Mark 3:6 Study Bible: And the Pharisees went out, and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

◄ Mark 3:6 ►

At this, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

At this
This phrase indicates a reaction to the preceding events. In the context of Mark 3, Jesus had just healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, challenging the Pharisees' legalistic interpretation of the law. The Greek word used here, "εὐθέως" (eutheos), often translated as "immediately" or "at once," underscores the urgency and intensity of the Pharisees' response. It highlights the immediate threat Jesus posed to their authority and the established religious order.

the Pharisees
The Pharisees were a prominent Jewish sect known for their strict adherence to the Torah and oral traditions. Their name, derived from the Hebrew "פרושים" (Perushim), means "separated ones," indicating their commitment to purity and separation from what they considered unclean. Historically, they were influential in the synagogues and among the common people. Their opposition to Jesus stemmed from his challenge to their interpretations and authority, as well as his growing popularity.

went out
This action signifies a deliberate and decisive move. The Greek word "ἐξελθόντες" (exelthontes) implies a purposeful departure, not just physically leaving the scene but also symbolically turning away from Jesus' teachings. It reflects their rejection of Jesus' message and their determination to oppose him.

and began plotting
The phrase indicates the initiation of a conspiracy. The Greek "εὐθὺς συμβούλιον ἐδίδουν" (euthys symboulion edidoun) suggests a calculated and collaborative effort. This plotting was not a spontaneous reaction but a premeditated plan, revealing the depth of their animosity and fear of Jesus' influence.

with the Herodians
The Herodians were a political group supporting the Herodian dynasty, which ruled under Roman authority. Their collaboration with the Pharisees is significant because these two groups typically had opposing views; the Pharisees were religious purists, while the Herodians were more politically motivated. Their alliance against Jesus highlights the perceived threat he posed to both religious and political structures.

how they might kill Jesus
This phrase reveals the extreme measures the Pharisees and Herodians were willing to take. The Greek "ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν" (hopos auton apolesosin) translates to "how they might destroy him," indicating not just a desire to end his life but to obliterate his influence and teachings. This reflects the ultimate rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and the lengths to which his opponents would go to protect their power and traditions.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Pharisees
A religious group known for strict adherence to the Law of Moses and traditions. They often clashed with Jesus over interpretations of the law and His claims of authority.

2. Herodians
A political group that supported Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee. They were more politically motivated and typically opposed the Pharisees, but they united with them against Jesus.

3. Jesus
The central figure of the New Testament, whose teachings and miracles challenged the religious and political status quo of His time.

4. Plotting to Kill Jesus
This event marks a significant escalation in the opposition against Jesus, showing the extent of the threat He posed to both religious and political leaders.

Teaching Points

The Danger of Legalism
The Pharisees' strict adherence to the law blinded them to the truth of Jesus' message. We must be cautious not to let legalism overshadow the grace and truth of the Gospel.

Unlikely Alliances Against Truth
The Pharisees and Herodians, typically adversaries, united against Jesus. This teaches us that opposition to truth can come from unexpected alliances.

The Cost of Following Christ
Jesus faced severe opposition, even to the point of death. As His followers, we should be prepared for challenges and opposition in our own lives.

The Sovereignty of God
Despite human plots, God's plan for salvation through Jesus was fulfilled. This reassures us of God's ultimate control over all circumstances.

Bible Study Questions

1. What motivated the Pharisees and Herodians to unite against Jesus, and how can we guard against similar motivations in our own lives?

2. How does the opposition Jesus faced from religious and political leaders inform our understanding of the challenges Christians might face today?

3. In what ways can legalism manifest in modern Christian practice, and how can we ensure that our faith remains centered on grace?

4. How does the alliance between the Pharisees and Herodians illustrate the lengths to which people will go to oppose the truth, and what can we learn from this about standing firm in our faith?

5. Reflect on a time when you faced opposition for your beliefs. How can the example of Jesus' response to His adversaries guide you in similar situations?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Matthew 12:14
This parallel account also describes the Pharisees' plot against Jesus, emphasizing the growing hostility towards Him.

John 11:53
After the raising of Lazarus, the chief priests and Pharisees plot to kill Jesus, showing a continued and intensified conspiracy against Him.

Psalm 2:1-2
This Old Testament passage speaks of nations and peoples plotting against the Lord and His Anointed, foreshadowing the opposition Jesus faced.

Sermons

Ambassadors for Christ	Alexander Maclaren	Mark 3:6
Hatred of Christ	R. Glover.	Mark 3:6
Sin Breeds Sin	G. Petter.	Mark 3:6
The Meanness, Evil, and Sinfulness of Hatred	D. C. Hughes, M. A.	Mark 3:6
Sabbath Observance	E. Johnson	Mark 3:1-6
The Man with the Withered Hand	J.J. Given	Mark 3:1-6
The Man with the Withered Hand; Or, Keeping the Sabbath	A.F. Muir	Mark 3:1-6

People

Alphaeus, Andrew, Bartholomew, Beelzebub, Boanerges, Herodians, James, Jesus, John, Judas, Matthew, Peter, Philip, Simon, Thaddaeus, Thomas, Zabdi, Zebedee

Places

Capernaum, Galilee, Idumea, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judea, Sea of Galilee, Sidon, Tyre

Topics

Conspired, Conspiring, Consultation, Counsel, Death, Designs, Destroy, Destroying, Devise, Forth, Held, Herodians, Hero'di-ans, Immediately, Kill, Pharisees, Plot, Sooner, Straight, Straightway, Synagogue, Taking

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Mark 3:6

     2012   Christ, authority
     2530   Christ, death of
     2545   Christ, opposition to
     2570   Christ, suffering
     5040   murder
     5496   revenge, examples
     5589   trap
     5817   conspiracies
     8729   enemies, of Christ
     8739   evil, examples of

Mark 3:1-6

7430 Sabbath, in NT

Mark 3:6-7

5922 prudence

Library

And Judas Iscariot
AND JUDAS ISCARIOT TEXT: "And Judas Iscariot."--Mark 3:19. There is something about the name of this miserable man which commands our attention at once. There is a sort of fascination about his wickedness, and when we read his story it is difficult to give it up until we have come to its awful end. It is rather significant, it would seem to me, that his name should come last in the list of the Apostles, and the text, "And Judas Iscariot," would suggest to me not only that his name was last, but …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

'He is Beside Himself'
'And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, He is beside Himself'--Mark iii. 21. There had been great excitement in the little town of Capernaum in consequence of Christ's teachings and miracles. It had been intensified by His infractions of the Rabbinical Sabbath law, and by His appointment of the twelve Apostles. The sacerdotal party in Capernaum apparently communicated with Jerusalem, with the result of bringing a deputation from the Sanhedrim to look into …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ's Relations
'Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.'--Mark iii. 35. There was a conspiracy to seize Jesus because He is 'mad,' and Mary was in the plot! I. The example for us. (1) Of how all natural and human ties and affections are to be subordinated to doing God's will. Obedience to Him is the first and main thing to which everything else bows, and which determines everything. If others compete or interfere, reject them. Out of that common obedience new ties …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Anger and Grief of Jesus
He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.'--Mark iii. 5. Our Lord goes into the synagogue at Capernaum, where He had already wrought more than one miracle, and there He finds an object for His healing power, in a poor man with a withered hand; and also a little knot of His enemies. The scribes and Pharisees expect Christ to heal the man. So much had they learned of His tenderness and of His power. But their belief that He could work a miracle did not …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Mistakes of Christ's Foes and Friends
'And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils. 23. And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27. No man can enter into a strong man's …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christ's Kindred
'There came then His brethren and His mother, and, standing without, sent unto Him, calling Him. 32. And the multitude sat about Him; and they said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren without seek for Thee. 33. And He answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or My brethren? 34. And He looked round about on them which sat about Him, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren! 35. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.'--Mark iii. 31-35. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ambassadors for Christ
'And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodlans against Him, how they might destroy Him. 7. But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judaa 8. And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaa beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. 9. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Necessity of Divine Influences. [*Continued]
Luke xi. 13.--"If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him." In expounding the doctrine of these words, in the preceding discourse, the argument for the necessity of Divine influences had reference to the more general aspects of man's character and condition. We were concerned with the origin of seriousness in view of a future life, and the production of a sense of moral corruption and …
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

Jesus Angry with Hard Hearts
But I must not let imagination mislead me: they did nothing of the kind. Instead of this, they sat watching the Lord Jesus, not to be delighted by an act of his power, but to find somewhat of which they might accuse him. When all came to all, the utmost that they would be able to allege would be that he had healed a withered hand on the Sabbath. Overlooking the commendation due for the miracle of healing, they laid the emphasis upon its being done on the Sabbath; and held up their hands with horror …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

Mutual Help.
(Female Friendly Society.) S. MARK iii. 35. "Whosoever shall do the Will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother." There are just two points which I want to put before you to-day. First, what you as Christian women ought to be. Secondly, how you can help each other to be so. On the first point I would ask you to remember the glory and dignity of womanhood. You get this dignity from Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, and who said, "Whosoever shall do the Will of God, the …
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

The Eccentricity of Religion
"They said, He is beside Himself,"--MARK iii. 21. THE most pathetic life in the history of the world is the life of the Lord Jesus. Those who study it find out, every day, a fresh sorrow. Before He came it was already foretold that He would be acquainted with grief, but no imagination has ever conceived the darkness of the reality. It began with one of the bitterest kinds of sorrow--the sorrow of an enforced silence. For thirty years He saw, but dared not act. The wrongs He came to redress were there. …
Henry Drummond—The Ideal Life

The Hardening Operation of Love.
"Being grieved for the hardness of their heart."--Mark iii. 5. Love may also be reversed. Failing to cherish, to uplift, and to enrich, it consumes and destroys. This is a mystery which man can not fathom. It belongs to the unsearchable depths of the divine Being, of which we do not wish to know more than has been revealed. But this does not alter the fact. No creature can exclude itself from the divine control. No man can say that he has nothing to do with God; that he or any other creature exists …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Life and Character of John
"Volat avis sine meta, Quo nec votes nec propheta Evolavit altius: Tam implenda quam impleta, Numquam vidit tot secreta Purus homo purius. (Adam of St. Victor.) The Mission of John. Peter, the Jewish apostle of authority, and Paul, the Gentile apostle of freedom, had done their work on earth before the destruction of Jerusalem--had done it for their age and for all ages to come; had done it, and by the influence of their writings are doing it still, in a manner that can never be superseded. Both …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Whether the Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Same as the Sin Committed through Certain Malice?
Objection 1: It would seem that the sin against the Holy Ghost is not the same as the sin committed through certain malice. Because the sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of blasphemy, according to Mat. 12:32. But not every sin committed through certain malice is a sin of blasphemy: since many other kinds of sin may be committed through certain malice. Therefore the sin against the Holy Ghost is not the same as the sin committed through certain malice. Objection 2: Further, the sin committed through …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Great Schism
If a house be divided against itself.--Mark iii, 25. From such a revival as that of the Great Awakening, parties must of necessity arise. Upon undisciplined fanaticism, the Established church must frown. But when it undertook to discipline large numbers of church members or whole churches, recognizedly within its embracing fold and within their lawful privileges, a great schism resulted, and the schismatics were sufficiently tenacious of their rights to come out victorious in their long contest for …
M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.—The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
That house cannot stand.--Mark iii, 25. The times change and we change with them.--Proverb. The omission of all persecuting acts from the revision of the laws in 1750 was evidence that the worst features of the great schism were passing, that public opinion as a whole had grown averse to any great severity toward the Separatists as dissenters. But the continuance in the revised statutes of the Saybrook Platform as the legalized constitution of the "Presbyterian, Congregational or Consociated Church," …
M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.—The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut

The Apostle Judas
"And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed Him." MARK 3:19 (R.V.) THE evidential value of what has been written about the apostles will, to some minds, seem to be overborne by the difficulties which start up at the name of Judas. And yet the fact that Jesus chose him -- that awful fact which has offended many -- is in harmony with all that we see around us, with the prodigious powers bestowed upon Napoleon and Voltaire, bestowed in full knowledge of the dark results, yet given because the issues of …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Withered Hand
"And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had his hand withered. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. And He saith unto the man that had his hand withered, Stand forth. And He saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, He …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Characteristics of the Twelve
"And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach, and to have authority to cast out devils: and Simon He surnamed Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them He surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot which also betrayed Him." MARK 3:14-19 (R.V.) THE pictures …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Christ and Beelzebub
"And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, He is beside Himself. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the devils casteth He out the devils. And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if an house be …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

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