Introduction
Jesus did all things with the fullness of the Spirit.
- Teaching
- Preaching
- Healing
- Calling
- Ministering
In stark contrast to the previous passage (Mark 3:20-27) where Christ, being the single authority on the Satan, demons and the spiritual realm continues this his teaching authority on all things spiritual.
Why would he be the only authority on the spiritual? Because He alone is God.
Here’s what I want you and I to grapple with: Jehovah God, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Hell, the very life of all mankind was in their presence…
And these people wanted to argue with him.
Does that seem right to you?
The Text
Mark 3:28–30 (CSB)
28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.
29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—
30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
The Devotion
If you are trying to wrap your mind around whether or not you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, let me stop right there.
If you are struggling with this, the answer is you have not because you have not permanently rejected the Holy Spirit to your dying day.
If you don’t care whether or not you have blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you are going to hell. There is no two ways about it.
But what is Christ telling you and me to do in this passage?
Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Let me shortcut it another way: listen to God.
Listen to the Spirit: He proceeds from the Father and testifies about the Son
John 15:26-27 (CSB) “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
The Counselor counsels. You want to fulfill the Great Commission? Testify about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God who is God perfectly testifies about the Son of God who is God.
Listen to the Spirit: He preaches the truth of Christ
John 16:12-15 (CSB) “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Listen to the Spirit: He glorifies the Son of God
14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
Listen to the Spirit: He will teach you everything that Christ has taught in his word
John 14:23-26 (CSB) Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.
25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
Listen to the Spirit: he convicts
John 16:5-11 (CSB) But now I am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
He convicts the world of sin.
More so, He convicts us of our righteousness.
More so, He convicts Satan about the oncoming judgment for Him and his demons.
Listen to the Spirit: we are to be led by Him
Romans 8:14 (ESV) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Listen to the Spirit: helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us
Romans 8:26 (CSB) In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
Listen to the Spirit: knows exactly what is on your heart and intercedes for you
Romans 8:27 (CSB) And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Discussion
1. How do you know if you are hearing the Holy Spirit?
2. What are big ways of rejecting the Holy Spirit?
3. What are the little ways of rejecting the Holy Spirit?
4. How can we keep from rejecting the Holy Spirit?
Ephesians 4:25-32 (CSB) Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Pray
Lead us. Convict us. Save us. Preach the gospel of Christ to our hearts every day.
We love you.
Amen.
The Resources
Calvin’s Commentaries.
by John Calvin.
Baker. 2009.
Olive Tree
Mark: An Expositional Commentary
by R.C. Sproul.
Reformation Trust Publisher. 2011.
Goodreads
New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark
by William Hendriksen.
Baker. 1981.
Goodreads
The Gospel according to Mark: The English Text With Introduction, Exposition, and Notes (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)
by William L. Lane.
Eerdman’s. 1974.
Goodreads
Mark (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT Volume 2)
Edited by Thomas C. Odin & Christopher A. Hall
IVP Academic. 2005.
Goodreads
Mark (The Story of God Bible Commentary Series)
by Timothy G. Gombis.
Zondervan Academic. March 9th 2021.
Goodreads