Blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-32; COD Head 5: Art 6; RE 4)

Jesus is confronted with a situation where He heals a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. The Pharisees, seeing this miracle, accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.

The Pharisees are spiritually blind.  The pharisees  in their religious pride and self-righteousness, are unable to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ ministry. These men slander the work of the Holy Spirit by attributing it to Satan.  They do this despite the clear  working of God in their midst.  So they willfully, and consciously attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.

The "unpardonable sin" is not a specific act but an ongoing, hardened stance of slandering the work of the Spirit when the Spirit’s work is overwhelming evident.The seriousness of this sin is attributing God’s work to evil, showing how it reflects a heart that is closed off to the Spirit’s transformative power.

Unlikely Miracles (Luke 7:1-17)

A Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant in Capernaum. Despite being a Gentile, he shows strong faith. Jesus praises his faith, healing the servant from afar. In Nain, Jesus sees a widow mourning her only son. He comforts her and resurrects her son. These events reveal Jesus' compassion, power, and ability to confer true life to his citizens. They show that Jesus' kingdom redeems all nations as they respond by faith in the Spirit, breaking barriers of society and distance.

And His Entire Household (Acts 16:25-40)

Paul and Silas are put in prison for casting out a spirit of divination. While they are in prison the Lord sends an earthquake. This event opens the doors and knocks the shackles off their limbs. They are free to escape, but they do not leave. Instead, we have record of a jailer being converted. He is converted, baptized, and his entire household. This is very significant in terms of the covenant sign of Baptism.

God’s Discipline Published (Hosea 5:1-7)

We can attack the Lord and accuse him of many things. This is not right, and our accusations are not justified. However, human beings continue to attack God. We do not realize that God publishes many warnings, God is very long suffering, and ultimately God is merciful even though we may deny this reality. This is not a call for us to question God, but a call for us to reevaluate how we view God. Notice, this is not saying that God has changed, but a call for us to change. We can see that even in the midst of his judgment his mercy is manifested.