Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 12 Mean?

Matthew 12 follows Jesus’ teachings in chapter 11, where He mourned over how people in those cities rejected Him. Here, He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. These mostly involve the ultra-legalistic, tradition-minded Pharisees. By this point in Jesus’ ministry, they had begun to amplify their attacks, accusations, and attempts to trap Jesus into saying or doing something they could use against Him.

Jesus and His disciples are walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath, apparently on their way to the synagogue. The hungry disciples pluck heads of grain and eat them as they go along. While the eating of the grain is permissible according to Old Testament law, it violates the Pharisees’ traditional rules about what counts as “work” on a Sabbath day. They confront Jesus, accusing His disciples of violating the fourth commandment (Matthew 12:1–2).

In response, Christ poses a series of questions. These show that the Pharisees’ manmade standard for “working” on the Sabbath is faulty. Therefore, their accusation is empty. God’s laws are meant to be followed, but they are also meant to be understood. Just as God’s laws mean more than avoiding only physical sins (Matthew 5:27–28), they are also not meant to prevent men from doing good when the situation requires it. Going even further, Jesus declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:3–8).

Afterwards, but on the same day, Jesus and His disciples enter the synagogue. The Pharisees have set Jesus up. A man with a withered hand is present, and they ask Jesus if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus again emphasizes mercy and insists it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He heals the man. Rather than learning and repenting, the Pharisees deepen their conspiracy to destroy Jesus (Matthew 12:9–14).

Jesus temporarily withdraws, though the crowds keep following Him. Matthew references a passage from Isaiah about Israel and applies it to Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 12:15–21).

A demon-oppressed man is brought to Jesus. Because of the demon, the man cannot speak or see. Jesus heals him, and the man dramatically begins to do both. Those in the crowd ask if maybe Jesus is the Son of David, meaning the Messiah. This is exactly the response those miracles are intended to provoke. Proving their absolute hardness of spirit, the Pharisees immediately say Jesus only casts out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24).

Jesus rebukes their accusation with three arguments. First, why would Satan be divided against himself? Second, couldn’t their accusation also go against any Pharisees who casts out a demon? Third, the Pharisees have missed the most important thing: The fact that Jesus casts out demons by the power of God’s Spirit means the kingdom of God has come upon them (Matthew 12:25–28).

As the Messiah, Jesus had bound Satan in order to rescue citizens for God’s kingdom. He is working against the prince of demons, not for him. Those who are not with Jesus are against Him. This is the passage where Jesus mentions blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In literal terms, this means seeing Christ perform a miracle and attributing that power to Satan. That act, itself, cannot be committed by anyone today. In a broader sense, those who persistently reject God are committing their own version of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Such absolute rebellion against God will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:29–32)

“Harsh” is a mild way to describe the condemnation Jesus applies to these Pharisees. They produce bad spiritual “fruit” for the same reason corrupt trees make inedible crops. He calls them a brood of vipers, pointing out that the words they say reveal the true nature of their hearts. This principle applies, in general, to all people as well: what we think and feel is the origin of what we say and do. Jesus warns everyone listening that they will be held accountable on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:33–37).

Some of the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. Of course, He has very recently performed miracles (Matthew 12:9–13, 22). By demanding yet another piece of evidence, these skeptics prove they are insincere. Those committed to disbelief will often claim that they need “just one more” proof or confirmation, which is a lie. In that spirit, Jesus replies that this is the attitude of an evil and spiritually unfaithful generation. The only sign He promises them to see is the sign of Jonah, who was in the belly of the huge fish for three days (Jonah 1:17). The Son of Man will also be in the heart of the earth for three days. This is another reference to His upcoming death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 12:38–40).

At the end time judgment, the men of Nineveh who repented at Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3:6–9) will condemn the generation of unrepentant and unbelieving Israelites who saw Christ in person. Even those pagan, deeply wicked people were willing to submit to God’s message. Likewise, the queen of the South, who traveled far to hear Solomon’s wisdom (2 Chronicles 9:1) will condemn them, too, for ignoring the wisdom of the Messiah right in front of them (Matthew 12:41–42).

Jesus warns “this evil generation” of Israelites that, because of their unbelief and lack of repentance, they will be like a person possessed by eight evil demons after first being freed from one. He compares the situation to a “house”—a person—being freed of a demon and cleaned, only for the demon to return and find the “house” very much open to possession. So, the demon re-enters and brings along seven more, even more evil spirits. Christ may have come to fight against Satan in that generation of Israel, but if they reject Him, they’ll be worse off afterwards than they were before (Matthew 12:43–45).

Finally, Jesus responds to news that His mother Mary and brothers want to talk to Him. Mark includes the fact that His half-siblings and mother are concerned about his mind (Mark 3:21). While He does not dismiss their presence, Jesus expands the idea of a true “family” in His response. He declares that His disciples and all who do the will of His Father in heaven are His brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:31–35).

Chapter Context
Matthew 11 depicted Jesus preaching and teaching after sending out His chosen disciples in pairs in chapter 10. Chapter 12 immediately picks up with more confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus responds to those criticisms and rebukes their evil hearts as the source of their evil words. In the following chapter, Matthew will shift His focus onto Jesus’ parables.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

In the previous verses, Jesus offered rest for the souls of those who were weary and burdened if they would take His yoke on them (Matthew 11:28–30). His meaning was not about physical work, but the spiritual condition of the people. Jesus’ faithful Jewish listeners were weary and burdened due to the excessive legalism and restrictions placed on them by their religious leaders. Most prominent among these were the Pharisees: an extremely legalistic sect who added many layers to the laws given to Moses.

This verse begins a confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus about one of these difficult restrictions.

Jesus and His disciples are walking through a planted field of grain. They begin to pluck off the heads of grain and eat them. This is not theft; the law allowed people to pluck grain or grapes by hand from a neighbor’s field or vineyard, so long as one did not harvest the grain with a sickle or put the grapes in a bag (Deuteronomy 23:24–25). This allowed those who were poor to find food in the harvest season without taking too much from the profits of their neighbors.

However, the Pharisees will still pounce on Christ and His followers. This event takes place on the Jewish Sabbath. The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday evening and continued through sundown on Saturday evening. According to Pharisees traditional interpretation of—and addition to—the law, this is “work.” That, in their view, violates the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8–11).

Verse 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

Jesus and His disciples are walking through a field of grain. The hungry disciples begin to pluck heads from the grain by hand and eat them. This was not theft; it was allowed by the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 23:24–25). This does not spare them from the wrath of the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders in Israel with great authority over the daily lives of the people. They were famous for their strict interpretation of the Law. In order to avoid breaking the laws given by Moses, their scholars created a series of additional rules and interpretations. Jesus was probably referring to those added-on restrictions when He spoke to those who were weary and weighed down in the previous verses (Matthew 11:28–30).

It’s not clear how these Pharisees saw Jesus’ disciples plucking and eating heads of grain while walking through a field. It might have been pure chance or they may have been following Jesus in hopes of catching Him doing something unlawful. Either way, they seem to see this moment as an opportunity.

The Pharisees accuse Jesus by saying His disciples were doing something unlawful: working on the Sabbath. The fourth of the ten commandments given to Moses demanded that the people of Israel “shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:10–11).

According to the ultra-legalistic view of the Pharisees, plucking the heads from grain in order to eat them qualified as work. In fact, they defined it as “reaping” a crop, which was one of the 39 forms of work specifically declared off limits by the religious leaders who interpreted the Jewish Scriptures.

To modern readers, this level of paranoia sounds laughable. On one hand, however, religious leaders such as the scribes and Pharisees had a difficult job: figuring out exactly how to apply the commands of the law of Moses. On the other hand, their attempts to interpret the law gradually became a form of law, itself. Over time, their rules became more restrictive, and their interpretations were elevated to the same authority as the literal words of God. Often, this came at great cost to the spirit of the original text. This was a major point of Jesus’ criticism of these men.

Verse 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Some Pharisees have seen Jesus’ disciples picking off heads of grain and eating them while walking through a field on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–2). The Pharisees have complained to Jesus that what the disciples were doing was unlawful. The fourth of the Ten Commandment forbids working on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11). According to the Pharisees’ traditional interpretation of that command, picking the heads off the grain qualified as harvesting or reaping: a form of “work.”

Jesus will firmly reject their accusation and their interpretation of the Law, using Scripture to back up His reasoning. He starts by asking if they have not read what David and his friends did when they were hungry (1 Samuel 21:1–6). Of course, Jesus knows that the Pharisees have read that story. These men had read Scripture in its entirety. His point is to hold them accountable for not applying the Scripture according to the actual intent of God. The Pharisees are applying the law as hypocrites, failing to notice the real lives of those under their spiritual care.

Jesus continues His question about that moment in David’s life in the following verse.

Verse 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Jesus is answering a charge from some Pharisees that His disciples have broken the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11). They are accused of working on the Sabbath. In truth, they were plucking heads of grain and eating them while walking through a field with Jesus (Matthew 12:1–2). Though the Old Testament gives no such detail, the Pharisees insist that this task counts as harvesting, and is therefore work, and is therefore a sin.

Answering the Pharisees with a set of questions was a common practice in debates between rabbis. More than that, Jesus wants to hold the Pharisees accountable. They show a shallow lack of concern for the people under their spiritual care. God’s intent is for His laws to be applied fairly, and with good judgment, not in arrogance or carelessness. Over time, men like the Pharisees have added layer after layer of rules on top of God’s actual commands. They lived in competitive pride—both with each other and the common people—over their ability to keep those rules.

The Pharisees should be aware of what David did at a specific moment in Israel’s history. The story is found in 1 Samuel 21:1–6. David was in a desperate situation and needed food. He came to a priest and asked for bread. The priest only had the holy bread, also known as the bread of the tabernacle. This special bread, in the form of twelve loaves, was presented on each Sabbath day as an offering to the Lord. When the bread was swapped out for a new batch, it was to be eaten by the priests in a holy place (Leviticus 24:5–9). The priest David approached handed over the bread for him and his companions to eat.

The point Jesus is making here is that Israel’s revered King David could violate the literal, word-for-word requirements of this Law when the need was great. In this case a life-and-death situation. David was not condemned either for his deception in this moment, or for breaking this temple requirement. Jesus is asking the Pharisees how their restrictive interpretive rule about plucking grains to eat on the Sabbath accounts for that story. His intent is not to dismiss God’s law, but to focus on God’s actual intent in giving it.

Jesus’ larger point will be that the Pharisees’ extra rules were not inspired by compassion for God’s people.

Verse 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Jesus is challenging some Pharisees who have accused His disciples of breaking the Law of Moses. They were breaking off heads of grain and eating them while walking through a field on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–2). The Pharisees’ official position claimed such a thing was “work,” so when done on the Sabbath it was a violation of the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11).

In response, Jesus asked if they have read of the time David took holy bread from the temple in a desperate situation (1 Samuel 21:1–6). David’s action, and the aftermath, showed the purpose of the law went beyond mindless literalism.

Now Jesus continues asking His questions. The same Law of Moses, cited by the Pharisees, notes that priests are permitted to “work” as they serve in the temple on the Sabbath. Those tasks are their routine jobs. The Law, however, declared them guiltless because they were doing what God commanded them to do.

Again, Jesus is showing that the Law of Moses was not intended to elevate the law above a prayerful respect for God’s will. The priests served God first, as they must. They did not serve a wooden interpretation of the words, while telling God to wait. That would have been backwards and would have broken the very purposes for which God gave that rule. Jesus will show that the Pharisees also approach the law backwards. Their extra rules undo the real intent of God’s laws, meant for the good of God’s people.

Verse 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.

Pharisees have leveled accusations that Jesus’ disciples have broken the Law of God. The men were plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–2). Jesus has responded with a series of questions (Matthew 12:3–5). Among these was the point that priests “break” the Sabbath—at least by the Pharisees’ legalistic approach—when they work in the temple on those days. The Law allowed this because the commands of God for the temple must be obeyed above the commands to keep the Sabbath.

Jesus was showing that the Sabbath is not the most important command above all the other priorities of God. The work of the temple, for instance, had priority for the priests over the keeping of the Sabbath. While God’s laws, as given, have meaning and authority, they are not meant to be applied with mindless literalism. Even if His disciples were breaking the Pharisee’s concept of the Sabbath, they weren’t violating God’s intent for the Sabbath. In other words, the Sabbath rule, asintended by God, would not condemn what they did.

Now Jesus takes His argument in a new direction. Something has arrived that is even greater than the temple. Jesus is most likely referring to Himself as the Messiah. He understood that the Law and the Prophets pointed forward in time to the coming of the Messiah. He would fulfill the Law. He took priority even over the work of the temple, which itself took priority over the keeping of the Sabbath for the priests who did the work.

Jesus’ point here seems to be that even if what the disciples did was literally against the normal meaning of the Sabbath law, they would still be guiltless because they were under the higher authority of the Messiah. This would apply in the same sense as a priest serving in the temple would be guiltless for their legitimate work.

Verse 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Matthew has quoted Jesus referring to this Old Testament passage once before. In that case, the Pharisees were asking Jesus’ disciples why He ate with tax collectors and sinners. Then, as here, Jesus referred to the distinction between mercy and sacrifice (Matthew 9:9–13). This citation comes from Hosea 6:6.

Again, Christ seeks to hold the Pharisees accountable for failing to do their job. They should have been providing spiritual care and leadership to the people of Israel. Jesus applies the quote from Hosea to their leadership. He insists their job is to show mercy to the people of God instead of weighing them down with burdensome rules and regulations that went far beyond a clear reading of God’s requirements in the Law.

Jesus tells these Pharisees their accusation of lawbreaking against His disciples for plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath is more evidence they don’t grasp God’s will. They don’t understand the heart of God for His people. They still hold religious rule-following, a wooden and thoughtless adherence to tradition and literalism, as a higher value than showing mercy to the people under their care.

Verse 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus concludes His rebuke of the Pharisees for their false accusation against His disciples (Matthew 12:1–2). The capstone of His response is a simple declaration.

Jesus uses the phrase “Son of Man” throughout Matthew to describe Himself. His biggest problem with the Pharisees is they have failed to recognize Christ is the Messiah. This is something they refuse to acknowledge, despite witnessing so many of His miracles and hearing His teaching (John 5:39–40).

In this specific case, Jesus’ critics have attempted to condemn His disciples, supposedly for breaking the command to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11). The conflict, however, is really with the Pharisees’ own false interpretation of the laws. This confusion would not have happened, had they understood Jesus to be the Son of God. God, of course, is Lord of all. He also holds priority over the Law. Jesus is saying, then, that in the end He is Lord even of the Sabbath.

It’s important to see that Jesus is not giving Himself a blank check to break the Law of Moses. Jesus fulfilled the Law by keeping it perfectly. He is, however, declaring that He made the Sabbath and is the final judge of what it means to keep the Sabbath or not. He declares His disciples guiltless from breaking the Sabbath requirement by their simple act of plucking and eating grain.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:1–8 finds Jesus’ hungry disciples breaking the heads off grain and eating as they walk through a field with Him on the way to the synagogue. Some Pharisees tell Jesus this is unlawful. In their interpretation, this is a violation of the command not to work on the Sabbath. Jesus counters the accusation with a series of questions, showing their manmade restriction cannot stand. Their legalistic, expanded view doesn’t reflect God’s intended meaning of the Sabbath. The Pharisees must learn that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. He declares Himself greater than the temple, and Lord of the Sabbath.

Verse 9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue.

The Pharisees are eager to catch Jesus doing something unlawful so they can discredit Him. In the previous passage, they confronted Jesus about His disciples plucking and eating heads of grain as they walked through a field on the Sabbath. The Pharisees insisted this was work, harvesting, and a violation of the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Matthew 12:1–8).

Jesus corrected them. Not only was their application of the command too restrictive and unreasonable, it proved they did not understand what God meant in saying that He desires mercy, not sacrifice. Legalists like the Pharisees did not care for the people of God in a merciful way. Even worse, they did not recognize that Jesus was the Messiah and, thus, Lord of the Sabbath.

It’s unclear whether catching the disciples plucking grain in the field was a set-up or not. In other words, we’re not sure if the Pharisees happened to notice the event, or if they were spying on Jesus’ followers. What follows, when Jesus and His disciples reach the synagogue on the Sabbath, has every appearance of an arranged encounter. One way or another, these men are determined to catch Jesus in the act of breaking their interpretation of the Law of Moses.

Verse 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” — so that they might accuse him.

Jesus and His disciples have arrived at the synagogue on the Sabbath. The Pharisees seems to have been waiting for them. They are hoping to entice Jesus into breaking the Law of Moses, specifically the command not to work on the Sabbath, so that they can discredit Him.

Another man was at the synagogue. He had one withered or shriveled hand. In Mark’s telling of this same story, Jesus initiated the conversation with the man by asking him to stand up in front of everyone (Mark 3:3). Jesus was not going to avoid the trap the Pharisees had apparently laid for him.

Matthew records the Pharisees asking if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Their presumed answer was “no.” Their group of Pharisees had come up with a list of 39 things that qualified as forbidden work on the Sabbath in order to keep the fourth commandment found in Exodus, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:8–10).

In creating such a list, the Pharisees were going “too far” in doing a legitimate thing. They were tasked, in part, with helping the people of Israel to know how to apply God’s commands to their everyday lives. The problem Jesus has pointed out is that they lost sight of their responsibility to care for people and to show them mercy. Instead, over time, the Pharisees added unreasonable rules and regulations to the Law of Moses. They turned Judaism into a great burden instead of providing great good to the people.

Their requirements forbid “healing” in the sense of non-life-saving medical care. The man whose hand was shriveled was not in a life-or-death situation. They hoped Jesus would heal the man, anyway, so they could accuse Him of breaking the command. In truth, Jesus would be breaking only their interpretation of the command. And His response will show how cynical and cold their attitudes really were.

Verse 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

A man with a withered, shriveled hand stands before a crowd at the synagogue. Jesus and the disciples are there, along with a group of Pharisees who hope to catch Jesus breaking a command of the law of Moses. As a teacher might ask a class, they have asked Jesus: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

From the perspective of the Pharisees, the correct answer is “no.” It has been decided by their ruling body that anything beyond life-saving care qualifies as work. For them, this means it is forbidden by the fourth commandment about not working on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–10). If Jesus heals this man, they will see it as catching Him in the act of breaking the command. In truth, Jesus would only be breaking their interpretation of the command.

Jesus answers their question with a question of His own: wouldn’t you rescue a sheep or other animal if it fell in a hole on the Sabbath?

This question was not mere speculation. Pits were commonly dug as traps for predators, to protect livestock. Sometimes, though, sheep would fall into the pits by accident, perhaps hurting themselves. While some Pharisees would have forbidden the rescue of an animal on the Sabbath, most would not have made this a restriction. Further, most people would act in mercy for the animal instead of leaving it in the pit to suffer.

The point Jesus is leading to is one He has made before in Matthew: How much more valuable are people than animals? If God provides for the birds, He will surely provide for you, because you are far more valuable to Him (Matthew 6:26). If God knows when each sparrow falls, He will surely know when you die because you are more valuable than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29–31).

Jesus’ response makes two important points. First, if it’s right to show mercy to an animal, how could it be wrong to show mercy to a person? Second, it’s clear that God’s command about not working on the Sabbath is not aimed at situations like a trapped animal, or some other disaster. Neither is it meant to stop people from doing good.

Verse 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees are hoping to trap Jesus: to catch Him healing on the Sabbath and thus breaking their interpretation of the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8–10). The problem is their trap supposes their interpretation of “work” carries the same level of authority as the law of Moses. Jesus is showing it does not (Matthew 12:9–11).

Presented with a man who has a withered hand, Jesus has asked a question: Who would not lift one of their sheep from a pit if it fell in on the Sabbath? In other words, who would allow their sheep to suffer instead of doing the work of pulling it out of the pit, even on the Sabbath? Jesus’ question assumes that most everyone would choose to show mercy to the sheep instead of woodenly following the letter of the law, rather than the intent of it.

Now Jesus brings that point home: How much more valuable is a man than a sheep? That’s why, He concludes, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. The good in this case is showing mercy to a person if it is in your power to do so. Jesus will demonstrate in the following verses that this is within His power.

Jesus puts the question a little differently in Mark’s version of the story: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil?” That question implies that choosing not to do good, in the sense of showing mercy on the Sabbath, might be considered evil (James 4:17).

It’s important to understand that Jesus is not teaching that observing the Sabbath is wrong. Nor is He suggesting that the literal meaning of any law is unimportant. The Sabbath was one of God’s great gifts to Israel. However, the requirement not to work was intended to bring God’s people rest—not to add to their burden. Jesus is objecting to how the Pharisees have twisted God’s commands. Again, He shows that they don’t understand that God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Matthew 12:7).

Verse 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.

To trap Jesus, a group of Pharisees have asked whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The heart of the question is whether non-life-saving healing involves work. That would make it a violation of the letter of the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8–10). Unless the person is in life-or-death need of help, the Pharisees say healing is unlawful.

Jesus has countered that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, providing an illustration of a sheep that falls into a pit. Who would not show mercy by bending to help that sheep out? His point is that while the literal words of the law have meaning, they also have intent—and God’s intent was not to choose evil over good for the sake of legalism (James 4:17).

The man with the withered hand has not said or done anything. In a very real sense, this conversation is not about him. It involves him, but it’s not even tied to his faith, the subject of so many of Jesus’ miraculous healings. The sense of this scene is that everyone present believes Jesus can heal this man’s hand whenever He wants to. Even the Pharisees seem to believe this, cynically hoping for a miracle so they can condemn the miracle-worker!

Jesus, though, has reframed their trap into a question of doing good or doing evil, of showing mercy or refusing to do so. Jesus now acts in mercy. He tells the man to stretch out his hand. When he does so, the man’s hand is restored, as healthy as his other one. He has been healed on the Sabbath in the synagogue by the Messiah.

Verse 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Yet another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees ends with them walking out in frustration and defeat. Christ has revealed that their arrogant legalism, about whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, misses the point of God’s law. God desires mercy from them, not sacrifice (Matthew 12:7). Jesus’ answer showed they were not concerned about the man they used for bait (Matthew 12:9–10). Their only goal was to find an accusation against Jesus.

The result of yet another thwarted trap did not change the minds of these hard-hearted men. Instead, it deepened their conspiracy against Him. They were desperate to destroy Him. The problem was that Israel’s religious leaders had limited formal political power within the Roman empire. If they truly wanted Jesus dead, they would either need to have Him murdered, turn a mob against Him, or convince the Roman authorities that He was a revolutionary.

Why so much hatred? On a personal level, Jesus had called them out for failing to shepherd the people of God in a merciful way. He had embarrassed them in multiple exchanges. He openly challenged their authority. Officially, their complaint against Jesus was His claim to be the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God (John 19:7). Since they were sure this could not possibly true, it was a heresy that deserved death.

A more crucial question is why the Pharisees could not see Jesus for what He was. Instead of accepting that His miraculous power came from God, they decided that His power was from the devil (Matthew 12:24). Instead of seeing His works and teaching as a fulfillment of the Scriptures they knew so well (John 5:39–40), they saw Him as a threat to their power and status quo under the Roman rule.

In the previous chapter, Jesus thanked God the Father for hiding the truth from those who are wise and understanding, according to the world (Matthew 11:25). He likely had the Jewish religious leaders in mind.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:9–14 finds Jesus and His disciples in the synagogue, encountering a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees once again attempt to trick Jesus. They ask if it’s lawful to heal on the Sabbath, since healing is “work,” and the law supposedly forbids it. Jesus asks if they would leave one of their sheep in a pit if it fell in on the Sabbath, emphasizing that people are more valuable than sheep. Jesus insists that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath and fully heals the man’s hand in an instant. The Pharisees walk out and deepen their conspiracy to destroy Jesus.

Verse 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all

Jesus was aware the Pharisees were conspiring together to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14). They wanted Jesus dead. Their options were limited, because they could not enforce a death penalty while under Roman rule. They would need the Roman authorities to charge Jesus. The other obstacle faced by the Pharisees was that Jesus was enormously popular with the people. They had to be careful not to lose the loyalty of the people by acting too openly against Him.

For now, in keeping with God’s timeline (John 2:4; 12:23), Jesus moves away from the heat of the Pharisees’ wrath. In this moment, He will choose to avoid further conflict. He has more work to do before His time comes to be arrested and killed by the Romans (John 12:32–34).

Jesus may have moved away from the Pharisees, but He did not escape the crowds of people that continually followed Him. This makes sense. Not only were they drawn to His powerful and authoritative teaching, Jesus “healed them all.” In this phase of His ministry, Jesus healed anyone who came to Him with any disease, affliction, or demon oppression. He was fulfilling His mission of demonstrating to Israel the power of God in the form of the Messiah.

Verse 16 and ordered them not to make him known.

Large crowds continue to follow Jesus, and He continues to heal everyone who comes to Him for help (Matthew 12:15). He also returns to His practice of ordering those He heals not to make Him known. That is, He tells them not to tell how they were healed or, perhaps, that He is the Messiah.

Why order those He has helped not to tell anyone? It’s not clear. Jesus may have been attempting not to draw the attention of Jewish religious leaders who wanted to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14). Or He may have been trying to manage the size of the crowds following Him. His mission was to bring healing to Israel and demonstrate the power of God, but He may have wanted to keep the crowds from growing so large that Romans began to look at them as some kind of revolutionary threat. Many people who believed Him to be the Messiah may have expected Him to use His power to overthrow their oppressors (John 6:15). Jesus had not come to do that and did not seem to want that expectation to grow.

However, Matthew has given several examples of people who immediately disobeyed Jesus’ order not to talk about their healing. These were the ones overcome with joy, who went out and told everyone they saw about what had happened and the One who had done it.

Verse 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

Perhaps to explain why Jesus was avoiding contact with the Pharisees during this time and telling people not to make Him known, Matthew will reference a passage from Isaiah 42 and apply it to Jesus. That passage begins by describing a servant refusing to bicker or shout in a public setting (Isaiah 42:19). This begins the longest of Matthew’s citations of the Old Testament.

Matthew is clear that Jesus is the fulfillment of this passage. To its original audience, Isaiah’s words seem to be about Israel. The fact that Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applies it to Jesus fits the idea that Jesus is the ultimate expression of “Israel.” He is the best product of the nation and the one in whom the Gentiles will hope (Matthew 12:21).

Verse 18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.I will put my Spirit upon him,and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Matthew is referencing Isaiah 42 and applying it to Jesus. That passage might have initially seemed to refer to Israel, but Matthew’s version of the passage fits Jesus perfectly. Jesus is sometimes described as the ultimate expression of Israel. In that way, He fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy in these verses.

The passage begins with phrases that sound very much like what the voice of God the Father said from heaven about Jesus immediately following His baptism by John the Baptist, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). It is similar, as well, to the Father’s words about Jesus later in Matthew during what it known as the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5).

About 700 years or so before those moments, Isaiah quotes God as saying, “Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights.” The word translated as “servant” in Isaiah can also be read as “son.” Jesus fits both, of course, in relation to God the Father. Matthew seems to be using the Septuagint: a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The second part of this verse also fits with that moment following Jesus’ baptism, which involved “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him” (Matthew 3:16). Isaiah quotes God as saying, “I will put my Spirit upon him.”

Isaiah next turns to the work this servant will do in proclaiming justice to the nations—in this context, meaning the Gentiles. Jesus came first to proclaim the good news to His people Israel, but soon His followers will take the message of Jesus to all the people of the world.

Verse 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

Matthew is quoting a version of Isaiah 42 and applying it to Jesus. The original passage was, it would seem, written about Israel. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, though, Matthew shows how Jesus has fulfilled the prophecy. Jesus is sometimes called the perfect Israel or the ultimate Israel. He is the best and fullest example of God’s chosen people.

The passage in Isaiah is describing this servant with whom God is pleased and on whom the Father has placed His Spirit (Isaiah 42:1–3). The servant’s work will eventually be to proclaim justice to those who are not Israel, the Gentile nations.

Now Isaiah adds that the servant will not quarrel or cry out. Nobody will hear His voice in the streets. In other words, the servant is gentle and humble, not putting effort into calling attention to Himself. This was true of Jesus, as well. He taught publicly and He healed many people, but He avoided conflict with His enemies when it was prudent (Matthew 12:15) and warned His followers not to publicize His miracles (Matthew 12:16). Still, the crowds grew. Jesus did not have to engage in self-promotion to draw people to His words and deeds.

Verse 20 a bruised reed he will not break,and a smoldering wick he will not quench,until he brings justice to victory;

Isaiah 41:1–4 is the source of this quotation by Matthew, who applies it to Jesus as a fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah, quoting God, now writes that the servant of whom God speaks will go so gently in His mission that He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick. But He will also bring “justice to victory” (Isaiah 42:1–4).

This description does not fit the Messiah many in Israel were hoping for. They wanted a conquering Savior who would triumphantly overthrow Israel’s enemies and set the nation back on the road to glory and prosperity. This description does fit Jesus the Messiah, however, who came to earth to bring salvation through His own death for the sins of others. In this way, the Savior will bring victorious justice to all who trust in Him. Judgment on the enemies of God would come much later.

Verse 21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

This concludes Matthew quotation of Isaiah 42:1–4. In that passage, Isaiah quotes God’s description of the servant He loves and is pleased with. That servant will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim justice to the nations, which in this context means the Gentiles. Matthew is revealing Isaiah’s passage to be about the Messiah, who is Jesus (Matthew 12:18–20).

This is not the Messiah Israel is expecting, however. Instead of confronting and overwhelming Israel’s enemies, this Messiah will refuse to quarrel or cry out. Instead of breaking the Roman army, this Messiah will come with such gentleness and humility that He will not break even a bruised reed on the ground. In this surprising way, He will bring justice to victory.

Isaiah’s description fits Jesus perfectly. Instead of fighting off the Romans, Jesus will submit to their execution of Him. He will die to pay for the sins of others, allowing all who trust in Him to be forgiven for their sins and declared righteous by God. They will experience victorious justice through submitting to the Savior who submitted to death and was resurrected in victory.

Finally, in this verse, Matthew points to Isaiah to show that the Gentiles will hope in the name of the Messiah. Instead of defeating the Gentiles and sending them away, Jesus will become the way in which the people of the non-Jewish nations come in hope to God the Father.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:15–21 shows Jesus withdrawing away from the Pharisees, who want to destroy Him. The crowds persist in following Him, though, and He continues to tell those He heals not to make Him known. Matthew declares that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1–4. Isaiah quotes God referring to His promised servant using the same terminology God used of Jesus at His baptism. This servant is gentle, refusing to call attention to Himself, but is also the One who will bring justice to victory and in whom the Gentiles will hope.

Verse 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.

Matthew turns to another example of Jesus healing and removing a demon from a person, followed by another confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus. A man is brought to Jesus who is in terrible shape. He can neither speak nor see, which would have made it very difficult for him to communicate. The reason for his condition appears to have been oppression by a demon. Demons, as shown in the New Testament, can sometimes cause disabilities in their victims.

Jesus immediately solves the man’s problem by healing him, likely by casting the demon out. Suddenly the man can see and speak. The crowd is amazed and impressed. The Pharisees are not. This will lead to something more than a denial of a miracle. Rather than expressing doubt that this was a supernatural event, the Pharisees will accept that it’s miraculous. However, they are so hardened against God that they’ll insist the power comes from Satan (Matthew 12:24)!

Verse 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”

Jesus has just healed a demon oppressed man who could not see or speak, likely by removing the demon from him (Matthew 12:22). Suddenly, the man spoke and saw. The change must have been dramatic, because Matthew reports that the crowd was amazed.

In some cases, people react to Christ’s miracles with fear (Mark 5:14–17) or awe (Matthew 8:26–27). This time, the people connect their amazement with the possibility that Jesus might be the long-promised Messiah: the Savior of Israel. They ask each other, “Can this be the Son of David?” The name “Son of David” was a title reserved for the Messiah. It came from God’s promise to David to establish his throne over Israel forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

Because of Isaiah’s prophecies, many Israelites likely associated the time of the Messiah’s coming with the healing of the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute (Isaiah 35:5). Jesus had accomplished all those miracles and many more. Those who witnessed this healing made the correct connection between Jesus’ power and the idea that He might be the Messiah.

Not everyone who witnesses this will be so reasonable. Some are so committed to disbelief (John 5:39–40) that they’ll explain the supernatural act as coming from Satan (Matthew 12:24).

Verse 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

The Pharisees refused to entertain even the possibility that Jesus could be the long-promised Messiah (Matthew 12:22–23). Despite all His healings and miracles, Jesus simply did not meet their expectations for what the Savior of Israel should be like. Worse, He often contradicted their traditions and authority (Matthew 12:1–8). Still, they needed some explanation for Jesus’ undeniable power. Christ’s ministry included demonstrating the ability to cast out demons with a simple command.

Rather than follow the evidence to a logical conclusion, Jesus’ bitter critics choose a more drastic, stubborn opinion. The Pharisees declare to those nearby that Jesus’ ability to order demons away came from Beelzebul, the prince of demons himself. Beelzebul, which means “master of the house,” was another name for Satan or the devil. In short, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus of sorcery, the practice of accessing the power of evil spirits for specific purposes. Under the law of Moses, the penalty for sorcery was death (Exodus 22:18).

This isn’t the first time the Pharisees had accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. They are quoted as saying the same thing in Matthew 9:34 after hearing the crowd express amazement at Jesus’ power over demons. The Pharisees are still conspiring to destroy Jesus (Matthew 12:14), and this accusation fit right into their plan. First, it discredited Jesus’ power as not coming from God. Second, it allowed for the accusation of a crime that came with the death penalty.

Readers are meant to understand just how obstinate these critical Pharisees have become. This is a prime example of a concept often seen in the Bible: that some people will never believe, no matter what. The Pharisees know more than enough, and they have seen more than enough, but they deliberately refuse to accept the truth (John 5:39–40).

Next, Christ will dismantle their accusation and bring a devastating counter-charge.

Verse 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

The Pharisees have stated that Jesus’ ability to cast out demons came from Satan and not from God (Matthew 12:22–24). It’s not the first time they’ve made such a claim (Matthew 9:34). Apparently, they either said this in private, or in a way which did not draw much attention. Here, again, they seem to be making the accusation outside of earshot of Jesus. Rather than indicating He heard them, this verse reveals that He knew their thoughts. The fact that Jesus was able to read their minds should have been further evidence to the Pharisees that He was the Messiah.

Jesus begins His counterargument against their charge with logic: Kingdoms divided against themselves are defeated. Civil war doesn’t make for powerful nations. Divided cities and houses, likewise, do not stand. They fall. The point, one Jesus clarifies in the following verses, is that Satan would not cast out the very demons he sent out to oppress people. He would only be defeating himself.

Verse 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Jesus stands accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by Beelzebul—in other words, by using the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24). These men are so hardened against God that they refuse to accept the obvious (John 5:39–40). Jesus’ critics make no effort to claim His work here was a trick or a lie. They know, for a fact, that it’s supernatural. What they refuse to accept is that it’s godly—since that would mean their traditions and legalism are wrong (Matthew 12:1–8). To explain away the miracle, they need an alternative excuse for Jesus’ undeniable power over demons This is the best they can come up with.

Jesus has begun to answer the charge. His first rebuttal is that no nation, city, or even household that is divided against itself can stand. That would be civil war, and the “kingdom” would fall (Matthew 12:25). Now Jesus applies that idea to the charge against Him. Satan sends demons out into the world to do his work. If Satan then casts those same demons out of the ones they have been sent to oppress, Satan would be divided against himself. Jesus asks, “How will Satan’s kingdom stand?”

Jesus’ point is that the idea is absurd. Satan would not go to war against himself.

Verse 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Jesus is answering an accusation made against Him by the Pharisees. They have claimed His impressive ability to cast out demons comes from Satan, whom they call Beelzebul (Matthew 12:22–24). Jesus’ first counterargument is that if this were true, it would mean that Satan was casting out his own demons. He would be in a war against himself, and his kingdom would fall. In other words, the idea itself is foolish (Matthew 12:25–26).

Now Jesus offers a second rebuttal: By whom do the “sons”—in this context, meaning disciples or associates—of the Pharisees cast out demons? Apparently, some Pharisees in Israel practiced exorcisms, or at least claimed to. One thing that impressed the crowds about Jesus was that His authority over demons was absolute. He cast them out with a single word (Matthew 8:16). Exorcists of the day apparently attempted to use incantations and other elaborate ceremonies to remove demons from people.

Jesus’ point, though, is more one of simple logic. An accusation that He cast out demons by the power of Satan could only raise questions about whose power the Pharisees called on to cast out demons. Their foolish accusation could backfire on them and bring their own associates’ practices into question. The worse problem with that line of thinking, as Jesus goes on to explain, is what it says about the Pharisee’s hard-hearted stubbornness towards God (Matthew 12:32).

Verse 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Jesus has shown that the Pharisees’ slander—that He casts out demons by Satan’s power—is ridiculous (Matthew 12:22–24). First, it would mean Satan is fighting a battle against himself. Second, it would call into question by whose power the Pharisees attempted their own exorcisms (Matthew 12:25–27).

Now Jesus adds that the Pharisees are missing the most important point of all. If He is truly casting out demons by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, then the kingdom of God has come, at last. Of course, this is exactly the conclusion the Pharisees are trying to avoid. The problem here is not merely that they “do not” believe. It’s that they “do not want to” believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

Christ leaves His critics no room to escape the most rational conclusion before them. He does indeed cast out demons by the Spirit of God. The Jews widely believed that God’s Spirit had left Israel after the prophets had died out hundreds of years earlier. If the Spirit was back and working through Jesus, as it obviously was, the time of the Messiah has come. More than that, the King has come, and the kingdom of God has been initiated, even if it was not fully established.

Jesus’ ability to so quickly and easily cast out demons was evidence that He was the Messiah and King. Those who made a conscious effort to resist those truths were in a dire spiritual condition.

Verse 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man ‘s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.

Colossians 1:13 says God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus is describing the beginning of that dramatic rescue.

Ever since the fall of mankind (Genesis 3:1–13), Satan had wide freedom on the earth, oppressing people and holding them captive in his “domain of darkness.” One of the first actions of Jesus’ ministry was to do battle with Satan in the form of several temptations (Matthew 4:1–11). Jesus concluded that battle by saying to Satan, “Be gone!” Satan left, and Jesus’ power over Satan was established. Satan could do nothing to stop Jesus from carrying out His plans in the heart of Satan’s former domain.

That’s what Jesus is describing in this verse. He has entered Satan’s house, the earth, to plunder his goods, the people who will be God’s. He began that “robbery” by first binding the strong man, Satan, so that He, Jesus, could work freely in removing Satan’s grasp from those who would eventually trust in Christ.

Jesus’ point to the Pharisees was larger than merely denying that He obtained power from Satan. It’s that His power is precisely the opposite of that: it’s godly power. The Pharisees were as wrong as they could possibly be about what was happening in the world right before their eyes.

Verse 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Jesus has rebuked the Pharisees (Matthew 12:25–28) for accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24). The exact opposite is true. He said in the previous verse, in the form of an analogy, that to accomplish His work on earth, He had to first bind the “strong man,” meaning Satan, so He could plunder Satan’s domain (Matthew 12:29).

In other words, Jesus came to earth to gather citizens for the kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28). Those who receive Him by faith will be rescued from Satan’s domain of darkness and delivered to Jesus’ kingdom (Colossians 1:13). Contrary to the Pharisees’ charge, Jesus is declaring to them and the listening crowds just how deeply He is working against Satan.

Now Jesus looks the Pharisees in the eyes and draws a line in the sand. Whoever is not with Him in this work He is doing is, by definition, against Him. Whoever does not help Him in His mission to gather citizens into His kingdom is guilty of scattering them. That means that the Pharisees, in their conspiracy to destroy Jesus, have put themselves against the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God. With Satan, they stand against the work of God.

Jesus makes this absolute statement as a warning to all who hear Him. Nobody can remain neutral on the issue of Jesus (Acts 4:12). He demands full acceptance and participation in His mission from those who are with Him. Anyone who does not join Him is on the other side, no matter how much he or she may wish not to have an opinion (John 3:36).

Mark quotes Jesus as declaring that the positive version of this statement is also true. When His disciples were concerned about someone who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus even though that person wasn’t one of them, Jesus told them not to stop the man. “The one who is not against us is for us,” Jesus said (Mark 9:40).

Verse 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

As used in Scripture, the word “blasphemy” means expressing something disrespectful or evil about God. Among the worst forms of blasphemy are those which twist sacred truths about God into lies.

Taken out of context, it’s understandable that this verse has caused many people to worry. There’s a fear of experiencing a moment of weakness, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and remaining unforgiven by God for all of eternity. However, Jesus is not warning about casual or thoughtless stumbles. In the most immediate context, He’s speaking about an extremely specific sin, which can’t be literally replicated today. In a broader sense, He also implies that our words reveal our hearts, which is where the true problem is.

Two things help us to understand Jesus’ words here. The first is context. Jesus has been accused by some Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24). Jesus responded by pointing out that He cast out demons by the power of God’s Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:25–28). This made the Pharisees guilty of giving credit to Satan for the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the blasphemy Jesus is talking about.

Why did the Pharisees do such a thing? Their goal was not truth; it was to discredit Jesus at any cost (John 5:39–40). When confronted with an obvious miracle, they were willing to attribute it to Satan. They chose that extraordinary act of blasphemy, rather than submission to God, because they rejected Jesus as the Son of God. That act, because it represents someone absolutely committed to disbelief, is proof that such a person is never going to find salvation. In the strictest sense, this is a sin which can no longer be committed today. The Pharisees talked to the Son of God in person, watched Him perform a miracle, and blasphemed God in response. This is not an act anyone living today can commit.

The only way for anyone to be forgiven for their sins, any sin, is through faith in Jesus (John 3:16–18). Faith in Christ causes God to take Jesus’ death as payment for our sin and to give us the credit for Jesus’ righteous life (2 Corinthians 5:21). A major work of the Holy Spirit is leading people to faith in Jesus (John 16:7–11). In a broad sense, those who “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” today are those who continue to reject the Spirit’s message. They keep saying “no” to the Holy Spirit’s leading, in essence calling Him a liar.

Those who persist in stubbornness and disbelief will not be forgiven, because they refuse to trust in Christ as the Holy Spirit is leading them to do. Since there is no other path to forgiveness except through faith in Jesus, their choice to consistently reject the Spirit’s leading causes them to remain unforgiven (John 3:36).

Verse 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus has said that, unlike every other sin, blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31). The immediate meaning of that refers to something only those who saw Jesus in person could do: to see a miracle from Christ and attribute it to Satan. In the most literal sense, that’s a sin which no one today can commit. In a broader sense, to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” for most people implies a continual rejection of the Holy Spirit’s call. Those who call God a liar by rejecting His call have no hope of forgiveness (John 3:36).

Emphasizing this point, Jesus adds that speaking against Him is not unforgivable. The Son of Man is Jesus’ most used name for Himself; those who criticize, reject, or even lie about Christ can change their mind and be forgiven. In part, Christ repeats and expands on what He said in the previous verse.

This pattern is demonstrated in Scripture. During Jesus’ life and ministry on earth, many people spoke against Jesus. Some of them later came to faith in Him as the Savior and Son of God. Jesus’ own family said He was out of His mind (Mark 3:21). After Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and returned to heaven, however, His earthly family is shown to have believed in Him and joined with Jesus’ other followers (Acts 1:14). The apostle Paul, in fact, was at one time a hateful persecutor against the Christian church (Acts 22:1–10).

Every person begins life not having yet trusted in Christ. Forgiveness for that unbelief comes when a person believes and puts their faith in Him. He or she is forgiven for any words spoken against Him.

The point made here marks a difference between speaking a word against Christ—the Son of Man—and speaking against the Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as a person. The Spirit is the powerful third member of the Trinity, the “three in one” of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that makes God who He is. The Holy Spirit’s work is different than that of the Father and the Son. The Spirit is the one who leads people to faith in Jesus, who makes it possible for sinful humans to see who Christ is and trust in Him.

Broadly applied, to speak against the Holy Spirit is to reject Him and the work He is doing. Those who continue to speak against the Spirit cannot come to faith in Christ. Those who do not come to faith in Christ will not be forgiven for their sins either in this age or in eternity. Jesus will not allow for any faith in Him that does not include faith in the work the Holy Spirit is doing to demonstrate that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:22–32 begins with Jesus healing a demon-oppressed man who cannot see or speak. The passage ends with a controversial, troubling statement. The crowds wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. Some Pharisees say Jesus casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus counters their argument with both logic and a harsh rebuke. The Pharisees have missed the truth: the kingdom of God has come. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—seeing such a miracle and attributing it to Satan—is a sin which will not be forgiven.

Verse 33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

The Pharisees are enduring another rebuke from Christ. This comes in the aftermath of their unforgivable sin: to associate a miracle from Christ with Satanic power (Matthew 12:22–32). These kinds of interactions would have surprised many people of first-century Israel: the Pharisees were thought to be the best example of good. They posed as the model of faithfulness to God. As strict legalists, they measured their righteousness by keeping lists of rules and regulations, which were far more restrictive than the actual laws given through Moses.

Rather than praising their behavior, Jesus bluntly condemns them. It’s common sense to judge the quality of a fruit tree by looking at what it produces: good or bad fruit. The Pharisees have shown their spiritual “fruit” in accusing Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Messiah. They have revealed the real nature of their hearts by claiming His power to cast out demons comes from Satan. In truth, they are the ones guilty of blasphemy.

In the final judgment, faith in Christ is the line in the sand (John 14:6). It’s either the One, or nothing at all (John 3:36). Anyone who does not recognize Him as the Messiah is on the bad side of that line. By making such an obvious, hard-hearted attempt to reject Him (Matthew 12:24), the Pharisees leave no room to claim they merely made a mistake or didn’t get it. Their rejection of Him shows they are actually evil in their hearts.

Verse 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Christ is thoroughly and righteously condemning the group of Pharisees. These legalistic religious leaders have accused Him of getting His power to cast out demons from Satan (Matthew 12:24). They are so committed to rejecting Jesus as the Messiah that they would rather glorify Satan’s power than acknowledge that God is working through His Son! In the previous verse, Jesus compared the Pharisees to bad trees. This was proven by their bad “fruit:” rejecting and accusing Him.

Here, the criticism intensifies. Jesus repeats what John the Baptist called a group of Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 3:7. The word “brood” means offspring (John 8:42–44), so Jesus is calling the Pharisees children of snakes. This associates them with Satan, often pictured as a serpent in Scripture, beginning in Genesis 3. These critics have accused Christ of using Satan’s power—but truth is they are the ones aligned with Satan and against Jesus.

The question asked here is rhetorical—it’s making a point. In the same way that a bad tree is incapable of growing good fruit, a person committed to hate for Christ can’t speak spiritual truth. Jesus bluntly calls these men evil. Good words cannot come out of evil hearts. The Pharisees words about Jesus and Satan showed to everyone their true, evil selves.

This Scripture reveals a blanket principle for all people: our words always eventually reveal what’s going on inside of us. There’s no such thing as an unimportant act, or an unimportant word (Matthew 12:36).

Verse 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of the devil instead of by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:24). He is not allowing for the excuse that they just made a mistake or came to the wrong conclusion about Him (Matthew 12:32). They do not have a misunderstanding (John 5:39–40). Jesus is insisting that the Pharisees have spoken evil out of evil hearts. That’s how it always works: what’s inside one’s heart eventually manifests in actions and words (Matthew 12:34).

The previous verse ended with that very principle: what’s inside overflows and spills out into the world. The Pharisees have revealed their true intentions and state of mind with what they have said.

Now Jesus adds to the idea. Good people generally produce good things out of a good treasure within them. Evil people generally produce evil things from the evil treasure they carry. The heart of a person reveals the nature of a person by what comes out in their words and actions. In building this principle, Jesus is rejecting two possibilities. Good people do not innocently produce evil words or actions; misunderstandings or hard circumstances are not an excuse for evil actions. In the same way, bad people don’t accidentally spew good words despite their spiritual darkness. The fruit always reveals the nature of the tree.

To fully grasp that point, it’s crucial to realize Jesus is not using the word “good” to mean sinlessness or perfection. Scripture is clear that nobody but Jesus is good in that sense (Romans 3:23). Jesus is talking about the motives, intentions, and focus of the heart, as well as how people respond to Him as the Son of God. When someone speaks or does evil, it’s motivated by an evil thought or intent in their heart.

Verse 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

This is yet another reference to the day of judgment. This will happen at Christ’s triumphant return to earth, also called the second coming or the day of the Lord. When Jesus returns, He will hold all people accountable for their words and actions. This includes even a person’s “every careless word.”

Scripture implies there will be two major judgments taking place in the end. Christ will be judge at both. One is for all who have rejected Christ (John 3:36) and refused God’s gift of eternal life through putting their faith in Jesus (John 5:22–29; Revelation 20:11–15). Non-believers will be judged on their own righteousness and come up short of reaching God’s standard (Romans 3:23). This is often referred to as the “white throne judgment.”

The other judgment will be of those who are Christians. This is sometimes called the judgment seat of Christ, or the “Bema seat.” There, Jesus will examine each believer’s words and works and determine what rewards will be given or withheld in eternity (2 Corinthians 5:10). That judgment does not determine eternal destiny, nor can a believer lose their salvation there (John 10:28).

Verse 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Jesus has mentioned the day of judgment, referring to His second coming during the end times. At that time, all people will stand before Him. Unbelievers, those who have rejected faith in Christ, will be forced to stand on their own merits (Revelation 20:11–15). Since all people have sinned, anyone judged on their own merits will fall short of God’s standards for salvation (Romans 3:23). That “white throne judgment” will clearly show how each person’s sin deservedly separates them from God. Only those who have trusted in Christ will receive the gift of eternal life with God (Romans 6:23), because their salvation will be judged based on His righteousness, not their own (2 Corinthians 5:21).

There will be another judgment, however. The “judgment seat of Christ,” also known as the “Bema seat,” is meant to measure the worth of each Christian’s actions. This judgment is the basis for Christ giving or withholding eternal rewards to those who will be in heaven.

He says in this verse that a person’s own words will justify or condemn him—including even the most casual or careless remarks (Matthew 12:36). This ties the principle back into daily life: words reveal what is truly in a person’s heart.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:33–37 contains Jesus’ harshest rebuke of the Pharisees in this chapter. The immediate context of this criticism is their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: attributing a miracle of Christ to Satan. Here again, Jesus explains how actions demonstrate a person’s inner heart. That includes speech, which is the natural overflow of our thoughts and attitudes. Like a diseased tree, the Pharisees produce bad fruit. They are compared to vipers, associating them the Devil and evil. Echoing His teaching on God’s perfect righteousness (Matthew 6:1, 5, 16), Jesus declares we are accountable for every word we say.

Verse 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

In the previous section, Jesus harshly condemned the Pharisees who accused Him of using Satan’s power to cast out demons. He called them a brood of vipers and talked about the evil in them that came out in the words they spoke. He warned them of His coming judgment (Matthew 12:24–37).

It’s not clear if the passage beginning here is a direct continuation of those prior conversations. It might have taken place at another time. In either case, certain scribes and Pharisees respectfully address Jesus as “Teacher.” Then they tell Jesus that they wish to see a sign from Him. Some commentators believe this group of religious leaders was trying to set Jesus up for another accusation about His power. Demanding miraculous credentials was not an uncommon response to Jesus’ actions (John 2:18–19).

If we suppose this group of skeptics is being sincere, this request is puzzling. Jesus has already performed countless signs by healing, raising the dead, and casting out demons. Pharisees had been present for several of those, at least. If this is a continuation of prior conversation, Jesus had—only moments before—removed a demon from a blind and mute man. Why ask for yet another sign?

The most likely answer is that the Pharisees were not being sincere. They were scrambling for any way to ignore the clear evidence in front of them. Though Jesus has provided miracles, they demand something else. Of course, even when a miracle is undeniable, they are likely to reject it, anyway (Matthew 12:24). They certainly want to seem sincere, as if they are being open-minded and willing to consider evidence.

In truth, they’re telling Christ “we will decide what counts as evidence, and what does not. No matter how potent a sign is, we won’t believe unless it fits our criteria.” That’s an all-too-common attitude in modern skeptics, as well. Unbelievers in the modern world, just as much as the Pharisees, tend to summarily dismiss all existing evidence, and then demand even more—all the while acting as if such a request is entirely reasonable.

Whatever specific sign these Pharisees are looking for, Jesus will refuse to give it to them. Not because He couldn’t provide it, but because it would be a waste of time (Matthew 7:6).

Verse 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Some scribes and Pharisees have asked Jesus for a sign. Presumably, they wanted to see Him do some specific miracle, different from those He has already done, in order to convince them He was the Messiah. Jesus instantly and flatly refuses them.

The reason for this rejection is that Christ has already performed countless miracles right in front of these skeptics. They’ve chosen to reject the enormous evidence in front of them (John 5:39–40), no matter how ridiculous the excuse (Matthew 12:22–24). Based on how they have responded to those displays of God’s power in Him, why would Jesus give them more (Matthew 7:6)? Instead, Jesus declares these hecklers part of an evil and adulterous generation.

Asking for “even more” signs from God, when He has provided so much already, is evidence of hard-hearted and obstinate disbelief (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1). God does not give signs on demand to prove Himself, but only out of His own grace and in His own timing. And what He gives is more than enough. The claim “if God would do this exact thing, then I would believe” is nothing more than a deceptive excuse.

Jesus doesn’t merely condemn the Pharisees, but also the wider culture of His day. Overall, the people of Israel, both in that era and today, have rejected Jesus as the Messiah. He calls the nation around Him “adulterous,” using the Old Testament metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness to God. Since Jesus is the Son of God, the true Messiah, rejecting Him is similar in a way to rejecting one’s own spouse for another (John 3:36; Ezekiel 16:32).

To those with such a deliberately resistant view, Jesus says no sign will be given. The only further sign these skeptical people—specifically meaning those of Jesus’ era—will be shown is the sign of the prophet Jonah. Reading His words after His resurrection from the dead (John 2:18–22), the meaning becomes clear. Christ’s impending resurrection is the sign this generation of Israelites should take notice of for evidence that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

Verse 40 For just 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.

Some scribes and Pharisees have asked Jesus for a sign: demanding a supernatural miracle to prove that He is truly the Messiah. This is not a sincere request, since Jesus has very recently performed miracles (Matthew 12:9–13; 22), and critics attributed them to Satan (Matthew 12:24). These men are simply rejecting what evidence they see, then demanding more, in a never-ending cycle.

Jesus has flatly refused to humor their approach (Matthew 7:6). He has, however, promised them the sign of Jonah. In explaining what He means, Christ gives the first mention of His own death and resurrection as recorded by Matthew. Jonah was the Old Testament prophet told by God to go to the wicked city of Nineveh and preach against it (Jonah 1:1–2). He refused and ran in the opposite direction (Jonah 1:3–4). Jonah ended up being swallowed by a huge fish (Jonah 1:15–17), repenting from his disobedience, and then being deposited by the fish on dry land three days later (Jonah 2:10).

Jesus says a miracle with parallel elements will happen as part of His own ministry. He will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus doesn’t mention the resurrection specifically, but He implies He will no longer be in the earth after three days.

Some have objected that Jesus was not truly buried for three days—as in a full 72 hours of time. However, Jewish people counted every part of a day as one day. In normal conversation, we often do the same today. Most likely, Jesus was buried on Friday before sundown, and left the tomb after sunrise on Sunday morning, the third day. Complaining that this doesn’t match His prediction is to miss the miracle involved.

Verse 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus has declared that this generation, His generation, is evil and spiritually unfaithful to God. The only sign they will receive from God to validate that He is the messiah is what Jesus as called “the sign of Jonah.” As Jonah was in the great fish for three days and nights, Jesus, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and nights (Matthew 12:39–40). This is a prophecy about Christ’s death and resurrection, however difficult that would have been to understand before it happened (John 2:19–22).

Earlier, Jesus referred to a day when all people would face judgment by God (Matthew 12:36). This statement might not mean that everyone will literally see the judgment of all other people. Jesus’ greater point in referring to Nineveh is that those people—wicked as they were—properly responded to the preaching of Jonah. On that day of judgment, the people of Nineveh will righteously criticize the generation of Israelites who lived at the time of Jesus. When the people of Nineveh heard about God’s coming judgment, they repented of their great evil, from the king down. They turned from their sin and began to pray to God.

The generation of Israelites during the time of Jesus, however, had not repented. They did not turn from their sin, including the sin of not believing Jesus to be the Messiah. This was despite Jesus, as the Messiah, being far greater than the reluctant prophet Jonah.

Proud Pharisees and other faithful Jews would have been stung to hear this. The reason Jonah was so reluctant to go to Nineveh was probably anger over the terrible things that culture had done to his own Jewish people. It would have been painful for an ancient Israelite to be condemned by formerly wicked, antagonistic Gentiles. The key difference between the two groups was repentance—so those who ignore Christ’s message have no excuse.

Verse 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus has called this generation of Israelites evil and spiritually adulterous. They have failed to repent despite His preaching about the kingdom of heaven and despite all the displays of power they have seen in Him. Some believed Him to be the Messiah and repented in preparation for His kingdom; most Israelites did not believe or declare their faith in Him (Matthew 12:38–41).

Jesus has refused to give them any immediate miraculous sign to prove Himself. However, He has predicted a supernatural event which they ought to recognize when it happens. As Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days (Jonah 1:15–17; 2:10), Christ, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days. At this time, Jesus did not elaborate, but He was describing His own death and miraculous resurrection (John 2:19–22).

Part of the criticism Jesus levels against His peers is that even wicked, pagan nations like Nineveh were willing to repent when they heard a message from God. Even the king of the wicked city repented when Jonah finally came to preach about God’s judgment. Jesus implies that when all men are eternally judged, in the end times, the people of Nineveh will have every right to condemn that generation of Israelites for their unbelief and unrepentance.

The queen of the South is also known as the Queen of Sheba. She heard about the wisdom of Solomon and the splendor of Israel under his rule and traveled great distances to see it with her own eyes (1 Kings 10:1–29). Jesus now says that something greater than Solomon is here, meaning Himself as the Messiah. The Queen of Sheba traveled all the way to Israel to hear Solomon. In contrast, this generation of Israelites would not even receive the Messiah—far greater than any other king—when He appeared in person and performed miracles right in front of them (Matthew 12:9–13; 22)!

Jesus has now declared Himself to be greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6), greater than the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:41), and greater than King Solomon. His words and deeds proved this to be true, as did the prophecies of Scripture (John 5:39–40). Still, the Israelites of His day would not believe.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:38–42 starts with a request from some of the scribes and Pharisees. They want Jesus to provide an on-demand miracle. Of course, Jesus has very recently performed two (Matthew 12:9–13; 22)! In other words, Jesus’ critics are saying they want “different” miracles, which is just an excuse to reject what they’ve already seen. Christ responds by calling such an attitude evil and adulterous. Instead, they will only receive the sign of Jonah, whose experience in a sea creature is compared to how the Son of Man will be buried for three days. Those who correctly respond to God’s call for repentance and submission will rightly condemn those who are obstinate and refuse to believe.

Verse 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.

Earlier in this chapter, Jesus freed a man from demonic possession (Matthew 12:22). Critics such as the Pharisees ignored that sign and instead claimed Jesus was using Satanic power (Matthew 12:24). After refuting that claim and rebuking the Pharisees for their stubbornness, Jesus shifts the topic back to that of demon possession.

Jesus now describes what happens to a demon who leaves a person without being sent to the inescapable “abyss” or “pit” to await God’s judgment (Luke 8:31). Jesus has mentioned exorcisms performed—or at least claimed—by some Pharisees (Matthew 12:27). It could be those attempts were ineffective in sending the demon away for good. This verse doesn’t say the demon is cast out, but that is the context of the chapter.

In either case, the demon, away from its victim, wandering and looking for somewhere to rest. Some commentators speculate that the reference to deserts implies places less touched by God’s blessing, which therefore have less interference in the work of demons (Psalm 63:1). The other possibility is that the demon’s eagerness to find a new host is compared to a thirsty person searching through a desert. In either case, the demon looks for rest by hunting for another human to occupy. In this case, the demon is unsuccessful, so it decides to return (Matthew 12:44).

Verse 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

Jesus is using the analogy of a demon leaving behind a human “occupant” only to eventually return. The analogy shows what will happen to Israel if this generation does not repent of its unbelief that He is the Messiah.

The unclean spirit in Jesus’ story is either cast out of a person or leaves for another reason. It passes through dry places—perhaps implying a desert (Psalm 63:1) looking for a new person to oppress. In this case, it doesn’t find anyone. Now Jesus pictures the demon returning to the original person it possessed. When it comes back, the former “house” is all cleaned up. It is empty, swept, and put in order. In other words, the person had been restored to his or her right mind and is now thinking clearly and behaving normally.

Jesus is not making light of demon possession. Possession—or “oppression,” as some commentators prefer—is shown throughout the gospels and Acts to be a terrible experience. Those occupied by demons lose control of their minds and bodies. They are often self-destructive and sometimes hurt other people. Some demons may give their human host supernatural strength or other abilities that are used for destructive purposes. Aside from Jesus and, later, His disciples, demons often are quite difficult to remove.

The picture of a house now in order after the demon has left fits those descriptions. Instead of being out of control and destructive, the person free of demons returns to a normal and orderly existence.

Verse 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

The New Testament unmistakably presents Satan and demons as literally real beings. They are active in the world and do damage to people by taking some level of control over them. Jesus has pictured a scenario where a demon leaves a person behind only to return later and find this “house” cleaned up and put in order. In other words, the person is back to being in his or her right mind and living an orderly life (Matthew 12:43–44).

Now Jesus completes the picture. The demon has found this person to be a good home again, with nothing to protect him or her. The “house” is cleaned, but it’s still unoccupied and undefended. Instead of simply moving in, the demon goes out and finds seven other demons—all more evil than it is—to join it in occupying this person. Jesus says the condition of the person is far worse than it was when oppressed by the demon the first time.

Finally, Jesus reveals the point of His story. This “evil” generation of Israelites are in danger of experiencing something similar. Jesus has demonstrated His easy authority over the power of Satan and other demons. He casts them out with a word and has freed many people from demon oppression. Still, this generation of Israelites, as a group, have rejected His teaching and authority over them. They will not receive Him as the Messiah. Jesus warns of what will happen as a result. It’s not clear if the warning is of greater demonization in Israel or about what this generation will experience on the day of judgment in the end times.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:43–45 contains a warning from Jesus for “this evil generation” of Israelites, who have failed to receive Him as Messiah. Jesus describes a demon that has left a person but can find no other home. The demon returns to the person and finds its old “house,” the formerly possessed person, cleaned up and orderly. The demon invites seven even more wicked demons to join it in re-occupying the person, making them worse off than before being freed. Jesus uses this analogy to warn against a similar fate for the people of His era.

Verse 46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

Mark’s account of this incident includes some additional helpful details: “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat” (Mark 3:20 NIV). Jesus and His disciples may be so overworked that they have no time to eat. Or, perhaps, they can’t get away to get food because the exits are choked with all the people who want to see Jesus.

In either case, Mark tells us that Jesus’ birth family have come to speak to Him. According to Mark, they are concerned for His mental health (Mark 3:21). Jesus’ family includes Mary, His mother, and His brothers: boys born to Mary and Joseph after the miraculous birth of Christ (Matthew 1:18–25). There is no mention of Joseph here. He may well have died by this point, since he was likely much older than Mary. The last we hear of Joseph in the gospels is during a trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve (Luke 2:41–51).

After hearing that Jesus and His disciples are continuing to teach the people inside this crowded house without stopping to eat, Jesus’ family comes to the house and asks to speak with Him.

Verse 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

This verse is not included in some early manuscripts of Matthew’s gospel. Scholars think it might have been mistakenly added by some copyists, or included to harmonize the account with Mark. The translators of the English Standard Version (ESV) have chosen not to include it, though it does appear in the New International Version (NIV) and others.

This verse repeats the end of the previous verse in the form of someone giving Jesus the message that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak to Him. What Matthew does not include that Mark’s version of this story does is that the family had come to “take charge” of Jesus. They said, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

This additional information tells us two things. First, Jesus’ family did not yet believe that He was the Messiah (or they would not have said He was out of His mind). Second, they were still concerned about Him and either wanted to help Him or to remove Him from the public eye and further embarrassment. There’s no way to know.

Once Jesus is told they are outside waiting for Him, he says a surprising thing about family (Matthew 12:48).

Verse 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

We can combine details from Matthew and Mark’s accounts of this story. Doing so sets a clearer scene. Jesus and His disciples are packed into a house with a huge crowd. Because of the large number of people, they have not been able to eat. Jesus’ family—Mary and the other sons born to Mary and Joseph—have heard about this (Matthew 12:46). They have come to the house to take charge of Jesus because they believe Jesus is out of His mind (Mark 3:20–21).

Obviously, Mary and Jesus’ brothers did not fully understand His role as Messiah, at this point. It’s possible, in the case of His half-siblings, they likely don’t believe He is the Promised One, at all. Eventually, some of these family members will come to faith in Him as the Christ. Scripture mentions them praying with the disciples after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and return to heaven (Acts 1:14).

Jesus responds to the news that His family is outside wanting to speak to Him in a surprising way. He asks, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” He does not reject His attachment to or responsibility for His immediate family. Rather, He uses the moment to radically enlarge the idea of what it means to be a family. He will define family by attachment to His Father in heaven, and not only those related through birth.

Verse 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

Jesus’ mother Mary and his brothers, born to Mary and Joseph after His birth, are waiting outside of a very crowded house. Jesus is in the house teaching. He has apparently been in there a long time without being able to eat. His family has come to “take charge” of Him because they believe Jesus is out of His mind (Mark 3:20–21).

The news brings a surprising response from Jesus. He asks the crowd who His mother and brothers truly are. Now He points to His disciples and says, “Here are my mother and brothers.”

Christ is not permanently rejecting His mother or His brothers. He will continue to be in relationship with them, and at least some will eventually come to faith in Him as the Messiah (Acts 1:14). Likewise, He does not mean one of the Twelve (Matthew 10:1–4) is His mother. Jesus brings clarity to His point in the following verse (Matthew 12:50). For now, though, He is expanding the idea of what it means to be a family for those who follow Him.

Verse 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Those hearing Jesus’ words are being taught an expanded view of what true “family” is. He is inside a very crowded house teaching when He gets the news that His mother Mary and His brothers are waiting to speak to Him outside. Instead of going out to see them, Jesus points to His disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” This is meant to make an important point (Matthew 12:46–49).

Christ defines His family through the connection to His Father in heaven—not to His earthly mother and brothers. He expands the idea of His family to be “whoever does the will my Father in heaven.” He calls those people his brother and sister and mother. Eventually, at least some of Jesus’ immediate earthly family will become part of this spiritual group (Acts 1:14).

Since this time, the church—all who trust in Christ and do God’s will—has been described as a family. Believers are brothers and sisters in Christ because we all share the same Father in heaven. That Father has literally adopted us as His own children through our faith in Christ (Romans 8:15). That sense of belonging, the idea that the people of Christ are joined together by the bonds of family community, is central to being a Christian. None of us are alone.

In this moment, Jesus stresses that the unifying factor of spiritual “family” is doing the will of God the Father.

Context Summary
Matthew 12:46–50 finds Jesus teaching inside a house. He receives a message that His mother Mary and His brothers are waiting outside to talk to Him. In response, Jesus points to His disciples. He declares that anyone who does the will of His Father in heaven is His brother and sister and mother, establishing the idea that those who follow Christ and do God’s will are meant to be connected like family.

Chapter Summary
Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they’ll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father’s will are His family.