This exposition of Matthew 12:1-14 was delivered by Pastor Rod Harris at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, March 16, 2014.
Intro:
The cultural and intellectual shift of the last 2 decades have dramatically affected our world. We have witnessed a denial of truth (as far as ultimate truth – truth with a capital “T”) and a rejection of long held religious truth. While you might expect a complete denial of all meaning and all spiritual reality there is in fact a grasping for something that will “make sense” of all that has happened. This is an exciting time for the church. We have been given a platform for revealing the reality of our faith. This is an exciting time for the Gospel of Christ! This is an exciting moment to be alive and involved in the work of God. We must seize this opportunity, this open window, for the time is coming when no man can work. We must work while it is day. We must faithfully declare the un-searchable riches of God’s grace.
In a consumer world of choice and self-gratification we as the church must fight in the arena of the marketplace to be heard. The world is asking, “What are my options?” “How does what you are “selling” differ from what others offer?” What makes Christianity different from other world religions? What separates Christianity from the rest? These are the questions that the world is asking. They are not unlike the questions asked by the world of the first century.
Matthew, the former tax collector turned apostle, took pen in hand to write an outline of the life and ministry of Jesus. His purpose was not to produce a biography but rather to pull together a selective history for the purpose of demonstrating that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world.
In chapter 12, Matthew presents two Sabbath controversies that demonstrate mounting opposition from the religious establishment. Here we find the first rumblings of a gathering storm that will ultimately irrupt in the cross of Calvary. As we explore the incidents recorded in the opening words of Matthew 12 we learn something of the character and nature of the ministry of the Lord Jesus.
Text: Matthew 12:1-14
Here our inspired narrator, with the skill of an artist paints for us a moving portrait of the ministry of Jesus. This is vitally important to us as the church for we have been given the responsibility to carry on the ministry of Jesus. In that respect the last chapter of Acts has not been written for we are living it!
In our text we learn a very valuable lesson.
Thesis: The life-giving ministry of Jesus stands in stark contrast to the fatalistic faith of a religion of rules.
Throughout this section Matthew highlights the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. Each event widens the gap between the two. Each serves to draw the line a little darker, until we come to verse 14, which says, “The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
There are two fundamental concerns about Christ-like ministry reflected in this text.
- The ministry of Jesus majors on grace rather than on Law. (12:1-8)
- The ministry of Jesus places mercy above orthodoxy. (12:9-13)
Conclusion:
What kind of ministry are we going to have?
A ministry that is driven by programs, agendas, policies and rules or a ministry that is alive and responsive to the needs of others and the truth of the Gospel?
Too often our vision and understanding is too small.
We can’t put ministry in a box any more than we can put God in a box.
Policies are necessary.
Programs can be helpful.
Structure is essential.
But ministry must be driven by truth and grace!
We are not trying to get people to buy into our system.
We are not seeking to recruit representatives for our organization.
We are seeking to bring people into a living relationship with the living Christ!