Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

Intro: House Divided Speech - Abe Lincoln

There are a handful of American speeches which have been recorded as quintessential speeches to think about.

Reagan - “Mr. Gorbachev, teach down this wall!”

MLK, Jr. - “I have a dream”

Abe Lincoln’s House Divided Speech

Within our nation, the issue of Slavery had ravaged the country

Lincoln’s speech was not immediately popular, but it has lasted through the ages.

Why?

Seared onto the American conscience. Speaks to something much deeper spoken by the Prophet Isaiah - Is. 40:8

It is striking to me that this major speech is so lasting because it is lifted straight from the mouth of our savior, whom we worship this morning.

Recall

We spent last Sunday speaking about the arc of discipleship.

Jesus calls his disciples in Mk. 1:17, appoints his disciples in Mk. 3:13-19, sends his disciples in Mk. 6:7

Our Text

Jesus returns from this moment of appointing his disciples

The crowd accuses Jesus of being out of his mind

The scribes accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul

Jesus responds

Point of this Morning: We want to be strengthened by the strength of God and sober about the grave realities of bringing our hearts before the Lord. If the Lord is bringing you to conviction, understand that the road of humility pays dividends.

Context of this Passage

Connect v. 6 and v. 7-12 with vv. 22-30

After Jesus subverted Jewish leadership, Pharisees and Herodians held counsel with one another to see how to destroy Jesus

Jesus continued to work miracles through cleansing people of unclean spirits and casting out demons.

Seems that these people see their opportunity. NOTE: Matthew records this people group as the Pharisees, Mark as the scribes, Luke as a group, and John as a crowd (though John’s account is different).

What is significant is that there is total gospel agreement that the Jewish people attributed Jesus’s power to demons, being demonic, etc.

V. 22-23

Why accuse Jesus of doing casting out demons by the power of demons?

Politically expedient - reduces confidence in Jesus

Ignorance or lack of discernment - cannot weigh and understand spiritual forces

Actually ruled by Satan themselves. NOTE: We have weighed through what it means for Jesus to be casting out demons from within the synagogue.

John 8:39-59, note John 8:44

See also: Acts 13:4-12 with attention on v. 10

See also 1 John 3:10

Quick Language Explanation

Term “Beelzebub” is probably the transliteration of an original Hebrew phrase: “Baal Zebub” = “Lord of Filth” = “Lord of Flies” = “Husband of Filth” = “Husband of Flies”

The connection with “Satan” as seen in this verse is one through several verses.

Judges 2:11-13 | Ps. 106:34-38

The Hebrew term “Baal” is also particularly potent because it the word, in one of its senses, is the verb “to marry.”

Hence, when Hos. 2:13 uses “lover” language for false gods, the reason is plain. Israel left her first husband to be with another.

“Baal” as a term is also often a term which is transliterated in the OT. The term is related to the word “husband” and/or the verb “to marry” —> This is why some of God’s language about Israel leaving.

While there are some possibly very strong analogies for what Jesus is doing in this scene, the base is that Israel has been held in bondage by false gods, and Jesus is redeeming them.

It isn’t a surprise to see Jesus’s enemies using this sort of language. Our culture models

Political expedience

Ignorance

Active rebellion against God

Your job as a believer is to weigh and discern forces. However, if you see arguments which attempt to steal away from who Jesus is, your spiritual awareness needs to kick into gear.

Sin in a general sense will always seek to steal away from you having a full relationship with God, but there are some movements which clearly are waged to prevent you from receiving all of Christ.

NOTE

The Scribes of v. 22 leverage two basic attacks against Jesus

Identity

Vocation

Jesus’s response deals with both of these in turn.

V. 23-27

Basic idea: If Satan is attacking his own kingdom, then his kingdom is not strong and will not last. The problem at hand however, is that — looking out over the past sections of Jesus’s ministry — it seems that the enemy’s kingdom has plenty of strength. The situation which Jesus is presenting is not one of a kingdom crumbling in on itself, but rather a kingdom being taken by a stronger man.

There are so many reasons why Jesus’s parable here are significant.

Jesus is using language that Jews ought to understand. If you know your Old Testament, part of the reason that the Jews are in exile is because:

They were a kingdom

that became divided against itself

and it couldn’t stand.

AND

They were a kingdom

that was bound and possessed

by a stronger enemy

Point: Jesus’s language hits several notes for Israelites which are significant on a biblical theological level.

On a cultural level, we can recognize the need for a strong Messiah figure. Satan’s kingdom would not have come to an end without the intervention of Christ. Even now while we are waiting for the final consummation of the age, we can reflect on this truth.

Will the strongholds of sin, death, loss, perversion, etc. ever come to an end without a Messiah?

NO! Jesus is painting a picture that is vital to grab. The stronghold which sin has placed over the human heart requires a Messiah. For God’s people to be God’s people from within, there must be massive Kingdom action on behalf of individuals. This is exactly what Jesus accomplished and what Jesus is communicating to these scribes.

Some might wonder about the nature of Christ as the Strong Man and in exactly what way Satan is “bound.”

Col. 2:8-15

Note the role of “captive” and the “triumph” of Christ over evil rulers and authorities.

Note the role of “triumphal procession” in the ancient world.

Yet, we also Gal. 1:4 (present evil age) and Eph. 2:2, 2 Cor. 4:4 (present ruling principality at play) Eph. 6:12 (ongoing, present war)

So what is it?

Satan has been authentically defeated, subjugated, and bound. He cannot prevent the inevitable; he cannot stop the spread of the gospel to all ends of the earth.

However, Satan is currently active in warring against all progress of the spread of the good news as long as he can.

Germany post-Normandy or the battle of the bulge.

As it comes to the text in Mark, Jesus is working to do the binding and is demonstrating that through cleansing.

V. 28-30

There are perhaps some of the scariest verses for certain readers; the idea of never receiving forgiveness is piercing, and many people feel the weight of this verse.

I do suspect that the people who are most bothered by this verse are people who know that they need forgiveness in the first place.

If you are in a spot in which you’ve never received Christ into your life but you know your need for forgiveness, then this section is so critical for you.

Believers, I believe that this is critical for you as well, but in a different way.

Finally, if you are someone who has never contemplated about your need for forgiveness, I would encourage careful attention too.

Jesus’s words hit in different ways depending on where you stand before him.

Working through the text.

Jesus makes clear that all sins will be forgiven the children of man (v. 28); but there is one that is the exception.

Jesus introduces the idea of blasphemy, and the context with which he introduces this idea is that the Jewish scribes have rejected who Jesus is by blasphemously saying that Jesus is in camp with Beelzebul.

Interestingly, Jesus does not say that the scribes have committed this sin yet. Even in slandering Jesus’s name, they are not presumably beyond forgiveness. However, they are getting close to committing this sin because Jesus mentions this sin in the context of what the Pharisees are doing.

We need to ask: “What is the exact role of the person of the Holy Spirit?” To this, I think the answer is supplied in John 16:8-9. Namely, that the Holy Spirit, the supplier of the power present in Mark 3:22-31, is the same person who brings about heart conviction for the need to repent and be changed.

So, what is the unforgiveable sin?

I think it is to turn oneself against the convicting work of the Spirit in such a way that you never ask for forgiveness, and therefore never receive it.

This squares what we know from other passages such as 1 John 1:9 which tells us that if we confess our sins to Jesus, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness.

How should we respond to this?

Incline your heart to God by being humble in spirit. Be quick in your heart to accept God’s verdicts and embrace Him! Don’t let sin fester and be callous to sin as if we were meant to live that way!

Christian, there are numerous passages which indicate that once you have been justified, all of your sins are covered and you have been changed. Reflect on the fact of Romans 8:29 which says that those whom he justified he also glorified

Yet, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive to the fact that if you have transgressed, you should not harden yourself in that but instead embrace truth!

Non Christian, respond to the gospel.

I am going to pray in just a moment, and I pray that you would join me in this.

Pray