Matthew 12

Review

Last week we started to see some of the responses of the people to the ministry and revelation of Jesus. Not only what Jesus was doing, but WHO Jesus said He was.

Matthew 11:25-30 is a high point not only in the Person of Jesus being equal to and in essence God Himself, but was also a reminder that not everyone is doubting or failing to respond to Jesus as the Messiah.

But in 12 we will see it wasn’t just “that generation” ignoring salvation. That generation will now be seen opposing it!

Conflicts Over Keeping the Sabbath

Matthew 12:1–14 KJV

1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

2 stories concerning the keeping of the sabbath

not just legal, but national pride. Sabbath and circumcision were THE most obvious marks of the Jews as a people of God

39 categories of activity classified as work

as specific as writing two letters, erasing in order to write two letters

as broad as building, pulling down

The point of this wasn’t just being legalistic, the idea was to leave nothing to chance, so that no one even came near to violating the law and be subject to judgement

Matt 12:6 “6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.” is key as the temple meant everything to the Jew

greater than the temple, greater than David

1 Cor 3:16-17 “16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” “the church” as a whole is now God’s true temple

Matt 12:8 “8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”

Jesus is claiming unique authority (Dan 7:13-14 “13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”)

Because of who He is, Jesus alone, has the authority to interpret that law for His disciples

Ex 16:23 “23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.”

Ex 20:10 “10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:”

Ex 35:2 “2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.”

Matt 12:12 “12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”

Jesus’ whole point is He says what’s law and who’s guilty, and they are choosing the Law and failing to “do mercy”

Matt 12:14 “14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.”

Jesus Withdraws from Confrontation

Matthew 12:15–21 KJV

15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16 And charged them that they should not make him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Jesus reiterates Himself as God’s chosen

Isa 42:1-4 “1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

reeds were for measurement and flax was a lantern wick; bent reeds and smoking wicks were useless and common sense says replace them; but Isa 42 shows God’s never ending mercy in encouraging, calling, and using the broken and the useless when society wouldn’t. Jesus as God’s Servant will be slow to condemn and toss out, but will keep on until God’s “justice” has been achieved

The Accusation of Using Demonic Power

Matthew 12:22–37 KJV

22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

this exorcism leads to opposition between the people and the Pharisees (unable to deny the miracle, say it’s from Satan)

Matt 12:24 “24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”

they refuse to give credit to God and instead give it to Satan

Matt 12:25-26 “25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”

Satan’s “kingdom” is more like a castle. A castle in a kingdom, in a land, on a world, in a universe, in a creation OWNED by God

Matt 12:28 “28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”

Matt 12:29 “29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”

Isa 49:24-25 “24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

Matt 16:18 “18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus has bound the “strong man” and exorcisms, healings, and most of all the saving of souls are a direct assault on Satan’s so called kingdom and his “possessions”

Matt 12:32 “32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

world and world to come are Jewish terms for this life and the next

the “unpardonable sin” is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and saying it’s Satan and not God doing all this. More than that, choosing Satan over God. Unbelief in Jesus results in eternal damnation

Matt 12:36 “36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

The Demand for a Sign

Matthew 12:38–45 KJV

38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

They had seen enough “signs” to believe; they were choosing not to. Suppressing the truth in unrighteousness

Jonah in the belly 3 days and nights; Jesus in the grave 3 days and nights

Matt 12:41-42 “41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

wicked pagans turned to God and will stand up for the prosecution and testify against that generation that would choose Satan over God while at the same time claiming to be the priests of God and who will hang the Lord of Glory on the cross thinking they were “destroying Him” (Matt 12:14)

Matt 12:43-45 “43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

Not whether but which; the space left, if not filled by Holy things, will be filled more fully with wicked things

The space left is to be filled with discipleship and more specifically, the Spirit of God

Jesus True Family

Matthew 12:46–50 KJV

46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Jesus honored His mother and BOTH His Father and “step-father”

Luke 2:51 “51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”

John 19:25-27 “25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Matt 12:48-50 is a matter of priority rather than leaving them out

“does the will of my Father” same as Matt 7:21 and describes true disciples over those who only profess to follow Jesus