CLICK TO LISTEN: 062 The Unpardonable Sin (Matthew 12 ,22-32)
The Unpardonable Sin
Matthew 12:22-32
August 21, 2011
As you know we are currently in the section of Matthew’s gospel where Matthew reveals the rejection of Jesus by the Jews.
We know that the simple answer is that they rejected Him
Because He was different from what they were expecting.
These people had grown up thinking that the Pharisee and Scribe and Chief Priest were the ultimate in Godliness.
That was not the case.
Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus revealed that they weren’t even close
To good enough to get to heaven.
But still this is what the average person thought Godliness looked like.
And so when Jesus came looking exactly opposite of them,
The people had difficulty believing that He was the Messiah.
That is why Matthew included that prophecy from Isaiah
That reminded us that the Messiah would indeed be
Meek and compassionate and gentle.
But Jesus was different.
And they hated Him for it.
That is what we have seen in the section on opposition.
We see people continually opposed to Him regardless of what He does.
Jesus had to be stopped.
Here, we see yet another step in their progression of hatred.
WE ALS SEE THEIR REJECTION IS GROWING IN INTENSITY.
First they were INDIFFERENT.
(Sodom was in better shape)
Then they moved from Indifference to AGGRESSION.
(Attacked Jesus credibility in regard to the Sabbath)
Being proved wrong by Jesus was more than the Pharisees could handle.
Matthew 12:14 “But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.”
Here, their rebellion even reaches greater extremes.
They go from Aggression to BLASPHEMY
Eventually they will go from Blasphemy to MURDER.
This rebellion is a tragedy.
BUT THESE MEN REFUSED TO LAY DOWN THEIR PRIDE.
Solomon was 100% correct when he said, that “Pride comes before a fall.”
That is exactly what is happening to the Pharisees,
For their pride led them to blaspheme, and seal their eternity.
So this morning, we look at the second attack of the skeptics,
We see once again that Jesus did not come to play religious games,
Or to adhere to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
#1 THE ACT
Matthew 12:22-23
Here we see how this whole event gets started.
Earlier the confrontation was started by the disciples
Picking heads of grain and eating it on the Sabbath.
This confrontation begins another way.
(22) “Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.”
JESUS CASTS OUT A DEMON THAT CAUSED BLINDNESS AND MUTENESS.
THE DEMON IS GONE, THE MAN IS HEALED.
Yet again He proves that He has power over sickness,
He has power even over Satan and his supernatural demons.
It didn’t matter when, where, how many, or what they were doing,
Jesus was able to reveal His amazing total authority over the demons.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE WERE AMAZED.
(23) All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
Now of course you know, that “The Son of David” is a messianic title,
Since the future king will reign on the throne of David.
But when Jesus performs this miracle, the crowd is amazed,
And rightly so for miracles give validity.
So there is the act.
#2 THE ATTACK
Matthew 12:24
Here again the Pharisees show up.
The crowd asked, “This man cannot be the Son of David can He?”
This is really the issue here.
There is no indication that Jesus did this on a Sabbath,
And so at least for a moment the Pharisees had to leave it alone.
But the crowd attributed His power to God,
And the Pharisees couldn’t stand that.
The crowd wants to know if Jesus is the Messiah.
And the Pharisees answered with a resounding NO!
(24) “But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
They were skeptics to the core,
But even they knew that saying no was not good enough.
There had to be an explanation of how He cast out the demon.
They couldn’t deny His power,
They wouldn’t accept its source.
So the only reasonable answer was
The demon must have been cast out by the ruler of demons.
The Pharisees knew there were two spiritual forces
With the capacity to cast out a demon.
GOD – who had authority over everything.
SATAN – who had command of his troops.
If Jesus power over demons came from God.
Then they had to submit to Him.
But if they say it wasn’t from God,
Then there was only one other option – Satan
There was no denying Jesus control was there.
So the Pharisees claimed it was from Satan.
They decided to tell everyone
That Jesus was in fact a supreme servant of Satan,
And that His casting out of demons
Was just a show meant only to deceive the people.
So first we see the act, second the attack
#3 THE ARGUMENT
Matthew 12:25-30
What an argument Jesus puts up to silence the Pharisees.
He already silenced them in regard to the Sabbath,
Telling them they knew nothing about the true Law of God,
Because they valued tradition over ministry to man, and love of God.
Here Jesus again picks their attack apart
With an argument that reveals their foolishness, and their fate.
We’ll break Jesus argument down into three points.
1) Jesus shows that their accusation is CRAZY
Verses 25-26
First off Jesus says that is a stupid argument, its absurd.
Why would Satan do such a thing?
Why would he willingly give up ground he has already taken?
Do you remember the facts about him?
John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”
Satan is a thief.
He has a “Take what you can, give nothing back” mentality.
Satan is also not dumb, that he would accidentally do it.
Satan also is no sentimental, that he would feel guilty and do it.
Satan is in a battle.
And you don’t win the battle by taking ground
And then giving it right back.
There is no way to win if you fight amongst yourself.
So to claim that Satan tells Me to cast out himself is ridiculous.
No one would do that, not even Satan.
So first, He says your argument is stupid, its flat out crazy.
2) Their attack was INCONSISTENT
Verse 27a
Here again Jesus shoots a hole write in their argument.
When He speaks of the Pharisees sons,
He is most likely speaking of their apprentices.
All the prophets had schools
In which they would teach younger followers,
It most likely that the Pharisees did the same thing.
You’ll remember Paul was educated as a young Pharisee under Gamaliel.
Their sons also performed some acts of casting out demons.
You’ll remember in Acts where it dealt with the Seven Sons of Sceva.
Acts 19:13-16 “But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Their were Jewish exorcists who practiced the art of casting out demons.
Most was a form of magic they tried to use,
And as you can see they were willing to try anything.
So they even tried to use the name of Jesus to cast out demons.
If it worked, it worked.
None the less,
Jesus has pointed out inconsistency in the Pharisees argument.
The Pharisees endorsed their sons as being from God
Based on the fact of their success.
Since they could do it, it must have been God.
The question is if you endorse your sons based upon success,
Then on what grounds do you reject Jesus?
They claimed that their follower’s power came from God.
If you say their power comes from God,
Then Mine does also, and you have just lied.
If you say My power comes from Satan,
Then theirs does also, and you have been endorsing Satan.
So which is it?
There are inconsistencies with your argument.
First their attack was crazy, second it was inconsistent.
3) Their attack was CONDEMNING
Verses 27b-30
The Pharisees had locked themselves into corner.
THEY HAD ACTED IN UNBELIEF, AND REFUSED TO REPENT.
They were condemning Jesus, and thus condemning themselves.
For that reason, their followers, “will be your judges.”
WHAT DOES HE MEAN?
The evidence Jesus just gave in regard their sons
Will be enough evidence to condemn them on the Day of Judgment.
Your endorsement of them proves you recognize God’s power,
So during the judgment you will not be able to plead ignorance.
WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS THAT HIS ABILITY TO CAST OUT DEMONS PROVES HE IS FROM GOD.
(The crowd actually got it right)
Because no one could cast out a demon
Unless he first has the ability to overcome the demon.
Which means “the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
(29) “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Jesus is obviously the Messiah.
And that means the kingdom of God is here.
HOWEVER. The Pharisees refusal to accept Jesus claims.
REVEALS THEY ARE OPPOSED TO JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM.
And that state of mind leads to a dangerous reality.
For Jesus says, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”
What an evident truth, that Jesus gives us here.
Doing nothing with Jesus is as good as rejecting Him.
Failure to follow Christ makes you God’s enemy.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “To be almost persuaded is to be certainly damned.”
How much worse the Pharisees for openly rejecting Him.
Now, this is a major problem, because of what Jesus shows us next.
First the ACT, then the ATTACK, then the ARGUMENT.
#4 THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Matthew 12:31-32
Scary verses dealing with the “Unpardonable Sin”
You ask people what the unpardonable sin is and they say, “blasphemy”.
But it seems that few know what that is.
So let’s talk about it a minute,
We know that God is a forgiving God.
Psalms 103:8-14 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”
We also know that God will forgive anyone of anything.
God has forgiven murderers, drunkards, thieves, homosexuals,
And even politicians.
There is no amount of sin that can keep you out of God’s love.
He will forgive anyone of anything, anywhere, at anytime,
If they will turn to Him and seek forgiveness.
We know about God’s amazing love.
And Jesus even puts it like this.
“Any sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people,”
Anything will be forgiven.
If you turn to Him, He will forgive you.
YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF BLASPHEMY.
• Any time we take the name of the Lord in vain.
• Any time we question God’s faithfulness, or goodness, or love, or
provision.
• Any time we give God’s glory to self, or to another.
Romans 2:23-24 “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”
Our disobedience in the world is a form of blasphemy.
WE HAVE ALL BLASPHEMED GOD.
We are also all sinners,
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
But “any sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people,”
Jesus even says in verse 32, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him;”
Regardless of how the multitudes treated Jesus,
Regardless of the fact that they crucified Him,
He still said, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”
Many reject Christ in ignorance, but they can still be forgiven.
Paul killed Christians, but was forgiven.
1 Timothy 1:12-13 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”
• That means that you can even temporarily reject Christ…
• You can even have been a blasphemer…
• You can even have opposed Christianity…
And you can still be forgiven.
So listen carefully.
The condemnation that Jesus is proclaiming against the Pharisees
Is not because they have said all sorts of evil things about Him.
You can be forgiven for blaspheming Jesus.
HOWEVER ONE SIN WON’T BE FORGIVEN.
(31) “but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven”
(32) “but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
What does that mean?
Well, what does the Holy Spirit do?
Turn to John 16:7-15
There is your truth on the Holy Spirit.
There are three things the Holy Spirit does.
1) Convict
Verses 7-11
He will convict the world of sin
Because they need to know they missed Jesus.
He will convict the world of righteousness
Because the perfect example is in heaven, and can’t be seen anymore
He will convict the world concerning judgment
Because judgment is imminent now that the ruler of the world is
defeated.
So the Holy Spirit testifies towards sin, righteousness, and judgment.
2) Guide
Verses 12-13
What will He guide us to? TRUTH
He will make sure you know and understand the truth of God
In regard to sin, in regard to salvation, in regard to righteousness.
3) Glorify
Verses 14-15
He will glorify Jesus, and let us know He is the one we should worship.
So the Holy Spirit comes to show sinners the reality of judgment,
The truth about their sin, and that Jesus is the only Savior.
HE COMES TO RENDER PEOPLE WITHOUT EXCUSE.
BUT IF A PERSON HEARS THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
AND TRULY UNDERSTANDS HIS MESSAGE, AND REJECTS IT.
They have chosen to know and reject.
That is why a person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit can’t be forgiven.
It’s not that God won’t forgive them.
They have chosen not to accept God’s forgiveness.
It is to understand the message, feel the conviction, and then say no.
There is nothing you can do for that person.
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”
Hebrews 10:26-29 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
The Pharisees understood clearly, for the power was evident.
But their pride caused them to say NO
They understood salvation, but said “No”.
And you can’t save a person who won’t accept the Savior.
Now we have spent three weeks talking about that famous invitation of Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Now we learn that His invitation is NOT OPTIONAL.
It isn’t for you to just do with what you want.
If you will remember God offered rest to the Israelites too.
They initially rejected the offer by not entering the Promised Land,
And that entire generation died in the wilderness.
When Jesus says “Come to Me” that is NOT a request, that is a command.
• He is commanding you to come.
• He is commanding you to take His yoke.
• He is commanding you to learn from Him.
The reason people commonly misunderstand that
Is because He is so meek as we learned last week.
But after the text this week, you should know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is not OK to hear the call and reject it.
You and I must come.
Hebrews 3:7-12 “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'” Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”
