Well, have you ever been falsely accused of doing something wrong?
! It's not a nice feeling, is it?
! How did you respond in the moment?
Did you become angry?
Did you give back some accusations of your own?
Were you worried that the accusation made against you might stick
and that others would hear it and believe it?
Well, today as we continue the story of Jesus,
we hear about a time when He was falsely accused.
And we hear how He responded to it.
We're in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11.
Let me just read the first couple verses.
We're starting in verse 14 to set the scene for us this morning.
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute.
When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke.
And the crowd was amazed.
But some of them said,
By Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he is driving out demons.
So, Luke sets the scene for us.
Jesus was driving out this demon.
And this is not the first time we've heard about Jesus casting out a demon.
We heard about it back in Luke, chapter 9,
when Jesus cast a demon out of a boy.
We heard about it in chapter 8,
when Jesus healed that man who had many demons.
He cast them out into the pigs.
We heard about Jesus casting out multiple demons back in chapter 4.
There was the man in the synagogue.
And then later that evening,
in Capernaum,
it says that He cast many demons out of people.
And then we've even heard about the disciples
casting out demons,
using the authority and power that Jesus gave to them.
First, the 12,
and then the 72.
But here Luke wants to tell us about yet another exorcism
done by Jesus.
And the thing that's unique about this one
is that it leads to this sort of false accusation
made against Jesus.
In many ways,
this incident,
this little chunk of the book here,
is more about the dialogue that happened
after the exorcism
than it is about the exorcism itself.
It all starts with Jesus casting
a demon out of a man who could not speak.
And the phrasing here is quite interesting.
Quite literally,
Jesus was driving out a mute demon.
And there's some discussion over that wording.
Most take that to mean
not that the demon was mute,
but that it was a demon of muteness.
That it caused this man
to be mute and unable to speak.
Think about that for a moment.
Can you imagine not being able to speak?
And it's not because your body lacks the ability to speak,
but because an evil spirit is inside you
and has control of you.
What was it like for this poor man?
Did he feel as though his mouth was taped shut
and all he could utter were sounds and noises?
Did he often try to speak
and form words,
but just no sound would come out?
Did this evil spirit torment him
or punish him whenever he tried to speak?
Maybe threw him into convulsions
so that he no longer tried.
And when did this first start happening
in this man's life?
How long has this been going on for him?
Well, these details are not included by Luke,
but it must have been awful
for him to be afflicted like this.
Luke doesn't even tell us
how Jesus drove out the demon.
Just that he was driving out the demon
and then when the demon left,
the man who had been mute spoke.
And then the response of the crowd.
They were amazed.
The man's ability to speak again,
it was clear evidence that he was now set free
from this evil spirit.
And the first response of the crowd
seems positive.
They were amazed.
But then some in the crowd challenged Jesus
and they made this accusation
that we read in verse 15.
But some of them said,
by Beelzebul,
the prince of demons,
he is driving out demons.
Others were suspicious
and doubtful.
If we just look down to the next verse,
16,
others tested him
by asking for a sign
from heaven.
And we kind of wonder here,
don't we?
Isn't healing this demon-possessed man
a sign from heaven already?
Like, what more do you need?
It's almost like they didn't even see it.
There was skepticism.
There was doubt
from some of the people.
But let's look at this accusation
that some made in verse 15.
By Beelzebul,
the prince of demons,
he is driving out demons.
The parallel passages
in Matthew and Mark
tell us
that it was the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law
who said this.
No surprise there.
This was their attempt
to explain
how Jesus was able
to get the evil spirit
out of this man.
And so we notice there
that they didn't deny
that he had got
the evil spirit out.
They didn't deny that.
That much was obvious.
But how did he do it?
They couldn't explain that.
They accused Jesus
of casting out the demon
by the power
of Beelzebul.
Who is Beelzebul?
Well, the short answer,
we can find it right
in the passage here,
the Pharisees identify him
as the prince
of demons.
the one who is ruler
over all of them.
And if we just glance
down the page a little bit
to verse 18,
we see that Jesus,
as he responds,
understands
that they are referring
to Satan.
In Jesus' response,
he uses the names
seemingly interchangeably.
Beelzebul is another name
for Satan.
This name is thought
to have been,
to come from the name
of an ancient Canaanite god
who was worshipped
in the land of Canaan
even before the children
of Israel came into the land.
His name is thought
to have been
Beelzebul,
possibly meaning
God of the high place.
And it seems as though
the Jews,
after coming into the land,
sort of tweaked
his name a little bit.
just the last sound
or letter of his name
to Baal Zabub.
And the meaning of that
is Lord of the Flies.
And so it's thought
that they did this
in order to sort of mock
this false Canaanite god.
But by the time
that we get to Jesus' day,
this name in the minds
of the Jews
is basically
just another name
for Satan,
the prince
of the demons.
So they make
this false accusation.
They accuse Jesus
of doing this exorcism
by the power
of the devil.
What a nasty
and wicked thing
to say.
Can you imagine this?
You just
do this.
This poor man
has been set free.
He's talking again.
You did that
by the power
of the devil.
The reason
that you're able
to get demons
to come out of people
is because you're
in cahoots
with the devil himself.
He's their master
and so
you guys have
a thing going on
so that they listen
and they come out.
We'll get to Jesus'
response in a minute
but let's just acknowledge
that there is
a kind of logic
to this accusation.
They're basically
suggesting that
the devil
and Jesus
are working together
in some sort of
elaborate deception.
The demons
are coming out
of people
who they have
long afflicted.
The Pharisees
don't deny that
but it's a trick
they say.
Satan's giving
the orders
and they're coming out
and Jesus
is part of this.
So there's a kind
of logic to it
but
even before we get
to Jesus' response
probably you're
already thinking
like how does
that work?
How would this
deception of Satan
work?
I mean
it would deceive
people into
following Jesus
and Jesus
is telling people
to turn away
from wickedness
and to
turn to the Lord.
God
so
how does that
work in Satan's
favor?
I mean
Satan wants
people to
worship him
but Jesus
has been going
around telling
people to do
the opposite
to love the
Lord their God
with all their
heart, soul,
mind and strength
and to repent
of their sins.
So there's an
obvious problem
to their suggestion
but let's hear
Jesus' response
to them now
in verse 17.
Jesus knew
their thoughts
and said to
them
any kingdom
divided against
itself
will be ruined
and a house
divided against
itself
will fall.
if Satan
is divided
against
himself
how can
his kingdom
stand?
I say this
because you
claim that I
drive out
demons
by Beelzebul.
Now if I
drive out
demons by
Beelzebul
by whom
do your
followers
drive them
out?
So then
they
will be
your judges.
We'll have
to kind of
wade through
this a bit.
There's a lot
there.
Let's start
with that
first statement
Jesus makes
in verse 17.
He says
any kingdom
divided against
itself
will fall
will be
ruined.
Sorry.
So let's
think about
this.
If the
ruler of a
kingdom
begins to
use his
power
against his
own people
then it's
not long
before that
kingdom
collapses
and then
he's no
longer the
ruler of
those people.
I mean
history has
proven this
time and
time again.
The people
of a
nation or
kingdom will
only tolerate
so much
from the
one in
charge.
So much
opposition or
cruelty from
their own
leader and
eventually things
will come to a
head and the
conflict will
break the
kingdom.
And that ruin
can happen in
different ways.
We've seen it in
all kinds of
ways.
Could be a
revolt against
the leader
and replacing
him with
another one.
It could be
part of the
kingdom breaking
away and no
we're not
going to listen
to you anymore.
We're going to
become our
own people.
The classic
example from
the Bible is
King Solomon
and his son
Rehoboam.
When Rehoboam
became king
the people
asked him
for relief
from the
heavy burden
that Solomon
had put on
them.
And what did
Rehoboam say?
He publicly
threatened to
treat his own
citizens even
worse than his
father had if
they didn't do
exactly what he
told them.
Well it resulted
in the immediate
ruin of the
kingdom.
Ten tribes in
the north just
broke away from
Judah in the
south and said
we won't want
nothing to do
with you.
You guys rule
yourself.
The kingdom
was divided.
The whole thing
was ruined.
Well Jesus
then takes that
truth and he
applies it to
this accusation.
Verse 18.
If Satan is
divided against
himself how can
his kingdom
stand?
If the prince
of demons is
opposing and
driving out the
demons that he
rules over then
his kingdom will
fall.
people.
If Satan is
pushing his own
forces out of the
territory that
they've conquered
then his kingdom
is being ruined.
It's crumbling.
He's basically just
handing over his
own territory.
Or to put it
maybe in another
way if Satan's
goal is to harm
people and to
hurt them and to
control people and
to tempt people.
Well how can he
achieve that goal?
By forcing his
troops out of the
people that they
have been
afflicting.
It just doesn't
make sense.
It may even seem
like it could work
in the short term
as a sort of
deceptive tactic.
But not in the
long run.
not on this
scale.
As we just
heard.
Jesus has cast
many demons out
of people.
This isn't just a
one time thing.
Everywhere Jesus
goes he's been
driving demons out
of people.
He's been setting
people free.
Even if it was a
form of deception
Satan would be
utterly losing in
the process.
Because he's
basically just
relinquishing control
over all these
people's lives.
It would be
almost like him
just trying to
gain power and
grow stronger by
cutting off his
own arms and
legs.
It just doesn't
work.
Jesus exposes the
faultiness of their
logic.
Then Jesus goes
on in verse 19.
Now if I drive
out demons by
Beelzebul by
whom do your
followers drive
them out?
This second
answer of Jesus
isn't as easy to
understand as the
first.
Jesus starts with
this rhetorical
question.
If I drive out
demons by
Beelzebul by
whom do your
followers drive
them out?
And I'll be
honest I'm not
sure I got this
figured out myself
here.
How does this
question work?
Is it to stump
them?
What's the answer
to it?
Or is it a
statement that
Jesus is making?
I'm not really
sure.
And then we can
add on top of
that there's sort
of another
question about
who's being
referred to in
the second half
of this question.
A more literal
translation.
By whom do
your sons
drive them
out?
If I drive
out demons
by Beelzebul by
whom do your
sons drive
them out?
And so who
are the sons?
Some see this
as referring to
the followers of
the Pharisees.
And that kind
of opens up a
whole discussion
there.
Are the Pharisees
driving out
demons?
Others suggest
that your sons
actually refers to
the disciples.
The apostles.
That they are
the sons of
Israel.
They're the
young men of
Israel who
are now going
around and
casting out
demons by the
authority and
power that Jesus
has given them.
And maybe Jesus
is asking,
are you ready
to condemn
all of the
things that
they've been
doing, that
your sons have
been doing,
going out?
I say that all
that's been done
by the power
of the devil.
And then there's
even one more
statement at the
end there.
For this reason
they will be
your judges.
One thought
is that all
true exorcisms,
no matter who
does them,
can only be
successful by
the power of
God.
Because he's
the only one
strong enough
who has the
power to do
it.
And so maybe
this is something
like all who
have been casting
out demons will
stand in judgment
over you Pharisees
and teachers
of the law
because they
know it was
not by the
power of
Beelzebul that
they did it,
that it was by
the power of
God.
This part of the
conversation is
difficult to
understand and
I'm not sure I've
got it figured
out.
But then finally
in verse 20
Jesus brings out
the big statement
and this one
is very clear.
Jesus brings out
the truth that
they should be
arriving at
from his
exorcisms.
All the
exorcisms that
he's been doing
really point to
this one thing
and here it is.
He says,
but if I drive
out demons by
the finger of
God, then the
kingdom of God
has come upon
you.
I love those
words.
If I drive out
demons by the
finger of God,
then the
kingdom of God
has come upon
you.
first Jesus
tells us how
he does it.
He says he
does it by the
finger of God.
That's a big
statement and
it's a figure of
speech.
It basically
means by the
power of God.
In other words,
this is God's
doing.
This is something
that his hand
has accomplished.
The choice of
finger as
opposed to
hand may
even be
intentional by
Jesus to
suggest that
only a very
small amount
of God's
power is
needed to
do this.
So Jesus
just makes it
really plain,
really clear.
I drive out
these demons
not by the
power of
Satan,
but by the
power of
God.
The demons
cower,
they tremble,
they comply
when I tell
them to get
out because
when I speak
to them,
the very
power of
God is at
work compelling
them to
obey.
It's not
Satan making
war against
his own
troops or
doing some
sort of
elaborate
deception.
That would
be foolish.
That would
be illogical.
But Satan's
kingdom is
being ruined.
It is
falling.
But it's
not from
the inside.
It's from
the outside.
His troops
are being
pushed out
of their
territory by
a greater
power.
By the
only one
who has
a greater
power than
he does,
and that's
God himself.
Think about
this.
That Jesus
is driving
out demons,
fallen angels,
at all,
is evidence
that God's
power is
in Jesus
and with
Jesus.
And the
conclusion that
we should
come to,
the truth of
the matter
that Jesus
is saying
we should
get from
this,
is that
God's
kingdom
has come.
His
kingdom
is upon
you.
It's right
now breaking
into the
world like
we've never
seen before.
it's the
beginning of
the end
for Satan
and his
kingdom.
At this
point,
Jesus gives
us a little
illustration
in the next
two verses,
21 and
22.
He says,
when a
strong man
fully armed
guards his
own house,
his possessions
are safe,
but when
someone stronger
attacks,
and overpowers
him,
he takes
away the
armor in
which the
man trusted
and divides
up his
plunder.
Now
illustrations are
there to
sort of shed
light,
they're there
to make
things clear,
to reinforce
the truth,
to give an
example of
the truth.
But in
this case,
Jesus'
illustration
probably
makes a
little more
impact on
his original
audience than
it does on
us.
I was
thinking about
this.
Thanks be
to God
that armed
robbery is
not all that
common in
our community.
We do have
break-ins
sometimes,
but armed
and violent
robbery where
someone breaks
into a home
and attacks
the man of
the house
and steals
all their
family stuff,
that doesn't
happen maybe
as often as
it did in
Jesus'
day and in
that place.
Back in
those times
and in
that place,
for many,
your home
and your
possessions
were only
as secure
as the
strongest man
in your
house was
strong.
If someone
wanted to
plunder your
home successfully,
they just had
to be stronger
than the man
of the house.
now,
we have to
remember,
this is an
illustration.
Of course,
Jesus isn't
giving us
pointers here
on how to
be successful
in armed
robbery.
This is an
illustration.
It has to
do with how
Jesus is able
to drive out
demons.
The demons
are strong.
They are
powerful.
And they
have taken
up residence
in people.
And once
they have
the control
that they
desire of
a person,
they are
not just
going to
let go.
The only
way to do
anything in
that house
is if
someone
stronger,
more powerful
comes along
and overpowers
that spirit
and subdues
it.
And that's
why Jesus
is able to
cast out
demons.
This is his
answer.
Because he
does it by
the power
of the one
who is
stronger
than them
and than
their prince.
And so
as Jesus
just said,
the exorcisms,
they're evidence
that a more
powerful kingdom
has come.
Think of the
ancient history
of our world.
A lot of it
in the
broadest
strokes is
just one
kingdom
rising to
power,
conquering
lands,
taking
territory,
only to
fall to
another
kingdom
that comes
after and
rises up,
conquers them
and takes
their land
and their
territory.
Well, why is
it like that?
Well, the
second kingdom
that comes
up in its
place
becomes more
powerful
than the
first.
And I
think that's
kind of what
Jesus is
saying here.
The kingdom
of Satan
is crumbling.
The demons
are being
driven out
because a
more powerful
kingdom has
come.
The kingdom
of God
is here.
the
next thing
Jesus says
in verse
23
seems to
stand alone
and seems
unrelated
to this
whole
discussion.
He says,
whoever is
not with
me is
against
me
and whoever
does not
gather with
me
scatters.
This might
feel a little
out of place
like what's
the relationship
to what
we've been
hearing.
Well, if we
look over to
Matthew's
account, which
we won't do
this morning,
Jesus has
more to say
that's related
to this
statement in
verse 23,
but it's
almost like
we're just
getting the
abbreviated
version from
Luke.
He didn't
want to
leave this
one statement
out that
Jesus made.
Whoever is
not with
me is
against me
and whoever
does not
gather with
me scatters.
there's a
sort of
black and
whiteness to
this whole
thing.
Jesus is
the Messiah.
He is the
Son of God.
He is on
the side of
God.
He is the
very King
of the
Kingdom of
God.
And it's
like he's
saying, when
it comes
right down
to it,
there is
no middle
ground.
There is
no neutral.
You are
either with
Jesus as a
believer in
him,
as a
follower of
his,
or you're
against
him.
There's no
neutral.
Jesus just
kind of draws
a line in
the sand.
You're either
with me or
you're against
me.
You either
gather with
me or you
scatter away
from me.
There's no
in between.
And so
we're kind
of brought
to this
question.
Whose
side are
you on?
Finally,
in this
section,
we hear
from Jesus
about the
strange and
unfamiliar
tendencies of
evil spirits.
Verses 24
to 26.
He says,
when an
impure spirit
comes out
of a person,
it goes
through arid
places,
seeking rest,
and does not
find it.
Then,
it says,
I will
return to
the house
I left.
When it
arrives,
it finds
the house
swept clean
and put
in order.
Then,
it goes
and takes
seven other
spirits more
wicked than
itself,
and they
go in
and live
there,
and the
final condition
of that
person is
worse than
the first.
Well,
there's a lot
in this
explanation that
is very
strange and
unfamiliar to
us.
I imagine
that all
who heard
it that
day had
the same
reaction that
we may be
having right
now.
Like,
Jesus has
some,
he has
this knowledge
of the
tendencies of
evil spirits.
He has
this knowledge
of their
motivations,
how they
think,
how they
scheme,
how they
plan.
He seems
to know
things about
demon possession
that we
just have
no experience
with.
We've got
no idea
about it.
And I
think that
these words
of Jesus
should really
humble us.
They should
help us
realize that
there's a lot
going on in
the spiritual
realm that
just we have
no idea
about.
And we
have to be
careful here,
I think,
because there's
not enough
here to boldly
and confidently
declare,
ah,
yes,
now I
understand
all that's
going on
in the
spiritual
realm,
all that's
going on
with demons
and how
they operate.
Jesus is
just giving
us like a
little sample,
a little
glimmer of
what he
knows about
them.
According to
Jesus,
evil spirits
seem to be
restless if
they're not
in a person.
and why
is that?
Well,
we don't
know.
We heard
earlier about
how the
many evil
spirits called
legion in
the man from
the Gerasenes
begged Jesus
to send them
into the
pigs.
It's like
they didn't
want to
just go
out of
the man
and fly
around.
Why not?
They'd
rather be
in the
pigs.
it seems
from what
Jesus says
here that
they are
without
rest when
they don't
have a
home,
a person
or a
creature to
inhabit.
And why
isn't an
impure spirit
able to
find rest
after coming
out of a
person?
Why is it
that it
goes back
to that
person that
it had
possessed
before?
Is it
more difficult
for an
evil spirit
to get
into a
person or
gain control
over a
person than
we might
think?
You know,
this bit of
Jesus'
teaching raises
all kinds of
questions about
demons,
spirits,
possession.
And again,
I think we
need to be
careful here
that we
don't take
this glimmer
and assume
that we have
the full
light.
These words
should humble
us before
Jesus,
the one who
does have
the full
light and
knowledge of
all that's
going on
in the
spiritual
realm.
Here I
think is a
little more
evidence that
Jesus is
greater than
the demons.
He understands
how they
operate,
what their
tendencies are,
what their
motivations are,
how they
think.
One thing
that's certain
from this,
I think,
Jesus is not
saying that
all people
that he
has liberated
from demonic
possession are
likely to
become
possessed
again.
Maybe that's
how it has
been up
until now
before Jesus
came,
where they
would sort
of return
to the
place where
they had
been.
But now
that the
one who
is stronger
is here,
the one who
casts out by
the power
of God,
those who
are set
free,
don't need
to fear
the evil
spirits
returning.
As we
keep
flipping
forward in
the story,
we discover
that the
gift of
God,
the gift
of Jesus
is his
own spirit
to live
in us.
And to
put it in
Jesus'
terms,
if the
strongest
one there
is,
is in
the house,
then everything
in the house
is secure.
Because there
is no
greater power
than God's.
The devil
and his
demons
cannot
overpower
him.
And so
that's
encouragement,
that if we
have God's
spirit living
in us,
we don't
need to
fear
what the
devil
or the
demons
may do
to us,
that they
might
overpower
us.
They
can't.
Well,
let's bring
this to a
close.
How will
we respond
to all
this?
put
yourself
in the
crowd
that day.
Where do
you see
yourself?
Do you
relate to
the Pharisees
and feel
inside
yourself
this
inexplicable
desire
to oppose
Jesus
and cast
doubt on
him?
And if
so,
why?
Where does
that come
from?
or do
you relate
more to
the others
who are
skeptical?
Yeah,
another
casting out
of a
demon,
but let's
see something
real.
There's
got to be
more than
this.
Are you
still asking
for yet
another
sign?
Or
do you
believe that
Jesus really
did drive
out demons
by the
finger of
God?
Do you
believe that
the kingdom
of God
has come?
And
finally,
I just
want to
leave us
with this
question.
Whose
side are
you on?
Jesus
himself said
you are
either with
him or
against
him.
There are
only two
kingdoms.
What
choice have
you made?
you made
the decision
to cross
that line
in the
sand to
be on
Jesus'
side and
put your
trust in
him and
follow him?
Or in
your heart
are you
still standing
opposed and
against him?
Jesus wants
us to know
that there is
no neutral.
There's no
other option.
it is
black and
white.
There are
only two
kingdoms.
The kingdom
of this
world,
which is
ruled by
the devil,
and the
kingdom of
God.
And if we
listen to the
rest of what
Jesus says,
it's just a
matter of time
before the
kingdom of
God comes
and puts
an end to
the kingdom
of this
world,
the kingdom
of Satan
as we know
it.
have you
made the
decision to
cross that
line in
the sand?
Whose side
are you on?
Maybe you
haven't done
that, but
you're wondering,
how do I
do that?
What's
involved?
I just want
to encourage
you, if
that's something
you're wondering
and you think,
yeah, I want
to make that
decision, but
I don't know
how to do
it, come
and talk to
me after the
service or to
anyone here who
you know has
that faith.
come talk to
us after the
service and
we'd be happy
to sit with
you and
pray with
you and
talk to
you about
that.
This is the
biggest and
most important
decision in
life.
Jesus said,
whoever is not
with me is
against me.
Whose side
are you on?
Let's pray.
Father in
heaven, please
stir our
hearts to a
response.
Don't let
us come away
from what we
heard in your
word today and
just forget it.
Change us
because of it.
Give us
urgency in our
relationships with
people that we
would be
beneficial to
them, that we
would make the
most of the
opportunities we
have to not
only to love
them but to
speak of you,
to put this
question before
them.
And that's
hard, Lord,
but we ask
that you would
give us courage
and boldness.
May we not be
ashamed of you
or your words.
we ask for this
in your name.
Amen.