Luke 11:14-28

Luke 11:14–28 ESV

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

RC Sproul:

It’s about the devil. We are introduced to him in Gen 3:1

Genesis 3:1 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Jesus said he has been a liar since the beginning.

These leaders didn’t deny Jesus was doing miracles. The issue was the power that the miracles came from

Satan does not have the attributes of God.

NAC:

Luke (Context)

Jesus advanced two arguments in his defense. The first consists of two metaphors, one of a kingdom divided against itself and the other a divided household…Second, he used an ad hominem argument, which shows that the same charge also could have been leveled against the Pharisees

Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 330.

Vs. 26: 2 Pet 2:20; Heb 6:4–8; 10:26–27; John 5:14.

Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 333.

vs. 28 “What you have said is true as far as it goes. But Mary’s blessedness does not consist simply in her relationship with me, but in the fact that she heard the word of God and kept it, which is where true blessedness lies.

Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 333.

Luke The Lukan Message

Christian perseverance (8:15) entails devotion to God’s word (11:28), to prayer, and to the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42). Otherwise, like the nine lepers, they may experience healing but not salvation (Luke 17:11–19).

Luke The Lukan Message

His readers are expected to apply the teaching to their own situation, i.e., to their own need to follow their salvation in Christ with obedience to God’s word (11:28).

Vs. 15/16

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 1. The Beelzebul Controversy (11:14–23)

The form ‘Baalzebub’ occurs as the name of the god of Ekron (2 Kgs 1:2, 3, 6, 16; in the Hebrew text, not LXX). This means ‘lord of flies’ and may well be a Hebrew pun on a similar sounding Philistine name (like the Ras Shamra name noted below). Some suggest that the Jews further corrupted this into the similar sounding ‘Baalzebul’, ‘lord of dung’, a way of referring to the heathen god, and then transferred this name to a demon. But the form ‘Baalzebul’ also occurs in the Ras Shamra tablets as the name of a Canaanite deity, the term apparently meaning ‘lord of the dwelling’ or ‘lord of the high place’. Our best understanding of the evidence seems to be that the Jews took this name of a heathen god and understood it in terms of the similar sounding Hebrew, ‘lord of dung’. They applied it to a prominent demon, perhaps to Satan himself. Jesus clearly understood it to refer to Satan.

Vs. 19 Jewish exorcists.

Vs. 23. There is no neutrality in Christianity.

Vs. 24-26 Moral Cleanliness

Wilcock:

The Message of Luke 1. Spiritual Revolution (11:14–32)

The first objection concerns what he is doing.

The Message of Luke 1. Spiritual Revolution (11:14–32)

The second objection concerns who he must be, to be doing such things.

Kent Hughes

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth The Slander

But in the Old Testament (2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6, 16) the name is rendered “Baal-Zebub” (NIV), meaning “Lord of the flies.”

vs14/16

Two groups of people respond. One go to the extreme to say that Jesus is collaborating with Satan. The other group weren’t that harsh, they just didn’t believe the sign was good enough. They wanted more evidence/proof.

Let’s consider the response of Jesus. Here he is being extremely insulted. To a level we will never fully understand and yet he doesn’t walk away. He doesn’t insult back. He responds with mercy. He cares about their souls. Do we care about the souls of those who are ‘against’ us? Who insult us?

How do you respond when you are insulted?

It’s funny because Jesus reasoned with those who “thought” with logic. Not emotion.

1 Peter 3:14-16

vs. 19

Acts 19:13

Finger of God (Ex 8:19)

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth A Kingdom Divided

The power of God that enabled Christ to cast out demons was proof positive of the presence of the kingdom of God.

Vs 21- “Castle”

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth The Strong Man Bound

Conclusion: the very fact that Christ had delivered the mute man from Satan’s clutches was evidence that he was not on Satan’s side. Rather, he was and is the devil’s super-powerful enemy. Jesus defeated Satan in order to deliver the man.

vs 24-26

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth In Harm’s Way

Jesus is saying to his religious hearers that self-reformation without regeneration and the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit is fatal.

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth In Harm’s Way

Jesus’ reasoning in answering those who credited his power to Satan was overpowering. A kingdom divided cannot stand—it takes one stronger than the strong to rescue the victim of sin. Jesus’ warnings also cut to the quick. There is no neutrality possible regarding him. We are either with him or against him. Reformation without regeneration is an empty affair, leaving one open to demonic community.

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Vs 15 they acknowledged his power

beelzebul - 2kings 1 (Baal-

logical argument is against a civil war