Jesus' Great Popularity

Jesus went out to the lake with His disciples and a large crowd followed Him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about His miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see Him. Jesus instructed His disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush Him. He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch Him. And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of Him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who He was. Mark 3:7-12 (NLT)

During His public ministry, Jesus took the world by storm. Jesus was very popular with the people (Luke 7:17). Everyone was talking about Jesus – this Man from Galilee (Matthew 9:26; Mark 1:28, 45; Luke 4:14-15, 37). Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) were coming long distances to see and hear Jesus (Matthew 4:23-25). Some people were simply curious (e.g., Luke 23:8-12), some sought their healing (e.g., Mark 8:22-26), some enjoyed His teaching (Matthew 7:28-29; Mark 1:21-22), some wanted evidence to use against Him (e.g., Mark 11:27-33), and others wanted to know if Jesus truly was the Messiah (Christ) and the unique Son of God (e.g., Mark 14:61-62). Not everyone applauded Jesus’ fame and popularity (e.g., e.g., Mark 2:6-7, 16-17, 24; Mark 12:13). Many religious leaders rejected Jesus and plotted to kill Him (Mark 3:2, 5-6, 22). Yet, the news about Jesus’ miraculous healing of the sick (Mark 1:29-31), feedings of thousands (Mark 6:32-44; Mark 8:1-9), His great compassion and mercy (Mark 1:40-44), wised teaching (Matthew 5 – 7), and deliverance (Mark 5:1-20) spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see Him (Matthew 12:15-21; Mark 3:7-12). Jesus’ fame spread from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon (Mark 3:7-8). He was not only popular among the clean orthodox Jews from Judea and Jerusalem but Jesus was also popular among Gentiles (non-Jews) from Tyrea, Sidon, and Decapolis (Matthew 4:23-25). Thus, Jesus’ appeal was universal as He sought to unite and reconcile Jews and Gentiles and create the church (see Ephesians 2:11-22). Jesus did good deeds for others and lived a self-sacrificing life for the good of others (Acts 10:38; see also Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 6:9-10). Most important, Jesus loved and cared for all people, even to the point of giving His life to save all them (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Galatians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 John 3:16).

Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness. News about Him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to Him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed — He healed them all. Large crowds followed Him wherever He went — people from Galilee, the Ten Towns (also called “Decapolis,” a league of ten Gentile cities east of the Sea of Galilee), Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. Matthew 4:23-25 (NLT)

Jesus became popular with people as He went healing, teaching, preaching and casting out demons – four basic characteristics of Jesus’ public ministry (Matthew 4:23-25). All of these characteristics were prepared in the summary statement of Mark 1:14-15. Mark 1:14-15 is basically a summary of Jesus’ ministry. The central message of Jesus is the Kingdom of God. The basic understanding of Kingdom of God is the rule of God. God was establishing His rule in human history through Jesus’ healing, teaching, preaching and casting out demons among the people. In Jesus dwelt the fullness of God and He was Good News to everyone (Acts 10:36, 38; Colossians 2:9-10).

This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:36-38 (NLT)

Jesus cared and did good for ALL PEOPLE – men, women, children, Jew, Gentile, poor, and wealthy, even the outcasts of society (Luke 2:30-32). Jesus loved and cared for lepers (people with skin disease) (Mark 1:40-44), notorious sinners, cheats, and the rejects (Mark 2:15-17).  Jesus accepted invitations to meals (Luke 19:1-10), blessed the children (Luke 18:15-17), and enjoyed social gatherings with a variety of people (e.g. Luke 14:1). Essentially, Jesus opened His life to ALL PEOPLE as the Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14). The people were desperate and they needed the presence of God dwelling fully within Jesus (Matthew 28:18; Colossian 1:19; Colossians 2:9-10). The true and living God was with the people with Jesus’ public ministry on earth (Matthew 1:21-23). As God incarnate (in the flesh), Jesus came revealing to the world just how much God loves and cares for people (e.g., see John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-9). Jesus was uniting the clean and unclean worlds and transforming lives (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23).

When Jesus heard . . ., He told them, “Sick people need the doctor, not healthy ones! I have not come to tell good people to repent, but the bad ones.” Mark 2:17 (TLB)

Jesus came into the world to call sinners to repentance (Luke 19:10; see also 1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus does not consider sinner “rejects,” even though they had been excluded by the religious leaders. Instead, Jesus “came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 NLT). Jesus sees sinners as patients who needs a merciful Physician (Mark 2:17). Sin may be compared to sickness and Jesus provides the final and complete cure for our sin – the sinful heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus graciously heals our sin sickness through the power of God’s Holy Spirit when we (1) acknowledge and confess our sins to God; (2) believe (trust) in Jesus as God’s unique Son and final sacrifice for sin; and (3) continual walk in obedience to God from the heart (John 15:9-17). Jesus freely saves all sinners (Luke 19:10) because He heals not just our physical sickness, but of spiritual sickness as well. There is no sin or problem too great or too small for Jesus to save.

Sadly, the crowds of people that followed Jesus did not truly give their lives in wholehearted obedience and faith in Him. Salvation from sin sickness involves much more than knowing about Jesus, or even having “good feelings” toward Jesus. Salvation is not a partial patching up of one's life but a whole new robe of righteousness graciously given by God through faith in His Son, Jesus (Isaiah 61:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Salvation means faith and obedience in Jesus. The closer one genuinely and wholeheartedly trust and obeys Jesus (James 2:14-17), the more the magnitude of one’s sins and the need for repentance (e.g., see Isaiah 6:5). Even more with our trust and obedience in Jesus, God graciously sends the power of His Holy Spirit to live within a believers’ heart (Ephesians 1:13-14; Titus 3:4-7). When you trust Jesus, you become part of a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Apostle Paul:  “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT)

References

Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).

Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008).

Loyd, Melton, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament. Due West Campus: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2015.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary (Victor Books, 1989).