Daniel Whyte III
TEXT: Matthew 9:32-35
32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
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William Burkitt said, “See here the dreadful and sad effects of blindness, obstinacy, and malice: the Pharisees charge Christ with making a contract with the devil, affirming that he derived his power from him; but how unlikely was this, that Satan should lend our Saviour a power against himself, and for the destruction of his own kingdom? O how dangerous is a wilful and obstinate opposition of the truth! It provokes God to deliver a person up to final obduracy.”
In our last message, we looked at the reality that a physical condition can have a spiritual cause. The dumb man in this passage was not released from his dumbness until Jesus had released him from his demons. Thankfully, the two blind men who had just been healed (or at least some individuals in the crowd) saw this man, noticed his need, and brought him to the One who could provide his deliverance. The crowd that was present “marvelled” at the man’s deliverance. They had never seen anything like it. They probably thought Jesus would command the man to speak or touch his lips in order to heal him. But Jesus, by casting out the demon, demonstrated His ability to see and to speak to that which was invisible to others.
Scripture informs us, however, that there were — as always — those who found fault with Jesus’ methods and actions. The Pharisees, the chief Jewish religious sect of that time, snubbed their noses at Jesus, declaring, “He casts out devils by the prince of devils.” Which, of course, is absurd because, as Jesus points out in another confrontation, ‘Why would Satan cast out Satan?’ At this point, the Pharisees were just grasping at straws in an attempt to discredit Jesus.
D.A. Carson writes, “The New Testament frequently attributes various diseases to demonic activity; but since the same ailment appears elsewhere without any suggestion of demonic activity, the frequent connection between the two is not based on primitive superstition but presupposes a real ability to distinguish between natural and demonic causes. The crowd’s amazement climaxes the earlier excitement. Nothing had ever been seen like this in Israel—and, by implication, if not among God’s chosen people, then nowhere. But the same amazement ominously sets the stage for the Pharisees’ cynical response. The text implies that the instigation was constantly in the background. But the tide of opposition, which later brought Jesus to the cross, now becomes an essential part of the background to the next discourse.”
The remarks of the Pharisees in this passage remind us that there will always be those who oppose the forthgoing of the Gospel message. They will criticize methods. They will suggest that certain people are not worthy of hearing the Gospel because they want to keep certain types of people out of their church and allow certain types of people into their church. Such will claim to be the standard of righteousness when, in fact, they are upholding a life of hypocrisy.
The true proclamation of the Gospel often upsets hypocrites and the defenders of religious culture. The Pharisees were content with the dumb being dumb. They were content with the sick and sinful remaining sick and sinful because they thought they looked good by comparison. They could point their finger at the dumb man and say, “Look at this sinner. Imagine all the terrible things he’s done. We’re not cursed like he is. Therefore, we’re better, we’re more righteous.” But Jesus came to deliver the deaf and dumb, the sick and sinful, from their sins, the effects of sin, and the influence of Satan. Hence, the importance and necessity of bringing people to Jesus.
Alexcenah Thomas wrote:
Hark! ’tis the Shepherd’s voice I hear,
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone astray,
Far from the Shepherd’s fold away.
Who’ll go and help this Shepherd kind,
Help Him the wand’ring ones to find?
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold,
Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold?
Out in the desert hear their cry,
Out on the mountain, wild and high;
Hark! ’tis the Master, speaks to thee,
“Go, find My sheep where’er they be.”
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Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
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