Lord's Day Devotion - Insults and Blasphemies Forgiven (Mark 3)

 

How would you feel if your family members declared you were out of your mind because of some of the unusual things you'd done and continued to do?  On top of that, the religious leaders, whom people looked up to, said you were possessed by Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, a.k.a. Satan!

This is what happened to Jesus. You can read about it in Mark 3, verses 20-30.  Of all the insulting things to say about Jesus, what the religious leaders said, would have hit Jesus to the core.  Remember Jesus is God - the holy and pure and blameless One.  The insult would have gone deep!

It was Satan, as Lucifer, who had tried to become God.  He was cast out of heaven and is now known as Satan or Beelzebub.  Therefore, you can see it was the worst insult they could have come up with. It was Satan manipulating the religious leaders to cast his own sin upon the precious Son of God!

Yet, Jesus firmly refuted this, and what's more, in His grace and mercy said,

"I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them" 

(Mark 3:28).

I believe Jesus kept the cross in mind.  It was the reason He came to earth and nothing would deter him from that mission.  That mission would bring salvation, redemption and forgiveness to those who through faith, would accept Jesus as Lord and Savior; even for those religious leaders!

And then because Jesus' mother and brothers were outside the house, Jesus happened to be visiting, looking to take Him away, He said,

"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother" (vs 35).

Having accepted Jesus as Savior, we are part of Him family.  We too may endure painful insults and betrayals from our own family members and even church members.  

Let's remember though, that Jesus forgives these because of the cross. He forgives them (when they repent of them) and He forgives us, His brothers and sisters, when we repent of perhaps insulting others ourselves.

Praise the Lord for His powerful statement that

"[He] will forgive [our] iniquity, and ... remember [our] sin no more."

Furthermore, He,

"blots them out,"

 and is merciful to us (see Jeremiah 31:34; Isaiah 43:25; and Hebrews 8:12 & 10:17), because of His great love for us.

This Lord's Day, let's remember the all encompassing love, grace, mercy and forgiveness that our Savior Jesus bought and brought for us on the cross despite any betrayals and insults we may have hurled at Him.  In His mercy He forgave.  In His mercy He still forgives.  What a blessed Savior and Redeemer, Friend and Brother!  He is like no other!

With great gratitude in our hearts, Lord Jesus, we give You our thanks, for You alone are worthy of all our praise and worship.  You took all our sins and iniquities upon Yourself and with this act of love, grace and mercy, we are healed.

With the broken bread we partake and the cup of wine from which we sip, we show our remembrance of what You have done for us.  Thank You, Jesus!

                                           ~  ERC  July 2025 ~

Based on Mark 3:21, 22, 28 and 35 NIV.

Sing, It's About the Cross, along with the Ball Brothers.