Luke 11:25-30
Luke 11:25 (KJB)
And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
First he finds it empty with no other spirit indwelling it. Then he finds that
it was swept, in other words, since this man was no longer under the influence
of that devil he was able to clean up his life and make an entrance back into
society. Then he finds it garnished or adorned with the proper clothing of his
social status and this also means that he now performs works of goodness and
kindness because he is no longer under the evil spirit’s influence. Now here is
the limitation on the abilities of the Jewish exorcists. When Jesus had
delivered a person from being possessed of a devil, He did not allow the evil
spirit to return to that person. (Mark 9:25 KJV) When Jesus saw that the
people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou
dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into
him. The Jewish exorcists did not have the power to command this and
normally after Jesus delivered the person, they became saved which meant the
Holy Spirit indwelled that person thus bringing in a real peace. Without the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the evil spirit could once again go back to his
old host. This is the difference between reformation and transformation. A
person who is reformed has not been transformed and is still susceptible to
demonic possession but those who are transformed by the Gospel, will never have
to worry about that again.
Luke 11:26 (KJB)
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself;
and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is
worse than the first.
Worse - More severe or a worse evil
Now this devil does not just go in by himself, instead he calls seven of his
companions to indwell that man. So the possession is now seven times worse than
it was before because he had no defense against being possessed again where as
those whom Jesus delivered had a defense. The lifestyle that the man had lived
previously was evil but now that evil will be magnified seven times. The number
seven may be indicating that his life will be totally taken over by these
devils. As a result, his present life will be more destructive making this time
in his life more severe than the beginning. Then Jesus makes a comparison
between the demon possessed man and the generation rejecting Him. Just as their
opposition to Jesus at the beginning was minimal, it was now escalating to the
point of hatred and their desire to put Him to death. Then the ultimate last
state of that man will be eternal damnation and that is the worst state anyone
can find themselves in.
Luke 11:27 (KJB)
And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company
lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and
the paps which thou hast sucked.
Than after Jesus gave these teachings, a woman had given Him an indirect word of
encouragement. She had blessed the mother who gave birth to Him. This particular
event shows that the group which was present were those who supported the Lord
and were not looking for something to condemn Him on. There was no doubt in
anyone’s mind that Mary was blessed indeed to be the chosen vessel to bring the
Messiah to birth.
Luke 11:28 (KJB)
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep
it.
Jesus had used this encouragement as a way to bring in the description of those
who are really blessed. Those who are blessed are the saved, that is, those who
hear the word of God and understand it and because they understand it, they keep
it. The word “keep” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of “follow or
obey.” Jesus clarifies the proper view of blessed as those who follow Him. He
did not downgrade Mary in any way but He put everything in perspective.
(Luke 10:20 KJV) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are
subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We rejoice and call ourselves blessed because our names are written in Heaven.
Luke 11:29 (KJB)
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an
evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the
sign of Jonas the prophet.
Those who attempt to try God or the Son of God are showing their wicked and
adulterous nature. Previously Jesus answered this type of query with the story
of Jonah. Here He tells the Pharisees and Sadducees that they are wicked and
adulterous and uses the terms of the old prophets. (Hosea 3:1 KJV) Then said
the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress,
according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to
other gods, and love flagons of wine. Israel had prostituted itself
economically, spiritually, and socially and had become adulterous toward God.
Once Jesus told them that they are only going to get the sign of Jonah, He left
them. Of course, here He is referencing His resurrection on the third day. When
Jonah was vomited up by the whale it was symbolic of Christ being ejected by the
earth since death could not hold Him because He is the Son of God. Death has no
claim upon Jesus and no claim upon His children whom He died for.
Luke 11:30 (KJB)
For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to
this generation.
Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites because one of their main emblems was a fish
and being that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and then regurgitated on land
would have made a superstitious people more superstitious. This is why they
listened intently to Jonah because of the way he came to Nineveh. The Ninevites
would have taken Jonah as a true prophet. He was a sign to them in two possible
ways. The first was that he came by way of the great fish and secondly, the
whole city repented in sackcloth and ashes which meant that Jonah was a true
prophet indeed sent by God. Jesus became a sign to His generation by means of
the works which He did such as healing the sick, feeding thousands, delivering
those who were possessed of devils, etc. Those things confirmed the ministry of
Jesus that He was really sent from God.