Tag: christian comic

Christian comic strip with christian values telling Jesus’ death and resurrection to forgive humanity so that they can be accepted by God

Book of Mark – The True Family

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3: 31-35 ESV

Again and again we can see a pattern in the people around Jesus at that time. There are 2 groups of people, one group is the one who understand or believe in Jesus and they’re inside trying to get close to Jesus. While the other group is the one who do not understand or do not believe in Jesus, they’re always outside this group. In this part of the passage, ironically it’s Jesus’ family who’re outside, they’re not part of the people who sits around Jesus to hear what he’s teaching about.

On top of that we can see from the previous passage that Jesus family (Mary and Jesus’ brothers) didn’t think that Jesus is sane. Therefore it’s obvious that they’re not really here to come and listen to Jesus’ teaching, instead they’re coming to seize him. In contrast the people inside Jesus’s inner circle, are the one who believes and trust in His teaching and willing to do the will of God. That’s why what Jesus said made sense, Jesus’ true family are the people who does the will of God!

Book of Mark – The Unforgivable Sin

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Mark 3:28-30 ESV

By saying that Jesus has unclean spirit and that Jesus is driving satan with the power of the demon the Pharisees are in a danger position for they won’t be able to get forgiveness from God. Not trusting Jesus as God’s way of forgiveness puts them in a position where they won’t be forgiven, therefore they are guilty of eternal sin. :(

Book of Mark – The Family Concern

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Mark 3:20-21 ESV

The crowd gathers around Jesus and this time they can’t even do anything since the crowd’s number is exceedingly great. His popularity makes his family heard about him, but instead of supporting Jesus or approving his action, they actually think that Jesus is out of his mind.

Book of Mark – The Twelve Disciples

Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Mark 3:18-19 ESV

The next set of the disciples that Jesus called (also called the twelve apostles)

Book of Mark – The Twelve Disciples

And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);

Gospel of Mark 3:13-17 ESV

Jesus calls 12 followers of him to be his disciples (or also called apostles). Their task is to be with Jesus and to be sent out to preach and cast out demons. On top of that their number twelve is also similar with the number of the twelve tribes that represented God’s people in the Old testament.

Book of Mark – The Great Crowd

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mark 3:7-12

In contrast of the Pharisees wanting to kill Jesus, there are a great crowd who’s following Jesus. However most of them are just following Jesus just to be healed.

Book of Mark – The Healing on Sabbath

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
ESV Mark 3:5-6

Frustrated by their hearts and attitude, for they prefer to insist to hold on tradition and being legalistic rather than letting someone getting healed. For the Pharisees, it’s better to not do good on Sabbath day rather than doing something good on Sabbath. Jesus then healed the man with the withered hand regardless.

The Pharisees reaction? They quickly departed and held counsel with Herod’s people to eliminate Jesus. Do you notice the irony? The Pharisees forbid Jesus to do good on the Sabbath, but they’re actually doing evil thing on Sabbath day instead by planning how to kill Jesus. Truly what Jesus asked was true “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”