286. Exposition of Matthew

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Transcript of Matthew 12:38-49


 


Introduction


 


1.     The Demand for a Sign:  12:38


38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”  39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.


Jesus makes a judgment on that generation.  They were demanding a “sign from heaven” (Luke 11:16) in addition to the miracles he had been doing.  Their request wasn’t based on faith but unbelief.  If they aren’t convinced by now, what miracle can persuade them?  Their motive wasn’t to confirm their faith but for some other reason.  Jesus goes on to shame them with two examples of faithful responses by gentiles.  First, the Ninevites who responded to Jonah’s preaching and then the Queen of the South who traveled so far to listen to Soloman’s wisdom.  Jesus says that something greater than Jonah and Soloman is here.  Along with his previous reference that something greater than the temple is here, there are three things he is building his authority on.  The temple includes the priesthood, Jonah is representative of the prophets and Solomon represents the monarchy.  These were the pillars of Israel’ nation and history.  Jesus is greater than the temple and priesthood, the prophets and the kings or monarchy.  Even non-Jews responded to these lesser people and now someone far greater is here and people won’t respond.


Some of us are waiting on God to give us a custom sign that we should follow him.  We want a “sign from heaven.”  We downplay, discount or disregard the miracles he has already done in our life:


·        Life itself


·        The blessings he has poured into our life


·        The “coincidences” and minor miracles he has already done


·        The Word of God that reveals God’s will for us


·        The people God has put in our life at the right time


·        The times God has rescued us from disaster or from ourselves.


We ignore all of these and ask God to do something more.  What that is, we are often not sure.  But it keeps us waiting and allows us to make no decision for God.  Jesus says this behavior is that of a wicked and adulterous generation.  Like an unfaithful wife or husband, you are always looking for something or someone else to make you happy.  What’s it going to take for Jesus to persuade you? 


I studied the Bible with a student at Stanford University.  He seemed to be waiting for something.  Finally, I told him I ran out of scriptures.  There was no point in still meeting together.  That shook him up and he got baptized shortly afterwards.


 


2.    Wandering Spirits:  12:43-45


43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”


This story points out the danger of repentance without relationship.  When you drive out an evil spirit, you must replace it with a good spirit.  Repentance without Jesus leaves a vacuum.  Many in that generation had repented at the preaching of John the Baptist, but they needed to replace that old sin with the presence of Jesus and discipleship to him.  The Jews had come back from exile and had driven out idolatry.  But when Jesus came along, they didn’t let him in.  They didn’t fill that empty house with someone greater than their old sin and demons. 


If you aren’t positively for Jesus, you may end up against him.  You may have recently become a Christian.  You believed the gospel, turned away from sin and got your sins forgiven in baptism.  That’s awesome!  However, you need to fill your heart and mind with Jesus and love for him.  Because if you don’t, those old sins and demons will come back stronger than before.


As a young Christian, I was struggling with pride and impurity.  A minister showed me this scriptur...