INTRODUCTION

1. Scriptures have many features

a) History

b) Poetry

c) Prophecy

2. In Prophetic Literature

a) The Prophecy is to be Noted

b) It is a special word of Revelation from God

c) Notation of its fulfilment is of importance

d) Scripture was always meant to be applied into our life

 

THE ADVERSARIES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.

And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him,

“Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” Matthew 12:1-2

1. The Pharisees were among the Adversaries

2. They sought to find fault with the Lord Jesus every chance they had

3. One particular issue concerned the Keeping of the Sabbath law

4. The Viewpoint of the Pharisees

a) The Sabbath must be strictly kept

b) They came up with many rules as to how the Sabbath was to be kept

d) The Plucking of grain was considered work

e) The hungry Disciples of the Lord Jesus plucked some grain and ate

e) The Pharisees sought to find fault with the Lord Jesus on this matter

 

THE RESPONSE OF THE LORD JESUS

3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat,

nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:3-8

1. The Lord Jesus cited the example of David

a) He was escaping from King Saul

b) He and his men were hungry

c) He came to the Tabernacle (the house of God)

e) He was given the showbread that only priests were allowed to eat

2. The Lord Jesus cited the example of the priests in the Temple

a) They “profane” the Sabbath because of their ministry

b) But they are “blameless”

3. The Lord Jesus cited Himself

a) He was greater than the Temple

b) He is the Lord

b) He is the Lord of the Sabbath

4. The Lord Jesus cited the Scriptures

a) God desires “mercy”

b) Rather than “sacrifice”

c) The guiltless (the Disciples) should not have been condemned

 

ANOTHER ATTACK ON THE LORD JESUS

9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying,

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep,

and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Matthew 12:9-14

1. A man with a withered hand was in a synagogue

2. The Pharisees were watching to see if the Lord would heal the man

3. If He healed the man, then He would have “broken” the Sabbath

4. The Lord’s Response

a) If a sheep had fallen into a pit on the Sabbath

i) Would they have rescued the sheep?

ii) Without hesitation, the sheep would be rescued

iii) The sheep is of some value to the owner

b) The worth of a man compared to a sheep

i) He is of greater worth than the sheep

ii) He should receive whatever help can be given

c) The keeping of the Sabbath

i) It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath

ii) The Lord Jesus went on to heal the man with the withered hand

5. The Pharisees were even angrier.

6. They were now plotting to kill the Lord Jesus

 

THE FULFILMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES

15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known,

17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah 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 will declare justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew 12:15-21

1. The Lord Jesus knew the Pharisees were plotting to kill Him

2. His response was guided by the Scriptures

3. He sought always to fulfil the Scriptures

a) The prophecy of Isaiah was cited Isaiah 42:1-4

b) He would fulfil this prophecy by His response

4. The things fulfilled

a) The Leading of the Spirit of God

b) The character of the Lord Jesus

i) He will not quarrel with his adversaries

ii) He will be gracious and gentle

5. The Lord Jesus withdrew from the presence of the adversaries

a) He will not fight with the Adversaries

b) He will not debate them even if He would win every time

c) To the multitudes who followed Him

i) He healed all who were sick

ii) He also told them not to make Him known

iii) This would only aggravate the anger of the adversaries

 

CONCLUSION

1. Knowledge of the Scriptures is good and important

2. Fulfilment is just as vital

3. The Example of the Lord Jesus must be followed

a) He knew the Scriptures

b) He taught with authority

c) He lived out its truth

d) He fulfilled the Scriptures