What Is The Unforgivable Sin? Series

The Unforgivable Sin?

Mark 3:20-30

Pastor Jefferson Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

02-20-2022

Again?

At a church I used to serve at there was a man who I will call Luke. Every three months or so, he would come into the church in tears and tell the secretary that he needed to talked to me asap.

We would sit down and he would begin, “I think I committed the unforgivable sin and I’m going to hell.”

And I would respond, in love but with a little sarcasm, “Again?”

He would laugh and I would explain, again, what the unforgivable sin actually is. He would say that he understood and leave with peace…until the next time.

If someone asked you what the “unforgivable sin” is could you take them to Scripture and answer their question?

Now That’s a Good Question Series

This morning, we begin a new short sermon series called, “Now that’s a Good Question.” Over the years I’ve been here, I’ve had a lot of questions thrown my way and I thought it would be good to answer some of them on Sunday mornings.

Next week, we are going to answer the question, “How do you know what God wants you to do?”

Two weeks from now - what does it mean to be “born again?”

And we will end with the question, “What is the best translation of the Bible?”

I really didn’t grow up involved in church or reading my Bible, so when I became a Christ-Follower I had so many questions but I was afraid to speak up.

Here at CBC, questions are encouraged! They are good. It shows that you are thinking deeply about the issues.

Remember that there are no dumb questions, except to question the genus of Barry Manilow!

[Slide] C.S. Lewis’ Trilemma

The author, professor, and apologist C.S. Lewis grew weary of people saying that Jesus was “a good moral teacher” but wasn’t God. In his classic work, “Mere Christianity” he puts this notion to rest:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell.” 

Jesus is either a liar, lunatic, or, He is exactly who He said He is, Lord of All!

It’s as if C.S. Lewis was reading Mark 3 when he wrote these words!

Text in Context

It is always important to consider a text in the Bible within its context but with these verses it is absolutely critical to understanding what Jesus is saying.

The book of Mark is not a biography of Jesus but a Gospel. Mark had an agenda and a question for his readers, “Who is Jesus?”

Mark doesn’t begin with the birth narratives like Matthew and Luke. He starts his story off with John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, marking the beginning of His earthly ministry.

Jesus started casting out demons. When these demons are confronted, they say “I know who you are - the Holy One of God!” (Mark 2:24) and “You are the Son of God.” (Mark 3:11)

Mark tells us that many brought their sick and demon possessed friends and family to him. In fact, “the whole town gathered at His door.” (Mark 2:33)

Jesus healed a man with leprosy and told him not to tell anyone. The man, so excited about his healing, ignored Jesus’ command and told anyone and everyone that would listen.

“As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.” (Mark 1:45)

In chapter two, he is in a house that is so packed with people that a group of friends dug a hole in the roof of the house and lowered their paralyzed friend down to Jesus. Jesus forgive the man’s sins, causing a heated debate:

“Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:6-7).

Jesus then healed the man who took up his mat and danced away with his friends.

“This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:12)

He healed a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath and Mark tells us:

“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.” (Mark 3:7-10)