Rev. Adam Koontz, assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 12:22-37.
The opposition to Jesus takes a darker turn. After Jesus heals a demon-possessed man, the Pharisees claim that Jesus is in league with Satan. Jesus responds by addressing the silliness of their claim. If Satan has hired Jesus to cast out demons, then Satan is trying to destroy himself. The truth is the opposite. Satan is not engaged in a civil war, but is united in his attack against Jesus. This, however, is a fight that is not Satan’s to win. Jesus is the stronger man who binds Satan in order to take back from him those Satan is holding captive under sin and death. This means that there is no neutral ground; a person is either with Jesus or against Him. To speak of Jesus’ saving work as demonic is to sin against the Holy Spirit, rejecting the salvation that He would freely give to you in Jesus Christ. The Pharisees speak this way because they are bad trees; they can only speak such evil words against Jesus. Jesus speaks harshly toward them in order to reveal this truth to them that they might repent and believe now. The day of judgment is coming when such words of confession of who Jesus is will reveal who has trusted in Christ for salvation and who has not.
“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.
