Jesus turns to look at his disciples and simply asks them, “Why are you so afraid?” What Jesus is saying in this moment to his disciples and what they are without question beginning to realize themselves is that they are heavily underestimating who they are dealing with.

Mark shifts the attention to scenes where Jesus’ interaction and ministry are in more private settings with his more committed followers. In this particular section, Mark builds on the theme concerning the way in which the outsiders are often on the inside and the insiders often find themselves on the outside.

These two narratives concerning the Sabbath confirm the fact that Jesus has not come to abolish or reform religious observances, but rather he has come to fulfill them by replacing them with himself. Jesus affirms the principle of the Sabbath and its necessity, but he dismantles the religious legalism that has hijacked its intended purpose.

Jesus has amazed people with the authority in which he teaches, and the authority he exercises over evil spirits and physical sickness. But now, the authority he continues to claim for himself is about to hit a whole new level and intrude upon the conventional traditions and customs of the religious leaders during that time.

Mark wastes no time getting straight to the point of what he believes about Jesus. According to Mark, Jesus is the true Son of God and the promised new King of Israel who has come to defeat evil and restore God’s rule over the world.