Mark Pt 17: Lunatic, Liar or Lord?
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20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. 31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Is Jesus God? Man faces no greater question.
Today we live in an age and society where atheism appears to be on the rise. What is worse, modern day unbelief founds itself on the reckless principle: “God does not exist. Therefore, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die!”
This growing atheistic attitude pervading our culture is accompanied by another modern day spiritual phenomenon just as concerning, a close relative to atheism—religious indifferentism.
People just don’t care.Indeed we live in a culture of complacency.
Yet, we must face this question, for it holds the prospect of eternal destiny in the balance.
For one who accepts the claims of Jesus and believes them, there is everything to gain and nothing to lose.
For one who rejects his claims and does not believe, there is everything to lose and nothing to gain.
When it comes to believing in something, however, it is important to have supporting evidence to help make an informed and responsible choice.
Do Christians have such a thing as “good evidence” for their belief in the divinity of Christ? I would argue we do.
How can we know that Jesus was who he said he was—God, the second person of the eternal Trinity?
Many Christians have turned to the great Oxford intellectual, C.S. Lewis, for answers.
Most famously, they have turned to his classic work of Christian apologetics, Mere Christianity. Here the former atheist presents an argument known as the “Trilemma,” also known as the “Lunatic, Liar or Lord” argument (as coined by Josh McDowell).
Lewis says:
“I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
We are faced, then, with a frightening alternative. This man we are talking about either was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic, or something worse.. I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” (p. 55-56)
Lunatic, Liar or Lord
In our lengthy passage of opening scripture, which has taken us to the end of chapter 3, we have displayed for us an, assumption that Jesus is a Lunatic, then it followed by an accusation that Jesus is a Liar, finally we have a acknowledgement of Lordship.
Firstly then notice
1. An Assumption of Lunacy
1. An Assumption of Lunacy
The crowds have once again gathered, if crowds were a mark of spiritual success then this ministry was a success, the disciples probably thought at this point that the world would be their oyster, such was the popularity of their Leader, Judas especially would have been thrilled, just think of the money to be made from the offerings of the masses.
However, as we know and Jesus knew, that the followers would soon desert them, the crowds would dissipate, because they where there for what they could get, and once they could get, they were gone!
Jesus, knew this, remember he only choose 12, to be his close disciples, Christ didn't need crowds to validate his ministry. In fact we find that the crowds hindered Christs work at times. Mark tells us in verse 20,
And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
that it was so busy that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat...
ever had times like that in your life, where you just to busy to eat, I know I have, the demand for your time is greater than your desire to eat, and you march on in your work, oblivious to your own needs
This is were these guys are at, it is full tilt, the people are coming from everywhere with there needs.
Then in verse 21 we read
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
The word friends here is in the Greek rendered “those from the side of him” it refers to those related by blood or marriage, so these weren’t just acquaintances, this was Jesus’s earthly family.
Notice the words of it are in italics indicated they have been added by the translators to help with context, but remember the italics aren't inspired, and this is better read as his friends heard, referring to his entire Galilean ministry up-to this point, they had heard all about Jesus’s works, wonders and confrontations with the religious establishment.
They were on a mission “to lay hold on him” to seize him by force against his will
Why would they do that you say? tail end of the verse “for they said he is beside himself” again the Greek helps us out and gives more depth to this phrase
the word used is existemi, and carries the thought of displacement, to throw out of position. It is used in the sense of throwing one out of his mind.
The form here means to be out of ones mind, to be insane.
What do we have then from Christ’s family, we have the assumption that Jesus has lost his mind, he is a madman, he is a Lunatic!!
I sure many a Christian today could attest to the same thing being thrown at them! My brother did the same thing when I first became a Christian -
So there is an assumption of lunacy, then secondly there is
2. An Accusation of Lies
2. An Accusation of Lies
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Here come our old friends the scribes, but they are about to hit new heights, for they come along and and accuse Jesus of being a Devil!
“He hath Beelzebub” the God of the Flies, an old God of the Philistines, The jews called him the God of Filth, and the applied the name to satan because they believed him to be the god of unclean spirits.
They level the charge that Satan has Jesus, an by the prince of the devils he cast out devils.
When we think o f Prince in the English language we think of son of royalty, one of noble blood, the greek word used here is ARCHON, the root of this word in Greek in ARCHE which means “first in a series of things or persons” Archon when appleid to a person, means first in order of importance or power.
Satan is the prince of devils in this sense, first among them in importance and power.
The word Devils is the greek Daimonion - Demons
What an accusation, an accusation of being a charlatan, a deceiver, a lier!!! Outrageous, how would Jesus respond? with violence, with force?
Jesus neither responded with His emotions nor reacted with anger, sarcasm, or scorn.
He appealed calmly to their common sense. These men were scribes, the nation’s great minds, men learned in the law and religious tradition.
Some of them were very clever. Moreover, they were not provincial men but members of the elite Jerusalem religious establishment, influential men, educated men. What they had just said did not come from their intellects but from their darkened hearts.
He simply asked them a question followed by three illustrations. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” He asked.
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. (3:24)
He gave an illustration from the secular world.
No worse tragedy can befall a nation than for it to be rent by civil war, brother fighting brother. Even when the upheaval comes to an end, the old resentments continue to smoulder. And all of the time the nation’s weakened condition invites interference by a foreign power.
And if a house be divided against itself that house cannot stand. (3:25)
He gave an illustration from the social world.
What chance do the children have in a home in which the parents and Children are constantly at each other’s throats? Such a family soon descends into chaos. The Bible gives ample illustrations. For example, the situations in Jacob’s family and in David’s family show what happens when family ties are torn.
And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. (3:26)
He gave an illustration from the spirit world.
A third of the heavenly host followed him in his rebellion. Satan organised those fallen angels to help him rule over our conquered planet. In the spirit world are ranks and hierarchies: principalities and powers, thrones and dominions, rulers of this worlds darkness, and wicked spirits in high places, as well as countless hosts of demons.
Sin is a divisive force in the universe. Satan makes full use of that fact, but woe betide him if he allows that to weaken his authority and power! He uses all of his skill and genius to prevent the divisive force of sin from tearing apart his own empire. He knows that if he once lost control of his fellow conspirators, his end would be in sight.
Jesus ends with a stunning rebuke
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
This is what has become known as the unpardonable sin, which has been a stumbling block of confusion by many as to what this is, but when we keep the thing in context, it is very simple to deduce what the unpardonable sin is.
No need to overthink it, Jesus is talking to the scribes, the ones who levelled the accusation, he said he that blasphemes against the Holy spirit wont have forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation.
In Matthews parallel account Jesus evens states that blasphemes against the Son of Man, Him , will be forgiven but not against the Holy Spirit.
Now some will take this and run with it, and indeed those in the extremes of the Charismatic movement, will level this charge at anybody who challenges some of behaviours, such a grave sucking and the like, and they accuse of others committing the unpardonable sin by attributing works of the spirit to Satan.
But our context reveals what the unpardonable sin really is, remember Jesus is dealing with the scribes, the religious establishment who had hounded him from day one of his ministry and now they have accused him of been filled and empowered with with the devil under the authority of Satan.
So he rebukes them and verse 30 clarifies if further
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
So for us to commit the unpardonable sin , we have to recreate the conditions of the unpardonable sin.
What is the difficulty here?
Were is Jesus?
We were not first hand witnesses to Jesus’s miracles, when he walked the earth, they were and they had no excuse for the way they responded.
We cannot commit the unpardonable sin today, it was unique to that period to those who witnessed yet accused Christ of being a liar, a deceiver empowered by the Devil.
So we have had the assumption of lunacy, followed by the accusation of Lies, finally then lets deall with..
3. An Acknowledgement of Lordship
3. An Acknowledgement of Lordship
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Here Jesus lays it out my family is a spiritual one.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
You see the believer, is born again into the family of God, its a new relationship with our creator, but to do that we must acknowledge Christ as our Lord and saviour.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
It is that new relationship that enables you to recognise Jesus as Lord...
Now Jesus isn’t saying that we are to ignore or indeed abandon our families, not at all, but he is saying that the will of God comes first.
He is Lord, and those closest to him, his spiritual brothers and sisters, were those who acknowledged him as Lord.
Conclusion
Lunatic, Liar or Lord
Those are the options. So if you came to church today and you think you have an acceptable view of Jesus, and you're here to give Him some honour as a good teacher, as a great religious leader, as a righteous man, you don't have that option. You've got to join one of these three categories.
Now the New Testament is written clearly to make it obvious to any reader that Jesus is not a lunatic.
Lunatics don't heal sick people, raise dead people and dominate demons.
Lunatics don't speak the way Jesus spoke, think the way He thought.
Lunatics don't act the way He acted.
Lunatics don't attract women and children.
Lunatics aren't marked by kindness and mercy and compassion.
Nor is Jesus a liar.
Nor is He the cleverest of all deceivers because liars don't raise dead people either.
Frauds don't heal sick people, don't banish disease from a nation for a duration of three years.
Frauds don't dominate the world of demons either, and neither do frauds die and having been buried come out of the grave.
So really we're left with one alternative with regard to Jesus, unless you want to join those who think He's a lunatic, or those who think He's the greatest liar of all time. You're left with one option and that is the option that He is who He claimed to be.
That He is God, the evidence is in, virgin born, sinless life, power over the physical world, power over the spiritual world, power over life, power over death, power over creation. Clearly He is Lord.
I wonder is he your Lord this morning? you know there is not a Christian alive, a true born again believer that would tell you they regret the day the recognised Christ as Lord, I know I don’t - he changed my life and he can change yours.
If you want to know more, and there is much more, please don’t let fear keep you from coming forward, don’t let doubts keep you from the King.
Lunatic, Liar or Lord, when we examine all the evidence there can be only one conclusion, that Jesus is indeed Lord over all.
Let’s pray
I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he will bruise your head,
and you will bruise his heel.”
test