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The Scribes of Jerusalem

Text: Mark 3:22-30
17 November 2013

THE SCRIBES FROM JERUSALEM

1. They were the scholars

2. They copied the Scriptures by hand

3. They were acknowledged as teachers of the law

4. The well-known ones were in Jerusalem

5. They came up with two statements

a) “He has Beelzebub”          Mark 3:22b
b) “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons”          Mark 3:22c

THE RESPONSE OF THE LORD JESUS

1. He called the scribes to Him

a) He was not intimidated by their scholarship
b) He was not afraid of their accusation

2. The use of parables          Mark 3:23a

3. Questions to the scribes

a) How can Satan cast out Satan?          Mark 3:23b
b) How can a divided kingdom stand?          Mark 3:24
c) How can a divided house stand?          Mark 3:25
d) How can Satan rise up against himself?          Mark 3:26

4. The Parable of a Strong Man          Mark 3:27

a) Satan was that strong man
b) Jesus was the Stronger Man
i) He has defeated Satan
ii) He has plundered his house

SOLEMN WARNING ABOUT THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. Forgiveness of sin

All sins may be forgiven          Mark 3:28

2. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

a) There is no forgiveness
b) There is only eternal condemnation          Mark 3:29

3. Reason for this solemn declaration

a) The scribes had said that “He had an unclean spirit”          Mark 3:20
b) They described the Spirit in Jesus as “an unclean spirit”
i) Calculated to destroy the credibility of Jesus
ii) Wicked and spurious attack

POEMS CT

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Scribes were a group of scholars who thought themselves elite,
They had devoted their lives to studying Torah till they felt replete.
If there were religious problems the Scribes were usually sought,
Their opinions carried weight, the nation by them, were taught.

There were different opinions concerning who Jesus was,
He had healed the sick but had broken the Sabbath laws.
The scribes of Jerusalem were consulted to give their opinion on Him,
They consulted with each other, but they had no enlightenment within.

They came to a conclusion and their statement was a phenomenon.
They opined, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
The Pharisees and the Herodians could not be happier to hear these words,
Now they had another ally that would stand against Jesus and His works.

The multitudes may have been impressed by the presence of the Scribes,
Jesus was unfazed for He was not impressed with the people of this tribe.
On what basis did they come up with this foolish and unfounded conclusion?
The scribes of Jerusalem could surely do better than come up with this solution.

“How can Satan cast out Satan?” Jesus challenged this line of thought,
He needed to face His enemies, for some, this argument had bought.
“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand,”
This is surely a most fundamental idea- surely they comprehend!

“If Satan has risen up against himself, he cannot stand, he has an end.”
These words hit hard at the Scribes, their wisdom was hard to comprehend.
They glared at Jesus with fury for no one had ever put them down,
Jesus’ words were making them look like foolish clowns.

Satan was a strong man who guarded his own house carefully,
Jesus was the Stronger Man who had authority to bind him powerfully.
This truth should have been obvious to all who saw how demons cried out in fear,
They had recognized that Jesus was the Son of God, absolutely without peer!

Jesus gave a solemn word of warning to all His enemies,
There was a sin that was unpardonable for all eternity.
To say that the Holy Spirit in Jesus was an unclean one,
This was the sin that cannot be pardoned, the soul is now undone!

Inspiration: Mark 3:29