Mark 3:7-12

⁷ But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea

⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.

⁹ So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.

¹⁰ For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

¹¹ And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”

¹² But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

Also found in Matthew 12:15-21.

The Pharisees are aware, by a series of experiences, that His method is destructive to their system, that He is too fearless to make terms with them, that He will strip the mask off their faces. Their rage was presently intensified by an immense extension of His fame. And therefore He withdrew from the plots which ripen most easily in cities, the hotbeds of intrigue, to the open coast. It is His first retreat before opposition, and careful readers of the Gospels must observe that whenever the pressure of His enemies became extreme, He turned for safety to the simple fishermen, among whom they had no party, since [the Pharisees] had not preached … to the poor. — Chadwick, pages 75-76.

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Mark alone notes no less than eleven occasions on which Jesus retired from His work in order to escape His enemies or to pray in solitude, for rest, or for private conference with His disciples. — Wuest, pages66-67.

great multitude (v.7) — Greek grammar indicates that this was a very large crowd. Mark went on to list places where people had traveled from. It must have taken days for the crowd to all gather.

they heard how many things He was doing (v.8) — Tense indicates that they were continually hearing of His miracles. He was always healing.

small boat (v.9) = a rowboat, kept in constant readiness for Him.

crush (v.9) = press hard upon, used for pressing grapes to extract the juice

Jesus stayed on the shore and healed all who came, but there was a danger that they would push forward and crush him. So a small boat was kept ready for Him to escape in. It was probably rowed just off shore by some of His disciples who kept it close to where He stood and walked. All those who had diseases of one sort or another pressed forward to the point of rudeness to touch Him.

afflictions (v.10) = stroke or scourge

saw (v.11) — Used primarily, not of an indifferent spectator, but of one who looks at a thing with interest and for a purpose. It would be used of a general officially reviewing or inspecting an army. … [It] would include within its meaning a critical, understanding investigation. … The demons exhibited interest and purpose in their critical observation of the Lord Jesus. — Wuest, page 68.

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The demons kept on [verb indicates continuous action] falling down before Him and crying out. [It isn’t said, but it is probable] that they did this in the bodies of those in whom they had taken residence, which means that we have the spectacle of demonized persons constantly falling prostrate before the Lord. … The word “You” is intensive. … It is “As for you, you are the Son of God.” [The demons knew that] Our Lord is the unique, peculiar, only son of God, in a class by Himself, with whom in His unique relationship to God, no one can be compared. — Wuest, page 69.

sternly warned (v.12) = to tax with fault, chide, rebuke, reprove, censure severely. Includes the sense that there will be a penalty for disobedience.

The Lord did not want demons to testify to His deity. He didn’t want the multitudes to confuse their message with His and He didn’t want any testimony from that source.