The last miracle of the series makes the rulers of Israel speak out their antagonism. A

demon-possessed man, rendered by his possession dumb, is cured, and the multitudes

marvel saying, "It was never so seen in Israel". Then comes the Pharisees' blasphemy

against the Holy Spirit. Look at chapter 12: 22-32. The healing of another demoniac

caused the people to say, "Is not this the Son of David?"  Again the Pharisees

immediately counteract the impression by saying, "This fellow doth not cast out demons

but by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons". The Lord in reply, after showing the folly

of their argument says:--

Herein is the supreme responsibility of the rejection of God's evidences, a subject that

comes again prominently forward in the Gospel of John.

We retrace our steps a little to observe the gathering opposition and the development

of events, the healing of the man with the withered hand. The word here for "withered"

is akin to that used of the fig-tree that withered.  Christ stood ready to heal their

barrenness and withered unfruitfulness,  and they chose the dust-dry pettiness of

Sabbath-day observances, even contemplating the murder of the very Lord of the

Sabbath. In the previous cases, when others interpose, it has been for the purpose of

obtaining blessing for the sufferer. Here, the man with the withered hand is brought

forward, not for any love for him or sympathy with his affliction, but that he may prove a

bait to catch the Lord of life and glory.

The Rabbis had taught that there was "no Sabbatism in the Temple". The Lord could

have appealed to this, but He preferred to take a simpler and wider view, and asked, in

fact, whether a man was not of more value than a sheep. That which God had given as a

"delight", they in their withered barrenness made the symbol of all that was exclusive,

narrow and formal. The way in which their leaders had fenced the observation of the

Sabbath with the most minute and ridiculous restrictions blinded them to the spiritual

significance of the day. We shall find that much of the opposition of the Pharisees was

related to the Lord's attitude to their conception of the Sabbath. This we must deal with

separately, as space will not suffice here and now.

The Pharisees now take counsel against the Lord as to how they might destroy Him.

What perversity is this!  His every act had left behind Him mercy, peace, health,

thankfulness, life from the dead, sight for the blind, yea, the forgiveness of sins--yet they

hated Him, these scrupulous Sabbath-keepers.

Then follows the quotation which at last speaks of the Gentiles. With this quotation,

Isa. 49: 3-7 should be read. There the close connection between Israel's rejection of the

Lord, and the blessing of the Gentiles is seen. One of His titles there is, "Him whom the

nation abhorreth"! We have already looked at the closing miracle. The last words

indicate the possibility that Israel may receive the Lord as the Son of David. Here the