Mark 3:15 says that Jesus gave the twelve apostles authority to heal sicknesses and to drive out demons. The verse is part of Mark’s account of how Jesus chose the Twelve and sent them into ministry alongside him, so the power they carried was delegated from him rather than their own.
And to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons…
Mark 3:15 (WEB)
What Mark 3:15 Means
The verse begins with the word “authority,” which in the Greek means the right and power to act. Mark is not describing a skill the disciples learned or a talent they already had. He is describing a commission: Jesus gives them a share in his own power over sickness and evil spirits, so that what they do in his name carries his weight.
Two kinds of work are named. Healing sicknesses points to the physical suffering that fills Mark’s Gospel, and casting out demons points to the spiritual opposition Jesus confronts throughout the book. Together they show that the mission of the Twelve was to bring the restoring presence of God into both body and spirit.
The verse does not promise that every sick person will be healed or that the disciples would always succeed. It describes the authority Jesus gave and the purpose for which he gave it. Mark later shows the disciples sometimes failing, which keeps us from reading the verse as a guarantee of automatic results.
The Context of Mark 3:15
Mark’s Gospel is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of Peter, and it was probably written for a Christian audience in or near Rome. It is the shortest and most fast-moving of the four Gospels, and it often moves from one act of Jesus to the next with urgency. That urgency helps explain why the call of the Twelve appears so early and so plainly.
Just before verse 15, Jesus goes up a mountain and calls to himself those he wants, which echoes the way Israel’s leaders were set apart in the Old Testament. Verses 16 to 19 then list the names of the Twelve. Read in this setting, verse 15 is the center of the commission: the Twelve are called to be with Jesus, sent out to preach, and empowered to act with his authority.
Key Phrases in Mark 3:15
Matthew 10:1
He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
(WEB)
Matthew records the same commission to the Twelve, giving them authority over unclean spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Reading it alongside Mark helps confirm that this was a central part of how Jesus sent out his first followers.
Luke 9:1-2
1 He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick.
(WEB)
Luke describes Jesus giving the Twelve power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, then sending them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. It shows the same pattern of empowerment and mission found in Mark 3:15.
A Short Prayer From Mark 3:15
Lord Jesus, you called your first followers to be with you before you sent them out. Teach me to stay close to you so that whatever good I do in your name comes from your strength and not my own. Where sickness and fear have taken hold in my life or in the lives of people I love, bring your healing and your peace. Give me courage to serve others faithfully, and remind me that you hold authority over every darkness. Amen.
