The next red letters are found in Matthew 12. I’ll remind you again that the Gospel accounts are not necessarily presented in chronological order. Portions of this account from different writers and from different perspectives (they might emphasize different aspects of the same event) are found in Mark 3:20-30 and Luke 11:14-23. Let me set the context for this passage. This takes place early in Jesus’ second tour of Galilee and he’s at the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee.
By now His reputation has grown to the point that large crowds follow Him everywhere. At this particular time Mark 3:20-21 tells us the press of people was so close to Jesus and the disciples they were not able to even eat. And when His “friends” (inaccurately translated from hoi para autou, literally, those belonging to him, in other words, His family) saw it, they tried to pull Him away saying He was “beside Himself” (from existemi, here in context, literally, out of His mind).
We start Matthew 12 in verses 22 to 24. “Then they brought a man to Jesus who was both blind and dumb, because he was afflicted by a demon. He cast out the demon and the man began to see and speak. This amazed the crowd and they started asking among themselves, Could this be the Son of David? (Compare John 7:42) But when the Pharisees heard what had happened, they were contemptuous and immediately set out to discredit Jesus by saying, This Man drives out demons only with the help of Beelzebub, the lord of the flies.”
So they bring a man to Jesus who was afflicted by a demon and could neither see nor speak. Jesus drives out the demon and the man immediately began to both see and speak. The people were “amazed” (again from existemi where the context changes the meaning somewhat, to be beside one’s self with astonishment or amazed). The question “Could this be the son of David?” is a reference to several Old Testament passages identifying the Messiah as coming from the lineage of David. (see Psalm 132:11, Jeremiah 23:5 and Micah 5:2, also mentioned in Luke 2:4)
Then in verse 24 the Pharisees (still concerned with Jesus’ growing popularity) begin to show their contempt for Jesus and attempt to discredit Him by saying He is only able to drive out demons with the help of Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Beelzebub or Beelzebul is the name of a Philistine god and most often associated with the Canaanite god Baal. The name was interpreted to mean lord of the flies or literally, the lord of the dung hill. It eventually became used to describe Satan.
“And Jesus discerned what they were thinking. So He said to them, Any kingdom working against itself is slowly, but surely, being destroyed. When members of the same family fight each other, that family can’t last. And if Satan is driving out his own, then he’s fighting against himself. So, how long do you think his kingdom can last? (Verses 25-26) So, Jesus heals a man possessed by a demon and the jealous Pharisees, seeing their followers being drawn away, begin to oppose Him. But in verse 25 the KJV says, “Jesus knew their thoughts” (compare Matthew 9:4). It doesn’t say, Jesus read their lips, or, Jesus heard them talking. He discerned by the Spirit what they were thinking. Then by divine revelation, He not only confronts the Pharisees; before this passage ends He will expose the activities of Satan and those in the demonic realm.
Verse 26 in the KJV says “And if Satan cast out Satan” where “if” is a second class conditional “if” in Greek grammar, meaning “it could be true, but it’s false”. The sentence determines this when the first phrase establishes the premise or assumption (“if Satan cast out Satan”) and the second phrase gives the answer or fulfillment (“he is divided against himself”). But Satan’s kingdom was not divided, both he and his evil hordes were obviously very active. Jesus had just cast out a demon that was causing a man to be both blind and dumb. And as you read through the gospel accounts demon possession was something Jesus dealt with many times.
One of Satan’s favorite deceptions is to cause the supernatural to happen, especially when the name of God is invoked. Think about it, what better way to deceive? People ask God to do something, it happens, so they naturally think God answered their prayer. The Scriptures plainly tell us that Satan has the ability to do supernatural things and he has the ability to enable men to do supernatural things on his behalf (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). He can also make himself look like someone good, righteous and acceptable to those who are deceived. In their deception, Satan’s lies look like truth (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). And, we already know it’s possible for men to do miraculous things in Jesus name, even when they don’t really know Him. (remember Matthew 7:21-23)
Put all that together and you see a description of a portion of the traditional church today. Men continually call on God to do supernatural things. Many of them actually happen. They sincerely believe God showed up, but He didn’t, demons are responsible for what is happening. But the people get excited, they think it was God. They’re deceived into thinking supernatural manifestations are the best and highest experience they can have with God. They settle for that and never pursue God and His will and purpose for their lives (to be conformed or changed into the image of His Son Jesus, Romans 8:29). So they never experience Him in the relationship He desires. Someday they’ll stand before the Lord and will be shocked when they hear these words, “Depart from me you lawless rebels, I never knew you at all!” (Matthew 7:23)
Now, Matthew is just talking about demon possession in this passage. He will, however, make it clear later that demons can go or leave at their own discretion. But the scope of demonic activity is much broader than supposed exorcisms. Satan has always promoted and participated in religions that promise supernatural healing or other seemingly miraculous manifestations. And there are those today who have made healing, material blessing and supernatural manifestations their religion. All you have to do is turn on your local religious TV channel, watch for awhile and you’ll see what I mean. Whoever happens to be on at the time will probably be talking about one of those things.
Satan’s goal is to distract people from the true will and purpose of God and get them to accept a counterfeit. He’s happy to accommodate those who only go to God on their own terms — on the basis of what they want from Him. And as we’ve discussed many times before, when you choose the wrong thing, God will allow you to have it. But, it’s not His blessing, it’s His curse. Again, God will not overrule our free will. But wrong choices have consequences. And those who choose the things of the world and the desires of the flesh over spiritual reality could be making a fatal mistake. And, by the way, the scriptures clearly teach us the true enemy is comprised of the world, the flesh and the devil.
I suppose now would be a good time to repeat myself concerning the will and purpose of God. His will is to conform us to the image of His Son Jesus Christ, and His purpose is to do that through the sanctifying ministry of His Holy Spirit, when we submit to Him. God isn’t interested in what we want if what we want is a manifestation of our flesh; He’s interested in who we are. He’s not interested in accommodating our fallen nature; He wants to change us from who we are into Who He is. Too many people today don’t want to change; they just want God to accept them where they are and give them what they want. And they aren’t interested in submitting to God. They want Him to submit to them.
“Now, you’re saying that I can only cast out demons with Satan’s help; so, tell me, with whose help do your disciples cast them out? Because of your own deceit, those same disciples will stand to accuse you in the Judgment, because you’ve convinced them that they’re driving out demons with God’s help, but they’re actually doing what you have accused Me of doing.” (Verse 27) The Pharisees practiced exorcism (see Acts 19:13), as did others who did not know the Lord (Matthew 7:22). Here Jesus turns their accusation back on them. If He was guilty of driving out demons with Satan’s help, they must be guilty of the same.
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come to you and you don’t recognize it.” (Verse 28) Here is another example of a conditional “if”. But this is a first class conditional “if” (if it is true, and it is). The first phrase establishes the assumption (“If I cast out demons with the help of the Spirit of God”) and the second phrase gives the fulfillment (“then the Kingdom of God has come”). In other words, you do drive out demons with the help of Satan, but I do it with the help of the Spirit of God.
“How is it possible to go into a strong man’s house and carry away his possessions? First, you have to overcome the strong man, then you can take whatever you want.” (Verse 29) Here, Jesus likens Satan to a strong man. He actually makes three arguments from verse 25 to 29 against the Pharisees’ accusation that He was casting out demons with the help of Beelzebub to show He cast devils out by the Spirit of God.
The first in verses 25 and 26 was that Satan’s kingdom was not divided. So, if He was destroying Satan’s kingdom, it must be by the power of God, as Satan would certainly not be destroying his own kingdom. The second argument in verse 27 is that since you say that those who cast out devils only do so with Satan’s help, that must be true of your own disciples and in the judgment they will stand to accuse you of that deception. Then the third in verses 28 and 29 is that Satan would never allow a weaker one to defeat him, and since he is helpless before Me it proves I am from God and stronger than he is.
Let’s move on, this is verse 30. “And if you’re not on My side, then you’re fighting against Me. And if you’re not building the kingdom of God, you’re trying to tear it down.” God and the world, the flesh and the devil have irreconcilable differences, they are complete opposites. You cannot faithfully love and serve both at the same time. (Matthew 6:24) There is no such thing as being neutral in the issue of the kingdom of God. If you’re not supporting it and helping to build it, you’re effectively tearing it down. James 4:17 says “faith without works is dead.” Literally, the contextual expansion of this is “if what you say you believe does not cause you to do what you can do to support and promote the kingdom of God, then what you claim to believe is worthless, both to you and to others.”
“And here’s something else you should know: any evil you do or hurtful thing you say can be forgiven, except this one thing — slander against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. You cannot deny the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. If you speak against the Son of Man, it can be forgiven. But, when you speak against the Holy Spirit, you’re severing the only connection you have with the One Who forgives, and you will not be forgiven in this time or in the time to come.” (Verses 31 and 32) Where I have “slander” above the KJV has “blasphemy” from blasphemia, used to describe the worst kind of slander or defamation, here it is attacking the integrity, ability and work of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees in their self righteous fits of opposition to things they didn’t know or couldn’t understand failed to recognize the difference between the work of Satan and the work of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus tells them their rush to credit Satan for something only the Holy Spirit could do was unforgivable.
This is another one of the examples where some think the scriptures might be misleading. They want to think God can and will forgive anything and everything. It’s clear from Matthew 6:14-15 that is not the case. Jesus made it clear in the model prayer that if we do not forgive others, He will not forgive us. Here Jesus apparently applies the same issue of unforgiveness to slandering the Holy Spirit. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that connects us to God and if we quench the Spirit that connection is lost.
“For God has not called us to impurity but to dedicate ourselves to purity. So, if we reject this, it’s not a rejection of man, but of the God Who gives us His Holy Spirit to show us the way.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8) Paul encourages us to not become self righteous or self-satisfied; but to keep striving to be more and more like Christ, dedicated to a pure and holy lifestyle. And, that if we reject this, then we’re rejecting the God Whose Spirit He gives to make it all possible. You can’t fulfill the will and purpose of God to be conformed to the image of Christ without the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Then in verse 32 Jesus tells us this unforgiveness is permanent when He says, “it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Here again, as in other places we’ve cited before, “world” is aion, age or period of time, usually defined by the context. “This world” is this present age (between the first and second coming of Christ). “The world to come” is the future earthly kingdom (1,00 year Millennium) of Christ in preparation of God’s eternal kingdom on the earth. (Revelation 21 and 22)