Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit vs. Resisting the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Last session we saw Jesus’ feet being washed and anointed, not by His host who had invited Jesus to eat at his house, but by a woman who had a horrible reputation for being a sinner in that town. Where Simon the Pharisee failed to extend to Jesus the common courtesies of the day after inviting Him to eat, this woman wept at Jesus’ feet so profusely that her tears flowed onto Jesus’ feet. Having nothing to wipe away the tears, the woman proceeded to use her hair as a towel, wiping Jesus’ feet clean and dry. She then poured out a most precious item that she had, a fragrant oil sealed in an alabaster box.

We then saw Simon’s reaction to this - one of almost disgust at the presence of the woman. He thought that if Jesus were indeed a prophet as people were saying, He should know this woman’s laundry list of sins, and knowing that, in Simon’s mind, Jesus would never allow this woman to touch Him.

Jesus, being much more than a prophet, understanding Simon’s thoughts, tells a parable of two debtors, letting us understand that this woman was aware of her deep sin and showing that Simon was in denial of the existence of his own sin debt to God.

Since the woman had come to Jesus in faith, she received forgiveness, but we do not know of any time whether or not the light bulb ever flickered on for Simon the Pharisee.

Following Jesus’ ministry, we find in Luke chapter 8 that he continues to go throughout the region of Galilee preaching and teaching about the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 8:1 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

So the disciples are with Jesus at this time, but there are also others who are accompanying Him.

Luke 8:2–3 KJV 1900

2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

We have Mary Magdalene, or Mary of Magdala, along with Joanna (the wife of an officer of Herod’s court - the title steward is from a Greek word meaning a superintendent or governor, not the other Greek word that is translated the same but merely a domestic manager), and with those two, there was also a woman named Susanna of whom we know nothing more.

This may seem trivial, at first blush, to know who the traveling companions of Jesus were, but the fact that Mary, Joanna, and Susanna are mentioned in this journey is actually pretty significant. Luke is mentioning these things, not just to keep an accurate detailing of the present company, but to show Jesus’ attitude toward women. In Jesus’ time, women were not looked upon very well. Rabbi Bahya Ben-Asher had been teaching that women are “irrelevant in creation. She is only like a leech, clinging to the main thing, taken from it for its [the main thing’s (man’s) usage]. She is made special for [man’s] usage...”

The Tractate Sanhedrin, which was being compiled during Jesus time and was completed about 200 years later, simply states, “Woe to him whose children are females.”

A later Jewish writing commenting on the book of Genesis states that “Once Eve was created, Satan was created with her.”

And Rabbi Levi ben Gershon said this about women: “She has no more qualities than animals, if she even has a brain.”

Women were not looked upon with high regard in these times. Their testimony was useless in court unless validated by a man. Though Jewish women were still treated, by and large, better than even the surrounding cultures, they were not well looked upon.

However, Jesus’ ministry consistently honors women and raises them up. One example is how Jesus treated the sinner woman that washed His feet with her hair.

Another is the example of how Jesus stopped and spoke with and healed the woman with the issue of blood. When He did that, He was on his way to raise a young girl from the dead.

Jesus’ treatment of women was something radical. It is a fact that Christianity has done more to elevate and transform the status of women worldwide, wherever its teachings have taken root, than anything modern feminism has attempted to do. And it all started with Jesus.

If you were a first century, brand-new Christian reading Luke’s Gospel, the inclusion of these women’s names would have been a shocker to you. Rabbis did not travel with women in Jesus’ day. In fact, it was seen as a waste of time to share deep teachings of the Torah, the Law of Moses, with women.

Multitudes Still Following, Family Still Unbelieving

What we are going to study today is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We will be back and forth from in these books, but because of some of the details that Mark includes, we will mainly be in the books of Mark, and later, in Luke.

As Jesus, His disciples, and the other companions continue to travel through Galilee, multitudes continue to follow them. The way Mark puts it, Jesus and His disciples can’t even sit and eat.

Mark 3:19–20 KJV 1900

19 And they went into an house. 20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

But then, besides the multitude pressing in so much and asking so much that they don’t give Jesus a chance to eat, some other people show up.

Mark 3:21 KJV 1900

21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

Jesus’ friends come. And at first, that sounds nice. But when you see what they do, it doesn’t sound so nice anymore.

Notice that they went “to lay hold on him.” Now, if we understand this in context, we see that Jesus’ family is present. They have come to talk to Him. They begin to call to Jesus after this. And it is many people’s belief that it is not only “friends,” but his own family that has come from Nazareth to “lay hold on him,” or, get him under control. The word translated “friends” means “one’s own people.” And notice what they said: “He is beside himself.” He’s out of his mind!. Whoever they are, whether friends or family, they are not friendly to Him.

When we think of this, we need to remember that back in Nazareth, Jesus’ “own people,” His friends, neighbors, and family did not believe in Him. Because of their unbelief Jesus was unable to do very many miracles in Nazareth. And now, they hear of Jesus and come from Nazareth to see Jesus swarmed with multitudes and are regarding Jesus as someone who has gotten carried away by his religious enthusiasm.

Perhaps they observed that he couldn’t even find time to eat, maybe they realized how dangerous it would be to constantly draw so many crowds in this part of the Roman Empire, or perhaps they were afraid of what the Pharisees would do to Him if He continued this way. Maybe it was none of that, maybe it was just embarrassment that they felt every time they received a report of Jesus, and this is what drove them to go “lay hold” on Jesus.

But as they’re looking for ways to get to Jesus, something happens.

An Indisputable Miracle

Jesus is brought a man who was possessed by a demon. Look at Matthew 12:22

Matthew 12:22 KJV 1900

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

Mark does not record this event, but does record the conversation that follows, Luke records that this particular man was dumb, or could not speak, and as we see here in Matthew, he records that the man is both dumb and blind. Both Matthew and Luke agree that the condition this man is in is cause by an evil spirit.

And Jesus proceeds to heal the man. He casts out the demon and the man is now able to speak and see.

This is done in the presence of Jesus’ disciples, the multitude that has been following Jesus, and Jesus’ family. But not everyone there is happy to see this. Remember, the prophecies of the Messiah were that He would make the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the blind to see, among other things. This man, known by others to have an evil spirit and to be both blind and dumb had just been miraculously restored in a way that was incontrovertible.

And in that crowd of people were Pharisees that were so anti-Jesus that they could not bear to have more people believe in Him and follow Him. So they begin to accuse Jesus, and this is what they say.

The Pharisees’ Accusation

As we read the next two verses, I want you to notice the response of the people, and how then how the Pharisees respond.

Matthew 12:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? [Wow! This may be the Son of David! That is a title for the Messiah, and Jesus was, indeed, a descendant of King David. But notice that many in the crowd are starting to lean toward the idea that Jesus isn’t just some miracle-worker, He may actually be the Messiah. And the Pharisees can’t have that going around!] 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

The people are amazed because Jesus just performed a triple miracle in one go - He liberated the man, restored his speech, and restored his sight.

So the Pharisees present in this crowd begin a counter attack on the person of Jesus- “He is not the Messiah, but instead, he casts out demons with Beelzebub’s power. It’s not God that He serves, it is Satan and his demons that give Him power.”

Jesus’ Response

So naturally, Jesus has a response. We can find Jesus’ response in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and we will look at each of these because some of them record details that the others do not.

Matthew 12:25–26 KJV 1900

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, [This is really important. Jesus not only heard what they were saying, but He also knew what they were thinking.] and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

Matthew 12:27–28 KJV 1900

27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Jesus responds saying that it wouldn’t be sustainable for Satan to cast out Satan. Satan, working against himself, would not make his kingdom flourish. It would be a civil war, and it would cause division in the kingdom of darkness.

Then, Jesus says, “If I cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons, then by what power do your own sons cast out demons?” There were Jewish exorcists, whether all were true exorcisms or not, we do not know, but there were some accomplished exorcists that were not Jesus followers, such as we can see in the book of Acts.

Now of course, the Pharisees would not want to accuse their own of casting out demons by the power of Satan. But Jesus then takes it a step further. He says, “Not only do I cast them out by praying to God or invoking God’s power, I cast them out because I have the Spirit of God. And since I cast them out by the Spirit of God, then you must recognize that the Kingdom of God is in your presence now.”

To make sense of this, he tells a parable. The parable of the strong man.

Matthew 12:29 KJV 1900

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

The strong man in this parable is Satan. His house is the area of his domain, the world, but not just the world, but those who have opened themselves up to demonic influence, either knowingly or unwittingly.

Jesus is the one who has entered the strong man’s house. He just showed it. Jesus entered into “Satan’s domain,” the life of this man, and what Satan had claimed for himself (this man’s life), Jesus spoiled it. Liberated it. Rescued it. But first, Satan had to be bound.

The only way to bind a strong man is by being stronger than the strong man.

You might think that if you sneak up on a strong man, then there is a good chance that you could bind him, but this is not the case.

Let’s look at Luke’s record of Jesus’ response.

Luke 11:21–22 KJV 1900

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: [notice that the strong man is armed. Not only that, he “keeps” his palace. He is guarding it vigilantly. He knows what he has and because of his strength and vigilance, he is at peace within this house. (In this case, the man). 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

The first strong man is Satan. To defeat Satan, you have to be stronger than Satan, because your going into a place where he has set up shop and defenses. Jesus is stronger than Satan. So He is able to go in and bind Satan and nullify all his defenses. And then Jesus is able to free those under Satan’s control.

Demons don’t fight themselves, otherwise their kingdom would be divided, Jesus is stronger than Satan because He is God. This is essentially what Jesus is saying to the Scribes and Pharisees accusing Him.

Jesus continues by showing the difference between His type of deliverance and the “deliverance” that the Pharisees and other exorcists practiced.

Luke 11:24–26 KJV 1900

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Essentially, Jesus is saying that those that gain deliverance from devils that do not fill that void with Jesus, basically just do a house cleaning job for the demons. The demon leaves for a while, then comes back to find everything in order and nice and clean. So he throws a house party and invites seven other spirits to come join him in occupying the newly cleaned house.

There is no deliverance without Jesus. Not from demonic possession, not from sin, not from sadness, not from anything. Jesus is the one who came to make the captives free.

As we continue to look at Jesus’ response to the Scribes and Pharisees that accuse Him of casting out demons and performing miracles by Satan’s power, we come to an often misquoted or misapplied portion of Scripture.

The Unforgiveable Sin

Over the years of being in ministry with teens and adults, I have often gotten the question, “Is there a sin that God cannot forgive?” Or something along those lines. The answer to that question is both Yes and No.

Many people believe that the unforgivable sin is suicide. We find that nowhere in the Bible.

1 John does reference sins that are “unto death” or that lead to death. This is not talking about sins that are unforgivable, but sins that cause death either as a punishment from God or as a consequence of that sin.

But Jesus in Matthew and Mark is recorded talking about an unforgivable sin - a sin that the Father will refuse to forgive.

Let’s read about it in Mark.

Mark 3:28-29, and this is right after Jesus gives the parable of the strong man that we find this.

Mark 3:28–29 KJV 1900

28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

To understand this, we must first understand the word blasphemy. Blasphemy is to speak evil falsely of someone or to falsely attribute evil to someone that is good.

For example, a form of blasphemy would be to say that Jesus was a sinner. That is attributing evil to Jesus Christ, who is perfect. Jesus says, all manner of blasphemies will be forgiven, except one - the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

So what is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Well, to understand that, we need to read this in its context. The context is that Jesus has just cast out a demon and healed a man. Because of this undeniable triple miracle and because of all the other undeniable miracles that Jesus has done, many are starting to wonder, “Is this Jesus the Messiah?”

To counter that, the Pharisees speak up and say, “Jesus is not the Messiah that has the Spirit of God [this was the way that Isaiah described the Messiah, as one who has the Spirit of God], but instead, Jesus is casting out demons and doing miracles by the power of Satan.”

What these Pharisees were doing was not attributing evil to Jesus, but they were saying that Jesus himself was possessed by a demon. We know this because of the very next verse.

Mark 3:30 KJV 1900

30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

So, what is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? it is not simply to say you don’t believe in the Holy Spirit, or to attribute sin to the Holy Spirit. Within the context of Jesus explaining what this particular sin is, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is this:

It is to witness undeniable proof of Jesus being the Messiah and instead, attributing His miracles to satanic power.

It is not a sin that can be committed now. Why? Because Jesus is not on this earth right now. He is not performing miracles in the flesh that we can see Him perform and be witness to them being done by His hand.

There are people that are alive that should not be alive. They were either in a car crash, had some horrible sickness or disease or medical condition, or something, but they should be dead, but they are alive. We can say that they are alive because people were praying for them, and that moved God to heal them or protect them. That would be where the evidence points, but there is no undeniable proof of it, because we did not witness Jesus actually save, heal, or protect those people.

However, this multitude was watching Jesus prove His Messiah-ship(-ness?). They heard Jesus speak, they saw Him undeniably heal and cast out demons. They heard His claims of being the Son of God and being filled with the Spirit.

The Pharisees and Scribes also saw this. There was no denying it. They could not grab the man that was healed and say, “Look at this man, he cannot talk, he cannot see, and he is still possessed.” They couldn’t because even they would have know that was a lie.

So instead, in their refusal to submit to Jesus, they attributed Jesus’ power to do miracles (which came from the Holy Spirit) to Satan himself.

THIS is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - to witness Jesus perform miracles and attribute those miracles to Satan.

This sin cannot be committed today. But those Pharisees and those Scribes we able to, and did commit the sin that God is unwilling to forgive.

They should have known. They had access to all the prophecies. It was staring them in the face. They had come nose to nose with the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. They should have known. They should have seen, like John the Baptist saw, that the man they so much hated was the one fulfilling all the prophecies about the Messiah. But they had so much pride, so much hatred, that they instead said that Jesus was demon possessed, and that is how He got His power.

Application

In this passage that we studied, every single person had to make a decision about Jesus - and so do we. Is Jesus who He claims He is? Will we recognize His power and respond in faith, or will we explain Him away because it threatens our pride or comfort or worldview?

Do you ever treat Jesus like His family did - trying to manage Him or tone Him down? When people look at you and say, “O look, so-and-so believes that only Christians are going to heaven,” do you try to tone down what the Bible clearly states? When people say things like, “Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin,” do you try to manage what the Bible has said, or do you stand up for what is true?

Do you dismiss Jesus’ work in your life, do you dismiss what he says because it doesn’t fit your expectations or your lifestyle? When the Bible says “die to self and follow me,” do you put conditions on it? When the Bible tells you to live a sober life, do you ignore it so that you can keep partying on the weekends?

When the Holy Spirit convicts your heart about something, do you ignore it, do you push it to the back burner? Or do you lean into what God is telling you?

What is your response to what God tells you?

Invitation

Before I ask you to bow your heads for the invitation, I want to leave you with this.

Imagine someone who has broken their leg and had surgery. After weeks in a cast, the muscles have atrophied and the joints are stiff. This happened to me when I broke my arm at the age of about 8.

When therapy begins after something like that, it’s painful. Every stretch, every step, every session brings discomfort and even, pain, and even tears. The natural instinct is to avoid the pain. The natural instinct is to say, “That hurts too much, I’m not ready.” But beyond the pain and discomfort, there is a purpose.

Because every strep and every stretch that pushes past the pain increases mobility and strength. Curse the doctor, curse the nurses, and curse the therapists that work with you all you want, but you will not recover until you accept that pain is part of the process of healing.

There are too many Christians that are hobbled right now. God is telling them something. Week after week, I see hands during invitations that say, God is dealing with me about something. It’s uncomfortable - painful, even. Especially when we have to admit that we are wrong and our whole mindset has been wrong.

It’s uncomfortable to change, to abandon the things that God has for us and to pick up the cross that God wants us to bear. It’s painful, even.

But too many Christians give into the natural tendency that causes us to quit as soon as there is discomfort.

Lean in! Lean into the pain and discomfort that is repentance. Press into and beyond the pain that is letting go of your pride. That discomfort is but for a moment, the reward is eternal.

Don’t be the person that says today, “I’m going to read my Bible every day.” And after a couple of days of feeling the discomfort of getting up early, giving up your lunch break, or going to bed a little later you give up. No! Lean into the discomfort. After a while, it won’t be a discomfort. After a while, you’ll be reaping the reward of having a consistent time of Bible reading and study.

Don’t be the husband or wife that says, “I am going to truly love my spouse and do all I can to live a loving life toward them.” But after a few days of the discomfort and pain of putting aside pride and personal fulfillment you give into the thought that “it’s just too much.”

No! Lean into that discomfort. Lean into that pain. Lean into those tears, because that is rehabilitation of the heart happening. And when you give up, and press in, and mourn because it is such a struggle to live righteously, you will begin understand true happiness. Because “blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek.”

Your serving in a ministry at church, but it’s uncomfortable to get here a bit early, its painful and costly to study your lesson before Sunday morning, it’s painful to make sacrifices to be discipled and to disciple others. Lean into it. Pretty soon, you’ll get used to it. After a while, you’ll gain some flexibility and some strength in areas that at one time caused you pain or discomfort.

Now I will turn my attention to those that do not know Jesus Christ personally. There is a lie, a lie that has run rampant throughout the world that Jesus may be willing to forgive others, but not you.

You may be here thinking, “Mike, you don’t know what I have done though,” and you would be right. I probably don’t. But here is the thing, Jesus does. And the Bible says that while we were yet sinners, knowing the sin He would have to bear, Christ died for us so that we could be free of the sin and of the guilt.

We just studied what the unforgivable sin is, and we have seen that it cannot be committed in this age. There was one time that it could be committed, and there were those who did commit it, but that is not today, and that is not you.

There is no other sin that God is unwilling or unable to forgive.

I am going ask everyone to bow their heads and close their eyes.

If you are not saved, I’d love the opportunity to speak with you briefly and set up a time when we can meet to begin showing you what God says about how to be saved. Is there anyone that would say, “Mike, I’m not sure I’m saved, but I would like to talk to someone.”

If you are saved, this next question is for you. Are you leaning into what God is speaking to your heart, or are you trying to explain and excuse things away?

How many would say, “Mike, there are things that God has been dealing with me about, I know I need to change things, but I end up giving up every time it gets uncomfortable.”

Life Group

How is God working in your life?

In What areas is He growing you?

Is there anything that stood out to you about the sermon? Any questions or comments?

1. Why do you think Jesus’ own family and friends thought He was “out of His mind”? What might that reveal about their expectations of Him?

2. Why were the Pharisees so quick to accuse Jesus of operating by Satan’s power? What does that show about their hearts?

3. What does Jesus mean when He says, “a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand”? How does that apply beyond just Satan’s kingdom?

4. What exactly is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and why was it such a serious offense for the Pharisees in that moment?

5. Why is it important to understand that the unforgivable sin described here cannot be committed today in the same way?

6. Why do some people (even Christians) actively reject the work of God, even when the evidence is clear?

7. What does spiritual compromise look like in modern Christian life?

8. What might it look like in your life to “lean into” the conviction of the Holy Spirit instead of ignoring or resisting it?

9. What kinds of excuses or distractions might we use today to explain away Jesus' claims or delay our full obedience to Him?

10. Jesus was misunderstood, even by those close to Him. Have you ever experienced rejection or pushback for your faith? How did you respond?

11. What’s one area where you sense God asking you to “press in,” even though it’s hard?

We are either submitting to the authority of Christ or resisting it, there is no middle ground.