A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Matthew 12:33-50
Lesson #31
EXAMPLES OF THE SPIRIT OF UNITY
- Memory verse: Gal 3:28
- Jesus had spoken about unity and the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit of which the Jewish leaders were guilty. He expands on his outspoken condemnation by using the words of John the Baptist.
- Read Mat 12:33-37 and Mat 3:7-10
- The Parable of the Tree and its Fruit (Mat 12:33-37)
- The central truth:
- Just as a tree produces the same kind of fruit according to its basic nature, a man produces fruit according to his basic nature.
- Of course, man’s basic nature is sinful apart from the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
- The scribes and Pharisees would not repent. Therefore, they produced evil fruit. Because of that Jesus called them “a generation of vipers”.
- The results: (36)
- At the judgment, an accounting of every idle word.
- The word idle means = without deeds
- These are words that promise to produce but do not.
- These are words spoken without thinking.
- These are words purposely spoken to deceive.
- These are words spoken in anger.
- To which judgment does Jesus refer?
- Because Jesus is speaking to unsaved scribes and Pharisees, He specifically means the great white throne judgment for non-believers. (Rev 20:11-12)
- However, the judgment seat of Christ for believers has similar reference to a lack of good deeds. (1Cor 3:10-15 Rom 14:10)
- Notice there is no fruit which is part bad and part good.
- There are only two kinds, good and evil.
- The religious leaders were more related to Satan than they were to God or Abraham.
- At the judgment, an accounting of every idle word.
- Read Isa 59:1-8
- The religious leaders who perpetuate a spiritually dead system, hiding the truth of God and therefore, by default, perpetuate the kingdom of Satan because they don’t recognize truth nor desire it.
- Therefore, they will never repent in order to obtain truth.
- Basic principle:
- The state of a man’s heart can be seen through his words.
- The central truth:
- The Parable of the Tree and its Fruit (Mat 12:33-37)
- Read Mat 12:38-42
- The Parable of Jonah and the Queen (Mat 12:38-42)
- For context, read Jonah 1:17 and 2Chr 9:1-12
- The parable in Mat 12:38-42 is in 2 parts each with a slightly different meaning.
- Because the parable is in response to a request by the scribes and Pharisees, the parable is directed to them.
- Jesus had just called them an evil generation
- Because of their deliberate spiritual blindness.
- Now they ask for a spiritual sign. Of course, with their minds already made up, they wouldn’t spiritually recognize any sign.
- What they needed was not light, but sight.
- The central truth of the sign of Jonah:
- Jesus is the sign.
- His death and resurrection is the proof that He is the son of God.
- The sign of Jonah:
- God called Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance or the city would be destroyed. The Ninevites and the Jews hated each other. The people of Nineveh were Gentiles.
- Jonah rebelled against God and went in the opposite direction. God caused him to be swallowed by a big fish. He was 3 days and 3 nights in the fish before being vomited onto the beach. He then went and preached in Nineveh. The sight of one coming back from the dead caused the people to repent and God did not destroy the city for another 100 years.
- Why did Jesus use this sign? (41)
- The Ninevites repented, but the scribes and Pharisees would not repent.
- It’s a warning that judgment will come upon the scribes and Pharisees because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. Judgment happened when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD putting an end to the role and influence of the scribes and the Pharisees.
- It was an indication that Jesus would be three days and three nights in the tomb.
- The Parable of Jonah and the Queen (Mat 12:38-42)
Common Christian belief is that Jesus died on a Friday (Good Friday) and was raised on a Sunday.
That’s not 3 days and 3 nights. What about the 3 days and 3 nights?
Jesus did not die on Friday. He died on a Thursday between 3 and 6 p.m. exactly when the Passover lamb was killed in Jerusalem in preparation for the Passover celebration. He was raised from the dead on Sunday.
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- The central truth of the sign of the queen of Sheba:
- The queen of Sheba risked much to come and hear God’s wisdom through Solomon, but the scribes and Pharisees would risk nothing to hear God’s truth.
- Why did Jesus use this sign?
- The scribes and Pharisees had great respect for Solomon historically but did not have respect for God’s wisdom.
- They listened to Jesus not to gain wisdom but to catch Him in a fault so they could use it against Him.
- (Advanced Question) Why did Jesus use 2 signs?
- Jonah = Jonah was a Jew, so it’s a sign to the Jew. Even though Jonah preached to the Gentiles, it only indicated that the Gentiles were more open to the truth than the Jews.
- Sheba = the queen was a Gentile, so it’s a sign to the Gentiles.
- Jesus preached to both Jews and Gentiles.
- He often pointed out the greater openness and faith of Gentiles as opposed to that of the Jews.
- The central truth of the sign of the queen of Sheba:
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- Read Mat 12:43-45
- The Parable of the Empty House and Eight Spirits (Mat 12:43-45)
- The central truth of the parable:
- Israel was like a man from whom the spirit of idolatry was cast after the Babylonian captivity, but true faith and love for God did not fill the void.
- Instead they were caught up with self-righteous legalisms, making their condition worse than the first.
- What is meant by the “unclean spirit“? See 1 Samuel 15:23a The idolatry of Israel
- What are the “dry places“?
- They are the spiritually dry places in life without the presence of the Holy Spirit.
- Remember that water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
- What is meant by “the house“? The temple or the nation of Israel.
- What is meant by “empty, swept, and garnished“? (44) Filled with self-righteous acts, legalisms.
- What is meant by “the seven other spirits“?
- Legalisms bring in more and more spirits of spiritual bondage as well as more and more objects of idolatry.
- Seven is the number of completeness.
- Going back to the house and the dry places, let’s look at the history of Israel after they came out of the Babylonian captivity.
- Read Haggai 1:2-11
- When we get to the book of Malachi, they are back to hypocrisy, idolatry, and self-righteous legalisms.
- Read Mal 1:6-8 ; 3:7-9
- They didn’t heed the warnings and repent, so God was silent for 400 years between the Old and New Testaments until Jesus came.
- Read Haggai 1:2-11
- The central truth of the parable:
- The Parable of the Empty House and Eight Spirits (Mat 12:43-45)
- Application:
- A person can’t try to clean up his life and get rid of bad habits without regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Reformation without regeneration doesn’t work.
- Discussion:
- Why doesn’t it work?
- What’s the difference between reformation and regeneration?
- Remember the spirit of unity not only works in a group but within the individual.
- Read Mat 12:46-50
- “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”
- Jesus was not being disrespectful to his family. He was making a very important point by looking beyond this time period to eternity.
- Even his mother, Mary, and his natural brothers must be born again to have an eternal relationship with Him.
- All those who accept Christ as their personal savior have an eternal family relationship with Him.
- “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?”
Homework
Matthew 13:1-30
- Application of Mat 12:33-50
- Write about a specific time when you tried to make changes in your life by reformation rather than regeneration. What were the results?
- What changes does God want to make in your life now?
- How will you rely on God’s regeneration to make those changes?
- Preparation for Mat 13:1-30
- The parable of the sower and the seed in Mat 13:3-23
- To whom is the parable spoken?
- What is the central truth?
- What or who does the seed represent?
- What do each of the different soils represent?
- Ground #1 The wayside?
- Ground #2 The stony places?
- Ground #3 The thorns?
- Ground #4 The good ground?
- The parable of the tares and the wheat in Mat 13:24-30; 36-43
- What is the central truth of the parable?
- The parable of the sower and the seed in Mat 13:3-23
- Memory verse: Gal 5:22-23
