I. Israel Restored In The Millennium. II. Matthew 13:36-52.

I. Israel Restored In The Millennium. 

 A. A great body of Old Testament prophecy is concerned with the restoration of the nation to the land since the covenants could not be fulfilled apart from this regathering. That this regathering is associated with the second advent is observed from the words of the Lord: 

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect (Deu 14:2) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other [Matt. 24:30-31].

B. This regathering is a major subject of the prophetic message as the following passages will show.

1. You shall be gathered one by one [Isa. 27:12]. 

2. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by my name [Isa. 43:5-7]. 

3. And it shall come to pass, after I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land [Jer. 12:15]. 

4. I will bring them again to this land [Jer. 24:6]. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country of which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers [Ezek. 20:42]. When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely there [Ezek. 28:25-26]. 

5. And I that am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt will yet make you to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast [Hosea 12:9]. 

6. For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem [Joel 3:1]. 

7. And I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine there; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God [Amos 9:14-15]. 

8. In that day, says the Lord, will I assemble her that halts, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted [Micah 4:6]. 

9. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord [Zeph. 3:20]. 

10. I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them [Zech. 10:10]. 

C. Therefore, this hope, which is a dominant theme throughout the prophetic Scriptures, will come to fulfillment at the second advent of Christ, which will occur at the end of the Tribulation, when Christ returns to earth from Heaven.

II. Matthew 13:36-52. Overview. 

The next four parables were spoken not to the multitudes, but to the disciples, and they reveal the present age from the divine standpoint rather than in its manifestation to the world.

III. Matthew 13:36-52. A transition in Yeshua’s Parables.

A. Parables Spoken To The Disciples. 

Matthew 13:36. Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

B. Parables Explained To The Disciples. 

1. Hidden treasure and the expensive pearl, The fifth and sixth parables reveal what accrues to God through the kingdom in this present age. In the “Parable of the Treasure Hidden in the Field” (13:44), Yeshua revealed that a multitude from Israel will become God’s purchased possession through this present age.

2.  In the “Parable of the Merchant Looking for Fine Pearls” (13:45-46), Messiah revealed that God will obtain a treasure not only from the nation Israel but from the Gentiles as well. We understand this because a pearl comes out of the sea, and quite frequently in Scripture the sea represents Gentile nations. Therefore, we see that a treasure from among the Gentiles becomes God’s by purchase.

3. The dragnet. The seventh parable (vv. 47-50) reveals that this mystery age of the kingdom will conclude in a judgment separating the righteous from the unrighteous. The net drawn up from the sea brings all kinds of fish, some useful and some useless. Through this parable Christ taught that the age will end in a judgment to determine who enters the future millennial kingdom and who is excluded.

4. Righteousness is a prerequisite for entrance “into the kingdom.” The righteous are taken into it, but the unrighteous are excluded. The destiny of the wicked is not the blessing of the kingdom, but rather the judgment of eternal fire. This same truth, concerning the judgment prior to the institution of the millennial kingdom, is taught in Matthew 25:1-30, where Christ predicted judgment on the nation Israel, and in verses 31-46 where He described judgment on living Gentiles. The judgment predicted here is not a judgment on the dead but on the living, and it will take place at the time of Christ’s second advent to the earth.

5. The householder (vs 51-52), (per, “The Coming Kingdom,” Dr. Andrew M. Woods, Th. M., J. D., Ph. D.)

 Matt 13-52,  “51 Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

a. This parable teaches that the kingdom mysteries in these parables found in Matt 13 must be considered alongside Old Testament kingdom truth if one is to understand the totality of God’s kingdom agenda. In other words, to gain a complete perspective on the outworking of God’s kingdom program, the Matt 13 parables must be studied alongside Old Testament kingdom truth in order to comprehend the course of the present age involving the coexistence of good and evil prior to the ultimate establishment of Christ’s earthly kingdom. Only by augmenting these mystery age teachings found in Matt 13, along side what they already knew about the “earthly kingdom of God” from the Old Testament, would they be able to understand all that God is doing and will do.

b. In summary, the parable of the householder in verses 51-52 is the concluding parable, in which Yeshua was saying that the disciples were responsible to teach these new truths, as well as the old truths of the Old Testament. 

C.  As John The Baptist, Yeshua and the disciples were announcing “the kingdom is at hand” (Mt 3:2; 4:17; 10:7), they were saying that the kingdom is “near,” and “not here.” Jews had been taught in the Temple and Synagogues all of the details of the kingdom, and did not need to have them repeated. As is seen in the New Testament discussions of the “kingdom of God” (2 Sam 7:8-16), there was no need to explain again  the details of the earthly Kingdom of God in the New Testament.  Jews had been taught that Israel must set a king over them whom God chose as their king (Deu 17:15). The life that Yeshua lived proved that it was He, whom God has chosen as Israel’s king, as was prophesied in Old Testament Scripture. Sadly, Israel rejected “God’s chosen king,” Yeshua (Matt 12:22-24). 

D.  The purpose of  Matthew, (per “Thy Kingdom Come,” Dr. John F. Walvoord, Th. D.”)

1. The purpose of the Gospel of  Matthew was to demonstrate that Yeshua was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, that He fulfilled the requirements of being the promised King who would be a descendant of David, and that His life and ministry fully support the conclusion that He is the prophesied Messiah of Israel.

2. The gospel of Matthew, accordingly, presents Christ’s royal genealogy and the early recognition that He was indeed the King of the Jews. These historical materials are followed by the Sermon on the Mount, stating the moral principles of the kingdom, given more extensively in Matthew than in the other gospels. The theme is continued by presenting the sayings and the miracles of Christ as His credentials prophesied in the Old Testament.

3. Having laid this broad base, Matthew then proceeds to account for the fact that Christ did not bring in His prophesied kingdom at His first coming. The growing rejection of Christ, His denunciation of the unbelief of the Jews, and His revelation of truth relating to the period between the two advents (Mt 13) serve to support this point.

4. Beginning in Matthew 14, the growing line of rejection leads to the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 and 25, describing the course of the age between the two advents, with special reference to the great tribulation just preceding His second coming to the earth. Having set forth the rejection of Christ in the context of ultimate glorification, the gospel of Matthew then records the facts of His death, resurrection, and post-resurrection ministry.

5. As a whole, the gospel is not properly designated as an apologetic for the Christian faith (i.e., individual salvation). Rather, it was designed to explain to the Jews, whom had expected the Messiah when He came to be a conquering king, why instead Christ suffered and died, and why there was the resulting postponement of His triumph to His second coming. 

E. The synoptic gospels vs the gospel of John.

1. The synoptic gospels are the first three books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark and Luke; they “see together with a common view.” The word “synoptic”   literally means “together sight). These gospels tell of the mystery age of God’s Heavenly Kingdom, as it is described in those gospels (through the use of the parables), and relate to that age on earth when Yeshua is not present, but has ascended to heaven. The Gospel of John does not address the mystery age or the parables that describe the things that will take place during the mystery age (when Yeshua is absent from the earth). 

2. The synoptic gospels relate to the salvation of Israel, but the Gospel of John relates to individual salvation. In essence, the synoptic gospels explain how the Kingdom of God (on earth) is being offered to Israel, and what Israel must do to receive the earthly Kingdom of God (accept Yeshua as God’s chosen King, Deu 17:15). As opposed to what Israel must do to  receive the Kingdom (as described in the synoptic gospels), the Gospel of John explains what individuals must do to enter the earthly kingdom of God (a new birth through belief in Christ; John 3:3; 3:16). 

I. The Subjects In The Millennium. II. Matthew 13:18-35.

I. The Subjects In The Millennium.

A. The earthly theocratic kingdom, instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at His second advent, will include all the saved of Israel and the saved of the Gentiles, who are living at the time of His return. Scripture makes it very clear that all sinners will be cut off before the institution of the Kingdom (Isa. 1:19-31; 65:11-16; 66:15-18; Jer. 25:27-33; 30:23-24; Ezek. 11:21; 20:33-44; Mic. 5:9-15; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:2-6; 3:18; 4:3). In the record of the judgment of the nations (Matt. 25:35) it is revealed that only the saved enter the kingdom. In the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:30-31) and in the parable of the good and bad fish (Matt. 13:49-50) it is shown that only the saved go into the kingdom. Daniel makes it clear that the kingdom is given to the saints: 

B. Daniel 7:18, 22, 27. 

1. vs 18. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.”

2. vs 22. “And judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”

3. vs 27. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

II. Matthew 13:18-35. Overview.

Parables may provide a pictorial way to teach truth, but they are more than just illustrations. Their purpose is to make the hearers think about the teaching. Those who gladly receive Messiah’s teaching will find the parables full of meaning. As a result their ability to understand God’s truth will increase. But those who have no genuine interest in Messiah’s teaching will see no meaning in the parables at all. Worse still, their spiritual blindness will become darker, and their stubborn hearts more hardened. Because their wills are opposed to Messiah, their minds cannot appreciate his teaching, and consequently their sins remain unforgiven.

III. Matthew 13:18-35. The Mysteries Of The Kingdom Of Heaven. 

A. The Parables.

1. This period includes the time from Pentecost, from Acts 2:1, to the end of the tribulation, Rev 19:21*; that is, the age of grace (which we also call the age of the Holy Spirit, or the church age). Although this period includes the church age, it extends beyond it, for the parables of Matthew 13 precede Pentecost and extend beyond the rapture (*Dispensationalism, Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D.).

2. These parables do not primarily concern the nature, function, and influence of the church. Rather, they show the previously unrevealed age in which God’s theocratic rule would be exerted, and made necessary by Israel’s rejection of Messiah, Yeshua. In Matthew 13 there are eight parables, each one providing an essential characteristic in this present age, which is a mystery age of God’s heavenly kingdom.

3.  Matthew 13:11 is written, as follows: ‘Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.’ ” As opposed to the words, “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” there are many who choose the words, “the mystery form of heaven.” It must be affirmed that God is in heaven, and rules from His kingdom in heaven. There is no “form of heaven,” other than that which is stated in Scripture, as being “the kingdom of heaven.” At the return of Christ’s from heaven, He will set up His kingdom on earth (The Kingdom Of God), which will include all of the planet, earth , which is literal, earthly, unconditional, and unfulfilled, per 2 Sam 7:8-16, and will last for a time period of one thousand years (Rev 20:1-6).

B. Parables spoken to the disciples and the crowd of Jews. 

1. Seed, sowers, and soils. The first feature of this age is that it is characterized by a sowing of the seed by sowers and by varied responses to the sowing. In this parable, the seed (Matt. 13:3-8) represents the word, or “the message about the kingdom,” and the field represents the “heart” of the individual hearer (v. 19). In Scripture, the “heart” often indicates intellectual capacity. A message, then, was being proclaimed and heard, but there were varying responses. Some seed showed no sign of life at all (that sown by the wayside). Some produced no fruit (that sown on rocky places).

a. Broadcast sowing. The sowing of seed gave promise of bearing fruit but was eventually fruitless (that sown among the thorns). There was seed that produced a crop, yielding a 100, 60, or 30 times what was sown (v. 23). Yeshua was saying that instead of the fruitage of the Gospel showing an increase, there would be a marked decrease (* Andrew M. Woods, Th. M., J. D., Ph. D., The Coming Kingdom). 

b. Targeted sowing. As opposed to Matthew’s account of “broadcast sowing, ” Mark recorded the parable by Christ on the theme of sowing seed. This parable (*Mark 4:5-8, 20; 26-29) was designed to teach that the fruit depends not on the sower but on the life that is in the seed itself. Regardless of what the sower did, the seed germinated, sprouted, grew, produced grain, and eventually yielded a bountiful harvest, which the man reaped. Yeshua wanted to make it clear that any harvest they saw would be the result of sowing and then allowing the life in the seed to manifest itself by growth and yield. As opposed to the Gospel of Matthew written to Jews, Mark was written to Christians, to show that the seed would bear fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold (* Yeshua wanted the people to examine their hearts’ responses to His Message of the Great Commission; see note on Matt 13:18-23. Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D., Ryrie Study Bible).  (** Mark 4:20, 26-29. Based on individual witnessing. The seed on the good soil took root, grew, and produced an abundant harvest. Back then, a yield of 10 to 1 was considered a fine crop. John D, Grassmick, Th. M., Ph. D., The Bible Knowledge Commentary).

c. But as is shown in Matt 13:23, there would be four responses to the Word, no response, emotional response, worldly response, and fruitful response. In Matthew’s Gospel, we see the result of the “broadcast  sowing” of the seed. Will all of the world receive it and every part of the field produce fruit? Will the seed spring up and bear a universal harvest, so that not a single grain of it is lost? Our Savior explicitly said that the greater part of the seed produces no fruit, so that no world-wide conquests by the the Gospel, in the Christianizing of the race, are to be looked for. Nor, was there any hint that, as the age progressed, there would be any change, and that later sowers would meet with greater success, so that the wayside, stony, and thorny ground hearers would cease to exist or would rarely be found. Instead of that, Christ Himself has plainly warned  that instead of the fruitage from the Gospel showing an increase, there would be a marked decrease; for when speaking of the fruit borne He said: “which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.” (* The Coming Kingdom, Andrew M. Woods, Th. M., J. D., Ph. D.)

2. Weeds among wheat. The second parable (13:24-29) was designed to supplement the first to teach that there would be a false sowing alongside the sowing of the Word of God. The field had been sown with good seed, and the sower could anticipate a harvest for his labors. Later, the sower was told that an enemy had sown the field with the seed of weeds.

a. This false sowing evidently took place immediately after the good seed had been sown. Then both kinds of seed germinated and sprouted. In the process of waiting for the harvest, it became evident that weeds had been sown in the wheat field. The presence of weeds would crowd out the growth of the fruit-bearing wheat. The servants, concerned as they were with the results of their labors, suggested that they try to remove the weeds from the field. However, the owner of the field recognized that it would be impossible to remove the weeds without destroying the wheat. So the servants were commanded to let both ripen, and at the time of wheat harvest they would then separate the good grain from the worthless weeds, without destroying the wheat. The weeds could be burned and destroyed, while the wheat would be gathered into storage. 

b. Through this parable Yeshua prepared these men to be on guard for Satan’s work of sowing false seed, or false doctrine, while they were sowing the good seed. Satan’s false kingdom (Eph 2:2) would continue to exist alongside the mystery age  of God’s heavenly kingdom. (The term “mystery age” relates to a time that had not been made known to the Old Testament Jewish prophets, but was now being made known by God in the New Testament. e.g., Mt 12:32; 13:39-40; 24:3; 28:20.)

3. The mustard seed. The third parable (13:31-32) reveals that this mystery age of God’s heavenly kingdom will have an almost imperceptible beginning. The emphasis in the parable is on the contrast between the size of the seed and the plants that are produced. “As small as a mustard seed” was, a “Jewish proverb to indicate a very minute particle.” But out of that insignificant seed in one year would grow a plant which became large enough for birds to nest in (birds represent Satan and his agents). In Ezekiel 31:6 and Daniel 4:12, the figure of a spreading tree, in which birds lodge, indicates a great kingdom that can protect and provide benefits for many peoples. Christ would commission only 11 men to become His emissaries (John 17:18). This would seem to be an insignificant beginning, yet Christ predicted that the world would hear His message from such a small beginning. Thus the parable teaches that this mystery age (our current age) of his kingdom, while it did have an insignificant beginning, would eventually spread to the ends of the earth.

4. The hidden leaven. The fourth parable (13:33) was designed to show how God’s mystery earthly age would develop and operate in the present age. Some have referred to this as “The Parable of the Leaven,” but that title puts emphasis on what leaven is or signifies. Actually, this is “The Parable of Leaven Hidden in Meal.” In other words, the parable emphasizes what leaven does or how leaven works. When the leaven, or yeast, was introduced into the flour, a process began that which was steady, continuous, and irreversible. That process continued until the whole mixture was leavened. Thus Yeshua was teaching that this mystery age of God’s kingdom would not be established by outward means; this was because no external force could make the dough rise. Rather, this new age of God’s kingdom would operate according to an internal force that would be continuous and progressive until the whole mixture had been leavened. Here the emphasis was on the Holy Spirit and concerned His ministry to the world. Christ would again speak of this in John 15:26 and 16:7-11.

C. Revival in the end times. 

1. As we can observe, there is no great growth or revival of God’s people during our present mystery age, but that the message of the Gospel of Christ is met with hostility throughout the world today. There will be a time in the future years when God’s Holy Spirit will be poured out on all of humanity, like it has never been before, which will result in great revival and growth of God’s people.

2. The end times can relate to the end times of Israel, and the end times of the church.

a. The end times of Israel relates to the Tribulation, as well as the Millennium, and follows the church age and the Rapture. There will be a great Outpouring Of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish prophet, Joel, gave a prophecy of great revival and growth of God’s people. The prophecy was given prior to the first coming of Christ, and was that of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation.

(1) The prophet Joel foretold an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, saying “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

(2) “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Yahweh shall call.” (Joel 2:28-32). 

b. The prophecy of Joel was preached by the Apostle Peter to Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost, and gave a glimpse of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-32).

(1) And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:17-21).

(2) When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Peter declared “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (Acts 2:17-18).

(3) While Pentecost was an initial and partial fulfillment, the fullness of Joel’s prophecy will occur before the return of Christ. This will be a time of revival marked by dreams, visions, and prophecy through the widespread outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

c. The end times of the church. 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Precedes the Rapture, Tribulation and Millennium, and is the time in which we live now, and precedes the time of revival and growth that Joel had spoken. 

(1) In this chapter the apostle delivers out a prophecy of the last days, showing how perilous the times will be, describing the persons that will live in them, and what will be their end

(2) “But you must realize that in the last days the times will be full of danger. Men will become utterly self-centered, greedy for money, full of big words. They will be proud and contemptuous, without any regard for what their parents taught them. They will be utterly lacking in gratitude, purity and normal human affections. They will be men of unscrupulous speech and have no control of themselves. They will be passionate and unprincipled, treacherous, self-willed and conceited, loving all the time what gives them pleasure instead of loving God. They will maintain a veneer of “religion”, but their conduct will deny its validity. You must keep clear of people like this.”

d. Revelation 7:9-10, 14. A great multitude from every nation will experience the growth and revival that Joel had prophesied. 

(1) “When this was done I looked again, and before my eyes appeared a vast crowd beyond man’s power to number. They came from every nation and tribe and people and language, and they stood before the throne of the Lamb, dressed in white robes with palm-branches in their hands. With a great voice they shouted these words: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:9-10).

(2) The apostle John saw an incredible vision of a great multitude from every nation standing before the throne of God and the Lamb. An elder explained that these people “have come out of the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14). This implies a great revival will occur during the time of tribulation prior to Christ’s return, with people from all languages and cultures accepting Him as Savior.

I. The Nature Of The Reign In The Millennium. II. Matthew 13:1-17.

I. The Nature Of The Reign In The Millennium. A number of characteristics of this reign are mentioned in Scripture. 

A. It will be a universal reign. The subdivided authority from Christ through David to the twelve and on down to the rulers over the cities, as outlined above, relates to the Land Of Israel. Since Christ will be “King of kings, and Lord of lords” this same subdivided authority will obtain in other portions of the earth as well. There will be no part of the earth that will not own the authority of the King (Dan. 2:35; 7:14, 27; Mic. 4:1-2; Zech. 9:10). 

And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him [Dan. 7:14, 27]. 

B. The reign will be one of inflexible righteousness and justice (Isa. 11:3-5; 25:2-5; 29:17-21; 30:29-32; 42:13; 49:25-26; 66:14; Dan. 2:44; Mic. 5:5-6, 10-15; Zech. 9:3-8). 

He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins [Isa. 11:3-5]. 

C. The reign will be one exercised in the fulness of the Spirit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord [Isa. 11:2-3]. 

D. The government will be a unified government. No longer will Israel and Judah be divided, nor will the nations be divided the one against the other. The “world government” coveted by men as the answer to international strife will have been realized (Ezek. 37:13-28). Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head [Hosea 1:11]. 

E. The government will deal summarily with any outbreak of sin (Ps. 2:9; 72:1-4; Isa. 29:20-21; 65:20; 66:24; Zech. 14:16-21; Jer. 31:29-30). “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isa. 11:4). Any overt act against the authority of the King will be punished with physical death. It seems as though sufficient enablement is given to the saints through the fulness of the Spirit, the universality of the knowledge of the Lord, the removal of Satan, and the manifestation of the King’s presence to restrain them from any sin. 

F. The government will be an eternal reign (Dan. 7:14, 27).

II. Mathew 13:1-17 Overview.

A. The thirteenth chapter of Matthew marks a new division in the gospel, in which Messiah addresses Himself to the problem of what will occur when He goes back to heaven as the rejected King. The gospel of Matthew began with the proofs that Yeshua was indeed the promised Son who would reign on the throne of David (chap. 1), supported by the visit of the wise men and the early ministry of John the Baptist (chaps. 2-3). After His temptation, Christ presented the principles of His coming kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5-7), emphasizing spiritual and moral principles that govern the kingdom of God, but especially as these applied to the prophesied kingdom on earth, which the Messiah-King was to bring when He came. The Sermon on the Mount accordingly contained timeless truths always applicable, some truths that were immediately applicable to Christ’s day on earth, and some truths that were to have their fulfillment in the millennial kingdom.

B. Following the presentation of the principles of the kingdom, in Matthew 8-10, the miracles which served as the prophesied credentials of the prophesied King were itemized. It becomes apparent, however, that increasingly, the unbelieving Jews were rejecting these evidences that Yeshua was indeed their Messiah and prophesied King.

C. Accordingly, in chapter 11, His rejection and the postponement of the kingdom were anticipated. In most severe language, Yeshua itemized their sinful rejection with severe indictment upon the cities where His mighty works were done. Chapter 11 closed with an invitation to individual Jews to come unto Him for rest. The further rejection of Yeshua is recorded in chapter 12, climaxing in the charge of the Pharisees that He performed His miracles in the power of the devil. Yeshua likened the state of His wicked generation to a man possessed of eight evil spirits (12:45).

D. With this as a background, chapter 13 faces the question, “What will happen when the rejected king goes back to heaven and the promised kingdom is postponed until His second coming?” The concept of a postponed kingdom must be understood as a postponement from the human side and not from the Divine, as obviously God’s plans do not change. It may be compared to the situation at Kadesh-Barnea, when the children of Israel, bound for the promised land, because of unbelief, had their entrance postponed for forty years. If they had believed God, they might have entered the land immediately.

E. What is contingent from the human standpoint, however, is always planned from the Divine standpoint. The rejection of Christ by His own people and His subsequent death and resurrection were absolutely essential to God’s program. Humanly speaking, the kingdom, instead of being brought in immediately, was postponed. From the Divine viewpoint, the plan always included what actually happened. The human responsibility remains, however, and the rejection of the kingdom from this standpoint caused the postponement of the promised kingdom on earth.

F. This chapter, accordingly, does not only introduce a new subject and a new approach but also involves a new method of teaching, namely that of parables. While many of the illustrations which Christ used were designed to make plain the truth, parables were intended to reveal the truth only to believers and required explanation in order to understand them. In a sense, they were riddles which required a key, but supplied with the key, the truth became prophetically articulate.

G. Christ deliberately adopted the parabolic method of teaching at a particular stage in His ministry for the purpose of withholding further truth about Himself and the kingdom of heaven (God’s unrevealed plans for the earth during the absence of Christ) from the crowds, who had proven themselves to be deaf to His claims and irresponsive to His demands. From now onward, when addressing the unbelieving multitude, Christ speaks only in parables (34), which He interprets to His disciples in private.”

H. In this chapter are presented in the eight parables the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. The parables are designed to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, i.e., that which will take place during the present inter-advent age.

I. Mysteries. A word that refers to truth that was not revealed in the Old Testament but is revealed in the New Testament. More than a dozen such truths are revealed in the New Testament, all following the basic definition of Colossians 1:26, which defines a mystery as that “which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is made known to his saints.” A mystery truth, accordingly, has two elements. First, it has to be hidden in the Old Testament and not revealed there. Second, it has to be revealed in the New Testament. It is not necessarily a reference to a truth that is difficult to understand, but rather to truths that can be understood only on the basis of Divine revelation.

J. The Old Testament reveals, in clear terms, the earthly reign of Christ when He comes as King to reign on the throne of David (which truths are not mysteries). Matthew 13 introduces mysteries of the kingdom, namely the present spiritual reign of the King during the period that He is physically absent from the earth, prior to His second coming. The mysteries of the kingdom, accordingly, deal with the period between the first and second advent of Christ and not the millennial kingdom which will follow the second coming.

III. Matthew 13:1-17. The Mysteries Of Heaven.

A. The Course Of This Present Age.

1. The age from the rejection of the Messiah by Israel, until His reception by Israel at His second advent, is outlined in two portions of the Word: Matthew 13 and Revelation 2-3; the former from the viewpoint of God’s kingdom program, and the latter from the viewpoint of the church program.

2. The course of this present age will be considered as we discuss Matthew 13, in this study. The study of Revelation 2 and 3 will be discussed in a following study of the book of Revelation.

3. Matthew 13:11 reveals that our Lord is speaking in a way that He may give the course of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. A mystery of heaven is that information from God that had not been made known to Israel by God through the Jewish prophets, and was now being made known in the New Testament. Such instruction comes through the proper instruction of the parables which are recorded here. It has often been thought that “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of Heaven” have the same meaning. But, context is the key to a proper understanding of the two terms. 

a. It is important to remember that the Gospel of Matthew was written to first century Jews, in regard to Yeshua being God’s chosen king of Israel (Deu 17:15).  Jews knew that God was in Heaven, but they had no understanding that anyone on earth would ever go to heaven. 

b. Jews also believed that, “from Heaven,”  God had control over the entire world (Ps 103:19), i.e., He keeps Jupiter from bumping into Mars, etc. They also knew that the whole world belonged to God, for Him to do whatever He desired. 

c. We know that the “prince of the power of the air” is Satan (Eph 2:2), and that it is he who tries to inflict evil thoughts into the minds of all whom dwell on the earth.  

d. All whom dwell are on the earth, are in “the kingdom of heaven,” i.e., being under God’s control. However, only the people whom have been born again will find themselves in the kingdom of God (John 3:3), whenever “the kingdom will come,” at the end of the tribulation when Christ returns to earth from heaven, with His saints and angels (Zech 14:1-5, 9; Matt 24:29-1; Rev 19:11-21). 

e. It can easily be understood that all whom reside on the earth are in the Kingdom Of Heaven. It can also easily be understood that only saved people will find themselves in the Kingdom of God (John 3:3), which is a literal, earthly, unconditional and unfilled covenant between God and Israel (2 Sam 7:8-16), which will last for one thousand years (Rev 20:1-6), and will be followed by an eternal state that will consist of the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-2).

f. It was on a recent televangelist program that one of the guests mentioned that, “that particular show” can provide vials of water to its listeners, which will come from one of the lakes or seas of Israel. The following statement of the guest startled me, who said that by getting such a vial of water would be getting, “the kingdom in a bottle!” Such a statement is based on a lack of Biblical of knowledge of the subject, and was taken totally out of context. Nobody on the show challenged the statement of the ill-informed guest.

B. The Program Altered (The kingdom postponed).

1. The thirteenth chapter of Matthew marks a new division in the gospel, in which Christ addresses Himself to the problem of what will occur when He goes back to heaven as the rejected King. The gospel of Matthew began with the proofs that Yeshua was indeed the promised Son who would reign on the throne of David (chap. 1), supported by the visit of the wise men and the early ministry of John the Baptist (chaps. 2-3). After His temptation, Christ presented the principles of His coming kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5-7), emphasizing spiritual and moral principles that will govern the kingdom of God, but especially as these applied to the prophesied kingdom on earth, which the Messiah-King was to bring when He came. The Sermon on the Mount accordingly contained timeless truths always applicable, some truths that were immediately applicable to Christ’s day on earth, and some truths that were to have their fulfillment in the millennial kingdom.

2.  Chapter 13 faces the question, “what will happen when the rejected king goes back to heaven, and the promised kingdom is postponed until His second coming?” The concept of a kingdom postponed must be understood as a postponement from the human side and not from the Divine, as obviously God’s plans do not change.  It may be compared to the situation at Kadesh-Barnea, when the children of Israel, bound for the promised land, because of unbelief, had their entrance postponed for forty years. If they had believed God, they might have entered the land immediately.

3. What is contingent from the human standpoint, however, is always planned from the Divine standpoint. The rejection of Christ by His own people, and His subsequent death and resurrection were absolutely essential to God’s program. Humanly speaking, the kingdom, instead of being brought in immediately, was postponed. From the Divine viewpoint, the plan always included what actually happened. The human responsibility remains, however, and the rejection of the kingdom from this standpoint caused the postponement of the promised kingdom on earth.

4. This chapter, accordingly, does not only introduce a new subject and a new approach but also involves a new method of teaching, namely that of parables. While many of the illustrations which Christ used were designed to make plain the truth, parables were intended to reveal the truth only to believers, and required explanation in order to understand them. In a sense, they were riddles which required a key, but supplied with the key, the truth became prophetically expressive.

5. Christ deliberately adopted the parabolic method of teaching at a particular stage in His ministry for the purpose of withholding further truth about Himself and the kingdom of heaven from the crowds, who had proven themselves to be deaf to His claims and irresponsive to His demands. From now onward, when addressing the unbelieving multitude, He speaks only in parables, which He interprets to His disciples in private.

6. In this chapter are presented in the parables, “the mysteries of the kingdom,” that information that God had not made know to Israel through the Jewish prophets. The parables are designed to reveal the mysteries (details) of the kingdom, that is, the present age.

7. Mysteries, a word that refers to truth that was not revealed in the Old Testament but is revealed in the New Testament. More than a dozen such truths are revealed in the New Testament, all following the basic definition of Colossians 1:26, which defines a mystery as that “which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is made known to his saints.” A mystery truth, accordingly, has two elements. First, it has to be hidden in the Old Testament, and not revealed there. Second, it has to be revealed in the New Testament. It is not necessarily a reference to a truth that is difficult to understand, but rather to truths that can be understood only on the basis of Divine revelation.

8. The Old Testament reveals, in clear terms, the earthly reign of Christ when He comes as King to reign on the throne of David (which truths are not mysteries).  Matthew 13 introduces a previously untold understanding of the kingdom of heaven, namely the present spiritual reign of earth, in which the King (Messiah)  is physically absent from the earth prior to His second coming. The mysteries of the kingdom (of heaven), accordingly, deal with the period between the first and second advent of Christ and not the millennial kingdom which will follow the second coming.

I. Judges Will Be Raised Up In The Millennium. II. Matthew 12:22-50.

I. Judges Will Be Raised Up In The Millennium. As the judges of the Old Testament were of divine appointment and were representatives through whom the theocratic kingdom was administered, so those who rule in the millennium will have the same characterization as judges, so that it may be evident that their authority is a demonstration of theocratic power.

A. Zechariah 3:7.  “You shall also judge my house.”      

B. Isaiah 1:26. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counsellors as at the beginning.”

II.  Matthew 12:22-50 Overview.

A. This chapter chronicles direct attacks on Christ. The first was petty and foolish. It is on the question of the Sabbath. The Master gives to His people the true conception of the sanctity of the Sabbath. It is established, and remains, for “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” “How much is a man better than a sheep? Why, then, rescue a sheep and neglect a man?

B. The second attack was characterized by malicious hatred; it was an absolute denial of the sovereignty of God. Satan is cast out by Satan. The absolute folly of the position is revealed in the Lord’s reply. Only two forces are at work in the world, the gathering and the scattering. Whoever does the one, contradicts and hinders the other. Beelzebub (Satan) and the demons of whom he is prince are breaking up, destroying, scattering! Christ’s work is the opposite, “healing, saving, gathering.”

C. The third attack was a manifestation of contemptuous unbelief. “Master, we would see a sign from You.” Christ revealed the true reason for their unbelief, “an evil and adulterous generation.”

D. The last attack would be to Him the most bitter of them all. Mark gives us an insight into it that we miss in Matthew ( Mar 3:21-35 ). Jesus’ friends, even His mother, are so far out of sympathy with Him as to believe Him to be “mad,” and to desire to put Him under restraint. Of this, He makes occasion to declare the blessedness of the relation that the subjects of the Kingdom bear to Him. It has been wrongly imagined by some that the Lord’s language here shows disrespect for His mother, as though she had grieved Him. This is surely to miss the deepest truth in His statement. The relationship with Him, into which those come who do the will of His Father, is as dear as that of brother and sister and mother.

III. Jesus Rejected By The Pharisees. Matthew 12:22-50.

A. Pharisees Accuse Yeshua Of Healing By Demonic Power. 12:22-37.

1. Following the many miracles already recorded, an outstanding case of need was presented to the crowd in one whom was demon possessed and both blind and dumb. Such a pitiful person should have aroused the sympathy even of the Pharisees. When Messiah, with amazing power, healed him so that he could both speak and see, and by inference cast out the demon, it brought amazement to the people, and they said, “Is not this the son of David?” (v. 23).

2. The Pharisees countered by accusing Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Beelzebub was actually a heathen deity, referred to earlier by Jesus in Matthew 10:25, and one supposedly in authority over the demons.

3. Christ answered the Pharisees by showing the illogic of their statement. He pointed out that this would be a kingdom divided against itself. It would be Satan casting out Satan. If the casting out of demons is by Beelzebub, then by whom did the Pharisees who were exorcists cast out demons? The point was that only the power of God or someone under the power of God could accomplish this.

4. Yeshua then drove home His point. If demons have been actually cast out, then it must have been by the Spirit of God, and then, in the person of Christ, the kingdom of God had come unto them. One could not enter the demonic realm victoriously unless he first had bound the strong man (v. 29). The Pharisees had to make a choice. They were either with Christ or against Him. But if they were against Him, they were guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a sin which by its nature is not forgiven (vv. 31-32).(See the next paragraph).

5. There has been much misunderstanding about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Here it is properly defined as attributing to Satan what is accomplished by the power of God. Such a sin is not unpardonable in itself, but rather because it rejects the person and work of the Holy Spirit, without whom repentance and restoration are impossible. As far as it applies today, it is not the thought that one seeking pardon will not find it, but rather that one who rejects the Holy Spirit will not seek pardon. It is the ultimate in unbelief. In verse 33, He points out that a good tree brings forth good fruit and a bad tree brings forth bad fruit. They must judge Him on the basis of His works. Committing a sin is not the basis for a committal into hell. The New Birth (Jn 3:3); through belief in Christ is the key to eternal life (Jn 3:16), as opposed to unbelief in Christ (Jn 3:18). We who have been born again, through belief in Christ, are assured that we can not be “unborn,” and therefore are secure in Christ (Jn 10: 27-30), having the Spirit of Christ dwelling within our born again spirits (Jn 14:7-12; 16-17, 20; 16:7-11; 20:30-31). Once we have been born again, dwelling in Christ, we are the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 17); the righteousness of God in Christ (vs 21).  (Ryrie Study Bible note: Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D. “Blasphemy against the Spirit.” Technically, according to the scribes, blasphemy involved direct and explicit abuse of the reviling of God by attributing the Spirit’s work to Satan. The special circumstances involved in this blasphemy can not be duplicated today; therefore, this sin can not now be duplicated today; therefore, this sin can not now be committed. Yeshua exhorted the Pharisees to turn and be justified (vv 33, 37). My note: Consider people, even believers in Christ, whom have been told that they are guilty of having committed “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” and therefore are destined for hell, with no way of changing their eternity.

6. The unbelief of the Pharisees calls forth the strongest language. Christ addressed them, “generation of vipers,” or poisonous snakes. He declared that they were evil and therefore could not speak good and warned them that as unbelievers, every idle word they speak will be called to account on the day of judgment. He concluded in Matthew 12:37, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” This was addressed to the unsaved Pharisees; not to Christians, “justified by faith and whose sins had been forgiven.” Believers in Christ will have a judgment of rewards after the “Rapture, English;” “Harpazo, Greek;” (Jn 14:1-3, 6; 1 Cor 15:50-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18) of the church has taken place. (2 Cor 5:10, Holman Christian Standard Bible. “For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ (Judgment Seat Of Christ), so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.” HCSB Note (Kendell H. Easley, Ph. D.): This is a judgment to determine rewards, not eternal destination).  

7.  First Century Israel Rejects The Kingdom Offer. (Andrew M. Woods, Ph. D., The Coming Kingdom)

a. The Gospels carefully reveal Israel’s rejection of the Kingdom offer. The turning point is found in Mt 12:24. When the Pharisees were unable to explain away one of Yeshua’s many miracles, they instead attributed the miracle’s performance to Satanic powers. At this point, the expression, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is hand” (Mt 3:2; 4:17; 10:5-7) virtually disappears from Matthew’s gospel. The concept does not resurface until the kingdom offer is re-extended to a distant generation of Jews during the future Tribulation period (Mt 24:14). Such an absence signifies that God took the kingdom “off the table” when the Pharisees demonstrated their unbelief when confronted by Christ’s miracles. This rejection was ratified at Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as well as by the nation’s decision to hand Christ over to the Romans for crucifixion (Mt 21-23; 26-27). Israel’s rejection of the kingdom offer is also represented in the following statement by the nation’s religious leaders to Pilate: “Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar’ ”  (John 19:15). In the Parable of the Minas (Lk 19:11-27), “Israel’s rejection of the Lord is seen in the words of the citizenry, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’ (Lk 19:14).” Consequently, John well summarizes the nation’s posture toward their own king: “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).  

b. Matthew 12 is one of several passages in the Gospels on the contingency of the coming kingdom. Three times before Matt 12 the kingdom was said to be near (3:2; 4:17; 10:7). Then, after Jesus’s opponents accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (12:24-32; Mk 3:22-30; Lk 11:14-26), the nearness of the kingdom is never mentioned again in the Gospels. Why was the kingdom said to be near, and then after Matt 12 was never again announced as being near in Jesus’s ministry?” The answer is that Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah. This refusal to receive Him was true not only of the religious authorities, but also of the nation in general. The majority of the Lord’s miracles, demonstrations of His sovereignty, were performed in Galilee (11:20) and the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum failed to repent (vs 21-24). This rejection was then climaxed by the opposition  and blasphemy of the religious authorities (12:22-45).  This does not mean that Christ stopped presenting Himself to Israel as their Messiah; He did this, particularly in His triumphal entry, but “the die had already been cast.” The kingdom was no longer near; Israel’s tragic decision had been made much earlier. Clearly, then, the coming of the kingdom was conditioned on Israel’s response to Jesus (Deu 17:15).

B. Unbelieving Pharisees Seek A Sign. 12:38-45.

1. Having been challenged to face the evidence that Yeshua was indeed what He claimed to be, the Pharisees, in their unbelief, asked for a spectacular sign. Christ answered them in an unsparing indictment. He declared, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas” (v. 39). He then recited the facts of the experience of Jonah, how he was three days and three nights in the great fish, and He described this as a prophetic incident, anticipating that the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. In other words, He was predicting His death and resurrection as the supreme sign for those seeking evidence of His claims. In the incident of Jonah, the men of Nineveh repented, even though they were unbelieving Gentiles. Here Jesus, who was far greater than Jonah, was before His own people, and they would not believe. (Note: Ryrie Study Bible, Charles C. Ryrie, Ph. D. “Three Days And Three Nights.” This phrase does not necessarily require that 72 hours elapse between Christ’s death and resurrection, for the Jews reckoned part of a day to be as a whole day. So, this prophecy can be properly fulfilled if the crucifixion occurred on Friday. However, the statement does require an historical Jonah who was actually swallowed by a great fish. (My note. The Ryrie Study Bible shows each day of Holy Week in Luke chapters 19:28-24:12). 

2. Jesus cited another illustration of the queen of the south, who heard and believed in the wisdom of Solomon (1 Ki 10:1-13). Now a greater than Solomon was here, and the Jews would not believe. Again the illustration is of belief among the Gentiles which would emphasize the point He was making to the Pharisees.

3. In concluding His talk with the Pharisees, Yeshua pointed out the emptiness of religion without the supernatural power of God. In Matthew 12:43-45, He described the case of a man who, delivered of an unclean spirit or demon, proceeded to set his life in order religiously. His house, however, although swept and garnished, was empty. By this it is meant that the demons had left him and permitted some improvement in his religious life, but that he was far short of being born again and renewed by the Spirit of God. The reference to the evil spirit walking through “dry places” is based on the idea that the desert is the haunt of demons. The evil spirit, upon returning, brought seven other spirits and dwelt in the man, so that his last state was worse than his first. Jesus stated that, in like manner, the wicked generation of the Pharisees will experience the emptiness of their religion, which will lead to greater spiritual bondage. 

C. Central Place Of True Discipleship. 12:46-50.

As Messiah was concluding His controversy with the Pharisees, word came to Him that His mother and brothers were outside and desired to speak to Him. Christ used the occasion to emphasize the need of discipleship above all earthly relationships. He dramatically asked, “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?” Then, according to verse 49, “He stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, behold my mother and my brethren!” He went on, in the concluding verse of the chapter, to define a disciple as one who does the will of His Father in heaven. “The same,” Yeshua declared, “is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Coming at the conclusion of this chapter, it emphasizes the futility of mere religion or family relationships. Rather, the important issue was to be a disciple and to do the will of God. Although Messiah was at all times courteous to His mother, He never attributed to her any special qualities (cf. Jn 2:4). There is nothing in the Scripture to justify the exaltation of Mary to the role of a mediator between God and man.

Many Lesser Authorities Will Rule In Millennium. Matthew 12:1-21.

I. Many Lesser Authorities Will Rule In Millennium.

Many lesser authorities will rule. There will be yet a smaller subdivision of authority in the administration of the government. The parable in Luke 19:12-28 indicates that authority will be appointed to individuals over ten cities and five cities in the kingdom. They evidently are responsible to the head of the tribe, who, in turn will be responsible to David, who is responsible to the King (Messiah) Himself. Such positions of authority are appointed as a reward for faithfulness. The Old Testament anticipated this very thing: Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him [Isa. 40:10]. Thus says the Lord of hosts; If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my charge, then you shall also judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you places to walk among those that stand by [Zech. 3:7]. Those that are brought into the millennium are said to “reign with him a thousand years.” It is anticipated that positions of authority will be given as a reward. 

II. Matthew 12:1-21 Overview.  

A. The Pharisees had introduced a large number of minute and absurd restrictions on Sabbath observance; so our Lord set Himself to recover the day of rest for the use of the people. He never hesitated, therefore, to work miracles of healing on that day, and so set at defiance the Pharisees and their evil amendments. He contended also that all ritual observance must take the secondary place, and that the primary concern must always be the deep and pressing claims of humanity. Therefore, it was perfectly legitimate for David to eat the showbread.

B. Even if a sheep should fall into a pit on the Sabbath, it would be lifted out by the most punctilious of ritualists. How absurd and illogical it was to prohibit deliverance to this man with his withered hand! Notice that this man’s condition is symbolic of many who pose as good Christians, but do nothing. They have the power, but do not use it and it becomes progressively declined or weakened. That power can be given back by Yeshua. Dare to act and you will find yourself able to act.

C. A is reed is not of much account. You may see hundreds of them encircling a stagnant pond and bending before the breeze. A bruised reed is still more worthless to the eye of the world. Yet the Master does not despise a bruised or broken reed. No! He bends over it and tries to restore its shape. He makes out of it a reed-organ for music, or the paper manufacturers weave it into paper on which are printed His messages. 

D. Flax does not burn readily; it only smolders. The spark runs feebly up the fibers; and anything like a flame is impossible. Such is our poor love. It sometimes seems but a spark. Yet, Yeshua does not despise it. So far from quenching it, He breathes on it, places it in the oxygen of His love, and screens it from the wind that would extinguish it.

E. How gentle, quiet and unobtrusive is our Yeshua’s behavior! He is so frugal of His resources, so careful that nothing be wasted, so eager to make the most of us. And it is out of such materials that He makes His ever-victorious army.

III. Yeshua Rejected By The Pharisees. 12:1-21. 

A. Disciples Accused Of Violating The Sabbath. 12:1-8.

1.The growing rejection of the Pharisees, who earlier had been friendly to Jesus, becomes apparent in this chapter. First, there are three incidents relating to the Sabbath, in which Jesus is accused of breaking the Mosaic law (Mt 12:1-21); second, Jesus’ power is attributed to the devil (vv. 22-37); third, the Pharisees demand a sign other than miracles (vv. 38-50).

2. The opening incident tells how the disciples, walking through the green fields on the Sabbath, began to pluck ears of grain and eat them because they were hungry. Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5 also record the story. The Pharisees, on the alert for any ground of accusation of Jesus and His disciples, immediately accused them of doing that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath. As Morgan points out, the hostility of the Pharisees began when Christ forgave sin (Mt 9:1-8), was increased by Jesus’ associating with publicans and sinners (vv. 9-13), and now is inflamed by Christ’s ignoring their petty rules about the Sabbath.

3. The Pharisees did not accuse the disciples of stealing, as plucking a few ears of grain was permitted by Deuteronomy 23:25, but the law forbade any work on the Sabbath (Ex 20:10). The Jewish traditions made this very specific and equated plucking ears with reaping grain, which was forbidden on the Sabbath. Lenski notes that the penalty could be death for such an infraction, if the act was deliberate.

4. Although Jesus Himself had not participated in the act, He immediately defended His disciples, presenting three arguments. First, He called attention to David’s experience, recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, when David was hungry while fleeing from Saul. The priest gave him bread taken off the table of shewbread when it was replaced with fresh bread, even though normally, such bread was reserved as holy, for the priests alone. Technically, this was breaking the law, but David was not condemned because of it, illustrating that satisfying hunger was more important than observing a technicality.

5. A second argument was derived from the fact that the priests in the temple broke the law by many of their duties in their work in maintaining the sacrifices and the other rituals. Jesus called attention to the fact that they were blameless.

6. His third argument was His own person, as one who is greater than the temple. If Jesus could not condemn them, why should the Pharisees be critical? As He stated in Matthew 12:8, “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”

7. Jesus further analyzed the basic problem of the Pharisees, however, which was that they put technical observance of the law, such as sacrificing, as more important than showing mercy. He stated that if they knew the meaning of the statement, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice” (Ho 6:6; cf. Mic 6:6-8), they would not have condemned the disciples whom the Lord pronounced “guiltless.” Jesus had referred to the same thought in answering the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13. The problem was not what the disciples had done but the merciless hearts of the Pharisees.

B. Yeshua Accused Of Violating The Sabbath By Healing. 12:9-14.

1. On the same Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was confronted by a man with a paralyzed hand. The Pharisees saw this as another opportunity to accuse Jesus if He would heal the man on the Sabbath, and they raised the question, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?” (12:10).

2. According to the parallel accounts in Mark 3:1-5 and Luke 6:6-11, Jesus asked the man with the paralyzed hand to stand before the whole assembly. In Mark and Luke, He only raised the question as to whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, but in Matthew He used an illustration. If a sheep would fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, would the owner not lift it out? Was a man not better than a sheep? Jesus concluded, “Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Mt 12:12). With this introduction, He asked the man to stretch forth his hand, and it was made immediately well. The action infuriated the Pharisees, who had neither Scripture nor logic to refute this miraculous work of God. In their frustration, the Pharisees are recorded in verse 14 to have held a council as to how they might destroy Jesus.

C. Others Healed On The Same Sabbath. 12:15-21.

Not wishing to incite the Pharisees further, Jesus then withdrew, but multitudes followed Him, and the Scriptures record simply, “He healed them all,” at the same time instructing them not to publish the healings. This is interpreted by Matthew as fulfilling Isaiah 42:1-3, which Matthew quotes. In Matthew 12:21, Matthew summarizes the meaning, “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust,” which is an interpretive conclusion of the entire passage.