Read: Matthew 12
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: At the conclusion of the last chapter (Matthew 11.28-30), Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...you will find rest for your souls...my burden is light." The same can't be said of the Pharisees in this chapter. One of the most fundamental and cherished aspects of the Jewish law was its insistence upon a day of rest from all labor every seven days (in keeping with God resting on the seventh day after six days of creation...see Genesis 2.1-3). This seventh day of rest, called the Sabbath, was meant to be a celebration of trust in God and His provision. However, through the years rules had been developed by teachers of the law which defined what could and could not be considered "work" of the Sabbath, no doubt with good intention at the start but resulting in the ironic outcome of "working hard on the Sabbath in order to avoid working on the Sabbath." The Pharisees took it upon themselves to be the "moral police" of the Jewish people, watching for any violation of the official and extensive list of Sabbath prohibitions. Thus, keeping the Sabbath had becoming something of a burden for many ordinary Jews. Jesus knew this, and in verses 1-14 of Matthew 12 He confronts the Pharisees over their legalistic view of the Sabbath, resulting in the Pharisees beginning to plan a way to ultimately eliminate Jesus from the scene by killing Him.
Matthew again shows us that Jesus was fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of the promised Savior/Messiah/Christ in verses 15-21. However, he quickly reveals that the Pharisees had a very different opinion on the origin of Jesus' authority and power. The Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that this fellow drives out demons" (verse 24). Jesus replies, "If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself...but if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (verses 26-28). In other words, why would Satan disrupt his own work? Jesus' authority and power are not only from the complete opposite of Satanic origin; they are in fact greater than any authority or power Satan possesses. Jesus asks, "How can anyone enter a strongman's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?" (verse 29). In reality, through His ministry Jesus in tying Satan up in knots!
In verses 30-37, we read about the topic of "the unforgivable sin." Many followers of Jesus through the years have worried about this issue, but it has been an unfounded worry for most. "Blasphemy against the Spirit" is simply this: once a person has so hardened his or her heart as to be unable or unwilling to distinguish between the work of God and the work of Satan, that person cannot recognize their sin, confess it, and repent of it; they do not acknowledge a Savior, so, in reality, they do not have one. Notice that the context for this teaching is a debate between Jesus and the ones who had so rejected Jesus that they were already plotting to kill Him. This context helps us understand the true meaning of "the unforgivable sin."
As the Pharisees plot to put Him to death, Jesus acknowledges the coming reality of that fact by saying, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (verse 40). Jesus knows full well the future that awaits Him, and He knows that He is part of a plan that is far greater than the schemes of the Pharisees or even the hopes (and perhaps fears) of His earthly family (verses 46-50); He is part of God's plan...He IS God's plan!
Comments