Matthiew 12:1

Matthew 12:1

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest is good. We need rest. We need physical rest after a time of physical exertion, and we need spiritual rest. In the Old Testament laws the Sabbath day was called a day of rest. Hebrews 4:4 says, "For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works." The Sabbath day in the Old Testament was meant to be symbolic of the rest that God would give to His people. It was meant to be a day to add blessings to people, not a day of burdens and restrictions. When the law ended, the Sabbath day ended. On a few occasions in the New Testament, we know that believers gathered on Sunday instead of the Sabbath day. The significance of this is not that it was Sunday, but that it was not the Sabbath day. They could have met on any day of the week because the law was done away with.

Hebrews 4:9 says, "There remains therefore a rest to the people of God." This rest is not in a day of the week, either Saturday or Sunday. The rest that God now gives since New Testament times can be found in a person: the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 12 starts off with two incidents that involve Jesus on the Jewish Sabbath day. These two incidents are important to understand because they help to clarify what happened to the Sabbath day once Jesus came on the scene. The Sabbath day was part of the law, and we know that Jesus fulfilled the law. The first incident is found in Matthew 12:1-8. "At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; 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? Or have you not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

Jesus was criticized because he and his disciples picked grain out of the fields and prepared it for their food on the Jewish Sabbath day. When Jesus did this, he knew that he would be criticized, because he knew how strictly the Sabbath day was observed in the society in which he lived. It was obviously very important to the Lord that He set an example for us in regards to the Sabbath day. When I was majoring in Bible at Bob Jones University, I remember that one of my teachers, who was a pastor, told his class that even though he did not think that certain actions of his were wrong to do on Sunday, yet he refrained from doing them in order to not get people upset with him who had more strict ideas about what should be permitted on Sundays. Unlike many believers, this teacher understood a little bit the freedom from the law that we have, but he certainly did not have the courage that Jesus did. Sometimes people feel condemned or guilty when they must work on Sunday. This example of Jesus and the disciples picking the grain and preparing their food on Sunday makes it very clear that it is never wrong to do the work that you must do to put food on the table, no matter what day of the week it is.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and to reveal the grace of God in a way never before done. There is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is a difference between law and grace. Jesus said in an earlier chapter of Matthew that one does not put a new piece of cloth on an old garment, and one does not put new wine into old wineskins. Jesus was using that example to emphasize that we are no longer under law, but under grace. There are several things from the Old Testament that characterize the law. There were the commandments that were given through Moses. There were the special feast days such as the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. There was the temple worship and all of the ceremonies and ritual surrounding it. There was also the Sabbath day and the restrictions and prohibitions involving the Sabbath day. All of these things were a part of the law. They were all fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

There is no teaching in the New Testament that says that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath. Christian churches have meetings on Sunday as a matter of tradition and custom. Meetings by Christians on any other day would be just as valid and beneficial. There are several problems associated with teaching Sunday as a Christian Sabbath. One of the problems is that it is a return to the law. Another problem is that it teaches the traditions of men as if they were the commandments of God. Thirdly, it helps to develop a mindset where people begin to think that serving God is a one-day-a-week situation, when the real challenge is to serve Him seven days a week wherever we are and wherever we go.

Jesus said that if the Pharisees had understood a certain verse from the Old Testament, then they would not have criticized Him for what He did on the Sabbath day. In Matthew 12:7 Jesus quoted a verse that comes from Hosea 6:6. God said, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." The sacrifices were part of the rituals and the ceremonies performed on the Sabbath day. To have the sacrifices without the associated spiritual appreciation for God’s mercy was meaningless. So Jesus said that God would rather have the Jews understand His mercy, than to even perform the sacrifices. This is similar to what Jesus was teaching when He spoke to the woman at the well and told her that God is a spirit and those that worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth. It is the inward spirituality that is important to God, not the outward ceremony.

Those who do not have a close spiritual relationship with God will always turn to emphasizing the external and legalistic aspects of human religious organizations, rather than internal spirituality. There will always be this difference of emphasis between law and grace, between legalism and spirituality. There are still those who are Pharisees in spirit. To them the keeping of days and times and ceremonies are the most important parts of religion, because they are not spiritually minded. Those who are not spiritually minded will be spiritually blinded. Believers in the city of Galatia were having the problem of falling into legalism and externalism. Most of the book of Galatians is instruction and warning about this error of legalism. Paul wrote in Galatians 4:9-11, "But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain."

The second incident in Matthew 12 where Jesus was condemned for what He did on the Sabbath is found in Matthew 12:9-14. The Bible says, "And when he was departed from there, he went into their synagogue. 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. 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? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Then he said to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth: and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him." The key verse to this passage is where Jesus said in Matthew 12:12, "…It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath days." In other words, it is never wrong to do right. If something is good to do, it is good to do it on any day. There are seven days in a week. Each day has 24 hours. The right or the wrong of a particular action is not to be determined by the day of the week on which it is done. If something is good to do on Tuesday, it is good to do on Saturday or Sunday or any other day.

Matthew 12:15-16 says, "But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from there: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known." Several times it is said about Jesus in the gospels that he told the people that were healed to not say anything about it. He told them to not spread the fame of him, and to not draw attention to Himself. This demonstrates of course the great humility of Christ. If someone in our day had the ability to heal people and do the miracles that Jesus did, would they be quiet about it? Such a person would probably use it for their own advantage, for publicity, for attention, and even for financial gain. Jesus did not do so. Those who seek their own glory speak about themselves, but those who seek the glory of God will avoid speaking about themselves or drawing attention to themselves.

This humility, lack of aggression, and lack of competitiveness that characterized Jesus was prophesied about Him in the Old Testament. Isaiah 42:1-4 is quoted here in Matthew 12:18-21. The Bible says about Jesus, "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom I am well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

All the major elements of what it takes to be a servant of God can be found as we look at the life of Jesus. Not only can Jesus save us from our sins, but He is also the best of all examples on how to serve God the Father. When Jesus was on the earth He lived for the most part as a human being who walked by faith in God and who served God in the same ways in which we are called to serve Him. The first thing mentioned about Jesus in these verses is that he was a servant. Jesus was both a servant to God the Father and a servant to mankind. If you have been saved from your sins and your soul has been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, then it should be an easy thing for you to consider yourself as a servant to Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus and all that He has done for you, surely you will gladly give up your rights and your free will. As a servant to God, surely you will dedicate all things to His glory: your work, your household, your hobbies.

To be more like Jesus, you must view yourself not only as a servant to God but also as a servant to mankind. There are people around you who depend upon you. It may be neighbors, family members, co-workers, or all three; but there will always be people who need you to do things for them. If you understand your role in life, and understand that you are called to serve others, then you will be closer to fulfilling God’s will for your life.

It says in verse 18 that Jesus was chosen. As the Messiah, He was the special anointed one, chosen to be the Savior of the world from the beginning of eternity. In a smaller sense believers also become chosen ones of God. The Bible says that many are called, but few are chosen. You become chosen in the sense of your eternal destiny. God is today building upon His great kingdom to come. You are called when He speaks to your heart. And you are called when you respond positively by turning from your sins to serve Jesus Christ and to receive the forgiveness of sins. You also become chosen in the sense that God has something for you to do. You have been chosen to do something for God, and no matter how unimportant it may seem to the world, it is very important to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 12:18 also says that Jesus is beloved of the Father. We know that Jesus was beloved because of the unique relationship between God the Father and God the Son. We can also be sure that God loves us. It may be the most important thing to remember about God, that God is love and that God loves you. Always be ready to make an effort to interpret the things that happen to you on the basis that God loves you and that He has a good reason for the things that He does. In Matthew 12:18 God says that Jesus is "my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased." Jesus earned God’s favor. When a human is reconciled to God, the reconciliation is only made possible because of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. Even though we are unable to earn God’s favor the way that Jesus did, because of our own sinfulness, yet we can still receive God’s favor because of our spiritual standing of being united with Jesus Christ. Instead of being in danger of God’s wrath because of our sinfulness, those of us who are in Christ are instead the recipients of God’s favor: not because we earn it but because it is given to us freely by Christ. Romans 5:1 says; "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

God also said about Jesus, "I will put my spirit upon him." Jesus was led by and empowered by the Spirit of God. When Jesus came to the earth, He set aside many of His divine prerogatives. He lived as a human led by the Spirit of God, partly in order to show us that it could be done. He does not ask us to do anything that He has not already done himself. Because Jesus was led by the Spirit of God, and filled by the Spirit of God, and empowered by the Spirit of God; that should be a great indication to us that we need the same kind of enabling in order to be able to also serve God.

There are several things necessary in order to be led by the Spirit of God. The first necessity is to possess spiritual life through faith in Christ. If you have spiritual life then you have the Spirit of God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be born again. Jesus went on to say that being born again is a spiritual birth. A person is born physically when they are born of their mother. Then there is a second birth when a person finds spiritual life in Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer, then you have received the Spirit. The Bible says in Romans 8:9, "...if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Another requirement in being led by the Spirit of God is to allow the Spirit of God to guide you. Do not be stubborn. Make sure that you do not go your own way. The more that you demand your own way, the less that you will be led by God’s Spirit. It says in Ephesians 5:18, "...be filled with the spirit." Your own choice is involved in the matter. You can choose to resist, or you can choose to allow the Spirit of God to have control of your heart and will.

A third key factor in being led by the Spirit of God, is to make sure that you remain rightly related to Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John chapter 16 that the Spirit of God would reprove the world of sin. If you are convicted of any sin, make sure that you are quick to turn from sin and to confess sin, in order that you might continue to walk in fellowship with Jesus Christ. If you do not confess and forsake your sins often, you will quench the Spirit of God and you will get off track from walking in the power of the Spirit.

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