Matthew 12:38-50, Rejection or Reception

In Matt. 12:41-42 Jesus says that gentiles, the men of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba, will condemn the generation of Israel in His days on earth.  The reason is that they responded properly to the truth of the Bible.  They repented at the preaching of the prophet.  They gave thanks for the wisdom of Solomon.  But even though a greater One is in their midst, this evil and adulterous generation is rejecting Him.

Matt. 12:43-45 addresses a very real situation as Jesus addresses the leaders in the presence of the crowd.  To understand what Jesus is saying, remember that having a demon cast out of someone is not the equivalent of experiencing salvation.  Again, salvation only comes by faith in Christ.  Jesus used this illustration to point out what was happening to many of the Jews.  The demon is cast out, but there is nothing put in its place to fill up the heart of the person.  Thus when the demon comes back he brings others with him, thus making the person’s situation worse than before.

Jesus is addressing His followers.  Again, to say that you want to follow Christ is not the equivalent to experiencing salvation.  Think about this.  Many were following Jesus.  Many of them had been baptized by John before coming to be with Christ.  But many, and in fact most, of those same disciples would eventually turn away from Christ.  To turn away, after what they experienced by being close to Christ, would leave them in a worse situation than if they had never been around Jesus at all.

How do we know this is the point here?  Is this not what we are taught in Heb. 6:4-8?  The writer says it is impossible for those once enlightened, if they then fall away, to be renewed again to repentance.  Peter said the same thing.  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them (2 Peter 2:21-22).  These followers of Christ are in a dangerous situation should they turn away from Jesus.

Matthew 12 closes with another situation that shows us the contrast between rejection and reception of Christ.  In 12:46-47 it’s His family, His mother and brothers, that approach Him.  Personally, I don’t think He is making a statement about His family.  He is rather using His family to make a statement about the disciples around Him.  Listen to what Jesus does not say.  He does not say, “He who is my disciple is My brother and sister and mother.”  Again, just calling yourself Jesus’ disciple does not bring the experience of salvation.  Instead, Jesus defines what a true disciple is when He says, whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.  A true disciple of Jesus does the will of His Father. 

And what is that will?  John 6:40: And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It’s not that you have seen Him, come close to Him, and even experiences some good vibes being around Him.  It is that you have believed in Him, the One and Only Son of God, who gave His life for our sins.