Intro: At our church, I am currently leading a study through the gospel of Matthew, and we are currently in chapter 12 of that book. It is a chapter of increasing conflict wherein many religious leaders and others reveal their hatred, jealousy, and resentment of Christ—even when Christ is healing, forgiving, and doing good to people daily. There is something important here.

God the Son incarnate did not please everyone, and His followers won’t either. There will be resistance to the truth; count on it. Despite the evidence, despite transformed lives, despite His grace towards sinners, despite physical healing He did as evidence of His divinity and His compassion for maimed, broken, fallen people like we are, He was hated. The hatred many demonstrated towards Him reveals as much about the fallen and hostile human heart/affections (Jonathan Edwards uses the term ‘affections’ wisely to convey the disposition of our wills) to the holiness of God.

Takeaway: Expect resistance to goodness and truth. Some people simply thrive upon evil. Isaiah 48:22 says, “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” But God’s people are to overcome evil with good. I love the way Paul phrases it: “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor 14:20, ESV).