January 18th 2026
The Unpardonable Sin
Mark 3:20-3:35
After appointing the twelve apostles, He and His disciples go to a house where a multitude gathers again. In the discussion that follows, Jesus warns against the unpardonable sin.
Here we have the story about the scribes accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon (v 22-30) has been inserted into a story about Jesus’ family in order to allow for the family’s travel time from Nazareth (see ch 1 v 9) to wherever Jesus was
As the crowd was gathered around Jesus, some of His friends/family came to Him to “help” Him.
1. They did not understand who Jesus truly was and what His mission truly was, but they did know that He was causing “trouble” and was going without food and such.
2. Because of their of understanding, they accuse Him of being “out of His mind” (v. 21).
Since madness was often regarded as due to possession by a demon, it is arguable that their judgment on the situation was close to that of the scribes in the next verse His friends/family may have said this attempting to calm down the political and religious authorities.
The scribes continued on with the reasoning that Jesus was “out of His mind” and accused Him of being possessed by Beelzebub.(Beelzebub literally means “lord of the house.”)
It refers to Satan as somewhat of a king of the underworld, the head of a demoniac mafia, Beelzebub was the godfather who sat back in his big chair and gave orders to the rest of the little demons.
They were accusing Jesus of being demonized and claimed that the demon which controlled him was the one that ruled over the evil spirits
They could not deny that he cast out demons, but they would not accept the conclusion that Jesus was empowered by God
Jesus responded with two parables sayings that all develop the same basic theme, that since strength depends on unity, an attack on any part of Satan’s domain is a sign not of collusion with him but of threat to his power
In the first parable Jesus said that if there is internal dissension in a kingdom, the kingdom cannot last
In other words, if it was by the power of Satan that He had cast out the demon, then Satan was actually fighting against Himself! But internal revolution is not the only way to topple a regime; an alternative method is invasion, and this, the true explanation, is set out in v. 27
In the second parable, Jesus said the defeat of the demons showed that He was not in league with Satan.
It showed that Satan’s defences had been breached, a stronger power had arrived, and the conquest of Satan had begun
a. The strong man is Satan.
b. The house is Satan’s kingdom on earth.
c. His possessions are the victims that he holds in bondage.
Jesus explains that his ability to cast out demons by the Spirit of God is evidence that the Kingdom of God has come” (see Matt. 12 v 28; Luke 11 v 20)
Jesus continued on by discussing the impossibility of forgiveness to those who commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
To blaspheme is to speak evil of, to offer intentional shame to God or to sacred things
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit forever removes a man beyond the sphere where forgiveness is possible
because they were saying that he is possessed,’ implies repetition and a fixed attitude of mind, the tokens of cruelty which brought the scribes to the brink of unforgivable blasphemy”
In Matthew 12:32, Jesus contrasted blasphemy against the Son of Man, which could be forgiven,
and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which could not be forgiven. Therefore, when people “sinned against the Holy Spirit, they had reached ‘the end of the line’ and there could be no more forgiveness”
As Jesus was talking, His family sent word to Him because they could not get inside to Him.
Jesus responded by pointing out that His family is those who do His will.
Jesus allows neither ‘his own people’ (v. 21) nor ‘mother and brothers’ (v. 31) to take priority over the new society he has formed in the Twelve
We can sin in such a way so that we cannot be forgiven of it.
The Bible refers to “unforgivable sins” (see Num. 25 v 30-31; Heb. 6v 4-6; 10 v 26-31; 12 v 16-17;
What is this sin?
Anyone who is worried about having committed the sin against the Holy Spirit has not yet committed it, for anxiety of having done so is evidence of the potential for repentance.
There is no record in Scripture of anyone asking forgiveness of God and being denied it!”
The blasphemy Jesus was talking about results from a stubbornness of heart on the part of those who do the blaspheming. It is the on-going, continual rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit to the Divinity and Saviourhood of Christ”
Any sin that is committed with such arrogance and hardness of heart that its wrongdoer cannot and will not confess it is beyond pardon — not because of the action itself but on account of the sinner’s insolence”
For such, there can be no forgiveness, for they have refused the only way of forgiveness that God has provided, they have slammed the door”
In other words, the sin for which we cannot be forgiven is the sin for which we will not ask forgiveness.
We must see Jesus Christ for who He is.
C. S. Lewis said: “You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God”
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way to Heaven!
We can be a part of Jesus’ family if we will do His will.
News from the Church New dates
21st January…. Knit and natter is a time to finish old projects or learn new skills
if you just want to talk well that’s OK too
4th February..…..Friendship Group, (this covers all ages and the lonely people)
ANSWERS TO 4th January QUESTIONS
1) Nun 2) Rahab 3) Achan 4) Caleb 5) Othniel 6) Eglon 7) Deborah 8) Gideon 9) Jephthah
10) Samson 11) Samson 12) Joshua 13) Tola 14) Ibzan 15) Samson 16) David
Bible Quiz this week’s Quiz is David
1 Who was David’s father?
2 Who was the first king of Israel, he became an enemy of David?
3 The kings son who was best friends with David?
4 Who did David defeat with a stone and sling?
5 How many stones did David pick up .?
6 David helped to write which book in the Bible?
7 Which nation did David fight with most?
8 David played which instrument?
9 Which Prophet anointed David as King?
10 David wanted to marry a woman who was already somebody’swife, who was she?
11 What was the name of her husband?
12 What was the name of the Prophet who said to David “Thou art the man”?
13 Which of David’s sons was hanged in a tree by his long hair?
14 Which son of David became a very wise king?
15 Who will soon sit upon the throne of David?
16 What was David’s occupation when he was young?
God Bless