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📨 THEKNGDOM | January 18th, 2025 (Archive)

Title: Breaking In and Plundering

Subtitle: How Jesus disarms the enemy and enlists us in the rescue mission.

Passage 📖: Matthew 12:9–32

Date: January 18th, 2025

📺 Want to watch the full teaching? Click here to view the January 18th, 2025 Lesson.

📢 KNGDOM Announcements:

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• 2️⃣ A New Weekly Rhythm

  We’re changing things up. For a while now, we’ve been sharing an Archive Lesson on Wednesdays and the Live KNGDOM Gathering Lesson on Saturdays.

  • Starting next week, we’ll be retiring the Wednesday archive post and focusing solely on:

    • Saturday – Live KNGDOM Gathering Lesson

    • Monday–Friday – Small daily reflections on that same lesson

  Why? Because we want to go deep instead of wide. This way, we’ll have an entire week to unpack one teaching and its impact on our daily lives.

👋 Introduction to Today’s Lesson

Hey friends,

Picture this.

You’ve been locked away in a dark, foreign place for so long that you’ve almost forgotten what freedom feels like. Your hands are bound. Your eyes are covered. You can barely remember the sound of your own voice.

Then — you hear the door crash open.

The one who steps in isn’t afraid. He moves with purpose, because He’s already dealt with the one who kept you bound. The “strong man” who once controlled the house is tied up in the corner, powerless to stop what’s coming next.

The chains fall from your wrists.

Light floods your eyes.

And before you can even process what’s happened, He’s putting the keys in your hands.

“Go,” He says. “There are others still locked inside. Set them free.”

This is the picture Jesus paints in today’s passage — not just of what He’s done for us, but of the mission He’s given us.

He hasn’t just rescued us from the enemy’s grip.

He’s enlisted us in the work of freeing others.

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⏪ Recap of Last Week’s Lesson (Matthew 12:1–8)

Last week, we watched Jesus shatter the Pharisees’ narrow view of the Sabbath.

The religious leaders saw His hungry disciples plucking grain and called it unlawful — missing entirely the heart of God’s law.

Jesus reminded them: The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

It was given as a gift, not a burden — a day to restore life, not restrict it.

He pointed to Scripture, to David eating the consecrated bread, and to the priests who “break” the Sabbath to serve in the Temple, proving that mercy is greater than sacrifice.

And then He dropped the ultimate claim: The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

In other words — the One who wrote the law stands before you, and His heart is for life, freedom, and restoration, not lifeless rule-keeping.

Read and watch the Jan 11th, 2025, by clicking. 

📖 Matthew 21:23–32 (ESV)

After this exchange, Jesus left that place and entered their synagogue. Inside, there was a man with a withered hand. Wanting a reason to accuse Him, the Pharisees asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Jesus replied, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then He turned to the man and said, “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretched it out, and it was restored—healthy, just like the other. But the Pharisees went out and began plotting how they might destroy Him.

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from there. Many people followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Then a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself—how then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. How can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—either in this age or in the age to come.”

🧭 Context & Background

This scene in Matthew 12 is more than a clash between Jesus and the Pharisees. It’s a revelation of a deeper war — one that’s been raging since the beginning of human history.

To understand what’s really happening in this passage, we need to step back and look at the cosmic storyline of Scripture.

🌍 The World Under the Rule of the Strong Man

From Genesis 3 onward, the world has been under the influence and authority of a spiritual enemy. Scripture is clear: Satan is not a fictional villain — he’s a real force who has twisted creation, enslaved humanity, and opposed the purposes of God since Eden.

Jesus refers to him as “the strong man.”

Elsewhere, the New Testament calls him:

• “The ruler of this world” (John 12:31)
  

• “The god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
  

• “The prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2)
  

This fallen world — marked by violence, oppression, injustice, addiction, despair — is the result of Satan’s influence over hearts, systems, and structures. And under his rule, people have lived like captives in a foreign land: blindfolded, shackled, and robbed of hope.

✊ The Arrival of a New Kingdom

When Jesus begins His public ministry, He declares:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

That wasn’t just a metaphor. It was an invasion.

With every healing, every deliverance, every miracle, Jesus is announcing that the dominion of darkness is being overthrown — not by force, but by the Spirit of God.

This brings us to one of the most important metaphors in the entire Gospel narrative — the one Jesus gives in Matthew 12:29:

“How can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

🔓 What Does It Mean That Jesus Is Plundering Satan’s House?

In this metaphor:

• The strong man is Satan
  

• His house is the world under his rule
  

• His goods are the people he’s taken captive — those bound by sin, fear, addiction, shame, and spiritual blindness
  

• The one who enters and plunders is Jesus
  

Jesus is saying: “I’ve bound the strong man.”

That’s why He can cast out demons. That’s why the blind see and the mute speak. That’s why the oppressed go free.

He isn’t working with Satan — He’s overthrowing him.

Just as God rescued Israel from Pharaoh’s grip in Egypt, Jesus is now freeing humanity from a deeper bondage — the spiritual slavery of sin and death. He’s walking into enemy territory, not as a prisoner, but as a liberator.

The Kingdom of God has arrived not in full — but in power.

And every act of healing, every soul delivered, every moment of faith and restoration is a piece of Satan’s house being plundered.

🗝️ The Kingdom Isn’t Just Coming — It’s Here

Jesus doesn’t just promise freedom in the next life. He brings hope now.

• Not full restoration yet — but real liberation today
  

• Not the homeland yet — but a rescue mission in motion
  

• Not Heaven in its fullness — but Heaven’s power breaking in
  

This is why Jesus says, “If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” (v. 28)

It’s not distant. It’s here.

The King has arrived.

And the strong man is already bound.

✨ Key Takeaways

1️⃣ The Kingdom Doesn’t Wait — It Invades

Jesus isn’t just teaching truth or offering healing — He’s launching a full-on rescue mission.

When He says, “If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you,” He’s revealing something radical:

Heaven isn’t just our final destination — it’s God’s present intervention in a broken world.

The “strong man” (Satan) has been bound, and Jesus is now plundering his house — liberating hearts, reclaiming lives, and setting captives free.

This changes how we think about our faith:

• We’re not just waiting for heaven.
  

• We’re participating in its arrival.
  

We’re not simply spectators.

We’re part of the mission.

2️⃣ Blasphemy Against the Spirit Is Willful Rejection, Not Honest Doubt

The Pharisees saw Jesus perform miracles with their own eyes. They witnessed deliverance, restoration, and supernatural freedom — but still claimed it was the work of Satan.

This wasn’t confusion.

It was deliberate distortion.

They refused to acknowledge the Spirit of God at work — and in doing so, they shut themselves off from the very grace that could save them.

Jesus calls this “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” — not a moment of doubt, but a hard-hearted refusal to accept the truth even when it’s undeniable.

The warning is clear:

The greatest danger is not failing to understand God — it’s seeing Him clearly and still denying him.

3️⃣ You’ve Been Freed — Now Join the Mission

Jesus doesn’t just tie up the strong man and plunder the house alone — He invites us to join Him.

Like hostages liberated from a dark prison, we’ve been:

• Unshackled
  

• Fed
  

• Restored
  

• And sent back in with bolt cutters to free others

But if we stay sitting — if we withhold hope, joy, truth, or healing from those around us — we’re not neutral.

Jesus says: “Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Freedom isn’t the finish line — it’s the starting point.

We’ve been rescued to rescue.

Healed to heal.

Set free to set others free.

The question isn’t whether we’ve been saved — it’s whether we’re joining the mission.

Final Word

When Jesus bound the strong man, He didn’t just declare victory —

He handed us the keys.

We were once captives: shackled by fear, shame, addiction, pride, comparison, sin.

But now, we’ve been set free. The chains are off. The blindfolds are gone. And the Rescuer has come.

But freedom isn’t passive.

It’s a call.

Jesus didn’t kick down the doors of Satan’s house so we could settle into the wreckage and make ourselves comfortable.

He did it so we could rise up — and go back in.

To help.

To heal.

To rescue others still bound.

And here’s the sobering truth:

If we stay silent — if we sit back in self-preservation — we’re not just stalling.

We’re scattering.

The Kingdom doesn’t advance by force.

It advances by love that moves, faith that acts, and hope that refuses to stay put.

Jesus has bound the enemy.

The door is open.

The mission is now.

Blessings,

Michael

This Week’s Challenge

Look around your life and name one person who’s still trapped in darkness — not physically, but emotionally, spiritually, relationally.

Then ask yourself:

What would it look like to join Jesus in freeing them?

That might mean:

• Sharing your story
  

• Praying with boldness
  

• Offering forgiveness
  

• Extending a helping hand
  

• Inviting them into community
  

Whatever it is — don’t wait.

You have the bolt cutters.

The Kingdom is here.

And someone is waiting for you to unlock their chains.