These acts of the people were considered insults or blasphemy against God. According to Luke, it seems that this also consists of a public rejection of Jesus` ministry as well as the ministry of his disciples. In fact, in his next statement, after speaking of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Jesus says that the Spirit will be with His disciples as they testify of Him before religious authorities. So it is apparently more than a lack of faith in Christ. It is also the public negation of the holy spirit`s testimony that Jesus is the Messiah, the Messiah. The Holy Spirit is the power and essence of God, not a separate entity or person who somehow needs to be valued higher than Jesus Christ (for more explanation, see Is the Holy Spirit a person?). Therefore, this verse is best understood as a reformulation of the reality that Jesus had just emphasized: “Blaspheming the Holy Spirit” means denying the power of the true God and salvation through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But then why does it make a difference that he is forgiven to speak against the Son of Man, when blasphemy against the Spirit does not? In fact, we find that Jesus himself was accused of blasphemy by religious leaders. He claimed the ability or right to forgive sins.
But it was something that only God could do. We read the following response from religious leaders to Jesus` claim to forgive the sins of a particular paralyzed man. Luke places the same saying in a slightly different context: the public recognition of Jesus Christ. Jesus says it is one thing to deny him publicly; it is another to reject the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 12:8-10). Thus, the unforgivable sin here seems to be the public rejection of the power of the Spirit in the service of Jesus` apostles. What we see here is probably an application: to the extent that it is blasphemous to reject the Spirit in the service of Jesus, it is also blasphemous to reject the Spirit in the service of the Twelve (since they are personal agents of Jesus). Finally, the Spirit purifies and enables holiness (Psalm 51:11-13; Esec 36:25-27 ). In summary, we can confidently conclude that “blasphemy against the Spirit” is an open, even verbal, rejection of the presence of God`s Spirit in the service of Jesus and those He sent.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable because only an unrewarded person who is aware of who God is can do so (Romans 1:18-32). It is an act of His own free will, and those who know and believe that His claims are true and always choose to attribute what He does to the devil will not be forgiven. It is unlikely that this young woman committed the unforgivable sin. She loved the Lord and wanted her life to please her. But she apparently did not understand what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was, fearing that she had committed the unforgivable sin. What is blasphemy against the mind? What is an unforgivable sin? Especially in this particular context, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was a denial of the work of the Holy Spirit in the person of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit worked both in Jesus and through Jesus. The Spirit of God testified to all that Jesus was the Messiah. Rejecting the message of the Spirit was the same as rejecting or insulting the God of the Bible. The context of Matthew and Mark also shows that this kind of accusation is malicious—not accidental—and comes from those who have hardened hearts and try to resist Jesus (see Matthew 12:14 and Mark 3:6, in which they made a plan to kill Jesus). This does not come from ignorance, but happens after seeing Jesus constantly at work and deciding not only to reject Him, but to oppose Him and offer a contradictory explanation of His ministry.
The context of Luke 12:10 might suggest that blasphemy can occur if you simply don`t confess Christ when asked, but also offer an alternative perspective on who Jesus is. Not professing Jesus constantly leads to final rejection, but actively resisting the work of the Spirit puts you in a place where you can never pass from sin to the savior. During His earthly ministry, in a confrontation with religious leaders, the Lord Jesus spoke of an unforgivable sin called “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” He said that anyone who commits this terrible sin will never be forgiven. In fact, they could not be forgiven in this life or in the next. Since there is such a thing as an “unforgivable sin,” it is important that we know exactly what that sin is. We can focus so much on the unforgivable sin that we forget that the passage emphasizes how gracious God is. Words spoken against the Son of Man, as well as other odious words, can be forgiven when repented. The apostle Paul was a blasphemer who opposed the Church and experienced forgiveness, just like the criminal crucified with Jesus. The above passages (Numbers 15:30–31; Hebrews 6:4–6; 1 John 5:16) speak in the same way of the sin or sins from which one cannot turn away, but also have positive notes.
Number 15 speaks of offerings (including sin) when people are in the Promised Land after rejecting God`s invitation. 1 John 5:16 tells us to pray for our co-religionists when they commit sins, and the author of Hebrews says he does not believe they will be in danger of apostasy, he notes. We may need to remember what can happen when we are hardened to sin, but we may also need to remember the hope of forgiveness. There is a warning here not to bet on God`s grace – we should not think that whatever we do, He will forgive us, but the general context encourages us. That they wanted to destroy it is also shown in John 10:33, which takes place later in Jesus` ministry. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they do not believe (in Him) because they are not of His sheep. He also said to them, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:25-30). The Jews then picked up stones to stone him, and when Jesus asked them why, they replied, “For a good work, we stone you not, but for blasphemy, and because you, a man, make yourselves God” (John 10:33).
In John 11, we read the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. For this reason, many Jews believed in Him (John 11:45). However, the Pharisees were offended and sought advice from Caiaphas, the high priest that year, who said, “.. a man should die for the people. John 11:53 says, “And from that day they planned to kill him.” First, it is important that we understand what is meant by the term “blasphemy.” Basically, he has the idea of “speaking against, insulting or cursing”. In Scripture, the word is used for insults hurled at both God and people. Because religious leaders are the ones who committed sin in Matthew and Mark, this means that teachers and church leaders are the ones who most likely need to be on their guard. While someone who is not a teacher can commit this sin, it seems that influence and authority could make someone more sensitive to it. Therefore, teachers need to be on their guard and be aware of how influencers can also keep people away from Christ.
Let me say one last word to all those who go to church here, perhaps trying their hand at spirituality, but have not yet accepted the Spirit`s testimony that Jesus is Savior and Lord. You are in a precarious situation and should be very concerned about this issue of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Do you know the truth of Christ and His gospel? So turn immediately to Him so that your heart is not hardened by blasphemy and disbelief. If this is your situation, I would like to exhort you, “Now is the time of God`s favor, it is now the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). You can know that you have not committed the unforgivable sin and that you will not commit it by confessing your sin and turning to Christ in faith.
