Matthew 12

http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+12/

On a Sabbath, the Lord's most holy day, Jesus and his disciples walk through a grain field. The disciples are hungry, so they begin to eat the grain. When the Pharisees saw this, they went to Jesus and asked Him how His own disciples could do something that is not allowed on the Sabbath. Jesus replies with Scripture. He reminds them how King David and His men ate the priest's bread on the Sabbath when they were hungry. Additionally, Moses' Teachings dictate that priests must do things on the Sabbath that are not allowed, yet they are innocent. He guarantees them that there is something, or in some translations, someone, there that is greater than the temple. He's talking about Himself. Jesus is greater than the temple since the point of the temple is to glorify Him. Again, He tells the Pharisees that they do not know the meaning of mercy not sacrifices because the Pharisees have condemned innocent people. The Son of Man has authority over the Holy Day. The reason for the Holy Day is to worship God, so it only makes since that God has authority over it.

Jesus goes to the temple, where the people are waiting with a man who has a paralyzed hand. They ask Jesus if it is right to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus remains calm and asks them if a sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath if they would lift it out. Of course they would. They would not leave it there, exposed and possibly dying until the next day. Since humans are more valuable than sheep, Jesus asks tem if it is right to do good on the Sabbath. Nobody has a response to Him, so Jesus reaches out and heals the man. The Pharisees left the temple and plotted to kill Jesus, so He left the place. His time on Earth was not yet over. He could only leave on His time, and the timing was not yet right.

Jesus continues to travel and heals along the way. This confirms what the prophet Isaiah said about Him.

Jesus forces a demon out of a man who has been rendered mute and blind. The Pharisees claim that Jesus can only force demons out with the help of the devil himself. Jesus tells them that this can't possibly make since. Why would Satan force himself out? His kingdom would quickly diminish that way. If Jesus uses the Holy Spirit, however, it proves that Heaven has come to rescue people. Whoever is not with Jesus is against Him. You cannot be in between asking forgiveness for your sins and not. The only unforgivable sin is turning away from the Spirit. You can dis the Son of God but be forgiven. If you know the Holy Spirit, however, and reject Him, you are doomed. Again, Jesus says that you can tell if a tree is good or not based on its fruit, and He tells the Pharisees that no good words come out of their mouths. In the end, everyone will have to answer for every careless word that they have spoken.

The people ask for a miraculous sign, so Jesus can prove that He is really the Son of God. He tells them that producing signs is what prophets did to change the ways and faith of evil people. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale, and Jesus says He will spend three days in the belly of the Earth. When the Jews around Jesus get to Heaven, the Nineveh people will condemn them because the people of Nineveh changed their ways after hearing Jonah and the Jews at the time of Jesus heard God Himself in human form. The queen who went to Solomon for wisdom will also condemn them because they have someone wiser than Solomon. Evil spirits are dangerous because once they leave one person, the look for another. They find people who's hearts are not occupied by the Holy Spirit but are empty instead. Then, they take up residence with seven other evil spirits.

Jesus' mother and brothers request His presence, but Jesus asks who His mother and brothers are. He points to His disciples and declares that anyone who does the will of His Father are His mother and brothers and sisters.