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Matthew 12:15-37
Is Jesus from Beelzebub? 15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16And charged them that they should not make him known: 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18Behold 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. 19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 22Then 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. 23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25And 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: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29Or 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. 30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31Wherefore 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. 32And 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. 33Either 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. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A 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. 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. |
Margin notes:
"When Jesus knew it." (12:15) - Refers to Jesus knowing about the Pharisees plotting to kill Him. See the last verse of lesson 22 (Matthew 12:14). "Charged them that they should not make him known." (12:16) - Jesus asked them not to tell who He was because it was to early to reveal His true nature. "Esaias." (12:17) - Greek name for the prophet Isaiah (meaning Jehovah is salvation) who died in 681 BC. Considered the greatest Old Testament prophet, Isaiah wrote "The Book of the Prophet Isaiah" which spoke out against hypocrisy (Isaiah 29:13) and prophesized the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 6:15) 700 years before the birth of Christ. He is quoted over 50 times in the New Testament. "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen..." (12:18-21) - A prophesy of the coming Messiah from Isaiah 42:1, written 700 years before the birth of Christ. "He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles." (12:18) - "He will declare justice to the Gentiles." From the second part of Isaiah 42:1. "He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets." (12:19) - 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 judgment and victory." This is paraphrased from Isaiah 42:3 showing that the promised Messiah would be a judge and not the military/political leader that many were expecting. "And dumb." (12:22) - "And mute." "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 followers cast them out?" "The kingdom of God is come unto you." (12:28) - Means, the Messiah has come. "He that is not with me is against me." (12:30) - When it comes to Jesus there is no neutrality, 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). "They shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (12:36) - Jesus is telling us that we will all be judged. |
