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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
March 2, 2008
The Messiah is Rejected
Matthew 12-13
Pharisaical Legalism
This morning we are going to see the antagonism between Jesus and the Pharisees reach the point of blasphemy as the Pharisees try to get Jesus to conform to their legalism and Jesus corrects them. Turn to Matthew 12 where we will see that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.
Remember that there was already antagonism between the Jewish religious leaders and Jesus. They called Him a glutton, a drunkard and a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners because Jesus associated with the common people and those in the most desperate need to hear his message of hope (Matthew 11:19). Jesus in turn had said that they were acting like children who cannot be satisfied regardless of what game is being played. They were being childish (Matthew 11:16,17). (See: The Messiah’s Disciples)
Now we find the Pharisees criticizing Jesus again, but this time it is because He is not leading His disciples according to their traditions. Look at Matthew 12:1-3. “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath through the grainfields, and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”
The Mosaic law specifically allowed a person to pick and eat what he wanted as he traveled through his neighbor’s fields (Deuteronomy 23:24,25). That may seem a little strange to us, but it made a lot of sense to the agrarian society of ancient Israel. The problem the Pharisees had was that they were doing it on the Sabbath and therefore breaking that command which is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. Sabbath simply means, “rest.” Exodus 20:8 says this, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Several other passages repeat this injunction with Exodus 31:12-17 adding that it was a sign between Israel and the LORD God and that a person who violated it could be cut off from the people or even be liable for the death penalty.
No wonder than that they ancient Rabbis were so concerned about keeping the Sabbath. Eventually a very complex series of rules was developed about what could or could not be done on the Sabbath. The Mishna and the Talmud, codified teachings of the ancient Rabbis, devoted whole sections just to this issue. There were restrictions on how far you could walk, what you could pick up, medical care, cleaning, use of fire, agricultural practices, etc.
The disciples were breaking their regulations concerning harvesting. It was declared that rubbing the ends of grain stalks together would be threshing. Bruising the stalk would be grinding. Throwing the grains into the air and catching them would be winnowing and rolling the grains together to remove the husks would be sifting. According to the Pharisees the disciples were guilty of harvesting, threshing and sifting on the Sabbath. Of course you have to wonder what the Pharisees where doing out in the fields on the Sabbath watching Jesus and the disciples? Maybe they had special privileges to break the Sabbath themselves since they were PC – piety cops.
Pharisaical legalism had turned what was fitting and proper under the Mosaic Law into something unlawful. The rule of God was exchanged for the rule of man. No wonder many of the Rabbis believed it was more important to study the Mishna & Talmud than to study the Scriptures themselves. The same exist today among many Rabbis, and many church leaders do the same in putting more importance on studying traditions or the thoughts of teachers, philosophers and theologians than on the Scriptures themselves.
Jesus responds to their accusations by giving three arguments why the disciples were innocent and then seals those arguments with a declaration about himself.
The Law Could Be Breached. In Matthew 12:3-4 Jesus rebukes them for their ignorance of Jewish history. He then refers to the story in 1 Samuel 21 when David and his men were given the loaves of the Bread of Presence by Ahimelech the high priest. These loaves were supposed to only be eaten by the priests (Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:9), but Ahimelech told David he could have the bread if the men had kept themselves pure. The High Priest saw no problem in breaching the ceremonial law concerning the bread in order to meet God’s higher law of loving one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). If the ceremonial law could be breached to uphold the moral law, then there are certainly times to breach man’s traditions.
The Law Had Exceptions. In Matthew 12:5 Jesus rebukes them for their ignorance of the law. The priests were twice as busy on the Sabbath as any other day because the sacrifices were doubled on that day, but they did not break the law. God made provision in the law so that the temple service could be carried out. Jesus is greater than the temple and any work done by His servants, including feeding themselves, was excluded from the Sabbath restrictions just as the priest’s temple service was excluded.
The Law Was Meant for Man. Matthew 12:7, “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” The meaning of the law was plain, but they did not understand this quote of Hosea 6:6. Their traditions not only usurped the law but also removed God’s compassion contained in it. The disciples were innocent because what they had done was in keeping with the meaning of the law.
Jesus Ruled over the Sabbath. In Matthew 12:8 Jesus seals His arguments with His declaration, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus is telling them directly that He is greater than God’s temple and greater than God’s Sabbath, and if there were any two things that the Pharisees held sacred, it was those two things. Only a person who actually believed he was God could make such a statement, and that is exactly what Jesus was telling them. Jesus, not their traditions, was the final authority. (See: The Lord of the Sabbath).
Proving the Point
Jesus proves his point in Matthew 12:9-14. “And departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned Him saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ – in order that they might accuse Him.” The Pharisees taught that it was not lawful to improve the condition of someone on the Sabbath because that would be work. They regulated compassion to only keeping the person from getting worse – palliative, not therapeutic care. As Jesus enters the Synagogue there is a man with a withered hand. Compassion would seek to heal the man, but since it was not life threatening it could be put off until the next day. If Jesus healed the man, it would be in direct violation of their Sabbath regulations.
Jesus knew what they were thinking and took the challenge directly. Mark & Luke tell us that Jesus at that point had the man with the withered hand come forward which called everyone’s attention to the situation and the question. Jesus then rebuked the Pharisees by pointing out in Matthew 12:11-12 that even they would lift a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath even though that was primarily an economic concern. Since it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, then it was lawful to do good to a man on the Sabbath, for men are more valuable than sheep.
Jesus took action in Matthew 12:13, “Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand!’ And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.” Jesus healed the hand as the man was rasing it. Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath and He would not be restricted from doing good because of the legalistic restrictions of the Pharisees.
Matthew 12:14 records the Pharisees response, “But the Pharisees went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” Mark tells us that they were so blind with hatred for Jesus and the desire to kill Him that they counseled together with their very arch-enemies, the Herodians, the irreligious political supporters of king Herod, to plot Jesus’ death.
Jesus the Servant (See: The Gentle Servant).
Jesus’ response is in complete contrast to them. They are plotting to kill Him, but Jesus continues to be compassionate and serve the people. Matthew 12:15-21, “But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there, And many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to make Him known, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying, ‘BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHO I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.'”
Jesus withdraws to reduce the tension while continuing to demonstrate that He was merciful. He healed all who came to him and did not make any demands upon them. He could easily have demanded money or had them make oaths of loyalty, but God’s mercy is extended because of His own character and not because He could get something from them.
Jesus also showed that He was meek in verses 16-17. He did not even seek to get the people to promote His glory. All glory belongs to Jesus, but He would wait for the Father’s timing of when that would happen. Jesus action also fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1-4 which is quoted in verse 18-21. This demonstrated that He was God’s chosen servant. A servant that would be quiet because of His self-control. He never let His emotions cause Him to even shout or scream. He was also sympathetic and gentle to even the despised of society. Jesus came to heal the sick (Matthew 12:15; etc.), seek and save tax-collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:9,10), comfort mourners (Matthew 5:4), cheer the fearful (Matthew 14:13-21), reassure doubters (Matthew 11:2-6), feed the famished (Matthew 14:13-21) and pardon the sins of the repentant (Matthew 9:2). Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Matthew 19:10). He brought hope even to the Gentiles.
The Messiah is Rejected (See: The Unforgivable Sin).
Though Jesus had withdrawn from the Pharisees, it did not take long for them to respond to the reports of Jesus’ acts of mercy with such jealousy that they committed what is often referred to as “the unforgivable sin.” Matthew 12:22-24 records the miracle and their reaction.
“Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can He?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
The Accusation: Casting out the demons and healing the man were not the issue. Jesus had done that before. What was at issue for them was the response of the people. They were speculating about Jesus saying to one another, “this man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” The grammatical structure here expects a modified negative answer, sort of like, “No, he is probably not the Son of David . . . and yet, who else could he be, to perform such a miracle?” As has been mentioned before, the term, “Son of David,” is a messianic term (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:3; Isaiah 9:6-7). The people are wondering if Jesus is the Messiah.
When the Pharisees and Scribes (Mark 3:23) found out about this they disparaged Jesus in the worst way possible. They attributed the work of the Holy Spirit done through Jesus to Satan. The term, Beelzebul, is one of the names used for Satan. It arose out of Baal worship and means, “Lord of the flies.” They were saying that Jesus was empowered by Satan instead of God.
Since Jesus is God, He knew what they were thinking and He confronted them about it starting in Matthew 12:25. He shows that their accusation was illogical, inconsistent, insurrectionary against God and inane.
The Rebuttal: First, it was illogical because, as verse 25 points out, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand.” The evil inherent to Satan and the demons causes disorder, chaos, confusion and inconsistency within his realm, but Satan is not stupid, for even he knows that his kingdom cannot stand if he fights against himself. It would be absurd for Satan to cast Himself out and the devil is not stupid.
Second, their accusation was inconsistent with what was being practiced by their own followers. Matthew 12:27, “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges.” They clearly understood that the work of Jewish exorcists was the work of God, yet they are accusing Jesus of doing it by the power of Satan. They were inconsistent.
Third, their accusation against Jesus was insurrection against God. Jesus said in Matthew 12:28, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The Greek grammar of the “if” clause here is “if, as is actually the case,” or stated fully, “if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, and I do, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Their accusation was in direct opposition to what was actually taking place. They were in rebellion against Him by claiming that the work of the Holy Spirit was the work of Satan. This would have very serious consequences.
Fourth, their accusation was inane – stupid if you will. Matthew 12:29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” The analogy given is simple. You cannot rob someone’s home while they are still free to stop you. You must first overpower them and tie them up, then you can carry off their belongings. Jesus has shown by this case of the demonized man that He was more powerful than Satan, for He was able to bind him and carry off what had formerly belonged to him. Their accusation against Jesus was illogical, inconsistent, insurrectionary, and inane. It only proved that they were in rebellion against God.
The Condemnation: In Matthew 12:30 Jesus explains what it means to be against Him. “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” This was a definitive statement about the Scribes and Pharisees who were blaspheming against Him and the Holy Spirit, but it was also a
warning to the people around as well. No one is in a neutral position with Jesus. You either belong to God or to Satan. There is no in between.
Jesus pronounces the verdict against these Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 12:31,32. “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.”
God can forgive any sin except this one. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has done every thing possible to declare Jesus’ identity to these Scribes and Pharisees and they willfully and deliberately rejected all of it even to the point of saying He did His miracles by the power of Satan. What more could be done?
While no one can commit this sin in the same manner as the Scribes and Pharisees and then be condemned as Jesus did to them, there is a danger that we should be aware of. While people today cannot commit this specific sin, they can reject the Holy Spirit to the point they have a seared conscience from which they will not recover. It happens in the following steps. Willful sin can cause the Holy Spirit to be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), continued unrepentance can then lead to resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51), which if persisted in develops into quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). This in turn develops a seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2). Sin should always be taken seriously, for its desire is to take over your life and lead you to eternal hell. The solution for sin is found in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Exposing The Heart (See: Exposing The Heart).
Jesus continued on to point out that their very words exposed the evil that was in their hearts. Matthew 12:33-37, 33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 “The good man out of [his] good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of [his] evil treasure brings forth what is evil. 36 “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”
The point of the analogy is simple enough. You identify the kind and quality of a fruit tree by the fruit it produces. You identify the nature of a person by what they say because it reveals what is in their hearts. That includes the thoughtless words that are said as well as those carefully chosen.
You would think that this would be enough for one day for them, but they respond with a demand that Jesus perform a miraculous sign of some type to prove Himself. They ignore all the miracles Jesus had already done, so Jesus responded with another stinging rebuke in Matthew 12:39-45. Which can be summarized as follows. (See: What Sign Are You Looking For?).
They were an evil and adulterous generation and the only sign they would be given would be that of Jonah the prophet who was in the belly of the great fish for three days and nights. Jesus used that as a type for His own death, burial and resurrection (Matthew 12:39-40).
The Gentiles that had repented in the past, such as those in Nineveh, and Gentiles that had sought out God’s wisdom, such as the Queen of the South (Sheba), would rise in judgement against them because the responded to a lesser prophet and a lesser king. They had before them the Messiah, the promised prophet and King, and they refused to recognize Him (Matthew 12:41-42).
The nation had a reformation of a sort as people had responded to the preaching of John and early ministry of Jesus, but they would be worse in the end because they were still innately self-righteous. Their moral reforms were shallow and would be lost when they would turn to even greater evil in the future (Matthew 12:43-45).
Relationships in the Kingdom – (See: Jesus Christ, Our Brother).
Matthew 12:46-50 tell us what happens next. “While He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. And someone said to Him, ‘Behold, your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’ But He answered the one who was telling Him and said, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold, My mother and My brothers!'”
As a quick footnote here I want to point out for those of you with Roman Catholic backgrounds that Jesus did have blood brothers and sisters. Roman Catholic doctrine has attempted to elevate Mary to a god-like stature, and one of their efforts to do so is to claim that Jesus was her only child and that she remained a virgin all her life. The truth is that Mary and Joseph had other children for Jesus had half brothers and sisters. Matthew 13:55 even tells us the names of Jesus’ half brothers. “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” Beware of religious traditions which contradict the Bible. The truth is found in the Scriptures, not in the musings and speculations of man.
The point of these verses is that the relationships that we have in the kingdom of God are to be more important than even blood ties. Family is important, but family is only temporal while the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus also stresses here that those who are part of His family are the ones that do “the will of My Father who is in heaven.” You do not get to heaven because of your relatives but only because of your relationship to Jesus Christ. Are you someone that seeks the will of God the Father?
Jesus had come unto His own, but His own did not receive Him (John 1:11). The kingdom had been offered, but they had rejected the king. From this point on the message would still be “repent,” but it would not longer be “for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The kingdom would now be among them in a spiritual dimension and not fulfilled physically until the future. Jesus explained this to His disciples in the parables of Matthew 13.
The Kingdom Parables
The parables themselves were part of the judgement that came because of the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jewish Religious leaders. Matthew 13:1-3 tells us that Jesus spoke many things in parables to the multitudes that were standing on shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus explained the reason that He had switched to that method of teaching in Matthew 13:10-17.(See: The Purpose of Parables). There were three reasons that Jesus turned to teaching in parables. First, it fulfilled prophecy as Matthew 13:34-35 explains in quoting Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world“.
Second, it revealed truth to His followers. “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. . .” (Matthew 13:11). Matthew 13:16, “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see [it]; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear [it].”
Third, it concealed the truth from the self righteous and in fact even caused them greater confusion. Matthew 13:12, “. . . “For whoever has, to him shall [more] be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them.’
What did the parables teach? The parable of the sower which is given in Matthew 13:3-9 and explained in Matthew 13:18-23 tells about the nature of salvation and who belongs to the kingdom. (See: The Parable of the Sower).
The parables of the kingdom (Matthew 13:24-42) reveal various aspects about the nature of God’s kingdom. The parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43) reveals the dual nature of the kingdom and God’s patient tolerance for those who are evil until they are judged at the end. The parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32) reveals the growth of the kingdom from a very small start. The parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33) revealed the kingdom would expand from internal influence instead of the expected outward display of power (See: The Parables of the Kingdom).
The next two parables, the parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), the parable of the Costly Pearl (Matthew 13:45-46), both stress the value of the kingdom, but also revealed that it had to be personally appropriated. The last parable about the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50) stresses the judgement at the end when the good and evil will be separated with the evil being judged and punished. (See: The Value of the Kingdom).
The teachings of the Bible, including these parables, still have the same effect on people. They reveal truth to those that are sincerely and humbly seeking God while at the same time they hide the truth from the self-righteous.
Matthew 13 ends with the people of Nazareth, the city in which Jesus grew up, also rejecting Him because they refused to believe His teaching (see also Luke 4:14-30). The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah was not limited to just the religious leaders. (See: The Tragedy of Unbelief). Don’t be as the Scribes and Pharisees who decided the truth according to their traditions regardless of what Jesus said, or like the people of Nazareth who decided truth by their own experiences. They all end up being judged by God for their unbelief. Instead, be like the disciples who sat at Jesus’ feet and learned of Him and so were blessed by God.
Sermon Notes – 3/2/2008 A.M.
KIDS CORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up later. 2) Count how many times “Sabbath” & “parable”is mentioned in the sermon. Talk with your parents about why Jesus was rejected by the Pharisees and the people of Nazareth.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Why were the Pharisees antagonistic toward Jesus? What were some of the ways they showed their displeasure toward Him? Why were they upset about Jesus’ disciples picking and eating grain (Matthew 12:1-3)? Were the disciples breaking any part of the Mosaic Law? Why or why not? Why do some people pay more attention to theologies and the writings of men that the Scriptures? How did Jesus prove that what His disciples was acceptable to God? What was the purpose of the Mosaic Law? What was the purpose of the Sabbath? Who was to decide what could or could not be done on the Sabbath? Why did Jesus heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath? How did this prove the points he was teaching earlier? What was the reaction of the Pharisees? What did Jesus do next and why? What characteristics did Jesus have as a servant (Matthew 12:15-21)? How did the Pharisees react when they heard the people were wondering if Jesus was the Messiah? Why did this bother them so much? What did they accuse Jesus of doing? How did Jesus rebut their accusation as being illogical, inconsistent, insurrection against God, and inane? Can anyone be neutral with regards to Jesus? Why or why not? What was Jesus’ condemnation of them? Can anyone today commit the “unforgivable sin?” Why or why not? What is the danger of wilful sin? What does it lead to? How is the heart of a person revealed? Why did they ask Jesus for a sign (Matthew 12:38)? What was Jesus’ response? Why would the people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South rise up in judgement against them? What is the danger of self-righteous reform? How does a person become part of the Kingdom of God? What is the evidence of being part of the kingdom? How does being part of the kingdom affect your family relationships? Mary gave birth to Jesus – what were the names of her other sons? What is a parable? Why did Jesus start teaching in parables? How was this a judgement upon the self-righteous religious leaders? What is the basic point of each of the parables: The Sower? The Tares? The Mustard Seed? The Leaven? The Hidden Treasure? The Costly Pearl? The Dragnet? Why did the people of Nazareth reject Jesus and try to throw Him over a cliff (Luke 4:16-30).
The Messiah Is Rejected – Matthew 12-13
Pharisaical Legalism – Matthew 12
The Pharisees are critical of Jesus for letting His disciples pick & eat grain on the __________
The Pharisees were concerned about keeping the _______ and developed many ________ to regulate it.
The Pharisees turned something allowed by the ______________ into something unlawful
The Law could be _______- vs. 3-4. Ahimelech the High Priest gave David the _________- 1 Sam. 21
The Law had ___________- vs. 5. The priests _________ on the Sabbath
The Law was Meant for _______- vs. 7. God desires ___________, not a sacrifice – Hosea 6:6
Jesus Ruled over the _________- vs. 8. Jesus, not their traditions, was the final __________.
The Pharisees had _________medical care on the Sabbath to ___________, not therapeutic measures
Even the Pharisees would rescue a sheep caught in a pit on the ___________
Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the __________- Matthew 12:9-14
The Pharisees counseled with the Herodians on how to ___________Jesus
Jesus the Servant – Matthew 12:15-21
Jesus ____________to reduce the tension while continuing to demonstrate that He was ___________.
Jesus was a _________servant (vs. 16-17). He does not seek to _________Himself
Jesus was a _________servant (vs. 18-21) fulfilling the prophecy of _________
Jesus was a _________servant who kept His emotions under _________
Jesus was a ________and _________servant even to the despised of society – including the _________
The Messiah is Rejected – Matthew 12:22-50
Jesus cast out the demons from a man and _________ him.
The people were speculating if Jesus could be the _________
The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of _________ (_________ )
Their accusation was ________ (vs. 25), for Satan would not cast himself off. Satan is evil, not ________
Their accusation was _________ with their own practices (vs. 27). How then did they cast out demons?
Their accusation was ________ against God (vs. 28). Jesus’ very actions proved He was from ________
Their accusation was ______ (vs. 29). Casting out the demon proved Jesus was more ______ than Satan
There is no _________ zone with Jesus (vs. 30). You are either _________ Him or _________ Him.
Jesus ____________ them (vs. 31-32) saying their ________ against the Holy Spirit could not be forgiven.
Willful sin leads to _________ the Spirit (Eph. 4:30), which leads to _________ the Spirit (Acts 7:51).
Continued sin leads to ________ the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19) resulting in a ________ conscience (1 Tim. 4:2).
What was in their hearts would be known by the _______ of their lives and what they ______ (vs. 33-37).
They were an ____ & adulterous generation that would only be given the sign of ____(Matt. 12:39-40)
They would be judged because they did not ____ (like those in Ninevah) or seek _____ (like the Queen)
Self-righteous reforms eventually result in an even _________ condition (Matthew 12:43-45)
Jesus had _______________ & _________ (Matthew 12:47 & 13:55)
_____ is not as important as the eternal relationships we have with those who are part of God’s Kingdom
The Kingdom Parables – Matthew 13
Jesus began teaching in _________ . This is part of the judgement against the Jewish religious leaders
Jesus’ parables fulfilled _________ – Matthew 13:34-35 cf Psalm 78:2
Jesus’ parables _________ truth to His followers – Matthew 13:11, 16-17
Jesus’ parables _________ the truth from the self righteous – Matthew 13:11-15
The Parable of the _______ (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23). The nature of _________ & who is in the kingdom
The Parable of the ______ (Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43). The dual nature of the kingdom and God’s _______
The Parable of the _________ (Matthew 13:31-32). The growth of the kingdom from a ___________ start
The Parable of the _________ (Matthew 13:33). The kingdom expands from _________ influence
The Parables of the Hidden _______ & the Costly _______ (Matthew 13:44, 45-46). The value of the kingdom.
The Parable of the _______ (Matthew 13:47-50). The coming ________ and separation of the good & evil.
The people of _________ also rejected Jesus (Matthew 13:53-58).
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