Sunday Sermon | The Gospel of Mark: Rejected by His Own Family

This is the Gospel of Mark.

Well, good morning, church family.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Mark chapter three.

Mark chapter three.

If you do not have a Bible, there's a Bible in the P Rack in front of you.

You can take that and keep it as a gift from us to you.

If you are a guest with us this morning, uh let me introduce myself.

My name is Jason Smith.

I have the awesome privilege of being the pastor here, First Baptist Bernie.

And I want to welcome you.

Very glad that you are here.

Church family, we have the uh privilege of taking the Lord's Supper together this morning, okay?

Participating in the gospel, the remembrance of Jesus' broken body and shed blood.

If you did not grab elements on your way in and you wish to participate, if you would lift up your hand right now, there's some deacons nearby who will make sure that you get those elements.

When we take the Lord's Supper, so we're going to prepare our hearts, the entire service.

The scripture tells us not to take this in an unworthy manner.

That this is for all born-again believers, because we are remembering the truth of Jesus' broken body and shed blood, the covenant that He has made with us.

Keep your hand up, they'll come around.

I think we got them all.

Have you ever heard of the fiery Ford Pento?

In the 1970s, Ford had a vehicle called the Pento that had a defect.

And that defect was that the gas tank was too close to the rear bumper and could explode even in a low-speed rear-end collision.

Now, what's most unsettling about this is that Ford's engineers were the first to learn of this feat, uh, of this.

And they went to the board with a fix: an$11 plate that would protect the bumper.

And the board did a cost analysis, cost benefit analysis, and they assigned uh$200,000 per person's life that they knew would die in this.

And they assumed that if 180 people died, and the legal cost and the settlement and all the public fallout, and in the end they concluded it wasn't worth the cost to fix it.

So for years they continued to roll out a vehicle that they knew would explode.

Now we may be shocked by that.

But the truth is, is all of us perform cost analysis every day.

We calculate: is speaking up worth the awkwardness?

Is generosity worth the sacrifice?

Is obedience worth what it would cost me?

Now, most of us like to think that our decisions are driven by convictions, but often they are driven by cost.

What will it cost me socially, financially, relationally?

What will it cost me professionally to stand for Jesus?

In Mark chapter 3, everyone is performing a cost analysis of Jesus.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

In fact, Jesus' own family enter the spotlight.

And one of the most embarrassing accounts in the entire scripture.

You see, Jesus' family, they see the crowds and the controversy and the criticism, and they decide that the cost is too high, that something must be done.

Now the scribes have also come from Jerusalem, and they see his growing influence and they determine that he must be destroyed.

But sitting around Jesus is another group of people who have decided that no matter the cost, Jesus is worth it, and they will follow him.

And this morning we have to ask ourselves, what is Jesus worth to you?

Listen as I read, starting in Mark chapter 3, verse 20.

Mark 3:20

And he came home, so that's Jesus came home, and that would be Capernaum.

And the crowd gathered, uh, and the crowd gathered again to such an extent that he could not even eat a meal.

And when his own people heard of this, that would be his family, they went out to take custody of him, for they were saying he has lost his senses.

Now the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, He is possessed by Beelzebub.

And he cast out demons by the ruler of the demons.

And he called them to himself and began to speak 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.

Guys, 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 proper property unless he first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house.

Truly I say to you, that 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, and 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 around at the house of those sitting around them, he said, Behold, my mother and my brothers.

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

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, as we come to your word this morning, we pray that your Spirit would speak to us.

Not only to understand and get real with the cost of following you, King Jesus, Jesus, we know that that culture wants to create a palatable version of you, but the real you is uh you are King and you are Lord.

You are both holy and loving.

There is no God like you.

Help us to understand what it means to follow you this morning.

Father, I pray for so many in this room uh that are standing and are courageous in their families and the workplace uh in social situations that uh that are costly.

Father, I pray that we are encouraged this morning.

Because Jesus, you understand.

You understand the cost.

Um and I pray that we are encouraged to stand with you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

All right.

Is anyone here willing to embarrass themselves by raising their hand and letting me know that you do not like Oreos?

Okay?

You guys can just get out right now, okay?

All right, I say that, Pastor.

What are you getting at?

Well, I want you to notice Mark's Oreo sandwich.

Okay, not Pastor Mark, Mark here in the Bible.

His Oreo sandwich, because this is actually a common technique that he uses when he writes his gospel.

So, see, he began with the account of Jesus' family that has come to take him because they think he's crazy.

He's lost his mind.

And then suddenly that account is interrupted, and we get we get seemingly this sideways story of the scribes who are, they are saying he is possessed by a spirit, uh, a demon, Beelzebub.

And then we come right back to the account with the family and finish that account.

Now, this is classic mark, because the middle story helps us to understand the outer story.

So keep that in mind as we move through the passage.

That the conflict with the scribes helps us understand what's happening within Jesus' family.

All right, Jesus has made his way back to Capernaum, to Peter's house, presumably, that he's made home base.

And the crowds continue to chase him.

Remember, their needs are unending, they are desperate.

Ministry to the hurting does not ever get any time off.

And Mark wants you to feel that constant pressure upon Jesus because for days, even weeks, something as fundamental as having a meal continues to get pushed aside.

Now, from a distance, this may look like remarkable ministry success.

But to his family, this looks like Jesus' life is spinning out of control.

The crowds are growing, but so is the opposition.

Every day the cost of being associated with Jesus is increasing.

You see, everywhere they go, the conversations are polarizing.

He eats with sinners and tax collectors.

Have you heard?

He healed on the Sabbath.

He's debating with all the established leaders, and he claims authority to forgive sins.

You see, this Jesus from Nazareth is now impossible to ignore.

Verse 21, when his own people heard this, they went out to take custody of him, for they were saying he's lost his senses.

There can hardly be a more humiliating detail in the whole of Scripture.

Jesus' brothers do not believe in him.

They are embarrassed by him.

Even his own mother is overwhelmed with the circumstances.

And they are saying he's gone crazy.

Lost his mind.

Notice they are not coming to worship him, they're not coming to learn from him.

No, they are coming to take charge of him, to get things under control by bringing him home.

In their minds, this is an intervention.

And before we judge them too quickly, we should recognize how familiar this temptation is.

You see, we don't always reject Jesus because we hate him.

Sometimes we simply want him to be less disruptive or convicting.

Is he whether they wanted it or not?

Jesus' family had been pulled into the controversy.

He who was simply a carpenter from Nazareth is now the center of a firestorm.

And their solution is simple.

Come on, Jesus.

Let's go home.

Let's get things under control.

Have you ever found yourself wishing that Jesus were a little less offensive, less exclusive, less clear about sin and judgment, a little less demanding.

Have you ever felt the temptation to manage Jesus rather than submit to him?

Because you're embarrassed by the true Jesus.

And we shrink from the cost of being associated with him.

Now in verse 22, Mark interrupts our scene.

With scribes have come from Jerusalem.

Previous reports, remember, previous scribes have come and reported back, and now that demands further attention.

No doubt the Sanhedrin is involved, and they are sending scribes under pressure to discredit Jesus.

You see, they arrive with verdict already in hand.

They are not here to learn, okay, nor even investigate.

They are here to condemn.

And they bring two substantial accusations.

The first, he is possessed by Beelzebub.

And second, he cast out demons by the ruler of the demons.

Notice they do not deny the miracles, the healings, the exorcisms, because the evidence is way too strong.

They cannot refute his power, so they launch on a character assassination.

Now Jesus addresses the second claim first.

And he answers that, right?

That he's casting out demons by the power of the demons?

He answers that with a question.

Why would Satan sabotage his own kingdom?

Why would a king burn down his own palace?

Why would an army fight themselves?

A divided kingdom collapses.

A house divided against itself will fall.

It is illogical to say that Satan is casting out Satan.

But in his reply, Jesus does effectively say, you know what, you're right about one thing.

Satan's kingdom is being wrecked because someone stronger has arrived.

Verse 27, but no one can enter the strongman's house and plunder his property unless he is first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

You see, Satan is the strong man, and he uses his strength to enslave humanity through sin and darkness, disease and death.

Humanity sits in Satan's house as captives, but Jesus has entered his house.

Not as a prisoner, as a conqueror.

And he binds the strong man and he begins freeing the captives.

Do you remember where Mark began?

When John the Baptist said, After one, sorry, after me, one is coming who is mightier than I.

See, now Mark is showing the one who is mightier.

The stronger one has arrived.

But now for the scribes, you see, the issue becomes much more serious.

Because think about all that they have seen.

They've watched demons flee at his command.

They've seen lives transformed.

They've heard his teaching.

See, they are not lacking evidence, they are drowning in it.

But every piece of evidence creates a problem.

See, because if this power is from God, then Jesus is Lord.

And they must submit to Him.

They must repent.

But rather than bow down to what is plainly in front of them, they choose another explanation.

They call light darkness.

They call the Spirit's work evil.

And their hearts are becoming hardened to the very voice of God.

So it is at this point that Jesus gives one of the most sober warnings in all of the scripture.

Because there is a line that they are approaching, that a heart can become so hardened that it will no longer respond to the Spirit's voice.

What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

See, in this context, it's not a careless word.

It's not a moment of doubt.

It's not a season of wandering.

It is a settled, persistent rejection of the Spirit's testimony about Jesus.

It is seeing the light and repeatedly choosing darkness.

It is hearing the Spirit's witness and continually harding your heart against the testimony of Jesus.

And this is why the author of Hebrews warns us today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.

And it's why passages like Hebrews 6 become so sobering.

Because there the author describes that through the Spirit there are people who have tasted, they have seen, they have heard the things of God.

They are very near to the truth, and yet they continue rejecting Christ.

And the Spirit gives them over to an increasingly hardened heart so that they no longer desire the grace that they were once offered.

Now let me speak to you, believer, who hears this and becomes frightened.

You say, Pastor, what if I have committed the sin, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Listen, friend, the fact that you are concerned is evidence that you are not the condition that Jesus is describing.

The scribes were not worried at all that they had offended God.

They are attacking his son.

They are not seeking forgiveness, they are rejecting the one who offers forgiveness.

Let me state it clearly: a believer cannot commit this sin.

Because before anyone ever comes to faith in Jesus, the Spirit of God opens blind eyes, softens hardened hearts, draws the sinner to Christ.

You see, the person who has been brought to saving faith has already responded to the very work that these men are rejecting.

Is that clear?

The unforgivable, the unpardonable sin is not a believer who stumbles in weakness, it is an unbeliever that is becoming hardened to the Spirit's witness of Christ and then is given over to the darkness that he loves.

See, the scribes have made up their mind.

They oppose Jesus, they say he has a demon.

Jesus' family misunderstands him too.

Not with the hostility of the scribes, but they still do not see him clearly.

The pressure, the controversy, the accusations have led them to conclude he has lost his mind.

But Mark takes us back to the house.

Back to the crowd.

And the family is waiting outside because Mark wants to introduce us to another group that is inside the house with Jesus.

In verse 31, Jesus' mother and brothers have arrived at Peter's house.

And the crowd is so large that they cannot reach him.

So word passes through the house.

Jesus, your mother and brothers are outside, and they are looking for you.

I want you to pay attention to the location and the way that Mark uses this.

You see, everyone knows when word gets to Jesus what should happen next.

Right?

Jesus, I mean, everyone knows he's going to stop his teaching.

He's going to interrupt everything he's doing, and he's going to go out and he's going to greet his mother and his family.

But instead, Jesus does something astonishing.

Verse 33, he answered them and he said, Who are my mother and my brothers?

Looking about that at 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 and mother.

You see, in a culture where family loyalty stood as one of the highest virtues, these words would have stopped the room cold.

But do not misunderstand Jesus.

He's not rejecting his earthly family.

Okay?

Remember, later from the cross, he will provide for Mary, even from the cross, gives her to John.

Rather, Jesus is describing that an even greater family has arrived.

The family of God.

Recall from last week how Jesus has become to divide between the crowd, those who en masse follow him, and true disciples.

Remember, he goes up on the mountain and he calls true disciples to himself.

And remember, the powerful point was the fact that the king has come and he is creating a new people unto himself.

Well, our passage continues that theme.

Look inside the house, at those seated at Jesus' feet, listening, learning, trusting.

These are his family.

Not because of blood, but because they have responded to Jesus in faith.

Unlike the scribes who have hardened their hearts against what God is doing, unlike Jesus' earthly family, who have allowed the fear and the pressure, the embarrassment, the social cost to conclude that Jesus is not worth following, these disciples, those who are near him in the house, have counted the cost, and they have decided Jesus is worth following.

And this is what marks the family of God.

Not perfection, not status, not by a last name, but by faith.

A faith that sits at Jesus' feet.

A faith that listens to his voice, and a faith that follows him even when the crowd doesn't understand.

See, the scribes decided that Jesus was too threatening.

The family decided that Jesus was too embarrassing.

But the disciples decided that Jesus was worth it.

So I want you to take the Lord's Supper and I want you to prepare the bread.

But believer, he did that through his broken body.

Through his broken body that was shed for your sins.

So I'm going to give you a few moments because I want you to just, in the quietness of your heart, I want you to kneel at the foot of the cross.

I want you to confess any sins that the Spirit draws to your mind.

And I want you to remember anew.

His body broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.

As you hold it there, I'm going to give you a few moments because I want you to contemplate.

Friend, I want you to think about the fact that, yes, Jesus was broken for you.

But he did so willingly.

And he did so to set you free.

He is the conqueror.

And he rejoices in gifts victory through his blood.

So as you hold this, I want you to have a moment of celebration in your heart.

Because Jesus is not mad at you.

He celebrates that you are his own.

And he came to set you free.

So in the same way that evening, Jesus took the cup and he said, This is the blood of the new covenant.

And I want you to drink it in remembrance of me.

It is poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.

Church family, I want to do something slightly different as we conclude our service today.

I want us to press into the power of corporate prayer.

And specifically, I know that there are a number of people here as we preach through that sermon that you know and you understand the cost of being ostracized from your family because you follow Jesus.

And you've counted that cost, but it's lonely.

And it's a difficult road.

And very often you are discouraged and your heart breaks because those closest to you, those that you love the most, do not know Jesus.

So I'm going to ask you to do something bold.

I'm not going to embarrass you.

I want to be able to pray for you.

If you are one of the few who believe in your family and you know the cost of you're in a largely unbelieving family, would you stand up so that we as a congregation can pray for you?

I want you guys to look around real quick.

I want you to know and understand that you're not alone.

Okay?

Up in the balcony.

You're not alone.

Church family, we need to come alongside and pray for strength as you witness and give testimony to Jesus in your family.

It is hard to step into that space.

And we want to pray for you.

So, church family, someone nearby you, will you extend your arm and will we, we're gonna collectively pray over them?

Okay?

Extend out your hand to someone near you that's standing.

Heavenly Father, we pray for our brothers and sisters who are in the midst of an incredibly difficult situation because so many in their family do not believe.

And they are seen as the outcast, they are ostracized, they are counting the cost of following you, King Jesus.

And it gets weary and it can feel very lonesome.

Father, we pray as a congregation that you would strengthen them.

We pray that you would give them the strength to persevere, that you would give them the words to say.

We know that they have said words so many times and so often that feels hollow.

But Father, we pray that you would give them the words to say.

We pray that you would give them the testimony of their lives, that they would continue to just be able to shine the light of Christ.

That there are there are times to press and there are times to sit back and to play the long game.

And Father, we need the wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God in order to be able to do that well.

Father, we surrender our lives and we cry out for these dear ones, God.

Strengthen them, allow them to shine their light.

God, we pray that you would save.

Save for the glory of your name.

That they would call upon you, that their loved ones would, that there would be a breakthrough by your spirit, and that they would see with clarity the grace and the love and the hope that we have in you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Thank you, guys.

All right, church family, the praise team is gonna come and lead us in a couple songs of response.

That is, we always give a time at the conclusion of our service for you to be able to respond however the Spirit has worked and stirred in your life.

We'll have ministers down here at the front, and we would love to pray with you.

You're never alone.

Do not come in here carrying your burden all alone.

We want to share that with you.

So we'll have ministers down here at the front if you want to use these steps as an altar to pour out your heart before the Lord.

Whatever the Spirit of God is pressing upon you, you be obedient.

Would you stand with the people?