Focal passages: Matthew 12:22-32
One of my favorite characteristics of Jesus is His ability to send shockwaves across multitudes of people. He offered grace and forgiveness in the midst of a culture that coveted religiosity. He destroyed hierarchies among sinners by challenging those who wanted to be first to be last. When others focused on trapping Him, He focused on freeing others.
Our Savior overturned tables outside the temple and washed the feet of the man who betrayed Him.
Matthew 12:22-32 shows that Jesus’ words were equally as astounding as His actions.
These passages begin with Jesus showing God’s power through a miracle. “Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw” (Matthew 12:22).
This man could neither see his Savior nor call out to Him, yet the power of God in Christ proved to be greater.
We don’t know how many witnesses were present, but we do know that they were all amazed, which only highlights the wonder of God’s work in that moment.
Knowing the gravity of what they had just seen, the Pharisees attempted to condemn Jesus by accusing Him of casting out demons through the work of Satan. By making these deliberate claims in rejecting Jesus, the Pharisees were clearly committing the unpardonable sin. They committed blasphemy against the Spirit because they rejected the power of the Spirit by which Jesus did everything.
After exposing the flaws in the Pharisees’ accusations, Jesus said something they would surely never forget.
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men … either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32).
Committing a sin that is unforgiveable is so weighty that many have wondered if they have ever crossed that line. How does this scripture help us address that concern?