Judgement and the Love of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Claim (of the passage) - It is more wicked, this side of the cross, to hear but not act on the Gospel of Jesus than ever before!
Focus (of he sermon) - To hear the Gospel but never give over our hearts in humble obedience is to deserve terrible judgement and forego the affectionate love of Jesus.
Function (for the congregation) - to understand the wickedness of hearing but not accepting the Gospel of Jesus. (no more sitting on the fence, or waiting for more evidence of persuasion). Come to Jesus in obedience to His Gospel - he will love you like his mother, brother and sister
Jesus has been healing every disease and illness among the people Galilee in Ch4
He healed a leper in ch 8
He healed the centurion's servant without even visiting him in 8
He restored the health of Peter’s mother, and cast out demons
He calmed the wind and waves with a word,
Drove out a legion of demons,
Healed a paralysed man in 9
Stopped the bleeding of a woman who had suffered for 12 years and raised a daughter back to life
restored the sight of a blind man,
Gave speech back to the mute in
‘nothing like this has been seen before’ is declared in ch9
He went thourgh all the towns and villages healing every disease and illness in ch9
He even gives similar power to his 12 disciples in ch10
I know what I would be asking if I had been following Jesus’ progress at the time…
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.’
If only he’d give us a sign, some miracolous wonder that would settle the matter and prove he was the Son of God.
The reason Jesus is about to be so condemning of the Pharisees in this passage is becasue they have seen it all already, and simply refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the promised saviour of the world.
They of all people should be ready for Jesus.
They are the people of God in the OT.
They have all the prophesies about God’s messiah, who would come and save and rule over God’s people.
They should be ready
The house should be in order for Jesus arrival!
IN chapter 11, John the Baptists disciples come to Jesus -
to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’
Jesus doesn’t say - yes, it’s me.
He says - look at the signs!
Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
Look at the signs - they are the ones you’ve been waiting for - It’s clear who I am.
And yet the Pharisees - knowing Jesus is ticking all the boxes - reject him!
It’s not that they don’t get it,
or that they don’t believe the promises,
They have heard the truth and deliberately reject Jesus anyway.
Perhaps out of pride, becasue Jesus is pointing out they have a few things wrong,
perhaps out of a desire to keep power over the people as their leaders.
The power of unbelief is amazing!
Maybe this is a very serious warning to 2 or 3 of us here - who have heard the truth repeatedly - grown up in the church hearing the Gospel of Jesus - but just wont follow.
Perhaps it’s pride - I don’t like to be under the authority of anyone - i don’t want to accept life is not all about me and what I think.
Either way - the warnings for knowing Jesus but refusing to accept him as Lord and saviour are severe:
He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 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.
No more signs will be given to those who are so wilfully blind to the truth accept the death, burial and resurection of the Son of Man!
Miracles and wonders will not convince or change hearts - and so only 1 true sign can change peoples hearts.
when the son of Man is crucified (symbolised by Jonah being swallowed by a great fish)
and then raised to new life after 3 days (just as Jonah was spat out)
That sign is the only one we need, the only one of eternal power that can save,
but for the pHarisees and it seems much of the generation of Jesus’ time - it will be too late for them.
They are a wicked and adulterous generation who will face God’s right judgement.
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.
Jonah was very reluctant to go and preach a message of judgement to the Ninivites in the OT. So much so he ran away from God.
Jonah, an Israelite - hated the Ninevites - and for good reason - they were a violoent and evil, detestable to the Isralites.
You might think Jonah would love to go and tell them God is coming for them -
In fact here is his sermon he preaches to them eventually:
Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’
You’re so evil - God intends to bring it to an end.
So why was Jonah reluctant to preach judgement to them? Because he knew what God is like:
This is what happened
8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.’
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
They fasted, repented, cried for mercy! And they got it. God is compassionate.
Can you imagine being a Pharisee and being told that even the Ninevites - who are obviously evil, and detestable, heard of God’s judgement accepted it as truth and repented - and receieved the incredible mercy of God - and now you will be judged by them.
Not literally - but they will stand on judgement day as an examples of what you are not!
Repentant, Saved, forgiven people - now loved by God.
And worse than that - Jonah was a weak and reluctant preacher with a message that was earthly and temporary,
But now Jesus is here!
His judgment is far more serious, it is eternal,
but equally his salvation if far more gracious and compassionate.
He offers not just salvation from a cities destruction, but from eternal punishment under the wrath of God!
Jesus is greater than Jonah. - Don’t reject him!
He comes in compassion, in mercy, proclaiming salvation from judgement - not becasue he hates us - but becasue he loves us beyond understanding!
Repent and be saved - I am greater than any hope you have ever heard of - back then - and still today.
Come to me.
And now, As if the Ninivites condeming the Pharisees wasn;t enough,
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.
This time a pagan Queen is used as a good example set against the pharisees wickedness.
It’s a reference to the Queen of Sheba, who travelled from modern day Yemen to Jerusalem becasue
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.
That’s a journery of nearly 2000miles by road. And well over a month of travel by camel, plus the enourmous finaical sacrifice and all the gifts!
And that was just to hear the wisdom of Solomon - wisest of all the Men of God.
But now Jesus the son of God is here - He if far greater than Solomon - has saved them and us them a 2000 mile journey, and expensice gifts - He has come to them, and freely,
and speaking the very words of God the Father - the words of truth that can save them as he warns of judgement and offered eternal life and forgiveness - not just words of wise living - and what do they do
- not interested!
Forget Jordan Peterson, forget instagram and tictok, Forget mindfulness, forget gurus and life coaches, self-help books,
Jesus is greater in every way conceivable - His wisdom and power, his message - it is all eternal, all true, all from the mouth Of God himself.
‘All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
And you wont listen! - Even though you pHarisees have been privileged to hear and know all of this in advance!
Even though foreign queens traveled thousands of miles to hear a wise King - you wont listen to the son of Man who has come down to you?
A wicked and adulterous generation they are!
pause
Have you heard of this Jesus - have you grown up reading the bible coming to church, but now are thinking you’re not too interested?
Do not be mistaken - judgement is coming - and God is not mean or unfair - it is wicked, it is to commit adultery towards God - if after he has given you life and breath, and offered you the free offer of forgiveness for our sin, and an escape from his right judgement - to put your own wisdom, thoughts, pride - before the Lord Jesus.
Murderers who have repented will stand in the judgement against us.
Converted terrorists will stand in the judgement against us - if we dont’ come to Jesus.
Evil people have heard of the the judgement to come, cried out for mercy and discovered the Lord Jesus is full of compassion and great love.
And that his death and resurection ‘the one great sign’ has delt with their sin and judgement and they have received the life of Jesus himself in eternity.
How we who have found Jesus must glorify Him and worship His name.
How we ought to commit our whole selves to his service.
How saddened, but not surprised we should be that some reject his incredible compassion.
And how those of us who think we have time, or are sitting on the fence, or who have never accepted Jesus - must cry out for mercy today.
pause
The picture Jesus then paints in v43-45 is simply to reinforce his warning…
‘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.
Perhaps returning to the situation that began this whole address, where Jesus is accused of casting out demons by the power or satan -by the very people who should be worshipping him. He picks that as an illustration of what they are like.
This generation he compares to a person who has had their house, their body and soul, prepared and made clean ready for Jesus the saviour.
They know the truth - the house is therefore clean and ready.
Jesus the new temple is here ch12,
the greatest preist, Ch12,
the greatest prophet, greater than Jonah,
the greatest King has come and revealed all this to them. greater than David, greater than Solomon.
The house is made ready,
what are their options?
The implication is they, as we, should
fill themselves with the truth of Jesus.
The Lord, the son of Man, the saviour!
He has bound the strong man, Satan, don’t let him back in.
Or, by default they Reject Jesus and allow a darkness and judgement to return 7 fold.
the end of the story
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.’
There can be no sitting on the fence - you can’t clear out the house on Jesus’s teaching, his gospel - but fail to actually repent and follow him in obedience - to acknowledge him as King..
It’s as if you’ve been pledged in engagement to marry the Lord Jesus, but instead, committed adulatory with someone else.
You will be very severely and rightly judged.
TO know Jesus but reject is to wicked And adulterous. He knows you, loves, you and can save you - but it is to choose someone else!
pause
For most here, I hope this warning helps us see the wickedness from which we have been saved by Jesus.
How we must pray for those we love to repent.
How we must be honest with each other in our church community that judgement is very real, we do no one any favours by sugar coating it, or failing to mention it.
OUr children, our friends who once seemed to believe, they will only remeber God’s compassion if they remeber first his judgement.
just as the ninivites discovered.
After all who needs God , if all is going to end well anyway!
pause
So, this is a terrible warning - but it is also a wonderful invitation!
Even Ninivah repented!
Even murderers and evil people have repented.
Jesus is here for all who will come to him!
He is better He is greater!
His offer of salvation is eternal, and wonderful,
His wisdom and truth in his word is greater than the wisest king who ever lived.
He’s worth turning away from our sin for,
He’s worth travelling for 2 months to find.
And yet - he’s come to us!
Such is his love for those that turn to Him…
And so we get this last little nugget tagged on the end of this hard passage.
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
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.’
Perhaps it’s telling that Jesus’ mother and brothers were ‘outside’.
Perhaps at this stage have not fully embraced the fullness of Who Jesus is.
In Mark’s gospel we read
21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’
but Jesus’ point is not really one about his flesh and blood family,
but more about how he loves his followers.
those that ‘do the will of the Father’.
Who have heard of the judgement to come and called for mercy in the name of Jesus,
and not just heard but responded in obedient repentance and seeking to obey his ways,
How incredible - that Jesus considers his followers more intimately than his own flesh and blood.
we are family to Jesus.
When his own brother does not believe in Him and obey God the Father - Jesus delights in you who does.
Imagine you were a disciple listening to Jesus rebuke the wicked generation.
How rightly fearful you would be of Jesus’ authority and rule.
How thankful you would be for how he has allowed you to truly see who he is,
How marvellous to be filling your prepared house with Him, not inviting evil back in
And how awesome to hear him call you HIS brother, sister and mother.
we are everything to him and him to us, that a loving family should be.
Jesus - the greatest,
He loves you,
A mystery as to why he would,
But the most glorious encouragement we could hope for in a world that offers us nothing lasting.
1 John 3:1 (NIV 2011)
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.