First Baptist Church Litchfield
September 14, 2025

      • Psalm 103:19ESV

      • Psalm 115:1–3ESV

  • Behold Our God
  • Sovereign One
  • Firm Foundation (He Won't)

      • 1 Chronicles 29:11–12ESV

  • How Great Thou Art

  • Will you resist Him or receive Him?

    Have you ever noticed that people often demand proof for what they already know to be true? A child looks at his mother holding vegetables and says, “Prove to me this is healthy.” A student watches his teacher work out a math problem on the board and says, “Show me again. I don’t believe you.” The problem isn’t the evidence—it’s the heart that doesn’t want to accept it.
    That is exactly what is happening in Matthew 12. Jesus has just cast out demons, healed the blind and mute, and preached the kingdom of God. Yet the Pharisees come to Him and say, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you” (v. 38). As if all He had done wasn’t enough.
    Sinful hearts resist the clear work of God, demanding signs on our own terms. And it raises the question for us: will we resist Him, or will we receive Him?
    Jesus answers with both warning and invitation:

    Someone greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon, greater than all the prophets is here—and He calls you to listen, believe, and belong.

    A Wicked Generation Demands a Sign (vv. 38–39)

    The Pharisees approach Jesus with lips that sound respectful, but hearts that are far from God. They address Him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign.” At first glance, their request seems harmless—even reverent. But beneath their words lies rebellion. They don’t want a Savior; they want a show. They aren’t seeking truth; they’re demanding a performance.

    What sort of sign are they after?

    Jesus has just healed a man who was blind, mute, and possessed by a demon. One would think that would be enough. But to the Pharisees, healings didn’t qualify as proof that Jesus was the Son of God. Why? Because in their minds, healings could be manipulated by dark sorcery or human trickery. What they wanted was something “from heaven” (Matt. 16:1). They wanted thunder to split the skies, fire to fall on the altar like Elijah at Mount Carmel, or a pillar of cloud and fire like the days of Moses. Only then, they said, would they believe. But in truth, no sign would ever be enough for unbelieving hearts.
    This is the fallen condition of the human soul—never satisfied with the Word of God, always demanding more. Like Israel in the wilderness who tested God again and again despite His mighty works, so too these Pharisees stand hardened in unbelief. They ask for a sign, but what they really crave is control over God.
    Jesus answers sharply: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” Those words cut deep. In the Old Testament, “evil and adulterous” was God’s way of describing His covenant people when they turned away from Him. Evil, because their hearts were hardened in sin. Adulterous, because though they pledged loyalty to Yahweh, they gave their hearts to idols. It is spiritual infidelity—a refusal to be satisfied in God Himself. And not matter what proof he provides of his might and love for them, they refuse to see it because they refuse to believe it.
    Imagine standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and saying, “Prove to me this is deep.” The problem isn’t with the canyon—it’s with your eyes. The Pharisees weren’t blind for lack of signs; they were blind for lack of faith.
    The Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven to satisfy their curiosity. Jesus promised a better sign. Not fire from heaven, but something infinitely greater—the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man would be three days in the heart of the earth. His death and resurrection would be the final, undeniable proof that He is the Messiah. Not a circus act, but a cross. Not a heavenly spectacle, but an empty tomb.
    Friend, are you demanding more from Jesus before you believe? Do you say, “If God would just answer this prayer, then I’d trust Him”? The danger is that a heart demanding signs may already be calcifying against the truth.
    Jesus tells them the only sign they will receive is His death and resurrection—the sign of Jonah. You must receive it. If you, don’t you will face judgement. Jesus says, if Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching, and the Queen of Sheba traveled far to hear Solomon’s wisdom, how much greater is the judgment on this generation, standing before One far greater than Jonah and Solomon.
    This morning, I want to show you Jesus, the prophet greater than Jonah and the king greater than Solomon, so that you will receive him, and be part of His family.

    Someone Greater than Jonah Is Here (vv. 40–41)

    Jesus recalls 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.”

    What is Jesus teaching by using Jonah as a metaphor?

    Jonah was the reluctant prophet—running from God’s call, swallowed by a great fish, and vomited back onto dry land after three days. His story is one of rebellion and rescue. And yet, Jesus takes Jonah’s dark moment and turns it into a preview of the greatest sign in redemptive history. Just as Jonah was sent to proclaim repentance to the people of Nineveh, so Jesus is sent to proclaim repentance and salvation to the world. But unlike Jonah, who ran from his mission, Jesus embraces His Father’s mission—even to the point of death.
    God proved Jonah to be His prophet by bringing him up from “the belly of Sheol.” But God proves Jesus to be His Son by raising Him from the grave after three days. Jonah escaped death; Jesus conquered death. Jonah was delivered from the fish’s stomach; Jesus was delivered from the heart of the earth. And in that empty tomb, God stamped His final approval: this is My Beloved Son, the true Prophet, Priest, and King.
    That is why Jesus says, “The only sign you will receive is the sign of Jonah.” The decisive proof of His identity is not another miracle, not fire from heaven, but His death and resurrection. If you want to know whether Jesus is the Messiah, you need not look any further than the cross and the empty tomb.
    But here’s the shocking part. Jesus says in verse 41, “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Think about that. The wicked Ninevites—idolaters, violent oppressors, enemies of God’s people—repented when a reluctant prophet gave a half-hearted sermon. And yet, Israel has the very Son of God standing before them, preaching with compassion, performing miracles with authority, even moving toward the cross in love—and their hearts remain hard.
    The tragedy is clear. They wanted signs, but they did not want the Savior. They wanted a God who performed on their terms, not a God who reigns on His. Pride resists grace. Pride demands control. Pride wants salvation without surrender.
    Jonah preached reluctantly, and revival broke out. Jesus preaches lovingly, even laying down His life, and still many resist Him.
    But the resurrection changes everything. The empty tomb is God’s loudest sermon. If you want proof that Jesus is the Messiah, look not for new miracles, but for the Risen Christ. The question is not whether the sign is clear—the sign has been given. The question is whether your heart will receive it.
    But Jesus doesn’t stop with Jonah. He points to another great figure of Israel’s past.

    Someone Greater than Solomon Is Here (v. 42)

    Jesus says,
    “42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:42
    Jesus now draws their attention to another figure from Israel’s history—the Queen of the South, better known as the Queen of Sheba. You remember the story. Solomon’s wisdom became the talk of the nations. Word of his wealth, his justice, and his insight spread far beyond Israel’s borders until it reached a pagan queen in Arabia. The Queen of Sheba traveled hundreds of miles to Jerusalem just to hear for herself if the stories were true. And when she stood before Solomon, she confessed that what she had heard was only half the truth—his wisdom and wealth exceeded her wildest expectations (1 Kings 10).
    Think about what Jesus is saying. Here was a pagan queen—no covenant with God, no access to the promises of Israel—yet she recognized the wisdom God had entrusted to Solomon. She traveled far, humbled herself, and stood in awe of a king whose wisdom, as great as it was, was still partial, temporary, and tainted by sin.
    And now, before the Pharisees stands One greater than Solomon. Jesus is not just a wise king; He is Wisdom incarnate. He is the Word made flesh, the wisdom of God displayed perfectly, the very embodiment of truth, righteousness, and justice. Solomon could offer insight, but Christ is the source of all wisdom. Solomon could lead God’s people for a season, but Christ reigns forever as the promised Messiah.
    Brothers and sister, if a pagan queen would cross deserts to hear Solomon’s wisdom, how much more should the covenant people of God receive their true King, who crossed heaven to came to earth, has come not only to speak wisdom, but to save them from their sin? If the Queen of Sheba was willing to leave her throne to sit at Solomon’s feet, how much more should the Pharisees—and all of us—bow our knees before the Son of God?
    The tragedy is that the outsiders respond with greater faith than the insiders. Pagans listen, but God’s people resist. The Queen of Sheba will rise up on the day of judgment and condemn this generation, because she came in awe of Solomon, and behold—One far greater than Solomon is here.
    People will drive hours to hear a favorite band in concert, and even have their hearts aroused, but many won’t walk across the room to open their Bibles or lift their hearts in awe of the risen King. The Queen of Sheba sought Solomon with eagerness; how much more should we seek Christ, who is greater still.
    The question presses on us: will we receive Him? Or will we, like the Pharisees, be so blinded by pride that we refuse to see the wisdom of God standing right in front of us?
    If pagans recognized Solomon’s wisdom, how much more should you bow before the wisdom of Christ. To ignore Him is to invite judgment.
    Jesus has already said if you are not gathering with me, you are scattering against me. If I am not in you, then you are left empty. Rejecting Jesus does not leave a heart neutral. It leaves it dangerously exposed.

    The Danger of an Empty House (vv. 43–45)

    At first glance, verses 43–45 may feel oddly out of place. Why would Jesus suddenly begin speaking about demons wandering in and out of a man’s life? What does this have to do with Pharisees demanding signs or with Jonah and Solomon? But look closer, and you’ll see that Jesus is weaving it all together. R. T. France is helpful here—he notes that the language of exorcism ties us back to verses 22–29, the reference to “this generation” connects us to verses 39–42, and the central message echoes verse 30: “Whoever is not with me is against me.”
    So what is Jesus saying? He is warning us about the danger of half-hearted repentance. You can be swept clean, but not saved. You can be rid of an unclean spirit, but if your heart is not filled with the Holy Spirit, you are still an empty house. And an empty house is always in danger of being reoccupied.
    Jesus paints a vivid picture: an unclean spirit leaves a man, finds no rest, and returns to discover the soul swept tidy but vacant. And then it brings with it seven spirits more wicked than itself, until the man’s last state is worse than the first.

    The warning is clear—moral reform without spiritual rebirth is a death trap.

    This is where the Pharisees were living. They had religion, but no regeneration. They had rituals, but no repentance. Outwardly, they looked swept and ordered, but inwardly, their hearts were empty. They were like a spider’s web swept away, while the spider itself remained hidden. You can clear away the cobwebs of bad habits, but unless the source of sin is killed, those webs will come back stronger.
    We can try to clean ourselves up on the outside, but we cannot keep ourselves safe on the inside. Pride will tidy the room; sin will always move back in.
    But thanks be to God, you don’t just need a broom—you need a new birth. You don’t just need an empty house—you need a new owner. Only the Spirit of Christ can occupy your soul and make it secure. Only Jesus can fill your life with His presence and keep the enemy from coming back with reinforcements.
    Only the Spirit of Christ can fill the house of your heart and keep it safe. Which leads to Jesus’ final point: who truly belongs to Him?

    True Family Belongs to the Father’s Will (vv. 46–50)

    As Jesus teaches, His mother and brothers stand outside. Someone says, “Your mother and brothers are here.” But Jesus points to His disciples and says, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
    This is not a rejection of Mary, but a redefinition of family. This is why Jesus presses the question: who truly belongs to Him? It is not the one who has cleaned up his habits, but the one who has surrendered his heart. Religion without regeneration is deadly. But a heart indwelt by Christ is forever secure. Belonging to God is not a matter of bloodline, but of new birth. The true family of God is made up of those who hear Christ, believe Christ, and obey the will of the Father.
    A family portrait shows outward belonging. But Christ’s family portrait is drawn not by DNA, but by obedience and faith. Do you belong to Jesus’ family? Are you on the outside looking in, or have you entered by faith, trusting His death and resurrection?

    Listen. Believe. Belong.

    Listen to the warning. The Pharisees came demanding a sign, but Jesus gave them something far greater—He gave them Himself. He is greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon, greater than all the prophets and kings who came before Him. And the sign He promised was not thunder from heaven or fire on the altar, but His own resurrection. After three days in the grave, He would rise again. That empty tomb is the greatest proof that He is Messiah, Savior, and King.
    We are prone to resist God. Like the Pharisees, we demand proof while ignoring His presence. We say, “Lord, show me one more sign,” when God has already given us the decisive sign—Jesus crucified and risen. The tragedy is not that God has failed to prove Himself, but that our hearts are so blind with pride that we refuse to see what is already before us.
    Believe the gospel. Christ rose from the grave. He offers His Spirit to dwell within you. He does not leave your soul as an empty house waiting to be reoccupied.
    Belong to His Family. He fills you with His very presence, securing you against the enemy, and welcoming you into His true family—those who hear the Word of God, repent of their sin, confess Jesus as Lord, receive by faith his forgiveness and salvation, and then live a life expressing your love for Jesus through a life of obedience.
    Friend, you don’t need another sign from God. The tomb is empty. The Savior is risen. The invitation is open. The only question is this: will you resist Him like the Pharisees, or will you receive Him as Lord and belong to the family of God?
  • He Will Hold Me Fast
First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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