The Pharisees say that Jesus' miracles are from Satan

The Pharisees say that the miracles of
Jesus come from Satan

Matthew 12:22-37

Jesus cures a man whom demons controlled

We can read about another event that happened about this time. It shows us what some people thought about Jesus. Men brought a man to Jesus. The man was blind and could not speak. Demons controlled him. Jesus immediately cured him. Then he could both talk and see. This miracle astonished the crowds. However, some Pharisees said, ’No! This man sends demons away by the power of Beelzebub [the devil], who is the prince of demons‘. (Matthew 12:24)

To accuse Jesus like this is terrible. Jesus loved and cared for everyone so much. He was very wise. He blessed people. His miracles helped people.

People who could make such statements were foolish or evil. We could say that they were blind in their spirits. They were not able to look at Jesus and to understand him. (There are still people like that today.) Jesus was not angry with them as we might be. He answered them wisely.

Suppose that this was true! Suppose that Jesus cured people with the help of Satan [the devil]. Or, with the help of demons. Then Satan would be fighting against himself. Satan would be using his power against himself. Satan would defeat himself. This could not happen.

The Pharisees themselves tried to cure people who were in the control of demons. So, Jesus asked this question as a reply to these Pharisees:

  • If Jesus did this with the help of demons, how did the Pharisees do it?

The sin that God will not forgive

Jesus also said some other very strong words to them.

31 God is able to forgive all the wrong things that people do, and the bad things that they say against other people. But God will never forgive people who say bad things against the Holy Spirit. 32 God will forgive people who say bad things against me, the Son of Man. But God will never forgive people who say bad things against the Holy Spirit.’ He will not forgive them now or ever.

12:32The Pharisees had said that Satan worked with Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave his authority and power to Jesus. It was wrong to think that Satan was helping Jesus.

Matthew 12:31-32 EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

People sin when they do not do what God wants. When Jesus died for our sins, it was for all kinds of sin. We can think about king David as an example. He took another man‘s wife and he murdered the man (1 Samuel 12). God forgave him.

These Pharisees said that the work of Jesus by the Holy Spirit was really the devil's work. This is the sin that God can never forgive. Jesus' statement should have made these Pharisees think! Nobody should say that the work of God is Satan‘s work. God will forgive anyone who is really sorry. But to say that God‘s work is Satan‘s work is a different kind of sin. It means that a person has decided to oppose God. That person has chosen to be very wicked. But Jesus continued:

Jesus talks about a tree and its fruit

33 Then Jesus said, ‘To have good fruit you must have a good tree. If you have a bad tree, then you will get bad fruit from it. You can know all about a tree by the kind of fruit that it makes.

Matthew 12:33 EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

If Jesus had been a servant of Satan, what Jesus did could not be good. It is impossible for a servant of Satan to do good things.

How do we know whether someone is good or bad?

How do we know whether someone is good or bad? We look at what that person does. We see how that person behaves. A good person speaks good words and does good things. An evil person speaks bad words and does evil things. Everybody had seen how Jesus behaved. They had heard his words. Now we can understand what kind of people these Pharisees really were.

Evil deeds begin in a person's heart

Jesus said words like these on another occasion. The Pharisees declared that Jesus‘ disciples had not obeyed a law. The disciples did not wash their hands before they ate food. This was not really a part of the Jewish law. It was a tradition of the Pharisees. Jesus said this:

  • Food, which goes into the mouth, does not spoil a man.
  • But the things that come out of a man's mouth can spoil that man.

Jesus meant that evil words and ideas make a person bad. He said this:

18 The words that people speak come from their thoughts. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes them unclean. 19 Evil thoughts come out from people's minds. As a result, they do wrong things. They murder people. They have sex with another man's wife. They have sex in other wrong ways. They rob people. They tell lies about other people. They insult people.

20 It is these bad things that make people unclean. But if people eat food when they have not washed their hands in the right way, that will not make them unclean.’

Matthew 15:18-20 EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

In the discussion, these Pharisees had really shown their true character. Jesus knew very well what man is like. He knew that we all need a new heart with new desires and new behaviour. This is what he came to give us. He gives it to everyone who believes in him. He gives it to everyone who trusts him.