Solving the Unforgivable Sin: Mark 3:20-35
In August of 1969 I finished a year of advanced training in the Army and was stationed in Germany. I was in Germany serving in the Army all except May of 1970, when I came home for my sister’s high school graduation.
I spent Christmas of 1969 and Christmas of 1970 serving in the Army in Germany. Being away from my family bothered me more than I thought it would. My Christmas day activities for Christmas of 1969 and 1970 were comprised of three activities, eating, working and drinking alcohol in the extreme!
I got out of the Army December 17, 1971, and spent that Christmas with my family in Arizona. I opened presents, ate Christmas dinner, and watched football, all just as sober as a judge. It’s amazing how family can solve things!
We’re going to see the eternal impact of Jesus’ family!
In Mark 3:20-21 we will see that Jesus family came for Him.
Jesus had been by the Sea of Galilee teaching and healing, then went up on a mountain and appointed the 12 Apostles. Now He returns to a house, probably Peter’s home in the city of Capernaum.
An immense crowd gathered, probably for teaching and healing. The crowd was so overwhelming tjesus and His disciples weren’t able to eat!
Word about the crowds and craziness got back to Jesus’ family 43 miles away in Nazareth. Verse 21 puts it like this, “when his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” (NIV)
The phrase “take charge” is interesting. The same word is used in Mark 6:17 saying Herod had John the Baptist “arrested.” It’s a strong word indicating someone is trying to arrest or take charge of another person.
Jesus’ family was concerned He was out of control and had lost His mind, so theytraveled 43 miles, probably on foot to take charge of Him and get him out of, what they considered a mess.
Jesus’ family came for Him, but don’t miss that it was an act of love and concern, not an act of evil like Jesus is about to receive from the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem.
Today, if you drove from Jerusalem to Capernaum, it would be a drive of about 79 miles. The teachers of the law made a long trip to make an incorrect judgement about Jesus.
In verse 22-30 the teachers of the law commit the unforgivable sin!
Notice verse 22, “And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘he is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” (NIV)
The teachers of the law were so consumed in getting something on Jesus they went to the absurd. Remember a major part of Jesus’ ministry is to cast out demons. So they accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power and authority of the prince of demons, a guy named Beelzebub!
Jesus spoke to the teachers of the law in parables trying to make sense of their nonsense!
Jesus wanted to know how Satan could drive out Satan! Satan was in control of people by his presence in demons, so how could Satan drive himself out? It’s impossible to make sense out of such nonsense.
Jesus pointed out if Satan is driving out Satan his kingdom is divided against itself, making it impossible to stand. He says if a house is divided against itself, it can’t stand. By house he means household or family.
If kingdoms or families are divided against themselves one faction will defeat the other and the family or kingdom can’t stand.
Jesus goes at the absence of logic of the Teachers of the Law from another direction. If you enter a strong man’s house to carry off his possessions, you have to tie him up so he won’t stop you from taking his stuff. Why would Satan tie up Satan to steal His stuff? He’s himself. Such an assertion is nonsense.
The teachers of the law were so desperate to get Jesus that their assertion was easily debunked with some thought!
Here are two simple conclusions about what Jesus says to the teachers of the law. First, Jesus can’t be in collusion with Satan because they’re on opposing teams. Second, Jesus is casting out demons, thus destroying Satan’s work meaning Jesus is more powerful than Satan and is defeating him.
It’s impossible for Jesus to be casting out demons by the prince of demons because He’s the opposing team!
Jesus nails the teachers of the law by telling them all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven, but they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit and will never be forgiven. Jesus tells them they’re guilty of an eternal sin, that’s the unforgivable sin.
Some people I have met thought they were guilty of the unforgivable sin because they spoke against or blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
The idea some people have is if they speak against the Holy Spirit at some time in life they’re headed for hell in a handbasket and can do nothing about it.
It’s important to look at the context of the historical account Mark is relating to us here. The teachers of the law are on the opposing team, they’re opposing the things of God in the ministry of Jesus.
There was never a time in eternity when Jesus and the Holy Spirit weren’t one in the Godhead. The teachers of the law accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of demons, meaning they were accusing Him of having an evil spirit, when He has been one with the Holy Spirit for eternity!
Look at verse 30, “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an evil spirit.’” (NIV)
The teachers of the law were so opposed to Jesus they accused Him of having an evil or unholy spirit when He was Holy, Holy, Holy and has always been Holy, Holy, Holy.
Let me ask you, “are you concerned that you may have committed the unforgivable sin by blaspheming the Holy Spirit?” Anyone concerned about having committed that sin is the most unlikely person on earth to have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
You can believe the teachers of the law never concerned themselves at all with the unforgivable sin. To be concerned about that sin is to demonstrate a spirit of repentance making it an impossibility you have committed that sin.
Remember this, those who have committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit are so dominated by evil they’re unlikely to be aware of that sin at all. The guy who has committed the unforgivable sin won’t care about whether he committed it. If you care about that, you almost certainly haven’t committed the unforgivable sin!
If you want to make absolutely sure you haven’t committed the unforgivable sin, check out how Jesus defines His family in verses 31-35.
In verses 31-35 Jesus defines His family.
Jesus is still in Peter’s house in Capernaum overrun by people to the point where He can’t even eat. Jesus’ mother and brothers pull in from Nazareth.
We assume Joseph wasn’t living as he’s never mentioned. Mary, Jesus’ mother and his brothers show up looking for Him to take charge of Him.
We know Jesus had two brothers. James wrote the book of James and is assumed to be Jesus’ half brother the son of Joseph and Mary. Jude calls himself the brother of James in his book near the end of the New Testament leading us to believe Jude may have been a half brother of Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary.
Jesus’ family sent someone in to call Jesus for them. The crowd tells Jesus His mother and brothers are outside looking for Him.
In Mark 3:33 Jesus asks the question, “’Who are my mother and brothers?’ He asked.” (NIV) He answers His own question looking around at those seated around Him, probably including the 12 apostles, and He says, “here are my mother and brothers!” (Mark 3:34B)
Then Jesus defines His family once and for all, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35 NIV)
Jesus’ family is made up of the people who chose to do God’s will! The family of Jesus is so much more than generic believing in God or believing in Jesus. The devil and the demons believe in God. Jesus’ family is made up of people who have chosen a lifestyle of obedience to God!
Don’t ever forget this, “if you become Jesus’ family by choosing a life of doing God’s will you will never have to concern yourself one little bit with the unforgivable sin!” That’s solving the unforgivable sin.
Do these three things. First, repent, meaning that you turn to Jesus as Lord and surrender to Him. It means you change your mind on who’s running your life. Jesus is in charge by your choice. Second, pledge your life to Him by being immersed in the likeness of His death, burial and resurrection. Third, get up every day with the choice to live by obeying God.
Christ will have solved the unforgivable sin for you!