Last week we began to answer the question: who is the kingdom of God for? We saw that the kingdom isn’t for the emotional, the uncommitted, or the familiar. The kingdom is for those whom the Spirit calls by God’s grace. Today, we have another answer to this question: the kingdom of God is not for those who reject the work of the Holy Spirit. To see this, let’s read Mark 3:22-30 together. From this passage, consider two points today. The Binding of Satan and the Blasphemy of the Spirit.
First, in verses 22-27 we find the Binding of Satan. Yet again, we find Jesus embroiled in another controversy that is fomented by the scribes and Pharisees. This time, Mark tells us that Jesus is in Jerusalem (probably in the temple). The scribes see his power in casting out demons, and they accuse him of having a demon himself. They say he has the power to heal and read minds and calm storms and cast out demons because he is “possessed by Beelzebul.” This was a regular objection raised by the Jews, even into the 6th century. The Talmud refers to Jesus as a sorcerer that led Israel astray. Notice what exactly they are claiming. Beelzebul means, literally, “Lord of the house” or “Lord of the temple”, and it refers to an ancient Mesopotamian god. But, by the time of Jesus, this name came to refer to Satan. You see this in the fact that the scribes go on to say, “by the prince of demons (that’s Satan) he casts out demons.”
Jesus answers this question with a question, and then he gives three masterful parables. First, he answers by asking, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” It’s a reasonable question: what sort of strategy is it to start an internal fight while trying to fight an external enemy? Many wars are lost because there is division among the military leadership, or there is an internal revolt. So, why would Satan prevent the work of his minions by casting them out?
Jesus then extends this answer with three parables. In verse 24, he gives the example of a divided kingdom. No kingdom that is divided can stand. This is, after all, the call of the American revolution: “United we stand, divided we fall.” In verse 25 he gives a second parable. If a house is divided, it cannot stand. We see this every week it seems, as relationships break down and divorces are filed because a home is divided. Then, in verse 27, he gives a profound third parable. I say this parable is profound because of its poetry and what it reveals. First, consider how poetic this statement is. Jesus gives a scenario in which a house is plundered because the intruders first bound the strong man. At face value, this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the other two parables, or with the issue of casting out demons by the power of Satan. Instead, it seems that Jesus is flipping things around. Remember, Beelzebul means “Lord of the House”, or, you might say, “Strong man of the house.” And, remember, Jesus and the scribes are in Jerusalem, the city of God, where the temple is. So, in this statement, Jesus has now turned things around on them. Jesus, like an intruder, has entered the strong man’s house, readying himself to bind and plunder.
This statement is revealing of Jesus’s plans for Satan. In casting out demons, Jesus is binding the strong man. He is diminishing the influence of Satan so that he may deliver the people of God. But, even further than that, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, where he will be bound, tried, beaten, and crucified. In doing that, he is going into the very house of Satan so that, through his sacrifice and resurrection, he might bind Satan for all of eternity. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, the power of Satan over humanity has been diminished and will ultimately be defeated. Rev. 20:1-3 says, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer…” Through the cross, Satan has been bound and will ultimately be judged. Jesus is right now, through his church, plundering the house of Satan as the Gospel goes out into this community and throughout the world. Pagan temples have turned into churches. Pagan festivals have become Christian holidays. Tools, writings, philosophies, music, art, technologies – all have been plundered by Christians and used for the glory of God. And Satan has no power to stop it.
With that answer, Jesus turns to a rebuke, which leads to my second point – the blasphemy of the Spirit. In verses 28-30, Jesus rebukes the scribes for their unbelief. He does so by offering grace even as he brings condemnation. He starts by giving us grace and hope, and friend, here this clearly – “all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.” As controversial as Jesus’s statements on blasphemy are, do not miss this! Jesus clearly and emphatically proclaims that all sins can and will be forgiven if you would but repent and trust in him. There is not one sin, no matter how terrible, that God will not forgive in Jesus Christ. Do not think, “I have gone beyond the pale and could never be saved.” “All sins will be forgiven!”
But, there is one sin that cannot be forgiven. In considering this sin, we need to dispel some misconceptions. There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the “unforgivable sin.” Some say that it is suicide. I have no idea why, because there is no reference to suicide in the law. Certainly, if someone commits suicide as an unbeliever, they are condemned, but not because of the suicide. And certainly, suicide is a sin because it is self-murder and a reflection of a lack of trust in and dependence on God. But, suicide is not unforgivable. Along with that, many people consider some other sin to be unforgivable, whether it be murder or rape or child abuse. But, Jesus has just said that all sins will be forgiven. So what is this unforgivable sin? Jesus says it clearly, and it is not hard to understand, given the context. Jesus says, “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness.” The mistake that is often made is to lift this verse out of its context. Remember, Jesus is answering the objection of the scribes who said that he was doing miracles by the power of Satan. They weren’t questioning whether he truly was the Son of God. They weren’t asking for more evidence. They were actively and willfully attributing to Satan that which only God can do. Jesus had, by the power of the Spirit, done good things to those who suffered, and instead of praising God and acknowledging that goodness, the scribes called it evil. So, the unforgivable sin is the open, willful rejection of the works of Jesus and the power of the Spirit.
Friend, hear this warning – if you remain in your willful rejection, there is no forgiveness. If you will not repent and trust Jesus, you will face eternal judgment for that sin of rejection. But, if you will turn to Christ, any and every sin can be forgiven. Won’t you turn to him today?
No comments:
Post a Comment