Mark 3

Intro

We have been studying through Mark for the past few weeks, and we have been answering the question “Who is Jesus?”

In Marks gospel we see that Jesus is highly relational with those that are around Him.

In fact one of the main themes of Mark is that Jesus calls us as disciples into a relationship with Him.

Jesus had an incredible way of drawing people to Himself and often times (as we learned last week) people would find Jesus and would go to great lengths to follow Jesus.

I’m sure many people were thought of as crazy who followed Jesus back then.

Imagine them telling their friends stories of what they saw Jesus do.

He healed a blind man by spitting in the mud

He raised the dead

He multiplied loaves of bread and fish

He spoke in stories that they weren’t able to understand

Since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and to this day disciples of Jesus have always been seen as a little crazy.

But why?

Answer: Because Jesus is one of a kind

Jesus is unique

There is not another human being that has lived that has been like Jesus

There are many imitators

Humans have tried to imitate Jesus in hope with the goal that you would worship them

There are many things that try and imitate the fulfillment that you can ONLY receive in Christ

But all of these things are mere imitations

The enemy loves to create false versions of Jesus because his greatest goal is to get you to worship that false Jesus

And the most enraging thing to our world is when you as a believer decide to reject the fake imposter Jesus’ that the world has to offer and you choose to worship the one true unique Jesus Christ.

PRAY

Mark 3:20–21 ESV

20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

So just like last week we see Jesus yet again spending some time at home after traveling around and doing ministry.

And just like last week we see these crowds following after Jesus even to the place where He is staying.

And apparently the crowd didn’t even care about the fact that Jesus was about to have lunch because it says that they couldn’t even eat.

Vs. 21 says His family came to seize him because they thought He was crazy

I’ve said this the last few weeks and we will see more of this as we explore Mark but often times many people claim that if God would simply prove Himself real physically to them

Whether that’s by doing something for them or appearing to them or speaking to them then they would believe in Him

However… what do we see time and time again in scripture.

It is by faith and faith alone that we are saved.

The fact that Jesus family lived with Him and thought He was crazy!

His own mother was greeted by an angel of the Lord and told Her son would be the messiah

It is because of faith that we are saved, not because we have seen Jesus physically.

even those that saw Jesus still doubted

Mark 3:22 ESV

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”

The scribes were a group of religious leaders that often times hung around with the pharisees and would often times try and disprove Jesus ministry or disprove Him as the Son of God.

In this passage we see them not only trying to disprove Jesus but they are claiming that Jesus gets His power from Satan.

Up to this point Jesus has been traveling around Galilee healing and casting out demons.

Something that the scribes do not dispute.

In fact they even say that He truly does cast out demons however they claim that the only way He is able to do this is because He is possessed by Satan!

What the scribes are attempting to do is claim that Jesus is blasphemous and therefore they would have a reason to end Jesus life.

However what the scribes actually do is say something blasphemous themselves.

Jesus logically dismantles their argument in verses 23-27 in these short sayings that drive home His point.

Satan cannot cast out Satan.

Jesus in these verses is absolutely dunking on the religious leaders.

These men would have been the smartest guys there and Jesus is just in like a cage match with them

A cage match of logic and wisdom.

And Jesus is just dropping elbows on them from the top ropes.

He says this

Mark 3:23–27 ESV

23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

So Jesus just finished telling the scribes that if demons are possessing both people and Jesus himself why would Satan (who is a demon) want to cast out other demons

It’s counteractive to his plan.

So why would they claim that Jesus was using the power of the kingdom of darkness to perform these miracles?

What the scribes were denying wasn’t just the power that Jesus Christ had but it was who Jesus Christ really was.

The Son of God

God wrapped in flesh

Jesus is God, and through Him all things were created, and all things are sustained, and at the end of this age all knees will bow and all tongues will confess that He is Lord.

John 1:1–14 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is the God that the scribes claimed used the power of Satan to cast out demons.

Instead of recognizing that Jesus is the true light of the world and in His presence darkness flees they chose to reject Jesus power and authority and attribute it to Satan.

Their rejection of God is the true blasphemy that is occuring here.

Mark 3:28–30 ESV

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

What is the unforgivable sin that has eternal punishment.

Denying the power and authority of Christ.

Listen UP

God loves you so much that He sent His son to die on the cross so that you might be saved and rescued from your sins

It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that you can be saved

This eternal sin that Mark talks about is the sin of rejecting God’s plan of salvation for the world

I love how the Bible knowledge commentary puts it.

“In light of the context this refers to an attitude (not an isolated act or utterance) of defiant hostility toward God that rejects His saving power toward man, expressed in the Spirit-empowered person and work of Jesus”

If you reject God’s offer of salvation, YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED

God has offered a free gift for the salvation of sins which was the blood of Christ.

Romans 10:9 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Do you know why the world calls Christians crazy?

Do you know why the world hate Christians?

Because the kingdom of darkness hates the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord and only through Him comes the salvation of the world.

They will take any other lie possible.

They would rather you go to hell believing a lie then be saved by believing the truth.

You want to believe that you were born that way, go ahead because it’s leading you away from a relationship with God

You want to believe that the stars and constellations have given you a personality and guide your choices, go ahead because it’s leading you away from a relationship with God

You want to believe that god is universal and that religious leaders like muhammed, ghandi, and buddah are just different versions of the same god, GO AHEAD BECAUSE IT’S LEADING YOU away from a relationship with God.

The kingdom of darkness want’s you to believe any and all lies possible, they don’t care what you believe in as long as it doesn’t lead to a relationship with the living God.

Jesus tells us there is one way to salvation and it is through Him

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Salvation is only through faith in Christ Jesus

The world will say you’re crazy, the world will do anything to get you to reject Jesus Christ.

Even Jesus own family thought He was crazy for a while!

Mark 3:31–32 ESV

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.”

After all this commotion and crowd following Jesus family comes to take Him away because they thought He was crazy.

His own family did not believe in what He was saying.

But notice what Jesus says in the next verses

Mark 3:33–35 ESV

33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Now this may seem brutal, it may seem like Jesus is rejecting His own family.

But He’s not.

What Jesus is doing is pointing out that when you believe and place your faith in Him you are adopted into a new family

The family of God.

Salvation doesn’t just save you but it changes you and it gives you a new identity

You are no longer part of this world but you have been changed and are now a Child of God

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The world sees believers as a little crazy and that’s because the world does not have a relationship with the Living God of Creation who has created and sustains all things.

Why do they think we are crazy?

Because Jesus is unique, He is more unique than anything that has ever been or ever will be and at the end of the age He will return as promised.

On that day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father

PRAY