The Unforgivable Sin - MAR018 (Audio)

I'm going to ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes, Graniteville and Grays, those here, those live streaming, wherever you may be listening. Prepare your hearts to hear the word of God. 1 John 1.9 is a promise given to believers only. That when we confess our sin, He, God, is faithful and righteous to forgive us and to cleanse us. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.

And he saves those who are broken in spirit. Jesus said, come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart. And you shall find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy.

And my load is light. Our Father, we thank you that there is no brokenness of heart. that the Lord Jesus cannot bind up. Your word says that you heal the broken in heart. And so we thank you for your truth that we meditate on in the Lord's Day, especially.

And we ask that you'd illumine it to our minds that we might be changed by it. Thank you that your word is like a seed. That produces not just life But it's like food. that grows us and respect our salvation.

So we come using our minds, but not simply depending on them alone. We're asking the Holy Spirit to be our helper, our teacher this morning. For all those who are in ministry this hour to our children across the campus here. Encourage them and thank you for the valuable ministry they have to those young ones. Those who are ministering to adults and pouring over the scriptures and lifting each other up in adult Bible fellowships, may you bless that.

and those who will come back this evening for our wanna ministry.

So Father, help me, fill me, and empower me. May together we honor the Lord Jesus and we ask it in his holy name. Amen. I want to invite you this morning to take a Bible and turn to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3. About 10 months ago, we began this series on the Gospel of Mark.

I hope to finish it before the rapture of the church, but Mark is an incredible book. And if you can study the life of Christ and not be changed, then there's something wrong. And this morning, as you can see on your note-taking outline, I want to address an issue. It's called the unforgivable sin. And it's an important issue because Jesus referred to it as a sin that could not be forgiven in this age nor in the age to come.

Now we've learned that whenever we are in the Gospels, it is important to ask where are we geographically and where are we chronologically in the three plus year ministry of Christ.

Well, we know that we're in the city of Capernaum, there in the Galilee. And chronologically, this event happens in the second year. You'll remember this chart. The life of Christ can be divided into year one, year two, and year three. Year one is typically called the year of obscurity or the year of introduction.

Year two is the year of popularity and year three the year of opposition. The first year, the year of obscurity. Matthew and Luke mention a little bit. Mark mentions the least. John covers it the most in John chapters one through four.

And so in that first year, he gathers some of his disciples. He does the very first miracle that he'll ever do there in Cana of Galilee, turning the water into wine. He'll cleanse the temple for the first of two times. He'll have that conversation with Nicodemus of how it is essential you need to be born two times to enter the kingdom of God. And the conversation with the woman at the well.

So when you come to the end of chapter 4 and you crack the door in chapter 5 of John's Gospel, you're now moving into year 2. And Luke, of course, is a premier historian, and so we can pinpoint a lot of the dates because of chronological clues that he drops. We noted that Mark just briefly touches on year one, and so many of you have next to Mark 1 and verse 14 out in the margin, year two. Because when you come to Mark 1.14, you are in year two, the year of popularity. And so whenever you see Capernaum being mentioned, you know you're at least in year two and possibly in some parts of year three.

Other than a brief visit that he had made to Capernaum that uh that he notes when they're in Nazareth. Most of his ministry takes place from this new home, this new headquarters called Capernaum. And in the second year, he does things like preaches the Sermon on the Mount, he gives the next day, or he does a number of miracles, he heals the blind, he raises Paralyzed limbs. He does all kinds of miracles, quite an array of miracles, many of which were prophesied and unique to the Messiah. And then, of course, he feeds the 5,000.

5,000 heads of household, excluding women and children, so many will call it the feeding of the 15 or 20,000. And then the next day he gives the bread of life discourse, which John records for us. And so in the year of popularity, the crowds grow and grow and grow, but so doesn't some of the opposition. When you come to Mark 8 and verse 27, it's a turning point in the ministry of Christ. And many of you have written out in the margin next to that verse, year 3.

So when they're at Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus says, who do men say that I am? And Peter responds, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You know you're in year three.

So that's an important place. And so here in year two, we're seeing the popularity of Christ grow and grow and grow. And of course, with that, he is a threat to some of their leaders. They don't like the fact that the multitudes are following him. And so on this particular day, Jesus is going to heal a man who is blind.

Who is mute? And who is demon-possessed? He's going to do a triple miracle. They will not be able to deny the miracle. but they will wrongly assess the miracle.

And Jesus will warn them about committing blasphemy against the Spirit.

Now, this is a question that every Christian should be able to handle. It's one of the most asked questions I've received since I went into the ministry.

Sometimes well-meaning lost people say, I don't think I can be saved. I've committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

Well, they haven't, and if they're concerned, I can guarantee they haven't. Or sometimes Christians will ask, could I have possibly committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? And it's a big sin. It's unpardonable. It can't be forgiven in this life nor in the life to come.

So what does it mean? What does it refer to? Let's read our text. We're going to look at 15 verses today because this is a section for it to make sense. We have to read the whole portion of Scripture.

We're going to begin in verse 20 where we left off. Mark 3, beginning now in verse 20. And he came home, and the crowd gathered again to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When his own people heard of this, They went out to take custody of him, for they were saying, He has lost his senses. The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, He is possessed by Beelzebub.

He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons. And he called them to himself and began speaking to them in parables. How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished. But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness. but is guilty of an eternal sin.

Because they were saying he has an unclean spirit. Then his mother and his brothers arrived standing outside. They sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you. Answering them, he said, Who are my mother and my brothers?

Looking about all those who were sitting around him, he said, Behold, My mother. and my brothers For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister. in mother.

Now, as you can see on the note-taking outline, we're going to study this portion of Scripture under three headings. The first thing I want us to consider is the miracle that was performed. The miracle that was performed. Again, this is a major turning point concerning the religious leaders of Israel because they're going to make a decision. that is going to change the course of Jesus' ministry towards them.

Notice the setting as it's unfolded for us here in verse 20. And he came home, and the crowd gathered again. to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. Here's a photo of the biblical site.

Some of you were with me a few months ago, and as you walk into Capernaum, there's a sign, Capernaum, the town of Jesus. And indeed, it is his hometown. That's how it's described in Scripture. It becomes his home. And Capernaum is a very important city in the Gospels.

It's mentioned 16 times, more than any other single city in all of the Gospels. And we learn that Jesus was here for a spiritual reason. He was here for a prophetic reason. And he was here for a practical reason. The spiritual reason that he is here is because, if you remember, as recorded in Luke 4, he's in Nazareth.

He had actually been in Capernaum briefly. Maybe he was scoping it out. And when he comes to the synagogue, There in Nazareth, they say, do the miracles. here that you did in Capernaum. And of course, he preaches a sermon that is very difficult for them to hear, and the response is they want to murder him.

So they take him actually to the only place in all of Greater Nazareth where it could have happened. We call it today the Mount of Precipice. And they attempt to throw him off, and his power emanates through him, and he walks through the crowd. And so, because of their spiritual rejection of him there in Nazareth, he goes to Capernaum, which gives us the second reason for this town. It's a prophetical reason.

God prophesied this very place.

Now Kephar Naom, the Hebrew, means village of Naom. And so after the Assyrian and Babylonian deportation that's recorded of in the Old Testament, some of the Jews came back about 150 years before Christ. And there was a guy named Naum. who they named the town after. Village of Naom.

And of course, this particular place is not by accident. It is here by prophecy. In Isaiah 9, God prophesied the very place where the Messiah would headquarter his ministry. And if you remember from Matthew chapter 4, Matthew quotes Isaiah 9. And there's only one place in all the Sea of Galilee because of the coordinates that God gives that could fulfill that prophecy, and it's this place, Capernaum.

And then there is a practical reason that he is here. As you can see on this map, Um This is the Viamaris. Via Maaris is Latin for the way of the sea. And you can see it runs right next to the Sea of Galilee, where I have that pointer. And right there on the northwest corner is this little town called Capernaum.

And then if you zoom out a little bit on the next picture, you can see that Interstate 95, as we might call it today, it links Egypt, it links Europe, it links Asia all through Israel. And so God, for a very practical reason, has his son in this particular town. There's all kinds of merchants, there's soldiers, there's traders who are going to travel through. They're going to hear about Jesus. It's impossible not to hear about him.

Everyone wants to see Dr. Jesus because he can heal anything. And the word will spread, and this is going to be some pre-evangelism, no doubt, much like Jesus illustrates in John 4, pre-evangelism. Where people's hearts are going to be prepared when the gospel is brought after Pentecost. It's a port city.

It is also a particular checkpoint. where you pay your taxes. And so it's no longer just a town, though the name is still used. It is now designated by Matthew as a city. And if you remember, five of the twelve disciples are from this town.

Not to mention we already studied Matthew in Mark chapter 2 or Levi the publican who's converted in this town. And so we read again in verse 20: and he came home, and the crowd gathered. Of course, they would. They want to see Dr. Jesus.

to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. Now if large crowds are a mark of a pastor's success. then this movement in Capernaum is infinitely successful. But that is often not the truth. In fact, Jesus is going to end up cursing this town.

There are more recorded miracles that happened in Capernaum than any other place. And in that evangelical triangle, Capernaum included, he reminds them: if the miracles done in you were done in Sodom, and Gomorrah, they would have repented in sackcloth and ash. Nevertheless, it will be harsher for you in the day of judgment than for the people of Sodom. And of course He's so busy on this day, they can't even get a little bit of privacy. They can't even eat a meal together without the people clamoring to see them.

So, this movement is growing. And of course, their motivation, as you read through the Gospels, is very different from what Christ's motivation is. Even when he's before Pontius Pilate, he says, My kingdom is not of this world. And of course, they wanted a kingdom that was very different from the one that Jesus wanted to establish.

So notice in verse 21, there's two groups of opposition in the chapter: one is his family. And the other are these religious leaders. And between the family on the front end of this section and on the back end, you describe these people who are potentially guilty of committing blasphemy of the Spirit.

So in verse 21, when his own people heard of this, They went out to take custody of him for they were saying he had lost his senses. his own people.

Some translations render it his family.

Some older translations say his friends, but the word friends in 17th century meant family or kinsmen or dependents. And so the newer translations rightly rendered, he's talking about his relatives. And Mark 3, by the way, tells us that, and only Mark, that they thought he had lost his mind, that he was out of his gourd, we might say. He's out of his mind, the King James says. He's beside himself.

They have a very like stilted view of what's happening.

Now, how did they get to this? And notice it's his mother and his brothers who are here. Though I have no doubt that Mary did not think that Jesus was out of his mind. She knew from the conception. The carrying the one she carried in her woo womb was God the Son.

But she's here, I think, on this day, probably to reign her sons in. And they're probably being fed a line by the Pharisees. You need to rein your brother in. He's dangerous. He's going to get into trouble.

Maybe they thought he was working too hard. But they're here and they're going to try to deal with their brother.

Now remember what had just happened. On this same day, he healed a man in the synagogue with a withered hand. And what did they accuse him of? Doing work on the Sabbath. And he unfolded their hypocrisy.

And so in Mark 3 and verse 6, it says: The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against him as to how they might destroy him. And so now from this point on, there's a plot to get Jesus. And so the plot is unfolding for us here in Mark 3 and verse 22. The scribes who came down from Jerusalem.

Now, if you know Israel, Jerusalem's down here, and Capernaum is way up here. We would say they went up north, but remember in Scripture, north and south is not up and down. In scripture, up and down is in reference to elevation. And so Jerusalem is the high point, and they go down to Capernaum, there at the Sea of Galilee, that is actually 600 feet below sea level. In either case, they came down from Jerusalem and were saying he is possessed by Beelzebub.

Some of your translations say Beelzebub, and they're rendering it from the Latin, but the Greek says he's possessed by Beelzebub, and he casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.

Now remember, Mark is a very fast-moving gospel. We called it the gospel of action. He writes in a very quick, short, pithy kind of style. We saw the word immediately occurs over 40 times in this gospel. And so he's writing with a sense of urgency and dedication.

to show that Jesus is indeed the promised servant who would give his life for many. And we saw, for instance, that short style, even in the temptation. He covers the temptation in the wilderness in two verses. Matthew spends 11 verses covering it. Luke spends 13 verses covering it.

But again, he is writing with a different style. And so when we come to this issue of blasphemy of the Spirit. Mark is able to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, but there's a whole lot of details he could have shared. that he doesn't share. And so I want you to have two passages marked out this morning.

Don't lose Mark 3, but I also want you to turn to Matthew chapter 12, because we have a much fuller picture. And we're going to look at both pictures because this question is one, it's not a matter if it will come up, it's when it is going to come up.

So, in either case, we read that he is possessed by Beelzebub, and he casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.

Now this verse says the scribes came down from Jerusalem And of course, Matthew tells us the Pharisees were accusing Jesus. of doing a miracle by Beelzebubal. And so, if you remember, there's a class known as scribes. They're experts in the law. They not only copy the scriptures, but they teach the scriptures.

And then there's the Pharisees, the separated ones, who started out as good guys, but with time, they degenerated over 150 years into something that was not good, legalists, and they were basically trying to apply the law. There were separated ones, and within the scribes and the Pharisees, there's a group called the scribes of the Pharisees.

So it's the scribes of the Pharisees that come down from Jerusalem. Why is that important? Because they're bringing their big guns in. These guys are experts, not only in just what the law says, but in how the law is to be applied. And they conclude, their theological assessment is that he is possessed by Beelzebubel, and he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.

Now, if all you had was Mark's account, you might think this guy's only problem was he was demon-possessed. And that's why I wanted you to turn to Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, look at verse 22. Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. Was brought to Jesus and he healed him so that the mute man spoke and saw.

Now, notice the first word in this verse: then. And that takes us back to verse 14. When the Pharisees had conspired to destroy Jesus.

So this event is tied in on the same day with the man whose hand was withered. And so unlikely bedfellows, and we already delved into it, so I won't discuss it today, the Herodians and the Pharisees get together, and before the day is over, they are dealing with the Lord Jesus on a different level, on a different situation. And of course, here's a man who's blind. Mark doesn't tell us that. He's mute.

and he's demon-possessed. It's a sad state. And the Pharisees, no doubt, felt like: we're going to bring him this guy. We've struck gold. He'll never be able to handle this dude.

Nonetheless, the Bible teaches in verse 22, he healed him so that the blind and mute man spoke and saw, and that put him on their heels. Verse 23, it says, all the crowds, some of your translations say all the multitudes, the older NAS, were amazed. And we saw that the word for crowd is the word oiklos, and it doesn't refer to a small group of people, but a massive group of people. And of course, it says they were amazed. And there are different words, two principal words in Koine Greek for amazed.

This is the strongest of all the words. They were overwhelmed. They're beside themselves. And they were saying, Notice, this man cannot be the son of David, can he?

So their astonishment, their amazement prompts a question. The possibility and the way it's framed is it implies potentially a negative answer. Could this indeed be the son of David? One of three titles for the Messiah: Son of God, Son of David? and Son of Man.

Could it be him?

Now the miracles fit the pattern, because he's doing the kind of stuff that the Messiah is going to do. But on the other hand, is he really? Because he's not ruling and reigning like we also read of the Messiah in the Old Testament. And what they didn't understand is that before he rules and reigns, he has to bleed and die on Golgotha. And so there's two pictures of the Messiah, but if you're under the oppression of Rome, you'd want a Messiah who would overthrow Rome and liberate Israel.

So in verse 24, the Pharisees dismissed the possibility. But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, This man casts out demons only by beelzebel. the ruler of the demons. Mark says it this way in Mark 3:22. He is possessed by Beelzebub.

He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons. So the crowds were open to the possibility, maybe he is the promised Messiah. They can't deny the miracle. This is amazing. A man who's blind, who's mute, who's demon-possessed, and he's totally delivered.

They can't deny that, so they reinterpret it. Oh yes, the miracle happened. But it happened by the power of Satan. And by Elzebull, Baelzabub, literally, means Lord of the Flies, and it's one of the many titles. Not just for a pagan God, but for Satan himself.

Number of terms used to describe. And so the Phoenicians, who had suppressed the truth in unrighteousness, had adopted many gods. Understand, people do not start polytheistic. I don't care if they are growing up in a country where there's a hundred million gods. They start monotheistics.

Now, their parents might teach them otherwise, but they have to suppress that truth. And Paul's argument is in Romans 1: we start monotheistic, but when we suppress the truth that we know that God is one, that God is real, that there's only one God who created it all, we should worship the Creator and not the creation, when you suppress that, then you can believe a lie. and darkness overwhelms you. And so in Phoenicia, they created this God that becomes a title for the evil one. And there'd be dung on the ground.

And all of a sudden, all these little moving creatures we call them maggots appear. Oh, life! From Dung, this is the God Beelzebub. They're saying, he casts out demons by Beelzebub, Satan, the ruler of the demons.

Now this time their accusation is an open breach on what they really think about the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I want us to think about what they're doing. And of course, that's why I say this is kind of a critical chapter when you think of the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew. One of my professors in seminary said, the key to understanding Matthew 13 is Matthew 12. And he's right.

Because Jesus then begins to speak in parables, as when we come to Mark 4. The key to understanding Mark IV is Mark 3. Because they are on the verge of committing this sin, and they're saying, Jesus doesn't serve the living God, He's not the Messiah, He's in league with the evil one.

Now Jesus had been speaking parables and he's going to speak some parables this morning that they can grasp. And there's a lot of parables people can grasp, but then he's going to move to a different kind of parable. that will need to be interpreted. Because he doesn't want them to grasp it, because they rejected the truth that God had already given them, and he's not going to give them any more truth.

So that's the miracles that were performed. That's the first point, all right? Secondly, Scene two in this three-part drama. Think about the parables, the parables that were expressed. And I say parables because, again, that's the terminology that Mark uses to describe the verses that follow.

Now don't lose Matthew 12, but look here in Mark 3, 23. And he called them to himself. and began speaking to them in parables. He says to these religious leaders, How can Satan cast out Satan?

Now Jesus went on to explain the kingdom of God had arrived and he doesn't give a lecture on theology. He just paints pictures and he uses what's called a parabole. There's a lot of words in the Bible that are just transliterated like rabbi or abba or amen or shalom and parabole becomes parable and it's two Greek words para along, bole to cast, to cast alongside. And it's more than a preacher's illustration. A parable is designed to get the listener engaged and to relate his own life to the truth that's being taught.

In fact, when you read Jesus' parables in Matthew chapter 21, they're so penetrating, they're so personal, that the chief priests and the Pharisees want to seize Jesus and destroy him.

Now, notice Mark 3. Mark 3 does not tell us, but Matthew 12:25 says, in knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, Now, we've spoken earlier in this series about the kenosis. Most of you know that term by now. It's translated in Philippians, he emptied himself. And when we speak of Christ emptying himself, he never once gave up any of his divine attributes.

Jesus never ceased being God, but he laid aside the free exercise of his divine attributes to depend upon God the Holy Spirit to lead, to guide him, and to empower him. And so, under the discernment of the Spirit of God, knowing their thoughts, He knows what they are thinking. And really, as much as anything, to help the multitudes who are there, he gives three arguments to answer their claim that what he is doing, he's doing by Satan. The first argument is found here in Mark 3:24. If a kingdom is divided against itself, That kingdom cannot stand.

Matthew said it this way in Matthew 12, 25, Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.

So first he reasoned that if he were casting out demons by Satan's power, then clearly the devil would be working against himself.

So Jesus continues this first argument. Look at verse 25. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. So Jesus is affirmed, by the way, that Satan has a kingdom. And there are people today who will say, well, Satan doesn't have a kingdom.

He lost it at the cross. No, he has a kingdom. It's very much alive. He is called by Paul the God, small g, the God of this world. Adam and you and I with Adam because of sin.

Laid aside his right to rule and reign over the creation. And so Satan is given the title the God of this world. And he's doing everything in his power to hold on to this kingdom. This rule under the Old Testament, he knew that the only one who could restore the kingdom back to God's original intention was the Messiah.

So he did everything in his power to destroy the Messiah. beginning with Cain killing Abel. With the B'nai Elachim, the sons of God, cohabitating with the daughters of men to try to corrupt the human race so the Messiah could not come. And so, part of the reason for the severity of the flood, and all the way through the Old Testament, whether it's through Ahaman or one thing after another, he's trying to wipe out the Jews. Why?

So Messiah cannot come. And then when Jesus is born, what does he do? He tries to use Herod to kill the Messiah. And of course, you say, well, that was just Herod. No, we have divine commentary in Revelation 12.

Behind Herod was Satan. Satan inspired Herod to kill all the babies. And then, when he survives and he grows up, he still tries to kill Jesus. He wants him stoned to death instead of pierced through for our iniquities. He wants him thrown off a cliff.

But then Jesus is victorious.

So now he only has one strategy left. The only strategy he has left is If Jesus is going to rule and reign, he needs a nation, a promised nation, that God related those promises to, namely the Jewish people.

So he wants to kill the Jewish people. And of course, what Hitler meant for evil, God used for good. It repopulated the nation and in fulfillment of prophecy, after 1,900 years, the Jews are back in Israel. And so, Satan, from that point on, has really begun to slowly ramp it up. And he can see the prophetic schedule being unfolded.

There is a reason for the growing anti-Semitism because God tells us in the final season of life, and we are in that final season. No one knows the day or the hour, but we're in that final season. Why?

Because Israel will be back in the land in the latter days. And so what is he trying to do? He's trying to destroy the Jewish people. And now in so-called conservative right, You have Tucker Coulson and these other people who are against the Jews, apparently, it seems. And now, some of them have walked in the front door of the so-called evangelical church.

By their failure to teach what God says about Israel. This is not accidental, my friends. When you don't teach what God says, you create a vacuum for evil to spread. And I'm not saying, my dear Reformed Calvinistic brothers. Are anti-Semites, but because of their failure to redefine Israel.

They have created a vacuum for anti-Semitic, anti-hateful Jewish behavior to have its day. And so that's what Satan is doing. In our day. And so there's a reason you ought to be able to interpret history. You ought to be able to interpret in some respects the current events, because God says in the end, all the nations are going to go against the Jewish people.

So here's the Lord. He says, listen, for Satan to cast out demons would amount to him casting out himself, to working against himself. And so in Mark 3:26, if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished. In other words, why would Satan cast out a demon and free a man? of whom he already had control of.

It's just stupid. It's not even logical.

Now, Satan may be wicked, but he ain't stupid. And that's the point Jesus is underscoring here. If I were an agent of Satan, then I wouldn't be freeing one of Satan's men. And again, the Pharisees have no other recourse because they can't deny their miracle, so they have to come and reinterpret the miracle. Look at the second argument now in Matthew 12:27.

Mark doesn't give it, but Matthew does. Notice what Jesus said there: If I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. In other words, if your sons, meaning your disciples, cast out demons by the power of God, and that was standard Pharisaic teaching. If you believe that, if you believe that that's the way demons are removed from a person who is captured by a demon.

Then you're being illogical because I am freeing demons and I'm going against your I'm loosing demons freeing men and I'm going against the very theology that you use You follow his argument here? If your sons cast out demons by the power of God, and that's fundamental to your authority and your theology, because that's what they taught, now you're reversing your theology and saying, well, it doesn't apply in this situation. And of course, Jesus is making them look stupid, but again, he cares about them. Did Jesus love the Pharisees? Yes, he did, and we'll see further before we're done.

Now that brings us to a third argument. Notice now in Matthew 12 and verse 28. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Now, Jesus, again, he emptied himself. He took the form of a bondservant. Never gave up any of his divine attributes, but he was living in dependence on the Spirit. Luke will say in his account of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit that he cast out demons by the finger of God. He depended on the power of God.

And if this is true, he says, And the kingdom of God has come upon you.

So let's think for just a moment, parenthetically, about the kingdom of God. What does the kingdom of God mean in scripture? Because again, it is being reinterpreted. And you have believers who are saying, We're in the kingdom now. No, we're not.

Now in a broad sense, in an overall sense, The kingdom of God, that is God's sovereign rule, has always been in place since the creation. In Psalm 103, 19, for instance, we read, The Lord has established his throne in the heavens. and his kingdom rules over all. Where King David will write in Psalm 145: Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

So, there is this sovereign rule of God that we might call the kingdom of God. And you can read Daniel and even Nebuchadnezzar's confession acknowledging that God has that power. But there is also a literal kingdom. And so, in what we call the model prayer, or more popularly the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, Your kingdom come, your will be done where on earth. As it is in heaven.

And every time you pray that prayer, you're not only praying for his rule in your life, you're praying that he will literally fulfill the promises that he made of a coming kingdom. And six times over in Revelation 20, it tells us that he'll rule for a thousand years. But there's a third dimension to the kingdom. Luke mentions it in Luke 17:21, where he says, The kingdom of God is in your midst.

Now some older translations say the kingdom of God is in you. But understand while you can translate the phrase either in you or in your midst, I think in your midst is more accurate, and here's why. Because who is Jesus speaking to in Luke 17? He's speaking to dead apostate Pharisees. And he's not saying the kingdom of God is in you.

He's saying the kingdom of God is in your midst. And here I am. I'm right here, standing in your presence, doing all the things that Messiah is supposed to do. I am right here in your midst. And again, there are people today who want to reinterpret the scripture.

And again, I think it's driven by a spirit of anti-Semitism, and I'm bringing it up often now. Why?

Because it is accelerating across America. And God help our president if what he said 10 days ago happens. Where he said if Netanyahu tries to annex Samaria and Judea, I won't let them.

Well, I didn't know you're the Prime Minister. President Trump. Over Israel. They aren't annexing anything. They own it.

I'm not annexing my backyard or my house. I already own it. And God warns against anyone who will divide his land. Part of the future judgment, Joel chapter 3, verse 2, is how the nations treated what God calls my land. Over and over, he calls it my land.

And I'll tell you, America is going to go into a deep dive.

So you should pray for our president, and I know he means well, and I'm thrilled about many of the decisions that he has made. God help him if he messes up on this one. Listen, Israel is Israel. And it's found 73 times in the New Testament. Twice it's used to describe the physical land.

The rest of the time, 71 times, it's used to describe an ethnicity of people known as Jews. We're not saying when you bless Israel that you're affirming everything that they do anymore. When I bless the United States of America, that I agree with every decision our government makes. Our government has made some wicked, heinous decisions. Like the murder of little innocents in the womb.

They've made some terrible decisions. But we are saying what scripture says that that is God's land, he's given it to Israel, and they have a right to exist as a people.

So, to redefine Israel and say the church is the new Israel is to really end on a collision course. And so, to underscore that the kingdom of God is right there in their midst, in Matthew's account, he quotes the prophet Isaiah. He quotes Isaiah 42 in verse 1, where he says, Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He's affirming, here it is, the kingdom is right in your midst. I am the Messiah.

God has put His Spirit on me. It should be clear to you, Mr. Pharisee. And then he tells this mini parable in verse 29. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house?

Mark nearly identically reads it. He says, But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. In other words, when a burglar breaks in at night, And he wants to rip you off. He has to overpower first. The owner of the house, maybe tie him up, maybe kill him.

In effect, Jesus is teaching: Satan is the strong man, and for me to invade his territory, I have to be stronger than he is. By driving out demons, I am demonstrating that I am stronger than he is. The fuller reading is actually found in Luke 11. Let me read it to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house.

His possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he has relied and distributes the plunder.

So Jesus is stronger than the strong man. He's not captive to him. He's over him. Why?

Because he's the son of David. And so the assessment of the people should be, yes, he is the Messiah.

So there's the miracles that were performed. There's the parables that were expressed. Third and finally, let's think about the conclusions that were made. The conclusions that were made.

So in both Matthew and Mark, Jesus draws a clear conclusion, namely that you have to choose sides, that there's no such thing as neutrality. And I say there's no such thing as neutrality because they not only saw the work of the Spirit done in their presence, we too experienced the work of the Spirit. When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, what does he do? He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We've been studying that on Wednesday night.

And we crack the door. We'll finish the first aspect this Wednesday concerning not sins. Yeah. But he'll convict the world of sin, sin singular. Sin, why?

Because of their unbelief. And so we're running around asking all these little gutcha questions. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever lusted a woman? Have you ever done this?

Have you ever done that? We're missing the whole point. The whole point is that the Spirit of God is He's convicting men and women and boys and girls of their unbelief, that their faith is in the wrong place. And we're asking people in essence to Engage in the process of sanctification. before they are justified.

And so when he comes, he's going to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And that's why there's no neutrality, not in Jesus' day, and we'll see, not in our day either, especially. Notice verse 30, he says, He who is not with me. is against me. There's no compromise because we're either with Christ Or we're against Christ.

There's no middle ground, that's his point. Notice, and he who does not gather with me scatters. If you do not gather or work for the Lord Jesus, Then you're in active opposition, or you are basically in passive disregard. But there's no such thing as neutrality.

Now, I suppose a person obviously can be out of fellowship with God. But his point is, in the general tenor of the New Testament, is you're either for him or against him. There's no neutrality, and these people were obviously against him. Why?

Because they were scattering. Instead of pointing the people and saying, hey, look, he's fulfilling prophecy. He is the son of David. They Apprises ministry by saying it's done by the power of the evil one.

So in the very next verse, Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 12, 31, therefore I say to you, Any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven, people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

Now you see the word therefore, you always ask, what is the therefore therefore? And it's therefore, because of the previous statement, there's no neutrality. You're either gathering or scattering. There's no middle ground. Mark gives the warning in this way.

Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven, the sons of men. And whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

So Mark starts with the words, truly I say to you, truly is the word amen. And sometimes if Jesus wanted to get your attention, he'll say, amen. Or sometimes he'll say truly, truly, amen, amen. He says, listen up, this is really important. He wants us to see that this is an issue that believers we need to know about, but unbelievers need to be warned about.

And so let's start by defining some terms. First, what the unpardonable sin, of which there's no forgiveness, what it is not. The unpardonable sin is not rape. or child abuse Or murder, or adultery, or some moral sin, all those things can be forgiven people. Man wrote me just a few days ago, he's been in prison for 43 years.

But he listens to our radio station and wanted to know if I'd send him a Bible. Listen, God can forgive you of any kind of thing. Any kind of thing. Nor is blasphemy of the Spirit some intellectual sin. Oh, I think I may have committed it because I was an agnostic or I was an atheist, in name only, because there's no such thing biblically speaking.

But understand. That is not blasphemy of the Spirit. Neither is blasphemy of the Spirit some verbal sin that you have to say with your lips.

Some people are mute and they could commit it. Not to mention, Jesus is dealing with people on the basis of reading their thoughts. As we just read earlier.

So you could commit the sin even without saying a word.

So words alone are not needed to commit the unpardonable sin. And since there is an unforgivable sin, we need to know exactly what this unforgivable sin is.

So let's begin by defining some terms. First, the word blasphemy, it's blasphemia, and the verb is blasphemeo.

So it's either used verbally to speak a curse or an insult, or to have produced a curse or an insult. For instance, in the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes that it is possible not only to blaspheme God, but to blaspheme those who are made in his image, people. He says to the church, Let all bitterness And wrath. in anger, in clamor, and slander.

Some translations say in blasphemy. It's the same word. Blasphemia be put away from you, along with all malice.

So here's an example where a person literally curses, blasphemes another human being. And if a Christian couldn't do this, he wouldn't have to exhort us not to do it. Because when we slander someone and we misrepresent them, we're doing the same thing when we slander or misrepresent the living God. If you remember when Israel left Egypt, And they're out there in the Exodus, and they make that golden calf, and they say, This was our God who delivered us out of Egypt. When Nehemiah reflects on what they did, He will write in Nehemiah 9, even when they made for themselves a calf of molten metal and said, This is your God who brought you up from Egypt and committed great blasphemies.

They committed blasphemy here, not against people, but against God. And in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is the identical word. And so, in both languages, Hebrew and in Greek.

So, in this case, they were blaspheming against God the Father. People can blaspheme God the Son as well. But we'll see the unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Let me read the warning again. Truly, I say to you, all sins.

Shall be forgiven the sons of men and whoever blasphemes And whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

Now, let me pause. And just say in verse 28. What God does say, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men. And you will meet people, as I've met people, they say, Well, I think I've done something that God can never forgive.

Well, forget about what he can't forgive, underscore what he can forgive. All sins, every kind, every color you can think of. Can be forgiven the sons of men. Of course, the one exception is blasphemy against the Spirit. Truly I say to you, all sins shall be given the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter.

There's not a sin that you have committed. That God could not potentially forgive. God can forgive blasphemy against the Father. God can forgive blasphemy against the Son. But he cannot forgive blasphemy against the Spirit.

Think about, we just read blasphemy against the Father from the prophet Nehemiah. Think about blasphemy against. The Son, Jesus, is on the cross. And he's flanked on either side by two thieves. And the Bible tells us the religious leaders, and it's the same word but in verbal form, they have blasphemy, oh, they're blaspheming Jesus.

And then Matthew records, and the thieves did the same.

So both thieves, Matthew records in the six hours, were blaspheming who? God the Son. But of course, one had a change of heart. This silly little video with millions of views, and people say this is the best thing I've ever heard. It's just gross error.

They say, you don't really have to know that much. What did the thief on the cross know about justification? That's just stupid. He knew a lot. He turned to his friend and said, this one's never done anything wrong.

We're worthy of condemnation. We're getting what we deserve. He's sinless. We're sinners worthy of death. That's good theology.

But his theology went to the resurrection. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. What kind of a kingdom would a crucified man have unless he's the promised Messiah who's going to rise from the dead? And so that man who had been blaspheming, cursing, mocking Jesus turns to him, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He said, Today you'll be with me in paradise.

That's the grace of God. God can forgive blasphemy against the Son. However, verse 32, whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall be not forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the age to come.

Well, what does that mean? Does that mean the Holy Spirit is more important than Jesus? Does that mean he's more important than God the Father? And of course the key to understanding this sin is how is it possible that God can forgive blasphemy against the Father and He can forgive blasphemy against the Son, but He cannot forgive blasphemy against the Spirit?

Now, listen to what Mark says in our passage. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness. But is guilty of an eternal sin because they were saying, and it's an attempt, they were saying it over and over and over and over again because they want to hammer it into the people. Let's say follow Jesus, and they were saying, He has an unclean spirit. And these men are on the brink of committing a sin with irreversible consequence.

An unpardonable sin.

Now, why again is blasphemy against the Father and the Son forgivable, but not against the Spirit? Let's think our way through this. How could a person in Jesus' day commit blasphemy against God the Father?

Well, by basically calling him as untrue, as a liar. And so, what did he do? He sent these prophets. One prophet after another, and Jesus indicts the Pharisees and the scribes on one occasion in Matthew 23 about how they were persecuting all the prophets that God had sent, that they were just like their fathers. And the final prophet in the Old Testament office was John the Baptist.

And what did they do with John? They said he is a false teacher, man. He doesn't represent God. They were blaspheming the Father's testimony prophesied in Malachi and Isaiah and given through the lips of John the Baptist, who said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the word. And they rejected that.

They were blaspheming against the Father. But right on the heels of this discussion, in verse 31, notice what happens. Oh, let me just say, too, they were blaspheming the Son. Why?

Because Jesus is doing miracles, and what are they doing? They're saying he's doing it by the devil.

So who's left? God the Spirit. You reject the testimony of God the Father. You reject the testimony of God the Son. There's only one testimony left.

God the Holy Spirit, and if you poke your eyes out against Him. And that's what they were doing. They were saying, that's not the Spirit of God working in Jesus, that's the devil working in him. Then there's no one left to speak to you.

Now we'll come back to that, but notice this whole issue is bookend on either side by family opposition. Look at verse 31. Then his mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him, so they got a message all the way up to the inner circle.

And they said to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for him.

Now, we discussed it last time in the last message on Mark that this word then is a sequence word. And so, this is happening on the same day. They initially show up. He's out of his mind. And now they get a message to him.

In Matthew 12 and verse 46, notice the timing of their visit. While he was still speaking to the crowds, so even if you couldn't figure it out from the preposition, you know from the parallel account, it's happening the same day. While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and brothers were standing outside seeking to speak to him. They're standing outside. Why?

Because it's a massive group. A man who was blind, a man who was mute, a man who was demon-possessed, is utterly healed to the hilt. And of course, his mother and his brothers. We'll study it when we come to Mark 6 if the rapture doesn't happen, if we can get that far. But in Mark 6, we will see that Jesus.

Had half-brothers, that Mary and Joseph had normal marital relations. And it's a heresy taught in Roman Catholicism that Mary was a perpetual virgin, and that only. Further was progressed by saying she was sinless her whole life from the moment of conception. It's led to all kinds of idolatry. By the way, you don't want to miss Mike Jendren.

He'll be here on the 23rd. And he is one of the key apologists for biblical truth in trying in a loving way to unfold the errors of Roman Catholicism. But for right now, his mothers... His mother and his brothers are outside.

Now remember, they had thought he had lost his senses. And again, I don't think Mary made that assessment. But she's here, among other things, it's no doubt to rein in her sons. And how they came up with this psychological evaluation that he was. Out of his mind probably came from the Pharisees, though I can't prove that.

But probably they said, You need to go get your brother, man. He's off his rocker, he's working too hard, he thinks he's this, he thinks he's that. And of course, we know from scripture that before the resurrection, all of his siblings were in unbelief. And it's not until after the resurrection. At least the brothers come to faith.

So notice his response in verse 33, answering them, not his family, but those who are informing Jesus that his family is outside. Answering them, he says, Who are my mother and my brothers? Who are my mother and my brothers?

Now that was not so much a repudiation against them as family members, but no doubt a statement of disappointment, and certainly too, to define the relationship that all people, even his own flesh and blood, so to speak, have to have with him. Looking about those who are sitting around him.

So Jesus's eyes sweep. Cross the whole room. Looking about those who were sitting around him, he said, Behold, My mother. And my brothers. Behold, that underscores the importance of the point he is making.

You need to relate to him for who he is, and that is that he is God the Son. And then he says, verse 35: For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother. and sister and mother. Three expressive terms: brother, sister, mother, without the Greek article, which tells you that he's speaking figuratively of a spiritual family. And then to further determine, and by the way, he never uses the term father.

Because that's a term reserved for our Father in heaven. But then he says, for whoever does the will of God, he is my brother. And sister. And mother. You see, you're saved by grace alone, but the grace that saves is never alone.

If the direction of your life doesn't change where you have a desire out of gratitude for being born again to want to serve the Lord, to do the will of God, it just means you're not one of His.

Now let's ask how we can apply this portion of Scripture. First of all, The question: Can a believer commit the unpardonable sin? It's no slide on this. Can a believer commit the unpardonable sin? And the simple, plain, indisputable biblical answer is: no, a believer cannot commit the unpardonable sin.

Paul will state in Romans 5 and verse 1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There are people listening to me today that have peace with God, but they are not experiencing the peace of God. Because something is out of sync in your life. But you establish peace with God when you are declared righteous in the merits of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the merits of his finished work.

So, can a believer commit an unpardonable sin? Of course not. When God justifies you, he justifies you forever. He who believes in the Son has present tense eternal life.

Now, you might, out of fellowship with God, forfeit some of your eternal reward in heaven that God wants you to have, but when you are justified, God has made an eternal peace treaty that cannot be broken. And so, Romans 8 and verse 1 begins: Therefore, there is now no condemnation. for those that are in Christ Jesus. And then that same chapter ends with these words: For I'm convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth. And in case you think he missed something, nor any created thing, that includes you, because you were created.

There's nothing that exists that God has not created. None of these things will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

Now, if you can name for me something that's not included in this list, I'll pay you $1,000. Everything in the universe. is covered. That's how secure we are in Jesus. And so, once you're saved, you would never want to, but it would be impossible.

To commit an unpardonable sin. Secondly, can an unbeliever today commit the unpardonable sin? That's the second application. Can a lost person commit? The unpardonable sin.

And generally, if I meet a lost person, they're afraid they've done it. I can assure you they haven't. Because if they have any inkling of concern, then they're not there yet. But can an unbeliever commit an unpardonable sin? And the absolute, simple, plain, definitive answer is: yes.

Now let's think about the nature of this sin for a moment. When the leaders rejected the preaching and teaching and confession and testimony of John the Baptist, they were rejecting the witness of God the Son. When they were rejecting the words and works of the Lord Jesus, they were rejecting the testimony, in an essence, blaspheming God the Son. But when they rejected the ministry of the apostles, who were empowered by the Spirit of God, Then they were rejecting their final witness. Question: Did they on this day, these men, commit blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

And the answer is no. You say, how do you know?

Well, number one, the patience of God is long. He is merciful. He waits, people, painfully waits. But it becomes very clear that Jesus said. I'm going to give you one more sign.

And Matthew unfolds it: the sign of Jonah. What's the sign of Jonah? The resurrection. No need for one more sign. If you don't need that sign.

But because there was still a possibility in Acts 15, what happens?

Some of the Pharisees are born again, they turn in faith. But I want to tell you, that tells you that this is a sin that is post-Pentecost. Because when these men speak on Pentecost Sunday and they say he is risen. When they preach that he that you thought was only a man is indeed the Son of man, the Son of God who died in your place, who's raised from the dead. They're pricked to the heart, and even some of the religious leaders repent.

They are giving him that day the sign of Jonah.

So that tells you it can happen on this side. People say, well, it can't be committed today because you can't replicate the exact circumstances.

Well, that's true. Jesus is not physically on the earth where the power of the Holy Spirit is ministering to him. But he is ministering today through the body of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. And so when someone comes along and they are preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit and they're telling you and pleading with you and begging you to turn to Jesus and you keep saying, No, what are you doing? You are calling the Spirit of truth who speaks to you.

as a liar. And that is an unforgivable sin. You can blaspheme God. You could have cursed him in this life. He can forgive that.

You could have blasphemed his son and said, oh, he's only a man. He's just a prophet, just another religious leader. And God can forgive that. But when God the Holy Spirit, who's called the Spirit of truth, pleads with you, begs with you, because only He can open up your eyes to see, and you keep saying, No, no, no, no, no, what are you saying? God, you're a liar.

The Spirit of Truth who's speaking to me, he's not telling the truth. And you can cross a line. That you can never cross back over. My spirit shall not always strive with men. And when we come to the parable of the sower, we will see that some.

Because of their habitual rejection. The devil is given permission to snatch the seed. That they may not believe and be saved. Jesus said, While you have the light, walk in the light, so you can become sons of light. And though he had done miracle after miracle after miracle there in John 12, they hardened their heart.

And the scripture says they would not believe. And then John goes on to say, because they would not believe, they could not believe. Why?

Because he, God, judicially hardened their heart, blinded their eyes, stopped their ears. You know, I tell people very often, I'll say, today is the day of salvation. I'll tell them and meet the pastor, you're going to walk out those doors in just a few minutes. And some of you came in here lost by the things that we've dialogued about. And you can leave here lost.

But if God has spoken to your heart tonight, and He has because you heard the gospel. And you tell God no. You don't live with a softer heart. You leave with a harder heart. And if you keep telling God no, you are telling the Spirit, because no man can draw himself to God, you are telling the Spirit that he is lying.

And I want to tell you that in the end. Is a sin that God cannot forgive, the sin of rejecting God's Son either in this life. or in the life to come.

So it's not simply unbelief. It's a final stage of unbelief where you give a forever no to the living God. One great Princeton theologian wrote these words In the nineteenth century, when it was still a Bible-believing seminary. There is a time, he wrote, I know not when. There is a place I know not where.

Which marks the destiny of men to heaven or despair. There is a line by us not seen which crosses every path, the hidden boundary between God's mercy and God's wrath. How far may we go on in sin? How long will God forbear? Where does hope end, and where begin the confines of despair?

An answer from the skies is sent. While it is called today. Repent. My friend, if you cross that line. You're as destined for hell.

Today as it's sure if you were there right now. You don't toy with God Almighty. When he invites you to come to Jesus. You want to give a forever yes.

Now, our Father, we thank you that whosoever will may come. And I pray today for someone listening who is unsure. of their own salvation. And I thank you that assurance is given on the basis of a finished work. that Jesus didn't die for some of our sin or most of it, but all of it.

And you demonstrated he was Lord and sinless and able to die as our substitute when you raised him from the dead. Thank you that whoever will call on his name will be saved. Help someone listening. Maybe they're online somewhere, they're listening on some radio station in the country or on. One of our campuses.

And they know there's a decision they need to make. Help them to make it today. Help them in simple, childlike faith to say, Lord Jesus, save me.

Now, Father, for those of us who have made that decision. We know that we cannot convict men and convince them, only the Spirit can. But we think of Paul, the great apostle, who said, as if God were entreating through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ. be reconciled to God. May there be an earnestness in our soul.

A care and a passion are in our hearts to plead with men and women and boys and girls to say yes today. before it is eternally too late. We want to tell you, Father, we're available in this new week. If there's someone today or tomorrow or before the next Lord's Day that you want us to speak to, We're available. Help us to be sensitive, and if the door opens, help us to make the gospel clear.

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Would you stand? We'll sing a hymn of invitation. Maybe you're here and there's a decision you need to make.

You might be in Grace, you might be in Graniteville, and you've received Christ, and you've not made it known yet. We can't read your heart. But if you've received Christ, I want to invite you to leave your seat here. Come down, and your saying will be saying, I'm not ashamed of Jesus. If you're not ashamed of him, I won't be ashamed to baptize you.

Maybe you're saved and you just haven't been baptized, and you've had infant baptism, and you want to do what Scripture says. Believers baptism, or maybe you're saved in baptism and baptizing, you just don't have a church home. Yeah. If we could be that church, I invite you to come as well.

So, as that leads us, step out and meet me here in the front. Uh