Mark 3

Mark 3:1-35

CHAPTER 10 Watch Him “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him….And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Mark 3:1-35 In this chapter Mark was inspired by God the Holy Spirit to link five things together, almost as though they were one, so that we might see the connection between them and learn from it. In verse two Mark describes the conduct of the Pharisees in the synagogue with these words: — “They watched him.” They watched him, ready to seize any word or action by which they might slander his name and accuse him of evil. Let us watch him, not to accuse him, or merely to gratify our curiosity, but to worship him and learn from him, that we may both imitate him and honor him as we make our pilgrimage through this world. Let us watch the Son of God, our Savior, as he moves in and out among men in different circumstances and conditions. The Lord Jesus is our Example and our Teacher in all that he said and did. May God the Holy Spirit give us light and grace that we may learn to follow the Son of God as we watch him in the five different positions set before us in this chapter. Watch Him in the Synagogue. “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.) And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him” (Mark 3:1-6).Our Lord Jesus came to the synagogue that day on an errand of mercy for the benefit of one specific man. A man whose hand was withered was about to be made whole. In verses three and five the Savior singled out this needy soul. — “And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.” Then, in verse five, “he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” That is a beautiful picture of God’s saving operations of grace in the salvation of sinners. An election was made and a commandment was given. The Lord Jesus sovereignly singled out one man. He chose to be gracious to one among many. Then he issued a command. — “Stretch forth thine hand.” This man was commanded to do what he absolutely could not do. Yet, being commanded to do it, he was enabled to do it. Even so, when sinners are called to life and faith in Christ, by the omnipotent mercy and irresistible grace of his Spirit, they are made alive in Christ and enabled to believe on him, though it is absolutely impossible for them to do so otherwise. After the Lord’s command an act of faith was performed. — “And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” With the commandment came the ability to obey. And when God the Holy Spirit calls a sinner to life and faith in Christ, he gives that sinner life; he gives him the will to obey; and he gives him the gift of faith. Thus it is written, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” Mark tells us, in verse two, that these pompous, self-righteous, tithing, sabbath keeping, Pharisees watched the Savior’s every word and movement. They did not watch to learn. —”They watched…him that they might accuse him!” Here they are in the house of God, pretending to worship God, pretending to keep the sabbath day, pretending to be holy, pretending to be lovers of God and lovers of men. But they were nothing but hardhearted hypocrites. These men would not break the sabbath day for anything; but they did not hesitate gathering with the Herodians on the sabbath day in a church discipline committee to plot the murder of the Son of God! The Pharisees and Herodians hated one another passionately; but their religion was the same (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25). It was the religion of man, the religion of the beast, the way of Cain. Both the Pharisees and the Herodians were self-righteous legalists, pretending to honor God, flattering themselves with the delusion that they were holy, while using religion for their own advantage. When the Lord Jesus and the gospel he reveals exposed their hypocrisy, they gladly embraced one another to oppose him. Nothing has changed. Legalism always produces hardness. Those who watch others in the name of “brotherly love” that they might accuse them to others do so because of a hardness of heart that comes only from self-righteousness. Any religion that produces such hardness of heart is not of God. The grace of God does not produce mean-spirited legalism. The grace of God does not produce gossiping, slandering, backbiting hypocrites. Grace makes people gracious. Forgiveness makes men forgiving. The knowledge of Christ and the experience of his grace in the soul makes a person loving, kind, tender, forbearing, and patient with others. Our Lord knew the Pharisees were watching him; but he made no effort to impress them or prevent their slanders. When Paul admonishes us to “abstain from all appearance of evil,” he is not telling us to live in a way that will prevent carping religionists from speaking evil of us. He is telling us to abstain from every form of doctrine that is evil, every form of doctrine that has the smell of free will, works religion, every form of self-righteous legality! I hear people say, “We ought to live so that the world will see Christ in us.” The world did not see Christ in Christ. How do you think the world is going to see Christ in you? Do not try to impress the world with your godliness. The world (Secular or Religious) does not have the slightest idea what godliness is. Live for the glory of Christ, to do the will of God, and serve the interests of men’s souls, and ignore the world. Verse five tells us that our Lord Jesus looked around the room, glaring at these pompous religionists “with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” Everyone in the room could plainly see the fire in his eyes. There is an anger that is sinful and to be avoided. Personal vengeance, sensual wrath, the anger of jealousy and envy, all those things are horribly evil. But anger at hard, self-righteous, legalistic, damning religion, anger in the cause of God’s glory is a just anger. Anger at a backbiting tongue is altogether proper. — “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue” (Proverbs 25:23; Psalms 139:19-22). Watch Him at the Seashore “But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known” (Mark 3:7-12). Here is another picture of God’s saving operations of grace. In the synagogue we saw, in the man with the withered hand, a picture of the effectual call and of God’s omnipotent grace in that call. Here we see a demonstration of God’s method of grace. We must never imagine that God is in any way limited. He is not. Yet, he does declare in his Word that there are some specific things which are always involved in the conversion of chosen sinners. Here are three things always involved in the experience of grace. A message was heard. — When our Lord and his disciples gathered at the seashore, great multitudes came from everywhere, “when they heard what great things he did.”They did not hear just any message. They heard a message about him. They did not hear about what he wanted to do, or tried to do, or even would do. There is no gospel in that kind of preaching. — “They heard what great things he did!” Gospel preaching is all about him. It is all about Jesus Christ. Gospel preaching declares what great things he has done. He has brought in everlasting righteousness. He has satisfied divine justice. He has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He has accomplished redemption, obtaining eternal redemption by the merit of his blood for his people. Gospel preaching is absolutely indispensable in God’s method of salvation and grace (Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-23; 1 Peter 1:23-25). It is the catalyst God has chosen to employ in saving his elect. A catalyst is an agent of action. If a chemist desires to unite two substances to create another, in many cases, a catalyst is necessary. The catalyst does not cause the union and never enters into the union of those substances. But without the presence of that specific catalyst, the union would never take place and could not continue. That is exactly what the preaching of the gospel is in God’s saving operations. Without question, were it his pleasure to do so, God almighty could have chosen to save sinners without the use of any means or agency of any kind. Had he chosen to do so, he could have sent angels to pull us into heaven by our noses, once atonement was made for us. But that is not his pleasure. The Lord God has chosen to regenerate and call redeemed sinners through the agency of gospel preaching, because God has so ordained it. That makes the preaching of the gospel the catalyst necessary for the communication of his saving grace. I know that many cry out against this and say, “That limits God’s sovereignty. That makes salvation depend upon man.” Do not be so foolish as to be found fighting against God. We must never force the Scriptures to mean what we want them to mean. We must never bend the Word of God to our doctrinal notions and theological system. Rather, we bow to God’s Word. We cannot extol and honor God if we refuse to submit our reason to his Revelation. Carefully read the Scriptures once more. It is impossible to read the following passages in their context without concluding that regeneration and faith in Christ, gifts of God the Holy Spirit and operations of his irresistible grace, are communicated to chosen sinners through the instrumentality of gospel preaching (Romans 1:15-17; Romans 10:13-17; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25). In each of those passages the Lord God plainly declares that it is his purpose and pleasure to save his elect through the preaching of the gospel. Perhaps you think, “What if one of God’s elect is in a remote barbarian tribe in the jungles of New Guinea where no gospel preacher has ever been?” I can see how that would create a problem, except for one thing: - There are no problems with God! He knows exactly how to get his prophet to the people to whom he has purposed to show his mercy. Just ask Jonah! We preach the gospel with a sense of urgency, knowing that sinners cannot believe on Christ until Christ is preached to them. Yet, we preach with confidence of success, knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). God’s Word will not return to him void. It will accomplish his will and prosper in the thing it is sent to do (Isaiah 55:11). Every chosen, redeemed sinner must be regenerated and called by the Holy Spirit. And that work will be accomplished through the preaching of the gospel. The Savior was touched. — Hearing what great things the Lord Jesus had done, these poor, needy souls thronged around the Son of God, like the woman with the issue of blood, in hope of touching him. Granted, their hope, like hers, may have been shaky, maybe even desperate. But, like her, Christ was all the hope they had. And when Christ is all you have, Christ is enough! In their great need, they touched him. If we can, with the hand of hope and faith touch him, we shall be made whole. Like the publican in the temple, we will receive complete justification from God. God help you to touch him. “Reach out and touch the Lord, as He passes by; You’ll find He’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry; He’s passing by this moment, your needs to supply; So reach out and touch the Lord, as He goes by!” Christ was confessed. — “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God” (Mark 3:11). When those who were possessed of demons were delivered from the powers of hell by the grace of God, they who had experienced his power fell before him and confessed, “Thou art the Son of God!” That is how God saves his elect. 1st. He causes them to hear the gospel. 2nd. He gives them the hope of grace, causing them to come to Christ in faith. 3rd. He causes them to confess Christ as their God and Savior. Watch Him on the Mountain“And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house” (Mark 3:13-19). There are many, many things in these verses that need to be thoughtfully and prayerfully studied. But here are things that are so obvious that they grab our attention as we read them. Here is a display of our Savior’s sovereignty. — “And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him” (Mark 3:13). Our Lord Jesus called whom he would. And all whom he was pleased to call came to him.Here is a description of gospel preachers. — “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils” (Mark 3:14-15). That which Mark tells us in verse fourteen about the original apostles may be applied to every man in every age who is called of God to preach the gospel of Christ. The gospel preacher is a man chosen and ordained of God. He is a man who is with the Lord, and more importantly, with whom the Lord is. The stars of the churches are in his right hand. The gospel preacher is a man sent of God. God sends his servants where he wants them, and puts them there at the time he has ordained.

The preacher is a man sent to preach. God’s messengers are all preachers. They are men with a message. And their message is Jesus Christ crucified. And they are men accompanied with God-given power to perform the work to which they are sent.Here is a fraud numbered among the apostles of our Lord. — “Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him” (Mark 3:19). I am thankful that Judas is listed here among those the Lord Jesus sent out as his apostles. Remember, the passage begins with a display of our Lord’s sovereignty. He called to him “whom he would.” Judas was not there by accident. He was there by divine purpose, just as much as Peter was. Though he was a wicked, reprobate man, he was an instrument in the hands of the sovereign Lord God, by which his eternal purpose was accomplished. Even so, our Lord Jesus Christ is Lord (absolute despot) over those very false prophets who deny him (2 Peter 2:1).Watch Him Among Unbelievers “And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:20-21). If you have a marginal reference in your Bible, you will see that the word “friends” might be better translated, “kinsmen”. Our Lord’s unbelieving kinsmen pitied him as a madman. His family apparently tried not to show open hostility to him; but they were obviously embarrassed by the fact that he was a relative. Here, Mark tells us that they tried to take him by the arms and lead him out of the streets, saying to the crowds, “Do not pay any attention to him, the poor man has lost his mind!” “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils” (Mark 3:22). — When confronted with the doctrine of Christ, and his undeniable power as the Son of God, rather than bowing to him, they ascribed everything he did to the devil. Our Lord responded to the “courteous” unbelief of his pretended friends and the open blasphemy of the Pharisees in exactly the same way. “And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit” (Mark 3:23-30). He asserts his sovereignty over the powers of hell. — “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” (Mark 3:27). Next, he assures us of the forgiveness of sins. — “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme” (Mark 3:28). Then, he warns us of the danger of willful unbelief. — “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation” (Mark 3:29). Any man who dares thumb his nose at God almighty and his darling Son is courting eternal reprobation. There comes a time when men and women cannot be saved, when God will not show mercy. I do not know when that time comes. I do not know where God has drawn it; but I do know that God has drawn a line in the sand. Any who cross that line in obstinate rebellion and unbelief cannot be saved. They are as surely damned as if they were already in hell (Proverbs 1:23-33). When that happens, God leaves them alone. His people have no ability to pray for them. God’s servants are not able to speak to their hearts. There is no gentle wooing of the Spirit tugging at their hearts. The Lord God himself declares, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). Men can make of that whatever they will, or make nothing of it if they dare. But willful unbelief is a very dangerous thing. Watch Him Among His Real Family “There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:31-35). It appears that those brethren who tried to get him to go with them to the insane asylum went to his mother, hoping to use her influence to put an end to the family’s embarrassment. But our Lord describes his family, the family of God, as being made up of chosen, redeemed, called sinners who “do the will of God.” We do not have to guess or speculate as to what the will of God is. He tells us plainly in his Word. — “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23). The only way sinners can get into his family is by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7; 1 John 3:1-3). And the sure evidence of adoption is faith in Christ. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:14-16).

Mark 3:13-21

CHAPTER 12 The First Twelve Preachers “And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.” Mark 3:13-21 Here the Holy Spirit describes the calling of the twelve Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an event, which ought to always be remembered and studied with deep gratitude. No twelve men in history have been so important as these twelve. None have done so much good. None have been of such benefit to us. J.C. Ryle wrote… “What a vast amount of benefit these few men have conferred upon the world! The names of a few Jewish fishermen are known and lived by millions all over the globe, while the names of many kings and rich men are lost and forgotten.” These apostles were a special order of men. The apostolic office was in existence for only a very brief period of time, during which the canon of Holy Scripture was completed. They had distinct gifts of healing, tongues, and inspiration, which no one has possessed since the Apostolic Era. They were men specifically chosen, gifted, and ordained by our Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel during the earliest days of Christianity and to write the New Testament, explaining by divine inspiration the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. They had no successors. When they died, their office died. And when the Apostles died, all the gifts and signs accompanying apostleship died as well. Twelve Men Here are twelve men called and commissioned by our Savior to be the first preachers of the gospel in this dispensation: (1.) Peter, (2.) Andrew, (3.) John, (4.) Philip, (5.) James, the son of Zebedee, (6.) Bartholomew, (7.) Thomas, (8.) Matthew, (9.) Simon the Canaanite, (10.) Jude, the brother of James, (11.) James, the son of Alphaeus, and (12.) Judas the Traitor. The number of the apostles was twelve. That is significant. There were twelve tribes in the nation of Israel. The church is represented by twelve stars (Revelation 12:1). John saw twelve foundations in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12-14). And the Lord Jesus spoke of the twelve apostles sitting upon thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:30). Judas’ betrayal of our Savior made a vacancy in the apostolic office, leaving only eleven. You will recall that in Acts 2 Peter mistakenly concluded from Psalms 69:25 that it was the responsibility of the church to fill the vacancy left by Judas’ apostasy, and to choose Matthias to take his place. It was true; the Lord’s intention was for his church to have twelve apostles, twelve and only twelve. David’s prophecy must be fulfilled. Another apostle was needed to take Judas’ place. But, like the others, he must be personally chosen and ordained to the office by Christ himself. The Lord had not chosen Matthias for this office. He had chosen Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8). Just as the call of these twelve men was the evidence that Christ had chosen them to this high office, so it is the call of God that evidences every believer’s election by God in eternity and his redemption by Christ at Calvary. That faith which is given us in effectual calling is our God given evidence that we are his (Hebrews 11:1). Those who are called are justified (Romans 8:30). Those whom the Son of God has saved by his blood he will call by his Spirit (2 Timothy 1:9). The same thing is true regarding those men the Lord God has chosen to be gospel preachers. Those who are sent by him are men chosen and called by him. And the evidence of their call is the fruit of their labor. Those preachers he has not sent forth as his messengers may preach truth; but they do so with no authority, because they have no authority from God. Those who are men chosen, called, and sent of God have, by the Word they proclaim, power over unclean spirits, and are used to heal the diseases and sicknesses of immortal souls in Christ’s name and power. These twelve men are held before us as patterns and examples of what is required and what is to be expected of those men who are called of God to preach the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. It is my intention to use them in just that way in this study. It would be of no benefit to your soul for me to write about an office that no longer exists. But it will, if blessed of God, be of great benefit to your soul for me to tell you who these men were, what the Lord did for them, and what they, by the power and grace of God, did for others as the first twelve preachers of this gospel age. Here the Holy Spirit shows us by example how preachers are made, what they must do, and what may be reasonably expected from them. The Lord’s Choice It is a sad commentary upon our deluded society that I should have to call your attention to the fact that the apostles, these first twelve preachers, were all men. There is not a woman named among them. That is not an accident. A preaching woman is an abomination! God never called a woman to be a preacher or a missionary. Women are commanded of God to keep silence in the churches, never to teach or usurp authority over a man, and to learn in subjection. I cannot think of anything more obnoxious than effeminate men, except pushy, domineering women; and among them none are so abhorrent as female preachers! Having said that, let me show you seven things about those men who are called and gifted of God to preach the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. What I have to say here applies to every man who is called of God. It matters not where he was educated, what his denominational affiliation is, or what his physical appearance is. If a man is called of God to the work of the gospel ministry, he must be like these first preachers in these seven areas. Converted MenThose who are called of God to preach the gospel are converted men. I know that Judas was not a converted man. And I know that our Lord Jesus knew Judas was unconverted. I will deal with those things later. But Judas professed to be a converted man, as well as Peter, James, and John. That is the important point here. A call to the ministry is always preceded by a call to discipleship. You cannot lead men to follow Christ unless you are a follower of Christ. We must never attempt to raise men up for the ministry. We must never entice young men to dedicate themselves to the work of the ministry by glamorizing it. It is our responsibility to simply preach the gospel, pray for God to make it effectual, pray for him to send forth laborers into his vineyard, and wait for him to work. As soon as we start glamorizing the work and start trying to get men to go into the ministry, we will send men who are not called of God, (That would be disastrous!), and worse than that, we would send men who are not even converted! An unconverted man is as unfit for the ministry as an elephant is for flying. How can he talk about grace who has never tasted that the Lord is gracious? How can he point sinners to the Savior who does not know the Savior? How can he urge sinners to flee to Christ who has not fled to Christ himself? No one does so much injury to the cause of Christ as lost, unconverted preachers. They promote infidelity. They are co-laborers with the evil. And they are an offense to God. Chosen MenGospel preachers are divinely chosen men. The Lord called to him “whom he would!” He did not call the tallest, most handsome, smartest, most appealing, or most eloquent. The longer I live the more I think Bro. B. B. Caldwell was right when he told a bunch of Bible college boys, “God never called any of you pretty boys to be a preacher!” Gospel preachers are not chosen by us, or even as we would choose them. The Lord Jesus calls to him whom he will. Called Men First, they are chosen. Then they are called. And all who are called by our God to preach the gospel are found preaching the gospel. No man has been called to preach the gospel who is not preaching the gospel. The call of our God is always effectual. Those whom he has chosen as his messengers he makes willing to be his messengers. This is also a picture of our Lord’s effectual, irresistible grace in salvation. All the chosen are at God’s appointed time called. And all the called are made willing in the day of the power of his grace. God’s works are always effectual. God almighty never tried to do anything. God’s election is effectual election. Christ’s atonement is effectual atonement. The Spirit’s call is an effectual call. Communing Men Every man chosen, called, gifted, and sent of God to preach the gospel is a man in communion with Christ. Mark tells us in verse fourteen that these men were called to him “that they should be with him.” Like the apostles, faithful gospel preachers live with the Son of God, have fellowship with him, abide with him, and, like Mary, sit at his feet to hear his word. As these men went up into the mountain of prayer with Christ and went home with Christ, God’s servants must live at home with the Son of God in prayer, ever seeking his Spirit, walking in his steps, studying him, copying him, so that when he steps into the pulpit, he can honestly say what John said to the saints in his day. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-3) Consecrated Men Gospel preachers, those men sent of God to preach the gospel, are consecrated to Christ. These were men who literally left all and followed Christ. They were not self-serving merchandisers of men’s souls. These men were the servants of men. They served the souls of men. — “And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread” (Mark 3:20). While there was work to be done and opportunity to do it, for the good of men and the glory of God, they did not even stop to eat. Matthew Henry was exactly right in his observation. — “They whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God can easily bear with inconveniences to themselves in the prosecution of it.”Caring Men God’s servants are caring men. They care for those trusted to their care. In verse fifteen we are told that these men were given “power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils.” — And that which the Lord gave them the power to do, they did with all their might. You can mark this down. It applies to anything and everything. It is particularly applicable to the work of the ministry. Consecrated men are caring men; and caring men, truly caring men, are consecrated men. Commissioned Men And every man sent of God to preach the gospel goes forth with a divine commission. — “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.” They have a divine mandate. They are sent forth to preach. All who are called of God into the work of the gospel ministry are first and foremost preachers, gospel preacher! They are not counselors, baby-sitters, social workers, or denominational promoters. God’s servants are preachers, faithful, gospel preachers (Romans 1:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Nothing in all the world is more utterly useless than a pastor who wastes his time on other things. Such a man is as useless as a lighthouse without a light. A Reasonable Expectation What should we expect to find among gospel preachers? What should we expect from men who are the servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, from men who are God’s ambassadors to our souls? Let me be crystal clear. When I speak of gospel “preachers” and “God’s ambassadors,” I do not have in mind Arminians, free-willers, and work-mongers. Gospel preachers are gospel preachers! Taking these first twelve men as the standard, it is reasonable that we should expect God’s servant to be a steady, steadfast, rock of strength, faithfulness and courage, like Peter, though a mere man, who will sometimes be very disappointing. The gospel preacher ought to be a bold, courageous son of thunder like James and John, though just a man, who will sometimes seek to promote their own interests above others. The man who speaks for God ought to be a Thomas who is willing to go with Christ to Jerusalem to die with him, though but a weak man, who will sometimes be weak and doubtful. He should be a Bartholomew (Nathaniel) in whom there is no guile, an honest man, yet a man who knows himself by nature to be full of guile. The faithful servant of God may be a faithful Matthew, Andrew, Philip, James, or Simon, about whom very little is known, but a man with God’s message, without whom much would be lost. There is no greater burden and no more awesome responsibility in the world than the work of preaching the gospel. Those who faithfully labor to preach the gospel need your prayers constantly. No wonder Paul says so often, “Brethren, pray for us!”Why Judas? Yet, among those who are doctrinally sound and orthodox, who preach the letter of the Word in truth, we find an occasional self-serving Judas, who gives the enemies of God occasion to blaspheme. Have you ever wondered, “Why did the Lord pick Judas and put him among the Apostles?” I have. Let me tell you at least part of the reason why he did it. Without question, he chose Judas to fulfil the purpose of God and the prophecy of the Old Testament. Our Lord Jesus chose the betrayer that he might use him to bring on his death and accomplish the redemption of our souls. And I am confident that he chose the son of perdition that he might be a stumbling block to the unbelieving. Judas did not pop on the scene as an unexpected surprise to God. He was as much a part of God’s purpose as Peter and Paul. And when Judas was gone, no harm had been done. His betrayal of the Master and his suicide were simply the means God used to accomplish his purpose of grace toward his elect and make room for the apostle to the Gentiles to step into place at precisely the time God had ordained. Crowds Mean Nothing In Mark 3:20 Mark directs our attention to the constant crowds ever pressing around our Redeemer. — “And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.” Everywhere he went, our Lord Jesus drew huge crowds around him. What a great sight it must have been to see huge crowds gathered in the presence of the incarnate God! But we have something indescribably better. You and I have the privilege of gathering at his throne every day, with the ever swelling, innumerable crowd of his elect around the world and in heaven, for the constant healing of our souls in the boundless supply of his grace (Psalms 100:4-5; Hebrews 12:22-23). But great crowds mean nothing. During his earthly ministry, the crowds that constantly pressed our Savior, for the most part, did not attend his ministry because they believed him and worshipped him. They pressed around him hoping to get something from him, to be fed by him, to see some miracle performed by him, or to have a miracle performed upon their bodies. Our Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect preacher. He never had to pause and look for words. He never had to think of an illustration. He always preached with power. More than that, he healed multitudes, performed, miracles, and even raised the dead. Yet, very, very few were converted under his ministry. Multitudes heard his words and felt the power of his words as he preached; but few heard his message and believed him. How sadly true that is to this day! What multitudes use religion for nothing more than the gratification of the flesh; and self-serving preachers, churches and religious leaders are all too happy to supply unregenerate men with religious entertainment as they run to hell. Sunday after Sunday, churches are packed with crowds to see and perform plays, engage in contests, debate issues, rally support for some politician or political cause, enjoy a concert, and play countless games. Those places in which needy souls gather to hear the gospel preached, sing hymns of praise to our God, read his Word, and seek him in prayer are few and far between. Rarely are they packed with crowds. Great crowds mean nothing. They are no indication that Christ is present or honored. He is present and he is honored wherever two are three are gathered by his grace in his name to worship him in spirit and in truth. It is our responsibility to prayerfully and faithfully preach the gospel to eternity bound sinners, and leave the results entirely in his sovereign purpose of grace. Family and Friends The Spirit of God directs our attention in Mark 3:21 to some of our Lords family and friends, who were utterly embarrassed by him. — “And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.” These friends were his kinsmen (John 7:5). They were members of his family, relatives who were embarrassed by his gospel and his devotion, and were scared to death of what the Scribes and Pharisees might think of them because of him. There is nothing here that should be of any surprise to anyone. The prophet who came to anoint Jehu was called a “mad fellow” (2 Kings 9:11). Festus told Paul that he was a madman. I can think of very little that more fully displays the corruption of the human nature than man’s utter inability to understand devotion and consecration to God. If a person is a loyal fan for a ball team, he is honored for his fanaticism. If a man is zealous about money, science, business, sports, or even war, he is applauded as a man of discipline. If he injures his own health because of his consuming passion in any of these areas, he is admired for his sacrifice. But zeal for Christ, devotion to the glory of God, the consecration of a redeemed sinner saved by grace to his God and Savior is looked upon by the wiseacres of the world as a sign of a weak mind. The world has not changed. The things of the Spirit are now, as they always have been and always will be, foolishness to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14). When you have to drink the bitter cup of being misunderstood and misrepresented by family and friends who do not know God, do not allow their folly to shake your faith or cause you to turn on them in retaliation.

Mark 3:22-30

CHAPTER 13 The Glory of the Gospel and the Danger of Unbelief “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:22-30 The Scribes came down from Jerusalem specifically to slander the Son of God. They saw the miracles he performed and could not deny their reality. They heard his doctrine and could not refute it. Yet, they would not bow to the Lord Jesus as their Lord, acknowledging him to be the Christ of God. They would not repent of their sins and believe on the Son of God. Instead they accused him of being in league with the devil.

They said, “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils!” Throughout his life on this earth, our Master was misunderstood by his family and friends, and deliberately misrepresented by his enemies. This was a trial he had to endure from his childhood until his death as our Substitute upon the cursed tree. While he was most humble, he was thought to be most arrogant. When he went about his Father’s business, he was thought to be negligent and irresponsible. Though he was perfectly righteous, he was thought to be altogether sinful. We must not expect better treatment in this world. As we endeavor to live for Christ, as we seek the glory of God, as we try to walk in obedience to the will of God, others will judge us to be self-serving, self-promoting, rebels and antinomians. Unbelieving friends and relatives will not understand us. Enemies will deliberately misrepresent our actions and accuse us of being ruled by the most vile and base motives imaginable. Our Lord Jesus told us plainly that these things must come to pass (Matthew 10:16-26). Our Savior’s kinsmen said, “He is beside himself!” The Pharisees called him a glutton, a drunk, and a sinner. The Scribes said, “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils.” We will be wise to expect and be prepared for the same treatment, because “the world knoweth us not,” even as “it knew him not.” Yet, even these base actions of wicked men were turned by our sovereign Master into an occasion for good to his chosen. He took their evil works and words and used them to teach us much needed spiritual lessons that we would be wise always to remember. The things taught in these verses deserve special attention. They are recorded here by divine inspiration for our learning and admonition. Slandering Scribes Lost, self-righteous, religious people, while pretending to be loving, benevolent, and gracious are never reluctant to slander the names of others to promote themselves. “But,” as John Trapp observed, “envy never regards how true, but how mischievous.” The lying heart is manifest by the lying tongue. The Scribes who had come down from Jerusalem, seeking to find some accusation against the Lord Jesus, when they saw, or were informed that he had cast out unclean spirits, said, “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils” (Mark 3:22). Sometimes they called him Beelzebub (Satan), the prince of devils (Matthew 10:25). At other times they said our Savior’s work of mercy and grace was the work of the devil. They were filled and guided by enmity and envy toward the Son of God. These men knew that he was not insane. And they knew that he had exercised power that only God possesses, healing the bodies of men and casting out devils; but that, they refused to acknowledge. In their malice and envy they attributed to Satan the power and work of God, hoping by their slander to defame him whose doctrine they could not refute and whose work they could not deny. The Scribes were trying to protect themselves, to guard their religious turf, and protect their position of influence. They had no concern for either the souls of men, the truth of God, or the glory of God. They were moved by nothing more noble than envy. If they owned the Savior’s work to be of God, their religious importance, their occupation, and their gain would be gone. The proud, self-serving religionists, claiming to be God’s servants, were the slaves of Satan. As such, they blasphemed the Son of God. Let all be warned. Such deceitful workers are present and highly esteemed throughout the religious world in all ages, “transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:2). The Parable Our Lord Jesus responded to the Scribes’ accusation by a parable (Mark 3:23-26). In the parable he clearly shows the absurdity of their accusation against him. Any fool knows that “a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” “And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” There are many things that may be properly taught from this parable. However, that which is, in my opinion, the most important lesson to be drawn from these words of our Redeemer is the one thing most often overlooked. This parable shows us the shameful sinfulness of strife and division among those who are supposed to be friends and allies in the same cause. I realize that wicked men, men who would utterly destroy the gospel of Christ, promote peace at all cost. There are many who tell us that we must never oppose anything or anyone. Such traitors to Christ and his gospel must not be heard. Yet, there is a form of strife and division that is evil, always evil, and only evil. It is to be avoided by us at all cost. It is our responsibility to seek, pray for, and promote the peace of Jerusalem, the unity and harmony of God’s church and kingdom in this world (Ephesians 4:1-6; Ephesians 4:30-32; Ephesians 5:1-2). We should, as much as possible, avoid needless differences, disputes, and debates about spiritual things. Nothing so weakens the arms of the church as the carnal strife which divides it. Needless disputes absorb thought, energy, time, and effort that should be spent in the furtherance of the gospel. They furnish infidels with weapons to use against us. The divisions that exist among God’s true people in this world, no matter how justified we think we are in maintaining them, are but taking sides with the devil against ourselves. Satan is the one who initiates them, the one who maintains them, and the one who profits by them. If he cannot extinguish the kingdom of God, he labors tirelessly to divide the soldiers of Christ’s kingdom into combating armies, fighting each other. The crafty old serpent knows by long experience that “to divide is to conquer.” We must and should be zealous for the glory of God and the truths of the gospel. I utterly abhor that sentimentality that is willing to sacrifice the truth and glory of God upon the altar of what men call love and peace. We cannot be too jealous about the truths of the gospel and the glory of our God. Divine sovereignty, total depravity, eternal election, effectual atonement, almighty grace, and the preservation of God’s elect are matters vital to truth, vital to the glory of God, and vital to the souls of men. With regard to these things, we must never budge an inch for anyone. But the method of church government, the kind of musical instruments employed in worship, and whether the congregation concludes the sermon by saying, “Amen,” or saying nothing are matters totally insignificant. We should never make a fuss about trifles. Far too many are morbidly scrupulous about pointing out, calling attention to, and debating differences with others about the most minute details. They are far more anxious to point out insignificant differences and magnify them than they are to lock arms with their brethren and promote truth for the glory of Christ. Nothing can ever justify such behavior. — Nothing! There is something more important than you and me, something more important than our opinion, our name, or our desires. The truth of God, the glory of God, and the kingdom of God are infinitely more important. The fact is, all debate is wicked. It is of the flesh, does nothing for God’s glory, accomplishes no good, and only gratifies the flesh. Debate is always listed in the Word of God with envy, wrath, strife, whisperings, backbiting, slander, and murder (Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20). As we ought to scrupulously avoid needless strife about words and promote the unity of the church and kingdom of God throughout the world, let every child of God be doubly scrupulous in protecting and promoting the peace, harmony, and unity of the local church to which God has joined him (1 Corinthians 1:9-13). Love one another. Be kind and thoughtful toward one another. Speak well to and of one another. Forgive one another. Be patient, forbearing, and longsuffering with one another (James 3:13-18; James 4:1-3). Great Grace “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” (Mark 3:27). Here our Savior speaks of his great, omnipotent, saving grace. There seems to be a direct connection between these words and the prophetic words of Isaiah concerning our most glorious Lord Jesus Christ and his almighty, gracious, saving operations in and upon chosen, redeemed sinners. “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:24-26) We are all, by nature, sinners under the dominion of Satan. Our hearts are his house and palace. His tyrannical rule and dominion over us is so great that we are his willing servants. We could never free ourselves from his dominion if we would, and would not if we could. Salvation comes when the Lord Jesus Christ invades the city of Mansoul by the sovereign power of his omnipotent grace, casts Satan out, and takes possession of our lives, planting his throne where once Satan reigned, in the very core of our hearts. The Lord of glory is not a pathetic little Jesus, knocking at the sinner’s heart’s door, waiting for the dead sinner, by an act of his will, to open the door and let him in! He who is our Savior is the sovereign Son of God, omnipotent in mercy and irresistible in grace. When he knocks at the heart’s door, he knocks the door in, bolt and bar. He comes in, takes possession of the soul. And when he comes in, he brings his welcome with him! The first time the heaven born soul is aware of his presence is when he begins to cast the devil out! Every chosen, redeemed sinner shall be set free by the power of God’s omnipotent grace at God’s appointed time. Our glorious Christ regenerates and gives eternal life to dead sinners by the irresistible power and grace of his sovereign Spirit. And awakened, regenerate sinners come to Christ with willing hearts, because he gives them faith and causes them to come to him (Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3). All who are saved by the grace of Christ willingly bow to him as their only and rightful Lord. Believers are his willing bond-slaves, men and women who willingly stoop down before him and slip under his yoke. Great Forgiveness “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme” (Mark 3:28). What a great, glorious declaration this is! He who delights in mercy declares, “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme!” That may appear to be a trifling matter to some. But to that person who has tasted his sin, who knows the corruptions of his own heart, whose soul burns with the very fires of hell tormenting his conscience, this is the greatest thing ever heard. — “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme!” The sins of my youth and the sins of my old age, the sins of my heart and the sins of my hand, the sins of my mind and the sins of my mouth, open sins and secret sins, past sins, present sins and future sins, my sins as an infidel and my sins as a believer he has freely, fully and forever forgiven! The sins of persecutors like Saul, the sins of idolaters like Manasseh, and the sins of harlots like Rahab are forgiven by the Son of God. “All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme!” — What a magnificently broad proclamation of God’s infinite mercy! The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (Acts 13:39; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:1-2). The righteousness of Christ covers all iniquity. The intercession of Christ prevails over all transgressions. “This”, J. C. Ryle said, “is the glory of the Gospel. The very first thing it proposes to man is free pardon, full forgiveness, complete remission, without money and without price.” Lay hold of this thing, which is the very glory of the gospel. Often we faint, falter, and fail. We rightly feel ourselves altogether unworthy before our God. We are cast down in our souls. And Satan harasses us with our countless sins. But this is a fact beyond all dispute. — If we trust Christ alone as our Lord and Savior, if we trust his blood alone to atone for our sins and his righteousness alone to give us acceptance with God, then our God has cast our sins, all our sins behind his back forever. He will never remember them against us. Eternal Damnation It has become acceptable, and even popular, in many circles today for men, while claiming to believe the Bible, while claiming to preach the gospel, to deny the reality of hell and eternal punishment; but in Mark 3:29-30 the Son of God speaks about “eternal damnation!”“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.” Terrible as this truth is, it is truth. We must not shut our eyes to it. We must not fail to declare it. Sin is an infinitely evil thing. It required a sacrifice and an atonement of infinite value to satisfy the justice of God for our sins. And if God finds sin upon any in the day of judgment, he will pour out upon that soul his infinite wrath, without mercy in “everlasting damnation!” Let it ever be ours to preach the gospel of free, full forgiveness by the blood of Christ, calling and urging eternity bound sinners everywhere to flee from the wrath of God. Come take refuge for your soul in the City of Refuge. Never rest until you rest in him who is the Rock of Ages. You and I will spend eternity either under the blackness and darkness of the terror and torment of everlasting hell, or in the bliss, glory, and delight of heaven. Where will you spend eternity? We must soon meet the holy, eternal God in judgment. What will you plea for acceptance with him? The sinner’s only hope is Christ; and, oh, what blessed hope believing sinners have in him by the gospel! In Christ I now believe, And trusting in His name, Redemption through His blood I have! Complete in Him I am! This hope my soul uplifts, When sin and Satan press: Unchanging are my Father’s gifts, Who promises to bless. My sins, my sins, my sins, Are blotted out, each one! No cause for wrath on me remains! God sees me in His Son! So, come to me what may, It must, I know, be blest. God, Who for me His Son did slay, Will do for me what’s best! The Unpardonable Sin In verse twenty-nine the Son of God states emphatically, “He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness.” There is such a thing as the unpardonable sin. This is not a matter of speculation. It may not fit well with our theological systems; but it is a matter of divine revelation, plainly stated and undeniable (Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 5:16-17). What is the unpardonable sin? I fully recognize that caution must be used here. The Scriptures clearly reveal the fact that there is an unpardonable sin; but they do not expressly tell us what it is. However, the Word of God does hold these Scribes and their cohorts, the Pharisees (Matthew 12:31-32), as examples of men who committed it. The unpardonable sin appears to be the willful rejection of Christ and his gospel, a deliberate, persistent refusal to bow to the claims of Christ as Lord. It seems to be a combination of a clear intellectual knowledge of the gospel and a deliberate rejection of it, a knowledge of Christ in the head and a hatred of Christ in the heart (Proverbs 1:23-33). Though Saul of Tarsus was a persecutor and a blasphemer, he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly (1 Timothy 1:12-13). Many of God’s children in this world have been greatly distressed with this, fearful that they may have committed the unpardonable sin. I understand their fear. I have had the same fear. It is a fear with which Satan often buffets the soul brought low with the knowledge of his sin. Of this much I am certain, the blasphemy our Lord speaks of here, this sin that is unpardonable, whatever it is, none of God’s elect can commit it. The sinner who trusts Christ alone for all grace, salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, eternal life, and acceptance with God has not and cannot commit it. Those fearful, timid, tempted souls who are most fearful they may have committed it before they trusted Christ, have unfounded fears. If you believe on the Son of God, you have not committed this blasphemy; and you can never be in danger of committing it. Yet, some are in danger of committing this unpardonable crime. Those who trifle with the gospel, trifle with their souls! There is forgiveness with God for all sin through the blood of Christ. — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). But, for every unbelieving soul “is in danger of eternal damnation.” “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Mark 3:31-35

CHAPTER 14 The Master’s Family “There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35) In the previous verses (Mark 3:22-30) we saw our all glorious Savior accused by pompous, self-righteous religionists of being in league with the devil. They said, “He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils.” But the absurd charges and scandalous accusations of the Scribes were not the only trials our Lord had to endure at this time. In these last verses of chapter 3 we are told that, “His brethren and his mother came, and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.” In these five verses the Son of God identifies himself with his disciples and owns his disciples as his true family. Our Master’s earthly family didn’t understand the beauty of his life, the necessity of his obedience, and the purpose for which he had come into the world. I do not doubt that they loved him as a brother. I have no doubt that they were, at least somewhat, concerned for his physical welfare. They must have been concerned about him over-exerting himself, not getting enough rest, exposing himself to too much danger. They understood very little, or gave little regard to those words spoken by the Lord Jesus when he was just a boy twelve years old, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) They probably did not understand the implications of their actions recorded in this passage. But these things are written for our learning. Mary the Sinner The words of this passage, and the many other passages in the gospel narratives, which identify Mary’s sinfulness and weaknesses in the flesh, were intended by God the Holy Spirit to prevent the idolatrous worship of Mary, which is so much a part of popish idolatry. We recognize, and the Scriptures clearly teach, that our Savior’s human body was conceived in Mary’s virgin womb by the Holy Spirit. But the papists would have us believe that Mary herself was immaculately conceived and that she had no sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. No doubt, Mary was a woman of honorable character. But she was no more spiritual and holy by nature than Rahab, or you, or me. Mary was the sinful daughter of sinful parents. She was made holy and honorable by the free grace of God in Christ, whom she herself worshipped as her Savior and Lord (Luke 1:46-48). Mary is to be called “blessed,” because she was and is blessed of God in Christ and for Christ’s sake. But we must never look upon her as being blessed in any way or to any degree, except as she was and is blessed of God in Christ in exactly the same way as all chosen sinners are blessed, eternally and immutably blessed of God in Christ and for Christ’s sake (Ephesians 1:3). Mary was a sinner loved and chosen of God, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and justified, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit in exactly the same way we are. She was a sinner saved by grace. Papists also assert, contrary to the plain statements of Holy Scripture, that Mary’s virginity was perpetual. But this reference to our Savior’s brothers tells us that other sons of Joseph and Mary were born after the Lord Jesus. His younger brothers are named in Matthew 13:55. The papists’ doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity, like most of Rome’s teaching, is nothing but religious superstition. There is no religious practice more completely destitute of biblical foundation than the exaltation and adulation of Mary. The blasphemous practice of offering prayers to Mary are as foolish and idolatrous as offering prayers to me! The only sinless human being ever to live in this world is the sinless Son of God, our Savior. The only Mediator between God and men, by whom and through whom sinners may come to God, is the God-man, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only human being to whom prayer is to be made and through whom we may hope for grace is that Man who is God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Family Hindrance Here we see a clear example of the fact that even the best intentions of flesh and blood may often hinder us, as we seek to do the will of God. Regarding spiritual matters, particularly matters of obedience to the will of God, family and friends are never safe guides. As I said before, our Savior’s family appears to have been concerned for his health and well-being. Perhaps they feared that he was needlessly exposing himself to danger. They must have been aware of the plots of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Herodians to kill him. So they sent a messenger to fetch the Lord Jesus home. Some read into their words suggestions of impertinence and disrespect. But that does not appear to have been the case at all, especially on Mary’s part. She was, at times, a weak believer; but there is no doubt that she was a genuine believer. Still, though Mary, and probably our Master’s other family members as well, had only the best of intentions and desired only that which they thought was best for him, they were in no position to make that judgment. This incident is not recorded here by accident. It is written for our learning. Be sure you do not miss the lesson here given by the Spirit of God. In spiritual matters we must not confer with flesh and blood (Galatians 1:16). If we would know the state of our souls, we must not be satisfied with the good opinions of others. If we would know and do the will of God, we must not take into account the desires of our own flesh, the desires of our families, or the counsel of human wisdom. No one knows the will of God for you in any given area of your life, but you. It is your responsibility to do what you know the Lord would have you to do. Abraham would never have taken Isaac up to Mt. Moriah, if he had consulted with Sarah. Had Moses listened to Zipporah, the Lord would have killed him before he ever got back to Egypt. Nathan would never have taken God’s word to David, if he had considered what the consequences might have been. Faithfulness Required In this passage our Lord Jesus exemplifies the fact that the one thing required in all true servants of God is faithfulness. In the face of constant opposition from his enemies and the misguided concerns of those people who were by nature dearest to him, our Savior’s resolve was firm and unrelenting. He had set his face like a flint. He had a baptism to be baptized with and was straitened until it was accomplished. He was determined to fulfil his Father’s will, to finish his work of establishing perfect righteousness for his people, and to drink the cup of wrath as our Substitute upon the cursed tree to satisfy the justice of God for us. May God give us grace as his people and his servants to be like minded. Let nothing turn you from the narrow way. Have you put your hand to the plow? Let nothing persuade you to look back. Have you entered the race? Look not to the right hand, nor to the left.

Look only to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. If well meaning friends would dissuade you, reply like Nehemiah of old, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down” (Nehemiah 6:3). If those who truly love you and truly love Christ would unknowingly turn you aside from doing that which you know to be the will of God, respond as Paul did to his friends, — “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). — “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). Keep the eyes of your heart, the eyes of your soul focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and the great host of men and women who have gone before us into heaven who were found faithful even unto death (Hebrews 12:1-4). The Lord our God requires only one thing of us. And the one thing he requires of us is the very least that we can give. Yet, it is the best we can give. God requires faithfulness. May he give us grace to give it. — “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Christ’s Family The Lord Jesus tells us plainly in Mark 3:33-35 that all who are truly his disciples, and only they, are the members of his family. “And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” Who can imagine the depth of love our Savior had for his physical family as a man? Who can imagine how he loved that woman who nursed and nurtured him as a baby? Who can imagine how he must have loved his brothers and sisters, those who were born from the same womb as he was? No mortal has ever come close to knowing the affection of Christ’s heart as a man for his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Yet, in comparison to his chosen, in comparison to you and I who believe on his name our Lord Jesus gave no regard to the desires of his own family and dearest kinsmen. There is great comfort to be found in the things recorded here for every true believer. There is One in heaven, who is both God and man, One who is both bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, who knows us, loves us, cares for us, and counts us to be his own family. We may be poorer than dirt; but we have no cause to be ashamed. We are the brothers and sisters of the Son of God! We may be persecuted and mistreated, even in our own families, because of our faith in him. If that is the case with you, take David’s words for your own, “When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up” (Psalms 27:10). To be numbered among those who are in this family is to be the object of God’s constant care, the beneficiary of God’s special providence, and an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3) Solemn Warning This passage also contains a solemn warning for the persecutors of God’s saints. — All who abuse, harass, and persecute the children of God have reason to tremble. If you are inclined to slander, abuse, malign, or persecute one of God’s children, or one of God’s servants, you would be wise to remember, they are the sons and daughters of God almighty. Those who are the objects of your scorn are the true blood-kin of the Son of God. This is the family of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords. We have a mighty, mighty Friend, who has sworn that he will avenge his own elect in all things. Our Redeemer is mighty; and he will plead our cause (Proverbs 23:11). The Lord Jesus Christ in heaven always pleads our cause. Let us ever be found faithful in his cause.