But the Pharisees said, “The ruler of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.”
(Mat 9:34 NLT)
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. Yesterday we dealt with healing of two blind men. As the two formerly blind men were leaving, with their God-given sight, a group of people brought another man to Jesus. This man could to talk. Jesus immediately discerned why. This man’s issue was not physical or medical, it was spiritual. Jesus discerned that he was demon-possessed. The demon was robbing this man of his ability to talk. So Jesus, dealing with the root of the issue, cast the demon of the man. As soon as the demon was gone, the man was able to talk.
The people who were present when Jesus cast the demon out of the man were amazed. They said, “We have never seen anything like this in Israel”, and that was a major problem for the Jewish leadership at the time. Crowds of people were watching Jesus do things they had never seen their religious leaders do. Time after time, person after person, crowds of people watched as Jesus caused the lame to walk, blind to see, deaf to hear and mute to speak. The Father was using Jesus to perform the supernatural in the earth and the people were realizing that what they had been doing — ritual, routine and religion — was not God’s best. This put the Pharisees and Sadducees in a bad position.
With the spotlight on them, the Pharisees fired back at the crowds and at Jesus. They were not sure what to say, but they knew they wanted to discredit Jesus. So, they said, “The ruler of demons is the one that gives him power to force demons out.” This was a ridiculous accusation. They were attributing the acts of God to satan. Why? Because they did not have anything else to say and because they were losing people fast. Jesus responded, “So, if Satan is fighting against himself, how will his kingdom survive? You say that I use the power of Satan to force out demons… I use the power of God to force out demons. This shows that God’s kingdom has now come to you.” (Luke 11:17,18).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. There is no power in religion.
a) I tried religion for many years, but I never experienced God. I was faithful to the routine and rituals of religion, but like the Pharisees, all it did was cause me to lash back at anyone who did not submit to the religious ways I had given myself over to.
b) Jesus did not die so you could ascribe to a religion, with an emphasis on rules, rites, rituals and routine. NO! Jesus died so you could have a relationship with the Father, so the Holy Spirit could LIVE IN you, and so you could walk this earth as a conduit of His love and power.
c) The Pharisees got upset with Jesus because they had no power. They accused Him because they had no answer for what He was doing. Instead of acknowledging the fact that Jesus was Lord, they saw Jesus’ success in ministry as an indictment against their way of life. As a result, they wound up fighting against the man should have been joining forces with. It is unfortunate, but the same mistake is being made today, all over the world. People are fighting against what they should be partnering with.
2. Sometimes there are spiritual answers to natural problems.
a) The mute man in the text was not mute because of a medical condition. He was mute because of a spiritual condition. Jesus always addressed the root issue. Jesus cast the demon out of the man, and as soon as the demon was gone, he was able to speak again.
b) Sometimes we are looking for natural solutions to issues that can only be resolved with spiritual power.
c) God can give you the discernment to know the root issue. Once you know it, God can then give you the power to deal with it.
I will stop here for today and finish this message tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. This year I will experience supernatural manifestation like never before! My days of religion, ritual and routine are over. I have a relationship with You and I am committed to developing that relationship while I am in the land of the living. I walk with You and You walk with me. You enable me to discern the root issue of problems, and You then give me the power to deal with them. There is nothing I can’t do, because I am not the one doing it. It is You Father, living IN me! You give me the words and You perform the work. I don’t have to lash out against anyone, because my focus is solely on You! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
