The Call to God's Family (Mark 3:20–35)
Notes
Transcript
CPT: Jesus confronts opposition from his physical family and the religious elite through warning them of unforgivable blasphemy and inviting those around him into his spiritual family.
Purpose: To encourage people into the family of God.
CPS: God is calling people to his family.
God’s call to his family is an invitation of relationship.
God’s call to his family is strength against opposition.
God’s call to his family is a gift of eternal forgiveness.
Introduction
Attention
We’ve had for a number of years at Catalyst Church a statement that we’ve repeated over the years. We’ve said it from Sunday to Sunday. I’ve heard it as far back as when Catalyst was meeting in the Elementary school. It’s a familial language that has been intrinsic to the DNA of Catalyst. It’s a language of family. It’s currently on the wall in our Welcome Center. It says that, “Church is not a place you go to. It’s a family you belong to.”
Over the last year, as I’ve stepped into this new role at Catalyst, I’ve found myself wrestling with that statement. It’s part of the reason that we’ve moved into some different language, where I say now that we are reaching people for God’s family, to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
We certainly know that church is not a place you go it. Church is not a physical structure. Anywhere you go gathering of believers, whether it is in a school, like we did for so many years, or a park, or a building, or wherever, church is the gathering of believers.
Church certainly entails a going. I think this is more of my COVID shift from the past few years. Church is something more than simply watching a YouTube video. I love that we live stream, and we live stream so that people can engage with us wherever they are at. They can see what is happening. But simply because you are seeing something online does not mean that you are participating in the fellowship. Church implies a going out of your house to a physical gathering together, to a community.
Church is not a place you go to. It is a gathering that you go to. But what about that second statement, church is not a place you go to, it is a family you belong to? I know its in our Welcome Center, and I’m fine with it in our Welcome Center, but as a statement for the church… Could someone come every Sunday and believe that because they go to the church, they are part of the family? They might think, “Church is a family you go to, so if I go to church, I am part of the family.”
The answer to that is in the text from Gospel of Mark that we will teach through today. Simply because you sit amongst God’s people does not mean that you are part of God’s family. We are not a family just because we gather together. We are a family because of the one who unites us together, Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is calling people to his family. We will see that today in Mark 3:20-35.
Scripture Reading
20 Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat.
21 When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
23 So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.
27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Pray
There are three things we will see today about the call of God to his family.
First,
God’s call to his family is an invitation to relationship.
God’s call to his family is an invitation to relationship.
This text starts and ends with Jesus’ family. The family has come to restrain him. It says that a large crowd has gathered. It was so large that they couldn’t eat. Then we read in Mark 3:21:
21 When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
Jesus’ family did not all believe in him. Certainly Mary did. She knew the miraculous nature of her birth. Joseph knew and believed in Jesus. By the time we get to the Gospels, Joseph has likely died by this time. But Jesus had brothers and sisters. We know the names of his brothers, and that he had sisters. In Mark 6:3 :“3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.” We also know that they did not all believe in him. They did after his resurrection. In Acts 1:14 “14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” They did come to believe in him.
But here, notice that they are listening to what people are saying about their brother, Jesus. Jesus, growing up, was always perfect, and would always give a perfect response. It must have been difficult to grow up with a brother who was perfect all of the time. It might have made him a little weird. So here, the brothers and sisters have had it, and they are trying to seize him. The word “restrain” means to seize, as in an arrest. They are trying to take their brother away, bring him home, and get some sense into him.
We get back to this family interaction in verse 31. In Mark3:31-35
31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”
33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Now, I think Mary may have been attempting to act as the peacemaker here between Jesus and his siblings. His family is trying to restrain Jesus, and they are trying to call him outside to talk with him. Jesus’ family is outside, and I think the separation is an intentional picture as he gets into his statement about being a part of God’s family.
There are those on the outside, and those on the inside. To those on the inside, Jesus asks a question, an interesting one, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” “Well, Jesus, they are outside.” No, instead Jesus looks around at those sitting in the circle around him. “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
There are those outside of God’s family. Jesus’ brothers and sisters needed a saving faith in Jesus so they could be brought into the family of God. There is an invitation into the family of God, and this invitation comes by doing the will of God. Well, what is the will of God? Jesus describes the will of God in a verse the Gospel of John this way. Some come ask Jesus about the will or the work of God. In John 6:28-29:
28 “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.
29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”
The will of God is that you would accept his invitation into God’s family by doing the will of God, which is to believe in Jesus Christ. You become part of God’s family by believing in Jesus. By believing in Jesus, you enter into a relationship with God. God is calling you into his family.
While I was in Alabama, I got to find out about these incredible ministries to children in foster care. One such ministry was a ministry called Big Oaks Ranch. At this ranch, children from all walks of life, children coming from broken homes, where there is no relationship with their biological parents, who may have gone through so much, are joined together with a healthy family. Married couples come to this ranch, and live here as their full-time job, providing a home for kids who wouldn’t have a healthy home to live in otherwise. These children have an opportunity to step into a healthy family, an opportunity they have never known.
I think of that as God’s invitation to us. We come from all kinds of brokenness. There isn’t anyone here who has a perfect background. But God calls us in our brokenness, and offers a healthy home, a perfect home with him. God is calling people to a relationship with him. He is calling people into his family.
God’s call to his family is an invitation of relationship.
Second,
God’s call to his family is strength against our opposition.
God’s call to his family is strength against our opposition.
What strikes me about this passage in Mark 3:20-35 is the amount of opposition that he faces. Think of the opposition that he is facing. First, there is opposition from his own family. We read in Mark 3:21 how his family was trying to restrain him, they thought he had lost his senses. His family was opposing him.
We also see a group of leaders called scribes opposing him. It says in Mark 3:22:
22 The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Who were the scribes? The scribes were a group of educated individuals in first century Israel who were experts in the Jewish law, customs, and traditions. They were respected members of society and often served as teachers and interpreters of the law. Scribes were associated with the religious establishment of the time, which included the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and held considerable influence over the Jewish people. Some scribes also served as official record-keepers, copying and preserving important religious and historical documents.
Basically, the scribes are major power players among the religious in Israel. The scribes were educated people in the Law, people who would write and carefully transmit the religious text. They knew the Scriptures. When King Herod wanted to know where the Messiah would be born, it says in Matthew 2:4 “4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.” When Jesus is brought before Caiphas the high priest before the crucifixion, it says in Matt. 26:57 “57 Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened.” The scribes are power players in Israel in the religious circles, and they are accusing Jesus of demon possession.
This is quite a lot of opposition. Think if you are trying accomplish a big thing, and the people who are supposed to be on your side, the key people in your profession, they are tearing you down. They are ripping into you. Not only them, you might be able to take that, but then your own family! They are opposing you to. There is no support anywhere.
Look at how Jesus handles opposition. First off, Jesus is stronger than his opposition because the truth is on his side. He is the truth. He responds to this accusation against him about being in line with Satan - the scribes accuse him of driving out demons by the ruler of demons - he responds with two parables. The first is in Mark 3: 23-26:
23 So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished.
This parable reminded me yesterday, I went to a boxing match. It was as violent as it sounds. Two people were in the ring, and they are throwing punches at each other. I got to watch two matches, and then I had to go back to here to finish writing the sermon. But what is interesting is that when people box, they are not hitting themselves. If you hit yourself, you are going to lose very quickly. You can’t tell the guy, “I’ll just beat myself up for you.” No, you are throwing punches at the other guy so that you can win.
The point Jesus is making in his parable is that Satan is not out here throwing punches at himself. Satan is trying to win. He is at least trying to stay in the fight as long as he can. Satan is not opposed against himself. Jesus is not in Satan’s camp. The demons flee from Jesus because Jesus is opposed against them, and is stronger than them.
Jesus then tells a second parable in Mark 3:27:
27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
We live in a world under the influence and control of Satan. In John 16:11, Jesus calls Satan “the ruler of this world”. In 2 Cor. 4:4, Paul calls Satan “the god of this age.” In Eph. 2:2, Satan is called “the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.” In essence, Satan is the strong man in the house. The Bible tells us in 1 John 3:8 “The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.” God is plundering the house of Satan by calling people to his family. We serve a good God.
You are going to face opposition in this world. It might come from your peers. It might come from your family. But when you take a stand for Christ, you are going to face opposition, because we live in a world under the control of the enemy. It says this in Eph. 6:10-12:
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
There is a struggle that you will face as a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a struggle that has demonic roots, but I love how this verse starts. “Be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.” There is an armor of God available for God’s people - be strengthened! A call to God’s family is strength against opposition.
God’s call to his family is an invitation of relationship.
God’s call to his family is strength against opposition.
Last,
God’s call to his family is a gift of eternal forgiveness.
God’s call to his family is a gift of eternal forgiveness.
I want to take some time with this, because we are entering into a place in the Gospel of Mark that is key, that is important to understand. Jesus is going to talk about an unforgivable sin. You say, “Well, Jason, you just talked about eternal forgiveness.” That is true, but where there is eternal forgiveness, there is also the opposite of that, eternal unforgiveness. That’s a scary place to be. Let’s take a look at this. In Mark 3:28-30:
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Let’s take a look at this carefully. First, what is blasphemy? It says here that people will be forgiven “whatever blasphemies they utter.” Certainly then, blasphemy is something verbal, maybe written, some sort of communication that comes from someone. In the OT, you see this in a story Lev. 24:10-16. You can read it later. In the story, an Israelite’s son gets into a fight with a man. It says that he curses and blasphemes the name of God. He’s brought into custody before Moses, and they wait to hear a word from God on what to do. The young man is brought outside the camp, and is stoned to death as a consequence for his sin.
Blasphemy is described as an act of defiance against God. There is an intent on the person to act in defiance against God. In Numbers 15:30-31:
30 “But the person who acts defiantly, whether native or resident alien, blasphemes the Lord. That person is to be cut off from his people.
31 He will certainly be cut off, because he has despised the Lord’s word and broken his command; his guilt remains on him.”
With blasphemy, there is a certain amount of knowledge a person has about God, and then there is a willful, intentional defiance against that knowledge. Blasphemy is often associated with a verbal action, as we saw in the story in Leviticus 24, but it is not always verbal. You can also blaspheme God with your actions. Paul describes this in the book of Romans. In Romans 2, Paul is speaking to the Jews regarding their self-righteous attitude against God. He describes their actions as a blasphemy against God. Look at Rom. 2:22-24:
22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
In essence, he’s saying, “You know better. You say one thing, but your life says something else. You are saying one thing to your religious friends but your life says something else. The name of God is blasphemed because of you.” We all have been in this place in one way or another. Thank God for his grace.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is something we need to look at with all seriousness. There is something specific about Jesus’ warning. In the parallel to this in the Gospels, when Jesus is describing this in Matthew 12:32, one can speak “a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.” So there is something specific about blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
What is this unforgivable sin? What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? I believe you can understand this best within the context of the verse. Jesus is giving a warning to the scribes, that they are dangerously close to blaspheming the Spirit of God in the context of what they are admitting.
What are they admitting? They know the power that is in Jesus Christ. They are not denying that Jesus is healing the sick, that Jesus is casting out demons. They are seeing lives changed. They know the power that is in Jesus. And yet, despite knowing his power, they are resisting God in the flesh.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not a sin a Christian can commit (and let us all breathe a sigh of relief). If you are someone who has been born again, if Jesus has changed your life, you cannot blaspheme the Spirit, because you have surrendered in faith to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus.
I know of someone right now, who is going through a tough family issue. She is dealing with a serious health issue with her father. Her father has been through so much, so many health issues, and he’s just had it. So right now, he is refusing to eat. She wants him to live, and she is asking her dad to eat, but he is refusing to eat.
We live our lives in ignorance, but then we hear the good news of Jesus. We find out that Jesus died for us on the cross, and through faith in Jesus, we can live a new life in him. We don’t have to live a life that blasphemes God. We can live a life in the power and the strength of Jesus Christ.
God is calling you into his family, but you have to eat what he has given you. John 6:54 says that “54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,” That is not a call to physical food, that is a call to faith in the saving work that Jesus has done for you on the cross. Faith in the eternal forgiveness that we have in Jesus by surrendering our lives to him.
Acts 7:51 tells us that the Holy Spirit can be resisted. If the Holy Spirit is doing a work in your heart, don’t resist his work. Submit to God in fatih. God is calling you to his family through faith.
Conclusion
God’s call to his family is an invitation of relationship.
God’s call to his family is strength against opposition.
God’s call to his family is a gift of eternal forgiveness.
Conclude
Prayer
Last Song
Doxology
24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you;
25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!
