MATTHEW 12
Jesus on the Sabbath. A great study ahead today in Matthew 12 so let’s get started and verse 1 reads.
Mat.12:1] At 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.
Jesus will be called out on this concerning what is lawful. Let’s go to Deuteronomy and find where this is written in the law.
Due.23:25] When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.
So, we learned here that plucking the ears of corn is legal, but harvesting with the sickle is not legal.
Mat.12:2] But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
[3] But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
[4] How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
First, Jesus is our high priest. This also lets us know that David was a priest and his followers also. Now those that followed Jesus are also priests, this is what Jesus is pointing out to the Pharisees.
Mat.12:5] Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
It is the priest’s job to work on the sabbath days.
Mat.12:6] But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
[7] But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
[8] For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Jesus is letting them know that He is the Son of God, The Christ. Because Jesus is everything in the temple from the shewbread to the sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God.
Mat.12:9] And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
Notice that Jesus boldly went into their synagogue after talking with them.
Mat.12:10] And, 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.
[11] And 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?
[12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Jesus is saying that it isn’t a matter of legality, but rather a good deed.
Mat.12:13] Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
Jesus healed the man without even touching him. How could they find a charge against him?
Mat.12:14] Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
Because Jesus could heal him and they could not, now they want to kill him. What a religious group of people, this proves they are Kenites. “And the deeds of their father they will do.” More on this in the next chapter.
Mat.12:15] But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
[16] And charged them that they should not make him known:
[17] That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
[18] 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 shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Jesus quotes Isaiah throughout the gospels, and fulfills his prophesy’s. Let us look into Isaiah and see where it is prophesied. Let’s go to Isa.42 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.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.
This is also prophesied by Zechariah, Zec.3 and verse 8 reads.
Zec.3:8] Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Joshua in Greek is Jesus., and we know that this Branch is Christ. Notice too that the men with Him are priests. Prophesied about 500 years beforehand. Now back to Matthew, and verse 19 reads.
Mat.12:19] He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
[20] A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
[21] And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
The Lord is Righteous. Always thinking of salvation for all his children. These Gentiles were brought into Salvation when Jesus was crucified. Completing the Word of God.
Mat.12:22] Then 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.
[23] And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
When Jesus heals you, it is complete. Only by faith can anyone be healed.
Mat.12:24] But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Isn’t it funny that they accuse him of being evil when the fact of the matter is they themselves couldn’t heal the man possessed. God gave the priest power over devils, this proves the high priest was not appointed by God, but rather by the Roman governor. But Jesus will answer them.
Mat.12:25] And 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:
Only God can read your mind. This proves Immanuel, “God with us” being Jesus, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. Let this be a warning for us today that a nation, even a nation under God, will fall if it’s divided.
Mat.12:26] And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Satan would never cast out Satan.
Mat.12:27] And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
If they could cast out devils, and they couldn’t, why then would they call Jesus evil?
Mat.12:28] But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Meaning that He was the Son of God. When Gabriel spoke to Mary, he told her this. Let’s go to Luke 1 and verse 30 reads.
Luke 1:30] And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
[31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
[32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
[33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
[34] Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Back to Matthew 12 and verse 29 reads.
Mat.12:29] Or 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.
[30] He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
These Pharisees claim to do the work of God, but do lie, and drive the sheep away from God. Sounds like our churches today.
Mat.12:31] Wherefore 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.
[32] And 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.
Here we have the unpardonable sin, the only sin that cannot be forgiven. It is to prevent the Holy Spirit from speaking through you when you are delivered up to the antichrist at the sixth trump. Only God’s Elect can commit this sin, I doubt that any of them would. Because they know God’s Word, and know that this is their destiny, to serve the LORD in these end times. They were chosen from the first earth age, because they stood against Satan then and will do it again. Notice two of the three world ages mentioned here. World ages, Ion in the Greek, and means a length of time. The first age was left out because we are here now and look forward to the third.
Mat.12:33] Either 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.
[34] O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Jesus knows he is speaking to the Kenites here, but he is letting us know also that this generation is “offspring” G1085 in the Greek. The Serpent’s seed, sons of Cain.
Mat.12:35] A 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.
[36] But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
[37] For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Judged by their words, speaking to those who teach falsely the Word of God.
Mat.12:38] Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Jesus just told us who these Pharisees are, they are Kenites. Now they want a sign?
Mat.12:39] But 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:
[40] For 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.
Jesus would be in the tomb for three days and nights. Now Jonah was actually in the belly of a fish prepared by God. Jonah 1 and verse 17 reads.
Jonah 1:17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
I came here to show that the only sign for the Kenites was what is written in God’s Word. You see, the Assyrians worshipped Dagon, the fish god, and the LORD spit Jonah up on their beach in front of them. Jonah, being a prophet of God, knew that Assyria would take ten of the twelve tribes into captivity for 200 years. That was the reason Jonah hid himself from God, out of love for his people. Back to Matthew 12 and verse 41 reads.
Mat.12:41] The 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.
[42] The 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.
We must remember who Jesus is talking to here. He is talking to the scribes and Pharisees and has already let us know that they are Kenites, sons of Cain. The Serpent’s seed. I would like to go to Isaiah 57 and verse 1 reads.
Isa.57:1] The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
[2] He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
[3] But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
[4] Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
[5] Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
They are a wicked offspring that has been around since their father Cain slew Abel. But what we are concerned with is the spiritual death. Now they that teach falsely are trying to draw God’s children from Him. And that is the spiritual war that we are at in these end times. Back to Matthew 12 and verse 43 reads.
Mat.12:43] When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
[44] Then 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.
[45] Then 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.
Jesus gives us the power to cast out evil spirits, but you better know what you’re doing. It just said that if you cast out one evil spirit and don’t fill that person with the Word of God, then that one evil spirit becomes 8 evil spirits and enter back into that person making his state worse than the first. Let’s first go to Luke 10 and verse 17 reads.
Luke 10:17] And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
[18] And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
[19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Let’s back up to verse 45 and read it again.
Mat.12:45] Then 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.
“Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” To the offspring of Cain (generation), the Kenites H7014. Back to Matthew.
Mat.12:46] While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
[47] Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
[48] But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
[49] And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
[50] For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Jesus would not ever disrespect his mother or brothers, but took the time to teach us a spiritual lesson here. Spiritually we are all his brothers and sisters that do the will of God. Don’t just read his word but DO his word. It is so important to the Lord that we know His word, so that we can better serve him and the lives of others. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you. In Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible