Theme: " A Portrait of the King "
Title: " The King's Itinerant Ministry Chronicled "
Text: Matthew Chapters 8 - 25
INTRO: *** Chapter 12 ***
I. The King's Conflict Over Issues Concerning the
Sabbath Day.
12:1-13
A. The Issue Over Who is Lord
Verses 1-8 -- ( Jesus -- or the Sabbath Day )
1. The Issue Over What the Lord Really Wants From
Man on the Sabbath Day as Opposed to What Men
May Think
Verses 1-7 -- ( esp. Verses 2 & 7 )
a. The Lord Wants Vessels that are Clean in His
Sight .
Verses 3-4 c/f I Samuel 21:1-6
b. The Lord Wants Service that is Acceptable in
His Sight .
Verse 5 c/f Romans 12:1-2
2. The Issue of the Pharisees' Ignorance of the Lord's
Will as the Root Cause of their Condemnation
Toward His Disciples
Verse 7 -- If Ye Had Known ...
B. The Issue Over Whether it was Lawful to Do Some
Good Deed for Another On the Sabbath Day -- or Not
Verses 9-13
1. The Lord Points Out that Men would Think it Lawful
to Lift their Sheep Out of a Pit on the Sabbath Day.
Verses 9-11
2. He Says that A Man is Worth More than a Sheep .
Verse 12a
3. He Concludes that It is Lawful to Help Another Man
on the Sabbath Day .
Verses 12b - 13
II. The King's Strategic Withdrawal From the Gathering
Clouds of War
12:14-21
A. Just as a Great Storm Front is Created by Strong Winds
Pushing Many Smaller Clouds Together into One Giant
Heavy Downpour, the Forces of Satan were Already Be-
ginning to Consolidate their Followers into a Massive Out-
pouring of Opposition Toward the Son of God that would
Eventually Climax in the Thunderous Cries of Crucify Him
Crucify Him in the Not Too Distant Future.
Verse 14
B. Because His Time Had Not Yet Come to be an Offering
for Men, He Withdrew Himself From His Enemies to Wage
His Battle on Another Day.
Verse 15a
C. Even While the Storm was Gathering Jesus was Reaching
Out to Hurting People and Meeting their Needs.
Verse 15b
D. The Storms were a Part of God's Plan to Bring Men to
Faith in His Own Precious Son.
Verses 14-21 -- ( esp. Vs 17 & 21 )
III. The King Confronts His Enemies, and the Conflict
Intensifies
12:22-37
A. The Setting of the Confrontation
Verses 22-23
B. The Enemies' Accusation
Verse 24
C. The Savior's Sensible Reply
Verses 25-29
D. The Line of Separation
Verse 30
E. The Warning of the King
Verses 31-37
IV. The King's Response to an Adulterous Request
12:38-45
A. The Pharisees' Blind Desire
Verse 38
1. How Many Signs Had they Already Been Given, Yet
they Refused to See ?!
2. A Man that Will Not See Can Not See.
3. The Pharisees Wanted Christ to Meet them on their
Own Terms -- Not His.
B. The Lord's Rejection of the Pharisees' Terms for
Acceptance .
Verse 39
C. A Parabolic Sign of the Resurrection is Given.
Verses 39-40
D. The Pronouncement of Judgement Upon His Adult-
erous Generation
Verses 41-42
1. The Men of Ninevah Would Rise Up & Condemn them
In the Judgement.
Verse 41
2. The Queen of the South Would Rise Up & Condemn
them In the Judgement.
Verse 42
E. The Danger of Reformation Without Regeneration
Verses 43-45
1. One of the Characteristics of Demonic Activity is an
Unceasing Restlessness.
Verse 43 c/f Mark 5:1-5
2. Reformation Only Cleans Up the Vessel but Leaves
it Empty and, therefore, Open Territory for an Unclean
Spirit to Re-occupy.
Verse 44-45
3. Regeneration Involves a Reception of the Holy Spirit
into a Man's Life, and God Hangs a No Vacancy Sign
On a Man's Inner spirit and Seals him in Christ.
Verse 44-45 c/f John 3:5 ; Titus 3:5 ; John 1:2 ;
Galatians 4:6 ; Ephesians 1:12-14 ; & Ephesians 4:30
V. The King's Presentation & Declaration of His Family
Members
12:46-50
A. His Family was Not Determined in the Truest Sense
By His Earthly Geneology .
Verses 46-48
B. His Family Was Determined By a Person's Relationship
of Obedience to His Heavenly Father Above.
Verses 49-50