Words of Warning: God Draws the Line

Transcript

GRM 857
06/01/2003
Words of Warning: God Draws the Line
Matthew 12:1-50
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention back to the gospel of Matthew and the 12th chapter. We’ve been looking into the 13th chapter in our study earlier today, and I want to direct you back to chapter 12. Just walk through some of the details in overview fashion of this key chapter in the gospel of Matthew, the turning point in Matthew’s unfolding of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. We saw how in chapter 10 Jesus talked about the persecution, opposition and rejection that His followers would experience as they go out to represent Him. In chapter 11 He talked about the ministry of John the Baptist, the greatest of New Testament prophets. But it was significant that the issue of John’s ministry came up because John was in prison, and he would soon be beheaded. His ministry in preparing the way for the Messiah was completed, but the Messiah was not received.

Chapter 12 of Matthew’s gospel we see the opposition to Christ and His ministry solidified. In spite of the tremendous teaching, in spite of the irrefutable miracles, the nation rejects Him, the nation is unwilling to have Him as their king. In chapter 12 verse 14 the Jewish leadership will now gather together to determine how to destroy Him, to kill Him. This chapter is significant also because it draws together in one chapter the three-fold ministry of Jesus Christ as prophet, priest and king. Just note these. In verse 6, “I say to you that something greater than the temple is here,” shows His superiority in His priestly ministry. The temple, the focus of the priestly ministry in Israel, but there is a greater priest here. Jesus Christ, superior in His priestly ministry. Down in chapter 12 verse 41, the end of the verse, “something greater than Jonah is here.” Jesus Christ is the one who is superior in His prophetic ministry. Then in verse 42, the end of the verse, “something greater than Solomon is here.” Shows His superiority in His ministry as king. We talk about Jesus Christ, prophet, priest and king, and here a comparison is drawn in all three of those areas to show His superiority, because He is the ultimate provision and fulfillment provided by God.

The first part of chapter 12 is given over to discussion of the conflict that occurs between Christ and the Pharisees over the sabbath. You know as Israel has deteriorated spiritually, they have become more absorbed with external things, the ritual, the form. These things have become the dominant aspect of the religious life of Israel. Not a relationship with the living God, not living as His people, a life of faith in Him, but going through external form, ritual and regulations. They had developed a whole system of laws that governed regulation on the sabbath. Now they of course start with the Old Testament and its instructions regarding the sabbath, but they had elaborated on these now in great and wondrous ways, all with supposed good intentions. But what these things do is move us from a focus on God and a relationship with Him to making our spiritual life a matter of form and ritual. Of course, you are aware there is nothing new in that. The further away we move from the truth of God and a living relationship with the living God, the more absorbed we become in the importance of form and ritual. That happens in the evangelical church today as more move towards the orthodox church and its various forms, like Greek Orthodox and so on, or Roman Catholicism. Those kinds of churches have more form, tradition, that become what people develop a sense of reality in.

By this time the Jews have many laws multiplied and so what happens in chapter 12 verse 1, “Jesus went through the grain fields on the sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.” Aaccording to Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse 25 you were allowed to do this. You weren’t allowed to harvest in your neighbor’s field, but if you were walking through your neighbor’s field you were allowed to pick up an ear of grain and eat it; and your neighbor could walk through your fields and do the same thing. Now the Jews, in verse 2, are upset. Not because the disciples are eating grain, because that’s okay, but because they are doing it on the sabbath. They said to Christ, the Pharisees speaking, look, “your disciples to what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” My how pious these individuals who in a short time will become guilty of the execution of the Son of God on a cross. How concerned they are to be spiritually pure and holy.

Now to give you an idea of how these laws have developed let me read to you what one person has written about how the disciples were breaking the law as the Jews would have seen it. By their conduct the disciples were guilty of far more than one breach of the law. By plucking the corn they were guilty of reaping, by rubbing it in their hands they were guilty of threshing, by separating the grain and the chaff they were guilty of winnowing, by the whole process they were guilty of preparing a meal on the sabbath. For everything which was to be eaten on the sabbath had to be prepared the day before. Now you see one act here doesn’t just become one act of concern, we have a whole series of violations now. You’ve been guilty of preparing a whole meal. I mean move to the ridiculous; and the needs of the disciples for food are totally ignored.

Jesus gives and example in verses 3-8, and some of this I just highlight for you. It comes from I Samuel chapter 21. “Jesus said, have you read the account of David, when he became hungry, he and his companions entered the house of God, they ate the consecrated bread,” which wasn’t really for them. Leviticus chapter 24 verses 5-9, there are 12 loaves of bread, and they symbolize God’s fellowship with His people, and they were for the consumption of priests alone. But when David was fleeing with his men for his life and he asked is there any food, the priest gives him the consecrated bread and David and his companions ate it. And what? The immediate needs of David and his companions were such they overruled the normal regulations that would have governed. Man was important, and so the health of David and his companions took precedent here. In fact, the priests in that sense broke the law all the time because, and that's what Jesus draws the attention in verse 5. “Have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and are innocent.” In other words, the priests to carry out their ministry had to do those things which would normally not be allowed by the law. But there was an overruling principle here, and that is the ministry of the priests in the temple superceded the general rules and laws for conduct and behavior.

In fact, on the sabbath the sacrifices were doubled, so the work of the priests actually increased on the day. There was to be a day when no one was to work. The principle established. They are superceding issues at stake, and the Jews understood this. They expected and required the priests to do those things which in the general flow for people would not have been allowed. The point is the work of the temple superseded the other regulations and instructions.

Now what Jesus says then in verse 6, “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.” It’s not just Jesus Christ, but it’s His whole Messianic ministry. All the ritual of the temple anticipated Christ at its fulfillment. You lose your perspective here. The temple was just in anticipation of Christ, and as the ultimate fulfillment He could overrule it all. Because He is the one that the temple was anticipating, the one in whom all the temple ritual and sacrifices and so on would find realization and fulfillment. Verse 7, “But if you had known what this means, I desire compassion and not sacrifice, you would have not condemned the innocent.” “I desire compassion and not sacrifice,” a quote from Hosea chapter 6 verse 6. Jesus used it back in chapter 9 verse 13 of the gospel of Matthew on an earlier occasion. There in the context of His ministry to sinful people. That word translated compassion comes from the Hebrew word hassad. It means covenant loyalty or faithfulness. What God demands and expects is that covenant faithfulness, a changed heart that brings about a life lived in relationship with the living God, a covenant love or loyalty to God. I desire covenant love, covenant loyalty, not sacrifice. Didn’t mean there wasn’t a place for sacrifice in Israel’s religious life, but it meant those sacrifices would be nothing without the relationship with God. Those external forms and activities, remembering the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. Without the life that was lived in faith in the living God, the sacrifices become empty ritual. In Hosea’s day as well as in Jesus’ day, Israel had lost its focus and proper perspective.

So, they condemned the innocent. If you understood that you wouldn’t have condemned the innocent. Here He says His disciples stand innocent. What they have done does not violate anything. They are in the presence of the One who is greater than the temple, they’re in the presence of the One, verse 8, the “Son of Man, the One who is Lord of the sabbath.” Jesus Christ did not live under the sabbath regulations, He ruled over them all. The Jews would have acknowledged this, regarding the Son of Man, the Messiah, Son of Man being the title for Messiah taken from the book of Daniel. The problem was they did not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Messiah. That’s where the battleground is. They would not have disagreed that the Messiah when He comes overrules all the regulations, is greater than the temple, is Lord of the sabbath. The battleground here is they are unwilling to acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of Man, the Messiah of Israel.

In submitting to Him the disciples were submitting to His authority. Jesus really turns the issue to the true battleground, my person, my authority, submission to me. My disciples are walking in obedience to me, in faith in me. You’re standing in rebellion against me, your religious ritual can’t offset that. He shows them it is proper to do good on the sabbath. In verses 9 and following, and here a mighty miracle demonstrates the tremendous spiritual vacuum that existed in Israel. He went into their synagogue. Here’s a man who had a withered hand. They questioned Jesus asking, is it lawful to heal on the sabbath. Now this is not a theological concern. You have the end of verse 10 underlined, so they might accuse Him. Isn’t it amazing? They had no question of His power and ability to heal this man, but they’re trying to trap Him. If He would exercise His power and heal this man, He would be violating their regulations regarding the sabbath. What a travesty. I mean you talk about how the mind of the unregenerate person is lived in futility. What an example. Here they are in the presence of the One, and they acknowledge He has the power and ability to heal this man. They’re trying to trap Him. Should it be done on the Sabbath?

He said to them, verse 11, “What man is there among you who has a sheep if it falls into a pit on the sabbath will not take hold of it and lift it out. How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep. Then it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” The words you shouldn’t work on the sabbath, but if your sheep fell into a pit, you wouldn’t say I have to wait until Sunday morning to get him out, after sundown on Saturday night as we would look at it. No, you would lift him out of the pit. You’d say what? There is something here, the good of that sheep. But you view a man as worth less than sheep? It’s lawful to do good on the sabbath. Verse 13, “He said to the man, stretch out your hand.” Mark reveals something here in his account of this. First, He said to the man, rise and come forward and there is a sense of almost the dramatic in this synagogue scene. Because the Pharisees have drawn all the attention to this issue now, and after Jesus puts them in a position that they can’t answer because are they’re going to argue the position that a sheep is more valuable than a man. Jesus calls the man to come forward. Can you imagine the electricity and tension in that synagogue? This man with his withered-up hand comes forward, what happens? Jesus said, “stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, it was restored to normal like the other.” Just what work did Jesus do here? I mean in the side. Did He go out and run 30 miles, did He… He spoke the word; the power heals that man’s hand. The Pharisees would fall on their faces, you are the Son of Man, you are the Messiah of Israel, you are the One with authority over the sabbath.

But read verse 14, “But the Pharisees went out, conspired against Him as to how they might destroy Him.” It’s almost dumbfounding, isn’t it? How vile and wicked the human heart is, that in the presence of such an overwhelming miracle they make no attempt to discredit as far as with the miracle valid. They knew He could do it before He did it; but ritual is everything to them. How awesome is the sinfulness of the human heart. Nothing changes, by the way. You present the glorious gospel of salvation by the grace of God through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and people go ballistic. Why? You’re saying my religion is not good enough? You’re sitting as my judge? I mean what kind of………. I’m telling you that the living God has provided a Savior, and all your religious works and all your activities are not what can save you. What can save you is turning from your sin, your trust in your works, to the Savior He’s provided, and they hate you for it. Amazing. But we ought not to be surprised. Imagine, Jesus Christ does this mighty miracle before them all, and they walk out of the room to have a conference on how we are going to kill Him. We are guilty of underestimating the sinfulness of the human heart. It is absolutely, totally corrupted and opposed to God.

Verses 15-16, “But aware of this Jesus withdrew from there. Many followed Him, He healed them and warned them not to tell who He was.” You see the transition going on here. We are no longer offering a kingdom to the nation, no longer announcing the presence of the Messiah. There is a change now. Jesus’ course will be set toward Jerusalem and the crucifixion. He leaves the area to avoid confrontation, because it is not yet the right time. We’re moving toward the cross, but it’s not yet the time for it to occur.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, a quote from Isaiah 42, the opening verses. “Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well-pleased. I will put my Spirit upon Him and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory and in His name the Gentiles will hope.” This Messiah will be the one who brings salvation, not only for the nation, but for the Gentiles as well. The one that God has chosen, the one in whom God’s soul is well-pleased, the one upon whom the Spirit of God dwells, the one that the religious leaders of the nation hate and determine must die.

The issue comes up in the following verses, beginning with verse 22, the source of Christ’s power. “They brought a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute to Him and his physical affliction is caused by the indwelling presence of a demon.” One thing you have in the gospels during the time of Christ’s earthy ministry is a recognition, a clear display of demonic activity. As we’re going to see as we move along though this section, I think part of the reason for that is not that demons weren’t active before, but you do not find a clear display and recognition of their activity through Old Testament history. But now you come into the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and you find a clear recognition of demonic activity and manifestation of demonic presence. That was so when Jesus Christ displayed His power over the demons. It would be clear that He was exercising power and authority over demonic beings, and thus demonstrating that He is the Messiah of Israel. Confrontation increases because the more Christ displays now who He is, the work of His power, the more they hate Him for it. The demon possessed man is blind and mute, he is unable to see, he is unable to speak. Jesus healed him, he spoke, and he saw. All the crowds were amazed saying, this man cannot be the Son of David, can He? They don’t see how it could be possible. But the thoughts in their mind, who else but the Son of God, the Son of David, the prophesied Messiah could do this? This couldn’t be the Son of David, could it?

Verse 24, “When the Pharisees heard this and they said, this man casts out demons by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” Beelzebul being another name for satan, the ruler of the demons. Note what they’re saying here. Jesus Christ’s power is not the power of God, not the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in Him, it is the devil working in Him. He’s a demon-possessed man. He has such great power because the ruler of the demons is working in Him. Now you note, there is no denial here of the reality of the supernatural miracle. The evidence is overwhelming, the Pharisees cannot deny the reality of the miracle. Their approach is to say the devil did it. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to him, “a kingdom divided against itself is laid waste. If satan casts out satan he is divided against himself. How will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.” The Jews recognized and acknowledged the power of casting out demons. It doesn’t go into the issue of was it always valid, and they did what they did. The Bible doesn’t develop that whole section. The Jewish leaders don’t want to get on the wrong side of this. They acknowledge demons could be cast out by the power of God. There were some among them who had done such things.

Jesus’ argument is, if satan is fighting against himself, his kingdom can’t stand. Important truth for us to understand here. Satan has a coordinated kingdom. There is often chaos and disorder in this world, but you understand in the work that satan is doing he operates in a coordinated, unified fashion. The demons are not battling against the demons, satan’s forces are not divided against themselves. That’s what Jesus says here. Now he works to create chaos and disorder for his purposes, but he always is working with his forces for the accomplishing of his purposes. Now he doesn’t have complete control and absolute authority over this creation, because God is ultimately moving all things toward His appointed end. But we are reminded here of the power of the forces of the devil. He doesn’t work against himself. The council is saying wait, demons saying we have to stop, we’re fighting against ourselves. His opposition is always against God and God’s work.

Verse 28, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” This is absolute clear proof that I am the Messiah. The kingdom of God has come upon you does not mean that they are in the kingdom then or that the kingdom has started, for it has not. As we noted, when you get to the book of Acts chapter 1 the disciples still acknowledge the kingdom has not begun. He came to torment us before the time. We know who you are, the holy one of God. They know He has the power and authority to do it. So, Christ is simply telling the religious leaders, I’ve demonstrated. What it is, is the Messiah is present, so the kingdom is present in the person of the king, but the kingdom is not established. That’s the issue. But the kingdom is here in the person of the Messiah. It could be established. What is lacking is the willingness of the nation to have Jesus Christ be their king.

So, the kingdom of God has come upon you. Another way of saying the king is present, the Messiah is here. “How can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property unless he first binds a strong man. Then he will plunder his house.” Christ could not be plundering satan’s house, if you will, casting out his workers, the demons, if He did not have power over satan. Now the strong man, and this is in anticipation, satan will be bound by Christ at His Second Coming. In Revelation chapter 20 verses 2-3, after the return of Christ to the earth at His Second Coming at the end of Revelation 19, Revelation chapter 20 verses 2-3, satan is bound, cast into the pit for 1000 years. Here Christ is demonstrating that He is the Messiah who can do that. He has power and authority over satan. Satan is powerless in the presence of Christ. The demons acknowledge that. Earlier in Christ’s ministry when they ask him, have you come to torment us before the time. We know who you are, the holy one of God. They know he has the power and authority to do it. Christ is simply telling the religious leaders, I’ve demonstrated it. I am the one who can set up the kingdom, I am the one who has the authority over satan. That authority will be exercised in that sense of the binding of him, removing him from the kingdom that He will establish when He comes the second time to establish the kingdom that was rejected at His first coming.

He who is not with me is against me, he who does not gather with me scatters. Here Jesus draws the line He’s been talking about. The kingdom is not divided against itself. Satan’s forces work for satan, Christ’s servants work for Him. If you are not with me, you are against me. There are no neutral people, there are no people who say I am not for Christ, I’m not against Christ, I’m just somewhere in the middle. No, that’s not true. If you are not with Him, you are against Him. If you don’t gather with Him, you scatter. You’re not working with Him; you’re working against Him. He draws the line. These religious leaders, the people who have refused to believe in Him, they are enemies.

Then you come to the unpardonable sin. Therefore, I say to you any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people. But first we ought to note, we had focused and that’s where the attention here is focused, on what cannot be forgiven; there’s a tremendous provision stated here. Any sin and any blasphemy with one exception can be forgiven. What a tremendous statement. Any sin, any blasphemy with one exception is forgiven. In the years of my ministry here I’ve been asked on numerous occasions by people who had tremendous concern because I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin. What is the unpardonable sin? Well blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Interestingly, whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven him. It will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the age to come. It is unforgivable eternally. Now if the Holy Spirit is God and Jesus is God, why would blasphemy against the Holy Spirit be unforgivable but blasphemy against the Son of God, the second person of the trinity be forgivable?

I don’t know, so we’ll move on to another verse. I think the context is crucial here. Jesus is the Son of Man in verse 32. There is allowance that people would be confused. He looked like a man, there was not a display of His deity as He walked the earth. All the fulness of deity dwelt in Him in bodily form, but as He walked the earth He looked like a normal man. He would sit and eat and drink, be tired and sleep. He was in all points tested as we are. There was allowance for people’s confusion or error. They were rejecting Him in that situation and speaking against Him. There were occasions when the Holy Spirit displayed His presence. Remember chapter 12 verse 18 quoting from Isaiah 42, “I will put my Spirit upon Him.” The fulness of the Spirit’s presence on Him was such there was no allowance for any misunderstanding or confusion. In Mark chapter 3 verse 30 this sin is identified as saying Christ had an unclean spirit, in effect calling the Holy Spirit the devil, a demon. But what is dealt with here is in the context. Christ healed in a great and mighty way through the power of the present Holy Spirit in Him. When they declared that that Holy Spirit was a demon, they were putting themselves in an unforgivable position. There is no latitude here. Understand these religious people are in a frightening position. Christ has displayed the presence of the Spirit of God in Him with a fulness that cannot be denied, and what they have declared is the prince of demons doing it. Which is saying what? The Holy Spirit is the devil. Jesus said that is unforgivable. You have had the greatest light possible to the display of the work of the Holy Spirit in and through Me in these works; and that rejection is unforgivable in this age or in the age to come. The Jews would understand that. If He is the Messiah that means the coming age, the kingdom age, they’re excluded because of their sin.

In that context I would understand the unpardonable sin to be a sin connected to the earthy ministry of Jesus Christ, and the full display of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in and through Him. There may be an application of this to people who refuse the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit in the presentation of the gospel. In other words, a person who refuses to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ has put himself in an unforgivable position. Passages like Hebrews chapter 10 verses 26-29 where they trample underfoot the blood of Christ and do despite to the Spirit of God, would be a close parallel to this. It’s unforgivable. The warning passages of Hebrews deal with this. If you reject the message given by the Holy Spirit concerning salvation in Christ there is no other place of salvation. You are unsavable, you are unforgivable. I think the direct issue of the unpardonable sin as Christ is dealing with it in Matthew chapter 12 is dealing with an issue of His personal presence on earth. If we’re going to say what is the unforgivable sin today, there is only one sin that is unforgivable today and that is a refusal to believe the gospel and that will be unforgivable through all eternity. There is an application or a carry through of that in a sense even to our day. So, when people have come to me and said I think we’re dealing early in my ministry here with a person who was in great distress, and they attended the church but they had sin in their life and they were convinced that it could never be forgiven. I sat with them. Are you willing to bow before God, believe the gospel and the salvation He has provided in Christ. Yes. Well then, every sin and every blasphemy that you have committed in your life can be forgiven. You know sometimes our failure to understand the scripture properly can create misery in our lives because we fail to appreciate the greatness of God’s work.

Verse 33, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad. The tree is known by its fruit.” You cannot say the works of Christ are good but He’s a servant of the devil. Was it good that this man’s hand was healed? Was it good that those who couldn’t see had their sight restored, those who couldn’t speak could speak? All the other miracles He did. Don’t say these are good works but He’s doing it in the power of satan. A tree is judged by its fruit, it’s either a good tree or a bad tree.

You brood of vipers, how can you being evil speak what is good. For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The blasphemy of the Pharisees indicates what kind of tree they are. They are speaking out of their innermost being, they are revealing their character. In their rejection of Christ, they are manifesting the fact they are a brood of vipers. They are evil and as evil people they can’t speak what is good. They speak out of the condition of their hearts. Their words reveal their character.

The good man out of his good treasure brings what is good, the evil man out of his evil treasure brings what is evil. That’s the same point. You speak out of what fills your heart, it’s what you are. I tell you that every careless word that people speak they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. By your words you will be justified, by your words you will be condemned. You say I thought we were justified by faith, now you tell me I am justified by my words. Isn’t that justification by works? Well context always determines meaning. Why can you be justified by your words?

Well verse 34, “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” It’s out of the evil wickedness of the heart that these vile things are said that this rejection of God’s Savior comes. So, the day of judgment, that’s why we’ll be judged by our works. That’s why all the judgments of scripture are judgments of works. At the Great White Throne determining eternal destiny in heaven or hell, the Book of Life was there but then the books of the works are opened, and people are judged on the basis of their works. No one can ever by saved by their works, but their works reveal what they really are—sinful people, vile people. That’s part of the seriousness of playing down the issue of our works, not as a cause of salvation but evidence of our true character. We need to be careful of this. Parents, I always use that example because I’ve been here long enough to see the children grow up and the children have children. We say oh yes, my child is not living for the Lord and right now they are in a relationship that is not moral and all that, but I take my confidence and trust in the fact that they do know the Lord. What do you mean you put your trust in the fact that they do know the Lord? Where did that confidence come from?

Mark chapter 7 Jesus said, “it’s out of the heart that proceed all these things, immoralities and everything else.” It reveals character. We say do we want to think our kids are going to hell? No, I want to be realistic. I don’t want to be encouraging my kids they are going to heaven when they’re going to hell because you know when all is said and done unless they’ve truly been transformed by the work of God’s power through His grace they’re going to hell. I’m trying to comfort myself with a lie? I certainly don’t want to give them false security. Jesus says your words reveal your character. What comes out of the heart so you can be judged on your works because your works reveal what you are. That’s why I John 3 verse 10 will say what? “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. The children of the devil practice unrighteousness, the children of God practice righteousness.” Does that mean they are saved by their works? No. The children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. It doesn’t say you become a child of God by your works, but when you are born again into the family of God you manifest that are a partaker of the divine nature. So that’s all Jesus is saying here. You men have untransformed hearts.

Then some of the Pharisees and scribes said to him, Teacher we want to see a sign from you. Can you believe it? I mean He has just healed that withered hand on a man, He has just healed the speechless and deaf. This is on top of all the other miracles that have taken place and they come and say teacher we want to see a sign from you. He said to them, “an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” Nothing is ever enough. He repeats this statement in chapter 16 verse 4, “an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign.” We want the spectacular, we want the mighty, we want the miracles. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Verse 40, “just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster.” You know, just to note, this is just one of those passing examples. Jesus always takes the Old Testament literally. Any questions about the validity of the account of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish? No. Course that’s true. “And just like that happened to Jonah, the Son of Man is going to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” His crucifixion, His burial. For three days and three nights He’s in the grave and then He comes out, the glorious victor over death, over the devil and over sin. Paul will write to the Corinthians in I Corinthians chapter 1 and say “the Jews seek for signs; the Greeks want wisdom. We preach Christ crucified.”

The men at Ninevah will rise up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. All they had was a measly prophet, I say a measly prophet, great and mighty as the prophets were. But compared to the presence of the Son of God in bodily form on this earth he’s nothing. Yet the people of Ninevah bowed in repentance at the preaching of Jonah. But a greater than Jonah is here. On the day of judgment, the people of Ninevah will stand up and say we didn’t have near as great a messenger, but we repented of our sin. They’ll condemn you. Someone or something greater than Jonah is here.

The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Something greater than Solomon is here. I Kings chapter 10 talks about the Queen of Sheba. We’re not going back there obviously. She traveled some 1200 miles to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Here is the one who is the wisdom of God, Christ the wisdom of God in bodily form, and they don’t believe Him. They plan to kill Him; they call Him a demon possessed man. I tell you the Queen of Sheba will stand in condemnation in the Day of Judgment of that generation.

What would it be like for the people of this generation, the people have sat and heard the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. We have the evidence of the resurrected Christ, the completed story, the completed revelation from God, Matthew through Revelation and men and women don’t believe. You think the people won’t stand up in condemnation at the judgment and say they had the testimony of His completed work. They had the unfolding completeness of the revelation given through the New Testament apostles and prophets and they didn’t even believe then. They deserve eternal hell. Greater light brings greater responsibility. People of our day are in a frightful position as we present the truth of God. We ought not to be embarrassed, and God forbid that we should hold back the truth. We should boldly and clearly present it so that by God’s grace He might reach out with His salvation to these who are lost and without hope.

Verse 43, “when an unclean spirit goes out of a man it passes through waterless places seeking rest, does not find it. Then it says I’ll return to the house from which I came and when it comes and finds it unoccupied, swept and clean. He says I’ll go and get seven spirits more wicked than myself.” We’ll move back in; this is a pretty good place. “The last condition is worse than the first. That’s the way it will be with this evil generation.” You know God had done many things for the nation. In many ways it was cleaned up. God had done many things to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah. The Law had served as a schoolmaster to the coming of Christ. The prophets had continually warned of sin and prophesied of a coming Messiah. John the Baptist had come as the last of the Old Testament prophets to prepare the way for His coming. The Babylonian captivity had rid the nation of idolatry. Christ Himself had come, done His mighty works and preached the work of repentance. You know what? The nation is empty. You know what Jesus says? Things are going to take a turn for the worse, much worse. It’s going to take the figures He uses here, going from one demon to an additional seven for a total of eight. It’s going to get much worse. The nation has rejected its only hope, they are an empty shell, they have rejected the only one who could bring them salvation.

As we come to a conclusion with the desire of His mother and brothers to talk to Him. And Jesus says in verse 48, “who is my mother and who are my brothers? He looks to His disciples and says this is my mother, these are my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, my sister, my mother. This is my family.” It’s a spiritual relationship, it supercedes now all others.

From there we go to the parables in chapter 13. You’ll note in verse 3 of chapter 13, He spoke to them many things in parables. When He is asked why do you speak to them in parables? In verse 10 his disciples said why do you speak to them in parables? The answer is simple. “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. Whoever has, to him shall more be given. He will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” Remember the parable of the soils? The hard-ground hearers. The seed of the Word of God falls on the hard ground, what happens? The devil snatches it away, even if what they have is taken away. No more new material for them. I speak to them in parables. “They see, but they don’t see. They hear, but they don’t hear. They don’t understand.” It’s a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah said “you will keep on hearing; you will not understand. You will keep on seeing, you will not perceive. The heart of these people has become dull. With their ears they scarcely hear. They’ve closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and return. And I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear.” They’re seeing what the prophets desired to see. They saw the fulfillment of prophecy.

What is significant here to me as we close, you see what has happened. Israel has crossed the line, their opportunity for salvation has passed. Doesn’t mean no Jews can be saved, but generally speaking God has withdrawn His grace from the nation. Now Jesus’ teaching takes place in a form that they don’t have any idea what He is talking about. I went and heard Jesus the Nazarene speak. What did He do? I don’t know what He was talking about. He was talking about sowing seeds on the ground and birds take the seed away. Then some seed falls on shallow ground and it sprouts up…… Well, we know all that. I mean we know how seed works. What was the point? I don’t know what He was talking about. You see it’s closed. God’s truth is present, but they don’t see it. They don’t hear it; they don’t understand it. I think warnings like this go on through the scripture. But the scripture says today is the day of salvation. The book of Hebrews gives constant warning, don’t drift back to the safe harbor of Christ, don’t harden you heart in the face of the message. It is frightening arrogance to turn away from the truth of God. There is no assurance that will not be the last opportunity a person has. This opportunity given to Israel would not go on indefinitely. As we come to chapter 12 and into chapter 13, it’s past. Doesn’t mean there aren’t individuals that won’t be saved, but generally speaking the opportunity for the nation is past. Frightful thing to reject the living Christ. Oh, I’ll do it at a future time. Talk to people and they say oh I’m going to do what you’re saying before I die. You are a fool. You’re not in charge. You think you can play with God.

We saw in Acts as Paul testified before the Roman governor. He said, “well I’ll listen to you at a more convenient time.” That time never came, his opportunity passed. So we ought to take not only the historical truth that is here, which is tremendously significant, but the words of warning that are here as well, as we carry the message out too. Every time we share the gospel it is a serious matter. Every time we fail to share the gospel it is a serious matter. We have truth, and the truth we have can bring forgiveness from any and all sin, any and all blasphemy for those who will turn and believe in our Savior.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Lord, we are in awe. It’s hard to believe that the nation would respond with such rejection to the Messiah that you sent to be the Savior, such hardness of heart. Yet Lord we see the awfulness, the ugliness of sin. We’re reminded but for your grace we would have continued to reject this Savior also. Lord, we take to heart the seriousness of the matter, to see opportunities pass by and perhaps pass away not to be repeated. Lord, I pray we might take seriously the issues of the gospel to beg men and women to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. Thank you for your ongoing grace today. Thank you, Lord, that your grace will be manifest to the nation Israel. Thank you, Lord, that this is a time of Gentile grace and salvation; may we seize every opportunity knowing that this time will soon pass. We commit ourselves to you as your servants to be those who proclaim your truth. In Christ name, amen.