Moving Through Matthew

One of the words that Jesus used a few times here in Chapter 12 was “generation.”

This word points to a time of people’s lives. For, I am of a different generation that you are. I was born before you and many years separate our age.

So if you think about my family, I am a part of a generation, but Sadie is part of a different generation.

For an example in the Bible, think about the Israelites who had come out of Egypt and they were moving through the wilderness on their way to the promised land. But they disappointed God, and God told them that there generation would not see the promised land, but the next generation would. So after those people died in the wilderness, then God prepared the next generation (the children) of those Mothers and Fathers to enter the promised land.

But Jesus uses this word generation when we looks at the people who are listening to his words and he speaks them....the crowd, teh Pharisees, all of those men and women who would see the miracles and hear his teachings and warning about the coing Kingdom of God.

Four times in Chapter 12 he looks at these people and talks about the generation. But I really want you to see two times in which he does not identify them just as a generation, but he uses a word to discribe the generation.

First is a verse from last week and the second is a verse from this weeks text.

Look at Matthew 12:38-39

Matthew 12:38–39 (ESV)

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

He didn’t refer to them as a generation, but an evil and adulterous generation.

Look at the 2nd, from this weeks text:

Matthew 12:45

Matthew 12:45 (ESV)

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Why would Jesus, look at people and say they are evil and adulterous? Well lets look at those two word: evil and adulterous.

Evil: the opposite of good. Jesus was good, he was God. He was the opposite of Satan who is evil. So if you were not living for God, if you turning away from what Jesus was saying, then you were evil.

Adulterous: the word adultery means to cheat or turn away from the one that you love. A man who is married who has relations with another woman other than his wife is an adulterer. So for Jesus to say this means that they have turned away from the one who created the and loves them.

From the verses we studied last week and those we will see today, Jesus is looking at those people who are not believing that he is the promised Messiah, those who are turning away and he is calling them evil.... the opposite of God, and if those people will not turn to him in belief, will left to be separated from God in Hell for eternity.

This is serious. This should make you sit up straight, listen, and consider your eternal future…and you never know when it could begin.

Let’s look at our text today and finish what Matthew is showing us here in the last part of Chapter 12.

Matthew 12:43–45 ESV

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

Jesus, through his words, shows us a picture of what happens to an evil spirit when it leaves a person. What we see in Scripture is how the person is made whole again. Like earlier in Chapter 12 the demon oppressed man began to see and speak, but what about the demon that came out of him. Did he die? Did he disappear? No. Satan still uses him.

Jesus show that the demon would leave the person and go out into the wilderness and look for rest. But rest for the demon was when it was inside of a person. So he wouldn’t be happy, and he wanted to return to the person. But when it returns, the demon sees that this person is changed, for the good, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. The demon enters back into that person and even brings 7 more with him.

Now when you read something like that you may have questions. Can a demon enter if he wants to? How can that be if he was cast out? But we don’t need to think about that, what we need to think about is why Jesus would tell this story, and what Matthew would record it.

What is he talking about? This generation had seen the miracles including demons being cast out. As Jesus is telling them about the demon who is cast out and then returns, he is telling them that you can’t see these things and it not change you. You can’t witness the Messiah, you can’t resist the calling of the Holy Spirit and not stay the same.... because if you do turn away, if you reject, it you do not follow Jesus, it will be like what Jesus saif about the person who the seven demons entered...

Matthew 12:45

Matthew 12:45 (ESV)

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

They had been presented with the truth, and it didn’t change them.

Let’s move onto the last section of Chapter 12

Matthew 12:46-50

Matthew 12:46–50 ESV

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he 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.”

Now when we first read this, it looks like Jesus doesn’t even care about his mother or even his brothers. He wouldn’t greet them and he even says they they are not his mothers or brothers. It seems that he care nothing for his family and his Mother. But we know that’s not true.

When Jesus went to the cross, he wanted to make sure that his Mother would be taken care of.

John 19:26–27 ESV

26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

He loved his mother, and he wanted to make sure that even when he was gone, she was taken care of. So we know that when he says these words in Chapter 12, its not because he is abandoning his Mother. So lets look at what his message is. The key is found in verse 50...

Matthew 12:50 ESV

50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus’ teaching here points to his purpose for coming to earth....to seek and save those who were lost. He didn’t come for the well people, he came for the sick people. People who had no hope. But not hope in this world, but hope in the world to come. When someone believes in Jesus, repents, and begins to follow him, they are doing (50) the will of my Father in heaven. And Jesus then looks at them and calls them son, daughter, family. They are truly his in the family of God.

This brings up an interesting thought… are your brothers, sisters, family…believers of Jesus Christ? And when I say believers, you understand I mean belief in the heart and just not the head. Are they living for Christ, following him and his ways? Have they given their heart to Christ? Or are they part of this evil and adulterous generation.

Do you have someone in your family like that? You know that they are not a true believer. You know that if they died today, they would spend eternity separated from God.

Did you know that you have the most powerful weapon against Satan, and the most powerful weapon for God....prayer. And if you know someone in your family that does not believe in Jesus, the first and bets thing you can do is to pray fro that person, everyday. Even if you don’t get to talk to the often and tell them about Jesus, what you can do now is pray.

I had a Pastor friend many years ago, ad his favorite verse was this one from 1 Samuel ...

1 Samuel 12:23 (ESV)

23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

If you know what happens at the end of someone life, the you know they need Jesus now!

We are going to do something a little different with our time of prayer today. Let’s take some time and prayer for our family who may not know Jesus. Mother, Father, sister, brother, uncles....or relations. Where you are lets prayer that they would come to salvation.