Matthew Chapter 12
Verses 1-9: “The Sabbath day” is the seventh day of the week, corresponding to our Saturday (Mark 2:23 – 3:6; Luke 6:1-11). However, it begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until the following sunset. The Pharisees had burdened the Sabbath with a multitude of detailed observances that were not laid down in the Mosaic Law.
In responding to their legalistic traditions, Jesus always referred to Scripture. “Have ye not read?” The passage referred to is 1 Sam. 21:1-6. The Lord makes the point that in the case of necessity the ceremonial law might be overruled.
He uses the illustration of David eating the “showbread.” These loaves were placed on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle each Sabbath. They were to be eaten only by the priest and his family (Lev. 24:5-9; Num. 28:9).
The priests prepared the sacrifices on the Sabbath despite the general prohibition of work. If the necessities of temple worship permitted the priests to “profane the Sabbath,” there was more reason why the service of Christ would allow a similar liberty.
Matthew 12:1-2 “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.” “But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.”
“Not lawful to do upon the Sabbath”: Actually, no law prohibited the plucking of grain in order to eat on the Sabbath. Gleaning handfuls of grain from a neighbor’s field to satisfy one’s immediate hunger was explicitly permitted (Deut. 23:25). What was prohibited was labor for the sake of profit. Thus, a farmer could not harvest for profit on the Sabbath, but an individual could glean enough grain to eat.
These Pharisees were caught up in the law. They did not realize that the Word of God had taken the form of flesh, and this was He that was walking through the corn field. These Pharisees were so caught up in the “thou shalt nots” in the Bible, they had no time to do anything for God.
Matthew 12:3 “But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him;”
“He said”: Jesus’ answer (in verses 3-8), points out that the Sabbath laws do not restrict deeds of necessity (verses 3-4); service to God (verses 5-6), or acts of mercy (verses 7-8). He reaffirmed that the Sabbath was made for man’s benefit and God’s glory. It was never intended to be a yoke of bondage to the people of God (Mark 2:27).
Matthew 12:4 “How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?”
“The showbread”: The consecrated bread of the Presence, 12 loaves baked fresh each Sabbath, which was usually eaten by the priests only (Lev. 24:5-9). God was not offended by David’s act, done to satisfy a legitimate need when his men were weak with hunger (1 Sam. 21:4-6).
Matthew 12:5 “Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?”
“Profane the Sabbath, and are blameless”: I.e., the priests have to do their work on the Sabbath, proving that some aspects of the Sabbath restrictions are not inviolable moral absolutes, but rather precepts pertaining to the ceremonial features of the law.
You see, what Jesus was trying to get them to do was to understand the “spirit” of the law, and not the “literal” law.
Matthew 12:6 “But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.”
“Greater than the temple”: This was a straightforward claim of deity The Lord Jesus was God incarnate – God dwelling in human flesh – far superior to a building which God merely visited.
Jesus was trying to explain that the building is not what we should worship. We are to worship Him with our spirit.
Matthew 12:7 “But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”
“Mercy, and not sacrifice”: This phrase was commonly used as a rebuke for those who did not know something they should have known. The verse Jesus cites is (Hos. 6:6; 1 Sam. 15:22; Mic. 6:6-8), which emphasizes the absolute priority of the law’s moral standards over the ceremonial requirements.
Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
“The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath”: Christ has the prerogative to rule over not only their man-made Sabbatarian rules, but also over the Sabbath itself, which was designed for worshiping God. Again, this was an inescapable claim of deity, and as such it prompted the Pharisees’ violent outrage (verse 14).
You see, if they truly understood God, they would have realized who Jesus was and would have not criticized Him for anything. He was not subject to their ordinances.
Verses 10-27: “Withered” (shriveled): Luke 6 shows that this incident occurred on a different Sabbath. However, the objection of the Pharisees on this occasion was ultimately the same. They were in opposition to Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath. The reference to “their synagogue” (verse 9), indicates that in this particular synagogue the Pharisees were predominant.
Matthew 12:9-10 “And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:” “And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.”
These religious people were trying to find some reason to get rid of Him. They knew that Jesus would not let the Sabbath keep Him from helping someone in need.
Matthew 12:11-12 “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out?” “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”
He was telling these people, in a way that they could understand, what He was doing. They had sheep, and He knew that if they had a sheep missing, they would go and find him, even on the Sabbath. Jesus is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. He takes care of His sheep.
Matthew 12:13 “Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.”
Obedience to Jesus brings restoration. This was the case here, as well. As soon as this man did what Jesus said, His hand was restored.
Matthew 12:14 “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”
The Pharisee’s were jealous. They had no power like this in their lives.
Matthew 12:15 “But when Jesus knew [it], he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;”
“He healed them all”: In all of Old Testament history there was never a time or a person who exhibited such extensive healing power. Physical healings were very rare in the Old Testament.
Christ chose to display His deity by healing, raising the dead, and liberating people from demons. That not only showed the Messiah’s power over the physical and spiritual realms, but also demonstrated the compassion of God toward those affected by sin.
Matthew 12:16 “And charged them that they should not make him known:”
“Charged them that they should not make him known”: Here Christ seems concerned about the potential zealotry of those who would try to press Him into the conquering-hero mold that the rabbinical experts had made out of messianic prophecy.
These people would not accept the Savior, so He just moved on to others who would. The reason He did not want it told, was so He could work freely.
Matthew 12:17-18 “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,” “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.”
“Verses 18-21 are (quoted from Isaiah 42:1-4), to demonstrate that (contrary to the typical first-century rabbinical expectations), the Messiah would not arrive with political agendas, military campaigns, and great fanfare, but with gentleness and meekness, declaring righteousness even “to the Gentiles.”
Matthew 12:19 “He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.”
“Not strive, nor cry”: The Messiah would not try to stir up a revolution or force His way into power.
Matthew 12:20 “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”
“Bruised reed … smoking flax”: The reed was used by shepherds to fashion a small musical instrument. Once cracked or worn, it was useless.
A smoldering wick “flax” was also useless for giving light. These represent people who are deemed useless by the world. Christ’s work was to restore and rekindle such people, not to “break” them. This speaks of His tender compassion toward the lowliest of the lost. He came not to gather the strong for a revolution, but to show mercy to the weak. (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
Matthew 12:21 “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”
Jesus will not force Himself on anyone, but when the religious Jews turned Him down, He turned to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:22-23 “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.” “And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?”
These people knew Jesus as one of them. They thought He was only flesh and blood. They knew for sure that they could not heal this man. They did not realize whose presence they were in.
Matthew 12:24 “But when the Pharisees heard [it], they said, This [fellow] doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”
“Beelzebub”: After all the displays of Jesus’ deity, the Pharisees declared that He was from Satan, exactly opposite the truth, and they knew it (9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15).
This was really a ridiculous statement. The devil would not cast himself out. He does not want us to be free.
Matthew 12:25 “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”
The reasoning of the Pharisees (in Matthew 12:24), was not expressed verbally, and Jesus, knowing their thoughts, gave them here ample proof of his omniscience. This, with our Lord’s masterly confutation of their reasoning, by a conclusion drawn from their own premises, one would have supposed might have humbled and convinced these men.
Mark 3:23 “And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan drive out Satan?”
“And Jesus knew their thoughts”: He not only heard their blasphemous words, but was privy to their secret thoughts. He knew their vile malicious intentions and designs, with what view they expressed themselves in this manner, on purpose to reproach him.
And set the people against him, contrary to the inward light of their minds, and dictates of their consciences; who must, and did know the contrary of what they said: and regarding the inward frame of their minds, as well as their words, and which is a proof of his omniscience, and so of his deity, and consequently of his Messiahship.
But the most conclusive reasoning, and the most astonishing miracles, was lost upon a people who were obstinately determined to disbelieve everything good, relative to Christ. How true the saying, He came unto his own, and his own received him not!
A soul under Satan’s power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand!
Matthew 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”
If Satan is divided against himself; he acts contrary to his own interest, which is to keep possession of the bodies and souls of men; and consequently, it must in course, be subversive of his power and dominion:
“How shall then his kingdom stand?”: He will never be able to maintain his authority, and keep up the show of a government, as he does: Our Lord’s argument, and which is his first, for others follow, is, that since Satan, who is so cunning and crafty, can never be thought to act such an opposite part to himself.
Subversive of his kingdom and government; and which would give so much credit to Christ, and serve so much to strengthen his interest, as to assist him in the casting out of devils; the weakness, and maliciousness of such a suggestion, must be clear and evident to all.
Matthew 12:27 “And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast [them] out? Therefore they shall be your judges.”
It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided against itself; how then could it stand! And if they said that Jesus cast out devils by the prince of the devils, they could not prove that their children cast them out by any other power.
“Therefore they shall be your judges”: – They condemn you and your argument. They are conclusive witnesses against the force of your reasoning.
Christ was not satisfied by showing them the intrinsic absurdity of their argument. He showed them that it might as well be applied to them as to him. Your disciples taught by you and encouraged by you, pretend to cast out devils.
If your argument be true that a man who casts out devils must be in league with the devil, then “your disciples”, and you who taught them, have made a covenant with him also. You must therefore either give up this argument, or admit that the working of miracles is proof of the assistance of God.
Verses 28-30: “The kingdom of God:” Matthew’s usual expression is the “kingdom of heaven” (3:2). Some have attempted to distinguish between the meaning of the two, but they likely mean the same thing.
“Is come unto you” (literally “has come upon you”): The Lord’s power over demons was evidence enough that He was the Messiah. Hence, “spoil his goods … house”, refers to Satan as being defeated or ruined by the capture of souls from him for Christ by the gospel.
Matthew 12:28 “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
“The Kingdom of God is come”: That was precisely true. The King was in their midst, displaying His sovereign power. He showed it by demonstrating His ability to bind Satan and his demons (verse 29).
He was warning them here, that they were speaking out against God.
Matthew 12:29 “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.”
The “strong man”, is meant the devil (see Isaiah 49:24), who is powerful and mighty, as appears from his nature, being an angel, though a fallen one, excelling in strength.
This is another argument of Christ’s proving that his casting out of devils could not be by Satan, but by the Spirit of God. For if he did not act by any superior power to Satan’s, and such by which he was able to master, overcome, and bind him, he could never spoil his goods, as he did.
Or dispossess devils out of the bodies or souls of men: just as if a man should enter into another man’s house, who is strong and robust, with a design to spoil his goods. Who would never make use of the man himself to do it, and can never be thought to effect it, unless he has a power superior to his, and uses it;
Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”
You cannot straddle the fence. You are either the friend of Christ, helping win souls to Him, or you are His enemy, driving people away from God. There is no middle road. We cannot go uncommitted.
Verses 31-38: “The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost” is deliberate rejection of Christ, His Spirit-wrought miracles, and His salvation. It is the ultimate sin that by its very nature puts a man beyond the opportunity of salvation.
The Holy Spirit brings the offer of salvation to the heart of man. To reject Him is to act “presumptuously” and thus to “blaspheme” God. Those who reject His offer of salvation are in reality blaspheming the very nature of God Himself and the genuineness of His grace.
Verses 31-32: All sin is serious, and to some degree challenges and attacks the character and authority of God. But six sins are specifically identified as sins against the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is a person, He may be sinned against.
Matthew 12:31 “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”
“Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost”: The sin He was confronting was the Pharisees’ deliberate rejection of that which they knew to be of God (John 11:48; Acts 4:16). They could not deny the reality of what the Holy Spirit had done through Him, so they attributed to Satan a work that they know was of God (verse 24; Mark 3:22).
Since He is also God, it is an extremely serious matter to be guilty of sinning against Him. These six sins are blaspheming (verses 31-32; Luke 12:10), lying or tempting (Acts 5:4, 9); despising (Heb. 10:29); resisting or striving with (Gen. 6:3; Acts 7:51), vexing or grieving (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30), and quenching (1 Thess. 5:19), the Holy Spirit.
Because of the severity with which Jesus describes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, some people unnecessarily fear that they may have committed the unpardonable sin.
One of the characteristics of such sin is that the Holy Spirit ceases to convict of sin in one’s life, so the fact that someone may be concerned about a particular sin indicates he is not beyond grace. He should immediately repent of that sin to restore fellowship with God.
The keys to not sinning against the Holy Spirit are to:
- Be led by the Spirit;
- Be filled with the Spirit;
- Be illuminated by the Spirit.
This is probably, the most misunderstood Scripture in the Bible. My own dad felt he had committed this sin. Billy Graham said, on one of his broadcasts, that his dad felt he had committed this sin. Just the fact that a person is concerned about it, proves he has never committed the unpardonable sin.
The word translated means evil speaking. Then it goes on to say speaking evil of the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven. My interpretation of the Scripture is as long as you are alive; you can get forgiveness for sin of any kind. However, if you die rejecting the salvation offered, there is no forgiveness for that.
People are too concerned about this. God wants our faith that everything is ok, not doubt.
Matthew 12:32 “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.”
“It shall be forgiven him”: Someone never exposed to Christ’s divine power and presence might reject Him in ignorance and be forgiven, assuming the unbelief gives way to genuine repentance. Even a Pharisee such as Saul of Tarsus could be forgiven for speaking against Jesus or persecuting His followers, because his unbelief stemmed from ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13).
But those who know His claims are true and reject Him anyway “sin against the Holy Spirit” because it is the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ and makes His truth known to us (John 15:26; 16:14-15). No forgiveness was possible for these Pharisees who witnessed His miracles first hand, knew the truth of His claims, and still blasphemed the Holy Spirit, because they had already reject the fullest possible revelation.
I think to really understand this; we would have to know and understand who the Holy Ghost is. Jesus said He would send a comforter (Holy Ghost – “same as the Holy Spirit”), to come and dwell with us. The Holy Ghost teaches us, directs us, and comforts us. To deny the Holy Ghost would be to deny our salvation.
We are saved by faith, not doubt. To speak against the Holy Ghost in this manner spoken of here, we would have to be unsaved, thus lost! No Christian is guilty of that sin.
Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.”
A man that is unprincipled with the grace of God, has an experimental acquaintance with the Gospel of Christ. And is guided by the Spirit of God into all truth, as it is in Jesus, cannot knowingly deliver, maintain, and abide by any doctrine that is contrary to the glory of God’s grace. And the person of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Or what is repugnant to the experiences of God’s people, and prejudicial to their souls.
Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A corrupt preacher, one destitute of the truth of the Gospel, reprobate concerning the faith. Who never had any experience of the doctrines of grace, and denies them in the theory of them, cannot, consistent with himself, and his own principles, deliver, or preach good doctrine. Or that which tends to produce any good fruit, either in the experience or lives of men.
Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 2:18).
Matthew 12:34-35 “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
“O generation of vipers!”: Christ here applies the argument which he had suggested in the previous verse. They were a wicked race; like poisonous reptiles, with a corrupt and evil nature. They could not be expected to speak good things, that is, to speak favorably of him and his works. As the bad fruit of a tree was the proper effect of its “nature,” so were their words about him and his works the proper effect of their nature. The “abundance” or fullness of the “heart” produced the words of the lips.
“Out of the abundance” (the overflowing), of the heart: – Wicked words and sinful actions may be considered as the overflowing of a heart that is more than full of the spirit of wickedness; and holy words and righteous deeds may be considered as the overflowing of a heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit, and running over with love to God and man.
Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”
Matthew 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
“Every idle word”: The most seemingly insignificant sin, even the slip of the tongue, carries the full potential of all hell’s evil (James 3:6). No infraction against God’s holiness is therefore a trifling thing and each person will ultimately give account of every such indiscretion.
There is no truer indication of a bad tree than the bad fruit of speech (verses 33, 35). The poisonous snakes were known by their poisonous mouths revealing evil hearts (verse 34, Luke 6:45). Every person is judged by his words, because they reveal the state of his heart.
Matthew 12:37 “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
“By thy words thou shalt be justified”: That is, “words” are the indication of the true principles of the heart; by “words” the heart shall be known, as the tree is by its fruit. If they are true, proper, chaste, instructive, pious, they will prove that the heart is right. If false, envious, malignant, and impious, they will prove that the heart is wrong, and will therefore be among the causes of condemnation.
Acquitted or condemned in the Day of Judgment. To justify is the opposite of “to condemn”. Those who confess Christ with the mouth (Rom. 10:9), shall be saved; those who deny him will be lost. Words have a weighty influence on our eternal destiny.
Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Matthew 12:38 “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.”
“We would see a sign from thee”: They were hoping for a sign of astronomical proportions (Luke 11:16). Instead, he gives them a “sign” from Scripture.
These scribes and Pharisees were like so many people of our day who say “Lord, just show me Noah’s Ark with my own two eyes, and then I will believe it existed”. Fact is not faith. If you can see it with your own eyes, it takes no faith to believe.
This was almost ridiculous for them to call Him Master. A person does what his Master says without having everything explained. This was not the case here.
Verses 39-42: The word “adulterous” means unfaithful to God. It was a metaphor frequently used in the Old Testament for spiritual “adultery.”
“The prophet Jonah:” Jesus uses Jonah’s burial in the fish for “three days and three nights” as an illustration of the three days and three nights that Christ would spend in the grave Himself. The actual period was from Friday evening to Sunday morning (covering parts of three days idiomatically).
The reference to the “whale’s belly” in verse 40 of the Authorized Version is unfortunate. The Greek work ketos means “a great sea creature,” not necessarily a whale. The Old Testament references are to a “great fish” (Jonah 1:17). Notice that the Lord placed this entire account on the same level of historical reality as that with which He Himself was dealing.
Matthew 12:39 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:”
“An evil and adulterous generation”: This speaks of spiritual adultery, unfaithfulness to God (Jer. 5:7-8).
Jesus reprimanded them for always wanting a sign. Jesus wants our faith. He called those who continuously had to have a sign an evil and adulterous generation. This adultery here, is spiritual rather than physical.
The sign Jesus was speaking of here, was Jonah being in the belly of the whale three days and nights. Jesus would be in the belly of the earth 3 days and nights.
Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
“Three days and three nights”: Quoted from (Jonah 1:17). This sort of expression was a common way of underscoring the prophetic significance of a period to time. An expression like “forty days and forty nights” may in some cases simply refer to a period of time longer than a month.
“Three days and three nights” was an emphatic way of saying “three days,” and by Jewish reckoning this would be an apt way of expressing a period of time that includes parts of 3 days. Thus, if Christ was crucified on a Friday, and His resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, by Hebrew reckoning this would qualify as 3 days and 3 nights.
All sorts of elaborate schemes have been devised to suggest that Christ might have died on a Wednesday or Thursday, just to accommodate the extreme literal meaning of these words. But the original meaning would not have required that sort of wooden interpretation.
Matthew 12:41 “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah [is] here.”
“Men of Nineveh … repented”: The revival in Nineveh under Jonah’s’ preaching was one of the most extraordinary spiritual revivals the world has ever seen. Some have suggested that the repentance of the Ninevites stopped short of saving faith, because the city reverted within one generation to its old pagan ways (Nahum 3:7-8).
From Jesus’ words here however, it is clear that the revival under Jonah represented authentic saving conversions. Only eternity will reveal how many souls from that one generation were swept into the kingdom as a result of the revival.
Jonah was a reluctant preacher. He did not think the people of Nineveh were worth saving, but after being swallowed by the whale, he obeyed God and warned Nineveh. The people fasted in sackcloth and ashes, and God spared them.
Matthew 12:42 “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.”
“Queen of the south”: The queen of Sheba came to see Solomon’s glory and in the process encountered the glory of Solomon’s God (1 Kings 10:9).
The wisdom of Solomon was a gift from God. Jesus possesses all wisdom. The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon who had less wisdom than Jesus, and yet no one recognized the vast wisdom of Jesus. In fact, only a hand full of His followers was there when He was crucified.
Verses 43-45: Jesus gives a striking parable of the precarious spiritual condition of the nation. The parable is that of a house well “swept” but unoccupied. The demon having been driven out, but finding no place to rest, returns with seven other spirits, resulting in an even greater degeneration. Only by inviting Christ to be the honored guest and head of the home, could Israel know the full blessing of God.
Matthew 12:43-45 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.” “Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished.” “Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
The application of these three verses is found in even so it shall be unto this wicked generation, the Jews. With an occasional tendency to repentance, as under the preaching of John, they became worse and worse until they crucified the Lord and were destroyed.
A man with an unclean spirit, a demon, is chosen to represent them. He goeth out (transient repentance), returns with seven other evil spirits worse than himself (a relapse into sin), and the last state is worse than the first, more wicked and more wretched. So generally, with those who dally with sin.
This parable represents the case of the Jewish church and nation. It is also applicable to all those who hear the word of God and are in part reformed, but not truly converted. The unclean spirit leaves for a time, but when he returns, he finds Christ is not there to shut him out.
The heart is swept by outward reformation, but garnished by preparation to comply with evil suggestions, and the man becomes a more decided enemy of the truth. Every heart is the residence of unclean spirits, except those which are temples of the Holy Ghost, by faith in Christ.
This is saying that when a person is delivered from a demonic spirit, the very first thing to do is to fill the vacancy with the Holy Spirit of God. The person delivered must immediately start reading the Bible and getting filled with the Words of the Bible. If the vacancy, where the evil spirit comes out of, is not immediately filled with the good Spirit, the evil will come back and bring more evil spirits with him.
Verses 46-50: The chapter closes with a reference to “my mother and my brethren.” These brothers are presumably the children of Joseph and Mary born after the virgin birth of Jesus. While some have attempted to view them as cousins, this certainly is not implied in the Gospels. By asking, “Who is my mother?” Jesus called attention away from earthly relationships to more important spiritual relationships.
This saying was not intended to be one of disrespect to Mary or to His brothers, for they too would come to share the spiritual relationship. However, there is no suggestion here at all that Jesus’ mother had any special access to His presence or any particular influence over Him.
By using this startling question, Jesus prepared the crowd to receive the precious truth that “whosoever shall do the will of my Father” was, in fact, His mother, His brother and His sister.
Matthew 12:46 “While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.”
“Brethren”: These are actual siblings (half-brothers), of Jesus. Matthew explicitly connects them with Mary, indicating that they were not cousins or Joseph’s sons from a previous marriage, as some of the church fathers imagined. They are mentioned in all the gospel (Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19-21; John 7:3-5). Matthew and Mark give the names of 4 of Jesus’s brothers, and mention that He had sisters as well (13:55; Mark 6:3).
Matthew 12:47-49 “Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.” “But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?” “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!”
Jesus was not repudiating His earthly family (John 19:26-27). Rather He was emphasizing the supremacy and eternality of spiritual relationships (10:37). After all, even His own family needed Him as Savior (John 7:5).
Matthew 12:50 “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
“Do the will of my Father”: This is not salvation by works. Doing the will of God is the evidence of salvation by grace.
All of this was said and done to make us know there is a physical family, and there is a spiritual family. The family that God counts as a family is the relationship of brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a physical Israel and a spiritual Israel.