Title: “Encountering Christ: A Man with a Withered Hand” Scripture: Mt. 12:9-14
Type: Series/Expository Where: GNBC 2-27-23
Intro: Spring of 1856, wealthy English Christian woman, Mrs. Colville, was impressed upon by God to travel to N. Ireland to lead souls to Christ. Went to city of Ballymena where started doing home visitation and witnessing. Very limited success. Became discouraged and decided to return to England. Before did, went into one final home where two older women and young man was present. Like the woman at the well in Jn. 4, the home’s occupants tried to evade the Englishwoman’s questions with a smokescreen of theological questions. Colville challenged the house to make Christ Lord and Savior. Little did she know that the young man did just that. Young James McQuilkin gave life to Christ and began to pray, every week for revival to come to Ulster. 2 years later revival came and over 100K were converted in a short time. Changed the culture of N. Ireland for 150 years. Why? Because I woman had a passion to help people encounter Christ!
Prop: In Mt. 12 we’ll notice 4 important aspects of another encounter with Christ.
BG: 1. Again seeing encounter Christ had with individual. – man with withered hand. Possibly paralysis. Possible stroke. Possible injury or birth defect. In a lot of ways the encounter is not about this man, It’s about the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts.
2. Account is in all 3 Synoptic Gospels. Besides Mt. also Mk. 3:1-6; Lk 6:6-11.
3. Two key take aways: a. Jesus has power to heal. b. The Sabbath was created to bless and give life not restrict people.
Prop: In Mt. 12:9-14 we’ll realize 4 Important aspects of this Encounter with Christ.
I. The Pharisees Set a Trap for Jesus vv. 9-10
A. The Pharisees attempt to “Spring a Trap” on the Savior in a Synagogue.
1. The jealous Pharisees attempt to corner Christ in Synagogue.
a. The Bible tells us that this account takes place in a synagogue in an unknown town in Galilee. V. 9 – Matthew says that Jesus went into “their synagogue”. Mark tells us that Jesus "entered again into the synagogue" (Mk 3:1), indicating that this was His usual custom each Sabbath. Luke (Lk 4:16) and John (Jn 18:20) inform us that Christ regularly taught in the synagogue service. So, especially in this region, Jesus was a well-known figure who taught with regularity.
b. It’s important to realize that this is the 3rd conflict Jesus has had with the Pharisees in the region of Galilee over their rules regarding the Sabbath. The 1st was the healing of the lame man in Jn. 5:1-9; the second was the disciples picking grain in Mt. 12:1-8. Now, we see this conflict taking place in a synagogue. When they should be worshipping they are instead pressing their agenda. Be very careful.
2. The Pharisees Concern was Keeping what they thought was their own.
a. Illust: If you were to follow us home today and walk into our garage, you would see a shelving unit just inside and on the wall adjoining the house. It would not take long for you to notice I have about 8 mouse traps on that wall! Before leaving for Poland cleaned shelving and found a lot of evidence of mice. But when they chewed thru plastic containers to get at my coffee beans and popcorn, war was declared! In about a week killed ten.
b. Why were the Pharisees, these “bloodhounds of hate” following Jesus from town to town? Because they thought they were in charge. Because they thought they knew what was ultimately right. Because they wanted to keep control and power. Actually, that sounds a lot like us. You have a choice: You can be in charge, you can live by your faulty standard, you can attempt to stay in control of your own life, or, you can surrender to Jesus Christ. How’s it working for you?
B. The Pharisees’ Dark Intentions Come to Light.
1. The Pharisees attempt to Shrewdly Capture Christ.
a. Now, I am not sure if the man was a “plant” by the Pharisees or simply an opportunity the Pharisees seized upon in an attempt to entrap Christ. v. 10 Doesn’t give us any clarity, neither do the other accounts. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. This poor man, the Greek adjective for “withered” meant “dried out”, was used in relation to dried out or parched land in the summer’s heat. May have meant shrunken. Disability. Doctor Lk tells us it was his right hand (Lk. 6:6).
b. Illust: We have all seen and talked to people who have honest spiritual questions. We have also seen or known people who have no true desire to know God or know about Him, but simply want to try to discredit the Gospel, disdain true faith, and cast derision on the Person and teaching of Christ.
2. The Pharisees Have No Intention to Learn by only Desire to Accuse.
a. The intentions of the Pharisees are seen in v. 10 – “might accuse” Him. The verb here means to accuse, charge, prosecute. From kategoros; to be a plaintiff, i.e. To charge with some offence. Pharisees sole intention is to use this poor, disabled man to suit their own purposes. Don’t give a fig about this man or his problems. He is simply bait for the trap. It reminds me of the woman caught in adultery in Jn. 8.
b. Illust: Gives us more clarity on what Jesus says in Jn. 8:44 – “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan is job description is: “Accuser of the brethren.” (Rev. 12:10)
C. Applic: This encounter begins with a poor disabled man being dangled by the Pharisees as a trap so as to accuse and charge Christ with crimes.
II. The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees is Rebuked by Jesus vv. 11-12 a
A. In their Hypocrisy, the Pharisees attempt to entrap Jesus.
1. The Trap the Pharisees Set to Catch Jesus Ends up Catching Themselves.
a. Illust – My father bought a new car in 1972. Black Pontiac Catalina. Pin striped. Washed and polished it. Parked it in our garage. Went out to drive to work: Cat footprints! Black cars show all dirt! Footprints! Dad was furious. Our cat, who stayed in garage walked on car in the night. Dad began scheming one trap after another. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, idea that included mesh chicken wire and a battery charger! Seemed to be working until one day went out to take off the mesh. Turned off the charger only to instantly realize had never turned in on the night before! Got caught in own trap!
b. Well, here we see the Pharisees also get caught in their own trap! V. 10 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Questioning the “rightness” of healing. No one healed yet.
2. Notice the Response of the Savior.
a. The Pharisees’ conspiracy grieves the Savior’s heart! Mark gives us insight into Jesus’ emotional reaction to the Pharisee’s hypocrisy. Mk 3:5 “After looking around at them with anger, grieved because of the hardness of their hearts…” anger – orge – impulsive wrath! Grieved – only time this word is used in the NT – Hypocrisy by people who claim to know and love God angers and grieves the heart of God.
b. Oh Christian, be warned. Don’t be a hypocrite! Don’t grieve the Savior by our hearts being hardened to the things of God! Don’t come to the place where you think you judge the Savior or the Scriptures with our puny little minds and fallen reasoning. (Illust – I heard of a man who said he wouldn’t go to church. Asked why not? It’s full of hypocrites. Christian responded, oh, don’t worry, we always have room for one more!)
B. Jesus Turns the Attack of the Pharisees into a Theological Confrontation.
1. Jesus never missed an opportunity to correct the religious leaders’ incorrect thinking.
a. I realize it is hard for us to understand the depth of the conflict going on here. We are culturally and historically removed from this. This incident takes place, as I said earlier, on the Sabbath. There were (And still are.) endless laws governing life on the Sabbath. Even today, observant Jews have their Sabbath (Shabbat) lives governed by The 39 Melachot which breaks down in minute detail what types of labor may or may not be performed on Shabbat. Read one account of a question written to a Lubavitcher Rebbe if permissible to use a safety pin on Shabbat. “The Rebbe contends that using a safety-pin on Shabbat is permitted because: a) Whereas sewing is usually done by making stitches out of fiber, in the case of a safety-pin, the metal serves as the stitching to hold the two parts of the garment together. Therefore, it does not resemble the sewing performed in the Mishkan... b) A safety pin is used as a temporary solution to a problem, and is not an issue unless it is intended to last. However, making more than three stitches with the safety-pin is problematic because it is regarded as being more permanent.” (Chabbad.org, Tofair Sewing). We simply cannot relate to this. But helps us see how enslaved Pharisees were at the time of Christ to extra-Biblical law.
b. The Pharisees’ irrational minds are thinking: “Is it right to heal on Sabbath?” “We got Him there!” “If He says yes then He is guilty of saying you can work on Sabbath.” Of, course, however, if they assumed Jesus would heal, then, shouldn’t they have asked how it was possible for Him to heal??? (The Irish have a term for this: Eejit!)
2. Jesus Exposes the Pharisees Error with Scripture.
Luke allows us to see how this event unfolds. In Lk. 6:8, Jesus calls forward the man with the withered hand. It’s almost like when a lawyer admits evidence into a court case. “Exhibit A” is this man with a withered hand, and Christ has called him forward. V. 11 – Read – Jesus is summarizing Ex. 23:4-5; Dt. 22:4. Pharisees have become enslaved to the Sabbath. Instead of the Sabbath being a ball and chain, it is to be seen as a precious gift given to us by God. Worshipping and doing good glorifies God on the Sabbath, it is not a sinful violation of the Sabbath. Jesus prioritizes people!
C. Applic: In this encounter with Christ, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees is exposed for all to see.
III. The Truth is Taught by Jesus vv. 12b-13
A. Jesus’ Reply Becomes the Crux of the entire Encounter.
1. What is Jesus’ reply?
a. Jesus makes a very basic, but incredibly insightful statement: v.12 (Read) How much more valuable is a man than a sheep? Thus, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” This is an argument from lesser to greater. If it is ok to save a sheep on the Sabbath, it should even be better to save a man on the Sabbath! Seems logical. Right?
b. However, the people in the synagogue that day had heard the reasoning of the Pharisees that said the following: “The only kind of medical care that could be administered on the Sabbath is care required to save a life or prevent an injury from getting worse. A dislocated limb, for example, could be treated to prevent further harm, but it cannot be placed back into its socket until the following day. To cause healing in such a way is considered work by the Pharisees.” (Ligionier, 2-10-16)
2. What was Jesus Saying?
a. Jesus knows the Pharisee’s thinking, and that’s why He asks if it is lawful to do positive things such as healing a non-life-threatening affliction on the Sabbath (Mk. 3:2–4). And His healing the man demonstrates the lawfulness of providing healing or medical care on the Sabbath even when such treatment is unnecessary to save a life. This dovetails with His teaching that man's well-being (2:27), as well as the fact that the restorative rest mandated on the Sabbath is analogous to restorative care of injuries and illnesses (see Ex. 20:8–11).
b. It’s because of this the Pharisees refuse to answer. Any 1st year seminarian would connect the ethical dots. Doing good for animals on the Sabbath is good so doing good for man is better. They refuse to say, "Yes, it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath," because that would mean acknowledging Christ's authority over that day, and they refuse to say, "No, it is unlawful to heal on the Sabbath," because they know their principle is wrong. Such hard-heartedness that refuses to confess known error demonstrates a deep-seated, wholehearted malice that is amazing to fathom, and it is no wonder that Jesus is furious at these wicked men (Mark 3:5). Illust- How could Pharisees be so stubborn? Pride! Enslavement to their position. Don’t know if any of you saw…last month the US House narrowly passed a bill that would require immediate medical attention for any infant who survives a failed abortion. Seems logical, right? Wrong! All 210 “No” votes were cast by Democrats. Only one Democrat voted “Yes” to require immediate medical care. 1 other Democrat, Vincente Gonzales of Texas summoned the moral courage to vote “Present”! Rep. Mary Scanlon, D-Pa., said she opposes the GOP’s "grotesque attempt to politicize abortion care…" No, Congresswoman Scanlon, I can tell you what’s grotesque: Abortion is! Calling abortion “Care” is grotesque! Denying medical care to living aborted babies is grotesque! Your love affair with the culture of death is grotesque!
B. Jesus Encourages the Conflict’s escalation by calling on the man.
1. We might say that Jesus “pushes the envelope” at this point.
a. Up to this point, it could have all ended in a standstill. But Jesus doesn’t leave it there: v. 13 Jesus says: “Stretch out your hand!” Christ commands this man to come forward (Lk. 6:8) and then command him to open his hand. Notice, Jesus never touches this man. He simply spoke to him. He didn’t even say “Be healed.” Or “I heal you.” He simply said “Stretch out your hand.” Maybe it simply happened…by chance…over time…you know, kind of like evolution! Ha! This is a divine act of creation by the Creator, simply by the spoken word!
b. Now, make no mistake about it. The Pharisees
2. What happens to the man’s hand?
a. v.13 – “It was restored to normal like the other one.” My friend, Jesus had power to heal malady and affliction then and He still does today! PTL! This man obeyed Christ and he was healed. Dear one, let me ask you, are you deformed and disabled by some besetting sin in your life?
b. Illust: I tried to put myself in this man’s place. If you have any sort of physical handicap, the last thing you want is for someone to call attention to it in a public setting. Illust – Junior high, zit on face, go to school. Always that one kid: “Do you know you have a zit on your face?!”. Perhaps this man was trying to hide his disability. Yet Jesus looks directly at the man and says, literally, “Rise and stand in the midst.” In other words, “Front and center where everyone can see your problem.” How embarrassing! Didn’t Jesus know how the man must feel? Think of what this did to his self-esteem! Why couldn’t Jesus have taken him aside privately and not called attention to his problem? Our pride makes us want to hide our embarrassing problems both from public view and from Jesus’ view. Maybe yours isn’t a withered hand, but maybe some besetting sin or affliction or addiction or deterioration of relationship. Need help! Need Christ! Did you ever think what would have happened if the man would have stretched out his good hand in denial of his problem? Wouldn’t have been healed! Have you and I been putting on a “good front” when truly need to trust Christ?
C. Applic: In this encounter with both the disabled man and the demented Pharisees, Christ teaches the truth.
IV. The True Spiritual Condition of the Pharisees is Revealed v.14
A. The Pharisees Resist Xst’s Authority & Respond to Him in Anger, Determine to kill Him.
1. Christ’s Power to Heal only angers and humiliates the Pharisees.
a. The Pharisees respond to this miracle with anger. Lk. 6:11 tells us that the Pharisees were filled with “rage”. Rage is never healthy. Sign of a spiritual problem in one’s life. The root cause of a spirit of anger is tension from past hurts and guilt. This mixture of pain and guilt is cumulative and it erupts in anger when new offenses remind us of past experiences. Most people assume that hurtful events in the past will be forgotten and will have no effect on the future. That is not true. Past hurts do not just go away, nor does guilt simply disappear after a wrong response to a situation. Unless these experiences are resolved through repentance and forgiveness, we will continue to experience bouts of anger when our tension points are triggered. Illust: Young women listen to me if never listen anything else I say. NEVER get in a relationship or marry a man given to rage and anger.
b. The Pharisees’ anger moves them to being irrational. Often anger can make us irrational. But the response of the Pharisees to a miracle from God demonstrates their completely irrational behavior: Mark tells us in v.6 that the Pharisees go out and take counsel with the Herodians as to how might destroy Jesus. Why irrational? Pharisees were separatists. Herodians were pro Rome! Made no sense! All heard the phrase: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend…”
2. When We Resist Christ’s Rule and Reign Over Our Lives We Become Angry and Irrational.
a. There are and have always been two responses to Jesus: Love Him or hate Him. Serve Him or reject Him. You may say, well, I may not love Him but I don’t hate Him. Being indifferent towards Jesus is to make a decision! Against Him.
b. Illust: I have seen this countless times.
B. We Can Trust Christ and Be Made Whole.
1. A Previously Disabled Man walks away complete in Christ. What do we see in this encounter? Jesus prioritized people! The Pharisees used people as pawns. Christ saw people as precious.
2. What do we take away from this encounter?
a. There are several important take aways: 1. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. If He is Lord over the Sabbath, then He is Lord over the whole law because the Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic covenant. 2. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath and that we find rest in Him. We learn what the Sabbath is for. It is for people. It is for them to find rest. It is not there to make life difficult for people. 3. Heart righteousness is to be preferred over hand ritual. 4. Personal bias can keep someone from understanding the word. 5. What makes God angry? Hard heart, lack of compassion for others.. 6. No day is too holy to do right for God!
b. Illust: After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, US Olympian Louis Zamperini spent a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he was caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp where he was brutally treated for 2 years. Hatred for the Japanese officer became a metastasized cancer that began to destroy every aspect of his life – alcoholic, wife filed for divorce, financial. 1949 Young Billy Graham went to LA for evangelistic crusade. LZ’s wife, Cynthia went and got saved. Came home and informed no longer filing for divorce as long as he went next night. Went, hated it. Mocked service. Next night wife went and begrudgingly went. Something shocking happened: End of service found himself irresistibly drawn forward! I dropped to my knees and for the first time in my life truly humbled myself before the Lord. I asked him to forgive me for not having kept the promises I’d made during the war, and for my sinful life. I made no excuses. I did not rationalize, I did not blame. He had said, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” so I took him at his word, begged for his pardon, and asked Jesus to come into my life. His new life had begun. Joy replaced anger in Louie’s heart, and he freely forgave his former captors.
C. Applic:
