Matthew 12:1
Outline:
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King
III. \\#8:1-11:1\\ The Power of the King
A. \\#Matt 8:1-39\\ Jesus’ Power and the Common People
1. \\#8;1\\ The Multitudes
2. \\#8:2-4\\ The Willingness of Jesus
3. \\#8:5-13\\ The Conduit of Jesus’ Power
4. \\#8:14-15\\ The Compassion of Jesus
5. \\#8:16\\ The Power of Jesus over Disease
6. \\#8:17\\ The Cost of the Power
7. \\#8:18-22\\ The Sacrifice of Jesus and His disciples
8. \\#8:23-27\\ The Power of Jesus over Nature
9. \\#8:28-34\\ The Power of Jesus over Demons
B. \\#Matt 9:1-42\\ Jesus’ Power and the Religious People
1. \\#9:1-17\\ The Religious Wondered (They had
questions.)
a. \\#9:1-8\\ Did Jesus blaspheme? Can He forgive
sins?
b. \\#9:9\\ Jesus continued to minister, calling His
disciples?
b. \\#9:10-13\\ Did Jesus defile Himself with sinners?
c. \\#9:14-17\\ Did Jesus ignore the Law?
2. \\#9:18-26\\ Jesus continued to minister, His Power
over Dire
Sickness and Death.
3. \\#9:27-31\\ Jesus’ Power over Blindness
4. \\#9:32-34\\ The Religious Are Deciding
5. \\#9:35-38\\ Jesus continued to minister, making
shepherds out of the sheep.
C. \\#Matt 10:1-42\\ Jesus’ Power and the Disciples
1. \\#10:1-4\\ Jesus Calls and Empowers the Disciples
2. \\#10:5-15\\ Jesus Charges the Disciples
a. \\#5-6\\ Where to Go
b. \\#7\\ What to Preach
c. \\#7-8\\ What to Do
d. \\#8-10\\ How to Pay
e. \\#11-13\\ Where to Stay
3. \\10:16-42\\ Jesus Warns the Disciples
a. \\#16\\ The Condition
b. \\#17-22\\ What to Expect
c. \\#23-31\\ How to Respond
d. \\#32-33\\ God’s Most Solemn Warning
e. \\#34-38\\ God’s Requires All
f. \\#39\\ The rewards concerning discipleship
g. \\#40-42\\ The rewards for those who serve.
4. \\#11:1\\ Jesus continues to minister.
IV. \\#Matthew 11:2-14:13\\ Decisions Concerning the King
A. \\#Matt 11:2-15\\ A Decision by the Forerunner
B. \\#Matt 11:16-19\\ A Decision by the Masses
C. \\#Matt 11:20-24\\ A Decision by the Cities
D. \\#Matt 11:25-30\\ Jesus Encourages The Wise Decision
E. \\#Matt 12:1-50\\ A Decision by the Pharisees
1. \\#12:1-14\\ Questions Concerning the Sabbath
2. \\#12:15-21\\ Jesus Response
3. \\#12:22-45\\ The Pharisee’s Strategy
a. \\#22-37\\ When Jesus Performs Miracles
b. \\#38-42\\ When Jesus Doesn’t Perform Miracles
4. \\#12:43-45\\ A Warning to Israel
5. \\#12:46-50\\ Jesus’ New Family
I. \\#Matt 12:1-50\\ A Decision by the Pharisees
A. \\#12:1-14\\ Questions Concerning the Sabbath (The issue of
the keeping the Sabbath was one of the key issues in the
religious making their decision.)
1. \\#1-8\\ Plucking corn on the Sabbath
a. \\#1\\ The disciples "began to pluck the ears of
corn, and to eat."
(1) This issue did not deal with Jesus’ actions but
with those of His disciples.
(2) The Pharisees charged that the disciples did
"that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath
day." Did they?
(a) The Law did say no work could be done on the
Sabbath.
Ex 20:10 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 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.
Ex 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your
habitations upon the sabbath day.
(b) While plucking and eating the corn was not
listed as a violation of the Law, the Jews
had added many of their own
interpretations.
(c) They would have counted very action done by
the disciples as an infraction of the Law
(i.e. plucking the corn was one, rubbing
the kernels off was another.)
b. \\#7\\ "…ye would not have condemned the guiltless"
Jesus indicate that the disciples were "guiltless" in
this matter.
(1) Some use this passage in an example to show
that obeying the rights and wrongs of the
Law were not important to Jesus. This
passage does not prove that.
(2) Jesus is God. The Law was given by God. If
keeping the Law was not important to God,
why did He give it?
c. Jesus uses this situation to teach two truths:
(1) \\#7\\ "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice"
Jesus teaches that even in matters of the Law,
God shows mercy.
(a) Two examples are given.
i. \\#4\\ \\#1Sam 21:1-7\\ When David fled
from Saul, he and his men at the Shew
Bread which was only to be the
Priest’s.
ii. \\#5\\ The priests themselves serve the
Lord on the Sabbath which in itself
is a violation of the Sabbath. Yet,
they are "blameless."
(b) Conclusion-It would seem that in extreme
situations, God gives mercy when the Law
is broken even without a sacrifice,
although it would be an unwise thing for a
person to suppose their situation is
"extreme" and to assume God will do that
for them.
(2) \\#8\\ "For the Son of man is Lord even of
the sabbath day."-That Jesus is not just
"under" Law but also "over" it.
(a) Jesus is "under" the Law and as the human
Sacrifice for sin had to keep the Law.
(b) But Jesus is also Lord and if He chooses to
show mercy in matters of the Law, He may.
(c) Conclusion-For man to assume to explain
the Law to God is foolish. God is the
Giver of the Law and the Executioner of
its violations. Each man has enough to do
to keep himself blameless from
intentionally violating it.
2. \\#9-13\\ Healing the crippled on the Sabbath
a. This situation is different in that it is Jesus doing
the actions not His disciples. If Jesus breaks the
Law, He becomes a sinner and cannot be our Savior.
b. \\#9-10\\ Jesus "departed then… into their
synagogue."
(1) While we are not give a specific city, we are
told that Jesus has entered into a Jewish
synagogue.
(2) The last location verse we were given was
\\#Matt 11:1\\ which said Jesus departed "to
preach in their cities."
(3) In the synagogue, Jesus sees a man with a
"withered" hand.
(a) The religious ask Him, "Is it lawful to heal
on the sabbath days?"
(b) But their motive is also given, "that they
might accuse him."
c. \\#11-13\\ Jesus answers this question both with words
and actions.
(1) \\#11-12\\ A preview to Jesus’ answer
(a) \\#11\\ Jesus illustrates that if He heals
this man, He has done no more than a farmer
who helps a sheep out of a pit.
(b) \\#12\\ Jesus then states that men is more
important to God than an animal. (Some
people need to understand this truth.)
(2) \\#12\\ Jesus’ answer is "…it is lawful to do
well on the sabbath days." To help a living
being in pain or danger is always a legal
action, even on the Sabbath.
(3) \\#13\\ "it was restored whole"-Jesus not
answers with words but with actions. He
commands the man to stretch out his hand and
heals it.
d. Conclusion: It is never wrong to relieve pain and
suffering, even on the Sabbath.
3. \\#14\\ The Pharisee’s Decision
a. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the religious
leaders seemed more curious than condemning, but they
have progressively moved toward the condemning.
(1) \\#Matt 9:3\\ They were concerned when Jesus
made a claim that He could forgive sins.
(2) \\#Matt 9:11, 14\\ But they continue to ask
questions.
(3) \\#Matt 9:34\\ They make an accusation that Jesus
healed by the power of devils. This shows that
they are moving towards rejecting Jesus. Is this
their final decision?
(4) \\#Matt 12:2\\ They still seem curious but
perhaps with evil intent.
(5) \\#Matt 12:10\\ Their evil intent is declared by
the Holy Spirit.
b. Now it is time for their decision.
Matt 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council
against him, how they might destroy him.
(1) Jesus healed on the Sabbath and their decision
was finalized. They would kill Jesus.
(2) The religious have rejected Jesus as the Christ.
(3) From this point, there is no more question and no
hope of them changing their minds.
B. \\#12:15-21\\ Jesus Response
1. Jesus’ response to the religious leaders’ rejection is
that He will continue His ministry.
2. His response to their desire to kill Him was prophesied.
Isaiah 42:1 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.
a. \\#Is 42:2\\ Jesus was not to cry out for help.
b. \\#Is 42:3\\ Jesus was not to resist or argue.
c. \\#Is 42:4\\ Jesus was not stop or get discouraged.
3. \\#15-16\\ So Jesus….
a. \\#15\\ "withdrew himself from thence." He continued
to preach and to heal but he removed Himself out of
the direct view of the religious leaders.
b. \\#16\\ "And he charged them that they should not make
him known." From this point, the reason Jesus
charged to those He healed not to reveal Him becomes
obvious. The more attention He drew to Himself, the
more urgently the religious leaders would seek Him
out.
C. \\#12-22-45\\ The Pharisee’s Strategy
1. \\#22-37\\ When Jesus Performs Miracles - The short of it
is they will give credit to the devil.
a. \\#22\\ Jesus heals a man possessed with a devil which
left him both blind and mute.
(1) \\#23\\ The people rightly conclude that only the
prophesied "son of David," the Messiah, could
do this kind of miracle.
(2) \\#24\\ The Pharisees counter that it was a work
of "Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
(a) \\#Matt 9:34\\ This charge was already made
once before but Jesus apparently did not
respond to it.
i. The Pharisees were saying that Jesus
was working with the devil.
ii. This is a serious charge on many
levels and seems to be the Pharisees
official rejection of Jesus, telling
Him so to His face.
(b) Perhaps the first time the charge was made,
Jesus showed compassion, allowing the
religious leaders an opportunity to
reconsider. However, their minds are fully
made up now and Jesus deals with their
charge and them.
b. \\#25-37\\ Jesus’ Response
(1) \\#25-30\\ Jesus answers the Pharisees’ charge
with a series of truths. Each truth is but a
nugget, not completely developed, but which
opens it treasure to those who will study it.
(a) \\#25-26\\ Kingdoms that fight within
themselves cannot stand.
i. Jesus is not saying that "kingdoms,"
both large and small, cannot have
divisions and internal strife.
ii. He is saying that if those division
continue long, they will destroy the
existence of whatever instrument they
belong.
iii. Jesus implied that the duration and the
power of His work was so great that
even if He did work for Satan, the
ultimate end would still be the same
as if He did not. He would be
destroying Satan’s kingdom.
(b) \\#27\\ By whose power do the religious
leaders use to cast out demons?
i. Basically, Jesus was asking why they
claimed His work was of the devil when
they did the same thing and claimed it
was of God.
ii. Jesus’ question implied that the
religious leaders, although mostly
rebellious to God, had legitimate
power to cast out demons in that day.
iii. Jesus’ statement would seem to say that
He was using the same Source of power
as they to cast out demons.
iv. It is probable that these instances
were very, very rare.
v. This would imply that God even uses the
wicked to accomplish His purpose.
John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high
priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at
all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man
should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish
not.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest
that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that
nation;
(c) \\#28-30\\ If Jesus’ power was of God, then
His offer that the Kingdom of God was
before them was true.
i. This was the very heart of the message
that both John the Baptist and He
had been preaching, "the kingdom of
God is at hand!"
ii. Now, these religious leaders had
boiled down the works of Jesus into
one of two options.
aa. Either Jesus was of the devil
and all that He did was
demonic.
bb. Or Jesus was of God and all that
He did was of God.
cc. \\#29\\ Jesus pointed out that
the only way He could be
rifling Satan’s kingdom was to
be stronger than Satan.
dd. \\#30\\ Now that the issues
before the Pharisees have so
been narrowed, Jesus told them
that they were either with Him
from this point or against Him.
(Of course, they had already
determined to be against Him.)
(2) \\#31-37\\ The Pharisee’s Consequences
Remembering that Jesus is God and will be our
Judge, we see that Judge immediately rendered a
partial verdict upon these men.
(a) \\#31-32\\ Condemnation Before God
i. "blasphemy"—Twice Jesus tells these
Pharisees their sin. It is the sin
of blasphemy.
aa. To blaspheme is to show
disrespect for God or God’s
things. It is a personal
attack on God.
bb. In giving credit to Satan for
what Jesus and the Holy
Ghost had done, the religious
leaders had blasphemed God.
ii. \\#32\\ Jesus goes on to say that
blasphemy against Him, the Son of God,
could be forgiven but blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit will never be
forgiven.
aa. Why would God hold one less
accountable for blaspheming the
Son than the Spirit? No one can
answer that question.
bb. Perhaps it is because the Son has
taken on human flesh and thus
manifested Himself in such a
humble fashion that if a person
mistook Jesus for a mere man and
later repented, God would not
hold that against Him.
cc. Perhaps it is because if everyone
who showed any disrespect to
Jesus were branded unforgivable,
no man would ever be saved.
dd. Perhaps it is because the Holy
Spirit has chosen to abide
among and even within mankind,
somehow making Him more vulnerable
to man’s wickedness.
ee. Regardless of why, Jesus tells us
that it is so. To blaspheme,
that is to show disrespect for
the Holy Ghost, is a sin that
will not be forgiven.
iii. In this condemnation is the implication
that these religious leaders had
blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
aa. That would indicate that they had
done more than doubt the divinity
of Jesus.
bb. It would indicate that in their
hearts they knew that Jesus power
was of the Holy Spirit and then
they deliberately attributed
that power to the devil.
cc. This appears to be an eternal
condemnation upon those men.
(b) \\#33-37\\ Exposed Before the People—But
Jesus also exposed and rebuked the
religious leaders before the crowd.
i. \\#33\\ "for the tree is known by his
fruit"—This is a statement which
proves true before men since God does
not need to view fruit to determine
whether a tree is good or bad. Men
do.
ii. "Either make the tree good… or else
make the tree corrupt" - Jesus
commands the Pharisees to make their
professions match their lifestyles.
While the religious leaders professed
to be God’s, their works showed
different. This admonition holds
true for all believers of all times.
iii. \\#34\\ "O generation of vipers… if
ye, being evil" - Jesus leaves no
room for doubt as to what the
spiritual condition of the these men
are.
iv. Jesus will continue to expose these
leaders for the religious hypocrites
that they are.
v. \\#34-35\\ Then Jesus gives a
principal, said three different ways.
aa. \\#34\\ "Out of the abundance of
the heart, the mouth speaketh."
bb. \\#35\\ "A good man out of the
good treasure of the heart
bringeth forth good things."
cc. "an evil man out of the evil
treasure bringeth forth evil
things."
vi. This principal simply says that we can
look at the works we do, specifically
the things we say, to determine what
kind of heart we have.
vii. \\#36\\ "every idle word… men…
shall give account" - Jesus goes on
to add that we will be accountable
before God for everything we say.
aa. "idle word" - Means useless or
trivial word that we say.
bb. That is something that the Jewish
leaders DID NOT have written
in their commentary of the Law.
viii. \\#37\\ "by thy words… justified…
condemned" — Our words will become
a key factor in demonstrating to our
spiritual condition at the final
judgment. Again, this is not for
God’s benefit. It will be for ours.
While a man may have selective
memories of his behavior while on
earth, God will show him all in the
heavens.
2. \\#38-42\\ When Jesus Doesn’t Perform Miracles
a. \\#38\\ A Request
(1) "Master, we would see a sign from thee" - So the
religious leaders have a strategy when Jesus
performs a miracle, attribute it to Satan, and
they seem to have a strategy for when He does
not perform a miracle, tempt Him to perform one.
(2) This seems to be a strange strategy, for the
works of Jesus are some of the most powerful
proofs of Jesus’ divinity.
Mr 6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to
teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were
astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things?
and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even
such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
(3) If the scribes and Pharisees had already made up
their minds, why would they be asking for more
miracles?
(a) No one knows that answer for certain since
the Bible does not record it.
(b) My best guess is that they knew they could
not stop Jesus from doing the miracles so
they hoped by encouraging more, He might
either fail at one, thus discrediting
Himself, or that the miracles might help
them make the case that Jesus did them in
Satan’s power, especially if they were
merely attempts to "show off" His power or
to prove who Jesus was.
b. \\#39-40\\ An Answer
(1) \\#39\\ "But he answered" - The "but" indicates
that Jesus is not going to give them what they
wanted.
(2) "An evil and adulterous generation" - Jesus
continued to bluntly condemn the religious
leaders. Here He speaks of their spiritual
infidelity. They claimed to be Jehovah’s but
they actually worshipped self and power. In the
end, they worshipped their father, the devil
\\#John 8:44\\.
(3) "there shall no sign be given" - Jesus was not
going to fall into the snare of the religious
heretics or play their games.
(4) \\#39\\ "but the sign of the prophet Jonas"
(a) With one exception. One sign would be given
not just to the religious leaders but to
all.
(b) It would be a sign like what happened to
Jonah.
i. \\#40\\ What happened to Jonah? "as
Jonah was three days and three nights
in the whale’s belly…."
ii. What would this sign be compared to?
"so shall the Son of man be three days
and three nights in the heart of the
earth."
(c) This sign compares what happened to Jonah
to what would happen to Jesus.
i. It was a prophecy of Jesus’ death and
resurrection.
ii. The sign would be that Jesus would be
buried for three days but come out of
the earth in like fashion Jonah as
Jonah when he was in the whale’s
belly.
(d) This prophecy is especially important
because it is the first prophecy Jesus has
given of His death.
i. Notice that Jesus is no longer
preaching of the coming kingdom.
ii. With so many having made up their minds
to reject Jesus, the kingdom will be
delayed.
c. \\#41-42\\ A Condemnation
(1) Notice that Jesus is no longer pulling His
punches. Once the religious leaders made up
their minds to reject and murder Him, Jesus
exposed and condemned them.
(2) \\#41-42\\ Jesus compares Himself with those of
past.
(a) In \\#Matt 11:20-24\\ Jesus compared some
of the cities He ministered in to the
cities of the past. Now He compares
Himself and the people to those of the
past.
(b) \\#41\\ Jesus compared Himself, His
preaching, and His results to Jonah and
the people of Nineveh.
i. The people of Nineveh will be better
off in the judgment than those that
Jesus ministered to because….
aa. They repented at Jonah’s
preaching.
bb. Jesus is greater than Jonah.
ii. "this generation" - The people who had
seen and heard Jesus were less
responsive than the heathen.
(c) \\#42\\ Jesus compared His teaching to
Solomon and the people to the Queen of the
South who traveled to hear Solomon.
i. The Queen of the South will be better
off in judgment than those Jesus
taught because…
aa. The Queen came, heard, and
acknowledged the wisdom of
Solomon.
bb. Those of Jesus’ day had not.
ii. Jesus is greater than Solomon.
D. \\#43-45\\ A Warning to Israel
1. \\#45\\ "Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation"
a. The truth that Jesus revealed about demons returning
to their hosts was not placed here by accident.
b. It was a description of what was to happen to the
generation of Jews to which Jesus was ministering.
2. \\#43-45\\ Jesus describes what happens to an unsaved host
when a demon is cast out.
a. \\#43\\ When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man"
(1) The man is not described as being saved but
merely delivered from the possession of a demon.
(2) \\#44\\ It is "swept and garnished," meaning tidy
and well ordered, but it is also "empty." The
Holy Spirit never moved inside.
b. \\#43\\ "he walked through dry places"
(1) The word "dry" means "without water," but it
describes a state of need for living beings.
(2) It seems that spiritual demons desire, perhaps
even need, a physical host.
c. \\#44\\ "I will return"
(1) So the dispossessed demon returns to its
previous host.
(2) \\#45\\ In doing so, he "taketh with himself
seven other spirits more wicked than himself."
Yet, he does not go back alone.
(3) "and the last state of that man is worse than the
first." So that in the end, the hosts state is
worse than in the beginning.
3. Conclusion - Many Jews experienced the deliverance of
demons and their accompanying illnesses by Jesus, but few
were actually saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. In
being delivered but rejecting Jesus, they opened the door
for the demons to return to their hosts in greater
numbers and with greater force. Such might explain the
nation of Israel’s hardness toward the gospel from that
day until the present.
E. \\#12:46-50\\ Jesus’ New Family - Jesus’ Jewish family had
soundly although still informally rejected Him. It was time
for Jesus to introduce His new family.
1. \\#46\\ "While he yet talked to the people" - No one
controls time and events like God.
2. "his mother and his brethren stood without" - Jesus’
physical family comes to speak to Jesus. Even though
His brothers did not believe, what was about to take
place was not a personal rejection of them and certainly
was not a condemnation against Mary. These family
members were symbolic of the entire nation of Israel, His
blood kin.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him
not.
3. \\#48\\ "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?"
Those physically related to Jesus in the flesh had made
their decision, so who will serve as Jesus’ kin now?
4. \\#49\\ "He stretched froth his hand toward his disciples"
a. Jesus’ new family will be those who will believe and
follow Him, like His disciples.
b. \\#50\\ "For whosoever will do the will of my Father"
Now, relationship to Jesus is not based on blood but
faith and obedience.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name:
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