Make A Stand For Jesus

but a monstrous slander when used for Christ.... It was a calculated blasphemy of immense perversity.”

Second accusation - they take that reasoning one step further
• Not only is He possessed, He is empowered by Satan - "By the prince of demons He is driving out demons." (v.12) He does things by the power of Satan.
• By saying this they were ascribing the gracious works of God to Satan.
• Jesus called this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." (v.29).

In the light of the context, this refers to an attitude - not some deeds or words –
• But an attitude of defiant hostility towards God
• It is the stubborn unbelief, despite the evidence God has provided
• This disbelief puts us, naturally, outside God’s forgiveness – because His plan was to provide forgiveness of sin through faith in Jesus Christ

They were blinded to what was rather obvious. Their accusations were lame and absurd.
• This is what happens when man is bent on their own agenda.
• To find fault with Jesus was their goal. No compromise.
• They were so bent on evil, that they cannot see the good; too blinded to see the light.
o Have we been so caught up about our own agenda – our own goals, desires, wishes, plans…and become blinded to His ways, His will, His desire for us today?
o Are we seeing what He is doing today? Are we hearing what He is saying today?
o Are there times when God has given us some obvious signs or words, but we’ve been too busy with our own plan to see or hear them?


2. TAKE A STAND FOR JESUS
- Don’t sit on the fence – there is no middle ground.

Jesus tore down their charges, first by telling them their accusation is illogical.
• "How can Satan drive out Satan?" (v.23)
• Jesus words revealed their folly.
o It’s like saying, “Who will willingly and knowingly shots himself in the foot?”
o It’s like a general who send his soldiers to the front lines of battlefield with orders to shoot their own comrades.

It is absurd to say this. What would he have gained by such a move?

"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come." (v.24-26)

If Satan’s goal is to destroy, can he be doing this work of healing? No, of course not.
• If the miracle was not performed by the power of darkness, then it must have its source in the power of God.
• If Jesus wasn’t of Satan, then only one alternative remained: He must be of God!

Logic would demand that the religious leaders acknowledge Jesus as God or that His power was from God. Yet in the face of all the evidence they refused.

By talking about the kingdom, and the house, Jesus has just thrown out a challenge
• There are two kingdoms here – the kingdom run by Satan, and mine
• Satan will not drive out his own, in his own kingdom – but I will.
• I belong to another kingdom and I’m here to drive out Satan

In this story there are 2 spiritual forces at work in the world and we must choose between them. Paul says in Eph 6:12, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in