Matthew 12:22–32Scripture
Everybody turn your Bibles this morning to Matthew.
We're going to be looking at chapter 12. Bruce is downstairs. Pastor Bruce is downstairs. He's preaching this Scripture to the children. For all you who are teachers in the children's department, you owe him a steak dinner for falling on the sword and taking this portion of text for you. So, you can let him know that I said that for it is a challenging portion of text for those of you who have already been in it and discuss it in your small group. How many of you know that to be true? It is not an easy one. Now go tell your 8-year-old about blaspheming against the spirit since you know understand it so well and it hasn't been problematic for the church for decades.
It's interesting. I want to do this. It's going to be very different. I don't want to read the whole section today. Our assignment is verse 22 through 32. I want to start at 31. I want to I want to read 31 and 32 for I really truly believe this is the point of the text. My the sermon of my the title of my sermon I think is extrapolated out of this. I think they do pretty well. When you move back above verse 22, you can see that they titled this themselves here. Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. That really is the crux of the issue today.
It is very easy for us to zero in on different words that f that we fancy. But at the end of the day that's what is the author is intending to
Introduction
communicate today. Verse 31 since this is the crux of the issue says therefore I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people. Pause.
We serve a forgiving, loving, merciful heavenly father.
That's extremely important. Now, we have to zero in on the fact that there is a verse 32, but I think it's important for that to be prefaced by every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, people, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the son of man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come.
And oh how that concerns my heart. To understand this text. We need to really kind of unpack what happens in verse 22 through verse 30. And I'm going to attempt to do that this morning. Although there's many challenging things to deal with. I will say this, and maybe this is off topic to a degree, but we live in a generation particularly now, and maybe it's not unique to us. I think we tend to talk about our culture to such a degree that we assume that every other culture has not wrestled with the same things we wrestle with most often in life. What we deal with is not unique to our not only our culture but this generation.
It's not unique. Things cycle through cultures and what we deal with today is very similar than what we've dealt with for our whole life.
But we particularly speaking of us today in our culture and in this generation, we are enamored with the miracles of God, the miraculous.
The point of the miraculous was not that you would be enamored with miracles. The point of miracles is that you would be enamored with Christ.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 4:40
Yes. And when you miss that, you chase something that God never intended you to chase.
This Scripture here in verse 31 has been used to shame people for questioning any miracle, for applying any form of discernment in your life. But there are some people who claim the miraculous and it's as bad as claiming that the works of God is from Satan when you claim that the works of Satan are from God.
I think that's important because improper attribution of something does not give glory where glory is due.
We must apply discernment.
The attack here against the Pharisees is not that they were discerning. It was that they were hardened and unrepentant.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 5:52
And that's the crux of the issue that they were hardened and unrepentant. And I would encourage each of you to consider, are you so hardened that you fail and refuse to repent and turn your life to Christ?
But the really the issue today is that we would not miss him. That we would not miss him. Matthew 12:31-32 contains what I believe to be one of the most sobering warnings Jesus ever gave in Scripture.
Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, people, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not. What is this sin? The answer begins with one word in verse 31. There for and Jesus warns warning grows directly out of what has just happened. Verse 22 through 30 explain verse 31 and 32. Listen the miracle that just happened in verse 22 that we read about that miracle is undeniable.
There is no question about what just happened. Now this becomes difficult for us in a world where there is many professions of miracles that can be denied that can be questioned and we wonder was that really God or was it not really God? I'm not sure but I don't want to be a God denier.
Where manifestations happen all the time. We're not certain whether at that worship service whether that was true gold or the whether it was gold glitter. We don't know.
Where's the facts? I'm not sure. This was not one of those. It was undeniable. We know that he showed up. Let me tell you know, it's a miracle. We don't wonder if the toes grew. We saw the arm that wasn't there reappear.
The arm wasn't and the arm is. And there is a way to follow the facts to determine if it's true. Right. And just in case you didn't know, if you look at the text any amount of time, there was no one in that place that denied that what happened had happened. There was no questioning. There was no need for discernment. There was no wondering. There was no division between the left side and the right about whether or not that miracle actually took place. They all admitted it took place, but the way that they dealt with it was different. So there was true elimination, true revelation, true acknowledgment that he had shown up in ways that were impossible and could be only attributed to God himself.
That's good news. And so for us to understand this, we have to remove ourself out of our current cultural context where miracles have become a silly thing and move it to a place where this is unique and different to our culture.
The miracle was undeniable. It's significant. Its significance was becoming unmistakable. And the Pharisees knew it had happened. Yet they deliberately, and this is how we know that they believed it happened. They actually attributed the spirit empowerment and empowered work to Satan. And everything in the text builds to this moment.
Point 1The evidence was unmistakable
So let's look at it together. Number one. Oh, I got to that I feel like pretty quick. At least it felt like I did. Good job, buddy. Good job. The evidence was unmistakable. It was unmistakable. Matthew 12:22-23 then a demon-puppressed man was blind and mute and he was brought to him and Jesus healed him so that man spoke and saw and all the people were amazed and they said can this be the son of David?
Let me rephrase that. Is this the longawwaited Christ?
Now, if I'm raising my children and I want them to acknowledge something, when they begin to acknowledge it, truth, I celebrate that. I rejoice in my heart because they see. They once could not see, but now they're beginning to see. Oh, how beautiful that is.
If I have someone and one of my children are blind, they begin to see that I think I can see things. Not so well. It's not fully clear, but I beginning to see a clear image here manifest. I would rejoice.
But
Not everyone in the room rejoices when someone can begin to see clearly.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 12:23
There are some who rejoice and there are some who do not.
A demon-puppressed man is brought to Jesus. He's blind. He cannot speak. Jesus heals him completely. And then the man sees and speaks and the demon is gone. And no one denies it happened. The Pharisees never claimed the miracle was fraudulent. As I said earlier, the argument assumes that Jesus actually cast out the demon. The question is not whether some something supernatural occurred. The question is what does this miracle mean?
The crowd figures it out quickly. Is this the son of David? This is messianic language. God promises a coming king from David's line. 2 Samuel 7 12-13.
I will raise up your offspring after you shall come from your body. I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
This is what they knew and they began to wonder if he is that king and this is his kingdom which has come to earth.
The prophets also associated God's saving work with miracles like these. Isaiah 35:5-6, which we've heard often in our discussion on Sunday mornings in our Bible study. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
That's why I believe so many deer keep running through the panes of our glass and trying to get into the house of God. And it hasn't happened just once. My grandfather said, "How is it that you're on the main drag in Pleasant Hill and you have so many deers running through the glass?" Said, "as the deer pants for the water, so their soul longs for him." I thought it was hilarious, but the same reaction I got from you this morning, I got from everyone else.
And the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy. He has come. He has drawn near. Could this be him? Is this him? Jesus himself already pointed to these same works that are prophesied in Isaiah in Matthew 11:4-5 when he sent word to John. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised.
I am he, the long awaited king. The people are beginning to connect the pieces to identify the evidence. Could this be him? And this begins to alarm the Pharisees.
The miracle was undeniable and it was pointing unmistakably towards Christ.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 16:42
And the Pharisees didn't like it.
Point 2The accusation was deliberate
Number two, the accusation was deliberate. Matthew 12:24, "but when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "this right here is only by Beelub. This is a, you know, that's a Philistine God, the lord of the flies, like little legitimately, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons. And notice what provokes their response. They hear the crowd asking whether Jesus is who he says he is. They see where the evidence is leading.
So they offer another explanation.
They do not say it never happened. They say it happened by Satan.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 17:47
That's brutal, man. That distinction is central to the passage. It's what he talks about the entire time. He is presenting a defense against this way of thinking and this accusation.
They acknowledge supernatural activity. They acknowledge that demons have been cast out. But rather than acknowledging that Jesus is who he says he is, they identify him with Satan.
The crowd is moving towards the son of David. The Pharisees attempt to redirect them by saying that he's the prince of demons to try to prevent them from being swayed that direction. Oh man. There's nothing worse than you trying to buffet someone who's turning to Christ. There's nothing worse than that. This is more than private unbelief. They are actively trying to turn others away from the conclusion all of the evidence proves.
John 3:19 is good for this. And this is the judgment. The light has come into the world and people love darkness rather than light because their works are evil.
Their problem here is not insufficient light. Their problem here is they have a heart that loves darkness.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 19:48
That's their problem. They could not deny the miracle. So what do they do? They slander the source of the miracle.
Point 3Jesus reveals the true source
All right. Number three. Woo. I'm really moving. Jesus reveals the true source. Amen. Matthew 12:25-29. Jesus now dismantles their accusation. First, their explanation contradicts itself. Let me break this down this way because I don't want to do all of 25 and 29. It's a lot. It's a lot. Let's do it this way. Matthew 12:25-26 says this. Every kingdom divided against itself is laid to waste.
So he's presenting a defense of why his work don't come from the power of Satan.
If a kingdom is trying to build itself, it don't attack itself.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 21:03
That's that's his whole thing he's trying to do is he's saying, "Y'all be crazy." Sorry, that was really too hip for the pulpit. You know what I mean? And grammatically incorrect.
If Satan in powers Jesus to destroy Satan's work, Satan is destroying his own kingdom.
Jesus has come and he is liberating people from oppression, from illness, and demons flee.
When he shows up on the scene, they don't bow because the Lord Satan is there. They flee because this is an opposing force that is more powerful than that which is before him.
Captives are released.
The kingdom of darkness is losing ground. Why would Satan empower the one dismantling his dominion one person at a time?
Pastor Shawn Gray · 22:15
This accusation is irrational. Then Jesus exposes their inconsistency in the next verse in verse 27. And if I cast out demons by be elabub, by whom do your sons cast out demons? Their own religious circles, scribes and the Pharisees contained people in that day who claimed to perform exorcisms.
Yet they did not automatically whenever they did that identify the people in their own circles as being workers of Satan when they did so. He talks about that the standard though changes when it's not the scribes and Pharisees their accusation come at him but when it's them it's good when it's him it's bad when it's them it's it's good of God when it's him it's not.
You ever been somebody like that? Whatever you do is good, but whenever someone else does it's evil. That's too personal.
That's too personal. I know. I don't like it.
The problem is not what Christ does. The problem is who Christ is.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 24:08
Today in this generation I met very few people that will deny prayer. I've met many people that deny Christ.
I've met very I've met I've met I've met so many people who when they have cancer, when they have issues, when they have illnesses, when they have a death in the family, when somebody is on their deathbed, they will come to somebody who's a believer and they will ask for prayer. They will want God to move. They want the miracle.
Void of the God of the miracle. The problem is Christ. And then Jesus identifies the true source. In verse 28, track with me. Here's here's the source of his power. It is not the source of Satan. That's not the source of his power. He tells them what the source of his power is. But if it is by the spirit of God that I cast out demons, that's the source of his power. Yes.
Then the kingdom of God has come upon you. This is the key verse. Jesus tells us exactly whose power is at work. The spirit of God, not the spirit of this age. The Pharisees said, and can I just say this? The Holy Spirit illuminates.
Maybe this gets us off topic. Where in the Bible do you see an angel show up and people are like, "I missed him.
Are you with me? He illuminates. And when the Holy Spirit shows up and does something, we see clearly what's happening. The issue is that not that we don't see, it's that we love darkness. That's the issue. The Pharisees say this is Satan. Jesus says this is the spirit of God. Now we see why the warning about blasphemy flows.
They have taken the unmistakable work of the Holy Spirit through Christ and identified it with the devil. And Jesus says this spirit empowers victory.
Empowered victory demonstrates that the kingdom of God has come upon you. And then he explains it with the strong man sentence that has got us all confused.
Maybe not all, but many in verse 29. How can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man?
Let me just break this down for you real simply.
Satan is strong. He's really strong. I probably wouldn't get in a duel with him. But Jesus is stronger.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 27:40
Yes.
It's hard to tie up a strong man unless you're stronger. And that's the imagery here. We're dealing with something that's come against us that's stronger than we can handle. Sin is stronger than we can deal with and handle. Satan and his workers of iniquity are stronger than we can deal with and handle. Who can stand against him? Christ is stronger. He's stronger.
If I'm going to be bound to anybody in this world, I want to be bound to him.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 28:41
If I'm going to be a slave to anybody in this world, I'll be a slave to him. Some of us sit in this room today and we say, "How can I overcome? Sin is so strong. How can I overcome? I came to talk to you today about a one who is stronger and can bind the unbindable.
He can save you from impossible situations. He is Christ our Lord.
Which are you today? How do you see him today? Is he the Messiah that you've been waiting for or not?
Jesus is not cooperating with Satan. He's conquering him.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 29:53
Colossians 1:13, he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and he has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. Praise God.
Yeah. 1 John 3:8. The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
What they called satanic was actually the spirit of God revealing the victory of the son.
Point 4Jesus names the blasphemy
Number four, Jesus names the blasphemy. Matthew 12:30, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Whoever does not gather with me scatters. If I were to say this, come here. So here's what Jesus is saying. Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Who are you? Do you stand beside him and say come to Jesus? Come to the Messiah. Come to the one who can set you free. Come to Christ. He is everything.
Or do you try to scatter people away from him like the Pharisees? Do you stand beside Jesus and say, "Come gather at the feet of the one who can set you free." Or do you try to scatter people away from their only hope?
This is why it's really important when we get to verses like
Be mindful of every word that proceeds from your mouth because every word is either gathering or scattering.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 31:51
Every action is gathering or scattering. Every intention of the heart is either gathering or scattering. This is serious. It was all fun and games until Jesus showed up. And now it's serious.
What they called satanic was actually the spirit of God revealing the victory of the son.
This is the conclusion of Jesus' argument. The spirit is working through Christ. The kingdom has come. Satan is being defeated. The Pharisees are actively attempting to turn people away from the king. And then Jesus says this, his whole point. Therefore, I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, people, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not.
Whoever speaks against the son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not. Again, notice the therefore Jesus is responding to what they have just done.
They have witnessed the spirit's unmistakable testimony concerning Christ. They know the supernatural work that has occurred. They understand people are connecting that work with the Messiah and they deliberately identify that work as satanic. That is the immediate context of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is not an accidental thought.
It is not a sincere question. It is not a doubt. It is not confusion. It is deliberate slander against the Holy Spirit in the face of extraordinary revelation concerning Christ.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 34:13
This is not confusion.
This is denial. Why is it unforgivable? And notice where Jesus begins. Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people. Praise God.
We are a blaspheming generation. Yes. Paul even said as of himself that he blasphemed the son when he denied him as Jesus predicted.
Pause. We serve a merciful father.
And
You do not deserve his mercy, but he loves you more than what you deserve.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 35:21
Psalms 855. For you, oh Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who will call upon you. Paul said of himself in 1 Timothy, which I referenced just a minute ago, 1 Timothy 1:13, "though formerly I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent opponent, even I receive mercy." That's crazy.
So ordinary blasphemy can be forgiven. The problem is the heart and condition revealed here is not ordinary blasphemy. The Holy Spirit is testifying to the Savior and they deliberately identify his testimony with Satan.
The very revelation intended to lead them to Christ is what they reject and slander. And listen,
The terror of this passage, it's not that God refuses the repentant sinner. The terror is a heart can become so hardened that it refuses to repent.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 36:59
How do we get there? How does that happen? Scripture tells us it can. I believe this is a PS. It doesn't fully fit into this text. And if Kirk sent me the outline, I might ask him to remove it.
It's a PS, but I think we need to say it today. This text is sometimes misused to frighten Christians who question claimed supernatural manifestations today specifically. So, I'm presenting with you for you today something off the bow to be mindful of with this text.
This is not what's happening here. The Pharisees were not trying to determine whether the miracle was genuine. They knew it was biblical. Track with me. I'm going to say this quick. Biblical discernment is commanded in Scripture.
Acts 17:11, they received the word with all eagerness, but they examined the Scriptures daily to see if those things were actually. So, it was not a denial, it was an examination.
Are you with me today? 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. Do not quench the spirit. Check the next word because that's all people quote. Don't quench the spirit. Don't quench the spirit. Better not quench a spirit. Right. Read the next part. Do not despise prophecies. Read the next part. But test everything. Yes. Amen. Well, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Isn't that denying the Holy Spirit? No, it's testing. Test the what? Spirits.
Hold fast to what is good. 1 John 4:1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. How do you do that? Whoa. Whoa. But isn't that isn't that blasphemy against the spirit to question anything that people call the spirit?
Testing a spiritual claim is not what Jesus condemns here. That's why when someone comes to you and said God said you don't have to just acquies and be like okay are you with me today.
The Pharisees were not testing the light. They knew what had happened and deliberately called light darkness.
Pastor Shawn Gray · 40:32
That is very different than my PS and what it says.
God has drawn near.
36:16
34:03
40:58Now playing
43:06
38:28
36:29
53:31
46:21
50:56
50:14
50:59
50:16
50:33
1:01:14
55:11
58:45
48:40
53:36
50:01
48:24
46:58
53:46
48:09
47:47
48:22
48:05
49:51
44:16
43:00
36:15
31:13
52:55
50:14
58:33
49:41
46:19
44:54
43:02
38:08
30:23
45:14
45:45
44:48
38:14
45:30
43:08
26:04
47:18
37:25
30:49
43:11
47:01
40:41
44:50
33:29
53:32