Mark 3:28-29

28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” -Mark 3:28-29

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In all my years as a Young Life leader, I’ve had a few students ask me about this verse.  Many ask, “Mr. Juan, what’s the unforgivable sin that the Bible talks about?”  Even as a young Christian, I asked the same question to my older spiritual siblings and mentors.

To be honest, not all Christian scholars are in agreement about what this verse means and almost all commentary on this passage use qualifying phrases like “it probably means” or “most likely means.”

I’m going to share with the most satisfying answer I’ve heard about this passage.  As we’re embarking on Holy Week and reflecting upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross and his eventual resurrection, we need acknowledge that Jesus’ dying on the Cross for our sins was a gift.  By eliminating our sin, Jesus allowed us to come before God the Father without fear of being destroyed by God’s holiness.  The gift of Holy Week is the gift of God Himself.

But two things need to happen with any gift.  There must be a giver who gives the gift.  In this case, it would be God giving us the gift of a relationship with Him.  The second thing that needs to happen with any gift is a receiver to receive the gift.  That’s us.

But because we have free will, we have the ability to choose to receive the gift or not to receive the gift.  There is a choice that’s involved.  Some Christian thinkers have said that rejection of this gift is like “blaspheming the Holy Spirit” because people are rejecting the Holy Spirit, who also is God, and who have been working in people’s lives to bring them to the point where they have a chance to hear the Gospel and to respond.  So in short, blaspheming of the Holy Spirit is a direct outright rejection of the Gospel message in your life.

If you’re reading this devotional, you probably already fall into one of two categories.  You probably already call yourself a Christian or you don’t consider yourself a Christian, but you’re just curious and want learn more about the Christian faith.  

If you’re the latter, thank you so much for keeping an open mind and for even reading this devotion!  Please, take your time to consider what it means to accept God’s gift of Himself.  It is a huge commitment and it is life-changing so you need to be thoughtful as you make a choice about whether or not you should receive this gift.  BUT, keep in mind, ultimately one day you will have to make a choice.  We all do.  We can’t delay it forever.

If you do consider yourself a Christian, may this passage remind you of your own personal testimony—the story of how God revealed Himself personally to you.  That’s the work of the Holy Spirit.  And celebrate the fact that you decided to receive His gift!  Take some time today to thank God for the work of His Holy Spirit in your life and for His gift of Himself!

John 12:12-19

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

-John 12:12-19

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I know we’ve been doing the Book of Mark but today we’re going to look at a passage from a different part of the Bible because yesterday was Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday kicks off Holy Week.  It’s the one week in the year where Christians all around the world observe and reflect upon together the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Why is it called Palm Sunday?  Because people during Jesus’ time used palm branches to welcome a king back to his kingdom after a battle or a trip elsewhere.  In this case, they laid down palm branches for Jesus as he was returning to Jerusalem for the last time from his ministry journeys.  Later in the same week Jesus would be crucified and after three days rise from the dead!

While this picture of people honoring Jesus and accepting him as a king seem super wholesome, it’s not.  Most of the people here honored Jesus because of all the crazy miracles he has done in their midst.  He even raised a dude named Lazarus from the dead.  Most people pursued Jesus because of what he can do for their earthly lives.  They treated Jesus as a magical genie whose sole purpose is to make their earthly lives more comfortable.

We’re no different.  Some of us only come to Jesus right before a difficult test in school.  Even though we don’t usually pray, we’ll say a token prayer because we’re desperate.  Some of us come to Jesus to help us get into the college we want.  Some of us come to Jesus when there’s a guy or girl we like and we’re praying he or she is the one.  Some of us only come to Jesus when our health or the health of a loved one is failing.  

Jesus did not come to earth to give us good test grades, help us get into college, or find a significant other, or even to heal us physically.  Yes, sometimes he answers those prayers and he does want us to ask for things, but that’s not the reason why Jesus came to earth.  Jesus came to earth to give us Himself.  Jesus came to earth to give us the greatest gift we can possibly get—a relationship with God.   

This is why Holy Week is so important to the Christian faith.  it reminds us that Jesus died on the Cross and then resurrected to wipe away our sins so that our relationship with God can be fully restored.

As you come before God in prayer today, put a pause on your usual laundry list of prayer requests.  Tell God that you only want Him.  Instead of asking for things that will make your life more comfortable, ask for things that will help you to grow in your relationship with God. Put on your favorite Christian praise song and sing it to Him alone.  Instead of treating God like a vending machine today, just enjoy His presence.  It might actually be a little awkward NOT treating God like your personal butler, but that’s when your relationship with God starts becoming a true relationship.

Have a great and reflective Holy Week!

Mark 3:20-29

20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

-Mark 3:20-29

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Would you recognize Jesus if he was standing in front of you?  Have you spent enough time with God that you would be able to recognize or discern what He would do or how He would act in a situation?

Being married to Maria for 5 years now and having known her for 11 years, I can predict pretty well how she will react to a certain situation.  For example, when our governor first urged people to stay home for the purpose of social distancing, I knew before we even practiced social distancing that this time at home would be good for Maria.  She’s a natural introvert and enjoys spending time at home and time alone to herself.  And I was right.  But I was able to recognize what Maria would do and how she would react because I spent a lot of time with Maria and I know her.

The same is true with our relationship with God.  When you spend a lot of time with God, you start to see your world and your reality the way God sees it.  You begin to recognize things that He would do and things that he wouldn’t do.  You begin to recognize God.

The Pharisees or “teachers of the law” did not recognize Jesus because they didn’t really have a relationship with God.  They knew the Bible, but they read it so they can try to master the rules of the Bible on their own to prove that they were better than others.  They read the Bible to use it to control others.  It wasn’t about growing closer to God.

This why the Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as God.  In fact, they thought Jesus was Satan.  When you can’t tell the difference between God and Satan, that’s a problem!

God is working in your life right now.  If you’re reading this devotional, it’s proof of that.  If you want to learn to recognize more of Him and His works, keep reading the Bible with an open heart.  Keep on praying honestly and earnestly.  In the Book of James, it say this:

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” -James 4:8

Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 

-Mark 3:13-19

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This was Jesus’ crew—his posse, his entourage, his closest friends.  You would think if God was going to use people to spread His message He would have chosen the kings, the successful entrepreneurs, and the Ivy-Leaguers of the day.  But he chose the misfits, the lowly, and the rejected.

Andrew, Peter, James, and John were fishermen considered to be a lowly occupation.  In today’s occupational rankings, it would be considered like being a garbageman.  Matthew was hated because he was a tax collector for the Roman empire.  He was seen as a traitor to the Jewish people.

And it wasn’t just their social rankings that were problematic—these disciples or followers were messed up people.  Peter was a hot-head.  James and John wanted glory for themselves.  Thomas doubted Jesus’ resurrection.  And of course, Judas betrayed Jesus.

And here is the lesson for today: God chooses to use imperfect people to further His perfect Kingdom.

Christian scholars say that God humbled Himself in three ways.  The first is to become a human and come to earth as a baby.  We celebrate this act of humility on Christmas.  The second is dying on the Cross for us.  We will celebrate this act of humility next week for Good Friday and Easter (Resurrection Sunday).  The third act of humility is allowing His people to do His work.  We celebrate this everyday when we serve Christ.

God could do everything on His own!  He’s God!  But out of humility He choose to use us so that we may experience the joys of ministry.  When we help others connect with Jesus out of the abundance of our own relationship with him, we’re living life to the full.  We’re doing what we were made to do.

Do you feel as if you have nothing to offer God?  Do you think to yourself, “I’m just a high school student, what can I do?” Do you feel that you’re so messed up with your life that there is no way God is going to use you?  Do you feel like you’re still a baby Christian when it comes to faith?

You’re exactly who God wants to use to further His perfect Kingdom.  Take some time today and ask God, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”

Mark 3:7-12

7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 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. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. -Mark 3:7-12

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Do you love the gifts God can give you or do you love God?  As we can see in this passage, so many people wanted to seek out Jesus because of what he could do for them.  He had the power to heal them and to cast out demons.  Many of the same people who are “following” Jesus here would later abandon him when they realized that there’s a cost to being a Christian.  They eventually abandoned Jesus because deep in their hearts their love was not for Jesus but for what Jesus could do for them.

I’ve noticed that I could fall into this trap of loving the gifts more than the giver.  A few years ago, there was an AYL student whose dad was really sick.  A group of us got together with him to pray for his dad every single day.  God answered our prayers and healed his dad!  But right after his dad was healed we stopped praying together.  We didn’t even get together to pray to thank God for the healing!  Did we really love God or did we just love what He could do for us?

Some of you just received acceptances from colleges.  Some of you just got involved in a relationship you’ve been praying for or desiring.  Some of you are getting fantastic grades through virtual learning.  Some of you are blessed with incredible athleticism.  Some of you are really good looking (Hi, Maria!).  All of these things are great gifts from God, but do you care about them or even love them more than Jesus?

Take some time today to do a heart check on yourself.  Think of all of your blessings and ask yourself, “Do I love these gifts or do I love the Giver of these gifts?”

Mark 3:1-6

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

-Mark 3:1-6

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Have you ever heard your pastor preach on a passage in the Bible, only to hear the same verses later in the week during Harvesters or when you’re reading the Bible on your own, or a friend mentions it randomly?  

When God wants to get your attention about something, He’ll oftentimes repeat Himself.  The same is true about God with the Bible.  If something is super important, He’ll repeat it again.  Today’s passage is the second of back-to-back Sabbath stories about Jesus.  You can read yesterday’s devos if you want to read about the first.

Just like yesterday’s story, here again the Pharisees are super mad that Jesus “did work” on the Sabbath day intended for rest.  They are so worried about whether or not Jesus was following some rule that they completely ignored the well-being of others.

Imagine if Jesus came into the hospitals on a Saturday morning (considered to be part of the Sabbath day according to Jewish traditions) and start healing people of Covid-19, and then the religious people chimed in and said, “Jesus, you’re not following the religious rules!  Stop healing people!”

Which is more important—following the rules or actually helping people?  That’s the question Jesus posed when he asked the Pharisees which is lawful on the Sabbath: to save life or to kill?

This is another reminder that the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day have made “following rules” their god so much so that they have lost sight of what it means to love people.  They try so hard to follow these rules because they think that each person can earn their way to heaven.  We call this a works-based mentality.  You save yourself by what you do.

But that’s not Christianity.  In Christianity we know that there is NOTHING we can do to save ourselves.  Only Jesus can save us by His sacrifice on the Cross.

Going to church, reading the Bible, praying, attending Harvesters and AYL, are all great things to do, but we shouldn’t do them to try to earn our salvation.  Instead, because we already have our salvation through Christ, out of gratitude and joy, we go to church, read our Bible, pray, and attend Harvesters and AYL, etc.

I know, I know, you heard this all when you read yesterday’s devos.  But it’s so important that God repeats it again in Mark back to back.  If it’s important enough for God to repeat it in the Bible, we can repeat it for devos.

May you enjoy your relationship and salvation in Jesus today.  And may any of your rule-following or good deeds come from the overflow of His love for you.

Mark 2:23-27

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

-Mark 2:23-27

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Are you trying to earn your way into heaven?  Do you believe that by doing good things, you could convince God to love you more?

Back during the day in Jewish culture, people believed that you can earn God’s favor by following the rules.  This is why the Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of the day, questioned Jesus and his followers when they were looking for food on the designated day of rest called the Sabbath.  “Looking for food” was considered to be work and a violation of the Sabbath day.

You see, the Pharisees believed that people had to follow the rules to earn God’s favor.  They saw God as a taskmaster who enjoys creating impossible rules to try to get people to follow them.

Nothing can be farther from the truth.

God is not a taskmaster and He didn’t create the rules to troll us.  He created the rules to help us to live life to the full—to live life the way it was meant to be (shameless AYL motto plug).  Having a day of rest is not God’s way of messing with us, but to bless us with a day where we can recuperate from our everyday life.  That’s why Jesus said that the Sabbath day was made for us—to help us.

But the Pharisees have turned this helpful rule from God into a little mini-god.  What determines your spirituality is no longer whether or not you’re in a relationship with God, but whether or not you follow this rule.  Following the rule is now “god.” 

In this passage, Jesus is reminding us that we don’t follow the rules to earn our spot in heaven or to gain favor with God.  We ALREADY have God’s favor.  He ALREADY loves us.  There is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less.  Yes, there are consequences to your sin, but diminishing God’s love for you is not one of them.

So if you obey the Sabbath day, don’t do it because you think it’s going to earn you brownie points with God.  Instead, do it because you know God already loves you to the utmost and He simply wants what is best for you.  God is not a taskmaster.  God is a lover.

Do see God as a taskmaster or do you see God as a lover?