My Father’s House Is Not Divided

Matthew 12:22-30

Text: Verse 25

Meeting opposition,being scorned,being diabolically attacked, blasphemed and accused of things was not anything strange to Jesus.

After all since He had begun His ministry the religious order of that day were always in one way or another continuously being antagonistic (conflicting) or in conflict with Jesus.

Even though He was Gods chosen servant.

Even though He was Gods Beloved Son in whom God was well pleased.

Even though Gods Spirit was upon Him fully.( For He had the Spirit without measure)..John 3:34

The religious order of that day rejected and plotted against Jesus. They like many in the church today represent those who rebel against the Lordship of Jesus Christ because they don’t want Jesus to have any control over their lives. They had rejected Jesus so much that their hearts became encrusted and hardened beyond reach. So Jesus was forced to withdraw Himself from them.

Jesus withdrew Himself because he wanted to avoid confrontation with those who sought His life after all His hour had not yet come and He did not wish to provoke the religious order of that day to a deliberate conflict putting His self in premature danger.

He also withdrew His self because He didn’t want to be thrust into public acclaim to assume kingship of a nation that rejected Him. For He understood His purpose, He understood His assignment. After all he had come to be the suffering servant. He knew the people were incendiary ( flammable), aching for deliverance from their Roman conquerors. He didn’t come to overthrow the Romans and establish Israel as one of the greatest nations of the world.He had come to establish a Spiritual Kingdom.

This opposition to Jesus had reached its height in this event listed here in chapter 12 of St. Matthews gospel. Jesus was being scorned and diabolically attacked .He was not only blasphemed, but accused and charged with being of the devil. Again He kept His calm and he remained level - headed and went about proving that He was of God. As we look at our text here we read the story of a demon possessed man who was blind and dumb but he was healed. This man was brought to Jesus yet the bible says Jesus had compassion on him. i.e. Jesus had the power to both ”deliver and heal” him. Jesus had come to conquer satan and break his power over man.

Acts 10:38 says, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The people were amazed.they wondered in hope, Is this the Son of David They thought He might be the one. yet they were not quite sure. He wasn’t doing the things they had been taught the Messiah was going to do. To them he seemed to have no concern for political and national affairs. He had neither mobalized an army nor led an uprising against the Romans as the Son of david. Contrarwise, He was demonstrating compassion and love for needy people who were destitute in their spirit and hurting in their body. He was proclaiming a message of personal salvation instead of a message of national deliverance. His behavior was so different from what they had always believed and been taught. He claimed to be the Son of God. They wanted to believe; they even hoped, but they just were not sure. The reason being was that the Pharisees (the religious order of the day) had denied Jesus. When they saw the people turning to Jesus, they set out to do two things.

1. To shatter the peoples hope and belief lest they lose their own position and hold on the people.

2. They charged Jesus with being from the devil and possessing power of the devil.

It was alright with him that they were in opposition against Him but things changed when they compared His works to that of Beelzebub -Satan.

Beelzebub was known as the Prince of Demons heis name was derived from the Canaanite god whose name means lord he was known as the lord of the flies. The dung god.

This charge against Jesus was absurd.

The idea was that if they could get them to believe that Jesus was sent by the devil to deliberately deceive people and lead them away from the true traditional religion and beliefs they would accomplish what they were setting out to do.

But the evidence of His supernatural power dictated otherwise. It was clearly seen and even admitted by the enemies of Jesus that some force or power other than that of human was healing people and performing miracles. How many know here tonight that its not by mans power neither by mans might but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts. Hosea 4:6