Matthew 12:38 – 50 Repentance and Evil Spirits

Repentance is required to receive the message of the Kingdom and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. John the Baptist preached repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Yeshua taught His disciples and sent them out to proclaim this message. Many who heard the message, received the message, but the religious leaders of Israel resisted and fought the ministry of Yeshua and His message of repentance.

The refusal to receive the message of repentance was the result of satan, the prince of the power of the air. He had blinded the minds of the religious leaders and dispatched evil spirits that occupied and bound up the people of the land. 

Repentance and acceptance of the Gospel of the Kingdom was the only hope for the people then to be set free from the bondage of satan and the evil spirits that bound them. Repentance and acceptance of the Gospel of the Kingdom is the only hope for the people now.

Yeshua encountered these demonic forces in the synagogues, in the streets, and practically everywhere He went.

Lk 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Lk 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Yeshua of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 

Lk 4:35 And Yeshua rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. Lk 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Yeshua called the Pharisees, who accused Him of casting out demons by the power of satan, the offspring of vipers. 

Mt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

When Yeshua sent His disciples out. He specifically gave them authority to cast out unclean spirits. 

Mt 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 

Yeshua’s response put those who asked the question in the category of the evil and the adulterous.

Their adultery was similar to their forefathers in that they had departed from the way of righteousness and established their own righteousness by adding to the Torah as if the Torah was not perfect as it was.

Judaism is Torah based, NOT Torah.

Mt 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 

Mt 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Mt 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 

In judgment and condemn this generation: 

Why would they condemn that generation? 

Because one greater than Jonah had come, and the people of that generation did not repent as the people did when Jonah preached to them.

Jnh 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 

Jnh 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

Mt 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 

1Ki 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. 

1Ki 10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 

1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 

1Ki 10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 

1Ki 10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. 

1Ki 10:6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 

1Ki 10:7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 

1Ki 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 

1Ki 10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. 

1Ki 10:10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 

Mt 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 

Getting rid of an evil spirit alone does not protect you from evil spirits. We must commence to building a defense system. Our defense system is faith in Yeshua and His word, The Word of YeHoVaH, The Word made flesh.

Believing in and believing Yeshua is part of the process. Kingdom-minded living protects you from evil spirits.

Mt 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Mt 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. 

The evil spirits inhabited the land before Yeshua came.

Mt 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Yeshua, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 

Yeshua’s presence served notice to the demonic forces, that had filled the land, that the Kingdom of Heaven was here.

Repentance and believing the Gospel of the Kingdom, presented by Yeshua, would have set the stage for deliverance, freedom, and the abundant life by the Holy Spirit that Yeshua came to give.  However, rejection of the Kingdom Gospel would cause the people to be in a worse state, inhabited by more demons, after Yeshua was no longer present and the Holy Spirit was not received.

The religious leaders rejected Yeshua and the Gospel of the Kingdom, blasphemed the Holy Spirit, conspired to murder Yeshua, and by doing so, condemned themselves. 

Israel, from that time, progressively descended into darkness and persecuted the followers of Yeshua.  Ultimately, Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed and never rebuilt, even up to this day.

Mt 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 

A reasonable question: 

Why were they there to speak to Him? 

Mark informs us that they were there to apprehend Him, or take Him, for they thought He had lost His mind.

Mk 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. KJV  

Mk 3:21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 

NIV

Mk 3:21 And when his kinfolks heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. 

1599 Geneva Bible

Mk 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himselfe. 

1611 KJV

MK 3:21 And when His own people heard, they went out to seize him, for they were saying he were crazy. Aramaic 

English New Testament

Mk 3:21 And when those who belonged to Him (His kinsmen) heard it, they went out to take Him by force, for they kept saying, He is out of His mind (beside Himself, deranged)! AMP

MK 3:21 When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “ He has lost His senses.” NASB 

Mk 3:21 And his relatives having heard of it went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is out of his mind. Darby

Mk 3:21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him home with them. “He’s out of his mind,” they said. NLT 

Mk 3:21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." NRSVMk 3:21 When his family heard about this, they set out to take charge of Him; for they said “He’s out of his mind!” CJB

Mt 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 

Mt 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 

Another reasonable question: 

Did they get to speak to Him? 

It does not appear that they did.

Mt 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 

Mt 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother

The Will of YeHoVaH as revealed by Yeshua:

Jn 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: Jn 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Jn 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Jn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jn 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 

Jn 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 

Jn 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jn 14:6 Yeshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Jn 20:29 Yeshua saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

If Messiah came today, would He find faith in the earth. 

Would He find faith in you?