Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 144, Matthew 12:43-45 — A Wicked Generation Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB1995) “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Discussion Yesterday, we concluded Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees for insincerely asking for a sign. The LORD declared that His current generation is evil and adulterous as they remain unfaithful to God by seeking signs instead of faithfully trusting Him. But Jesus says that the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah, which foreshadows His death and resurrection. Jesus has spoken of judgment often, but never with more conviction than now. In His rebuke, Jesus declares that the men of Nineveh will righteously judge, or “condemn,” the Pharisees and other unrepentant Jews on judgment day. What could be more convicting than hearing that one of the most wicked cities in history will condemn you on judgment day? It must have been searingly painful to acknowledge that a formerly wicked Gentile nation will judge ancient Israel—especially when you believe you have exclusive rights to salvation as God’s people. But because of their persistent rejection of Christ and sinful living, the unbelieving and unrepentant Pharisees and Jews will stand condemned. The important theme to remember is the difference between repentance and unrepentance. When we acknowledge we deserve punishment for our sins and turn from them as we turn to God, His mercy shines brightly through us as we walk free from condemnation. Conversely, the Pharisees constantly boasted of their self-righteousness, believing themselves to be right in God’s sight. They were wicked, oppressive, unfaithful, and brazenly unrepentant. Because of this pride, they stand condemned. Today, we read Jesus’ parable about a demonic spirit returning to a man it once possessed. Jesus says, “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Before we dive into this passage, we need to acknowledge that it is within the same section of verses starting at v. 22. This exact passage is also referenced in Luke 11:24-26 within the same context after Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for blasphemy. We cannot rip these three verses out from their context that goes along with the rest of the chapter. Let’s review. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus cast out a demon from a man who was blind and mute (12:22). This instigated His rebuke of the Pharisees for attributing His power to Satan (12:24). Following His many rebukes of the Pharisees (12:25-42) for blasphemy, fruitlessness, and seeking signs, Jesus circles back to the topic of unclean spirits, or demons, which we read today. Notably, we need to understand that this is a parable. Jesus is making a point within the context of Matthew 12—not teaching about demons. Now, we know Jesus has delivered many demonized people to this point, but we only have one example of where demons go when cast out (Matt. 8:28-34). In Matthew 8, we learn the LORD can cast the demons into the abyss, which is likely the bottomless pit reserved for Satan and his demons before judgment day. He also can cast them into other animals, as He did by casting the demons into a herd of pigs. In this passage, we learn about a third place demons can go as we see them freely roaming and seeking somewhere to live. The ‘unclean spirits’ Jesus is speaking about here are a parabolic response to failed exorcisms by the Pharisees. In v. 27, we learn that the Pharisees and their students can cast out demons, but it is implied that they lack the power or authority of God to cast them into the abyss. While Scripture does not clarify, the context of the chapter tells us that the Pharisees’ attempts were ineffective in sending the demon away for good. Can we assume that Jesus, who has full power and authority over the demonic, casts each demon into the abyss? Scripture does not clarify this either, but it seems like a resounding yes, as we have seen demons beg Jesus to not send them into the abyss. It also makes sense for the LORD to send unclean spirits away for good since He has full power and authority over them as God. In Jesus’ parable, it seems someone successfully cast an unclean spirit from a person but did not have the power or authority to cast it into the abyss. Hence, we see the unclean spirit seeking a place of rest (12:43). After a demon cannot find a place of residence, “44 It says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.” The image is of a formerly possessed person free of demonic influence—neither possession nor oppression. They were once captive to an unclean spirit, but are now free. The house is their being, which is clean and organized, but unoccupied. Sadly, some who were healed and freed from demonic influence did not place their faith in Christ. Because of this unwillingness to commit to Christ[1], they remained unoccupied, allowing the displaced demon to return to its previous residence.[2] Jesus adds, “45 Then it [the demon] goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” This latter statement by Jesus shows the importance of being filled with Christ. Having Christ would have provided the man with protection from the demons and their horrible oppression. Instead, he remained unoccupied, and his physical and spiritual state became worse than before. But that is not the point of this parable. Jesus reveals the point of this parable in the last sentence by saying that His current generation of Jews are on a similar path. What does this mean? “In Matthew’s context, the parable is not ethical, but Christological. Coming at the end of the long series of disputes that have dominated the chapter, this parable administers the final blow to the [Pharisees] for their rejection of Jesus. Their last state will be far worse than their first because they refuse to acknowledge what God is doing in Jesus.”[3] Jesus is warning that the Jews who have rejected Him as Messiah will face an even greater judgment, far worse than before He came. Before, the Pharisees rejected God as they self-righteously oppressed poorer Jews and lived wicked lives far from Him. Now, they reject Jesus, God in the flesh, after witnessing many of His mighty works. Their current state is far worse than their former state because they refuse to acknowledge the work of God through Jesus. We apply this same idea in His rebuke of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (11:20-24). Jesus condemned these cities for their unrepentance and rejection of Him as Messiah. He concluded those rebukes by saying they would face a harsher punishment because they rejected Him even after being in His presence. Just as a man once possessed will be in a worse state when a demon repossesses him, the Jews who continue to reject Christ will be in a far worse state of judgment than before He revealed Himself. Application Studying Scripture in context blows my mind. I have never read these verses without assuming it was about demons and only demons… until now. But today we learned that these verses have nothing to do with demons and everything to do with Jesus’ judgment of those who continually reject Him. It is wild to see the impudence of the Pharisees throughout the New Testament. Jesus presents them with irrefutable evidence that He is who He says He is, but they persistently ignore the signs and selfishly seek His demise. While this parable was a strict rebuke against the Pharisees, we can still find a proper application for today. Many people have tasted and seen the glory of God, but continue to reject His existence. They reject Christ by faithlessly shriveling away in guilt and shame, which hardens them to the truth. For believers, it is the truth that He will never forsake us. For unbelievers, it is the truth that He exists and salvation can be found by simply coming to Jesus. For believers, how often are we spiritually challenged in our seasons of waiting? How often do we question God and His faithfulness during these times? Do we shrink back and wrongly attribute carelessness to God, or do we faithfully trust that He works out all things for our good according to His will? The more we focus on our loneliness and lack of clarity, the more burdened and depressed we can become. For unbelievers, a continual, blatant rejection of Christ will only leave a person feeling more helpless and hopeless. Their newer spiritual state will become far worse than before if they continue to deny Jesus. Thankfully, the LORD will deliver all those who genuinely repent and faithfully come to Him. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 12:46-50. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Douglas R. A. Hare, “Interpretation Commentary.” [2] Doug O’Donnell, “New International Greek Testament Commentary.” [3] Hare, “Interpretation Commentary.”
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