Matthew 12:38-50 "A Wicked Generation Opposes Jesus"

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City! Please turn in your Bibles to Matt 12. We are continuing in our verse-by-verse study through the Gospel of Matthew. In Chapters 11 and 12 we saw rising opposition to Jesus. He should have been embraced and accepted as Messiah and King, but the Jews opposed Him.

Last week, we looked at Vss 38-40, “The Sign of Jonah” and being that last Sunday was Easter, we talked in depth about the sign of Jonah, and the significance of Easter…the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. My wife told me, “I have never heard an Easter Message that theologically deep.” That’s good…I’m glad. I made a big deal about the Resurrection, because it is a big deal…it’s “the cornerstone of our Christian faith.” If you were not here last week, I encourage you to check out that message on our website because as Peter said...

“...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you...” 1 Pet 3:15 The resurrection is a key reason for the hope of all Christians…be sure this is part of your defense…your apologetics for Christianity.

Today, we are going to circle back to V38 focusing on the context and narrative in Matthew. The title of today’s message is “A Wicked Generation Opposes Jesus.”

Let’s pray.

Matt 12:38-39 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

In Vss 24-37, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub/ Satan. In response, Jesus rebukes and warns the scribes and Pharisees for their blasphemous words. In return, V38, the scribes and Pharisees insincerely asked Jesus to show them a sign…after they had observed numerous miracles and prophetic signs that Jesus already fulfilled. They were hypocrites, and Jesus titles their generation “evil and adulterous.”

They were evil because they were hard-hearted to their own Messiah, adulterous because they were spiritually unfaithful to God.

You don’t want to be lumped in with those Jesus considers “evil and adulterous”....people not walking by faith…people not heeding the signs of the times.

The phrase “Evil and adulterous” appears only 2x in the Bible…Matt 12/Matt 16. Alternatively phrased “evil generation” in Luke 11 and Deut 1:35…so, essentially 4x we see this condemnation.

Interesting lessons from Deut 1:35-36 which reads, “‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the son of [yef-oon-neh'] Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the LORD.’”

The Lord judged the rebellious generation who spied out the promise land in Num 13 & 14. They gave a bad report because they did not trust God. Only Joshua and Caleb trusted God would overcome the giants in that land…thus they were granted the privilege of entering the promised land.

I’ve heard Pastor Chuck Smith parallel the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” for the Christian today as equivalent to the Jews of Old entering the promised land. The Christian walk today can be somewhat arid without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I remember in 2012, my Pastor gave an invitation to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I was the only one to see him afterwards. He prayed over me and nothing happened…until 6 months later…I was baptised with the Holy Spirit and I was delivered from alcoholism immediately, I was given spiritual sight, and I was called into ministry.

My testimony is summarized by Pro 1:23 “Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”

This experience changed my life and quickened my walk with Jesus. If you want to pray to receive that gift today, see me after the message. Or, if you want more information, I would love to explain the Baptism of the Holy Spirit more with you another time…but, don’t let this blessing pass you by. It’s biblical…Acts 1:8 and it is life changing.

The people of Caleb and Joshua’s day who were Israelites that did not enter the promised land were called an “evil generation.” The religious leaders here in Matt 12, Matt 16, and Luke 11 were also titled either an “evil and adulterous generation” or an “evil generation” for asking for a sign when Jesus had already given them so many already. All were guilty of not walking by faith.

Don’t make that same mistake in these last days.

Back to Matthew…Jesus responds to the “evil and adulterous” generation of His time... “...no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

The response of the “sign of Jonah” is repeated 3x in the NT…all in response to a request for a sign.

When God repeats Himself…listen!

In Matt 16, Jesus also rebuked the religious leaders as hypocrites for not discerning the times... Messiah stood in their presence, verified by prophecies and miraculous signs and wonders…yet they continued to deny Him.

And, it’s the same today. There are people in this world that God has revealed Himself to. There are God ordered events (“God moments”) in their lives they do not know how to explain... Yet, they refuse to give God glory and acknowledge Him.

The thing about signs is they can have an impact, but our memory is short. A sign does not always convince a person of the truth of Jesus Christ.

In Luke 16…the Rich Man and Lazarus…the Rich Man was in torment in Hades and pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus back to testify to his 5 brothers of the torment. Abraham responded, Luke 16:29-31 “‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

The miraculous is amazing, and can have an impact on us, but the impact of miracles fades over time. I have seen miracles…I have experienced miracles, but unless I am really thinking back on them, they are not impacting my day to day life. And, so it is with most people.

I like how Abraham said, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded...” Moses and the prophets…referring to the word of God and it’s superiority over the miraculous. It is vital for all of us to be in the word, so God can speak to us through His word, to be washed by His word…and to be in relationship with Him.

Jesus continues...

Matt 12:40 “For 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.”

Notice in V40, that Jesus believed Jonah was a literal man and literally was “three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish...”

Some people struggle with the account of Jonah being a historical account. They think of Jonah as just a fictional story. If you struggle with how Jonah got swallowed by a great fish and survived…let me ask you, “What is that to God?” Don’t put God in a box.

Our brains are puny compared to an infinite God. All God needs to do is speak anything into existence and it is so. Walk by faith.

If you’re curious...I know how Jonah was swallowed. Do you want to hear? Jonah 1:17 “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.” God prepared a “great fish” and it swallowed Jonah. End of story.

If Jesus was good with the account of Jonah, and if Scripture is good with the account of Jonah…I’m good with Jonah. That’s what you call “childlike faith.”

Here’s another example...How did Philip baptize an Ethiopian Eunuch, and “the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away...” raptured him to Azotus?…several miles away? There are things in the Bible that you have to take by faith.

If you can’t believe in an account about a whale, how can you believe in an account of a man who died and three days rose again?

And, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the “sign of Jonah.”

Jesus would die and rise again…no one, besides Jesus, has boldly predicted their death and resurrection and it was so.

There are many proofs of the resurrection…I posted an article on our Facebook page of many such proofs…check it out..., but I really like what Paul said in 1 Cor 15:3-6 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once...”

In our present judicial system, even one witness can serve as a testimony for or against another person. Jesus had hundreds of witnesses that saw Him die and rise again. Clear evidence.

Thus, Jesus continues...

Matt 12:41 “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.”

Jesus now provides examples of OT people contrasted with the generation of Jesus’ day.

First: the men of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrian Empire was vast. I have a map slide of the Assyrian Empire at it’s peak in 671 B.C. It’s territory stretched from essentially Egypt to Persia.

For more than three centuries the Assyrians dominated. If you have read the Book of Jonah, you know Jonah hated the Ninevites…and for good reason.... the Assyrians were as cruel as their empire was vast.

They not only mastered the art of war, but also became lords of torture. They tortured as a means of striking fear into their enemies, and this psychological warfare worked. Many cities surrendered simply as the Assyrians approached.

Once they conquered a city, their trademark methods of torture were impaling, flaying, and amputating. In Assyrian imperial palaces, they hung tablets…reliefs (which I have slides of) depicting and bragging about their various torture methods…which they thought was their divine right.

Impaling was their preferred method for mass executions. It involved lifting a victim on a pole placed under the rib cage and gravity would slowly press the weight of the body further through the pole…an extremely painful death.

The Assyrians or the Babylonians are thought to have invented crucifixion which was even crueler.

Flaying was the peeling of skin in strips from a living victim, and then the skin was hung visibly on city walls as a warning and reminder for the rest of the citizens.

They also forced nobles to grind the bones of their ancestors to erase the evidence of their legitimate rule.

And, they amputated limbs, eyes, ears, noses, tongues, heads…even castrated their victims. They made pyramids of heads and hung heads from trees.

Not to mention they burned people alive…all ages. Led captives away with hooks in their noses, and...

Even the Assyrian soldiers suffered…with what we know today as PTSD. They reported seeing and hearing ‘ghosts’ of their victims. They were mentally traumatized by the torture they inflicted on others.

I say all of this…not for a history lesson, but to bring to life the context. Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.”

The men of Nineveh, as terrible as they were (and Gentiles nonetheless), will serve as witnesses against the Jewish generation of Jesus’ day who saw Jesus and rejected Him.

The Jews saw the miracles and signs that attested that Jesus was their Messiah and God, and heard the message Jesus heralded…they should have been able to discern the times, but they didn’t turn to Him.

Thus, at the judgment…the Great White Throne judgment …that generation that rejected Jesus…along with all unbelievers will be judged and sentenced.

When Jonah was called to preach to the Ninevites…he was beyond reluctant…it took being swallowed by a great fish for three days to get him to be obedient.

Finally, Jonah heralded a message to Nineveh which was, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Not a loving or feel-good message…Jonah hated the cruel Assyrians.

Yet, Jon 3:5 states “So the people of Nineveh believed God...” and at the end of Jonah chapter 3 we read, “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them...”

Jonah preached to the Ninevites approximately 725 B.C. The Assyrians repented and that generation was sparred…but, the Assyrians would return to wickedness and ultimately 120 years later...the Assyrian Empire fell in 605 B.C. conquered by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

But, here is the point that Jesus is making. There is a comparison. The men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah’s message, will stand as witnesses against Jesus’ generation.

The men of Nineveh heeded the message of Jonah, and “a greater” than Jonah was present, yet Jesus’ generation did not repent and they will be condemned.

At the end of V41, some translations say “a greater than Jonah is here” other translations “something greater than Jonah...”

So, what is “something greater than Jonah”?

At first glance it seems Jesus is in view.

However, Jesus does not say “someone greater,” but “something greater.”

Further, “Something” is not in the masculine, but in the neuter (not masculine, not feminine…neuter).

D.A. Carson states, “the neuter points to God’s whole work in Jesus, the sending of his Son, the decisive provision for the salvation of repentant sinners, the bringing in of the kingdom. All this represents something far greater than the coming of a Jewish prophet [Jonah] to the ancient city of Nineveh.”

“Something greater” is Jesus and more…it was the all encompassing Man, Messiah, Ministry, and Movement that God brought to Jesus’ generation…and they rejected it all.

Jesus continues with a second illustration...

Matt 12:42 “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a [‘something’- neuter] greater than Solomon is here.”

Jesus now references the “queen of the South”…another who will stand as a witness against Jesus’ generation and condemn it for rejecting the Man, Messiah, Message, and Movement of God during Jesus’ time.

So, who is this “queen of the South?” In 1 Kings 10, we read about the “queen of Sheba” who most scholars equate to the “queen of the South” since Sheba is thought located to the south of Israel about 1200 miles.

Some identify Sheba as a land in Africa (possibly Ethiopia). Though, Sheba was likely the land of the Sabeans…in the southern Arabian peninsula…modern day Yemen (just South of Saudi Arabia). I have a slide depicting the route (in orange) that the queen of Sheba may have taken from Sheba in the south to Israel.

Scholars equate the “queen of the South” with the “queen of Sheba.” Let’s read 1 Ki 10:1-9 to refresh ourselves with this account:

1 Kings 10:1-9 “Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue [a company], with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. [We would say, “it took her breath away.”] 6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. 8 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

Jesus references the queen of the south, because she was a Gentile and travelled far to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and as Solomon answered all her questions and she saw Solomon’s wisdom…it took her breath away and she glorified God.

But, the Religious Leaders and the generation of Jesus’ day would be condemned. They didn’t have to travel any distance…Jesus travelled from heaven to them yet they were not spiritually moved. Thus, during the Great White Throne judgment, the queen of the South will rise and condemn them.

In these two Gentile examples, the Ninevites and the queen of Sheba…both turned to God because of mere men (Jonah and Solomon), who paled in comparison to the divinity of Jesus and His ministry.

Yet, the Jews were not like these Gentiles…they did not turn to God…thus their condemnation will be great!

Matt 12:43-45 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

These 3 verses seem out of place. It’s like Jesus takes a left turn in His thought process…all of the sudden talking about demon possession. And, these verses are often used as a proof text to discuss demon possession and demonology, which we are not going to discuss today…because I don’t want to lose sight of the context.

The context hasn’t changed...Look at the end of V45 “So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” Jesus is presenting a parable about demon possession as another comparison, illustration, and lesson of warning to His generation that rejected Him.

So, what is He saying?

To understand this, let’s first look back at the context beginning in V24...the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out a demon by the power of Beelzebub…Satan.

Jesus now ties His thoughts to the Beelzebub accusation, demon possession and exorcism, and here’s the point...

Jesus is warning the scribes, Pharisees, and people of His generation that there is great danger of being neutral towards Jesus. This is the same point that Jesus made back in V30 (right after He spoke about casting out demons and binding the strong man). Matt 12:30 states, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

There cannot be neutrality towards Jesus. This is a similar idea to what Jesus said in Rev 3:16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

MacDonald stated, “The Lord would have preferred [the Laodicean Church] to have been extreme in its indifference or its zeal. But no—it was lukewarm enough to deceive people into thinking that it was a church of God, and so disgustingly lukewarm about divine things as to nauseate the Most High.”

“Pastor Marc…I’m confused…what does this illustration about demon possession have to do with neutrality with Jesus?”

Great Question…I knew you were going to ask it…here’s how it relates. If one were possessed by demons, and by the power of God those demons were exorcised…if that person them remains neutral towards Jesus…they are in great danger.

There is only 1 thing that can ensure you will not be demon possessed (especially if you were formerly been demon possessed) that 1 thing is becoming a believer in Jesus Christ. No neutrality, but being for Jesus…gathering with Jesus. When you have faith in Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit in-dwells you.

In 2 Cor 14 we read “...what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God...”

God is not going to share His temple (the body of a believer) with demons.

The warning to Jesus’ generation is the kingdom of God was present amongst them, and their position towards Jesus and all that God was doing was putting them in grave spiritual danger…they were in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit…they were in danger of condemnation in the last judgment…and they were in danger of unclean spirits haunting them during their day because they were not for Jesus…some were neutral towards Jesus and some were against Him.

And, this warning applies to today…don’t be a lukewarm or neutral Christian. If you are not serious and faithful about your walk with Jesus…repent…which means to make a u-turn…or as the military would say... “about face.” Repent spiritually. And, it begins with simple things...As the children’s song goes “Read your Bible and pray everyday…pray everyday…pray everyday.”

Once saved, simply reading your Bible and praying everyday in dedicated time with God will grow your relationship with God…because time is the basis for relationships. If you are not spending time with a person, you don’t have a good relationship. If you are not spending time with God, you don’t have a relationship with Him…and this grieves Him because He loves you and wants a relationship with you…which is a great segue to our closing verses....

Matt 12:46-47 “While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

In the midst of these warnings, along comes Jesus’ mother (Mary), and his brothers. Jesus had 1/2 brothers (same Mother, but Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit…and His siblings of Joseph).

Matt 13:55-56 further informs us, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters [plural], are they not all with us?” So, Jesus had at least 2 sisters and 4 brothers…at least 6 siblings if not more.

There is a teaching called the “Perpetual Virginity of Mary” that does not hold up well when compared to the actual words of the Bible.

Last week, during our Easter service, I don’t know if you picked up on it, but I emphasized there were clothes [plural] in Jesus’ tomb and there was a separate face cloth or handkerchief around His head as stated in John 20:6-7 “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.”

There is a relic called the Shroud of Turin that some claim to be the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. And, some present strong arguments in support, but what does the Bible say…there were several strips of cloths and a separate cloth for Jesus’ head, unlike the Shroud of Turin which is one singular cloth…not to mention some dating tests place the Shroud in the 10 century.

The Shroud of Turin could have been authentic for some man, but not for THE Man…Jesus Christ. Even if it were for Jesus, we are not to worship relics.

All this to say, be careful about holding sacred relics or church traditions that are contrary to what the Bible actually says. Traditions of man will steer you off course from God’s true intent found in His word.

Back to Matthew. So, Jesus’ earthly family come to speak to Him. The parallel passage in Luke 8 tells us they “…could not approach Him because of the crowd.” There was a multitude of people present.

It’s important that you understand that Jesus’ own family were not on board with His Messiahship or ministry…at least not at this point. This is an important detail as we read about this encounter in Vss 46-50.

“Well, how do you know?” I know because in the parallel account in Mark, just prior to the Pharisees accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, Mark 3:21 records “...when His own people [Jesus’ family] heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

And, later, in Jesus 3rd year of Ministry, John 7:5 records “even His brothers did not believe in Him.”

In time, at least two of Jesus’ brothers would come to believe…after Jesus rose again, 1 Cor 15:7 tells us Jesus “…was seen by James.” James, the author of the epistle, would become a believer. Also, Jude, the brother of James, 1/2 brother of Jesus would come to faith…as he wrote the epistle of Jude.

But, prior to this, Jesus’ brothers were not on board with His Messiahship or ministry…an important detail as we read these final verses in Matt 12...

Matt 12:48-50 “But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

Luke 8:21 alternatively phrases V50 as “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

At this time, Jesus’ own family was guilty of being neutral towards Him, just as the evil generation of Jesus’ day. Thus, Jesus teaches a hard truth that spiritual relationships supersede blood relationships.

Mary and Jesus’ brothers, the generation of Jesus’ day, the scribes and the Pharisees …all were Jews…they were a representation of Israel…and they stood in opposition to Jesus because they were not for Jesus. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me...”

Thus, here in Vss 49-50, we see a shift in Jesus’ ministry. He went to the Jews first, and they did not receive Him. Now, He is opening to gates to whomever will receive Him… “whoever does God’s will” … “those who hear the word of God and do it.” Jew or Gentile alike…those who are for Jesus…that’s who He considers family.

Worship Team Come. Let’s Pray...

There is no neutral with Jesus. You are either for Him or against Him. But, the invitation to be part of His family is open to all. Jesus wants a relationship with you…and that’s what Communion is all about. Communion Gk. kŏinōnia- by def. “fellowship.”

Communion Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-29

“...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

As the communion elements are being distributed, please take a moment individually to pray remembering Jesus sacrifice for you and praise God. And, examine yourself...asking forgiveness for anything you need to confess so you take communion in a worthy manner.

Once you have prayed, go ahead and take the communion elements, when you are ready. Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you are not saved, if you have never confessed Jesus is your Lord, you have a couple options, either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option... accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. Pray to God and tell Him you believe in Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and then take communion. If you pray that prayer today, if today is your day of salvation, tell us that great news afterwards.