Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 11:14-36 "WHEN ACCUSATIONS MUST BE ANSWERED"
Day 144 – Luke 11
Text: Luke 11:14-36
WHEN ACCUSATIONS MUST BE ANSWERED
How easy it is to hurl accusations! There are times when it is useless to reply. At the trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus refused to say a word in His defence. The time for speaking was over! Nothing He could say would ever change the course of history. Speaking would be a waste of breath.
However, Jesus deemed it right at this stage of His ministry to answer His accusers. It is not wrong to make a defence when and if the occasion calls for it. This was one such occasion!
There is a time when silence is golden. There is also a time when answers must be given. It takes great wisdom to know when to speak and when to keep silent.
REASONS WHY JESUS ANSWERED ACCUSATIONS
Let us consider 5 reasons why Jesus decided that He would answer the accusations leveled at Him.
1. For the sake of Truth!
This must be stated as the first reason why Jesus had to defend Himself! The truth was that He was empowered by the Spirit of God. This was the truth that He knew in His heart. However, this was a truth that the multitudes did not have in their hearts!
Falsehood had been perpetrated. The false teachers had come all the way from Jerusalem to cast a slur on the good name of the Lord Jesus. These scribal scholars from Jerusalem were usually held in high esteem. They were the theologians of the day. Their theological opinion carried weight! They had given their considered opinion. They could sway the multitudes with their considered opinion- and their opinion was wrong!
2. For the sake of the Multitudes!
The multitudes were like sheep without a shepherd. They were theologically naive. They would not know how to answer the false teaching of the scribes from Jerusalem.
The multitudes could have been badly affected. Their souls were at stake. They had not made a firm decision for Christ yet, and they were now in danger of being swept aside by the strong tide of false teaching that the scribes from Jerusalem had raised against Jesus.
3. For the sake of His Disciples!
The Master was under attack. The Disciples were watching how their Master would handle the situation. How would He defend Himself? How would He fend off false teachers? How was He going to deal with these false teachers who dared to mount up such a strong attack against their Master.
Their Master must come up with a strong response. He had to. Much was at stake here. They must have waited with bated breath for their Master to make His reply.
4.For the sake of knowledge!
The Disciples had much to learn about the dark spiritual kingdom of demons. The multitudes had seen how powerless they were against the forces of darkness. The scribes from Jerusalem showed obvious lack of deep knowledge of the occultic powers.
5. For the sake of proclaiming The Kingdom of God
The Lord Jesus saw this moment as an opportunity to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Perhaps some would be enlightened and be encouraged to come to full faith in Jesus, and enter into the kingdom of God (Luke 11:20)
“HE TAUGHT THEM AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY, AND NOT AS THE SCRIBES” Mark 1:22
As always, Jesus taught with tremendous authority. Wherein was that authority?
1. The authority of Jesus came from God Himself.
2. The authority also came from the fact that He was empowered by the Spirit of God
3. His authority came from the power of truth itself
4. His authority came from within Himself, for God had given Him full authority
5. His authority was PROVEN when demons obeyed His commands! They were afraid of the power and authority that Jesus had (Cf. Luke 8:28)
THE NEED FOR GREAT CARE WHEN DEALING WITH SPIRITUAL MATTERS
As far as the Lord Jesus was concerned, spiritual matters should never be discussed theoretically. The scribes of Jerusalem were willing to debate the possibility that Jesus was in league with the ruler of the demons, or that He was possibly possessed by Beelzebub, the name they gave to a prince of the demons. Did they fully understand what they were saying? Would they be able to substantiate what they were alleging!
They had seen people possessed by demons before. Those possessed were not their normal selves anymore. They were seriously ill, or they had lost their sanity.
However, Jesus came teaching the Word and was a great blessing to many. Disciples were made. Souls were touched and won for the Kingdom of God.
The suggestions of the scribes of Jerusalem were spurious at best! At worst they were blasphemous! Again, we turn to Mark’s Gospel where Jesus had to warn His accusers of the danger they were in when they made such wild accusations against Him,
” ‘Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;
but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness,
but is subject to eternal condemnation’- because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’ “
Mark 3:28-30
Let us learn how to have a sacred regard for things spiritual. Let us read God’s Word with deep reverence and regard.
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