“THE UNPARDONABLE SIN”

Mark 3:7-12, 20-30

1/20/2008 Pastor Harpold

In Mark, Jesus uses the term “Son of Man.” The term is found 81 times in the Gospels, always by Jesus - Daniel used it for the one God would send, the Messiah. In Mark it is first found in chapter 2: “that you may know the Son of Man has authority… to forgive sins.”

There is a growing conflict with religious authorities over the Sabbath. In Chapter 2, the disciples pick and eat grain while walking through grain fields on the Sabbath. The authorities took issue and Jesus again claimed the name, Son of Man, claiming to be Lord of the Sabbath. Chapter 3 continues the Sabbath discussion, which led to a final break with authorities.

It is obvious Jesus healed multitudes whose stories could be recorded individually. Mark impresses this upon us several times. The question is raised as to the number Jesus likely dealt with personally. Mark would have us believe it was extensive.

Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some… looking for a reason to accuse Jesus… watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. [Mark 3:1-2].

Was this cripple planted? Possibly. The accusation of breaking the Sabbath in the grain field - that was a secular spot. Now it is in the synagogue - a sacred spot. Jesus healed multitudes. They knew if this crippled man were in his way, Jesus would heal him as He entered the synagogue. What they did was a compliment. They knew His compassion. The leaders were interested in bringing accusation against Jesus. The enemy was there, watching, waiting for any flimsy excuse to bring a charge. They didn’t have long to wait.

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, Stand up in front [Mark 3:3]. The Lord is going to do something here.

Jesus asked, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life, or to kill?” But they remained silent [Mark 3:4]. They had learned not to answer for it always got them into trouble when they did.

He looked at them in anger… deeply distressed (grieved) at their stubborn hearts… “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and.. was restored [v. 5]. Notice Jesus looks around with anger. Put it down in your memory that Jesus could get angry.

Dr. Graham Scroggie says the word for "anger" carries the sense of momentary anger. The Greek word for "grieve" is used in the sense of continuing grief. “He looked around… in anger” - just a flash of anger, not a grudge or with malice. But “being grieved at their stubborn hearts" was something He carried with Him. He always had an awful grief at the hardness of their hearts.

Jesus heals the man. It was the Sabbath; but because the Sabbath is made for man and because He is the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath day.

The Pharisees went out and began to plot… how they might kill Jesus [v. 6].

From this time, these blood-hounds of hate got on His trail and never let up until they folded their arms at the foot of the cross.

People were coming from various areas now and were following Him. Jesus withdrew at this time because as He said, “... my hour is not yet come." (John 2:4). Later He did move into the face of all the opposition, but now He withdraws and the crowds follow Him. From all over folk are coming to hear the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Jesus is in another danger, not from the religious rulers because they are afraid of the crowd, he is in danger of being overwhelmed by the mob. You know today that a celebrity has to be protected from the mob - so notice what Jesus does.

He has his disciples get a small boat ready. For He had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him [vs. 9-10].

We're told He healed many. You can't reduce "many" to round figures, but many means many. The desperation of the people is also significant. You know, friends, the human family is a needy family. We all belong to this family.

And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried out, You are the Son of God. He gave them strict orders not to tell who He was [vs. 11,12]

Now we see that the unclean spirits acknowledged Him. We will talk another time on the matter of demon possession. We are seeing today what is known as Satan worship, and there is a great deal of that going on. But He did not want the underworld testimony. The demons acknowledged who He was, but He didn't want their testimony.

We now begin to see the sovereign purpose of God in choosing and ordaining the twelve apostles.

This is something to note. Whether we like it or not, He does the choosing. "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you… to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16). It is not irreverent to say that since He chose them and they did not choose Him, He's responsible for them. That's a real comfort to know. God has saved you, begun a work in you, and He's going to stick right with you. He's going to see you through. That is what this means. And when Jesus calls, they respond.

He appointed twelve… that he might send them out to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons [vs. 14-15].

This is His final call to the apostles. Here is where they actually become apostles, and here is where they are sent out on a ministry set apart for Him. They are also set apart from Him in that He will not go with them. Mark does not furnish details, but Matthew records for us the message and method for them at this particular time.

Such a crowd gathered, so that they could not even eat. His family sought to take charge of Him, saying, He is out of His mind [vs. 20-21].

Mark impresses us with how busy Jesus was. Notice the reaction. When a man devotes his life to some noble but earthly cause, he is applauded. The musician, athlete, statesman who gives himself to his work is recognized for total devotion. But if a man gives himself in total dedication to God’s cause, he is branded as a fanatic.

And the teachers… from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons [Mark 3:22]. Beelzebub was a heathen deity to whom Jews ascribed supremacy among evil spirits.

And Jesus… spoke to them in parables, How can Satan drive out Satan? His would be a divided kingdom and it wouldn’t last long! He could not be casting out demons by the power of the demons - the house would be divided against itself

No one can enter a strong man's house, and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can rob his house [Mark 3:27]. You must bind a strong man before robbing his house. That is the truth here. Jesus is not doing this by the power of Satan because then Satan would be divided and would be against himself.

I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, he is guilty of an eternal sin… because they were saying “He has an unclean spirit” [vs. 28-30].

The unpardonable sin is to deny the Holy Spirit is from God. Can it happen today in that way? To begin with they have Him, the second Person of the Godhead, present with them, and they accuse Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub when He is doing it by the power of the Holy Spirit. So they were actually rejecting the works of two Persons of the Godhead, the testimony of the Son and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The people were expressing an attitude of unbelief, which was permanent rejection of Christ. They were resisting the Holy Spirit. That was unpardonable.

One cannot commit an unpardonable sin today - if by that you mean one can sin today, come under conviction tomorrow, come to God in repentance, and He would not forgive you. Christ died for all sin, not just some sin. He didn't die for all sin but one, the unpardonable sin. You cannot commit a sin that He will not forgive. The attitude and state of the unbeliever is unpardonable not the act. When a man blasphemes with his mouth that does not condemn him; it is the attitude of his heart, which is a permanent condition - unless he stops resisting. This is the sin against the Holy Spirit: to resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the heart and life.

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived… to call Him… And he said, Who is my mother, or my brothers? And he looked round… and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother [Mark 3:31-35].

The half brothers of Jesus - James and Jude - both wrote Epistles, and they never mention that Jesus was their half brother. You see, anyone who is in Christ Jesus is closer to Him than His physical mother and His physical brothers were in that day. That is the reason He could look around and say that these "are closer kin to Me than even My mother and My brothers." The important thing is to be rightly related to God in Christ Jesus by having received Him as Savior, which gives us the right of being the sons of God. That is bringing us wonderfully close to Him, my friend.