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⁴⁶ “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. ⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46–50 (ESV)

Matthew previously addressed the issue of family relationships and the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:34-39). Jesus stated that obeying Him as a believer could result in conflict within one’s family. He also stated that whoever loved anyone more than Him was not worthy of Him. In other words, no human relationship was to have a greater priority or importance than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s text illustrated this truth with respect to Jesus’ relationship with His own earthly family. While Jesus was speaking in the aftermath of healing the man with a withered hand and exorcizing a demon from a blind/mute individual (Matt. 12:9-45), his mother and brothers stood outside the synagogue and continually asked to speak to Him.

Biblically, we know that Jesus’ mother was Mary (Matthew 1:18-25; 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 1:26-37; 2:1-7). The Gospels also provided the names of Jesus’ brothers. They were James, Joses, Judas (Jude) and Simon (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). We also know that Jesus had a least two sisters, who are unnamed (Matt. 13:56; Mark 6:3). We do not know what it was that His immediate family wanted to say to Him.

Upon hearing that His mother and His brothers were wanting to speak with him, Jesus replied, ““Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”   

“Fidelity to and respect for one’s family were so heavily emphasized that such words must have struck their hearers quite forcefully. Many Jewish interpreters regarded the command to honor father and mother as the most important in the law,” explains biblical commentator Craig Keener.

However, Jesus was not finished speaking. Matthew recorded, “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

“Family relationships in the ancient world were often defined by hierarchy even more than by kinship ties, so that wives and especially children (and, in wealthy homes, slaves) were expected to obey the father of the household. Jesus can thus define his “mother, brothers and sisters” as those who obey his Father. To disavow literal family members was so repulsive that even using the image would have been culturally offensive. Further, spiritual or figurative kinship language in Judaism (especially “brothers”) was viewed ethnically (fellow Israelites),” states Keener.

Jesus was certainly counter-cultural. He defied and offended social sensibilities. He was primarily concerned with truth and not complying with accepted cultural mores and values.

Two significant truths are taught here. First, the followers of Jesus have such intimate fellowship with Him that we are as deeply related to Him as His family,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Second, blood ties are less significant than the bond of faith. Our relationships with other Christians are, in a certain sense, more important than the relationships we have with our relatives. Though we must honor our parents and take care of our families (Eph. 6:1–3; 1 Tim. 5:8), our relationship with family members who die in sin ends at death. The bond between brothers and sisters in Christ lasts forever. Our families according to the flesh are important, but the family of God in Christ is more so.”

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴³ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also, will it be with this evil generation.” (Matthew 12:43–45 ESV)

Jesus used an analogy of an unclean spirit and an empty house with respect to the evil generation the He encountered during His ministry on earth. The parable was not meant to win friends and influence people. Rather, Jesus used it to teach truth.

Jesus taught the impossibility of being neutral on moral issues and biblical truth.  He told a brief story about a man who was forsaken by an unclean spirit who had taken possession of him. But simply to be rid of the spirit results in a vacuum that in the end will be filled by even worse evil spirits.

The parable must not be divorced from its immediately preceding context. This analogy takes up a number of points from the preceding verses in Matthew 12. The exorcism scene echoes vv. 22–29, the application in v. 45 takes up ‘this generation’ from vv. 39, 41–42.

“The point of the parable could be summed up in the words of v. 30—there is no room for neutrality. It is shown by the end of v. 45 to be a parable, not an objective psychiatric observation. It warns of the danger of half-hearted repentance,” explains commentator R. T. France.

“This evil generation might be ‘cleansed’ by Jesus’ ministry among them, but a repentance which does not lead to a new allegiance leaves a void which the devil will exploit; he who is not positively with Jesus must inevitably end up against him.”

“Ownership by the devil must be replaced with ownership by Christ (cf. Rom 6:15–18). Otherwise one’s release is only temporary. Moral reform without Christian commitment always remains inadequate. Jesus likens the situation to a house made ready for new occupants which still stands vacant. Squatters will soon move in. No person can live long without serving someone. Satan will always return to attack that which is left defenseless, and each success leads him to increasingly worse designs, whether, as here, to literal repossession by an even greater number of demons (the number seven may indicate completeness of possession) or with the more widespread degeneracy of repeated sin, which characteristically renders humans more insensitive to their guilt (cf. Rom 1:18–32),” states commentator Craig Blomberg.

Songwriter and musician Bob Dylan expressed the truth of today’s text as follows.

But you’re going to have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re going to have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re going to have to serve somebody.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:41–42 (ESV)

With great privilege comes great responsibility. The Jews had the great privilege of being uniquely called and used by God as His chosen people. However, they did not always respond obediently or in faith. The Apostle Paul acknowledged this sobering truth in his Epistle to the Romans.

“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3:1–4 (ESV)

³⁰ “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30–33 (ESV)

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them (Israel) is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:1–4 (ESV)

Jesus articulated that the Ninevites repented of their sin because of Jonah’s preaching (John 1-4). Additionally, the Queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom from King Solomon and was beyond impressed (I Kings 10).

However, even though the incarnate God of heaven and earth was in their midst, the scribes and the Pharisees refused to believe. What a tragedy.

“In stating that something greater than both the Ninevites’ repentance and King Solomon is present in Israel (Matt. 12:41–42), Jesus teaches us an important point about Himself (Christology). Jonah and Solomon represent the offices of prophet and king, respectively, and that which is greater is, of course, Christ Jesus and His coming. In short, Jesus is better than all the prophets and kings who came before Him. He is also greater than the priesthood because He is greater than the temple, which represents the priestly office (v. 6). Jesus, then, is clearly presenting Himself as the consummate prophet, priest, and king, a teaching found elsewhere in the New Testament (Heb. 1:1–4),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Soli deo Gloria!  

³⁸ “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” ³⁹ But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:38–40 (ESV)

Many individuals are familiar with the idiom “Seeing is believing.” The phrase means that when something unlikely is witnessed, the truth of its occurrence or existence can no longer be doubted. “I didn’t think it could happen, but seeing is believing.”

However, in the case of Jesus’ miracles, no matter how many signs He publically performed, the religious leaders always wanted more. At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, the apostle has recorded entire chapters devote to chronicling Jesus’ power and authority (Matt. 8:1-9:8; 11:1-12:50).

Even in the context of today’s text, the Pharisees witnessed Jesus healing a man with a withered hand (Matt. 12:9-14). They also heard of the Lord exorcizing a demon from another man (Matt. 12:22-25). However, instead of honoring the Lord they not only accused Him of breaking the Sabbath but also accomplishing these acts by the power of Satan. While the religious leaders did not deny Jesus’ miracles, instead of worshiping Him they sought to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14).

Therefore, when the scribes and the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign (σημεῖον; semeion) or a miracle, He said that such a request comes from an evil and adulterous generation. Jesus would not perform miracles on demand.

However, there is one sign that Jesus promised to give them. It was the sign of the Prophet Jonah. “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jesus Christ rising from the dead would be the greatest sign of His deity and sovereignty as God (John 2:18-22).

¹⁸ “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” ²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²² For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–25 ESV)

“No miracle will ever be sufficient to engender faith within those who love their sin and refuse to turn to God. People are being insincere when they say they will believe if they see a miracle, for there is plenty of evidence of the truth of Jesus in the accounts of His resurrection, the spread of the Gospel, and the lives and societies changed by obedience to His message. Pray that you would always be able to see these proofs for the truth of our Lord’s words,” concludes Dr. R. C. Sproul.   

Soli deo Gloria!  

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶ I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33–37 (ESV)

Today’s text is not the first time Jesus used the metaphor of a tree and its fruit to illustrate the distinction between true believers in Christ and those who are not. He did so in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:15-20). He also used the image of a treasure to do the same to evaluate the human soul (Matt. 6).

Jesus taught that what an individual truly is evidenced by what they say and what they treasure as valuable. The words people speak and the values we hold reveal our heart and soul.

“Words, even carefully spoken words, are eternally important. Scripture condemns verbal sins such as lies, gossip, or insults as severely as it condemns adultery and murder (Matt. 5:22, 37; 2 Cor. 12:20; I Tim. 1:10; James 3:6; Rev.21:8),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

The Epistle of James has much to say about the believer’s speech (James 3:1-12). ⁸”But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” (James 3:8–12 ESV)

“Men’s language discovers what country they are of, likewise what manner of spirit they are of. The heart is the fountain, words are the streams. A troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring, must send forth muddy and unpleasant streams. Nothing but the salt of grace, cast into the spring, will heal the waters, season the speech, and purify the corrupt communication. An evil man has an evil treasure in his heart, and out of it brings forth evil things. Lusts and corruptions, dwelling and reigning in the heart, are an evil treasure, out of which the sinner brings forth bad words and actions, to dishonor God, and hurt others. Let us keep constant watch over ourselves, that we may speak words agreeable to the Christian character,” states Puritan commentator Matthew Henry.

Take care to monitor every word you speak. This is because the Lord hears and remembers every word we say. Believers in Christ should not think there is such a thing as a throwaway phrase. We must think before we speak, and consider what our jokes and whispered comments say about the condition of our heart?

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

³¹” Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31–32 (ESV)

“That the Bible describes one sin as ‘unforgiveable’ sparks fear in the hearts of those who worry that perhaps they have committed it. Although the gospel freely offers forgiveness to all who repent of their sins, there is a limit reached at the door of this one crime. The unforgiveable, or unpardonable, sin of which Jesus warned is identified as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus declared that this sin cannot be forgiven either in the present or in the future,” explains R. R. C. Sproul.

Today’s text is one of the most controversial and debated in the church. Biblical scholars has wrestled as to its meaning for centuries. The basic principle of context must be kept in mind in properly interpreting any portion of Scripture. The student of Scripture must keep both the grammatical, as well as historical, context in mind when reaching any interpretation of the biblical text. Today’s text is no exception

The Pharisees witnessed the miraculous work by Jesus done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet they continued to attribute this power to Satan (Matt. 9:32-34; 12:22-24). By doing so they were rejecting an explicit revelation of God’s authority and ability. The greatest display of this miraculous ability would be Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (John 2:18-22).

“The sin he (Jesus) was confronting was the Pharisees’ deliberate rejection of that which they knew to be of God (cf. John 11:48; Acts 4:16). They could not deny the reality of what the Holy Spirit had done through him, so they attributed to Satan a work that they knew was of God (Matt. 12:24; Mark 3:22),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

“Someone never exposed to Christ’s divine power and presence might reject him in ignorance and be forgiven—assuming the unbelief gives way to genuine repentance. Even a Pharisee such as Saul of Tarsus could be forgiven for speaking against Jesus or persecuting his followers—because his unbelief stemmed from ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13). But those who know his claims are true and reject him anyway sin “against the Holy Spirit”—because it is the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ and makes his truth known to us (John 15:26; 16:14–15). No forgiveness was possible for these Pharisees who witnessed his miracles firsthand, knew the truth of his claims, and still blasphemed the Holy Spirit—because they had already rejected the fullest possible revelation.”

“We commit such sacrilege “only when we knowingly endeavor to extinguish the Spirit.” There can be no salvation if the work of the Spirit is knowingly rejected. This act reveals a heart so hard that repentance is impossible (Heb. 3:7–19),” states John Calvin.

“Pastors both past and present agree that a person who worries that he has committed the unforgiveable sin has not really done so. Those who do the unforgivable act are so calloused that they do not care about their spiritual state and therefore will never be troubled by the possibility that they have gone too far in their wickedness,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

 “Those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not,” Matthew Henry comments.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁸ “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹ Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. ³⁰ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:28–30 (ESV)

Jesus provided a three-fold response to the Pharisees accusation that He cast out demons by the power of Satan (Matt. 12:22-24). To begin with, Jesus reasoned to them that if He did cast out demons by Satan’s power, that would in effect be a self-defeating exercise (Matt. 12:25-26). The Devil would be destroying his own kingdom. Secondly, Jesus said that if that indeed was the case, then the same accusation could be leveled against the Pharisees’ fellow Jewish exorcists.

Thirdly, Jesus stated that the only way His exorcisms made any sense were that they were done by the Spirit of God. Since this was so, the kingdom of God was appearing to the Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees should have known better than to attribute Jesus’ power to Satan rather than God. However, so great was their hatred of Jesus that all they could think of was how to destroy Him (Matt. 12:14). Their true allegiance was conspicuous (Matt. 7:15-19).  

“Jesus’ amazing power over demons was due to the power of the Holy Spirit working through him (cf. 3:16). The kingdom of God is inaugurated, though not completely realized, in the ministry of Jesus. “Kingdom of God” occurs only five times in Matthew, compared to 32 occurrences of “kingdom of heaven,” which occurs in none of the other Gospel accounts. Jesus is not only the messianic Son of David (12:23) but the King who exercises God’s own kingdom power against Satan and his agents and overcomes the kingdom of Satan through his much greater power (see Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:10–20; Rev. 19:11–21),” explains one biblical commentator.

Jesus illustrated His miraculous ministry by the concept of overcoming a strong man. He said, “Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

Jesus was able to exorcize demons because He had bound Satan. He was able to bind Satan because He was/is more powerful than this fallen angel.

“Beginning with Jesus’ victory over Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (4:1–11), Jesus demonstrated that Satan was powerless to prevent him from proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating the reality of its presence through his work and his words. Satan’s house represents the sinful world over which, until the coming of Christ, he had such power. Jesus has come to plunder his house and rescue people for the kingdom of God (see Col. 1:13),” states the ESV Study Bible.

Finally, Jesus stated that those who were not for Him were against Him. Jesus does not accept a neutral opinion about Him. He is either LORD or He is not. There is no middle or neutral ground regarding the exclusivity of Jesus Christ’s personhood and work.

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. ²⁶ And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.” (Matthew 12:25–27 (ESV)

 Demon possession was common in Jesus’ day (Matt. 4:24). Today’s text continues the third recorded incident in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus healing a demon possessed individual (12:22-24; See Matt. 8:28-34; 9:32-34). However, the Pharisees responded by saying, ““It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons.” This was their typical response to Jesus’ miracles (Matt. 9:34).

What was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees? The text infers that Jesus may not have actually heard the Pharisees’ comment. However, He knew what they were thinking. This was an occurrence of Jesus displaying His deity by His omniscience (Matt. 9:1-4; John 2:24-25).

Jesus responded with three cause and effect statements to these religious leaders. Each statement builds upon the previous one. Jesus clearly displayed biblical understanding and logic of the truth.

First, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” It was absurd for the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the Devil since it is irrational for Satan to cast out his own minions and tear down his own kingdom. Such was the blind hatred the religious leaders had toward the Lord.

Building upon His previous statement, Jesus continued by saying, “And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? The obvious answer is that Satan’s kingdom cannot stand if he is attacking it.

Finally, Jesus said, “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ”If Jesus casts out  demons by the Devil’s power, then the followers of the Pharisees who did the same must also be acting under the Devil’s influence. This deduction the Pharisees could not support (v. 27).

“These teachers inconsistently accuse Jesus of being in Satan’s thrall while seeing God at work among their own students. Stubbornly and persistently, the Pharisees are attributing the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s ministry to the Devil,” concludes Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“A soul under Satan’s power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand! And if they said that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of the devils, they could not prove that their children cast them out by any other power. There are two great interests in the world; and when unclean spirits are cast out by the Holy Spirit, in the conversion of sinners to a life of faith and obedience, the kingdom of God is come unto us. All who do not aid or rejoice in such a change are against Christ,” explains Puritan commentator Matthew Henry.

Are you a converted sinner by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:1-10)? What spiritual fruit gives testimony that you are a member of God’s kingdom (Gal. 5:16-23; James 2:14-26; 2 Peter 1:3-11)?

Soli deo Gloria!  

²² “Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. ²³ And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons.” (Matthew 12:22–24 (ESV)

Demon possession was common in Jesus’ day (Matt. 4:24). Today’s text is the third recorded incident in Matthew’s Gospel of Jesus healing a demon possessed individual (See Matt. 8:28-34; 9:32-34).

Since the man was blind and mute, someone brought him to Jesus. This is interesting because in Matthew 8:28-34, the demons reacted violently; not only towards other people but also towards Jesus. Regardless, Jesus healed the man from his demonic possession and restored his sight and speech.

Unlike the people in Matthew 8:34 who begged Jesus to leave their region, the people to this miracle were amazed and wonder if He was the prophesied Son of David.

“The Messiah of Jewish expectation, a descendant of David, was not a miracle worker, but since God was with Jesus in such extraordinary ways, it is not difficult to see how messianic hopes would be attached to him. David was also the only exorcist reported in the Old Testament (1 Sam 16:23),” explains commentator Craig Keener.

However, when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ““It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” This was their typical response to Jesus’ miracle (Matt. 9:34).

“The title Beelzebul, “Lord of the House,” probably alludes to “Beelzebub” (“lord of flies,” a possible corruption of Baal-zebul), the local deity of Ekron (2 Kings 1:2–3). The title was appropriately applied in early Judaism to Satan,” explains Keener.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3 (ESV)

These two verses, among many others, describe the spiritual condition of the lost. They fittingly describe the fallen condition of the religious Pharisees.

“Today’s passage reveals that Jesus’ healings and exorcisms prompt many to see Him as the son of David (vv. 22–23). Jesus’ miracles demonstrate the presence of the Father’s mighty arm; thus, the people recognize that He is the son of David who will rule the nations. But they fail so far to remember that the Messiah must first suffer vicariously for the sins of David’s line and the sins of His people before He ascends the throne,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

May we serve King Jesus today. Have a blessed one.

Soli deo Gloria!