Mark 3:28 – 30
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.” 30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.”
Thinking of the unforgiveable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit creates confusion and anxiety for Christians. The common fear is, what if I have committed that sin. That fear is compounded because we are all too aware of how frequently and prolifically we sin; so why not that one as well.
A careful reading of the passage helps us overcome these fears. Verse 30 provides Jesus’ reason for raising the subject in the first place. The opponents were saying, “He (Jesus) has an unclean spirit.” That is, they had been confronted by the Lord Jesus Christ, heard his teaching and seen his loving miracles. Then they utterly defied Jesus and not only sinned against him but declared him to be evil. This sin is a hard but informed utter hostility to Jesus Christ, not just a version of usual sinful ways.
Why did Jesus even mention this if it was going to cause such confusion for many people? It helps believers to understand that some who reject Jesus show utter hostility to him. When that same hostility is directed to us, we need not be devastated but accept it as part of belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Instead, rejoice that the Lord saves fearful, weak, and trembling people whose one hope is Jesus Christ.
David Johnston – Creek Road Campus