The Witnesses Subpoenaed: Something Greater is Here

All this morning will be reading from The Book of Matthew, Matthew 12 38 through 40 54 that's page 767 in your few Bible. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying teacher, we wish to see a sign from you, but he answered them and evil and adulterous generation 64 a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet. Jonah for just 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, the men of Nineveh will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean Spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest. But finds nun says, I will return to my house from which I came and when it comes it finds the house empty swept and put an order, then it goes and brings with it. Seven other Spirits, more evil than itself and they enter and well there. And the last date of that person is worse than the first. So also, will it be with this evil generation, may God bless the reading of his word?

I pray for us and then we're going to jump into the text together.

Pray together.

Or give us the ears to hear. Now we ask. Give us hearts that are bendable and pliable to your spirit to your word.

Open our eyes that we may see wonderful things from your word. Help us to see Lord Jesus, you say in this world, in your news we're going to see today that you there's something greater than the prophet Jonah or something greater than King Solomon. Help us to see your greatness. We ask. For this. We pray in. Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

Don't start this morning by just remembering a little bit where we've been the last couple weeks. And I think it'd be helpful to do. So just to do remember kind of the illustration I gave or the illustration. That Jesus seems to be giving Samantha. Thank you. the illustration that Jesus seems to be giving actually starting all the way back to verse 33 is that of a courtroom And the question is in the courtroom at the last day if we saw last time that the evidence or the fruit of your and my life will be the evidence there in that courtroom of the fruits. That Jesus tells us I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless, were they speak or by your words, you'll be justified or declared righteous. And by your words, you will be condemned. Your words will be evidence your evidence of your standing on the last day. But not only with your words be evidence of your standing on the last day. There will also be Witnesses, just like there aren't any courtroom there will be Witnesses on that last day against you, or for you. And the question is, who are those Witnesses? Who will some of the witnesses being out with this? Isn't like a, I don't want to get to concrete here and think that this is, these are the only witnesses that will be there on the last day. But Jesus gives two witnesses and in the court, in the court of law, when somebody is subpoenaed and you'll see that word, the witness is subpoenaed to. This is what it means that they're called to give testimony. And it's almost as if Jesus is Calling or subpoenaing two witnesses to do something and then we'll see this what there to do here in just a second, but Jesus calls and wants to see. Here's what if you're taking notes, this one wants to see in your notes are a little bit wonky. So make sure you read what's on the screen. Jesus calls to witnesses to stay. Unbelief in to testify to the words of the greater profits, into the wisdom of the great King has come. So these two witnesses that Jesus calls will actually will see from this text. And we'll see, he prefers to Jonah. It's not Solomon, but it's the people who Jonah preached to, and it's the people who came to Solomon. That will be the testimony verse 38 and we'll start there. Jesus himself says he will stand as the judge but we'll see what some of the scribes come to him and say, verse 38 tells us then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying teacher, we wish to see a sign from you. Now I want to see the desire for a sign in the demand for witness. Well, I think there's many things we could say to this and it is generally speaking. I want to say first that it it's not wrong to ask for a sign. It's not wrong with, they ask for evidence, they're not just asking for evidence. Okay, we need to remember something. We need to see their hypocrisy of demanding signs ignoring signs, so they're demanding for understanding their before Jesus, and they're saying teacher sign. As you remember, actually, back in verse where was that at 22 mute was brought to him and he healed him. So that the man spoke and saw they're sitting there saying Hey give us a sign if you just give us a sign we will believe And they're trying to trap Jesus. Let's see. We can get him to do it. So just show us a sign, then we'll believe. How hypocritical is it to ask for a sign when there's a sign standing right next to them? Here's a man who was demon oppressed. He was, he was held down captive to Satan's Satan's ployes. And Jesus just liberated him and what they're saying is that signs not good enough, we need another sign. I think for a moment, what does it mean to ask for a person to perform a sign? Was it mean that? We we ask a person to perform a sign. What are we truly asking for? Their demand for a sign as a sinful hunger for displays of power. I want to stop and just say, something for a moment cuz there's actually something very important I think for us. Since I'm charismatic circles displays of signs are almost like a litmus test for if you're Christian or not, okay, I am convinced. I'm very concerned in those circles that really what's happening is this sinful hunger for displays of power. They're not content to see the power of the preaching of the word of God. And what they need is more signs, more signs to validate a person's clean. Any ironic thing here is that Jesus has continually giving them signs, but the only one he says, they'll be given that they will see is the sign of the prophet Jonah and I will see what that means in just a minute, but we need to see what a sign is. Notice how it, how is Paul talks about in First Corinthians for Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block, to Jews and Folly to Gentiles. But to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, the Jews who were seeking. After signs for suing. Power appetites never impressed, enough desires for displays of power. I want to just say we'll never be enough if a person is seeking for signs and wonders and and demonstrations of power in that way, just say, apart from the preach, the word they will never be impressed with the signs. And Jesus is an assessment of that generation is what he says in verse 39, but he answered them and evil noticed this and evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given except the sign of the prophet. Jonah. Have people that desire a sign are two two words. Jesus uses to describe evil and adulterous their wicked and unfaithful. And I want to just pause here and give a warning for you. If if you're the type of person that maybe grew up in those charismatic backgrounds and maybe you're wanting to see signs and you say to yourself you know I just don't see Power in the church you hear that kind of language and sometimes I agree with you but we need to be clear with what we mean. If what we mean by we don't see Power in the church if we mean by that is we just don't see the kind of killing miraculous things that we ought to see. If you're seeking from God other signs and wonders to validate his message, I want to argue that you're missing the great sign and wonder that he's already provided. And I would argue it's actually doing with Paul warns and 2nd Timothy 3:5 that says, having the appearance appearance of godliness, but denying its power kind of godliness, but is only external, but deny the very fact that so, it would be like saying, yeah, we believe in the preach, the word we believe in the word. Preached, of course, you don't have any power. That's that's the type of appearance of godliness, but deny, its power generation. Like the one of Jesus's day when he said these words were pronounced as evil and unbelieving. They would never accept the message of God because they were currently rejecting the messenger of God. Now can keep in your mind as they're asking this question teacher, we wish to see a sign from you picture them asking Jesus. We wish to see Witnesses help us see Witnesses of what we're trying to do. You keep that courtroom scene in your mind. He says an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign but no sign will be given to it except for the sign of the prophet Jonah. Again, we saw that our words will be the evidence of a guilty or innocent verdict in the last day. But there will be those who stand and give witness to us, either condemning us or speaking truth of ever speaking, not not not condemning a house or justifying us. Jesus's first witness subpoenaed. This is who he calls for fee calls for the men of Nineveh.

Am I should strike you? Okay. That should strike you for a lot of different reasons that the men of Nineveh are the first people that Jesus calls forth as a witness. The reason our is that would be like calling forward the men of the Soviet Union to rise up in judgment for those who accept communism in America. You heard something like that. That that's kind of language. These are your enemies and their kind of come forth and they're going to judge you. They're going to be the ones that say they were wrong. You are wrong. No! Notice that the ninevites. If we remember in the Book of Jonah, you can see this map on this on this page in front of you. Yeah. So this is this would have been Jonah's Journey. May be likely so he was in, I can't, I can't read that. That name gas, gas heifer is okay. You don't need to zoom in and he remember, he goes down to Jaffa which is actually where Tel Aviv is Jaffa. And that way about modern-day Tel Aviv and he left leaves on a boat. Goes the opposite direction that would God tells him to go to Nineveh which is modern day Babylon or the Babylonian people in that way over there and start the Syrian people. And that ninevites were people who Terror Is the juice, the hated them and 722 actually destroyed at the northern kingdom and Jesus says that these enemies will rise up the last day. These animals will rise up in the last day and they will condemn this generation. No notice what he says. So, the ninevites these enemies of God will come and actually judge. He describes as this generation. No, I want to see what he says in verse 42, 39, 40, and evil and adulterous generation seeketh for a sign but no sign will be given except the sign of the prophet. Jonah. We're just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish. So with a son of man, be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. So we need to be clear on what the sign of the prophet Jonah. Is there a 39? do Jonah was a prophet not as much in what he spoke but also and how he acted what he did, Jesus applies to Jonah that the true sign of the Prophet was not just his message, but was his means I want to see see the men of Nineveh testify to the sign demonstrated through Jonah. They testify to the sign demonstrated through Jonah. I have a concern for us as evangelicals, and let me tell you what it is, Virgin used to say something. Like if there's any doctor in too difficult for a child, the fault is the teacher conception of it rather than the child's ability to receive it. Provided the child is really converted to God, I would argue very similarly that if there's any Old Testament Bible story that we cannot clearly show our children Jesus from that. We ourselves don't understand that story. Okay. And I would argue if you look at most children's stories about Jonah, what you'll see is this strange shaped whale that smiling with Jonah being like vomited it out. I would like to include some pictures here. And again it's it's actually a sign of the liberalism that has actually like hold within our society. We have an unnumbered list of children's story, with smiling Wheels excitedly, telling them about Jonah, being swallowed up and we understand why it's the exciting story. But if we put the emphasis on the fish, okay? We miss it entirely actually putting the emphasis on the fish is like putting the emphasis on Jesus on the tomb. Jesus says that Jonas signed to the people of Nineveh of his being swallowed by a fish for three days and three nights and was actually pointing forward to him. To put the emphasis on the whale, in the story of Jonah would be as foolish as putting the emphasis on the empty tomb that Christ merely rented for three days. That's what it would be like. And unfortunately, we bring to our children, too, often. Stories that sound. Like that's how it sounds and its moral of that story is what go back. Don't be disobedient, and they're part of that. That's true. But if we miss this large piece that the story of Jonah, actually not about Jonah at all, that the story of Jonah actually is about the greater to come. If we miss that, we actually don't tell our children Christian Stories. We Tell them Jewish Stories. We Tell them Priceless. Gospel is stories. Remember Jonah hated the people of Nineveh because they were enemies of of the Jewish people. And I'll listen to Joe Jonas. Famous sermon, would you like to listen to it? If you want it, you wanted me. Make Jonah listen to his famous sermon and Jonah 3, and he called out yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. That's all the Bible tells us, he said to them, that's it. But there's one small thing that's not included here. This guy spent three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth in the heart of a fish. So you can imagine the ninevites being like this guy was swallowed by a fish and actually live there for three days and three nights. And now he's telling us this. What do you think their response would have been? We ought to repent a giant sea creature that we have all sorts of myths about please come forth to tell us judgements coming. The ninevites were better people than the days then the days of Jesus, you know, why they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And Jesus says, that something greater than Jonah is there. We always assumed in the story that the people of Nineveh didn't know that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, but imagine being a part of a people of Nineveh and hearing. Hey, remember that mythical sea creature that we talked about? Yeah, he's swallowed a guy. And oh by the way and oh by the way, he's here preaching. And let us have the men of Nineveh respond, the men of Nineveh testify through their reception to the message. He says, in verse 41, the men of Nineveh will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here. So if we tell our story kids story about Jonah and then God humbled him and then a fish ate him and he spit him up and we only tell him to wait. The more of the story is just don't be back, be good and then if that's all we ever, tell them what we've taught them is moralism be a better person try harder. If you're, you're like Jonah but you need to repent of that and you need to be a better. Be a better person. If you think, I think a man being vomited ashore from a sea creatures. Amazing notice what Jesus would say about this generation to sign they'll receive for just 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. Don't miss this Jonah's not about Jonah. Jonah is pointing forward to the greater Jonah who is to come. It will be similar, but it will be more importantly greater than Jonah because someone greater than Jonah is here. Notice notice then what they'll say, the men of Nineveh will rise up for the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here. The men of Nineveh testify to the words of the Prophet greater than Jonah

I testified to the words of the Prophet greater than Jonah. If Jesus is God's Great profit to us. To disobey his words is to disobey God himself. These men stand as a witness because they repented at the preaching of a man who has vomited up from a fish and Jesus says, I'm going into the heart of the earth and will come back out. And if you do not hear, see that sign and believe, What hope is there for you? Notice how the people of Nineveh responded the people of Nineveh Jonah. 35 tells us leave God they called for a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them. Here is this generation? Standing there coughing getting ready to throw stones will see actually in chapter 14 and 15 as in hostility continues to increase instead of responding in believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus. What they've done is rejected him and there's a huge application here for us. If Jesus is the prophet, that's greater than Jonah. We need to see that. The gospel is true. We need to see not all of the Gospel of Truth, but we, as Christians need to repent and to believe. And oh, by the way, continue to call a world to repentance and belief. This is why the centrality of the Resurrection, The historicity of the Resurrection Christian. The point back to you all the time. Look this one has been raised from the dead. Look, this one was not raised privately, he was raised publicly and we have to call all Generations. Not just this generation all generations to repentance and Trust in his name. So that's the first thing. Jesus is first witness subpoenaed. Let me give you the second one. The second one in Jesus's second. Witness subpoenaed. Is the Queen of Sheba.

It's a great indictment on the people of the Jews to here. The people that will rise up at the judgment and condemn them to be Gentiles. Not only to be Gentiles noticed, there's actually several things we could stand back and look at how they're similar that the ninevites as well as the Queen of Sheba. One thing to pay attention to is that they're both Gentiles. They're not Jews. They are outside the Covenant people of God. In Jesus's, second witness subpoenaed is the Queen of Sheba. Notice what he says the queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here. Now, we need to ask a question. Who is this? Queen of the South got it cuz the story is not told a bundle. A, it's not told very often. This is a story that Eric red or earlier from 1st Kings 10, and it's the net to snare as it might seem confusing on the surface. Why does it matter that much? But it matters a lot and we'll see why in just a second, but the second chronicles 9:22, it says, King Solomon Excel, all the kings of the Earth in riches and in wisdom, in all the kings of the earth, sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. And one such queen that came from the ends of the Earth was the Queen of Sheba was called the Queen of Sheba. I think there's a map Now, this is pretty impressive. Okay, so in the ancient world to travel, any kind of a distance is a big deal. Okay. First Kings tells us, now, the Queen of Sheba of the fame of Solomon concerning. The name of the Lord, and she came to test him with hard questions, okay? In a car, if you want to get in the car and drive for a whole day, you could make that trip. But 20% remind we need to, like, move away from that for a second. This would have taken two and a half months to travel from now, that's not even including Caravan. Okay. This is taking two and a half months months, through the desert, to travel, to see from the queen of shooting, from the land of Sheba on the Ravens and saw all the way up to Jerusalem. Over fifteen hundred miles by Caravan nothing for a second. There's actually multiple things to observe here first that the Queen of Sheba even heard about Solomon at all, think of how great a person must be think of how amazing that 1,500 Mi away. Now for us in the 21st century were like, yeah, we hear news from the other side of the world instantaneously, that is not how things travel back then. But here is a woman hears, a queen who heard heard rumor, here's a guy who can tell you all sorts of things and then she goes a step further. Not just to hear it. But then she says, I have to see this for myself. I have to see. What is this guy? I like. And I noticed. What first, 42 tells us the queen of the South will rise and condemn it for. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The Queen of Sheba. Want to see. Firstly demonstrates testify to the demonstration of wisdom. She testifies to the demonstration of wisdom and I just want to read kind of what she says, again, what era can read this morning. But I want to hear it again. When after she comes and she has solemn and she wants to see what is this guy? Like what kind of wisdom does she have does? He does he have? And she said to the king, the report was true that what I heard in my land of my own word of your words and your wisdom eyes have seen it. And behold the half was not told to me your wisdom and prosperity surpassed the way of the report that I heard happy are your men. Happy are your servants who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom blessed. Be the Lord, your God, who is delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord Love is Real forever. He has made you King, but you may execute Justice and righteousness. That's amazing. It's amazing. A foreign Pagan Queen would come and would see in Solomon just from his wisdom alone. This man is blessed of God. This man is blessed of God. And God, put this man here and he is blessed. May you be blessed? Because the Lord loved is real forever. He is made you King. You notice what she doesn't do? After she sees, the reports are true. She doesn't continue to test Solomon, she doesn't say to her people, you know what we should do now, here's of King that is so wise and wonderful. She know she doesn't say, let's try to get rid of it, but I can't handle his wisdom. His wisdom, too much for me, we need to remove him. What she says you are indeed blessed of God. Get Jesus points out here are men, who when they heard truth hated it. They seized at it. Instead of responding like the queen. Here are men, that not only two man proof and more wisdom, but then they stand back and they try to destroy it. I want to tell us that we live in a wicked and evil generation because you can say just really true things wise things and people will see that you I want to remind us in an evil and wicked generation. There will be one who stands up at the Judgment Sim Pages, please. There will be one who stands up at the judgment and it's the queen of the South, she will stand up and she will condemn, these Wicked and Godless Generations are unable to hear truth. You do it? Just escapes me. I cannot stop. But sit, just pause and to acknowledge Whether you like Charlie Kirk her with you did not like him Charlie Kirk was about speaking truth and he was Vivien. Leigh hated and I want to tell us something or something, this important we can learn from what has happened over the last week and it's merely this that a evil and wicked generation when they hear the truth will not go. That's a good point. I like that. What they'll do is the see that it and they'll hate it. And what they need to hear is the gospel what they need to do and what she did In This Moment, the Queen of Sheba what she comes and does his she repents and she sees me in this King, if he's awesome. This King, Jesus says Song about Solomon. Solomon possessed, wisdom and wisdom showed up. And when wisdom showed up, what they did is they tried to kill wisdom.

So isn't our day and so it must be with the way we approach them. It's not, it's no different. We approached the evil and wicked generation, what we bring them is more wisdom when we bring them is more of Christ. When we bring them up is more of Jesus and him crucified. Notice what what she goes on? What he goes on to say, Matthew 12:40 to tell us the queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold something greater than Solomon is here. What is the second lie to the Queen of Sheba testify through her coming from great distances to listen? And the queen of the South. Are two examples to witnesses. That Jesus subpoenas, he brings forward and they're disconnected as the day is long. They are not connected in scripture, they're not connected in any place. But what they are is there enemies of God that are going to come, and they're going to see God's purposes and God's plans and they're going to believe. And for you and I, as Christians, we once were Gentiles, we are what we once forget, we're still Gentiles, we're still not a part of the people of God, but have been drafted into the people of God. And this is what Jesus is testifying. He's pointing forward to the day that the Gentiles will come and they will behold the Christ. And he, they will testify to him. Don't notice what she she goes on to say, or hate what he goes on to say, the queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for. She came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here. What does he finally did? The Queen of Sheba? Testifies, the wisdom from the King greater than Solomon. You remember, Solomon Solomon, we, oftentimes think of Solomon, only in terms of what he had lots of wives, we think of all the negative things about him. He had over 700 wives, but a foolish man, we might think. Why did he have seven hundred wives. How could he have done that? And we might think all these different things, but one thing that was true of Solomon is in first things, we here, we're told that he asked. God got told him, he would give him anything. He builds. He feels got house and he says, give you anything. What is Solomon ask for wisdom? He says, give me wisdom, make me wise, and so we see much of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I want to remind us of something. Proverbs 8, described wisdom, lady wisdom. And it says this wisdom, with Prudence, I find knowledge and discretion, the fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil pride and arrogance in the way of evil perverted speech. I hate I have counseled and sound wisdom. I have Insight. I have strengths is wisdom. Buy me a Kings reign and rulers. Decree was just buy me. Princess Rule, and Nobles and all, who govern justly. Kings function, the way God designed them by wisdom. A truly wise King realizes where wisdom comes from. A truly wise, Kings knows, his rule is under the rule, in the rain of God, primarily There's something very different between Solomon and Jesus Solomon went and had to ask God for wisdom. But Jesus is very different. Jesus is wisdom, incarnate Jesus, when we come to the Risen in the raining and the ruling King of the cosmos, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't come and ask for wisdom. He is our wisdom. He is the embodiment of wisdom. Says, it says, Proverbs who says wisdom finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who finds me injured, who fails to find me? Injures himself in all, who hate me, love death. You know, these two witnesses will stand over the evil generation. Tell them, they will condemn them, the men of Nineveh the queen of the South. And the question is, will you, or will they say of you, you chose rightly, you saw the wisdom correctly, you saw the great prophet, and you saw the great king, who is to come the Lord Jesus. Jesus called two witnesses to the stand, The Condemned unbelief and testify to the words of the greater profits and the wisdom of the great king that has come. I want to turn together and take communion together. And I think it's very fitting for us to do. Especially as it is a way of responding. One way, we want to respond. As we want to remember that our King in a much greater measure than Solomon ever could think of the glory in the Splendor of what the Queen of Sheba saw with Solomon, how all the men are happy and they rejoice in their table is set. And we as Christians come to the great table of the great, banquet of the great king that has been served up for Christians, all around the world, not just for you and me and not just for this place here in Keyser West Virginia. But in every place all around the world, we come to the great supper of the great king that has been purchased in his own blood. We want to remember at this time, we want to remember the Lord Jesus, risen and ruling and reigning, who feeds and Shepherds by his own wisdom by his self. Flock of God. What's the time in? I want us to prepare our hearts. I want you to hear a warning from the, from the Texas 1st Corinthians that whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord. And unworthy Manor will be guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself then. And so eat of a bread and drink of the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without starting the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That eating and drinking judgement on yourself. Is to trust in your own merits, to trust in your own wisdom, to stand back from the Lord, Jesus and demand signs and wonders and more things. Other than to just hear his word that is wisdom itself.

To eat and drink in an unworthy manner is to trust and to believe in your own works. It's to believe and to trust in your own Flash.

what to drink in to eat in a worthy manner is to believe the words of the great prophet and to believe the words of the great king who is to come,

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