Matthew 12:24……….Ready

Matthew 12:24……….Ready

12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, (chimed-in. Fearing they were losing their power and influence over the people they grasped for any accusation—no matter how irrational—in hopes of discrediting Jesus) ) “It is only by Beelzebub, (Today people would say witchcraft, black magic, sorcery, hocus-pocus, etc.) the prince of demons, that this fellow (Was a derogatory term, meant to lower Jesus’ Messiahship status) drives out demons. (Having already called Him s drunk, a glutton, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners, and Sabbath breaker, all of which didn’t work. So now they pull out the biggest guns in their arsenal and call him Satan.) (For Complete Expository Notes See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Teaches in order to escape the truth people will offer an alternative explanation no matter how absurd or ridiculous it sounds.”→  When people are backed into a corner and forced to face the truth about themselves, especially their faults, they’ll deny it by any means possible no matter how unreasonable or far-fetched it may be. Because admitting the truth would mean admitting that God is right, and that demands a response. As believers, this passage forces us to look not just at the Pharisees but at ourselves as well. Because the same instinct that drove the Pharisees to invent absurd explanations still lives in the human heart today. The heart will invent explanations that make no sense just to silence the truth it already knows. Whenever God confronts us with the truth — truth about our sin, our habits, our attitudes, our priorities — we start denying and explaining it away. And if we’re honest, we’ve all done it. We soften the conviction. We justify the behavior. We blame something or someone else. We use personality flaws or lack of social skills to avoid witnessing “I’m Not a ‘People Person'”.  We excuse or dismiss immoral actions or difficult commandments, “That was the Old Testament”.  We use it in other areas of life as well.  After failing an interview, “I didn’t actually want that job anyway.” After getting pulled over for drunk driving, “I only had a couple of beers.” Will justify bullying “”I’m doing this to toughen them up.” Will justify shoplifting “The store’s high prices means they’re robbing me, so it’s fine, besides they won’t miss it.” Today, if God is pressing on something in your heart, resist the urge to justify it. Let His truth stand. Let His voice speak. And let His grace do the work excuses never can.

“Teaches how it’s not for a lack of evidence the people don’t believe, but rather it’s because they won’t believe.” → People’s resistance is not not because the evidence is weak, but because the implications are too strong. It’s not a lack of proof, but the responsibility that comes with believing. Many times, people claim that if God would audibly speak to them or show them a miracle, then they would believe. However, experience shows that these are often empty promises. Even if God were to speak, they might dismiss it as merely thunder or explain away the miraculous as a trick of the mind. No matter what sign or wonder is given, those who do not want to believe will always find an excuse or alternative explanation to avoid accepting the truth. This pattern reveals that the issue is not evidence, but a reluctance to be held accountable for the implications of faith.

“Teaches those who can’t attack our works and wisdom, will attack our character and motives instead.”→  The same principal applies, if you don’t like the messenger you attack and malign the messenger. We find this today, that when good is being done, it’s all suspect, that there must be some ulterior motive behind it. This is what is known as “ad hominem” attack, that if you can’t attack the evidence you attack the persons character and integrity instead. These tactics are frequently motivated by a desire to deflect attention from one’s own shortcomings or accountability. This pattern reveals that resistance to truth is often not about the quality of evidence or argument, but about protecting one’s self-image from the challenge that wisdom and truth brings. Ultimately, this behavior highlights the importance of remaining steadfast in the pursuit of truth and wisdom, even when faced with unjust personal criticism. It serves as a reminder that the true nature of resistance often lies not in disagreement with the message, but in discomfort with facing the implications of change and accountability. The accusation also reflects a broader pattern in which people who pursue  righteousness and positive change may provoke resistance, criticism, or even slander from those unwilling to accept the light it brings to their own lives.

“Warns as soon as you start to believe in Jesus, the Enemy try to undermine our faith and sway our convictions.” ⇒ The Enemy will try to get us to question the authenticity of Jesus’ miracles and work.  Even when God works powerfully in your life, the Enemy will whisper doubts—“Was that really God, or just coincidence?” He’ll stir up skepticism, tempting you to explain away the transformation you’ve experienced to other causes. Sometimes, he uses others to question your testimony, suggesting that your faith is merely a phase, or that your new peace and hope are the result of psychology, not the hand of God. This is a classic tactic: to sow seeds of uncertainty so you hesitate to share what God has done, or even to question it yourself. The Enemy’s goal is to weaken your confidence and make you second-guess the reality of God’s work. He’ll remind you of past failures, telling you that lasting change isn’t possible. But the truth is, the more dramatic and undeniable God’s work in you, the stronger the Enemy’s attempts to undermine it. He doesn’t want your life to become a testimony that inspires others. Instead of giving in to these doubts and criticisms, stand firm in faith. Remember that the Enemy attacks precisely because your transformation matters. Hold onto the conviction that Jesus is real, His power is active, and your changed life is evidence of His presence. Don’t let skepticism silence your testimony; let it motivate you to shine even brighter. When others try to explain away what God has done, respond with gratitude and boldness, giving all glory to Jesus. Your faith may be challenged, but that is often a sign that God is working in and through you for a greater purpose.

“Even today, sceptics will explain away a person’s conversion experience as being brainwashed, manipulated or taken in by a cult. Or they’ll explain it away as social pressure, emotionalism, getting swept in the crowd, looking for a crutch, fear of judgment.” ⇒  This type of skepticism is not new. Throughout history, those who witness undeniable change in someone’s life often search for a natural explanation, refusing to accept the possibility of divine intervention. Family and friends will explain away a person’s transformation as the result of therapy, self-help, or the influence of charismatic leaders. Others might say it’s just a temporary phase or the outcome of intense emotion. Yet, these dismissals miss the deeper truth: when a life is truly reshaped in ways that cannot be explained by ordinary means, it points to something greater than ourselves. In the same way, critics often reinterpret the supernatural to fit their worldview. Miracles are reduced to coincidences, and the power of God is explained away as myth or exaggeration. By doing so, they avoid the uncomfortable reality that God is still at work and that faith demands a response. These attempts to rationalize or minimize God’s activity are rooted in a desire to protect one’s beliefs and avoid confronting the need for change. Ultimately, the testimony of a changed life stands as evidence that God is real and active. While some will always try to explain it away, others will be drawn to ask deeper questions, seeking the source of peace, hope, and transformation. Our role is not to convince everyone, but to faithfully share what God has done, letting our lives reflect His power and love. Even if some dismiss or mock, the impact of genuine change cannot be denied—it quietly challenges the assumptions of those who witness it and invites them to consider what God might do in their lives as well.

Additional Notes & Applications

Displays the desperate attempt people will make at “clutching at straws” in looking for any solution rather than follow where the evidence actually leads.

Prepares believers in having false and unfair accusations made about us.

Teaches how people will slander & criticize the good we do in order to deflect attention away from their own shortcomings.

Warns before criticizing the good works of others ensure you’re not acting out of envy or legalism.

Calls for asking are we rejecting truth due to pride, envy, or personal agendas, rather than legitimate concern.

Warns how hate & jealousy will make people say the most unreasonable and absurd things

Demonstrates those who fear losing power will try to squash any budding faith we might have in Jesus. (Those who fear losing power will go into damage control.)

Teaches how as we follow Jesus and do good, people will always find something to criticize and complain about.

Teaches those who can’t argue with our wisdom and truth, will attack our character and motives instead.

Teaches how people will discount everything God is doing because it’s not the way they would do it.

Teaches how many will look for any excuse in order to silence the convictions of their own consciences.

Warns how many people will try to shatter our faith and draw us away from Jesus. That what happened to us was not real, that we’ve been brainwashed by some preacher or taken in by a cult.

Teaches how people will resort to slandering the good done by others because of their own feelings of insecurity and inferiority complex.

Teaches it’s one thing to listen to authority figures, and it’s another to do so without checking what they say is true.

Note: The principal we find in the Pharisees reaction is Newtons “Third law of motion” “For every action there is a equal and opposite reaction.”

Note: People will often try to draw attention away from their own spiritual failures by pooh-poohing somebody else’s achievements. The way you get the monkey off your own back is to make excuses and dismiss as worthless what others have done. The first thing we do is run down other people’s styles of witnessing. We don’t like the televangelists; they are always after money. We don’t like the megachurches; they are all about numbers. We don’t like the tract-passers at the subway and bus stops; they invade our space.

Note: The Pharisees found the oldest trick in the book. It’s called “Ad-Hominem” where when you can’t attack the integrity of a person you attack him. It is used to discredit a person by diverting attention from the evidence to personal traits, character, or motives. In other words you can’t attack anything else because his works speaks for himself. So you find some petty thing to attack him. So the Pharisees couldn’t deny the fact that the exorcism of the man with the demon  had taken place. That Jesus healed a man was once blind and mute who could now talk a fact that everyone saw. So they did the next best thing and attacked the source of Jesus’ power instead. In the same way we shouldn’t think that if we can just put together another logical argument or have some winning piece of evidence that this will cause all people to fall down and become worshipers of God. Jesus just healed a person who was blind and mute. And the response is that Jesus must be doing this by Satan’s power.