Matthew 12:22-37
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.[i]
…34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” [ii]
If you have read your Bible, then you know who invented the idea of the “big lie.” That would be the serpent-dragon in Genesis 3. At some point in our collective human history, despots, kings, presidents, corporations, and special interest groups have used the big lie with profound effect. The big lie simply means that if you repeat a lie loudly enough and often enough, people will believe you.
The Swift corporation, faced with a glut of pork bellies, began to tell people that, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” The DeBeers company, faced with a glut of diamonds, told people, “A diamond is forever” and the diamond engagement ring was born. Some historians maintain that Nero used the big lie to blame Christians for the fire that destroyed Rome. Adolf Hitler used it when he blamed Germany’s post-world-war-I economic troubles on the Jews.
An effective big lie needs to be simple and repeatably catchy, like the one we see here in Matthew 12:22-27. Jesus had healed another demon oppressed man, one who had been blind and mute, and the Pharisees denounced his power by repeating (only louder this time; see: 9:34) that he was getting his power from the devil. “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” The Pharisees grew louder and bolder because Jesus continued to display his unquestionable authority. He performed another dramatic exorcism, and the common people began to speculate that Jesus might actually be “the Son of David,” the Messiah. It is likely that the Pharisees on hand were beginning to fear they were losing their grip on the people.
Of course, their big lie would not go over in our culture whose bestselling books and most popular TV shows and movies are about wizards, witches, ghosts, zombies, and vampires. Our culture considers itself too scientifically sophisticated for such a concept as a real Satan and a real demonic realm. Even modern Christian culture doesn’t seem to have a grip on the idea. Television and Internet preachers often overemphasize the demonic, pronouncing God’s judgment based on their own opinions of specific sins causing specific natural disasters.
There is certainly a danger in overemphasizing the demonic. But there is a greater danger in underemphasizing and underestimating what Paul says in Ephesians 2:1-4 about the devil. Paul wrote that he is “the Prince of the power of the air… now at work in the sons of disobedience” and that we fight not simply against flesh and blood but against “the schemes of the devil… against the cosmic powers… against the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:10-12).
Jesus took the devil seriously. In John 12:31 and 14:30, Jesus called him “the ruler of this world.” The devil is the ruler of those who dismiss the rule of Christ. He is the ruler of this fallen world. In our text this morning Jesus plainly states that there is a devil, that he has a kingdom, and that such a kingdom has power and influence in this world. And he affirms the belief that diseases and decisions (and perhaps disasters) can be influenced by demons.
And Jesus believes, so it seems from his illustration in verse 29, that the world is not merely lost (on a deserted island with little hope of rescue) but is held as a prisoner of war. Apart from Christ’s rescue mission all human beings are bound by the supernatural strongman, the great serpent-dragon. That is the first thing to note this morning. There is a biblical worldview, a way of looking at the world, that really might be descriptive of the way the world works.
ONE MIRACLE, THREE THEMES
Let’s explore this exorcism. “Then a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw” (12:22). Matthew’s description of this event is remarkably brief. It is short but significant. It’s significant for several reasons. First, it is another display of Jesus’ power. Think about it. Perhaps you know someone who is blind or mute.
We’re not suggesting that every blind person and every mute person in our own day is oppressed by demonic forces. I couldn’t begin to tell you what the signs of demonic oppression would look like in such a case. But this man’s symptoms were obvious even to the Pharisees. Apparently, this was not an unusual occurrence in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when the dark realm was in an all-out, open war with the Son of God. With that theological disclaimer out of the way, wouldn’t you want to have the power to heal a friend or loved one in such a terrible situation? Jesus has that power. That’s what this crowd, including the Pharisees, witnessed.
Verse 15 says Jesus performed many miracles, that many followed him and that he healed them all. But this particular miracle of healing of this demon oppressed man makes it into Matthew’s story line. Maybe this story was the most spectacular of the day, or maybe it is the perfect parable for the discussion that follows. Actually, both things are true. It’s a real, powerful miracle, but it is also a symbolic one.
In verses 23-37 there are three main themes: sight, speech, and supernatural spiritual powers. And sight is the most subtle theme. The crowd sees Jesus for who he is. Or they are at least open to the possibility that he is the Messiah (24:23). But the Pharisees are blind to Jesus, forcing them to allege that Jesus is the sidekick or subordinate of the devil himself.
In addition to the theme of sight and blindness, we have the themes of speech and supernatural spirits. Notice how much talking is talked about:
Including words like “spoke,” “said,” “tell,” “speak” and “speaks,” “word” and “words,” “blasphemy,” and “mute,” [there are] seventeen words that talk about talking. And this theme of speech builds as Jesus speaks, especially in verses 31–37, which ends with these words on words, “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”[iii]
The man Jesus cured was blind and mute. He lacked sight and speech. But the root of those problems was his demon oppression. That’s the third and most important theme. There are two kingdoms depicted in this text. On one side we have “Satan” or “Beelzebul” (which is a slang word for Satan that literally means “Lord of the flies”), his “demons” (mentioned five times), “evil” (mentioned four times), and even “vipers”— “you brood of vipers” (a subtle reference to the snake of Genesis).
On the other side we have the “the Son of Man” (Jesus) and “the kingdom of God” (the Father) and most critical to this text, “the Holy Spirit.” The Trinity! The Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—is mentioned at Jesus’ baptism (3:16, 17), mentioned here, and then mentioned again and finally at the Great Commission (28:19). So here we have, in one corner, the devil and his many minions and in the other corner the Trinity—one God in three persons. The power of our good God versus all the derivative powers of evil.[iv]
If the Bible’s theology and history do not move you to praise Christ, then at least take note of its artistry. The first Gospel is artistically excellent. This miracle, this one short but significant miracle, sets everything in motion. So, let’s examine that motion. Verse 22 describes the miracle. Verse 23 describes the people’s reaction (wondering if he is the Son of David). The Pharisees hear the murmur in the crowd, and they respond in verse 24 with an angry denial and the big lie. We can imagine them scrambling for a quick answer.
They don’t doubt the exorcism. Their reaction is actually testimony to the historicity of this miracle. Jesus was no amateur magician, or they would have said so. He was doing inexplicable miracles that no one had seen before (raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, etc.). The Pharisees knew that Jesus had power. They saw the hand of God. But they hardened their hearts. They refused to be drawn into Christ’s Kingdom.
Other than the miracles, Jesus was doing everything opposite of what they expected Messiah to do. He did not offer or endorse a program of national liberation. And he associated with the enemy (a Roman centurion) and with the social and religious outcasts (tax collectors and sinners). Additionally, he blatantly violated long held rabbinic rules and made his own preposterous claims.
He claimed to be greater than David, greater than the temple, possessing the authority to forgive sins and inviting people to have Sabbath rest in him. The Pharisees could not and did not deny his power and supernatural authority. But they absolutely would not accept it to be the supernatural power of YHWH. So, it had to be the supernatural power of Satan.
In verses 22-24 we have the miracle and two reactions. There is a positive reaction and a negative reaction. Then in verses 25-27 we find Christ’s rebuttal of the false accusation. In those two verses Jesus gives two logical rebuttals, one choice, and two gracious warnings.
First, let’s look at the two logical rebuttals. They are logical because Jesus doesn’t use scripture as he did in verses 3-7 or shared human sympathy as he did in verses 11,12. Here he uses a reductio ad absurdum in 12:25,26. Knowing their thoughts by either divine intuition or by human observation, Jesus tells them not to be absurd:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Jesus gives three scenarios, moving from kingdom to city to house. Each one is an increasingly smaller picture of a society. Jesus invites them to use their brains. What sense would it make for the devil to empower someone to deliver people from devils? What sense would it make for him to want to see human beings healthy in body, mind, and spirit?
His next argument, in verse 27, again asks them to engage their rational minds: “27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.” By whose power do the followers of the Pharisees cast out demons? If their underlings can perform little exorcisms and none doubt it is of God, then when Jesus performs his super-exorcisms, you better know that he is playing for God’s team. So, in verse 28, Jesus says, “28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The Son of David has come. The eternal Kingdom of the eternal God has broken its way through into the shadow lands of enslaved humanity!
Jesus then gives a second rebuttal in a more parabolic form. At the end of this chapter, Jesus will begin to speak entirely in parables. Here he says: “29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” The strong man is Satan. The house is his kingdom (the world). And his goods are those people under his influence. Jesus is the one who breaks down the front door, ties up the strongman, and delivers the hostages. He plunders the house of the devil’s goods.
Jesus is not lounging on his heavenly couch. He is on the front line kicking down the devil’s door and setting the captives free! This incarnational attack began at his birth. His first victory was won in the wilderness when tempted by the serpent-dragon, his most decisive victory won on the cross, and his final victory is yet to come when he returns. So far from belonging to Satan’s kingdom and using Satan’s power, Jesus has (and will) attack that kingdom and overcome its power.
Verses 25-29 show us Jesus’ two logical rebuttals. Then, in the middle of our text (the theological and structural center) we are given a choice. Jesus announces in verse 30, “30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Jesus offers one choice. You either see him to be the Son of David, the promised earthly Messiah, and Son of Man, and so choose him as King, or you reject him.
There is no neutral ground. If you reject Christ, you are in hostile, enemy territory. There are only two kingdoms and one choice. Stay right where you are, call it your own kingdom, your own little “kingdom of me” (if that makes you feel better or safer), and think of yourself as Mr. Middle-of-the-Road or Ms. Broadminded. In reality, you are a citizen of a dark and chaotic kingdom. You are without Christ and without hope. Jesus dispels the myth of religious neutrality.
The steady rise of the scientific worldview makes it difficult for many to believe in demons and demonic activity without being able to test it in a lab. The rise of pluralism makes it difficult for many to believe that Jesus is the only way to God. We don’t live in a religious bubble. Not only can we learn about other religions by reading, traveling, or surfing the Internet, but also by sitting down at the school cafeteria or coffee shop or listening to our coworkers or fellow students, who come from various parts of the world and believe vastly different things about the world.
The claims of Jesus are the claims of Jesus. We either believe them or we don’t. What he said in verse 30 is either true or false. We can reimagine Jesus into our own image, twisting and turning his words to sound like our own. If you don’t believe Jesus ever existed, why call yourself a Christian at all? Don’t call yourself a Christian if you think Jesus didn’t die for your sins and rise for your justification. Don’t call yourself a Christian if you believe obeying Christ’s commands are optional. And don’t call yourself a Christian if you think there are many ways to God. At the very least, to be a Christian is to take Jesus at his word. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (24:30). Those are the words of God!
In verses 25-29 we have seen Jesus’ logical rebuttals against the accusation of the Pharisees. In verse 30, Jesus stated the one choice every human being must make. Finally, we have two gracious warnings in verses 31-37 regarding the choice Jesus sets before us. The first warning is in verses 31, 32 and the second in verses 33-37.
Here is the first warning in verses 31-32:
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 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.
I’m willing to bet if you were listening even a little bit you heard that severe warning. Jesus is talking about committing some sin that cannot be forgiven. What is gracious about this warning? We’ll get to that shortly. But first let’s try and define what this phrase means: “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.”
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was attributing to Satan the Messianic miracles accomplished by the power of God during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry. It is a combination of clear knowledge and deliberate rejection of Christ. The Pharisees could clearly see who Jesus is, and yet there was a hatred in their hearts for God. It is a recognition and knowledge of the light, a hatred of it, accompanied by a persistent effort to put out the light. It was a particular sin committed at a particular point in salvation history when Messiah was performing long-prophesied Messianic miracles.
Both the demonized man and the Pharisees were captives of evil. But only one of them experienced grace. Satan is far too greedy to ever lose willingly any of his worshippers. Only messianic power could plunder Satan’s goods. Seeing Jesus exercise the power of the Holy Spirit to do so and rejecting it as a work of the devil was willful blindness, deliberate rejection, and a blatant insult to the recreative work of the Holy Spirit and his ministry of grace.
A few times in my own ministry I have encountered people who feared they have committed this sin. The mere fact that someone is worried about this is a sure sign that they have not. If you could be, in this age, someone who has committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, you would not care in the least about the state of your soul because you would have passed the point of no return (Hebrews 12:17). You would have hardened your own heart to the point where you could never repent no matter how obvious the evidence, even if a dead man were to rise again on the third day.
So, what is gracious about this warning? First Jesus is telling them that the time is now for them to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in and through Messiah and to hear Messiah’s warnings about it. They had the opportunity to hear God’s announcement of salvation for all, they had begun to see the mighty Messianic works, and for them it stirred up hatred rather than repentance. For all that, Jesus merely warns them about the unpardonable sin. He doesn’t accuse them of having committed it. That is what’s gracious about his warning!
Twice Jesus uses the phrase “will not be forgiven” to refer to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But also notice the phrase “will be forgiven” is also repeated twice. Then notice the word “every” in verse 31. Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven. Every crime with which you could be charged will be forgiven. Cheating on that exam will be forgiven. Abortion will be forgiven. Lying under oath will be forgiven. Gossiping will be forgiven. What about loving money more than God? Every sin will be forgiven. What about murder? Every sin will be forgiven.
Here is the second gracious warning. In 24:33-37, Jesus says:
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus calls the Pharisees children of snakes (again, a reference to the great serpent-dragon). It sounds less like a warning than it does a prophetic judgment. Jesus is announcing that God is sick of people who deny his gracious work. It is devilish to deny Jesus. It is snake talk straight from the Garden of Eden. But in verse 33 Jesus issues a call for change exemplified by change in the way they speak of Jesus resulting from a change in the way they think about Jesus. Evil words reveal evil hearts.
Only the recreative work of the Holy Spirit can change evil hearts into new hearts. You must be born again, born of the Spirit. Jesus is issuing a call to repentance and conversion. This is a gracious warning. Trust into Christ and his Spirit will produce good fruit in you. Reject Christ and expect judgment. That’s the essence of Jesus’ warning. Paul has a similar warning for the post-resurrection church:
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. [v]
[i] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 12:22–28.
[ii] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 12:34–37.
[iii] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth (Preaching the Word) (p. 329). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
[iv] Id.
[v] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 2:6–15.
