Unforgivable sin

Introduction

Jesus just finished calling his 12 apostles after praying all through the night. “apostles” meaning delegate messenger. The reason He chose 12 was symbolize a new foundation and covenant. This was the first step in the establishment of a new people of God the church. The nation of Israel was born out of 12 son who were the 12 tribes of Israel. Abraham had Isaac and then Isaac had Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel which means to struggle of wrestle with God. He Jesus choses 12 out of the many who were his followers and sets them out for preaching the Gospel and have authority to cast out demons. In verse 20 it says he went home and there was a great crowd gathered again, Jesus couldn’t even sit down to eat. His family heard of this and they came to seize him (arrest him, forcefully) they though Jesus had gone coocoo crazy. They were saying He is out of his mind. This was all taking place in Capernaum. We know Jesus had half brothers and sisters who were born of Mary and Joseph.

matthew 13:

Matthew 13:55–56 ESV

Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

We also know his siblings did not believe in him

John 7:5 ESV

For not even his brothers believed in him.

So now we have come to a place in Jesus’s ministry people are unsure who he is. His own family think he is a mentally unbalanced religious lunatic. This is where we will pick our study in Mark Chapter 3 verse 22 please stand with me for the reading of God’s word

Jesus is accused of Demon possession

So here we are Jesus is in Capernaum with his disciples there is a huge crowd of people pressing in on every side just to get close to Jesus. Jesus has again and again demonstrated the Power of God and the authority over darkness and evil. His family is on their way to him to seize him and take him back home with them because he’s lost his mind . We have scribes now also who are following him around they have come down from Jerusalem. They make a huge accusation against him here in verse 22 saying (he is possessed by Beelzebul) and by the prince of demons he cast out demons. This is huge let me explain why

First these are the religious teachers of the day. These are the ones who have enormous influence on the people. The sheep of Israel look to these people for the correct interpretation of scripture. What they say matters and has influence

The scribes and pharisees should of been the first ones to recognize the presence of the kingdom of God. They should of been the first ones to point out the messiah was with them and usher the people of Israel to their savior.

Instead of seeing the purest, clearest demonstration of God’s power through the holy spirit as Jesus goes around administering the kingdom of God. They comes out and say the direct opposite. They say he is possessed by a demon. Everything he has been doing is by the power of evil and darkness. Do you think with their political influence and religious influence this accusation could damage some of the sheep and confuse some of the lost sheep??

Jesus tell them a parable

verse 23 says He called them to him- this is what a true shepherd does. He called them to him and said to them in a parable.

How can Satan cast out Satan, in other words why would Satan cast out Satan?

If a Kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, the house will not be able to stand. If satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end.

Satan and the kingdom of Darkness is in opposition to God and the kingdom of God. Satan is a lier, and a murder from the beginning. Light and darkness cannot mix. Evil is evil and Good is good. This is common sense, yet the leaders the ones who have the most influence are making the most absurd accusation against Jesus to date. Saying he is possessed by Beelzebul. This word means “lord of the flies” the name of an ancient Canaanite deity (mentioned in )

In verse 27 Jesus says no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man, The word plunder means to take away, or seize.

Jesus is explaining here

The strong man in the parable is Satan- he first must be bound. Meaning Jesus has authority over Satan (the strong man)

The goods in the strong man’s house are those who are captive by the powers and kingdom of Darkness. Once the strong man is bound the ONE who bound him can now take away or seize, set free if you will the goods or possessions in the strong man’s house.

Interesting they are accusing Jesus being possessed by a demon and Jesus is working through that power of Satan to do the signs he is doing. Here Jesus clearly tells them, He has come to set the captives free from the powers of Darkness and the Kingdom of Satan.

The unforgivable sin

In verse 28 Jesus starts with Truly the word here is amen I assure you, I tell you the truth, means to be reliable. This is written 13 times in Mark alone and 62 times in the other Gospels. Always used by Jesus as a self affirmation.

Mark 3:28 ESV

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

mark 3:

The word “blasphemy” refers to slandering could be other human beings who are created in the image of God, in this case used being irreverent or defiant toward God.

Mark 3:29 ESV

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

Jesus now turns the attention back to the accusation. They were saying he was working by the power of Satan. Jesus given a powerful stern warning to them.

Truly! It is clear Jesus is ministering by the power of the Holy spirit rather than the power of an evil spirit.

1. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit in this way , the refusal to acknowledge God working in Jesus. The refusal to identify the divine Christ with human Jesus is the unforgivable sin

This is NOT a single act but a habitual action of attitude. They had all the proof they needed, the text spoke of him, all the prophesies about him and his coming, the captives being set free and all they wanted to do was kill him, and accuse him of working through the power of darkness. Jesus is saying to them “no this is the worst state of the heart, this will never be forgiven. The refusal to acknowledge the truth.

Jesus is pointing out These scholars these very influential people were committing the worst sin

Jesus points out a spiritual family

So here Jesus’s mother and brother show up outside the place where Jesus was teaching. This resumes the narrative that was suspended in 3:21

We have two accusations so far

Jesus family accuse him of being crazy and out of his mind

The scribes and pharisees accuse him of working with the influence of Satan

Jesus delt with the 2nd accusation first while his family were on their way to (seize) him

now he deals with the first accusation of being crazy out of his mind

He now has someone come in and say Jesus your mother and your brothers are here for you. They are outside.

He asks a rhetorical question- as he looks around at everyone sitting in the house. “Who are my mother and my brothers”?

He is introducing his spiritual family as opposed to his natural family outside the house, when he says “here are my mother and my brothers!” The family of God are connected by the seal of God. You know them by their actions. Jesus says in verse 35 for whoever does the will of God, He is my brother and my sister and mother

Doing God’s will is a characterization of those who belong to his family

Application

Your influence and how you identify Jesus matters. Is he just a great human teacher? or is He the God man the promised divine messiah? If you say well I think hes a great teaching but I’m not sure hes God in flesh, then your also calling him crazy because Jesus claimed to be God. Any human being who claims to be God is delusional. In the case of Jesus it must be true or he was crazy.

Search your own heart toward Jesus. The unforgivable sin the eternal sin is a habitual attitude of the heart refusal to acknowledge Jesus for who he truly is. Bow the knee to Him now and follow hard after him

To follow Jesus you may be accused of all kinds of thing. Stay near to the truth and follow the light and lamb to your feet the word of God and decern the will of God through the leading of the Holy spirit

The family of God are those who do the will of God. Jesus makes this crystal Clear! Are you living for the will of God. Do you love God and love people. Do you see the fruits of the spirit in your life. Do you tell others about Him and his kingdom

Lets pray