Matthew
12:15-37
Lesson 23
12:15-37
Lesson 23
Matthew 12:15-37
Is Jesus from Beelzebub? 15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16 And charged them that they should not make him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 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 shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. |
Margin notes:
"When Jesus knew it." (12:15) - As reported in lesson 22 (Matthew 12:14), the Pharisees were plotting to kill Jesus. "Charged them that they should not make him known." (12:16) - Jesus asked those He healed not to tell who He was. It was too early to reveal His divine nature. "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen..." (12:18-21) - These four verses are a prophecy of the coming Messiah taken from Isaiah 42:1. It was written 700 years before the birth of Christ. "He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles." (12:18) - "He will bring justice to the Gentiles." This is taken from the second half of Isaiah 42:1. Jesus first offered salvation to Jews (Matthew 10:5-6). But after being rejected, He reached out to Gentiles (non-Jews). Remember, this was written centuries before Jesus was born. "He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets." (12:19) - The prophecy of Jesus continues from Isaiah 42:2. "Smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." (12:20) - "A flickering candle will not go out until justice and victory." This is paraphrased from Isaiah 2:3. It tells us that Jesus, the promised Messiah, would be a judge and not the military/political leader many expected. "And dumb." (12:22) - "And mute." "The son of David." (12:23) - This was a common name for the Messiah (Matthew 15:22; 20:30; 21:9; John 7:42). For a Jew to call Jesus "the Son of David" meant they believed that He was the Christ. "This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub." (12:24) - This is not the first time the Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with devils (Matthew 9:34). "Jesus knew their thoughts." (12:25) - Another miracle. "By whom do your children cast them out?" (12:27) - "By whom do your exorcists cast them (devils) out?" "The kingdom of God is come unto you." (12:28) - Jesus is telling us that the Messiah has arrived, and it's Him. "He that is not with me is against me." (12:30) - There is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. You either believe or you don't. Jesus repeats this message in Mark 9:40, Luke 9:50 and 11:23. "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven." (12:31) - God is willing to forgive. "Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven." (12:31) - See the "Application thought for the day" below. "The tree is known by his fruit." (12:33) - The tree is a metaphor for people. Jesus considered this teaching so important that He repeated it three other times (Matthew 7:16-17; 7:20; Luke 6:43). "Generation of vipers." (12:34) - "Children of snakes." "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (12:34) - Our words, good or bad, show what is in our heart. "They shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (12:36) - Jesus is telling us that we will all be judged for what we do and say. |