Matthew 12:22-37 

Jesus and Beelzebub

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to Him and He healed Him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons." 

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house. 
"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who doesn't gather with Me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.  "Either makes the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." 

What did the Pharisees say against the Holy Spirit and why was it such a serious offense?

In this section of Matthew we see the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day intensify to the point of their complete rejection of Him, and His warning to them of what that would mean. In many ways this portion of Matthew provides the turning point for the emphasis of the book. It is one thing to oppose Jesus’ apparent violations of the current rules made by religious leaders, but to say that He is empowered by Satan is another matter altogether.

This section begins with a miracle by Jesus and the blasphemous accusation by the Pharisees. There follows a lengthy response by Jesus about the source of power in His miracles, and the accountability for words that reveal what is in the heart.

In the next section the leaders will demand a sign from Jesus, but He responds with a different kind of sign than they had sought, as well as a stinging rebuke of their wicked unbelief. So this study 17 and the next one, 18, provide the major material for the rejection of Jesus, and turning in the book of His ministry.

The Setting and the Structure of the Passage

The passage just before this event is a lengthy citation from the prophet Isaiah declaring that Jesus is the prophesied Servant who would come to heal and to restore. That passage also contrasts the peacefulness and tranquility of Jesus the suffering servant with the malicious hatred of the Pharisees in this passage, preparing the way for the material to follow.

Our passage is essentially some teaching of Jesus based on an incident, although that is the immediate cause, the tension toward the teaching has been building for some time. But in the analysis of the structure we have the event (v. 22) and the twofold response of amazement (23) and blasphemy (24). Then the rest of the section is Jesus’ response to the blasphemy of the Pharisees. That teaching first analyzes their response from the perspective of simple logic, the divided kingdom (25-28), then the analysis of the strong man’s house (29), then the warning of blasphemy against the Spirit (30-32), and finally the principle of nature and fruit (33-37).

This lengthy discussion is paralleled in Luke, but in several places (6:43-45; 11:17-23; and 12:10), prompting a number of scholars to assume that Matthew has taken several separate teachings and put them together here to address the issue of the blasphemous charge. While that is possible, it is also possible that Luke broke up the discourse and used part of it for a topical purpose (6:43-45), had another part simply in a parallel event (12:10), and the retains a part (11:17-23) as his summary of this discourse at this time. Whatever is the explanation of the synoptic connections, the discourse in Matthew makes a unified and coherent argument.

So the study of this passage will primarily deal with the points of argument that Jesus made in response to the accusation. There are no difficult words to deal with apart from identifying Beelzebub in passing, or defining “blasphemy.” A brief explanation is given, but these can be studied in any theological dictionary or word book.

There is rhetorical and figurative language in the passage, as in all of Jesus’ teachings. Since these things are so bound up with the teachings they are best discussed in the analyses of the verses in context. There are no Old Testament quotations in this section either, and so that part of the study does not apply. But the reader should become familiar with the lengthy quotation from Isaiah just before this event, for that is the foundation Matthew uses to report this event and teaching. But for the study we are really left with the analysis of Jesus’ teachings.

The Analysis of the Passage

1. The Healing and the Accusation (12:22-24). This section of the passage is pretty straightforward and will require less attention than what follows. But it must be understood, nonetheless.

The Healing: A man who was demon possessed was brought to Jesus; the effect of the demon possession was that he was blind and mute. In our study of Matthew we have had sufficient time to learn a little about demon possession. Most of Christianity would affirm that true believers cannot be demon-possessed, because they have the Holy Spirit indwelling. But they can be attacked and afflicted by forces in this world, for the spiritual war is against such powers, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians.

Jesus healed him, so that he could see and talk once again. That is it, a brief report. This shows that the real point of interest is in the teaching to follow.

And the people who saw this were amazed; wondering if this could be the “Son of David.” The way the Greek text words the question indicates that the people were not sure of the answer: “This couldn’t be the Son of David, could it?” Messiah was expected to perform miracles (see v. 38), and so the exorcism was an indication that Jesus might be the Messiah. But the people could not yet see past the situation (as we can with the full revelation), and Jesus did not look the part of the Messiah, even though He was doing these things. Matthew’s readers, however, would read the passage from Isaiah just quoted, and look at the whole ministry of Jesus and understand it better.

The Accusation: The Pharisees, however, said that He cast out demons by Beelzebub (we perhaps want to look this up in a good Bible Dictionary and see the full discussion). This Beelzebub is identified here as the prince of demons, or Satan. The name appears to come from the Old Testament world, from either ba’alzebub, “lord of the flies,” or from a take-off on ba’al zebul, “prince Baal.” The Greek text has it Beelzeboul, suggesting perhaps “lord of dung,” or “lord of heights” however the people referred to Satan in those days. One plausible suggestion by MacLaurin is that it meant “lord of the house,” meaning the head of the house of demons. This would explain why Jesus presents Himself here as the head of a house, the household of God that cannot be divided. At any rate, the leaders were therefore trying to turn the people against Jesus by claiming His miracles were diabolic, empowered by Satan.

2. The Reply of Jesus (12:25-37). The rest of the passage records Jesus’ response to this ridiculous charge.

The Logic of the Undivided Kingdom (25-28). Jesus’ argument here is very clear: Any kingdom, city, or house (Matthew does not mention the house, but see Mark 3:20, 23) that is divided against itself will fall. This would be true of Satan’s kingdom: for the prince of demons to be casting out his demons would be folly because they were there doing his work. So, if Jesus is casting out demons, He cannot be working for Satan.

Jesus turns the argument back on them. If this work is empowered by Satan, then Satan must also be empowering their own disciples (their “sons”) who do the same kind of ministry on occasion. On the contrary, if Jesus is doing these miracles by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom is coming to them. The miracle had to be by Satan or by the Spirit of God, and it is illogical to think it would be by Satan. And Jesus knows full well that He has done these things by the Spirit of God, and if the Spirit of God is at work, then the Kingdom of God has dawned on them, the King is present.

Luke 11:20 has “the finger of God” instead of the “Spirit of God.” The allusion is clearly to Exodus 8:19, the miracle that Moses performed that the magicians could not do, proving it was of God. It is hard to know which was the phrase Jesus used, and which evangelist substituted a parallel phrase. The “Spirit of God” may be the original expression in this event, since it forms such a contrast with the prince of demons idea. But the meaning is the same in either case, God alone was at work here, and the evidence that it was God is indisputable.

The House of the Strong Man (12:29). Now Jesus offers another argument, as if to say, “Look at it another way” (= “or”). The point now is that if Jesus’ casting out demons cannot be explained by the power of Satan, then it all reflects an authority that is greater than Satan’s. By this point, then, the analogy can be understood. Jesus is the One binding the strong man, Satan, and plundering his house. The little image provides an implied comparison. The people were expecting the Messiah to come and bind Satan in the Messianic Age; and so here Jesus shows He has the power and the authority to do just that. Jesus came with the authority of heaven to defeat and destroy the works of Satan, and to rescue valuable things, people, from his house.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (30-32). Jesus next announces a very basic principle: in our relationship to Jesus there is no neutrality (30). Jesus has made such clear claims and demands that it is impossible to be neutral or indifferent. His claim to be Messiah draws on the Messianic imagery of the harvest: the Messiah will at the end of the age gather in the harvest, so to speak, a work that is attributed to God in the Old Testament. The language of the harvest is figurative, then, an implied comparison. The statement would serve as a warning to the crowd not to treat Jesus with indifference, and a rebuke to the Pharisees not to accuse Him of Satanic powers, because He is the judge of the world. Gathering in the harvest is the work of the kingdom; scattering and driving people away from the kingdom is the work of Satan. To be indifferent or apathetic is to be opposed to Christ, because it is not doing the work of the kingdom.

After making this announcement, Jesus turns to the question of forgiveness (31). Every sin can be forgiven, even blasphemy against the Son of Man. But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Critical to this passage, then, is the meaning of “blasphemy.” The word refers to speaking wickedly or slanderously against God or His nature. It is not a minor offense, but a major one. Sometimes people use “blaspheme” to refer to people using the holy name in anger. That is an application of the idea; but it is not what is intended here. In this passage, consciously arguing that the miracles of Jesus were done by the power of Satan is the primary meaning of blasphemy.

To blaspheme the Son of Man would be to speak evil of Him, to discredit Him and His message in some way. Within the context of the argument at this point, this would refer to the rejection of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. But if someone considered it further and repented, that one could be forgiven.

But the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be the rejection of the same truth in the full awareness that that is what is happening, it is the thoughtful, willful rejection of the work of the Spirit of God even though there can be no other explanation of the healings of Jesus. Blasphemy against the Son and against the Spirit then means the complete and willful rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and the crediting of His works to Satan. Thus, this is not a sin that a true believer can commit, for the true believer has already accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

In Jewish law there must be two witnesses to establish any point. Here Jesus is showing that there are two witnesses to His being Messiah, His words and His works. If a person rejects His words, there is another witness that will authenticate His person, His works. But if someone rejects that too, completely, by blaspheming, then there is no other witness

.

Or to put it the other way around, there are two witnesses that will condemn a person: the rejection of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and the attributing of His miracles to Satan. This adds up to complete and conscious rejection of Jesus. For those who maintain that opposition to Christ throughout their lives and never recant and turn, there is no forgiveness.

That Jesus is dealing in first century Jewish thought is evident from the fact that He clarifies there is no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. Jewish leaders were often great literalists. If the text of Scripture said something like “there is no forgiveness,” only saying it once, they would conclude that meant in this life, but not the life to come. If a passage said “there is no mercy, there is no forgiveness”, parallel or double expressions, then that meant in this life and in the life to come. Jesus clarifies what He meant so they would not play such games with the words.

Nature and Its Fruit (33-37). The point that Jesus now makes is that conduct, especially speech, reveals character. The section is similar to 7:16-19, but there the point was to test character by conduct, a little different.

Jesus tells His hearers to make the tree good or bad, knowing then that its fruit will be good or bad. The metaphor is rather easy to understand. The tree is the character or the heart, so if you want to produce good things (fruit), you have to have a radical change of heart.

He then calls His enemies a “brood of vipers.” This is an implied comparison, probably addressed to the Pharisees, of whom in John 8 He said were of their father the devil, i.e., the seed of the Serpent in Genesis 3. The point of the comparison is that they are evil and dangerous at heart, but sly and deceptive at first sight. They have an evil heart, and so cannot bring forth good things out of their mouths. The mouth simply utters what “overflows” from the heart.

And so in verses 36 and 37 Jesus warns them that they will have to give an account of themselves on judgment day. These lines may be a proverb, or a popular saying of Jesus, or of Jesus’ day, for the language shifts to the second person. A person will be held accountable for every “careless” word, words that might seem to be insignificant, but are not. In this context the point is clear, if you recall the beginning of this passage: what one says about Jesus and His miracles reveals what is in one’s heart. Some said, “Could this be the Son of David?” They are on their way to the kingdom; other said, “he blasphemes”--they are not even near the kingdom.

Conclusion and Application:

Jesus then took the response of the Pharisees to His miracle as the occasion to teach about belief and unbelief expressed by the words that people say, especially what they say about the person and works of Jesus. The passage affirms again that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who can do the miracles and help the poor and the needy. But the passage goes beyond this to warn those who oppose and reject Jesus that they will not be forgiven but will be condemned for their words, which reflect an evil heart.

The theological application for such folks is to have a radical change of heart, to receive a new heart, we would say, and find forgiveness. The way to do that is to believe in Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. This will mean a change from blaspheming the Lord and the Spirit, to expressing faith and adoration.

The message is primarily addressed to folks who oppose Christ and blaspheme the Spirit concerning His miracles, in other words, unbelievers. To make an application to believers, we would have to formulate secondary applications, applications derived from the implications here. We could say things like:

1. Believers should be encouraged in their faith by passages like this because Jesus demonstrates again that He truly is the divine Son of God.

2. Believers can take comfort in the grace of God that Christ has been judged for them, in their place. They may have to give an account of their works at the Bema Seat of Christ, but not at the last judgment where there will be condemnation for unbelief and unrighteousness, and where there will be no forgiveness. Believers have been forgiven, and so there is no condemnation for them.

3. But believers should also guard their words, because what they say reflects who they are, and those words should reflect a heart of faith and a life of righteousness.

4. And, believers should do what Matthew is doing here, and proclaim who Christ is to people and tell them that in Christ there is forgiveness of sin, but there is no neutrality--only by being in Christ can people “gather” with Christ.

Correlation:

As mentioned above, Jesus in several places in the Gospels spoke of evil being in the heart, or that what proceeds from the heart is evil. So we can correlate those passages in His teachings to show the importance of being born again, or repenting, or coming to faith in Jesus.

The passage naturally correlates to Gospel teachings throughout the Scripture. There is salvation and forgiveness only in the Lord God, and by His claims and by His mighty works, Jesus reveals that He is this Lord God. And so, passages that center on faith in Jesus Christ as the guarantee of salvation and deliverance from the judgment would be useful. And Paul reminds us in Romans that we are to confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth.

Likewise James focuses on speech, showing that good things should come from a good heart. Our difficulty is that we do not always show by thoughts, words, or deeds, that our hearts have been cleansed and created anew. We who know that Jesus is the Messiah, who know that He did His works by the power of the Spirit, who know that He is coming to judge the world, ought to make sure that our words and works harmonize with that faith

Study Notes: Matthew 12:22-37

Review: As Jesus has been healing people, He has also been going head to head with the Pharisees’ rejecting Him.

12:22 Blind And Mute From Demon Possession

When demons possess people, they manifest all sorts of troubling behavior (Luke 6:18) in the human body. The Scriptures show us that demons make people mute (Matt. 9:32), deaf (Mark 9:25), or blind (Matt. 12:22). We also see that demons can make some people lunatics (Matt. 17:5) who scream constantly (Mark 5:5), cutting themselves (Mark 5:5) and tearing off their clothes (Mark 5:15). Sometimes the demons attack the bodies they are in, seizing them (Luke 8:29) with convulsions (Mark 1:26), slamming their bodies down onto the ground (Luke 9:42), or sometimes into painful or dangerous places like fire and water (Matt. 17:15). Other times, the demon-possessed turn on other people, becoming violent (Matt. 8:28) and attacking someone else (Acts 19:16).

This is exceptionally dangerous, since the demons are able to give them superhuman strength to do things like break chains (Mark 5:4). And if all this isn’t bad enough, some people have multiple demons living inside of them (Matt. 12:45, Luke 8:30).
But we are not to be frightened, for Jesus has power over the demons. The blind and mute man who was brought to Him was healed instantly, being able to speak and see again.

12:23-24 The Son Of David Or Beelzebul?

As a result of this deliverance, the crowds began to wonder if Jesus might be the Messiah. But when the Pharisees heard people saying this, they said that it wasn’t because He was the Messiah, it was because He was empowered by Beh-el-zeb-OOL, the devil.
This name for the devil has a long history. The highest god among the Canaanites’ false religion was BAH-al, a name that means, “Lord.” They called sometimes him BAH-al Zeb-OOL, meaning “Lord of the House.” But the Hebrews knew that the false gods were Satan and his demons, so they insultingly called him “BAH-al Zeb-OOB,” which changes “house” to “flies,” making him not “Lord of the House,” but, “Lord of the Dung Hill.”
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of casting out demons by Satan, the ruler of the demons.

12:25-29 A House Divided

Jesus points out to them that Satan cannot cast out Satan, because if he was working against himself, his kingdom would fall apart. The only way to rob the house of the “Lord of the House” Beh-el-zeb-OOL was to bind him up. The devil certainly isn’t going to be working with anyone to cast out his own guys!

12:30 With Me Or Against Me

The devil will not be with Jesus in this work, the devil is against Jesus. And anyone who does not side with Jesus is siding with the devil. If you are not with Jesus, you are against Him by default. Some people defend their position by saying, “Well, I haven’t made up my mind yet whether or not to be with Jesus.” But in deciding to wait, you have made your decision. By delaying, you are siding against Jesus.

12:31-32 Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit

The “therefore” tells us that Jesus is tying in the Pharisees’ claim that He is healing by the power of the devil and their rejection of Him with the one unforgivable sin. That one unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus said of the Spirit,

John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me”

John 16:13-14 ...”when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

It is the Holy Spirit Who draws us into the knowledge of Jesus and faith in Jesus. It is of Whom Jesus said, 

John 16:8-9 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me”

The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, and shows us that Jesus is our only source of forgiveness. Many people may blaspheme Jesus Christ throughout their life, even as I did. But they can be forgiven for that, even as I was. The Holy Spirit keeps working on them, drawing them into faith in Christ. But if you continually reject the Spirit’s pull, and ultimately blaspheme His work of drawing you to faith, you cannot be forgiven. That is why rejecting the gospel is so dangerous. Each time, you get closer and closer to permanently hardening your heart against the Spirit, and someday you will commit the one unforgivable sin and you will never be saved.

12:33-37 Justified Or Condemned By Your Words

There is a day of judgment in which each of us will stand before God and give an account. The words that we have spoken in this life will be brought forth, and we will have to answer for them. That is why Paul the apostle said, Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 

On the day of judgment, our words saying, “Jesus is Lord” will justify us before God, and we will enter into His kingdom. Or, if we have never confessed Jesus as the Lord of our lives, then we will be condemned, and be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible, Matthew 12

Introduction

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's clearing of the law of the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath-day, and vindicating it from some superstitious notions advanced by the Jewish teachers showing that works of necessity and mercy are to be done on that day, Matthew 12:1-13. II. The prudence, humility, and self-denial of our Lord Jesus in working His miracles, Matthew 12:14-21. III. Christ's answer to the blasphemous cavils and calumnies of the scribes and Pharisees, who imputed His casting out devils to a compact with the devil, Matthew 12:22-37. IV. Christ's reply to a tempting demand of the scribes and Pharisees, challenging Him to show them a sign from heaven, Matthew 12:38-45. V. Christ's judgment about His kindred and relations, Matthew 12:46-50.

Verses 1-13

Christ Vindicates His Disciples.

The Jewish teachers had corrupted many of the commandments, by interpreting them more loosely than they were intended a mistake which Christ discovered and rectified (Matthew 5:1-48) in His Sermon on the Mount: but concerning the fourth commandment, they had erred in the other extreme, and interpreted it too strictly. Note, it is common for men of corrupt minds, by their zeal in rituals, and the external services of religion, to think to atone for the looseness of their morals. But they are cursed who add to, as well as they who take from, the words of this book, Revelation 22:16, 19; Proverbs 30:6.

Now that which our Lord Jesus here lays down is, that the works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Sabbath day, which the Jews in many instances were taught to make a scruple of. Christ's industrious explanation of the fourth commandment, intimates its perpetual obligation to the religious observation of one day in seven, as a holy Sabbath. He would not expound a law that was immediately to expire, but doubtless intended hereby to settle a point which would be of use to His church in all ages and so it is to teach us, that our Christian Sabbath, though under the direction of the fourth commandment, is not under the injunctions of the Jewish elders.

It is usual to settle the meaning of a law by judgments given upon cases that happen in fact, and in like manner is the meaning of this law settled. Here are two passages of story put together for this purpose, happening at some distance of time from each other, and of a different nature, but both answering this intention.

I. Christ, by justifying His disciples in plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath-day, shows that works of necessity are lawful on that day. Now here observe,

1. What it was that the disciples did. They were following their Master one Sabbath day through a corn-field it is likely they were going to the synagogue (Matthew 12:9), for it becomes not Christ's disciples to take idle walks on that day, and they were hungry let it be no disparagement to our Master's house-keeping. But we will suppose they were so intent upon the Sabbath work, that they forgot to eat bread had spent so much time in their morning worship, that they had no time for their morning meal, but came out fasting, because they would not come late to the synagogue. Providence ordered it that they went through the corn, and there they were supplied.

Note, God has many ways of bringing suitable provision to His people when they need it, and will take particular care of them when they are going to the synagogue, as of old for them that went up to Jerusalem to worship (Psalm 84:6, 7), for whose use the rain filled the pools: while we are in the way of duty, Jehovah-jireh, let God alone to provide for us. Being in the corn-fields, they began to pluck the ears of corn the law of God allowed this (Deuteronomy 23:25), to teach people to be neighborly, and not to insist upon property in a small matter, whereby another may be benefited. This was but slender provision for Christ and His disciples, but it was the best they had, and they were content with it.

2. What was the offence that the Pharisees took at this? It was but a dry breakfast, yet the Pharisees would not let them eat that in quietness. They did not quarrel with them for taking another man's corn (they were no great zealots for justice), but for doing it on the Sabbath day for plucking and rubbing the ears of corn of that day was expressly forbidden by the tradition of the elders, for this reason, because it was a kind of reaping.

Note, It is no new thing for the most harmless and innocent actions of Christ's disciples to be evil spoken of, and reflected upon as unlawful, especially by those who are zealous for their own inventions and impositions. The Pharisees complained of them to their Master for doing that which it was not lawful to do. Note, Those are no friends to Christ and His disciples, who make that to be unlawful which God has not made to be so.

3. What was Christ's answer to this cavil of the Pharisees? The disciples could say little for themselves, especially because those who quarreled with them seemed to have the strictness of the Sabbath sanctification on their side and it is safest to err on that hand: but Christ came to free His followers, not only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptural impositions, and therefore has something to say for them, and justifies what they did, though it was a transgression of the canon.

(1.) He justifies them by precedents, which were allowed to be good by the Pharisees themselves.

[1.] He urges an ancient instance of David, who in a case of necessity did that which otherwise he ought not to have done (Matthew 12:3, 4) "Have ye not read the story (1 Samuel 21:6) of David's eating the show-bread, which by the law was appropriated to the priest?" (Leviticus 24:5-9). It is most holy to Aaron and his sons and (Exodus 29:33) a stranger shall not eat of it yet the priest gave it to David and his men for though the exception of a case of necessity was not expressed, yet it was implied in that and all other ritual institutions. That which bore out David in eating the show-bread was not his dignity (Uzziah, that invaded the priest's office in the pride of his heart, though a king, was struck with a leprosy for it,2 Chronicles 26:16, &c.), but his hunger.

The greatest shall not have their lusts indulged, but the meanest shall have their wants considered. Hunger is a natural desire which cannot be mortified, but must be gratified, and cannot be put off with anything but meat therefore we say, It will break through stone walls. Now the Lord is for the body, and allowed His own appointment to be dispensed with in a case of distress much more might the tradition of the elders be dispensed with.

Note, That may be done in a case of necessity which may not be done at another time there are laws which necessity has not, but it is a law to itself. Men do not despise, but pity, a thief that steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry, Proverbs 6:30.

[2.] He urges a daily instance of the priests, which they likewise read in the law, and according to which was the constant usage, Matthew 12:5. The priests in the temple did a great deal of servile work on the Sabbath day killing, flaying, burning the sacrificed beasts, which in a common case would have been profaning the Sabbath and yet it was never reckoned any transgression of the fourth commandment, because the temple-service required and justified it. This intimates, that those labors are lawful on the Sabbath day which are necessary, not only to the support of life, but to the service of the day as tolling a bell to call the congregation together, travelling to church, and the like. Sabbath rest is to promote, not to hinder, Sabbath worship.

(2.) He justifies them by arguments, three cogent ones.

[1.] In this place is one greater than the temple, Matthew 12:6. If the temple-service would justify what the priests did in their ministration, the service of Christ would much more justify the disciples in what they did in their attendance upon Him. The Jews had an extreme veneration for the temple: it sanctified the gold Stephen was accused for blaspheming that holy place (Acts 6:13) but Christ, in a corn-field, was greater than the temple, for in Him dwelt not the presence of God symbolically, but all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Note, If whatever we do, we do it in the name of Christ, and as unto Him, it shall be graciously accepted of God. However it may be censured and caviled at by men.

[2.] God will have mercy and not sacrifice, Matthew 12:7. Ceremonial duties must give way to moral, and the natural, royal law of love and self-preservation must take place of ritual observances. This is quoted from Hosea 6:6. It was used before, Matthew 9:13, in vindication of mercy to the souls of men here, of mercy to their bodies. The rest of the Sabbath was ordained for man's good, in favor of the body, Deuteronomy. Now no law must be construed so as to contradict its own end. If you had known what this means, had known what it is to be of a merciful disposition, you would have been sorry that they were forced to do this to satisfy their hunger, and would not have condemned the guiltless. 

Note, First, Ignorance is the cause of our rash and uncharitable censures of our brethren. Secondly, It is not enough for us to know the scriptures, but we must labor to know the meaning of them. Let him that readeth understand. Thirdly, Ignorance of the meaning of the scripture is especially shameful in those who take upon them to teach others.

[3.] The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day, Matthew 12:8. That law, as all the rest, is put into the hand of Christ, to be altered, enforced, or dispensed with, as He sees good. It was by the Son that God made the world, and by Him He instituted the Sabbath in innocence by Him He gave the ten commandments at mount Sinai, and as Mediator He is entrusted with the institution of ordinances, and to make what changes He thought fit and particularly, as being Lord of the Sabbath, He was authorized to make such an alteration of that day, as that it should become the Lord's day, the Lord Christ's day. And if Christ be the Lord of the Sabbath, it is fit the day and all the work of it should be dedicated to Him.

By virtue of this power Christ here enacts, that works of necessity, if they be really such, and not a pretended and self-created necessity, are lawful on the Sabbath day and this explication of the law plainly shows that it was to be perpetual. Exceptio firmat regulam--The exception confirms the rule.

Christ having thus silenced the Pharisees, and got clear of them (Matthew 12:9), departed, and went into their synagogue, the synagogue of these Pharisees, in which they presided, and toward which He was going, when they picked this quarrel with Him. Note, First, We must take heed lest anything that occurs in our way to holy ordinances unfit us for, or divert us from, our due attendance on them. Let us proceed in the way of our duty, notwithstanding the artifices of Satan, who endeavors, by the perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and many other ways, to ruffle and discompose us. Secondly, We must not, for the sake of private feuds and personal piques, draw back from public worship. Though the Pharisees had thus maliciously caviled at Christ, yet He went into their synagogue. Satan attempts to gain points, by sowing discord among brethren, if he prevail to drive them or any of them from the synagogue, and the communion of the faithful.

II. Christ, by healing the man that had the withered hand on the Sabbath day, shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on that day. The work of necessity was done by the disciples, and justified by Him the work of mercy was done by Himself the works of mercy were His works of necessity it was His meat and drink to do good. I must preach, says He, Luke 4:43. This cure is recorded for the sake of the time when it was wrought, on the Sabbath.

Here is,

1. The affliction that this poor man was in his hand was withered so that he was utterly disabled to get his living by working with his hands. St. Jerome says, that the gospel of Matthew in Hebrew, used by the Nazarenes and Ebionites, adds this circumstance to this story of the man with the withered hand, that he was Cæ mentarius, a bricklayer, and applied himself to Christ thus "Lord, I am a bricklayer, and have got my living by my labor (manibus victum quæ ritans) I beseech thee, O Jesus, restore me the use of my hand, that I may not be obliged to beg my bread" (ne turpiter mendicem cibos). Hieron. In loc. This poor man was in the synagogue.

Note, Those who can do but little, or have but little to do for the world, must do so much the more for their souls as the rich, the aged, and the infirm.

2. A spiteful question which the Pharisees put to Christ upon the sight of this man. They asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal? We read not here of any address this poor man made to Christ for a cure, but they observed Christ began to take notice of him, and knew it was usual for Him to be found of those that sought Him not, and therefore with their badness they anticipated His goodness, and started this case as a stumbling-block in the way of doing good Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? Whether it was lawful for physicians to heal on that day or not, which was the thing disputed in their books, one would think it past dispute, that it is lawful for prophets to heal, for him to heal who discovered a divine power and goodness in all He did of this kind, and manifested Himself to be sent of God. Did ever any ask, whether it is lawful for God to heal, to send His word and heal? It is true, Christ was now made under the law, by a voluntary submission to it, but He was never made under the precepts of the elders. Is it lawful to heal? 

To enquire into the lawfulness and unlawfulness of these actions is good, and we cannot apply ourselves to any of such enquiries more fitly than to Christ but they asked here, not that they might be instructed by Him, but that they might accuse Him. If He should say that it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, they would accuse Him of a contradiction to the fourth commandment to so great a degree of superstition had the Pharisees brought the Sabbath rest, that, unless in peril of life, they allowed not any medicinal operations on the Sabbath day. If He should say that it was not lawful, they would accuse Him of partiality, having lately justified His disciples in plucking the ears of corn on that day.

3. Christ's answer to this question, by way of appeal to themselves, and their own opinion and practice, Matthew 12:11, 12. In case a sheep (though but one, of which the loss would not be very great) should fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, would they not lift it out? No doubt they might do it, the fourth commandment allows it they must do it, for a merciful man regardeth the life of his beast, and for their parts they would do it, rather than lose a sheep does Christ take care for sheep? Yes, He does He preserves and provides for both man and beast.

But here He says it for our sakes (1 Corinthians 9:9, 10), and hence argues, How much then is a man better than a sheep? Sheep are not only harmless but useful creatures, and are prized and tended accordingly yet a man is here preferred far before them. Note, Man, in respect of his being, is a great deal better, and more valuable, than the best of the brute creatures: man is a reasonable creature, capable of knowing, loving, and glorifying God, and therefore is better than a sheep. The sacrifice of a sheep could therefore not atone for the sin of a soul. They do not consider this, which is more solicitous for the education, preservation, and supply of their horses and dogs than of God's poor, or perhaps their own household.

Hence Christ infers a truth, which, even at first sight, appears very reasonable and good-natured that it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days they had asked, Is it lawful to hear? Christ proves it is lawful to do well, and let any one judge whether healing, as Christ healed, was not doing well. 

Note, There are more ways of doing well upon Sabbath days, than by the duties of God's immediate worship attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who are fallen into sudden distress, and call for speedy relief this is doing good: and this must be done from a principle of love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and a heavenly frame of spirit, and this is doing well, and it shall be accepted, Genesis 4:7.

4. Christ's curing of the man, notwithstanding the offence which He foresaw the Pharisees would take at it, Matthew 12:13. Though they could not answer Christ's arguments, they were resolved to persist in their prejudice and enmity but Christ went on with His work notwithstanding.

Note, Duty is not to be left undone, nor opportunities of doing good neglected, for fear of giving offence. Now the manner of the cure is observable He said to the man, "Stretch forth thy hand, exert thyself as well as thou canst” and he did so, and it was restored whole. This, as other cures Christ wrought, had a spiritual significance. (1.) By nature our hands are withered, we are utterly unable of ourselves to doing anything that is good. (2.) It is Christ only, by the power of His grace, that cures us He heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do. (3.) In order to our cure, He commands us to stretch forth our hands, to improve our natural powers, and do as well as we can to stretch them out in prayer to God, to stretch them out to lay hold on Christ by faith, to stretch them out in holy endeavors.

Now this man could not stretch forth his withered hand of himself, any more than the impotent man could arise and carry his bed, or Lazarus come forth out of his grave yet Christ bid him do it. God's commands to us to do the duty which of ourselves we are not able to do are no more absurd or unjust, than this command to the man with the withered hand, to stretch it forth for with the command, there is a promise of grace which is given by the word. Turn ye at my reproof, and I will pour out my Spirit, Proverbs 1:23. Those who perish are as inexcusable as this man would have been, if he had not attempted to stretch forth his hand, and so had not been healed. But those who are saved have no more to boast of than this man had of contributing to his own cure, by stretching forth his hand, but are as much indebted to the power and grace of Christ as he was.

Verses 14-21 The Malice of the Pharisees Christ Withdraws Himself.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all 16 And charged them that they should not make Him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold My servant, whom I have chosen My beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.

As in the midst of Christ's greatest humiliations, there were proofs of His dignity, so in the midst of His greatest honors, He gave proofs of His humility and when the mighty works He did gave Him an opportunity of making a figure, yet He made it appear that He emptied Himself, and made Himself of no reputation. Here we have,

I. The cursed malice of the Pharisees against Christ (Matthew 12:14) being enraged at the convincing evidence of His miracles, they went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

That which vexed them was, not only that by His miracles His honor eclipsed theirs, but that the doctrine He preached was directly opposite to their pride, and hypocrisy, and worldly interest but they pretended to be displeased at His breaking the Sabbath day, which was by the law a capital crime, Exodus 35:2.

Note, it is no new thing to see the vilest practices cloaked with the most specious pretences. Observe their policy they took counsel about it, considered with themselves which way to do it effectually they took counsel together in a close cabal about it, that they might both animate and assist one another. Observe their cruelty they took counsel, not to imprison or banish Him, but to destroy Him, to be the death of Him who came that we might have life. What an indignity was hereby put upon our Lord Jesus, to run Him down as an outlaw (qui caput gerit lupinum--carries a wolf's head), and the plague of His country, who was the greatest blessing of it, the Glory of His people Israel!

II. Christ's absconding upon this occasion, and the privacy He chose, to decline, not His work, but His danger because His hour was not yet come (Matthew 12:15), He withdrew Himself from thence. He could have secured Himself by miracle, but chose to do it in the ordinary way of flight and retirement because in this, as in other things, He would submit to the sinless infirmities of our nature. Herein He humbled Himself, that He was driven to the common shift of those who are most helpless thus also He would give an example to His own rule, When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. Christ had said and done enough to convince those Pharisees, if reason or miracles would have done it but instead of yielding to the conviction, they were hardened and enraged, and therefore He left them as incurable, Jeremiah 51:9.

Christ did not retire for His own ease, nor seek an excuse to leave off His work no, His retirements were filled up with business, and He was even then doing good, when He was forced to flee for the same. Thus He gave an example to His ministers, to do what they can, when they cannot do what they would, and to continue teaching, even when they are removed into corners. When the Pharisees, the great dons and doctors of the nation, drove Christ from then, and forced Him to withdraw Himself, yet the common people crowded after Him great multitudes followed Him and found Him out.

This some would turn to His reproach, and call Him the ring-leader of the mob but it was really His honor, that all who were unbiased and unprejudiced, and not blinded by the pomp of the world, were so hearty, so zealous for Him, that they would follow Him whithersoever He went, and whatever hazards they ran with Him as it was also the honor of His grace, that the poor were evangelized that when they received Him, He received them and healed them all. Christ came into the world to be a Physician-general, as the sun to the lower world, with healing under His wings. Though the Pharisees persecuted Christ for doing good, yet He went on in it, and did not let the people fare the worse for the wickedness of their rulers.

Note, Though some are unkind to us, we must not on that account be unkind to others.

Christ studied to reconcile usefulness and privacy He healed them all, and yet (Matthew 12:16), charged them that they should not make Him known which may be looked upon,

1. As an act of prudence it was not so much the miracles themselves, as the public discourse concerning them, that enraged the Pharisees (Matthew 12:23,24) therefore Christ, though He would not omit doing good, yet would do it with as little noise as possible, to avoid offence to them and peril to Himself.

Note, Wise and good men, though they covet to do good, yet are far from coveting to have it talked of when it is done because it is God's acceptance, not men's applause, that they aim at. And in suffering times, though we must boldly go on in the way of duty, yet we must contrive the circumstances of it so as not to exasperate, more than is necessary, those who seek occasion against us Be ye wise as serpents, Matthew 10:16.

2. It may be looked upon as an act of righteous judgment upon the Pharisees, who were unworthy to hear of any more of His miracles, having made so light of those they had seen. By shutting their eyes against the light, they had forfeited the benefit of it.

3. As an act of humility and self-denial. Though Christ's intention in His miracles was to prove Himself the Messiah, and so to bring men to believe on Him, in order to which it was requisite that they should be known, yet sometimes He charged the people to conceal them, to set us an example of humility, and to teach us not to proclaim our own goodness or usefulness, or to desire to have it proclaimed. Christ would have His disciples to be the reverse of those who did all their works to be seen of men.

III. The fulfilling of the scriptures in all this, Matthew 12:17. Christ retired into privacy and obscurity, that though He was eclipsed, the word of God might be fulfilled, and so illustrated and glorified, which was the thing His heart was upon. The scripture here said to be fulfilled is Isaiah 42:1-4, which is quoted at large, Matthew 12:18-21. The scope of it is to show how mild and quiet, and yet how successful, our Lord Jesus should be in His undertaking instances of both which we have in the foregoing passages. Observe here,

1. The pleasure of the Father in Christ (Matthew 12:18) Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased. 

Hence we may learn,

(1.) That our Saviour was God's Servant in the great work of our redemption. He therein submitted Himself to the Father's will (Hebrews 10:7), and set Himself to serve the design of His grace and the interests of His glory, in repairing the breaches that had been made by man's apostasy. As a Servant, He had a great work appointed Him, and a great trust reposed in Him. This was a part of His humiliation, that though He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet that in the work of our salvation He took upon Him the form of a servant, received a law, and came into bonds. Though He were a son, yet learned He this obedience, Hebrews 5:8. The motto of this Prince is, Ich dien--I serve.

(2.) That Jesus Christ was chosen of God, as the only fit and proper person for the management of the great work of our redemption. He is my Servant whom I have chosen, as par negotio--equal to the undertaking. None but He was able to do the Redeemer's work, or fit to wear the Redeemer's crown. He was one chosen out of the people (Psalm 89:19), chosen by Infinite Wisdom to that post of service and honor, for which neither man nor angel was qualified none but Christ, that He might in all things have the pre-eminence. Christ did not thrust Himself upon this work, but was duly chosen into it Christ was so God's Chosen as to be the head of election, and of all other the Elect, for we are chosen in Him, Ephesians 1:4.

(3.) That Jesus Christ is God's Beloved, His beloved Son as God, He lay from eternity in His bosom (John 1:18) He was daily His delight, (Proverbs 8:30). Between the Father and the Son there was before all time an eternal and inconceivable intercourse and interchanging of love, and thus the Lord possessed Him in the beginning of His way, Proverbs 8:22. As Mediator, the Father loved Him then when it pleased the Lord to bruise Him, and He submitted to it, therefore did the Father love Him, John 10:17.

(4.) That Jesus Christ is one in whom the Father is well pleased, in whom His soul is pleased which denotes the highest complacency imaginable. God declared, by a voice from heaven, that He was His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased well pleased in Him, because He was the ready and cheerful Undertaker of that work of wonder which God's heart was so much upon, and He is well pleased with us in Him for He had made us accepted in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6. All the interest which fallen man has or can have in God is grounded upon and owing to God's well-pleasedness in Jesus Christ for there is no coming to the Father but by Him, John 14:6.

2. The promise of the Father to him in two things. (1.) That he should be every way well qualified for his undertaking I will put my Spirit upon him, as a Spirit of wisdom and counsel, Isaiah 11:2, 3. Those whom God calls to any service, he will be sure to fit and qualify for it and by that it will appear that he called them to it, as Moses, Exodus 4:12. Christ, as God, was equal in power and glory with the Father as Mediator, He received from the Father power and glory, and received that He might give: and all that the Father gave Him, to qualify Him for His undertaking, was summed up in this, He put His Spirit upon Him: this was that oil of gladness with which He was anointed above His fellows, Hebrews 1:9. He received the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure, John 3:34.

Note, Whoever they be that God has chosen, and in whim He is well pleased, He will be sure to put His Spirit upon them. Wherever He confers His love, He confers somewhat of His likeness.

(2.) That he should be abundantly successful in his understanding. Those whom God sends He will certainly own. It was long; since secured by promise to our Lord Jesus that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in His hand, Isaiah 53:10. And here we have an account of that prospering good pleasure.

[1.] He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. Christ in His own person preached to those who bordered upon the heathen nations (see Mark 3:6-8), and by His apostle showed His gospel, called here His judgment, to the Gentile world. The way and method of salvation, the judgment which is committed to the Son, is not only wrought out by Him as our great High Priest, but showed and published by Him as our great Prophet. The gospel, as it is a rule of practice and conversation, which has a direct tendency to the reforming and bettering of men's hearts and lives, shall be showed to the Gentiles. God's judgments had been the Jews' peculiar (Psalm 147:19), but it was often foretold, by the Old-Testament prophets, that they should be showed to the Gentiles, which therefore ought not to have been such a surprise as it was to the unbelieving Jews, much less a vexation.

[2.] In His name shall the Gentiles trust, Matthew 12:21. He shall so show judgment to them, that they shall heed and observe what He shows them, and be influenced by it to depend upon Him, to devote themselves to Him, and conform to that judgment.

Note, The great design of the gospel, is to bring people to trust in the name of Jesus Christ His name Jesus, a Saviour, that precious name whereby He is called, and which is as ointment poured forth The Lord our Righteousness. The evangelist here follows the Septuagint (or perhaps the latter editions of the Septuagint follow the evangelist) the Hebrew (Isaiah 42:4) is, The isles shall wait for His law. The isles of the Gentiles are spoken of (Genesis 10:5), as peopled by the sons of Japheth, of whom it was said (Genesis 9:27), God shall persuade Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem which was now to be fulfilled, when the isles (says the prophet), the Gentiles (says the evangelist),shall wait for His law, and trust in His name: compare these together, and observe, that they, and they only, can with confidence trust in Christ's name, that wait for His law with a resolution to be ruled by it. Observe also, that the law we wait for is the law of faith, the law of trusting in His name. This is now His great commandment, that we believe in Christ, 1 John 3:23.

3. The prediction concerning Him, and His mild and quiet management of His undertaking, Matthew 12:19, 20. It is chiefly for the sake of this that it is here quoted, upon occasion of Christ's affected privacy and concealment.

(1.) That He should carry on His undertaking without noise or ostentation. He shall not strive, or make an outcry. Christ and His kingdom come not with observation, Luke 17:20, 21. When the First-begotten was brought into the world, it was not with state and ceremony He made no public entry, had no harbingers to proclaim Him King. He was in the world and the world knew Him not. Those were mistaken who fed themselves with hopes of a pompous Saviour. His voice was not heard in the streets "Lo, here is Christ " or, "Lo, He is there:" He spake in a still small voice, which was alluring to all, but terrifying to none He did not affect to make a noise, but came down silently like the dew. What He spake and did was with the greatest possible humility and self-denial. His kingdom was spiritual, and therefore not to be advanced by force or violence, or by high pretensions. No, the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

(2.) That He should carry on His undertaking without severity and rigour (Matthew 12:20). A bruised reed shall He not break. Some understand this of His patience in bearing with the wicked He could as easily have broken these Pharisees as a bruised reed, and have quenched them as soon as smoking flax but He will not do it till the judgment-day, when all His enemies shall be made His footstool. Others rather understand it of His power and grace in bearing up the weak. In general, the design of His gospel is to establish such a method of salvation as encourages sincerity, though there be much infirmity it does not insist upon a sinless obedience, but accepts an upright, willing mind.

As to particular persons, those follows Christ in meekness, and in fear, and in much trembling, observe,

[1.] How their case is here described--they are like a bruised reed, and smoking flax. Young beginners in religion are weak as a bruised reed, and their weakness offensive like smoking flax some little life they have, but it is like that of a bruised reed some little heat, but like that of smoking flax. Christ's disciples were as yet but weak and many are so that have a place in His family. The grace and goodness in them are as a bruised reed, the corruption and badness in them are as smoking flax, as the wick of a candle when it is put out and is yet smoking.

[2.] What is the compassion of our Lord Jesus toward them? He will not discourage them, much less reject them or cast them off the reed that is bruised shall not be broken and trodden down, but shall be supported, and made as strong as a cedar or flourishing palm-tree. The candle newly lighted, though it only smokes and does not flame, shall not be blown out, but blown up. The day of small things is the day of precious things, and therefore He will not despise it, but make it the day of great things, Zechariah 4:10.

Note, Our Lord Jesus deals very tenderly with those who have true grace, though they be weak in it, Isaiah 40:11; Hebrews 5:2. He remembers not only that we are dust, but that we are flesh.

[3.] The good issue and success of this, intimated in that, till He sends forth judgment unto victory. That judgment which He showed to the Gentiles shall be victorious, He will go on conquering and to conquer, Revelation 6:2. Both the preaching of the gospel in the world, and the power of the gospel in the heart, shall prevail. Grace shall get the upper hand of corruption, and shall at length be perfected in glory. Christ's judgment will be brought forth to victory, for when He judges He will overcome. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth so it is, Isaiah 42:3. Truth and victory are much the same, for great is the truth, and will prevail.

Verses 22-37 The Sin against the Holy Ghost.

22 Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He healed Him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with Me is against Me and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either makes the tree good, and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generations of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

In these verses we have,

I. Christ's glorious conquest of Satan, in the gracious cure of one who, by the divine permission, was under his power, and in his possession, Matthew 12:22.

Here observe,

1. The man's case was very sad he was possessed with a devil. More cases of this kind occurred in Christ's time than usual, that Christ's power might be the more magnified, and His purpose the more manifested, in opposing and dispossessing Satan and that it might the more evidently appear, that He came to destroy the works of the devil. This poor man that was possessed was blind and dumb a miserable case! he could neither see to help himself, nor speak to others to help him. A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eye of faith and seals up the lips of prayer.

2. His cure was very strange, and the more so, because sudden He healed him. 

Note, The conquering and dispossessing of Satan is the healing of souls. And the cause being removed, immediately the effect ceased the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 

Note, Christ's mercy is directly opposite to Satan's malice his favours, to the devil's mischiefs. When Satan's power is broken in the soul, the eyes are opened to see God's glory, and the lips opened to speak His praise.

II. The conviction which this gave to the people to all the people: they were amazed. Christ had wrought divers miracles of this kind before but His works are not the less wonderful, nor the less to be wondered at, for their being often repeated. They inferred from it, "Is not this the Son of David? The Messiah promised, that was to spring from the loins of David? Is not this He that should come?" We may take this, 1. As an enquiring question they asked, Is not this the Son of David? But they did not stay for an answer: the impressions were cogent, but they were transient. It was a good question that they started but, it should seem, it was soon lost, and was not prosecuted. Such convictions as these should be brought to a head, and then they are likely to be brought to the heart. Or, 2. as an affirming question Is not this the Son of David? "Yes, certainly it is, it can be no other such miracles as these plainly evince that the Kingdom of the Messiah is now setting up." And they were the people, the vulgar sort of the spectators that drew this inference from Christ's miracles.

Atheists will say, "That was because they were less prying than the Pharisees” no, the matter of fact was obvious, and required not much search: but it was because they were less prejudiced and biased by worldly interest. So plain and easy was the way made to this great truth of Christ being the Messiah and Savior of the world, that the common people could not miss it the wayfaring men, though fools, could not err therein. See Isaiah 35:8. It was found of them that sought it. It is an instance of the condescension of divine grace, that the things that were hid from the wise and prudent were revealed unto babes. The world by wisdom knew not God, and by the foolish things the wise were confounded.

III. The blasphemous cavil of the Pharisees, Matthew 12:24. The Pharisees were a sort of men that pretended to more knowledge in, and zeal for, the divine law, than other people yet they were the most inveterate enemies to Christ and His doctrine. They were proud of the reputation they had among the people that fed their pride, supported their power, and filled their purses and when they heard the people say, Is not this the Son of David? they were extremely irritated, more at that than at the miracle itself this made them jealous of our Lord Jesus, and apprehensive, that as His interest in the people's esteem increased, theirs must of course be eclipsed and diminished therefore they envied Him, as Saul did his father David, because of what the women sang of him, 1 Samuel 18:7,8.

Note, Those who bind up their happiness in the praise and applause of men; expose themselves to a perpetual uneasiness upon every favorable word, that they hear said of any other. The shadow of honor followed Christ, who fled from it, and fled from the Pharisees, who were eager in the pursuit of it. They said, "This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils, and therefore is not the Son of David."

Observe,

1. How scornfully they speak of Christ, this fellow as if that precious name of His, which is as ointment poured forth, were not worthy to be taken into their lips. It is an instance of their pride and superciliousness, and their diabolical envy, that the more people magnified Christ, the more industrious they were to vilify Him. It is a bad thing to speak of good men with disdain because they are poor.

2. How blasphemously they speak of His miracles they could not deny the matter of fact it was as plain as the sun, that devils were cast out by the word of Christ nor could they deny that it was an extraordinary thing, and supernatural. Being thus forced to grant the premises, they had no other way to avoid the conclusion, that this is the Son of David, than by suggesting that Christ cast out devils by Beelzebub that there was a compact between Christ and the devil pursuant to that, the devil was not cast out, but did voluntarily retire, and give back by consent and with design: or as if, by an agreement with the ruling devil, he had power to cast out the inferior devils. No surmise could be more palpably false and vile than this that he, who is Truth itself, should be in combination with the father of lies, to cheat the world. This was the last refuge, or subterfuge rather, or an obstinate infidelity, that was resolved to stand it out against the clearest conviction. Observe, Among the devils there is a prince, the ringleader of the apostasy from God and rebellion against Him but this prince is Beelzebub--the god of a fly, or a dunghill god. How art thou fallen, O Lucifer! from an anger of light, to be a lord of flies! Yet this is the prince of the devils too, the chief of the gang of infernal spirits.

IV. Christ's reply to this base insinuation, Matthew 12:25-30. Jesus knew their thoughts. Note, Jesus Christ knows what we are thinking at any time, knows what is in man He understands our thoughts afar off. It should seem that the Pharisees could not for shame speak it out, but kept it in their minds they could not expect to satisfy the people with it they therefore reserved it for the silencing of the convictions of their own consciences.

Note, Many are kept off from their duty by that which they are ashamed to own, but which they cannot hide from Jesus Christ: yet it is probable that the Pharisees had whispered what they thought among themselves, to help to harden one another but Christ's reply is said to be to their thoughts, because He knew with what mind, and from what principle, they said it that they did not say it in their haste, but that it was the product of a rooted malignity.

Christ's reply to this imputation is copious and cogent, that every mouth may be stopped with sense and reason, before it be stopped with fire and brimstone. Here are three arguments by which He demonstrates the unreasonableness of this suggestion.

Now we are reading a passage that is one of the most interesting, and at the same time one of the most chilling in all of the Bible, and it is the passage that has to do with the unpardonable sin in Matthew chapter 12 verses 22 through verse 37. 

Beginning with the 22nd verse, following the incidents which occurred on the Sabbath day we read a very important text, and we could devote a lengthy amount of time to the exposition of it.

Notice there is an orthodoxy concerning the person of Jesus Christ.  And if we do not really have that orthodox thinking with reference to the person of Christ, then we are in opposition to Him.  There is no neutrality with reference to Jesus Christ, is the point:  He that is not with Me is against Me.

Now we come to verse 31 and 32, the important verses: We have the Lord’s evaluation of human nature, there. May God’s blessing rest upon this reading of His inspired word. We come to one of the most astonishing texts in the Bible.  No evangelist is without a sermon on it.  And the reason for its popularity is clear.  All sins may be forgiven except one.  It is called sin against the Holy Spirit.  Even sin against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but not that against the Holy Spirit.

What is this sin?  Why is it unforgivable?  How does this affect the doctrine of the Trinity by which we are taught that the Son and the Spirit are equal in the possession of the fullness of deity, equal in the possession of power, wisdom, knowledge, holiness?  These are puzzling questions. It is important to remember as we look at this question of the unpardonable sin that the sin is referred to in only two of the books of the New Testament, definitely.  And at one particular point in our Lord’s life, Matthew chapter 12 and Mark chapter 3, and that the remainder of the New Testament is absolutely silent with respect to the unpardonable sin. 

So, we should gain a little perspective from that and realize the fact that this incident is recorded only in this one place, and no reference is made thereafter to the unpardonable sin, that we should not make more of it than the Scriptures themselves make over it.  And we should not treat it immediately as something that is very common in the Christian life.  The chances are, from that reference in the Bible, that it is not a very common thing.

We want to look at it and see if we can understand what is meant when the Lord Jesus says, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven them.  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him.  But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, not in this age nor in the age that follows.

To understand a passage from the word of God, it is of the greatest importance that we look again at the context.  And since we have been studying Matthew, it will not be necessary to do that in great detail.  The final, climactic sign is performed by the Messiah when He heals the dumb demoniac.  And it is recorded in verse 22.

They brought to the Lord Jesus a man possessed with a demon.  He was both blind and dumb.  The text does not describe any of the manner by which the Lord healed him.  It simply says that He healed him so much so that the blind man saw and the dumb man (the same) began to speak.  Now this was a final, climactic Messianic sign because, in the next chapter the Lord begins to speak of Israel’s blindness and of the necessity of judgment upon them. So it would seem, then, that this is the final test posed the nation concerning their response to the Messiah.  He says in the 28th verse, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you.  This is the final proof that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, and the Kingdom has come with the King.

The people respond to the miracle and say, “Is not this the Son of David,” according to the Authorized Version text, but in the Greek text it’s not so definite.  That, actually, is what they should have said.  They should have said, is not this the Son of David, shall we not bow down before Him and worship Him and receive the Kingdom that He offers?  But what they really say is, this man cannot be the Son of David, can He?  The authority of the witness was so strong that they sensed there was some connection with the Messianic king, but they were not yet ready to yield themselves to the clear light of the miracles that the Lord Jesus had performed.

And so, He is accused again by the officials.  Mark tells us that the scribes, too, were involved in this accusation.  The scribes and the Pharisees, when they had heard what He had done, they said, “This fellow does not cast out the demons by anyone but Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.”  In other words, His authority is satanically originated. Mark tells us they were hardened.  Their hearts were become hardened to the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and in effect, what they say to Him is, You are performing the tricks of a magician.  Black magic is the source of the authority of the Lord Jesus.

You can see immediately that the text has a great deal of application to the duly accredited teachers of the people of God.  It was the scribes and Pharisees who made this accusation, and the scribes and Pharisees were those who corresponded to the ministers of the word of God in this present age.  Men who have spiritual gifts of evangelism, of pastor-teacher, of teacher; in other words, men who teach us the word of God are these men who are here making the accusation of black magic in the case of the Lord Jesus.  So, first of all, those who heed the word of warning in this passage are those who pose as our theologians and teachers. In other words, the text has application to any of us who have spiritual gifts of utterance.  It is a very serious thing to open the Scriptures and read the Scriptures and listen to their testimony concerning the plan and purpose of God, and then not to yield allegiance to God in Christ.  That’s why James says, “Be not many of ye teachers, for you shall receive the greater condemnation.”  So, this text has a great deal of personal application.  It has application to those of us who have these gifts.

The Lord Jesus answers this and answers it in His own unique and typical way.  He handles the text of Scripture, and He handles the argumentation of the situation to demonstrate in such a way that they are no match for the Lord Jesus.  He knew their thoughts.  And so He speaks in short, picturesque, elusive maxims that state the general principle that Satan does not cast out Satan, does he?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.  “Dog does not eat dog, does he?” we might say.

And the common sense of it, as well as the Scripturality of it was enough to make a very convincing argument.  Really, what is shown by the miracle is His point.  What is shown by the miracle is that He has mastery of the demonic world.  And if, in the demonic world there were such a thing as Satan fighting against Satan, it would be impossible for him to carry out His purposes.  And so even if he had such power, he would never give it to an individual that he might against Satan’s own authority and kingdom.

Now, in the course of the answer that He gives, there is an interesting point, that has application for us today.  He states in the 27th verse, “And if I, by Beelzebub, cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?”  It’s evident from this that the Lord Jesus regarded it as a happening in Israel that claims were being made to perform miracles by others.  Notice He says, “By whom do your sons cast them out?”  So, the Pharisees, evidently, were linked with people who claim to be performing mighty miracles.

Now that’s a very interesting thing, because it illustrates just exactly what we have today in Christendom.  For, we have whole groups of people today who claim to be working mighty miracles.  So, we can learn from this that there are claims for the miraculous that are not necessarily genuine claims.

Later, the enemies of the Lord Jesus said that He learned His tricks from an Egyptian juggler.  You will find this in the early traditions after the apostolic age.  One of the early heretics by the name of Celsus adopted this criticism against the Lord Jesus, and he pictured, in one of his writings, an Orthodox Jew confronting Jesus of Nazareth and addressing Him scornfully with these words, “You cured diseases, you restored dead bodies to life, you fed multitudes with a few loaves, these are the common tricks of Egyptian wizards which you may see performed every day in our markets for a few half-pence.”  So we find reflected here the fact that beside the Lord Jesus’ true miracles, there were miracles that were supposed to be done under the power of God which probably were the tricks of the wizards.

Now, we do not feel a great deal of friendliness for those who claim miracles today.  We do believe God heals. We do believe that it is possible to go to God in the Scriptural way, and if it is His will He has the power to heal, and He will heal. The thing we do not think is Scriptural is the claim that there are today healers who heal, and that the healings that are said to be healings are genuine healings.  That is, by them.  There may be, even, one of them in which God does perform a sovereign work of healing in the midst of a lot that is nonsense.  But what it appears it is a lot of claim of healing, which is not really biblical healing.

The important thing has to do with the unpardonable sin.  You’ll notice our Lord’s argumentation winds up on the note, “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.”  There is orthodoxy of the person of Jesus Christ, and if the person is not orthodox in his understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ, he is not orthodox.  It is not possible for a man to say, “I am a Christian, but I do not believe that the Lord Jesus is the second person of a Trinity.  I am an orthodox Christian, and I do believe that I am Christian, but I do not believe that Jesus Christ is truly very God of very God.  If we are not with Him, we are against Him.  There is no neutrality concerning the person of Jesus Christ.

The reason is that the Lord Jesus claimed equality with God, and we cannot affirm any submission to Him and at the same time reject His teaching concerning Himself.  But that leads into the unpardonable sin, and now we face this terrifying text in which we are told that all manner of sin and blasphemy may be forgiven but one sin, sin against the Holy Spirit.

First of all, what is the unpardonable sin?  What is this stern verse that chills the soul speaking about?  Well, first of all, we need to clear away a little bit of the misunderstanding.  Most people who do not study the word very carefully – and there are lots of professing Christians like that – generally feel that the unpardonable sin must be some unusual moral debauchery.  Some excess of adultery or uncleanness or lasciviousness or fleshly sin.

Now, it is plain from this context that that is not what is meant.  The men to whom He was speaking, and of whom He is speaking – the scribes and the Pharisees and the leaders of the Jewish nation – were not men like that.  They were men who were characterized by an outward holiness, by a great deal of religion.  They were the religious leaders of the day.  They were the men that we would have regarded as very upright men, so far as the fleshly side of sin is concerned.  Oh true, there were other things of which they were guilty.  They were hypocritical, they were envious.  They had all of the sins of the mind that the Scriptures speak about, and which, in a sense, are far more important than those other sins.  But nevertheless, so far as moral debauchery is concerned, in a fleshly way, they were not guilty of that.

And furthermore, the terms of our Lord’s words are not general.  They were very specific.  He speaks of the unpardonable sin; not of an unpardonable sin but the unpardonable sin.

To explain what He means in the text positively, He says, first of all, it is the sin of blasphemy.  He calls it blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in verse 31.  What is blasphemy?  Blasphemy is slander.  To blaspheme God is to slander God, to affirm of Him things that are not true.  For example, if we were to say God is not wholly holy, we would be blaspheming God.  We would be slandering him.  If we were to speak of Him in a way in which we denied His attributes, we would be slandering Him.  It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that is one thing that is said.

And the second thing is that it is sin against the Holy Spirit, specifically.  Not sin against the Son of Man.  Not sin against the Father, specifically; but sin against the Holy Spirit.  It’s blasphemy and it’s against the Holy Spirit.

Now specifically, in the light of the context, it is the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the King and His kingdom.  In the 28th verse we read, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come upon you.”  It is evident that the reason the Holy Spirit performed these miracles through the Lord Jesus was to give the unshakeable testimony to the kingship, the Messianic kingship of the Lord Jesus. And that is evident by the words He speaks in verse 29, “Or else, how shall one enter into the strongman’s house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strongman.”  He is testifying to the fact that He is able to enter into the house of Satan and spoil his goods, and only the Messianic king can do that.

In conclusion, then, it is the sin of blasphemy.  It is sin against the Holy Spirit, and it is specifically his testimony to the king.  And we may sum it by saying that it is the sin of refusing the Kingdom and the King, brought about through the clear testimony of the Spirit in the miracles performed through the Lord Jesus.

Likewise: To the presentation of the credentials of the King, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Israel the nation is saying, “These are not the credentials; they are the credentials of hell.”  And in that they slander the Holy Spirit.  In that, they refuse the testimony to the kingdom and the king.

There is a text in the Old Testament which is very much of an admonition and warning that speaks of the same thing we have here.  Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”  What they’re doing is they have finally come to the place where in the light of the plain testimony of God through the supernatural miracles of the Spirit, they reject them, not only reject them, but say that they really come from Satan and not from God.

The second question we might think is unnecessary to ask.  Why is the sin unpardonable?  Perhaps two questions might help us if we can answer them. Why the greater guilt of sin against the Holy Spirit?  Why is it the greater guilt to sin against the Holy Spirit than it is against the Son of Man? The solution cannot lie in the greater dignity of the Holy Spirit, because we are taught in the word of God that the dignity of the Son of God is the same as the dignity of the Spirit.  Now, He does say the Son of Man, and that should give us a clue, because He is speaking about the Lord Jesus in His incarnation.

Since there is no distinction in the dignity of the first person and the second person and the third person of the Trinity, the distinction must lie in the incarnation of the second person.  In other words, the distinction must rest in the kenosis, in the self-emptying, which the Lord Jesus underwent when He became a man, when He did what someone has called, “surrender the insignia of His majesty.”

What did our Lord do when He became a man?  Well, He veiled His dignity for a time.  He had the dignity of the eternal Son of God.  He veiled that.  Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 that “He emptied Himself and took upon the form of a servant and came in fashion as a man.”  And being found in fashion as a man, in the likeness of men, He humbled Himself.  And He says in another place that He came in the likeness of flesh of sin.  If you had looked at the Lord Jesus, and had just looked upon His countenance, you might have been amazed at what you saw.  But so far as His bodily form was concerned, there was not the element of the glory of the second person of the Trinity about Him.  He appeared as other men appear.

So He did veil His dignity for a time.  Therefore, sin against Him then, while it was blame able, was pardonable.  This healing, however, that the Holy Spirit performed when a man who is a demoniac and sightless and dumb, when the power of God is manifested in such a way before the multitudes of people that suddenly this man at the Lord Jesus Christ’s healing begins to speak and see again, that is an obvious manifestation of the power of God that anyone could see with their physical sight.  So it was a clear manifestation of the salutary power of the Holy Spirit.  So to reject the Holy Spirit is to reject manifest revelation, manifest supernatural activity on the part of God.

One of the French commentators, a Roman Catholic, incidentally, LeGrange has written concerning this, “That it is excusable to a point to fail to recognize the dignity of one who hides himself under the humble appearance of a man, but not disparage works manifestly salutary, which revealed the action of the divine Spirit.” 

There is a distinction for a time between the Son of Man and the Holy Spirit so far as the possibility of confusion is concerned, and it’s in that that we find this distinction between the unforgivable character of sin against the Spirit and the forgivable nature of sin against the Son of Man.  So, why is greater guilt of sin against the Holy Spirit?  Because it was a manifest declaration, clearly observable by all who could see of the power of God, whereas our Lord was here in the hidden-ness of His incarnation.

Then, what constitutes its irremissibility?  Why is it unpardonable?  In what does that consist?  Why this sin precludes pardon because it precludes repentance.  It is the deliberate, final, refusal of light that reveals a hardened heart and a fixed attitude.  The text here supports, with full authority the fact that what we find here was not the only time this was done.  Mark tells us twice that they were saying, He has an unclean spirit.  That was going on all the time.

What we have here in this climactic miracle is this final evidence of opposition after a lengthy period of rejection by Him, so that what we’re seeing is the operation of a fixed attitude of rejection of the testimony of God through Christ, and so that we have finally reached a kind of climax, and this sin precludes forgiveness because it precludes repentance.  That is, these individuals, by rejecting the truth of the word of God for so lengthy a period of time have now become the recipient of the hardening ministry of the Holy Spirit.

For it is a principle of the word of God that if we do not respond to the word of God, then hardening takes place.  That’s why it’s more difficult for an elderly man to come to faith in Christ than for a child, at least that’s the experience that we have.  In the final analysis, it is only the Holy Spirit who brings men to Christ, but experience shows that when hearts are tender, there would seem to be greater response to the ministry of the word. This is supported by the argument of the book to this point.  Israel has been rejecting the Lord and that is a climactic rejection. 

In the next chapter, the Lord Jesus begins to speak in parables.  And in chapter 13 and verse 10, the disciples come to Him and say, “Why are you speaking unto them in parables, now?”  He had not spoken to them in parables before this.  He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to them it is not given.”

Verse 12, For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.’  For this people's heart is become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…”

Notice the progression. “…lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

That is our Lord’s pronouncement upon the generation of His day, and is pronounced right after the reference to the unpardonable sin.

So it seems plain, then, that the unpardonable character of this sin rests in the fact that the repentance required for the forgiveness of sins is something impossible to men who have passed a point beyond which retributive judgment begins to work.  We do not know that time.  No one knows that time; that’s why we preach the gospel to every creature as long as there is breath.  But it is necessary to remember that there is such as thing as divine, retributive judgment.  Paul speaks of it as God “giving them over,” three times in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.

It is then a serious thing to hear the word of God.  It is a very serious thing to sit Sunday after Sunday under the ministry of the word of God and not respond to it.  It’s a very serious thing to sit there, because we expose ourselves to the possibility, if we do not respond, to divine, retributive judgment.

Jay Sidwell Baxter has been a well-regarded Bible teacher for many years.  A British, he has been in the United States for many years now. In one of his books, he comments upon this, and he says, “Men can allow and foster in themselves a process of hard refusal toward God which eventually becomes their master and destroys the possibility of repentance.  Men cannot repent merely at will.” And what he means by that is that there are forces by which we have no control if we continually reject.

Then he told a very interesting story, a true story of a man, a friend of his who had a friend to whom he was ministering.  He was a dying man.  And when he was on his death bed, he was writing and struggling, and fighting the air in a piteously futile effort to fight death off.  He was in stark terror at the thought of leaving this life and passing into the life beyond the grave. Eventually, Mr. Baxter’s friend said, he died demented.  But both before and after his brain gave way, he would periodically groan out at wail in loud tones, “I said I would repent before I died, but it won’t come!  It won’t come!  I can’t repent.”  There is such an experience.  There is such a thing.  And Esau is a beautiful illustration of it.  It’s possible to be subject to retributive judgment.

When is this sin committed?  Well, we can say this at least.  There is only one time in which sin against the Son of Man is blame able and forgivable, while sin against the Holy Spirit is blame able and unforgiveable.  There is only one time when that situation exists.  Now that the Son of Man is glorified and at the right hand of the Father, sin against the Son is sin against the Spirit.

So it’s evident that the historical situation which called forth the comment from our Lord, the unpardonable sin can only exist while our Lord is here in our incarnate flesh when He looked as other men looked.  So it can only be committed when the King is personally present, the unpardonable sin.  That is, the specific historical sin to which He refers here.  And this is confirmed by the fact that it is only referred to this one time by our Lord, and never referred to elsewhere by the apostles.  It was a particular situation that had its particular interpretation with reference to that particular time.

The remainder of this section focuses on the real source of the Pharisees’ conduct, and He just illustrates the fact that the fruit of a tree is determined by the tree itself.  Conduct is determined by one’s character, and character is determined by the operation of the Holy Spirit, ultimately.  The Lord Jesus is the only one who can make the tree good, He implies.

To conclude:  What is, then, the unpardonable sin?  The unpardonable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work of performing miracles prevalent in the days of the supernatural miracles.  It may be committed by hardened, impenitent men.

But having said that, there are two other things ought to be said.  In the first place, there is an unpardonable sin today.  It is not the unpardonable sin to which our Lord refers, but it is the unpardonable sin of rejecting Jesus Christ.  In John chapter 3 and verse 18, the Lord Jesus in the continuation of the passage in which He has had His interview with Nicodemus says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed already in the name of the only begotten Son of God, so that personal faith in Jesus Christ, if it does not come, sin is unpardonable.

There is such a thing as the unpardonable sin, historically, and there is such a thing as an unpardonable sin throughout this present age.  And it is possible for us to commit unpardonable sin in that sense.  And furthermore, it is possible for there to exist a prolonged rebellion that leads to retributive judgment and hardness of heart.  That is still possible today.  That is what is referred to in Hebrews chapter 6, when we read that it is impossible to bring certain people to repentance, who have had great privilege but have turned away from them.  They apostatized from the apperceptive sense of truth that they possessed, and there is no hope.

In the Old Testament, we read that God sent the prophets to Israel, and they ministered to them and ministered to them, but they rejected them and rejected them, and then we read “till there was no healing.”  Retributive judgment must set in.

There is a beautiful illustration of the word of God in this principle, and it is the story of Herod.  Let’s remind of its high points. Herod was the Tetrarch of Galilee.  He feared John the Baptist when he heard of John’s ministry, and in fact, knew that he was a righteous and holy man.  And when he heard him, the Scripture said he was “much perplexed but he heard him gladly.”  He listened with a great deal of interest to John the Baptist as he proclaimed the message of the coming of the King.

But then later on, when John said a word against his seduction of Herodias, his brother’s wife, Herod became very angry and Herodias even angrier.  And as a result, Herod shut John up in prison.  And finally when he was in prison, at that famous little party that they had, when Herodias’ daughter danced before him, he said, “Up to the half of my kingdom I’ll give you.” She hastily beat a retreat to her mother and asked what she wanted.  She said, “I’d like to have the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  And Herod was very much upset over it, but nevertheless had him beheaded in prison, put his head on a platter, brought his head out and gave it to Herodias.

Later on, as the days of our Lord draw to a close, there is a rather amazing statement made in the Gospel of Luke. Some Pharisees came to Him and said, “Get out of the country, and get away from here, for Herod would feign kill thee.”  So Herod has in his mind murder of the Lord Jesus.  Later on in that same gospel, finally Herod comes face to face with the Lord Jesus and the text says, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad, for he was a long time desirous to see him, for he had heard concerning him and he had hoped to see some miracle done by him.  And he questioned Him many words.”  What an opportunity for the Lord.

What a great opportunity, naturally speaking.  He has now the Tetrarch of Galilee, why not pour out the message?  Take out the Four Spiritual Laws, give them to him, and if Herod could be converted, what might be done for the whole of the kingdom?  And then those terrible words, which Luke gives are, “He answered him nothing.”  Not a word for Herod.  Why?  Because Herod’s heart was the heart of an impenitent man.

Back in the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew He had said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under feet and turn again and lacerate you.”  Our Lord Jesus would not cast His pearls before swine.

Herod was that.  There is such a thing as a man reaching the place where there is no hope.  We don’t know when it is, and so we constantly preach the word of God.

Aaron Burr was one of the most brilliant men ever produced in the United States.  He was a brilliant student at Princeton University, and for over a hundred years the academic record that Aaron Burr had was the record in that great institution.  Many years later there was a young man by the name of Bill Rush.  He was in the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship. And the talk among the evangelicals and among their friends was that finally, someone on the campus of Princeton has a chance to beat the academic record of Aaron Burr.  This was back in about 1955 or ‘56.  Mr. Burr had died around 1840.  So he was a brilliant man whose record was unusual.

When he was on the campus of Princeton, a revival broke out, and he was deeply convicted of sin.  His roommate was a Christian, and his roommate urged him to accept Christ.  He went to one of his professors, and one of his professors gave him a Bible and he said to him, “Aaron, take this to your room and settle the matter on your knees.” Instead of doing that, he tried to shake off the power of the Holy Spirit in testimony to Christ.  And finally, in desperation, as he said later, he cried out, “O God, let me alone, and I’ll let you alone.”  He said as soon as he said that, all conviction of sin left him.

Many years later, he met a friend whom he admired very much and his friend said, “Dr. Burr, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”  He said any friend of yours I’d like to meet, too.  He said, “I’d like for you to meet Jesus Christ.”  And when he said that, the cold sweat, perspiration, we say, the cold perspiration popped out on his forehead, and he told how at the age of 19 he said his prayer in which he addressed to God, God, let me alone and I’ll let you alone.  And then he said to his friend, “From that day to this, I’ve never had one desire to become a Christian.”  It is possible for me to receive testimony, to reject testimony.  They reject it over and over and over again until there comes a time when only judgment can come.

What should we do with our fears that we have committed such sin?  Bishop Rile once said, “There is such a thing as sin that is never forgiven, but those who are most troubled about it are the most unlikely to have never committed it.” 

If there’s any question about it, it can be settled immediately by turning in the heart to God and believing on our Lord Jesus Christ.  If you have never turned to Him, it’s a serious thing to hear the ministry of the word of God, and to hear that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who has offered a sacrifice that is acceptable to God for sinners, and has given a universal gospel appeal, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”  It’s a serious thing to hear that Sunday after Sunday and never respond to it.

May God the Holy Spirit bring the conviction that results in conversion. 

We thank Thee, Lord, for the exhortations and admonitions of Holy Scripture.  O God, deliver us from the kinds of sins that keep us from Christ.  And if Father, there should be one person here who has never responded, give neither rest nor peace until they rest in Christ.

And for the believers, O God, deliver us from the hearing of the word of God and unresponsiveness to it.  Work mightily in our hearts to glorify the Son of God, and cleanse us and renew our inner man. Now may grace, mercy and peace go with as we part. For Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Matthew 12:1-13

The one great subject which stands out prominently in this passage of Scripture is the Sabbath Day. It is a subject on which strange opinions prevailed among the Jews in our Lord's time. The Pharisees had added to the teaching of Scripture about it, and overlaid the true character of the day with the traditions of men. It is a subject on which diverse opinions have often been held in the Churches of Christ, and wide differences exist among men at the present time. Let us see what we may learn about it from our Lord's teaching in these verses.

Let us, in the first place, settle it in our minds as an established principle, that our Lord Jesus Christ does not do away with the observance of a weekly Sabbath day. He neither does so here, nor elsewhere in the four Gospels. We often find His opinion expressed about the Jewish errors on the subject of the Sabbath. But we do not find a word to teach us that His disciples were not to keep a Sabbath at all.

It is of much importance to observe this. The mistakes that have arisen from a superficial consideration of our Lord's sayings on the Sabbath question are neither few nor small. Thousands have rushed to the hasty conclusion, that Christians have nothing to do with the fourth commandment, and that it is no more binding on us than the Mosaic law about sacrifices. There is nothing in the New Testament to justify any such conclusion.

The plain truth is that our Lord did not abolish the law of the weekly Sabbath. He only freed it from incorrect interpretations, and purified it from man-made additions. He did not tear out of the Decalogue the fourth commandment. He only stripped off the miserable traditions with which the Pharisees had incrusted the day, and by which they had made it, not a blessing, but a burden. He left the fourth commandment where He found it, a part of the eternal law of God, of which no jot or tittles were ever to pass away. May we never forget this!

Let us, in the second place, settle it in our minds, that our Lord Jesus Christ allows all works of real necessity and mercy to be done on the Sabbath day. This is a principle which is abundantly established in the passage of Scripture we are now considering. We find our Lord justifying His disciples for plucking the ears of corn on a Sabbath. It was an act permitted in Scripture. (Deut. 23:25.) They "were hungry," and in need of food. Therefore they were not to blame. We find Him maintaining the lawfulness of healing a sick man on the Sabbath day. The man was suffering from disease and pain. In such a case it was no breach of God's commandment to afford relief. We ought never to rest from doing good.

The arguments, by which our Lord supports the lawfulness of any work of necessity and mercy on the Sabbath, are striking and unanswerable. He reminds the Pharisees, who charged Him and His disciples with breaking the law, how David and his men, for lack of other food, had eaten the holy show-bread out of the tabernacle. He reminds them how the priests in the temple are obliged to do work on the Sabbath, by slaying animals and offering sacrifices. He reminds them how even a sheep would be helped out of a pit on the Sabbath, rather than allowed to suffer and die, by any one of them. Above all, He lays down the great principle that no ordinance of God is to be pressed so far as to make us neglect the plain duties of charity. "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." The first table of the law is not to be so interpreted as to make us break the second. The fourth commandment is not to be so explained, as to make us unkind and unmerciful to our neighbor. There is deep wisdom in all this. We are reminded of the saying, "Never a man spoke like this man."

In leaving the subject, let us beware that we are never tempted to take low views of the sanctity of the Christian Sabbath. Let us take care that we do not make our gracious Lord's teaching an excuse for Sabbath profanation. Let us not abuse the liberty which He has so clearly marked out for us, and pretend that we do things on the Sabbath from "necessity and mercy," which in reality we do for our own selfish gratification.

There is great reason for warning people on this point. The mistakes of the Pharisee about the Sabbath were in one direction. The mistakes of the Christian are in another. The Pharisee pretended to add to the holiness of the day. The Christian is too often disposed to take away from that holiness, and to keep the day in an idle, profane, irreverent manner. May we all watch our own conduct on this subject. Saving Christianity is closely bound up with Sabbath observance. May we never forget that our great aim should be to "keep the Sabbath holy." Works of necessity may be done. "It is lawful to do well," and show mercy. But to give the Sabbath to idleness, pleasure-seeking, or the world, is utterly unlawful. It is contrary to the example of Christ, and a sin against a plain commandment of God.

Matthew 12:14-21

But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him. Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them all, and charged those who they should not make Him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, "Behold, My servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit on Him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear His voice in the streets. He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench smoking flax, until He leads justice to victory. In His name, the nations will hope."

The first thing which demands our notice in this passage is the desperate wickedness of the human heart, which it exemplifies. Silenced and defeated by our Lord's arguments, the Pharisees plunged deeper and deeper into sin. They "went out, and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him."

What evil had our Lord done, that He should be so treated? None, at all! No charge could be brought against His life; He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. His days were spent in doing good. No charge could be brought against His teaching, He had proved it to be agreeable to Scripture and reason, and no reply had been made to His proofs. But it mattered little how perfectly He lived or taught. He was hated.

This is human nature appearing in its true colors. The unconverted heart hates God, and will show its hatred whenever it dares, and has a favorable opportunity. It will persecute God's witnesses. It will dislike all who have anything of God's mind, and are renewed after His image. Why were so many of the prophets killed? Why were the names of the apostles cast out as evil by the Jews? Why were the early martyrs slain? Why were John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and Ridley, and Latimer burned at the stake? Not for any sins that they had sinned, not for any wickedness they had committed. They all suffered because they were godly men. And human nature, unconverted, hates godly men, because it hates God.

It must never surprise true Christians if they meet with the same treatment that the Lord Jesus met with. "Don't be surprised, My brothers, if the world hates you." (1 John 3:13.) It is not the utmost consistency, or the closest walk with God, that will exempt them from the enmity of the natural man. They need not torture their consciences by fancying that if they were only more faultless and consistent, everybody would surely love them. It is all a mistake. They should remember, that there was never but one perfect man on earth, and that He was not loved, but hated. It is not the infirmities of a believer that the world dislikes, but his goodness. It is not the remains of the old nature that call forth the world's enmity, but the exhibition of the new. Let us remember these things, and be patient. The world hated Christ, and the world will hate Christians.

The second thing which demands our notice in this passage is the encouraging description of our Lord Jesus Christ's character, which Matthew draws from the prophet Isaiah. "He won't break a bruised reed; he won't quench a smoking flax."

What shall we understand by the bruised reed, and smoking flax? The language of the prophet no doubt is figurative. What is it that these two expressions mean? The simplest explanation seems to be, that the Holy Spirit is here describing believers whose grace is at present weak, whose repentance is feeble, and whose faith is small. Towards such people the Lord Jesus Christ will be very tender and compassionate. Weak as the broken reed is, it shall not be broken. Small as the spark of fire may be within the smoking flax, it shall not be quenched. It is a standing truth in the kingdom of grace, that weak grace, weak faith, and weak repentance, are all precious in our Lord's sight. Mighty as He is, "He doesn't despise anyone." (Job 36:5.)

The doctrine here laid down is full of comfort and consolation. There are thousands in every church of Christ to whom it ought to speak peace and hope. There are some in every congregation that hear the Gospel, who are ready to despair of their own salvation, because their strength seems so small. They are full of fears and despondency, because their knowledge, and faith, and hope, and love, appear so dwarfish and diminutive. Let us drink comfort out of this text. Let us know that weak faith gives a man as real and true a saving interest in Christ as strong faith, though it may not give him the same joy. There is life in an infant as truly as in a grown up man. There is fire in a spark as truly as in a burning flame. The least degree of grace is an everlasting possession. It comes down from heaven. It is precious in our Lord's eyes. It shall never be overthrown.

Does Satan make light of the beginnings of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ? No! indeed! he does not. He has great wrath, because he sees his time is short.

Do the angels of God think lightly of the first signs of penitence and feeling after God in Christ? No indeed! "There is joy" among them, when they behold the sight. Does the Lord Jesus regard no faith and repentance with interest, unless they are strong and mighty? No! indeed! As soon as that bruised reed, Saul of Tarsus, begins to cry to Him, He sends Ananias to him, saying, "Behold, he is praying." (Acts 9:11.) We err greatly if we do not encourage the very first movements of a soul towards Christ. Let the ignorant world scoff and mock, if it will. We may be sure that "bruised reeds" and "smoking flax" are very precious in our Lord's eyes.

May we all lay these things to heart, and use them in time of needs both for ourselves and others. It should be a standing maxim in our religion, that a spark is better than utter darkness and little faith better than no faith at all. "Who despises the day of small things?" (Zechar. 4:10.) It is not despised by Christ. It ought not to be despised by Christians.

Matthew 12:22-37

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to Him and He healed Him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons."

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who doesn't gather with Me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

"Either makes the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

This passage of Scripture contains "things hard to be understood." The sin against the Holy Spirit in particular has never been fully explained by the most learned divines. It is not difficult to show from Scripture what the sin is not. It is difficult to show clearly what it is. We must not be surprised. The Bible would not be the book of God, if it had not deep places here and there, which man has no line to fathom. Let us rather thank God that there are lessons of wisdom to be gathered, even out of these verses, which the unlearned may easily understand.

Let us gather from them, in the first place, that there is nothing too blasphemous for hardened and prejudiced men to say against Christ. Our Lord casts out a devil; and at once the Pharisees declare that He does it "by the prince of the devils."

This was an absurd charge. Our Lord shows that it was unreasonable to suppose that the devil would help to pull down his own kingdom, and "Satan cast out Satan." But there is nothing too absurd and unreasonable for men to say, when they are thoroughly set against Christ. The Pharisees are not the only people who have lost sight of logic, good sense, and temper, when they have attacked the Gospel of Christ.

Strange as this charge may sound, it is one that has often been made against the servants of God. Their enemies have been obliged to confess that they are doing a work, and producing a good effect on the world. The results of Christian labor stare them in the face. They cannot deny them. What then shall they say? They say the very thing that the Pharisees said of our Lord, "It is the devil." The early heretics used language of this kind about Athanasius. The Roman Catholics spread reports of this sort about Martin Luther. Such things will be said as long as the world stands.

We must never be surprised to hear of dreadful charges being made against the best of men, without cause. "If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" It is an old device. When the Christian's arguments cannot be answered, and the Christian's works cannot be denied, the last resource of the wicked is to try to blacken the Christian's character. If this be our lot, let us bear it patiently. Having Christ and a good conscience, we may be content. False charges will not keep us out of heaven. Our character will be cleared at the last day.

In the second place, let us gather out of these verses the impossibility of neutrality in religion. "He who is not with Christ is against Him, and he who doesn't gather with Him, scatters."

There are many people in every age of the Church, who need to have this lesson pressed upon them. They endeavor to steer a middle course in religion. They are not as bad as many sinners, but still they are not saints. They feel the truth of Christ's Gospel, when it is brought before them, but are afraid to confess what they feel. Because they have these feelings, they flatter themselves they are not as bad as others. And yet they shrink from the standard of faith and practice which the Lord Jesus sets up. They are not boldly on Christ's side, and yet they are not openly against Him. Our Lord warns all such that they are in a dangerous position. There are only two parties in religious matters. There are only two camps. There are only two sides. Are we with Christ, and working in His cause? If not, we are against Him. Are we doing good in the world? If not, we are doing harm.

The principle here laid down is one which it concerns us all to remember. Let us settle it in our minds, that we shall never have peace, and do good to others, unless we are thorough-going and decided in our Christianity. The way of Gamaliel and Erasmus never yet brought happiness and usefulness to any one, and never will.

In the third place, let us gather from these verses the exceeding sinfulness of sins against knowledge. This is a practical conclusion which appears to flow naturally from our Lord's words about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Difficult as these words undoubtedly are, they seem fairly to prove that there are degrees in sin. Offences arising from ignorance of the true mission of the Son of Man will not be punished as heavily as offences committed against the noontide light of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.

The brighter the light, the greater the guilt of him who rejects it. The clearer a man's knowledge of the nature of the Gospel, the greater his sin, if he willfully refuses to repent and believe. The doctrine here taught is one that does not stand alone in Scripture. Paul says to the Hebrews, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance." "If we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment." (Heb. 6:4-7, and 10:26, 27.) It is a doctrine of which we find mournful proofs in every quarter. The unconverted children of godly parents, the unconverted servants of godly families, and the unconverted members of evangelical congregations are the hardest people on earth to impress. They seem past feeling. The same fire which melts the wax hardens the clay.

It is a doctrine, moreover, which receives dreadful confirmation from the histories of some of those whose last ends were eminently hopeless. Pharaoh, and Saul, and Ahab, and Judas Iscariot, and Julian, and Francis Spira, are fearful illustrations of our Lord's meaning. In each of these cases there was a combination of clear knowledge and deliberate rejection of Christ. In each there was light in the head, but hatred of truth in the heart. And the end of each seems to have been blackness of darkness forever.

May God give us a will to use our knowledge, whether it be little or great! May we beware of neglecting our opportunities, and leaving our privileges unimproved! Have we light? Then let us live fully up to our light. Do we know the truth? Then let us walk in the truth. This is the best safeguard against the unpardonable sin.

In the last place, let us gather from these verses the immense importance of carefulness about our daily words. Our Lord tells us, that "every idle word that men speak, they will give account of in the day of judgment." And He adds, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

There are few of our Lord's sayings which are so heart-searching as this. There is nothing, perhaps, to which most men pay less attention than their words. They go through their daily work, speaking and talking without thought or reflection, and seem to imagine that if they do what is right, it matters but little what they say.

But is it so? Are our words so utterly trifling and unimportant? We dare not say so, with such a passage of Scripture as this before our eyes. Our words are the evidence of the state of our hearts, as surely as the taste of the water is an evidence of the state of the spring. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The lips only utter what the mind conceives. Our words will form one subject of inquiry at the Day of Judgment. We shall have to give account of our sayings, as well as our doings. Truly these are very solemn considerations. If there were no other text in the Bible, this passage ought to convince us, that we are all "guilty before God," and need a righteousness better than our own, even the righteousness of Christ. (Phil. 3:9.)

Let us be humble as we read this passage, in the recollection of time past. How many idle, foolish, vain, light, frivolous, sinful, and unprofitable things we have all said! How many words we have used, which, like thistle-down, have flown far and wide, and sown mischief in the hearts of others that will never die! How often when we have met our friends, "our conversation," to use an old saint's expression, "has only made work for repentance." There is deep truth in the remark of Burkitt, "A profane scoff or atheistically jest may stick in the minds of those that hear it, after the tongue that spoke it is dead. A word spoken is physically transient, but morally permanent." "Death and life," says Solomon, "are in the power of the tongue." (Prov. 18:21.)

Let us be watchful as we read this passage about words, when we look forward to our days yet to come. Let us resolve, by God's grace, to be more careful over our tongues, and more particular about our use of them. Let us pray daily that our "speech may be always with grace." (Coloss. 4:6.) Let us say every morning with holy David, "I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue." Let us cry with him to the Strong for strength, and say, "Set a watch over my mouth, and keep the door of my lips." Well indeed might James say, "If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man." (Psalm. 39:1, 141:3; James 3:2.)

Matthew 12:38-50

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

But He answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold someone greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn't find it. Then he says, 'I will return into my house, from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."

While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him. One said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to You."

But He answered him who spoke to Him, "Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?" He stretched out His hand towards His disciples, and said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."

The beginning of this passage is one of those places which strikingly illustrate the truth of Old Testament History. Our Lord speaks of the queen of the South, as a real, true person, who had lived and died. He refers to the story of Jonah, and his miraculous preservation in the whale's belly, as undeniable matters of fact. Let us remember this, if we hear men professing to believe the writers of the New Testament, and yet sneering at the things recorded in the Old Testament, as if they were fables. Such men forget, that in so doing they pour contempt upon Christ Himself. The authority of the Old and New Testament stands or falls together. The same Spirit inspired men to write of Solomon and Jonah, who inspired the Evangelists to write of Christ. These are not unimportant points in this day. Let them be well fixed in our minds.

The first practical lesson which demands our attention in these verses is the amazing power of unbelief. Mark how the Scribes and Pharisees call upon our Lord to show them more miracles. "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." They pretended that they only needed more evidence, in order to be convinced, and become disciples. They shut their eyes to the many wonderful works which Jesus had already done. It was not enough for those who He had healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and cast out devils. They were not yet persuaded. They yet demanded more proof. They would not see what our Lord plainly pointed at in His reply, that they had no real will to believe. There was evidence enough to convince them, but they had no wish to be convinced.

There are many in the Church of Christ, who are exactly in the state of these Scribes and Pharisees. They flatter themselves that they only require a little more proof to become decided Christians. They fancy that if their reason and intellect could only be met with some additional arguments, they would at once give up all for Christ's sake, take up the cross, and follow Him. But in the mean time, they wait. Alas! For their blindness. They will not see that there is abundance of evidence on every side of them. The truth is that they do not want to be convinced.

May we all be on our guard against the spirit of unbelief! It is a growing evil in these latter days. Lack of simple, childlike faith is an increasing feature of the times, in every rank of society. The true explanation of a hundred strange things that startle us in the conduct of leading men in churches and states is downright lack of faith. Men who do not believe all that God says in the Bible, must necessarily take a vacillating and undecided line on moral and religious questions. "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established." (Isaiah 7:9.)

The second practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the immense danger of a partial and imperfect religious reformation. Mark what a dreadful picture our Lord draws of the man to whom the unclean spirit returns, after having once left him. How fearful those words are, "I will return into my house from which I came out!" How vivid that description, "he finds it empty, swept, and put in order!" How tremendous the conclusion, "Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first!" It is a picture most painfully full of meaning. Let us scan it closely, and learn wisdom.

It is certain that we have in this picture the history of the Jewish church and nation, at the time of our Lord's coming. Called as they were at first out of Egypt to be God's peculiar people, they never seem to have wholly lost the tendency to worship idols. Redeemed as they afterwards were from the captivity of Babylon, they never seem to have rendered to God a due return for His goodness. Aroused as they had been by John the Baptist's preaching, their repentance appears to have been only skin-deep. At the time when our Lord spoke, they had become, as a nation, harder and more perverse than ever. The grossness of idol-worship had given place to the deadness of mere formality. Seven other spirits worse than the first, had taken possession of them. Their last state was rapidly becoming worse than the first. Yet forty years, and their iniquity came to the full. They madly plunged into a war with Rome. Judea became a very Babel of confusion. Jerusalem was taken. The temple was destroyed. The Jews were scattered over the face of the earth.

Again, it is highly probable that we have in this picture the history of the whole body of Christian churches. Delivered as they were from heathen darkness by the preaching of the Gospel, they have never really lived up to their light. Revived, as many of them were at the time of the Protestant Reformation, none of them have made a right use of their privileges, or ''gone on to perfection." They have all more or less stopped short and settled on their lees. They have all been too ready to be satisfied with mere external amendments. And now there are painful symptoms in many quarters that the evil spirit has returned to his house, and is preparing an outbreak of infidelity, and false doctrine, such as the churches have never yet seen. Between unbelief in some quarters, and formal superstition in others, everything seems ripe for some fearful manifestation of Antichrist. It may well be feared that the last state of the professing Christian churches will prove worse than the first.

Saddest and worst of all, we have in this picture the history of many an individual's soul. There are men who seemed at one time of their lives to be under the influence of strong religious feelings. They reformed their ways. They laid aside many things that are bad. They took up many things that are good. But they stopped there, and went no further, and by and bye gave up religion altogether. The evil spirit returned to their hearts, and found them empty, swept, and garnished. They are now worse than they ever were before. Their consciences seem seared. Their sense of religious things appears entirely destroyed. They are like men given over to a reprobate mind. One would say it was "impossible to renew them to repentance." None prove so hopelessly wicked as those who, after experiencing strong religious convictions, have gone back again to sin and the world.

If we love life, let us pray that these lessons may be deeply impressed on our minds. Let us never be content with a partial reformation of life, without thorough conversion to God, and mortification of the whole body of sin. It is a good thing to strive to cast sin out of our hearts. But let us take care that we also receive the grace of God in its place. Let us make sure that we not only get rid of the old tenant, the devil, but have also got dwelling in us the Holy Spirit.

The last practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the tender affection with which the Lord Jesus regards His true disciples. Mark how He speaks of everyone who does the will of His Father in heaven. He says, "He is my brother, and sister, and mother." What gracious words these are! Who can conceive the depth of our dear Lord's love towards His relations according to the flesh? It was a pure, unselfish love. It must have been a mighty love, a love that passes man's understanding. Yet here we see that all His believing people are counted as His family. He loves them, feels for them, cares for them, as members of His family, bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh.

There is a solemn warning here to all who mock and persecute true Christians on account of their religion. They consider not what they are doing. They are persecuting the near relations of the King of kings. They will find at the last day that they have mocked those whom the Judge of all regards as "His brother, and sister, and mother."

There is rich encouragement here for all believers. They are far more precious in their Lord's eyes than they are in their own. Their faith may be feeble, their repentance weak, their strength small. They may be poor and needy in this world. But there is a glorious "whoever" in the last verse of this chapter which ought to cheer them. "Whoever" believes is a near relation of Christ. The elder Brother will provide for him in time and eternity, and never let him be cast away. There is not one "little sister" in the family of the redeemed, whom Jesus does not remember. (Cant. 8:8.) Joseph provided richly for all his relations and Jesus will provide for His.

The Servant of God. 12:15-21.

 I. Jesus' example.

"Aware of this [the plot of v. 14], Jesus withdrew from that place" (v. 15a). In

Doing so, He exemplifies the kind of action He has urged upon His followers (10:23)

- flight to prevent the end of the mission (it is not yet time for Jesus' death) and

also to extend the mission (note the full ministry described in v. 15b).

 II. Jesus' identity.

The quotation of Isa 42:1-4 (1) carries forward and amplifies the description of Jesus found already in 3:17; (2) underscores the point made in 8:17 (where Matthew quotes from Isa 53, another of the Servant songs), namely that the healing of physical infirmities is integral to the Servant's saving work; (3) explains the warning of 12:16 (that the people "not tell who He was") as Jesus' effort to discourage false notions of Messiah ship (cf. comments on 8:4); and (4) points positively to Jesus' concept of true Messiah ship (see the next point).

III. Jesus' victory.

This passage amplifies the profound principle repeatedly enunciated already in Mt, that Messiah's lowly servant hood (v. 18a) accounts for His power and His authority (v. 18cd); and that His gentleness (vv. 19-20b) is the path to His triumph (v. 20c). Moreover (to enlarge on the point made under I.), Jesus' very flight from the Jews provides the impetus for Gentile evangelism (vv. 18d, 21).

This encourages persecuted disciples (then and now): God uses that very experience as the occasion for unleashing saving power (cf. 2 Cor 12:9-10). "A persecuted ministry...results in conversion of Gentiles" (Gundry, 230). Messiah and His followers shall be both victor and victim in all their wars, and shall make their triumph in defeat (D. L. Sayers, The Man Born to be King).2

Jesus and Beelzeboul. 12:22-37.

 I. Preparation. 12:22-24.

A. Jesus' Healing.

The victim is "blind and mute," a dual affliction ascribed to demon-possession (v. 22). Matthew has already demonstrated Jesus' power to heal all three aspects of the afflictions (chs. 8-9). The healing is complete, "so that he could both talk and see" (v. 22b).

B. The Crowd's Astonishment.

While "the Jews did not expect the Davidic Messiah to perform healings or exorcisms" (Gundry, 231), Messiah was expected to do miracles (11:2; 12:38; cf. Jn 10:41). The crowd's rather doubtful question ("This one is not,...is He?"), prepares for v. 24.

C. The Pharisees' Charge.

Their words in v. 24 are a response to the crowd, words designed to dispel whatever glimmers of faith in Jesus might have been reflected in the crowds' question. They accuse Jesus of driving out demons "by Beelzeboul, the prince of demons" (NIV mg.).

Of the several variant spellings, Beelzeboul is chosen because of (1) its attestation (cf. GNT in loc.), and (2) its meaning (a Hebrew wordplay on baal, "master, lord," and zebul, "house" = "lord of the dwelling, master of the house"; cf. Jesus' figure in 12:29, including the noun oikia, and the juxtaposing of beelzeboul and its Greek equivalent, oikodespotss, in Mt 10:25). When we view the Pharisees' charge in light of v. 14, and this in turn in light of the controversy of vv. 1-14, we conclude that the charge stems from the Pharisees' notion that Jesus has come to destroy the sacred Law.

II. Jesus' discourse. 12:25-37.

A. Refuting the Accusation. 12:25-29.

 1. The character of Satan, vv. 25-26. While division of the sort described in the proverbial saying of v. 25 can and does occur (with the predictable results), so cunning and powerful a king as Satan would not let that happen. He is an3 absolute dictator whose underlings work in concert to achieve his own appointed ends.

 2. Exorcisms among the Jews, v. 27. Jews other than Jesus are engaged - and successfully so - in the practice of exorcising demons. At this stage Jesus is forcing the Pharisees to admit (if only tacitly) that men can exorcise demons through an exercise of divine power. In this statement Jesus cleverly exposes the Pharisees' underlying objection (for they are not opposed in principle to men's exercising miraculous powers, and they would certainly not ascribe every other instance of exorcism to demonic activity) - namely that they oppose Jesus not for His exorcising activity as such, but for other reasons (His alleged hostility to the Law, and His exposure of their own sin) - which in turn make it impossible for them to acknowledge that He does miracles by the agency of God's Spirit. In this light, that for which the Pharisees' followers will judge them (v. 27b) is apparently their "hypocritical inconsistency" (Gundry, 234-35).

 3. Jesus' exorcisms, v. 28. Jesus in fact casts out demons (as the Pharisees recognize, v. 24). Once the stupidity of the Pharisees' explanation is exposed (vv. 25-26), the only other explanation is that Jesus expels demons "by the Spirit of God." And since (for ei in the protasis of the conditional sentence) Jesus does so, "then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

His exorcising activity, while resembling that of others, is unique. In Him God is acting in an unprecedented way to establish His final Rule, which entails crushing the empire of Satan. Far from operating in Satan's power, Jesus confronts and assaults Satan himself (not just his underlings, as did other exorcists) with the powers of the Kingdom of God and thereby achieves a decisive victory. He "ties up the strong man" (Satan), v. 29, and frees his victims.

B. Judging the Accusers. 12:30-37.

 1. Two kinds of blasphemy, vv. 31-32.

 a. The structure of vv. 31-32. The two clauses of v. 31 are parallel to one another, as are the two clauses of v. 32 (see the Greek). Moreover, v. 32 enlarges upon v. 31, as shown by the linguistic affinities between the vv. (the aorist passives aphethssetai and ouk aphethssetai of v. 31 are repeated in v. 32, as is pneumatos). Thus, "anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit" (v. 32b), has committed "the blasphemy against the Spirit" (v. 31b) - an unforgivable act.

Correspondingly, "speaking a word against the Son of Man" (v. 32a) is one of the blasphemies (or sins) that will be forgiven (v. 31a). But why is this a particular distinction?

 b. The blasphemy against the Son of Man. This occurs when one disregards, misinterprets or doubts Jesus' teaching and His claims concerning Himself (including His identifying Himself as the Son of Man), and accordingly rejects both Jesus and His message. Cf. the question of John (11:2), and that of the crowd (12:23) at the beginning of the present section. But if such a person comes to the place where he attends to Jesus' words and works, correctly understands them, and believes Jesus' witness to be true, and then - on that basis – personally entrusts himself to the Lordship of Christ, repents of his sin and commits himself to obedient discipleship on Jesus' terms, then his sins - including the worst of them - will be forgiven. Indeed it is to the worst of sinners that Jesus appeals (9:13b).

 c. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As the immediate context shows, this means interpreting the Spirit's activity as satanic activity (vv. 24, 28). This blasphemy pertains to the very same witness as that described under b. (for the judgment of v. 24 obviously pertains to the person and work of the Son of Man). The difference is that those guilty of this blasphemy speak "not out of ignorance or unbelief, but out of a 'conscious disputing of the indisputable'"

(Carson, 291, quoting G. C. Berkouwer, Sin, 340). NB in this regard Jesus' refutation of the Pharisees' accusation (12:25-29). Does the very absurdity of the accusation expose the Pharisees' awareness that they are questioning the unquestionable? The blasphemy against the Spirit is like that against the Son of Man in that both are responding to the same truth. But the former rejects that truth "in full awareness that this is exactly what one is doing - thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously rejecting the work of the Spirit even though there can be no other explanation of Jesus' exorcisms than that" (Carson, 291-92).

For this act there is no forgiveness, "either in this age or in the age to come" (v. 32b), i.e. "never" (Mk 3:29). Is Jesus seeking to jolt His accusers out of their looseness and into faith and repentance? But see also 1 Jn 5:16-17.

2. The impossibility of neutrality, v. 30. He who persists in blaspheming the Spirit is irretrievably "against" Jesus. But let the person described under 1.

b. beware, lest persistent doubt or indifference, in the end place him under irreversible judgment (cf. 11:20-24). That the reasons for Jesus’ condemning a member of the "crowd," are different from His reasons for condemning the Pharisees, does not alter the seriousness of the judgment upon the first group. One is given time to weigh carefully Jesus' claims; but in the end neutrality is impossible. One must finally either acknowledge Jesus or disown Him (10:32-33). Cf. the distinction and the order of the Lukan sayings, "Whoever is against you is for you" (9:50), and "He who is not with Me is against Me" (11:23).5

3. The cruciality of words, vv. 33-37.

a. In assessing character. V. 33 recalls 7:17-20. Whether a tree is good or bad, may be determined by what the tree bears. Vv. 34-35 make it plain that the particular "fruit" in view is one's speech: "You brood of vipers [meaning the Pharisees, v. 24, the same audience of whom John uses the phrase in 3:7], how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (v. 34). (V. 35b speaks of counterfeit coins, Gundry 240.) Jesus judges the innermost character of His opponents, by what they have said about Him in v. 24.

b. In executing judgment. "Men will have to give account [logos] on the Day of Judgment for every careless word [pan hrsma argon] they have spoken" (v. 36). Note the wordplay: logos = "account" in v. 36 and "words" (= hrsma) in v. 37. However "useless" or "worthless" (cf. BAGD, s.v. argos) or "insignificant" (Stendahl, in Peake) words may appear to be, they are in fact an accurate index to the condition of one's heart (vv. 33-35). Plummer comments, "Every man's heart is a store-house, and his words show what he keeps there. Even lightly spoken words do that, and what is said on the spur of the moment is sometimes better evidence of a man's disposition than what he says deliberately, for the latter may be calculated hypocrisy" (Matthew, 181).

The "careless word" for which one is to give account, is not an isolated phenomenon (which could easily drive one to distraction and inhibit speech in an unhealthy way); rather, one gives account for such words precisely because those words reveal what the person is. This latter explains why one is either acquitted or condemned by his words

Matthew 12:22-37 - Blind and dumb about demons

Keywords: Matthew, Demons, Healing, Warfare

We perhaps have walked into a room we had visited and noticed that some people, had an increased confusion, restlessness and insecurity. Maybe a woman with such beautiful eyes who hallucinates and hears voices each afternoon. A woman who, the afternoon before, had thrown a chair across the room, shouting out in outrage, which was unusual because she is normally so calm, composed and certainly not able to lift a chair of that size.

One man, normally passive and easy to get along with became increasingly more demanding and upset for no reason at all, suspicious of everyone and disoriented, swearing at everyone and abusive to the point of having to be physically restrained by the police and taken to a hospital for sedation.

What are we describing? A demon possessed person? Perhaps. A person on drugs? (Well yes, but prescribed). mental illness? We are actually describing what can happen to many people during a time known as sundowning (in the afternoons and towards nightfall). Many people suffering from dementia experience sundowning. The cause of sundowning is unknown, and so it is treated with antipsychotic drugs. But we wonder if there is a spiritual dimension to Sundowning?

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Genesis 3 their sin sparked off a lot of consequences. Romans 8:20-23 (NLT) says "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ... for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. ..." Sin carries an ongoing curse that only Jesus can break.

In Matthew 12:22 (NLT) we read two simple sentences without a lot of details. "Then a demon-possessed man, who was BLIND AND COULDN’T SPEAK, was brought to Jesus. He HEALED the man so that he could both speak and see." 

We are intrigued because we have many unanswered questions about this verse. How did he become demon-possessed? Why was he blind and unable to speak? Was it because of the demon or demons? Obviously not all disability can be linked to demons. How do we determine what is and isn’t? Can all disabilities be healed? Is it only those associated with the demonic? We are not told.

Was he an evil man? Did he have to repent first? Did he give his life to Jesus? Did he have to give his consent in order to be healed? We don’t know. One thing is sure, when we are in the presence of Christ we are in a position where we can be healed, delivered and restored.

Somehow this man had opened his life up to evil! Demons are evil. But despite this, Jesus heals him. No-one is beyond the compassion of Jesus. Jesus broke the connection with demonic influence. Spiritual warfare - a Crush-Satan’s-Head kind of victory! He demonstrates power over the enemy by casting out demons and healing this blind and dumb man immediately. The crowd saw an immediate change in his circumstances. When someone who has been blind can see and hear again, you pay attention.

Speaking about being blind and dumb, why is it that in the West we are so unwilling to talk about or acknowledge the possibility of spiritual warfare? Not only blind to the things of God but too dumb to deal with demons? Antipsychotic drugs can’t be the only solution to things we don’t

Part 10 - Matthew 12:22-37 - The music of my soul 

Matthew 12:25 (NLT) says that "Jesus knew their thoughts..." because God is intimately acquainted with the ways, thoughts and words of the human race.

The Pharisees reject Jesus but then they proceed to slander His name before the people. They say in Matthew 12:24 (NLT) "No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons." They obviously didn’t say this directly to Jesus, but Jesus knows what they are thinking. Jesus replies powerfully, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart." (Matthew 12:25 NLT)

How did Jesus know what the Pharisees were thinking? Did He just anticipate what they were thinking? Was this a word of knowledge? (1 Corinthians 12:8). We feel aware of this when we pray - that we can’t keep even our thoughts from Jesus. So often in His presence, He asks us His probing questions and provides correction to the twisted pathways of our thinking and to our sinful attitudes. He aligns our thinking with His so that I am not double-minded and at odds with Him. He gets me thinking in terms of victory, not defeat. No compromise. And our life starts to sing.

Jesus goes on to say in Matthew12:33 (NLT) "A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad." Great analogy! Jesus produces good fruit in the words He speaks. He is speaking in the power of the Spirit. And that doesn’t mean He had to watch His words or that that His words were so water-weak, warm and affectionate to everybody that they had no impact. He is scathing in His words to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34-35. He says "You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your HEART determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart." It takes courage to say this to powerful men.

But Jesus, of course, is right. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) says "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" so how can we speak from the treasury of a good heart? We are doomed if it all stops here? It gets worse in Matthew 12:36-37 "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." 

If my heart writes the music of my life then my words are the lyrics of the soul. I can tell from the lyrics what is in your heart. Open your mouth and I can hear what kind of song is in your heart.

David’s prayer in Psalms 51:10 (NLT) gives us hope. He cries out to God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God..." In Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT), as if in answer, God says "...I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Commentaries:

they spoke against the holy spirit saying Jesus cast out demon with the power of beelzubul which is demonic; it is a serious offence because the holy spirit is the throne of God. Remember the story of Peter and Anais and Sapirra, how they lied to the holy spirit and were smitten instantly, it is because it is so grievous to speak false or lay against the holy spirit.

The Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus and make people think He did not have the powers He displayed.  They wanted people to believe the powers came from Beelzebul and not from God out of fear the people would follow Jesus and the teachings of the Heavenly Father.  It was a serious offense to them because of this fear of losing control.   

because they were filled with evil thoughts and were against the works of Jesus as they said men were not healed by holy spirit but through beelzebul, price of demon. and what they said was against the lord so it was a serious offense

The Pharisees said that the Holy Spirit is Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.  It is such a serious offense because the Holy Spirit is the Almighty GOD! 

The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of the demons. By stating this, they did not believe that he IS the Son of God and therefore speaking against the Holy Spirit....which is unforgiveable.

The Pharisees did not believe in Christ, therefore they used anything they could to go against Him.  It is definitely blasphemy and that is a very grave sin against God. Blessings.

The Pharisees said Jesus was a demon, and they thought everything he did was because he was possessed by demons. Jesus said anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit in this time or later cannot be forgiven.

Jesus healed them with the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Pharisees said that Jesus healed them through the prince of demons. This was something that they spoke against the Holy Spirit. According to Jesus' teaching, anything said against the Holy Spirit is like saying something against God. The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one. Jesus does not mind anything said against Him because He is ever-loving and forgiving.

The Pharisees did not like Jesus and his works and when Jesus healed a man who was blind and mute they blasphemed the Holy Spirit which Jesus did not like. Jesus said to them that whoever speaks against the Holy |Spirit will not be forgiven neither in this age or the age to come.

there is but one limit to the mercy of God ...  anyone who deliberately refuses His invitation of his mercy by repenting ... rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit ... Such hardness of heart can lead to final eternal loss

They said a lie against the Holy Spirit and reduced His power by comparing it with the power of the devil, The word of God says he who curse the Holy Spirit curses the Father so the Pharisees did a serious offense of cursing the Holy Spirit and the Father.

The Pharisees spoke against the Holy Spirit and against Jesus.  It was an offense and Jesus stated it would not be forgiven.  Blessings. 

They did NOT let The Holy Spirit speak through them vexing the spirit and condemning themselves by the things that came from their own lips. The wisdom they used was not of Father, rather is the work of the world or of the father of all liars.

They implied that the Holy Spirit was the Prince of Beezelbul.  It is such serious offense to because you are criticizing God himself. 

The Pharisees accused Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Satan, and they didn't give credit to the Holy Ghost.

they considered him to be a demon, having no faith they couldn't except him. In those times they were the rulers of the Jews and all religious things do so they couldn't except someone who they thought was just another carpenter be higher than them.

Because of his words the Pharisees

was trying to disprove who the holy

spirit was. He was trying to divide the

followers of Jesus. Blasphemy against

the holy ghost is a sin that cannot be

forgiven.

These hypocrites said that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan. It was the Holy Spirit in Jesus who cast them out. These Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit, which is unforgiveable. They basically called the Holy Spirit evil and said He was of the devil.

They said that Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebub (Satan). By claiming that they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God, for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. Jesus told them it was the one unpardonable sin.

Matthew 12:22-37 

Jesus and Beelzebub

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to Him and He healed Him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons." 

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house. 
"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who doesn't gather with Me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.  "Either makes the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." 

What did the Pharisees say against the Holy Spirit and why was it such a serious offense?

In this section of Matthew we see the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day intensify to the point of their complete rejection of Him, and His warning to them of what that would mean. In many ways this portion of Matthew provides the turning point for the emphasis of the book. It is one thing to oppose Jesus’ apparent violations of the current rules made by religious leaders, but to say that He is empowered by Satan is another matter altogether.

This section begins with a miracle by Jesus and the blasphemous accusation by the Pharisees. There follows a lengthy response by Jesus about the source of power in His miracles, and the accountability for words that reveal what is in the heart.

In the next section the leaders will demand a sign from Jesus, but He responds with a different kind of sign than they had sought, as well as a stinging rebuke of their wicked unbelief. So this study 17 and the next one, 18, provide the major material for the rejection of Jesus, and turning in the book of His ministry.

The Setting and the Structure of the Passage

The passage just before this event is a lengthy citation from the prophet Isaiah declaring that Jesus is the prophesied Servant who would come to heal and to restore. That passage also contrasts the peacefulness and tranquility of Jesus the suffering servant with the malicious hatred of the Pharisees in this passage, preparing the way for the material to follow.

Our passage is essentially some teaching of Jesus based on an incident, although that is the immediate cause, the tension toward the teaching has been building for some time. But in the analysis of the structure we have the event (v. 22) and the twofold response of amazement (23) and blasphemy (24). Then the rest of the section is Jesus’ response to the blasphemy of the Pharisees. That teaching first analyzes their response from the perspective of simple logic, the divided kingdom (25-28), then the analysis of the strong man’s house (29), then the warning of blasphemy against the Spirit (30-32), and finally the principle of nature and fruit (33-37).

This lengthy discussion is paralleled in Luke, but in several places (6:43-45; 11:17-23; and 12:10), prompting a number of scholars to assume that Matthew has taken several separate teachings and put them together here to address the issue of the blasphemous charge. While that is possible, it is also possible that Luke broke up the discourse and used part of it for a topical purpose (6:43-45), had another part simply in a parallel event (12:10), and the retains a part (11:17-23) as his summary of this discourse at this time. Whatever is the explanation of the synoptic connections, the discourse in Matthew makes a unified and coherent argument.

So the study of this passage will primarily deal with the points of argument that Jesus made in response to the accusation. There are no difficult words to deal with apart from identifying Beelzebub in passing, or defining “blasphemy.” A brief explanation is given, but these can be studied in any theological dictionary or word book.

There is rhetorical and figurative language in the passage, as in all of Jesus’ teachings. Since these things are so bound up with the teachings they are best discussed in the analyses of the verses in context. There are no Old Testament quotations in this section either, and so that part of the study does not apply. But the reader should become familiar with the lengthy quotation from Isaiah just before this event, for that is the foundation Matthew uses to report this event and teaching. But for the study we are really left with the analysis of Jesus’ teachings.

The Analysis of the Passage

1. The Healing and the Accusation (12:22-24). This section of the passage is pretty straightforward and will require less attention than what follows. But it must be understood, nonetheless.

The Healing: A man who was demon possessed was brought to Jesus; the effect of the demon possession was that he was blind and mute. In our study of Matthew we have had sufficient time to learn a little about demon possession. Most of Christianity would affirm that true believers cannot be demon-possessed, because they have the Holy Spirit indwelling. But they can be attacked and afflicted by forces in this world, for the spiritual war is against such powers, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians.

Jesus healed him, so that he could see and talk once again. That is it, a brief report. This shows that the real point of interest is in the teaching to follow.

And the people who saw this were amazed; wondering if this could be the “Son of David.” The way the Greek text words the question indicates that the people were not sure of the answer: “This couldn’t be the Son of David, could it?” Messiah was expected to perform miracles (see v. 38), and so the exorcism was an indication that Jesus might be the Messiah. But the people could not yet see past the situation (as we can with the full revelation), and Jesus did not look the part of the Messiah, even though He was doing these things. Matthew’s readers, however, would read the passage from Isaiah just quoted, and look at the whole ministry of Jesus and understand it better.

The Accusation: The Pharisees, however, said that He cast out demons by Beelzebub (we perhaps want to look this up in a good Bible Dictionary and see the full discussion). This Beelzebub is identified here as the prince of demons, or Satan. The name appears to come from the Old Testament world, from either ba’alzebub, “lord of the flies,” or from a take-off on ba’al zebul, “prince Baal.” The Greek text has it Beelzeboul, suggesting perhaps “lord of dung,” or “lord of heights” however the people referred to Satan in those days. One plausible suggestion by MacLaurin is that it meant “lord of the house,” meaning the head of the house of demons. This would explain why Jesus presents Himself here as the head of a house, the household of God that cannot be divided. At any rate, the leaders were therefore trying to turn the people against Jesus by claiming His miracles were diabolic, empowered by Satan.

2. The Reply of Jesus (12:25-37). The rest of the passage records Jesus’ response to this ridiculous charge.

The Logic of the Undivided Kingdom (25-28). Jesus’ argument here is very clear: Any kingdom, city, or house (Matthew does not mention the house, but see Mark 3:20, 23) that is divided against itself will fall. This would be true of Satan’s kingdom: for the prince of demons to be casting out his demons would be folly because they were there doing his work. So, if Jesus is casting out demons, He cannot be working for Satan.

Jesus turns the argument back on them. If this work is empowered by Satan, then Satan must also be empowering their own disciples (their “sons”) who do the same kind of ministry on occasion. On the contrary, if Jesus is doing these miracles by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom is coming to them. The miracle had to be by Satan or by the Spirit of God, and it is illogical to think it would be by Satan. And Jesus knows full well that He has done these things by the Spirit of God, and if the Spirit of God is at work, then the Kingdom of God has dawned on them, the King is present.

Luke 11:20 has “the finger of God” instead of the “Spirit of God.” The allusion is clearly to Exodus 8:19, the miracle that Moses performed that the magicians could not do, proving it was of God. It is hard to know which was the phrase Jesus used, and which evangelist substituted a parallel phrase. The “Spirit of God” may be the original expression in this event, since it forms such a contrast with the prince of demons idea. But the meaning is the same in either case, God alone was at work here, and the evidence that it was God is indisputable.

The House of the Strong Man (12:29). Now Jesus offers another argument, as if to say, “Look at it another way” (= “or”). The point now is that if Jesus’ casting out demons cannot be explained by the power of Satan, then it all reflects an authority that is greater than Satan’s. By this point, then, the analogy can be understood. Jesus is the One binding the strong man, Satan, and plundering his house. The little image provides an implied comparison. The people were expecting the Messiah to come and bind Satan in the Messianic Age; and so here Jesus shows He has the power and the authority to do just that. Jesus came with the authority of heaven to defeat and destroy the works of Satan, and to rescue valuable things, people, from his house.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (30-32). Jesus next announces a very basic principle: in our relationship to Jesus there is no neutrality (30). Jesus has made such clear claims and demands that it is impossible to be neutral or indifferent. His claim to be Messiah draws on the Messianic imagery of the harvest: the Messiah will at the end of the age gather in the harvest, so to speak, a work that is attributed to God in the Old Testament. The language of the harvest is figurative, then, an implied comparison. The statement would serve as a warning to the crowd not to treat Jesus with indifference, and a rebuke to the Pharisees not to accuse Him of Satanic powers, because He is the judge of the world. Gathering in the harvest is the work of the kingdom; scattering and driving people away from the kingdom is the work of Satan. To be indifferent or apathetic is to be opposed to Christ, because it is not doing the work of the kingdom.

After making this announcement, Jesus turns to the question of forgiveness (31). Every sin can be forgiven, even blasphemy against the Son of Man. But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Critical to this passage, then, is the meaning of “blasphemy.” The word refers to speaking wickedly or slanderously against God or His nature. It is not a minor offense, but a major one. Sometimes people use “blaspheme” to refer to people using the holy name in anger. That is an application of the idea; but it is not what is intended here. In this passage, consciously arguing that the miracles of Jesus were done by the power of Satan is the primary meaning of blasphemy.

To blaspheme the Son of Man would be to speak evil of Him, to discredit Him and His message in some way. Within the context of the argument at this point, this would refer to the rejection of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. But if someone considered it further and repented, that one could be forgiven.

But the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be the rejection of the same truth in the full awareness that that is what is happening, it is the thoughtful, willful rejection of the work of the Spirit of God even though there can be no other explanation of the healings of Jesus. Blasphemy against the Son and against the Spirit then means the complete and willful rejection of Jesus as the Messiah and the crediting of His works to Satan. Thus, this is not a sin that a true believer can commit, for the true believer has already accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

In Jewish law there must be two witnesses to establish any point. Here Jesus is showing that there are two witnesses to His being Messiah, His words and His works. If a person rejects His words, there is another witness that will authenticate His person, His works. But if someone rejects that too, completely, by blaspheming, then there is no other witness

.

Or to put it the other way around, there are two witnesses that will condemn a person: the rejection of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and the attributing of His miracles to Satan. This adds up to complete and conscious rejection of Jesus. For those who maintain that opposition to Christ throughout their lives and never recant and turn, there is no forgiveness.

That Jesus is dealing in first century Jewish thought is evident from the fact that He clarifies there is no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. Jewish leaders were often great literalists. If the text of Scripture said something like “there is no forgiveness,” only saying it once, they would conclude that meant in this life, but not the life to come. If a passage said “there is no mercy, there is no forgiveness”, parallel or double expressions, then that meant in this life and in the life to come. Jesus clarifies what He meant so they would not play such games with the words.

Nature and Its Fruit (33-37). The point that Jesus now makes is that conduct, especially speech, reveals character. The section is similar to 7:16-19, but there the point was to test character by conduct, a little different.

Jesus tells His hearers to make the tree good or bad, knowing then that its fruit will be good or bad. The metaphor is rather easy to understand. The tree is the character or the heart, so if you want to produce good things (fruit), you have to have a radical change of heart.

He then calls His enemies a “brood of vipers.” This is an implied comparison, probably addressed to the Pharisees, of whom in John 8 He said were of their father the devil, i.e., the seed of the Serpent in Genesis 3. The point of the comparison is that they are evil and dangerous at heart, but sly and deceptive at first sight. They have an evil heart, and so cannot bring forth good things out of their mouths. The mouth simply utters what “overflows” from the heart.

And so in verses 36 and 37 Jesus warns them that they will have to give an account of themselves on judgment day. These lines may be a proverb, or a popular saying of Jesus, or of Jesus’ day, for the language shifts to the second person. A person will be held accountable for every “careless” word, words that might seem to be insignificant, but are not. In this context the point is clear, if you recall the beginning of this passage: what one says about Jesus and His miracles reveals what is in one’s heart. Some said, “Could this be the Son of David?” They are on their way to the kingdom; other said, “he blasphemes”--they are not even near the kingdom.

Conclusion and Application:

Jesus then took the response of the Pharisees to His miracle as the occasion to teach about belief and unbelief expressed by the words that people say, especially what they say about the person and works of Jesus. The passage affirms again that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who can do the miracles and help the poor and the needy. But the passage goes beyond this to warn those who oppose and reject Jesus that they will not be forgiven but will be condemned for their words, which reflect an evil heart.

The theological application for such folks is to have a radical change of heart, to receive a new heart, we would say, and find forgiveness. The way to do that is to believe in Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. This will mean a change from blaspheming the Lord and the Spirit, to expressing faith and adoration.

The message is primarily addressed to folks who oppose Christ and blaspheme the Spirit concerning His miracles, in other words, unbelievers. To make an application to believers, we would have to formulate secondary applications, applications derived from the implications here. We could say things like:

1. Believers should be encouraged in their faith by passages like this because Jesus demonstrates again that He truly is the divine Son of God.

2. Believers can take comfort in the grace of God that Christ has been judged for them, in their place. They may have to give an account of their works at the Bema Seat of Christ, but not at the last judgment where there will be condemnation for unbelief and unrighteousness, and where there will be no forgiveness. Believers have been forgiven, and so there is no condemnation for them.

3. But believers should also guard their words, because what they say reflects who they are, and those words should reflect a heart of faith and a life of righteousness.

4. And, believers should do what Matthew is doing here, and proclaim who Christ is to people and tell them that in Christ there is forgiveness of sin, but there is no neutrality--only by being in Christ can people “gather” with Christ.

Correlation:

As mentioned above, Jesus in several places in the Gospels spoke of evil being in the heart, or that what proceeds from the heart is evil. So we can correlate those passages in His teachings to show the importance of being born again, or repenting, or coming to faith in Jesus.

The passage naturally correlates to Gospel teachings throughout the Scripture. There is salvation and forgiveness only in the Lord God, and by His claims and by His mighty works, Jesus reveals that He is this Lord God. And so, passages that center on faith in Jesus Christ as the guarantee of salvation and deliverance from the judgment would be useful. And Paul reminds us in Romans that we are to confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth.

Likewise James focuses on speech, showing that good things should come from a good heart. Our difficulty is that we do not always show by thoughts, words, or deeds, that our hearts have been cleansed and created anew. We who know that Jesus is the Messiah, who know that He did His works by the power of the Spirit, who know that He is coming to judge the world, ought to make sure that our words and works harmonize with that faith

Study Notes: Matthew 12:22-37

Review: As Jesus has been healing people, He has also been going head to head with the Pharisees’ rejecting Him.

12:22 Blind And Mute From Demon Possession

When demons possess people, they manifest all sorts of troubling behavior (Luke 6:18) in the human body. The Scriptures show us that demons make people mute (Matt. 9:32), deaf (Mark 9:25), or blind (Matt. 12:22). We also see that demons can make some people lunatics (Matt. 17:5) who scream constantly (Mark 5:5), cutting themselves (Mark 5:5) and tearing off their clothes (Mark 5:15). Sometimes the demons attack the bodies they are in, seizing them (Luke 8:29) with convulsions (Mark 1:26), slamming their bodies down onto the ground (Luke 9:42), or sometimes into painful or dangerous places like fire and water (Matt. 17:15). Other times, the demon-possessed turn on other people, becoming violent (Matt. 8:28) and attacking someone else (Acts 19:16).

This is exceptionally dangerous, since the demons are able to give them superhuman strength to do things like break chains (Mark 5:4). And if all this isn’t bad enough, some people have multiple demons living inside of them (Matt. 12:45, Luke 8:30).
But we are not to be frightened, for Jesus has power over the demons. The blind and mute man who was brought to Him was healed instantly, being able to speak and see again.

12:23-24 The Son Of David Or Beelzebul?

As a result of this deliverance, the crowds began to wonder if Jesus might be the Messiah. But when the Pharisees heard people saying this, they said that it wasn’t because He was the Messiah, it was because He was empowered by Beh-el-zeb-OOL, the devil.
This name for the devil has a long history. The highest god among the Canaanites’ false religion was BAH-al, a name that means, “Lord.” They called sometimes him BAH-al Zeb-OOL, meaning “Lord of the House.” But the Hebrews knew that the false gods were Satan and his demons, so they insultingly called him “BAH-al Zeb-OOB,” which changes “house” to “flies,” making him not “Lord of the House,” but, “Lord of the Dung Hill.”
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of casting out demons by Satan, the ruler of the demons.

12:25-29 A House Divided

Jesus points out to them that Satan cannot cast out Satan, because if he was working against himself, his kingdom would fall apart. The only way to rob the house of the “Lord of the House” Beh-el-zeb-OOL was to bind him up. The devil certainly isn’t going to be working with anyone to cast out his own guys!

12:30 With Me Or Against Me

The devil will not be with Jesus in this work, the devil is against Jesus. And anyone who does not side with Jesus is siding with the devil. If you are not with Jesus, you are against Him by default. Some people defend their position by saying, “Well, I haven’t made up my mind yet whether or not to be with Jesus.” But in deciding to wait, you have made your decision. By delaying, you are siding against Jesus.

12:31-32 Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit

The “therefore” tells us that Jesus is tying in the Pharisees’ claim that He is healing by the power of the devil and their rejection of Him with the one unforgivable sin. That one unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus said of the Spirit,

John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me”

John 16:13-14 ...”when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

It is the Holy Spirit Who draws us into the knowledge of Jesus and faith in Jesus. It is of Whom Jesus said, 

John 16:8-9 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me”

The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, and shows us that Jesus is our only source of forgiveness. Many people may blaspheme Jesus Christ throughout their life, even as I did. But they can be forgiven for that, even as I was. The Holy Spirit keeps working on them, drawing them into faith in Christ. But if you continually reject the Spirit’s pull, and ultimately blaspheme His work of drawing you to faith, you cannot be forgiven. That is why rejecting the gospel is so dangerous. Each time, you get closer and closer to permanently hardening your heart against the Spirit, and someday you will commit the one unforgivable sin and you will never be saved.

12:33-37 Justified Or Condemned By Your Words

There is a day of judgment in which each of us will stand before God and give an account. The words that we have spoken in this life will be brought forth, and we will have to answer for them. That is why Paul the apostle said, Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 

On the day of judgment, our words saying, “Jesus is Lord” will justify us before God, and we will enter into His kingdom. Or, if we have never confessed Jesus as the Lord of our lives, then we will be condemned, and be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible, Matthew 12

Introduction

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's clearing of the law of the fourth commandment concerning the Sabbath-day, and vindicating it from some superstitious notions advanced by the Jewish teachers showing that works of necessity and mercy are to be done on that day, Matthew 12:1-13. II. The prudence, humility, and self-denial of our Lord Jesus in working His miracles, Matthew 12:14-21. III. Christ's answer to the blasphemous cavils and calumnies of the scribes and Pharisees, who imputed His casting out devils to a compact with the devil, Matthew 12:22-37. IV. Christ's reply to a tempting demand of the scribes and Pharisees, challenging Him to show them a sign from heaven, Matthew 12:38-45. V. Christ's judgment about His kindred and relations, Matthew 12:46-50.

Verses 1-13

Christ Vindicates His Disciples.

The Jewish teachers had corrupted many of the commandments, by interpreting them more loosely than they were intended a mistake which Christ discovered and rectified (Matthew 5:1-48) in His Sermon on the Mount: but concerning the fourth commandment, they had erred in the other extreme, and interpreted it too strictly. Note, it is common for men of corrupt minds, by their zeal in rituals, and the external services of religion, to think to atone for the looseness of their morals. But they are cursed who add to, as well as they who take from, the words of this book, Revelation 22:16, 19; Proverbs 30:6.

Now that which our Lord Jesus here lays down is, that the works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Sabbath day, which the Jews in many instances were taught to make a scruple of. Christ's industrious explanation of the fourth commandment, intimates its perpetual obligation to the religious observation of one day in seven, as a holy Sabbath. He would not expound a law that was immediately to expire, but doubtless intended hereby to settle a point which would be of use to His church in all ages and so it is to teach us, that our Christian Sabbath, though under the direction of the fourth commandment, is not under the injunctions of the Jewish elders.

It is usual to settle the meaning of a law by judgments given upon cases that happen in fact, and in like manner is the meaning of this law settled. Here are two passages of story put together for this purpose, happening at some distance of time from each other, and of a different nature, but both answering this intention.

I. Christ, by justifying His disciples in plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath-day, shows that works of necessity are lawful on that day. Now here observe,

1. What it was that the disciples did. They were following their Master one Sabbath day through a corn-field it is likely they were going to the synagogue (Matthew 12:9), for it becomes not Christ's disciples to take idle walks on that day, and they were hungry let it be no disparagement to our Master's house-keeping. But we will suppose they were so intent upon the Sabbath work, that they forgot to eat bread had spent so much time in their morning worship, that they had no time for their morning meal, but came out fasting, because they would not come late to the synagogue. Providence ordered it that they went through the corn, and there they were supplied.

Note, God has many ways of bringing suitable provision to His people when they need it, and will take particular care of them when they are going to the synagogue, as of old for them that went up to Jerusalem to worship (Psalm 84:6, 7), for whose use the rain filled the pools: while we are in the way of duty, Jehovah-jireh, let God alone to provide for us. Being in the corn-fields, they began to pluck the ears of corn the law of God allowed this (Deuteronomy 23:25), to teach people to be neighborly, and not to insist upon property in a small matter, whereby another may be benefited. This was but slender provision for Christ and His disciples, but it was the best they had, and they were content with it.

2. What was the offence that the Pharisees took at this? It was but a dry breakfast, yet the Pharisees would not let them eat that in quietness. They did not quarrel with them for taking another man's corn (they were no great zealots for justice), but for doing it on the Sabbath day for plucking and rubbing the ears of corn of that day was expressly forbidden by the tradition of the elders, for this reason, because it was a kind of reaping.

Note, It is no new thing for the most harmless and innocent actions of Christ's disciples to be evil spoken of, and reflected upon as unlawful, especially by those who are zealous for their own inventions and impositions. The Pharisees complained of them to their Master for doing that which it was not lawful to do. Note, Those are no friends to Christ and His disciples, who make that to be unlawful which God has not made to be so.

3. What was Christ's answer to this cavil of the Pharisees? The disciples could say little for themselves, especially because those who quarreled with them seemed to have the strictness of the Sabbath sanctification on their side and it is safest to err on that hand: but Christ came to free His followers, not only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptural impositions, and therefore has something to say for them, and justifies what they did, though it was a transgression of the canon.

(1.) He justifies them by precedents, which were allowed to be good by the Pharisees themselves.

[1.] He urges an ancient instance of David, who in a case of necessity did that which otherwise he ought not to have done (Matthew 12:3, 4) "Have ye not read the story (1 Samuel 21:6) of David's eating the show-bread, which by the law was appropriated to the priest?" (Leviticus 24:5-9). It is most holy to Aaron and his sons and (Exodus 29:33) a stranger shall not eat of it yet the priest gave it to David and his men for though the exception of a case of necessity was not expressed, yet it was implied in that and all other ritual institutions. That which bore out David in eating the show-bread was not his dignity (Uzziah, that invaded the priest's office in the pride of his heart, though a king, was struck with a leprosy for it,2 Chronicles 26:16, &c.), but his hunger.

The greatest shall not have their lusts indulged, but the meanest shall have their wants considered. Hunger is a natural desire which cannot be mortified, but must be gratified, and cannot be put off with anything but meat therefore we say, It will break through stone walls. Now the Lord is for the body, and allowed His own appointment to be dispensed with in a case of distress much more might the tradition of the elders be dispensed with.

Note, That may be done in a case of necessity which may not be done at another time there are laws which necessity has not, but it is a law to itself. Men do not despise, but pity, a thief that steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry, Proverbs 6:30.

[2.] He urges a daily instance of the priests, which they likewise read in the law, and according to which was the constant usage, Matthew 12:5. The priests in the temple did a great deal of servile work on the Sabbath day killing, flaying, burning the sacrificed beasts, which in a common case would have been profaning the Sabbath and yet it was never reckoned any transgression of the fourth commandment, because the temple-service required and justified it. This intimates, that those labors are lawful on the Sabbath day which are necessary, not only to the support of life, but to the service of the day as tolling a bell to call the congregation together, travelling to church, and the like. Sabbath rest is to promote, not to hinder, Sabbath worship.

(2.) He justifies them by arguments, three cogent ones.

[1.] In this place is one greater than the temple, Matthew 12:6. If the temple-service would justify what the priests did in their ministration, the service of Christ would much more justify the disciples in what they did in their attendance upon Him. The Jews had an extreme veneration for the temple: it sanctified the gold Stephen was accused for blaspheming that holy place (Acts 6:13) but Christ, in a corn-field, was greater than the temple, for in Him dwelt not the presence of God symbolically, but all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Note, If whatever we do, we do it in the name of Christ, and as unto Him, it shall be graciously accepted of God. However it may be censured and caviled at by men.

[2.] God will have mercy and not sacrifice, Matthew 12:7. Ceremonial duties must give way to moral, and the natural, royal law of love and self-preservation must take place of ritual observances. This is quoted from Hosea 6:6. It was used before, Matthew 9:13, in vindication of mercy to the souls of men here, of mercy to their bodies. The rest of the Sabbath was ordained for man's good, in favor of the body, Deuteronomy. Now no law must be construed so as to contradict its own end. If you had known what this means, had known what it is to be of a merciful disposition, you would have been sorry that they were forced to do this to satisfy their hunger, and would not have condemned the guiltless. 

Note, First, Ignorance is the cause of our rash and uncharitable censures of our brethren. Secondly, It is not enough for us to know the scriptures, but we must labor to know the meaning of them. Let him that readeth understand. Thirdly, Ignorance of the meaning of the scripture is especially shameful in those who take upon them to teach others.

[3.] The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day, Matthew 12:8. That law, as all the rest, is put into the hand of Christ, to be altered, enforced, or dispensed with, as He sees good. It was by the Son that God made the world, and by Him He instituted the Sabbath in innocence by Him He gave the ten commandments at mount Sinai, and as Mediator He is entrusted with the institution of ordinances, and to make what changes He thought fit and particularly, as being Lord of the Sabbath, He was authorized to make such an alteration of that day, as that it should become the Lord's day, the Lord Christ's day. And if Christ be the Lord of the Sabbath, it is fit the day and all the work of it should be dedicated to Him.

By virtue of this power Christ here enacts, that works of necessity, if they be really such, and not a pretended and self-created necessity, are lawful on the Sabbath day and this explication of the law plainly shows that it was to be perpetual. Exceptio firmat regulam--The exception confirms the rule.

Christ having thus silenced the Pharisees, and got clear of them (Matthew 12:9), departed, and went into their synagogue, the synagogue of these Pharisees, in which they presided, and toward which He was going, when they picked this quarrel with Him. Note, First, We must take heed lest anything that occurs in our way to holy ordinances unfit us for, or divert us from, our due attendance on them. Let us proceed in the way of our duty, notwithstanding the artifices of Satan, who endeavors, by the perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and many other ways, to ruffle and discompose us. Secondly, We must not, for the sake of private feuds and personal piques, draw back from public worship. Though the Pharisees had thus maliciously caviled at Christ, yet He went into their synagogue. Satan attempts to gain points, by sowing discord among brethren, if he prevail to drive them or any of them from the synagogue, and the communion of the faithful.

II. Christ, by healing the man that had the withered hand on the Sabbath day, shows that works of mercy are lawful and proper to be done on that day. The work of necessity was done by the disciples, and justified by Him the work of mercy was done by Himself the works of mercy were His works of necessity it was His meat and drink to do good. I must preach, says He, Luke 4:43. This cure is recorded for the sake of the time when it was wrought, on the Sabbath.

Here is,

1. The affliction that this poor man was in his hand was withered so that he was utterly disabled to get his living by working with his hands. St. Jerome says, that the gospel of Matthew in Hebrew, used by the Nazarenes and Ebionites, adds this circumstance to this story of the man with the withered hand, that he was Cæ mentarius, a bricklayer, and applied himself to Christ thus "Lord, I am a bricklayer, and have got my living by my labor (manibus victum quæ ritans) I beseech thee, O Jesus, restore me the use of my hand, that I may not be obliged to beg my bread" (ne turpiter mendicem cibos). Hieron. In loc. This poor man was in the synagogue.

Note, Those who can do but little, or have but little to do for the world, must do so much the more for their souls as the rich, the aged, and the infirm.

2. A spiteful question which the Pharisees put to Christ upon the sight of this man. They asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal? We read not here of any address this poor man made to Christ for a cure, but they observed Christ began to take notice of him, and knew it was usual for Him to be found of those that sought Him not, and therefore with their badness they anticipated His goodness, and started this case as a stumbling-block in the way of doing good Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? Whether it was lawful for physicians to heal on that day or not, which was the thing disputed in their books, one would think it past dispute, that it is lawful for prophets to heal, for him to heal who discovered a divine power and goodness in all He did of this kind, and manifested Himself to be sent of God. Did ever any ask, whether it is lawful for God to heal, to send His word and heal? It is true, Christ was now made under the law, by a voluntary submission to it, but He was never made under the precepts of the elders. Is it lawful to heal? 

To enquire into the lawfulness and unlawfulness of these actions is good, and we cannot apply ourselves to any of such enquiries more fitly than to Christ but they asked here, not that they might be instructed by Him, but that they might accuse Him. If He should say that it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day, they would accuse Him of a contradiction to the fourth commandment to so great a degree of superstition had the Pharisees brought the Sabbath rest, that, unless in peril of life, they allowed not any medicinal operations on the Sabbath day. If He should say that it was not lawful, they would accuse Him of partiality, having lately justified His disciples in plucking the ears of corn on that day.

3. Christ's answer to this question, by way of appeal to themselves, and their own opinion and practice, Matthew 12:11, 12. In case a sheep (though but one, of which the loss would not be very great) should fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, would they not lift it out? No doubt they might do it, the fourth commandment allows it they must do it, for a merciful man regardeth the life of his beast, and for their parts they would do it, rather than lose a sheep does Christ take care for sheep? Yes, He does He preserves and provides for both man and beast.

But here He says it for our sakes (1 Corinthians 9:9, 10), and hence argues, How much then is a man better than a sheep? Sheep are not only harmless but useful creatures, and are prized and tended accordingly yet a man is here preferred far before them. Note, Man, in respect of his being, is a great deal better, and more valuable, than the best of the brute creatures: man is a reasonable creature, capable of knowing, loving, and glorifying God, and therefore is better than a sheep. The sacrifice of a sheep could therefore not atone for the sin of a soul. They do not consider this, which is more solicitous for the education, preservation, and supply of their horses and dogs than of God's poor, or perhaps their own household.

Hence Christ infers a truth, which, even at first sight, appears very reasonable and good-natured that it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days they had asked, Is it lawful to hear? Christ proves it is lawful to do well, and let any one judge whether healing, as Christ healed, was not doing well. 

Note, There are more ways of doing well upon Sabbath days, than by the duties of God's immediate worship attending the sick, relieving the poor, helping those who are fallen into sudden distress, and call for speedy relief this is doing good: and this must be done from a principle of love and charity, with humility and self-denial, and a heavenly frame of spirit, and this is doing well, and it shall be accepted, Genesis 4:7.

4. Christ's curing of the man, notwithstanding the offence which He foresaw the Pharisees would take at it, Matthew 12:13. Though they could not answer Christ's arguments, they were resolved to persist in their prejudice and enmity but Christ went on with His work notwithstanding.

Note, Duty is not to be left undone, nor opportunities of doing good neglected, for fear of giving offence. Now the manner of the cure is observable He said to the man, "Stretch forth thy hand, exert thyself as well as thou canst” and he did so, and it was restored whole. This, as other cures Christ wrought, had a spiritual significance. (1.) By nature our hands are withered, we are utterly unable of ourselves to doing anything that is good. (2.) It is Christ only, by the power of His grace, that cures us He heals the withered hand by putting life into the dead soul, works in us both to will and to do. (3.) In order to our cure, He commands us to stretch forth our hands, to improve our natural powers, and do as well as we can to stretch them out in prayer to God, to stretch them out to lay hold on Christ by faith, to stretch them out in holy endeavors.

Now this man could not stretch forth his withered hand of himself, any more than the impotent man could arise and carry his bed, or Lazarus come forth out of his grave yet Christ bid him do it. God's commands to us to do the duty which of ourselves we are not able to do are no more absurd or unjust, than this command to the man with the withered hand, to stretch it forth for with the command, there is a promise of grace which is given by the word. Turn ye at my reproof, and I will pour out my Spirit, Proverbs 1:23. Those who perish are as inexcusable as this man would have been, if he had not attempted to stretch forth his hand, and so had not been healed. But those who are saved have no more to boast of than this man had of contributing to his own cure, by stretching forth his hand, but are as much indebted to the power and grace of Christ as he was.

Verses 14-21 The Malice of the Pharisees Christ Withdraws Himself.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all 16 And charged them that they should not make Him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold My servant, whom I have chosen My beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.

As in the midst of Christ's greatest humiliations, there were proofs of His dignity, so in the midst of His greatest honors, He gave proofs of His humility and when the mighty works He did gave Him an opportunity of making a figure, yet He made it appear that He emptied Himself, and made Himself of no reputation. Here we have,

I. The cursed malice of the Pharisees against Christ (Matthew 12:14) being enraged at the convincing evidence of His miracles, they went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

That which vexed them was, not only that by His miracles His honor eclipsed theirs, but that the doctrine He preached was directly opposite to their pride, and hypocrisy, and worldly interest but they pretended to be displeased at His breaking the Sabbath day, which was by the law a capital crime, Exodus 35:2.

Note, it is no new thing to see the vilest practices cloaked with the most specious pretences. Observe their policy they took counsel about it, considered with themselves which way to do it effectually they took counsel together in a close cabal about it, that they might both animate and assist one another. Observe their cruelty they took counsel, not to imprison or banish Him, but to destroy Him, to be the death of Him who came that we might have life. What an indignity was hereby put upon our Lord Jesus, to run Him down as an outlaw (qui caput gerit lupinum--carries a wolf's head), and the plague of His country, who was the greatest blessing of it, the Glory of His people Israel!

II. Christ's absconding upon this occasion, and the privacy He chose, to decline, not His work, but His danger because His hour was not yet come (Matthew 12:15), He withdrew Himself from thence. He could have secured Himself by miracle, but chose to do it in the ordinary way of flight and retirement because in this, as in other things, He would submit to the sinless infirmities of our nature. Herein He humbled Himself, that He was driven to the common shift of those who are most helpless thus also He would give an example to His own rule, When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. Christ had said and done enough to convince those Pharisees, if reason or miracles would have done it but instead of yielding to the conviction, they were hardened and enraged, and therefore He left them as incurable, Jeremiah 51:9.

Christ did not retire for His own ease, nor seek an excuse to leave off His work no, His retirements were filled up with business, and He was even then doing good, when He was forced to flee for the same. Thus He gave an example to His ministers, to do what they can, when they cannot do what they would, and to continue teaching, even when they are removed into corners. When the Pharisees, the great dons and doctors of the nation, drove Christ from then, and forced Him to withdraw Himself, yet the common people crowded after Him great multitudes followed Him and found Him out.

This some would turn to His reproach, and call Him the ring-leader of the mob but it was really His honor, that all who were unbiased and unprejudiced, and not blinded by the pomp of the world, were so hearty, so zealous for Him, that they would follow Him whithersoever He went, and whatever hazards they ran with Him as it was also the honor of His grace, that the poor were evangelized that when they received Him, He received them and healed them all. Christ came into the world to be a Physician-general, as the sun to the lower world, with healing under His wings. Though the Pharisees persecuted Christ for doing good, yet He went on in it, and did not let the people fare the worse for the wickedness of their rulers.

Note, Though some are unkind to us, we must not on that account be unkind to others.

Christ studied to reconcile usefulness and privacy He healed them all, and yet (Matthew 12:16), charged them that they should not make Him known which may be looked upon,

1. As an act of prudence it was not so much the miracles themselves, as the public discourse concerning them, that enraged the Pharisees (Matthew 12:23,24) therefore Christ, though He would not omit doing good, yet would do it with as little noise as possible, to avoid offence to them and peril to Himself.

Note, Wise and good men, though they covet to do good, yet are far from coveting to have it talked of when it is done because it is God's acceptance, not men's applause, that they aim at. And in suffering times, though we must boldly go on in the way of duty, yet we must contrive the circumstances of it so as not to exasperate, more than is necessary, those who seek occasion against us Be ye wise as serpents, Matthew 10:16.

2. It may be looked upon as an act of righteous judgment upon the Pharisees, who were unworthy to hear of any more of His miracles, having made so light of those they had seen. By shutting their eyes against the light, they had forfeited the benefit of it.

3. As an act of humility and self-denial. Though Christ's intention in His miracles was to prove Himself the Messiah, and so to bring men to believe on Him, in order to which it was requisite that they should be known, yet sometimes He charged the people to conceal them, to set us an example of humility, and to teach us not to proclaim our own goodness or usefulness, or to desire to have it proclaimed. Christ would have His disciples to be the reverse of those who did all their works to be seen of men.

III. The fulfilling of the scriptures in all this, Matthew 12:17. Christ retired into privacy and obscurity, that though He was eclipsed, the word of God might be fulfilled, and so illustrated and glorified, which was the thing His heart was upon. The scripture here said to be fulfilled is Isaiah 42:1-4, which is quoted at large, Matthew 12:18-21. The scope of it is to show how mild and quiet, and yet how successful, our Lord Jesus should be in His undertaking instances of both which we have in the foregoing passages. Observe here,

1. The pleasure of the Father in Christ (Matthew 12:18) Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased. 

Hence we may learn,

(1.) That our Saviour was God's Servant in the great work of our redemption. He therein submitted Himself to the Father's will (Hebrews 10:7), and set Himself to serve the design of His grace and the interests of His glory, in repairing the breaches that had been made by man's apostasy. As a Servant, He had a great work appointed Him, and a great trust reposed in Him. This was a part of His humiliation, that though He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet that in the work of our salvation He took upon Him the form of a servant, received a law, and came into bonds. Though He were a son, yet learned He this obedience, Hebrews 5:8. The motto of this Prince is, Ich dien--I serve.

(2.) That Jesus Christ was chosen of God, as the only fit and proper person for the management of the great work of our redemption. He is my Servant whom I have chosen, as par negotio--equal to the undertaking. None but He was able to do the Redeemer's work, or fit to wear the Redeemer's crown. He was one chosen out of the people (Psalm 89:19), chosen by Infinite Wisdom to that post of service and honor, for which neither man nor angel was qualified none but Christ, that He might in all things have the pre-eminence. Christ did not thrust Himself upon this work, but was duly chosen into it Christ was so God's Chosen as to be the head of election, and of all other the Elect, for we are chosen in Him, Ephesians 1:4.

(3.) That Jesus Christ is God's Beloved, His beloved Son as God, He lay from eternity in His bosom (John 1:18) He was daily His delight, (Proverbs 8:30). Between the Father and the Son there was before all time an eternal and inconceivable intercourse and interchanging of love, and thus the Lord possessed Him in the beginning of His way, Proverbs 8:22. As Mediator, the Father loved Him then when it pleased the Lord to bruise Him, and He submitted to it, therefore did the Father love Him, John 10:17.

(4.) That Jesus Christ is one in whom the Father is well pleased, in whom His soul is pleased which denotes the highest complacency imaginable. God declared, by a voice from heaven, that He was His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased well pleased in Him, because He was the ready and cheerful Undertaker of that work of wonder which God's heart was so much upon, and He is well pleased with us in Him for He had made us accepted in the Beloved, Ephesians 1:6. All the interest which fallen man has or can have in God is grounded upon and owing to God's well-pleasedness in Jesus Christ for there is no coming to the Father but by Him, John 14:6.

2. The promise of the Father to him in two things. (1.) That he should be every way well qualified for his undertaking I will put my Spirit upon him, as a Spirit of wisdom and counsel, Isaiah 11:2, 3. Those whom God calls to any service, he will be sure to fit and qualify for it and by that it will appear that he called them to it, as Moses, Exodus 4:12. Christ, as God, was equal in power and glory with the Father as Mediator, He received from the Father power and glory, and received that He might give: and all that the Father gave Him, to qualify Him for His undertaking, was summed up in this, He put His Spirit upon Him: this was that oil of gladness with which He was anointed above His fellows, Hebrews 1:9. He received the Spirit, not by measure, but without measure, John 3:34.

Note, Whoever they be that God has chosen, and in whim He is well pleased, He will be sure to put His Spirit upon them. Wherever He confers His love, He confers somewhat of His likeness.

(2.) That he should be abundantly successful in his understanding. Those whom God sends He will certainly own. It was long; since secured by promise to our Lord Jesus that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in His hand, Isaiah 53:10. And here we have an account of that prospering good pleasure.

[1.] He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. Christ in His own person preached to those who bordered upon the heathen nations (see Mark 3:6-8), and by His apostle showed His gospel, called here His judgment, to the Gentile world. The way and method of salvation, the judgment which is committed to the Son, is not only wrought out by Him as our great High Priest, but showed and published by Him as our great Prophet. The gospel, as it is a rule of practice and conversation, which has a direct tendency to the reforming and bettering of men's hearts and lives, shall be showed to the Gentiles. God's judgments had been the Jews' peculiar (Psalm 147:19), but it was often foretold, by the Old-Testament prophets, that they should be showed to the Gentiles, which therefore ought not to have been such a surprise as it was to the unbelieving Jews, much less a vexation.

[2.] In His name shall the Gentiles trust, Matthew 12:21. He shall so show judgment to them, that they shall heed and observe what He shows them, and be influenced by it to depend upon Him, to devote themselves to Him, and conform to that judgment.

Note, The great design of the gospel, is to bring people to trust in the name of Jesus Christ His name Jesus, a Saviour, that precious name whereby He is called, and which is as ointment poured forth The Lord our Righteousness. The evangelist here follows the Septuagint (or perhaps the latter editions of the Septuagint follow the evangelist) the Hebrew (Isaiah 42:4) is, The isles shall wait for His law. The isles of the Gentiles are spoken of (Genesis 10:5), as peopled by the sons of Japheth, of whom it was said (Genesis 9:27), God shall persuade Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem which was now to be fulfilled, when the isles (says the prophet), the Gentiles (says the evangelist),shall wait for His law, and trust in His name: compare these together, and observe, that they, and they only, can with confidence trust in Christ's name, that wait for His law with a resolution to be ruled by it. Observe also, that the law we wait for is the law of faith, the law of trusting in His name. This is now His great commandment, that we believe in Christ, 1 John 3:23.

3. The prediction concerning Him, and His mild and quiet management of His undertaking, Matthew 12:19, 20. It is chiefly for the sake of this that it is here quoted, upon occasion of Christ's affected privacy and concealment.

(1.) That He should carry on His undertaking without noise or ostentation. He shall not strive, or make an outcry. Christ and His kingdom come not with observation, Luke 17:20, 21. When the First-begotten was brought into the world, it was not with state and ceremony He made no public entry, had no harbingers to proclaim Him King. He was in the world and the world knew Him not. Those were mistaken who fed themselves with hopes of a pompous Saviour. His voice was not heard in the streets "Lo, here is Christ " or, "Lo, He is there:" He spake in a still small voice, which was alluring to all, but terrifying to none He did not affect to make a noise, but came down silently like the dew. What He spake and did was with the greatest possible humility and self-denial. His kingdom was spiritual, and therefore not to be advanced by force or violence, or by high pretensions. No, the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

(2.) That He should carry on His undertaking without severity and rigour (Matthew 12:20). A bruised reed shall He not break. Some understand this of His patience in bearing with the wicked He could as easily have broken these Pharisees as a bruised reed, and have quenched them as soon as smoking flax but He will not do it till the judgment-day, when all His enemies shall be made His footstool. Others rather understand it of His power and grace in bearing up the weak. In general, the design of His gospel is to establish such a method of salvation as encourages sincerity, though there be much infirmity it does not insist upon a sinless obedience, but accepts an upright, willing mind.

As to particular persons, those follows Christ in meekness, and in fear, and in much trembling, observe,

[1.] How their case is here described--they are like a bruised reed, and smoking flax. Young beginners in religion are weak as a bruised reed, and their weakness offensive like smoking flax some little life they have, but it is like that of a bruised reed some little heat, but like that of smoking flax. Christ's disciples were as yet but weak and many are so that have a place in His family. The grace and goodness in them are as a bruised reed, the corruption and badness in them are as smoking flax, as the wick of a candle when it is put out and is yet smoking.

[2.] What is the compassion of our Lord Jesus toward them? He will not discourage them, much less reject them or cast them off the reed that is bruised shall not be broken and trodden down, but shall be supported, and made as strong as a cedar or flourishing palm-tree. The candle newly lighted, though it only smokes and does not flame, shall not be blown out, but blown up. The day of small things is the day of precious things, and therefore He will not despise it, but make it the day of great things, Zechariah 4:10.

Note, Our Lord Jesus deals very tenderly with those who have true grace, though they be weak in it, Isaiah 40:11; Hebrews 5:2. He remembers not only that we are dust, but that we are flesh.

[3.] The good issue and success of this, intimated in that, till He sends forth judgment unto victory. That judgment which He showed to the Gentiles shall be victorious, He will go on conquering and to conquer, Revelation 6:2. Both the preaching of the gospel in the world, and the power of the gospel in the heart, shall prevail. Grace shall get the upper hand of corruption, and shall at length be perfected in glory. Christ's judgment will be brought forth to victory, for when He judges He will overcome. He shall bring forth judgment unto truth so it is, Isaiah 42:3. Truth and victory are much the same, for great is the truth, and will prevail.

Verses 22-37 The Sin against the Holy Ghost.

22 Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He healed Him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with Me is against Me and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either makes the tree good, and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generations of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

In these verses we have,

I. Christ's glorious conquest of Satan, in the gracious cure of one who, by the divine permission, was under his power, and in his possession, Matthew 12:22.

Here observe,

1. The man's case was very sad he was possessed with a devil. More cases of this kind occurred in Christ's time than usual, that Christ's power might be the more magnified, and His purpose the more manifested, in opposing and dispossessing Satan and that it might the more evidently appear, that He came to destroy the works of the devil. This poor man that was possessed was blind and dumb a miserable case! he could neither see to help himself, nor speak to others to help him. A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eye of faith and seals up the lips of prayer.

2. His cure was very strange, and the more so, because sudden He healed him. 

Note, The conquering and dispossessing of Satan is the healing of souls. And the cause being removed, immediately the effect ceased the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 

Note, Christ's mercy is directly opposite to Satan's malice his favours, to the devil's mischiefs. When Satan's power is broken in the soul, the eyes are opened to see God's glory, and the lips opened to speak His praise.

II. The conviction which this gave to the people to all the people: they were amazed. Christ had wrought divers miracles of this kind before but His works are not the less wonderful, nor the less to be wondered at, for their being often repeated. They inferred from it, "Is not this the Son of David? The Messiah promised, that was to spring from the loins of David? Is not this He that should come?" We may take this, 1. As an enquiring question they asked, Is not this the Son of David? But they did not stay for an answer: the impressions were cogent, but they were transient. It was a good question that they started but, it should seem, it was soon lost, and was not prosecuted. Such convictions as these should be brought to a head, and then they are likely to be brought to the heart. Or, 2. as an affirming question Is not this the Son of David? "Yes, certainly it is, it can be no other such miracles as these plainly evince that the Kingdom of the Messiah is now setting up." And they were the people, the vulgar sort of the spectators that drew this inference from Christ's miracles.

Atheists will say, "That was because they were less prying than the Pharisees” no, the matter of fact was obvious, and required not much search: but it was because they were less prejudiced and biased by worldly interest. So plain and easy was the way made to this great truth of Christ being the Messiah and Savior of the world, that the common people could not miss it the wayfaring men, though fools, could not err therein. See Isaiah 35:8. It was found of them that sought it. It is an instance of the condescension of divine grace, that the things that were hid from the wise and prudent were revealed unto babes. The world by wisdom knew not God, and by the foolish things the wise were confounded.

III. The blasphemous cavil of the Pharisees, Matthew 12:24. The Pharisees were a sort of men that pretended to more knowledge in, and zeal for, the divine law, than other people yet they were the most inveterate enemies to Christ and His doctrine. They were proud of the reputation they had among the people that fed their pride, supported their power, and filled their purses and when they heard the people say, Is not this the Son of David? they were extremely irritated, more at that than at the miracle itself this made them jealous of our Lord Jesus, and apprehensive, that as His interest in the people's esteem increased, theirs must of course be eclipsed and diminished therefore they envied Him, as Saul did his father David, because of what the women sang of him, 1 Samuel 18:7,8.

Note, Those who bind up their happiness in the praise and applause of men; expose themselves to a perpetual uneasiness upon every favorable word, that they hear said of any other. The shadow of honor followed Christ, who fled from it, and fled from the Pharisees, who were eager in the pursuit of it. They said, "This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils, and therefore is not the Son of David."

Observe,

1. How scornfully they speak of Christ, this fellow as if that precious name of His, which is as ointment poured forth, were not worthy to be taken into their lips. It is an instance of their pride and superciliousness, and their diabolical envy, that the more people magnified Christ, the more industrious they were to vilify Him. It is a bad thing to speak of good men with disdain because they are poor.

2. How blasphemously they speak of His miracles they could not deny the matter of fact it was as plain as the sun, that devils were cast out by the word of Christ nor could they deny that it was an extraordinary thing, and supernatural. Being thus forced to grant the premises, they had no other way to avoid the conclusion, that this is the Son of David, than by suggesting that Christ cast out devils by Beelzebub that there was a compact between Christ and the devil pursuant to that, the devil was not cast out, but did voluntarily retire, and give back by consent and with design: or as if, by an agreement with the ruling devil, he had power to cast out the inferior devils. No surmise could be more palpably false and vile than this that he, who is Truth itself, should be in combination with the father of lies, to cheat the world. This was the last refuge, or subterfuge rather, or an obstinate infidelity, that was resolved to stand it out against the clearest conviction. Observe, Among the devils there is a prince, the ringleader of the apostasy from God and rebellion against Him but this prince is Beelzebub--the god of a fly, or a dunghill god. How art thou fallen, O Lucifer! from an anger of light, to be a lord of flies! Yet this is the prince of the devils too, the chief of the gang of infernal spirits.

IV. Christ's reply to this base insinuation, Matthew 12:25-30. Jesus knew their thoughts. Note, Jesus Christ knows what we are thinking at any time, knows what is in man He understands our thoughts afar off. It should seem that the Pharisees could not for shame speak it out, but kept it in their minds they could not expect to satisfy the people with it they therefore reserved it for the silencing of the convictions of their own consciences.

Note, Many are kept off from their duty by that which they are ashamed to own, but which they cannot hide from Jesus Christ: yet it is probable that the Pharisees had whispered what they thought among themselves, to help to harden one another but Christ's reply is said to be to their thoughts, because He knew with what mind, and from what principle, they said it that they did not say it in their haste, but that it was the product of a rooted malignity.

Christ's reply to this imputation is copious and cogent, that every mouth may be stopped with sense and reason, before it be stopped with fire and brimstone. Here are three arguments by which He demonstrates the unreasonableness of this suggestion.

Now we are reading a passage that is one of the most interesting, and at the same time one of the most chilling in all of the Bible, and it is the passage that has to do with the unpardonable sin in Matthew chapter 12 verses 22 through verse 37. 

Beginning with the 22nd verse, following the incidents which occurred on the Sabbath day we read a very important text, and we could devote a lengthy amount of time to the exposition of it.

Notice there is an orthodoxy concerning the person of Jesus Christ.  And if we do not really have that orthodox thinking with reference to the person of Christ, then we are in opposition to Him.  There is no neutrality with reference to Jesus Christ, is the point:  He that is not with Me is against Me.

Now we come to verse 31 and 32, the important verses: We have the Lord’s evaluation of human nature, there. May God’s blessing rest upon this reading of His inspired word. We come to one of the most astonishing texts in the Bible.  No evangelist is without a sermon on it.  And the reason for its popularity is clear.  All sins may be forgiven except one.  It is called sin against the Holy Spirit.  Even sin against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but not that against the Holy Spirit.

What is this sin?  Why is it unforgivable?  How does this affect the doctrine of the Trinity by which we are taught that the Son and the Spirit are equal in the possession of the fullness of deity, equal in the possession of power, wisdom, knowledge, holiness?  These are puzzling questions. It is important to remember as we look at this question of the unpardonable sin that the sin is referred to in only two of the books of the New Testament, definitely.  And at one particular point in our Lord’s life, Matthew chapter 12 and Mark chapter 3, and that the remainder of the New Testament is absolutely silent with respect to the unpardonable sin. 

So, we should gain a little perspective from that and realize the fact that this incident is recorded only in this one place, and no reference is made thereafter to the unpardonable sin, that we should not make more of it than the Scriptures themselves make over it.  And we should not treat it immediately as something that is very common in the Christian life.  The chances are, from that reference in the Bible, that it is not a very common thing.

We want to look at it and see if we can understand what is meant when the Lord Jesus says, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven them.  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him.  But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, not in this age nor in the age that follows.

To understand a passage from the word of God, it is of the greatest importance that we look again at the context.  And since we have been studying Matthew, it will not be necessary to do that in great detail.  The final, climactic sign is performed by the Messiah when He heals the dumb demoniac.  And it is recorded in verse 22.

They brought to the Lord Jesus a man possessed with a demon.  He was both blind and dumb.  The text does not describe any of the manner by which the Lord healed him.  It simply says that He healed him so much so that the blind man saw and the dumb man (the same) began to speak.  Now this was a final, climactic Messianic sign because, in the next chapter the Lord begins to speak of Israel’s blindness and of the necessity of judgment upon them. So it would seem, then, that this is the final test posed the nation concerning their response to the Messiah.  He says in the 28th verse, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you.  This is the final proof that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, and the Kingdom has come with the King.

The people respond to the miracle and say, “Is not this the Son of David,” according to the Authorized Version text, but in the Greek text it’s not so definite.  That, actually, is what they should have said.  They should have said, is not this the Son of David, shall we not bow down before Him and worship Him and receive the Kingdom that He offers?  But what they really say is, this man cannot be the Son of David, can He?  The authority of the witness was so strong that they sensed there was some connection with the Messianic king, but they were not yet ready to yield themselves to the clear light of the miracles that the Lord Jesus had performed.

And so, He is accused again by the officials.  Mark tells us that the scribes, too, were involved in this accusation.  The scribes and the Pharisees, when they had heard what He had done, they said, “This fellow does not cast out the demons by anyone but Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.”  In other words, His authority is satanically originated. Mark tells us they were hardened.  Their hearts were become hardened to the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and in effect, what they say to Him is, You are performing the tricks of a magician.  Black magic is the source of the authority of the Lord Jesus.

You can see immediately that the text has a great deal of application to the duly accredited teachers of the people of God.  It was the scribes and Pharisees who made this accusation, and the scribes and Pharisees were those who corresponded to the ministers of the word of God in this present age.  Men who have spiritual gifts of evangelism, of pastor-teacher, of teacher; in other words, men who teach us the word of God are these men who are here making the accusation of black magic in the case of the Lord Jesus.  So, first of all, those who heed the word of warning in this passage are those who pose as our theologians and teachers. In other words, the text has application to any of us who have spiritual gifts of utterance.  It is a very serious thing to open the Scriptures and read the Scriptures and listen to their testimony concerning the plan and purpose of God, and then not to yield allegiance to God in Christ.  That’s why James says, “Be not many of ye teachers, for you shall receive the greater condemnation.”  So, this text has a great deal of personal application.  It has application to those of us who have these gifts.

The Lord Jesus answers this and answers it in His own unique and typical way.  He handles the text of Scripture, and He handles the argumentation of the situation to demonstrate in such a way that they are no match for the Lord Jesus.  He knew their thoughts.  And so He speaks in short, picturesque, elusive maxims that state the general principle that Satan does not cast out Satan, does he?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.  “Dog does not eat dog, does he?” we might say.

And the common sense of it, as well as the Scripturality of it was enough to make a very convincing argument.  Really, what is shown by the miracle is His point.  What is shown by the miracle is that He has mastery of the demonic world.  And if, in the demonic world there were such a thing as Satan fighting against Satan, it would be impossible for him to carry out His purposes.  And so even if he had such power, he would never give it to an individual that he might against Satan’s own authority and kingdom.

Now, in the course of the answer that He gives, there is an interesting point, that has application for us today.  He states in the 27th verse, “And if I, by Beelzebub, cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?”  It’s evident from this that the Lord Jesus regarded it as a happening in Israel that claims were being made to perform miracles by others.  Notice He says, “By whom do your sons cast them out?”  So, the Pharisees, evidently, were linked with people who claim to be performing mighty miracles.

Now that’s a very interesting thing, because it illustrates just exactly what we have today in Christendom.  For, we have whole groups of people today who claim to be working mighty miracles.  So, we can learn from this that there are claims for the miraculous that are not necessarily genuine claims.

Later, the enemies of the Lord Jesus said that He learned His tricks from an Egyptian juggler.  You will find this in the early traditions after the apostolic age.  One of the early heretics by the name of Celsus adopted this criticism against the Lord Jesus, and he pictured, in one of his writings, an Orthodox Jew confronting Jesus of Nazareth and addressing Him scornfully with these words, “You cured diseases, you restored dead bodies to life, you fed multitudes with a few loaves, these are the common tricks of Egyptian wizards which you may see performed every day in our markets for a few half-pence.”  So we find reflected here the fact that beside the Lord Jesus’ true miracles, there were miracles that were supposed to be done under the power of God which probably were the tricks of the wizards.

Now, we do not feel a great deal of friendliness for those who claim miracles today.  We do believe God heals. We do believe that it is possible to go to God in the Scriptural way, and if it is His will He has the power to heal, and He will heal. The thing we do not think is Scriptural is the claim that there are today healers who heal, and that the healings that are said to be healings are genuine healings.  That is, by them.  There may be, even, one of them in which God does perform a sovereign work of healing in the midst of a lot that is nonsense.  But what it appears it is a lot of claim of healing, which is not really biblical healing.

The important thing has to do with the unpardonable sin.  You’ll notice our Lord’s argumentation winds up on the note, “He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.”  There is orthodoxy of the person of Jesus Christ, and if the person is not orthodox in his understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ, he is not orthodox.  It is not possible for a man to say, “I am a Christian, but I do not believe that the Lord Jesus is the second person of a Trinity.  I am an orthodox Christian, and I do believe that I am Christian, but I do not believe that Jesus Christ is truly very God of very God.  If we are not with Him, we are against Him.  There is no neutrality concerning the person of Jesus Christ.

The reason is that the Lord Jesus claimed equality with God, and we cannot affirm any submission to Him and at the same time reject His teaching concerning Himself.  But that leads into the unpardonable sin, and now we face this terrifying text in which we are told that all manner of sin and blasphemy may be forgiven but one sin, sin against the Holy Spirit.

First of all, what is the unpardonable sin?  What is this stern verse that chills the soul speaking about?  Well, first of all, we need to clear away a little bit of the misunderstanding.  Most people who do not study the word very carefully – and there are lots of professing Christians like that – generally feel that the unpardonable sin must be some unusual moral debauchery.  Some excess of adultery or uncleanness or lasciviousness or fleshly sin.

Now, it is plain from this context that that is not what is meant.  The men to whom He was speaking, and of whom He is speaking – the scribes and the Pharisees and the leaders of the Jewish nation – were not men like that.  They were men who were characterized by an outward holiness, by a great deal of religion.  They were the religious leaders of the day.  They were the men that we would have regarded as very upright men, so far as the fleshly side of sin is concerned.  Oh true, there were other things of which they were guilty.  They were hypocritical, they were envious.  They had all of the sins of the mind that the Scriptures speak about, and which, in a sense, are far more important than those other sins.  But nevertheless, so far as moral debauchery is concerned, in a fleshly way, they were not guilty of that.

And furthermore, the terms of our Lord’s words are not general.  They were very specific.  He speaks of the unpardonable sin; not of an unpardonable sin but the unpardonable sin.

To explain what He means in the text positively, He says, first of all, it is the sin of blasphemy.  He calls it blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in verse 31.  What is blasphemy?  Blasphemy is slander.  To blaspheme God is to slander God, to affirm of Him things that are not true.  For example, if we were to say God is not wholly holy, we would be blaspheming God.  We would be slandering him.  If we were to speak of Him in a way in which we denied His attributes, we would be slandering Him.  It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that is one thing that is said.

And the second thing is that it is sin against the Holy Spirit, specifically.  Not sin against the Son of Man.  Not sin against the Father, specifically; but sin against the Holy Spirit.  It’s blasphemy and it’s against the Holy Spirit.

Now specifically, in the light of the context, it is the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the King and His kingdom.  In the 28th verse we read, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come upon you.”  It is evident that the reason the Holy Spirit performed these miracles through the Lord Jesus was to give the unshakeable testimony to the kingship, the Messianic kingship of the Lord Jesus. And that is evident by the words He speaks in verse 29, “Or else, how shall one enter into the strongman’s house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strongman.”  He is testifying to the fact that He is able to enter into the house of Satan and spoil his goods, and only the Messianic king can do that.

In conclusion, then, it is the sin of blasphemy.  It is sin against the Holy Spirit, and it is specifically his testimony to the king.  And we may sum it by saying that it is the sin of refusing the Kingdom and the King, brought about through the clear testimony of the Spirit in the miracles performed through the Lord Jesus.

Likewise: To the presentation of the credentials of the King, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Israel the nation is saying, “These are not the credentials; they are the credentials of hell.”  And in that they slander the Holy Spirit.  In that, they refuse the testimony to the kingdom and the king.

There is a text in the Old Testament which is very much of an admonition and warning that speaks of the same thing we have here.  Isaiah says, “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”  What they’re doing is they have finally come to the place where in the light of the plain testimony of God through the supernatural miracles of the Spirit, they reject them, not only reject them, but say that they really come from Satan and not from God.

The second question we might think is unnecessary to ask.  Why is the sin unpardonable?  Perhaps two questions might help us if we can answer them. Why the greater guilt of sin against the Holy Spirit?  Why is it the greater guilt to sin against the Holy Spirit than it is against the Son of Man? The solution cannot lie in the greater dignity of the Holy Spirit, because we are taught in the word of God that the dignity of the Son of God is the same as the dignity of the Spirit.  Now, He does say the Son of Man, and that should give us a clue, because He is speaking about the Lord Jesus in His incarnation.

Since there is no distinction in the dignity of the first person and the second person and the third person of the Trinity, the distinction must lie in the incarnation of the second person.  In other words, the distinction must rest in the kenosis, in the self-emptying, which the Lord Jesus underwent when He became a man, when He did what someone has called, “surrender the insignia of His majesty.”

What did our Lord do when He became a man?  Well, He veiled His dignity for a time.  He had the dignity of the eternal Son of God.  He veiled that.  Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 that “He emptied Himself and took upon the form of a servant and came in fashion as a man.”  And being found in fashion as a man, in the likeness of men, He humbled Himself.  And He says in another place that He came in the likeness of flesh of sin.  If you had looked at the Lord Jesus, and had just looked upon His countenance, you might have been amazed at what you saw.  But so far as His bodily form was concerned, there was not the element of the glory of the second person of the Trinity about Him.  He appeared as other men appear.

So He did veil His dignity for a time.  Therefore, sin against Him then, while it was blame able, was pardonable.  This healing, however, that the Holy Spirit performed when a man who is a demoniac and sightless and dumb, when the power of God is manifested in such a way before the multitudes of people that suddenly this man at the Lord Jesus Christ’s healing begins to speak and see again, that is an obvious manifestation of the power of God that anyone could see with their physical sight.  So it was a clear manifestation of the salutary power of the Holy Spirit.  So to reject the Holy Spirit is to reject manifest revelation, manifest supernatural activity on the part of God.

One of the French commentators, a Roman Catholic, incidentally, LeGrange has written concerning this, “That it is excusable to a point to fail to recognize the dignity of one who hides himself under the humble appearance of a man, but not disparage works manifestly salutary, which revealed the action of the divine Spirit.” 

There is a distinction for a time between the Son of Man and the Holy Spirit so far as the possibility of confusion is concerned, and it’s in that that we find this distinction between the unforgivable character of sin against the Spirit and the forgivable nature of sin against the Son of Man.  So, why is greater guilt of sin against the Holy Spirit?  Because it was a manifest declaration, clearly observable by all who could see of the power of God, whereas our Lord was here in the hidden-ness of His incarnation.

Then, what constitutes its irremissibility?  Why is it unpardonable?  In what does that consist?  Why this sin precludes pardon because it precludes repentance.  It is the deliberate, final, refusal of light that reveals a hardened heart and a fixed attitude.  The text here supports, with full authority the fact that what we find here was not the only time this was done.  Mark tells us twice that they were saying, He has an unclean spirit.  That was going on all the time.

What we have here in this climactic miracle is this final evidence of opposition after a lengthy period of rejection by Him, so that what we’re seeing is the operation of a fixed attitude of rejection of the testimony of God through Christ, and so that we have finally reached a kind of climax, and this sin precludes forgiveness because it precludes repentance.  That is, these individuals, by rejecting the truth of the word of God for so lengthy a period of time have now become the recipient of the hardening ministry of the Holy Spirit.

For it is a principle of the word of God that if we do not respond to the word of God, then hardening takes place.  That’s why it’s more difficult for an elderly man to come to faith in Christ than for a child, at least that’s the experience that we have.  In the final analysis, it is only the Holy Spirit who brings men to Christ, but experience shows that when hearts are tender, there would seem to be greater response to the ministry of the word. This is supported by the argument of the book to this point.  Israel has been rejecting the Lord and that is a climactic rejection. 

In the next chapter, the Lord Jesus begins to speak in parables.  And in chapter 13 and verse 10, the disciples come to Him and say, “Why are you speaking unto them in parables, now?”  He had not spoken to them in parables before this.  He answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to them it is not given.”

Verse 12, For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.’  For this people's heart is become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…”

Notice the progression. “…lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

That is our Lord’s pronouncement upon the generation of His day, and is pronounced right after the reference to the unpardonable sin.

So it seems plain, then, that the unpardonable character of this sin rests in the fact that the repentance required for the forgiveness of sins is something impossible to men who have passed a point beyond which retributive judgment begins to work.  We do not know that time.  No one knows that time; that’s why we preach the gospel to every creature as long as there is breath.  But it is necessary to remember that there is such as thing as divine, retributive judgment.  Paul speaks of it as God “giving them over,” three times in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.

It is then a serious thing to hear the word of God.  It is a very serious thing to sit Sunday after Sunday under the ministry of the word of God and not respond to it.  It’s a very serious thing to sit there, because we expose ourselves to the possibility, if we do not respond, to divine, retributive judgment.

Jay Sidwell Baxter has been a well-regarded Bible teacher for many years.  A British, he has been in the United States for many years now. In one of his books, he comments upon this, and he says, “Men can allow and foster in themselves a process of hard refusal toward God which eventually becomes their master and destroys the possibility of repentance.  Men cannot repent merely at will.” And what he means by that is that there are forces by which we have no control if we continually reject.

Then he told a very interesting story, a true story of a man, a friend of his who had a friend to whom he was ministering.  He was a dying man.  And when he was on his death bed, he was writing and struggling, and fighting the air in a piteously futile effort to fight death off.  He was in stark terror at the thought of leaving this life and passing into the life beyond the grave. Eventually, Mr. Baxter’s friend said, he died demented.  But both before and after his brain gave way, he would periodically groan out at wail in loud tones, “I said I would repent before I died, but it won’t come!  It won’t come!  I can’t repent.”  There is such an experience.  There is such a thing.  And Esau is a beautiful illustration of it.  It’s possible to be subject to retributive judgment.

When is this sin committed?  Well, we can say this at least.  There is only one time in which sin against the Son of Man is blame able and forgivable, while sin against the Holy Spirit is blame able and unforgiveable.  There is only one time when that situation exists.  Now that the Son of Man is glorified and at the right hand of the Father, sin against the Son is sin against the Spirit.

So it’s evident that the historical situation which called forth the comment from our Lord, the unpardonable sin can only exist while our Lord is here in our incarnate flesh when He looked as other men looked.  So it can only be committed when the King is personally present, the unpardonable sin.  That is, the specific historical sin to which He refers here.  And this is confirmed by the fact that it is only referred to this one time by our Lord, and never referred to elsewhere by the apostles.  It was a particular situation that had its particular interpretation with reference to that particular time.

The remainder of this section focuses on the real source of the Pharisees’ conduct, and He just illustrates the fact that the fruit of a tree is determined by the tree itself.  Conduct is determined by one’s character, and character is determined by the operation of the Holy Spirit, ultimately.  The Lord Jesus is the only one who can make the tree good, He implies.

To conclude:  What is, then, the unpardonable sin?  The unpardonable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work of performing miracles prevalent in the days of the supernatural miracles.  It may be committed by hardened, impenitent men.

But having said that, there are two other things ought to be said.  In the first place, there is an unpardonable sin today.  It is not the unpardonable sin to which our Lord refers, but it is the unpardonable sin of rejecting Jesus Christ.  In John chapter 3 and verse 18, the Lord Jesus in the continuation of the passage in which He has had His interview with Nicodemus says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed already in the name of the only begotten Son of God, so that personal faith in Jesus Christ, if it does not come, sin is unpardonable.

There is such a thing as the unpardonable sin, historically, and there is such a thing as an unpardonable sin throughout this present age.  And it is possible for us to commit unpardonable sin in that sense.  And furthermore, it is possible for there to exist a prolonged rebellion that leads to retributive judgment and hardness of heart.  That is still possible today.  That is what is referred to in Hebrews chapter 6, when we read that it is impossible to bring certain people to repentance, who have had great privilege but have turned away from them.  They apostatized from the apperceptive sense of truth that they possessed, and there is no hope.

In the Old Testament, we read that God sent the prophets to Israel, and they ministered to them and ministered to them, but they rejected them and rejected them, and then we read “till there was no healing.”  Retributive judgment must set in.

There is a beautiful illustration of the word of God in this principle, and it is the story of Herod.  Let’s remind of its high points. Herod was the Tetrarch of Galilee.  He feared John the Baptist when he heard of John’s ministry, and in fact, knew that he was a righteous and holy man.  And when he heard him, the Scripture said he was “much perplexed but he heard him gladly.”  He listened with a great deal of interest to John the Baptist as he proclaimed the message of the coming of the King.

But then later on, when John said a word against his seduction of Herodias, his brother’s wife, Herod became very angry and Herodias even angrier.  And as a result, Herod shut John up in prison.  And finally when he was in prison, at that famous little party that they had, when Herodias’ daughter danced before him, he said, “Up to the half of my kingdom I’ll give you.” She hastily beat a retreat to her mother and asked what she wanted.  She said, “I’d like to have the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  And Herod was very much upset over it, but nevertheless had him beheaded in prison, put his head on a platter, brought his head out and gave it to Herodias.

Later on, as the days of our Lord draw to a close, there is a rather amazing statement made in the Gospel of Luke. Some Pharisees came to Him and said, “Get out of the country, and get away from here, for Herod would feign kill thee.”  So Herod has in his mind murder of the Lord Jesus.  Later on in that same gospel, finally Herod comes face to face with the Lord Jesus and the text says, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad, for he was a long time desirous to see him, for he had heard concerning him and he had hoped to see some miracle done by him.  And he questioned Him many words.”  What an opportunity for the Lord.

What a great opportunity, naturally speaking.  He has now the Tetrarch of Galilee, why not pour out the message?  Take out the Four Spiritual Laws, give them to him, and if Herod could be converted, what might be done for the whole of the kingdom?  And then those terrible words, which Luke gives are, “He answered him nothing.”  Not a word for Herod.  Why?  Because Herod’s heart was the heart of an impenitent man.

Back in the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew He had said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under feet and turn again and lacerate you.”  Our Lord Jesus would not cast His pearls before swine.

Herod was that.  There is such a thing as a man reaching the place where there is no hope.  We don’t know when it is, and so we constantly preach the word of God.

Aaron Burr was one of the most brilliant men ever produced in the United States.  He was a brilliant student at Princeton University, and for over a hundred years the academic record that Aaron Burr had was the record in that great institution.  Many years later there was a young man by the name of Bill Rush.  He was in the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship. And the talk among the evangelicals and among their friends was that finally, someone on the campus of Princeton has a chance to beat the academic record of Aaron Burr.  This was back in about 1955 or ‘56.  Mr. Burr had died around 1840.  So he was a brilliant man whose record was unusual.

When he was on the campus of Princeton, a revival broke out, and he was deeply convicted of sin.  His roommate was a Christian, and his roommate urged him to accept Christ.  He went to one of his professors, and one of his professors gave him a Bible and he said to him, “Aaron, take this to your room and settle the matter on your knees.” Instead of doing that, he tried to shake off the power of the Holy Spirit in testimony to Christ.  And finally, in desperation, as he said later, he cried out, “O God, let me alone, and I’ll let you alone.”  He said as soon as he said that, all conviction of sin left him.

Many years later, he met a friend whom he admired very much and his friend said, “Dr. Burr, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”  He said any friend of yours I’d like to meet, too.  He said, “I’d like for you to meet Jesus Christ.”  And when he said that, the cold sweat, perspiration, we say, the cold perspiration popped out on his forehead, and he told how at the age of 19 he said his prayer in which he addressed to God, God, let me alone and I’ll let you alone.  And then he said to his friend, “From that day to this, I’ve never had one desire to become a Christian.”  It is possible for me to receive testimony, to reject testimony.  They reject it over and over and over again until there comes a time when only judgment can come.

What should we do with our fears that we have committed such sin?  Bishop Rile once said, “There is such a thing as sin that is never forgiven, but those who are most troubled about it are the most unlikely to have never committed it.” 

If there’s any question about it, it can be settled immediately by turning in the heart to God and believing on our Lord Jesus Christ.  If you have never turned to Him, it’s a serious thing to hear the ministry of the word of God, and to hear that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who has offered a sacrifice that is acceptable to God for sinners, and has given a universal gospel appeal, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”  It’s a serious thing to hear that Sunday after Sunday and never respond to it.

May God the Holy Spirit bring the conviction that results in conversion. 

We thank Thee, Lord, for the exhortations and admonitions of Holy Scripture.  O God, deliver us from the kinds of sins that keep us from Christ.  And if Father, there should be one person here who has never responded, give neither rest nor peace until they rest in Christ.

And for the believers, O God, deliver us from the hearing of the word of God and unresponsiveness to it.  Work mightily in our hearts to glorify the Son of God, and cleanse us and renew our inner man. Now may grace, mercy and peace go with as we part. For Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Matthew 12:1-13

The one great subject which stands out prominently in this passage of Scripture is the Sabbath Day. It is a subject on which strange opinions prevailed among the Jews in our Lord's time. The Pharisees had added to the teaching of Scripture about it, and overlaid the true character of the day with the traditions of men. It is a subject on which diverse opinions have often been held in the Churches of Christ, and wide differences exist among men at the present time. Let us see what we may learn about it from our Lord's teaching in these verses.

Let us, in the first place, settle it in our minds as an established principle, that our Lord Jesus Christ does not do away with the observance of a weekly Sabbath day. He neither does so here, nor elsewhere in the four Gospels. We often find His opinion expressed about the Jewish errors on the subject of the Sabbath. But we do not find a word to teach us that His disciples were not to keep a Sabbath at all.

It is of much importance to observe this. The mistakes that have arisen from a superficial consideration of our Lord's sayings on the Sabbath question are neither few nor small. Thousands have rushed to the hasty conclusion, that Christians have nothing to do with the fourth commandment, and that it is no more binding on us than the Mosaic law about sacrifices. There is nothing in the New Testament to justify any such conclusion.

The plain truth is that our Lord did not abolish the law of the weekly Sabbath. He only freed it from incorrect interpretations, and purified it from man-made additions. He did not tear out of the Decalogue the fourth commandment. He only stripped off the miserable traditions with which the Pharisees had incrusted the day, and by which they had made it, not a blessing, but a burden. He left the fourth commandment where He found it, a part of the eternal law of God, of which no jot or tittles were ever to pass away. May we never forget this!

Let us, in the second place, settle it in our minds, that our Lord Jesus Christ allows all works of real necessity and mercy to be done on the Sabbath day. This is a principle which is abundantly established in the passage of Scripture we are now considering. We find our Lord justifying His disciples for plucking the ears of corn on a Sabbath. It was an act permitted in Scripture. (Deut. 23:25.) They "were hungry," and in need of food. Therefore they were not to blame. We find Him maintaining the lawfulness of healing a sick man on the Sabbath day. The man was suffering from disease and pain. In such a case it was no breach of God's commandment to afford relief. We ought never to rest from doing good.

The arguments, by which our Lord supports the lawfulness of any work of necessity and mercy on the Sabbath, are striking and unanswerable. He reminds the Pharisees, who charged Him and His disciples with breaking the law, how David and his men, for lack of other food, had eaten the holy show-bread out of the tabernacle. He reminds them how the priests in the temple are obliged to do work on the Sabbath, by slaying animals and offering sacrifices. He reminds them how even a sheep would be helped out of a pit on the Sabbath, rather than allowed to suffer and die, by any one of them. Above all, He lays down the great principle that no ordinance of God is to be pressed so far as to make us neglect the plain duties of charity. "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." The first table of the law is not to be so interpreted as to make us break the second. The fourth commandment is not to be so explained, as to make us unkind and unmerciful to our neighbor. There is deep wisdom in all this. We are reminded of the saying, "Never a man spoke like this man."

In leaving the subject, let us beware that we are never tempted to take low views of the sanctity of the Christian Sabbath. Let us take care that we do not make our gracious Lord's teaching an excuse for Sabbath profanation. Let us not abuse the liberty which He has so clearly marked out for us, and pretend that we do things on the Sabbath from "necessity and mercy," which in reality we do for our own selfish gratification.

There is great reason for warning people on this point. The mistakes of the Pharisee about the Sabbath were in one direction. The mistakes of the Christian are in another. The Pharisee pretended to add to the holiness of the day. The Christian is too often disposed to take away from that holiness, and to keep the day in an idle, profane, irreverent manner. May we all watch our own conduct on this subject. Saving Christianity is closely bound up with Sabbath observance. May we never forget that our great aim should be to "keep the Sabbath holy." Works of necessity may be done. "It is lawful to do well," and show mercy. But to give the Sabbath to idleness, pleasure-seeking, or the world, is utterly unlawful. It is contrary to the example of Christ, and a sin against a plain commandment of God.

Matthew 12:14-21

But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him. Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them all, and charged those who they should not make Him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, "Behold, My servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit on Him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear His voice in the streets. He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench smoking flax, until He leads justice to victory. In His name, the nations will hope."

The first thing which demands our notice in this passage is the desperate wickedness of the human heart, which it exemplifies. Silenced and defeated by our Lord's arguments, the Pharisees plunged deeper and deeper into sin. They "went out, and conspired against Him, how they might destroy Him."

What evil had our Lord done, that He should be so treated? None, at all! No charge could be brought against His life; He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. His days were spent in doing good. No charge could be brought against His teaching, He had proved it to be agreeable to Scripture and reason, and no reply had been made to His proofs. But it mattered little how perfectly He lived or taught. He was hated.

This is human nature appearing in its true colors. The unconverted heart hates God, and will show its hatred whenever it dares, and has a favorable opportunity. It will persecute God's witnesses. It will dislike all who have anything of God's mind, and are renewed after His image. Why were so many of the prophets killed? Why were the names of the apostles cast out as evil by the Jews? Why were the early martyrs slain? Why were John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and Ridley, and Latimer burned at the stake? Not for any sins that they had sinned, not for any wickedness they had committed. They all suffered because they were godly men. And human nature, unconverted, hates godly men, because it hates God.

It must never surprise true Christians if they meet with the same treatment that the Lord Jesus met with. "Don't be surprised, My brothers, if the world hates you." (1 John 3:13.) It is not the utmost consistency, or the closest walk with God, that will exempt them from the enmity of the natural man. They need not torture their consciences by fancying that if they were only more faultless and consistent, everybody would surely love them. It is all a mistake. They should remember, that there was never but one perfect man on earth, and that He was not loved, but hated. It is not the infirmities of a believer that the world dislikes, but his goodness. It is not the remains of the old nature that call forth the world's enmity, but the exhibition of the new. Let us remember these things, and be patient. The world hated Christ, and the world will hate Christians.

The second thing which demands our notice in this passage is the encouraging description of our Lord Jesus Christ's character, which Matthew draws from the prophet Isaiah. "He won't break a bruised reed; he won't quench a smoking flax."

What shall we understand by the bruised reed, and smoking flax? The language of the prophet no doubt is figurative. What is it that these two expressions mean? The simplest explanation seems to be, that the Holy Spirit is here describing believers whose grace is at present weak, whose repentance is feeble, and whose faith is small. Towards such people the Lord Jesus Christ will be very tender and compassionate. Weak as the broken reed is, it shall not be broken. Small as the spark of fire may be within the smoking flax, it shall not be quenched. It is a standing truth in the kingdom of grace, that weak grace, weak faith, and weak repentance, are all precious in our Lord's sight. Mighty as He is, "He doesn't despise anyone." (Job 36:5.)

The doctrine here laid down is full of comfort and consolation. There are thousands in every church of Christ to whom it ought to speak peace and hope. There are some in every congregation that hear the Gospel, who are ready to despair of their own salvation, because their strength seems so small. They are full of fears and despondency, because their knowledge, and faith, and hope, and love, appear so dwarfish and diminutive. Let us drink comfort out of this text. Let us know that weak faith gives a man as real and true a saving interest in Christ as strong faith, though it may not give him the same joy. There is life in an infant as truly as in a grown up man. There is fire in a spark as truly as in a burning flame. The least degree of grace is an everlasting possession. It comes down from heaven. It is precious in our Lord's eyes. It shall never be overthrown.

Does Satan make light of the beginnings of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ? No! indeed! he does not. He has great wrath, because he sees his time is short.

Do the angels of God think lightly of the first signs of penitence and feeling after God in Christ? No indeed! "There is joy" among them, when they behold the sight. Does the Lord Jesus regard no faith and repentance with interest, unless they are strong and mighty? No! indeed! As soon as that bruised reed, Saul of Tarsus, begins to cry to Him, He sends Ananias to him, saying, "Behold, he is praying." (Acts 9:11.) We err greatly if we do not encourage the very first movements of a soul towards Christ. Let the ignorant world scoff and mock, if it will. We may be sure that "bruised reeds" and "smoking flax" are very precious in our Lord's eyes.

May we all lay these things to heart, and use them in time of needs both for ourselves and others. It should be a standing maxim in our religion, that a spark is better than utter darkness and little faith better than no faith at all. "Who despises the day of small things?" (Zechar. 4:10.) It is not despised by Christ. It ought not to be despised by Christians.

Matthew 12:22-37

Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to Him and He healed Him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons."

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who doesn't gather with Me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

"Either makes the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

This passage of Scripture contains "things hard to be understood." The sin against the Holy Spirit in particular has never been fully explained by the most learned divines. It is not difficult to show from Scripture what the sin is not. It is difficult to show clearly what it is. We must not be surprised. The Bible would not be the book of God, if it had not deep places here and there, which man has no line to fathom. Let us rather thank God that there are lessons of wisdom to be gathered, even out of these verses, which the unlearned may easily understand.

Let us gather from them, in the first place, that there is nothing too blasphemous for hardened and prejudiced men to say against Christ. Our Lord casts out a devil; and at once the Pharisees declare that He does it "by the prince of the devils."

This was an absurd charge. Our Lord shows that it was unreasonable to suppose that the devil would help to pull down his own kingdom, and "Satan cast out Satan." But there is nothing too absurd and unreasonable for men to say, when they are thoroughly set against Christ. The Pharisees are not the only people who have lost sight of logic, good sense, and temper, when they have attacked the Gospel of Christ.

Strange as this charge may sound, it is one that has often been made against the servants of God. Their enemies have been obliged to confess that they are doing a work, and producing a good effect on the world. The results of Christian labor stare them in the face. They cannot deny them. What then shall they say? They say the very thing that the Pharisees said of our Lord, "It is the devil." The early heretics used language of this kind about Athanasius. The Roman Catholics spread reports of this sort about Martin Luther. Such things will be said as long as the world stands.

We must never be surprised to hear of dreadful charges being made against the best of men, without cause. "If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" It is an old device. When the Christian's arguments cannot be answered, and the Christian's works cannot be denied, the last resource of the wicked is to try to blacken the Christian's character. If this be our lot, let us bear it patiently. Having Christ and a good conscience, we may be content. False charges will not keep us out of heaven. Our character will be cleared at the last day.

In the second place, let us gather out of these verses the impossibility of neutrality in religion. "He who is not with Christ is against Him, and he who doesn't gather with Him, scatters."

There are many people in every age of the Church, who need to have this lesson pressed upon them. They endeavor to steer a middle course in religion. They are not as bad as many sinners, but still they are not saints. They feel the truth of Christ's Gospel, when it is brought before them, but are afraid to confess what they feel. Because they have these feelings, they flatter themselves they are not as bad as others. And yet they shrink from the standard of faith and practice which the Lord Jesus sets up. They are not boldly on Christ's side, and yet they are not openly against Him. Our Lord warns all such that they are in a dangerous position. There are only two parties in religious matters. There are only two camps. There are only two sides. Are we with Christ, and working in His cause? If not, we are against Him. Are we doing good in the world? If not, we are doing harm.

The principle here laid down is one which it concerns us all to remember. Let us settle it in our minds, that we shall never have peace, and do good to others, unless we are thorough-going and decided in our Christianity. The way of Gamaliel and Erasmus never yet brought happiness and usefulness to any one, and never will.

In the third place, let us gather from these verses the exceeding sinfulness of sins against knowledge. This is a practical conclusion which appears to flow naturally from our Lord's words about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Difficult as these words undoubtedly are, they seem fairly to prove that there are degrees in sin. Offences arising from ignorance of the true mission of the Son of Man will not be punished as heavily as offences committed against the noontide light of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.

The brighter the light, the greater the guilt of him who rejects it. The clearer a man's knowledge of the nature of the Gospel, the greater his sin, if he willfully refuses to repent and believe. The doctrine here taught is one that does not stand alone in Scripture. Paul says to the Hebrews, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance." "If we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment." (Heb. 6:4-7, and 10:26, 27.) It is a doctrine of which we find mournful proofs in every quarter. The unconverted children of godly parents, the unconverted servants of godly families, and the unconverted members of evangelical congregations are the hardest people on earth to impress. They seem past feeling. The same fire which melts the wax hardens the clay.

It is a doctrine, moreover, which receives dreadful confirmation from the histories of some of those whose last ends were eminently hopeless. Pharaoh, and Saul, and Ahab, and Judas Iscariot, and Julian, and Francis Spira, are fearful illustrations of our Lord's meaning. In each of these cases there was a combination of clear knowledge and deliberate rejection of Christ. In each there was light in the head, but hatred of truth in the heart. And the end of each seems to have been blackness of darkness forever.

May God give us a will to use our knowledge, whether it be little or great! May we beware of neglecting our opportunities, and leaving our privileges unimproved! Have we light? Then let us live fully up to our light. Do we know the truth? Then let us walk in the truth. This is the best safeguard against the unpardonable sin.

In the last place, let us gather from these verses the immense importance of carefulness about our daily words. Our Lord tells us, that "every idle word that men speak, they will give account of in the day of judgment." And He adds, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

There are few of our Lord's sayings which are so heart-searching as this. There is nothing, perhaps, to which most men pay less attention than their words. They go through their daily work, speaking and talking without thought or reflection, and seem to imagine that if they do what is right, it matters but little what they say.

But is it so? Are our words so utterly trifling and unimportant? We dare not say so, with such a passage of Scripture as this before our eyes. Our words are the evidence of the state of our hearts, as surely as the taste of the water is an evidence of the state of the spring. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The lips only utter what the mind conceives. Our words will form one subject of inquiry at the Day of Judgment. We shall have to give account of our sayings, as well as our doings. Truly these are very solemn considerations. If there were no other text in the Bible, this passage ought to convince us, that we are all "guilty before God," and need a righteousness better than our own, even the righteousness of Christ. (Phil. 3:9.)

Let us be humble as we read this passage, in the recollection of time past. How many idle, foolish, vain, light, frivolous, sinful, and unprofitable things we have all said! How many words we have used, which, like thistle-down, have flown far and wide, and sown mischief in the hearts of others that will never die! How often when we have met our friends, "our conversation," to use an old saint's expression, "has only made work for repentance." There is deep truth in the remark of Burkitt, "A profane scoff or atheistically jest may stick in the minds of those that hear it, after the tongue that spoke it is dead. A word spoken is physically transient, but morally permanent." "Death and life," says Solomon, "are in the power of the tongue." (Prov. 18:21.)

Let us be watchful as we read this passage about words, when we look forward to our days yet to come. Let us resolve, by God's grace, to be more careful over our tongues, and more particular about our use of them. Let us pray daily that our "speech may be always with grace." (Coloss. 4:6.) Let us say every morning with holy David, "I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue." Let us cry with him to the Strong for strength, and say, "Set a watch over my mouth, and keep the door of my lips." Well indeed might James say, "If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man." (Psalm. 39:1, 141:3; James 3:2.)

Matthew 12:38-50

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

But He answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold someone greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn't find it. Then he says, 'I will return into my house, from which I came out,' and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation."

While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him. One said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to You."

But He answered him who spoke to Him, "Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?" He stretched out His hand towards His disciples, and said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."

The beginning of this passage is one of those places which strikingly illustrate the truth of Old Testament History. Our Lord speaks of the queen of the South, as a real, true person, who had lived and died. He refers to the story of Jonah, and his miraculous preservation in the whale's belly, as undeniable matters of fact. Let us remember this, if we hear men professing to believe the writers of the New Testament, and yet sneering at the things recorded in the Old Testament, as if they were fables. Such men forget, that in so doing they pour contempt upon Christ Himself. The authority of the Old and New Testament stands or falls together. The same Spirit inspired men to write of Solomon and Jonah, who inspired the Evangelists to write of Christ. These are not unimportant points in this day. Let them be well fixed in our minds.

The first practical lesson which demands our attention in these verses is the amazing power of unbelief. Mark how the Scribes and Pharisees call upon our Lord to show them more miracles. "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." They pretended that they only needed more evidence, in order to be convinced, and become disciples. They shut their eyes to the many wonderful works which Jesus had already done. It was not enough for those who He had healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and cast out devils. They were not yet persuaded. They yet demanded more proof. They would not see what our Lord plainly pointed at in His reply, that they had no real will to believe. There was evidence enough to convince them, but they had no wish to be convinced.

There are many in the Church of Christ, who are exactly in the state of these Scribes and Pharisees. They flatter themselves that they only require a little more proof to become decided Christians. They fancy that if their reason and intellect could only be met with some additional arguments, they would at once give up all for Christ's sake, take up the cross, and follow Him. But in the mean time, they wait. Alas! For their blindness. They will not see that there is abundance of evidence on every side of them. The truth is that they do not want to be convinced.

May we all be on our guard against the spirit of unbelief! It is a growing evil in these latter days. Lack of simple, childlike faith is an increasing feature of the times, in every rank of society. The true explanation of a hundred strange things that startle us in the conduct of leading men in churches and states is downright lack of faith. Men who do not believe all that God says in the Bible, must necessarily take a vacillating and undecided line on moral and religious questions. "If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established." (Isaiah 7:9.)

The second practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the immense danger of a partial and imperfect religious reformation. Mark what a dreadful picture our Lord draws of the man to whom the unclean spirit returns, after having once left him. How fearful those words are, "I will return into my house from which I came out!" How vivid that description, "he finds it empty, swept, and put in order!" How tremendous the conclusion, "Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first!" It is a picture most painfully full of meaning. Let us scan it closely, and learn wisdom.

It is certain that we have in this picture the history of the Jewish church and nation, at the time of our Lord's coming. Called as they were at first out of Egypt to be God's peculiar people, they never seem to have wholly lost the tendency to worship idols. Redeemed as they afterwards were from the captivity of Babylon, they never seem to have rendered to God a due return for His goodness. Aroused as they had been by John the Baptist's preaching, their repentance appears to have been only skin-deep. At the time when our Lord spoke, they had become, as a nation, harder and more perverse than ever. The grossness of idol-worship had given place to the deadness of mere formality. Seven other spirits worse than the first, had taken possession of them. Their last state was rapidly becoming worse than the first. Yet forty years, and their iniquity came to the full. They madly plunged into a war with Rome. Judea became a very Babel of confusion. Jerusalem was taken. The temple was destroyed. The Jews were scattered over the face of the earth.

Again, it is highly probable that we have in this picture the history of the whole body of Christian churches. Delivered as they were from heathen darkness by the preaching of the Gospel, they have never really lived up to their light. Revived, as many of them were at the time of the Protestant Reformation, none of them have made a right use of their privileges, or ''gone on to perfection." They have all more or less stopped short and settled on their lees. They have all been too ready to be satisfied with mere external amendments. And now there are painful symptoms in many quarters that the evil spirit has returned to his house, and is preparing an outbreak of infidelity, and false doctrine, such as the churches have never yet seen. Between unbelief in some quarters, and formal superstition in others, everything seems ripe for some fearful manifestation of Antichrist. It may well be feared that the last state of the professing Christian churches will prove worse than the first.

Saddest and worst of all, we have in this picture the history of many an individual's soul. There are men who seemed at one time of their lives to be under the influence of strong religious feelings. They reformed their ways. They laid aside many things that are bad. They took up many things that are good. But they stopped there, and went no further, and by and bye gave up religion altogether. The evil spirit returned to their hearts, and found them empty, swept, and garnished. They are now worse than they ever were before. Their consciences seem seared. Their sense of religious things appears entirely destroyed. They are like men given over to a reprobate mind. One would say it was "impossible to renew them to repentance." None prove so hopelessly wicked as those who, after experiencing strong religious convictions, have gone back again to sin and the world.

If we love life, let us pray that these lessons may be deeply impressed on our minds. Let us never be content with a partial reformation of life, without thorough conversion to God, and mortification of the whole body of sin. It is a good thing to strive to cast sin out of our hearts. But let us take care that we also receive the grace of God in its place. Let us make sure that we not only get rid of the old tenant, the devil, but have also got dwelling in us the Holy Spirit.

The last practical lesson which meets us in these verses is the tender affection with which the Lord Jesus regards His true disciples. Mark how He speaks of everyone who does the will of His Father in heaven. He says, "He is my brother, and sister, and mother." What gracious words these are! Who can conceive the depth of our dear Lord's love towards His relations according to the flesh? It was a pure, unselfish love. It must have been a mighty love, a love that passes man's understanding. Yet here we see that all His believing people are counted as His family. He loves them, feels for them, cares for them, as members of His family, bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh.

There is a solemn warning here to all who mock and persecute true Christians on account of their religion. They consider not what they are doing. They are persecuting the near relations of the King of kings. They will find at the last day that they have mocked those whom the Judge of all regards as "His brother, and sister, and mother."

There is rich encouragement here for all believers. They are far more precious in their Lord's eyes than they are in their own. Their faith may be feeble, their repentance weak, their strength small. They may be poor and needy in this world. But there is a glorious "whoever" in the last verse of this chapter which ought to cheer them. "Whoever" believes is a near relation of Christ. The elder Brother will provide for him in time and eternity, and never let him be cast away. There is not one "little sister" in the family of the redeemed, whom Jesus does not remember. (Cant. 8:8.) Joseph provided richly for all his relations and Jesus will provide for His.

The Servant of God. 12:15-21.

 I. Jesus' example.

"Aware of this [the plot of v. 14], Jesus withdrew from that place" (v. 15a). In

Doing so, He exemplifies the kind of action He has urged upon His followers (10:23)

- flight to prevent the end of the mission (it is not yet time for Jesus' death) and

also to extend the mission (note the full ministry described in v. 15b).

 II. Jesus' identity.

The quotation of Isa 42:1-4 (1) carries forward and amplifies the description of Jesus found already in 3:17; (2) underscores the point made in 8:17 (where Matthew quotes from Isa 53, another of the Servant songs), namely that the healing of physical infirmities is integral to the Servant's saving work; (3) explains the warning of 12:16 (that the people "not tell who He was") as Jesus' effort to discourage false notions of Messiah ship (cf. comments on 8:4); and (4) points positively to Jesus' concept of true Messiah ship (see the next point).

III. Jesus' victory.

This passage amplifies the profound principle repeatedly enunciated already in Mt, that Messiah's lowly servant hood (v. 18a) accounts for His power and His authority (v. 18cd); and that His gentleness (vv. 19-20b) is the path to His triumph (v. 20c). Moreover (to enlarge on the point made under I.), Jesus' very flight from the Jews provides the impetus for Gentile evangelism (vv. 18d, 21).

This encourages persecuted disciples (then and now): God uses that very experience as the occasion for unleashing saving power (cf. 2 Cor 12:9-10). "A persecuted ministry...results in conversion of Gentiles" (Gundry, 230). Messiah and His followers shall be both victor and victim in all their wars, and shall make their triumph in defeat (D. L. Sayers, The Man Born to be King).2

Jesus and Beelzeboul. 12:22-37.

 I. Preparation. 12:22-24.

A. Jesus' Healing.

The victim is "blind and mute," a dual affliction ascribed to demon-possession (v. 22). Matthew has already demonstrated Jesus' power to heal all three aspects of the afflictions (chs. 8-9). The healing is complete, "so that he could both talk and see" (v. 22b).

B. The Crowd's Astonishment.

While "the Jews did not expect the Davidic Messiah to perform healings or exorcisms" (Gundry, 231), Messiah was expected to do miracles (11:2; 12:38; cf. Jn 10:41). The crowd's rather doubtful question ("This one is not,...is He?"), prepares for v. 24.

C. The Pharisees' Charge.

Their words in v. 24 are a response to the crowd, words designed to dispel whatever glimmers of faith in Jesus might have been reflected in the crowds' question. They accuse Jesus of driving out demons "by Beelzeboul, the prince of demons" (NIV mg.).

Of the several variant spellings, Beelzeboul is chosen because of (1) its attestation (cf. GNT in loc.), and (2) its meaning (a Hebrew wordplay on baal, "master, lord," and zebul, "house" = "lord of the dwelling, master of the house"; cf. Jesus' figure in 12:29, including the noun oikia, and the juxtaposing of beelzeboul and its Greek equivalent, oikodespotss, in Mt 10:25). When we view the Pharisees' charge in light of v. 14, and this in turn in light of the controversy of vv. 1-14, we conclude that the charge stems from the Pharisees' notion that Jesus has come to destroy the sacred Law.

II. Jesus' discourse. 12:25-37.

A. Refuting the Accusation. 12:25-29.

 1. The character of Satan, vv. 25-26. While division of the sort described in the proverbial saying of v. 25 can and does occur (with the predictable results), so cunning and powerful a king as Satan would not let that happen. He is an3 absolute dictator whose underlings work in concert to achieve his own appointed ends.

 2. Exorcisms among the Jews, v. 27. Jews other than Jesus are engaged - and successfully so - in the practice of exorcising demons. At this stage Jesus is forcing the Pharisees to admit (if only tacitly) that men can exorcise demons through an exercise of divine power. In this statement Jesus cleverly exposes the Pharisees' underlying objection (for they are not opposed in principle to men's exercising miraculous powers, and they would certainly not ascribe every other instance of exorcism to demonic activity) - namely that they oppose Jesus not for His exorcising activity as such, but for other reasons (His alleged hostility to the Law, and His exposure of their own sin) - which in turn make it impossible for them to acknowledge that He does miracles by the agency of God's Spirit. In this light, that for which the Pharisees' followers will judge them (v. 27b) is apparently their "hypocritical inconsistency" (Gundry, 234-35).

 3. Jesus' exorcisms, v. 28. Jesus in fact casts out demons (as the Pharisees recognize, v. 24). Once the stupidity of the Pharisees' explanation is exposed (vv. 25-26), the only other explanation is that Jesus expels demons "by the Spirit of God." And since (for ei in the protasis of the conditional sentence) Jesus does so, "then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

His exorcising activity, while resembling that of others, is unique. In Him God is acting in an unprecedented way to establish His final Rule, which entails crushing the empire of Satan. Far from operating in Satan's power, Jesus confronts and assaults Satan himself (not just his underlings, as did other exorcists) with the powers of the Kingdom of God and thereby achieves a decisive victory. He "ties up the strong man" (Satan), v. 29, and frees his victims.

B. Judging the Accusers. 12:30-37.

 1. Two kinds of blasphemy, vv. 31-32.

 a. The structure of vv. 31-32. The two clauses of v. 31 are parallel to one another, as are the two clauses of v. 32 (see the Greek). Moreover, v. 32 enlarges upon v. 31, as shown by the linguistic affinities between the vv. (the aorist passives aphethssetai and ouk aphethssetai of v. 31 are repeated in v. 32, as is pneumatos). Thus, "anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit" (v. 32b), has committed "the blasphemy against the Spirit" (v. 31b) - an unforgivable act.

Correspondingly, "speaking a word against the Son of Man" (v. 32a) is one of the blasphemies (or sins) that will be forgiven (v. 31a). But why is this a particular distinction?

 b. The blasphemy against the Son of Man. This occurs when one disregards, misinterprets or doubts Jesus' teaching and His claims concerning Himself (including His identifying Himself as the Son of Man), and accordingly rejects both Jesus and His message. Cf. the question of John (11:2), and that of the crowd (12:23) at the beginning of the present section. But if such a person comes to the place where he attends to Jesus' words and works, correctly understands them, and believes Jesus' witness to be true, and then - on that basis – personally entrusts himself to the Lordship of Christ, repents of his sin and commits himself to obedient discipleship on Jesus' terms, then his sins - including the worst of them - will be forgiven. Indeed it is to the worst of sinners that Jesus appeals (9:13b).

 c. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As the immediate context shows, this means interpreting the Spirit's activity as satanic activity (vv. 24, 28). This blasphemy pertains to the very same witness as that described under b. (for the judgment of v. 24 obviously pertains to the person and work of the Son of Man). The difference is that those guilty of this blasphemy speak "not out of ignorance or unbelief, but out of a 'conscious disputing of the indisputable'"

(Carson, 291, quoting G. C. Berkouwer, Sin, 340). NB in this regard Jesus' refutation of the Pharisees' accusation (12:25-29). Does the very absurdity of the accusation expose the Pharisees' awareness that they are questioning the unquestionable? The blasphemy against the Spirit is like that against the Son of Man in that both are responding to the same truth. But the former rejects that truth "in full awareness that this is exactly what one is doing - thoughtfully, willfully, and self-consciously rejecting the work of the Spirit even though there can be no other explanation of Jesus' exorcisms than that" (Carson, 291-92).

For this act there is no forgiveness, "either in this age or in the age to come" (v. 32b), i.e. "never" (Mk 3:29). Is Jesus seeking to jolt His accusers out of their looseness and into faith and repentance? But see also 1 Jn 5:16-17.

2. The impossibility of neutrality, v. 30. He who persists in blaspheming the Spirit is irretrievably "against" Jesus. But let the person described under 1.

b. beware, lest persistent doubt or indifference, in the end place him under irreversible judgment (cf. 11:20-24). That the reasons for Jesus’ condemning a member of the "crowd," are different from His reasons for condemning the Pharisees, does not alter the seriousness of the judgment upon the first group. One is given time to weigh carefully Jesus' claims; but in the end neutrality is impossible. One must finally either acknowledge Jesus or disown Him (10:32-33). Cf. the distinction and the order of the Lukan sayings, "Whoever is against you is for you" (9:50), and "He who is not with Me is against Me" (11:23).5

3. The cruciality of words, vv. 33-37.

a. In assessing character. V. 33 recalls 7:17-20. Whether a tree is good or bad, may be determined by what the tree bears. Vv. 34-35 make it plain that the particular "fruit" in view is one's speech: "You brood of vipers [meaning the Pharisees, v. 24, the same audience of whom John uses the phrase in 3:7], how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (v. 34). (V. 35b speaks of counterfeit coins, Gundry 240.) Jesus judges the innermost character of His opponents, by what they have said about Him in v. 24.

b. In executing judgment. "Men will have to give account [logos] on the Day of Judgment for every careless word [pan hrsma argon] they have spoken" (v. 36). Note the wordplay: logos = "account" in v. 36 and "words" (= hrsma) in v. 37. However "useless" or "worthless" (cf. BAGD, s.v. argos) or "insignificant" (Stendahl, in Peake) words may appear to be, they are in fact an accurate index to the condition of one's heart (vv. 33-35). Plummer comments, "Every man's heart is a store-house, and his words show what he keeps there. Even lightly spoken words do that, and what is said on the spur of the moment is sometimes better evidence of a man's disposition than what he says deliberately, for the latter may be calculated hypocrisy" (Matthew, 181).

The "careless word" for which one is to give account, is not an isolated phenomenon (which could easily drive one to distraction and inhibit speech in an unhealthy way); rather, one gives account for such words precisely because those words reveal what the person is. This latter explains why one is either acquitted or condemned by his words

Matthew 12:22-37 - Blind and dumb about demons

Keywords: Matthew, Demons, Healing, Warfare

We perhaps have walked into a room we had visited and noticed that some people, had an increased confusion, restlessness and insecurity. Maybe a woman with such beautiful eyes who hallucinates and hears voices each afternoon. A woman who, the afternoon before, had thrown a chair across the room, shouting out in outrage, which was unusual because she is normally so calm, composed and certainly not able to lift a chair of that size.

One man, normally passive and easy to get along with became increasingly more demanding and upset for no reason at all, suspicious of everyone and disoriented, swearing at everyone and abusive to the point of having to be physically restrained by the police and taken to a hospital for sedation.

What are we describing? A demon possessed person? Perhaps. A person on drugs? (Well yes, but prescribed). mental illness? We are actually describing what can happen to many people during a time known as sundowning (in the afternoons and towards nightfall). Many people suffering from dementia experience sundowning. The cause of sundowning is unknown, and so it is treated with antipsychotic drugs. But we wonder if there is a spiritual dimension to Sundowning?

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Genesis 3 their sin sparked off a lot of consequences. Romans 8:20-23 (NLT) says "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ... for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. ..." Sin carries an ongoing curse that only Jesus can break.

In Matthew 12:22 (NLT) we read two simple sentences without a lot of details. "Then a demon-possessed man, who was BLIND AND COULDN’T SPEAK, was brought to Jesus. He HEALED the man so that he could both speak and see." 

We are intrigued because we have many unanswered questions about this verse. How did he become demon-possessed? Why was he blind and unable to speak? Was it because of the demon or demons? Obviously not all disability can be linked to demons. How do we determine what is and isn’t? Can all disabilities be healed? Is it only those associated with the demonic? We are not told.

Was he an evil man? Did he have to repent first? Did he give his life to Jesus? Did he have to give his consent in order to be healed? We don’t know. One thing is sure, when we are in the presence of Christ we are in a position where we can be healed, delivered and restored.

Somehow this man had opened his life up to evil! Demons are evil. But despite this, Jesus heals him. No-one is beyond the compassion of Jesus. Jesus broke the connection with demonic influence. Spiritual warfare - a Crush-Satan’s-Head kind of victory! He demonstrates power over the enemy by casting out demons and healing this blind and dumb man immediately. The crowd saw an immediate change in his circumstances. When someone who has been blind can see and hear again, you pay attention.

Speaking about being blind and dumb, why is it that in the West we are so unwilling to talk about or acknowledge the possibility of spiritual warfare? Not only blind to the things of God but too dumb to deal with demons? Antipsychotic drugs can’t be the only solution to things we don’t

Part 10 - Matthew 12:22-37 - The music of my soul 

Matthew 12:25 (NLT) says that "Jesus knew their thoughts..." because God is intimately acquainted with the ways, thoughts and words of the human race.

The Pharisees reject Jesus but then they proceed to slander His name before the people. They say in Matthew 12:24 (NLT) "No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons." They obviously didn’t say this directly to Jesus, but Jesus knows what they are thinking. Jesus replies powerfully, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart." (Matthew 12:25 NLT)

How did Jesus know what the Pharisees were thinking? Did He just anticipate what they were thinking? Was this a word of knowledge? (1 Corinthians 12:8). We feel aware of this when we pray - that we can’t keep even our thoughts from Jesus. So often in His presence, He asks us His probing questions and provides correction to the twisted pathways of our thinking and to our sinful attitudes. He aligns our thinking with His so that I am not double-minded and at odds with Him. He gets me thinking in terms of victory, not defeat. No compromise. And our life starts to sing.

Jesus goes on to say in Matthew12:33 (NLT) "A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad." Great analogy! Jesus produces good fruit in the words He speaks. He is speaking in the power of the Spirit. And that doesn’t mean He had to watch His words or that that His words were so water-weak, warm and affectionate to everybody that they had no impact. He is scathing in His words to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34-35. He says "You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your HEART determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart." It takes courage to say this to powerful men.

But Jesus, of course, is right. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) says "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" so how can we speak from the treasury of a good heart? We are doomed if it all stops here? It gets worse in Matthew 12:36-37 "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." 

If my heart writes the music of my life then my words are the lyrics of the soul. I can tell from the lyrics what is in your heart. Open your mouth and I can hear what kind of song is in your heart.

David’s prayer in Psalms 51:10 (NLT) gives us hope. He cries out to God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God..." In Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT), as if in answer, God says "...I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Commentaries:

they spoke against the holy spirit saying Jesus cast out demon with the power of beelzubul which is demonic; it is a serious offence because the holy spirit is the throne of God. Remember the story of Peter and Anais and Sapirra, how they lied to the holy spirit and were smitten instantly, it is because it is so grievous to speak false or lay against the holy spirit.

The Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus and make people think He did not have the powers He displayed.  They wanted people to believe the powers came from Beelzebul and not from God out of fear the people would follow Jesus and the teachings of the Heavenly Father.  It was a serious offense to them because of this fear of losing control.   

because they were filled with evil thoughts and were against the works of Jesus as they said men were not healed by holy spirit but through beelzebul, price of demon. and what they said was against the lord so it was a serious offense

The Pharisees said that the Holy Spirit is Beelzebub, the prince of the demons.  It is such a serious offense because the Holy Spirit is the Almighty GOD! 

The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of the demons. By stating this, they did not believe that he IS the Son of God and therefore speaking against the Holy Spirit....which is unforgiveable.

The Pharisees did not believe in Christ, therefore they used anything they could to go against Him.  It is definitely blasphemy and that is a very grave sin against God. Blessings.

The Pharisees said Jesus was a demon, and they thought everything he did was because he was possessed by demons. Jesus said anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit in this time or later cannot be forgiven.

Jesus healed them with the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Pharisees said that Jesus healed them through the prince of demons. This was something that they spoke against the Holy Spirit. According to Jesus' teaching, anything said against the Holy Spirit is like saying something against God. The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one. Jesus does not mind anything said against Him because He is ever-loving and forgiving.

The Pharisees did not like Jesus and his works and when Jesus healed a man who was blind and mute they blasphemed the Holy Spirit which Jesus did not like. Jesus said to them that whoever speaks against the Holy |Spirit will not be forgiven neither in this age or the age to come.

there is but one limit to the mercy of God ...  anyone who deliberately refuses His invitation of his mercy by repenting ... rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit ... Such hardness of heart can lead to final eternal loss

They said a lie against the Holy Spirit and reduced His power by comparing it with the power of the devil, The word of God says he who curse the Holy Spirit curses the Father so the Pharisees did a serious offense of cursing the Holy Spirit and the Father.

The Pharisees spoke against the Holy Spirit and against Jesus.  It was an offense and Jesus stated it would not be forgiven.  Blessings. 

They did NOT let The Holy Spirit speak through them vexing the spirit and condemning themselves by the things that came from their own lips. The wisdom they used was not of Father, rather is the work of the world or of the father of all liars.

They implied that the Holy Spirit was the Prince of Beezelbul.  It is such serious offense to because you are criticizing God himself. 

The Pharisees accused Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Satan, and they didn't give credit to the Holy Ghost.

they considered him to be a demon, having no faith they couldn't except him. In those times they were the rulers of the Jews and all religious things do so they couldn't except someone who they thought was just another carpenter be higher than them.

Because of his words the Pharisees

was trying to disprove who the holy

spirit was. He was trying to divide the

followers of Jesus. Blasphemy against

the holy ghost is a sin that cannot be

forgiven.

These hypocrites said that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan. It was the Holy Spirit in Jesus who cast them out. These Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit, which is unforgiveable. They basically called the Holy Spirit evil and said He was of the devil.

They said that Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebub (Satan). By claiming that they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit of God, for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. Jesus told them it was the one unpardonable sin.

Matthew 12:15-21 

God`s Chosen Servant

Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them all, and charged them that they should not make Him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 

"Behold, My servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit on Him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a smoking flax, until He leads justice to victory. In his name, the nations will hope." 

Why didn`t Jesus want those He healed to make Him known?

Christ’s Anonymity, Matthew 12:15-21

As we completed our study of Matthew chapter 11, we noted that the focus of that whole passage was on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the theme of that entire chapter was the majesty of Jesus Christ.  And then as we studies Matthew chapter 12 and the first 14 verses, we noted that there were connections, there were links, between chapter 11 and chapter 12.  First of all, in verse one of Matthew chapter 12, we saw the phrase, "at this time," indicating that the events of Matthew 12 and the events of Matthew 11 were close in proximity.  And we also saw a theme of a content unity.  We noted that at the end of Matthew chapter 11, the Lord Jesus had invited those to come to Him who were weary and heavy laden because His yoke was light; indicating, that the fellowship with God to which He was calling people was not burdensome, like the man-made legalism of the Pharisees.  And here in the first 14 verses of Matthew, chapter 12, we see an illustration of that principle as He sets aside the man-made ritual teaching of the Pharisees, and He expounds the true meaning of the Lord's day.  And so the Lord Jesus Christ shows His divine authority in Matthew, chapter 12, verses 1 through 14 as He said that it is His day, and calls this day "His day.  "He calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath. 

Let us look, then, at Matthew chapter 12, beginning in verse 14, reading of God's holy and inspired word.  May He add His blessing to it.  Let's look to Him again in prayer.

Our Father, we acknowledge this to be Your word.  It is inspired. it is God-breathed.  It comes to us from the pen of Matthew, but it is just as surely your word, O Lord, as his.  We acknowledge it to be Your infallible word, unfailingly true in all it teaches and affirms.  It is Your inerrant word, O Lord, without error, without defect and so we bow before its authority.  We ask, O Lord, that You would by the Spirit help us to understand the truth of this word, that you would teach it to us; that You would work it into our hearts, that we would accept it, submit to it, be encouraged by it, strengthened by it, and even comforted by it, and we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. 

In this passage Jesus' character comes through clearly.  Matthew is relating to us something of Jesus' heart here.  He really began that in Matthew chapter 12, verse one, when He told us the story of the meeting between the Pharisees and the Lord Jesus.  He's showing us what Jesus is like.  He's revealing Jesus' character to us and He's providing, for contrast, the religious leaders of Jesus' day.  Now remember, the Pharisees have had a bad name for about 2000 years amongst Christians, but these were very well-respected religious leaders.  These were lay people, part of a movement designed to revitalize religion in Israel.  They were highly exalted in the eyes of the people, and yet Matthew contrasts their hearts and their desire to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ to the Lord Jesus' compassion for the sick, for the downcast, for the marginal, and so we see Christ's character in stark contrast to the Pharisees.  Matthew Henry says, "As in the midst of Christ's greatest humiliations, there were proofs of His dignity.  So in the midst of His greatest honors, He gave proofs of His humility." And so even as He does these works - these miracles, and speaks words of grace, He had opportunity here in this passage to show His humility. And that's precisely what Matthew points us to. 

In calling attention to Jesus' character, Matthew does not simply want us to stand back and admire Him; Matthew wants us to believe Him.  Matthew is calling us to commitment to Christ.  He is calling us to trust in Him, to love Him, to believe Him, to worship Him, to follow Him. 

I. Jesus' actions reveal His character.

Matthew teaches us two things in this passage; but first we'll see in verses 14 through 16, there Matthew shows us Jesus' character.  He reveals Jesus' heart to us in His action.  Jesus' character, His heart, is revealed to us in His actions, in His ministry. 

We see a picture there, first of all, of the Pharisees' unwavering opposition to Jesus Christ and, on the other hand, Jesus' unwavering ministry.  The Pharisees are opposed to Jesus' ministry.  They're willing to do anything they can to thwart it, but Jesus continues to minister.  He continues to show mercy.  He continues to do the work that the Lord has given Him.  Look at these words: "The Pharisees went out and conspired against Him as to how they might destroy Him, but Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there.  Many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to tell who He was." 

In verse 14, Matthew tells us very candidly that the Pharisees' designs with regard to the Lord Jesus were not simply to marginalize His ministry, but to kill Him.  They desired to kill Him.  However, the Roman government and the crowds' support of Jesus provided an obstacle.  They couldn't carry out their designs, and so they had to conspire; they had to counsel together.  But we note that from this time on, they began to conspire for His downfall.

Both the message that Jesus was preaching; and the claims that He was making, were a rebuke to the Pharisees.  Those claims, that message, stood in direct opposition to the Pharisees' pride and to their hypocrisy, and to their worldliness.  Jesus knew what the Pharisees were up to and so, we're told in verse 15, that He withdrew from them.  He knew that it was not yet His time to die; it was not yet the time the Father had appointed for Him to be delivered up.  And so, He withdrew in light of His knowledge of their designs and in His knowledge of His mission; the Lord Jesus withdrew. 

Jesus' withdrawal was not an act of cowardice.  He did not fear any danger.  Jesus' withdrawal was very deliberate.  It was an act of prudence.  Jesus was trying to keep from forcing the hand of the Pharisees.  If He had continued right in their presence, He would have perhaps provoked an untimely culmination of their attacks on Him.  And so He did as much as was possible not to provoke offense. 

His withdrawal was also an act of judgment, though, because by withdrawing from the Pharisees, He was removing from them His life-giving preaching of the word of truth, and He was removing from them the testimony to the truth of His claims and of His message that was being given in the miracles that He was doing.  And so by withdrawing from them, He was actually bringing a famine of the word into the lives of the Pharisees.

The Pharisees should have known about that.  That happened in the days of the prophets when Israel's heart was hardened. God withdrew the prophets from Israel so that there would be a famine of the word in the land and that there would be no message of grace to be heard.  And this was precisely what was happening with the Pharisees as Jesus withdrew from them.

Notice also that His withdrawal, itself, was an act of humility, of self-denial.  He had been somewhat in the limelight.  He had been drawing great attention and even the religious leaders of the day had been gathering around.  Now He was going to go off to the periphery.  Now He's going to minister in less obvious places.  Christ's humility is seen here in stark contrast to the Pharisees who desired to draw attention to their ministry, who desired to stand on the street corners and pray so that people would say, "Oh, how spiritual they are."  Jesus, happily, moved aside and worked in the periphery because His goal, He tells us, is “to do the will of Him who sent Him.”  And if that means not drawing attention to Himself, not drawing attention to His ministry, that is fine with the Lord Jesus Christ, because He simply desires to do the will of the one who sent Him.

Perhaps we're in a similar situation as the Lord Jesus Christ in our job, in our family, in our neighborhood, in our community; maybe even in our ministry.  Perhaps there is some opposition to the work that God has called us to do.  Perhaps we feel marginalized by that opposition.  The Lord Jesus Christ continues His ministry despite the attempts of the enemies of God to marginalize that work.  Notice that He did not withdraw to retirement.  He did not withdraw to inactivity.  He continued to serve the Lord faithfully even as He withdrew.

And in verses 15 and 16 we're told that three things ensued when Jesus withdrew.  First of all, the crowds continued to follow Him.  Even though the Pharisees were plotting His downfall, the crowds continued to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  And though His course of ministry was altered, it was not stopped.  The Pharisees may have thought that they aborted the Lord Jesus Christ, but they just provided Him with another field of service, and He continued to serve and do the will of His Father. Notice that He continued to minister.  By withdrawing, He did not stop ministering, and that's the second thing that we see.  Many, who would not have benefited from His ministry, benefited from His miracles because of the Pharisee's opposition.  He withdrew and went and served elsewhere and we're told that all were healed.  Glorious words there in verse 15.  He healed them all. 

Thirdly, notice that He warned these people who are following Him not to tell who He is.  Now that's a very strange thing, it would seem, for the Lord Jesus to tell those who are following not to reveal His identity.  But He did this for three reasons. First of all, Matthew explains to us in verse 17 that He did that because that was in fulfillment of prophecy. Understand that the Lord Jesus told the crowds not to reveal His identity because the prophets had made it clear that when Messiah came, He would not unduly call attention to Himself, and Matthew is going to explain that to us in the passage that He quotes from Isaiah. 

Secondly, He told them not to reveal who He was because He was gradually revealing Himself.  We remember He was only gradually explaining who He was, and what His mission was, to the disciples.  They were having a hard time taking it in anyway, and so He very carefully revealed more and more about Himself and about His ministry, and ultimately about the death that He was going to die as He went along training the disciples.  And so He instructs the crowds, “Don't be precipitous.  Don't disclose before the Father’s time.”

Finally, Christ only wanted those who had accepted His lordship to testify to His name.  Remember, Jesus knew that these very crowds who followed Him would desert Him in the last days of His ministry.  When He would begin to preach that which was then unpopular, the very crowd that followed Him would desert Him, and He did not want them to be the prime testifiers to who He was.  He wants those who accept His lordship to be the ones who testify to His name; and by the way, there's a lesson in that for us, too, isn't there?

The Lord Jesus doesn't desire mere lip testimony.  Prior to the testimony of our lips, He wants transformed lives.  He wants people who have been changed by the Holy Spirit, and who are walking in the way of holiness, to be His prime witnesses in this life.  Otherwise, people will say, "Well, look at them.  They're no different from the world.  They claim to be Christians but they're no different from the world.”

Godliness is not simply something that's important for our own spiritual welfare.  It's not only something that's pleasing to God; it's absolutely necessary to our witness, and the single greatest obstacle to our evangelistic work is the lack of godliness in the people.  And until we care seriously about sanctification, until we care seriously about the way grace changes our lives and we live differently than the world around us and we have different desires and hopes and dreams than the world around us, our word witness will be ineffective, because people will see through that testimony and they'll see that our lives are not changed.  And so godliness is not only important for our own spiritual welfare and God's glory, it’s important for our witness.  We can't witness to Christ effectively until people can see that He is our Lord that we have not merely accepted Him as Lord by lip, but we have accepted Him as Lord in our hearts. 

Notice that Jesus on occasion had demons that wanted to testify to the fact that He was the Messiah, and He would stifle those demons, and elsewhere He would have other crowds who would want to testify to the fact that He was Messiah, and He would stifle their witness because He wanted true disciples to be the ones who are witnesses to His name.

There are many truths that we learn in this passage before us but even as we contemplate Jesus’ character revealed by His actions, we are taught the truth that actions reveal the heart.  You can see the hearts of the Pharisees by the way they act in this passage.  Their desire is not to see the saints built up.  Their desire is to see the Messiah torn down.  The heart, the meanness, the wickedness, the evil of the Pharisees is seen in their action.  You can't see through to their hearts, but you can see what they're doing.  So, also, you can see the heart of Jesus by His compassion.  When He is obstructed by the Pharisees, He continues ministering to those in need.  His heart of love, His heart of kindness, His heart of sympathy, is so apparent.  And Matthew provides bold relief, stark contrast, between the heart of the hearts of the Pharisees and the heart of Jesus. 

And as Jesus' action reveal His heart, so also our actions reveal our hearts.  What do our actions tell us?  Do our actions say that we seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and we'll leave all the other things to Him?  Or do our actions tell us that we serve mammon rather than God?  This passage is calling us to live in accordance with our profession, and it’s reminding us that our hearts will be reflected in what we love and in what we do.

We also see a contrast between the Pharisees and Jesus in this passage with regard to the law.  The Pharisees claim to be the great lovers of the law.  But, who is shown by their actions to be lovers of the law in this passage?  Jesus is shown to be the true lover of God's law in this passage, not the Pharisees.  And, who is shown to be truly godly in this passage?  The Pharisees were those who had the reputation of being truly pious and holy, and yet their heart is shown by their action.  Jesus is shown to be the only one with perfect holiness in this passage.

II. Jesus’ character is revealed in Old Testament prophecy.

And then we learn in verses 17 through 21 that Jesus' character is not only revealed through His actions, but His character is revealed in the prophecy of the Old Testament.  The Old Testament prophets prophesied of the suffering servant of the Lord who would come and they predicted Jesus’ character.  In verses 17 through 21, Matthew takes us to Isaiah the prophet.  He takes us to Isaiah 42:1-4, which is the first of 4 passages in which Isaiah tells us about the servant of the Lord who will come to deliver Israel.  In that passage Matthew directly appeals to Isaiah's words and applies them to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Isaiah 42 can only be properly understood as fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Matthew uses this quote from Isaiah to draw a sharp contrast between the heart of the Pharisees and the heart of Jesus Christ.  The Pharisees, the ministers, are only bent on destroying Jesus.  They don't care about people's souls, they don't care about people's lives, they don't care about people's needs, they don't care about those who are fragile and weak, and Jesus, on the other hand, cares about those who are fragile and weak; He draws them in and He builds them up in spiritual life.  And so we see in verses 18, 19 and 20 and 21, in the words of Isaiah, a description of the character of Jesus Christ.  A description of God's promises to Him.

See these words at verse 18: "Behold My servant whom I have chosen, My beloved in whom My soul is well pleased.  I will put My spirit upon Him and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles."  In that verse, we are told of the pleasure of the heavenly Father in Jesus Christ.  The pleasure of the heavenly Father in the servant of the Lord is described and we see four things said about the Father’s pleasure in the Lord Jesus there.

First, we're told that the Lord Jesus was God's choice servant in the work of redemption.  Notice that Jesus took upon Himself the role of the servant.  Though He was God's equal, equal in power and glory and eternity with God the Father and God the spirit, yet He is God's choice servant in our redemption.  He serves us by saving us.  He serves the Lord in the covenant of redemption, on our behalf.  The Lord takes the role of the servant.  Paul speaks about that, that "although He was equal with God, yet He set aside His prerogative and He serves us, taking upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh.”  Here we learn that Jesus serves His people.  He is willingly a servant. 

If you are in Britain, you will see a coat of arms for the Prince of Wales just about everywhere.  And there are various mottos that go along with the title of 'Prince of Wales,' but one of them which must date from the time of the house of Hanover, one that you'll see on the crest are the German words, Ich Mein, "I serve."  That sort of surprising.  You wouldn't think that was the motto of the Prince of Wales from current events, but in any event, that's a wonderful motto of a prince, and that is, in fact, the Lord Jesus' motto, ”I serve.  I serve God the Father and I serve His people.”

But we're also told in verse 18 that Jesus Christ was God's chosen instrument in the work of redemption.  He was God's elect man for the work of redemption.  The Lord Jesus Christ, in the council of eternity, in times past when God the Father and God the Son came together to establish the work of redemption in view of the fall of man, the Lord Jesus Christ was the chosen instrument by which God would redeem His people.  Both of these things, both Jesus' servant hood and the fact that He's the chosen instrument of God, relate to God's decree and we're told that the Father  takes pleasure in Him because of these things.

In verse 18 that we're told that Jesus Christ is the eternally beloved Son of God, the servant beloved of God, "in whom My soul is well pleased."  We're here told that the Father  delights in the Son, and the fact that we are in the Son, the fact that we are in Christ, assures that the Father delights in us, and the reason that the Father delights in us is that He delights in the Son. 

Notice also that we're told in verse 18 that Jesus Christ is the one in whom the Father is well pleased.  The Father takes pleasure in the work of the Son, in the character of the Son.  And as we are accepted in God, so also He takes pleasure in us.  Our acceptance with God is based on the fact that He is pleased with His Son and because we have believed on His Son and because we have accepted His Son as the Savior of sinners and the Son of God, He accepts us; the Father  accepts us and He becomes well pleased with us.  Christ dies on our behalf that we might be accepted by God.  And all of this is celebrated in verse 18.

And then in verse 19, the promises of the heavenly Father to the servant of the Lord are listed.  The promises of the heavenly Father to Jesus Christ the Mediator are listed.  Notice three things there.  First of all we are told that the servant will be qualified, or equipped, for His ministry.  He will be equipped for His undertaking.  God never calls us to something that He doesn't equip us for and He didn't call His Son for something that He didn't equip Him for.  And though the Son was equal to Him in power and in glory, yet as Mediator the Father equipped the Son by giving Him, as Hebrews says, "the spirit above measure."  He was equipped by the Spirit above measure and so the Son was fitted for His task in redemption.

Notice also in verse 18 and also in verse 20 that the Son will prosper in His labors.  He will be successful in the ministry that He does for the Lord.  He will proclaim justice until justice leads way to victory.  He will be successful.  The Lord will prosper His ministry.

And finally, we're told in verse 21 that God the Father will give the Gentiles to Him.  It's not enough that the Son be the Savior of Israel, He will be the Savior of the world.  And so all those promises are listed in verses 18 and 20, and 21.

But the focus of this passage and the reason that Matthew quotes it in the main you find in verses 19 and 20.  There, the character of the Messiah is given.  And Matthew wants to contrast the character of the Messiah with the character of these people who claim to be followers of God.  And so He quotes for us verses 19 and 20.  Look at those words: "He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A battered reed He will not break off and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.”

First of all, we're told that the Messiah will not be found shouting in the streets.  Certainly the Lord will not be out there drawing attention to Himself in the streets.  The shouting spoken of is not religious shouting, it’s quarreling; almost like you would hear after a team has lost a game and the fans are out in the streets arguing and haranguing about that particular matter.  And we're told by Matthew in verse 19 that the servant of the Lord will carry out His work without ostentation, without drawing attention to Himself, with humility, with self-denial, with unpretentiousness. 

This is how the servant of the Lord will be and Matthew is saying, "Look, that's exactly like Jesus is.  He's humble.  He's unpretentious.  He's not simply trying to draw attention to Himself.  He is doing the will of the heavenly Father and He's looking out for your best spiritual interests.  He's not wondering what He can get out of you.  He wants to give you something that the heavenly Father has sent Him to give.

Notice also in verse 20, that Jesus' ministry and the Pharisees' ministry are contrasted: "A battered reed He will not break off, a smoldering wick He will not put out,”  as opposed to the Pharisees, who were quick to censure, who were quick to dismiss and judge.  The Lord Jesus Christ is patient.  The Pharisees are cruel.  They are plotting His destruction.  They are vain.  They pretend to be righteous but they're actually empty.  They are interested in displaying righteousness.  They pray on the street corners.  Jesus, by contrast is kind, He is reserved, He is meek.  The servant of the Lord will carry out His work, Isaiah says, without severity or rigor.  He will be tender with those who are weak and as opposed to censoring and judging them will gently build up the spiritual life in them, and stoke it into a flame, caring for them, showing compassion.

Matthew's main point is that Jesus will treat with profound sympathy and tender concern the very people that the Pharisees despised.  Jesus will show tender concern for those who are weak and will ask Him for help.  He will help the sick.  He does in verse 15.  He heals them.  He will show kindness and compassion to tax collectors and sinners.  Matthew has already told us that, in chapter 9.  He will comfort mourners.  He will help those who are fearful.  He will aid those who doubt, those who are famished.  He will be tender and compassionate.  The Lord Jesus' tenderness and compassion is designed to draw sick sinners to Himself.  They fear that they will be judged by God because they know that they ought to be judged by God, and yet they are met with the visit of the Savior who is tender and compassionate and will hold them and build them up.

Matthew tells us that for many reasons.  For one thing, Christian, Matthew wants us to be like our Savior.  Matthew wants us to have the same heart for those who are out there, for those who are outcast, for those who may not be like us, who are not socially acceptable, not of our 'class' and not of our 'kind.'  He wants us to have that same type of tender compassion and concern that the Lord Jesus manifests.

And for those who don't know Christ, Matthew wants sinners to come to His Savior, because this Savior will treat gently, you in your condition, you in your wretchedness, you in hopelessness, and in your weakness, because He is compassionate and full of sympathy.  Matthew is calling us to commit to this Savior.  He is saying, 'Look, the God of heaven and earth is like the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is not like the Pharisees.  He is like Jesus.  So why are you afraid to come to Him? Come to Him and He will give you rest.”   Let's look to Him in prayer.

Our heavenly Father, we thank You for the sympathy of Christ.  We pray that You will give us the grace to come to Him today, because He will bind up our broken hearts and He will renovate us, delivering us from bondage to sin, and He will care for us in our infirmities.  We praise You for it and we ask this prayer in His name, Amen.

The Gentle Servant, Matthew 12:15-21

Ask people how they can achieve success in our society and among the answers will be "having power." We live in a world in which having power is seen as being of the utmost importance. In business, in politics, and even in social clubs having power is a key part of getting things changed to the way you want them. We should keep in mind that the push by certain groups for "their rights" is not about equality, but about gaining power.

In the quest for power we find many people who will do almost anything to attain it. In business, we find people that will trample all over co-workers in order to attain the next higher position. Some will compromise their personal integrity in order to get ahead. In social settings, pandering is used in order to get close to those in power, and then gossip is also used to strike down the competition. Politics is filled with those who will say anything in order to get elected. All of us are aware of elections in which the victor was the one who could lie the loudest and the longest. The truth is unimportant in comparison to winning the seat of power.

The situation becomes even worse when these people do achieve the power they were after. They become self-important, all wise and knowing in their own eyes. They abuse those they have power over and they rant and rave against their opponents.

Now there is nothing wrong with Christians rising to seats of power and using that power properly, but there is great danger for Christians to gain and use that power according to the world's example. The sad fact is that power can and often does have a corrupting influence even on Christians. History is filled with examples of people being mistreated and abused by those who claimed to be Christians. That ought not to be because that is not the example Jesus left us. Jesus had all power available to Him, yet His example is that of a gentle servant.

As we examine this text, we are going to find in Jesus the example we need to follow. Success for the Christian does not come through attaining positions of worldly power, though God often does put Christians in those positions, for success for the Christian is not in having power, but in being a faithful servant of the omnipotent God. Jesus never attained any position of worldly power. He never sought such a position; instead He was God's gentle servant. He was merciful, meek, chosen of God; quiet, sympathetic and unlimited in whom He would minister to as God's representative.

"But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there, And many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to make Him known, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying, 'BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHO I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.'"

Matthew 12:15 sets us back in the context of this passage. "But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there." This refers to the plot that was being put together by the Pharisees and the Herodians to come up with some plan to kill Jesus. At this point in Jesus' ministry, the religious leaders have risen in severe opposition to Him because He would not follow their traditions. They had circumvented the Law of Moses with their own minutia of regulations, and they had in fact turned the Sabbath, which was given as a sign of God's covenant with Israel and for man's benefit in order that he might rest and celebrate in worship of God, into the most oppressive day of the week.  (See: The Lord of the Sabbath).

Back in the beginning of the chapter, the Pharisees came criticizing Jesus because He had allowed His disciples to pick and eat some of the ripe grain that was in the fields through which they were walking. What the disciples had done was in complete accord with the Mosaic Law, but it was against the traditions the Rabbis had set up. Jesus had admonished them that they were unjustly accusing the innocent of breaking the Sabbath, because not only should they have been aware from their study of the Old Testament history that the law could be breached, as in the example of David given in Matthew 12:3, 4, but also that the law had exceptions, as seen in Matthew 12:5 which points out the duties of the priest. In addition, God's desire and the very purpose of the law was compassion, not ritual (Matthew 12:7), and furthermore, Jesus said that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.

We need to keep in mind that legalism is a killer. It is a killer of God's law, a killer of man's spirit, and a killer of man being able to walk with God. Legalism is exchanging the rule of God for the rule of man and following man's dictates rather than the Holy Spirit's conviction. We still have it around today and it manifests itself in its hypocritical nature just as it did back then.

It is man's self-righteous nature that proclaims, "I am good because I do not go to movie theaters," but the truth is that the same movies are rented and watched on the VCR. "I am righteous because I don't drink," yet the same person are in such emotional turmoil they need drugs to keep themselves on an even keel and to sleep at night. "I am holy because I do not smoke," yet the same person have such a strong addiction to caffeine that they are a bear until they get their first cup of coffee. Still another claims, "I am virtuous because I attend all the church meetings," but the rest of their non-working time is spent in pursuit of being entertained. In reality, for them church is just part of the entertainment because they do not put into practice what is taught there. Legalism is dangerous!

Jesus would not bend to the legalism of His day. He proclaimed Himself Lord of the Sabbath which equated Himself with God and the Pharisees knew it. In Matthew 12:9-13, Jesus gave a positive demonstration that He was ruler over the Sabbath when He positively broke their legalistic traditions and demonstrated true compassion by healing the man with the withered hand. They should have rejoiced over the good thing done for this man, but instead they were incensed that Jesus would not bow to their legalism.

Jesus would not submit Himself to the regulations of man that were against the Law of God. Instead of rejoicing, the Pharisees, the legalistic traditionalist, joined together with their normal enemies, the Herodians, who were the Jews that followed Greek/Roman culture and were political supporters of King Herod, and they plotted to put Jesus to death.

Someone who was seeking after worldly power would have used the advantage just won in the rebuke of the Pharisees to rally the support of the people and put an end to them. Instead we find that Jesus, aware of their plotting, withdraws from there. Jesus is not after the acclaim of the people and gaining the power the Pharisees held. He is interested in being:

A Merciful Servant

Matthew 12:15 continues, "And many followed Him, and He healed them all . . .” One of the marks of the godly is mercy. We saw that in the Sermon on the Mount in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."  Jesus did not seek after confrontation nor did He seek to escalate conflict. He often avoided it when possible. Jesus had proclaimed the truth, the Pharisees and Herodians were meeting to plot together to kill Jesus, but it was now time for Jesus to continue His ministry to the people. Those who recognized the compassion demonstrated in healing the man with the withered hand would come after Him, and we find that Jesus' compassion extended to all for "He healed them all." Jesus made no demands of them except to come to Him for healing. If Jesus had been after earthly power, He would have extracted from them oaths of loyalty and organized them into an army that would proclaim Him throughout the land so that the Pharisees would be thoroughly discredited and no longer a threat. Instead, we find that Jesus was a

A Meek Servant  

Matthew 12:16, 17 reads: ". . . and warned them not to make Him known, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying . . .".

Meekness is another characteristic of the truly righteous that we saw in the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Meekness is not weakness, but power under control. A meek servant is one who strives only to please his master. Jesus' interest was not His own glory. That will come in due time when God exalts Him, but Jesus' concern was doing God's will just as He declared in John 6:38, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

There were probably several reasons for Jesus not wanting the people to make Him known. Among them would be the fact that such a proclamation by the people would have distorted why He was here. Jesus came to save souls, not to dispense physical healing. The physical healing was both part of the attesting miracles that backed up His claim to be Messiah and the natural outworking of His compassion. In addition, such a proclamation at this point would have inflamed zealous enthusiasm and it was not yet the proper time of His exaltation. In John 6:15, an incident is recorded where the people were so enthused that they wanted to come and take Him by force and make Him king. But Jesus did not come the first time to be the conquering king, but the suffering servant that would take away our sins (Isaiah 53).

The stated reason that Jesus warned the people not to make Him known was so that He could fulfill the prophecy concerning Him given by Isaiah. Jesus did not just happen into human history; He came because He was sent by God the Father as:

A Chosen Servant

Matthew 12:18: "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHO I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES."

This is an accurate paraphrase of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, of Isaiah 42:1-4 which stresses the nature and purpose of God's chosen servant being sent to mankind. The first verse of the quote stresses the relationship of the servant and God. The word translated here as "servant" is not the usual term used, but is a more restricted term denoting an especially intimate servant who was trusted and loved as a son. In fact, it is often translated as "son." In secular usage, it was used of a child adopted into a family as an heir that could never be disenfranchised. God the Father had chosen His beloved Son to be His divine servant who would redeem man. God the Father was pleased with Jesus and had filled Him with the Holy Spirit as was demonstrated at His baptism where the Holy Spirit descended as a dove upon Him and a voice from Heaven said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16,17). That was repeated again at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).

Some have questioned Jesus' deity based on the idea of the Holy Spirit coming upon Him. They ask if Jesus is already God, why is the Holy Spirit coming upon Him? The reason is simple. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully man. As a man Jesus was tempted in all points as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). As a human child Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Jesus had human feelings and emotions. He had times of hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and sorrow. Jesus' humanity received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that His humanity would function in accordance with His deity.

Having the Holy Spirit upon Him was a mark of His messiah ship. It was prophesied in Isaiah 42 and 61 (which Jesus quoted in Luke 4 as being fulfilled in Him) that God's chosen servant would have the Spirit upon Him.

Among the purposes of His coming was to "proclaim justice to the Gentiles." Jesus came to proclaim what is right and true and in accordance with God's will to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. This was another area that provoked the Jewish religious leaders of that day toward hatred of Christ. They were very ethno-centric and believed that God was for the Jews only. Only on rare occasions did any one of Israel fulfill God's desire in taking the message of God's interest in the Gentile nations to them. Jonah reluctantly did so, and even then his desire was that God would destroy Nineveh rather than reform Nineveh.

Jesus came as God the Father's chosen servant who was filled with the Holy Spirit and He came with a message of hope for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. And the manner in which He would proclaim that message to both the Jews and Gentiles would be as

A Quiet Servant 

Matthew 12:19: "He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets." To "quarrel" ( εριζω / erizô) denotes wrangling, hassling, disputing, arguing in strife manner. To "cry out" (κραυγαζω / kraugazô) means to shout or scream excitedly. Jesus had many confrontations with the self- righteous religious leaders of that time, but He never entered into a shouting match or clamorous arguments. Jesus would debate with them, but since He was here to do the Father's will and not His own, there was no anger except righteous indignation when God Himself was profaned by them such as when He drove the money changers out of the Temple (John 2:14,15). The indication would be that He rarely raised His voice.

What a lesson for us! How true Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 9:17, "The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools." A crowd can be worked up for a short time by a railing man who works on their emotions, but long lasting change comes from ideas that sink into the mind and heart. A contemporary example of that is the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the USSR.

Jesus did not enter into emotionally charged debates and arguments with anyone, including His opponents. He simply presented the truth in a quiet and controlled manner and let the truth, not charged emotions, do the work. It is the same with us. When we get into a discussion about eternal matters with someone who does not know the Lord your heart can beat a little faster, the adrenalin can start pumping, and our emotions can get involved. And that is fine, but emotions do not need to control us. Even when the other person gets emotionally charged because you are starting to step on their beliefs, you can still remain calm and answer them softly. The goal in Christian witnessing is not that the other person is going to give their life to Christ right then and there. If that happens, it is wonderful, but that is not the goal. The goal is to give accurate testimony to the truth and be faithful in presenting what God has done for us and for that other person in the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot save them. Their salvation is between them and the Holy Spirit. We can only be faithful in proclaiming the gospel to them. If they reject our message, it is not a personal matter with us. It is Christ they are struggling with. Does that mean that we become stoics who talk to others without care, concern, or emotion? Not at all. We never need get upset, but we certainly care and can be emotional. We follow Jesus' example who as a

A Sympathetic Servant 

Verse 20: "A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not pull out, until He leads justice to victory." 

This is figurative language describing the Messiah's sympathetic nature. A reed could be used for many purposes including making music. Shepherds would make a flute-like instrument with them and play soft music while watching the sheep. But once that reed became soft or cracked it was useless. A bent or battered reed would be broken up and thrown away. When a lamp wick burned down to its end, it could not soak up enough oil to keep a flame going, yet it was still capable of keeping an ember smoldering. A smoldering wick did nothing of value and spread smoke, so it would be extinguished.

This figurative speech (specifically a litotes) conveys a positive truth by telling the negative of its opposite. The battered reed and smoldering wick represent the bruised, battered, broken, and worn out people, the outcasts of society. The people ignored by the Romans and despised by the Pharisees. Jesus came with genuine sympathy and tender concern for these people. He came to heal the sick (Matthew 12:15), seek and save tax-collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:9,10), comfort mourners (Matthew 5:4), cheer the fearful (Matthew 14:13-21), reassure doubters (Matthew 11:2-6), feed the famished (Matthew 14:13-21), and pardon the sins of the repentant (Matthew 9:2). Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Matthew 19:10).

We are to have genuine sympathy, tender compassion, and true concern for the lost. We weep over them and for them as Jesus did over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). We cry and weep, we plead with them to come to the truth. There is a lot of emotion in that. But we never respond in anger or try to argue them into the kingdom, for that cannot be done. We present the truth lovingly, tenderly, compassionately, and sympathetically. We are to continue in this personally as long as we are alive. This ministry will continue by Christ's church until Jesus' triumphant return when He takes His wrath out on the ungodly and sin and its consequences will be banished to Hell. That is when He will lead justice to victory.

The sympathetic ministry of God's people is to be long-term and it is to include the outcasts of society and not limited to those who are like us in social standing or social habits. Jesus was

An Unlimited Servant 

Matthew 12:21: "And in His name the Gentiles will hope." The time was fast approaching when the command to not make Jesus known (Matthew 12:16) would end and Israel's savior would be proclaimed as the savior of the world. We who are here today are evidence of this because there are only a few people in the world that are not Gentiles. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only hope there is for mankind. But is the message of that hope getting out to those that need to hear it the most? It is wonderful to come to church and hear the message over and over again, but it is the lost that need to hear the message. Jesus has given us the example of how to take that message to the lost, but are we doing it? That is not the pastor's job. It is the responsibility of every Christian. Yes! The Holy Spirit will empower you as you faithfully tell others the truth that though they deserve Hell, their sins can be forgiven and their lives changed through Jesus Christ.

The Scripture reading in the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew does demand an acquaintance with what has preceded.  It really belongs to the preceding sections, but since it made one of the messages much longer than it was possible for us to make it; we’ve reserved these verses for special treatment.

Remember, the Lord Jesus has defended the apostles and disciples who were plucking ears of grain in the corn fields, and were eating them against the accusations of the Pharisees and scribes who claimed that this was a violation of the Sabbath law.  And the section concluded with the claim that He was Lord even of the Sabbath day, and it was perfectly biblical for the disciples to do what they did.

Shortly after that, He went into the synagogue to teach, and while He was there, there was a man with a withered hand.  And again, the question of the nature of the Sabbath day arose, because it was the traditional view that healing could not take place on the Sabbath day.  But the Lord Jesus healed the man with the withered hand and claimed that it was in full accord of the teaching of the Old Testament, and won the day.

Now we pick up the account right at that point, where the Pharisees have taken counsel together against Him that they might destroy Him. May the Lord’s blessing rest upon His inspired word.

Our subject is “God’s Elect Servant:  Gentle and Quiet.” 

This section rarely catches the attention of the readers of the gospel as they go through it.  And furthermore, it actually belongs to the preceding section rather closely. It does contain, however, several important themes, some of the great themes of the word of God, and we want to lay a little bit of stress upon them.           

We are introduced here to the great theme of the Servant of Jehovah.  Some Old Testament scholars have said that this is the greatest theme of the Old Testament, and so it would be bad if we were to pass by the theme of the Servant of Jehovah, and the only way in which it could be justified is that it comes up several other times in this gospel.  And the fact that the prophet, as well as Matthew the Evangelist in the New Testament includes the “behold” with which the passage begins, stresses the importance and significance of the ministry of the Servant of Jehovah:  “Behold, my servant.”  That means, “look,” “pay attention,” “what we have to say is of significance.”

We’re also directed in this section to the source of Gentile blessing, because it is evident from this passage that the blessing of God upon Gentiles is due to the ministry of the servant of Jehovah.  Twice this is mentioned in the passage.  We read in the 18th verse, “And we shall show judgment to the Gentiles,” and then again in verse 21, “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”

Sometimes, we who live in the Western world, and who have been the recipients of influence from Protestant Christianity for many, many generations, do not realize that we are ultimately dependent upon the Nation Israel for our blessings.  Now, we are particularly indebted to the Nation Israel, because our Lord Jesus was of the seed of David according to the flesh.  And it is He himself who said that salvation was of the Jews.  So we should never forget the fact that the blessings we have as Gentile believers, these blessings are ultimately traceable to the purpose of God through our Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.  So here we have, again, that the source of our blessing is the Lord Jesus, of the seed of David according to the flesh.

And then we are reminded of the third theme.  And that theme is that today is the day of the servant’s longsuffering, but there is coming a time in which the meek and gentle Jesus will become the furious Jesus, and shall execute His judgment and justice upon the disbelievers of that future time.  We read in the 20th verse, for example, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and a smoking flax shall He not quench, till”, note the fact that the text of Scripture says “till” suggests quite strongly that the time is coming when He will break bruised reed, and He will quench the smoking flax.  So we are taught that today is the day of His longsuffering, the day of His gentleness, and the day of His meekness, but there is coming a time when the judgment of God in retribution will be poured out upon men.

And though men do not like to think of the doctrine of retributive judgment, it is taught very plainly in the word of God.

Charles VII, who deserted Joan of Arc, was advised by Accordia to destroy the black marble monument raised over the remains of the great Duke of Bedford who had died at Rouen.  And he replied, “Let him repose in peace and be thankful that he does repose.  Were he awake, he would make the stoutest among us tremble.”

Now, the Lord Jesus has been crucified and buried, and He has been raised again, and He is at the right hand of the Father.  And infidels and unbelievers and world lings and sin-lovers want to forget the fact that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead.  But He has been raised from the dead, and the thought of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus should make all who have not come to Him tremble at that reckoning day.  It is sure to come, and that theme is also set forth in this text.

The Sabbath incidents have led to the assassin’s council, described in verse 14.  The Pharisees went out and held a council against Him how they might destroy Him.  This is the culminating point of the opposition of the official religious leaders in the land to the Lord Jesus.  Everything will move very quickly now to the consummation at Calvary when He shall be put to death.

The reason that we have a great number of chapters in between is because the Lord Jesus desired to have a time in which He would instruct His disciples concerning the truths that especially would be applicable while He was no longer here in the flesh.  So in the Gospel of John, we have the great upper room discourse, and in the Gospel of Matthew, we have these great chapters on parables, for example, which is actually the next chapter that we shall study, and then the other materials to the time of the crucifixion, in which He instructs in the light of the day when He will not be here in the flesh.

Our passage begins after the Lord Jesus has come to the knowledge of this council that is held against Him.  Now whether He discovered this through some word that was spoken to Him, or whether He just knew this because He is the eternal Son, our Bible does not tell us in the other passages either.  We simply read in verse 15, “But when Jesus knew it.”  And so, He withdrew, and began to deal with those who were coming to Him in the way that He had been dealing all along in His Messianic healing ministry.

We can see from this that the plotting against the Lord Jesus does not hinder the ministry.  It does not terrify Him so that He says I will not carry out My ministry.  Now, it’s true that He seeks to avoid the publicity and He does withdraw.  He withdraws to avoid publicity, but He continues His work of performing the Messianic.  miracles This is the predetermined work that he must accomplish, and that is precisely what He does.

We’ve had several references to it in the Gospel of Matthew up to this point.  Remember, John the Baptist had a question about Him, became disturbed about Him, and sent word to Him.  And the Lord Jesus, in the 11th chapter, sent a message back through the disciples of John to John, “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see:  the blind receive their sight; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he whosever shall not be offended in Me.

He said that because He hoped that John would remember those passages from the Book of Isaiah which said that these were the very miracles which the Messiah should perform.  And so He continued His ministry in order that men may have authentication of the claims of the Son of God.

Now in this authenticating ministry, we are not to think that our Lord performed these miracles that men might believe.  Miracles do not bring people to faith in Jesus Christ.  That is evident if we study the miracles of the New Testament, and especially study the effect of the resurrection of Christ.  Miracles were simply designed to point Him out as the legitimate Messiah, and then men were to come to believe by faith in this legitimate Messiah.  So they were identifying signs.

One thing before we move on from the 15th verse, we will notice that when the multitudes followed the Lord Jesus, He healed them all.  And again, in the healing ministry of the Lord Jesus, we have everybody healed. Now this was true of the apostles when they performed their ministry, too.  They healed all.  This was true of those who had the gift, the New Testament gift of healing.  Now that gift of healing meant that everyone who was the object of that ministry would be healed.  And in the light of this, the kinds of gifts that are called healing gifts today, in which there may be some healing taking place, but not everyone is healed, in fact, the great majority are not healed, that is not a healing ministry.  What we see today, and the claims that we hear from the healers, are not valid, biblical New Testament claims of healing.  Now remember, God does heal.  He often heals without any healer.  He heals out of His own power, but the spiritual gift of healing, perhaps does not exist today.

There is time when it is God’s will for the saints to be sick.  And ultimately, there comes to every one of us, unless the Lord comes, the time when we must die.  And every one of us, has had this experience, and have not been healed.  There comes a time in our lives when we must have gray hair, and vanishing hair.  And there must come a time when we have wrinkles upon our faces and other things that indicate that the decay of old age, wrought by sin, is upon us. 

But there is no illustration in Scripture of anyone attempting to heal who had the gift of healing, and who was unable to heal by virtue of that gift that he possessed.  There are times when healing did not take place and was not attempted for other reasons.  But whenever the healing gift, true healing gift, is exercised, healings take place.  And He healed them all.

Notice again that we read, “And He healed them all.”  The biblical gifts of healing were, by which the person who possessed the gifts were able to heal all that were brought before them.  And so a percentage of thirty or forty percent in healing ministry does not mean that there is any healing gift present.  No doubt that some healings have taken place in healing meetings, but it was not because of the so-called healers, but rather because God does heal in His will.

Now in the very next verse, we have an interesting statement, the Messianic secret.  For we read that after the Lord Jesus heals the people who have come to Him, He charged them that they should not make Him known.  Now that is an interesting statement.

Since the time of the great German scholar, this has been the subject of much learned discussion.  It is very strange that the Lord Jesus, who came to reveal His Messianic identity and ministry, who came to preach that He was the king, who came to give the ministry that God had given to the ministry of the Messianic king, who came to preach, in a sense, His office, His person and work, isn’t it strange that He should hide what He came to reveal?

Would it not have seemed the primary point of good, common sense that if you were able to perform mighty miracles, could you not, on the basis of this, construct a movement that would sweep many thousands of people into possession of the faith that leads to possession of the forgiveness of sins?  Why not use that as a platform on which to construct a movement that would sweep all over the world?  It would seem to us, from our human reasoning, that that is some of the poorest methodology that one could possibly adopt:  perform a great miracle and then tell no one to say anything about it.

So, the reasons for this have provoked the scholars quite a bit.  Now, there is only explanation that has not been given, one could have said, “Well, Jesus was a predestinationist, and so He wanted them to keep quiet, because He wanted them to believe in predestination. 

Some have said, He did not wish to be a miracle worker and known as a miracle worker.  After all, would you like to be known, simply, as a miracle worker?  And so He toned down the effects of His ministry in order to keep from being known as a thaumaturgist.  Or, others have said, these were days of His humiliation.  And since they were the days of His humiliation, it would be improper for Him to advertise His ministry of healing.

Now, most of the wise interpreters of the word of God have said that there is another explanation that makes a great deal more sense.  The Lord Jesus came at a time when there was a very poor understanding of the Messianic kingdom.  The purpose of the Old Testament which prophesied that there would be a great and glorious kingdom upon the earth, the Jews had read with a great deal of relish.

The prophecies that said that the Messianic king would suffer, they evidently had not liked because they had not studied them at all.  Some had studied them, and it arrived at a doctrine of two Messiahs:  one who would come in glory and one who would suffer.  But even that was a minority viewpoint at a later time.

So, how are we to put these things together?  Well, they omitted the prophecies that had to do with His sufferings, and laid great stress upon the prophecies that had to do with His glories.  And since it was evident that one of the blessings of the Messianic king and His coming would be deliverance from the political yoke of the nations, and since the Israelites at this time were under the yoke of Rome, it was natural that they should think that the Messiah would deliver them from the yoke of Rome.

So the general Messianic viewpoint was, when the Messiah comes, He will deliver us from Rome.  Therefore, their views of the Messianic officer were false, the Messianic work.  So if the Lord Jesus had encouraged them to go out and tell of His miracles, He would have excited a false hope of deliverance of the Roman yoke at the present time.

And this false hope would have encouraged others to have the same ill-advised enthusiasm, and so a movement would have been aroused and propagated, and the end result could only be disaster because He knew that He must suffer and die before Je delivers Israel from the political yoke of outsiders.  Jerusalem must be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

And if the Lord Jesus had encouraged this enthusiasm of a false character, then, of course, He would have no time to teach the apostles the things that He needed to teach them to prepare them for this present age.  And so knowing that He must give them the instruction of the Upper Room discourse, and the instruction found in the synoptic gospels in the latter chapters, it was necessary for Him to say to them, as He performed His mighty works, do not say anything about it.  Mark says, “He strictly charged them not to say anything about it.”

That explains the reason why there is such a thing as a Messianic secret.  Well now, Matthew is a great student of the Bible.  He reads the Bible.  That probably is one reason why he was such an effective apostle, and why he was, by the Holy Spirit, given the task of writing this great gospel of the king.  And so he turns to Scripture to support this.  He says, in the 17th verse, as he discusses the Messianic style, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken Isaiah the Prophet.”

He says that in the Old Testament you could find confirmation of the fact that the Messiah would have a gentle and quiet ministry.  He will not quarrel in a wrangling and disputatious way.  He will not call everybody to debate.  He will not stir up people as popular types of miracle workers might in order to gain support in a fleshly way for their movement.  And he points us to the passage in Isaiah 42.  This is one of the great servant songs of the prophecy of Isaiah, and it is exaggerating to say these servant songs of the Old Testament, there are four definite ones; one found in Isaiah 42 which is the one that is cited here, one cited in Isaiah chapter 49, one found in Isaiah chapter 50, and one found in the greatest prophetic passage of the Old Testament in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (perhaps, perhaps one in Isaiah 61), it is not exaggerating to say that these are the greatest passages of the Old Testament revelation.  They surely are the greatest passages in the Book of Isaiah, which may be the greatest prophecy of them all.

This is the first of them.  And a great deal of learned discussion and wrangling has taken place over the interpretation, because it is such a key passage.  It’s just as we can expect; whenever a passage is a key, important passage, we can be sure there is going to be a great deal of debate over it.

In the Old Testament, you could just know ahead of time there was going to be a great deal of debate over Genesis chapter 1 and the creation.  And so, there has arisen all the controversies over evolution and creation, because that is a key revelation.  And the same is true right through the Old Testament, because in the Old Testament, we have a revelation concerning Christ.  Never forget that.  And the scholars, even if they don’t know why they’re arguing, have this sense, some kind of innate, intuitive sense of disobedience, often, that something must be done about these clear passages that prophesy the coming Redeemer.

Mr. Spurgeon used to say, “Whenever I read the Old Testament, I head straight across country to Jesus Christ.”  The Old Testament is a revelation of Christ, so the scholars have asked the question, “Is the servant a person, or is He, simply, a personification?”

If He is a personification, is he a personification of all Israel, or is he a personification of the ideal Israel?  Is he Prophet Isaiah, or is he some other prophet?  Or could it be, and the Jewish interpreters, who are responsible for the Targums, have said it is the Messiah, the servant of Jehovah, some have claimed that this is the Prophet Isaiah.  This is a very popular, modern Jewish interpretation.  The Servant of Jehovah is Isaiah.

Now think of it.  The text of Scripture says, concerning the servant, all we like sheep have gone astray.  We’ve turned, everyone, to His own way, and the Lord hath laid on (Isaiah) the iniquities of us all.  Or let us say, we have all gone astray.  We’ve turned everyone to His own way, and the Lord hath laid upon (Israel) the iniquity of us all.

You see, it cannot mean that, and in the New Testament we have the inspired interpretation.  Not only does our Lord refer these passages to Himself, the apostles refer them to the Lord Jesus.  The Apostle Paul does.  The Apostle Peter does.  Philip the Evangelist in Luke chapter 8 [sic., Acts] refers the passages to the Lord Jesus.  And the voice from heaven that says, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased,” identifies Him with the Servant of Jehovah.

The uncertainty, the very uncertainly of the scholars over the interpretation testifies against their interpretation.  There is one well-known Old Testament scholar, Ernst Zalene.  He is no longer with us in the flesh.  Professor Zalene had four different interpretations of this passage throughout his career.  In one part of his career, he said the servant was this.  In another part of his career he said, no, the servant is this.  In another part of his career he said, no, the servant is not that or that, it’s this.  And finally, to cap off his career, he gave a fourth interpretation.  So, through his career he passed through four different interpretations of the servant.

            Now, there is nothing here that would lead us to believe that anything other than Jesus Christ is the servant.  Now let’s notice a few things before. “Behold, My servant”—something unusual is to be expected, behold, look, My servant.  Now notice that He says, “My servant.”  He does not say, your servant.  The my shows that before He serves man, He is essentially the servant of God.  There is a contemporary theologian who has made quite a mark in the last 35 years.  His name is Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Bonhoeffer is especially known for his resistance to the German Nazis.

Bonhoeffer studied in the universities of Germany.  He came from a family which was involved in the ministry of the word of God.  He came to the United States.  He lectured over here.  He was in Britain.  He was fairly well-known as a young scholar, and when he came back to Germany, he came into conflict with the Nazi regime and ultimately was involved in the plot on Hitler’s life.  And as a result of this, he lost his life.

He has written some random reminiscences, Letters from Prison, and a few other volumes of works that have been collected.  He was not a finished theologian by a long shot, and consequently, some of the things that he said were quite good, and some of the things that he said have been quite bad.  But he said things in a rather unusual way, and contemporary scholars have made a great deal over him.

And he made a statement which has been put into popular language as “Jesus, the man for others.”  And if you ever listen to liberal preachers, you will find this phrase in their messages.  They will talk about Jesus, the man for others, and evangelicals, who like to listen occasionally to liberal preaching, have picked up some of these things, and they, too, occasionally, will speak about Jesus, the man for others.

There is a sense in which that is true.  But we must get our priorities right.  The Lord Jesus is the man for others.  But really, and fundamentally, He is the God for man.  And because He is the God for man, He is, before the man for others, He is the man for God.  In other words, He is the man who came to do the will of God.  Pre-eminently, His aim in life was not to please men.  Pre-eminently, His aim in life was to please the Father.  He said, “Lo, I come.  In the volume of the book it is written of Me to do Thy will, O God.”