Matthew 12:38
Matthew 12:38-42 says, "Then certain of
the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign
from you. But he answered and said unto them, An evil
and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given
to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three
nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth. The men of
There are a couple of things taught by
Jesus in this passage. The first teaching has to do with signs. A sign is a
miracle done by God in order to prove a point or to get people’s attention. The
Pharisees demanded that Jesus would show them a sign. Jesus had already done
many miracles, and would continue to do them until His death, so it does seem a
little strange that the Pharisees would demand another sign. But God does
miracles if and when He chooses. According to this incident in the life of
Jesus, God does not attempt to prove Himself by miracles to those who have
already chosen to not believe. Remember that the apostle Thomas said that he
would not believe unless he actually saw and touched the risen Christ, but
Jesus said that blessed will be those who will believe without seeing. Make
sure that your faith is be based upon the Word of God alone, and never require
an outward sign in order to believe, because Jesus said that an evil and
adulterous generation seeks after a sign.
The only sign that any generation can be
sure of obtaining is that of the empty tomb, the sign of the resurrection from
the dead by Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure. Anyone who studies
history cannot refute the fact of the life of Jesus, and still be an honest
student of history. The ultimate proof of who Jesus is: was the resurrection
from the dead. There will be no other sign given. Because Jesus rose from the
dead, He is alive, and you can know Him personally.
Another thing that is taught in this
passage by Jesus is that when we are judged we will be compared to others who
had similar opportunities. The opportunity that Jesus mentions is the
opportunity to hear and know wisdom, and the greatest wisdom is the wisdom that
is given by God. The great wisdom that Solomon had was the wisdom that was
given to him by God. God told Solomon that he could ask for anything. Solomon
did not ask for riches, and he did not ask for victory over his enemies; he
asked for wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom about life is recorded in written form in
the Proverbs, and we still admire his wisdom 3000 years later.
We need wisdom from God. Wisdom is
understanding life. Wisdom is understanding yourself, knowing your own
strengths and weaknesses, knowing where you fit in and what to go after. Wisdom
is understanding a matter, and knowing the best course of action to take in
each situation. Without wisdom from God, we are doomed to make terrible
mistakes of judgment
and to suffer the consequences of such mistakes. As it says in Proverbs 4:7, "Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
The Queen of Sheba heard of the
wisdom of Solomon, and she traveled from her country to
In Matthew 12:43-45 Jesus said, "When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and
finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from where I came out;
and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goes he, and
takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter
in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."
In this teaching Jesus is talking about
human behavior and the need to improve one’s behavior. One of the most
important goals in life is to learn to be a better person. If you are going to
live life the way that it was meant to be lived, then one of your goals must be
to find ways to improve yourself both morally and ethically. No matter what else
you achieve, if you do not become a better person, then you are a failure. The
true measure of your life is not what you have or what you possess, but what kind of person you
are.
Jesus is saying that
in the quest to improve yourself morally, one thing that will not work
is self-reformation. That’s why most people fail at
keeping a New Year’s resolution. Long-lasting improvement in the
behavior of humans will not be achieved if it is based on the principle of
self-reformation without help from God. God
has a plan for improving the lives of people, but instead of starting and
ending with you and your own efforts, God’s plan to
improve your life starts and ends with
Jesus.
A person must realize his own hopelessness
and helplessness and sinfulness, and turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of sins. When a person does turn to Jesus, it’s the
power of the Spirit of God within them, and not their own efforts that gives
them the capability to change the behavior patterns of their life. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold all
things are become new." A person who
becomes connected to God through faith in Jesus Christ has a spiritual awakening. As a result there is a new outlook
on life and a new interest in having a changed behavior. This spiritual awakening which
only Christ can give is what people need the most to be able to improve
their lives.
Jesus is not saying that human behavior
cannot be improved, but He is pointing out that human behavior will not be
improved if the wrong methods are used to try and improve it. The best chance that people will have to improve
their lives will be to have a spiritual awakening through Jesus Christ. Without
such spiritual help people are doomed to repeat their sinful actions. For
example, the best rehabilitation program that any prison can have will be to
provide opportunities for the inmates to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many
of the worst crimes are committed by those who have been put into prison for a
time, but when they get out of jail they often
continue in their destructive behavior or become even worse individuals than
they were before. It happens just like Jesus said that it would, "the last state of
that man is worse than the first."
It will happen the same way with you. If you find a way to improve your
behavior without faith in Christ, as time goes by you could become a worse
person, corrupted by the world around you and by your own selfish impulses.
In Matthew 12:46-50 the Bible says, "While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and
his brothers stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him,
Behold, your mother and your brothers stand without, desiring to speak with
you. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who
are my brothers? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and
said, Behold my mother and my brothers! For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Jesus did have a mother and he did have
brothers, but the point that Jesus was trying to make was that the spiritual
relationship between Him and others was more important than family
relationships. The essential question about your genealogy is not whom you are
related to from a flesh and blood standpoint, but whom you are related to from
a spiritual standpoint. You may not know it, but your closest relatives are
your spiritual relatives, not your flesh and blood relatives.
This same thing is taught in John 1:12-13
which says, "But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Obviously there is a fleshly birth, which
puts you into a certain human family. There is also a spiritual birth that is
much more important and that puts you into the family of God.
If you have experienced the spiritual birth
through Jesus Christ, then every other person in the world who has experienced
this spiritual birth is actually your brother or sister no matter what is their
race or national origin. All of your spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ will be spending eternity with you. But as far as your flesh and blood relatives
are concerned, many of them you may not see again
once this life is over.
Later in Matthew chapter 22 concerning a
situation where a woman is married 7 different times, Jesus is asked which one
will be her husband in the next life. He replied in Matthew
Many human relationships fall apart over
time. Some of our most important human relationships can disintegrate.
Husband-wife relationships and parent-child relationships can fall apart. One
reason for this is the spiritual differences that may arise between them. There
is no greater unity than spiritual unity, and there is no greater division than
spiritual division. But no matter what happens to your human relationships, you
can always count on your relationship with God.
The reason that you can always count on
your relationship with God is because you know that He will always bring the
right things to the relationship. God will always bring the right amount of
patience, love, and forgiveness to your relationship with Him. As long as you
come with the right attitude, your relationship with God is guaranteed because
you know that He will be there in all the right ways. But you do not have the
same guarantee with your human relationships. No matter what you bring, if the
other party does not bring the right things, it will not work. One person
cannot make a relationship work. Learn to cultivate your friendship and your
companionship with God. Unlike humans, He will not disappoint you.
Matthew 13:1-3 says, "The same day went
Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were
gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole
multitude stood on the shore. And he spoke many things unto them in parables." In Matthew chapter 13 Jesus teaches seven
different parables. Again we see the majesty and mastery of Jesus the teacher,
in that He had the unique ability to take the simple things of life and teach
such profound things from them. Jesus teaches things
about life that surpass the best minds of the human race, and yet He taught
things that even a little child can understand.
Jesus also taught such profound truths that we can spend a life-time
looking into the meaning of them.
The first parable that Jesus taught was the
parable of the sower. Jesus said in Matthew 13:3-9, "Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell
by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony
places, where they had not much earth: and when they sprung up, because they
had no deepness of earth: when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because
they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the
thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought
forth fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty fold,
some thirty fold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear."
There should be little doubt about what the
parable of the sower means, because Jesus explains it
for us in Matthew 13:18-23. But before Jesus explains the parable of the sower, Jesus answers the disciples’ question as to why He
used parables when He taught. Matthew 13:10-17 says, "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why do you
speak unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it
is not given. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he
has. Therefore speak I unto them in parables: because they seeing see not; and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the
prophesy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s
heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with
their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and
I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for
they hear. For truly I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have
desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear
those things which you hear, and have not heard them."
Jesus used parables in some of his
teachings in order to be symbolic of the fact that God’s truth will be revealed
to some individuals but it will remain hidden to others. You cannot understand
God’s Word or God’s truth unless He reveals it to you. Notice that Jesus calls
His teachings in verse 11, "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." He calls
them a mystery because His teachings remain a mystery to those who do not
understand them, but the mystery has been solved for those who find the answer
in the forgiveness of sins that is in Jesus Christ.
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Copyright; 2007 by Charles F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved