Matthew 12

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:29

Jesus encouraged the Pharisees to look at the same issue another way. Only a stronger person can bind a homeowner and ransack his house (cf. Isaiah 49:24-25). On a deeper level Jesus was speaking of Himself binding Satan and spoiling his house by casting out demons (cf. Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21-22). Thus Jesus was claiming power superior to Satan that could only be divine. Jesus will really bind Satan for 1,000 years when the kingdom begins (Revelation 20:2). Jewish pseudepigraphal literature... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:30

Jesus’ point in this statement was that there can be no neutrality in one’s relationship to Him. Those who do not side with Jesus side with Satan. This put the Pharisees in undesirable company. The Old Testament viewed man’s judgment as a harvest that God would conduct. Jesus claimed that He would be the harvesting Judge. Jesus’ statement here would have rebuked the Pharisees and warned the undecided in the crowd. Apparently they were not only refusing to come to Jesus themselves but were even... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:31-32

Jesus followed up His statement about the impossibility of being neutral (Matthew 12:30) with this further warning. The "therefore" (Gr. dia touto) indicates this relationship. Blasphemy involves extreme slander (cf. Matthew 9:3). God would forgive any sin, including extreme slander of Jesus, when a person trusted in Jesus. However, He would not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in view of the context (Matthew 12:24-28), involved attributing Jesus’... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:33

Jesus proceeded to point out that conduct typically reflects character (Matthew 12:33-37; cf. Matthew 7:16-19). To have good fruit one must make the tree good, for example by cultivating, grafting, fertilizing, etc. If one makes a tree rotten by neglect and abuse, for example, one will get bad fruit. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree yields bad fruit. Jesus’ works were good, so He must be good. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:34-35

Everywhere else in Matthew where the "brood of vipers" figure occurs it refers to the Pharisees and other religious leaders (Matthew 3:7; Matthew 23:33). That is undoubtedly whom Jesus addressed here too. The figure pictures deadly antagonists. Jesus’ point was that a person’s character determines what he or she says and does. The mouth usually reveals what is in the heart. The Pharisees’ extreme slander of Jesus revealed their rejection of Him. They needed a change of attitude toward Him, not... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:36-37

Jesus did not want His critics to gain any satisfaction from what He had just said. Their externally righteous appearance did not excuse them from speaking as they did. Rather people’s words are what God will use to judge them eventually. The "careless" word is the word spoken without deliberation. One might think it insignificant except that it reveals character. Every word spoken reflects the heart’s overflow, and God knows about it. Therefore words are very important (cf. Ephesians 5:3-4;... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:38

Matthew’s connective again was weak. This incident was not a continuation of the preceding controversy chronologically but thematically. Some of the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus to perform a sign, not just a miracle. He had performed many miracles, and they had concluded that they were satanic (Matthew 12:24). A sign was an immediate tangible assurance that something prophesied would surely happen. They requested a particular type of miracle. Evidently they believed Jesus could not produce... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:38-45

3. Conflict over Jesus’ sign 12:38-45The fourth incident and the third type of conflict concerned a sign that Jesus’ critics requested. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:39-40

The evil and adulterous generation was the larger group of unbelieving Jews that the scribes and Pharisees represented. Adultery is a common Old Testament metaphor for spiritual apostasy, departure from God (Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 57:3; Jeremiah 3:8; Jeremiah 13:27; Jeremiah 31:32; Ezekiel 16:15; Ezekiel 16:32; Ezekiel 16:35-42; Hosea 2:1-7; Hosea 3:1; Hosea 7:13-16). God had granted signs in the past to strengthen the weak faith of believers such as Abraham, Joshua, and Gideon. Jesus refused to... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:41

The Pharisees believed correctly that judgment followed resurrection. [Note: F. W. Green, ed., The Gospel According to Saint Matthew in the Revised Version, p. 183.] Jesus followed His comments about resurrection in Matthew 12:40 with instruction about judgment in Matthew 12:41.His critics’ condemnation would be greater than that of the Ninevites because the Ninevites repented at Jonah’s preaching, but the scribes and Pharisees would not repent at Jesus’ preaching. Jesus did not mean that the... read more

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:29

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:30

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:31-32

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:33

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:34-35

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:36-37

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:38

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:38-45

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:39-40

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 12:41

Verse of the Day

Daily Devotional

Group of Brands