Matthew Matthew 12:31-32, 38-45 Two Items R emember last week I said we d take a few minutes to talk about the unforgivable sin. I quoted Hanegraaff s response to someone concerned with having committed it. Well let me quote how he first became concerned about it and came to understand it. After all, he wasn t the first nor will he be the last believer to struggle with this issue. The date was October 21, 1962. I sat impatiently in my pew as the pastor droned on endlessly about the Pharisees and their encounters with Christ. Just when I thought he was finally finished, he began telling the story of Christ s encounter with a demon possessed man. He pointed out that the Pharisees, who were eye-witnesses of the encounter, attributed Christ s exorcism to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Christ s comeback was captivating to me, I tell you the truth, He said, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come (Matt. 12:31-32). Today as I write I cannot recall the exact thoughts that flashed through my mind at that moment. But one memory remains forever etched upon the canvas of my consciousness: I like the Pharisees of Christ s time had committed the unforgivable sin. My horror at this sudden realization was so traumatic that I literally felt sick. Although my anxiety subsided somewhat after Sunday s service, the following day my fears flooded back in full force. I listened anxiously to news reports of Nikita Khrushchev s secret installation of nuclear warheads in Cuba. My terror continued to grow as I heard that John F. Kennedy had thrown down the gauntlet to the Soviets by imposing a naval blockade. Even at my age I understood that as the Cuban Missile Crisis played itself out, the world was poised precariously on the precipice of nuclear disaster. In the ensuing hours I was virtually paralyzed by my fear. When my father returned from work, he found me lying in bed, agonizing over my impending physical and spiritual doom. Dad, I stammered when he entered the bedroom, I ve committed the unforgivable sin... the world is coming to an end... and I m headed for hell! 1 VIII Rising Opposition to the Kingdom 11:1-13:52 F. An Accusation of Allegiance to Beelzebub Verses 22-45 1. The Pharisees Accusation Verses 22-37 a. The Unforgivable Sin Verses 31-32 2. The Pharisees Request Verses 38-45 Introduction: Last week I said we d cover two unrelated sections this morning. This arose because of Verses 31-32 and the issue of the so called Unforgivable Sin. So I want to spend a few moments discussing the context, the implications at the time, and the relevancy of the concept for today. Next we will return to the flow of the section and talk about the Pharisees continuing issues with Jesus. They had seen Jesus heal the demonic, and tried to charge him with sorcery. Now they return, asking for a sign. But first 1 Hanegraaff, Hank, Christian Research Newsletter, The Unforgiveable Sin, Vol. 9, Num. 1, 1996.
a. The Unforgivable Sin : let s talk about the Unforgivable Sin. Immediately there are a number of questions we can ask. What is this sin? Was it only something which could occur when Jesus was walking on the earth? Who is capable of committing it? And at least part of the answer to the last question is, not believers! So, what is this sin anyway? Of course nothing is simple, and different theologians have different opinions. (And I should make it clear at this point that I ll be quoting a number of different sources to try to answer this.) Carson begins by noting: the distinction between Son of Man and Spirit is relatively incidental. After all, blasphemy against the Spirit is also a rejection of Jesus own claims: the christological implications of the sin are not diminished but increased in moving from blasphemy against the Son of Man to blasphemy against the Spirit. This provides a clue for understanding how the unforgivable sin of which Jesus here speaks compares with the sins referred to in Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31; and possibly 1John 5:16. In each instance there is self-conscious perception of where the truth lies and the light shines and a willful turning away from it. This is very different from Paul s persecution of the church (1Cor 15:9), which was not unforgivable (1Tim 1:13). 2 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:4-6). If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrew 10:26-31). If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. (1 John 5:16). For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9). Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13). The author of Hebrews says, with a surprising combination of tenses, We have come [perfect] to share in Christ if we hold firmly [aorist subjunctive] to the end the confidence we had at first (Heb 3:14). In 2 Carson, D. A., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Matthew, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990. ) 416 (
other words our past participation in the blessings of the gospel is valid only if we continue in it. John presupposes the same thing that those who leave the church show that they never really belonged in it (1John 2:19; 2John 9). Even Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31 shows how much of the truth may be grasped, how much of the life of the age to come may be sampled, without coming to the place from which there is no turning back (cf. Philip E. Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977], in loc.). This is apostasy, and it involves a break with what one has formally adhered to. 3 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us (1 John 2:19). Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son (2 John 9). The universal witness of the NT is that apostasy if persisted in not only damns but shows that salvation was never real in the first place. The NT reveals how close one may come to the kingdom tasting, touching, perceiving, understanding. And it also shows that to come this far and reject the truth is unforgivable. So it is here. Jesus charges that those who perceive that his ministry is empowered by the Spirit and then, for whatever reason whether spite, jealousy, or arrogance ascribe it to Satan, have put themselves beyond the pale. For them there is no forgiveness, and that is the verdict of the one who has authority to forgive sins (9:5-8). The significance of the transitional words And so now becomes plain. Neutrality to Jesus is actually opposition to him (v.30); and therefore Jesus gives this warning regarding those who blaspheme against the Spirit, since the self-professedly neutral person may not recognize the inherent danger of his position. 4 Okay, so let s make one thing clear, by definition a believer cannot sin in this manner, nor, as Hanegraaff remarking on his father s response to his fear: To my utter astonishment he simply smiled. To this day I can still hear his words: If you are truly concerned, you have not committed the unforgivable sin. The fear I experienced in 1962 is the same fear that prompts one of the questions I am asked most frequently today on the Bible Answer Man broadcast: How can I know for sure that I have not committed the unforgivable sin? First let me point out that my response to each and every caller is exactly the same as what my father told me: If you are truly concerned, you have not committed the unforgivable sin. Rather than demonstrating concern, those who actually commit the unpardonable sin are cavalier about Christ and Christianity. In other words, they have no interest in His forgiveness. The Pharisees mentioned by Matthew militantly hated Christ and attributed His miracles to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Unlike those who are afraid they have committed the unforgivable sin, the Pharisees were totally unconcerned about Christ s forgiveness. Instead, with premeditation and persistence, they willfully blasphemed the Holy Spirit s testimony that Christ was the Son of the living God. Passages like Matthew 12:22-37, Mark 3:20-30, and Luke 12:10 all have one thing in common. They consistently portray people who knowingly persist in rejecting Christ s messianic mission despite His miracles and the ministering power of the Holy Spirit. From a historical perspective it is important to note that the Pharisees had firsthand knowledge of Christ s miracle working power. In addition, they knew the scriptures and thus understood intellectually that Christ was the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. Therefore, their rejection of Christ epitomized the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, let me point out that those who have committed the unpardonable sin have no godly regret. As Paul emphasizes in the book of Romans, they not only continue in their evil ways but approve of others who do so as well (Rom 1:32). Conversely, godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). Thus, as with the Apostle Peter, sorrow for sin and the desire for Christ s forgive- 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. ) 417 (
ness is proof positive that you have not rejected the Savior of your soul. Three times Peter denied his Lord with vile oaths. Yet Christ forgave him. Finally, the Bible consistently teaches that those who spend eternity separated from God do so because they willingly, knowingly, and continuously reject the gospel. John refers to this as the sin unto death (1 John 5:16) in the sense that those who refuse forgiveness through Christ will spend eternity separated from His love and grace. 5 Finally, Dr. McGee states: In our day that particular sin cannot be committed because it could only be committed when Jesus was here upon the earth. There is no act of sin that you commit for which there is no forgiveness. Of course, if you resist the Holy Spirit, there is no forgiveness because He is bringing forgiveness. 6 Wilkins 7 would say that this is the unforgivable sin, so to some extent we get into a semantic issue. back to McGee. It is like the man who is dying from a certain disease, and the doctor tells him there is a remedy for it. The man refuses to take the remedy and dies, not from the disease but from refusing to take the remedy. There is a remedy for the disease of sin, and the Holy Spirit applies it; but if you resist it, there is no remedy. That is the only way sin can be unpardonable today. 8 2. The Pharisees Request: Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, we see the Pharisees coming again to Jesus. This may have been a continuation of the previous battle though the language doesn t require it. Second the language doesn t necessarily mean they were asking for a miracle as a sign is not synonymous with the former. What they were presenting was the need for additional information so they could finally make an informed decision as to who Jesus was. I remember a woman I was witnessing to over an extended period of time. She would constantly ask questions which I did my best to answer. As some point I realized she had shifted her motivation for questions. Now they were a way of avoiding making a decision for Christ. I pointed this out and informed her that if she accepted Christ some of her questions would no longer be an issue. In her case, I m happy to report, she did become a believer. But obviously the Pharisees were again being disingenuous. How do I know? Because of Christ s response. What it boils down to is those who don t want to accept Him won t be convinced by signs and wonders. The only one they will have to finally deal with will be His death and resurrection. This will be the sticking point between remain lost or being saved. Verses 39-41: Jesus uses Jonah s incarceration in the belly of a fish as the scriptural pattern for His death, burial, and resurrection. By the way because of this McGee has always believed Jonah died 9 and was resurrected with the fish vomited him up. Once again Jesus is challenging these men. Remember the citizens of Nineveh an ungodly, pagan bunch of gen- 5 Hanegraaff 6 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. IV, Matthew Romans, Thru The Bible Radio, Pasadena, CA, 1983, p. 69. 7 Wilkins, Michael J., The NIV Application Commentary, Matthew, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2004, p. 449. 8 McGee. 99 Ibid. ) 418 (
tiles repented as a nation because of Jonah s message. And these would, symbolically speaking, point a finger at the godly Pharisees for rejecting Christ. Verse 42: Notice Jesus is throwing believing Gentiles up against hostile Jews. First it was the men of Nineveh, now it s the Queen of Sheba. She traveled all the way to Jerusalem simply to here the wisdom of Solomon, a human king. When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions (1 Kings 10:1). It seems as if everything Jesus says would engender more anger in the Pharisees. Telling believing Jews that Gentiles demonstrated a greater faith then them well need I say more? not me, but apparently Jesus did. Verses 43-45: Here in Matthew, the next verses would seem to tie the whole section together because He sees to be going back to the casting the demon out of the demonic. But He simply may have been making a point. And that would be that it wasn t enough to cast out a demon if the person s life didn t change. When we have had the truth and reject it, we are in more danger than if we never had it. This is consistent with the overall thrust of Jesus comments to the Pharisees. The more light you have, the more light you reject, the greater danger you face. And that was the danger they were in. They probably understood what He was saying and they may have displaced their own arrogance, seeing Him as arrogant. Conclusion: It is this same situation we face as we witness to those around us. Our witness itself is a disservice to those who refuse to accept Jesus and His gift of salvation. And often the people who are hardest to reach are those who are religious. But never forget it isn t our job to save anyone. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who brings conviction of sin, repentance, and accepting Jesus payment for sin. Our responsibility then is to be that light so others by be exposed to Christ s light. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). This little light of mine Oh, this little light of mine This little light of mine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Ev'ry where I go Oh, ev'ry where I go Ev'ry where I go Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ) 419 (
All in my house Oh, all in my house All in my house Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine I'm not going to make it shine I'm just going to let it shine I'm not going to make it shine I'm just going to let it shine I'm not going to make it shine I'm just going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Out in the dark Oh, out in the dark Out in the dark Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine 10 10 Loes, Harry Dixon, This Little Light, public Domain. ) 420 (
Matthew Matthew 12:31-32, 38-45 Two Items VIII Rising Opposition to the Kingdom 11:1-13:52 F. An Accusation of Allegiance to Beelzebub Verses 22-45 1. The Pharisees Accusation Verses 22-37 a. The Unforgivable Sin Verses 31-32 2. The Pharisees Request Verses 38-45 Introduction: a. The Unforgivable Sin : (Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-31; 1 John 5:16; 1 Corinthians 15:91 Timothy 1:13; 1 John 2:19; 2 John 9)
2. The Pharisees Request: Verses 39-41: Verse 42: (1 Kings 10:1) Verses 43-45: Conclusion: (Matthew 5:16) Personal Application: Last week we talked about not believing friends as potential enemies of Christ. This week we must remember the word is potential because, through the working of the Holy Spirit, there is always hope they will receive the gift of salvation. And we are called to be the little light before their eyes. Prayer for the Week: Lord, may I shine for You in the midst of the world s darkness. In Christ s name, amen.