Imagine if a background check had been done on the 12 disciples.
“Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that could undermine morale. Matthew [Levi] has been blacklisted by the Capernaum Better Business Bureau; James and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale. Simon is a zealot with terrorist tendencies and is always looking for ways to attack and annihilate the Romans.
“One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of high ability and resourcefulness, is outgoing, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man” (Adapted from “Eating Problems for Breakfast,” by Tim Hansel).
We’re continuing in our series called, “Who is This Man?” from the Gospel of Mark. Pastor Andy helped us understand last week that while we may think we’re righteous, in reality we are sick sinners. We were challenged to reach out to a “Levi,” a person we’d rather not be around.
In our passage today, we’re going to focus on three vignettes to show that our reaction to Jesus determines our response to Him. The sermon title comes from a phrase made popular by C.S. Lewis: “Lord, Liar or Lunatic?” We’ll be introduced to three groups of people -- the disciples who knew He was Lord, His family who treated Him like a lunatic, and His enemies who thought he was a liar. There are really only three choices -- Jesus is God, He is mad or He is bad. There is no middle ground. How we react to Jesus will ultimately determine our response to Him.
1. Is He Lord? We pick up the story in Mark 3:13: “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him.” While there were always crowds around Jesus, He called out for Himself a smaller community of followers. Do you realize that Christianity began with a small group? The Christ-life is meant to be lived out in community and relationships. Are you connected to a Connection Group here at PBC? If not, contact Pastor Andy and get in one.
When Jesus was up on the mountain...
• He called. In John 15:16 we read that Jesus chose and appointed these men. They didn’t volunteer but were selected. It’s good to come back to this truth -- God does the choosing according to His sovereign selection.
• They came. Jesus initiated and the men responded. They didn’t waffle or waver. Jesus called and they came. When I was growing up and we would be playing outside, my dad would open the back door and whistle loudly when it was time to come home. Let me just say that it wasn’t a good idea to dilly dally, if you know what I mean. He whistled and we went.
Jesus is calling some of you right now…but you’ve not yet come to Him. Will today be the day that you do that? PBC missionary Emily Bill posted an update on her blog this week about a young man named Gilberto who attends the Care Center in the D.R. This is what she wrote: “I asked him if he is a Christian and he said, ‘Not yet, but really soon I am going to decide to follow Jesus!’ We talked about it a little more and he said, ‘Don't worry Emily, I will tell you as soon as I make the decision.’” Jesus is calling this young man…I pray that he comes to Him soon.
Let’s move to verses 14-15: “He appointed twelve -- designating them apostles -- that they might be with him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” There’s a threefold task that they’re given that has direct application to those of us who are modern-day disciples. Someone has said, “Christians of the 21st Century are far better at believing than they are at behaving.”
• Hang out with Jesus. They were to be with Him. This is the most important element of discipleship and is at the heart of being a Christian -- spending time with Jesus, listening, learning and loving. And people can tell when we spend time with Him. I love how this is stated in Acts 4:13 - “Now when they saw the courage of Peter and John, and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that they had been with Jesus.”
• Sent out by Jesus. After being in the presence of Jesus they were sent out with a purpose: to preach the gospel. Actually the word “apostle” means “sent one.” They received their education by being with Jesus but they were not to just stay with Him; they were equipped to be sent out. It’s not enough to just come here; we must go there. We come together as the church gathered in order to go out as the church scattered. What we learn in private must be shared with the public. The disciples are given detailed marching orders in Matthew 10:5-42: “…As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of God is near.’”
• Drive out demons. The disciples were given authority to do spiritual battle with the forces of darkness. The order is significant. They move from presence to preaching to power. I’m reminded of Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
We’re given the names of the disciples who were appointed as apostles in verses 17-19: “Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
Jesus picked twelve to represent the tribes of Israel but also to indicate that He was doing something new. Among the twelve, there were three who made up the inner circle, and they are named first -- Peter, James and John. Interestingly, Judas the traitor is mentioned last. I find it fascinating that Jesus picked twelve guys who on the surface, were not very compatible. I’m sure there was some natural tension between them and we know that they were actually competitive, jealous and selfish on more than one occasion. Like the island of “misfit toys” from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, they were the “misfit boys.”
For example, think of the natural enmity between Levi the tax collector, who worked for the Roman government, and Simon the Zealot, who wanted to overthrow the Romans. Levi made his money overcharging people like Simon, and Simon existed to eliminate people like Levi. That should give us hope in our marriages and other relationships, right? It doesn’t really matter if you’re compatible as long as you’re living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Our reaction determines our response to Jesus. The disciples knew that Jesus was Lord; therefore they lived for Him. Is He your Lord? If so, you will live for Him.
2. Is He a Lunatic? Those who followed Jesus knew He was Lord but His own family saw Him as a lunatic. In verse 20 we read: “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat.” Once again, people are everywhere, with the crowd pressing in.
It was like his family couldn’t take it anymore so they traveled from Nazareth to Capernaum to do something about the embarrassment He was causing them. We see this in verse 21: “When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” In short, they thought Christ was crazy. This phrase could also indicate that they thought He had an evil spirit. After all, as the oldest son, there was an expectation that He would take over his father’s business but now He’s a homeless wanderer with no job or shekels to his name. Actually, He was in His Father’s business, wasn’t He?
The phrase “take charge of him” means to “take hold of; to grasp” and was used of arresting someone. They wanted to tackle him and get him out of there. Maybe Jesus’ brothers finally saw their chance to take Jesus out. After all, it would have been tough to have Jesus as your older brother because He never did anything wrong. They probably got tired of hearing, “Why can’t you be more like Jesus?”
BTW, when you’re all in for Christ, those closest to you will think you’re out of your mind. If you take your faith seriously, some will call you a fanatic. I like how Vance Havner captures this truth: “Let it not be forgotten that a twice-born and Spirit-filled Christian is always a contradiction to this old world. He crosses it at every point. From the day that he is born again until he passes on to be with the Lord, he pulls against the current of a world forever going the other way. The real firebrand is distressing to the devil, and when a wide-awake believer comes along, taking the Gospel seriously, we can expect sinister maneuvering for his downfall.”
If you consider Jesus Lord, you’ll live for Him. If you think He’s a lunatic, you’ll try to limit Him.
3. Is He a Liar? In the third vignette, the enemies of Jesus level some really strong charges against Him by calling Him a liar. As a result, they lash out at him through character assassination. The teachers of the law are so worked up that they travel from Jerusalem about 80 miles away and declare in verse 22: “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons!” Beelzebub was a common title of Satan that meant, “Lord of the Dung Flies.” This was a derogatory description to the Jewish people, bringing back memories of 2 Kings 1 when this Philistine fly god was the enemy of Yahweh. By aligning Jesus with the Adversary they are showing their hatred and contempt for Him. It really was the worst insult they could possibly throw at Him.
They are making two charges against Jesus. First, that He’s demon-possessed and second that He’s working with Satan. In short, they were saying that Jesus was casting out little demons by the power of the great demon. They can’t deny His power to heal and perform miracles so they simply attribute what He’s doing to Satan. In short, they are calling Him a liar.
Jesus then speaks to them in parables after asking the question: “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. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.” Their argument is weak because if Satan attacks himself, he’ll fall, much like a snake swallowing its own tail. A kingdom can’t survive a civil war and a family can’t handle internal fractures.
Jesus then makes reference to Isaiah 49:24-25 and says: “In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.” Satan is the strong man that Jesus is binding. The house is his dominion and Satan’s possessions are people. Jesus has come to set us free from the bondage of sin and Satan. Romans 16:20: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet…”
Some of you came to church today just to hear the truth of verse 28: “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.” When Jesus says, “I tell you the truth,” He’s saying something like this: “Assuredly, I say to you.” It indicates that what He’s about to say is authoritative and absolutely truthful. Notice the word “all” before sins and blasphemies. No matter what you’ve done or thought or said. There’s no guilt too great and no sin too sinister.
All of your sins will be forgiven you and you will be made clean again. Check out Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
I met with Bill Hoffrichter this week to talk about his baptism this morning. He told me that Carey Rice was instrumental in teaching him about Jesus. When I asked him what specifically she taught him, he said, “That Jesus is a forgiving Lord.” Through the influence of both Dave and Carey, Bill came to our Easter Sunday service and because He put his faith in Jesus Christ all of his sins are forgiven. Friend, all of your sins can be forgiven as well when you believe that Jesus died in your place and receive Him as your Savior.
Jesus gives a warning to the scribes in verse 29: “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” We don’t have time to dive into this with any depth but let me just say that I don’t believe this sin can be committed today. In the context, these enemies were saying that what Jesus was doing was through the power of Satan. That is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. We see this in verse 30: “He said this because they were saying [kept saying] ‘He has an evil spirit.’” By the way, if you worry that you’ve committed this sin, the very fact that you’re worried about it means that you haven’t.
Are You In or Out?
These three stories about his friends, his family and his foes are skillfully arranged by Mark to show that there are really only two groups of people in the world.
• Insiders. These would be those who are closest to Jesus. These misfit men are actually on the inside because they were called and they came. A picture of this group is found in verses 32 and 34: “A crowd was sitting around him…then he looked at those seated in a circle around him…”
• Outsiders. Those who make up the outsiders probably don’t see themselves that way. In fact, those who were closest because of family ties or religiosity are actually the furthest away. The ultimate image of what it means to be an outsider is found in verse 31: “Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.”
Darryl Dash (he’s got a cool name) writes: “Mark intends for those of us who read this passage to ask which group we belong to. He wants us to see that those who assume that they are close to Jesus should think again; those who assume that they are far from him should take hope.” Friends, there is no third option. Everyone here is either standing outside or seated in a circle inside with Jesus.
It’s interesting that Jesus’ own family is in the group of outsiders. Friends, listen carefully. You can be a blood relative of Jesus and still be an outsider. Some of you have grown up in a home where your parents are Christians and you go to church but that doesn’t make you an insider. Family ties don’t get you in. You don’t get in because you’re familiar with the church. You can’t get a relationship with Jesus like you get friends on Facebook, just because you have a mutual friend.
You could still be standing outside. You can think you’re in and still be out.
Please turn to Mark 3:31-34. Jesus is in a house teaching to a packed audience: “Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.” Incidentally, the Bible is very clear that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Turn over to Mark 6:3: “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
Two things strike me about this.
• Jesus grew up in a family so He knows what it’s like to have siblings and experience family tension.
• While his mother Mary was a virgin when she was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, she later gave birth to other children. This passage, along with others, refutes the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. For those who are prone to give Mary more majesty than is due her, Jesus redirects people away from adoring her to the importance of everyday obedience. In Luke 11:27-28, in response to Jesus’ teaching, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Jesus totally reframes the focus from her womb to His Word: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Look at verse 32: “A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’” I picture the news about his family arriving spreading from the back of the crowd to the front. Jesus is finally told that his family has arrived. I wonder if He was thinking, “I’m 30 years old and I’m not moving back home!”
Once the message comes to Jesus that his family is asking for Him, He asks a very startling question, a question that must have shaken his mom and his siblings: “Who are my mother and my brothers?” In verse 34, Jesus looks around at those seated in a circle and redefines the family: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” His true family is made up of those who believe and obey.
Maybe your parents don’t understand your faith or your spouse doesn’t get it or your children think you’re too fanatical. Jesus shares these words of comfort in Mark 10:29-30: “…no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”
This is a mind boggling statement. Whatever you have lost on account of Christ you will receive a hundred times “in this present age” brothers, sisters (I don’t want 100 sisters!) and mothers. Where do you get this many siblings and parents? In the church. This is your spiritual family. We are brothers and sisters and we need each other. And this spiritual family is your real family, and it’s more substantial than the genetic bonds of a physical family relationship. It doesn’t matter if you’re here by yourself, if you’re single, or divorced or widowed or empty nesters. We are family (no, I’m not going to sing this song).
Friends, there is an “in” and an “out.” This is the scandal of the gospel – those who think they’re insiders are usually outsiders; and those who start as outsiders often end up on the inside. The least likely person can be Jesus’ brother or sister. The way to enter the family of faith is through the new birth by receiving what Jesus has done for you on the cross. John 1:12-13: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” The key is not who you are related to but whom you have a relationship with. And the only way for that to happen is to be born again.
So, who is Jesus to you? Is He Lord? Then be all in and live for Him. Do you think He’s a lunatic? If so, then you’re limiting Him in some way. Or do you consider Him a liar? If that’s the case then you’re probably filled with anger toward Him and wish He would just go away.
I received a very interesting phone call on Thursday from a guy I haven’t talked to in over 20 years. I knew him when I was pastoring in Oak Park. He made some very poor choices, got involved in addictive behavior and ended up leaving his wife. Beth and I met with him many times, pleading with him and warning him. We urged him with tears to surrender to Christ and to do what was right. He didn’t and then disappeared. We lost touch for two decades.
He told me on the phone that he deliberately chose to disobey God because he no longer wanted to do things the Lord’s way. For 20 years he’s been doing life on his own and it hasn’t worked. Finally, this past Good Friday, he recommitted his life to Jesus Christ and now by God’s grace, he’s determined to do life God’s way. He’s plugged back into church and has been meeting with a pastor. In essence, what he was saying is that since Jesus is Lord he’s now going to live for Him.
If you assume you’re close to Jesus perhaps you should reconsider because you could be far away. If you’re distant, take hope. The way to be an insider is to simply invite Jesus in. At the cross He became the ultimate outsider so that He can make us insiders.
Who do you say that Jesus is? Is he Divine, Deluded or Demonic? Is He Lord, a Lunatic or a Liar? Let me leave you with C.S. Lewis’ conclusion.
“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. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
He’s calling. Will you come?
