LESSON 5
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
CHPTRS. 12-15
Chapter 12-Matthew 12:1-50
Matthew 12: 17-21 Explanation
Verses 17-21
A. Two things here about Jesus show that he never confounded recklessness with courage.
1.First, for the time being, he withdrew. The time for the head-on clash had not yet come. He had work to do before the Cross took him to its arms.
2.Second, he forbade men to surround him with publicity. He knew only too well how many false Messiahs had arisen; he knew only too well how inflammable the people were. If the idea got around that someone with marvelous powers had emerged, then certainly a political rebellion would have arisen and lives would have been needlessly lost. He had to teach men that Messiahship meant not crushing power but sacrificial service, not a throne but a cross, before they could spread his story abroad.
B. The question which Matthew uses to sum up the work of Jesus is from Isaiah 42:1-4. In a sense it is a curious quotation, because in the first instance it referred to Cyrus, the Persian king (compare Isaiah 45:1). The original point of the quotation was this. Cyrus was sweeping onwards in his conquests; and the prophet saw those conquests as within the deliberate and definite plan of God. Although he did not know it, Cyrus, the Persian, was the instrument of God. Further, the prophet saw Cyrus as the gentile conqueror, as indeed he was. But although the original words referred to Cyrus, the complete fulfilment of the prophecy undoubtedly came in Jesus Christ. In his day the Persian king mastered the eastern world, but the true Master of all the world is Jesus Christ. Let us then see how wonderfully Jesus satisfied this forecast of Isaiah.
Isaiah 42:1-4 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
1. He will tell the nations what justice is. Jesus came to bring men justice. The word judgment means justice. The Greeks defined justice as giving to God and to men that which is their due. Jesus showed men how to live in such a way that both God and men receive their proper place in our lives. He showed us how to behave both towards God and towards men.
2. He will not strive, nor cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. The word that is used for to cry aloud is the word that is used for the barking of a dog, the croaking of a raven, the bawling of a drunken man, the uproar of a discontented audience in a theatre. It means that Jesus would not brawl with men. We know all about the quarrels of conflicting parties, in which each tries to shout the other down. The hatred of theology is one of the tragedies of the Christian Church (because of debate and quarrels) We know all about the oppositions of politicians and of ideologies. In Jesus there is the quiet, strong serenity of one who seeks to conquer by love, and not by strife of words.
3. He will not break the crushed reed nor quench the smoking wick. The reed may be bruised and hardly able to stand erect; the wick may be weak and the light may be but a flicker. A man’s witness may be shaky and weak; the light of his life may be but a flicker and not a flame; but Jesus did not come to discourage, but to encourage. He did not come to treat the weak with contempt, but with understanding; he did not come to extinguish the weak flame, but to nurse it back to a clearer and a stronger light. The most precious thing about Jesus is the fact that he is not the great discourager, but the great encourager.
4.In him the Gentiles will hope. With Jesus there came into the world the invitation, not to a nation but to all men, to share in and to accept the love of God. In Him God was reaching out to everyone with the offer of His love.
Matt. 12:22-50 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.26 “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.29 “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.34 “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.41 “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.42 “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
Matt.12: 43-50 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.44 “Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.45 “Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Hoshea 6:6, Yesha Yah 42:1—4
12:22-50 Then they offer him one demonized and mute and blind — and he heals him so as the mute and blind words and sees. And all the congregation is marvelling and wording, Unless this is that son of David — PHERISAS BLASPHEME THE HOLY SPIRIT AND when the Pherisas hear, they are wording, This one ejects not demons, except in Ba’al Zebub the hierarch of demons. And Yah Shua knows their reasonings and words to them, Every sovereigndom divided over its soul desolates: and every house or city divided over its soul stands not: and if Satan ejects Satan, he divides over his soul: so how stands his sovereigndom? And if I in Ba’al Zebub — I eject demons, your sons — in what eject they? Because of this they be your judges. If I in the Spirit of God — I eject demons, the sovereigndom of God approaches upon you. Or, How is humanity able to enter the house of a strengthened man, and plunder his vessels, unless if he first bind the strengthened man? — and then plunder his house. He, not being with me, is against me: and he, not gathering with me, scatters. THE UNFORGIVEN SIN Because of this I word to you, All sin and blasphemy is forgiven the sons of humanity: and the blasphemy concerning the Spiritual is not forgiven humanity: and all who word a word concerning the Son of humanity, he is forgiven: and all who word concerning the Spirit of Holiness, he is not forgiven — not in this world and not in the world being prepared. Either work the tree well and its fruit well or work the tree evil and its fruit evil: for by its fruit the tree is known. YAH SHUA DENOUNCES THE SCRIBES AND PHERISAS Offspring of vipers, how are you able to word the graced — you, being evil? For from the remainder of the heart the mouth words: a graced man from the graced treasure ejects the graced: and an evil man from evil treasure ejects evil. I word to you, For every idle word that the sons of humanity word, they give word in the day of judgment: for by your words you are justified: and by your words you are condemned. YAH SHUA PROPHESIES HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION Then they answer— humans of scribes and of Pherisas, wording, Doctor, we will to see a sign from you. And he answers, wording to them, A generation, evil and adulterers, seek a sign: and a sign is not given to you except the sign of Yaunan the prophet: for as Yaunan, being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights: thus the Son of humanity, being in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. YAH SHUA PROPHESIES CONDEMNATION Men — the Ninwaya stand in judgment with this generation and condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Yaunan: and behold, a greater than Yaunan is here. The sovereigness of the south stands in the judgment with this generation. RELATIONSHIP WITH YAH SHUA And when he words to the congregations: his mother and his brothers come and stand outside seeking to word with him:and a human words to him, Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to word with you. And he answers, wording to him who worded to him, Who is she, my mother? And who are they, my brothers? — and he stretches his hand toward his disciples and words, Behold, my mother and behold, my brothers! For all who work the willof my Father in the heavens, they are my brother and my sister and my mother. Aramaic NC
We will continue with explanations of Matt.12:22-50 next week.
We will continue with Les.5 next week.
The blessings of the Lord are upon you whether by blood, adoption/sonship or assignment. The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Prov. 10:22
David & Mary Sue