The Lordship Of The King
Our text:
Matthew 12:1-50
It is in this chapter of the Book of Matthew where we will see that the Jewish religious leaders will make known their rejection of Jesus as Christ the Jewish Messiah. We will and we have seen that Christ Jesus has fulfilled the prophesies from the Old Testament. He has performed miracle after miracle. Jesus is the King of the Jew and He had presented the Kingdom to them up to this time. Everything up to this point in this Gospel has proven Christ Jesus to be the promised One. We have seen the blind regain there sight, still impossible in our day. We have seen lepers cleansed of their disease. We have seen demons driven out of people, not by exorcism but by command. We have seen the dead raised back to life. There could be only one explanation of these miracles.
These things proved that God had visited His people. (Immanuel)(God with us). The Old Testament predictions of the Messiah, the manner of His coming, and His works were being fulfilled before the eyes of this nation and these Jews.
BUT: They "refused" to recognize Him!
AND: They had no "heart" for Jehovah God in the flesh!
In the words of Jesus about a Gentile and then the nation of Israel:
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, [I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel].
Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 8:12 [But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness]: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We will see in this chapter that the kingdom of heaven will be put on hold until the second coming of Christ. Christ will now reveal the kingdom of heaven in mysteries. Christ Jesus will be the revealer of secrets and the Apostle Paul would later explain these to the Gentiles and to the Jews.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
(The Lord of the Sabbath)
The Sabbath is an essential day to the Jew. To keep it is part of the laws given to the Jew. They pride themselves in this day and boast of the keeping of it. The Pharisees saw that this law was enforced and put great burdens on the people by adding to this law that was written by the hand of God and needed no additions.
To the Christian this is not so. There are many religions that in our day adhere to the Sabbath Day as the day of worship but that is simply not what the Word of God says. Those that believe this usually also have other doctrine they have twisted from God's Word. Some of these others are, "soul sleep", universalism, loosing your salvation amongst other things.
The Christian is dead to the law:
Rom 2:14 [For when the Gentiles, which have not the law], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, [ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ]; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Gal 2:19 [For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God].
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The believer in Christ is above the law in the sense of Christ because he is complete and perfect in Christ. The rule of the walk of the Christian is the walk of Christ inside the believer.
The Sabbath day is connected with the Earth and with Israel, but the believer "IS NOT ISRAEL" "NOR DOES THE BELIEVER BELONG ON THIS EARTH".
The great and true Sabbath is still coming in the future at Christ's return.
At this time the Christian believer has no Sabbath to keep. If we desire to keep the Sabbath day holy then we must keep the seventh day and not the first day of the week holy. Some will say that the Sabbath day has been changed to the first day of the week but that also is not true, there is no scripture to lead us this way.
The first day of the week is the Lord's day, "the day of the resurrection", "the day of the new creation"(Born Again). This day was kept in the very beginning of the Church Age and is a memorial to Christ who was raised from the dead on the first day of the week. This is the day of the New Testament Church to worship in honor of Our Lord, on "His" day.
A man once wrote: "Israel was commanded to observe the Sabbath; the Church is privileged to enjoy the first day of the week, Sunday"
1.) To Israel it is a test of her moral condition.
The Sabbath makes known what Israel can do for God.
2.) To the Church it is proof of eternal acceptance.
The "Lord's Day" perfectly declares what God has done for the Church.
There is no law about this day in the Bible, the Christian believer is in perfect liberty with "no yoke of bondage" upon him:
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, [ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another].
Gal 5:14 [For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.]
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Those that insist on the Sabbath day and call themselves Christian only cause confusion and God is not the author of confusion:
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
*****Jesus and some disciples were passing through some farmland on a Sabbath. Some of them were hungry, by law they were allowed to pick from those crops enough to satisfy that hunger. We must remember there was also no buying or selling on the Sabbath, they could not buy their lunch:
Lev 19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.
The Pharisee did not view this to be legal because it violated their traditions and their additions to the law.
1.) It was working on the Sabbath, because they had to pick the food they ate, they were reaping.
2.) It was work, because when they picked the grain and rub it in their hands they were sifting, threshing and cleaning was also work that was not allowed on the Sabbath.
Remember these Pharisee considered rubbing wax on a cask just to stop it from leaking on the Sabbath as work that simply was not allowed. The Orthodox Jews of our day still recognize thirty nine categories of work that are prohibited on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees quickly challenged the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot sin, that He indeed was allowing His disciples to sin.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
When Christ Jesus had met Satan at the time of temptation, He used the Sword of the Lord, "the scriptures" as His weapon, The Word Of God, His Own Word.
Now as He meets the offspring of the Devil, He again will use the Word of God to defeat them.
We should be learning that we always have a weapon against all evil and that weapon is the Word of God.
(Jesus said: "Have you not read"?)
1Sa 21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
1Sa 21:4 And the priest answered David, and said, [There is no common bread] under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
1Sa 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, [and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel].
1Sa 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Exo 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
Lev 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
The loaves of bread which the officiating priest placed every Sabbath day upon the golden table in the Sanctuary, before the Lord, were twelve in number, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The loaves must have been large, since two tenth deals (about six pints) of flour were used for each. They were served up hot on the Sabbath day in the Sanctuary, when the stale ones, which had been exposed the whole week, were taken away, and none but the priests were allowed to eat them.
In an extraordinary move, David and his men partook of the shew-bread [they were indeed in great need of nourishment]. Jesus showed from this that ritual observances [must at times give way to moral duties in case of urgent necessity], thus He justified His disciples in plucking corn on the Sabbath day.
In "type" when David, God's anointed, was rejected and was a fugitive, the holy things connected with the ceremonial laws given to Israel ceased to be holy. The sin was David's rejection and [this made the consecrated shewbread to be common] as David said to the High Priests.
The rejection of God's anointed (Christ Jesus) had profaned all things. You see by the Pharisees rejecting Christ Jesus [they had profaned all the holy things of the law]. They had rejected Him and had no love for Him.
It was a ridiculous thing for these religious leaders, hypocrites, to speak of the keeping of the Sabbath at the same time rejecting the Lord Of the Sabbath!
Even in our day, and increasingly so, the divinity of the Bible, the Lord and His redemptive work is being denied by many so called Christians, who still hold to outward forms, rituals, the keeping of holy days and ceremonials.
Christ said, "how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless"
The Bible says:
Num 28:9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
Num 28:10 This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
This also demanded work and according to the way these Pharisee interpreted the law, this work was not allowed on the Sabbath.
We can see Our Lord even now, showing in "type" Grace. Jesus indicated that all laws and ceremonies were to find their end in Him. He was the true Priest. He was the true Sacrifice. He was the Redeemer to take away "all sin". He is the One to bring the true Sabbath Day of Rest. He is the Lord of the Sabbath and He is also the Son of Man!
Hos 6:6 [For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings].
Hos 6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Christ Jesus repeated Himself again to these hypocrites:
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
*****What we will see is that even after these statements Christ did not turn His back on them. It is a lingering, and patient love we can see and need to learn from Him here as He turns towards their synagogues.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Mat 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
As Jesus Christ entered into the synagogue, He was confronted with a man that had a withered hand. "This was most likely a setup" and these Pharisees immediately hurled a another challenge at Jesus Christ Our Lord.
For knowledge sake, there was a widespread controversy among the Jews as to what medications were allowed on the Sabbath. Any application of medicines to the outside of the body was strictly forbidden for it was not seen as life threatening. Some internal medicines were allowed.
The man with the withered hand could not be classified as dangerously ill but also there was no known cure for this disease. The Pharisees "did" believe it was lawful to save a life or they would have involved themselves in murder.
"The first thing we should notice here is that these Jews knew Jesus had the power to heal at will". [They did not question His healing ability even when it involved a healing that could not be done by any other person on this earth]. True miracles even in our day of medicine.
Was there anyone in that synagogue that would have allowed their own sheep to suffer from falling into a pit? No not a single one! These people would not even respond to the remarks of Christ Jesus.
Jesus Christ concluded then that it must be lawful to do good on any Sabbath. It was a miracle when this man stretched out his hand and proved that Jesus had completely restored this man's arm to full use.
What happened next?
1.) Not the amazement of such a miracle, for they knew Jesus could heal but they were furious that Christ had publicly shown the foolishness of their traditions that did not adhere to the law.
Luk 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
2.) Not amazed at the proof that God was indeed among His people but they plotted the death of the One that rejected their own traditions.
Mat 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
3.) Not believing and worshipping but they even entered into an alliance with the Herodians and the Sadducees and other religious leaders to get support, for they were determined to kill Jesus from this point forward.
Mar 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
These Pharisees from this point forward did not hide their feelings of Christ Jesus but openly defied Him and were determined to put Him to death!
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
These acts of Christ cause so much hostility that He left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee.
Mar 3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
Mar 3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
What we see is that all nations that bordered Israel had now heard of the Messiah and they came to see Him with their own eyes but they came because of the miracles, the same miracles that were rejected as proof by the Pharisees.
Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 42:9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
In the midst of His enemies Our Lord Jesus Christ remained calm, trusting in the Father and was well pleasing to Him.
Our example:
2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, [This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils].
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Although the scriptures speak of sins against the Holy Spirit:
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
It is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit that usually comes to mind. To consider this sin we need to look a little deeper.
Christ Jesus had made known Himself to His nation of Israel:
Matthew chapters 5-7 (His teachings)
Matthew chapters 8-10 (His miracles)
The religious leaders had come out to investigate:
Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: [and the power of the Lord was present to heal them].
You know they could have been healed also but they simply had no faith!
They have come to their conclusion in this Chapter 12 in Matthew. They rejected the Messiah and then they sinned against the Holy Ghost.
To explain:
The sin against the Holy Spirit also involved a sin against Christ Jesus:
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
These Pharisees had witnessed all that Christ Jesus had done but they said He had done these things in the power of Satan. They did not reject the miracle but they rejected the source of those miracles, that of God.
It is this rejection that is the foundation of the sin against the Holy Spirit.
The scriptures are precise that Christ Jesus worked in the power and influence of the Holy Spirit:
Mat 12:18 [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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
The Pharisees rejected this scripture:
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
The Pharisees had observed first hand the the public ministry of Jesus Christ! They had seen His miracles with their own eyes! Yet they still said the works were that of Satan. This sin is final and unforgivable because they had personally witnessed the works of Christ Jesus. They could have been forgiven had they only rejected Christ Jesus.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:
But they had rejected the final witness, the Testimony of the Holy Spirit. There is no further witness to be given and thus this sin is eternal:
"but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come"
There was no opportunity for repentance, it was unpardonable and would never be forgiven!
Can this sin be done today?
To commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit today would require the "physical" presence of Jesus Christ in which He would teach and perform miracles while hearers and onlookers would reject His ministry and claim His work was that of Satan.
The "sin" of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the "sin" of unbelief!
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
This sin is the only one that will keep you out of Heaven. We must believe in the redeeming Power of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
There is no indication in scripture that if you refuse Holy Ghost conviction the first time that the Holy Ghost will not try again to convict you, though keeping in mind we can still grieve the Holy Spirit and His convicting power is not without number. Of course "unbelief" will not be forgiven if a person permanently persist in unbelief!
There are many who had lived in open sin and worldly lust and been saved by the "Grace" of God that almost despaired thinking they had committed this sin and could not be saved. It is still being taught in some so called churches. There are also those that fell into sin willfully after being saved that think they have lost their salvation. This also is not the unpardonable sin:
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Only in this time of "Grace" do we find such a merciful God!
The widespread doctrine of "falling from grace" in the sense of the believer's possibility to be lost DISHONORS CHRIST AND HIS WORK TO SAVE US!
Grace is Grace, there is no substitute for "Grace"
God's Riches At Christ Expense
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
These Pharisees, teachers of the law, knew full well that Christ Jesus was claiming to be the Heaven sent Messiah. They had seen the miracles and could not deny them. Now they gave a new challenge. They requested a sign.
Christ explained that this request did not come from faith [but from unbelief]. These were a wicked people. Jesus said there would be only "one" sign:
You know Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites. The fact the Jonah had been three days and three nights in the whales's belly, and from there he had been sent forth alive to preach in Nineveh was evidence to them that Jonah had been sent from God. The Ninevites had not known the whole story of Jonah but only what they had seen. Jonah came forth of a whale and began preaching the Salvation of God.
And so it would be again. After three days and three nights in the heart of the earth The risen Messiah, the resurrected One, Our Lord would go forth from the grave to eternity.
The Ninevites did not question the words of Jonah.
All the Queen of Sheba needed was a good report of Solomon and it was good enough to cause her to travel a great distance to find the truth, which she did.
The Ninevites needed redemption of sin. The Queen of Sheba sought after wisdom. Both found what they needed and Christ said, He is all we need!
Christ said:
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation".
In "Type" John the Baptist had come to find the House of Israel full of evil spirits. John's preaching had brought repentance. Multitudes were awaiting the coming kingdom but before the kingdom was established this nation had been turned again by it's religious leaders into a place more evil than when John had begun. The Nation of Israel would be under a greater judgment from this point forward. Israel which had abandoned idolatry was now in worse shape with the teachings of the Pharisees and her religious leaders.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
Mat 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
What we can see here is that Jesus Christ rejected "blood " ties as constituting a true spiritual relationship. The only ones accepted into the family of Christ would be related by "Faith". No one will get into Heaven by physical birth. We all must be spiritually "Born Again".
The Nations that reject Christ are in a worse state because of that rejection than they were before they heard the Word of God.
God does not change:
Mal 3:6 [For I am the LORD, I change not]; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
We can see that because of this rejection by the Nation of Israel, then Christ Jesus would reject them at this time. We can see that God has set aside the Nation of Israel and He will prepare the way for the next form of God's program, the time of the Church Age and the time of "Grace"!
2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Let's Pray!
Our text:
Matthew 12:1-50
It is in this chapter of the Book of Matthew where we will see that the Jewish religious leaders will make known their rejection of Jesus as Christ the Jewish Messiah. We will and we have seen that Christ Jesus has fulfilled the prophesies from the Old Testament. He has performed miracle after miracle. Jesus is the King of the Jew and He had presented the Kingdom to them up to this time. Everything up to this point in this Gospel has proven Christ Jesus to be the promised One. We have seen the blind regain there sight, still impossible in our day. We have seen lepers cleansed of their disease. We have seen demons driven out of people, not by exorcism but by command. We have seen the dead raised back to life. There could be only one explanation of these miracles.
These things proved that God had visited His people. (Immanuel)(God with us). The Old Testament predictions of the Messiah, the manner of His coming, and His works were being fulfilled before the eyes of this nation and these Jews.
BUT: They "refused" to recognize Him!
AND: They had no "heart" for Jehovah God in the flesh!
In the words of Jesus about a Gentile and then the nation of Israel:
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, [I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel].
Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 8:12 [But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness]: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We will see in this chapter that the kingdom of heaven will be put on hold until the second coming of Christ. Christ will now reveal the kingdom of heaven in mysteries. Christ Jesus will be the revealer of secrets and the Apostle Paul would later explain these to the Gentiles and to the Jews.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
(The Lord of the Sabbath)
The Sabbath is an essential day to the Jew. To keep it is part of the laws given to the Jew. They pride themselves in this day and boast of the keeping of it. The Pharisees saw that this law was enforced and put great burdens on the people by adding to this law that was written by the hand of God and needed no additions.
To the Christian this is not so. There are many religions that in our day adhere to the Sabbath Day as the day of worship but that is simply not what the Word of God says. Those that believe this usually also have other doctrine they have twisted from God's Word. Some of these others are, "soul sleep", universalism, loosing your salvation amongst other things.
The Christian is dead to the law:
Rom 2:14 [For when the Gentiles, which have not the law], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, [ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ]; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Gal 2:19 [For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God].
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The believer in Christ is above the law in the sense of Christ because he is complete and perfect in Christ. The rule of the walk of the Christian is the walk of Christ inside the believer.
The Sabbath day is connected with the Earth and with Israel, but the believer "IS NOT ISRAEL" "NOR DOES THE BELIEVER BELONG ON THIS EARTH".
The great and true Sabbath is still coming in the future at Christ's return.
At this time the Christian believer has no Sabbath to keep. If we desire to keep the Sabbath day holy then we must keep the seventh day and not the first day of the week holy. Some will say that the Sabbath day has been changed to the first day of the week but that also is not true, there is no scripture to lead us this way.
The first day of the week is the Lord's day, "the day of the resurrection", "the day of the new creation"(Born Again). This day was kept in the very beginning of the Church Age and is a memorial to Christ who was raised from the dead on the first day of the week. This is the day of the New Testament Church to worship in honor of Our Lord, on "His" day.
A man once wrote: "Israel was commanded to observe the Sabbath; the Church is privileged to enjoy the first day of the week, Sunday"
1.) To Israel it is a test of her moral condition.
The Sabbath makes known what Israel can do for God.
2.) To the Church it is proof of eternal acceptance.
The "Lord's Day" perfectly declares what God has done for the Church.
There is no law about this day in the Bible, the Christian believer is in perfect liberty with "no yoke of bondage" upon him:
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, [ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another].
Gal 5:14 [For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.]
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Those that insist on the Sabbath day and call themselves Christian only cause confusion and God is not the author of confusion:
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
*****Jesus and some disciples were passing through some farmland on a Sabbath. Some of them were hungry, by law they were allowed to pick from those crops enough to satisfy that hunger. We must remember there was also no buying or selling on the Sabbath, they could not buy their lunch:
Lev 19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.
The Pharisee did not view this to be legal because it violated their traditions and their additions to the law.
1.) It was working on the Sabbath, because they had to pick the food they ate, they were reaping.
2.) It was work, because when they picked the grain and rub it in their hands they were sifting, threshing and cleaning was also work that was not allowed on the Sabbath.
Remember these Pharisee considered rubbing wax on a cask just to stop it from leaking on the Sabbath as work that simply was not allowed. The Orthodox Jews of our day still recognize thirty nine categories of work that are prohibited on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees quickly challenged the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot sin, that He indeed was allowing His disciples to sin.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
When Christ Jesus had met Satan at the time of temptation, He used the Sword of the Lord, "the scriptures" as His weapon, The Word Of God, His Own Word.
Now as He meets the offspring of the Devil, He again will use the Word of God to defeat them.
We should be learning that we always have a weapon against all evil and that weapon is the Word of God.
(Jesus said: "Have you not read"?)
1Sa 21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
1Sa 21:4 And the priest answered David, and said, [There is no common bread] under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
1Sa 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, [and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel].
1Sa 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Exo 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
Lev 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
The loaves of bread which the officiating priest placed every Sabbath day upon the golden table in the Sanctuary, before the Lord, were twelve in number, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The loaves must have been large, since two tenth deals (about six pints) of flour were used for each. They were served up hot on the Sabbath day in the Sanctuary, when the stale ones, which had been exposed the whole week, were taken away, and none but the priests were allowed to eat them.
In an extraordinary move, David and his men partook of the shew-bread [they were indeed in great need of nourishment]. Jesus showed from this that ritual observances [must at times give way to moral duties in case of urgent necessity], thus He justified His disciples in plucking corn on the Sabbath day.
In "type" when David, God's anointed, was rejected and was a fugitive, the holy things connected with the ceremonial laws given to Israel ceased to be holy. The sin was David's rejection and [this made the consecrated shewbread to be common] as David said to the High Priests.
The rejection of God's anointed (Christ Jesus) had profaned all things. You see by the Pharisees rejecting Christ Jesus [they had profaned all the holy things of the law]. They had rejected Him and had no love for Him.
It was a ridiculous thing for these religious leaders, hypocrites, to speak of the keeping of the Sabbath at the same time rejecting the Lord Of the Sabbath!
Even in our day, and increasingly so, the divinity of the Bible, the Lord and His redemptive work is being denied by many so called Christians, who still hold to outward forms, rituals, the keeping of holy days and ceremonials.
Christ said, "how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless"
The Bible says:
Num 28:9 And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
Num 28:10 This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
This also demanded work and according to the way these Pharisee interpreted the law, this work was not allowed on the Sabbath.
We can see Our Lord even now, showing in "type" Grace. Jesus indicated that all laws and ceremonies were to find their end in Him. He was the true Priest. He was the true Sacrifice. He was the Redeemer to take away "all sin". He is the One to bring the true Sabbath Day of Rest. He is the Lord of the Sabbath and He is also the Son of Man!
Hos 6:6 [For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings].
Hos 6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Christ Jesus repeated Himself again to these hypocrites:
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
*****What we will see is that even after these statements Christ did not turn His back on them. It is a lingering, and patient love we can see and need to learn from Him here as He turns towards their synagogues.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Mat 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
As Jesus Christ entered into the synagogue, He was confronted with a man that had a withered hand. "This was most likely a setup" and these Pharisees immediately hurled a another challenge at Jesus Christ Our Lord.
For knowledge sake, there was a widespread controversy among the Jews as to what medications were allowed on the Sabbath. Any application of medicines to the outside of the body was strictly forbidden for it was not seen as life threatening. Some internal medicines were allowed.
The man with the withered hand could not be classified as dangerously ill but also there was no known cure for this disease. The Pharisees "did" believe it was lawful to save a life or they would have involved themselves in murder.
"The first thing we should notice here is that these Jews knew Jesus had the power to heal at will". [They did not question His healing ability even when it involved a healing that could not be done by any other person on this earth]. True miracles even in our day of medicine.
Was there anyone in that synagogue that would have allowed their own sheep to suffer from falling into a pit? No not a single one! These people would not even respond to the remarks of Christ Jesus.
Jesus Christ concluded then that it must be lawful to do good on any Sabbath. It was a miracle when this man stretched out his hand and proved that Jesus had completely restored this man's arm to full use.
What happened next?
1.) Not the amazement of such a miracle, for they knew Jesus could heal but they were furious that Christ had publicly shown the foolishness of their traditions that did not adhere to the law.
Luk 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
2.) Not amazed at the proof that God was indeed among His people but they plotted the death of the One that rejected their own traditions.
Mat 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
3.) Not believing and worshipping but they even entered into an alliance with the Herodians and the Sadducees and other religious leaders to get support, for they were determined to kill Jesus from this point forward.
Mar 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
These Pharisees from this point forward did not hide their feelings of Christ Jesus but openly defied Him and were determined to put Him to death!
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
These acts of Christ cause so much hostility that He left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee.
Mar 3:7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
Mar 3:8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
What we see is that all nations that bordered Israel had now heard of the Messiah and they came to see Him with their own eyes but they came because of the miracles, the same miracles that were rejected as proof by the Pharisees.
Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 42:9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
In the midst of His enemies Our Lord Jesus Christ remained calm, trusting in the Father and was well pleasing to Him.
Our example:
2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Mat 12:23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, [This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils].
Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Mat 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Mat 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Although the scriptures speak of sins against the Holy Spirit:
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
It is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit that usually comes to mind. To consider this sin we need to look a little deeper.
Christ Jesus had made known Himself to His nation of Israel:
Matthew chapters 5-7 (His teachings)
Matthew chapters 8-10 (His miracles)
The religious leaders had come out to investigate:
Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: [and the power of the Lord was present to heal them].
You know they could have been healed also but they simply had no faith!
They have come to their conclusion in this Chapter 12 in Matthew. They rejected the Messiah and then they sinned against the Holy Ghost.
To explain:
The sin against the Holy Spirit also involved a sin against Christ Jesus:
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
These Pharisees had witnessed all that Christ Jesus had done but they said He had done these things in the power of Satan. They did not reject the miracle but they rejected the source of those miracles, that of God.
It is this rejection that is the foundation of the sin against the Holy Spirit.
The scriptures are precise that Christ Jesus worked in the power and influence of the Holy Spirit:
Mat 12:18 [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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
The Pharisees rejected this scripture:
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
The Pharisees had observed first hand the the public ministry of Jesus Christ! They had seen His miracles with their own eyes! Yet they still said the works were that of Satan. This sin is final and unforgivable because they had personally witnessed the works of Christ Jesus. They could have been forgiven had they only rejected Christ Jesus.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:
But they had rejected the final witness, the Testimony of the Holy Spirit. There is no further witness to be given and thus this sin is eternal:
"but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come"
There was no opportunity for repentance, it was unpardonable and would never be forgiven!
Can this sin be done today?
To commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit today would require the "physical" presence of Jesus Christ in which He would teach and perform miracles while hearers and onlookers would reject His ministry and claim His work was that of Satan.
The "sin" of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the "sin" of unbelief!
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
This sin is the only one that will keep you out of Heaven. We must believe in the redeeming Power of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
There is no indication in scripture that if you refuse Holy Ghost conviction the first time that the Holy Ghost will not try again to convict you, though keeping in mind we can still grieve the Holy Spirit and His convicting power is not without number. Of course "unbelief" will not be forgiven if a person permanently persist in unbelief!
There are many who had lived in open sin and worldly lust and been saved by the "Grace" of God that almost despaired thinking they had committed this sin and could not be saved. It is still being taught in some so called churches. There are also those that fell into sin willfully after being saved that think they have lost their salvation. This also is not the unpardonable sin:
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Only in this time of "Grace" do we find such a merciful God!
The widespread doctrine of "falling from grace" in the sense of the believer's possibility to be lost DISHONORS CHRIST AND HIS WORK TO SAVE US!
Grace is Grace, there is no substitute for "Grace"
God's Riches At Christ Expense
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
These Pharisees, teachers of the law, knew full well that Christ Jesus was claiming to be the Heaven sent Messiah. They had seen the miracles and could not deny them. Now they gave a new challenge. They requested a sign.
Christ explained that this request did not come from faith [but from unbelief]. These were a wicked people. Jesus said there would be only "one" sign:
You know Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites. The fact the Jonah had been three days and three nights in the whales's belly, and from there he had been sent forth alive to preach in Nineveh was evidence to them that Jonah had been sent from God. The Ninevites had not known the whole story of Jonah but only what they had seen. Jonah came forth of a whale and began preaching the Salvation of God.
And so it would be again. After three days and three nights in the heart of the earth The risen Messiah, the resurrected One, Our Lord would go forth from the grave to eternity.
The Ninevites did not question the words of Jonah.
All the Queen of Sheba needed was a good report of Solomon and it was good enough to cause her to travel a great distance to find the truth, which she did.
The Ninevites needed redemption of sin. The Queen of Sheba sought after wisdom. Both found what they needed and Christ said, He is all we need!
Christ said:
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation".
In "Type" John the Baptist had come to find the House of Israel full of evil spirits. John's preaching had brought repentance. Multitudes were awaiting the coming kingdom but before the kingdom was established this nation had been turned again by it's religious leaders into a place more evil than when John had begun. The Nation of Israel would be under a greater judgment from this point forward. Israel which had abandoned idolatry was now in worse shape with the teachings of the Pharisees and her religious leaders.
*****Our Text:
Mat 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
Mat 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
What we can see here is that Jesus Christ rejected "blood " ties as constituting a true spiritual relationship. The only ones accepted into the family of Christ would be related by "Faith". No one will get into Heaven by physical birth. We all must be spiritually "Born Again".
The Nations that reject Christ are in a worse state because of that rejection than they were before they heard the Word of God.
God does not change:
Mal 3:6 [For I am the LORD, I change not]; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
We can see that because of this rejection by the Nation of Israel, then Christ Jesus would reject them at this time. We can see that God has set aside the Nation of Israel and He will prepare the way for the next form of God's program, the time of the Church Age and the time of "Grace"!
2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Let's Pray!
