But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
After Jesus freed a demon-possessed man who could not speak, and in one account was also blind, the crowds marveled at the healing. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders answered by charging that He drove out demons by the power of the ruler of demons, meaning Satan. The charge was driven by envy at the multitudes flocking to hear Him, and by hatred and prejudice that sought grounds to condemn Him, discredit His work, and turn the people away from Him despite clear evidence of divine power. Though they recognized the evident supernatural and divine power of His works, they deliberately attributed the work of God's Spirit to the devil, committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that has no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. That false charge expressed Satan's enmity against Him and fulfilled that He would be hated without cause, and those who follow Christ and separate from the world to please God should expect the same hatred and persecution from Satan and the world.
Setting and Accusation
The saying was spoken after Jesus freed a man possessed by a demon who left him unable to speak, and the crowds marveled at the healing. In one rendering of the event the afflicted man was both blind and unable to speak. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders answered the wonder by charging that He drove out demons by the power of the ruler of demons, meaning Satan. They thus falsely treated His work of deliverance as evidence of evil, scorning Him as one possessed by a demon and as a deceiver. That scorn dishonored God, though He had come to give life to the world.
The charge grew from envy, because the multitudes flocked to hear Jesus and listened as if spellbound to His simple, plain words that even the most unlearned could understand. Hatred and prejudice had closed the hearts of His opponents, so even clear evidence of divine power did not persuade them. They wanted grounds to condemn Him rather than evidence that He was sent from God, seeking reason to discredit His work, break His hold upon the people, and turn them away from Him. To that end they eagerly accepted false testimony and distorted His words and actions to make Him appear guilty.
The hostility and prejudice behind the accusation made Jesus cautious about allowing news of a healing to spread, since His enemies were watching for means to discredit Him. When His brothers heard the charge that He cast out demons by Satan's power, they felt the reproach connected with their relationship to Him.
Deliberate Rejection of Light
The Pharisees saw works of mercy whose reality and supernatural, divine power were evident and acknowledged that supernatural power accompanied them, yet falsely charged that the power to cast out demons came from Satan, the prince of demons. Even clear evidence of divine power did not persuade them, because they eagerly accepted false testimony and distorted words and actions to make Him appear guilty. They did not truly believe their own charge that Satan empowered Him. They made it because they were determined to resist the truth, misrepresent His works of mercy, and avoid being converted and having their hearts changed by the truth.
By deliberately calling the work of God's Spirit the work of the devil and slandering it, they committed blasphemy against God. This deliberate rejection of the Spirit's work is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the sin against the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost. It is the unforgivable sin that has no forgiveness in this world or the world to come.
To call the Holy Spirit's work satanic cuts people off from the source of blessing. Those who reject the Spirit reject the means by which God brings them to repentance and faith, and when the Spirit is finally rejected nothing more can be done for them. Their opposition in this charge threatened to quench the Holy Spirit's converting work among the people and sought to discourage the suffering and needy. It could not stop Christ, who continued His work of healing and bringing help to them despite the accusation.
Hatred Foretold and Shared
The slander that deliverance came through the ruler of demons was not merely human opposition but the enmity of Satan himself directed against Jesus as the champion of God and His truth. In that attack the leaders magnified and persecuted One who is supreme among multitudes and altogether lovely. Their course fulfilled the Scripture that He would be hated without cause. It revealed that the world hated the very embodiment of virtue for the reason that He was better than its accusers.
Those who follow Christ must therefore expect the same hostility from Satan and the world. When believers separate from the world and its customs in order to please God, they will meet its displeasure and hatred. Since the servant does not outrank his Lord, obedience will involve a cross and persecution. The Majesty of heaven Himself endured humiliation and a shameful death, and His followers share that path.
After Jesus freed a demon-possessed man who could not speak, and in one account was also blind, the crowds marveled at the healing. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders answered by charging that He drove out demons by the power of the ruler of demons, meaning Satan. The charge was driven by envy at the multitudes flocking to hear Him, and by hatred and prejudice that sought grounds to condemn Him, discredit His work, and turn the people away from Him despite clear evidence of divine power. Though they recognized the evident supernatural and divine power of His works, they deliberately attributed the work of God's Spirit to the devil, committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that has no forgiveness in this world or the world to come. That false charge expressed Satan's enmity against Him and fulfilled that He would be hated without cause, and those who follow Christ and separate from the world to please God should expect the same hatred and persecution from Satan and the world.
Setting and Accusation
The saying was spoken after Jesus freed a man possessed by a demon who left him unable to speak, and the crowds marveled at the healing. In one rendering of the event the afflicted man was both blind and unable to speak. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders answered the wonder by charging that He drove out demons by the power of the ruler of demons, meaning Satan. They thus falsely treated His work of deliverance as evidence of evil, scorning Him as one possessed by a demon and as a deceiver. That scorn dishonored God, though He had come to give life to the world.
The charge grew from envy, because the multitudes flocked to hear Jesus and listened as if spellbound to His simple, plain words that even the most unlearned could understand. Hatred and prejudice had closed the hearts of His opponents, so even clear evidence of divine power did not persuade them. They wanted grounds to condemn Him rather than evidence that He was sent from God, seeking reason to discredit His work, break His hold upon the people, and turn them away from Him. To that end they eagerly accepted false testimony and distorted His words and actions to make Him appear guilty.
The hostility and prejudice behind the accusation made Jesus cautious about allowing news of a healing to spread, since His enemies were watching for means to discredit Him. When His brothers heard the charge that He cast out demons by Satan's power, they felt the reproach connected with their relationship to Him.
Deliberate Rejection of Light
The Pharisees saw works of mercy whose reality and supernatural, divine power were evident and acknowledged that supernatural power accompanied them, yet falsely charged that the power to cast out demons came from Satan, the prince of demons. Even clear evidence of divine power did not persuade them, because they eagerly accepted false testimony and distorted words and actions to make Him appear guilty. They did not truly believe their own charge that Satan empowered Him. They made it because they were determined to resist the truth, misrepresent His works of mercy, and avoid being converted and having their hearts changed by the truth.
By deliberately calling the work of God's Spirit the work of the devil and slandering it, they committed blasphemy against God. This deliberate rejection of the Spirit's work is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the sin against the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost. It is the unforgivable sin that has no forgiveness in this world or the world to come.
To call the Holy Spirit's work satanic cuts people off from the source of blessing. Those who reject the Spirit reject the means by which God brings them to repentance and faith, and when the Spirit is finally rejected nothing more can be done for them. Their opposition in this charge threatened to quench the Holy Spirit's converting work among the people and sought to discourage the suffering and needy. It could not stop Christ, who continued His work of healing and bringing help to them despite the accusation.
Hatred Foretold and Shared
The slander that deliverance came through the ruler of demons was not merely human opposition but the enmity of Satan himself directed against Jesus as the champion of God and His truth. In that attack the leaders magnified and persecuted One who is supreme among multitudes and altogether lovely. Their course fulfilled the Scripture that He would be hated without cause. It revealed that the world hated the very embodiment of virtue for the reason that He was better than its accusers.
Those who follow Christ must therefore expect the same hostility from Satan and the world. When believers separate from the world and its customs in order to please God, they will meet its displeasure and hatred. Since the servant does not outrank his Lord, obedience will involve a cross and persecution. The Majesty of heaven Himself endured humiliation and a shameful death, and His followers share that path.