Jesus Presents the Nature of the Mission of the Kingdom of God

Matthew 12:1-8

Specific instances of Israel’s Rejection of Jesus

The Jewish Religious Leaders reject the Jewish Messiah

Mathew shows that opposition to Jesus comes from 2 main sources:

1. The animosity of the religious leaders.

2. The indifference of the common Israelites.

Central to the plot of Matthew’s narrative is the element of conflict. The principal conflict pits Israel against Jesus and the death and resurrection of Jesus constitute the primary resolution of this conflict.

On another level, Jesus also struggles with His own disciples. Here He needs to bring them to understand the nature of His mission. The conflict is to bring them to overcome their “little faith” and to avail themselves of the great authority that Jesus has given them and above all, to lead them to comprehend the essence of discipleship is servanthood.

This chapter plays an important turning point in this Gospel. It brings before us the full rejection of the Kingdom. After this chapter we do not hear the Kingdom being preached to Israel.

Chapter 12 of Matthew presents 4 instances of conflict; the approach towards Jesus was negative but Jesus responds positively:

1. Conflict over Sabbath observance (12:1-21)

2. Conflict over Jesus’ power (12:22-37)

3. Conflict over Jesus’ sign (12:38-45)

4. Conflict over Jesus’ kin (12:46-50)

Conflict over Sabbath Observance (12:1-21)

What is the Sabbath?

Sabbath is prescriptive in the Law of Moses and its observance was very important to the Jews. The Sabbath was a uniquely Israelite institution that commemorated completion of divine creation: God rested after having created the cosmos and the guardians of the natural world, man and woman, and God said that it was good, and He rested.

Gen. 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Gen. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Gen. 2:2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Gen. 2:3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it, God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

The Mosaic Law was given only to Israel; it was a conditional bilateral covenant between God and Israel. God choose a nation to give them the Scriptures, and also to prepare the lineage that will birth the Messiah, who will be the Saviour of mankind. Apostle Paul said that the Law was holy and just and good which was a shadow of the provision of grace that was going to be provided by Messiah . The Law is a perfect reflection of God’s holy character and the required standard for believers to please Him and Paul says that the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah releases the believer from sin and death and this line of thought was misunderstood by the Rabbinic Jews.

Rom. 7:12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

The Mosaic Law was limited in both time and coverage because it was only operative until the New Covenant was inaugurated by Messiah when He died on the cross, not just for Jewish sin but for Gentile sin as well.

At the time of Jesus, the Jews were suppressed under occupation of the Romans, and they misunderstood the prophecies of the Messiah’s birth of prophet Isaiah; that He will come as a suffering servant but wanted a military man. Scriptures tell us that the first coming of Messiah; He will be a suffering servant who will live among us:

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

His second coming will be as the reigning King who will rule over the earth from Jerusalem:

Zachariah 14:9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

Jewish traditions in the time of Jesus had made the Sabbath an observance far beyond what the Hebrew Bible taught. The aim of the Sabbath was to provide rest, and at the end of the previous chapter, Jesus had said to them that His yoke is light, because the Pharisaic traditions and prescriptions of the oral law had made observing the Sabbath burdensome.

Matt. 11: 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11: 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matt. 11: 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

What was the Conflict over Sabbath observance?

The Pharisees accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath and suggest that Jesus is in league with Satan and demand a cosmic sign. Jesus will vindicate Himself as Lord of the Sabbath, a divine servant of justice and the Spirit empowered inaugurator of the Kingdom of God.

Matt. 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Matt. 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees criticised Jesus’ disciples for doing what was unlawful under Pharisaic tradition: plucking the corn involved rubbing it with their hands, separating the grain and the chaff, which all constituted as work and included the preparation of a meal on Sabbath day because the meal had to be prepared the day before.

Matt. 12:3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Matt. 12:4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Matt. 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ criticism with a question and quoted 1 Samuel 21:1-6 and Leviticus 24:5-9. David and his men ate consecrated bread that only priests had a right to eat. 

Jesus lay his finder on the real trouble: too much reading of rabbinical law and not enough of divine law. The reason why David was blameless is because the Sabbath-Law was not merely of rest, but of rest for worship. 

The Service of the Lord was the object in view. 

David was allowed to eat of the bread of Presence because he pleaded that he was on the service of the Lord and needed provision for him and his men. 

The disciples, when following the Lord, were similarly on the service of the Lord; ministering to Him was more than ministering in the Temple, for Jesus was greater than the Temple; hence the following verse. 

Another interpretation is that Jesus justified the action of David and his men because they were hungry and human needs take precedence over religious ritual.

Matt. 12:6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.

Something greater is pointing to Christ, who alone, is able to give "rest" because the Law provides an impossible task to earn salvation by good works:

Matt. 11:28 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matt. 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Jesus' offer of salvation to sinners threatens the Pharisee's way of life, yet it is at the heart of the Gospel he came to announce.

Jesus criticised the Pharisees because they failed to understand the Scriptures and He quoted Hosea 6:6 again (9:13 - Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”):

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matt. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus does not challenge the Sabbath Law itself but rather the Pharisees' interpretation of it. As Messiah, Jesus authoritatively interprets every aspect of the Law (Beatitudes 5:17-48) and here points out the Pharisees' blindness to the actual intent of the Sabbath - to bring rest and well-being. This final argument in response to the Pharisees' challenge (12:2) is the decisive argument - that because of who Jesus is, He has authority to interpret the Law. 

HE IS THE LAW OF MOSES.

As Son of Man, this man Jesus was LORD of the Sabbath. That is, His authority was greater than the authority that God had granted the Sabbath to have over His people. Jesus had given the Sabbath Law, and He had the authority to do anything He wished with the Sabbath. Significantly, He abolished its observance when He terminated the whole Mosaic Code:

Heb. 9:11 But when Christ appeared as high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent

Heb. 9:12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 

Heb. 9:15 Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 

We are free while we are doing the work for Christ; God loves mercy, and demands not sacrifice; the sacrifice the LORD is searching is found in the service of Christ, in our heart, and life, and work. We are NOT free to do anything we please; but we are free to do anything needful or helpful, while we are doing any service to Christ. This is the nature of the mission of the Kingdom of God. The Father LORD God is looking for a heart of Worship. Be that my friends. Search your heart and pray:

I present my body as a living sacrifice by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, my saviour and redeemer, make these prayers holy and acceptable unto you Lord. I confess my sins; forgive me for all my sins, whether intentional or unintentional. Let your mercy and grace prevail over us. I pray in the name of your Son Jesus for free passage for my prayers to ascend into the realm of the supernatural and will not be earthbound.

I come before you Lord with a heart that is after you and a mind that is focussed on you. I thank you Lord for saving me from myself. I surrender completely Lord. I thank you Lord for the fellowship and relationship that you have allowed me to share with you. I thank you for every moment, prayer, word, opportunity that gives revelation and understanding of you. 

Forgive me for the times I had taken you for granted, for moments where I had allowed my focus and discipline to slip. I choose you Lord and all benefits and denounce all ties and fellowship with the world. I have no place in the world and I denounce everything that it offers. You have given me a choice Lord and I choose to be in covenant with you. I have crossed the line of no return and I will not look back. Each day I want to grow closer to you and further from this world and be more like you. My reality in Christ is more real and you are right here with me. 

I have confidence in you lord concerning every situation that I face, every decision I make and every temptation that come my way. Give me an ear Lord that will hear your instructions, eyes that will not be deceived and a heart that will remain faithful. My life is built on the foundation that you are the Christ, the son of the living God; you died on the cross for my sins and your blood was shed for me. I exercise total faith and confidence that death was powerless to hold you in the grave and you rose again and stay resurrected every day. I receive your resurrection power and declare there is no dead thing in my life. I speak life in everything pertaining to me. 

I pray Lord that you will breathe life in all my relationships, my home, my studies, and my purpose in life. You restore every bone that has been broken in my body. I pray Lord that the dead branches be pruned for me, whether they are people, unhealthy relationships, environments, ungodly influences, or anything that is not good for me. I distance myself right now and release them from my life in Jesus name. 

Father LORD God thank you. Amen