Fatally Insufficient Responses to Jesus wk II

Sermon on Luke 11:14-32, Lords Day August 3rd, 2025 - Trinity Reformed Church
Intro:

A warning about insufficient responses to Jesus Christ. The wrong response is fatal. Here we have a supernatural work that was undeniably from God. Despite this the religious leaders reject Christ and accuse Him of being in league with Satan.

V20 - Jesus is referring to satan. His kingdom and that kingdom is being destroyed by Christ. When the Gospel is heard people are set free. This kingdom that Jesus brings is salvation. But to not receive it is fatal. V23 - He who is not with me is against me. The miracles were followed by the Gospel. If the people healed did not follow Christ they end up worse off than the first time (V26).  We must embrace fully the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:20-21.

3rd fatal response: - misplaced marveler's: v27

This woman is not neutral and for Christ. She is over joyed. The whole phrase expresses praise and approval. But still there is still something insufficient in her response. V28 - Jesus answers "more than that" - but it really says "on the contrary" - He is correcting her in her reasoning. Our joy and satisfaction should be in those who hear the word of God and believing it. This is superior than to all blessings. It means we hear and believe the gospel to the end. He is not saying perfectionism but we have forsaken the world, forsaken satan and his kingdom. This account is the context where Jesus mothers and brothers and sisters are trying to seek Him. Jesus says who are my mother and brother and sisters, those who do the will of God. If we don't embrace the gospel it is fatal. Make sure we don't have a superficial view of Jesus.

4th fatal response; unsatisfied sign seekers. V16

V29: Jesus comes back to them and addresses them. No sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. Jesus gave signs: Acts 2:22, John 10:25,38;14:11, John 3:2 - for the purpose of the Gospel. Jesus here is opposed to the blatant ignoring of these signs. Their demand for a celestial sign was an excuse to not hear the word of God. To remain in unbelief.  He calls them a wicked generation indicts the nation of Israel. Matthew 12:40 - explains this. “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40 NASB1995

V30 - His death burial and resurrection is the sign. Acts 17:30. Son of Man is used here. The Jews (not all) here are rejecting the greatest sign. V31 - queen of the south. 1 Kings 10. She heard the words and wisdom of Solomon, yet the Jews here are not hearing the words and wisdom of Jesus. The messiah has come and He has brought salvation. Yet they stand there in unbelief. V32 - at the preaching of Jonah they repented but at the preaching of Christ they would not. Severe punishment and judgement comes to those who do not repent and decisively follow Him. To those who did receive Him He gave the right to become children of God.

Luke 11:14-32 (NKJV) 14 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others, testing [Him,] sought from Him a sign from heaven. 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house [divided] against a house falls. 18 “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast [them] out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. 22 “But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. 23 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. 24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 “And when he comes, he finds [it] swept and put in order. 26 “Then he goes and takes with [him] seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first.” 27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed [is] the womb that bore You, and [the] breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed [are] those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 “For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon [is] here. 32 “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah [is] here.