Jesus Instructs the Unclean Spirits - Mark 3:12

Mark wrote how Jesus, “spoke to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, You are the Son of God”, and in chapter three and verse twelve of his book, Mark shares how Jesus, “straightly charged them that they should not make him known” where we read:

And he straightly charged them that they should not make him known.

The verse reads, “And he straightly charged them ...” Mark began with the words, “and he straightly” or “and Jesus greatly and sorely”, “charged them” which means “chided, rebuked, admonished and censured severely the unclean spirits”. Mark shared how Jesus began to “firmly” “rebuke and censure” the “unclean spirits”.

The verse goes on to say, “... that they should not make him known.” Mark continued with the words, “that they” which means “that the demons or unclean spirits” “should not make him known” or “were not to cause and purpose that Jesus be made apparent, manifest, evident and plainly recognized”. Mark shared how Jesus told the “demons” they were not to make Him “plainly recognized” among the people.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus' power and command over these “unclean spirits”. Though they may have had some success in influencing people, they were without any effect upon Jesus. Jesus “firmly” told the “unclean spirits” not to reveal who He was openly because His plan to “save” mankind from their sins was God's plan, and the timing of all that He did was according to God. There will be a day when everyone shall know that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Messiah of God, and everyone will bow their knee and have their “tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”. (See Romans 14:11). This will occur in our future, and Jesus squelched every effort of “evil spirits” to expose Him too soon.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus, “goes up into a mountain, and called unto him whom he would”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".