Proper 5 Series B notes (Pentecost 3)

 

Proper 5 – Series B
Mark 3:20-35
Study notes
Genesis 3:8–15
2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1

Jesus Has Defeated the Devil and Released Us from the Bondage of Sin and Death

The devil deceived us, enticing us to disregard and disobey the Word of God and driving us to hide “from the presence of the Lord God.” But the Lord, in His mercy, promised a Savior, who would set Himself against the devil on our behalf (Genesis 3:8–15). The Son of Man came, the incarnate Son of God, conceived and born of the woman. He “first binds the strong man,” Satan, by atoning for the sins of the world, thereby removing the condemnation of the Law and the fear of death (Mark 3:27). Now He plunders the devil’s house by calling all men to repent. 

Though He appears to be “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21), He fulfills the will of God and makes of us His own brothers and sisters. Therefore, “we do not lose heart,” despite the suffering, sin and death that we experience in this fallen world. “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus.” By His grace, we are “being renewed day by day.” For the Gospel is daily bringing us into His presence, not for punishment, but for “an eternal weight of glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:14–17).

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29  

Clearly, as quoted in Mark 3:29, Jesus is singling out the unique attitude one is to have toward the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit: …whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.  Jesus paid for all sin by His holy precious blood, so how can any sin be unforgiveable?  To answer this question one must discern the unique work of the Holy Spirit, a work not directly ascribed to the Father or the Son.  

That unique work of the Holy Spirit is the miracle of connecting sinful human beings to the salvation earned by the cross and empty tomb of Jesus.  This conversion miracle is described as “being born of the Spirit,” or “believing in Jesus.”  As recorded in John 3, Jesus explains this miracle of being born of the Spirit:  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit [5,6].  Later in John 3 Jesus explains the results of believing or not believing in Him:  Whoever believes in him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God [18].  Here we see the horrible consequence of not being connected to Christ’s salvation—of not believing in Jesus. Jesus explained that such an unbeliever is condemned already.  Why does such a person stand condemned?  If someone does not believe in Christ’s salvific work, they remain in their sins; there is no forgiveness: unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins [Jn 8:24].

In his Small Catechism, Luther described the foundational work of the Holy Spirit this way:  “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel…”  If it is essential for one’s forgiveness and eternal salvation that one believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and if we are totally incapable of doing this, then one begins to realize why the sin against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable.  To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to reject and profane His person and work.  This can and does happen as one rejects the Gospel by which the Holy Spirit comes to sinful man. When one persistently rejects the Gospel and thus the Spirit’s powerful work of conversion, such a person remains apart from Christ Jesus, and thus apart from His cleansing blood, and thus apart from eternal life. 

So how does one know whether he/she has committed this most horrendous sin?  First of all, a person who has committed the unforgiveable sin does not care one way or the other.  If you are concerned about whether you have committed the unforgiveable sin, then you have not committed it. Second, do not rely on your own efforts or zeal in relation to Jesus, but realize the tremendous value of Holy Baptism.  Jesus, as quoted above in John 3, describes this wondrous sacrament as the foundational means by which we are regenerated and thus justified in Christ Jesus.  He describes it as being born of water and the Spirit.   Are you baptized?   Then you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, you have been born again NOT by any effort you have set forth, but by the Holy Spirit, and whether you “feel” this or not, it is an objective reality.  And unless you have rejected the Gospel given to you in Holy Baptism, you remain a forgiven child of God.  You have not committed the unforgiveable sin.      

Almighty and eternal God, Your Son Jesus triumphed over the prince of demons and freed us from bondage to sin. Help us to stand firm against every assault of Satan and enable us always to do Your will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen 

The work of Christ

1. Jesus had triumphed over the Prince of demons 

2. In doing so, Jesus has freed us from the bondage of sin.

3. Jesus helps us to stand firm against every assault of Satan.

4.   Jesus enables us always to do the will of the Father.

20 Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον · καὶ συνέρχεται πάλιν ὁ ὄχλος, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς μηδὲ ἄρτον φαγεῖν.

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.

he entered a house, because of the crowd they were not even able to eat.

21 καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθον κρατῆσαι αὐτόν, ἔλεγον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξέστη.

And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

after they had heard this his family (or those who were with him) went to seize him, they began to say "he's crazy!" "Standing outside of himself."

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

22 καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καταβάντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Βεελζεβοὺλ ἔχει καὶ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια.

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.

23 καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς · Πῶς δύναται Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν; 

And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 καὶ ἐὰν βασιλεία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δύναται σταθῆναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη ·

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Indeed if a kingdom is divided that kingdom cannot stand...Satan is divided against himself...he knows no other way other than destruction and division even destroying himself.

25 καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ’ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκείνη σταθῆναι ⸃·

And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

:25-26 the strong man controls the house...another kingdom is breaking in to destroy and plunder. 

By death - death is defeated, by a curse the curse is gone.

Satan's only power is to distort God's word. 

26 καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

27 ἀλλ’ οὐδεὶς δύναται ⸃ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη ⸃ αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.

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.

 28 Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πάντα ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ⸃ καὶ αἱ βλασφημίαι ὅσα ἐὰν ⸃ βλασφημήσωσιν · 

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,

all sins and blasphemies and whatever they blaspheme can be forgiven...

29 ὃς δ’ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος.

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 

whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness...is guilty of an eternal sin. 

:29-30 equates blasphemy of the Holy Spirit with the unpardonable sin = unyielding refusal to believe the Gospel and a rejection of the Holy Spirit's work to create faith in Jesus.  It is "an eternal sin..." Guilt of this sin brings on into everlasting condemnation and punishment established for Satan and his evil angels. See Matthew 25:41; 1 John 5:16

:22-30 Those who refuse to recognize Jesus as God's Son and acknowledge his work as manifestations of the Holy Spirit remain under the dominion of Satan. BUT Jesus has overcome Satan. Those baptized into Christ have received not only Him but also His promised Holy Spirit. 

 30 ὅτι ἔλεγον · Πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ἔχει.

for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus' Mother and Brothers 

31 Καὶ ἔρχονται ⸃ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ⸃ καὶ ἔξω στήκοντες ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν καλοῦντες αὐτόν.

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 

32 καὶ ἐκάθητο περὶ αὐτὸν ὄχλος, καὶ λέγουσιν ⸃ αὐτῷ · Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ζητοῦσίν σε.

And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers[a] are outside, seeking you.”

Note: Mark 3:32 Other manuscripts add” and your sisters”

People who barely know Jesus are seated next to Him, eagerly listening, while His family is outside, trying to get close enough to make Him stop!

:31-35 Earthly relations are crucial, yet one's relationship to God and His family of faith are even more important, since they form an eternal communion. 

Loyalty to God takes precedence over loyalty to blood relations. This is still hard to hear today, as the temptation to put relationships with family and friends above God can be overwhelming.  The Lord wants us to have both relationships, and have them as healthy as they can be. He stands first in our lives because he placed Himself last, to humbly bear our sin and make us children of God.

33 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτοῖς λέγει ⸃· Τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου ἢ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου; 

And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

34 καὶ περιβλεψάμενος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν κύκλῳ ⸃ καθημένους λέγει · Ἴδε ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου ·

And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 

35 ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗτος ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν.

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.