Scripture Study: Matthew 12

From: Young Christian: Volume 3, 1913

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Matthew 12 • 7 min. read • grade level: 6

Matthew 12

In the close of Matthew 11, the Lord, though rejected, promises rest to the heavy laden, laboring ones that will come to Him; this is the saved remnant. In this chapter, Matthew 12, He rejects Israel, severing His relation with them for the present; a new ground of relationship is brought in.

Matthew 12:1-8¹At 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. ²But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. ³But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; ⁴How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? ⁶But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. ⁷But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (Matthew 12:1‑8). The disciples rubbing the ears of grain in their hands and eating it, becomes the occasion for the Pharisees to find fault with them for breaking the Sabbath. The Lord refers to the time when David and his men hungered and ate the showbread that was only for the priests to eat. It was Israel’s sin then that David, the true king, was outlawed. It was Israel’s sin now that the Son of David, the Great King, was also rejected. God cannot respect ordinances, when the heart is in sin at any time. The Sabbath was the sign, of the covenant Jehovah made with Israel. (Ex. 31:13, 17¹³Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. (Exodus 31:13)
¹⁷It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:17). Ezek. 20:12, 20¹²Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. (Ezekiel 20:12)
²⁰And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. (Ezekiel 20:20)). Now it is set aside. The priests, on the Sabbath Day in the temple, profaned the Sabbath, because sacrifices for sin had to be offered, and here was one greater than the temple. If they had known the meaning of the saying, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, they would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath. It was His right to do as He pleased.

Matthew 12:9-16⁹And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: ¹⁰And, 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. ¹¹And 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? ¹²How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. ¹³Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. ¹⁴Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; ¹⁶And charged them that they should not make him known: (Matthew 12:9‑16). Here again He acts in grace; they would not scruple to pull their own sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath day. A man is of more value than a sheep, and He will heal this man with the withered hand and answer their question. “Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath day.” Man’s need set aside the Sabbath.

This brought out the malice of those so-called good men, the Pharisees; they “held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him” — the giver of all good. The Lord saw it and withdrew, and many followed Him, and He healed them all. And He charged them that they should not make Him known; the time for that was past.

Matthew 12:17-21¹⁷That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁸Behold 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 show judgment to the Gentiles. ¹⁹He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. ²¹And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12:17‑21). Now the Spirit witnesses to His person. (Isa. 42:1-4¹Behold 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. ²He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. ³A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. ⁴He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:1‑4)). “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 show forth judgment to the Gentiles.” But though such a wonderful person, He takes a lowly place now, doing His work out of sight of man as much as possible. “Till He send forth judgment unto victory and in His name shall the Gentiles trust.” This passage gives an exact picture of His position.

Matthew 12:22-42²²Then 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. ²³And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? ²⁴But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. ²⁵And 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: ²⁶And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? ²⁷And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. ²⁹Or 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. ³⁰He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. ³¹Wherefore 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. ³²And 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. ³³Either 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. ³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵A 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. ³⁶But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. ³⁸Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. ³⁹But 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: ⁴⁰For 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. ⁴¹The 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. ⁴²The 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. (Matthew 12:22‑42). A man is brought to Him possessed with a devil, blind and dumb. This is a picture of the people’s condition with respect to God. The Lord heals and delivers him, so that the man both spake and saw. The people were amazed and said, “Is not this the Son of David?” But Pharisees, full of malice and jealousy, and opposed to God’s testimony, declare that the Lord is doing all this by the power of the devil. The Lord shows the foolishness of the argument. Satan would not cast out Satan; if so he could not stand. They would not say that of their sons, therefore, they should be their judges. But if He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come upon them; they were resisting God. The Lord hath bound the strong man, else He could not spoil His goods; and the Lord was delivering men, in grace, from the power of Satan that had held them captive. It was plainly the deep-rooted malice of their hearts. With all their religious profession, they were against God, and so against Him. He gathered — they scattered. They blasphemed the Holy Ghost. They knew better; the works of power showed it was the power of God, and not of Satan. Their case was hopeless. Words spoken against the Son of Man would be forgiven; but speaking against the Holy Ghost would not be forgiven, neither in that world (the age of law), nor in the world to come (that is, the millennial age). This is not referring to the present period of grace. It has no reference to a poor, backsliding Christian; it refers distinctly to those who, in Christ’s lifetime, said, “He hath an unclean spirit” (Mark 3:29-30²⁹But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: ³⁰Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. (Mark 3:29‑30)).

They were a corrupt tree, a generation of vipers, evil men out of whose hearts’ abundance the evil came, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” A good man treasures in his heart good things, and bringeth them forth; an evil man has nothing but evil. A man’s words are the index of what is in his heart. And “I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt. 12:36³⁶But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)). May Psalm 19:14¹⁴Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) be our earnest endeavor: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.”

After all this they ask a sign from Him. What bold wickedness, after all His miracles that they had seen! There was only one sign for them now; it was the sign of the prophet Jonas. They were an evil and adulterous generation. Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. It was their Messiah cast out, rejected, and put to death. “The Ninevites 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.” So also the Queen of Sheba, who came from afar to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and “a greater than Solomon is here.” Poor, despised Gentiles heard and understood the Word of God by. the prophet, or the king, better than Jehovah’s people, even when spoken by the Great King and Prophet Himself.

Matthew 12:43-45⁴³When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴Then 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. ⁴⁵Then 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. (Matthew 12:43‑45). Here then is their evil state: They are like a man who had been possessed by an unclean spirit; that is, they had been idolaters and this is the reason Israel was sent into captivity. (Acts 7:42-43⁴²Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? ⁴³Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. (Acts 7:42‑43)). (Isaiah 40 to 48 judges their idolatry for which they were sent to Babylon captives. Isaiah 49 to 58 judges their rejection of Christ for which they were scattered after the death of Christ.) But this returned remnant had no idolatry. In the days of the Lord, they were like a house empty, swept and garnished, but they did not receive the Lord. (John 5:43⁴³I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43)). So by and by, this same spirit of idolatry will enter into Israel (which ought to be God’s house) and with seven other spirits worse than himself, will take possession again; this will be in the tribulation, thus their last state shall be worse than the first. “Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” What a solemn judgment on the Jews; what sorrow they were bringing on themselves.

Matthew 12:46-50⁴⁶While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. ⁴⁷Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. ⁴⁸But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:46‑50). When Jesus’ mother and His brethren present themselves to speak with Him, He uses them to illustrate that He had now broken with Israel, His natural relations, and that now those whom He would own were those who would do the will of His Father which is in heaven: the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.

The new position and work He was doing is opened up in the next chapter.

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