Matthew 12:30-32 30The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters. 31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Verse 30 gives a strong warning to the Pharisees and anyone on the periphery of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus “ups the ante” and shows how crucial the response to him is. There is no middle ground or neutrality when it comes to accepting Jesus’ authority and position as Messiah and Lord. Jesus tells the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:16, “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” The call to discipleship is all-consuming. Only when we are found in Jesus will we find true life. Not being on Jesus’ side means being on the side of evil. The Pharisees were essentially lining themselves up with evil against Jesus.
Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven as people come to God in genuine repentance and faith. Sin is a serious matter, but God’s grace is greater than sin (Romans 5:20). There is one sin more serious than others: the blasphemy against the Spirit. The Spirit bears witness to Jesus and draws people to Jesus by speaking to our consciences, situations, other people, and reading the Bible. Jesus gives another strong warning in verse 31 about ignoring this prompting and guidance of the Spirit. The Spirit points the way to the truth, and that truth is ultimately found in Jesus. To go against the Spirit means going against the truth and the only way to life (John 14:6). God is always willing to forgive, but God will not forgive those who are walking towards evil and rejecting the truth. The fault of unforgiveness lies not with God but with people. Those who are condemned for their lack of faith have only themselves to blame. They ignore the Spirit’s warning about sin and walk away from the light of Jesus. They burned the only bridge to life.
Verse 32 repeats the warning and offers the Pharisees and others like them the opportunity to repent and receive life. They were speaking against Jesus. Jesus uses his special self-designation Son of Man, by which he identifies with us in our weakness but also comes as the Incarnated Holy One of Israel. There is always forgiveness for those who come to God through Jesus, but rejecting the promptings and drawing grace of the Holy Spirit only leads to judgment. The Pharisees now had no excuse for their attitudes and actions towards Jesus over the small matter of what to do on the Sabbath. The controversy began with the disciples simply eating some grains on the Sabbath but ends with the clear choice of accepting Jesus or facing condemnation for refusing to head the call of the Spirit.
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