Mark 3:20-30 Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 3:20-30 Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Mark 3:28   “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” 

People were saying terrible things against Jesus. Here He was, healing people and casting out evil spirits, and the religious leaders, obviously jealous, were accusing Jesus of being on Satan’s team. Nothing could be further from the truth. But strangely, Jesus did not seem to take offense at this.

Because Jesus was going to do what Jesus would do. He came to live, and to die. He was to be the final Passover Lamb, the Atonement to end all atonements. He was determined to die in our place, our sin on His shoulders, so that, by faith in Him, we could receive His righteousness. And, those same religious leaders who were accusing Him of being in league with Satan were going to help Him to do it. They were going to advocate for His death. So it almost seems as though these leaders’ accusations against Jesus, of being on Satan’s team, was part of the plan, as strange as that sounds.

But the same does not apply for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Why is that? Think back with me to Mark 1. John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, and then the Holy Spirit comes from heaven in the form of a dove, and a heavenly voice says, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well-pleased.” This Spirit is the vehicle by which the heavenly testimony is given; by which the truth from heaven is spoken. He is the One who whispers divine truth to human hearts, and to despise His role and ministry is to shut down the “streams of living water” which is the very life of Jesus Christ from being applied to our lives.

In that same passage in Mark 1, we next find that this same Spirit “casts” Jesus into the wilderness, specifically to do battle with Satan. It’s not a flaming sword type of battle, but a Word of God battle. And Jesus prevails, as He remains faithful to God and His Word against the temptations of the devil. But it seems as though the Spirit had an interest in Jesus’ initial contest with Satan, working together with Him to overcome the Enemy, just as He would have a role in Jesus’ later victory, at the tomb, when Jesus was “declared Son of God with power by His resurrection from the dead through the Spirit of holiness.” And as the Spirit was closely involved with Jesus as He achieved victory over sin and Satan, so the Spirit is closely involved with Jesus’ followers. And thus to despise the ministry of the Spirit, or, to blaspheme the Spirit and His ministry, is to infringe on His needed ministry in our lives, a ministry for which we are desperate.

So what are we to do? Walk by the Spirit. Seek to stay in step with Him, not rushing ahead or lagging behind. Don’t go off a’wandering. Walk with Him, step by step.