Come Be My Follower - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site

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“COMEBEMYFOLLOWER”
(Matthew 12:22-26) Jesus was, in effect, saying: “If I were
an agent of Satan, undoing what Satan did, then Satan
would be working against his own interests and would
soon fall.” How could they refute such convincing logic?
14 Jesus had not yet finished reasoning with them. Knowing
that some of the Pharisees’ own disciples had cast
out demons, he asked a simple but powerful question:
“If I expel the demons by means of Beelzebub, by means
of whom do your sons [or, disciples] expel them?” (Matthew
12:27) Jesus’ argument, in a sense, was this: “If I expel
demons by means of the power of Satan, then your
own disciples must be using this same power.” What
could the Pharisees say? They would never acknowledge
that their disciples acted under Satan’s power. Jesus thus
pressed their faulty reasoning to what was for them a very
uncomfortable conclusion. Is it not thrilling just to read
about how Jesus reasoned with them? Imagine, though,
the crowds who heard Jesus firsthand, for his presence
and the tone of his voice no doubt increased the force of
his words.
15 Jesus also used logical, persuasive reasoning to teach
positive, heartwarming truths about his Father. He often
did so by employing a “how much more so” line of reasoning—helping
his listeners to advance from a familiar
truthtoanevenstrongerconviction. Based on contrast,
this type of reasoning can make a deep impression. Let us
examine just two examples.
16 When responding to his disciples’ request to teach
This type of reasoning is sometimes termed “a fortiori,” a Latin
expression meaning “for a still stronger reason; even more certain; all
the more.”
15-17. Relate an example of how Jesus used a “how much more so”
line of reasoning to teach heartwarming truths about his Father.