The King Strikes Back: Exorcism, Controversy, & the Unforgivable Sin
Hopson Boutot
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted
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Welcome & Announcements (Hopson)
Good morning family! Please take your seats.
Happy New Year!
With a new year we’re changing a few things about our order of service in hopes to strengthen our time of worship together
One of those changes is to take everybody’s least favorite part of the worship gathering (THIS) and get it over with before we do anything else.
So without further ado...
5 announcements:
1) If you’re our guest, we’re so grateful you’re here...
and we’d be grateful if you’d fill out one of our connect cards before you leave. It will help us to learn more about you and how we can better serve.
You can find them near the offering boxes at the exits
You can fill it out there and hand it to me or leave it in the slot in the box
2) No evening gathering tonight
But Pray in the New Year stations open here in the gym until 2PM today
If you haven’t made time to walk through those prayer stations I think you’ll find it a helpful way to begin the new year.
3) Bible Reading Plan
I love this plan because there’s two off days every week that can be used to study other things OR to catch up if you fall behind
Consider reading through the whole Bible, or the whole NT (in bold)
4) Elder Nominee Q&A, Jan. 8 at 5:30 PM in the chapel
Grab a packet on your way out
5) Members Meeting, Jan 15 (meal at 5, meeting at 6)
Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.
Call to Worship (Psalm 84:1-2, 10)
Prayer of Praise (Carole Smith)
Better Is One Day
Come Thou Fount
Prayer of Confession (Jeremy Collins), Unforgiveness
In Christ Alone
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Scripture Reading (Matthew 12:22-32)
Pastoral Prayer (Mike K.)
SERMON
START TIMER!!!
Last night the Boutot home was an unlikely place to find hope.
While many people may have spent the evening hoping and dreaming about a new year, we had a football game to watch!
Most of you know that as a native of Columbus, Ohio, I’m a lifelong fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Many of you also know that my dear wife grew up in Georgia, and is a lifelong fan of the Georgia Bulldogs.
And many of you further know that Ohio State and Georgia played each other last night in the first round of the college football playoff.
So no matter what happened, one of us was going to end the year with hopes still alive for a national championship, and the other with hopes dashed.
To complicate matters, our kids are just as divided as Holly and I.
And although we both love our respective teams, neither Holly or I are in the habit of cheering against each other’s teams, making last night’s game a particularly uncomfortable experience....
Especially for me... right at midnight when the potentially game-winning kick sailed wiiiiide left.
When the game ended, there was (of course) zero hope for the Ohio State Buckeyes to achieve their goal of competing for a national championship.
But hope was still alive in the Boutot household. We survived four quarters of thrilling football against each other’s teams without bragging or smack talk, without hurt feelings or sore losers, with the ability to be generally happy for each other.
Now I know a football game is a silly analogy for this sort of thing, but the truth remains that God loves to bring hope in unlikely places.
When things are confusing, scary, painful, frustrating, and terrifying, God often brings hope.
In the places in life where we would love to bury our head in the sands, to pull the covers over our heads, to run away and never look back, in those places God loves to bring hope.
God loves to shine the light of hope in the darkest, most unlikely places.
And that’s exactly what I want to show you in our text, beginning in...
Matthew 12:22
Jesus is still in the early stage of His earthly ministry, but there’s been a noticeable shift in how He is being received.
As Jesus’ popularity increased, so did antagonism from the religious leaders.
Now they’re falsely accusing Him of casting out demons with the power of Satan!
And by the time the story is over, Jesus strikes back by warning them against committing a sin that can never be forgiven.
So in this story we’ve got powerful demons, Jesus-deniers, and the forever damned. Seems like an unlikely place to find hope.
But with God’s help, I pray you’ll leave having found exactly that.
Father, help us to understand your Word. Jesus, help me to clearly proclaim the truth about You. Spirit, bring the hope in this text into the dark corners of our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Four Scenes:
A convincing miracle
A comical accusation
A credible defense
A chilling warning
Scene 1: A Convincing MIRACLE
Scene 1: A Convincing MIRACLE
12:22—Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to [Jesus], and He healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
This is God’s Word, and we believe it’s true. But here we come across something that seems to belong more to a horror film than the world we inhabit.
Demons? Really?
In the preface to his book about demons called The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis says this: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”[1]
What do we believe about demons?
Demons are real
Virtually every culture in human history (and most of the best stories in print and on film) feature the existence of real supernatural evil forces in the world.
It’s only in the uber-enlightened and “scientific” modern West where people now live under the assumption that supernatural evil doesn’t exist.
But of course we don’t decide what to believe based on polling data.
We believe demons are real spiritual beings because of what we read in the Bible
Nearly 100 references to demons in the New Testament alone
This doesn’t mean that all our stereotypes about demons are true. The Bible says nothing about them being black, red, horned, scaly, or wielding pitchforks!
Do you believe Jesus is who He said He was? Then you better believe that demons are real!
Jesus either (1) believed they were real and was crazy, (2) pretended they were real and was a liar, or (3) believed they were real because they are real!
We also believe...
Demons are created
No Bible verse explicitly mentions the creation of demons, but the Bible is clear God created everyone and everything...
Colossians 1:16—For by [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.
“Rulers and authorities” often refers to the unseen demonic realm
Why would God create demons?
God didn’t create them as demons.
The Scriptures indicate demons are fallen angels
Revelation 12:3-4a, 9—And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. . . . And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
It’s important to remember demons are created to ensure we do not give them more credit than they deserve. They aren’t equal with God!
And yet...
Demons are powerful
They have power that manifests itself in the physical world
The grammar in the original language suggests this man is blind and mute because of the power of these demons [2]
We tend to think of demonic influence as a binary, you’re either demon-possessed or you’re not. But the original language actually never uses the term “demon-possessed.” The literal term is “demonized.”
Not everybody who is harassed by demons experiences the same “symptoms.”
Not every demonized person in the Bible is blind and mute!
But at least sometimes demons are granted the power to disrupt a person physically!
Careful: the Bible doesn’t teach that demons are always the source of physical challenges.
Don’t go looking for a demon behind every physical challenge
But don’t ignore the reality of demonic activity in the world today either
Bottom line: you’re not Jesus, so you don’t know if there’s a demon involved or not!
Ultimately, we look to Jesus (not demons) because we believe...
Demons are defeated
Think about how desperate this man is...
Because of the demon’s influence, this man “could neither speak, to ask for help, nor see, to go and find it." [3]
Jesus sees this demonized man and immediately heals him!
How can Jesus do this? We’ll see more details in a moment, but the bottom line is they’ve been defeated!
Colossians 2:15—He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.
This doesn’t mean demons are now powerless, but it does mean their doom is certain. Our job is not to exercise authority over demons, but to look to the One who has defeated them!
The defeat of demons is kind of like the most lopsided college football game in history. On October 7, 1916 Cumberland College was defeated by Georgia Tech by a score of 222-0. Not only was Cumberland College kept out of the end zone, they never achieved a first down. Entering the fourth quarter Cumberland was already defeated with zero chance of coming back. They were already down 180-0, and the biggest comeback in college football history is from a 35 point deficit. And yet the game wasn’t over. Both teams continued to play the game until the clock wound down to zero.
Satan and his demons are defeated. There’s no chance they’re winning. And yet, the game isn’t over. They continue to disrupt things in this world until Jesus returns to make all things new.
How did the people respond to Jesus’ convincing miracle?
12:23—And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”
“Is this the long-awaited Messiah who will rule forever as King of Kings?”
They haven’t yet determined He is (which is a problem in and of itself!) but they haven’t ruled it out either.
How have you responded to the miracles of Jesus?
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of David, the Son of God?
If not, why are you unsure? Are you willing to keep learning and keep growing?
Not everybody responded that way...
Scene 2: A Comical ACCUSATION
Scene 2: A Comical ACCUSATION
12:24—But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
The name “Beelzebul” is likely connected to a Philistine idol named “Beelzebub,” but over time the word changed it’s meaning to refer to Satan himself.
The Pharisees don’t deny the reality of Jesus’ power. It’s undeniable. So they have two options...
Either admit Jesus has come from God and worship Him…
or accuse Jesus of coming from Satan and attack Him even more.
Like Buzz Lightyear refusing to believe he’s a toy, despite all the evidence.
But there’s something even more sinister going on here. Not only do the Pharisees refuse to believe, they abuse their spiritual authority by peddling their lies to their followers.
Those who teach the Bible (SS, women’s min, D-Groups, elders, etc.): you have a sobering task. Only condemn what the Bible condemns. Only celebrate what the Bible celebrates.
Jesus shows that the Pharisees accusation is comical for two reasons:
It was Illogical
12:25-26—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. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Jesus’ words are self-evidently true. Divided things (whether it’s a marriage, a family, a church, a city, or a country) do not stand. At least not for long.
Texting Matt Smith about the OSU/UGA game when we were up 11 with 9 minutes left—I’m not going to trashtalk, I’ve got to go to bed with a Bulldogs fan!
Satan is evil, but he isn't stupid. But it’s stupid and illogical to suggest that Satan is casting out Satan.
But there’s another reason the Pharisee’s accusation was comical...
It was Inconsistent
12:27—And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
We know from historical sources like Josephus and others that the Pharisees and their followers at least claimed to be able to cast out demons.
Whether they actually were able to exorcise demons is another discussion for another day. That’s not the point.
Jesus’ point is, “if you’re accusing Me of casting out demons with Satan’s power, than what sort of power do your followers use when they do the same thing?”
In other words, Jesus is accusing them of being inconsistent!
Before we move on from here, notice that Christianity is a logical religion. It’s rooted in reality, in history, in facts.
Are you kidding me?!? You guys believe demons and exorcisms are real!!!
Do you reject the possibility of the entire unseen realm (supernatural beings) or merely the beings that the Bible calls demons?
If you allow for the possibility of anything in the unseen realm (e.g., ghosts, spirits, angels, gods, etc.) than isn’t it inconsistent to dismiss the existence of demons without some logical reason to do so?
If you reject the possibility of the unseen realm, on what logical basis do you do so?
Because you’ve never seen them? That’s illogical, because by definition you can’t see the unseen realm.
Because you’ve never seen evidence of them? Is it that you’ve never seen evidence, or you simply reject all evidence out of hand because you’ve already decided they don’t exist?
Yes, believing these things does take faith. But following Jesus isn’t a blind leap of faith in the dark. It’s faith rooted in fact.
Jesus doesn't tell people to "just believe." He uses logic to credibly defend Himself.
Scene 3: A Credible DEFENSE
Scene 3: A Credible DEFENSE
In verse 28, Jesus moves on from rejecting the Pharisees’ accusation to explaining how He’s able to cast out demons...
12:28—But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Jesus says there’s another option. Instead of attributing the source of His power to Satan, Jesus could have His power from the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus has power from the Holy Spirit to overthrow demons, than the Kingdom of God has begun.
If the Kingdom of God is here, than Jesus is the King.
And that is precisely what the Pharisees refused to believe!!!
Jesus continues...
12:29—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.
Imagine you want to break into Dwayne Johnson’s house to steal some stuff. Not recommending it, bad idea, but just go with it for a second. If Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is there when you break in, you’ve got problems. He can hit you with the Samoan Drop, the people’s elbow, or the rock bottom! (Those were some of his famous wrestling moves, I checked on Google). Unless you find a way to restrain the strong man, you’re not taking anything!
Satan is like a strong man. Since Adam and Eve fell in the garden, he’s had incredible power and authority in the earth to blind and enslave people.
Jesus has come to plunder Satan’s house, to rescue souls that Satan has captured. But to do that, He must bind the strong man.
At some point in Jesus’ ministry (perhaps when He resisted Satan’s temptations in the wilderness) He bound Satan, limiting his power.
Satan is not literally bound, of course, but because of Jesus his power is severely limited until Jesus returns to banish him to hell forever. He’s no longer deceiving entire nations, as people from every tribe and tongue are hearing the gospel and believing it!
Martin Luther once famously said that Satan is “God’s devil.” God has Satan on a leash. He can only do what God allows, and God uses the efforts of Satan to bring about His own purposes!
Satan enters Judas to betray Jesus to His death
God uses Satan’s schemes to defeat Satan!!!
How are you going to respond to this?
12:30—Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Unbeliever: It's okay to consider the evidence. Jesus had been in Galilee for a year. It's not okay to stay on the fence indefinitely.
Christian: our apathy to the power of Jesus is a sin!
Could it be we often fail to plant gospel seed (we’re not gathering!) because we don’t really believe that Satan’s power is limited?
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.
We should plant gospel seed with hopeful confidence because Jesus has won the victory!
If (like me) you often feel guilty about your struggles to evangelize as you want, perhaps you’re also fearful about the final words in our passage.
Perhaps you wonder, “maybe I’m not even a Christian!”
Let’s consider...
Scene 4: A Chilling WARNING
Scene 4: A Chilling WARNING
12:31-32—Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 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.
This passage, often called the unpardonable or unforgivable sin is one of the most chilling in all of Scripture. It’s terrified many, perhaps even some of you!
If it’s possible, Mark’s recording of this warning is even more chilling...
Mark 3:29 — . . . whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.
Did you ever hear someone say “never” but not really mean never?
GOD ISN’T LIKE THAT!!!
If we take Him at His Word when He says He’ll never forsake His people, we have to take Him at His Word when He says He’ll never forgive this sin!
What is the unpardonable sin?
NOT...
Racism
Pornography
Adultery
Murder
Abortion
Homosexuality or transgenderism (“such were some of you,” 1 Cor. 6:10-11)
Denying Jesus (Peter)
Suicide
Doesn’t mean those things aren’t sin, or that we accept or celebrate them. But they are sins that can be forgiven and have been forgiven for countless Christians who will one day here “well done good and faithful servant!”
What then is the unpardonable sin?
The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
A few years ago an Atheist group called the Rational Response Squad issued a $25,000 YouTube campaign called the Blasphemy Challenge. The idea was that people would upload a video to YouTube saying the words, "I blaspheme the Holy Spirit." They did this so if anyone ever tried to share the Gospel with that person, they could say, "Listen I can't be saved. I've blasphemed the Holy Spirit." Now, is that what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Is it merely saying the words, "I blaspheme the Holy Spirit"? I don't think so.
Kevin DeYoung—Blasphemy against the Spirit is “a conscious, clear, consistent repudiation of Christ by those who should know better.” [4]
Conscious—These are not throwaway, slip-up, unintentional words. This is not an instance of someone putting their foot in their mouth. These are conscious words. The Pharisees knew exactly what they were doing. They knew exactly what they were saying.
Clear—This is not a question of doubt, or struggle. This is not like Thomas who doubted that Christ had truly risen. This is not like some of you who wrestle with doubt—is this really the truth? This is a clear rejection of Christ.
Consistent—This is the consistent testimony against Jesus by the Pharisees throughout the rest of the gospel accounts. They say the same thing in Matthew 9:34, Mark 3:22, and Luke 11:15. This is not a position that they held than later changed. This is the consistent rejection of Christ for the rest of their lives.
Repudiation of Christ—This is more than simply a rejection. Rejection means, "I don't want that." Repudiation is to reject with disapproval and condemnation. This is not someone saying, "I don't want to become a Christian." This is someone who rejects Christ and condemns Christ.
By those who should know better. They were experts of the Scripture. They had seen Jesus’ miracles. They knew better, but they refused to believe!
The blasphemy against the Spirit is not unforgivable because it's too bad and the cross just wasn't quite enough to forgive a sin like that. The unforgivable sin is unforgivable because those who commit this sin will never repent. It is not so much an act or an utterance, but a particular disputation of the heart. Those who consciously, clearly, and consistently repudiate Christ will never be forgiven because they will never repent.
Where’s the hope?!?
Matthew 12:31—Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people...
Christian: every sin is forgiven!
Your forgiveness isn’t contingent on your ability to remember every sin you commit...
or confess them perfectly...
or forsake them forever...
Your forgiveness is based on the finished work of Jesus! If you’ve come to Him in repentance and faith, every sin will be forgiven!!!
Spurgeon—“We shall grow in grace, but we shall never be more completely pardoned than when we first believed: we shall one day stand before the glorious presence of God in his own sacred courts, and see the Well-beloved and wear his likeness, but we shall not even then be more perfectly forgiven than we are at this present moment. [5]
Unbeliever: you can be forgiven today!!!
The head of a large mental hospital once said he could send half his patients home cured if they could only be assured that their sins could be forgiven. [6]
If you’re fearful that you’ve committed this sin, you haven’t! Repent and believe today!!!
1 John 1:9—If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Your Word which warns, and gives hope
Jesus who defeated Satan, who died so we can be forgiven!
Spirit for drawing us to God.
For the hope we have because we’ve been forgiven!
Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable.
All Glory Be to Christ
Benediction (Romans 16:20)