"An Evil Generation" (Matthew 12:38-45)

v.38

This is a lack of trust on the part of the scribes and the Pharisees.

They do not believe what Jesus says to them so they want a sign. (Astronomical sign)

He had just finished calling them bad trees which produce bad fruit.

They now demand a sign from Him.

As many do to this day, “Lord give me a sign.” (In attempt to be given some sort of direction)

They look for any reason not to heed His words. (So sign would be good enough)

Though He has never been short of truthful to them, the still demand a prerequisite for their trust.

v.39-40

Spiritual adultery

Rather than putting faith in God, they placed their faith in their own senses.

They trusted their understanding over God’s own word.

They had been unfaithful to their God.

God often refers to idolatry as a spiritual adultery.

Jeremiah 5:7–8 ““Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. I had satisfied them to the full, Then they committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house...”

The most declared abomination in the Scriptures. (Idolatry)

Christ points them back to the Scriptures

The Sign of Jonah

Recalling that which is written; Pointing back to the word of God.

Using the Scriptures to prophecy in detail His soon death and resurrection.

Christ will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth and no more.

Just as Jonah escaped the belly of the sea monster, Christ will escape the heart of the earth. (I wonder if anyone later remembered this)

This is to be the sign; The Divine Validity of astronomical proportions

He attempts to redirect their faith away from themselves and back to God.

Knowing their hearts, He knows this does not work, still they doubt and desire an astronomical sign.

v.41-42

The Men of Nineveh

The greatest revival in human history. Everyone repented from their sins.

One generation later they regressed back to their pagan ways

This comment by Christ indicates that to some degree their was true saving faith and repentance by the people of Nineveh during that time of Jonah the Prophet.

The people of Nineveh were associated with wickedness and lack of repentance. (Modern day Las Vegas; City of sin)

Christ mentions that in that generation there was more repentance and more faith than He is seeing in the generation blessed by the coming of the Messiah.

Greater than Jonah

Jonah was a great Prophet and well respected by the religious leaders of Jesus’s day.

A greater Prophet had come, the Christ. (Striking comment to the Pharisees and scribes)

The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13)

Came to test the wisdom of Solomon and said that he exceeded her expectations.

Came to see the wisdom and glory of Solomon and left amazed by the wisdom and glory of His God; Yahweh.

1 Kings 10:9 ““Blessed be Yahweh your God who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel; because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.””

Though she was Queen of a foreign land, still Christ declares that her faith exceeds this generation and will stand to judge them on the Day of the Lord.

Greater than Solomon

The whole world had heard the report of Solomon and his glory and wisdom.

Our Lord uses the glory that Solomon was so famous for with his clothing and riches as an example of the greatness of God in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 6:29)

His wisdom was unmatched by any man

Solomon was beloved by the religious leaders for he was the one to build the first temple for God and was considered a great king of Israel.

A greater King has come, the Christ, the anointed one of God.

Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.”

v.43-45

Reform is no good with out regeneration

The key word here is “unoccupied”

There may have been a removal of the unclean but never entering the presence of the pure.

Though the demon might had been removed, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit never took place.

John MacArthur speaks of this as simply a “Moral Reform”

Morality never saves anyone, one must be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Satan’s greatest lie is salvation by morality. (I am a good person)

A life swept clean and put in order yet left “unoccupied” will ultimately revert back to pre-reformed behavior.

You need a new occupancy, one with power and authority to guide and protect.

Mark 3:27 ““But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.” (Matthew 12:29, Luke 11:21-22)

This evil generation

They have swept clean their hearts and sought to live a moral life with no intention of having God move in.

This is the reason for their self-righteousness.

They are attempting to live righteous lives without the righteous one.

This has left them with nothing but evil treasure to pull from (Previous Text)