But
when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
Matthew 12:24-29
Matthew 12 [18.] “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen;
my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased:
I will put my Spirit on him.
He will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not strive, nor shout;
neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He won’t break a bruised reed.
He won’t quench a smoking flax,
until he leads justice to victory.
In his name, the nations will hope.”
Matthew 12 [22.] Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Matthew 12 [25.] Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
Matthew 12 [30.] “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.
Meaning:
Jesus had just healed a man who was possessed by a demon, blind and mute. The crowds were amazed and asked, “Can this be the son of David?” (Matthew 12:23). The Pharisees could not deny the miracle, so they attacked its source. Jesus answers their charge with clear reasoning and a bold claim about the arrival of God’s Kingdom.
- “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul”
Beelzebul was a name used for the ruler of evil spirits. It probably comes from Baal Zebub, a Philistine idol worshipped at Ekron. By using this name, the Pharisees were saying that Jesus was in league with Satan himself. It was a deliberate attempt to turn the people against him. Mark records that scribes from Jerusalem made the same accusation (Mark 3:22).
- “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation”
Jesus, “knowing their thoughts”, exposes the foolishness of the charge. No kingdom, city or household can survive if it fights against itself. If Satan were driving out his own servants, he would be destroying his own kingdom. The accusation makes no sense. Mark gives the same argument: “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (Mark 3:23).
- “By whom do your children cast them out?”
Some Jewish exorcists of the time also claimed to drive out demons. If the Pharisees did not accuse their own people of using Satan’s power, why accuse Jesus? Their own followers would be witnesses against their unfair judgment: “Therefore they will be your judges.”
- “If I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you”
This is the heart of Jesus’ reply. He has just been described as the Servant on whom God puts his Spirit (Matthew 12:18). His power over demons comes from the Spirit of God. Luke records the same saying with the words “by God’s finger” (Luke 11:20). The casting out of demons is proof that God’s reign has broken into the world. The Kingdom the prophets promised was not far off; it had arrived in the person of Jesus.
- “How can one enter into the house of the strong man”
Jesus gives a short parable. Satan is like a strong man guarding his house and possessions. No one can carry off his goods unless he first ties him up. By freeing people from demons, Jesus shows that he has overpowered the strong man. Isaiah had asked, “Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty?” and God answered, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away” (Isaiah 49:24-25). Jesus is the stronger one who sets the captives free. His victory would be completed at the cross, where he would “bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
The Significance of Matthew 12:24-29
- The Kingdom has come
Jesus’ works of deliverance are signs that God’s Kingdom is present. Whenever people are set free from evil through Jesus, the reign of God is breaking in.
- Satan is a defeated enemy
The strong man has been bound. Believers need not live in fear of evil powers, because Jesus is stronger. “To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
- Beware of closed hearts
The Pharisees saw God’s power and called it evil. When people decide in advance to reject Jesus, even clear evidence will not convince them. We should ask God for open, honest hearts.
Cross-References:
Mark 3:27: "But no one can enter into the house of the strong man to plunder, unless he first binds the strong man; and then he will plunder his house." Mark’s version of the parable.
Luke 11:20: "But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you." Luke’s account of the same saying.
1 John 3:8: "To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil." Why the Son of God came.
Isaiah 49:25: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce;" God promises to rescue captives from the mighty.
Conclusion: When the Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, Jesus showed that Satan would never fight against his own kingdom. He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, which proved that God’s Kingdom had come. Like a stronger man who binds the strong man and plunders his house, Jesus overpowers Satan and sets his captives free.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible