Mark 3:13–35

Review…

• Mark – the Gospel to the Gentiles – showing Jesus as the servant of all – Mark 10:45
• Mark 1:1-13 – The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
  • The Gospel – Good News of salvation – is all about Jesus Christ!
  • John the Baptist came preparing the way for Jesus… Jesus came to John to be baptized…
  • Mark 1:14-45 – Jesus’ minsitry in Galilee
  • The message of Jesus’ ministry… repent and believe in the Gospel
  • The power of Jesus ministry… power over the spiritual / physical / sin
  • Mark 2:1-22 – Challenge of the Scribes and Pharisees…
  • 1^st challenge – You sins are forgiven – the healing of the Paralytic man…
  • 2^nd challenge – Eating with sinners – If you are sick you go to the doctor…
  • 3^rd challenge – Fasting? – not during the wedding! – Not righteous by our works
  • Old vs. New – The Old Covenant gone – Jesus was establishing the New Covenant of Grace
  • Mark 2:1-23 – 3:6… Still on the attack – the Sabbath
  • Breaking the Sabbath – the disciples ‘harvested’ corn to eat…
    • Man was not made for the Sabbath – but the Sabbath was made for man – day of rest
    • Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath – the Sabbath was a shadow meant to point to Jesus!
  • Healing on the Sabbath – the man with a lame hand…
    • The religious leaders put their ‘rules’ above the welfare of a man
    • If it right to do good or evil on the Sabbath – better to do good – heal!
  • The 12… vs. 13-19
  • All night in Prayer…
  • The Apostles were not chosen lightly –Jesus spent all night in prayer to decide – Luke 6:13
  • Chosen so He might send them out to preach – to have power over sickness / spiritual
    • Sent out – Apostollo…
      • The word ‘sent’ is literally – Apostle – one who is sent (missions)
      • I love this – often when we think of missions we think of foreign countries
      • Yet Jesus here sends out the Apostles to their own country
      • God prayerful chose us – so that He could send us out to share the Gospel!
      • Not necessarily to other countries – it can be to your backyard – to your neighbor!
      • People need to know about Jesus – how can they know if we don’t tell them
    • Sent out with power…
      • Jesus had shown the disciples He had power over the spiritual / sickness / sin
      • Now He would send them out with that same power…
      • John 14:12 – “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.”
      • God sends us out in power – so we might do even greater works than He did…
      • What could be greater than healing / casting out demons / raising the dead…
      • If you heal – they will get sick again / if you raise the dead – they die again one day
      • The greater work – is giving the Gospel – bringing eternal life that never fades away
  • The 12 Apostles…
  • The Apostles names are listed 4 times in the New Testament…
    • Mark 3:13-19 / Luke 6:12-16 / Acts 1:13
    • In all 4 lists Peter is first and Judas is last (he is missing – dead – in Acts 1:13)
  • The names of the 12…
    • Simon Peter – Simeon means to hear / Peter means rock
      • The most unstable/emotional of all the disciples
      • The one who walked on water – and sank / the one who denied Jesus
      • But Jesus knew he would become – by a work of Grace – a rock – unmovable!
    • Andrew – Manly – macho (brother of Peter)
      • Previously a disciple of John the Baptist – left John to follow after Jesus
      • We often read of him brining people to Jesus / Andrew brought Peter to Jesus
    • James – (Jacob) heal catcher – dirty sneaky thief (brother of John)
    • John – God is gracious (James and John were the sons of Zebedee)
      • Sons of Thunder – Should we call down fire – Luke 9:54
        • We often think of John being the Apostle of Love – A gentle man…
        • Jesus called him and James the Sons of Thunder!
        • They wanted to cook a village cause they refused to let them enter
      • The inner core – the 3… Peter/James/John
        • The 3 always seemed to be with Jesus… Even when no one else was
        • Resurrection of the little girl / Mount of Transfiguration / Garden of Gethsemane
        • Especially in light of how they were used after the resurrection
        • The assumption is that they were special – more important…
        • I don’t think they were special… I think they were “special”…
        • If you have kids who always get into trouble – where are they?
        • Jesus kept them close – because they always got into trouble
    • Philip – Lover of horses (from Bethsaida – town of Peter and Andrew)
    • Nathaniel called Bartholomew – Gift of God (companion of Philip)
    • Thomas – the twin (best know for doubting the resurrection of Jesus)
    • Matthew – Gift of Yahweh (the tax customs agent of Capernaum)
    • James the son of Alpheus – the 2^nd of the Apostles named James
    • Judas the brother of James is called Lebbaeus – also called Thaddaeus
      • Both names for Judas mean – large or big hearted…
    • Simeon – the Zealot it called Simon the Canaanite (same word in Hebrew)
      • The zealots were a violent group who wanted to overthrow Roman rule
    • Judas Iscariot – the one who would ultimately betray Jesus…
  • Not who you would expect…
  • So the disciples were…
    • Peter (whom denied Jesus) and his brother Andrew, James and John (the Sons of Thunder), Philip and Nathaniel (both friends of Peter and Andrew), Thomas (who doubted), Matthew (who was a corrupt customs agent), the brothers James and Judas (who apparently was big hearted), Simeon (who wanted to overthrow Roman rule of Israel), and Judas (the one who betrayed Jesus)!
    • Quite the list – if you saw them walking down the street…
    • You might cross to the other side to avoid them!
    • Yet it was these men that God used – these were the disciples of Jesus
    • The men that God called to start the church – to bring the Gospel to the World!
  • Not the ones we would have chosen…
    • If I was to pick 12 men to disciple and teach to reach out and change the world
    • I would pick the best, the brightest, the richest, the most popular…
    • I would pick movie stars, politicians, the wealthy, the best educated…
  • The VERY ordinary…
    • The Apostles were from nowhere – from the province – from the “Bukid”…
      • They weren’t from great cities of the world – “Europe or the US”…
      • They were from the little province of Judea – no one important came from Judea
      • They weren’t even from the capitol Jerusalem – they were from a small village
    • They were nothing extraordinary – “tubo workers / tricycle drivers”…
      • They weren’t the best educated (or perhaps educated at all)
      • They were not the influential, the wealthy, handsome, or powerful…
      • They were ordinary fishermen, sinners, and the like
      • The very last people you would ever expect God would (could) use!
  • Not the ones you would expect…
    • Yet they are ones God choose to use to turn the whole world right side up!
    • You might be thinking that God could never use you…
    • Thinking that you don’t have the right education – you have no money
    • You might think you’re only from the Bukid – not famous or influential…
    • What you may not realize is that you just gave yourself the same qualifications…
    • As the very disciples that Jesus choose to use to transform the World!
    • God wants to use you – not just to reach this community – but the world!
  • Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit… vs. 20-30
  • The challenge… vs. 20-21
  • It was at this point Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5-7
    • Not recorded in the book of Mark – focused on the actions not teachings of Jesus
    • When He was done He returned to a house (likely Simon Peter’s home)
    • There a great multitude gathered around – so they could not even eat food!
  • The Scribes come down from Jerusalem – completely opposed to Jesus by this point…
    • Matthew 12 tell us Jesus had just healed a man who was blind and mute
    • A miracle such as had never been seen in Israel – many therefore believed in Him…
    • The Scribes were compelled to answer how Jesus could have performed this miracle
    • So they credited Jesus’ power to satan (beelzebub) the ruler of demons…
  • A Kingdom Divided… vs. 22-27
  • Jesus answered them in parables – can satan cast out satan…
    • Every house kingdom, house, even satan – if divided – will not stand
      • If a nation goes to war with itself we call it – a civil war
      • No nation can stand a civil war, its doomed if it doesn’t stop fighting itself
      • The same holds true for a city or even a home – or satan
      • If you are divided within you stand no chance of victory without!
    • If satan casts out satan (logically) – how will his kingdom stand
      • Jesus’ point is that if satan is in the midst of a civil war – he’s doomed
      • What the Scribes were suggesting made no sense – why would satan fight himself…
  • The parable of the Strong Man…
    • You can’t rob the house of a great man – unless you first tie him up
      • Jesus is not working with satan – You would not have to steal from a friend
      • If He was working with satan He could borrow or take whatever He wanted…
    • But if you wanted to steal from a strongman (satan)
      • You would first have to bind him up before you plundered his house…
      • Since Jesus is opposed to satan He has to bind him before He can plunder
      • Plunder – dia-harpazo – through snatching up
      • What is satan’s house – a fallen sinful world
      • How did Jesus bind satan – through the power of the cross
      • What is the plunder that Jesus takes from satan’s house – us!
      • Jesus came to earth to bind satan through the work of the cross so he might save us!
  • For Jesus or Against Jesus… Matthew 12:30
  • In a great twist Jesus turns their own accusation against the Pharisees
    • The Scribes were opposed to Jesus – therefore they were on satan’s side (John 8:44)
    • If you are not for Jesus – then you are against Him…
    • If you are not drawing people to Jesus – then you are scattering them away…
  • There is no grey – there is no middle ground…
    • Often people think that they can stand on the line…
    • They don’t want to believe in Jesus – live for Jesus – but they aren’t against him
    • They think there is some kind of middle ground – not for or against
    • If you are not for Jesus – then you are against Him – there is no middle ground
  • Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit… vs. 28-30
  • Any sin can be forgiven – but the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
  • The unforgiveable sin (what is it?)
    • The Scribes knew that Jesus was from God – but because He threatened their power…
    • The Scribes had credited the work of the Holy Spirit to satan
    • The Scribes had hardened their hears over and over again till they could not believe
    • John 12:39 – “Therefore they could not believe…”
    • Knowing the truth about Jesus – and still rejecting Him – is the unforgivable sin…
  • Practically what does that mean for you and me:
    • If we reject the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives – over and over – hard heart
    • If we refuse to believe in Jesus – to be forgiven of our sins
    • Then there is no hope of salvation for us – there is only one way to heaven – Jesus
    • The unforgivable sin is to die without knowing Jesus as your personal Savior!
  • Jesus’ Family… vs. 31-35
  • Mother, Brothers…
  • Mary and Jesus’ brothers come looking for Jesus…
    • Word of Jesus’ encounter with the Scribes was getting around…
    • Concerned for His well being (perhaps even life) his family came to ‘save’ Him
    • Mark 3:21 – “But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind’.”
    • Rather than going with them – or even talking to them – He raises the question…
    • Who are my Mother and Brother?
    • This was not to insult his earthly mother or brothers – but to teach a truth…
  • Jesus looked around and said – here are my Mother and My brothers!
    • The relationship – bond – in the Body of Christ – can be even closer than family
    • Perhaps you’ve noticed – brothers and sisters in the Lord closer even than family
    • The bond we have in Jesus – the love of Jesus – making us part of the family of God!
  • Those who do the will of my Father in Heaven…
    • Jesus calls us his family – and he calls us to do the will of our Father in heaven…
    • God has chosen us – not because we are the best or the brightest…
    • But because we are regular ordinary people – sent to go out and share the Gospel
    • Sent out to a world (starting in our backyard) that needs to hear…
    • Hear there is no middle ground – you are either for Jesus or against him
    • Tell someone today – give them the hope – tell them about the Love of Jesus!