In these days when we are seeing a reversal of values in people’s attitudes throughout the world, we might wonder why that is so and how could we correct it. For example, in recent days we have seen people in western countries refusing to condemn the atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas. One wonders how they could call “good” what was obviously evil.
However, in our gospel reading for today, we can see how that could take place at any time in any part of the world. When some people [the scribes] were faced with perfection, they chose to ignore the obvious and attributed the good Jesus did, to an evil source. It began with the scribes denigrating the person of Jesus.
DENIGRATING THE PERSON OF JESUS. 3:20-21
Mark 3:20 ‘Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”’ The last phrase is also translated as “beside Himself” [KJV] which is one meaning of [existēmi; ἐξίστημι meaning literally to stand beside oneself, to put out of its place; to lose or be out of one’s mind.] In other words, the crowd thought that Jesus wasn’t thinking correctly. They denigrated Him and His ministry. So His family went out to rescue Him.
BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
How The Scribes Saw His Ministry. 3:22
3:22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” [“Possessed” is from echō; ἔχω meaning to hold or possess. Two translations use the words “He has Beelzebul” [HCSB and NRSV] but the majority have “is possessed by” or “controlled by” Beelzebul. Both mean that Jesus was being accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul. In other words they were saying that He was an agent of Satan and was casting out demons by the power of Satan.
How Jesus Showed The Impossibility Of That Charge Being True. 3:23-27
Mk 3:23 “And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”
Jesus answered their criticisms in two ways. Firstly He stated that it was sheer nonsense for them to think that Satan would act against himself. Using the analogies of a kingdom and a house He described how any division within them would weaken them. Secondly, He described how His Ministry was setting people free from the power of Satan. The reason He had power over Satan was that He had bound the strong man, Satan, and people could now be free through His ministry.
THE DANGER OF COMMITTING THE ETERNAL UNFORGIVEABLE SIN. 3:28-29
Mk 3:28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus was saying that every sin humans commit and every blasphemy they utter can be forgiven. The writer to the Hebrews put it like this, 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Jesus’s death paid the penalty for all the sins of the world. So why does He say here that there is a sin that can never be forgiven?
The sin was “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” Jesus spoke of the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8-9, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.” The Holy Spirit would convict people of their sin and especially the sin of not believing in Jesus. Jesus’ opponents obviously did not believe in Him, nor did they respect His ministry, as they saw it coming from an evil source. Mark emphasises this in verse 30 where he wrote, “for they were saying.” This verb is in the imperfect tense meaning that they were continuing to say, ‘he has an unclean spirit.” It wasn’t just a sudden outburst, but an ongoing attitude in their minds expressed in their words. There was no sign that they felt any repentance for what they said. His opponents needed to repent if they were to be forgiven of any sin, especially the sin against the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said to other opponents, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. While Jesus’ opponents refused to believe in Him and to repent of their sins, there was no way they could ever be forgiven. Jesus was later to say that His ministry of casting out demons was by the power of the Holy Spirit, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28.
Jesus’ opponents saw the power of God’s kingdom at work by the Holy Spirit through His ministry and in their bias against Him attributed that power to Satan. They were calling the good that Jesus was doing by the Holy Spirit, coming from an evil source. They were in a sense calling the Holy Spirit evil and that constituted blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
JESUS’ TRUE FAMILY. It is Made Up Of All believers. 3:31-35
When Jesus was told by the crowd that His mother and brothers were outside calling for Him, He raised a question and then answered it with a very precious answer, ‘And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”’ Mark 3:31-35.
Jesus certainly had a human family comprising his mother and his brothers but He also included in His family His followers who were doing the will of God by believing in Him.
What an amazing truth that is, that those who believe in Jesus, are seen by Him as His brothers and sisters in His family.
The writer to the Hebrews expressed this truth in these words, 9 “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 2:9-12.
God brought many sons to glory through Jesus’ suffering leading up to His death. Those who believe in Him become His brothers, members of the family of God. Those who reject Him and the salvation He came to offer, who refuse to repent of their sins, will be excluded from the family of God, forever.
Blog No.551 posted on Wednesday 08 May 2024.
552 JESUS HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. BELIEVERS HAVE TOO! EPHESIANS 1 AND 2
The above title may need some explanation! Surely the emphasis at Easter should be upon Jesus Christ who was crucified on that first Good Friday and rose from the dead on that first Easter morning! Of course it should be. He was the first to rise from the dead and was seen by many in His resurrection appearances. However what we fail to see, even as mature believers, is what God did for us in the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Paul puts it plainly in Ephesians as he describes the resurrection of Jesus and then goes on to show that believers are to see themselves as risen and ascended with Him in His Resurrection and Ascension.
First of all he focusses on Jesus’s resurrection and ascension in Eph 1:19-21, These verses are packed with meaning. We can see that when we examine some of the words used in this passage. There are a large number of words describing God’s power at work in the resurrection of Jesus. If we place the original Greek New Testament word after each of these power words we get some idea as to the power of God involved. For example “what is the immeasurable (huperballō) greatness (megethos) of his power (dunamis) toward us who believe, according to the working (energeia) of his great (kratos) might (ischus) 20 that he worked in (energeō) Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated (kathizō) him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule (archē) and authority (exousia) and power (dunamis) and dominion (kuriotēs), and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”
We might recognise that many of these words are found in English words denoting power or greatness. For example huperballo and hyperbole; megethos and megathon power; dunamis and dynamite; kratos and democracy; energeo and energy; kathizo and cathedral; kuriotes and Kurios the name for the LORD Jesus. Thus Ephresians1 verses 19-21 spell out the immeasurable power of God He used in raising Jesus from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in heaven.
Well, where does the truth behind our title “JESUS HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. BELIEVERS HAVE TOO!” come in?
It actually comes in the next chapter. Eph 2:4-7, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–(6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
What incredible truths lie in these verses. Paul emphasises that in the words he chose to highlight those truths. He describes our unity or identification with Christ using three verbs in particular. The first is “made us alive together with. “ This translates the one Greek word (suzōopoiéō) which is made up of (sún) meaning “together with”, and (zōopoiéō) meaning “to make alive”. The reference is to the fact that when we believed in Christ we were raised from spiritual death to spiritual life through our faith union with Christ.
The second verb is no less spectacular. It is translated (6) “and raised us up with him” . It is the combined word (sunegeírō) which comes from (sún) meaning “together with”, and (egeírō) “to raise” . That is, “to raise together with.” God wants us to understand that our faith union with Christ is such that when He raised up Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up with Him.
The third verb is rather mind-blowing. It is translated as “seated us with him.” Again it is a single combined word (sugkathízō) which is made up of (sún) meaning “together with” and (kathízō) “to set or sit down.” God seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. When God raised Christ to glory at His right hand, He seated us with Him in the heavenlies, through our faith-union with Christ.
So how are we to see ourselves as believers in the light of these verses? Well naturally, I am to see myself typing out this article in my home on the Eastern coast of Australia. A 500 metre walk eastwards could have me stepping into the Pacific Ocean and striking out to sea towards South America. The first part of the vision I have painted is true as I sit in my study. (I have no intention of swimming to South America.)
But God would have me see another vision of myself as a believer. That is sitting now with Christ at His right hand. I don’t feel as though I am sitting there in the heavenlies at the moment but that is what God wants me to believe and act upon.
What does it mean then that we are now “seated with Christ” in the Heavenly places? I think the following may be true.
1). We are in the place of acceptance with God. The Bible teaches that God accepts all those who accept His Son as their Saviour and submit to Him as their Lord. We are accepted in the Beloved. We can never be more accepted than we are now. More useful? Yes! More available? Yes! More committed? Yes! But never more acceptable. God sees us as clothed with the righteousness of Christ, not our own.
2). We are in the place of honour before God. God honours all those who honour His Son. There are few in the world who bother with Jesus at all. Most people ignore Him or reject Him or see Him as irrelevant. I believe the Lord loves those who embrace His Son in love. What higher honour could there possibly ever be than to be exalted to the right hand of God, as Jesus was. AND we are sitting there with Him as we are “in Him.”
3). We are in the place of authority. Our prayers can have power. Jesus has overcome the powers of darkness and we have the victory in Him. We can speak to the powers of darkness from the authority Jesus has delegated to us, to bind or dislodge evil powers. Not in our own strength or power, but only always from the delegated power we have in Him.
So we celebrate another Easter with its wonderful message that Jesus died to take away our sins on Good Friday and rose again from the dead on that first Easter Day, the victor over sin and death and evil. Then we observe His Ascension on Ascension Day [Thursday 9th May in 2024] to remind us of when He rose from the dead, ascended and returned to the Father.
But what joy, what blessing, what a privilege to know that God sees us, not just sitting at our desks in our places of abode but as abiding in Christ, sitting with Him now in the heavenly places. We don’t have to do spiritual or mental gymnastics or soar into the heights of hyper-imagination to make it become real to us. It is real! He has told us so! We should live in such a way by being enlightened and empowered by His Spirit to know His wisdom, to experience His strength and grace and to work out in our everyday lives what He is working within us, to His glory, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12-13)
JESUS HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. BELIEVERS HAVE TOO! IN HIM !
Posted on Sunday 12 May 2024.