Mad or Messiah?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
READ Mark 3:7-19
READ Mark 3:7-19
There is a huge groundswell of attention on Jesus. He’s doing all these remarkable things, and the movement is growing.
Jesus invites the twelve to make a deeper commitment to him--from disciples to THE disciples. The twelve agree, and are probably pretty excited and optimistic.
If you can remember feeling like that, you may also remember getting the wind taken out of your sails--maybe even your faith--when you encounter people who are unimpressed with your faith. That’s what the disciples are facing here.
READ Mark 3:20-34
READ Mark 3:20-34
There are three groups of people here who react to Jesus in different ways--and people are still reacting those same ways today. The first group is there, but only hinted at.
The Gossips:
The Gossips:
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
This passage is about the family, but there is another group between the lines--the ones who came and told Jesus’ family about him. They might be the ones who said, “He’s out of his mind.” Or they told the family something that made them think he was crazy. What made them think Jesus was crazy?
Jesus was casting out demons, he was amassing crowds, he wasn’t eating. This was the behavior of a magician who envokes demons to give him spiritual powers.
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
These people took one look at Jesus, saw he wasn’t eating, and assumed the worst.
They said Jesus was CRAZY so they wouldn’t have to LISTEN to him. Mark 3:20-21. Luke 7:33, John 10:20
Now, obviously this is a bit speculative, but we know that people reacted to Jesus this way.
Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
These are the “cool kids” who say that all that religious stuff isn’t worth your time. It’s crazy, it’s not important, it isn’t worth a second look.
How does Jesus respond? Here he can’t, because they’ve left without listening. But elsewhere Jesus says,
Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
“ ‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.’
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
They aren’t even interested in what Jesus is saying, they’re only interested in whether he’s doing something they like. No matter what he does, they will find a reason to dismiss him.
Jesus said: If you won’t LISTEN, you’ll never BE HAPPY with what you see. Luke 7:31-5
Jesus’ Family:
Jesus’ Family:
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Either (1) they believed that Jesus was really out of his mind, or (2) they thought that the rumor was bad enough.
Family motto: Don’t embarrass the family.
If Jesus is crazy, or thought to be, crazy, then it was their job to reign him in.
His family said Jesus should CALM DOWN so he wouldn't ROCK THE BOAT. (3:20-21)
These are the “well-meaning” people who say that we shouldn’t take Jesus quite so seriously. These people are often from within the church, but they don’t want Christianity to be something that rocks the boat. They want to domesticate Christianity so it won’t cause any problems.
They might even call you crazy for taking Jesus so seriously.
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus said: If you won’t OBEY, you won’t UNDERSTAND what you hear. (Mark 3:31, Luke 7:35)
But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”
Believers that take Jesus seriously change the world. Movements that ally themselves withe culture--that stop “rocking the boat”--immediately begin to fall apart.
The Pharisees:
The Pharisees:
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
Why are there leaders from Jerusalem there?
Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins.
Then he rejected their authority by healing on the Sabbath. He was challenging the very foundation of their authority and self-esteem. So they were looking for a way to kill him.
Apparently they have jumped on this whole “not eating” thing to accuse him of being a pagan sorcerer.
The Pharisees said Jesus was EVIL so they wouldn’t have to OBEY him. (3:22-27)
So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.
Jesus is calling out their lie. What they have seen is objectively an attack on the kingdom of Satan. It’s not an act or a sideshow, they are watching Satan’s kingdom crumble. To claim that Satan is helping dismantle his own kingdom is absurd. The only rational explanation is that someone more powerful is defeating Satan.
Some people legitimately think Jesus is wrong. That’s not this. There are people who will say that Jesus is wrong, evil, intolerant, SIMPLY to avoid obeying him. They don’t want to give up their authority or their sense of self sufficiency.
Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Jesus is possessed by a spirit--the Holy Spirit. And the Pharisees have seen enough to know that the Holy Spirit is at work. They are slandering the Spirit in order to avoid obeying Jesus. And as long as they are willing to slander the Spirit, they will never be capable of submitting to Jesus. This is why they cannot be forgiven.
If you won’t ADMIT when God is working, you’ll never OBEY. (3:28-30)
Following Jesus
Following Jesus
Only FOLLOWERS can truly UNDERSTAND Jesus.
