“ANOTHER TIME,” Mark 3:1, 20-30
July 22, 2018 10:30 AM
Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford
Today’s “Special:” Evangelizing Barber
There was a barber who paid close attention at his church whenever the topic of evangelism was discussed. He thought he should be doing more to share his faith with his customers.
One morning the barber told the Lord in prayer, “Today I’m going to witness to the first customer who walks through my door.”
A man came in as the barber opened his shop and said, “I need a shave.”
The barber said, “Yes sir! Just have a seat and I’ll be right with you.” Then he went in the back and prayed a quick prayer saying, “Lord, the first customer just came in and I’m going to witness to him. Give me the wisdom to know just the right thing to say. Amen.”
Then the barber came out with his straight razor in one hand and a Bible in the other and told his customer, “I have a question for you: Are you ready to meet your Maker?”
INTRODUCTION
Did you notice how Mark Chapter 3 begins: “Another time…”. Every day is not “just another day”, but rather a continuum of God’s intervention in our lives, where He wants us, doing what He wants us to do, meeting whom He wants us to meet. God’s day goes for eternity. Jesus is teaching that true servanthood is not concerned with the “how many times I served” or the “when I served” but rather with the service itself, and that the Lord only is on display.
As we begin this Lord’s day and this new week, may our heart’s have a fresh perspective that this “another time” is HIS “another time.” PRAYER
# 1 HIS EARTHLY KINGDOM DID NOT BELIEVE HIM (vs. 20-21)
In these 2 verses, Mark gives us an insight into Jesus’ earthly family. Mark shares about how a crowd is gathering in a house – and his family observed that crowd! The children of men wanted to take control of a situation orchestrated by the True Servant of Man! They even observed, “He is out of His mind” (Verse 2)
The Apostle John also introduces us to the Savior’s earthly family In John 7:1-5. They were advising their half-brother how to be a Servant! John gives a sad play by play commentary, how they thought that if He was to make His mark in the world, He should go to Judea and not do any of His miracles in secret but in public. And then John concludes the obvious: “For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.”
It’s easy to trust the Lord Jesus as Savior, but it is also not easy to trust Jesus. Think this through: those who were most close to our Savior while He was on earth did not believe in Him! They observed Him as He grew up, in subjection to His earthly parents (Luke 2:52 and surrounding verses). They observed firsthand His humility and passion. Yet they did not believe in Him.
ILLUSTRATION: Perhaps you are like me. You have a family that has seen your love for the Lord Jesus, but they have no use for Him. They have watched your testimony, the amazing life changes in your life, but they do not believe in Him. In fact, they may ridicule you for your faith, for your perseverance in the faith. They may even call you a “radical” or, at worse, a “cult figure”.
In these brief verses in Mark 3, we are encouraged that it is ok to trust the Lord Jesus even if those around you do not. Keep looking to the Lord Jesus! Keep serving as the Servant of servants served!
# 2 HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM IS AT WAR (vs. 22-30)
Mark shares here an interesting confrontation, the lesson being huge: Jesus’ eternal kingdom is at war!
And who are the earthly instigators of this war in our passage? Why, the “scribes”, or, as our NIV calls them, “teachers of the law.” We met them before in Mark 2:6, remember? They were thinking to themselves, and the Lord Jesus knew what they were thinking! Be careful when YOU say, “I know what you are thinking!”, because only the Lord Jesus REALLY knows what you are thinking.
The scribes truly were the “teachers of the law”. Like the old monks before them, they carefully transcribed word for word, jot for jot, tittle for tittle – the intricate details of the Hebrew language – in order that generations to follow would have the law in hand. And then they taught the law – but not with a God-base but with a self-appointed “we are the only owners/caretakers of the law” mentality. And yet they were standing before the One Who was, through the Holy Spirit, the Author of what they were transcribing!
And their accusation? Note v.22, that “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.” That’s quite the accusation, perhaps worthy of a legal trial in the least, or stoning to death under Jewish law. But our Savior, the Servant of man, gives a 3-fold response:
- If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand
- If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand
- If Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand, his end has come.
The True Keeper of the law confronted the human keepers of the law with an heavenly logic that was indisputable!
But He didn’t stop there! He gives THEM a theology lesson! Note verses 28-29 where He gives a two-fold insight: blasphemers against man will be forgiven. But blasphemies against the Holy Spirit are worthy of guilt of an eternal sin.
He hits the law-givers – and those who are listening – with a lesson that only Someone Who is eternal could give. The issue isn’t “Satan driving out Satan”, but Who is at work! And the One Who is at work is the Holy Spirit Himself. Sins and blasphemies will be forgiven (1 Jn. 1:9). But the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable, eternal sin.
What does “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” mean? And further, why the Holy Spirit? Why not the Father or the Son? Scriptures indicate that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a simple yet tremendous sin, even so called a sin worthy of eternal judgment. It is the attributing to Satan – or anyone or anything else – that which the Holy Spirit is doing!
And why against the Holy Spirit? Because each of the Members of the Trinity have Their individual duties, or what the theologians call “offices”. Not to be remotely irreverent, but in an attempt to give an explanation: The Father is the Grand Designer of all eternity. The Son is the One Who fulfills the design – as seen in the cross. And the Holy Spirit? He is the One Who is at work, applying the Father’s design and the Son’s fulfillment to the hearts of men, women, boys and girls.
The Apostle John in his first letter, 1 John 5:16, said that there is a sin which leads to death.
Even the so-called self-appointed keepers of the law were coming face to face with the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!
Have we? Why would we want to blaspheme the One Who first opened our hearts that God is love, that Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross for our sins, that God’s Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path? Why would we want to come close to blaspheming that One Who is at work in my heart and my life even today?
Let us each soberly examine our hearts and lives to see where we might be giving credit to man when in reality it is the Holy Spirit Who is at work!
CONCLUSION
Who IS my family? (vs. 31ff). God is building up an eternal family (Rev. 5:9) where it says that God has from every tribe, language, people and nation is in the operation of purchasing people for Him to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God!).
Are you a part of that family? Aren’t you glad you are?
Do you know any who are not? Perhaps you could approach them (without a straight razor) and say, “I have a question for you: Are you ready to meet your Maker? Do you know Jesus as your Savior?”
Let’s pray for them today!
Close in prayer
The Reverend Jeremy and Thuvia Stopford. Jeremy pastors the First Baptist Church, Earlville, New York.