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Why Did Jesus Go to the Lake? (Mark 3:7)

by Wayne Davies
10/25/2014 / Bible Studies

In Mark 3:6 we read an amazing statement -- the Pharisees were so upset with Jesus that they decided to kill him. This indicates a major turning point in the ministry of Jesus. The honeymoon is over. After following him around and gathering evidence against him for months, the opposition to Jesus has come to the conclusion that this man must die.

It doesn't matter to them what Jesus has done all his displays of compassion count for nothing. Even though he has liberated countless people from disease and demonic oppression, Jesus has indicted them for their self-righteous hypocrisy. Futhermore, he claims to be God! They are fed up with him and now begin a behind-the-scenes campaign that will culminate with his crucifixion on trumped up charges of blasphemy and sedition.

How does Jesus respond to the conspiracy? Mark makes another amazing statement: "Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake" (Mark 3:7).

Let's focus on just the first two words "Jesus withdrew". Jesus is the Son of God. He is also the Creator of the universe and sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. As God, he has infinite power. Yet he humbled himself by becoming a man and subjecting himself to the confines of the human experience.

When the Pharisees begin conspiring to destroy him, note what Jesus does not do. He does not fight back. He could have exercised the same control over the Pharisees that he demonstrated in his confrontations with demons. He could have commanded them to cease and desist their verbal attacks and relentless criticism. He had the power to do that. On the night he was betrayed by Judas and turned over to the authorities, he reminded us of this very fact: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53).

During any point of his ministry, Jesus could have used his divine omnipotence to put an end to the opposition of the Pharisees. Jesus provoked the hostility of the entire religious establishment not only the Pharisees, but the Sadducees and chief priests and elders were all in a quandary over this carpenter from Nazareth.

But Jesus doesn't do anything to curtail this intense hatred for him that is growing daily. Instead, he simply leaves town and goes to a remote area near "the lake", i.e. Lake Gennesaret, more commonly known as the Sea of Galilee. In fact, Jesus continues to confront the Pharisees with their sin and unbelief. The hostility between the Son of Man and the "sons of hell" (Matthew 23:15) continues until the religious leaders demand his crucifixion before Pilate.

What lessons can we learn from Jesus' retreat to the lake?

Jesus is in control.
This move to a less populated and hopefully less contentious area is not an admission of defeat. Jesus is on God's timetable, not the Pharisees'. Jesus knows it is not yet time for him to be killed. When the time is right, Jesus will end up in Jerusalem and allow himself to be crucified at just the right time God's time. Never forget that the Father and the Son decided in eternity past that Jesus would die a human death to provide salvation from the penalty of sin to all who would believe in Jesus.

The buildup of the Pharisees' hatred is all part of the divine plan of redemption. Jesus will die when he decides it is time for him to die. Jesus said so himself: "I lay down my life for the sheep . . . No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again" (John 10:15, 18).

It's important for us to remember that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, Jesus is in control. For the believer, everything works out for our good (see Romans 8:28). Often it doesn't look like things are going according to God's plan, but rest assured they are. When you consider the vile plans the Pharisees' were concocting to destroy the Son of God, isn't it incredible that God was using their wicked scheme to advance and fulfill his own eternal purposes. The same is true for you. If you belong to Jesus Christ, even the evil actions of others against you are being used by God to somehow draw you closer to Jesus and advance his kingdom.

Jesus expected to be hated.
Pharisees' hatred for Jesus did not take him by surprise. In fact, he expected it. 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah predicted that "he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3).

Likewise, all Christ-followers can expect similar treatment, for Jesus told his disciples that "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first . . . If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:18, 20).

Jesus expected to be treated with contempt, and he was. We, too, should expect to be hated because of our allegiance to Jesus. Do not be surprised when people mock you, laugh at you, and make false accusations against you, for this is exactly how Jesus was treated.

Jesus used common sense.
Mark 3:7 teaches us that when faced with persecution, there were times when Jesus simply left his enemies and went somewhere else for a while. Of course he often stood toe to toe with the Pharisees and confounded them with words of irrefutable wisdom. He also rebuked them repeatedly for their sinfulness (see Matthew 23 for Jesus' ultimate rebuke and condemnation of the Pharisees). But when things reached a certain point, and Jesus knew when that was, he retreated.

When faced with opposition, we, too, need to use Spirit-provided discretion to know when to continue the dialogue and when to retreat. "There is a time to be silent and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7). May God fill us with his Spirit so we can speak when we should speak and be silent when it is best to be silent!

Jesus' retreat was temporary.
Jesus did not stay away from the Pharisees for long. By the end of Mark 3, we find Jesus back in the thick of things, engaged in confrontation with the Pharisees and "the teachers of the law who came from Jerusalem" (Mark 3:22).

We must follow Jesus' example. When faced with opposition (and assuming that our lives are not in danger), we must eventually look for opportunities to share the gospel with our critics again. This is not easy to do and it will often involve great risk, but it is the way of Jesus. Only by hearing the Word will those antagonistic to the truth come to an understanding of the truth.

Like Jesus, our concern for the eternal destiny of the lost will compel us to speak the truth to them again. Like Jesus, we may withdraw "to the lake" but we will not stay there. We, too, will eventually encounter those who need to hear the gospel regardless of how many times they have rejected it before. May God give us the wisdom to know when to retreat and when to re-enter the battlefield for the souls of men and women!

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