A Messiah of the Word
Text: Matt. 12:1-14
Introduction
1. Illustration: A wife woke up one morning and said, “Honey, I just had a dream that you bought me a new gold necklace. What do you think it means?”“I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Tuesday, you’ll know,” He replied. A few nights later, she again woke up after having a dream, “This time, I dreamed you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?” “You’ll know Tuesday,” He replied. The night before Valentine’s Day, she again woke up telling him about her dream, “This time I dreamed that you brought me a diamond necklace. What do you think it means?” “Honey, be patient. "You’ll know tonight." he said. That evening, the husband came home with a package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it--to find a book entitled, "The meaning of dreams."
2. There is something vastly more important than understanding our dreams; understanding God's Word!
3. When it comes to Scripture, Jesus wants us to focus on:
a. The Spirit of the Word
b. The Meaning of the Word
c. The Purpose of the Word
4. Read Matt. 12:1-14
Proposition: When we read the Bible we need to understand what God is trying to tell us.
Transition: The first thing we must do is...
I. Focus on the Spirit of the Word (1-2).
A. Your Disciples Are Breaking the Law
1. Our text today tells us that the spirit of the word is more important than the letter of the word. What is God trying to say to us?
2. Matthew tells us, "At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them."
a. "At about that time" links this text with the previous one where Jesus talked about the Pharisees yoke being too heavy and his being light and easy to bear.
b. The text that we are examining today shows just how right Jesus was about the Pharisees and their legalistic nit picking.
c. It was the Sabbath and they were hungry so they started to pick off some of the heads of grain and eat them.
d. It was a perfectly logical and legal thing to do, or so one might think.
e. The grainfields (probably either wheat or barley) must have been close to town since they are not criticized for exceeding a Sabbath day's journey, and since the Pharisees were close enough to see them do it (France, 457).
3. Matthew then tells us, "But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested..."
a. As these Pharisees well knew, a challenge to the behavior of the disciples was a challenge to the teacher who was responsible to train them in proper behavior.
b. When you get right down to it, the issue they had was not so much with what they were doing, but rather that these were Jesus disciples.
c. The Pharisees were like vultures waiting for a chance to pounce.
d. They were just waiting for Jesus to make a mistake.
4. They said, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
a. They considered the breaking off of the heads of wheat to be harvesting, the rubbing off of the chaff as threshing and preparing a meal (Horton, 229).
b. These Pharisees provide a good example if one wants to keep the letter of the law; what they miss is the law's intention.
c. Moses explicitly forbade work on the Sabbath, and gleaning from another's field could certainly be regarded as work, as a form of "reaping" (Keener, 224).
d. Now if they are pulling a grain wagon behind them and they spend all day bringing in grain that's one thing, but all they are doing is getting a snack.
e. Whereas the law forbade preparing food on the Sabbath it certainly did not forbid eating it, and Jewish tradition prohibited fasting on the Sabbath.
f. Here Jesus is not a lawbreaker. Rather, that his opponents wish to kill him by the end of the narrative indicates their own unfaithfulness to the law (Keener, 224).
g. What they are missing is that the law intended to cause us to set aside one day a week and dedicate it to God. In other words, they are missing the point.
B. Spirit Not Letter
1. Illustration: One of my all-time favorite TV shows is All In the Family. I really love the way that Edith would go into these elaborate stories to try and explain a situation to Archie, and Archie would always say, "Get to the point Edith, get to the point!"
2. The Word was intended to instruct us, not restrict us.
a. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
b. It is not just about the don'ts of life, but it is also about the do's.
c. It not about what we shouldn't do, but about what we should do.
d. It not about what we shouldn't have, but about what we do have.
e. Thank you Lord for your Word!
3. The Word was intended to build us up, not tear us down.
a. Romans 15:4 (NLT)
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
b. The Word should encourage us.
c. The Word should inspire us.
d. The Word should strengthen us.
4. The Word was intended to make us better, not bitter.
a. Galatians 6:1-2 (NLT)
1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
b. There's nothing wrong with getting our toes stepped on every once in a while.
c. There's nothing wrong with being confronted with our sinfulness.
d. However, it ought bring us to God and not drive us away.
e. It ought to cause us to try harder and not to give up.
f. It ought to cause us to run to God and not from him.
Transition: Remember, get to the point, get to the point!
II. Focus on the Meaning of the Word (3-8).
A. Haven't You Read
1. Jesus confronts them by getting to the heart of the matter: they don't know the Word as well as they think they do.
2. Look at what he tells them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry?"
a. Three time in the next six verses Jesus challenges their accusation by accusing them of not knowing and understanding Scripture.
b. Because Jesus differed with their tradition, these Pharisees apparently assumed that he differed with Scripture.
c. "Haven't you read . . . ?" is a strong insult against those who claim to be Scripture experts (Keener, 225).
d. It suggests that this should be obvious to anyone familiar with the Scriptures, which they claimed to be.
e. If they we're unwilling to condemn David, which they never would have done, how could they condemn the disciples who committed a much less serious offense?
3. He continues by saying, "He went into the house of God, and they broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat."
a. Although Jesus' opponents may have insisted on beginning with an explicit legal text, he appeals instead to inspired narrative-a Bible story-to show how God expected legal statements to be qualified in practice.
b. It's not just about the words of Scripture but about the application of Scripture that is important.
c. Jesus brings up a story from the OT where David is running from Saul and one of the priests allows them to eat some of the showbread.
d. The sacred loaves were an offering to God that was arranged in two rows of six on a table of solid gold in the Holy Place.
e. It was replenished every Sabbath, and only the priests were allowed to eat the old loaves (Horton, 229).
f. What David did was not to break a Sabbath regulation but rather to eat the ceremonial break reserved for only the priests.
g. Ahimelech's (the priest) willingness to bend the rules was related to his assumption that David, as God's anointed, put him in a category above other Israelites (France, 459).
h. Again, it's not just the words, but the meaning of the words that are important.
4. Then Jesus says, "And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple!"
a. Jesus' second analogy is not with a specific narrative, but with an OT principle.
b. Jesus' second example is the law's explicit allowance for Sabbath activity of priests in the temple.
c. The regular duties of the priests required them to butcher the animals brought to be sacrificed.
d. For anyone else to this would have been considered work, but it was their duty to perform.
e. The fact that the law requires these actions implies that it was God's will.
f. It was a matter of priorities; it had to be done to worship God so it was permissible (France, 460).
g. The "thou shalt" outweighs the "thou shalt not's."
5. Jesus points a third time to their ignorance when he says, "But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’"
a. Everyone acknowledged that an emergency need, such as a human life endangered, warranted an exception to any ritual; but Jesus makes such exceptions the rule.
b. Not merely human life but human need in general takes precedence over regulations.
c. Kindness in response to others' genuine need-such as disciples' hunger-precedes rules whose purpose is to please the God who values such kindness more than anyone (Keener, 226).
d. Here the specific issue is different, but the principle is the same. In God's mind concern for others is more important than ritual and regulation (France, 461).
e. Obviously they knew the Scripture but failed to grasp the implication.
B. Knowing the Word
1. Illustration: Once a lady I knew told me about a bad experience she had in church. She had grown up in a very legalistic church and had been away from church for a long time. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit she knew she needed to get back in church, and so she went back to the church she had grown up in. During the service she was trying with all of her heart to worship God and get right with him, when two older women from the church sat behind her and began to berate her out loud. They complained because she was wearing too much make-up for their taste, and was compounding her sin by wearing jewelry. Furthermore, they condemned her because of the way she was dressed. Needless to say, this very sincere woman hasn't been back to church since. Legalism kills the spirit!
2. If we miss the meaning of Scripture we miss the truth of Scripture.
a. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NLT)
9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.
10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
b. Is Paul saying there is something wrong with dressing nice and looking good? No!
c. What he is saying is that our self-esteem and character should come from what we are like on the inside and not what we look like on the outside.
d. Does that mean we can dress how ever we want? No!
e. The Bible also tells not to lead others into sin, and that is exactly what it means!
f. It doesn't mean that when people are learning what good and what's not that we humiliate them.
3. If we miss the meaning of the Word we will miss the power of the Word.
a. Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)
1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
b. Paul said that when we sin God gives us grace to help stop sinning.
c. They thought that he meant "let's sin more so we get more grace."
d. Paul meant don't sin to get grace but get grace so you don't sin.
e. The point: stop sinning!
f. Don't use the Word as an excuse but use the Word so you don't need an excuse!
Transition: The number one rule in interpreting the Bible is what did the author mean when he wrote this text.
III. Focus on the Purpose of the Word (9-14).
A. Do Good On the Sabbath
1. It doesn't take long for Jesus to be able to prove his point to the Pharisees.
2. Matthew says, "Then Jesus went over to their synagogue..."
a. Notice how Matthew phrases this, "their synagogue."
b. Jesus was now on their turf, supposedly they have the home court advantage.
c. However, it is also an indictment against them, for this a man that they should have been ministering to and praying for his healing.
d. Jesus had to come to their territory and do what they should have done a long time ago.
3. Then Matthew tells us, "where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)"
a. The Pharisees wanted to put Jesus in a compromising position.
b. They knew that he couldn't pass by a person in need, and since it was forbidden to heal on the Sabbath, they would have something by which to accuse him.
c. Matthew's parenthetical comment about them wanting to bring charges against him shows this was more than an intellectual argument.
d. They want to trap him in a mistake so they could get rid of him.
e. Notice the difference in purpose; they wanted to trap Jesus and he wanted to meet this man's needs.
4. Look how Jesus responds to their challenge. He says, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”
a. Jesus here appeals not only to legal authority but to common sense.
b. While it is addressed to the Pharisees, it is intended for everyone in the synagogue.
c. But before healing the man, Jesus offers another "how much more" argument by analogy.
d. The Pharisees and most Jewish people accepted the necessity of rescuing an animal on the Sabbath.
e. Yet how much more important is a person than a sheep!
f. Jesus concludes with a summary principle: Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Keener, 226-227).
5. Then Jesus shows us what all true students of Scripture: application! He says, '“Hold out your hand.”' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!"
B. Why Did God Give It
1. Illustration: William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented (Developing the Leader Within You, by John Maxwell).
2. The purpose of the Word is to teach us to do what is right.
a. Micah 6:8 (NLT)
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
b. To do what is good for others.
c. To show to others what God has shown to us: mercy!
d. To live our lives in a way that shows our dependence, gratitude, and love toward our God.
3. To ignore the purpose of the Word is to ignore truth of the Word.
a. James 4:17 (NLT)
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
b. You cannot push the requirements of the Word in the corner.
c. You cannot pick and choose what you will accept and obey.
d. You cannot hide from the Hound of Heaven!
Transition: Are you living according to the purposes of the
Word?
Conclusion
1. Reading, studying, and applying Scripture is required of all Christ followers.
2. We are to focus on:
a. The Spirit of the Word
b. The Meaning of the Word
c. The Purpose of the Word
3. What are you doing today?
a. Are you reading his Word daily?
b. Are you living by His Word?
c. Are you practicing what it preaches?
