Salvation Is Jesus

Matthew 12 - Part b

The second half of Matthew chapter 12 we will look at starts in verse 38. This section of scripture has some indirect statements that fall into the “Salvation Is Jesus” category of this blog.

In verses 38 - 40, we’re told:

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous 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.”

We can see from Jesus’ response, these Pharisees were not really interested in listening to Jesus’ message. All they wanted to see were some “magic tricks” from Jesus. He then prophecies about his own death and resurrection, using an analogy from Jonah. We can see here that Jesus wasn’t after fame or popularity, he was after people’s hearts. If you read on, Jesus compares the “adulterous generation” of Pharisees and teachers to the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South and tells the Pharisees that these gentiles will end up being their judge. The people of Nineveh listened to the word of God through Jonah, and the Queen of the South listened to the word of God through Solomon. Jesus states that he is greater than both of these Old Testament Prophets, yet the Pharisees are choosing to reject his message.

In verses 43-45, Jesus continues his rebuke of the Pharisees and says the following:

When an evil spirit comes out of a man, 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. 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 man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.

Jesus tells the Pharisees why he will not perform miracles on demand, using a parable about exorcism as an example. Jesus has the power to cast out a demon, but if that person is like the Pharisees (a part of the “wicked generation”), that demon will only come back with even more demons, making that man worse off than before. In the interim, the man may seem fine by his outer appearance, being “swept clean and put in order.” But if his heart has not surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ he is still left open for attack by the very demon that was cast out, along with that demon’s friends.

In the next chapter we’ll see that Jesus begins to teach his followers using parables, and seems to perform less miracles. This way, people who simply want to be entertained won’t get to see a “magic show” and only the people who are truly interested in Jesus message will listen to and understand Jesus’ words.

Chapter 12 ends with Jesus’ mother and brothers sending a message from the outside of the crowd, wanting to speak to him. When Jesus it told his family is wanting to talk to him, he says in verse 48-50:

“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.”

Jesus uses the request from his family to springboard into another mini-parable. Following the will of the Father is what makes us part of the family of God. And as we know from John 6:40:

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.