As Jesus has been healing people, He has also been going head to head with the Pharisees' rejecting Him.
When demons possess people, they manifest all sorts of troubling behavior (Luke 6:18) in the human body.
- The Scriptures show us that demons make people mute (Matt. 9:32), deaf (Mark 9:25), or blind (Matt. 12:22). We also see that demons can make some people lunatics (Matt. 17:5) who scream constantly (Mark 5:5), cutting themselves (Mark 5:5) and tearing off their clothes (Mark 5:15).
- Sometimes the demons attack the bodies they are in, seizing them (Luke 8:29) with convulsions (Mark 1:26), slamming their bodies down onto the ground (Luke 9:42), or sometimes into painful or dangerous places like fire and water (Matt. 17:15),
- Other times, the demon-possessed turn on other people, becoming violent (Matt. 8:28) and attacking someone else (Acts 19:16). This is exceptionally dangerous, since the demons are able to give them superhuman strength to do things like break chains (Mark 5:4).
- And if all this isn't bad enough, some people have multiple demons living inside of them (Matt. 12:45, Luke 8:30).
But we are not to be frightened, for Jesus has power over the demons. The blind and mute man who was brought to Him was healed instantly, being able to speak and see again.
As a result of this deliverance, the crowds began to wonder if Jesus might be the Messiah. But when the Pharisees heard people saying this, they said that it wasn't because He was the Messiah, it was because He was empowered by Beh-el-zeb-OOL, the devil.
This name for the devil has a long history. The highest god among the Canaanites' false religion was BAH-al, a name that means, "Lord." They called sometimes him BAH-al Zeb-OOL, meaning "Lord of the House." But the Hebrews knew that the false gods were satan and his demons, so they insultingly called him "BAH-al Zeb-OOB," which changes "house" to "flies," making him not "Lord of the House," but, "Lord of the Dung Hill."
The Pharisees are accusing Jesus of casting out demons by satan, the ruler of the demons.
Jesus points out to them that satan cannot cast out satan, because if he was working against himself, his kingdom would fall apart. The only way to rob the house of the "Lord of the House" Beh-el-zeb-OOL was to bind him up. The devil certainly isn't going to be working with anyone to cast out his own guys!
The devil will not be with Jesus in this work, the devil is against Jesus. And anyone who does not side with Jesus is siding with the devil. If you are not with Jesus, you are against Him by default.
Some people defend their position by saying, "Well, I haven't made up my mind yet whether or not to be with Jesus." But in deciding to wait, you have made your decision. By delaying, you are siding against Jesus.
The "therefore" tells us that Jesus is tying in the Pharisees' claim that He is healing by the power of the devil and their rejection of Him with the one unforgivable sin.
That one unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus said of the Spirit,
John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me"
John 16:13-14 ..."when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you."
It is the Holy Spirit Who draws us into the knowledge of Jesus and faith in Jesus. It is of Whom Jesus said,
John 16:8-9 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me"
The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, and shows us that Jesus is our only source of forgiveness.
Many people may blaspheme Jesus Christ throughout their life, even as I did. But they can be forgiven for that, even as I was. The Holy Spirit keeps working on them, drawing them into faith in Christ. But if you continually reject the Spirit's pull, and ultimately blaspheme His work of drawing you to faith, you cannot be forgiven.
That is why rejecting the gospel is so dangerous. Each time, you get closer and closer to permanently hardening your heart against the Spirit, and someday you will commit the one unforgivable sin and you will never be saved.
There is a day of judgment in which each of us will stand before God and give an account. The words that we have spoken in this life will be brought forth, and we will have to answer for them. That is why Paul the apostle said,
Rom. 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
On the day of judgment, our words saying, "Jesus is Lord" will justify us before God, and we will enter into His kingdom. Or, if we have never confessed Jesus as the Lord of our lives, then we will be condemned, and be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.