As we continue in a study of the life of Jesus, we have really come to a pivotal point in His ministry. He just healed the demon possessed man. The Pharisees then accuse Him of doing the work of Satan, and He answers with the 4 logical arguments. It’s interesting to note what comes next.
Matthew 12:38-45
38 Then some of the
scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."
Didn’t they just see one?! Notice that they call Him teacher, not Lord! They were willing to recognize Him as a teacher, but not as the promised Messiah. I don’t know where I heard this, but based on what Jesus said, you have to decide that He is either Lord, a liar, or a lunatic! (His family takes C)
But anyway, the Pharisees still want to see a sign, or a SEMEION. This word refers to a miracle that only God can do to validate Jesus’ claims of being the Messiah.
Instead of giving them what they want, Jesus gives them what they NEED, a rebuke!
39 But He answered
and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign;
and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40 for just as JONAH
WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, (talk about a bad translation – the
original language says a huge fish) Changed Relationships so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth.
That’s the only sign this evil generation will get –
Jesus will rise from the dead after three days.
41 "The men of
Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it
because they repented (METANOIA – a
change of thinking) at the preaching
of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Jesus Christ and the works He performed are far greater than
what Jonah did, but still they reject Him!
42 "The Queen of
the South (a reference to the Queen
of Sheba) will rise up with this
generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends
of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater
than Solomon is here.
Since Jesus had just rid a man of an “unclean spirit” or a
demon, He uses this analogy to attack the Pharisees. Remember, the Pharisees had their own group
of exorcists.
43
"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through
waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
44 "Then it
says, "I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it
finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
He is talking about a man who is delivered from demonic
possession WITHOUT being born again!
Once the demon leaves, the man cleans up his life and puts it back in
order. But since the “house is
unoccupied” by God, the demon can return.
Without spiritual regeneration, there is still room for the demon.
Jesus is making the analogy to the Pharisees between
sweeping the house and religious works.
Their righteous deeds, WITHOUT SALVATION, are dead and useless, and
cannot protect people from demonic attack.
45 "Then it goes
and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they
go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the
first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
Then Jesus relates this story of demon possession, and
putting your house in order through religious works, to
Don’t ever think that you can “clean up your own act” enough to earn salvation or even impress God. These Pharisees were outwardly GOOD RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, but they never accepted Jesus’ message of salvation.