Matthew 12:38-50

Search and Find: A Series on Matthew  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  55:20
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Verse 38-42 - The Sign of Judah
The religious teachers’ role couldn’t allow Jesus’ claims and actions to be unchallenged. Last week we talked about how they were accusing Him about being Satan.
How often do we ask God to show us a sign?
Asking God for a sign is not necessarily evil or bad. In fact, there were many OT stories where people asked for a sign:
Gideon requested and received a sign to confirm God’s promise.
Elijah called down fire from heaven
They were not asking Jesus to prove that He was moving in God’s authority. They were trying to prove that He wasn’t and using some ambiguous way to trap Him.
Why did Jesus reject their question?
Think CONTEXT: he was traveling around the region teaching, preaching and healing. He was already doing great miracles but they still did not believe Him.
He rejected their question because of their heart. Remember that He could hear their thoughts? He knew their hearts.
Their demand for a sign shows they were not willing to accept that God’s plan could exist outside of their own?
I read the Gospels and think about how I can be more like Christ.
Studying for this series makes me realize how I can be like the Pharisees.
It’s easy to think about how we are like or not like Christ. It’s a harsher look at the heart to think how we are like or not like the Pharisees.
There will be people who will not get it because they do not want to get it.
Jesus is saying that even the wicked people received salvation even in the midst of their depravity and Queen Sheba with all her worldly wisdom get the Kingdom message BUT not the religious people because their heart is not right.
JONAH: He was rescued from the prospect of death whereas Jesus beat deaht.
The moment of danger in our faith is the moment we think we have it figured out.
God is like the freaking ocean and we keep trying to contain Him to a kiddie cup.
The stumbling block for the religious was their constant need to measure Jesus up to their expectations instead of being willing to let God blow their expectations out of the water.
Our stumbling block with the next wave of revival will be trying to make it fit into our expectations instead of crying out “God, have your way!”
“God, have your way!”
The people of Israel cried out for God to rescue and restore them. They cried this out yet they refused to see that God’s way was not their way. God’s plan was not their plan. And in that…they missed the move of God.
Would we not be the kind fo people that miss the move of God because He was not moving our way?
We can say all day long that we want God to have His way in our family, job, our kids, our community and whatnot. Just like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. But if our heart is not lining up to that than we will miss it. Our heart is where all things flow.
Verse 43-45
Half hearted repentance without a new commitment will not last.
This story about the exorcism is a cautionary tale of what will happen to this generation. They will be overcome by demonic activity because their “home” is not clean and swept in order.
Their liberation from this first demon is them hearing the Gospel. But if they do not change their life and clean up their life than the demon will come back even stronger.
Verse 46-50
What’s the disparity between who the disciples say are outside and who Jesus says is outside?
Jesus included that there were sisters out there too.
This comes off disrespectful to his family especially his mother. But Jesus is trying to point to a tie that is more intimate and deeper than even blood. It is the kingdom tie.
Sometimes our biggest hurts and tension comes from our family especially as we pursue Christ and discipleship. We will have many points of tension to wonder if we want to keep going with it.
Jesus was not breaking down family structure. He is making a point that covenant faith is through the point of entry into the Kingdom of God. Not blood. The Jews believe that their blood was their point of entry. Not their faith.
Context is key!
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