26: Jesus Greater Than...>(Mt 12:33-50)

There’s Not Another Man Who Would Do That!

Dr. Harry Ironside was once convicted about his lack of humility. A friend recommended as a remedy, that he march through the streets of Chicago wearing a sandwich board, shouting the scripture verses on the board for all to hear.

Dr. Ironside agreed to this venture and when he returned to his study and removed the board, he said "I'll bet there's not another man in town who would do that."

The Pharisees were ‘humble’, and they were PROUD to tell you about it. Because of that, when Jesus claimed to have greater authority than them, it was time for Him to go!

Today we see the incredible claim that Jesus is Greater than…anyone or anything. Think about that for a moment - the greatest man or woman who ever lived, the wisest man or woman who ever lived, the greatest prophet, priest, or king who ever lived. And those who follow Jesus belong to His family.

Catch the Context

Last week you’ll remember that we saw that Jesus was a Different Kind of King - one who is both TRUTHFUL and GENTLE,

a SERVANT-KING who will not break the bruised reed nor put out the smoldering wick. Rather than throw you away, he will make you USEFUL again! He is the One in whom all nations will put their hope!

But we also saw that Jesus warned that there was no neutral ground - we either follow Him, or we don’t.

On top of that, Jesus warned the people listening NOT to do what the Pharisees had done - blame His incredible miracles on the power of the Devil instead of the power of the Spirit - that’s BLASPHEMY of the Spirit - and could NEVER be forgiven.

Again, it is my best understanding the YOU can’t commit that sin because you didn’t stand in Jesus’ presence, SEE Jesus perform these miracles, and blame His miracles on the devil.

So, while you might somehow think that you’ve gone too far, sinned too much, or turned away from the Holy Spirit telling you to turn from your sin and trust Jesus with your life...

If you’re still breathing, there’s still HOPE.

There’s nothing He can’t forgive…IF…you turn from you sin and put your hope in Jesus - the HOPE of all nations.

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And this leads us to the next part of this story where we will hear Jesus make an incredible claim to be Greater than anyone or anything

Jesus has warned the people not to follow the example of many of the Pharisees, as He says these words.

Matthew 12:33–35 (NIV)

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

We recognize a tree by the fruit it produces.

We don’t see apples on a tree and say, “Oh look, an orange tree.”

But, I don’t mean to compare apples and oranges.

Jesus really isn’t talking about TREES, but about PEOPLE. Specifically, Jesus is comparing the claims of the Pharisees (trees) to the FRUIT they produce. And the fruit is NOT GOOD.

In fact, Jesus calls them a brood of vipers - that’s referring to a dozen or more small snakes the emerge from their eggs/mothers, to grow and ambush their prey.

This is a backhanded way of saying, “You are mimicking your master - the sly serpent who deceives people.”

The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. What we SAY, shows what’s down in our soul.

The old saying is, “What’s down in the well, comes up in the bucket.”

A person who uses dirty language, tells dirty jokes, and speaks unkindly to or about others, a person who speaks lies - has shown what’s ‘down in the well’ of their hearts.

A person who uses clean language, tells good CLEAN - and incredibly funny dad/mom jokes - a person who speaks kindly and truthfully to and about others - also shows what their soul looks like.

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Think about the legit godly people you know. What do their words say about their hearts?

Think about the hypocritical or ungodly people you know. What do their words say about their hearts?

Our words don’t determine our eternal home - in heaven or hell - but our words DO show WHOSE WE ARE - followers of Jesus or not.

That’s what Jesus speaks to next when He says...

Matthew 12:36–37 (NIV)

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jude, AKA Judas - the half brother of Jesus, writes about this day of judgment.

Jude 14–16 (NIV)

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

Notice that grumbling, faultfinding, boasting, and flattering is all done with defiant words.

Followers of Jesus should NOT be known for doing those things,

not speaking defiant words against Jesus, but responding to Jesus with obedient words

not grumbling or faultfinding, but being being thankful & encouraging others

not boasting about yourself or flattering others falsely, but speaking humbly & truthfully.

But again, What we SAY, shows what’s down in our soul.

The Pharisees knew this was targeted at them. How dare this rogue rabbi speak to them that way! WHO gave Him this authority?!? Jesus better show them His credentials.

Matthew 12:38–39 (NIV)

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

We want to see a sign from you. Really? Jesus hadn’t done enough already? We know that they saw Jesus heal all kinds of diseases and cast out demons on numerous occasions, but NOW the demand a special sign for themselves.

No other signs will convince them, and because of this, Jesus calls them a wicked and adulterous generation.

There is only ONE SIGN that Jesus will show - a future sign which could only be denied by those who refused to believe the evidence - the sign of Jonah.

The sign of Jonah? What’s all that about? Everyone knew the story of Jonah, going to his enemies to warn them of God’s wrath. But, of course, there was another part of the story that proved Jonah was genuinely a prophet called by Yahweh.

Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish, stuck in there for 3 days, yet was ultimately rescued from this smelly, watery grave.

So too...

Matthew 12:40 (NIV)

...the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Just as Jonah was delivered from the fish, Jesus - the Son of Man - would be delivered from the grave. This is what Jesus means by “the sign of the prophet Jonah”.

Let’s take a moment and walk through this timeline:

Jesus was crucified Friday morning & buried on Friday late afternoon (day 1);

Jesus was in tomb Friday sundown to Saturday sundown (day 2);

Jesus in tomb from Sat sundown until he resurrects and Sunday morning (day 3)

By typical reconning, Jesus was in the tomb for three days but not three nights. This has led some to say that Jesus must have died on a Thursday instead of a Friday.

However, most scholars point to this phrase, “3 days and 3 nights”, as a Jewish idiom simply referring to any part of 3 Jewish days (even if it’s just one hour).

The point isn’t about how many hours Jesus would be in the tomb, but the fact the He would RISE FROM THE DEAD!

Anyone who focuses on the precise time instead of the powerful sign of the Risen Jesus has missed the whole point!

All this talk about comparing Jesus to Jonah would have left the Pharisees, and most everybody else scratching their heads and wondering what in the world Jesus meant by this. It would all make sense when Jesus died, was buried the 3 days in the tomb, and came back alive!

Matthew 12:40–41 (NIV)

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. 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.

The people of Nineveh listened to the preaching of Jonah - even though he performed no miraculous signs. When they heard the warning of judgment from Jonah, they repented of their sins.

Let’s compare Jonah & tje Ninevites to Jesus & the Jews.

Jonah might have been truthful, but he certainly wasn’t gentle - as is obvious when he sets up a comfortable spot and looks forward to God dropping the judgment bomb on Nineveh - maybe like He had done to Sodom & Gomorrah. Yet the people responded in repentance.

But Jesus, both truthful and gentle, was genuinely wanting to see people turn from their sins and bask in God’s forgiveness. Yet, despite the powerful preaching and multitude of miracles of Jesus, many who heard and saw Jesus did not respond in repentance.

And His ultimate resurrection from the dead would prove that He was greater than Jonah, yet many from this generation would still refuse to repent.

Jesus continued with His warning to the Pharisees and their followers.

Matthew 12:42 (NIV)

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.

The Queen of Sheba (SE of Israel in lower Arabia) traveled some 1,200 miles including crossing the Arabian Desert [1] to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, the wisest king who ever lived.

Further, her caravan of camels brought treasures of spices, vast amounts of gold, and precious stones - as gifts to honor the wisdom of King Solomon (2 Chr 9:1-12).

But then Jesus makes this incredible claim once again - that now something greater than Solomon is here. Jesus has more wisdom than Solomon? Who would have made that claim and been able to back it up?

JESUS is Greater than Jonah the prophet and Solomon the king!

So watch this - Jesus had earlier claimed to be greater than the Temple (Mt 12:6) - greater than the house of God and anyone serving in it. And now he claims to be greater than Jonah and Solomon!

BIG TRUTH: Jesus is Greater than anyone or anything

Jesus is greater than any prophet (like Jonah), priest (like those who served in the temple), or king (like King David or King Solomon)!

Sadly, many Jews did NOT respond to Jesus in repentance, like the pagan Ninevites responded to Jonah.

Many Jews didn’t come close to seeking and listening to the wisdom of Jesus as the pagan Queen of Sheba had done with Solomon.

Instead, most Jews were living clean lives by following rabbinical rules, instead of turning from their sin and trusting that Jesus was GREATER than anyone or anything.

That’s what leads the the illustration Jesus uses next.

Matthew 12:43–45 (NIV)

When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 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. 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.

The number seven is typically a symbol for perfection OR completion. In this case it makes sense that Jesus uses this number to symbolize complete domination by demons.

But Jesus isn’t talking as much about demonic possession of people as He is drawing a picture of those who seemed to live clean lives (e.g. Pharisees), but refused to allow their soul to be filled by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.

This cleaning of the house might even be a reminder of the Maccabean revolt 200 years before when the Jews ran Antiochus Epiphanes and the Syrians out after they desecrated the temple, and how the Jews cleansed the Temple. Their cleaning out the Temple, however, didn’t keep Israel from becoming sinful & disobedient once again.

This 'house cleaning’ is exactly what the Pharisees were encouraging the people to do, “Sweep your house and put it in order, follow the biblical laws and the rabbinical rules, but DON’T allow your house to be occupied by Jesus, this false messiah.” Those who followed their these shepherds would be held accountable for rejecting their Messiah who came to make them CLEAN. Instead, they would live like they were clean - right with God - even though they weren’t. Hence, their religious self-righteousness left them in a condition that was worse than the first, when they knew they were sinners who needed help.

Religious activity without following Jesus has led many to this same condition - thinking they are clean, when they AREN’T.

Giving money to your religious organization, showing up consistently, trying to live honestly - that’s all great, but THAT can’t save you.

In fact, you might know someone who lives so good, they don’t SEE their need to be forgiven.

It would be better to be a blatant sinner and see your need for forgiveness than to think your are clean, when you AREN’T.

And once again, Jesus warns this wicked generation of the judgment they will face in the future for rejecting their Jewish Messiah.

Matthew 12:46–47 (NIV)

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

What is a good son to do? Of course, Jesus would call a timeout and go speak to his family....right? NOPE.

And at this point, Mark’s gospel gives us some insight into what we are about to read.

Mark 3:20–21 (NIV)

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

WHAT!?!? Did Mary think Jesus was crazy too? I don’t know, but his brothers certainly did. BTW - they later wrote James & Jude, as followers of Jesus.

Jesus likely knew why they were there, and this is why He stayed put and said this:

Matthew 12:48-50 (NIV)

He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Notice that Jesus didn’t raise his own family to a place of prominence. Instead, he told the needy people around Him that THEY could be His family!

Quick side note: While Jesus certainly loved his family and His mother, He NEVER told His followers to seek their help in prayer. They were sinners like us who needed His payment on the cross too. If you’ve been told to seek Mary’s help as a co-redemptrix, this is FALSE. She does not sit as the ‘queen of heaven’ between Jesus and you. That is NEVER, EVER taught by Jesus, nor His apostles, and certainly not found in the Scriptures.

Some you don’t have a family who loves you they way you need to be loved.

Some of you don’t have family members who follow Jesus and walk to talk about Him.

But if you are a follower of Jesus, then WE are FAMILY! (got my brothas and sistas with me).

And if you’re wondering if you are part of the forgiven family of Jesus…then you simply need to check the fruit from your tree - Do you KNOW the will of your Father in heaven? - Do you DO the will of your Father in heaven?

Followers of Jesus…do WHAT? Followers of Jesus follow Jesus.

Do you recognize that...

Jesus is Greater than anyone or anything?

If so, I want to encourage you to plug in with your local faith family. Get involved in a Growth Group on Sundays or Wednesdays.

Maybe you need to chat. It would be the great privilege for us to try to answer your questions and help you seek the genuine Jesus of the Scriptures (Staff, Deacons, another Christian friend).

Not Heeding the Warning

Harry Truman was the friendly, 84-year-old owner of the rustic Mount St. Helens Lodge on the old south shore of Spirit Lake. The lodge was his home, and his sixteen cats were like family. He had spent a lifetime on the slopes of Mount St. Helens and considered the mountain a friend.

Thus, when the volcano awoke early in 1980, Harry and his cats would not leave.

As spring progressed, volcanic activity grew terrifyingly violent and the Governor of the State of Washington established restricted entry zones around the mountain with the intent of evacuating everyone except a few scientists and security personnel. Even then, Harry would not leave.

On Saturday afternoon, May 17, 1980, state officials tried for what turned out to be the last time to get Harry to leave. He would not go.

Early the next morning, Mount St. Helens exploded. The whole north side of the mountain collapsed in a giant avalanche of rock and debris that roared across the lodge at speeds near 100 m.p.h., obliterating the lodge and burying the site to a depth of about 50 meters.

No trace was ever found of Harry or his cats.

Some of us read this and think, How foolish! How tragic! The evidence was overwhelming. The mountain was going to blow. Mr. Truman’s refusal to leave and denial of the truth brought a heavy price.

So too, YOU have been warned of a day that is coming within your lifetime when - either, Jesus will return OR you will die and go into eternity to stand before the King of Creation - and be judged. Are you READY?

PRAY

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John F. MacArthur Jr., Matthew, vol. 2, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985), 331.

Discussion Questions

What challenged or encouraged you most from today’s teaching?

Read Matthew 12:33-37 & Jude14-16. While many church folks are quick to call out sexual sin, theft, and such, why is it that few people talk about what comes out of our mouths as seriously? What do our words say about our heart condition? Does it scare you to give an account for what you say on the day of judgment?

Read Matthew 12:38-42. What “sign” was Jesus saying would later occur to prove His authority? Discuss and compare how the Ninevites responded to Jonah’s message, how the Queen of the South responded to King Solomon, and how the Jewish people responded to Jesus.

Read Matthew 12:43-45. Why was Jesus using this demonic illustration as a picture of what was happening with the people He referred to as “the wicked generation”? Have you ever known someone who lived such a good life that they did not see their need to repent of sin and turn to Jesus? If so, tell us the story (without using names if known to your family/group).

Read Matthew 12:46-50. While our families should be our first ministry, how should followers of Jesus view/treat other Christians? Share about some Christian brothers/sisters who are dear to you and why.

What does God want YOU to do with what we studied today?

Share prayer needs and pray for one another.