Session 1 God Won’t Forgive This Sin
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Background
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God is always willing to forgive. He sent Jesus to be the Savior of the world; to redeem us from sin. He doesn’t look for reasons to not forgive. But if a person calls evil good and good evil, and closes his or her mind to Jesus and refuses the Holy Spirit, that person cannot be forgiven.
Let’s start with
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”
Jesus’ fulfillment of
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
Why did Jesus perform miracles?
The miracles vindicated His claims about Himself and His teaching. Although He didn't need to perform any miracles and refused to perform them on demand, they came so that others might believe
37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
What are the implications of the crowd asking, “Could this be the Son of David?”
12:23. As we saw frequently in , the crowd was astonished at his healing.
This is Matthew’s only use of the Greek word existemi (astonished), meaning “to displace, put outside, stand aside from.” Matthew used the middle voice, which gives the word a reflexive meaning; they were literally “beside themselves.” He also used the imperfect tense, which implies continuous action in the past; the crowd’s astonishment was perpetual. They kept on being astonished.
What are the implications of the crowd asking, “Could this be the Son of David?”
Son of David was a Messianic title
Note the crowd’s question: Could this be the Son of David? They were not convinced, but the evidence was beginning to make them suspect the truth about Jesus. Most importantly in this context, their ponderings reached the ears of the Pharisees.
Why do you think they were still hesitant?
Son of David
Son of David
The most common expectation about the messiah—from Isaiah into the rabbinic period—was that the he would emerge from the Davidic line.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
). In Matthew, He is given the title King of the Jews and His birth in Bethlehem is connected to a Davidic prophecy () (Hahn, The Titles of Jesus, 265). The Christological formula in indicates an early attribution of Davidic sonship to Jesus. Beyond the birth story, only Matthew has a keen interest in using Son of David—six instances are demonstrably the evangelists’ own additions (Kingsbury, “Title ‘Son of David,’ ” 591–92).
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
) (Hahn, The Titles of Jesus, 265). The Christological formula in indicates an early attribution of Davidic sonship to Jesus. Beyond the birth story, only Matthew has a keen interest in using Son of David—six instances are demonstrably the evangelists’ own additions (Kingsbury, “Title ‘Son of David,’ ” 591–92).
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
Why do you think they were still hesitant?
Despite witnessing miracles firsthand, they were not convinced. This was not the Messiah they were expecting
Let’s move to
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
“A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”
The House Divided Speech was an address given by Abraham Lincoln, later President of the United States, on June 16, 1858, at what was then the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination as that state's US senator.
Who is Beelzebul?
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Beelzebul
BEELZEBUL (בַּעַל זְבוּב, ba'al zevuv, Βεελζεβουλ, Beelzeboul). Alternately Beelzebub, Baalzebul, Baalzebub. A designation for a god of Ekron and later a satanic entity. Although the etymology is uncertain, the meaning of Beelzebul seemingly transitions from a name of a Semitic deity to an agent of Satan, or in some cases Satan himself.
Beelzebul in the Old Testament
A form of the name Beelzebul first appears in the Old Testament in 2 Kgs 1:2–3, 6, 16. In this account, Ahaziah falls through the lattice of his upper chamber in Samaria, and sends messengers to inquire of the god of Ekron, Baal-zebub, as to whether he will recover. An angel instructs Elijah to go rebuke the messengers for their disbelief in the God of Israel.
12:24 Beelzebul the ruler of demons The people have just wondered whether Jesus is the Messiah, and the Pharisees accuse Him of being demonic.
25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
What were the Pharisees implying here?
The Pharisees were disturbed at Jesus’ power over demons, but when they heard the crowds speculating about his identity as the Son of David, they tried to discredit the idea by attributing Jesus’ authority to Satan.
Their argument was that Beelzebub, the prince of demons, was casting out those under his authority to perpetuate the “illusion” that Jesus was deriving his power from God. They tried to convince the crowd that Jesus was Satan’s counterfeit Messiah.
The consummate apologist: What was Jesus arguing for here beginning in verse 25?
Jesus exposed the flaw in their reasoning. Satan’s kingdom was obviously thriving, as evidenced by the flurry of demonic activity during the time of Jesus’ public ministry.
This could not be happening if there was division and civil war within Satan’s kingdom.
Jesus then turned their own argument against the Pharisees, saying, “I could make the same accusation against your followers. How do you know they are not performing exorcisms by Satan’s power?” (12:27). They will be your judges means, “Your own followers will tell you that your accusation against me is false.”
What does He do in verse 27?
Jesus turns the tables on His accusers and asks them about the source of the Jewish exorcists’ power.
Understanding the cultural component of verse 28
Understanding the cultural component of verse 28
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Because many Jewish people believed that the fullness of the Spirit had been quenched after the last Biblical prophets and would be poured out again fully only in the end time, Jesus presents his activity by the Spirit as evidence that the end-time kingdom had come upon them.
Because many Jewish people believed that the fullness of the Spirit had been quenched after the last Biblical prophets and would be poured out again fully only in the end time, Jesus presents his activity by the Spirit as evidence that the end-time kingdom had come upon them.
Since, indeed, God was the authority behind Jesus’ authority, this was evidence that the kingdom of God has come upon you. The Messiah-King was in their presence and doing battle with the counterfeit kingdom of Satan. The anticipation of thousands of years—Messiah’s presence—had come upon them.
29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
What do you draw from verse 29?
24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Jesus added an additional supportive argument to his statement that his authority came from God. His plundering of Satan’s house, robbing him of the souls he had taken captive, demanded that he had to be able to bind Satan, the strong man.
Jesus had to come with an authority higher than Satan’s. Otherwise, Satan would have been free to hinder Jesus’ ministry. It was obvious to any observer that Jesus’ ministry against Satan was proceeding unhindered.
Jesus was overwhelming Satan in every incident, but it was just a foreshadowing of his second coming when he would bind Satan and establish his kingdom (cf. )
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
His total incapacitation lies in the future, but in the present Jesus has already defeated the enemy (; ; ; ).
12:29 enter into the house of a strong man Jesus uses this illustration to assert that He already has defeated Satan (the strong man)—which is why He can expel demons (plunder the house). Jesus’ analogy likely comes from . Compare and note.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
12:27 your sons Refers to Jewish exorcists. Jesus turns the tables on His accusers and asks them about the source of the exorcists’ power.
15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: 16 What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? 17 Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you 18 and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master’s house. 19 I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. 20 In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.”
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The Kingdom of God: Already but Not Yet
27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
12:29 enter into the house of a strong man Jesus uses this illustration to assert that He already has defeated Satan (the strong man)—which is why He can expel demons (plunder the house). Jesus’ analogy likely comes from . Compare and note.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
The relationship between Jesus’ binding of Satan during His earthly ministry, described in this account, and the binding of Satan in the abyss of is a matter of debate. Amillennialists say that Satan’s binding during Christ’s first coming prevented him from further deceiving the nations (). Premillennialists argue that there are two distinct bindings of Satan. Between these views is a third option: Jesus decisively defeated Satan at His first coming, but Satan still has extensive influence in the world. His total incapacitation lies in the future, but in the present Jesus has already defeated the enemy (; ; ; ).
24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty,
or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?
25 For thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,
and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,
for I will contend with those who contend with you,
and I will save your children.
).
12:28 by the Spirit of God. Because many Jewish people believed that the fullness of the Spirit had been quenched after the last Biblical prophets and would be poured out again fully only in the end time, Jesus presents his activity by the Spirit as evidence that the end-time kingdom had come upon them.
12:29 strong man. People understood that no one could seize a strong person’s possessions (cf. ) without first tying him up; Jesus can take away what Satan possessed because Jesus first defeated him (cf. ).
Let’s move to
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
What important concept does Jesus illuminate in verse 30?
12:30. Having defended himself against the Pharisees’ accusation, Jesus went on the offensive and turned the attack back on the hypocrites. In 12:30–32, he condemned them for blasphemy against the Spirit.
Jesus eliminated the possibility of anyone remaining “neutral” toward him. Anyone who was not seeking to live for Jesus was, by default, Jesus enemy.
What is blasphemy?
Blasphemy is slander or disrespect expressed against God or the sacred, characterized by irreverent or disrespectful speech. It involves cursing or insulting God, persons, places, or objects considered sacred. Defiant or impious acts, such as showing contempt for God and sacred things, can also be considered blasphemous. The Bible consistently witnesses to the gravity of this offense and to the danger facing the unrepentant offender. Blasphemy in the form of slander and verbal abuse can also be directed against God’s people.
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
Lev
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
10 Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. 18 Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Why is blasphemy against the Spirit unforgivable?
Why is blasphemy against the Spirit unforgivable?
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Why is blasphemy against the Spirit unforgivable?
20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
Blasphemy against the Spirit is connected to the Pharisees’ response to Jesus’ exorcism—and to His ministry as a whole. Although they witness the events of , they claim that Jesus’ power comes from Satan rather than the Holy Spirit. This blatant denial of the work and power of God constitutes blasphemy and results in their condemnation. Compare 9:3 and note.
3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
Understand an ancient Jew here:
will not be forgiven They cannot receive forgiveness because they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus’ power comes from the Spirit. In doing so, they essentially refuse to believe in Jesus.
God’s Spirit transforms His people to share His moral character and empowers them to fulfill His purposes.
In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit represents an active dimension of His character. Israel was learning to embrace monotheism over polytheism. The Spirit empowered some of God’s servants to act and speak for Him. This empowerment included skills such as leadership or prophecy. Prophecies about the period of restoration demonstrate the Spirit’s ability to provide moral transformation by empowering God’s people to keep His law.
The New Testament writers then link the Spirit with the Father and the Son (; ; ;
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Paul also emphasizes that the Spirit transforms people and provides new life and a new identity (; ; ).
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Why do you think blasphemy against “the Son of Man” forgivable?
This was true because of Jesus’ human nature and appearance (veiled deity), and the confusion this must have caused people as they grew to understand that Jesus was also thoroughly divine.
So how can we be sure we have not committed the unforgivable sin given what we read in ?
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
If a person is concerned that he may have committed the “unforgivable sin,” this concern is proof that he has not committed it. There would be no concern if the Holy Spirit had ceased conviction.
Anyone who desires God’s forgiveness for anything will receive it. Therefore, the only truly unforgivable sin is one for which the sinner refuses to seek forgiveness.
Jesus’ introductory I tell you causes the listener to stop and pay close attention to something of special importance. But to slander the Holy Spirit of God was much worse, because there could be no confusion over the scriptural source of his works.
The essence of the “unforgivable sin” is a refusal to accept forgiveness from Christ in the face of evidence that Jesus is the Christ.
The unforgivable sin is deliberately and knowingly attributing the works of the Holy Spirit in the Messiah-Christ to Satan.
The unrepentant person actually condemns himself, and God only confirms what that person has already determined.
It also follows that the unforgivable sin exists only for the person who maintains his refusal of God’s forgiveness throughout his lifetime. If at any time he changes his mind and desires forgiveness, Jesus’ warning no longer applies to him.
The sin that can actually never be forgiven is the consistent, lifelong refusal to bow to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and to accept the forgiveness that Christ offers.
These religious leaders, like so many people today, refused to take an open-minded look at the evidence regarding Jesus as Messiah. They refused an honest consideration of the Christ and insisted on their own works-righteousness to justify them before God.
Ancient Jewish context of verse 32
Ancient Jewish context of verse 32
One of the major themes in these chapters is Jesus’ judgment on Israel. This “unforgivable” incident demonstrated the seriousness of that judgment—will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. They had rejected the Messiah-King as well as God’s last word about Messiah-King in the witness of the Spirit. This generation of religious rejecters had put themselves beyond redemption. This serves as a warning for any others who reject God’s last word about Jesus.
Jewish people distinguished the present age from the promised future age of righteousness. Jewish sources often viewed deliberate sin as unforgivable (; ); some teachers believed that even these sins could be atoned for if the sinner was repentant.
30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”
12:32 in this age or in the age to come. Jewish people distinguished the present age from the promised future age of righteousness. Jewish sources often viewed deliberate sin as unforgivable (; ); some teachers believed that even these sins could be atoned for if the sinner was repentant. The sin here appears to involve rejection even of the Spirit’s clear attestation of Jesus through signs (v. 28)—perhaps implying a heart too hard to repent. (The sort of person fearful of having committed the sin is not the hard-hearted kind of person the sin addresses.)
18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.
The sin here appears to involve rejection even of the Spirit’s clear attestation of Jesus through signs (v. 28)—perhaps implying a heart too hard to repent. (The sort of person fearful of having committed the sin is not the hard-hearted kind of person the sin addresses.)
Takeaway
Takeaway
The unpardonable sin is not something that mysteriously overtakes a person but is the deliberate choice (free will) to refuse what God makes available by attributing the work of God to the devil.
12:31–32. We now arrive at another difficult saying of Jesus, one that causes anxiety among believers. “How do I know I have not committed the ‘unforgivable sin’?” is an oft-repeated chorus among believers. In light of the gracious heart of God as revealed throughout Scripture, and in light of the doctrine of eternal security (e.g., ), we can say that if a person is concerned that he may have committed the “unforgivable sin,” this concern is proof that he has not committed it. There would be no concern if the Holy Spirit had ceased conviction. Anyone who desires God’s forgiveness for anything will receive it. Therefore, the only truly unforgivable sin is one for which the sinner refuses to seek forgiveness.
Jesus’ introductory I tell you causes the listener to stop and pay close attention to something of special importance. The Pharisees were slandering God by attributing the work of his Spirit to Satan. To speak in this manner about Jesus (“the Son of Man”) would be forgiven. This was true because of Jesus’ human nature and appearance (veiled deity), and the confusion this must have caused people as they grew to understand that Jesus was also thoroughly divine. But to slander the Holy Spirit of God was much worse, because there could be no confusion over the scriptural source of his works.
The essence of the “unforgivable sin” is a refusal to accept forgiveness from Christ in the face of evidence that Jesus is the Christ. The unforgivable sin is deliberately and knowingly attributing the works of the Holy Spirit in the Messiah-Christ to Satan. The unrepentant person actually condemns himself, and God only confirms what that person has already determined. It also follows that the unforgivable sin exists only for the person who maintains his refusal of God’s forgiveness throughout his lifetime. If at any time he changes his mind and desires forgiveness, Jesus’ warning no longer applies to him.
The sin that can actually never be forgiven is the consistent, lifelong refusal to bow to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and to accept the forgiveness that Christ offers. These religious leaders, like so many people today, refused to take an open-minded look at the evidence regarding Jesus as Messiah. They refused an honest consideration of the Christ and insisted on their own works-righteousness to justify them before God.
In his confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus was able to discern the hardened hearts of his opponents. He knew they would persist in their disbelief for life. Thus, he announced that they were guilty of the unforgivable sin. Under Mosaic Law, blasphemy incurred a death sentence ().
One of the major themes in these chapters is Jesus’ judgment on Israel. This “unforgivable” incident demonstrated the seriousness of that judgment—will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. They had rejected the Messiah-King as well as God’s last word about Messiah-King in the witness of the Spirit. This generation of religious rejecters had put themselves beyond redemption. This serves as a warning for any others who reject God’s last word about Jesus.
Blasphemy against the Spirit is connected to the Pharisees’ response to Jesus’ exorcism—and to His ministry as a whole. Although they witness the events of , they claim that Jesus’ power comes from Satan rather than the Holy Spirit. This blatant denial of the work and power of God constitutes blasphemy and results in their condemnation. Compare 9:3 and note.
will not be forgiven They cannot receive forgiveness because they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus’ power comes from the Spirit. In doing so, they essentially refuse to believe in Jesus.