn’t understand. They didn’t even comprehend Jesus’ coming death and resurrection. Nonetheless, Jesus sent them. From this, we learn a few important principles:

A. We learn by doing. We need to get out and share the gospel rather than just read more books about how to do it. We need to start teaching others the Word rather than just reading more books on how to do it. An apprentice learning how to fix cars would learn best by opening a car hood and digging in with a set of tools than by reading a book on the theory of fixing cars.

B. One need not finish a curriculum or seminary training before starting to go out and share. After sharing, they would report back to Jesus what they had experienced and He would help them evaluate it. One example of this post-mission evaluation is in Mark 9:28.

Mark 9:28 – And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

Jesus models for us how to make disciples. We can see that he used a process we can call MAWL. That stands for Model, Assist, Watch, and Launch. It is a four-step process to help disciples start the process of reproducing.

2. He gave power over unclean spirits –

Mark 6:7 – And gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

Matthew records that he also gave them authority over sickness and disease.

Matthew 10:1 – And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

Notice the source of the authority – Jesus has this authority and He gave it to them. He can give this power to whom He wishes for the purpose and timeframe He chooses. Since Jesus has this power, He is the one we should turn to when we need help. The word used for this is quite interesting, “authority.”

It means that Jesus is in charge. Demons are forced to obey His voice. Even sickness must obey Him. Neither one desires to do so. Demons consciously desire to twist and destroy God’s work and people. Sickness and disease naturally spread and infect. Both are forced to stop when Jesus gives the command. His command is all-powerful. With a word, He created light and this world all around us. With a word, He can intervene miraculously even amid the worst situations.

Notice the extent of the authority – He gave them the authority over every unclean spirit. He is more powerful than any of them. No demon, even Satan himself, would be able to stand against them since they spoke as representatives of Christ Himself. He gave them authority over every kind of sickness and disease. This doesn’t include only the common or easy ones.

The most insidious, infectious, contagious, and debilitating diseases of all time are under His authority.

Application – We must not despair when we see the evil and sick world around us. We must not despair even if our loved ones are sick. God sees. He knows. He can heal. Sometimes He does. And sometimes He has another plan. In both cases, He loves and cares for us. In both cases, it is not just a random chance happening. All things are under His control and this gives us hope. It also gives us someone to turn to who can change what we see happening all around us.

3. He sent them – They went. The first word in the Great Commission is “Go!” One reaches the world by going, not by waiting for people to come to you, your fellowship, or your church.

Application – We need to get out of our living rooms and into our neighborhoods, cities, campuses, and communities. Do you go out? Does your church go out? Do you help people in your fellowship or church go out? What is one place you can go to share the gospel?

4. They were not permitted to take bread, bag, or money – Jesus wanted His disciples to learn faith. He wanted them to depend completely upon Him and no one and nothing else. Remember that this was also training for them.

A great book, God’s Smuggler, describes the mission of Brother Andrew as he smuggled Bibles into the Iron Curtain of Eastern Europe during Soviet Union control. While he was in a mission training school, they sent out the students on a mission trip for several weeks with only one British pound (and they were required to give it back when they returned). These students saw God work in amazing ways. He miraculously provided for them again and again.

God wants us to place our trust, hope, and security in Him, not in money or possessions. He may not always require us to minister in the same way as the disciples. Neither is this to say that it is always sinful to buy insurance or carry money in your wallet. But the lesson is clear. We must depend on God, not on physical things.

Reflect – Where is your security? What are you depending on? Would you be willing to trust God and go out to serve Him with nothing to back you up, no plan B, and no money to fall back on?

Brother Andrew needed his car to continue his drive into the Iron Curtain. But it was broken. He needed fifty additional marks to fix it and he didn’t know where they would come from. A lady on the street walked up and gave him fifty marks saying, “God told me to give this to you.”

Reflect – Can you share an example of God’s provision in your life?

5. When you enter a house stay there –

Mark 6:10-11 – And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

If someone offered them hospitality they were to graciously receive it. In Luke, it is recorded that they were also instructed to eat the foot that was set before them (Luke 10:8). They were working for God and could receive room and board as wages. It was right for them to do so.

Paul also teaches that a worker is worthy of his wages.

1 Timothy 5:18 – For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

On the other hand, if they were unwelcome, then they were to shake the dust of their feet off as a testimony against them. These were emissaries chosen by Jesus Himself. They were God’s representatives. If the people refused to accept their message, then the consequences of that decision were on them. The disciples were to make that clear. There was no middle road. There was no neutrality. You were either for Jesus or against Him.

We see that rejecting Christ comes with very real and very serious consequences.

Application – We should invest our time in people who are responsive, not people who reject the Word. One practical application is not to get caught up in spending lots of time debating with people who are hostile or apathetic to the gospel (Matthew 7:6). Do not focus on trying to convince them. You won’t be able to. Instead, focus your time on the ones who are faithful, available, and teachable. Try to find the people of peace who will receive the message and then share it with them. Beyond this, ask them to open up their whole “oikos” (group.) And then train them to be the spiritual leader of that group.

6. They proclaimed the gospel of repentance –

Mark 6:12 – So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

They preached that people should repent. In Matthew, we also learn that they preached that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 10:7 – And proclaim as you go, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

What does this mean? To us, it may seem a bit ambiguous. But I don’t think it was to the Jews. They would have been familiar with the promise that God’s eternal kingdom was coming.

Daniel 2:44 – And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

They would have been expecting a literal kingdom or empire set over the world with the Messiah as king. Jesus and the disciples preached that the kingdom was at hand. In other words, it was nearby. The people would then be expected to prepare to enter it.

Also, they would have realized that Jesus was in essence claiming to be the Messiah. We know that in God’s sovereign plan, it wasn’t the physical kingdom that was at hand. That wouldn’t come until later (Revelation). People would reject Christ and this literal, physical kingdom would be delayed. One day He will still reign over this literal kingdom. In the meantime, the kingdom of heaven takes spiritual form. He reigns in the hearts of those who follow Him.

Philippians 3:20 – But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application – What are we preaching? Our preaching should have a central message and that is Christ, His death, and His resurrection. It is these things which take first importance (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

7. Their secondary mission was caring for people’s physical needs –

Mark 6:13 – And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

It would not be effective to preach a spiritual reality while ignoring a physical need right in front of them. Jesus wanted them to heal and to help these people, which would be visible evidence that what they were saying was trustworthy.

Application – We have not been directly given this authority of Christ to do these things as they were. However, His power and authority are still there. We can boldly pray for healing and cleansing in Jesus’ name. And we should. Offering to pray for people has been one very effective way of sharing the gospel in many regions of the world.

Once there was a wagon driver. He was a poor man who drove people in a wagon like a cab. On the way, he would offer to pray for the passenger. He marked down his request. And over time he saw they were all being answered. After a while people began lining up to take his wagon rather than others. He was a poor and uneducated man who cared for people’s needs and many doors were opened because he prayed for them.

Reflect – Do you boldly offer to pray for those in need?