Matt 11:1-12:50, The rejection of the King by the nation's leaders

• Review:
• Outline
• Gospel comparison


Matthew 11:2–6 (ESV) — 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”


• Timeline:
• We have reached a pivotal point in Jesus' ministry
• This passage (up to verse 30) immediately precede 12:22
• What does John want to know?
• Why is John asking the question?
• We can't be sure
• No judgment
• No freedom for captives (himself specifically)
• On the surface, he has some doubts
• Possibly, he is looking for the kingdom to be set up (common view of the Messiah)
• The question here is in code; the answer is also in code
• What is the answer?
• There were specific miracles that the OT said the Messiah would perform.  Jesus' reply simply reiterates them (six signs of Isaiah)
• Isa 29:18 deaf hear, blind see
• Isa 35:5 blind opened, deaf unstopped
• Isa 35:6 lame leap, mute sing
• Resurrection of dead determined by Jews (but not unique to Messiah)
• Isa 61:1 good news to the poor, bind broken-hearted
• He does not quote Isa 61:1 setting captives free and opening prisons
• John called Jesus the Lamb of God, so he knew he was the suffering servant
• This section sets up the rejection or why Jesus did not fulfill all of the prophecies of the Messiah
• APPLICATION: Doubting is not an unusual response in the most godly of men.  Jesus calls John the greatest of all men


Matthew 11:11–19 (ESV) — 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”


• This is a quote of games children use to play: wedding and funeral
• What is the Jesus saying about people's response to John's life?
• He had a demon  (or probably--his strange asceticism)
• Their response to Jesus' life?
• He was a drunkard (he was not), a friend of tax collectors and sinners!
• APPLICATION:  People will believe what they want to believe.  They look for excuses to support their presuppositions.  They are looking for even the slightest failure in our lives so that they can discount the gospel.  And we will fail.  But, we need to repent, get back up after our failure, and try again.  Ultimately our testimony can have a positive impact


• We are not going to look at the intervening passages.  I hope you are reading the entire passages.
• Matt 12:1-21 refer to two incidents which happened quite a bit earlier, both involving the Sabbath
• Jesus reiterated nine out of the ten commandments
• The Sabbath is the one he did not reiterate
• The Sabbaths were clearly misunderstood by the religious authorities
• Today the same thing happens (usually it is the Sabbath or the Tithe where we ignore the New Testament principles and focus on the rule)
• We let the day and the rules force our actions instead of the spirt and the heart
• The two Sabbath incidents (there are actually three in the gospels) are what confirm the Jewish leaders' response to Jesus
• They saw their authority diminished when Jesus applied grace
• Matthew 12:14 (ESV) — 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.


Matthew 12:22–27 (ESV) — 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.


• The term "Son of David" is another term for the Messiah
• The people had seen many miracles before, and had not asked the question in verse 23, why this time?
• This is a messianic signal
• Who do the people turn to?
• The leadership
• This is still true today.  Many Jews will not respond today because the Rabbis say that Yeshua is not the Messiah
• What is the leadership' answer?
• This is the prince of demons
• His power is evil and demonic
• Rather, being the very person and nature of God in their midst, they have the very person and nature of evil in their midst (what a contrast!)
• The call him Ba’al of Zebul which meant “lord of the dung.” Utley, R. J. (2000). The First Christian Primer: Matthew (Vol. Volume 9, p. 109). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.
• What is Jesus' response?
• Why would Satan cast out his forces from a person? Why would he destroy evil in a person (continually)?
• How do the Pharisees cast out demons … how can you say one does it by the spirit of God and the other by Satan?


Matthew 12:28–32 (ESV) — 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.


• The Holy Spirit is the power by which the miracles are accomplished
• What is the blasphemy against the Spirit (the unpardonable sin)?
• My opinion:  this sin was specific to this point in time.  It is a rejection of God in the flesh and the signs of the Messiah shown through the power of the Holy Spirit by the leadership of Israel.  It is irrevocable by this generation (only)
• From this point on, Arnold Fruchtenbaum observes that Jesus' ministry changes
• The offer of the kingdom to Israel is withdrawn (it will be re-offered in the tribulation)
• Jesus still works to save individual Jews but not the nation
• Miracles now require faith
• Jesus speaks in parables from this point forward
• Jesus refers to "this generation" repeatedly
• Jesus spends more time alone with the disciples and less time publicly
• Could the unpardonable sin be unbelief? Possibly
• It is true that Jesus paid the sins for the whole world
• It is true that one remaining sin is the sin of unbelief
• But, one can choose to not believe and then change his mind on his deathbed, in which case it would not be unpardonable
• But it is unpardonable in the sense that without a change there can be NO salvation


Matthew 12:38–42 (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. 40 For just 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. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.


• The amazing thing is that they now have the gall to ask for a sign, where have they been?
• Jesus says the he will give the nation only one sign (actually 3 times), what is the sign?
• Sign of Jonah, 3 days and nights in the heart of the earth
• Three times: 1) Lazarus; 2) Jesus (first resurrection unto a new body); 3) the two witnesses in the period of the tribulation (start of the second half)
• Why 3 days?
• Needed 3 days to not be a resuscitation
• Did you ever wonder why Jesus waits a couple of days after hearing Lazarus is dead?
• Three days and nights is a common Jewish way of saying all or part of 3 days
• We want to mathematically parse it, but that is not what they meant when they talked in those days
• Who does Jesus tell the Pharisees will judge them?
• Men of Nineveh
• Queen of the south
• What does Jesus call the leaders and the people?
• This generation
• What is Jesus saying?
• You blew it.  You failed to recognize the signs


APPLICATION:
1. Confess doubts, it's normal, but then you need to move on
2. Confess sin, pick yourself up, and move on (walk with God)
3. Be careful that you are not just believing just what you want to believe (the Pharisees were guilty of that--and they were religiously trained)
4. Don't ignore the signs. God gives us all signs at various times. Listen!