Jesus had been driving out demons for three years. So did the twelve and the seventy-two when he sent them out. Now a great crowd followed him. The religious leaders were jealous. Their pride and pay were hurt. They attacked Jesus’s character and ministry. They claimed, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” (15; Matthew 12:24) Other people tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. (16) They believed and spread the gossip that Jesus was a fraud, not sent by God, and working with evil forces.
The very people God chose to be a witness to the world opposed Jesus every chance they could. They had no evidence that their statements and beliefs were true. They relied on their religious institutions and propaganda to keep them in the people’s favor.
I must always examine my heart to see why I say what I do and why I do what I do. The religious leaders believed God called them to instruct and lead the people. As their power and influence increased, so did pride and fear increased in their soul. Pride and fear began controlling their actions. Good intentions not rutted in the work God has established will drive a person to oppose God’s work.
