Matthew 12:33

Either. The Pharisees were inconsistent. They had attributed deliverance from demon possession — certainly something “good” — to the demons themselves (see v. 24). If the results are good, the cause must also be good.

The tree. As the context makes evident, Jesus here refers to Himself. The healing of the demon-possessed deaf-mute (v. 22) was the “fruit,” and none who witnessed the miracle could deny that the “fruit” was “good.” The Pharisees, however, attributed this good “fruit” to a corrupt “tree,” to “Beelzebub the prince of devils” (v. 24). But Jesus declared that only a good character can produce “good things,” even as an evil character produces “evil things” (v. 35). A “good tree” is always to be known by its “good fruit,” and a “corrupt tree” by its “evil fruit” (see on ch. 7:16-20). Thus the Pharisees were altogether illogical in attributing admittedly good “fruit” to a “corrupt tree.” The OT often compares a person, or a people, to a tree (see on Judges 9:8-10; Ps. 1:3; Isa. 56:3; Dan. 4:10).

At a later time Jesus compared Himself to a “vine,” His disciples to “the branches,” and those won to the kingdom to “fruit” (see John 15:5-8). For other instances of the use of the same object to represent different things and to teach different truths, see on Matt. 13:33.