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Matthew 12
12:1-8
Why did the Pharisees think that it was wrong to pluck heads of grain and eat them?
[12:2]
The pharisees thought that it was against the Law of Moses to pluck heads of grain and eat them on the Sabbath. This is because they thought it was work, which was forbidden on the Sabbath. However, they misunderstood the Law of Moses regarding the picking of grain on the Sabbath.
See: Deuteronomy 23:25
See: Law of Moses; Sabbath; Pharisees
How did Jesus tell the pharisees that the disciples did not break the Law of Moses?
[12:3, 12:4, 12:5]
Jesus told the Pharisee that the disciples did not break the Law of Moses. They were allowed to do this because they were traveling and hungry. This was similar to what King David did (see: 1 Samuel 21:1-6). He also told them that the priests violated the rules the Pharisees made about the sabbath by working in the temple on the Sabbath. He also wanted them to know that he is greater than the Sabbath. Jesus created the Sabbath and the rules for the Sabbath. This made him ruler over the Sabbath.
See: Temple; Sabbath; Son of Man; Pharisees; Disciple; Priest (Priesthood)
What was the house of God?
[12:4]
The temple was the house of God.
See: Temple
Why did God desire mercy and not sacrifice?
[12:7]
God said that he wanted mercy and not sacrifice (see: Hosea 6:6). God wanted sacrifice, but he did not want people to make sacrifices to him in the wrong way. That is, if people did not love one another or show mercy to one another, their sacrifices would be given in the wrong way.
See: Mercy; Offer (Offering); Sacrifice
12:9-23
Why did the Pharisees want to ask Jesus about healing this man on the Sabbath?
[12:10]
The Pharisees asked Jesus about healing this man on the Sabbath. They taught that someone could not be healed on the Sabbath unless that person was going to die. If someone healed this person, then this was work and broke the Law of Moses. They wanted Jesus to heal this man so they could tell people that Jesus sinned. However, this was not sin. They just thought it was a sin.
The pharisees thought that it was not against the Law of Moses to help their sheep on the Sabbath. Therefore, Jesus wanted them to know that it was also good to heal this man on the sabbath because people are more valuable that animals. He wanted the pharisees to think about this and know that they were wrong in their thinking.
See: Pharisees; Sabbath; Law of Moses; Sin
Why did the Pharisees want to destroy Jesus?
[12:14]
The Pharisees were angry after Jesus healed this man. They thought he sinned and he made them look like they were evil.
Why did Jesus not want people to tell other people about the things he did?
[12:16]
See: Messianic Secret
How did Jesus fulfill the words of Isaiah?
[12:17, 12:18, 12:19, 12:20, 12:21]
Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (see: Isaiah 42:1-4) by serving God. The Holy Spirit gave him power to do great things. He taught the Gentiles about how to live in a way that honors God. He was humble and compassionate.
See: Gentile; Fulfill (Fulfillment); Prophecy (Prophesy) ; Holy Spirit
How did the Gentiles have hope in Jesus’ name?
[12:21]
The Gentiles could be at peace with God if they believed in Jesus. At this time, the Jews did not think the Gentiles could be at peace with God.
How was someone possessed by a demon?
[12:22]
See: Demon Possession (Casting Out Demons)
Who was the Son of David?
[12:23]
The Son of David was the messiah. He was the one who fulfilled the promises God made to David (see: 2 Samuel 7).
See: Covenant with David ; Messiah (Christ); Son of David; Fulfill (Fulfillment)
12:24-37
Who was Beelzebul?
[12:24]
Beelzebul was a name for Satan. Satan was the prince of the demons. He ruled the demons. However, God ruled Satan.
See:Luke 11:17-23
See: Satan (The Devil); Demon
How did the Pharisees think Jesus was able to remove demons from people?
[12:24]
The Pharisees said that Satan gave Jesus permission to remove demons from people.
See: Pharisees; Demon Possession (Casting Out Demons); Demon; Satan (The Devil)
What was meant by the words, a “kingdom divided against itself”?
[12:25]
A “kingdom divided against itself” referred to a nation or country that divided itself into groups and then fought against each other.
What did it mean that a kingdom divided against itself “is made desolate”?
[12:25]
A kingdom “is made desolate” when the country or nation was destroyed. That is, there would be only a few people left alive and the country would be ruined.
Why did Jesus ask the Pharisees, about driving out demons?
[12:27]
Jesus’ question was a rebuke to the Pharisees. Jesus condemned the Pharisees’ followers for doing the same things they accused Jesus of doing. However, Jesus did not do these things.
How were people with or against Jesus?
[12:30]
Jesus said that people were either with him or against him. That is, people either fought with him in some way or against him in some way. When he said this, he wanted to say that people could either believe in him or reject him. They could not do both of these things at the same time.
What was the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
[12:31}
Scholars think different things about how someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit.
-
Some scholars think Jesus spoke about people rejecting him. If someone does not believe in Jesus, then they will not be forgiven of their sins.
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Some scholars think Jesus spoke about someone seeing Jesus do miracles and saying that Satan gave him the power to do this. Therefore, people today cannot blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
-
Other scholars think Jesus spoke about people who said that the Holy Spirit did not do the things that he did.
See: Sin; Blaspheme (Blasphemy); Holy Spirit; Miracle; Satan (The Devil)
Why did Jesus talk about trees and fruit?
[12:33]
Jesus talked about trees and fruit. This was a metaphor. Scholars think different things about what this metaphor meant:
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Some scholars Jesus compared himself to a tree, and the miracles he did as the fruit. They think Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they could not say that his miracles were good, but that he, as a person, was bad.
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Some scholars think Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees. That is, the things they did were different from the things they said they believed.
See: Metaphor; Fruit (Metaphor); Pharisees
What did Jesus mean by calling the Pharisees the “offspring of vipers”?
[12:34]
Some scholars think Jesus was saying the Pharisees were men whose ancestor was the serpent himself, that is, the Devil. Scholars think Jesus used the metaphor of a viper to show that the Pharisees were both evil and dangerous.
What were the treasures of someone’s heart?
[12:35]
The treasures of a person’s heart was a metaphor. That is, from deep within a person’s mind and soul comes what that person truly believes, whether good or evil.
See: Heart (Metaphor); Metaphor; Mind; Soul
What is the day of judgment?
[12:36]
See: Day of Judgment
How was someone justified?
[12:37]
How is someone condemned?
[12:37]
12:38-50
What was an “adulterous generation”?
[12:39]
When Jesus spoke about an “adulterous generation” he used a metaphor. Some scholars think Jesus was speaking directly to the Scribes and Pharisees, and told them they were an “adulterous generation”. That is, the Scribes and Pharisees did not truly obey and follow God completely.
See: Metaphor; Adultery; Generation; Scribe; Pharisees
What was a sign?
[12:39]
See: Sign
What was the “sign of the prophet Jonah”?
[12:39]
Jonah was a prophet in ancient Israel (see: Jonah 1-4). He was swallowed by a very large fish and was in the fish for three days. After three days, he was released. Something like this was going to happen to Jesus. He would die and after three days, he would come back to life.
See: Resurrect (Resurrection) ; Son of Man; Prophet; Sign
Where was Nineveh?
[12:41]
See Map: Nineveh
How were the people of Nineveh going to judge the Jews?
[12:41]
When Jesus spoke about standing up to judge the Jews, he used a metaphor. When God sent Jonah the prophet to Nineveh to speak for God, the people there repented. However, when God sent Jesus into the world, the Scribes and Pharisees rejected Jesus and the things he taught. Therefore in some way, this will serve as a judgment against people who do not repent from their evil ways, that they might obey and follow Jesus.
See: Metaphor; Repent (Repentance); Prophet; Scribe; Pharisees; Judge (Judgment)
See Map: Nineveh
See: Jonah 3:1-10
Who was the Queen of the South?
[12:42]
Jesus spoke about the queen of the south. He was thinking about the Queen of Sheba (see: 1 Kings 10). Her country was far to the south of Israel.
See Map: Sheba
What was an unclean spirit?
[12:43]
See: Demon
What were waterless places?
[12:43]
Waterless places referred to areas that were dry, or a desert. The demons wandered through those areas, but did not stay there.
See: Demon
What was meant by the words, “it finds that house swept out and put in order”?
[12:44]
When Jesus spoke about a house being “swept out and put in order” he used a metaphor. That is, he was speaking about a person who had a demon cast out from him. When that person did not believe in Jesus the house remained empty, and therefore able to be inhabited once again by demons.
See: Metaphor; Demon; Demon Possession (Casting Out Demons)
Who were Jesus’ mother and brothers?
[12:46]
When Jesus was speaking, his mother and brothers wanted to speak with him. This was his mother Mary and her sons. Jesus told them about another type of mother and brother. Scholars think Jesus wanted people to know that people who obeyed God were his true family.
See: Family of Jesus; Family of God
What is the will of God?
[12:50]
See: Will of God