Mark 3:16-20

Mark 3:16 (KJB)
And Simon he surnamed Peter;

Simon Peter - His original name “Simon” means “hearing or obeying.” His name was changed to Peter by the Lord which means “rock or stone.” He was a fisherman of Bethsaida and then afterwards had made his home in Capernaum. He was the unofficial spokesman for the twelve disciples. A Roman Catholic myth about Peter which must be rejected is that he was the first Pope. Tradition states that he was crucified upside down not feeling worthy to be crucified like His Lord.

Mark 3:17 (KJB)
And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

James the Son of Zebedee - His name means “supplanter” because in Hebrew his name is Jacob. He and his brother John were known as the “sons of thunder.” Zebedee was a Galilean fisherman and was partners with his son James and his other brothers. He was a man of means since he had servants and lived near to Caiaphas. He was a disciple of Jesus for 17 years when Herod Agrippa ended his life by martyrdom.

John the Son of Zebedee - His name means “Jehovah has been gracious.” He was the youngest of the disciples. He became the beloved disciple, “The Apostle of Love.” John was also a successful fisherman and was mending the nets when Jesus called him. He authored the Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John and the book of Revelation. Tradition states that he was boiled in oil and then banished to the Isle of Patmos where he penned the Book of Revelation under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is said he lived to be nearly 100 years old.

Mark 3:18 (KJB)
And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

Andrew - His name means “manliness,” or “a stout and strong man.” He was the brother of Peter and introduced him to the Messiah. He was also a disciple of John the Baptist but then later followed the Lord Jesus Christ. He is said to have preached as far as Kiev and Novogorod in Russia. Tradition states that he was crucified in the form of an “X” because of his staunch opposition to the idolatry of Aegeas. He was martyred in the city of Patras of Achaea and the way he was crucified became known as “St. Andrew’s Cross.”

Philip - His name means “warrior or a lover of horses.” He was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee. Tradition claims that Philip was the one who asked Jesus if he could first go and bury his father. (Matthew 8:21) The call to faith and discipleship came at one calling. Tradition states that he died a martyr in Heirapolis.

Bartholomew - The name means “a son that suspends the waters.” However, this was not his real name but a patronymic. This Apostle is identified as Nathanael. Nothing more is known of him in the Scriptures because he is only named when the twelve are named. According to tradition, he was martyred in Albanapolis in Armenia. He was flayed alive and crucified with his head downward.

Matthew - His name means “Gift of Jehovah.” His name was Levi and he lived in Galilee. He was a tax collector at the tax booth on the Sea of Galilee in Capernaum. Jesus approached Matthew and said, “Follow Me” and Matthew left everything and followed Jesus. He gave him a dinner a little later where he invited the other tax gatherers. He came to pen the Gospel of Matthew under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Tradition states that Matthew died as a martyr.

Thomas - He was also called Didymus meaning “twin.” He earned the name “doubting Thomas” because he did not accept the story of the resurrection from the other Apostles. However, Thomas was a brave soul as he was willing to die with the Lord Jesus Christ if they went back to Judah. (John 11:16) It is stated that he died in 72 A.D. in India as a martyr.

James the Son of Alphaeus - James means “supplanter” as the Hebrew name is “Jacob.” Very little is known of him apart from his name and his father’s name. His mother was one of the devoted women who stood by the cross. He had a brother named Joses who was a believer. (Mark 15:40) Tradition states that he was a tax gatherer. His death was either in Egypt or Jerusalem.

Lebbaeus - The name means “man of heart.” His surname was “Thaddeus.” He was also identified as Jude and may be the author of that Epistle. He is the least known of all the Apostles. Tradition states he died in the first century in Syria.

Simon the Canaanite - He had a connection with Cana in Galilee. The Hebrew word “canna” means zealous and that is why he is called “Simon Zelotes.” As a Zealot, he belonged to the party of the same name. After he became a follower of Christ, he was still a zealot but this time for the things of Christ. No longer was his focus national emancipation from the Romans but now it was emancipation from sin and hell. The place of his death has been disputed among many names.

Mark 3:19 (KJB)
And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

Judas Iscariot - The name “Judas” means “Praise of the Lord.” His surname was “Iscariot” which means “hireling.” In John 10:11-12, Jesus speaks about the hireling who cares nothing about the sheep. A surname which fit Judas well. Judas never became saved and remained an unbeliever who pilfered the money which was in the bag that was given by people to support their itinerant ministry. He betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver. His guilt was so great that he tried to return the money but then later hanged himself by impaling himself on a sharp pole thus causing all his bowels to come out.

As soon as Jesus was done officially ordaining the twelve apostles, they had gone back into the house from where they were staying which would have been Peter’s house.

Mark 3:20 (KJB)
And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

Then once again when the word had spread that Jesus was back in Peter’s house, the multitudes starting coming to the house and like previously, the crowd seemed to be getting out of control to the point that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal. These verses which contain the scenarios as crowds gathering to hear Jesus shows how spiritually hungry the people were. In our day, it is also true that the masses are spiritually hungry for truth, even if they do not know they are. How many go into spiritism, cults, New Age, occult, etc. because they know there is something there and they want to know that there is more than just what this earth has. (Eccl 1:8 KJV) All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. This is why giving out the Gospel is so important because it is exactly what the world is looking for even though they don’t know it.

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