Jesus finally gets to do what He initially set out to do – set apart those 12 who would be with Him, learn from Him, and finally would be sent out by Him. This was what He set out to do when calling the disciples in the first chapter, but was prohibited from doing so by the people who were trying to be healed by Him. Whenever Jesus faced sin or the effects of sin (disease, illness, and possession) He would confront it. That was what He was sent to do, defeat sin, death, and the devil, even if that meant delaying His other task.
After Jesus had chosen His disciples, they returned to the same results. A crowd gathered around him again, keeping Him from doing what He needed to do – even keeping Him from eating. Yet Jesus knew that He needed to spend time with the people as well as with His disciples. He would continue to preach to the crowds, heal those in need, and still teach His disciples what they would need to know.
Who is this Jesus? The most amazing person this world has ever known!