Matthew 12:1-14: “Jesus Gives Five Rebuttals To The Pharisees
Accusation That His Disciples Were Breaking The Sabbath Laws, Then He Heals On
The Sabbath”
by
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In this next section of the gospel of Matthew, we see
that Jesus has His first run in with the Pharisees over the issue of the
observance of the Sabbath
1.2.
The Pharisees had added hundreds of their own Sabbath
laws ontop of the laws that were delivered by Moses
1.3.
Regarding Sabbath observance, Jesus did not follow the
laws which man laid down, neither did He break God’s laws, and, He did not
teach others to break God’s Laws
1.3.1.
Jesus did not follow the laws of the Pharisees because
He knew that legalism did not produce godliness nor bare fruit for God, but
rather brought slavery and spiritual lethargy and death
1.4.
We see from these verses that Jesus brings out and
teaches the true meaning and purpose for the Sabbath laws, something which the
Pharisees had lost sight of
1.4.1.
The Pharisee’s approach to the Sabbath:
1.4.1.1.The
Pharisees had thought that since the Sabbath laws were somewhat vague, and it
was very important that Jews obey these laws, that the only way to be sure that
a person really obeyed these laws was to define them more strictly than what
scripture lays out
1.4.1.1.1.By the
Pharisees adding to the laws governing the Sabbath so that they could be sure
to keep the Sabbath, they were enslaved and enslaving people, and thus they
were actually the greatest violators of the Sabbath by making it an incredible
burden for everyone
1.4.1.1.2.In the book
of 1 Maccabees (2:31-38), there is a story written of where the Jews refused to
to defend themselves on the Sabbath against an army led by Antiochus Epiphanes,
who thereby slew a thousand of their people
1.4.1.1.3.It is also
written by Josephus, the Jewish historian, that the Jews would not defend
themselves on a Sabbath which led to Pompey being able to capture Jerusalem
1.4.1.1.4.Armies knew
that because of the Jew’s legalistic following of the Pharisaic laws that all a
country had to do to defeat them in battle was to attack on a Sabbath
1.4.1.1.5.The
Pharisees willfully violated so many of God’s commandments, yet it seemed that
the one area that they sought to obey completely was Sabbath observance, albeit
by their own additions to God’s Law
1.4.2.
Jesus’ approach to the Sabbath:
1.4.2.1.Jesus taught
that the Sabbath was given so that man could spend one day in relaxation and
worship, free from the cares and urgencies of work, and that by doing this man
would not lose sight of God in his life nor work himself too hard
1.4.2.2.In saying
these things, Jesus was teaching that the Sabbath was made for the good of man,
to remove his burden, not to make his burden greater by the keeping of this law
1.4.2.3.following
this approach, man would truly be set free and thus be free to fully follow the
Lord
1.5.
In this section Jesus gives 5 rebuttals to the
Pharisees’ accusation against His disciples that they were breaking the Sabbath
Laws by picking grain with their hands in a field on the Sabbath
1.6.
As we consider the events of this story, we need to
see that whenever man adds to God’s Laws the result is not fruit-bearing, but rather
‘religion’ which is cold, lifeless, and enslaving
1.7.
When I first came to Christ 27 years ago, most if not
all of the churches that were evangelistic and not apostate practiced a form of
legalism, for Christian parents tended to disallow their kids from attending
dances, listening to contemporary music, girls wearing dresses much above their
ankles, and many parents even forbade their kids from attending sporting
events, watching television, and listening to the radio
1.7.1.
The kids that I knew from these kinds of homes often
rebelled against their parents and went to far extremes of imitating the world,
or they often just got socially isolated and really had no effective Christian
witness to their lost friends
2.
VS 12:1-2 - “12:1 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. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it,
they said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a
Sabbath.”” - The
Pharisees came to Jesus accusing His disciples of breaking the Sabbath Laws
2.1.
The first thing that we need to be clear on here is that Jesus’ disciples
were not breaking any of God’s Sabbath laws in what they were doing, for the
law said it was perfectly legal for someone to glean food to eat as he walked
through another man’s field (Deut. 23:25), that is, as long as he didn’t use a
sickle to harvest the food
2.2.
Secondly, the Pharisees were not charging Jesus’ disciples with stealing
another man’s food, for they knew themselves that by God’s law a person could
pick his neighbor’s grain or vines by hand and eat from them
2.3.
Third, the law that the Pharisees are charging Jesus’ disciples of
breaking is actually their own law, for they had added onto God’s law and had
legislated two new laws of their own:
2.3.1.
The rubbing together of grain in the hands was a form of ‘threshing’, which was forbidden in
the Law
2.3.2.
The blowing away of the chaff was a form of ‘winnowing’ which was also forbidden
3.
VS 12:3-4 - “3 But He said to them,“Have
you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; 4
how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was
not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?”” - Jesus’ first rebut of the Pharisees’
charge: The Pharisees’ hero, David,
and his men had once done as Jesus’ disciples had done when once they were
hungry
3.1.
In the case of David and his men, found in 1 Sam. 21:6, they actually had
broken the Mosaic law which forbade anyone from eating of the sanctified bread
in the tabernacle except for the appointed priests (see Lev. 24:5-9)
3.2.
The question that must be asked is whether or not David and his men had
sinned in eating the tabernacle bread that was only to be eaten by the preists?
3.2.1.
The implied answer from scripture is that they did not break the Law
3.2.2.
The reason why they did not sin in eating this bread is because God is
truly concerned about man’s welfare and the hunger of David and his men was
more important than the keeping of a ceremonial law regarding the eating of the
sanctified bread
3.2.3.
There can be instances that occur where a person could break one law
while trying to fulfill another law, and we must know God’s heart and seek for
His wisdom and leading in knowing how to respond in those circumstances
3.2.3.1.For instance, the Pharisees
were constantly breaking the law that is more weighty in God’s eyes of having
love, compassion, and mercy for people by the rigid keeping of the Sabbath
3.3.
As I have mentioned before, God does not give us laws that are arbitrary,
rather they are given for our own good and to enrich our lives and bring us
closer to Him
3.3.1.
We Christians need to let it sink deep into our hearts and minds that God
always does everything He does in regard to us because He knows that it is the
very best for us, and He knows intimately all of our needs and wounds and wants
only to provide the provision for those that He knows we are truly needing
3.3.1.1.If you ever find yourself
accepting less than God’s very best for you, then you are being ripped off in a
big way, because God’s plan for your life cannot be improved upon
4.
VS 12:5 - “5 “Or have you not read
in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath,
and are innocent?”” - Jesus’
second rebut of the Pharisees’ charge:
The priests in the temple constantly break the Sabbath laws with their
serving in the temple, yet they are innocent
4.1.
Every Pharisee knew that the Sabbath Laws did not pertain to the priests,
for they had to labor arduously on the Sabbath conducting sacrifices for the
people
4.2.
This verse just shows that when man creates laws he becomes very rigid
about their enforcement and quick to condemn those who do not perfectly tow the
line, without giving any consideration to a person’s personal circumstances
4.3.
When men add to God’s Word requirements for those who walk with the Lord,
then it is always the case with them (just as it was with the Pharisees) that
they place the observance of their laws even above God’s Laws and desires
4.4.
By nature I believe that all of us tend to be legalists, and when we come
to know the Lord it seems that one of the first things that we do is try to
re-enslave ourselves to the very things that Christ redeemed us from, the Law
and condemnation
4.4.1.
Then, as we are doing that to ourselves we also begin to condemn others
for not observing our legalism
4.4.2.
It takes time for God to bring us to the point of realizing that Christ
is our righteousness, that His righteousness is imputed to us, and that being
completely accepted by God because of Christ’s righteousness there is nothing
that we could do to improve upon that
4.4.3.
This is what ‘grace’ consists of, and it is so difficult for a new
Christian to really grasp the depth of what God’s grace has and is doing in his
life
4.5.
Notice Jesus’ stern rebuke of those who were supposed to be the spiritual
leaders of the people, for if anyone was to be responsible for knowing God’s
Word it must be those who are their spiritual leaders, yet He says to them,
“Have you not read…?”
4.5.1.
Christian, God expects you to study and rightly divide the Word of God,
for as Jesus said on another occasion, “man is not to live by food alone but by
EVERY Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”
5.
VS 12:6 - “6 “But I say to you, that
something greater than the temple is here”” -
Jesus’ third rebut of the Pharisees’ charge: Something greater than the temple is here
5.1.
In saying this, Jesus may be saying that since He, God the Son, the
creator of all that exists, is in their midst, He is much greater than the
temple built to worship Him
5.2.
Or, Jesus may be saying that there was a greater dynamic there than that
which the temple represented, for He was issuing in the new covenant which was
much greater and provides many more privileges than the old covenant
6.
VS 12:7 - “7 “But if you had known
what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have
condemned the innocent”” - Jesus’
fourth rebut of the Pharisees’ charge:
The Pharisees were condemning the innocent disciples because they didn’t
realize that God is more interested in their having ‘compassion’ than in their
observing religious rites and sacrifices
6.1.
It is so wonderful here to see the heart of the Lord, for He reveals just
how much compassion He has for us, and how His value system places loving
people so much higher than mere external observance of laws
6.2.
The legalist, as the Pharisees were, is not concerned about people, and
is not motivated by love for people, rather he is concerned only about earning
points through observing laws
6.3.
Jesus is quoting from Hos. 6:6: “6
For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God
rather than burnt offerings”
7.
VS 12:8 - “8 “For the Son of Man is
Lord of the Sabbath.”” - Jesus’ fifth
rebut of the Pharisees’ charge: The
Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath
7.1.
Some interpreters have said that by Jesus’ speaking of the, ‘Lord of the
Sabbath’, He is referring to every man, however this view does not make sense
because:
7.1.1.
There is no other place in the scripture where Jesus uses this phrase,
‘son of man’, to refer to anyone but Himself
7.1.2.
This would be no big revelation, if He did mean it that way
7.2.
I, along with most good interpreters, believe that God is referring to
Himself as being the ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ here
7.2.1.
Jesus is the Lord, and therefore He has the right and privilege to
interpret correctly for us any portion of scripture as well as to reveal to us
that which before was unknown, for everything that He said was infallible and
inerrant
7.2.2.
Jesus rose on Sunday, and then for the next two weeks appeared to the
church on Sundays as they were worshipping, and thereafter the church quit
meeting on Saturdays and began meeting on Sundays for the Lord who is Lord of
the Sabbath had sanctioned Sunday as the day for worship for His church by His
resurrection and appearances
7.2.2.1.Thus, you see He is Lord of
the Sabbath
7.3.
When you think about it, when Jesus said that He was ‘Lord of the
Sabbath’ this claim is pregnant with meaning and implications
7.3.1.
One writer has said that this saying might be Jesus’ greatest assertion
of His deity, for who could be ‘Lord of the Sabbath’ but the One who created it
7.3.2.
The one thing that the Pharisees seemed to value as being of prime
importance, the observance of the Sabbath laws, Jesus claimed to be Lord over
7.3.2.1.If this saying would not
stir up the anger and resentment of the Pharisees, what else could?
8.
VS 12:9-10 - “9 And departing from
there, He went into their synagogue. 10 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”” -
Jesus went into the synagogue and upon His seeing of a man with a
withered hand, the Pharisees, knowing that Jesus would heal the man, sought to
accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath and thus they asked Him if it was lawful to
heal on the Sabbath
8.1.
It is such a sad thing here to realize that these Pharisees were so
calloused and hard of heart that they had this man with a withered hand placed
near Jesus just so that they could accuse Him when Jesus healed the man on the
Sabbath
8.1.1.
They were not at all concerned for the man and his well-being, in fact
they could care less whether Jesus healed him, all they were interested in was
seeing if Jesus would break one of their own interpretations and additions to
the Sabbath law
8.1.2.
These Pharisees knew Jesus character and heart, and that he would be
moved to compassion and thus ‘have to’ heal this man
8.2.
Jesus used this incident to reveal that He truly was God the Son and that
He had power over life, death, the devil, hell, and the grave, but sadly the
Pharisees response to Jesus’ wonderful work of healing and restoration was that
being filled with jealousy towards Him they were enraged and began to plot His
death
9.
VS 12:11-12 - “11 And He said to them,
“What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls
into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out? 12 “Of
how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do
good on the Sabbath.”” - Jesus
convicts the Pharisees of their hypocrisy and sin by revealing to them where
their values really did lay, for on the Sabbath they would rescue one of their
own sheep trapped in a pit, yet they could not have compassion on a man and
hope that he would be healed of an infirmity
9.1.
As is the case with all legalists, these Pharisees would in their own
case make exceptions to their own keeping of the Sabbath laws when necessity or
opportunity afforded themselves
9.2.
Those who are legalistic tend to excuse their own faults and sins while
focusing upon the faults and sins of others which they deem to be inexcusable
9.3.
Jesus reveals here how greatly God values people whom He has made in His
image by asking the rhetorical question, ‘Of how much more value then is a man
than a sheep?’
9.4.
Finally Jesus reveals the great Sabbath principle: ‘it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath’
9.4.1.
When people need help and there is some means for us to help them, it is
perfectly right and appropriate to give them help on a Sabbath day
9.4.2.
The purpose of the Sabbath was to cause men to not overwork but have to
take some time away from the drudgery and labor in their weekday life so that
they could have time to concentrate upon seeking the Lord and helping others
when they need it
9.5.
In the 27 years that I have walked with the Lord I have seen so many
forms of legalism in the lives of Christians, and in the activities of the
church, and I suppose there is no end to the ways in which Christian leaders
can try to legislate over the lives of people external requirements and
expectations which the supposed ‘faithful’ of their church must perform if they
are to be on the inside track with God
9.5.1.
Just this past week I sort of winced in pain and grinned in disbelief
when I received a flier in the mail from an evangelist who is going to be
holding revival meetings in town soon, and the entire gist of the flier was a
huge, yet only partial, list of all of the many many things that this
evangelist was going to preach against.
Almost every faithful (and fruitful) Christian I know does one or more
of the things included in this list. I
thought, ‘I wonder how many people are going to read this huge list of the
things this man is against and then think, ‘Oh boy, I can’t wait to get down
there and hear this guy condemn us!’’ However, sadly I know that there are many
Christians that seem to gravitate towards this kind of bondage and condemnation
over their lives.
10.
VS 12:13 - “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 man with the withered hand
10.1.
Jesus was moved with compassion and thus He could not refuse healing the
man, even if it brought a confrontation with the religious leaders who were
seeking some sort of a way to accuse Him of Sabbath violation
10.2.
It is very interesting that in healing this man with the withered hand
that He asked the man to do the very thing that he was presently unable to do, ‘stretch
forth’ his hand
10.2.1.Because the man had faith in
Jesus, he did what Jesus asked of him, he stretched forth his hand, and then he
was wonderfully and marvelously healed
10.2.2.This story paints a picture
for us, as do all of Jesus’ healings, of how we Christians can be healed from
and have victory over sin in our lives:
10.2.2.1.“God’s commands are His enablings:”
10.2.2.1.1.Each of us will first hear
God’s commands and demands for obedience in our lives, however we are at first
crippled and unable to obey these demands due to the weakness of our flesh,
however when in obedience and faith we act upon God’s commands a miraculous
thing happens to us, God supernaturally gives us the ability to do His will
10.2.2.1.2.I remember when I first
began to walk with Christ after coming out of the hedonistic hippie lifestyle
and thinking that there is no way that I would ever be able to walk in the way
that the Bible commands that God’s people walk, and yet one day in obedience
and faith I began to take one day at a time and submit to God and trust His power
to enable me to walk obediently before Him, and miraculously, though I did have
my setbacks, God began to give me victory over sin in my life
11.
VS 12:14 - “14 But the Pharisees
went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him” - Jesus’ performance of this miracle of healing
the man with the withered hand causes the Pharisees to begin to plot His death
11.1.
It is such a sad and tragic thing that the performance of this wonderful miracle
of healing upon a man who had suffered so greatly probably since birth was what
triggered the Pharisees to be so greatly incensed at Jesus for not following
their program and coming through their ranks that now they want to kill Him
11.2.
The Pharisees saw that the multitudes of people were marveling at Jesus
and coming to Him with every kind of sickness and ailment, and they foresaw
that if they didn’t stop Jesus now that everyone would embrace Him and then
they would lose their standing and perhaps livelihood with the people