May 19
Adult | Lesson 145
Jesus Defends His Authority
Jesus shows that his power is from God.
Overview
Prepare
Studying God’s Word
Group Prayer
Lesson Resources
Old Testament History
open_in_new open_in_new Generate Printable PDFPowerPoint presentation
open_in_newOverview
Lesson Focus
When the Pharisees attributed Jesus’ healing of a demon-possessed man to Satan’s power, Jesus said a divided kingdom cannot stand. The Pharisees refused to recognize Jesus as the Messiah because their hearts were not right. Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah, whose three days and nights in a fish was a picture of Jesus’ time in the grave before his resurrection.
Key Passages
Matthew 12:22–45
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Recognize that people are either for or against Jesus.
- Explain how Jesus used Old Testament history to point to his resurrection.
Memory Verse
Colossians 1:16–17 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Prepare to Share
Prepare
Lesson Preparation
CCome On In
Come On In
Write on the board, “Why is history important?”
AStudying God’s Word
Studying God’s Word
Use Student Guides or print the Old Testament History activity.
Optional Supplements
PowerPoint
PowerPoint
You may want to use the PowerPoint presentation provided to enhance your teaching. Before opening the slides, be sure to download and install the fonts provided.
Studying God’s Word
Studying God’s Word
Introduction
- Write on the board, “Why is history important?”
We have been studying Jesus’ second year of ministry. During this time, we don’t have much detailed information regarding the movement and timing of Jesus’ travels, but it seems most of the year was spent traveling around Galilee and areas around the Sea of Galilee. We have looked at Jesus’ authority over the law as he corrected the people’s understanding of God’s intent. We have seen how Jesus demonstrated his authority over sickness and death. Today we will look at how the Pharisees tried to challenge his authority.
The Pharisees Blaspheme the Holy Spirit
Jesus was traveling through Galilee, “proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). As we have seen, during his preaching circuit, Jesus performed miracles, demonstrating his authority and power. In fact, Luke 8:2 tells us that several women who traveled with Jesus and his disciples were those who had been healed of infirmities and demon-possession. So, this account occurs during this exciting time of ministry.
Let’s read Matthew 12:22–32 together. Have someone read the passage aloud.
-
What action initiated the conflict in this account? Jesus healed a demon-oppressed man.
It is interesting how peripheral this healing seems. We have seen several accounts that center on the actual event of healing and the response of the healed person. In this account, the healing is merely mentioned as a cause for the following encounter.
- How did the people respond to Jesus’ actions? The people were amazed by Jesus’ power and authority and wondered if Jesus might be the Messiah they were awaiting.
- How did the Pharisees respond? The Pharisees seemed to be threatened by Jesus, or more precisely, by the response of the people. They quickly dismissed the wonder of the people by attributing Jesus’ power to Beelzebul.
- Who was Beelzebul? Matthew identified Beelzebul as the prince of demons. Baal-zebub was a Philistine god (2 Kings 1:2) whose name came to be used for Satan. This understanding is supported by Jesus’ response, where he used the name Satan.
- In light of the Pharisees’ accusation, what is interesting about the beginning of verse 25? As they were attributing his power to Satan, he demonstrated a divine attribute—omniscience.
- What did Jesus mean when he said a house divided against itself will fall? If Satan gave power and authority to cast his own demons out of people, he would be undermining his own strategy. Although it is reasonable to expect Satan to have the authority to command his demons, it is unreasonable to expect he would cast them out of those they tormented, especially when doing so could very well gain followers for the one proclaiming the kingdom of God.
- How did Jesus reveal the inconsistency in the Pharisees’ reasoning? Jesus led them to think about their statement. If they wanted to claim that it was by the power of Satan that Jesus was casting out demons, what would that say about the priests and prophets who had cast out demons? Were they serving the demons?
- But if Jesus did these signs by the power of the Spirit, then the kingdom of God had come. How did Jesus’ analogy in verse 29 support his authority? Jesus spoke of a strong man who must be bound for his home to be plundered. Jesus had the authority and power to bind Satan and his demons and to set people free from his dominion.
- As we have seen before, Jesus divided people into two diametric camps. What two kinds of responses are there to Jesus? People either accept Jesus or reject him. They are for or against him; gathered with him or scattered from him.
- What did Jesus warn the Pharisees about? Jesus warned them about blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
-
What is blasphemy of the Spirit? Discuss answers.
This is a difficult teaching in the Bible, and there are several interpretations regarding what exactly blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is. You may have heard this referred to as the unforgivable sin. Jesus said that every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, except blasphemy against the Spirit. He even made the comment stronger by clarifying that the blasphemer will not be forgiven “in this age or in the age to come.” In other words, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is eternally unforgiveable.
One view interprets this passage in its specific context. The Pharisees were blaspheming the Holy Spirit by attributing Jesus’ miraculous power to demonic influence rather than the empowerment of God the Spirit. In this view, the sin is directly related to the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, proponents of this view would claim that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is no longer possible. Because Jesus is no longer physically walking on earth and performing miracles in the power of the Spirit, the context in which this sin is possible no longer exists.
Another view interprets the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit within its historical context but allows for the timing to be generalizable. In other words, the blasphemy that Jesus said was unforgivable is demonstrated by the Pharisees claiming that Jesus was working in the power of Satan—an accusation they knew to be false. That same sin can still occur, though, by anyone who knows the truth and falsely attributes God’s power to Satan or demonic activity. The key to this interpretation is that the Pharisees knew that Jesus was claiming equality with God and intentionally rejected him, claiming the opposite of what they knew to be true.
A third view is that the only unforgiveable sin is the ultimate, perpetual rejection of Jesus. This is considered blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because it is the Spirit who testifies of Christ and reveals his truth to us (John 14:25–28, 15:26, 16:13–14). In this view, the sin is in no way tied to the historical context in which we see it demonstrated. Jesus was warning the Pharisees that their continued rejection of Jesus and his Spirit, despite them knowing the truth, would not be forgiven. If one dies without receiving Christ’s forgiveness, they die without the Holy Spirit—the only sin that cannot be forgiven.
You may wish to discuss your church’s view at this time. Be prepared to explain and defend why you hold a particular view.
Jesus followed his warning with another illustration, depicting the two types of people. Let’s read Matthew 12:33–37 together. Have someone read the passage aloud.
- What two types of people are there? Good and evil.
- What distinguishes the good from the evil? The tree is known by its fruit.
- How did Jesus rebuke the Pharisees? He called them a brood of vipers and called them evil. This was especially significant since they considered themselves righteous.
- What did Jesus teach about the significance of words? Jesus explained that what they said reflected their hearts and, thus, they would be justified or condemned by their words.
Discover the Truth
In this exchange, Jesus defended his authority and rebuked the Pharisees for their extremely grave offense. Jesus was performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating his authority and compassion. The people were abuzz with amazement, wondering if this could be the long-awaited Messiah. The Pharisees and Jewish leaders knew the Old Testament Scriptures better than anyone. They recognized the claims that Jesus was making and understood the authority he commanded. They should have been leading the people to follow him. But they had convinced themselves of their own righteousness, forgetting their need for the Savior. They had become adjusted to the religious, social, and political power and authority they wielded. Jesus threatened the system they had established. So, rather than lead the people toward the Savior, they rejected him, became hostile, and tried to discredit him, going as far as accusing him of working through demonic influence.
Jesus pointed out the invalidity of their claim, established his authority, and warned them of the unforgivable blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had claimed to be God, had demonstrated the power and authority of God, and had proven himself to have divine attributes. As the Pharisees challenged his authority, he defended it in a way they probably didn’t expect, speaking with the same authority they wished to deny. On top of that, he challenged their authority in front of the crowds. There are only two kinds of people: those who submit to the authority of Jesus and those who object to it.
The Pharisees Seek a Sign
But in true Pharisee fashion, they couldn’t let Jesus have the last word. Rather than hearing his rebuke and repenting, they spoke up audaciously.
Let’s read Matthew 12:38–45 together. Have someone read the passage aloud.
- What did the Pharisees request? They wanted to see a sign from Jesus.
- Why were they asking for a sign? This was not a legitimate request. They had seen Jesus perform miracles and teach in the synagogues. Jesus had just defended his authority, but perhaps in an attempt to save face, the Jewish leaders were again challenging him to prove it.
- Did Jesus give them a sign? He did not perform a sign right then, as they were asking, but he did point them to the sign of Jonah.
- What is the sign of Jonah? Jesus clearly explained why he was referring to Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man would be in the grave for three days and nights.
- What point was Jesus making by referring to the Ninevites and queen of the South? The Ninevites repented when confronted with God’s truth. The queen of Sheba came from afar to see Solomon’s wisdom and acknowledged the glory of Solomon’s God. In both examples, foreigners responded appropriately to their encounters with God through his representatives. Jesus contrasted these responses with the rejection of the religious leaders, who should have been the first to respond with worship and adoration.
-
What did Jesus mean by his analogy of the unclean spirit and the empty house? Discuses answers.
The problem with the house was that it was empty. The person had “cleaned himself up,” but he had not been regenerated or indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So the evil spirit was free to return. In other words, moral change is not the answer. The Pharisees and others in that “evil generation” had spent much effort trying to appear righteous and to make themselves clean. But without the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, there is no real change or salvation. Again, we see that the Pharisees had missed the point.
Discover the Truth
The Pharisees demanded that Jesus prove himself to them by performing a sign. They had already seen his power and authority, but they continued to imply that they would believe Jesus if he could prove that he was who he said he was. Jesus responded by calling them evil and adulterous, and he refused to submit to their demand. In essence, the Pharisees were saying, “Prove it,” and Jesus said, “I will, but not in the way you are asking.”
Jesus’ use of Jonah as a sign is significant in a couple ways. First, the sign of Jonah is significant in the way Jesus employed it—the sign of Jonah points to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This resurrection from the dead would prove that Jesus was who he claimed to be, as well as affirm his mission. Only God could defeat death, as we saw last week, and salvation requires a resurrected Lord. So the sign of Jonah was a depiction of Jesus’ victory over death and a prophecy of the Messiah’s atonement.
Second, it is significant that Jesus pointed to the past to tell the future. Jesus clearly saw Jonah as a historical figure, a person who actually existed and truly survived three days in the belly of a fish. By pointing to this historical event as an illustration of his resurrection, Jesus confirmed the account’s veracity.
Old Testament History Activity
Jesus clearly viewed the Old Testament accounts as true history, which is what we will explore in our activity today. As Jesus interacted with the Jews, he often referred to events and people that are written about in the Old Testament. You will find the Old Testament History activity in your Student Guides. Work through the activity and we will discuss what you found in a few minutes. Have the students work in pairs or small groups to complete the activity.
Connect to the Truth
Let’s look at what you’ve found.
Note: The parallel passage in Matthew refers to “Zechariah, son of Barachiah” (Matthew 23:35), suggesting that the prophet Zechariah was in mind. We do not have a biblical record of the prophet Zechariah’s death. However, there is no real difficulty here. Since most of the best manuscripts include “son of Barachiah,” it is likely that Jesus was referring to Zechariah the prophet who was murdered in the temple courtyard (though we do not have record of it). However, for the purposes of this activity, we will assume Jesus was speaking of Zechariah son of Jehoiada, whom we have record of being stoned in the temple courtyard.
- Matthew 12:40–42 — Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17); the people of Nineveh repented (Jonah 3:5); queen of Sheba visited the famous Solomon (1 Kings 10:1)
- Mark 10:6–9 — Recent creation, including Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:27)
- Luke 11:51 — The murder of Abel (Genesis 4:8) and Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20–21)
- Matthew 24:37–39 — The global flood of Noah’s day (Genesis 7:7–16)
- Luke 17:28–32 — The destruction of Sodom, flight of Lot, and death of Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:16–26)
- Mark 12:26 — Moses’ encounter with the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–4)
- John 6:32 & 49 — Manna delivered in the wilderness (Exodus 16:15)
- John 3:14 — Moses’ bronze serpent healed Hebrew believers from snake bites (Numbers 21:9)
- Matthew 12:3–4 — David ate the bread of the Presence (1 Samuel 21:1–6)
- Luke 4:25–27 — Elijah’s drought (1 Kings 17:1) and ministry to the widow in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:9–16); Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1–14)
-
Were you surprised by any of the events Jesus spoke about? Were you unfamiliar with any of the accounts? Discuss answers.
There are also many times where Jesus spoke about people, like Abraham, Isaiah, and Daniel. Jesus not only spoke of these people and events as historical, he also pointed to them as examples and signs. If David was not a real person who actually ate the bread of the Presence, then Jesus’ argument about the Sabbath is void. If Moses’ bronze serpent was a myth, then why would Jesus liken himself to it? Jesus showed that history is an important source of knowledge, not just in an anthropological or societal sense, but also for understanding spiritual truths.
You may remember when we were studying about Jonah, we dealt with a common attack on the historicity of the account. Some argue that Jesus was accommodating the understanding of those he was speaking to. In other words, he did not believe that Jonah actually dwelt within a fish for three days, but since the people he was speaking to did believe it to be true, he used the story to illustrate his point. However, we saw how such an accommodation would be deception and untruthfulness on the part of Christ. And we know that as the perfect Son of God, it is not possible for Jesus to behave that way.
We can be confident in the historicity of scriptural events, not only because the records are inspired by the God of truth, but also because Jesus believed them to be true. Jesus pointed to the literal account of Jonah to signify his literal death and resurrection. He used the historical examples of the Ninevites and the queen of Sheba to condemn the unrepentant generation with whom he spoke. The strength of Jesus’ teachings was rooted in the historicity of the allusions he employed.
Application
As Jesus preached throughout Galilee, the religious leaders became increasingly hostile to his ministry. They were threatened by his authority, condemned by his righteousness, and undermined by his teaching. Their envy, pride, and self-righteousness caused them to reject Jesus as Lord and Messiah, refusing to repent and recognize their need of the Savior. As we have seen time and again, there are only two responses to Jesus: submission or rejection. The Pharisees rejected Jesus. In fact, they went so far as to accuse him of working in the power of Satan.
As Jesus responded to their accusation, he rebuked their unbelief. He asserted his authority over Satan and warned the Pharisees of the grave consequences of blasphemy against the Spirit. Although the exact nature of this unforgivable sin is the source of debate and discussion, it is clear that Jesus would not tolerate the audacious accusations of the religious leaders.
It is interesting to see how Jesus turned to history as a way to foretell his death and resurrection. As we studied the Old Testament, we saw many ways that the accounts pointed forward to the coming Messiah. If all of biblical history tells of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, it should come as no surprise that Jesus pointed back to that history to explain his mission. The Pharisees had studied Scripture and should have recognized Jesus as Messiah. Jesus often data-highlighted this fact by pointing to history and Old Testament texts to explain what he had come to do.
-
- How would you respond to someone who claimed the account of Jonah, or other Old Testament accounts, didn’t really happen? Discuss answers. We can point to the reliability of the Bible itself, looking at historical narrative, realistic details, and the inspiration of Scripture. We can also look to the fact that Jesus clearly believed that there really was a prophet named Jonah who really did spend three days in a fish and who really did prophesy in Nineveh, where people really did repent. We can find many instances where Jesus presupposed the historicity of Old Testament people and events. Jesus based entire arguments and teaching ideas on historical allusions. This would have been a terrible strategy if the accounts were not true.
- Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and those following them for their unrepentant hearts, pointing to the repentance of the Ninevites in contrast. In what ways have you failed to repent when confronted with your sin? Discuss answers. Consider sharing a personal example. It is easy to ignore our sin or to trust in our self-righteousness, distracting from the sin at hand. The Ninevites had no real knowledge of God until they were dramatically confronted with his warning of judgment. On the other hand, the Pharisees were familiar with God and his laws, yet they refused to accept that they needed to repent. May we never look to mere knowledge of God’s Word or outward adherence to his commands as an excuse not to deal with sin in our lives.
- In what ways have you attempted to clean yourself up morally without submitting to the transforming power of the Spirit? How have you been changed when you truly repented and submitted to the Spirit’s sanctifying work? Discuss answers, sharing a personal example if appropriate. Lead students to distinguish between attempting moral reform by one’s own power and allowing God to transform one’s heart and mind.