Pharisees Blaspheme the Holy Spirit

Mark 3:22–27; Luke 11:17–23

22 qThen one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the 4blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the rSon of David?”

24 sNow when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by 5Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus tknew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, usurely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 vOr how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Pharisees Commit the Unpardonable Sin

Mark 3:28, 29

31 “Therefore I say to you, wevery sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, xbut the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who yspeaks a word against the Son of Man, zit will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 “Either make the tree good and aits fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 bBrood 6of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? cFor out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure 7of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Pharisees Demand a Sign

Luke 11:24–26, 29–32

38 dThen some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and e adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 fFor as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 gThe men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and hcondemn it, ibecause they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 jThe queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

43 k“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, lhe goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; mand the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”