Jesus has met increasing hostility from the Pharisees. He responds. These words are harsh. There is indeed a conflict here, for Jesus is a reformer and the Pharisees are resistant.
Matt 12:30-37
"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the 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.
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
The followers of Jesus do indeed need to make a decision. Will they stay with Jesus? Will they press on in the upcoming conflict? Or be intimidated by the religious leaders?
Matt 12:30-37
"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the 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.
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
The followers of Jesus do indeed need to make a decision. Will they stay with Jesus? Will they press on in the upcoming conflict? Or be intimidated by the religious leaders?
Matt 12:38-45
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 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 men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
"The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
The Pharisees and teachers of the Law have been seeing Jesus's works yet challenge Him to do a miracle in their presence. He refuses, saying that only one miracle is necessary, that of three days of burial and then a resurrection.
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 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 men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
"The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
The Pharisees and teachers of the Law have been seeing Jesus's works yet challenge Him to do a miracle in their presence. He refuses, saying that only one miracle is necessary, that of three days of burial and then a resurrection.
From the NIV footnotes: in verses 41 and 42, it is not clear whether "one greater than Jonah/Solomon" is a person or a concept. Apparently the Greek would allow either interpretation. Presumably since the contrast is with a person (Jonah in one verse, Solomon in another), the translaters use "one" instead of "thing".
Matt 12:30-37
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
In the confrontations, Jesus points out the importance of deliberately, consciously, deciding to follow Him.
NIV footnotes: some ancient manuscripts do not have the sentence (verse 47) about Jesus's mother and brothers standing outside but give Jesus's question, "Who is my mother...?" without context or transition. Regardless of Matthew's original text, that context is given in Mark 3:31-35 and in Luke 8: 20-21.
In the next chapter, Jesus begins a third set of teachings, parables about the kingdom of heaven.
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