Matthew 12, Part 2

After Christ and the disciples had contended with the Pharisees after plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath, Jesus went on. Notice, he did not allow all the “things” to get in the way of ministry. He kept pressing forward taking the Gospel Message to a lost and dying world, preaching, teaching, and healing. We now find Jesus at a moment of physical healing.

Man with Withered Hand

Matthew 12:9–14 ESV

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

It is still the Sabbath. Jesus has just squared off with the Pharisees, so where does He go? To “their” synagogue. I have often wondered why it was referred to as “their” synagogue? Had it been so defiled that God was no longer there? Makes you cringe when you think of how many claim “their” pulpit or church… Anyways, The Pharisees saw their whole theology and authority threatened, and they began to develop their case against Jesus.

In the synagogue they put him to the test with respect to healing on the sabbath a man with a withered hand. Is it LAWFUL to heal on the Sabbath? The Pharisees held that only emergency cases could be helped on the sabbath, but scripture revealed their true motive...”so that they might accuse Him”. Again Jesus points them to the needs being greater than religion. He shows them just how irrational their thinking was. They were blind to the REAL truth of mercy, hope, and basic human needs.

Jesus favored any ministry to human need regardless of the day. Jesus reminded the Pharisees of their law which permitted the rescue of an animal on the sabbath or festival day. Because a sheep had value to them, they would set aside normal sabbath restrictions to save it. Jesus could not have placed their system under heavier indictment than when he had to remind them that a man is worth more than a sheep. Before we unduly condemn the Pharisees, we may well ask what things we tend to place above the value of human personality.

The fury of the Pharisees as they plotted to destroy him was their own unintentional acknowledgement of Jesus’ complete moral victory over them. He contended for the value of a man and for the lawfulness of doing good (kalos that which is proper) at any time, while they contended for the observance of a day. In effect, Jesus placed the love commandment above the sabbath. Unable to meet him even on their own ground, they resorted to external force, the persecutor’s unwitting confession of defeat. Mark informs us that they even called upon the Herodians (A Jewish political party that sympathized with the rulers of the Herodian dynasty, and therefore Rome.) for help.

Imagine a Christian doctor, coming up on a gravely injured person, seeing their need and treating them, and they survive. Only to have that person plot to kill the Christian because it was done during a religious time of year. Does that make sense? Why would anyone be willing to plot to kill someone for saving their life? Simply because of sin, and the lack of true knowledge of the religion they practiced.

God’s Chosen Servant

Matthew 12:15–21 ESV

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

The religionists rejected and plotted against Jesus. They represent those who rebel against the Lordship of Christ, rebel against His having any control over their lives. There was warning in Jesus’ response to the religionists (Pharisees). They had had opportunity after opportunity, yet they continually rejected Christ’s appeal. They had rejected Him so much that their hearts became encrusted and hardened, apparently beyond reach. Christ was forced to withdraw from them.

While Jesus had to withdraw from the “religious” crowd, though notice that the followers (multitudes) continued to follow Him, believed in Him, trusted in Him, and followed Him, so He continued to heal them. But he ordered them not to make Him known. He wanted to fame. Why?

1. Jesus wished to avoid confrontation with those who sought His life. His hour had not yet come. He did not wish to provoke the religionists to a deliberate conflict putting Himself in premature peril.

2. Jesus did not wish to be pushed forward by public acclaim to assume kingship of the nation. He understood His mission. He had come first to be the Suffering Servant, and He knew that the people were inflammable, aching for deliverance from the Roman conquerors. Too much promotion of His miracles might cause an uprising. He had to prevent an uprising so that He might carry out His mission of dying for the world as the Suffering Servant.

3. Jesus needed time to teach the people what true Messiahship meant. The people thought the Messiah was to overthrow the Roman conquerors and establish Israel as one of the great nations of the world. Jesus had to show that the Messiah’s kingdom was spiritual, not material; present and future, not just present; permanent and eternal, not just mortal and temporal.

4. Jesus needed to teach humility. He refused to make a spectacle, to “be seen of men” (v. 19).

5. Jesus wished to give an example of the principle He had laid down: “When they persecute you in this city, flee to another”.

This was done to fulfill Isaiah 42:1-4

Isaiah 42:1–4 ESV

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Jesus Christ is the Chosen Servant of God. Christ humbled Himself to do God’s will. And He did God’s will perfectly. Therefore He is God’s chosen and ideal Servant. He is the pattern, the picture, the ideal of how every person should serve God. Jesus was God’s chosen servant in the great work of redemption. Throughout all eternity, there has been an inconceivable relationship of love and sharing between the Father and the Son that goes well beyond our finite minds. Christ has always been God’s beloved Son. God’s Spirit fully endowed Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was qualified for the work God sent Him to do.

Have you ever heard the old saying God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called? There is truth to that, except for this one example. God sent His Son to do what no one else could. Humans can teach, we can preach, and through the Holy Spirit we can even heal. But none of us could die for one another’s sins. None of us were worthy or even rich enough to pay the sin debt even one of us owed. But God…you see, God sent His Son so that those who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life in heaven. How did Jesus lead? By example.

Jesus Christ proclaimed justice to all people. Justice means doing what is right toward God and man. It is living right and doing right. Jesus Christ came to show all men, both Jew and Gentile, how to live and behave toward God and toward man. He came to proclaim the right way for man to live out his years on earth.

Jesus Christ showed humility. Jesus Christ came quietly and peacefully to conquer men by loving them and warning them to flee the terrible results of selfishness and sin.

Jesus Christ did not come in the pomp and ceremony which the people had expected of the Messiah. He did not come in the force and violence which the people had expected of the Son of David (see note 1 and Deeper Study # 1—Mt. 1:18). He came in peace, humbling and denying Himself and offering peace to all men no matter how selfish and wicked they might be. He came with the voice of appeal and invitation to be saved, not with the voice of argument and terror and condemnation.

Jesus Christ loved and encouraged men. He did not come to destroy but to heal the “bruised reed”: those who were hurt, battered, crushed, discouraged, depressed, down, insecure, inferior, shy. He came to heal all who were bruised. He did not come to condemn those with a flickering wick (light) nor to cut them off and cast them away; but He came to encourage the flickering: the weak (light), unmotivated, half-hearted, and lazy.

Jesus Christ will lead justice to victory. He will cause justice to triumph throughout the world. A day of victory is coming. Hearts and lives will turn more and more to Him; men will begin to do right and behave as they should toward God and toward men. There is a glorious day of redemption coming, a climactic day of human history, when all believers shall be perfected in justice and glory.

Jesus Christ gives hope to all. This verse, written somewhere between 50–70 a.d., was a prediction. History has proven the fulfillment of the prophecy: the people who would trust Jesus were to be the Gentiles. The great purpose of God is for men to trust in “His name” (Ro. 10:13). Therefore, the great hope of man is “His name.”

Christ gives hope to all, no matter how unclean, dirty, or polluted they may be. Trusting Him is all He requires.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (2004). The Gospel according to Matthew: Chapters 1:1–16:12 (Vol. 1, p. 280). Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

Stagg, F. (1969). Matthew. In C. J. Allen (Ed.), Matthew–Mark (p. 147). Broadman Press.