Matthew 12

In Matthew 12 Jesus is accused of being a Sabbath breaker. Jesus is charged because his disciples picked some heads of grain on the Sabbath, and then Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath. Jesus answers that charge on two accounts. One, what they are accusing him of doing has been done before. David and the Priests had eaten bread on the Sabbath and it was worse because it was consecrated bread. As far as doing good on the Sabbath any of them would help a sheep out of a ditch on the Sabbath, which wouldn’t be as noble as helping a fellow human being. The other reason Jesus gave was that the true purpose of the Sabbath was to do good.

The Pharisees then attribute Jesus’ miracles to the fact that he is from the devil. Jesus tells them that Satan wouldn’t be about doing good.

The last part of this chapter has the Pharisees wanting more signs. This seems strange because they have witnessed numerous signs. Jesus calls people who continual need signs to believe “A wicked and adulterous generation.” However, Jesus does give them a sign that they don’t understand. It is the sign of Jonah which Jesus uses to symbolize the death, burial and resurrection. It is the greatest sign ever given. It is the sign that death has been conquered.

“Holy Father, on this Good Friday, we thank You for sending Jesus to die on a cross for us. I pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.