A Miracle is?

Matthew 12:22-32

A miracle is: What is your definition of a miracle?  For many it is the birth of a child, but can birth be explained, or a loved one cured from the worst kind of cancer and it is a miracle but often it is the medicine and treatment that gets the credit.  So what is a miracle: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency: the miracle of rising from the grave. (The Dictionary)

Jesus is in a lot of trouble with the Pharisees for healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, but those who are following him, and the number is growing each day, are being healed and we have this account by Matthew in chapter 12:22-24, “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. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

Why would the people asking this question, “Can this be the Son of David?” put the Pharisees in such a rage?  In the book of Isaiah 9:2-7, it is written the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, so when the people began to ask if Jesus was the Son of David, it put the Pharisees in a frenzy.  When it comes to Beelzebul that name is tied to the worship of Baal, and because there is only one God, Yahweh, all other worship of images was demonic spirits.  And in that Satan is the leader of demonic spirits the name became an alternate name for Satan.

It seems as if the Pharisees would have learned after a few encounters with Jesus that He was going to make them look as stupid as they were, but I will let you decide, this is the encounter.  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? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:25-28)

I once had a man tell me Jesus never claimed to be God in the Scriptures, I must say a statement like that can only be made by someone who has never read the Bible.  Here Jesus is saying check your facts, because “if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast our demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”  I bet they just wanted Jesus to leave the room, but He was not through with them.  “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. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 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.” (Matthew 12:29-32)

Jesus has always given us a choice, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”  But God will not allow anyone to say that His Son is casting out demons by the power of Satan, those who do so will not be forgiven, for they were rejecting God’s gift of Salvation.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice