{"id":909,"date":"2023-01-10T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=909&2023"},"modified":"2023-01-05T17:00:02","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T00:00:02","slug":"faith-before-sight-matthew-12-38-45","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/faith-before-sight-matthew-12-38-45\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith before Sight: Matthew 12:38-45"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: Matthew 12:38-45 (GW)<\/div>
\r\n

38\u00a0<\/sup>Then some experts in Moses\u2019 Teachings and Pharisees said, \u201cTeacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign.\u201d<\/p>

39\u00a0<\/sup>He responded, \u201cThe people of an evil and unfaithful era look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40\u00a0<\/sup>Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41\u00a0<\/sup>The men of Nineveh will stand up with you at the time of judgment and will condemn you, because they turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here! 42\u00a0<\/sup>The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with you. She will condemn you, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon\u2019s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here!<\/p>

43\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWhen an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn\u2019t find any. 44\u00a0<\/sup>Then it says, \u2018I\u2019ll go back to the home I left.\u2019 When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. 45\u00a0<\/sup>Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Read Matthew 12:38-45<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

During one of the times when Jesus was preaching to the crowds, a group of religious leaders and Pharisees come to Him with a request. These leaders may have been challenged or convicted by what Jesus was saying, but they wanted to see a miraculous sign in order to prove to themselves whether Jesus was truly sent from God.<\/p>\r\n

However, Jesus doesn\u2019t respond by giving them a sign like they were expecting. Instead, Jesus predicts a sign that gives us a clue into how well Jesus knew His life\u2019s mission and how well Jesus knew God\u2019s plan for His life. Jesus responded to these leaders by saying, \u201cThe people of an evil and unfaithful era look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.<\/strong>\u201d (v. 39-40)<\/p>\r\n

Jesus tips His hand in this response by drawing in one of the most unique parallels that He could have: the prophet Jonah. If it were not for Jesus giving this parallel, most everyone would have missed or dismissed the idea that Jonah\u2019s rebellion would become a prophetic picture of the Messiah. Just like Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights, this Old Testament event was prophetic of the Messiah being buried for this period of time.<\/p>\r\n

However Jonah being spit up onto dry land is the real miracle that foreshadows Jesus. While the timing of the length of the burial is significant, Jonah\u2019s \u201cresurrection\u201d from the fish is even more significant because it symbolizes Jesus\u2019 resurrection from the earth.<\/p>\r\n

Jesus then continues by saying, \u201cThe men of Nineveh will stand up with you at the time of judgment and will condemn you, because they turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here! The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with you. She will condemn you, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon\u2019s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here!<\/strong>\u201d (v. 41-42)<\/p>\r\n

By drawing on two historic examples of faith, Jesus challenges the notion that seeing is the only reason for believing. The men of Nineveh definitely could see Jonah, and they probably could have smelled him as well, but they were not there to witness Jonah\u2019s return to land from the mouth of the fish. The men of Nineveh believed Jonah\u2019s message and changed their lives without needing to see fire from heaven.<\/p>\r\n

It is the same way with the queen from the south. All she had was rumors of Solomon\u2019s wisdom. Based on what she had heard, she made the long journey to visit. She didn\u2019t need to see before believing; she believed and that prompted her to go to a place where she could validate her belief.<\/p>\r\n

In both cases, the examples Jesus gave believed before seeing, and they take the opposite approach that the religious leaders had. The religious leaders and Pharisees chose to not believe unless they saw for themselves \u2013 and because they had Jesus in their midst, they will be condemned not only by the two historic examples Jesus gave, but by everyone who has chosen to believe God\u2019s message without needing to see it for themselves beforehand.<\/p>\r\n

We can fall into the same mindset and skepticism that the religious leaders had fallen into, but if we do, we will miss out on being the people God wants us to be. If we choose to walk by faith, and while walking, keep our eyes open to seeing examples of God\u2019s working, we won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"During one of the times when Jesus was preaching to the crowds, a group of religious leaders and Pharisees come to Him with a request. 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