For the first time in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus turns His attention to the religious leadership directly, and does not back down.

Here is the video link:

Mark 3:7-35

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Here is the transcript today’s podcast was based on:

Mark 3:7-35

The Battle is Joined

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 

God originally intended Israel to be a light to the nations. This is now fulfilled in Jesus, God’s servant (Isa 42:6; see note on 1:11), as his fame spreads for the first time into the neighboring nations.

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

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9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 

A posture of defeat (cf. Ps 72:9; Mic 7:17). Jesus, having already defeated Satan, was the unclean spirits’ master. Son of God. See note on 1:1. In stark contrast to Jesus’ obstinate human opponents, the impure spirits, at the mere sight of Jesus, confess what God had already declared concerning him.

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Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

I am wondering if this next step in developing those who would become Apostles (excepting Judas, of course) was predicated on the fact that in the midst of the huge crowds that were beginning to enter on Jesus these original disciples were getting lost in the midst of those crowds. I think there is a lesson here about being very intentional with the influence we have in our lives. Don’t just expect folks in your periphery to just get whatever it is you are teaching or displaying. Be intentional, and select those you will focus on. Everybody who followed Jesus was hearing His teachings, but these twelve original disciples were given more contact, more “insider” information, more explanations and instructions than the crowd received.

 

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

Perhaps refers to Jesus’ provocative actions and blasphemous claims to authority (e.g., 2:1—3:6). Notwithstanding Mary’s angelic visitation (Luke 1:30–38), Jesus’ family seeks to restrain him both for his own sake and for the family’s reputation. (John the Baptist was also in danger of being offended by Jesus [cf. Matt 11:2–6).

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

Concerns about Jesus’ words and deeds lead to a climactic confrontation for the first time, with officials from Jerusalem (vv. 21–30). It centers on Jesus’ astonishing authority over the demons. The accusation by Jerusalem’s teachers of the law that Jesus is demon-possessed marks a decisive turning point, prompting Mark’s first explicit reference to Jesus speaking in parables (v. 23) and a severe warning about blasphemy (vv. 28–29).

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: 

The official delegation from Jerusalem were publicly saying that Jesus had to be demon possessed, and that the power He was displaying ( for the record, they were not denying that these displays of power were not real – they were just denying that the power came from God) was from Satan himself. When He heard this (and they might have been purposefully saying this in His Presence to provoke Him), He made a point of calling them “out” and speaking to them directly. This was a public debate  – for the first time – between Jesus and the religious leaders of Judaism. His response was in the form of a parable – which is a verbal construct that contains a puzzle to solve in order to understand the truth being communicated. In the following parable, Jesus is equating the world (which includes Israel) as a strong man’s house (Satan being the strong man), which He enters and plunders (saving those imprisoned in that strong man’s house) the house.

“How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 

After this parable, Jesus then makes a rather frightening statement. It appears to me that Jesus is drawing a line in the sand, in effect saying that if you cross this line there is no going back.

28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Either (1) they are cutting themselves off from the only source of forgiveness by rejecting Jesus, or (2) their identifying what is so obviously from God with Satan is so blasphemous that God will never forgive it (e.g., 1 Sam 3:13–14), or (3) both.

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

It is amazing to me that at least at this moment, Jesus’ blood related family (His mother and half-brothers), were not believing in what He was saying about Himself and His current ministry. In verse 21, we saw that they thought he needed to help and were coming to “take charge of Him”. It appears they thought He was being overwhelmed and perhaps even the things He was saying abut Himself appeared (to them) to be evidence He was losing His mind!

Sometimes those who should be closest to you are, in fact, miles away from understanding who you are and why you are doing what you are doing. I remember that shortly after I became a Believer, my own mother asked me to tone down what I was saying about my new-found faith. She didn’t get it then… later she did, but at that moment, not so much.

Be Blessed!

Paige