Matthew 11 revealed the doctrine of election, and in Matthew 12, the division between Jesus and the Pharisees grows in intensity. That seems to be the case when the teaching of Jesus gets difficult to accept, as in John 6, when the doctrine of election leads to many ceasing to follow Jesus any longer. They thereby prove that their faith and trust and loyalty to Him was never genuine. And Jesus describes with the episodes of His life what genuine followers do when the going gets tough; they remain prayerfully faithful to God. Let’s take a look.
1) V1-8 – 1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread – which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ [Hosea 6:6], you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Pharisees, ever watchful of Jesus by now, criticize Him for the behavior of His disciples, who were gleaning grain on the Sabbath. But Jesus responds to their criticism with a couple of rhetorical questions. First, in v3-4, Jesus reminds the Pharisees about their beloved David and his companions, who unlawfully ate consecrated bread, going a good step farther than Jesus’ disciples had done in merely gleaning on the Sabbath. And then in v5-8, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the priests desecrate the Sabbath in the Temple and yet remain innocent. He is urging them to consider their judgmental attitude, and He claims to be greater than the Temple in declaring, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (v8). Jesus criticizes the Pharisees in return, suggesting that they should have understood God’s words from Hosea 6:6, in which He says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” It’s as if Jesus was saying, “You Pharisees are whining about the wrong thing. Let hungry people eat, even if you consider it to be a form of working on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
2) V9-21 – 9Going on from that place, He went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. 15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed Him, and He healed all their sick, 16warning them not to tell who He was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18“Here is My servant whom I have chosen, the One I love, in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. 19He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets. 20A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, till He leads justice to victory. 21In His name the nations will put their hope” [Isaiah 42:1-4].
Apparently the Pharisees were constantly following Jesus, though not in the sense that He would have desired. They were constantly trying to trick Him up in order to accuse Him publicly while seeking to justify themselves in their own eyes. So they continue with the Sabbath theme, asking if Jesus considered it lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Again Jesus responds with another rhetorical question. Of course you would rescue an animal that fell into a pit, even if the incident occurred on the Sabbath! So Jesus’ answer is, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” And He proves it by healing the man with a shriveled hand. Nevertheless, “the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus” (v14).
Jesus was aware of the evil intentions of the Pharisees, so He withdrew and continued His ministry of healing (v15), all while warning those He healed not to reveal Him to the public. In order to fulfill the time given Him for compassion ministry on earth by God the Father, Jesus had to strive for some level of secrecy. Matthew declares that this reality – His ongoing ministry of preaching and compassionate healing while trying to remain relatively quiet about it – fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4). This passage in Isaiah identifies the Messiah as “the servant of the Lord” – none other than Jesus.
3) V22-37 – 22Then they brought Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this Fellow drives out demons.” 25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house. 30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus heals a demon-possessed, blind and mute man, which caused astonishment. The crowds wondered if Jesus could be the Son of David, as in the prophesied Messiah, the “servant of the Lord” Matthew just mentioned as quoted in Isaiah. The answer is, “Of course!” But the Pharisees were on the scene to quickly interject: “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this Fellow drives out demons” (v24). And again, Jesus, knowing their thoughts, made it a point to correct them. He basically said, “If I was driving out demons by the power of Satan, that wouldn’t make sense, because Satan wouldn’t want to drive out demons!” And then He summarizes the truth in v28, “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Jesus declares that He is entering Satan’s domain (the strong man’s house), tying him up, and robbing him (v29). The song, “Sovereign Lord,” by Phil Mehrens, speaks of Jesus as a thief of sin who leaves His grace. Jesus takes back those who belong to Him by graciously and compassionately healing them, granting them new life and leaving Satan empty-handed.
In v30, Jesus makes a black-and-white statement regarding our choice of sides in this life. If we are not with Jesus, we are against Him; and if we aren’t gathering with Him, then we are scattering. There’s no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. We either follow Him where He goes; or we fight against Him. And with that said, Jesus makes another bold statement in v31, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Just in case we forget the context and try to make this statement say something it is not meant to say, Jesus explains what He means in v32. Jesus can be rejected and neglected and mocked and bashed for a time, and those offenses are forgivable; but when the Holy Spirit, who convicts and confronts and demands repentance, is rejected, there is no forgiveness. Think about Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul. He rejected Jesus and fought against Him for years; but when confronted by Jesus (and ministered to by the Holy Spirit), Paul yielded and repented. Forgiveness was granted. But there are many Sauls who have opportunities to become Pauls, and they reject those opportunities. There is no forgiveness for them. Hebrews 10:26-29 describes someone who meets Jesus and turns their back on Him. It’s blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and there is no forgiveness without repentance.
Jesus declares that a tree is recognized by its fruit. In other words, a good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. People are the same way, and we must avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, for it doesn’t make sense for a good tree to yield bad fruit. Neither can a bad tree produce good fruit, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus finally, in v34-37, rebukes the Pharisees, calling them a brood of vipers, spewing evil words right from their wicked hearts, and declares that judgment awaits.
4) V38-50 – 38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from You.” 39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 43When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” 46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told Him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.” 48He replied to him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. 50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Despite the rebuke and criticism that Jesus heaves at the Pharisees, they respond with another inquiry. This time, they ask for a sign, a miracle to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, who He clearly claims to be. But Jesus is in no mood to grant such a request to such wicked individuals. Therefore, He refuses their request, but does remind them of the sign of Jonah, who was “three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish.” In the same way, Jesus Himself will spend “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (v40). Much has been made of this specific prophesy, because it seems that our Good Friday to Easter Sunday timeline allows for 3 days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) but only grants 2 nights (Friday and Saturday) entombed for Jesus before His resurrection. But sitting this topic aside, it might better serve us to consider the follow up comments in v41-45.
First, in v41, Jesus says that the pagan Ninevites, who repented under Jonah’s ministry, will condemn this generation (that is, those who refuse to repent under Jesus’ ministry), because Jesus is greater than Jonah. And the same thing is said in v42, that the pagan Queen of the South, who submitted to Solomon’s teaching, will condemn this generation, because Jesus is wiser than Solomon, yet His generation, by and large, did not heed His teachings or appreciate His healings. The final aspect of Jesus’ remarks suggests that He has removed evil spirits and cleaned the hearts of men to make room for His presence – the Holy Spirit – but that men have not welcomed the Spirit and instead have welcomed back the demons that were previously evicted. And now, they are worse off than before! That’s the generation that saw and heard Jesus!
Finally, Jesus is interrupted by a request from His mother and brothers wanting to speak to Him. Presumably, they have come to ask Him to stop His ranting, for at this time, they were not likely strong believers in Him or His efforts. But Jesus uses this interruption to teach a simple truth. Those who belong to the Family of God are those who do God’s will. By the fruit of the tree, you will recognize the tree.
Bible text from
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