The Popularity Of God's Servant
"Abused, Loved, and Hated"
Book of Mark 3:1-35
We must always stay focused on Jesus Christ in our lives but what we should remember here is that, Jesus is training the future Apostles who will begin the Church after His ascension back to Heaven to be the "Intercessor".
Jesus has said that "The Sabbath Was Made For Man" and He will continue with this training!
In fact His entire "Creation" was made for mankind!
We should also be able to see that, who the world considers unworthy, are the very ones God chooses to take His ministry to in this world!
We should not miss seeing the friction that has been growing between The Lord Jesus and the religious leaders of the Jews.
We should see these 3 things:
1) God's servants are often misunderstood by their friends and their family, we will see that today.
2) The super religious will say that the work of Jesus was influenced by Satan, we will see that today.
3) The popularity of Jesus sometimes drew the wrong crowd, we will see that throughout His ministry.
This clash with false religion (all religions that refuse the Lord Jesus Christ as God in the flesh) would not end at the Cross as they had hoped but will continue until the Second Coming of Our Lord!
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh "is not of God": and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and "even now already is it in the world".
So let's hear Jesus as He returns to the synagogue.
Mat 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
*****Mar 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
It is probable that this synagogue is the one in Capernaum.
Three times already, Jesus or His disciples have done something that was counted as "working" on the Sabbath.
It would have been very hard to not see the healing of Peter's mother in law as life threatening.
It would have been hard to deny that men needed food as the disciples had passed through that corn field.
It would have very hard to deny that anyone did not need relief from evil spirits.
But a withered hand could not be seen as these other miracles, which by the way, the only work Jesus had done was "to speak" and they were healed.
As the "great fever" was in "type" of how sin can affect our Soul.
And as "the evil spirit" was in "type" of how sin can ruin our testimony.
And as "the corn" was in "type" of how sin will dominate our flesh without the true "bread of life".
The "withered hand" is in "type" of how sin can keep us from using our God-given skills to be used of the Lord.
But the hand not only represents work, but just as important, it represents fellowship and generosity(charity)!
We can also see that Christ Jesus honored the synagogue(house of God) as a place intended to worship Jehovah God but these religious Jews had made it a place useless in the work of the Lord.
Most synagogues of that day made hypocrites rather than disciples!
*****Mar 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
In the eyes of these super religious men, Christ Jesus, The Lord of the Sabbath, just did not observe the Sabbath the proper way!
It should be said that there is never a time nor a day when it should be considered evil to do good but we are living in that day now!
God gave us instructions for this:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
"It is not in our hands to change anything that God says"!
God says what He says and He means exactly what He says!
"The Word Of God is not open to private interpretation"!
In verse one the Greek word "anthropos" was used for the English phrase "a man". This word tells
that this person was described as a "human being" as opposed to "a man or a woman" and we should consider this when we get to verse 4.
We should just imagine how every eye of false religion was focused on Jesus to see what He was about to do.
It is very possible that this "human being" with the whithered hand had been brought into this synagogue as a means to try to trap the Lord Jesus. These were devious people!
Their zeal and legalism both degraded this person and the Sabbath!
We should also remember that profaning the Sabbath was a capitol offence with the penalty being death!
Num 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Num 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
So Jesus said:
*****Mar 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
We should see that the Lord Jesus Christ was not intimidated by these super religious people and we already know that Our Lord could break any of the commandments and then go to the cross, as His death would have been to pay for His own sin!
Jesus could have easily have told this man just to come by Peter's house the next day but Jesus refused to give in to false teaching!
Every man standing behind a pulpit and every teacher of God's Word need to take a look at what Jesus did!
We simply cannot be intimidated by so called things that contradict the truth of the Bible!
One of the greatest problems in the Church today is how "evolution" has influenced so many against Creation as described by Moses in the Book of Genesis.
The next enemy of the Church is the movement of Church "to modernize it's thinking", which simply means the Church is wrong about abortion and wrong about the gay lifestyle.
Well the Bible is not wrong about these things!
Sin is an abomination to the Lord and these things are just sin along with anything else that goes against the Word of God. But these things can be forgiven and every "Born Again" child of God is to walk away from these things along with all other sin.
This can only happen through Jesus Christ!
Jesus said "Stand Forth"!
Stand: The Greek word "egeiro" means get your act together.
Forth: The Greek word "eis" (ice) and "mesos" meant "Come to Me".
Jesus teaches us that if we want to change our circumstances, we need to come forth to Him!
Had this "human being" not have stood forth, he would not have been healed, but he did.
We must be willing to leave our old life behind in order to meet the Lord Jesus on His terms!
When we step forth to meet Jesus, the world will focus it's attention on us.
In America today the Christian is named with the terrorist!
*****Mar 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Jesus asks, just how well do you know what Moses wrote?
It was never lawful to do evil, on the Sabbath or on any other day!
It was never lawful to murder on the Sabbath or any other day!
It is always lawful to do good and save lives on the Sabbath and any other day!
This was the point Jesus was making. The Sabbath was just another day!
The problem was not the law of the Sabbath!
The problem comes when we do not realize that Jesus is also Lord of the Sabbath!
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
They held their peace because they had no answer to the question, but to agree, and they certainly were not going to agree with Jesus!
Does Jesus show emotion?
Can we get angry and not sin, here is an example?
Then Jesus got angry at their silence:
*****Mar 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
So called Holy and Righteous men only watched Jesus but it was they that had sin in their hearts!
Not one of these men had any sympathy nor compassion for this "human being" with the withered hand!
This person to them, was just another unclean person that had no business in Jewish society and certainly no business in the house of God!
Not one of these men could see the miracle, they could only see one of their precious rules abused!
Jesus makes no special announcement!
Jesus does nothing to draw the attention of the crowd!
Jesus does not say look at what I'm about to do!
Jesus just tells this human being to show the world his no longer withered hand!
Jesus had again done "no work" but had only "done good"!
This simple act of healing by Jesus, was the last straw in the eyes of the Pharisees:
*****Mar 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
What is hatred?
Hatred is one of the works of the flesh that will keep one out of Heaven!
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, "hatred", variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
In fact in the eyes of God, hatred is the same as "murder"!
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Anyone, as these Pharisees, that say they love God but then show hatred are also liars!
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Who are these Herodians?
The Herodians were a Jewish political party who sympathized with all the Herodian rulers. Just as the Pharisees, these Herodians were a group of little men who thought they were very big in the society of that day!
They were more a religious party that they were a religious sect like these Pharisees.
The Pharisees had very little in common with the Herodians until this day that they plotted to kill the Lord Jesus Christ!
To "destroy" meant not only to "murder" the Lord Jesus but it also meant to try "to erase" any history and memory of Him, which is still being tried today!
We know that they failed at both these things!
*****Mar 3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
Mar 3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
We can see two things here:
1) These people lived in misery in a place where they had little hope of things improving. If not they would have stayed at home.
2) They had heard that there may just be an answer. They heard that maybe there was hope after all and that hope was called "Jesus Christ"!
Hearing was not enough, their condition needed immediate attention, so they sought out The Lord.
C H Spurgeon wrote:
a) Jesus' name invites them;
b) His power encourages them;
c) His character allured them;
d) His preparations compelled them.
What were the results?
*****Mar 3:9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
Mar 3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
Jesus had the power of God and all He need do was speak and it was fulfilled, yet Our Lord is so attuned to His surroundings that He could accept the loan of a boat.
He could also accept a drink of water from a woman of questionable behavior.
He could also accept a few fishes for nourishment.
He could also accept money from those that ministered to Him.
But, the Lord Jesus will also accept each and everyone that calls on His name into the family of God!
And, He will also accept each and every believer's personal sacrifice for His ministry!
Jesus is first Savior and then Healer, and those that stay away from the Lord Jesus are just "foolish"!
*****Mar 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Mar 3:12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Wherever the work of the Lord is being done we should never assume that mankind will be the only audience.
Satan does his best to hide from mankind but he cannot hide his character!
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Unclean spirits are not the only things out of sight of the average man:
Who can see into the depth's of the Seas?
Who can see bacteria without the most powerful microscope?
Who can see the outer reaches of space or the backside of the sun?
Who can see the angels that are all around us?
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
These angels watch over God's children.
But these unclean spirits promote the ways of worldliness!
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
*****Mar 3:13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
Mar 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Mar 3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
In all these things Jesus Christ was doing, He was also training the 12 disciples!
As Jesus was rejected from the synagogues, He chose "His own creation" as the place to continue His ministry!
When Jesus went up on this mountain, He completed the choosing of the 12 disciples.
You see God has "a design" that cannot be altered!
Why 12?
What do we already know?
1) There were 12 sons of Jacob.
2) There were 12 princes of the children of Israel.
3) There were 12 wells at the fountains of Elim.
4) There were 12 stones in the breastplate of Aaron.
5) There were 12 loaves of the shewbread.
6) There were the 12 spies sent into Canaan.
7) 12 stones of the altar.
8) 12 stones taken out of the River Jordan.
9) 12 oxen supported the Brazen Laver in Solomon's Temple.
10) 12 stars in the crown of the woman in the Book of Revelation.
11) 12 foundations of New Jerusalem.
12) 12 Gates of New Jerusalem.
As the 12 tribes of the Old Testament were the beginning of the Old Testament Church, the 12 Apostles will begin the New Testament Church and together they make 24:
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Just as God is the God of Israel, He is also God of His entire Creation!
These 12 were sent to preach the "Gospel".
These 12 were given the "authority" to heal and cast out devils.
They did not have that power within them selves!
That power is only in the Lord!
Who were these 12 of the New Testament?
*****Mar 3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
Mar 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mar 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
Mar 3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
Jesus laid the groundwork for the building of the new Testament Church with these 12 men and yes Judas Iscariot is included in the plan of God's design.
He has his purpose and he also had the same freedom to choose!
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon "the foundation of the apostles" and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
It was these 12 men who were to equip each believer:
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The Church cannot mature without following the teaching of the Apostles:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
What is the Christian unity of the "faith"?
1) Oneness of Faith, in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Oneness of knowledge, the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
3) Oneness in seeking to become perfect men, in Jesus Christ.
The Church that gets away from the basic foundation of the Church will fail because Christ Jesus must remain the Head of the "Cornerstone" on which that foundation was laid!
Mark passes by the sermon on the mount given by Matthew and Luke and just mentions that Jesus and the 12 went back to the house, probably Peter's house.
And what happens again in Peter's house?
*****Mar 3:20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
The opposition to the Lord Jesus now acts like "a virus" and begins to spread.
It had been increasing with Jesus' enemies but now it would come also from His friends and family.
We sometimes forget that Jesus had a family that raised Him in the Jewish way.
His family also honored the Laws of Moses.
Jesus would also have had some friends whom He would have grown up with.
On this day the crowd was a particular nuisance.
These crowds were always seeking their own satisfaction, and ignored the needs of Our Lord.
Jesus had a prayer life that He would not ignore!
Jesus needed time with the 12 which He would not ignore!
Jesus had come to us "in a body of flesh" that felt the same needs as any of us would have, and that body required nourishment!
But you see this was God's training ground!
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; "but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin".
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There was never a day that Jesus did not express sympathy and tender regard for all those that came to Him!
Many had come to Jesus truly suffering but we can be sure many had come to the Lord just caught up in their own follies of life, with it's dailey sins and prejudices.
Jesus was surrounded by these types most of the days of His life but He always showed compassion!
Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he
himself also is compassed with infirmity.
On this day His family and his childhood friends thought they could help Him before all these things drove Him mad:
*****Mar 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
No doubt the popularity of Jesus had reached His home and his own family and they went to Him to see if they could get Him to go back home and forget His ministry.
Remember none of the half-brothers of Jesus believed on Him at this time:
Joh 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
They said surely our brother Jesus had gone mad, calling Himself the Son of Man, The Messiah.
The Apostle Paul also taught in many ways like Jesus and even he to was said to be mad.
Act 26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
But just before they arrive we get to learn, "What is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit".
*****Mar 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
What is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit?
Blasphemy is normally thought of as being rendered against God the Father:
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, [to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven].
Jesus Christ Himself was also blasphemed:
Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, [If thou be Christ], save thyself and us.
And the Holy Spirit can be blasphemed!
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit takes place when the "work" that Jesus did on this Earth is said to have happened by Satan's power!
The Holy Spirit had already borne witness to the work of Jesus Christ as being from Our Father in Heaven.
1Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Let's now see this as it takes place:
*****Mar 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
We now get to meet the super religious men from Jerusalem.
They say Jesus is a possessed man but only possessed by Beelzebub.
Beelzebub is another name for Satan!
It is this Beelzebub that was considered the prince of all demons!
"Zebul" means "dwelling" and the lord of the lower world(hell):
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Who takes up his own dwelling in human bodies:
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Jesus did not respond with His emotions and Jesus did not respond with anger.
Jesus uses this opportunity to teach and Jesus tells us one of His parables to teach the 12 He had chosen, which also included Judas the betrayer:
*****Mar 3:23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
We will see that Jesus has no difficulty at all in putting aside this absurd theory "that to destroy the kingdom of evil, He has to be a servant of that same evil and it's evil ruler!
Jesus acknowledges that there is a Devil!
Jesus acknowledges that the Devil treats every human being as his own personal goods.
So, if Satan cast out himself, he is then his own enemy!
If we cannot be friends with Jesus Christ, then we are friends with His enemy!
*****Mar 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
This verse describes the act of civil war.
There are no winners in civil war!
America is a great nation and has survived it's civil war but there are still deep scars from that time.
Slavery was extremely wrong and civil men should have found a solution without brother killing brother.
But even deeper than that "either we are united or we are not", we must be the United States of America!
What could America have been without this war having taken place?
There can be little doubt that Satan has setup a kingdom of sin in our world.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The entire purpose and design of the "Gospel" is to over throw this kingdom of Satan.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus Christ defeated this kingdom at the "Cross":
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
It is through the "Cross", the shed blood of Jesus, where we can have our own victory over Satan's kingdom!
2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Satan would never divide his own kingdom to battle with the Lord!
If these scribes and Pharisee believed that Satan gets any pleasure out of seeing the destruction of his own works, by Jesus Christ, and even supplied him with his own help, they were totally confused just as many are today.
Jesus Christ wins every battle with Satan by the Holy Ghost and by His Word of Truth!
Jesus Christ does not need Satan's help to save the "lost"!
*****Mar 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mar 3:26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
We have seen the results of broken homes in our own society every day in the actions of our young people.
There is a complete lack of authority. Satan knows this!
Parents have little hope of support and security from their children because in our societies the children still depend on the parents and the government to support themselves. Satan knows this!
There is no bond of affection when brothers hate brothers, and sisters hate sisters. Satan knows this!
Houses divided against themselves cannot stand!
The Church of today is weak because the church is dividing itself against itself.
Satan knows this and continues to cause havoc in our homes and not in his own house!
*****Mar 3:27 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.
Humans are just "goods" to be used, in the eyes of Satan!
Something he can use as weapons against God.
The destruction of human beings is meaningless to him, in fact Satan insists on the destruction of each and every human being before they get to know Jesus!
Jesus Christ shows that He casts out demons by a much greater force than the limited power of Satan!
Satan has built a great house but where is his power?
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against "the wiles" of the devil.
That word "wiles" means his "trickery"!
Satan has a plan of "deception"!
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan studies the Word of God.
Satan desires to exalt himself above God.
Satan traps new converts through deceit.
Satan has a burning anger and a great wrath aimed toward God.
Satan shows his boldness by even trying to tempt Jesus Christ.
Satan hates all Christians and a Christian is only named if they be like Christ Jesus!
But Satan knows his end:
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Those that follow Christ Jesus are eternal because it is only Our Lord who can bind the strong man!
*****Mar 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
The Holy Spirit can be quenched:
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit can be grieved:
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
But the Holy Spirit can also be blasphemed against!
Jesus Christ had made Himself known to the nation of Israel through His teaching of the Old Testament scriptures.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Through His teaching of the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God and through His miracles.
But what had God said?
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: [I will put my spirit upon him], and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Jesus Christ had the Spirit of God upon Him!
Jesus taught with the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God!
To say that Jesus did these things in the power of Beelzebub was calling God a liar and blaspheming the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven!
There is only one sin that will surely send us to Hell and later to the Burning Lake of Fire!
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
We must believe on all the works of Jesus Christ to be saved and this is includes the acknowledgement that the Lord Jesus worked through the power of the Holy Spirit!
To put this so we can understand it:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
We cannot just up and decide to be saved!
We will never believe on the Lord Jesus Christ without Holy Ghost conviction!
It is the Holy Spirit that will lead us to Jesus Christ that we may believe and be saved!
To blaspheme the Holy Spirit can then be equivalent to not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which is the only means of salvation!
How did they blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
*****Mar 3:30 Because they said, "He hath an unclean spirit".
The Holy Spirit will always lead us to Jesus:
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Jesus had the Holy Spirit of God, "not" some unclean spirit of this world!
*****Mar 3:31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
Mar 3:32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
We know that The Lord Jesus had been born to the Virgin Mary but after her marriage to Joseph, who had also accepted that Mary's child was of the Holy Ghost, she and Joseph had had other children.
Since Joseph is not mentioned it could be that he was not alive at this time but we do know if this true!
The true "Father" of Jesus was God Himself!
But Jesus was also part of an earthly family!
Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
The family of Jesus did not believe on Him at this time and would not until He was risen from the grave!
They had come to take Jesus home but they were not brave enough to go to Him in person but had sent a messenger.
And how did the Lord respond to this messenger and all those around Him?
*****Mar 3:33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Mar 3:34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mar 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
The Lord Jesus has just been accused of being in league with the Devil!
He has not been able to eat because of the crowd!
His earthly family had not been a part of His ministry and had not bothered Him up to now!
Jesus takes this time to say "let me tell you about my real family".
Jesus had come as written in the Old Testament, to obey the will of God!
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
So, all who are also willing to accept the written Word of God will be kin to Him!
By natural birth we are all the "children of disobedience"!
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
We are all the children of Adam:
Rom 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners", so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
To become the children of obedience calls for a new birth:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
When we are re-birthed we are then in the family of God and escaped from the corruption of this world:
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be included in the Family of God!
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Questions?
Let's Pray!
"Abused, Loved, and Hated"
Book of Mark 3:1-35
We must always stay focused on Jesus Christ in our lives but what we should remember here is that, Jesus is training the future Apostles who will begin the Church after His ascension back to Heaven to be the "Intercessor".
Jesus has said that "The Sabbath Was Made For Man" and He will continue with this training!
In fact His entire "Creation" was made for mankind!
We should also be able to see that, who the world considers unworthy, are the very ones God chooses to take His ministry to in this world!
We should not miss seeing the friction that has been growing between The Lord Jesus and the religious leaders of the Jews.
We should see these 3 things:
1) God's servants are often misunderstood by their friends and their family, we will see that today.
2) The super religious will say that the work of Jesus was influenced by Satan, we will see that today.
3) The popularity of Jesus sometimes drew the wrong crowd, we will see that throughout His ministry.
This clash with false religion (all religions that refuse the Lord Jesus Christ as God in the flesh) would not end at the Cross as they had hoped but will continue until the Second Coming of Our Lord!
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh "is not of God": and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and "even now already is it in the world".
So let's hear Jesus as He returns to the synagogue.
Mat 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
*****Mar 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
It is probable that this synagogue is the one in Capernaum.
Three times already, Jesus or His disciples have done something that was counted as "working" on the Sabbath.
It would have been very hard to not see the healing of Peter's mother in law as life threatening.
It would have been hard to deny that men needed food as the disciples had passed through that corn field.
It would have very hard to deny that anyone did not need relief from evil spirits.
But a withered hand could not be seen as these other miracles, which by the way, the only work Jesus had done was "to speak" and they were healed.
As the "great fever" was in "type" of how sin can affect our Soul.
And as "the evil spirit" was in "type" of how sin can ruin our testimony.
And as "the corn" was in "type" of how sin will dominate our flesh without the true "bread of life".
The "withered hand" is in "type" of how sin can keep us from using our God-given skills to be used of the Lord.
But the hand not only represents work, but just as important, it represents fellowship and generosity(charity)!
We can also see that Christ Jesus honored the synagogue(house of God) as a place intended to worship Jehovah God but these religious Jews had made it a place useless in the work of the Lord.
Most synagogues of that day made hypocrites rather than disciples!
*****Mar 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
In the eyes of these super religious men, Christ Jesus, The Lord of the Sabbath, just did not observe the Sabbath the proper way!
It should be said that there is never a time nor a day when it should be considered evil to do good but we are living in that day now!
God gave us instructions for this:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
"It is not in our hands to change anything that God says"!
God says what He says and He means exactly what He says!
"The Word Of God is not open to private interpretation"!
In verse one the Greek word "anthropos" was used for the English phrase "a man". This word tells
that this person was described as a "human being" as opposed to "a man or a woman" and we should consider this when we get to verse 4.
We should just imagine how every eye of false religion was focused on Jesus to see what He was about to do.
It is very possible that this "human being" with the whithered hand had been brought into this synagogue as a means to try to trap the Lord Jesus. These were devious people!
Their zeal and legalism both degraded this person and the Sabbath!
We should also remember that profaning the Sabbath was a capitol offence with the penalty being death!
Num 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Num 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
So Jesus said:
*****Mar 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
We should see that the Lord Jesus Christ was not intimidated by these super religious people and we already know that Our Lord could break any of the commandments and then go to the cross, as His death would have been to pay for His own sin!
Jesus could have easily have told this man just to come by Peter's house the next day but Jesus refused to give in to false teaching!
Every man standing behind a pulpit and every teacher of God's Word need to take a look at what Jesus did!
We simply cannot be intimidated by so called things that contradict the truth of the Bible!
One of the greatest problems in the Church today is how "evolution" has influenced so many against Creation as described by Moses in the Book of Genesis.
The next enemy of the Church is the movement of Church "to modernize it's thinking", which simply means the Church is wrong about abortion and wrong about the gay lifestyle.
Well the Bible is not wrong about these things!
Sin is an abomination to the Lord and these things are just sin along with anything else that goes against the Word of God. But these things can be forgiven and every "Born Again" child of God is to walk away from these things along with all other sin.
This can only happen through Jesus Christ!
Jesus said "Stand Forth"!
Stand: The Greek word "egeiro" means get your act together.
Forth: The Greek word "eis" (ice) and "mesos" meant "Come to Me".
Jesus teaches us that if we want to change our circumstances, we need to come forth to Him!
Had this "human being" not have stood forth, he would not have been healed, but he did.
We must be willing to leave our old life behind in order to meet the Lord Jesus on His terms!
When we step forth to meet Jesus, the world will focus it's attention on us.
In America today the Christian is named with the terrorist!
*****Mar 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Jesus asks, just how well do you know what Moses wrote?
It was never lawful to do evil, on the Sabbath or on any other day!
It was never lawful to murder on the Sabbath or any other day!
It is always lawful to do good and save lives on the Sabbath and any other day!
This was the point Jesus was making. The Sabbath was just another day!
The problem was not the law of the Sabbath!
The problem comes when we do not realize that Jesus is also Lord of the Sabbath!
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
They held their peace because they had no answer to the question, but to agree, and they certainly were not going to agree with Jesus!
Does Jesus show emotion?
Can we get angry and not sin, here is an example?
Then Jesus got angry at their silence:
*****Mar 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
So called Holy and Righteous men only watched Jesus but it was they that had sin in their hearts!
Not one of these men had any sympathy nor compassion for this "human being" with the withered hand!
This person to them, was just another unclean person that had no business in Jewish society and certainly no business in the house of God!
Not one of these men could see the miracle, they could only see one of their precious rules abused!
Jesus makes no special announcement!
Jesus does nothing to draw the attention of the crowd!
Jesus does not say look at what I'm about to do!
Jesus just tells this human being to show the world his no longer withered hand!
Jesus had again done "no work" but had only "done good"!
This simple act of healing by Jesus, was the last straw in the eyes of the Pharisees:
*****Mar 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
What is hatred?
Hatred is one of the works of the flesh that will keep one out of Heaven!
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, "hatred", variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
In fact in the eyes of God, hatred is the same as "murder"!
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Anyone, as these Pharisees, that say they love God but then show hatred are also liars!
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Who are these Herodians?
The Herodians were a Jewish political party who sympathized with all the Herodian rulers. Just as the Pharisees, these Herodians were a group of little men who thought they were very big in the society of that day!
They were more a religious party that they were a religious sect like these Pharisees.
The Pharisees had very little in common with the Herodians until this day that they plotted to kill the Lord Jesus Christ!
To "destroy" meant not only to "murder" the Lord Jesus but it also meant to try "to erase" any history and memory of Him, which is still being tried today!
We know that they failed at both these things!
*****Mar 3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
Mar 3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
We can see two things here:
1) These people lived in misery in a place where they had little hope of things improving. If not they would have stayed at home.
2) They had heard that there may just be an answer. They heard that maybe there was hope after all and that hope was called "Jesus Christ"!
Hearing was not enough, their condition needed immediate attention, so they sought out The Lord.
C H Spurgeon wrote:
a) Jesus' name invites them;
b) His power encourages them;
c) His character allured them;
d) His preparations compelled them.
What were the results?
*****Mar 3:9 And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
Mar 3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
Jesus had the power of God and all He need do was speak and it was fulfilled, yet Our Lord is so attuned to His surroundings that He could accept the loan of a boat.
He could also accept a drink of water from a woman of questionable behavior.
He could also accept a few fishes for nourishment.
He could also accept money from those that ministered to Him.
But, the Lord Jesus will also accept each and everyone that calls on His name into the family of God!
And, He will also accept each and every believer's personal sacrifice for His ministry!
Jesus is first Savior and then Healer, and those that stay away from the Lord Jesus are just "foolish"!
*****Mar 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
Mar 3:12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Wherever the work of the Lord is being done we should never assume that mankind will be the only audience.
Satan does his best to hide from mankind but he cannot hide his character!
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Unclean spirits are not the only things out of sight of the average man:
Who can see into the depth's of the Seas?
Who can see bacteria without the most powerful microscope?
Who can see the outer reaches of space or the backside of the sun?
Who can see the angels that are all around us?
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
These angels watch over God's children.
But these unclean spirits promote the ways of worldliness!
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
*****Mar 3:13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
Mar 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Mar 3:15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
In all these things Jesus Christ was doing, He was also training the 12 disciples!
As Jesus was rejected from the synagogues, He chose "His own creation" as the place to continue His ministry!
When Jesus went up on this mountain, He completed the choosing of the 12 disciples.
You see God has "a design" that cannot be altered!
Why 12?
What do we already know?
1) There were 12 sons of Jacob.
2) There were 12 princes of the children of Israel.
3) There were 12 wells at the fountains of Elim.
4) There were 12 stones in the breastplate of Aaron.
5) There were 12 loaves of the shewbread.
6) There were the 12 spies sent into Canaan.
7) 12 stones of the altar.
8) 12 stones taken out of the River Jordan.
9) 12 oxen supported the Brazen Laver in Solomon's Temple.
10) 12 stars in the crown of the woman in the Book of Revelation.
11) 12 foundations of New Jerusalem.
12) 12 Gates of New Jerusalem.
As the 12 tribes of the Old Testament were the beginning of the Old Testament Church, the 12 Apostles will begin the New Testament Church and together they make 24:
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Just as God is the God of Israel, He is also God of His entire Creation!
These 12 were sent to preach the "Gospel".
These 12 were given the "authority" to heal and cast out devils.
They did not have that power within them selves!
That power is only in the Lord!
Who were these 12 of the New Testament?
*****Mar 3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
Mar 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mar 3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
Mar 3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
Jesus laid the groundwork for the building of the new Testament Church with these 12 men and yes Judas Iscariot is included in the plan of God's design.
He has his purpose and he also had the same freedom to choose!
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon "the foundation of the apostles" and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
It was these 12 men who were to equip each believer:
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The Church cannot mature without following the teaching of the Apostles:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
What is the Christian unity of the "faith"?
1) Oneness of Faith, in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Oneness of knowledge, the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
3) Oneness in seeking to become perfect men, in Jesus Christ.
The Church that gets away from the basic foundation of the Church will fail because Christ Jesus must remain the Head of the "Cornerstone" on which that foundation was laid!
Mark passes by the sermon on the mount given by Matthew and Luke and just mentions that Jesus and the 12 went back to the house, probably Peter's house.
And what happens again in Peter's house?
*****Mar 3:20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
The opposition to the Lord Jesus now acts like "a virus" and begins to spread.
It had been increasing with Jesus' enemies but now it would come also from His friends and family.
We sometimes forget that Jesus had a family that raised Him in the Jewish way.
His family also honored the Laws of Moses.
Jesus would also have had some friends whom He would have grown up with.
On this day the crowd was a particular nuisance.
These crowds were always seeking their own satisfaction, and ignored the needs of Our Lord.
Jesus had a prayer life that He would not ignore!
Jesus needed time with the 12 which He would not ignore!
Jesus had come to us "in a body of flesh" that felt the same needs as any of us would have, and that body required nourishment!
But you see this was God's training ground!
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; "but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin".
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There was never a day that Jesus did not express sympathy and tender regard for all those that came to Him!
Many had come to Jesus truly suffering but we can be sure many had come to the Lord just caught up in their own follies of life, with it's dailey sins and prejudices.
Jesus was surrounded by these types most of the days of His life but He always showed compassion!
Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he
himself also is compassed with infirmity.
On this day His family and his childhood friends thought they could help Him before all these things drove Him mad:
*****Mar 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
No doubt the popularity of Jesus had reached His home and his own family and they went to Him to see if they could get Him to go back home and forget His ministry.
Remember none of the half-brothers of Jesus believed on Him at this time:
Joh 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
They said surely our brother Jesus had gone mad, calling Himself the Son of Man, The Messiah.
The Apostle Paul also taught in many ways like Jesus and even he to was said to be mad.
Act 26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
But just before they arrive we get to learn, "What is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit".
*****Mar 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
What is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit?
Blasphemy is normally thought of as being rendered against God the Father:
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, [to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven].
Jesus Christ Himself was also blasphemed:
Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, [If thou be Christ], save thyself and us.
And the Holy Spirit can be blasphemed!
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit takes place when the "work" that Jesus did on this Earth is said to have happened by Satan's power!
The Holy Spirit had already borne witness to the work of Jesus Christ as being from Our Father in Heaven.
1Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Let's now see this as it takes place:
*****Mar 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
We now get to meet the super religious men from Jerusalem.
They say Jesus is a possessed man but only possessed by Beelzebub.
Beelzebub is another name for Satan!
It is this Beelzebub that was considered the prince of all demons!
"Zebul" means "dwelling" and the lord of the lower world(hell):
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Who takes up his own dwelling in human bodies:
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Jesus did not respond with His emotions and Jesus did not respond with anger.
Jesus uses this opportunity to teach and Jesus tells us one of His parables to teach the 12 He had chosen, which also included Judas the betrayer:
*****Mar 3:23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
We will see that Jesus has no difficulty at all in putting aside this absurd theory "that to destroy the kingdom of evil, He has to be a servant of that same evil and it's evil ruler!
Jesus acknowledges that there is a Devil!
Jesus acknowledges that the Devil treats every human being as his own personal goods.
So, if Satan cast out himself, he is then his own enemy!
If we cannot be friends with Jesus Christ, then we are friends with His enemy!
*****Mar 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
This verse describes the act of civil war.
There are no winners in civil war!
America is a great nation and has survived it's civil war but there are still deep scars from that time.
Slavery was extremely wrong and civil men should have found a solution without brother killing brother.
But even deeper than that "either we are united or we are not", we must be the United States of America!
What could America have been without this war having taken place?
There can be little doubt that Satan has setup a kingdom of sin in our world.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The entire purpose and design of the "Gospel" is to over throw this kingdom of Satan.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus Christ defeated this kingdom at the "Cross":
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
It is through the "Cross", the shed blood of Jesus, where we can have our own victory over Satan's kingdom!
2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Satan would never divide his own kingdom to battle with the Lord!
If these scribes and Pharisee believed that Satan gets any pleasure out of seeing the destruction of his own works, by Jesus Christ, and even supplied him with his own help, they were totally confused just as many are today.
Jesus Christ wins every battle with Satan by the Holy Ghost and by His Word of Truth!
Jesus Christ does not need Satan's help to save the "lost"!
*****Mar 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mar 3:26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
We have seen the results of broken homes in our own society every day in the actions of our young people.
There is a complete lack of authority. Satan knows this!
Parents have little hope of support and security from their children because in our societies the children still depend on the parents and the government to support themselves. Satan knows this!
There is no bond of affection when brothers hate brothers, and sisters hate sisters. Satan knows this!
Houses divided against themselves cannot stand!
The Church of today is weak because the church is dividing itself against itself.
Satan knows this and continues to cause havoc in our homes and not in his own house!
*****Mar 3:27 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.
Humans are just "goods" to be used, in the eyes of Satan!
Something he can use as weapons against God.
The destruction of human beings is meaningless to him, in fact Satan insists on the destruction of each and every human being before they get to know Jesus!
Jesus Christ shows that He casts out demons by a much greater force than the limited power of Satan!
Satan has built a great house but where is his power?
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against "the wiles" of the devil.
That word "wiles" means his "trickery"!
Satan has a plan of "deception"!
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan studies the Word of God.
Satan desires to exalt himself above God.
Satan traps new converts through deceit.
Satan has a burning anger and a great wrath aimed toward God.
Satan shows his boldness by even trying to tempt Jesus Christ.
Satan hates all Christians and a Christian is only named if they be like Christ Jesus!
But Satan knows his end:
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Those that follow Christ Jesus are eternal because it is only Our Lord who can bind the strong man!
*****Mar 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
The Holy Spirit can be quenched:
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit can be grieved:
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
But the Holy Spirit can also be blasphemed against!
Jesus Christ had made Himself known to the nation of Israel through His teaching of the Old Testament scriptures.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Through His teaching of the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God and through His miracles.
But what had God said?
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: [I will put my spirit upon him], and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Jesus Christ had the Spirit of God upon Him!
Jesus taught with the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God!
To say that Jesus did these things in the power of Beelzebub was calling God a liar and blaspheming the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven!
There is only one sin that will surely send us to Hell and later to the Burning Lake of Fire!
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
We must believe on all the works of Jesus Christ to be saved and this is includes the acknowledgement that the Lord Jesus worked through the power of the Holy Spirit!
To put this so we can understand it:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
We cannot just up and decide to be saved!
We will never believe on the Lord Jesus Christ without Holy Ghost conviction!
It is the Holy Spirit that will lead us to Jesus Christ that we may believe and be saved!
To blaspheme the Holy Spirit can then be equivalent to not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ which is the only means of salvation!
How did they blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
*****Mar 3:30 Because they said, "He hath an unclean spirit".
The Holy Spirit will always lead us to Jesus:
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Jesus had the Holy Spirit of God, "not" some unclean spirit of this world!
*****Mar 3:31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
Mar 3:32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
We know that The Lord Jesus had been born to the Virgin Mary but after her marriage to Joseph, who had also accepted that Mary's child was of the Holy Ghost, she and Joseph had had other children.
Since Joseph is not mentioned it could be that he was not alive at this time but we do know if this true!
The true "Father" of Jesus was God Himself!
But Jesus was also part of an earthly family!
Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
The family of Jesus did not believe on Him at this time and would not until He was risen from the grave!
They had come to take Jesus home but they were not brave enough to go to Him in person but had sent a messenger.
And how did the Lord respond to this messenger and all those around Him?
*****Mar 3:33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
Mar 3:34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mar 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
The Lord Jesus has just been accused of being in league with the Devil!
He has not been able to eat because of the crowd!
His earthly family had not been a part of His ministry and had not bothered Him up to now!
Jesus takes this time to say "let me tell you about my real family".
Jesus had come as written in the Old Testament, to obey the will of God!
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
So, all who are also willing to accept the written Word of God will be kin to Him!
By natural birth we are all the "children of disobedience"!
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
We are all the children of Adam:
Rom 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners", so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
To become the children of obedience calls for a new birth:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
When we are re-birthed we are then in the family of God and escaped from the corruption of this world:
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be included in the Family of God!
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Questions?
Let's Pray!
