174: The Unpardonable Sin (Walking with Jesus Series, #036: Matt. 12:22-45)

Jesus exorcises a demon from a man and heals the maladies the demon had caused. But the Pharisees, instead of rejoicing, accuse Jesus of doing this in the power of Satan. Pastor Hollandsworth discusses the meaning of Christ’s rebuke to the Pharisees, answering the questions: What is the unpardonable sin? To whom does it apply? Can Christians commit this sin today?

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Turn with me in your Bibles, please, to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 12. We're continuing with our ongoing Sunday morning series entitled Walking with Jesus: Studies in the Life, Ministry in Particular of Christ. This is message number 36 in the series. This particular message and text completes one of the phases of Christ's ministry. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, I have seen over the course of about the past ten messages, we have seen an emphasis on the miracles of Christ. Now he's not going to stop doing miracles going forward, but that's not the emphasis. Because, as you're going to see in the text this morning, of the rejection of the Pharisees and so violently so toward Christ, he's going to emphasize parables in the next phase. And we'll see a whole new world open up as he starts to relate these stories with a spiritual meaning to help illustrate the purpose. And we're going to see why he speaks in parables starting next Sunday. So a new phase of Christ's ministry today, completing this present phase of miracles. Matthew 12, verses 22 through 45 will be our text. But right now, let's just read verses 31 and 32. Jesus is speaking. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. A question to ponder here. What is the unpardonable sin? To whom does it apply? Is the penalty for this sin hell? Can Christians commit the unpardonable sin? These are all very good questions. And I hope to answer them in the course of the message. And as you can see, I've titled the message The Unpardonable Sin. But we must start at the beginning and put these verses in their proper context. So let's back up to verse 22. Then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. I need to clarify that the vast majority of people who are blind or deaf or unable to speak are not demon-possessed. They've not been plagued by a supernatural being that has caused their handicap. Rather, their impairment is physical in nature. And there's plenty of these impairments throughout life. We understand that. But in this case, we learn that it's quite possible in cases of demonic possession for the demon to harm the bodies of their victims. And that's what is exactly has happened here in this case. Matthew tells us plainly that a man is brought to Jesus who is demon-possessed. He cannot see, he cannot speak, presumably he cannot hear. Text doesn't say that, but that could be one of the results as well. And it's very clearly due to the demonic oppression. Once Jesus exorcises the demon, the demon's grip is instantly released, the man is healed and he's able to see and speak again. Well, this is essentially a four-in-one miracle. Think about it. The man is loosed from the power of a demon, and he's given back sight, possibly hearing, and speech. It should not escape your notice that Jesus is not merely Lord over the natural realm, he is also Lord over the supernatural. The demons must obey his voice. As you can imagine, this exorcism creates quite a stir. Look at verse 23. All the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the son of David? The crowds are stunned. They wonder out loud, could this be the son of David? In other words, is this the Messiah? Yeah, because Son of David was the kingly title for Messiah. The Old Testament had clearly prophesied that Messiah would not only be from the tribe of Judah, but also of the lineage of King David. So they're essentially saying, is this the Messiah? Now that brings me to our first point. We're going to have five total today. Number one, a serious charge. The Pharisees do not like that the crowds are wondering whether Jesus could be the Messiah. And so guess what they do? They hijack the narrative. Satan loves to do that, doesn't he? Boy, he does it all throughout history, too. Matthew 12, 24. Now, when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Well, they're essentially saying this man is not the Messiah. His power to cast out demons is not of God, it is of Satan. Well, that's hijacking the narrative, wouldn't you say? Yeah. They flip the narrative and they suggest that Jesus performs this miracle of exorcism through diabolical powers. Interestingly, they use this term Beelzebub for Satan. Now, who is Beelzebub? To answer that, we first need to take a quick trip to the Old Testament, and then we'll come right back. We're going to go to 2 Kings chapter 1, verses 2 through 4. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, he was the king, and was injured. So he sent messengers and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishvite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal Zebub, the God of Ekron? Now therefore, thus says the Lord, you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. He sought the wrong God. Should have sought Jehovah. But he sought Baal in his form of Baal Zebub. When I was a freshman at the University of Illinois in Chicago, I had to read the book The Lord of the Flies for a political science class written by William Golding. We also watched the 1963 black and white British-made film of the same name. Has anyone read the book or seen the movie? Okay, a few of you have. It's an awful book. I'm not recommending it. It's an awful movie. And I did not discover until later that the Lord of the Flies is also the literal meaning of the biblical name Beelzebub or Baal Zebab. Old Testament spelling. Baal, as you know, was the chief deity of the Canaanites. He was no friend to Israel. The Philistine city of Ekron adopted Baal's manifestation as Lord of the flies, as their God. Lord of the flies implies that he was master over sickness and disease and ruler over the demons. Of course, Baal, regardless of what form he takes, is none other than Satan. And Jesus makes that clear, does he not, in verse 26, if Satan cast out Satan, then he continues his argument, so Jesus clearly sees Baal as Satan, just in a manifested form for the Canaanites, packaged under a different name. And Satan's done that all throughout history. Why would the Pharisees use the term Beelzebub or Baalzebub to refer to Satan? The Jews of Jesus' day knew that Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies, claimed power over sickness, disease, and he had complete control over the demon world, as we said earlier. And if you think about it, from their perspective, it's an ingenious charge. For if Jesus' power is not from God, then surely it must be from Beelzebub, the Canaanite deity, who's powerful over sickness, disease, and demons. That's what's going on in the text here, right? No doubt they're thinking, we got them now. It will be impossible for him to disprove our claim. But this is a very serious charge indeed, and one that is going to come back to haunt these Pharisees. I would never want to be in a debate with Jesus. He always won. He was so good. Isaiah 5, verse 20 says, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness. I wish they'd get a hold of that in Washington, D.C. Enough of politics, let's move on. Lest we mire in the mud. Point number two, an appeal to reason. Matthew 12, 25 and 26. But Jesus knew their thoughts, and he said to them, Oh, what a classic statement. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? Great logic. In the year 1858, when Abraham Lincoln was running for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Stephen Douglas, Lincoln gave his famous house divided speech. You know that Lincoln used this. Lincoln said, a house divided against itself cannot stand, quoting the scriptures. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Lincoln was quoting Matthew 12, 25, and he warned of the dangers of remaining divided as a country over the issue of slavery. Well, Lincoln lost that particular election, but two years later, as you know, he was elected president of the United States in large part because this speech had a galvanizing effect, and because Lincoln was on the higher moral ground. In a much greater way, Jesus is on the highest moral ground and he takes the Pharisees to task. Now they think they've backed him into a corner by suggesting that Jesus actually exercises demons and heals people in Satan's power and not in God's power. So appealing to reason, Jesus asks in verse 26, if Satan casts out Satan, he's divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And what a brilliant reply. How foolish of the Pharisees to have made their charge in the first place. They think they put Jesus in checkmate, but Jesus checkmates them instead. Simple reason reveals that a house divided cannot stand. Now let's flesh through this. A kingdom, city, nation, or household that has internal conflict is not going to survive. So based on this principle, Jesus makes the point that Satan would never cast out his own demons, for doing so would just weaken his little empire. Great logic. And so Jesus says he casts out demons as a work of God, not of Satan. Then we read verse 27, and if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. Now the sons of the Pharisees were their disciples, who tried to perform exorcisms. Josephus records instances of this. The Bible only tells us of some who tried but failed in Acts 19. Using good reason once again, Jesus asked the Pharisees, through what power their disciples had supposedly cast out demons. Well, if I'm casting them out in the power of Satan, what about your disciples? In whose power are they casting them out? He's backing them into a corner. So if they're accusing Jesus of casting out demons in the power of Satan, then by default they're accusing their own disciples of being satanically empowered as well. And in that case, they are judging themselves by their accusations. Hmm, this is good stuff. Now look at verse 28. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Wow, drove it home there. If Jesus casts out demons by the power of God's Holy Spirit, then he is the Messiah sent by God to offer kingdom inheritance. Now I want you to see a summary of Christ's logic here. We're going to put it in the form of syllogisms. Some of you know what those are. They're just three points that make a good argument. That's simply put, but enough said for now. Christ's syllogism number one, first, implied there are only two supernatural powers, God and Satan. Jesus believed that, so did the Pharisees. Point two, claiming that Jesus casts out demons in the power of Satan is irrational, for Satan does not cast out Satan. And point three, the conclusion, therefore, Jesus casts out demons in the power of God, and he is the Messiah sent by God to offer the kingdom. Now let's look at the next step in Christ's reasoning. It's found in verse number 29. This is the second syllogism. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house? So here's syllogism number two. Satan, the strong man, took possession of the demoniac's body and life. Point two, Jesus the stronger man, bound Satan and expelled him from the demoniac's life. Thus, number three, Jesus took possession of the man's life and healed him. Great logic. Jesus issues one final logical argument in verse 30. And again, it's in the form of a syllogism. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. So again, the first point of this implied there are only two supernatural powers, God and Satan. Number two, if you're not with Christ, then you're against him. Number three, the conclusion: if you're against Christ, then you're with Satan. There's no neutral ground, it's one or the other, God or Satan. It's good logic. Debate team should study this. Of course, what Jesus is implying is that the Pharisees are against him and with Satan in their loyalties. They don't like that. Incidentally, those with Christ gather, he says, like shepherds, but those with Satan scatter like wolves.

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Hmm.

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And that's tragic because the Pharisees were supposed to be the religious leaders of Israel. And in their leadership, they're not acting like shepherds, they're acting more like wolves. Sending the sheep scattering. So Jesus gives a stern warning in verses 31 and 32. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Well, that brings me to my third point: a dreadful judgment. Now, this is what many have labeled the unpardonable sin, but I think that's a misnomer. And that term is not actually found in the Bible. It's our term for it, or man's term. And here's why I think it might be a misnomer. The King James Version translates the last sentence of verse 32 as follows It will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come. Well, that's not correct. And I am happy to see that the New King James has translated it correctly. The Greek word translated world in the King James is Ion, which means eon or age, by saying this sin will not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come, the King James is implying that it would not be forgiven in this present world or in the next world, the new heaven and new earth to follow. And many have interpreted it that way because of the translation. So the new heaven and new earth would be the world to come. And then we're thinking this present world in our thinking as we process through this particular translation. So the King James Version implies that this sin will never ever be forgiven. But that's not what the Greek is saying. Jesus is not saying that this sin will never ever be forgiven. He is saying it will not be forgiven during the present church age or in the coming millennial age. Well, I'll tell you what, there's a big difference between those two, between the King James and the New King James translation here. This leaves hope. The correct translation leaves hope that this sin will be forgiven in the age after the millennium. Certainly by the time we reach the new heaven, new earth age, in which righteousness dwells. Now I'm not going to speak to that aspect of these verses any further in the message, but I wanted to be clear about the correct translation. It really does make a difference. What is this serious warning? All kinds of sin and even blasphemies are committed by mankind, and all of those sins can be forgiven when we go to God on His terms. Think of the prodigal son. He messed up big time. Think of 1 John 1 9 for you. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There are no conditions put on it except that we have to confess. God is always ready to receive us back when we confess our sins and when we return to Him in a spirit of repentance. But those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan will not be forgiven during this present church age or in the millennial age to follow. Now let me put in an important parenthesis. Through the years as a pastor, I've been asked several times, I can think of at least three times, maybe more. Actual people have come to me and said something like this, Pastor, I think I may have committed the unpardonable sin in my past. Does that mean I will go to hell? Can I ever be saved? Well, it's a good question because people are serious about it, but the answer is clear from the scriptures. I also want to add that the people asking these questions are really upset about this. The prospect of going to hell or not ever being able to be saved. I typically comfort them with three thoughts. Number one, it is highly unlikely that you have attributed the genuine working of the Holy Spirit to Satan. And not only that, but according to Mark 3, verse 30, the Pharisees said blatantly that Jesus had an unclean spirit. Well, that's what this sin is all about, and frankly, I think it's primarily a sin of the first century Jews in their rejection of Jesus as sent by God with an offer of kingdom inheritance. They so rejected his offer of kingdom inheritance that they blasted Jesus and equated him with the devil. I mean, that's pretty serious, wouldn't you say? Now you may have blasphemed in other ways in your sinful past, but doesn't verse 31 assure you that all sins and blasphemies can be forgiven? Well, yeah. I think, in the context, it's only this particular sin of the Pharisees that cannot be forgiven, and I think it's unique to the first century Jews. Second, let me comfort you with the thought that this text doesn't say that those who commit this sin will go to hell. There's no mention of hell anywhere in this text. If you jump to the conclusion that this means hell, then you've imposed your theology on the passage rather than letting the passage speak for itself. You go ahead. And look, you won't find the word hell, either in the Greek or in the English in this text. Now, someone might retort, but Pastor, the parallel text in Mark 3.29 says, He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation. And again, the mistranslation is unfortunate. Here's my literal translation in my own words. He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit does not have forgiveness into the age, but is subject to age-lasting judgment. That's what it means from the Greek. So this gets messed up in translation. If we only could get the idea that the word eternal in our English Bibles is an incorrect translation of the Greek word Ionius, which simply means for the age or age-during or age-lasting. So again, there's no mention of hell in either translation. So don't read theology into the text. We must remember the broader context of Christ's ministry to the Jews. He's been offering the nation the privilege of ruling together with him in the heavenly New Jerusalem as a reward, in addition to what God had promised in the Old Testament, that Israel would rule over the nations in the millennial kingdom on earth. That was a given. That will be fulfilled one day in the future when national Israel repents. But Jesus came the first time to offer an added privilege. If the nation would repent then and obey Jehovah, they would receive a heavenly rulership privilege, dwelling with Jesus in the heavenly New Jerusalem that's going to hover over the earth throughout the millennial reign of Christ. That'll be the real headquarters. Sure, there's going to be a temple in Jerusalem. The Jews are going to rule from physical Jerusalem, but Jesus is going to superintend it all from the heavenlies, New Jerusalem, along with his faithful companions, bride and co-rulers. So Jesus warns these Pharisees that if they attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, then they will not be forgiven by Jesus, and therefore they will be excluded from reward and the privilege of ruling with him in the heavenly New Jerusalem in the coming kingdom. They're going to receive negative reward, nothing positive. Quite serious, wouldn't you say? Sure it is. Now the third thing I tell those who come to me wondering if they've committed the unpardonable sin is this. If you are concerned about it, then you surely haven't committed this sin. Now think about it. The Pharisees commit the so-called unpardonable sin, and Jesus tells them they will not be forgiven. Are they upset about it, losing sleep? Huh? No, they don't care. They don't believe him. They're not disturbed in the least. They could care less. They don't think Jesus is sent by God. This event is a significant turning point in Christ's ministry. The religious leaders of Israel have accused him of exercising demons in the power of Satan rather than in the power of God, and for that they will not be forgiven. Not in this age, not in the next age. Their wholesale rejection of his ministry is a repudiation of his gracious offer of kingdom inheritance in the spiritual realm, the heavenly realm. I find it interesting that three times before this event, Jesus said to Israel, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But after this event in Matthew 12, Jesus never again says those words. This is the point at which Israel's fate as a nation is sealed. Although Jesus doesn't actually pronounce the kingdom being taken from Israel and given to another nation bearing the fruits of it, referring to the Gentile church. He doesn't announce that until Matthew 21, 43. This is where the decision is made. It's pretty clear. Most commentators would say that. And we see the line of demarcation here clearly because in the next chapter, chapter 13, Jesus announces his new method of ministry. He's now going to speak in parables. And one of the purposes for speaking in parables is so that those who are open to truth will get it. And those who are opposed to truth, well, they just won't get it. That's what he says. But it's a whole new phase of ministry because of what happens in chapter 12 here. You know, I would be horrified if God were to shut me out from his truth and tell me that I will not be forgiven and will not inherit rewards and rulership in the coming kingdom age. I would be horrified. And I think you would be too. What a dreadful judgment. But the Pharisees, they don't care. They don't think Jesus is speaking truth. They think he's doing the works of Satan. How much more blasphemous does it get than that? Incidentally, I personally think the so-called unpardonable sin applies only to first century Israel, but not to us today. I've already said that, but I wanted to say it again. However, and this is a big however, there is another form of the so-called unpardonable sin that applies to believers of the church age.

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Hmm.

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We better take heed. Hebrews 6, 4 through 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put him to an open shame. Don't miss this. When a believer understands the truth of kingdom inheritance and later rejects it, apostatizing, turning away from the Lord, the Bible says it's impossible for them at that point to repent. Their heart will be so far gone that they will be shut out from the truth and will never return to the Lord. And of course that means they won't be rewarded and they won't rule with Jesus in the next age. So there is a form of this, not exactly what the Pharisees did, but there's a form of this for those who, after understanding and apparently embracing kingdom inheritance, then walk back from it. And I have known people that have done this, got all excited about it, even became evangelists of sorts for the kingdom inheritance truth and started proclaiming it to people, got criticized heavily, and retreated away. And now they're living like they used to live. I'm not God, so I can't say what's going to happen to them at the judgment seat. Only Jesus knows that. But according to text like this, it doesn't look good. Now, if you're concerned, thinking this could have happened to you in your past life, and you're upset about the thought of it, and you're wishing it were not so, then I remind you that in all probability you have not apostasized. Because apostates just don't care any longer. They're not worried about it. They're just like the Pharisees. The fact that you have a heart of concern about the matter suggests there is hope for you. So get right with God and move on. We come now to a fourth point from the text, and I call this an appeal to honesty. Verses 33 through 35. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers, how can you being evil speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Now I want to just put this in my own words and summarize it. If a tree is good, it will produce good fruit. But if a tree is bad, it will produce bad fruit. And he's talking about teachers here, people like the Pharisees. Den of snakes, and the idea is venomous snakes. You are evil and incapable of saying that which is right and true, for your speaking comes forth from your corrupt hearts. Jesus knows these Pharisees are not going to be honest, for they're beyond hope. One commentator puts it this way: quote, We cannot call God Satan, nor the Holy Spirit a demon, until our state of sin has passed beyond all hope of reform. One cannot confound the two kingdoms of good and evil unless he does so maliciously and willfully, end quote. And so Jesus calls them a den of venomous snakes. They're incapable of speaking truth. Their heart is corrupt. Now a humbling thought for us all in verses 36 and 37. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Now I don't think this means if you joke around, you're a little flippant, you say things, you know, in jest and fun, you'll be judged for that. I don't think that's what this is talking about at all. In the context. Jesus is making this appeal for them to be honest, in part, because one day all will be required to be honest before God. You're going to give an account for the words you spoke. In other words, the words that had meaning to them. You know, the words that were serious words, not words said in jest or in fun, that kind of thing. By your words you will either be justified or condemned, because your words reflect your inner heart attitude and your character. Now I should point out, incidentally, that neither being justified nor being condemned are used as salvation terms here. You're not saved or unsaved because of your words. These terms relate in the context to soul salvation, which is matters of sanctification, discipleship, reward. So here's the idea. At the judgment seat of Christ, when you give your accounting to God, your lifestyle will either be justified, that is deemed acceptable to God, in which case you'll receive glorious rewards in a bridal garment. Revelation 19, verse 8. Or your life will be condemned. It means pronounced guilty, and you will go forth from Christ naked and ashamed and not worthy to be his bride. And we won't read it, but you can look at Philippians 3, 18 through 21. Interestingly, even after making blasphemous charges against Jesus and getting rebuked for it, some of the scribes and the Pharisees have the audacity to make another request of him. These folks are incorrigible. Matthew 12, 38, then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Teacher, we want to see a sign from you. Now Mark 8, verse 11 specifies they wanted a sign from heaven, something very powerful, something originated by God. But they did this to test him, we're told. As if to say, Teacher, the only thing that will convince us you are not a satanic worker is if you razzle dazzle us with a spectacular sign that can only be attributed to God. I remind you that Jesus has already done dozens of miracles, mainly in Galilee, but other places as well, and they haven't believed. And we also need to remember that signs are like road markers. You know, they point the way to something to confirm, yes, the authority of the ones performing the miracle, but primarily for pointing the way to truth about the kingdom. These Pharisees have made it quite obvious that they don't want truth about the kingdom. They just want to see something thrilling. By the way, are many Christians today any different? Maybe they want to go to a church, you know, where there's lots of entertainment so they can be razzled-dazzled, or better yet, to a place where they can see miracles happen. Faith healings, you know, that kind of stuff. Maybe they get really wild and want to see a place where they handle snakes up in the mountains of North Carolina and other places in the Appalachians? Crazy, if you ask me. To see if those people can survive it. Oh, that's nuts. You're looking for the wrong things. Jesus has already come. Look to him. Now, how does Jesus respond to all this nonsense from the Pharisees? We need another big miracle here. Point number five, an appeal to Jonah. Look at verses 39 and 40. But Jesus answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. What does he mean by that? Verse 40. For 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. These religious leaders are evil and adulterous in that they refuse to believe, and in so doing, they turn their backs on Jehovah and his son. To them seeing is believing. And isn't that true with most of the world today? With Jesus, believing is seeing. Jesus says the only sign they're going to get is the sign of the prophet Jonah, which we know is a picture of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It's my opinion, very strong opinion, that Jonah only serves as a valid sign of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ if he actually died in the belly of the whale. Dr. Henry Morris took that position. J. Vernon McGee took that position and a host of other commentators. Jonah was spewed out of the whale's mouth onto dry ground and resurrected as a direct act of God. And so Jesus, following his death and burial, would be raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit of God, and that Pharisees will be the only sign from heaven you're going to get from this point on. Incidentally, Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah's message, but Israel did not repent when they heard the message of Jesus. And Jesus is so much greater. Matthew 12, 41, the men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. So the people of Nineveh are going to stand as witnesses to condemn Israel in the day of judgment. That's what Jesus is essentially saying. Look what else Jesus mentions in verse 42. The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. What's he talking about? The Queen of Sheba? Yeah. She's also going to stand as a witness to condemn Israel in the day of judgment. And why is that? She traveled a very long way to be taught by Solomon, and yet the Israelites didn't have to travel at all. In fact, Jesus came to them, and they still rejected his teaching. And of course, Jesus is so much greater than Solomon. The point of this section is that no additional sign will be given from heaven to this wicked and adulterous generation, because they already have or will receive shortly the sign of Jonah, and that should be good enough. Besides, they will not believe even if more signs are given. We come now to the closing section of the text, verses 43 through 45. Jesus is speaking, When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first, so shall it also be with this wicked generation. Now what does this mean? Jesus compares the nation of Israel to the demon-possessed man out of whom he had cast the demon in verse 22. Why did he compare it to that? Well, because early in the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus, many Israelites had responded positively to the message of the kingdom, repented, and returned to Jehovah. But the nation as a whole did not embrace Jesus as the Messiah. So some responded, but many did not. And so there was a spiritual neutrality of sorts. The people witnessed his miracles but did not believe on him, and that left a great national spiritual void. For a time it seemed that the nation was not with Jesus, but was not against him either. But Jesus clarifies in verse 30, he who is not with me is against me. Spiritual neutrality does not remain neutral for long. Something eventually fills the void. And we should all be aware of this spiritually. If you're not living for the Lord, but you think you're not living for the devil, that spiritual neutrality will open you up to other things. And typically it's not good things. In Christ's illustration, the demon returns to fill the void, but with a much greater force of seven additional demons representing completeness. This symbolizes Satan taking over the entire nation so that it becomes worse than at the first. The point is that in time, the early successes and victories of both John and Jesus would become engulfed by the religious leaders with unbelief and wickedness. And of course, we know in the end the nation chose to crucify Jesus. Just before his crucifixion, Jesus took the kingdom from Israel and he gave it to a nation, bringing forth the fruits of it. That offer of kingdom inheritance is now being offered to us, the predominantly Gentile church. But it's conditional we have to bring forth the fruits of it. We have to qualify. Bottom line, Matthew 12, 22 through 45 marks the turning point in Israel from spiritual neutrality to complete wickedness, and what a tragedy. But on a positive note, it also marks the very beginnings of the church. Now, I'm not saying the church actually started here officially, you know, most say it would be on the day of Pentecost. I get that. Okay, fine. But there's a transition here, and the message of the kingdom being given to a predominantly Gentile audience is coming. We see that in the book of Acts. But this is where the transition occurs. Away from the Jewish leadership and the Jews. He's going to work through his disciples and give the message to others eventually. But on a positive note, this is what's happening. And we are that audience. I wonder, will you reject the message of the kingdom as Israel did in the first century? Look at verse 37 in closing. By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. If you were to stand before Jesus right now, and if he were to say to you, Why should I give you kingdom inheritance? Inheritance in New Jerusalem to co-rule with me in the next age. You're going to have to be honest. Your words will either justify you in his sight, that is, he will deem you as acceptable. And he might even say, Well done, or they will condemn you. You'll be found guilty of displeasing him and left to the darkness outside. You will not rule with him in New Jerusalem. I hope you're living the life right now because when you stand before him, you will have to speak honest words. He'll know if you're fudging it. Are you ready? Are you getting ready? There's still time.