Matthew 12 Part 1
Matthew 12 Part 1
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 12 Part 1
We’re looking at Matthew chapter 12. I’m not trying to go deep in every direction. I want to focus on a few basic theological principles and take our time walking through them. This isn’t an emotional message, but it addresses important truths we need to understand and develop as we study together.
The focus of the chapter is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). That raises key questions: what the Old Testament Sabbath was, who the New Testament Sabbath is, and why Israel worshiped on Saturday while Christians worship on Sunday. Those questions shape the entire discussion and help frame how Jesus confronts the religious thinking of His day.
The Pharisees were known for splitting hairs in Scripture to find fault, but Jesus made it clear that God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:7). They were tied to a natural temple system, yet Jesus declared that something greater than the temple was present (Matthew 12:6). Their hostility grew from their thinking, but Jesus knew their thoughts before they spoke them (Luke 6:8), forcing us to ask whether we truly believe He knows what goes on in our minds.
That realization leads to personal reflection. If Jesus knows our thoughts, then we must ask why we allow certain thoughts to persist at all. That awareness alone should sober us and cause us to examine the inner life more carefully.
As the chapter unfolds, Jesus heals a blind and mute man and casts out a demon. The Pharisees respond by attributing the work to Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24). Jesus warns that while many things can be spoken against Him, blasphemy against the Spirit carries consequences that reach both the present age and the age to come (Matthew 12:31-32). He then explains that when lives are changed by the Spirit, it is proof that the kingdom of God has come (Matthew 12:28).
That sets the direction for us. There is a lot in this chapter, and I don’t expect to cover everything, but I do want to highlight major theological points, especially the issue of the Sabbath, which has always been a major point of debate.
Some people still feel bound to worship on the Sabbath, but I believe every day belongs to the Lord. We cannot become slaves to a day, even though there are solid reasons Christians gather on the first day of the week. Those reasons will become clearer as we move through the text.
Matthew 12 breaks down naturally. First is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), covering verses 1-14. Next is the one upon whom the Spirit rests (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18), in verses 15-21. Then comes the section showing that the kingdom of God has come (Matthew 12:28), in verses 22-37, which includes the accusation involving Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24) and the teaching on the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:31-32). The chapter concludes with the rebuke of sign-seeking (Matthew 12:39) and Jesus redefining His true family (Matthew 12:48-50).
The opening scene of the chapter illustrates the issue clearly. Jesus and His disciples walk through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and the disciples pluck grain because they are hungry (Matthew 12:1).
Matthew 12:1-2
1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
The Pharisees immediately accuse them of violating the law by doing what they claim is unlawful on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:2). This incident serves as the foundation for Jesus’ teaching on authority, mercy, and the Sabbath’s true purpose.
The disciples were not stealing corn. They were accused because their actions occurred on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees argued that they were unlawful under Moses’ law. The issue was hair-splitting over Sabbath rules, even though the disciples were simply walking through a field, pulling grain, rubbing it in their hands to remove the husks, and eating it. The Pharisees reacted strongly and claimed that this constituted labor (Matthew 12:2).
The word Sabbath itself explains the problem. In Greek it is Sabaton, meaning a weekly rest from ordinary work, and in Hebrew it is Shabbat, meaning to stop, cease, or rest. It did not originally refer to a specific calendar day but to the act of resting. That is why the Sabbath is fundamentally about rest, not regulation, and why Scripture speaks of rest for God’s people rather than a legal day (Hebrews 4:9-10).
Over time, the Sabbath came to be identified as the seventh day of the week, but that does not make it Sunday. Sunday is not the Sabbath, and that distinction matters. When people forbid activity on Sunday in the name of Sabbath law, they are neither being scriptural nor accurate, because Sunday was never the Sabbath to begin with.
I remember after we were saved worrying about being seen working on Sunday, even though that fear had nothing to do with Scripture. Sunday is simply the first day of the week. That is why the correct reference for the Sabbath command is Exodus 20:8-11; understanding that passage clarifies what the Sabbath was meant to be and what it was never intended to regulate.
Exodus 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
To understand this, we must return to Scripture, as the Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20, the key point is that Sabbath means rest, that the Sabbath is Saturday rather than Sunday, and that this clarity helps frame everything else we are examining. When we grasp that foundation, the confusion around the Sabbath begins to clear.
Exodus 20:8-11 outlines the fourth commandment and shows that God set apart the Sabbath as a day of rest based on His work in creation. Yet if we take this in a strictly legal sense, all of us would be guilty, because we have done far more work on Saturdays than the disciples did by simply eating grain. That kind of thinking leads to hair-splitting legalism, which is exactly what the Pharisees were guilty of (Matthew 12:2).
What matters is which day God actually hallowed. He did not hallow the first day when light was created (Genesis 1:3–5), the second day of the firmament (Genesis 1:6–8), the third day of vegetation (Genesis 1:9–13), the fourth day of the lights in the heavens (Genesis 1:14–19), the fifth day of birds and fish (Genesis 1:20–23), or the sixth day when animals and man were created (Genesis 1:24–31). God hallowed the seventh day, the day of rest, and He sanctified rest itself (Genesis 2:2–3).
That means rest, not man, was the climax of creation. We are often taught that man was the climax, and I have probably taught that myself, but Scripture shows that the climax was rest. The Sabbath was about resting in what God had already provided, and God gave Israel a specific day to enter into that rest.
When we move into the New Testament, Hebrews 4 brings this into sharper focus. Hebrews 4:1–11 explains that there remains a rest for the people of God, and Hebrews 4:8–10 shows that entering God’s rest means ceasing from our own works just as God did from His. That understanding helped me see that the Sabbath was always about rest, not merely a day, and it reframes our understanding of the Sabbath in light of Christ.
Hebrews 4:8-10
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
begin here
Now Jesus entered into His rest. He entered into His Sabbath. Do you see that? And when we enter into Jesus, then where do we enter into? You enter into the Sabbath. You enter into the rest.
And that’s the whole principle of the Sabbath and that’s the whole principle. The principle in the New Testament is not a day, but a person. And we don’t go by new moons and we don’t go by Sabbath the days and we don’t go by those things. We only have one great principle. And who is it? Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).
Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV)
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
He is our Sabbath. He is our rest. And that’s what this chapter is about there. If you want to take some more time and look at it, then you can do that.
But I also want to look if you will at Colossians chapter 2 while we’re right here. Colossians chapter 2. And let’s begin about 14.
Speaking of Jesus, he blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way doing what? Nailing it to His cross (Colossians 2:14).
Colossians 2:14 (KJV)
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
All these ordinances, such as the Sabbath and we’ll see that in a second, Jesus nailed them to the cross.
In other words, they died when He died. He ended it. He fulfilled it. And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly trying to up things over them in it (Colossians 2:15).
Colossians 2:15 (KJV)
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Let no one, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a what? Holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath, okay? It’s nailed to the tree. A particular day no longer has any effect on us (Colossians 2:16).
Colossians 2:16 (KJV)
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
These things were a shadow of things to come. But the body is of Christ. The NIV Bible says it’s a reality. The reality is found in Christ. So He is our Sabbath (Colossians 2:17).
Colossians 2:17 (KJV)
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
And as we enter into Him, then we enter into a rest, and it no longer becomes any specific day, not even Sunday. Now, there are reasons that we do worship on Sunday, and I’ve dealt with that just a little bit.
Let’s go back to the Old Testament and look at Deuteronomy 5. Why do we worship on Sunday? Why then do we do? Well, tradition mostly, and I don’t believe it’s making the Word of God in that effect. I think some traditions are good. I think that’s a good one.
There’s no question when we’re supposed to come together to meet. Is there? But we don’t come together and not doing the work. It’s not a legalistic day. It must be a day of praise. It must be a day of gratitude.
And Deuteronomy 5, which is Deuteronomy meaning the second giving of the law, and chapter 5, you can start with verse 12, and you can see there again where it says, keep the Sabbath a day. Now, actually, the Deuteronomy is the covenant book. This is, if you want to study covenant, then Deuteronomy is the book to study it from. But anyway, it starts again with that.
But I want verse 15, and you’re still talking about this, and remember that Thou was to servant in the land of Egypt (Exodus 20:2). How many can relate to that? There was a time when you were in the land of darkness. You weren’t saved. He hadn’t brought you out yet, and you was in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 5:15
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
And that the Lord thy God brought thee out thins through a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, therefore, are because of this, okay? He brought you out because he delivered you, he gave you salvation because of the stretched out arm (Exodus 6:6). He delivered you from Pharaoh’s Satan, therefore, because of that, the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath a day.
Now there’s a principle here. Again, we’re not getting under the Sabbath, but there’s a principle here. There should be a specific time that we come together, and we thank him, and we’re grateful and we have gratitude that he delivered us.
And I think that’s what we do here on Sundays, isn’t it? Don’t you? And we have a time of praise and worship (Psalm 100:4). We don’t know everything that’s going to happen, but we do know we’re going to come in here and be grateful to him.
We’re going to sing praises unto him. We’re going to clap our hands, and we’re going to rejoice before the Lord (Psalm 47:1), because he with a mighty hand and a stretched out arm delivered us. So that’s what I’m wanting to see here.
God delivers and liberates his people (Luke 4:18). So I’m wanting to draw here this principle. Now I got that broke down for us in two ways, this deliverance. How this came to pass in the New Testament.
And in Matthew 28, 1, in Mark 16, 2, and Luke 24, 1, and John 21, all four of the gospel carry this story. That’s the day of resurrection. That was the day that the blood was applied to our doorpost (Exodus 12:7). And that was the day that he stretched out his arm on the first day of the week. What day was it? Was he resurrected on the Sabbath today? I was at the moral after the Sabbath. You were here. The moral after the Sabbath.
Matthew 28:1
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Luke 24:1
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
Do you remember the first fruit teaching when we studied the feast of the first fruits? When were the first fruits were upwaved? The moral after the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:11). He was on Sunday, and he was resurrected on Sunday. And in 1 Corinthians 15, 20, through 23, it talks about the chief of the first fruit waved on the moral after the Sabbath.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
And then also another great event happened in the New Testament church. And that was called Pentecost. And that happened also on the moral after the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). The feast of Pentecost took place 50 days after Pentecost after that should be Passover, not Pentecost, first fruits. Pentecost and right Passover. 50 days after Passover first fruit, which was seven Sabbaths, plus the moral after the Sabbath. And this was fulfilled in Acts 2 verses 1 through 4. Pentecost came on the moral after the Sabbath, or on Sunday, or on the first day of the week.
Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
So the two basic New Testament principles, which is the blood of the Lamb (John 1:29) and the giving of the Holy Spirit to his church (Acts 2:38), came on what days of the week? Sunday, the moral after the Sabbath, the first day of the week, not on the Sabbath day. And so it’s changing. So the New Testament church then comes on that particular day, and it began to do it in the book of Acts, they would come on that particular day and begin to worship the Lord. And so we began to worship the Lord on Sunday, on the first day of the week, rather than on the Sabbath day. And this goes all the way through.
But what I want you to see here is that He delivered us with a stretched out arm, two ways, first with His blood, then with His Spirit, and both of those came on the Sunday. Therefore that’s two of the foundation truths, the foundation deliverance principles in the New Testament church happened on Sunday. Not a Sabbath. Therefore the New Testament church worships on the first day of the week. The two most important foundation elements of deliverance for the New Testament church came on the first day of the week, Sunday, resurrection, and pinnacost.
Jesus then is the one who gives freedom and who the sunset’s free is free, amen (John 8:36). So that’s when He done His work. So therefore we move along in that principle. But the principle is they became lulled, they became ruled under the Sabbath day. But in the New Testament every day is the Sabbath day, okay? They had one day a week that they could rest in. But how many days should we rest in Jesus a week, every day?
And that’s the whole principle there of the Sabbath day. There’s not a particular Sabbath day. Now if you look at the book of Acts, you’ll find that most of the time they, you’ll see a whole lot mentioned there about the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). So there again on page 158, on number two, that should, no, that is correct. Verse 23, 25, but down on point B under number two, where it’s Exodus 29, 8, that should be 20 in verse 8.
It’s this hostile attitude that the Pharisees had, which caused hair splitting and legalism (Matthew 12:2). And it’s the same way today. In our fellowships, ours included, when we began to split hairs, that’s when we’ll get legalistic on each other. We have to be able to understand as we’re going to look here real quickly like, and I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on this passage. But as we look here, we’ll see that Jesus said there, there are exceptions, Pharisees, to these laws that you’ve put down.
I can project principles, and I’d rather teach in principles than in rules. If you preach in rules, it’s hard to bend them. If you preach in principles and I preach in principles, then it’s easy to, for you to understand the thought and the principle. And I think that’s what we’re going to see here in this next little passage of scripture on page 159 at the top of the page. So what’s happening here is the Pharisees are saying that it’s illegal to work, even to eat on the Sabbath of the day.
And Jesus is going to show them in two principles and two truths. Number one, from a truth from King David and number two, a truth from the Pharisees, that they’re the ones who are wrong and not he. But he said unto them, have you not read what David did when he was hunger, a hunger, and they that were with him, how he entered into the house of God and did eat the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them, which were with him, but only for the priest (1 Samuel 21:1-6).
Or have you not read in the law how that on the Sabbath days, the priest in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless (Numbers 28:9-10). But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6).
Now I’m going to hit this real quickly and I’m going to tell you the story in 1 Samuel 21, 1 through 6. David came to the high priest, a Himalic, and he says, I’m hungry. Do you have anything for me to eat? And he says, no, I don’t have anything for you to eat. There’s nothing here except the bread that’s on the shoe bread table, which is in the holy of holies, which is according to Leviticus, is reserved for the high priest and for the priest (Leviticus 24:5-9).
1 Samuel 21:1-6
1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
He says, well, I’m hungry. So the high priest gives him the shoe bread. Now that was illegal. That was illegal. He wasn’t supposed to do that, but the high priest said it’s okay. So what Jesus is saying here is that the high priest said it was okay for David. And God said then it was okay for David.
Now who is right about this, me or you, or our doctrine, or our eating of this grain, this wheat, or your legalistic doctrines and teachings? David was allowed by God and the priest to eat when he was hungry. Who then is contradicting what the scriptures teach? Jesus and his disciples are the hair-splitting Pharisees (Matthew 12:2). Do you see what I’m trying to project to you?
Now it was wrong. I mean, it was wrong for David to eat that shoe bread. But the high priest, who was the officer of God, said it’s okay. And he did. So therefore it became okay. And what I’m wanting us to see is there are principles in the Word of God.
Let’s go ahead and look at the second one. And now he says this, he says, he says, now haven’t you read where the priest of the temples can profane the temple on the Sabbath, but yet they’re blameless (Matthew 12:5).
Now what he’s talking about here is that the priest had to work on the Sabbath today. And here’s a whole listing on the number two there for you. There was work in the tabernacle on the Sabbath. Every Sabbath, two lambs, a meal offering, and a drink offering had to be offered (Numbers 28:9-10). The shoe bread had to be prepared on the Sabbath (Leviticus 24:8). The duties were performed at the tabernacle on the Sabbath, the priest entered to work on the Sabbath, and the priest courses that was the days they worked went right through the Sabbath. They didn’t have a day off. They worked right through the Sabbath. And nobody blamed them.
Does anybody blame me when I study on Sunday? Does anybody blame me when I give communion on Sunday? Does anybody blame me when I pray for people on Sunday? Does anybody, in Sunday is the worst, my worst, my hardest day, except for when we’re up here working on Saturday sometimes. But Sunday is my hardest day for work. And nobody blames me.
But yet, again, I’m used to pull Sheila. Sheila goes over to her flower shop and does some flowers. Sheila’s over there working. And she gets blind. Don’t blame me golf. No one blames the pastor for studying praying for people, ministering water baptism, communion, et cetera on the Lord’s Day, but condemns those who might, by necessity, work on the Lord’s Day. That is a Pharisee mentality. Do you see that?
And that’s what Jesus is saying here. You got it all wrong. Sometimes things necessitate things that you’ve got to do them. The pastor is blameless, according to that thinking, but the individual is insane. Now, that’s what he’s trying to show him.
And we see that. And we can get as legalistic as they can. And there are people in our fellowship who are just that legalistic. And there are people in other fellowships who are a lot more legalistic than that.
For the Principle is number three, the priest of the Old Testament became servants to a natural temple which represented the presence of God. But Jesus now says something greater than the natural temple is here (Matthew 12:6). And you need to understand about the temple. And so I broke down some scriptures in John chapter two, and you can take these home.
But you need to understand who is the temple today. You need to understand who is the temple in the day of Jesus Christ. You need to understand who is the temple in the day of Moses, who is the temple in the day of Solomon. What was the temple? The temple, and when Jesus came, was a natural high-ron temple, a brick, board, mason, temple. High-ron. That’s the Greek word. It was a natural temple. And it represented the presence of God (Exodus 25:8).
But in John chapter two, verses 14 through 22, he goes and he cleanses the temple. And he goes in there, and he keeps using the word high-ron, and all of a sudden he changes to the word nayos. And the word high-ron is the natural temple. He says, you can tear down this high-ron, and then he changes it to nayos. And he says, and I’ll build it again in three days. And then the next verse says, but he was speaking about his body (John 2:19-21).
John 2:14-22
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
So who then does he say is the temple? You’re not with me, aren’t you? Okay, no. We’re not yet. So that’s what… We’re moving through the times here. Okay.
When he came, the natural high-ron temple was the temple. That represented the presence of God. But now there’s a new temple, something greater than this high-ron is here. All right. He’s now the temple. He represents the presence of God (Colossians 2:9).
Now, it’s not there for you. In Colossians 2.9, it says that the fullness of the Godhead was where? In Him. He is the temple. In Him is all the presence of the Godhead bodily. Therefore in His temple dwells all that God is. And then in Colossians 2.3, all the treasures are in Him (Colossians 2:3).
Colossians 2:9
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Colossians 2:3
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
But then you’ll read again in Ephesians chapter 2, 19 through 22, and we find that we, the church, become the household or the temple of God or the habitation of God (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
So we’re moving through the dispensations, do you see? Now we’re the temple and first Corinthians 3.16 says, we are the temple. In us the Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16).
1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
And in 1 Corinthians 6.19, and I quoted it, know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you (1 Corinthians 6:19).
1 Corinthians 6:19
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Now who’s the temple? Who’s the church? Right. Right. Corporately and individually. Now we ought to understand that. I don’t want to leave that alone. But I want you to, I just touch that temple. And I feel like I need to go back and touch it some more. I don’t feel like I’ve covered that, like I need to cover it. That is the basic principle in the Word of God.
Let’s do that. Look at the book of John chapter 2. You know where I’m going, so I won’t have to spend a lot of time. Let’s watch the temple move.
In Exodus chapter 25, the Lord God told Moses to build a tabernacle. That tabernacle then became the presence of the temple. It became the dwelling place of God. All through those years that represented the presence of God. That was where God was.
When David had the Davidic kingdom, he brought that very presence, the Ark of the Covenant, into what is called the Tabernacle of David. Now the presence moved from the Tabernacle of Moses to the Tabernacle of David. And the Tabernacle of David now dwelt the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God.
Solomon David’s son came along. He built the magnificent temple. That was now the presence of God. Now and it remained in temple structures similar to that all the way through. And where that was where the presence of God was and if you wanted to find the presence of God, where would you go to the temple?
Now Jesus comes along and here he is in John chapter 2 and there’s this temple structure and he goes in there and he runs everybody out and he does that. In verse 13, the Jews passed over, was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple that was Hiron. The Greek word Hiron, those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them out of the temple, Hiron and the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers money and opened through the tables and said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence, make not my father’s house, a house of merchandise (John 2:16). And his disciples remembered as it was written, the zeal of thine house have eaten me up (Psalm 69:9).
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what signs show us thou unto us seeing that thou doest these things? Now he changes the word, he’s been Hiron, he’s been the natural temple, now he’s going to change the word to Neos. Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, this Neos and in three days I’ll raise it up (John 2:19).
He’s talking about that structure, was he talking about that natural temple or was he talking about his body? He’s talking about his body, destroy me and I’ll raise again in three days (John 2:21). He proclaims himself now to be the temple of the presence of God and if anybody wanted to find God where now they have to come to, right, you’re getting it, okay.
Then said the Jews, 46 years has this Neos in building and will thou rear it up in three days, but he’s spake of the Neos of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them and they believed the scriptures and the word which Jesus had said.
Now the temple structure changes. Now it’s no longer a natural temple, now it’s Jesus Christ, he’s the presence of God. Now let’s find out where the presence of God goes to. Look at first Corinthians.
You’re going to get this in a second and you’re going to be glad that we took a minute. The presence of God was in tabernacle of Moses. The presence of God was in the tabernacle of David. The presence of God was in the temple of Solomon. The presence of God was in the temple of Herod. The presence of God was in Jesus Christ.
And now let’s find out where the presence of God is found. Acts chapter 3 verse 16, no you not, Paul says that you, who you are the Neos of God.
Acts 3:16
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Now if I want to find the presence of God, where do I go, do I go to a building, where do I go, okay, yeah, you guys want to want, understand, where is the spirit of God dwelling at now, in us, honest, we are the temple, if we want to find God then we go to each other now.
You don’t have to come here, come to my house, come to well, you know what I’m saying, find a Christian, a Christ like, one with the spirit of God on him, that’s where the temple is now. Second Corinthians chapter 6 and then we’ll leave it. 16, and what agreement have the temple of God with idols, and ye are the temple of the living God.
2 Corinthians 6:16
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they will be among people (2 Corinthians 6:16). Where’s God now? Is he out in the heaven somewhere, see this is the basic New Testament, Pauline Principle. That is present on earth, but he’s the only present in his people and he’s only present in his church. We are the temple of God.
Is that worth spending a few moments with, we have to understand, we’re waiting on God to do something and he says, I’ve given you all my power, I’ve given you all my authority, now you go (Matthew 28:18-19). And God wants us to be the temple, he wants us to be his presence in the earth.
Well, how would I do it? I got time for about one or two principles. If I want to find God, where do I go? If I want to find the presence of the Godhead, where is he at? He’s in us (Colossians 1:27).
Look at page 160, pointy. At this point in time, Jesus had left the fields. He has declared himself in verse 7 and 8, verse 8, that he is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Aren’t you glad that he’s the Lord of the Sabbath? Aren’t you glad that the Sabbath isn’t his Lord? He is the Lord of the Sabbath.
And he’s left the fields and he’s gone into the temple, he’s gone into the synagogue, not as temple into the synagogue, we would say church, he’s gone to church. And they have, in their sitting, an individual and he has a withered hand. And so they asked him, Jesus saw him sitting there and they asked him, they said, is it lawful? Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?
And this is where we pick it up at, look at pointy, verse 11 and 12, 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 today, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Therefore, is it lawful to do well on the Sabbath todays?
Matthew 12:11-12
11 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?
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Now let’s tie up this with Mark chapter 3, look at Mark chapter 3. This is a parallel and putting these together will, and you can also look at Luke 6, don’t turn to Luke 6, I’m just saying that it’s also in Luke 6. So using the example of an animal, the distress of an animal, an animal in danger, an animal in a pit, Jesus reveals the true nature of the Pharisees and the stupidity of a legalistic law that says, you can’t do anything on a particular day.
And he says, if you have a lamb and it falls in a pit, will you get it out and of course the answer would be yes. So because it’s their lamb and it would be even much more emphatic if it was their hand that was withered. And I believe that’s the real point that he’s coming to. If it’s your hand that’s withered, would you want it healed on the Sabbath today?
And according to Mark and Luke, the man with the withered hand is standing in the midst of the people. And Jesus now looks around about, and he looks at him with anger, and he’s grieved because of the hardness in their hearts (Mark 3:5).
Now I want you to get what I’m saying, because I’m talking about, I’m really talking about our church world today, as he stands there and he looks about, and there’s a poor sick person, and they say, we can’t pray for him in church. We’re not going to pray, because it’s not legal, it’s messing our ceremony up.
And he looks around and he’s grieved at their ceremony and he’s grieved at their traditions, because the people are taught how not to extend mercy to one another, but instead they’re taught how to have ceremony. And I want you to see how angry he gets. Look at Mark 3, verse 5.
Mark 3:5
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saved under the man, stretched forth on hand, and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other. He was angry because a church wouldn’t allow healing. Do you see that?
And on the top of page 161, I write my thought, how many churches question Mark today will not allow prayer to heal on their Sabbath day? Because it doesn’t fit into their ceremony. And so I ask you, how does the Lord look at those people?
I believe he still wants us to heal today. I believe he still wants us to anoint with oil today (James 5:14). I believe he still wants us to say, stretch forth your hand and be healed (Matthew 12:13). I believe he still wants us to do all the things that they did in the New Testament church.
I believe that he looks at anger and indignation and grief because of the hardness of our hearts sometimes that we don’t. And how many churches question Mark? Don’t take time to pray for people because it interferes with their ceremonies. Wow.
How does the Lord look at that people? He says, I want mercy, I want compassion, not ceremony (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13), isn’t a man better than an animal (Matthew 12:12). And not a one of those people, think about it. Not a one of those people that I’m talking about that would be in one of these churches that won’t take time to pray for a sick person on Sunday.
If they’ve got a dog or a cat, they’ll rush them to the veterinarian. If they’ve got a sick cow, they’ll spend all day Sunday with that thing and even miss church. But they don’t want to interfere with their ceremonies. They don’t want to interfere with their church service.
And I believe the Lord isn’t mad about that. What do you think?
Then I saw some things. Jesus healed this individual in the synagogue and we’d say the church. He didn’t lay hands on this one and he didn’t speak to his hand to be cured. He just willed it done (Matthew 12:13).
I believe it is God’s will that we be healed (3 John 2). And sometimes I don’t think we’ve got to be prayed for and I don’t think we have to have hands laid on us and I don’t think we have to have somebody to speak it out of us. Sometimes I think God just sovereignly heals us (Psalm 103:3).
He is the Lord of the Sabbath, isn’t he? And he’s the Lord of any other day (Matthew 12:8). Amen.
All right, let’s finish this up. Of course, I’m not going to get into bells, I mean, I’m going to get into bells above a little bit, but I’m not going to get into the unpardonable sin tonight. I’ll get into that next week and I nearly didn’t type it. I wish to have it. But that was where I was going to end that tonight, but I’m not.
Jesus leaves the synagogue and they sought to destroy him at this point (Matthew 12:14). I think that it’s Luke’s gospel that says they were filled with madness (Luke 6:11) because he had touched their holy dough. He had touched the sacrament that they had. He had touched something very sacred to them.
Now, I wrote there in the note somewhere that we’re much like that. How are we when somebody touches our theology? How are we? Do we get filled with madness? It’ll work on one or two ways. You don’t want to have one or two responses when somebody deals and messes around with your theology.
We all have our theology. We all have our holy-day theology, don’t we? We all have something that we don’t want anybody to disprove it. And Jesus had disproved this holy-day thing because He showed the power of God on the Sabbath today that God would heal, whether they wanted to or not.
Aren’t you glad? Aren’t you glad that sometimes I might not think about healing or I might not want to take time to pray for somebody, but God can still move and heal somebody in the ear. You see that?
But what I’m saying is that God is sovereign and He has His own theology. He’s not dependent on mine and He’s not dependent on yours and it’s only going to happen one way and who’s way is it? His way (Isaiah 55:8-9).
And sometimes people come along and measure my theology, you know, like it. And I can let it do one or two things to me. I can let it fill me with madness or I can let it change me (Romans 12:2).
Do we need to look at that? Let’s look at that. Okay? Let’s take a second. Look at Luke, chapter 6.
Jesus has now disproved the Sabbath today. Their theology is about the Sabbath day. He didn’t touch Him. He didn’t speak to His hand. It was about the sovereign power of God that that man’s hand was healed. God did it sovereignly and the Pharisees got upset because He had disproved their theology about the Sabbath day.
And in Luke chapter 6, verse 11, let’s go back to 10 and we’ll run into it. And looking round about upon them all, he said to the man, stretch forth thine hand and he did so and his hand was restored whole as at the other, as the other. And they were filled with madness.
Luke 6:11
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
What is other translations? Rage. Huh? They were furious. They were furious. What happens to you when somebody touches your holy day?
And they were filled with madness and communed one with another, what they might do to Jesus. I don’t like it, you see. And we’re that way. We don’t like people messing with our theology and it’ll do one or two things to us. We can get like a Pharisee and figure out what we can do about this fellow or we can change and allow it to minister to us.
Do you see that? I know you do. Okay, let’s move on. That’s in there.
I want to close tonight with verse 28 and 29. Jesus has, he opens his eyes, he can see and he opens his ears so that he can hear and talk. And so there’s a triple miracle and people were amazed.
And that word there means it means to be put out of their wits. It means to be astounded. They become astonished. They became insane is what that word really means. This was a fantastic miracle in it and it just spread like wildfire and the people began to say, this must be the Son of David (Matthew 12:23).
The Pharisees heard that and they didn’t like that. They said, no, it’s not the Son of David that he’s, it’s not by the power of God that he’s doing this. He’s doing this by the power of VL’s above. He’s doing this by the authority of Satan (Matthew 12:24).
Now we do that a lot of times too don’t we? Now we need to kind of put ourselves in their place. How would it be?
Now we’ve got our own group here, right? We’ve got our own little pastor and our own little flock and everybody loves everybody you know, don’t we? And we’re just real happy right here.
And in comes this dude, he floats into town and he says he’s the Christ you see. And he says he’s the Son of David and he’s the one that’s got the spirit on him. And so he starts laying hands on some people and they start getting healed and we start hearing about that.
And we start losing some people. They start going over to his church. And so you know this guy keeps on doing some things and he starts straightening out some hands and opening some eyes and so we either got to say, well he’s who he says he is or he’s who.
He’s getting his authority from one of the other kingdom, right?
And so this is where the Pharisees was and they were not going to say that he was God. He wasn’t who he said that he was. So then he had to be the devil.
Now if we can get ourselves in that kind of a mindset, we can see the mental attitude of these Pharisees. Look on page 163 down about under number 2.0 and let’s put ourselves in their position.
To understand the situation, we must place ourselves in their position. The Pharisees are types of pastors and have their own followings and flocks. The people have their own pastor, Pharisees. I think people today still have pastor, Pharisees.
In the town comes this person who claims to be the one with the spirit on him. How do we respond? I’m going to page 163, number 2.8.
How do we respond? He preaches a different message. How do we respond? He lays hands on people and they get healed. How do we respond?
He cast out devils and look at this. He drinks wine. He eats a lot. He goes to parties and he hangs around with 12 of the most mixed up people. Ever put together and says he’s God’s son.
How do we respond to that? How would you respond if Jesus Christ came today and that’s very same way? What would your response be? Think about it. Would you be a Pharisee? I might be.
Now when we can see that, we can kind of see who are these guys we’re coming from. But what I want to close with, this is what was going on. And they accused him of being the devil and not not being God.
And so he begins to tell him, he says, he says, and if I buy bells above cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out, therefore they shall be no judges (Matthew 12:27). And he also tells them that how can bells above cast out bells above, how can a house be divided (Matthew 12:25-26).
And that’s a good thought there. You can look at that on page 163 also. But on point E, on page 164 is where I want to close.
And this minister to me probably more than anything that I’ve gotten in here because I could see how the kingdom of God has come. In verse 28 and 29, he says, Jesus says this, but if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, the kingdom of God is coming to you.
Matthew 12:28-29
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Or else, how can one enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods except he first buying the strong man and then he will spoil his house?
Now let me show you what I began to see. A lot of you have heard me teach on demonology. And you know how I project that the Bible says that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in the high places (Ephesians 6:12).
We’re not wrestling with something that you can see. You’re wrestling with spiritual forces. And I project those as demon spirits. I project those demon spirits when I teach on demonology as thoughts.
Now you need to get away from a mental attitude of seeing a demon as a subtle creature that comes out of the commode and bites you, isn’t that one of those? That’s not what a demon is. A demon is a spirit and a spirit is a thought.
If you can handle what I’m saying, it’s going to help you. What do you wrestle with? You’re laying it bad at 11 o’clock at night and you’re just laying there and you’re not thinking about anything evil and then all of a sudden here comes this little thing fluttering through your mind and what is it?
It’s the thought and you have to wrestle with that thing to get rid of it. Do you know what has anybody ever experienced that besides me?
And I’m not wrestling with some little ugly creature that jumps out of the commode. I’m wrestling with the thought. I’m wrestling with something that’s trying to get a grip on my mind. And that’s what I have to cast down and that’s what I have to bring down (2 Corinthians 10:5).
So Jesus here says, if you can hear what I’m trying to say, he says, if I can cast out demons, if I can get people to think right, if I can get into their lives, if I can cause them to think differently, then you can know that the kingdom of God has come.
The very fact that Satan’s kingdom is being attacked and intruded and his demon spirits being driven out of men’s hearts and lives proves the kingdom of God has come into them. Now that’s what he’s saying there.
The very fact that I, Delbert Young, by the spirit, it’s got to be by the spirit, can get into Steve Alman’s life into his house and bind the strong man, bind that thing that causes him not to want to serve God and binds that thing, then I can spoil his house for the kingdom of darkness and save his house for the kingdom of light (Matthew 12:29).
Do you see that?
Where were we at before we come into the kingdom of light? Colossians 1, 13 tells us. Where were we? What kingdom was we in? The kingdom of darkness and he’s translated us into the kingdom of his dear son.
Colossians 1:13
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
So we were all in that kingdom one time, but somehow by the spirit of God, somebody come along and got into our lives and bound the strong man in our lives and spoiled our lives for the kingdom of darkness and saved our lives for the kingdom of God.
That’s how we know the kingdom of God has come. And it’s not just me, it’s you. It’s anybody. When you get into somebody’s life and have the power by the spirit of God to bind that strong man, to bind that strong thought in their mind, then you can spoil that house for the kingdom of darkness and bring that house to the kingdom of light.
Jesus says, when you see that happening, you can know the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matthew 12:28).
Before we came into the kingdom of God, we were in the kingdom of darkness and were vessels of dishonor used or manipulated by Satan. Now how did he do that? Now you’re mine. Buy your thoughts. Buy those spirits.
We were his houses. Someone by the spirit of God got into this house and bound the strong man and spoiled Satan’s goods. Now that’s good to me.
And it kind of shows me what happens in the realm of spirit. If I or anyone else today by the spirit of God can get into a life, a house and bind the strong spirit, that thought, that life can be spoiled for the kingdom of darkness and one for the kingdom of God.
What do you think about that? Is that all right?
Now Steve’s a pretty strong man, isn’t he? I think he’s pretty strong fellow. And I have a hard time binding him in the natural.
But by the spirit of God I got into his life and abound that strong fellow and you see what’s happening in his life today. The kingdom of darkness is being spoiled. The kingdom of God is advancing.
And because of that the kingdom of God has come upon us. That’s a good word. Amen.
Let’s stand.
Matthew 12 Part 1
Matthew 12 Part 1
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