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 Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, as we continue our study in this gospel account according to the evangelist Matthew, the larger context, chapters 11 and 12, we see varying responses to our Lord Jesus, and the emphasis seems to be on opposition to him, rising opposition. That is obvious when we get to chapter 12 in verses 1 to 14. There is a conflict concerning the Sabbath. The Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples of doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath. Jesus ends that particular situation by asserting that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. When they had departed from there, they went into the synagogue, and there again the Lord Jesus Christ is on trial with reference to the Sabbath. And after completing that, Matthew records for us in verses 15 to 21 how Jesus fulfills the servant of Yahweh songs recorded by the prophet Isaiah. But as we considered last time, it's not only the servant of the Lord that Isaiah depicts, but the prophet also depicts Jesus Christ as the son of David. And that's what we'll see this morning in our study, specifically in verses 22 to 30. But I do want to begin reading in Matthew chapter 12 at verse 15. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all. Yet he warned them not to make him known that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench, till he sends forth justice to victory, and in his name Gentiles will trust. 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. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the son of David? Now when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. 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. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 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? He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad. For a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. Amen. Let us pray. our father we thank you for this opportunity to look to your word we pray for the ministry of your spirit we pray for the forgiveness of all of our sins and our unrighteousness god as we consider scripture as we consider your being your holiness and your righteousness and your goodness we see our own transgression in that light and we confess our iniquity we confess our lawlessness. We confess our lack of conformity unto your holy word. We pray that you would wash us and purify us and cleanse us in that precious fount that is open for sin and uncleanness. And God, for any and all who have come here this morning outside of Christ, this passage sets forth a very, very terrible future for those outside of the Savior. We pray that by the power of your spirit and your holy word today would be the day of salvation we pray that you would call sinners out of darkness into your marvelous light that you would regenerate that you would cause the new birth to take place give the gifts of faith and repentance so that sinners may close with jesus christ for we know he who is not with christ is against christ we just pray that you would bring salvation, that you would bring healing, that you would bring hope, that you would bring great grace this day. And we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, there is rising opposition in this section of Matthew's gospel, and that will dominate continuing on through into the passion. When we get to chapters 26 and 27, certainly the stage has been set by the controversy that has been undergone between Jesus and these religious leaders. Confrontation specifically with the Pharisees. Remember, they are the leadership in Israel. They are the ones that are set apart as the students or rather as the teachers of God's law. And they continually butt heads with our Lord Jesus Christ. And this passage is no different. I want to just give you a bit of structure with reference to verses 22 to 37 so that you'll know where we are going. Basically what we find is this demon-possessed man is brought to Christ and Christ heals him. Then there is various responses. The multitudes are amazed and they ask this very appropriate and very pertinent question. Is this the son of David? When the Pharisees hear that, they respond by saying not only is he not the son of David, but he actually casts out demons by Beelzebub, by the ruler of demons. And then Jesus answers that. Remember back in the description of the servant of the Lord, we saw that he doesn't quarrel. But that doesn't mean he never answers. It doesn't mean he doesn't respond. And that is precisely what Christ does in verses 25 to the end of the section that I read in verse 37. What Christ does is he gives two arguments to refute and rebuff this idea that he is operating according to the devil. And after those two arguments, he draws out implications. And then he moves into condemnation and warning to those Pharisees that were opposing him. So that's a bit of structure as to what's going on in this section. We'll just take up 22 to 30 this morning under three considerations. First, the healing of a demon-possessed man. Secondly, the response to the healing. And then thirdly, the answer to both the question posed by the multitude and the accusation leveled by the Pharisees. And as I said, 31 to 37 is warning and condemnation for those who would oppose the Lord Jesus. God willing, we'll take up next Sunday morning. So that's a bit of a map as to where we hope to go this morning. Note first the healing of this demon-possessed man. The man was brought to Christ. This is not anything new in the Gospel record of Matthew. We see people bringing others, sick people, diseased people, in this case a demon-possessed man, we see them bringing them to the Lord Jesus Christ. His popularity had spread. His fame had spread. People were starting to hear and understand that when you come to this Lord Jesus Christ, He is able to restore sight. He is able to restore hearing. He is able to loose the tongue and enable men to speak. He is able to cast out demons. Based on what we saw in chapters 8 and 9, He is able to heal leopards. He is able to cleanse them. He is also able to heal Peter's mother-in-law. He is able to calm the wind and the storm on the Sea of Galilee. He is able to heal a paralytic. And he's also able to cast out demons from a possessed man. This has already taken place in chapter 8 with those two men who dwelt among the tombs. And then again at the end of chapter 9, there's an instance of a demon-possessed man who was mute, and Jesus cast out demons from that particular man. Note specifically the man's problem is indicated for us. Verse 22, that one was brought to him who was demon-possessed. That's his issue. That's the spiritual malady. That's the problem. And he's also blind and mute as a result of this. Now, it isn't the case that every blind man or every mute man is demon-possessed. It's not the case that everybody who's afflicted with some sort of a physical infirmity, it is the result of demon possession. We cannot make that backwards implication. Just because you suffer doesn't necessarily mean that you are a demon-possessed person. But in this instance, we are told the man is demon possessed. And as a result of that, he is both blind and mute. As Spurgeon rightly summarizes, he says the evil spirit, this one possessing the man, had secured himself by stopping up the windows and the door of the soul. This is perceptive here because Matthew indicates for us the twin problems affecting this man. Spiritual, he's demon possessed. But he's also blind. He's mute. And the implication of being mute is being deaf as well. And so what Spurgeon says is that this evil spirit had secured himself by stopping up the windows and the door of the soul. The victim was blind and dumb. How could he escape? He could not see his Savior, nor could he cry to him. This guy's in bad shape. He's in a horrible situation. the evangelist does not spend a lot of time on this particular healing. The issue is the response and the answer to the accusation that is made. But nevertheless, we should not stop to marvel at the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. This man is bound by a demon. This man is unable to see. He's unable to speak. He's probably unable to hear. He's in a world of darkness. He is isolated. and if that's not bad enough, he has this malevolent spirit dwelling in him. The guy is in a wretched state and condition. We notice the man is healed by the Lord Christ. Notice in verse 22, after this description, then one was brought to him who was demon possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him. Now we've grown accustomed to those words in our study in Matthew's gospel, but again, feel the weight. No doctor could heal this man. No physician could speak to his malady. No witch doctor, no naturopath, no homeopathy could ever have freed this man from this malady. No one but the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. And notice how Matthew reports it so matter-of-factly now. Jesus doesn't do it with a word. He doesn't do it with a touch. Matthew just says he healed him. That's it. We are confronted with the power and the majesty of David's son. We are confronted with the power and the majesty of Messiah. We are confronted with his ability over those malevolent spirits, over those demon forces, and over the devil himself as we develop the particular argument. This man was in good hands. His friends knew enough to bring him to Jesus Christ. And when Jesus Christ sees the man, it is so matter of fact, it is so almost routine because we're used to it at this point, he healed him. And then Matthew tells us so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. So of course, the demon had been cast out. And that is precisely what the Pharisees respond to. This dear man who had woke up that morning not able to see, not able to speak, that man who had woke up that morning that was tormented by this demon, has come into contact with the living Christ. Christ has healed him, and now he's able to see and he's able to speak. What do you think he said? He probably said, praise Jesus. Praise the Lord. For those of you who have been here any amount of time, you know my affinity for a series of books by a lady named Linval. I don't remember her first name. It's called Read Aloud Bible Stories. And they're very excellent books because they don't show pictures of Jesus. And in the one concerning Bartimaeus, it shows that Bartimaeus is blind. He can't see anything. He couldn't see the people. He couldn't see the mountains. He couldn't see the trees. He couldn't see the houses. None of these things. And then blind Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is walking through town and he cries, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And the crowd tells him, the crowd strictly warns him to be quiet. Almost as if to say, the celebrity preacher wants nothing to do with you. The popular man of Nazareth wants nothing to do with you, lowly one. See, Bartimaeus doesn't care what they say. He again says, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And I love the narrative because Jesus in the midst of this multitude, in the midst of this crowd, stops. And then he walks over to Bartimaeus and he says, what would you have me to do? That's the Savior that is here pictured for us. That's the Savior of whom we've already read in the previous verses. He does not break the bruised reed. He doesn't quench the smoking flax. Bartimaeus says, Lord, I want to see. And so Jesus heals him. And then in that read aloud Bible story book, it says, then Bartimaeus was able to see the mommies and the daddies, to see the mountains to see the houses to see the sunshine to see all the things that he had been in dark of before But then it says and best of all he saw Jesus And I think that at play here with this particular man. Again, it's not developed what happens to him. He goes back home. His wife is happy to see him. He's no longer possessed by this spirit. He's able to go back to work. Oh, that's not the concern of the evangelist. But it's important as we move our way through the miracles of our Lord Jesus, we feel the weight of them. We understand the power of the Messiah. We understand what he's capable of. Matthew weaves together this narrative so that we will behold our God. And if we don't stop along the way and behold him, we're missing the point of the narrative. This man was healed by the power of the Savior himself. And that brings us, secondly, to consider the response to the healing. There's two responses, verses 23 and 24. Again, it fits in well with the context. We see rising opposition on the part of the Pharisees. In chapter 12, verse 14, after the Sabbath controversy, they are filled with rage and they plot how they might destroy him. Jesus withdraws from there, according to verse 15, and all the multitudes gathered together to hear him. With reference to the multitudes, with reference to the populace, Jesus' fame was growing. Now that's not to say every one of them was a believing disciple. Every one of them's name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life, but you see this contrast developing. Now toward the end of the gospel records, the leadership is able to so affect the populace that it's the mob and the multitude who cries out away with him, away with him, crucify him. But at this juncture, we see this growing rift. We see this growing contrast building between these two groups of people. Notice in verse 23, they have a question concerning his identity. All the multitudes were amazed. The verb used isn't just amazed, like when you see a beautiful sunset. Wow, isn't that gorgeous? They're beside themselves. They are struck to the heart. They have witnessed something that most men do not witness. A demon-possessed man who is both blind and mute is now singing the praises of his God, able to see his Savior, and no longer held in bondage by this demon. These people are blown away, to use a vernacular term. It means the feeling of astonishment mingled with fear caused by events which are miraculous, extraordinary, or difficult to understand. That's what's going on in the multitudes. Now remember, these multitudes understand something of the Old Testament scriptures, and that then brings them to ask this question. Could this be the son of David? Now, the form of the question, the way it's worded, oftentimes expects a negative answer. But I think the New King James captures it well. They don't expect a negative answer, but they're curious. They're genuinely speculative. They're actually wondering, based on what has been written in our scriptures, could this be the son of David? Could this be the Messiah? Could this be the champion that God would send into this world? Sinners to save. Could this be the one armed with power and might? You see, remember, Isaiah not only typified or prophesied concerning the servant of Yahweh, but he also spoke concerning the Davidic son. In fact, if you precede Isaiah, The Davidic son reference goes back to 2 Samuel 7, where God makes a covenant with David. Remember the scene. If you're reading through McShane's calendar, you just read it in 1 Chronicles 17 and 18. Parallel that section in 2 Samuel. David is sitting in his house. There's some peace that has been brought to bear upon Israel. David has been an effective warrior king going out and slaying the enemies of Israel. Now he's sitting in his palace, he's sitting in his house, and he laments. He says, I'm sitting in a house filled with cedar, and the Lord is dwelling in a tent. We've got to get the Lord out of a tent, and we've got to put him into a beautiful temple. The Lord is fitting. The Lord is worthy. The Lord is worth that. The Lord God says to David, no, it's not going to happen under your reign. It's not going to happen until your son, Solomon, who does ultimately build the temple. But to David, God makes a promise. The narrative starts with David wanting to build a house for God, and God says, I'm going to build a house out of you. I'm going to build a dynasty. I am going to build a people. There will be a king that descends from you, David, and sin will not stop this promise. Death itself will not stop this promise. The sound promise of God is going to thunder forth. So 2 Samuel 7 is the promise of a Davidic king. And the rest of the Old Testament opens that up. When we get to Matthew's gospel, how does he begin? Matthew 1.1. This is the genealogy. This is the book of Jesus Christ. The son of who? The son of David. The son of Abraham. David is primary. David is featured at the very outset. And along the way in Matthew's gospel, we see these evidences. We see these indicators. We see this confirmation and affirmation that Jesus is the son of David. And that's what the crowds are marveling about. The multitudes were amazed and said, could this be the son of David? And again, for us, it's pretty simple because we have Matthew. We have reformed theology. We have Calvin. We have the Westminster Divines. We have a tradition of sound biblical interpretation. This multitude standing there witnessing Jesus cast this demon out and healing this man. It ought not to amaze us that they're amazed and then they say, could this be the son of David? Is it possible that he's here? Has the time of God become fulfilled? Are we living in the day and era of the messianic reign? Is this Jesus whom we're viewing? Is he the one in whom is conquest and power and victory? That's the first response. It's a question concerning his identity. But then notice the Pharisees. Theirs is an accusation concerning his identity. Look at what it says in verse 24. Now, when the Pharisees heard it, and by it, I think they heard the crowd. The crowd says, could this be the son of David? Could this be our Messiah? When the Pharisees heard it, no, couldn't be him. No, can't be David's son. No, it can't be the promised of God. No, it can't be the chosen one of Israel. When the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Notice that they acknowledge the miracle. They don't dispute that. They don't say it was smoke and mirror, folks. He didn't really cast out a demon. It only looks like he cast out a demon. That guy wasn't demon possessed. He was mostly demon possessed. That man really wasn't blind. He was mostly blind. No, they don't deny that a miracle occurs. They cannot change public opinion on that account. Notice they don't rejoice with the man who was healed. You say, well, that's sort of a sideline corollary thing. But it does typify the Pharisaic spirit, doesn't it? A man has just been healed and you're whining and you're grumbling and you're crying and you're sniveling about the identity of the Lord Jesus. Could you at least slap the guy on the back and say, praise God you're going to go home today without this spirit possession or this demon possession? Praise God you're able to see our scowling hideous faces now. Praise God that you can open up your voice and express hallelujahs to the Lord of glory who has healed you. You see, the Pharisaic spirit never rejoices with those who rejoice. The Pharisaic spirit never weeps with those who weep. The Pharisaic spirit is directly opposed against God. Notice, they respond to the question concerning Christ as the Davidic son. That's their issue. again they don't have the manhood or the chutzpah to go right to jesus they're responding to the multitudes the multitudes are scratching their collective melon and saying is this the son of david and they hear it they're whining and they're grumbling and they're complaining and they say no he's not the son of david no he is not the promised one of israel no he is not god's champion No, he is not the one that has testified in the prophet Isaiah or in all of the prophets. But rather, he casts out demons by Beelzebub. Now, this is a huge accusation. This is a massive statement that these men engage in. They ascribe Christ's power to Satan himself. Now, for those of you who've ever thought that you have been contemned, spoken ill against by this world, you've probably deserved it a little bit. Jesus didn't deserve it at all. Edwards has a sermon on that very subject. We actually get upset when people say ill about us. What about Christ? He is casting out demons by the prince of demons? He is casting out demons by Satan himself? Calvin says this is a diabolical venom. A diabolical venom must have seized the minds of the scribes who were not ashamed to slander so remarkable a work of God. rt france makes this observation the accusation of complicity with the devil is not only extremely offensive i mean just on the personal level if somebody were to ascribe to you that you were working in concert with the devil just imagine how you would feel about that again somebody rolls their eyes at us and we need therapy. Christ is being accused of casting out demons by the chief demon himself. France says the accusation of complicity with the devil is not only extremely offensive, but is intended to destroy Jesus' credibility in the eyes of a God-fearing public. He's not the Davidic son. He's operating by the devil. France goes on. It is also potentially extremely serious. He cites the Mishnah, but there is in the Old Testament, in the Torah, the capital punishment for the crime and the sin of sorcery. So if Jesus is operating according to the devil, and he is engaged in sorcery, then he deserves to die at the hands of the civil state. This is a huge, huge accusation that these men level against our Lord Jesus Christ. And then just one more quote from France, because I think he really sums up the entire section well. He says, not only is the accusation itself patently ridiculous, which we'll look at in 25 to 30. It also indicates a fundamental choice to take sides against Jesus. And even more seriously, against the Spirit of God, by whose authority he acts, verses 31 to 32. By making this accusation, they have revealed their true character and will be judged for it, verses 33 to 37. And then he makes this statement, and I think he's absolutely spot on 100%. The Pharisees are playing with fire. That's why Jesus speaks the way he does in verses 31 to 37. When he warns, and when he condemns, and when he speaks of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which probably doesn't mean what you think it means. Generally speaking, if somebody is concerned, if they're afraid that they've committed the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, they probably haven't. The person who commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is Christ's decided enemy. Not just because Jesus sees him thus, but he sees Jesus thus. I believe Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10, And God willing, we'll examine these in concert with our study next week. But the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks to in this passage is applicable to these pharisaic wretches who attribute to the devil himself the power of God Most High. So let's pick up thirdly the Lord's answer to the question and the accusation. You need to understand that that's what Jesus is doing in 25 to 30. is this the son of David? yes is he operating according to the prince of demons? no Christ's response here is perfectly fitted and appropriate to the particular question asked and the accusation level and as I said he gives two arguments draws three implications notice the first argument is built on this idea of a divided house A divided house, verses 25 and 26. Well, just backing up for just a moment before we get into the arguments. Notice what Matthew tells us in verse 25. But Jesus knew their thoughts. Now, I suppose on the one hand, it wouldn't be difficult for us to figure out when these guys have long, scowly faces that they're not thinking wonderful things about Jesus. On the other hand, it could be the case that Jesus overheard their complaint made to the Pharisees, or from the Pharisees to the multitudes, but Matthew wants us to understand something. The question is posed, could this be the son of David? And then Matthew tells us Jesus knew their thoughts. What's Matthew saying? Of course he's the son of David. Of course he's the Messiah. Of course he's God's son. Of course he has omniscience. Of course he knows everything that is going according to plan. Again, some would come to verse 25 and say, well, it wouldn't be difficult to figure out that the Pharisees had an axe to grind. Yeah, it probably wouldn't. Yeah, it wouldn't be difficult for Jesus to get wind of this through the multitudes. Yeah it probably wouldn That not the language that Matthew employs He says Jesus knew their thoughts Just like when that man is lowered down into the house and the Pharisees and the scribes are stroking their beards collectively and saying, who does this man think he is? Only God alone can forgive sins. Jesus responds to that. You see, all along the way, the evangelist is telling us, yes, he is the son of David. Yes, he is the servant of Yahweh. Yes, he is God's son. Yes, he is the promised one. Yes, he is the victor. Yes, he is the champion. And yes, He is the one who will save His people from their sins. This confirms the messianic identity of our Lord Jesus Christ. It indicates that Jesus understood the true nature of their accusation. They weren't just misunderstanding some things. They weren't just a little off. They weren't just a little fuzzy and needed a bit of encouragement. Jesus understood the nature of the opposition was such that they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit. And this reality that he knew their thoughts serves as the basis for what he states in verses 31 and 32. But notice the divided house argument in verses 25 and 26. Jesus assumes that Satan has a kingdom, doesn't he? There is a kingdom of darkness according to Colossians 1.13. He has transferred us or has conveyed us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of Islam. Satan has a kingdom. Satan is called a prince in Ephesians chapter 2. Satan is a malevolent spirit that has a kingdom. And Satan has it organized in such a way as to maintain stability. You see, Satan wants to win. Right? Satan employs his minions, I didn't know what other word to use, elves, dwarves, gnomes, his minions, to carry out tasks associated with his kingdom. Right? If Satan has a kingdom and it's an organized kingdom and it wants to be a stabilized kingdom, he uses his minions, he uses his followers, he uses the lower level echelon to do his bidding to advance, or at least to protect and to advance his particular kingdom. Satan is concerned with preservation and extension, not destruction. You see, Jesus' argument is simple. Do you think the United States as a body politic was stabilized and extending during the Civil War? Absolutely not. Do you think there was an economic strength, a power, a glimmer, a place where people wanted to be? No, the South and the North are killing each other. See, Jesus' statement assumes that internal strife or division does not advance the kingdom. Why in the world would Satan cast out demons who are accomplishing the task that he has prescribed? He is reducing their argument to absurdity. It makes no sense, people. It really does not jive with the facts. Brawness says for the prince of demons to cast out his subjects would be virtually casting out himself. Since they were doing his work. The casting out of the demons by Christ was a weakening of Satan's kingdom. Therefore, it is inconceivable that Satan himself is orchestrating it. Does everybody get that? I mean, Pharisees should have got that. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. Is your house stable? Are you extending blessing to your neighborhood when you can't get along with each other? Does a church increase in influence and productivity within a community when she can't get along with each other under her own roof? You see, this is why we pray for unity. This is why we pray for peace. Because we understand this very simple and fundamental principle, that if we don't have peace and unity in our own house, then certainly we will not be stable. and we ought not to try and extend what we have. Why extend confusion? Why extend chaos? Why extend disharmony? You see, this is a no-brainer. Verse 26, the Lord Jesus says, if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself, how then will his kingdom stand? You Pharisees have it all wrong. I don't do this by Beelzebub. I don't do this by Satan. I don't do this by the prince of demons. Now notice his second argument. Verse 27. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? I don't think he means their physical progeny. I don't think he means junior Pharisees. He means the people of Israel. He means Jews in that society that engaged in exorcism. we see vestiges of this or instances of this in Mark chapter 9. We see it after the time of Christ in Acts chapter 19. Josephus records that there was exorcists operating in Israel. And Jesus assumes this. He's not getting into the validity. He's not getting into all of the particulars. But he is saying to these Pharisees, there are those that are the sons of Pharisees. There are those who are close associates with you. There are those who go about and exercise evil demons. Who are they operating according to? Who are they operating according to? The Pharisees would say, of course, God. Of course, the Lord. Why would the sons of Pharisees go out by the power of Beelzebub to try and destroy Beelzebub's kingdom? It makes no sense. This is what's called an ad hominem attack. He is speaking to the man. Verse 27, if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. The very existence of these Jewish exorcists who do so by the power and the glory in the name of the God of Israel are judges against you that your condemnation is wrong. Your accusation is wrong. Calvin paraphrases it this way. Calvin says, we need not go far to seek your condemnation. You attribute to Beelzebub the miracles which I have performed. And you praise the same things in your own children. You have at home what is sufficient to condemn you. Is everybody with me? These are the two arguments. He casts out demons by Beelzebub. No, I don't. Because a house divided against itself cannot stand. And what about the sons of the Pharisees? What about those Jewish exorcists? Who are they operating according to? Well, of course they're operating according to God. Well, so am I, Christ says. And now he brings home three implications. And with this, we'll start to bring it to a close. Notice, Jesus says, But if I cast out demons, verse 28, By the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Wow. Is this David's son? Yes. Is this the 2 Samuel 7 man? Is this the Psalm 2 man? Is this the Psalm 45 man? Is this the Psalm 72 man? Is this the Psalm 110 man? Yes. If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Jesus Christ is ushering in the kingdom associated with His first coming. We're not waiting for the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God has come. The verb that is employed here with reference to this has come. What he says in verse 28, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. France indicates that the particular verb here shows something of a surprise to the Pharisees. It's a bit of a surprise to you. You weren't expecting Jesus. You weren't expecting it to come in this manner. Note what else the Lord Christ says here in verse 28. If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God. We've already seen that as a descriptor of the servant of the Lord. Go back in just a moment, for just a moment, Matthew 12, verse 18. I will put my spirit upon him as the servant of Yahweh. He is endowed with, he is empowered by the spirit. But according to Isaiah the prophet in chapter 11 at verses 1 and 2, the son of David will have the spirit in great power. There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Christ says, if I by the spirit of the Lord cast out demons, then you know that the kingdom has come. He's saying yes and amen to this claim of being the Davidic son. He is saying absolutely not to having cast out demons by Beelzebub. He is working and operating on both these levels. He's answering in the affirmative this question concerning his identity as the son of David. And he's answering this accusation concerning his identity that he operates according to Beelzebub. He says, if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then this thing you know to be the truth. The kingdom of God has come upon you. Spurgeon says, The overthrow of evil is clear proof that the kingdom of grace has come. It's what we see in the ministry of Christ. It's what we see with the inbreaking of the new age upon this age. This is what we see in his life and his ministry. And this is what the entire New Testament connects to the first coming of our Lord. So the first implication, he highlights the presence of the kingdom. The second implication from all that he has said highlights the defeatedness of his enemy. Notice in verse 29. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? This is beautiful. Everybody hear what Jesus is saying here? You know, this is a text indirectly that speaks to the idea of self-defense. It really does. Strong men have ways to defend their homes. That, in and of itself, is not evil. In other words, if you come to my house and I have a baseball bat behind the door waiting for you, the strong man is trying to get a bit stronger with that bat. That's not the point of this text. It's an implication or a corollary that we can draw from it. But the primary emphasis is, not only do I not cast out demons by Beelzebub, But I have bound him and I am plundering his goods. I am destroying him. I am dominating him. I am overtaking him. The casting out of demons weakens Satan's kingdom. The casting out of demons could not occur without Satan having been bound. and the casting out of demons is the plundering of his goods. Not only would Satan not allow such an instance, but it is the indicator that Christ's kingdom, that external force, is coming in overwhelming power to destroy the devil. You see, indirectly, Jesus says, the problem with Satan's kingdom is not internal strife. verses 25 and 26. The problem with the devil's kingdom is not internal issues. The problem with the devil's kingdom is not civil war. The problem with the devil's kingdom is Jesus Christ, the son of David. This external overwhelming force that has come to bind the strong man and plunder his goods. What an answer to the question, is this the son of David? what an answer to the accusation that this man casts out demons by Beelzebub. John 12, 31 and 32. Acts 26, 18. Colossians 1, 13. Colossians 2, 15. Hebrews 2, 14. 1 John 3, 8. And Revelation chapter 20. All tell us in very explicit terms that the devil is bound at Christ's first coming. that's what he's speaking about that's what he's testifying concerning 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 every time Jesus casts out a demon on this side of the ascension every time Jesus saves a sinner he is plundering the goods of the devil himself do you realize that when you came to Christ It was by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the predestinating plan, the eternal decree, the power and the sovereignty of a majestic God who has hit these things from the wise and prudent, but revealed them unto babes, that when you came out of that darkness into marvelous light, the devil lost goods. Isn't that beautiful? We ought to pray to God. Cause your word to run swiftly and be glorified. Plunder the goods of the devil. Christ has bound the strong man at his first coming. The devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But as Luther rightly observed, he's on a leash. He can go thus far and no further. Camblin says the devil is now being assailed from without as never before by a far greater kingdom and a far mightier king. this is Christ's point. And then that brings us to verse 30. The myth of neutrality. Now, being sensitive of Pastor Cam's exhortation earlier that pastors shouldn't talk about themselves, the best illustration I can come up with happened in my own life. Have you ever given somebody an ultimatum and they took it? There was an instance many, many years ago when my bride and I were not married. And we were driving somewhere. She in the driver's seat. We had an argument. I said, pull over, I'll get out and walk. She pulled over I got out I walked and she drove off It's a humorous way to try and illustrate a most grave point. What are the Pharisees doing? They're publicly siding against Christ. They, as it were, drew their line in the sand. Jesus says, I draw my line in the sand. He who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me will scatter abroad. You Pharisees in your rage, you Pharisees in your opposition, you Pharisees in your accusation are, to use the language of R.T. France, playing with fire. You see, that's what Matthew wants us to get. That's what Jesus wants you to understand. There are two kingdoms. He's already illustrated that. There is Satan's. There is the kingdom of God. You are either with Christ, the son of David, or you are against him. These men set forth an ultimatum. Jesus upheld that ultimatum, And he underscores this particular truth. That if you do not come, if you do not believe, if you do not bow the knee, you're against me. And that's what he uses 31 to 37. To warn them again, I think. And to condemn them. They are signing their own death warrants. They are in a horrific spot. They have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They have come to the point of no return. There's no recovery. There's no redemption. There's no happiness. There's no joy in being against Christ. That's his point. I don't cast out demons by Beelzebub because a house divided cannot stand. I don't cast out demons by Beelzebub because your own sons don't. And as a result of that, you need to learn these three truths. The kingdom has come. The devil is bound. And if you are not with me, you're against me. It's a powerful statement concerning. This whole idea, is this David's son? Yes, he says. And it's terrifying. The Lord confirms the line that is drawn He draws this implication from what proceeded to show the Pharisees that they had in fact opposed the son of David. It was them that was working in concert with Beelzebub. It was them that had made truck with the devil's kingdom. It was them that was operating in opposition to the incoming kingdom of God. It was them who resisted. It was them who rejected. It was them who blasphemed. The Spirit of God Most High manifests through the Davidic Son right before their eyes. And Jesus seals their doom in this passage. He who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me scatters abroad. Brethren, this is the exposition. From it we learn. First, the Lord's response to both multitudes and Pharisees. Along the way, he answers in the affirmative, this question, is this the son of David? Along the way, he answers in the negative, that he is casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. In this passage, through his assertion, through what he testifies, through what he displays, through what he exhibits, we get to secondly dwell upon the conquering power of the Davidic son. Look at what he says here in the space of a few verses. The casting out of the demon from a man. That's blessed right there. It's beautiful. Praise God that we have a Jesus that cares for men and casts demons out from men. He really doesn't break the bruised reed. He really doesn't quench the smoking flags. He really has a heart of mercy. This is indicative of David's son. Grace and mercy. Grace is poured upon your lips, the psalmist says. Secondly, he has the indwelling power of the Spirit of God. The indwelling power of the Spirit of God. In a way that you and I don't. Yes, we have the Holy Spirit. when we come to Christ by God's grace, we believe, we repent, we receive the Spirit as the seal and the guarantee. Paul says, do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. He's talking to people who have the Spirit. He's talking to people who have been sealed and who have that guarantee of their final redemption. And nevertheless, a few chapters later, he says, be filled with the Spirit. You need more of His gracious influences. You need more of His power. Do you realize that if the Son of Man, the son of David needed the Holy Spirit to traverse this earth, how much more do the sons of men need the Spirit of God? How do we resist the various temptations? How do we resist the various trials? How do we resist the various onslaughts of men? We need the Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit of God to help us to resist temptation, to reject wickedness, to pursue righteousness because He is the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, the Lord Christ establishes the kingdom of God. This is what's beautifully prophesied in Luke chapter 1, or testified concerning Jesus in Luke chapter 1. A passage that we're going to probably hear a lot in December. But don't let that deaden the passage. Don't let it suck the sweetness out of the passage. Don't let it reduce for you the beauty of the incarnation of David's greater son. Luke chapter 1, verse 30. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. You see, 2 Samuel 7. That's what's going on in Luke. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There will be no end. We ask Luke, when does this happen? When does he take the throne of David, his father? Acts chapter 2.30 tells us that his resurrection, his ascension on high, He sat down on David's throne and he poured out this spirit, which you see and hear. We see as well, with reference to the conquering power of the Davidic son, his binding of the strong man. It's beautiful in verse 29. How can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? If you're not used to this interpretation that sees Jesus' kingly office assumed at his resurrection and ascension, then may I suggest to you that you refer to those passages I indicated earlier. Refer to the passage that Pastor Cam read earlier from the book of Daniel. Refer specifically to Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. When the Son of Man comes, he comes to the Ancient of Days. He's not coming from the Ancient of Days. As Calvin reports, as E.J. Young states, this is the ascension. And that is ascension, this kingdom, this dominion, this power, and this rule is then given unto him. Christ bound the devil. Christ is plundering his goods. When we get to Matthew 16 and Jesus says, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Gates are a defense mechanism. Jesus envisions the church on the offensive that through the preaching of the gospel, sinners are being plundered out of the kingdom of darkness. It truly is the Davidic son. And then finally, for those of you who may not be Christian this morning, I hope you don't think that I just blew over verse 30 that quickly. it's easy to see the opposition of these Pharisees isn't it it's easy to read chapter 12 verse 14 and compare it with Luke when it says that rage filled their hearts and in Matthew 12 14 they plotted how they might destroy him it's easy to see their opposition isn't it yes no looks easy or when we get to this section and they're accusing the son of God himself, David's son, of casting out demons by the prince of demons, it's easy to see their opposition. When Jesus draws that line in the sand and he says, he who is not with me is against me, we see those sinful, wretched, abominable Pharisees over there. Do you know what's not so easy to see? Sinners in the 21st century. Sinners that grow up in Christian homes. Sinners that are married to Christian spouses. Sinners that have never come to Christ. Sinners that while they may sit under preaching, and while they may nod the head, and while they may say, wow, that was an interesting sermon, have not come. You see, there's two camps indicated here. There's two kingdoms. There's two realms. There's two reigns. There's two positions. and Satan's, and God's. There's not a third place in the middle. Do you understand there's no spiritual Switzerland? There is no place of neutrality with reference to the kingdoms that are set before us in this passage. It's not like you're sitting on the fence. I'm not sure which way I want to go. If you are not with Christ, I don't care how old you are. I don't care how young you are. I don't care if your rage looks like the Pharisees or it's more subdued and it's more of a kinder, gentler sort. If you are not with Christ, you're against him. That's it. It's the positions. Right here, right now, every single one of us is a part of one of these two kingdoms. Do you get that? again it's hard to tell it's hard to see it's hard to scrutinize it's not like there's a metal detector like what you walk through at the airport you know if you're wearing metal it beeps it's not like there's a door over there that you pass through and there's a beep if you're a kingdom of God citizen the baptismal tank isn't the beep the fact that you read your bible isn't the beep The fact that you attend church isn't a beat. With Christ means believe on him. With Christ means take his yoke upon you and learn from him. With Christ means coming by the grace of God to an end of yourself and to throw yourself by that grace on the mercy of Jesus Christ. That's what it is. That's what he's talking about. You're either with me, Jesus says, or you're against me. You either go out and gather with me. Could be a harvest metaphor. Could be a shepherding metaphor. Either way, you're on my side. Extending the stability and the power of the kingdom. Or you're scattering abroad. You're working for the devil. You're working against my kingdom. You are opposing me. You see, this world will tell you. Your own wretched heart will tell you, I'm not as bad as a Pharisee. I'm not as bad as Charles Manson. I'm not as bad as those politicians. I'm not as bad as those crack cocaine dealers. I'm not as bad as those crack cocaine users. If you're not with Christ, you're against Him. But you'll love that argument from the non-Christian who says, I don't want to go to the church because it's filled with hypocrites. So we might say the hypocrites are in the kingdom of Satan. And I mean flat out. All of us are hypocrites. Where's that person identifying themselves with? The kingdom of Satan. That's not your answer. That's not your hope. It's Jesus who saves hypocrites. It's Jesus who sanctifies hypocrites. It's Jesus who gives his spirit to hypocrites so that they're not so obnoxious. You see, there's not three positions this morning. All religions do not lead to God. All religions, apart from the saving, redemptive religion of Jesus Christ, leads to hell. That's what Satan is over. That's what the kingdom of Satan sounds like, or looks like. Wow, he's got a kingdom. He's got organization. He wants to stabilize and advance it. yet it's all filth and abomination and lies and wretchedness and murder and evil and vileness. Is that really what you want to identify with? Is that really what you want to be a part of? Is that really where you want to stand your ground? You want to be on Satan's team? Children, young people, listen to me. If you're not with Christ, you're against it. The only way to be with Christ is to flee by faith. to the Son of God. Believe, turn from your sins, and know the joy of everlasting life. Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for your word, and thank you for this section of Matthew's Gospel, and for the testimony concerning David's greater son. How we praise you for Jesus Christ the Lord. How we praise you for his power, and for his conquest. How we thank you for his victory. God, certainly those of us who've been called out of darkness in the marvelous light can testify to that power. For we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were hating and hateful. We had no desire, no longing, no fear of God before our eyes. And it was you who stepped in. It was sovereign grace that taught our hearts to fear. We pray even now, Lord, with what is impossible with men, we pray that you in your grace and in your power would open hearts and cause souls to be saved. plunder that kingdom of darkness. Take those goods away from the devil. May it be said that sinners today were transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of your love. And we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.