Monday – 18th February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew 11:1-15
All the evidence had been presented. John
the Baptist had introduced the King to the nation. Jesus had revealed His
person, principles and power. It was now up to the leaders of the nation to
make their decision. Instead of receiving their King, they began to rebel
against Him. In these two chapters four areas of rebellion are presented.
Rebellion against the Prophet (11: 1-30)
Explanation (v1-15). John the Baptist was in
prison in the fortress of Machaerus because he had courageously denounced the
adulterous marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias (Luke 3:19-20). It seems
that the Jewish leaders would have opposed Herod and sought to free John, but
they did nothing. Their attitude toward John reflected their feeling toward
Jesus, for John had pointed to Jesus and honored Him.
It is not difficult to sympathize with John
as he suffered in prison. He was a man of the desert, and he was confined
indoors. He was an active man, with a divine mandate to preach; and he was silenced.
He had announcement judgment, and yet that judgment was slow in coming (Matt
3:7-12). He received only partial reports of Jesus’ ministry and could not see
the total picture.
Our Lord’s reply to John revealed bth tact
and tenderness. He reminded John of the Old Testament prophecies about the
works of Messiah (Isa 29:18-19; 35:4-6), John’s disciples had already told him
what Jesus was doing (Luke7:18), but Jesus asked them to “show John again.”
John had come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke1:17), and even Elijah had
his days of discouragement! Jesus assured John that He was fulfilling the
Father’s will.
After answering John, Jesus then praised
him. John was not a “popular preacher” who catered to the crowd, nor was he a
reed in the wind who vacillated with every change. He was a man of conviction
and courage, the greatest of the prophets. The fact that John was privileged to
announce the Messiah gave him this high position. His ministry marked the climax
of the law and the prophets.
In what sense was John “Elijah who was to
come?”(v. 14) He came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), and even
dressed and ministered like Elijah (Matt. 3:4; 2 Kings 1:7-8). Like Elijah,
John had a message of judgment for the apostate nation of Israel. His ministry
was prophesied (Isa. 40:3) and he fulfilled it. But Malachi 4:5 prophesied the
coming of Elijah” before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
This “day of the Lord” is the time of tribulation that will come on all the
earth (see Matt 24:15). But no such judgments followed the ministry of John the
Baptist. Why?
John’s ministry was to prepare the nation
for Jesus and to present Jesus to the nation (Luke 1:15-17)(John 1:29-34). Had
the people received John’s witness and accepted their Messiah, John would have
fulfilled the prophecies literally. Instead, they were fulfilled in a spiritual
sense in the lives of those who trusted Christ. Jesus made this clear in
Matthew 17:10-13. Many Bible students believe that Malachi 4:5 will be
fulfilled literally when Elijah comes as one of the “two witness” spoken of the
Revelation 11.
The common people held John in high regard (Matt
21:26) and many of them had repented and been baptized by John. But the leaders
refused to honor John, and this proved their unbelief and hardness of heart.
Instead, of being childlike and humbling themselves, the leaders were childish
and stubborn, like children pouting because they could not have their way. The
parable in Matt 11:16-19 revealed the spiritual condition of the leaders and
unfortunately it also reveals the hearts of unbelievers today.
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Tuesday – 19th February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew 11:16-30
Condemnation (vv. 16-24). How unusual to
find the word woe to the lips of Jesus! This word means judgment, but it also
includes pity and sorrow. How tragic that these cities should treat lightly
their opportunities to see and hear the Christ of God, and be saved! The
Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon and the godless cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
would have repented had they seen the miracles that Jesus and His disciples
performed. Capernaum had been ‘exalted to heaven’ by being privileged to have
the Messiah live there. Yet her greater privileges only brought greater
responsibilities and greater judgment. Five of the ten miracles recorded in
Matt 8-9 were performed in Capernaum.
Invitation (vv 25-30). Why did the religious leaders rebel
against John and Jesus? Because they,
the leaders were intellectually and spiritually proud, and would not become
little babes in humility and honestly. There is a vast difference between the
spoiled children of the parable (vv16-19) and the submissive children of this
statement of praise. The Father reveals Himself to the Son, and the Son reveals
Himself and the Father to those who are willing to come to the Son in faith.
These verses indicate both the sovereignty of the Father and the responsibility
of the sinner. Three commands summarize
this invitation.
“Come” The Pharisees all said “Do”! and
tried to make the people follow Moses and the traditions. But true salvation is
found only in a person, Jesus Christ. To come to Him means to trust Him. This
invitation is open to those who are exhausted and burdened down. That is
exactly how the people felt under the yoke of Pharisaical legalism (Matt
23:4)(Acts 15:10)
“Take”. This is a deeper experience. When we
come to Christ by faith, He gives us rest. When we take His yoke and learn, we
find rest, that deeper rest of surrender and obedience. The first is “peace
with God” (Rom 5:1), the second is “peace of God” (Phil 4:5-8). To “take a
yoke” in that day meant to become a disciple. When we submit to Christ, we are
yoked to Him. The word “easy” means
“well-fitting”. He has just the yoke that is tailor-made for
our lives and needs. The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one (1 John
5:3)
“Learn”. The first two commands represent a
crisis as we come and yield to Christ; but find a deeper peace, because we
trust Him more. Life is simplified and unified around the person of Christ.
This invitation is for “all” – not just the people of Israel (Matt 10:5-6)
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Wednesday – 20th February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew Chapter 12:1-21
Rebellion against His Principles (12:1-21)
Jesus deliberately violated the Sabbath
traditions on several occasions. He had taught the people that mere external
laws could never save them or make them holy; true righteousness had to come
from the heart. The Hebrew word ‘sabboth ‘
means – to repose or rest- , which explains why Matt introduced these
Sabbath conflicts at this point. Jesus offers rest to all who will come to Him;
there is no rest in mere religious observances.
It was lawful to satisfy your hunger from
your neighbor’s field (Deut. 23:24-25). But to do it on the Sabbath was a
breach of the law according to the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees; for
it meant doing work. Jesus gave a threefold reply to their accusation.
He appealed to a king (12:3-4). The
consecrated bread was to be eaten only by the priests, yet David and his
soldiers ate it. Certainly the Son of David had a right to eat His Father’s
grain from the field! And if David broke the law and was not condemned, surely
Jesus could break man’s traditions and be guiltless. See 1 Samuel 21:1
He appealed to the priests (12:5-6). The
priests had to offer a given number of sacrifices on the Sabbath (Num. 28:9-10)
and yet were not condemned. In fact, their service was in obedience to the law
given by God. This suggests that man’s traditions about the Sabbath were wrong,
for they contradicted God’s own law.
He appealed to a prophet (12:7). The
quotation is from Hosea 6:6, one that Jesus had already quoted (Matt 9:13). The
Sabbath law was given to Israel as a mark of her relationship to God (Neh.
9:12-15); (Ex 20:9-11; 31:13-17). But it was also an act of mercy for both man
and beast, to give them needed rest each week. Any religious law that is
contrary to mercy and the care of nature should be looked upon with suspicion.
God wants mercy, not religious sacrifice. He wants love, not legalism. The Pharisees
who sacrificed to obey their Sabbath laws thought they were serving God. When
they accused Christ and His disciples, they thought they were defending God.
How like religious legalists today!
Note that Jesus appealed to prophet, priest
and king; for He is Prophet, Priest and King. Note, too the three “greater” statements
that He made as the Priest, He is “greater than the temple” v6; as Prophet, He
is “greater than Jonah” v41; and as King, He is “greater than Solomon” v42.
In declaring Himself “Lord of the Sabbath”,
Jesus was actually affirming equality with God; for God had established the
Sabbath ( Gen 2:1-3). He then proved this claim by healing the man with the
paralyzed hand. It is sad that the religious leaders used this man and his
handicap as a weapon to fight against Jesus. But the Lord was not afraid of
their threats. Not doing good on the Sabbath Day or any other day) is the same
as doing evil. Jesus argued that if a farmer could care for his animals on the
Sabbath shouldn’t we care for man, made in the image of God?
They responded to this deliberate challenge
by plotting to kill Him. They had accused Him of blasphemy when He healed the
paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8) and of lack of separation when He ate with Matthew’s
friends (Matthew 9:11-13). But this deed was even worse. He had deliberately violated
the law of God! He had worked on the Sabbath by harvesting grain and healing a
man.
Our Lord’s response to their hatred was
withdrawal. He did not openly fight His
enemies, but fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 42:1-4. His enemies, were but
broken reeds and smoking flax. Note the double mention of the Gentiles, another
hint from Matthew that Israel would reject her King and the kingdom would go to
the Gentiles.
The Lord’s withdrawal at this point is an
anticipation of His “retirement” described in Matt 14-20. During that time,
Jesus avoided direct conflict with His enemies that He might stay on the
“divine” timetable and be crucified. Also, during that time, He taught His
disciples and prepared them for the crucifixion.
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Thursday – 21st February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew 12:22-37
Rebellion
against His Power (12:22-37)
The accusation (12:22 -24). The man that was
brought to Jesus was certainly in a sad state, for he was blind, unable to
speak, and possessed with a demon. Jesus delivered the man, something the
Pharisees could not do. Their accusation was that He worked by the power of
Satan and not by the Power of God. They did not agree with Nicodemus’
evaluation of His miracles (John 3:2)
The answers (12:25-30). Jesus pointed out
that their statement was illogical and impractical. Why would Satan fight against
himself? Jesus affirmed that Satan had a kingdom, for he is the god of this age
(Matt4:8 -9; John 12:31). He also stated that Satan had a “house” which seems
to refer to the body of the man who was possessed (12:43 -44). If Satan casts
out his own demonic helpers, then he is opposing himself, dividing his kingdom and
destroying his house.
Their accusation was also illogical from
their own point of view, although they did not see it. There were Jewish
exorcists (Acts 19:13-16) who apparently were successful. By whose power did
they cast out demons? If it was by Satan’s power, they were in league with the
devil! Of course, no Pharisee was about
to draw that conclusion.
Jesus was able to cast out demons because He
had first defeated Satan, the prince of demons. Jesus entered Satan’s kingdom,
overcame his power, and claimed his spoils. His victory was through the Spirit
of God and not in the power of the evil one. This means that God is victor over
Satan. There can be no compromise. We are either with God or against God.
The admonition (12: 31 -37). Jesus warned
them that their words gave evidence of the evil in their hearts. The sin
against the Holy Spirit is not a matter of speech: the words spoken are only
“fruit” from the sinful heart. If the heart is a treasury of good, that good
will overflow through the lips and do good to others. But if the heart is a treasury of evil, that
evil will spill over through the lips and do harm to the person speaking and
those listening.
But what is this terrible “sin against the
Holy Spirit”? Can it be committed today and if so, how? Our Lord said that God
will forgive evil words spoken against the Son, but not against the Spirit.
Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is more important than Jesus Christ, Gods
Son? Surely not. We often hear the name of God or Jesus Christ used in
blasphemy, but rarely if ever the name of the Holy Spirit. How can God forgive
words spoken against His Son and yet not forgive words spoken against the
Spirit?
It appears that this situation existed only
while Christ was ministering on earth. Jesus did not appear to be different
from any other Jewish man (Isa 53:2). To speak against Christ could be forgiven
while He was on earth. But the Spirit of God came at Pentecost as proof that
Jesus was the Christ, and was alive, to reject the witness of the Spirit was
final. The only consequence would be judgment.
When the leaders rejected John the Baptist,
they were rejecting the Father who sent him. When they rejected Jesus, they
were rejecting the Son. But when they rejected the ministry of apostles, they
rejected the Holy Spirit – and that is the end. There is no more witness. Such
rejection cannot be forgiven.
The phrase “idle word” in v36 means “words
that accomplish nothing”. If God is
going to judge our “small talk”, how much will He judge our deliberate
words? It is by our conversation at
unguarded moments that we reveal our true character.
Is there an “unpardonable sin” today? Yes, the final rejection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus made it clear that all sins can be forgiven (v 31). Adultery, Murder,
Blasphemy, and other sins can all be forgiven; they are not unpardonable. But
God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son. It is the Spirit who bears witness
to Christ (John 15:26) and who convicts the lost sinner (John 16:7 -11).
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Friday – 22nd February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew 12:38-42
Rebellion
against His Person (12: 38 -50)
“The Jews require a sign” (1 Cor.
1:22). To ask for a sign was evidence of
unbelief. They wanted Him to prove that
He was the Messiah. We wonder what further proof could have been given! Had
they searched their own Scriptures and sincerely examined His life, they would
have concluded, “This is the Son of God!”. But for Jesus to have given them a
sign would have been wrong. He would have catered to their unbelief and allowed
them to set the standards for faith. No matter what miracle He performed, it
would not have pleased them.
Jesus gave three responses to their
challenge.
He reviewed their history (12:39 – 42). The
prophet Jonah was a Jew sent to the Gentiles, and the Queen of Sheba was a
gentile who came to visit Solomon, a Jew (2 Chron. 9: 1 -12). Because of the
bitterness between the Jews and the Gentiles, this reference to the Gentiles
must have irritated the Pharisees. But we have noted other occasions when
either Jesus or Matthew mentioned the Gentiles.
Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh
because he had experienced (in the great fish) death, burial, and resurrection.
The only sign Jesus would give to His nation was death, burial , resurrection.
The messages in the first seven chapters of Acts center on the resurrection of
Christ, not on His death on the cross. The Jews of that day believed that He
had died, for this was the chief topic of conversation (Luke 24:18). But they did not believe that He was alive (Matt.
28:11- 15). In Acts 2 -7, the Holy Spirit gave to the nation of Israel abundant
witness that Jesus was alive. This was the only sign they needed.
Jesus is greater than Jonah in many ways. He
is greater in His person, for Jonah was a mere man. He was greater in His
Obedience, for Jonah disobeyed God and was chastened. Jesus actually died,
while Jonah’s “grave” was in the belly of the great fish. Jesus arose from the
dead under His Own Power. Jonah ministered only to one city, while Jesus gave
His Life for the Whole World. Certainly Jesus was greater in His Love, for
Jonah did not love the people of Nineveh – he wanted them to die. Jonah’s message
saved Nineveh from judgment; he was a messenger of the wrath of God. Jesus’
message was that of grace and salvation. When we trust Christ, we are not only
saved from judgment, but we receive eternal, abundant life.
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Saturday – 23rd February
Topic: The King’s Conflicts
Read: Matthew 12:43-50
Jesus is also greater than Solomon in His
wisdom, wealth, and works. The Queen of Sheba was amazed at what she saw in
Solomon’s kingdom; but what we have in the kingdom of God through Christ far
surpasses Solomon’s glories. To sit at Christ’s table and hear His words, and
to share His blessings, is much more satisfying than to visit and admire the
most spectacular kingdom, even that of Solomon.
The main lesson behind this history lesson
is this; the citizens of Nineveh will witness against the rulers of Israel, for
they repented at Jonah’s preaching. The Queen of Sheba will also witness
against them. She traveled a long distance to hear Solomon’s wisdom, yet the
Jewish leaders rejected the wisdom of Christ who was in their very midst! The
greater the opportunity, the greater the judgment. It is a tragic feature in
the history of Israel that the nation rejected their deliverers the first time
but accepted the second time. This was true with Joseph, Moses, David, the
prophets (Matt. 23:29) and Jesus Christ.
He revealed their hearts (12:43 -45). We
must connect these verses with Matt. 12:24-29. Satans’ “house”, is the body of
the person who is possessed by the demon. It appears that the demons are
restless and seek bodies in which to reside (8:28 -31). When the demon left,
this man’s life was changed for the better but his life was still empty. When
the demon returned, he brought others with him, and the man’s life ended in
tragedy.
The primary application is to the nation of
Israel, especially that generation present when Jesus ministered on earth. The
nation had been purged of the demon of idolatry which had plagued them in the
Old Testament. The nation should have received the Savior and been filled with
spiritual life. Instead, the people rejected Him and the end was destruction.
There is a personal application. It is not
enough to clean house; we must also invite in the right tenant. The Pharisees
were proud of their “clean houses,” but their hearts were empty! Mere religion will
not save. There must be regeneration, the receiving of Christ into the heart
(Rev. 3:20).
He rejected their honor (12: 46-50). Even
our Lord’s earthly family did not fully understand Him or His ministry (John
7:1-5). Some of His friends thought He was mad (Mark 3:21). But Jesus did not
want the honor that comes from people. While He was not disrespectful toward
His physical family, He did emphasize the family of God.
Note His use of the word “whosoever” (v50).
This paralleled His beautiful invitation in Matt 11:28-30 where He encouraged
all to trust Him. If the nation would not receive Him, at least individuals
within the nation – and among the Gentiles – could trust Him. But what will
happen to the promised kingdom?
