Seeking Healing or Surrendering to the King? | Mark 3:7-12

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every single day.

And a big shout-out today to William Beaumont from Hampton, FL. William, thank you for being a part of this movement through Project23. You are making a difference. This one’s for you.

Today, we’re looking at Mark 3:7-12:

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. — Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdraws from the synagogue in our last text, but he doesn't withdraw from the growing mission.

Word has spread. People are coming from every direction. Not just from one region (Galilee) but from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Tyre, and Sidon. These were regions far and wide, Jewish and Gentile alike.

And the scene gets chaotic. Mark describes it as "crushing." It was "mob-like." The crowd is so massive and enthusiastic that Jesus tells his disciples to keep water transport ready—just in case things they need to make a quick escape. Thus, Mark reveals that following Jesus wasn’t always safe at times. It wasn’t always peaceful. But it was always revealing.

Why were they coming?

Well, one part of the crowd came because they had heard what Jesus was doing. The healings. The power. The miracles. And they came—not necessarily because they understood who Jesus was—but because they wanted something from Jesus. They wanted relief, not necessarily repentance. They wanted his power but not necessarily his presence.

But notice how those possessed by unclean spirits respond. The demons in them recognized Jesus. They fell before him and declared, “You are the Son of God.” They, unlike others, understood his identity, power, and authority, and they submitted to him.

One group of people seeks what Jesus can do. The other group of people surrenders to who Jesus is.

So today, ask yourself: Do you only come to Jesus when you seek something or to fully surrender to the King?

ASK THIS:
Why do I approach Jesus—seeking relief or fully surrendering to his lordship?
Have I valued what Jesus does more than who he is?
In which areas of my life am I holding back submission to Jesus?
How can I shift from using Jesus to genuinely following him?
DO THIS:
Do this: Before you reach for Jesus’ help again, pause and offer him not just your needs but your full submission.

PRAY THIS:
Lord Jesus, I come to you both for healing and for heart‑change. Teach me to lay down my agenda and fully submit to your authority. Amen.

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