Matthew Chapter 12 Verses 22 – 23

• Now this amazes me in a way because the multitude, the city, the region, all of Israel had heard of and seen Jesus in action! Performing outrageous miracles like when he cast the demon out of the man that was mute! They had seen him heal the men that had been blind since birth! A huge crowd followed him to the home of deceased young girl and they watched as Jesus went into the house and brought out with Him the girl…alive! And yet, just now, they ask this question. Could this be the One!?
• How many things have you seen, heard and know and yet maybe you’re still not living for the Lord? My question to them and to you is, what more do you want? Not sure of that answer. What more do you need? I’m sure of this answer…nothing more…and yet you may say, “Just one more sign.” Really, if what He has given and shown and spoken to you already isn’t enough, one more won’t be enough either…we’ll see that from the Pharisees later in this chapter…

Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 24

• Now this is interesting and it may be a little wacky but remember when Jesus said this back in Matthew Chapter 10, two chapters ago…Matthew Chapter 10 verse 25…Jesus said, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” Here’s the thing though, at the time Jesus said this, we had not yet seen or heard Jesus called this…Now I know this shows up in Mark Chapter 3 and Matthew gets his timing all jumbled but check this out…
• It could be that when Jesus said that in chapter 10 that the disciples looked around and may of even gotten heated saying, “We’ve not heard that! Who’s calling You the Lord of the Flies!” But here, two chapters later, what do they call Him? I just love this theological, doctrinal fact…this scriptural gift…that God knows what will happen before it happens…and in His Word man He has revealed not only what is on the horizon globally but also exactly, precisely what will happen personally…the rules of engagement right here for us to find out…do this, this will happen…do this…that will happen…always true! This passage just reminded me of that and knowing how true that is…gives me great confidence in the Word.

Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 25

• Fully man and yet fully God…I love this so much! He doesn’t jump down their throats screaming and beating into them, “I ain’t no Lord of the Flies, sucka! I pity the fool….!” HA! No, Jesus is God and therefore He looks not at the outward man but at the inward man…and in that, He answers their hearts…He answers their unspoken meanings and their real issues…He doesn’t react to their slander and man oh man we should take notes. Don’t be so quick to react to the “what” of what you hear when someone speaks against you but ask God to calm your heart, focus on Him and His ways and ask Him to show you the “why” of what you hear…you will settle many more issues and help many more people…first and foremost, yourself…
• Now it could be that Jesus is just using thought x-ray vision which He certainly can do…I mean He is God…but at any rate what He says is profound…every city or house divided against itself cannot stand…The frame and the walls of the house fighting…how can the house stand? Precisely why we must make every effort to strive for unity in our homes, in our marriages, in our churches…because the enemy knows that if he can divide from within, the house will fall…
• Contextually and practically He is refuting their statement and their thought that they have wrongly concluded…that He is evil. How or why would evil cast out evil…? Makes no sense…and this rap battle switches back to the Pharisees as they know they have been once again overwhelmed by the wisdom of Jesus!

Matthew Chapter 12 Verses 26 – 28

• Whoa! That was a “you better recognize” statement! He is very clearly placing before them the necessity to make a decision…either Jesus is straight up evil or He is straight up God and He is being very clear…He is the Kingdom of God Himself!

Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 29

• I love this! What Jesus is basically saying is that He has the authority to not only bind Satan like he’s nothing but He is ‘fixin to PLUNDER Satan’s house! Where did Satan set up shop? Right here on earth…taking captive all of mankind through sin, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)…the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4)…and yet Jesus has come to shine the light, to proclaim the truth and to set folks free! Anyone who would come to Him! He has come to plunder the house of Satan!
• Listen, not only in terms of souls (although that is the ultimate plundering) but in terms of what Satan wants to do with your life! To steal and to destroy! Jesus has come, if you’ll let Him, to lead you into life! To get it back! To rebuild and keep built that which is good…I just love that statement by Jesus!!!

Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 30

• Whoa! That is a dividing statement isn’t it!? But one we have to consider and take absolutely seriously! Which are you? Well, how do you know? If you are with Him, you will be gathering with Him! And that sounds a little weird but in the Greek, that word “gathering” is “synago” which literally means…you will be together with Him, synonymous with Him…your heart will be a synonym to His…or you will, as the translators have given us, scatter abroad. One word in the Greek, skorpizo which literally means to be driven by some other impulse…something other than the Lord…that certainly clears things up now doesn’t it?

Matthew Chapter 12 Verses 31 – 32

• This is known biblically as the “unpardonable sin.” And Jesus brings it up now because these Pharisees are basically saying that the very Spirit of God, by which Jesus casts out these demons, they are calling the Holy Spirit unclean. And so what is it (the unpardonable sin)? Well, simply put it is the rejection of the Holy Spirit. This is the ultimate impasse, the single most important choice that any man or woman will ever make, must make and for real every man and woman that is alive, has ever lived and ever will live, will make this choice.

• Receive the truth of Jesus Christ as revealed, preached, testified, shown, urged…all that, by the Holy Spirit, or deny the work of the Holy Spirit in your life and remain in your sin…remain driven by the flesh and the impulses and weakness of sin…demanding just one more sign that in truth will do nothing for you…