“And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘by the prince of demons He casts out the demons.’” (Mark 3:22)
Jesus’ ministry attracted the attention of the religious authorities in Jerusalem. They had seen for themselves that He healed people and cast out demons, but He did not adhere to their rules. He healed people on the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest. Moreover, Jesus claimed to forgive sins, something only God Himself can do. They considered this blasphemy. In addition, He mingled with people on the margins of society. In their view, this cast a shadow on His reputation. Last but not least, Jesus’ popularity threatened their own position.
All in all, the religious leaders were not happy with Jesus. To curb His growing popularity, the scribes pronounced a judgment: according to them, Jesus had the power to cast out demons because He Himself was possessed by the leader of the demons.
With a few words, Jesus showed how absurd that claim was: “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.” (Mark 3:26)
Instead, Jesus has power over demons because He has disarmed their leader, Satan (see Luke 10:17-19 and Colossians 2:15). The decisive battle took place on the cross. It was precisely by dying that Jesus proved Himself stronger. In His death, He conquered Satan. All praise to Him!