Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
Matthew 12
- When all is said and done, the evil within mankind will be dealt with.
- Psalm 9:3 When my (also “your” if you trust in Jesus) enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your (the Lord’s) presence.
- Psalm 23:5 You (the Lord) prepare a table (of honor) before me (also you if you trust in Jesus) in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
- Psalm 9:3 When my (also “your” if you trust in Jesus) enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your (the Lord’s) presence.
- About the title: To be a Kinsman Redeemer, that person must be related, willing to take on the position, and able to meet the qualifications.
- A Kinsman Redeemer restores the dignity of the one they redeemed.
See: Genesis Chapter 4 – Headline “Pride versus Dignity”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
Matthew 12:2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”
Matthew 12:3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
Matthew 12:4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane (desecrate) the Sabbath, and are blameless?
Matthew 12:6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.
Matthew 12:7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy (life) and not sacrifice (death),’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Healing on the Sabbath
Matthew 12:9 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
Matthew 12:10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
Matthew 12:11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
Matthew 12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Matthew 12:13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.
Matthew 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Behold, My Servant
Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Matthew 12:16 Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
Matthew 12:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
Matthew 12:18 “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Matthew 12:21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”
A House Divided Cannot Stand
Matthew 12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
Matthew 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
Matthew 12:24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub (Beelzebul, a Philistine deity), the ruler of the demons.”
Matthew 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Matthew 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
Matthew 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 12:29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Matthew 12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
The Unpardonable Sin
Matthew 12:31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Matthew 12:32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
A Tree Known by Its Fruit
Matthew 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:34 Brood (offspring) of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign
Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- This is the first time in the book of Matthew that Jesus called himself the “Son of Man”.
- Why does Jesus speak about himself in the third person?
- In order for Jesus to act as a kinsman redeemer, He first had to be related to men, therefore, He had to become a man.
- The redeemer had to be a blood relative. Jesus had to become a “man” to redeem “men”.
- What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that You visited him? Psalm 8:4
- Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Psalm 80:17
- I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Daniel 7:13
- For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. Matthew 16:27
- Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Matthew 16:28
- And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead. Matthew 17:9
- For the Son of man came to save that which was lost. Matthew 18:11
- Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Matthew 26:64
- But one somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that You art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that You visit him? Hebrews 2:6
- And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8
- The kinsman redeemer had to have the ABILITY to pay the price of redemption.
- For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
- But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins. Mark 2:10
- so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath. Mark 2:28
- For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
- But from henceforth shall the Son of man be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Luke 22:69
- And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. John 1:51
- And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Acts 7:56
- Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; Col 1:13
- having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out that way, nailing it to the cross; Col 2:14
- But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass. Luke 24:21
- The kinsman had to have the DESIRE to redeem his fellow kinsman.
- But go ye and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Matt 9;13
- Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
- But God commended his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
- But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: 8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, that no man should glory. Ephesians 2:4-9
- Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I John 3:16
- Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. I John 4:9
- Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I John 4:10
- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. John 3:16-17
- Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
- And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand sharp sickle. Rev 14:14
- The kinsman redeemer had to be WILLING to redeem his fellow kinsman.
- Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14
- And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. Colossians 1:20
- That he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:5
- The kinsman had to serve as the judicial executioner of the murderer of his relative.
- For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:3
- Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12
- And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10
- The kinsman’s responsibility and authority is to redeem the land and remove all squatters and invaders.
- In the New Testament, Christ is often regarded as an example of a kinsman-redeemer because, as our brother (Hebrews 2:11), He also redeems us because of our great need, one that only He can satisfy. In Ruth 3:9, we see a beautiful and poignant picture of the needy supplicant, unable to rescue herself, requesting of the kinsman-redeemer that he cover her with his protection, redeem her, and make her his wife. In the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ bought us for Himself, out of the curse, out of our destitution; made us His own beloved bride; and blessed us for all generations. He is the true kinsman-redeemer of all who call on Him in faith.
- The redeemer had to be a blood relative. Jesus had to become a “man” to redeem “men”.
Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
Matthew 12:42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
Matthew 12:43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.
Matthew 12:44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
Matthew 12:45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him
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