Messages from Pastor Raddatz

June 9, 2024, Psalm 130, Genesis 3:8-15, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35 Mt. Olive Houston

Mark 3:20-35, FAITH IN GOD IS NOT CRAZY AT ALL, BUT ESSENTIAL

Main Idea: Jesus does the will of the Father, which blesses you.

Dear People of God’s Family,

WHO IS JESUS?   This month we examine some of the misconceptions about the historical figure of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Mark.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus finishes choosing his disciples, his followers.  He heals many people. Now, he has returned to his hometown.    The people of his village are so excited he returns that the house where they are eating is overflowing.  Jesus is not disturbed by the crowd, but his followers think he has lost his mind because His family makes it to the house, and they cannot get near him.  Jesus is told that his Mother and brothers are outside looking for him.  Jesus asks, “Who are my Mother and Brothers? (v. 33) Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (v. 34) 

Sometimes the opinions of others who are outside our family can be deflected or rejected, but it is more difficult to reject the opinions of family.  Sometimes the people we work with can become “like” family.

ARE YOU DEFINED BY THE OPINION OF OTHERS?

“When another blames you or hates you, or people voice similar criticisms, go to their souls, penetrate inside and see what sort of people they are. You will realize that there is no need to be racked with anxiety that they should hold any particular opinion about you.” 

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

John 7:24 ESV, Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” 

DEFINE YOURSELF BY THE OPINION OF GOD!

God says that: 

• God creates us, He knew us in our Mother’s wombs, Psalm 131.
• We have missed the mark of God’s expected righteousness, Romans 3:23
• We have been saved by the grace of God, His undeserved favor, Romans 3:24
• He calls us to trust in Him, and lean not on our own understanding, Proverbs 3:5

"He called them and spoke" is used only in Mark. It is the same word used in verse 13 "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him." A beautiful touch! Jesus graciously summoned His disciples when He chose them. 

Jesus chose you!! He gives you his Spirit (Ps 139) and he promises to never leave you or forsake you (Matt. 28)

While they were trying to eat dinner the teachers of the Law said this about Jesus (v. 22f), “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is deriving out demons.” (NIV) Buls: Now the Bible scholars who had come down from Jerusalem were saying that He had Beelzebub and therefore, with the help of the ruler of the demons, He was exorcising the demons

He now asks a question concerning the story they've been spreading about Him: (v. 23) SO JESUS CALLED THEM OVER AND SAID, "How can Satan cast out Satan?" This is Tautology, which means, two sayings meaning the same thing.   Jesus is about to show how absurd their story is. He now speaks to them "In parables" is found only in the Mark account. AAT: "Pictured it to them in this way." “HOW CAN SATAN DRIVE OUT SATAN? IF A KINGDOM IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, THAT KINGDOM CANNOT STAND. IF A HOUSE IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, THAT HOUSE CANNOT STAND…” 

(Buls) The doctors of the law were accusing Jesus of devil-possession. In actuality it is really they who are in league with Satan for their spread lies about Jesus. But their lies are not even logical. Satan would never fight himself or his kingdom would be destroyed. If a household of people are divided among themselves, they will destroy themselves. By the way, President Lincoln based his famous "House Divided" speech during the Civil War in the United States, in part, on verse 25.

Anytime we put something before God, we can be in danger of following idols.  

When Timothy Mc Veigh, who bombed the Murrah building, was declared “guilty” by a Jury in Oklahoma City the news channels interviewed the survivors who lost loved ones in this tragedy.  It is disappointing and saddening that these survivors were not concerned about the verdict, but they were more concerned about revenge.  By their comments the survivors revealed their true motives: that they would have no peace in their hearts, until he was dead.  What was being promoted was NOT WHAT JESUS SAID IN TODAY’S READING THAT WILL NOT WORK. Revenge cannot cast out grief and death.  Evil cannot cast out evil.

Furthermore, they made their healing dependent on Timothy Mc Veigh’s death and not the death of Jesus Christ.  The connection to what Jesus’ said is they put revenge before God’s will and comfort through the cross and the resurrection.  Anything we put before the will of God in Christ can be called “the sin against the Holy Spirit.”  Grief is one thing.  Justice is another.

He graciously invited the scribes, who said awful things about Him, to point out their illogical thinking, to remind them of what He had done, to preach the Gospel (verse 28) and to warn them of their great danger OF the SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT=rejecting Jesus (verse 29).

He is warning them not to reject Jesus and his forgiveness, which is defined as the “sin against the Holy Spirit.”  Now when Jesus says this sin will not be forgiven, he means that when people choose to believe that what they want is more important than God wants, that they have made the decision not to forgive.  IN OTHER WORDS, DECISIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

If you ever think you have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, Jesus invites us to confess this sin and receive God’s forgiveness.  Tender hearted Christians who worry about this are not in trouble of losing their salvation.  It is the hardened people who rationalize that they are right that do not seek the forgiveness of Christ.  It is like in the Garden of Eden when God said to our Parent’s Adam and Eve: “do not eat of this tree.”  Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, so they were cast out of the Garden.  Despite their rationalizing, blaming each other and blaming the snake. Their decision had consequences.

Jesus took away Satan’s power.  Jesus says in v. 35, that “those who do God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”  The will of God is to believe in Jesus as your savior.  

THE BOTTOM LINE IN TODAY’S READING IS: Instead of worrying about casting out demons and rationalizing our behavior, WE WOULD DO WELL TO TRUST GOD BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!  Instead of punishing ourselves about our various sins, let’s rejoice in the forgiveness of God which is ours in Jesus Christ.  Let’s live grateful lives in gratitude to God who loves us, has forgiven us, and continues to forgive us.

God has chosen you to be his follower. He made you part of his family! Some people ask, “How could Jesus have chosen Judas, to be his follower? Judas ended up betraying Jesus.”   The real question is not how could Jesus have chosen me?  He did.   He has made you his child.   Rejoice in this, believe in him and follow his will. Jesus did this and went to the cross, rose from the dead and blesses us with new life. He has judged us to be sin filled, but has removed our sins and now we are cleansed in his eyes. Amen. 

Soli Deo Gloria=To God Be The Glory, John F. Raddatz,