22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed,
blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke
and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could
this be the Son of David?” 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said,
“This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of
the demons.” 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every
city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided
against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by
whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of
God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house
and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will
plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he
who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Now while Jesus was healing the people and fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah the Scripture says that one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute. And Jesus healed Him so that the blind man both saw and spoke, something which left the crowds just stunned, amazed, literally “beside themselves.” And with that they started to ask, “Could this be the Son of David?” That is could this be the Promised Messiah who would come through the lineage of David. Clearly then by Jesus’ Mighty and Merciful deeds the crowds were being moved to see Jesus for who He is, and though likewise observing the very same Work of God through Christ, the Pharisees upon hearing the crowds asking such things amongst themselves will now only seek to quell the crowds growing exuberance and potential faith In the Lord Jesus Christ by now slandering His Person. Something which Satan’s own (John 8:23, 42-44; antithesis 1 John 4:4) always try to do whenever and wherever seeds of faith are sown in this world.
Vs. 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
The Pharisees then hearing the crowds growing exuberance at what the Lord Jesus Christ had just done now say of Him, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Now this name Beelzebub (lit. ruler of flies, a reference to Satan) is an intended defamation of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person to undermine not only Him, but also quell anyone’s potential faith in choosing to follow Him, since who would want to be associated with one who casts out demons by Beelzebub, it would mean that one would be utterly outcast from the greater community. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ does not let such a slanderously evil comment about His Person go unchallenged, because the strength of any slander or lie only grows when it goes unchallenged.
Vs. 25-26 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Jesus then knowing their thoughts, not hearing their Words, but
knowing their wicked and evil thoughts about His Person and the effect they
were trying to have on the crowds by saying as much to sway them away from Him,
now says to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself
is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will
not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided
against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” Instantly then the Lord Jesus Christ refutes their slander that He was
casting out demons by “Beelzebub” because if He was then Satan would only be
casting out his demons from those whom he had already taken bondage of through
the same. And as we know Satan does not want to free anyone from his bondage or captivity,
for Satan does not come except to kill, steal, and destroy, for that is all he
is capable of (consider Isaiah 14:12-21 vs. 17; John 10:10).
Vs. 27-30 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Vs. 27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.”
In essence Jesus’ is saying to them if you charge me with casting out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? For they held that their sons were being enabled by God to cast out demons, how much more than is the Son of God also able to cast them out, since the Power and Authority to do so is His not theirs. Therefore, the Lord Jesus says to them their sons whom they justify when they do so will be their judges.
Vs. 28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Vs. 30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
Therefore, there is no excuse for anyone’s unbelief, the Lord Jesus Christ has come and has brought the Kingdom of heaven near, right to the door of every human heart (Rev. 3:20). Therefore, the Lord Jesus says there is no “neutrality” in this life, no atheism, no agnosticism, no broad road to God through whatever religious stripe you’re currently following, for God has commanded us all to come to Him through His Son alone (Acts 4:12), therefore the Lord Jesus Christ makes no provisions for anyone’s unbelief or indifference, for He warns us all, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
Commentary
Vs.
22-23
22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed,
blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke
and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could
this be the Son of David?”Now while Jesus was healing the people and fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah the Scripture says that one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute. And Jesus healed Him so that the blind man both saw and spoke, something which left the crowds just stunned, amazed, literally “beside themselves.” And with that they started to ask, “Could this be the Son of David?” That is could this be the Promised Messiah who would come through the lineage of David. Clearly then by Jesus’ Mighty and Merciful deeds the crowds were being moved to see Jesus for who He is, and though likewise observing the very same Work of God through Christ, the Pharisees upon hearing the crowds asking such things amongst themselves will now only seek to quell the crowds growing exuberance and potential faith In the Lord Jesus Christ by now slandering His Person. Something which Satan’s own (John 8:23, 42-44; antithesis 1 John 4:4) always try to do whenever and wherever seeds of faith are sown in this world.
Vs. 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
The Pharisees then hearing the crowds growing exuberance at what the Lord Jesus Christ had just done now say of Him, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Now this name Beelzebub (lit. ruler of flies, a reference to Satan) is an intended defamation of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person to undermine not only Him, but also quell anyone’s potential faith in choosing to follow Him, since who would want to be associated with one who casts out demons by Beelzebub, it would mean that one would be utterly outcast from the greater community. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ does not let such a slanderously evil comment about His Person go unchallenged, because the strength of any slander or lie only grows when it goes unchallenged.
Vs. 25-26 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Vs. 27-30 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Vs. 27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.”
In essence Jesus’ is saying to them if you charge me with casting out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? For they held that their sons were being enabled by God to cast out demons, how much more than is the Son of God also able to cast them out, since the Power and Authority to do so is His not theirs. Therefore, the Lord Jesus says to them their sons whom they justify when they do so will be their judges.
Vs. 28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was
casting out demons by the Spirit of God, freeing people anywhere at anytime totally
unencumbered by Satan or anyone else is total and complete evidence that the
Kingdom of God had come upon them. They then had no excuse for their unbelief.
Vs.
29 “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house
and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will
plunder his house.”
Again, the Lord Jesus Christ’s reasoning
is simple and irrefutable. For unless one binds the strong man (i.e. Satan) one
cannot plunder his house. Therefore, when Jesus Christ casts out demons by the
Spirit of God He is exercising His Authority and Power over Satan and all his
realm.
Vs. 30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
Therefore, there is no excuse for anyone’s unbelief, the Lord Jesus Christ has come and has brought the Kingdom of heaven near, right to the door of every human heart (Rev. 3:20). Therefore, the Lord Jesus says there is no “neutrality” in this life, no atheism, no agnosticism, no broad road to God through whatever religious stripe you’re currently following, for God has commanded us all to come to Him through His Son alone (Acts 4:12), therefore the Lord Jesus Christ makes no provisions for anyone’s unbelief or indifference, for He warns us all, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”
Therefore, I absolutely urge you to be
reconciled to God while you can, for by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you will have remission of all your sins and everlasting life, and thus YOU WILL BE conveyed
out of sins darkness and despair and brought into Kingdom of heaven's realm of light where Christ is! No longer dead
in your sins and transgressions in Satan’s realm and under his sway, influence or control doing his will, (as in your ignorance), but now a child of God regenerated and brought to life by the Spirit of God dwelling in you (John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17). Now if you need a prayer to pray to
invite the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and life pray something like this:
Dear Lord Jesus I believe you suffered and died on the Cross so that I might
have remission of all my sins and transgressions the moment I believe in You. I
also believe you rose from the grave three days after You died so that You
could bring new and everlasting life to me and all who believe in You,
justifying us forever in the Sight and Presence of God. Therefore, I now invite
You to come into my heart and life to be my Lord and Savior for my trust and
hope is in You!
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
No comments:
Post a Comment