Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.”
1. Tree Bearing Fruit
2. Need to “Make Up the Mind” – Is He Good or Bad?
B. PERSONALIZING THE MESSAGE
Matthew 12:34-35 “You brood of vipers! How can you being wicked say good things? For the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart. The good person puts out from the good stored in his heart, but the wicked person puts out from the wickedness stored in him.”
1. Mixing Metaphors
2. Clear What Kind of Tree the Pharisees Were
3. The Heart Exposed
C. PUNISHMENT FOR SIN OF WORDS
Matthew 12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every malicious word they might say, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
1. Basis of Judgment
2. Evidence of Judgment
Much of the time we work hard at keeping the evil hidden down deep and our sin less apparent to others. By this time, however the Pharisees opened up on Jesus to erase all doubt of their condemnation . .
II. RELIGIOUS MAN CONDEMNED BY HIS WORKS
A. REVEALING THE SIN IN MAN’S HEART
Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees responded to Him, demanding, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
1. Heart of Unbelief
2. What kind of sign?
B. REJECTING THE SIGN
Matthew 12:39-40 But He responded, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
1. Who needs a Sign?
2. Sign of Jonah
C. RESPONDING IN JUDGMENT
Matthew 12:41-42 “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment of this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, One greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment of this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, One greater than Solomon is here.”
1. Illustration of Nineveh
Gentile Dogs but they Repented
Witness of Jesus was greater than Jonah
What will you do with message of Jesus?
2. Illustration of Queen of Sheba (Sabeans)
Gave treasure to learn wisdom from Solomon
She believed the truth
What will you do with lesson God gives?
D. RESULTING APPLICATION
1. Accept the Gospel Message
Incarnation
Atoning Sacrifice
Resurrection
2. Reject the Gospel Message
Foolishness or the Truth?