Jesus is drawing larger crowds by now. He's been healing the sick, casting out demons, and performing enough miracles that people are paying attention. Not only that, they are listening to his teachings, which seem to have more authority than the other teachers of the day.
When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." 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." (Mark 3:21-22 NIV)
Not everyone is convinced, though. His family, for one, thinks things are getting a little out of hand. They think that they need to reign him in a bit. So they go to bring him back home. The teachers of the law are also not on board with Jesus. They think he's demon possessed himself. With the miracles he's performing, it must be a high-ranking demon at that!
So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 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. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin." He said this because they were saying, "He has an impure spirit." (Mark 3:23-30 NIV)
This is where the difficult saying comes into play. Jesus tells them that anyone blaspheming the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This makes all of us followers a little nervous. Does that mean I can say "Jesus Christ" in a fit of anger and can be forgiven of this sin, but if I yell out "Holy Spirit" the next time I hit my thumb with a hammer I just bought a one way ticket to hell? I'm not sure that's what he means.
Notice the conversation that is going on here. Jesus is healing people, casting out demons, and feeding thousands with his spiritual gold card. People see the miracles that are happening. The teachers of the law, however, are saying these miracles are happening by the power of Satan, not the power of God.
Jesus' comment is directed right at them. He's warning them not to call the Holy Spirit a demon. That is blasphemy. Jesus is telling them that the Holy Spirit is the one providing all the power for his miracles and wisdom for his teaching. He's telling them to back off and be careful, because going against Jesus means going against God's Spirit who dwells in him. That's a fight you just can't win.
Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:31-35 NIV)
How about you? Do you believe that Jesus taught and acted in the power of God's Spirit? Have you received His Spirit in you as well? Do you believe that the Spirit in you is the same Spirit that was in Jesus? Are you more like Jesus' physical family, thinking he's gone too far, or like his spiritual family, doing the will of God?
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