Message Notes

INTERMEDIATE SUNDAY SCHOOL 23 JULY 2023
STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Text: Matthew 12

Subject: “The Son of David”

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Matthew 12:22-30

1. A particularly difficult problem

a) A man who was demon-possessed

b) He was also:

i) A mute

ii) A blind man

2. The Lord Jesus Christ

a) He healed the man

b) The demon was obviously cast out too Matthew 12:22

3. A query arose from the multitude

a) They had seen other miracles performed by the Lord Jesus

b) This was a remarkable miracle

c) They asked:

“Could this be the Son of David?”

Matthew 12:23

d) The title “Son of David”

i) This was a Messianic title

ii) They wondered if the Lord Jesus was the Messiah!

THE ATTACK OF THE PHARISEES

1. They saw the danger

2. They were afraid that the multitudes would see the Lord Jesus as the Messiah

3. They had already rejected Him and they were afraid that the Multitudes would turn against them in favour of the Lord Jesus Christ

4. They gave their opinion concerning the Lord Jesus

“This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

Matthew 12:24

a) They had no respect for the Lord Jesus

b) They claimed that He was in league with Beelzebub

c) Beelzebub was recognised as “the ruler of the demons”

d) This was a vicious attack on the Lord Jesus

e) The Pharisees were out to malign Him in every way possible

THE RESPONSE OF THE LORD JESUS

1. He spoke as One who knew their thoughts

2. He showed the weakness and error of their thoughts

a) The basic problem of “division”

i) If a kingdom is divided, it is brought to desolation

ii) If a city is divided it would not stand

iii) If even a house is divided, it would not stand

b) Application of this argument

i) If Satan is divided against himself

ii) How can his kingdom stand?

3. He challenged the practice of exorcism of the Pharisees

a) They practise exorcism too

b) How did go about their work?

c) Obviously, the power of God and His name must be invoked if there is to be any positive results

4. Casting out demons

a) The name of God is involved

b) The Lord Jesus is the Messiah indeed

c) The power of the Spirit of God was at work

d) This mighty miracle confirms that the Kingdom of God had come

THE VITAL LESSON TO BE LEARNED

1. Satan is compared to a strong man capable of possessing a person

2. A stronger Person is needed:

a) To overcome the strong man

b) To plunder his house

3. This was what the Lord Jesus had done

a) He had cast out the powerful demon

b) He had healed the man who was both blind and mute

A WORD OF WARNING ISSUED

1. The people who were not with the Lord Jesus were in fact against Him

a) The Pharisees were against the Lord Jesus

b) Would the Multitude also go against Him?

2. The Lord Jesus was gatherings for the kingdom of God

a) The Pharisees were doing the opposite

b) They were scattering

c) Would the Multitude gather with Him or scatter with the Pharisees?