The Bible assures us that God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and of great mercy. He forgives iniquity, transgressions, and sins. He delights in showing mercy. He is more than ready to cleanse us from our sins, purge us from our iniquities, pardon our wicked deeds, blot out our sins, and cast our sins into the depths of the sea.

However, the NT lists one particular sin that God is unwilling to forgive. In fact, Jesus said that one who commits this sin “never has forgiveness.”

Sometimes people are very concerned about this sin. That is, they worry that they’ve committed the unforgivable sin. Some worry that maybe murder or suicide is the unpardonable sin. Maybe it’s one of those sins listed in those infamous sin lists; if you do one of those sins, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Do we really need to be concerned that any of us might have committed the unforgivable sin? We should understand what it is before we decide if we could commit it.

It’s been a while since we were in Luke, so let’s get the context here. Jesus had travelled from Galilee down to Jerusalem. He had stopped to visit with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. As he teaches in and around Jerusalem, he encounters increasing resistance and hostility toward his message. All this opposition will culminate in his death.

This passage gives us an example of the kind of opposition Jesus encountered. When he did undeniable miraculous acts, the leaders of the Jews make some serious accusations against him in an effort to dissuade anyone else from following him. Jesus’ response to his accusers tells us some important things about the unforgivable sin, about Jesus’ power, and about choosing to follow him.

The passage shows us that it’s impossible to be indifferent about Jesus. We must make a decision about him. And the decision we make about him will determine our eternal destiny.