Matthew 12:22-50

Thursday Evening Bible Study

December 7, 2006

Matthew 12

Jesus’ own ministry has not only been growing with large crowds following Him, but He has also been training a special group of twelve men, His disciples.

He’s even sent His disciples out on their first missionary trip.

After the disciples returned, Jesus began to run into trouble with the conservative Pharisees, a group of Jews who held to a very strict interpretation of the Law of Moses.  In particular, He’s rubbed them the wrong way because He has broken some of their interpretation of the Sabbath Law.

His disciples were criticized for gathering food to eat on the Sabbath.

Jesus was criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath.

This is going to lead to even further criticism…

:22-30 Jesus accused of being Satanic

:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

What a wonderful miracle. Wouldn’t you agree that this was a wonderful miracle? Who could find a problem with something so wonderful?

:23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

Son of David – a term for the Messiah.

:24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

Beelzebub – another name for Satan, probably a slang derivation of the Philistine god, Baal-zebub, which meant “lord of the flies”

Jesus had just warned the disciples about being called names:

(Mat 10:25 NKJV) "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

Lesson

The Critical Mindset

We can blast the Pharisees for calling Jesus a demon worker, but I’m not so sure we haven’t made the same kinds of mistakes.
Someone hurts our feelings or does something wrong in an area of their life, and the next thing you know, we’re able to find something wrong in just about everything they do.
Illustration

A boss commented to his secretary about one of his men: “Harry has such a bad memory, it’s a wonder he remembers to breathe. I asked him to pick up a newspaper on his way back from lunch, but I’m not ever sure he’ll remember his way back to the office.” Just then Harry burst in the door, brimming with enthusiasm. He exclaimed, “Guess what, boss! At lunch I ran into old man Jones who hasn’t given us an order in seven years. Before he left I talked him into a million-dollar contract!” The boss sighed and looked at his secretary, “What did I tell you? He forgot the newspaper.”

If we’re not careful, sometimes one person will hurt our feelings, and we take out our frustration on the next person that walks by us.
Illustration

A traveler, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies.  Then she sat down and began reading a newspaper.  Gradually, she became aware of a rustling noise.  From behind her paper, she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her cookies.  Not wanting to make a scene, she leaned over and took a cookie herself.

A minute or two passed, and then came more rustling.  He was helping himself to another cookie!  By this time, they had come to the end of the package, but she was so angry she didn't dare allow herself to say anything.  Then, as if to add insult to injury, the man broke the remaining cookie in two, pushed half across to her, and ate the other half and left.  Still fuming some time later when her flight was announced, the woman opened her handbag to get her ticket.  To her shock and embarrassment, there she found her pack of unopened cookies!  How wrong our assumptions can be.

-- John Ross Cranleigh, Surrey, England

I wonder just how many of my ideas and judgments about people are based on actual, real facts instead of just “feelings”.  I wonder how many of my positive judgments are based on “wishful thinking”.  I wonder how many of my negative judgments are based on me having been hurt.
Illustration
I’ve always loved the story of the cowboy who was riding along and came upon an Indian lying flat on the ground with his ear pressed to the earth. The Indian said, “Wait. Wagon. Two miles off. Drawn by two horses. One black. The other gray. Four people on board: man in a red flannel shirt, his wife, and two kids.” The cowboy was very impressed. He said, “It’s amazing you can tell all that just by listening to the earth.” The Indian said, “No. They ran over me thirty minutes ago. Go after them!”

-- Bruce Thielemann, "Because," Preaching Today, Tape No. 105.

Now that’s someone who was hurt and was actually right!
Jesus said,
(John 7:24 NKJV)  "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

:26 "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

In other words, it would be a pretty stupid thing for Satan to be casting his own demons out of people.

:27 "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

Jesus wasn’t the only one who cast demons out of people. There were also Jewish exorcists who had developed practices for exorcisms.

:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

:29 "Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Jesus has been binding the strongman, getting ready to plunder Satan’s kingdom.

:30 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

You’re either for Jesus or against Jesus.

Greg Laurie likes to say that when you want to get on an elevator, there are only two buttons – up or down.  There’s no “undecided”.  You are either for Jesus or against me.

You either “gather” with Jesus, or you are guilty of scattering what God intends to be gathered.

You are either helping people come to Jesus, or you’re keeping people from coming to Jesus.

:31-32 Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

:31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

:32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Lesson

Unforgiveable

There is only one sin that can’t be forgiven.
It’s not adultery. It’s not murder. It’s the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”.
What is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?  Can it be done today?
Jesus is the one who brings forgiveness. Jesus died to pay for our sins. If a person chooses to put their life into Jesus’ hands, they will be forgiven.
The Holy Spirit has come to testify about Jesus. One of His main goals is to tell people about who Jesus is.
If you reject what the Holy Spirit is saying about Jesus, I believe you are committing the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

The Pharisees are claiming that the work that the Holy Spirit is doing through Jesus is really the work of Satan.  They’re dangerously close.

If you choose to reject Jesus as the Lord of your life, you will not be forgiven.
On the other hand, if you’ve committed any other sin, you can be forgiven.
(1 John 1:7 NKJV)  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
You might think that what you’ve done could never be forgiven, but I’m here to tell you you’re wrong.

One of the “biggest” sins a person could commit is the sin of adultery.

John tells us about a situation where the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery (John 8).  They wanted to know what Jesus thought ought to be done with her.  They reminded Jesus that Moses said a person like her ought to be put to death.  After telling the group that the person without sin could go ahead and throw the first stone, the group slowly disappeared until Jesus was left alone with the woman.

(John 8:10-11 NKJV) When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" {11} She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

Jesus came to save sinners.  He doesn’t want us caught in the bondage of sin.  He came to save us from our sin.  He came to bring us from condemnation to forgiveness.

(1 John 1:9 NKJV)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you think God could never forgive you, you are wrong.  God wants to forgive you.  You need to admit your sin and be willing to turn from your sin.  And God will forgive.

:33-37 Fruit inspection

:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

You can tell the kind of tree in front of you by its fruit.

:34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Lesson

Judging by your words …

You can tell what kind of things are in a person’s heart by the things that come out of their mouth.
Illustration

The National Transportation Safety Board recently divulged they had covertly funded a project with the US auto makers for the past five years, whereby the auto makers were installing black boxes in four-wheel drive pickup trucks in an effort to determine, in fatal accidents, the circumstances in the last 15 seconds before the crash. They were surprised to find in 45 of the 50 states the last words of drivers in 61.2 percent of fatal crashes were, “Oh, My God!”, “God help me!” or, “Jesus, save me!” Only the states of Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and West Virginia were different, where 89.3 percent of the final words were, “Hold my beer and watch this.”

Have you ever stopped to listen to the words that are coming out of your mouth?
I wonder how surprised we’d be if we could have our words played back to us from throughout the day.

Would our words express dissatisfaction, anger, bitterness, complaining, pride, judgment, and criticism?

Would our words express understanding, hope, encouragement, praise, patience, and humility?

:36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

:37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

God can judge people solely on the words that come out of their mouths.

For God to condemn a person, all He has to do is play back the tape.

For God to justify a person, there’s another tape that will play …

(Rom 10:8-10 NKJV)  But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): {9} that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. {10} For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

:38-42 Seeking a sign

:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."

I wonder what they were expecting Jesus to do.

Jesus has healed all kinds of people. He’s just healed a blind/mute man.  He’s cast out demons.  Jesus even raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. What are they looking for?

:39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Jonah was the prophet sent by God to pronounce judgment on the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians.  Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went the opposite way.  He ended up in the belly of a fish for three days before finally giving in to God’s command.

:40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Some people have difficulty with the idea of a man being swallowed by a fish.  Sometimes those same people are the same ones who don’t have a problem thinking that man evolved from fish.  Hmmmm.

Jesus seemed to believe in it.  He is paralleling His own death with it.

Lesson

Number One Message

Looking for a sign?
You don’t need to go any further than Jesus’ death on the cross, burial, and resurrection three days later.
Sometimes we can get sidetracked when we’re sharing our faith.  We can talk about all kinds of issues except for the thing that’s most important.
(1 Cor 2:1-5 NKJV)  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. {2} For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. {3} I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. {4} And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, {5} that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I do believe we need to study in order to give people answers to their questions.  I believe the study of apologetics, reasons for our faith, is an important one.

But Paul seemed to feel that the most important thing was to talk about Jesus dying on the cross.

I’ve heard Billy Graham state that he’s learned to make sure that in every message he gives, he talks about the cross.

The cross is where Jesus paid for our sins.  It’s where sinners are saved.

Don’t forget to talk about the most important thing.

:41 "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

I wonder what it means for Nineveh to “rise up in judgment”?

I wonder if it means that the people who lived in Nineveh at the time of Jonah will be standing on the sidelines when the generation of Jesus’ day is judged?  Perhaps they will have something to say?

:42 "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

queen of the South – the Queen of Sheba (1Ki. 10).  This great woman heard stories about King Solomon.  She traveled a great distance, perhaps as far away as Saudi Arabia, perhaps Ethiopia, in order to meet Solomon.  Tradition has it that she married Solomon and went back to Sheba pregnant with his child.

In contrast, the people of Jesus’ day don’t seem to realize the treasure they have in front of them.

:43-45 Repossessed

:43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

:44 "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

:45 "Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."

A person who has been delivered from demon possession had better do something about protecting themselves against being “repossessed”.

If they don’t allow someone stronger into their life, like Jesus, they’re open to being repossessed.

Why is Jesus speaking this?

Jesus is speaking to Jewish religious leaders.

He’s warning them about the judgment they’re going to face.

I believe Jesus is saying that there has been some sort of house cleaning going on in Israel, either through their own Pharisaical, religious efforts or even possibly the kind of house cleaning that Jesus had been doing.

But after Jesus is gone, if they don’t do something to protect their house, the nation is going to go downhill fast.

Today – it’s a great thing for a person to get their life turned around.  It’s a wonderful thing for an alcoholic to live a sober life.  It’s a great thing when an adulterer learns to be a faithful husband.  It’s a wonderful thing for someone on drugs to get clean.

But if Jesus isn’t a part of the picture – heaven help us.

:46-50 Jesus’ true family

:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

John tells us

(John 7:5 NKJV)  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

We know that after the resurrection, James and Jude did come to believe, but at this point they don’t believe.

Mark tells us a little bit more…

(Mark 3:20-22 NLT)  When Jesus returned to the house where he was staying, the crowds began to gather again, and soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. {21} When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him home with them. "He's out of his mind," they said. {22} But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, "He's possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons."

For the most part, Jesus’ family thought He was crazy.

:47 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."

There is no mention of Jesus’ father, Joseph.  One possibility is that Joseph is dead by this time in Jesus’ life.

:48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"

:49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!

:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Two observations:

1.  If you are a Christian, you are closer to Jesus than His own earthly family was at that time.

Some people have this notion that if they really need something from God, they can pray to Mary and since she’s closer to Jesus than any of us, she can get our prayers answered.
The truth is, if you are a believer in Jesus, you’re just as close as Mary.
I guess you could tell your Catholic friends that if they don’t want to bother Mary, they could ask you to pray for them…

Better yet, share with them about having faith in Jesus, and they can pray for themselves as well.

2.  It’s really important that we do the will of God.

It’s God’s will that we believe in Jesus.
It’s God’s will that we do what He commands.