Resource Detail

2025 Study of Matthew’s Gospel

THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH

Matthew 12:22-50

Key Verses 12:40

1. Why did the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul (22-24)? What does Jesus teach about spiritual unity and division (25–27)? What are the signs that the kingdom of God has come upon our lives and communities (28-29)?
2. What does it look like to be “with Jesus” in your daily life—at home, work, or school (30)? What is the “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” (31-32)? How can we cultivate our hearts to produce “good fruit” (33-35)? Why does Jesus place such importance on our words (36-37)?
3. Why do you think Jesus called the Pharisees and teachers of the law “a wicked and adulterous generation” when they asked for a sign (38-39a)? What is “the sign of the prophet Jonah,” and how does it point to Jesus’ death and resurrection (39b-40)? Why will the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South condemn that generation (41-42)?
4. What does Jesus mean in this parable about the impure spirit returning with seven other spirits more wicked than itself (43-45)? What practical steps can we take to fill our hearts with the presence of God? What does it mean that whoever does the will of God is Jesus’ family (46-50)?
5. What do you learn from this passage, and how can you apply it to your life personally?

2025 Matthew’s Gospel July 27, 2025

THE SIGN OF JOHAN

Matthew 12:22-42

Key Verse 12:39

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Have you ever asked God for a sign? Asking for a sign from God isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it can often strengthen our faith. For a while after I became a Christian, I desperately wanted to hear God’s voice. One day, I watched the classic Christian movie The Ten Commandments, the one from 1956 with Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Pharaoh. It’s a powerful movie. The moment that struck me the most was when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. “You shall have no other gods before me.” “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything.” “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” As I watched and listened to that deep, thunderous voice in the movie, it was as if God himself was speaking directly to me. It felt like God was giving me a personal sign. I was so moved, tears were running down my face. Even now, I still remember that voice. In today’s passage, Jesus tells us what the greatest sign from God is. It’s Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. That is God’s most powerful sign for our salvation.

Please see verses 22-23. Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the man was completely restored—he could both speak and see! All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Now, “the Son of David” was another name for the Messiah—the Savior that God had promised to send. Through Jesus, the people experienced God’s love and saving power. They had been waiting for the Messiah, someone who would save them. And in Jesus, they could see God’s glory.

But the Pharisees had the opposite reaction. They said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Why would they say something so outrageous? It was because their hearts were filled with jealousy. As Jesus became more popular and loved by the people, they felt that their own authority and influence were being threatened. They were afraid of losing their power and privilege. So they made up their minds to oppose Jesus—no matter what. It didn’t matter what He said or did—they had already decided to reject it. That’s what jealousy does. So how did Jesus respond to the Pharisees? Jesus answered them in a very logical and clear way.

First, Jesus pointed out that their accusation was completely absurd. He says, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” That’s so true, isn’t it? If a nation, a family, or even a church is divided against itself, it can’t stand. Imagine in a family, a daughter asks her dad, “Can I sleep over at my friend’s house tonight?” The dad says, “Sure, have fun!” But then the mom says, “No, you can’t sleep over. You need to be home by 10.” Now the daughter gets upset and says, “Mom, you always say no.” Then the dad adds, “Just let her stay over tonight—it’s fine.” Now the mom turns to the dad and says, “Why don’t you respect what I say?” Now, the parents are in an argument. They stop talking to each other for days. Does this kind of thing ever happen in your family? When a home is divided like that—between husband and wife, or between parents and children—can that home be a place of peace and unity? If our homes are divided, we can’t build a healthy, loving family where our children grow in the Lord. And the same goes for the church. I am very thankful for our church because our leaders and members humbly support the work of God. Because of that, we’ve been experiencing God’s grace and blessing, and our ministry is growing. But what if we started to fight with each other? What if we became jealous or bitter? What if someone prayed, “God, please don’t bless that person”? Do you think God would answer that kind of prayer? No—God wants us to love one another, to bless one another, and to pray for one another. When we are united in Christ, we become a church that truly pleases God.

Jesus then asked the Pharisees, “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” Jesus is absolutely right. Even Satan doesn’t want his own kingdom to be divided. I imagine Satan probably holds his own version of a “Summer Retreat” with the theme: “Unity in Satan.” He knows that division weakens his kingdom. So the idea that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul makes no sense at all. It completely falls apart. Jesus exposed how absurd their claim was.

Second, Jesus pointed out that their accusation was contradictory. Jesus says, “And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.” At that time, there were even some among the Pharisees who were involved in driving out demons. So Jesus is basically saying, “If you’re accusing me of using Satan’s power to cast out demons, then what about your own people who do the same? Are they also using Satan’s power?” Their accusation completely backfires. So Jesus exposed how contradictory their accusation was.

Third, Jesus pointed out that their accusation was actually covering up the truth. Jesus says, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit. People who were once suffering under the power of Satan were being set free by the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit begins to take control of someone’s life, that means God’s kingdom has come. So when demons are cast out and people are healed and restored through Jesus, that is a powerful work of salvation. But the Pharisees were denying that work. Instead of recognizing what God was doing, they tried to cover it up with lies.

Fourth, Jesus warned the Pharisees that their accusation was leading them to commit a sin that cannot be forgiven. Jesus said, “Every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” This is a very strong warning from Jesus. What does it mean that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven? Before we go deeper, let me ask you this: “Do you believe that there’s a sin Jesus cannot forgive?” Let’s think about John 3:16, a verse we all love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word of God clearly says, “whoever believes in him will have eternal life.” That means no matter what sin someone has committed, if they believe in Jesus, they can be saved. 1 John 1:9 also says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus has the power to purify us from any kind of sin or unrighteousness. We see this in the criminal on the cross, who repented in his final moments. Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We also see it in the apostle Paul, who once persecuted Jesus and the church. But after encountering Jesus, he repented, was forgiven, and became one of the greatest instruments of God’s work. Jesus forgives any kind of sinner—if they repent.

So then, what exactly is “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”? The word “blasphemy” means using offensive, insulting, or mocking language directed toward God. So blasphemy against the Holy Spirit refers to intentionally speaking slander, mockery, or insult against the Holy Spirit. What do you think is the main work of the Holy Spirit? In John 16:8, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize our sin, shows us the truth about Jesus’ death and resurrection, and leads us to hope in the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts our hearts and leads us to repentance. He is the one who testifies that Jesus is the Savior and calls us to believe in him. He helps us live with hope in God’s kingdom. So, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means deliberately rejecting and resisting the Spirit’s work of salvation. It means pushing away the Holy Spirit who is trying to bring us to Jesus. If someone rejects the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance, how can they be forgiven? If they won’t turn to Jesus—if they completely close their heart to God’s grace—then there’s no forgiveness left for them. That’s why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is called the unforgivable sin—not because God is unwilling to forgive, but because that person is unwilling to receive it.

Why did Jesus say to the Pharisees that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven? It’s because Jesus wanted them to realize how serious their sin was—how dangerous it is to oppose the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was warning them so that they would see the truth, repent of their sin, and come back to God. If they had listened to his words, humbled themselves, and received him as the Messiah, they too could have been forgiven and brought under the reign of God’s kingdom. But if they harden their hearts and reject the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance, they will not be forgiven.

Fifth, Jesus pointed out that their accusation came from their evil hearts. Jesus said, “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” When someone’s heart is pure, their words will be good and life-giving. But when someone’s heart is filled with evil, their words will also be evil. Therefore, we are responsible for the words we speak. We shouldn’t speak words of complaining, slander, gossip, cursing, lying, mocking, anger, or flattery. Why not? Because God will judge us for every empty word we have spoken. So what should we do? We need to fill our hearts with the word of God. And we need to guard our hearts carefully. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

In this way, Jesus clearly responded to the Pharisees’ false accusation. Now we come to the second story. It begins when the Pharisees and teachers of the law ask Jesus for a sign. They say, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But they had already seen plenty of signs. They had seen Jesus proclaim good news to the poor, give freedom to the prisoners, restore sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free. They had just witnessed a demon-possessed man being healed—he could now speak and see. Yet they still asked for another sign. Jesus knew that their problem wasn’t that they hadn’t seen enough signs. Their problem was a lack of faith. So Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

What is the sign of the prophet Jonah? Jonah is well known as the disobedient prophet. God commanded him to go to Nineveh and preach a message of repentance. But instead of obeying, Jonah got on a ship and tried to run away in the opposite direction. While he was on the boat, a great storm came, and Jonah was eventually thrown into the sea. Then a huge fish swallowed him. Jonah spent three days and three nights inside the belly of the fish, and during that time, he prayed and repented. God had mercy on him and gave him another chance. The fish spit him out onto dry land, and this time, Jonah obeyed and went to Nineveh. But even then, Jonah didn’t really love the people of Nineveh. He didn’t preach with compassion, and he didn’t want them to be saved. Still, the people in Nineveh repented. They fasted, humbled themselves, and turned back to God.

The sign of Jonah refers to the fact that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The phrase “three days and three nights” was a common expression used to refer to a period of three days. Jesus suffered, was crucified, and died on the cross. And on the third day, he rose again. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the greatest and most powerful sign of salvation. Anyone who believes that Jesus died on the cross and was risen from the dead can be saved. And their lives will be transformed. Those who once lived in guilt and shame can overflow with joy through the love of Jesus. Those who were held captive by the fear of death can now live with peace and hope in the resurrection. People who felt weak and powerless can now live victorious lives through the power of the risen Christ. Those who wandered with no purpose can now live for the glory of God. We’ve already heard the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We’ve already seen this great work of salvation. So we don’t need any more signs. If someone still doesn’t believe in Jesus after being convicted by the message of His death on the cross and resurrection through the work of the Holy Spirit, it’s not because they lack signs. It’s because of their unbelief.

That’s why Jesus said, “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it.” The people of Nineveh heard a heartless message from a disobedient prophet—Jonah didn’t even want them to be saved—but they still repented. If they could repent at Jonah’s weak and reluctant preaching, how much more should the people in Jesus’ time have repented when they heard the message from someone far greater than Jonah—someone obedient, full of love, and filled with the Holy Spirit? But instead, they rejected him. And then Jesus said, “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it.” She traveled a long distance just to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Yet someone far greater than Solomon was standing right in front of them—and still they refused to listen. How hard their hearts must have been.

Some people refuse to accept Jesus for many reasons. One common reason is this question: “If God is good, then why is the world so full of injustice?” They blame God for the brokenness of the world. I used to be one of them. I thought, “If a god created this unjust world, then that god must either be evil or powerless.” Because of that, I argued with Christian friends who tried to share God’s love with me. I also blamed Christians for being hypocrites. Many people today say the same thing—they accuse Christians of being selfish and narrow-minded. Some even say, “You’re the reason I don’t go to church.” But if we take an honest look at history, we can see that few groups have made as much of a positive impact on the world as Christians have. Many Christian organizations have led the way in medical missions and charity work. Christians have brought education to poor and remote areas, helping to fight poverty and end illiteracy. In England and the United States, it was Christians who led the movement to abolish slavery. It was Christians who have cared for thousands of orphans in need. And even today, many followers of Jesus are living humble, sacrificial lives to share God’s love with others. The existence of evil in this world is not God’s fault. It is human sin that makes this world unjust. This world is broken because people have turned away from God. As a result, selfishness and injustice continue to grow. I’m not saying Christians have no responsibility. We do. We’ve made mistakes. We have sometimes failed to live out what we preach. But blaming all the world’s problems on Christians is a biased and unfair view.

The fact that Jesus suffered for our sins and died on the cross to save us is the most beautiful and powerful story in the world. Romans 5:7–8 says, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Who would be willing to give their life for a terrible sinner?
The truth is, even we—selfish as we are—find it hard to sacrifice ourselves for those we love, like our children, our spouse, or our close friends. But Christ gave his life for us while we were still sinners. He showed us the true love of God. Even I, someone who had once intentionally rejected God, couldn’t resist the amazing love of God. My hard heart melted in the face of Jesus’ love and forgiveness on the cross. That love changed me. I was born again through the love of Jesus Christ who forgave me. And now, I live to share that love with others.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the most powerful sign of salvation. I pray that all of us would believe in Jesus, receive his salvation, and live a victorious life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.