December 20, 2023
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Reading along with us in our Advent readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 20 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Popularity
Read Sections 3.41 through 3.44 (pages 55-59)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
23 “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
I couldn’t help but notice the common acceptance of the activity of Satan and demons in these sections. The pharisees say that Jesus casts out evil spirits with the power of Satan. Jesus explains that the Jewish leaders cast out demons and asks, “by who do your people cast out demons?” He even says that demons can be cast out, only to come back again.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? In this case the Pharisees attributed the work of the Holy Spirit (Jesus healing a man and casting out demons) to demons. They said Jesus had an unclean spirit.
It is odd, and maybe it is an American thing, or the culture of many protestant churches, that we do not address the possibility of demonic activity in people. We default to mental illness or trauma or just the flesh in most cases. I don’t think we should be looking for demons behind everything, but clearly the Bible teaches that we are in a spiritual war and Satan is active.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Advent Day 20
Some wanted to see signs and miracles. Some doubted where His authority came from but ultimately Jesus met these questions and doubts with the simple fact that He is the Son of God and you must believe.
The story of the farmer sowing seed shows where different people might find themselves when they hear the truth of God. Is it easily washed away because too much time is taken to really hear it, is it exciting at first but they don’t let it really take root and dig in to God’s word, are they needing signs and wonders because they let their own worry and doubt prevent it from growing into something deeper, or are you stepping out in faith believing He is the Son of God, following, obeying and living a life by Jesus’ example.
The Life of Jesus 3.41-3.44
Jesus heals the man that had a demon which couldn`t see or speak and the people thought that He was perhaps the promised Son of David. The Pharisees didn`t like the idea that Jesus was disturbing the way things are. They wanted to retain their authority and power over the people so how dare this Jesus heal this man. They didn`t want acknowledge that He was from God so they accused Him rather of being from Satan. Talk about blindness ; they were willfully blind. Jesus makes the statement that all people can be forgiven for every sin accept for those who speak against the Holy Spirit. I understand this to be because that when a person gets saved the Holy Spirit comes to indwell inside that person. On the other hand when a person refuses to be saved he shuts out the Holy Spirit and therefore can`t be saved. Then when the Pharisees and teachers tried to test Jesus further He told them that the only sign would be of Jonah of how he was in the fish for three days and three nights. So also will the Son of Man be in the grave three days and three nights. Hello He told them He would arise after three days and three nights. Then Jesus confirms that His followers are His true family. His mother knew who He was but His brothers and sisters at this point didn`t know who He was. That would be much latter after His death and Resurrection. We know that because at the cross Jesus gave John the Apostle the care of His mother. Then Jesus gives the parable of seed being scattered by a farmer. Then puts it in spiritual terms. Those that hear the teaching and understand it will grow and produce others for Christ. May we do so. God bless us all as we follow Him.
Advent 2023 – Day 20
Amy, I too recognized the various ways the activity of satan and his demons come about in this passage, but the thing that really jumped out to me is that we make sure we recognize who Jesus is in all His fullness and continue to pursue Him and the way that He models and explains. The Pharisees don’t get that and thereby must attribute what Jesus is doing to the activity of satan. But by dong that, they are really rejecting the word of the Holy Spirit in their hearts as He testifies there to who Christ is. When you say that the Holy Spirit is lying to you in pointing to Jesus, and take that holy thing and make it evil and profane, that is the blasphemy of the Spirit and that is unforgiveable because you are rejecting the very means that God uses to draw you to salvation. Even after rejecting Him in that way, the Pharisees show the evil nature of their hearts in asking for a miracle. Jesus Himself and His death and resurrection is the only miracle anyone really needs and those in the Old Testament that saw a lesser work than that and less wisdom that Jesus supplies will condemn the Pharisees because those Gentiles believed what the Pharisees (Jews) are not. And when we grasp hold of all Jesus is, we are really Jesus’ family. Spirituality trumps biology! And so being the best soil that God can produce His fruit through is the best course of life and what God is always trying to lead us to and convince us of. And even if pursuing Him is hard, we do that because we see the truth He holds. Because sometimes God won’t make it easy to believe or understand so we can show that we really want it by the way we pursue it.