Matthew 12

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

have you not read?

something greater than the temple is here

man was not made for the sabbath but the sabbath for man

when is the right time to do good?

in other words, what is your focus on with all of your piety and supposed religiousness?

God’s Chosen Servant

he tells people not to speak about him

fulfilling prophecy again

what is the point of this prophecy fulfilled?

Jesus was not in it for glory nor was he seeking pity

he came to be a servant and savior and nothing else

Jesus and Beelzebul

they bring a demon possessed man before him as a trap

“only satan can cast out demons”

a house divided against its self

Jesus has already defeated Satan

you should already be able to tell by what he has done producing good

The Sign of Jonah

“we want to see a sign”

not necessarily like a dance monkey but give us a guarantee

more like “prove it”

Jesus tells them of stories they know and gives them vague glimpses into his future

there doubt and poor motives are multiplying amongst them

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

a sort of strange story

seemingly random

the people he is close to are the ones who do his will

familial ties are not as important as the good he has come to do

Application

the overarching theme of the chapter

what does it mean to be one who is close to God?

the Pharisees believe they are closer to God than Jesus is

more than that they believe he is bringing people closer to Satan

Jesus family believe they are close to him because they have known him his whole life

being close to God is not a birthright and it is not a matter of following rules