According to the account in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus' early ministry in Galilee was quite successful. Large crowds gathered to hear him, and many sick individuals were brought to him in order that they might be healed. To assist him in the work he was doing, as well as to instruct the listeners further concerning life in the kingdom, Jesus chose a group of disciples. The disciples came from different walks of life and were so deeply impressed by the character of Jesus' mission that they wanted to be closely associated with it. This willingness does not mean that they fully understood it. Apparently, they all believed that the kingdom was soon to be established, but they were not in complete agreement concerning the manner in which it would be brought about, and there was some doubt in their minds with reference to the precise role of Jesus in connection with it. For a long time, the Jews believed that the coming of the Messiah would precede the establishment of the kingdom, but there was some question in the minds of the disciples concerning whether Jesus was the one who long had been expected. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus' Messiahship was a secret known only by Jesus himself and the demons whom he encountered. His Messiahship was not revealed even to the disciples until he discussed it with them at Caesarea Philippi shortly before the journey to Jerusalem, and then he warned them that they should say nothing about it.
We have no definite information concerning the length of Jesus' public ministry. So far as the events related in the Gospel of Mark are used as the basis for calculating its length, we can say that it would have been possible for all of the events to have occurred within a single year. Other Gospels indicate a longer period of time. Whatever length of time it may have been, evidently the only purpose of the ministry was that of preparing the people for life in God's kingdom. None of Jesus' mighty works was done in order to attract attention to Jesus himself. The miracles were manifestations of God's power, which is always available to those who are prepared to make use of it. Some people saw in these miracles nothing more than a type of magic or an exhibition of some spectacular power, but they were the ones who failed to grasp the true meaning or significance of Jesus' work.
