13

Jesus Christ: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?
(Mark 3:20–35)

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (3:20–35)

Born in 1898, Clive Staples Lewis became one of the most widely known literary figures of the twentieth century. Though raised in a Protestant Irish home, Lewis abandoned his childhood faith and embraced atheism when he was only fifteen years old. He thought he was done with God, being paradoxically “very angry at God for not existing” (C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy [London: Harvest Books, 1966], 115). But God was not finished with him. Years later, while teaching at Oxford University, Lewis found himself in the company of Christian friends who challenged his atheism. The Lord used their influence to draw Lewis to Himself. Reflecting on his conversion, the former atheist compared himself to the prodigal son, pursued by God in spite of his own attempts to resist. He wrote:

As a Christian thinker, apologist, and author, C. S. Lewis would go on to have widespread influence through fictional works like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, and through apologetic writings like The Problem of Pain and Mere Christianity.

One of Lewis’s most well-known contributions to the field of Christian apologetics was the “trilemma” he proposed regarding the claims of Jesus Christ. Though not invented by Lewis, he gave the “trilemma” its most popular expression. In response to anyone who might suggest that Jesus was a good teacher but not divine, Lewis explained why such an opinion was not logically tenable:

By claiming to be God (Mark 2:5–10; 14:61–62; John 1:1; 5:18; 8:58; 10:30, 33, 36; 14:9; cf. Matt. 1:23; Luke 7:16), Jesus Christ left His hearers with only three options. They could discount Him as delusional, denounce Him as demonic, or declare Him to be divine. There was no middle ground (Matt. 12:30; Mark 9:40; Luke 11:23). The crowds that flocked to hear Him would either embrace Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world (Mark 8:29; John 6:69; 20:28), or they would reject Him as a dangerous and possibly insane megalomaniac who must be silenced (Mark 3:6; John 11:53).

The New Testament Gospels were written to demonstrate to any reader that Jesus Christ was neither a lunatic nor a liar. Lunatics cannot heal sick people or raise the dead. Frauds cannot perform undeniable miracles, nor would someone empowered by evil spirits use that power to cast out demons (cf. Matt. 12:26–28; John 10:21). The Bible leaves its readers with only one alternative. The Lord Jesus is the messianic King, “the Son of the living God” (Mark 1:1; cf. Matt. 16:16). He is the Lord and Savior whom God the Father raised “from the dead [having] seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1:20–21).

Despite the massive evidence to confirm Jesus’ deity (from His astonishing teaching to His spectacular miracles to His authority over demons), and despite the clear testimony of others that authenticated Him (from the Old Testament prophets to John the Baptist to God the Father—cf. Mark 1:2–11; John 5:33–46), there were many who stubbornly refused to believe in Him (cf. John 12:37). Some thought He was demented, especially when they heard Him express the cost of being His disciple (cf. Luke 9:57–62; John 6:66); others flatly accused Him of being demon-possessed (John 10:20). In this passage (Mark 3:20–35), we find both of those wrong responses to Jesus Christ. Members of His own family suggested He had lost His senses and was acting like a lunatic (vv. 20–21). Meanwhile, the religious leaders alleged that He was a liar whose undeniable powers came from Satan, not God (vv. 22–30). Nonetheless, there were those who genuinely followed Jesus—eagerly obeying the will of the Father by listening to the Son (vv. 31–35). These true believers rightly understood that Jesus is both Lord and God.

LUNATIC: THE ASSUMPTION OF JESUS’ FAMILY

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” (3:20–21)

It is difficult to imagine that anyone could think that Jesus had lost His mind. His reason was the most perfect; His logic the most pure; and His preaching the most profound. No one ever spoke like He spoke—with such clarity or depth. Whenever He taught, the reaction of the people was always the same: “all the people were hanging on to every word He said” (Luke 19:48). But in spite of His popular reception by the crowds who flocked to hear Him, certain members of Jesus’ family thought He had gone mad.

After Jesus appointed the Twelve (Mark 3:13–19), He came back home to Capernaum, His ministry headquarters. The phrase He came home literally means “He came to a house,” and may refer to the home of Peter and Andrew (1:29; cf. 2:1). As normally happened when Jesus entered the city (1:32, 37, 45; 2:1–2), the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they—meaning Jesus and His disciples—could not even eat a meal. Throngs of people pressed into the house where Jesus was staying. His ministry of healing was unlike anything the multitudes had ever seen (cf. Matt. 9:33), drawing people in droves from all around Israel to witness His supernatural power and hear His extraordinary teaching (Mark 3:7–12). It was not uncommon for leading rabbis to have a small band of followers, but no one had ever come close to rivaling the massive popularity of Jesus.

The size of the crowds often created unique logistical challenges. On more than one occasion, Jesus miraculously created food to satisfy the hunger of thousands who followed Him (Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 8:1–10). At other times, as people mobbed Him along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus entered a small boat so that He could escape the crush and address them away from the shore (Luke 5:1–3; Mark 3:9). Earlier in Capernaum, the crowd overflowed the house where Jesus was teaching, forcing the friends of a paralyzed man to dig a hole in the roof just to get an audience with Christ (Mark 2:4). Jesus’ miracles—like the healing of that paralyzed man—only heightened the fervor of the eager throngs, who openly wondered if Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Matt. 12:22–23). On this occasion, the multitude was again pressing into the house, to such an extent that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal. The throng was so overwhelming that Jesus and His disciples were unable to perform even the basic functions of life, like eating.

When news about the situation reached Nazareth, Jesus’ family was shocked and concerned by what they heard. As Mark explains, when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him. That the phrase His own people refers to His immediate family is confirmed by verse 31, which notes that His mother and His half brothers traveled to Capernaum to find Him. Given the oppressive nature of the crowds, the concern of Jesus’ family for His safety is understandable. Fearful that He might be in danger, they had left Nazareth and traveled the nearly thirty miles to Capernaum in order to take custody of Him. The verb translated to take custody means “to seize.” Of the fifteen times it is used in Mark, eight refer to Jesus being seized, including His arrest. It is also used of the seizure of John the Baptist when he was arrested and imprisoned (Mark 6:17). Jesus’ family was intent on rescuing Him, by force if necessary, from the oppressive multitudes that threatened to smother Him, as well as from Himself.

The family’s desire to protect Jesus from self-imposed danger is reflected in their conclusions about Him, for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” Mary, of course, did not think that. Before Jesus was born, Mary had been told by the angel, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31–33). So she knew exactly who He was (cf. Luke 2:19, 51).

Jesus’ brothers did not yet believe in Him (cf. John 7:5). Undoubtedly, they had been told by Mary and Joseph about their older half brother. For the first thirty years of His life, while Jesus lived in Nazareth, His siblings observed Him day after day. Everything He did was perfect (cf. Heb. 4:15)—a reality that validated His identity but may have frustrated His younger brothers and sisters (who could never match up to His impeccable standard). The biblical record implies that He did not begin performing miracles until after His public ministry started (John 2:11). Outside of astonishing the religious scholars in Jerusalem when He was twelve years old (Luke 2:46–47), Jesus appeared like other Jewish young men (cf. vv. 51–52).

The names of Jesus’ half brothers are listed in Mark 6:3: James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. That verse also indicates that He had more than one half sister, meaning that Jesus was one of at least seven children born to Mary. (It might be noted that the Roman Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity is a fabrication clearly rejected by the New Testament record—cf. Matt. 1:25; 13:55–56.) Growing up in the same family as Jesus, His siblings had witnessed His perfect obedience, but because of the seemingly ordinary nature of His childhood, they did not yet believe Him to be the Messiah.

When Jesus left the family in Nazareth around the age of thirty, and embarked on His public ministry, His siblings must have wondered what He was doing. When Jesus came back to Nazareth and rebuked His former neighbors so sharply that they tried to kill Him (Luke 4:16–29), His brothers and sisters undoubtedly watched in shock. As Jesus’ reputation spread, and news about Him reached Nazareth, their curiosity was probably matched by a growing consternation and concern. Having heard about the oppressive nature of the crowds, they decided to wait no longer. It was time to rescue their older brother from Himself.

The phrase lost His senses translates a single Greek term (existēmi), meaning to lose one’s mind, to be beside oneself, or to be insane. Members of Jesus’ own family were convinced that He was no longer in control of His rational senses. In reality, the only thing irrational about Jesus was what they had mistakenly concluded about Him. Though His brothers did not believe in Him yet, their unbelief was only temporary. They would come to embrace Him in faith after His resurrection (Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:7). In fact, Jesus’ brother James would become a leader in the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 15:13–35; Gal. 1:19), and both James and Judas (Jude) would pen epistles in the New Testament. At this time, however, out of concern for Him perhaps mixed with a sense of pity and family duty, they determined to go to Capernaum to bring Him safely back to Nazareth.

LIAR: THE ACCUSATION OF JESUS’ FOES

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” (3:22–30)

The members of Jesus’ immediate family were not the only ones who journeyed to Capernaum looking for Jesus. Israel’s religious elite—scribes who came down from Jerusalem—also had a keen interest in finding Jesus, though not with the intent of saving His life. Their short-term strategy was to slander Jesus in order to turn public opinion against Him; ultimately, they wanted Him dead (Mark 3:6). Knowing they could not deny the reality of His miraculous, supernatural power, they devised a smear campaign that would call into question the source of it.

According to Matthew 12:22–23, the parallel passage to Mark 3:22–30, the response of the scribes and Pharisees was specifically related to a healing miracle performed by Jesus. Matthew writes, “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. And all the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’” As He had done many times before, Jesus demonstrated His authority over both the spiritual realm of demons and the physical realm of disease in this one dramatic act of healing. The results were immediate, complete, and undeniable. A formerly blind, mute, and demon-possessed man was instantly cured. The crowd, astonished by the display of supernatural deliverance, could not help but pose the obvious question—openly wondering if Jesus was indeed the messianic “Son of David” (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Ps. 89:3; Isa. 9:6–7). Their reaction soon reached the ears of the ever-vigilant religious leaders. “When the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons’” (Matt. 12:24). Unable to deny what Jesus had just done, the apostate religious leaders attempted to discredit Jesus by attributing His power to Satan.

Mark picks up the story at that point, noting that these scribes had come down from Jerusalem. Though Capernaum was north of Judea, the Galilean town sat at a much lower elevation (almost 700 feet below sea level) than Jerusalem (about 2,550 feet above sea level), meaning that the route to Capernaum required traveling down from Jerusalem. Aware of Jesus’ popularity, and looking for opportunities to undermine His credibility, a delegation of scribes journeyed from Israel’s capital city to keep an eye on Jesus’ ministry. Their willingness to make the trek of more than a hundred miles (traveling around Samaria) demonstrates the deep-seated antagonism that motivated their opposition to Jesus. His unprecedented popularity (cf. Mark 3:7–10, 20) made Him an ever-increasing threat to their own authority. So they came to Capernaum intent on destroying Jesus, dogging His steps in order to build their case against Him (v. 6).

Hearing the crowds seriously consider the possibility that Jesus might be the Messiah, the scribes and Pharisees panicked. Trapped in a dilemma of their own creation, they resorted to making preposterous personal attacks, saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” Such odious accusations—oozing with loathsome malevolence—were designed to dissuade the crowds from believing in Jesus. If they could position Him as a representative of Satan, the religious leaders knew they could poison the multitudes against Him (cf. Matt. 27:20–23; John 19:14). The Pharisees and scribes, blinded by their own arrogance, hated Jesus because He openly denounced their hypocritical system of man-made tradition and works-righteousness. Considering themselves the guardians of Jewish doctrinal purity, they could not imagine that Israel’s long-awaited Deliverer would vigorously oppose them. Thus, even when the evidence of Jesus’ messiahship was obvious for all to see, they willfully rejected Him, adamantly insisting that He was possessed by Satan.

In answer to the question posed by the multitudes, Jesus’ enemies insisted that He was actually the antithesis of the Son of David. He was not the Christ, they said, but a servant of Beelzebul the ruler of the demons. The name Beelzebul originally referred to Baal-Zebul (meaning, “Baal, the prince”), the chief deity of the Philistine city of Ekron. Expressing their disdain, the Israelites mockingly called him Baal-Zebub, meaning “Lord of Flies” (cf. 2 Kings 1:2). By the first century, Beelzebul (or Beelzebub) had become a name for Satan, which is what the Pharisees intended when they associated that name with Jesus (cf. Matt. 10:25; Luke 11:15). Jesus’ power could only be explained as coming from one of two sources: God or Satan. When Jesus claimed to be from God (cf. John 10:30; 17:21), the leaders called Him a liar—whose power belonged instead to the prince of darkness. Though they claimed to be authoritative spokesmen for God, in reality they were the ones under Satan’s power (John 8:41, 44).

Knowing what the Pharisees were saying about Him (cf. Matt. 12:25), Jesus called the crowd to Himself and began speaking to them in parables. The Lord often used parables (extended analogies used to make a specific spiritual point) to obscure the truth from unbelievers (cf. Matt. 13:11–12). On this occasion, however, Jesus’ analogies were clear for all to understand, exposing the ludicrous nature of His enemies’ accusations. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” He asked rhetorically. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!” The allegation of the scribes was a logical absurdity. It is axiomatic that any kingdom or royal house at war against itself is destined for collapse. Applied to the spiritual realm, the principle holds equally true. If Satan were casting out his own agents or destroying his own works, then his kingdom would be hopelessly divided. Jesus’ point was obvious: though the kingdom of darkness is inherently chaotic and disorderly, the devil does not deploy his agents to fight against each other. The fact that Jesus spent His earthly ministry exposing, confronting, rebuking, and casting out demons (cf. Matt. 8:29; 10:1; 12:22; Mark 3:11; 9:29; Luke 8:2; 11:14) provided self-evident proof that He was not empowered by Satan. Everything Jesus did, from His healing miracles to His gospel preaching, was opposed to Satan’s interests—since the very reason He came was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8; cf. Luke 10:18). Obviously, Satan never would have authorized or empowered such a cataclysmic attack on his own kingdom. For the Pharisees and scribes to make that claim was ridiculous.

The true explanation for Jesus’ authority over demons was not that He was empowered by Satan but rather that He had power over Satan. As Jesus told the multitudes, “No one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.” Jesus’ analogy may reflect the words of Isaiah 49:24–25:

Whether He had that Old Testament text in mind or not, the point of Jesus’ illustration would have been obvious to His listeners. If anyone wished to take the property of a warrior or tyrant, he must first overpower him. In Jesus’ analogy, the strong man represents Satan and his property consists of both the demonic forces and oppressed human beings under his control. Only someone stronger than Satan could enter his domain, bind him, disperse his agents, and liberate his captives from the kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13–14; cf. Eph. 2:1–4). That Jesus wielded such power (cf. Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14–15) proved that He is from God, since God alone possesses that kind of absolute authority.

For the Pharisees and scribes to attribute the power of Jesus to Satan rather than the Holy Spirit was the highest form of blasphemy and placed them in eternal jeopardy. Jesus’ warning was solemn and severe: “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Any sin is forgivable, including irreverent words spoken against God and the Lord Jesus (cf. Matt. 12:32; 1 Tim. 1:13–14), with one notable exception: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Though these verses have been the source of much unnecessary confusion, the context makes it clear that Jesus had a specific offense in mind when He warned His listeners about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In His incarnation, Jesus was perfectly submissive to His Father (John 4:34; 5:19–30) and wholly empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1, 18; John 3:34; Acts 1:2; 10:38; Rom. 1:4). At every point of Jesus’ ministry, the Spirit was actively at work: His birth (Luke 1:35), His baptism (Mark 1:10), His temptation (Mark 1:12), His ministry (Luke 4:14), His miracles (Matt. 12:28; Acts 10:38), His death (Heb. 9:14), and His resurrection (Rom. 1:4). He always operated under the Spirit’s full control, as He walked in perfect obedience to His Father. (For more on this point, see chapter 2 in this volume.)

Those who had seen the overwhelming evidence of the Spirit’s power in Jesus’ ministry, yet remained utterly unwilling to accept Jesus as the Son of God—choosing instead to attribute the Spirit’s empowering work to Satan—were guilty of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Though they had witnessed Him heal all kinds of diseases, cast out scores of demons, and proclaim a gospel of divine forgiveness, Jesus’ enemies nonetheless accused Him of being a demon-possessed deceiver. They were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” In the face of every possible evidence of the Spirit’s working through Jesus, they stubbornly refused to believe. They had permanently hardened their hearts against their own Messiah. Consequently, because their rejection was final in the face of sufficient evidence, there was no possibility of forgiveness. As one commentator explains:

For the religious leaders of Israel to conclude that the Messiah was a demon-possessed counterfeit constituted the ultimate act of apostasy. Because it was their final conclusion about Jesus, they were guilty of an eternal sin. (Even after this occasion, in spite of Jesus’ warning, the religious leaders continued to maintain that He was empowered by Satan—cf. Matt. 10:25; Luke 11:15 John 10:20.) Those who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit cut themselves off from God’s saving grace through their own hard-hearted unbelief.

Approximately forty years later, the author of Hebrews gave a similarly stern warning to those who knew the truth about Jesus and yet deliberately chose to reject it: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard [that is, the apostles], God also testifying witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. 2:3–4). A few chapters later, the writer issued an even more severe warning to those who might fall away and apostatize: “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame” (Heb. 6:4–6). (For a detailed discussion of that important passage, see John MacArthur, Hebrews, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 1983].) Apostates, like the unbelieving religious leaders of Jesus’ day, are those who have been fully exposed to the truth of the gospel and yet walk away from Christ in spite of the overwhelming evidence they have been given. At its heart, apostasy is a willful repudiation of the Holy Spirit’s testimony to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then, describes the apostate heart that with full knowledge has irrevocably rejected the One to whom the Spirit points. That is why it is an eternal sin—because no forgiveness is possible for those who refuse to stop rejecting Christ.

LORD: THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF JESUS’ FOLLOWERS

Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (3:31–35)

Having left Nazareth to find Jesus (v. 21), Jesus’ mother and His brothers finally arrived in Capernaum. In light of the fact that Mary believed in Jesus, her coming was likely motivated by a desire to protect the Son of God. Jesus’ half brothers, however, were convinced He had lost His mind. They came to rescue Jesus from the massive crowds that threatened to smother Him—likely intent on taking Him back to Nazareth with them.

From outside the house, they sent word to Him and called Him. Inside, Jesus was addressing a crowd that was sitting around Him, when they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Accepting the interruption, Jesus responded in a way that was utterly unexpected and must have surprised those who heard Him speak. Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Jesus’ question was not born out of ignorance, since He obviously knew the identity of His earthly family members. Nor did it intend any level of disrespect or antagonism toward His mother and brothers, whom He clearly loved (cf. John 19:26–27). Jesus simply used this real-life interruption to teach a transcendent spiritual truth to His followers who were gathered around Him.

Answering His own question, Jesus looked about at those who were sitting around Him and said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” The Lord’s point was that the only relationship to Him that matters eternally is not physical but spiritual. His spiritual family is comprised of those who have a saving relationship with Him through faith (cf. John 1:12; Rom. 8:14–17; 1 John 3:1–2). As He earlier explained to Nicodemus, it is not earthly birth that makes one part of the family of God but being born from above (John 3:3–8). Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who resisted and blasphemed the Holy Spirit by rejecting the Son of God, genuine disciples are careful to do the will of God by honoring Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3). As Jesus explained in John 6:40, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” On another occasion in Judea, when a woman exclaimed to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed” (Luke 11:27), He responded similarly, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (v. 28). Only those who heed God’s word will be eternally blessed. That word begins with the testimony of the Father, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him” (Matt. 17:5).

As Mark has already noted (v. 21), some of Jesus’ family members regarded Him as a lunatic. Meanwhile, members of the religious elite regarded Him as a liar, accusing Him of being in league with Satan. But the followers of Jesus, those who belonged to His spiritual family, embraced Him as their Lord. They obeyed the will of the Father, which is that sinners would believe in the Son to whom the Holy Spirit bears witness and receive eternal life (cf. John 3:16; 15:26; 16:13–15).

Those who truly recognize that Jesus is Lord respond with an eagerness to obey Him. True conversion has always been marked by obedience to the Word of God and submission to the authority of Christ. As Jesus explained in John 8:31, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” A few chapters later, He echoed that same truth: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). By contrast, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4; cf. 3:24). Embracing the lordship of Jesus Christ is more than mere lip service (cf. Matt. 7:21). It is the essence of the Christian life and a sure characteristic of those who are part of the family of God. As John R. W. Stott explains:

The eternal destiny of every sinner is determined by what that person does with Jesus Christ. Those who ultimately regard Him as either a lunatic or a liar will spend eternity apart from Him in hell. But those who do the will of God by embracing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are promised eternal life in heaven (Rom. 10:9). There, as members of the family of God, they will worship their risen King forever.