But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
The verse records the charge that Jesus drove out demons and worked miracles by the power of Beelzebub, the chief or prince of the demons, that is, by Satan's power. The accusation came from the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, chief priests, elders and rulers, though they were among the most professedly pious and were His own chosen people, and they made it because they could not deny His mighty works, answer His teaching, or bring argument against the truth. It was blasphemy by people who had seen God's power, felt the converting power of the Holy Spirit, and had evidence enough to recognize Him as the Son of God, yet in prejudice and under Satan's training attributed His work to satanic agencies. The same accusation was later turned against His apostles and against Paul in particular, when opponents who could not disprove the preaching claimed in hatred that their wonderful and miraculous works were done by demons and by the same satanic agency. The verse warns that those who refuse the light God sends and begin to criticize and judge others may resist the Holy Spirit, wrongly condemn God's work and His messengers, and be led to terrible lengths they do not foresee.
Charge and Its Setting
Luke 11:15 records the charge that Jesus drove out demons and worked miracles through Beelzebub, meaning the chief or prince of the demons, that is, by the power of Satan. The charge came from the Jewish religious leaders, described as some of the people, the Pharisees, the Jews, the chief priests and elders, and the priests and rulers. Though they were among the most professedly pious, they were Christ's own chosen people who refused to receive Him. They made this accusation because they could not deny His mighty works, explain them away, answer His teaching, or bring arguments against the truth.
What they refused to acknowledge included works of healing and raising the dead, works of mercy bringing light to a sin-stricken world, and loving works that caused the people to rejoice in His wonderful works. They watched eagerly for an accusation in order to warn the people against Him, create prejudice against His work, and hinder people from coming to Him. They could not deny His miracles, so they led the people to regard them as accomplished through the working of Satan's power and claimed His healing power came from the enemy. The priests and rulers pressed this same charge in the confrontation before Herod, though they knew the evidence of His power, including that the dead had returned to life at His command. They did so because they feared a further display of divine power would frustrate their plans and endanger them.
Spiritual Meaning and Warning
The charge was blasphemy, for those who made it had seen God's power, had felt the converting power of the Holy Spirit, and had received enough evidence to recognize Jesus as the Son of God, yet they resisted that evidence and attributed His work to satanic agencies. Their blindness came from prejudice, from being under Satan's influence and trained and disciplined by him, and from inability to discern the divinity of His mission. Criticism and judgment once begun can lead to terrible lengths, for men so blinded could call works of mercy and light evil.
The verse thus exposes the terrible condition of people who profess to be God's children yet oppose Him, a spirit that moved them to threaten and hunt and persecute the Son of God. By this unbelief the Jews failed to fulfill God's purpose, became disconnected from the True Vine, and were cut off altogether. Yet they can be grafted into the parent stock again and bear fruit to God's glory if in humility they stand on the right platform. Their opposition could not stop His work or undo the daily evidence of His divine power.
The same accusation was later directed at His apostles and at Paul in particular. When opponents could not disprove the preaching and were exasperated rather than convinced by the conversion and baptism of Crispus, they denied that God had worked through them. In intensified hatred, blind anger, deception, and malignant attack they claimed that their wonderful and miraculous works were done by demons and by the same satanic agency as Christ's. The verse warns that those who refuse the light God sends may resist the Holy Spirit and wrongly condemn God's work and His messengers, and that those who begin to criticize and judge others do not know to what terrible lengths they will be led.
The verse records the charge that Jesus drove out demons and worked miracles by the power of Beelzebub, the chief or prince of the demons, that is, by Satan's power. The accusation came from the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, chief priests, elders and rulers, though they were among the most professedly pious and were His own chosen people, and they made it because they could not deny His mighty works, answer His teaching, or bring argument against the truth. It was blasphemy by people who had seen God's power, felt the converting power of the Holy Spirit, and had evidence enough to recognize Him as the Son of God, yet in prejudice and under Satan's training attributed His work to satanic agencies. The same accusation was later turned against His apostles and against Paul in particular, when opponents who could not disprove the preaching claimed in hatred that their wonderful and miraculous works were done by demons and by the same satanic agency. The verse warns that those who refuse the light God sends and begin to criticize and judge others may resist the Holy Spirit, wrongly condemn God's work and His messengers, and be led to terrible lengths they do not foresee.
Charge and Its Setting
Luke 11:15 records the charge that Jesus drove out demons and worked miracles through Beelzebub, meaning the chief or prince of the demons, that is, by the power of Satan. The charge came from the Jewish religious leaders, described as some of the people, the Pharisees, the Jews, the chief priests and elders, and the priests and rulers. Though they were among the most professedly pious, they were Christ's own chosen people who refused to receive Him. They made this accusation because they could not deny His mighty works, explain them away, answer His teaching, or bring arguments against the truth.
What they refused to acknowledge included works of healing and raising the dead, works of mercy bringing light to a sin-stricken world, and loving works that caused the people to rejoice in His wonderful works. They watched eagerly for an accusation in order to warn the people against Him, create prejudice against His work, and hinder people from coming to Him. They could not deny His miracles, so they led the people to regard them as accomplished through the working of Satan's power and claimed His healing power came from the enemy. The priests and rulers pressed this same charge in the confrontation before Herod, though they knew the evidence of His power, including that the dead had returned to life at His command. They did so because they feared a further display of divine power would frustrate their plans and endanger them.
Spiritual Meaning and Warning
The charge was blasphemy, for those who made it had seen God's power, had felt the converting power of the Holy Spirit, and had received enough evidence to recognize Jesus as the Son of God, yet they resisted that evidence and attributed His work to satanic agencies. Their blindness came from prejudice, from being under Satan's influence and trained and disciplined by him, and from inability to discern the divinity of His mission. Criticism and judgment once begun can lead to terrible lengths, for men so blinded could call works of mercy and light evil.
The verse thus exposes the terrible condition of people who profess to be God's children yet oppose Him, a spirit that moved them to threaten and hunt and persecute the Son of God. By this unbelief the Jews failed to fulfill God's purpose, became disconnected from the True Vine, and were cut off altogether. Yet they can be grafted into the parent stock again and bear fruit to God's glory if in humility they stand on the right platform. Their opposition could not stop His work or undo the daily evidence of His divine power.
The same accusation was later directed at His apostles and at Paul in particular. When opponents could not disprove the preaching and were exasperated rather than convinced by the conversion and baptism of Crispus, they denied that God had worked through them. In intensified hatred, blind anger, deception, and malignant attack they claimed that their wonderful and miraculous works were done by demons and by the same satanic agency as Christ's. The verse warns that those who refuse the light God sends may resist the Holy Spirit and wrongly condemn God's work and His messengers, and that those who begin to criticize and judge others do not know to what terrible lengths they will be led.