Mateus 12
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 12
Utley - Matthew 12 describes the growing opposition (cf. Matt. 11:12) by the Jewish religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees, to Jesus because of His violation of the Oral Tradition (i.e., the Talmud). There is both a Babylonian and a Palestinian Talmud. The Palestinian was never finished, so the Babylonian became the more authoritative of the two.Matthew 12 relates to Matt. 11:28-30, which describes the Oral Tradition in terms of a "burden" and a "yoke." Jesus' yoke is easy and light and brings rest, but not so the elaborate ceremonial and legal rules of the Pharisees. Jesus' yoke is not a means of acceptance but the natural result of being in fellowship with Him. Utley adds an interesting note - The Talmud taught that any journey over 2,000 paces on the Sabbath was considered work and therefore not permitted. It is interesting that the crowds, along with the Pharisees and the Scribes, were following Jesus on the Sabbath; therefore, they also were guilty of breaking this Sabbath law. If one examines Matthew's context the verses (Remember there were no chapter breaks in the original manuscripts to separate the flow of thought) immediately preceding this example of heavy Sabbath burdens immediately follows Jesus' famous invitation to... Come (aorist imperative) to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take (aorist imperative) My yoke upon you and learn (aorist imperative) from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Mt 11:28-30+) And now Matthew presents an incident describing the Sabbath day which God had given to the Jews to be a day of REST! As discussed below, by the time of Jesus, the Sabbath had become anything but a day of REST. What should have been a BLESSING became a BURDEN! It is almost as if Matthew is using this story to expound on what Jesus meant when He invited "all who are weary and heavy-laden!" Jesus invited them to come to Him for the true Sabbath REST, for He alone is Lord of the Sabbath, and only in Him can one find REST for your souls. Dear reader, are you still working to try to merit God's favor? Are you burdened? Then you need to come to Jesus and enter His REST! And this applies to non-believers and believers, for even believers can become trapped in legalism and blunt the work of grace in their lives (See Stedman's superb message on Legalism). We have no difficulty accepting the truth that we are initially saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). The difficulty often arises when fail to comprehend that the way we were saved the first time is also the way we are saved day by day! (see Three Tenses of Salvation) Fallen flesh continually seeks to coerce us into performing works intended to please God or merit His favor. But works never work! We must live daily by faith in Jesus' Rest and allow His Spirit to daily transform us from glory to glory into the image of Jesus (2 Cor 3:18+). Paul's rhetorical question should be "tattooed" into our frontal lobe (so to speak) "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit (regeneration - past tense salvation), are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Gal 3:3+). Answer? Of course not! THOUGHT - J. H. Jowett - The fatal mistake for the believer is to seek to bear life’s load in a single collar. God never intended a man to carry his burden alone. Christ therefore deals only in yokes! A yoke is a neck harness for two, and the Lord Himself pleads to be One of the two. He wants to share the labor of any galling task. The secret of peace and victory in the Christian life is found in putting off the taxing collar of “self” and accepting the Master’s relaxing “yoke.” (ED: AND WE DO SO BY JETTISONING SELF-RELIANCE AND RELYING HOLY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS' GIFT TO US TO ENABLE US TO BEAR THE BURDEN. See the "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" 100/100) At that time - As noted above, this phrase could tie in with the preceding related passage. This passage begins exactly like Mt 11:25 and Mt 14:1 "At that time (kairos)." "At that season." And since there was ripe grain, this would place this in the general period of spring to mid-summer. Where this occurs is not stated. Luke writes now it happened and Webster's first entry says the verb happen means "to occur by chance." We commonly hear the phrase "it just so happened." Here our English mindset gives us an incorrect meaning of what the Scripture means when it says something happened. In God's economy things do not just happen by chance. The invisible, omniscient God is behind the scenes and controls the scenes He is behind! Not one thing Jesus did was by accident or by chance and this Sabbath Day confrontation with the Pharisees was no exception. It was a divinely ordained "clash of the titans," a clash of the traditions of the pseudo-pious Pharisees and the Truth of the Lord of the Sabbath! Matthew uses the Greek word kairos for time which speaks of a definite and fixed time, an opportune time, much like our phrase a "window of opportunity." In other words, if you miss this time , you miss the "opportunity." (cf Paul's exhortation to all believers to Redeem the Time). Jesus knew His time was limited and all He did was in the shadow of the Cross. He was the proverbial Man on mission and so He did not miss divinely ordained opportunities. The word OPPORTUNITY is derived from the Latin "ob portu." In ancient times before modern harbors, ships had to wait for the timing of the tide before they could make it safely to port. Thus "OB PORTU," described the ship waiting "FOR PORT," ready to seize the crucial moment when it could ride the tide into safe harbor. The captain knew that if he missed the passing tide, the ship would have to wait for another tide to come in. God gives each of us many "ob portu's", but we must be spiritually wise and Spirit filled in order to see and seize them. As Charles Swindoll said "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities (ob portu's) brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Shakespeare's famous line from Julius Caesar conveys the same thought: "There is a tide in the affairs of men (an "ob portu"), Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." In short, KAIROS conveys the sense of an "opportune time," a "window of opportunity". THOUGHT - Believers are called (actually commanded) to "imitate Jesus" for Paul wrote "Be (present imperative - see note on our Need for the Holy Spirit to obey) imitators (mimetes) of me, just as I also am of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1+, see also 1 Jn 2:6+ = "ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked," 1 Pe 2:21+ = "follow in His steps"). And so just as Jesus was always alert and ever ready to seize the moment (He lived with a "carpe diem" mentality - which interestingly is more literally "pluck the day!"), so we too must always be on "high alert" for those divine opportunities in our lives, so that we do not miss them! In a similar sense we need to be alert to those "good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them" (Eph 2:10+), so that we might accomplish HIS works (fruit), not OUR works which will not remain (will not endure eternally - Jn 15:16). The old adage "Opportunity only knocks once," should be foremost in our mind every day. Have you seen any divine opportunities this week? They may have been there and yet you failed to see them, because you were walking fleshly and not walking in the Spirit (Gal 5:16+), and so were not supernaturally enabled to see spiritual opportunities. For more on this vitally important truth see the topic Walking Like Jesus Walked! May our Father in Heaven grant each of us His amazing grace and Spirit enabled vision to see and grasp the divine kairos moments He gives us each day, for the glory of the Lord. In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen. Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry (peinao) and began to pick the heads of grain and eat - Only Matthew states that they became hungry. Luke adds that the disciples were "Rubbing them in their hands" which to these strict legalists would be tantamount to performing the work of threshing on the Sabbath! How ridiculous can one be! Plummer states that in the evil eyes of the Pharisees that based on their "Rabbinical notions (THEIR "TRADITIONS"), (JESUS' DISCIPLES WERE) reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food all at once." One might even add that they were preparing food with ceremonially unclean hands! The phrase on a Sabbath is found in Matt. 12:2; Matt. 24:20; Lk. 6:1; Lk. 14:5+. (Click here for discussion of the Sabbath in the commentary on Leviticus 23:3). Sabbath (4521)(sabbaton from shabath - 07673 = to cease from work, intermission - see note on shabath) in this context refers to the seventh day of the week, held sacred by the Jews (Mt 12:8; Mk 2:27f; Lk 6:7, 9; Jn 5:9f, 18; Acts 1:12; 13:27, 44) See word study on the Hebrew word for Sabbath (07676) which is sabbat which derives from the verb shabath (07673) meaning to desist (from exertion), cease (see this use of the verb in Ge 8:22, Jer 31:36+), rest (first used of God resting in Creation - Ge 2:2-3), repose, cease from labor. So here the noun form sabbat means intermission, the Sabbath (day), the day of rest, the holy seventh day; a week, the sacred 7th year, a sabbatical year. Warren Wiersbe on the Sabbath - The sanctity of the seventh day was a distinctive part of the Jewish faith. God gave Israel the Sabbath law at Sinai (Neh. 9:13-14) and made it a sign between Him and the nation (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:12-17). The word Sabbath means "rest" and is linked with God's cessation of work after the six days of Creation (Ge 2:2-3). Some of the rabbis taught that Messiah could not come until Israel had perfectly kept the Sabbath (ED: ACTUALLY TWO SABBATHS), so obeying this law was very important both personally and nationally....By their strict and oppressive rules, the Pharisees and scribes had turned the Sabbath Day into a burden instead of the blessing God meant it to be, and Jesus challenged both their doctrine and their authority. He had announced a new "Year of Jubilee" (Luke 4:19+), and now He would declare a new Sabbath (HIMSELF!). (Bible Exposition Commentary) Craig Blomberg points out that "Sabbath observance was in fact one of the three most important and distinctive badges of Jewish life, along with circumcision and the dietary laws." (NAC - Matthew) Pick (5089)(tillo) means to pluck, to pull, to pull out commonly used to describe the action of picking or plucking something such as grass or heads of grain. Tillo was used in medicine to pull out hairs. This verb is incorporated in the name of a disorder known as trichotillomania in which people compulsively pull out their hair. Uses only in the synoptic accounts in Matt. 12:1; Mk. 2:23; Lk. 6:1 for plucking grain. Three times in the Septuagint - Ezra 9:3 ("pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard" - in great distress), Isa 18:7, Da 7:4. Heads (of grain)(4719)(stachus) describes the fruiting spike of a cereal grain, head or ear (of grain). Louw-Nida says stachus refers to "the dense spiky cluster in which the seeds of grain such as wheat and barley grow (restricted in NT contexts to references to wheat)" It is used in the Septuagint translation of Dt 23:25 "When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain." Stachus NT uses - Matt. 12:1; Mk. 2:23; Mk 4:28 (twice), Lk. 6:1, Ro 16:9
Mateus 12
Utley - "the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent" The Sabbath was a work day for the priests (cf. Num. 28:9-10). The VERB "break" is literally "treat as common." It is found only here and Acts 24:6. So once again Jesus confronts the Pharisees with another counterquestion. And for the second time He refers to the Scriptures, for He knew they had read these things. So what is Jesus saying here? His point is that on the Sabbath in order to carry on the Temple worship the priests had to do work by killing and sacrificing animals which equates to breaking the Sabbath. And despite this, Jesus says the are innocent. Only Mark 2:27+ has the statement in which"Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." What is Jesus saying? He is saying that God made the Sabbath to give men a time to rest. By the addition of all their minute rules and regulations the Jewish "sages" had in effect made the Sabbath the "master" over men, and a heavy burden hardly conducive to giving one rest. The Jews instead of enjoying the Sabbath as a day of rest, now had to work even harder than ever to make sure they did not break any of the many Sabbath regulations. They had to be cautious about what the did, where they went, how far they went, and on and on. It must have been a heavy mental burden on all who tried to comply with the non-Biblical regulations. In short Jesus is saying the Sabbath was made to be a blessing for man, but the plethora of non-Biblical rules had turned the day into an onerous burden. It is interesting that in our modern culture many often dread Monday, but given the burden of the Sabbath, one cannot help but believe most of Jews would say "T.G.I.M" (Thank God it's Monday! Actually Sunday for that was the day after the Sabbath) A T
Mateus 12
Utley - But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here" Some manuscripts have the MASCULINE "someone" (cf. NKJV), but the most attested ancient reading is NEUTER, "some thing" (cf. NASB, NRSV, TEV, JB). This seems to refer to the Kingdom of God, a veiled Messianic reference (cf. Matt. 12:28, 41-42). This must have been a shocking statement to these Jews. Jesus is greater than: the temple, Matt. 12:6 Jonah, Matt. 12:41 Solomon, Matt. 12:42 Jacob, John 4:12 John the Baptist, John 5:36 Abraham, John 8:53 Scripture, Matt. 5:21-48; Mark 7:18-19 Matthew 12:7 “But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. NET Matthew 12:7 If you had known what this means: 'I want mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. GNT Matthew 12:7 εἰ δὲ ἐγνώκειτε τί ἐστιν, Ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, οὐκ ἂν κατεδικάσατε τοὺς ἀναιτίους. NLT Matthew 12:7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' KJV Matthew 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ESV Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. NIV Matthew 12:7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. ASV Matthew 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. CSB Matthew 12:7 If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. NKJ Matthew 12:7 "But if you had known what this means,`I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. NRS Matthew 12:7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. YLT Matthew 12:7 and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice -- ye had not condemned the blameless, if you had known what this means: Mt 9:13 22:29 Ac 13:27 I DESIRE COMPASSION. Isa 1:11-17 Ho 6:6 Mic 6:6-8 you would not have condemned the innocent: Job 32:3 Ps 94:21 Ps 109:31 Pr 17:15 Jas 5:6 Matthew 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Isaiah 1:11-17+ “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12“When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13“Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14“I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15“So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. Hosea 6:6+ For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Micah 6:6-8+ With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? Psalm 94:21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death. Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. James 5:6+ You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. JESUS QUOTES HOSEA IN DEFENSE OF HIS DISCIPLES Parallel Passages: Matthew 12:1-8 No parallel passages in Mark 2:23-28 Luke 6:1-5. Mark alone writes "Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." (Mk 2:27) But if you had known what this means - If introduces a second class conditional statement so the idea is something like this - “If you had known (but you did not), then you would not have condemned the innocent (but you did).” As noted above this defense by Jesus is found only in the Gospel of Matthew. Known is ginosko which means to know by experience. Jesus' implication is clear that they had failed to practice the truth. O yes, they might have (in fact probably had) read these words in Hosea 6 but their hearts were so deceived and hardened that they failed to see the spirit behind the passage. And of course when one does not see God's intent in a passage, it follows that he will not be likely to practice that which pleases God. In short, the Pharisees knew intellectually, but not experientially, for they failed to practice the truth. Jesus' half-brother would have said it this way to the Pharisees "prove (present imperative) yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude (paralogizomai) themselves." (James 1:22+). The Pharisees had deluded themselves! The Jews were reminded by the prophet Micah of God's desire for them, of how He wanted them to walk... With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8+) I DESIRE (thelo) COMPASSION (see eleos), AND NOT A SACRIFICE (thusia) - Jesus was saying these legalistic hypocrites lacked pity! The hunger in the disciples failed to kindle a spark of kindness in the hearts of the Pharisees! (See related commentary on this passage from Hosea in notes on Mt 9:13) The Pharisees used their traditions to justify elevating things like sacrifice above things like compassion, when God would have them do just the opposite. R C H Lenski on mercy (compassion) and sacrifice - “If you had known” is a climax to the two questions, “Did you not read?” Jesus quotes Hos. 6:6 (as in 9:13). “Mercy,” eleos, is pity and sympathy for anyone in distress (Mt 5:7; Luke 6:36); Thusia is a sacrifice sent up in smoke, also the act of bringing sacrifice. As between the two, God wants the former. While he himself has ordered sacrifice, sacrifice alone could never satisfy him. God wanted the sacrifice of a true heart, one full of mercy, for instance, toward hungry fellow men, and corresponding acts for God’s sake. Jesus is not speaking of mere humanitarian pity, nor of merciful actions inspired by the law. The mercy that Hosea refers to comes from the gospel, which fills also the Old Testament. It is born of the new life kindled by this gospel. And so this mercy is known by the inner experience of having it and of putting it to delightful practice. When the Pharisees condemned the disciples, who were utterly guiltless, having transgressed not even a ceremonial law, they revealed that Hos. 6:6 (and every other gospel word similar to that) was foreign territory to them. Men’s actions reveal what affinity they have for God’s Word and how they meet or fail to meet what God really wants. (Borrow Interpretation of St Matthew's Gospel page 466) This is Jesus second time to quote Hosea 6:6, the first being in Mt 9:13+. THOUGHT - We often hear the question "What is the will of God for my life?" And as we always say, the will of God is found in the Word of God. And here we see the will of God, not just for the Pharisees, but for everyone who claims to know God. His will is that we show compassion. Don't tell me how many times you've served as usher, how many verses you memorize each week, how many times you've read through the Bible, how many souls you've led to Christ, etc, etc. Don't tell me about your sacrifices. Show me your compassion! Are you as convicted as I am? I love etymology or the origin of words as this background often adds "color" to the word in a given usage. In this case here is the entry for compassion from the Online Etymology Dictionary: COMPASSION - "feeling of sorrow or pity excited by the sufferings or misfortunes of another," mid-14c., compassioun, literally "a suffering with another," from Old French compassion "sympathy, pity" (12c.), from Late Latin compassionem (nominative compassio) "sympathy," noun of state from past participle stem of compati "to feel pity," from com "with, together" (see com-) + pati "to suffer" (see passion). Latin compassio is an ecclesiastical loan-translation of Greek sympatheia (see sympathy). Sometimes in Middle English it meant a literal sharing of affliction or suffering with another. From that note on etymology of compassion, what Jesus is accusing these accusers of is failure to feel sorrow or pity by the suffering (hunger) of the disciples. The bitter irony is that the accusers in fact were the ones who were actually guilty of breaking the law in the eyes of God (and of course Jesus is God as He states in the next passage)! You would not have condemned the innocent - Jesus is saying His disciples are innocent of any violation of God's law. The Pharisees were standing in the place of God and served and judge and jury declaring the disciples "Guilty!" Jesus is saying that if the Pharisee really knew God's heart and practiced His precepts like they claimed to do, they would have had practiced compassion, not pronounced condemnation! Condemned (2613)(katadikazo from kata = + against + dikázō = to judge, pronounce sentence from díkē = judgment) means to give judgment against a person, recognize the evidence against him, pass sentence, condemn. According to Vine it fundamentally means “to exercise right or law against” someone, or “to pronounce judgment against," which is what the Pharisees were doing. James uses this verb in his strong statement "You (THE RICH - see Jas 5:1-5+) have condemned (katadikazo) and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you." (James 5:6+) Jesus also gave a strong warning using this verb "Do not judge (present imperative with a negative), and you will not be judged; and do not condemn (katadikazo - present imperative with a negative), and you will not be condemned; pardon (present imperative), and you will be pardoned." (Lk 6:37+) Innocent (338)(anaitios from a = negative + aitios = causative of, responsible for or aitia = a crime) means guiltless, not a criminal, innocent. Not guilty of any wrongdoing. Only used in Mt 12:5,7. Used in Septuagint - Deut. 19:10; Deut. 19:13; Deut. 21:8; Deut. 21:9; So we could summarize Jesus' defense of His disciples picking grain on the Sabbath by showing that Sabbath law was overridden by 3 priorities (1) genuine human need, in this case hunger supersedes ritual (1Sa 21:1-6); (2) worship and the activities prescribed for worship (Num 28:9-10); and (3) acts of compassion do not fall into the class of ordinary work forbidden on the Sabbath (Hos 6:6). Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” NET Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." GNT Matthew 12:8 κύριος γάρ ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. NLT Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" KJV Matthew 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. ESV Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." NIV Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." ASV Matthew 12:8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath. CSB Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." NKJ Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." NRS Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath." YLT Matthew 12:8 for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.' Mt 9:6 Mk 2:28 9:4-7 Lu 6:5 Joh 5:17-23 1Co 9:21 16:2 Rev 1:10 Matthew 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 12:1-8 Mark 2:23-28 Luke 6:1-5 Mark 2:28 “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5 And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” JESUS IS LORD OF THE SABBATH For (gar) is a term of explanation. What is Jesus explaining? The following statement would give the grounds for Jesus' authority in making the previous statements (either v7 or all of what He had stated in vv3-7, I favor the latter). The Son of Man is Lord (kurios) of the Sabbath (sabbaton) - Notice that the word Lord is the first word in the Greek sentence which gives strong emphasis to His Lordship. Son of Man is clearly a Messianic title. He had used this same Name in Matthew 9 where He had first forgiven the lame man's sins and then authentical His authority to forgive sins by healing him declaring "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” (Mt 9:6+). In that passage He left no doubt that He was not just claiming to be God, but that He was in fact God, for no mere man could heal a lame man. So the Pharisees were aware of the significance of His use of the term Son of Man in this passage. He was saying in essence "I am God and I am the Lord of the Sabbath!" And because of Who Jesus is He could determine what the rules for Sabbath observance should be! The implication also is that as the One Who instituted the Sabbath, He knows the correct meaning of the Sabbath. John
Mateus 12
Utley notes that "This is the essence of the unpardonable sin, attributing God’s work to Satan and calling that which is true, false and that which is light, darkness." (Matthew 12 Commentary) Hendriksen makes an interesting comment that "The thoroughly shameful character of the charge becomes apparent also from the fact that it regards Beelzebul not as an evil spirit exerting his sinister influence upon Jesus from the outside; no, Satan is regarded as being inside the soul of Jesus. The latter is said to have an unclean spirit (Mark 3:30; cf. John 8:48); in fact, to be himself Beelzebul (Matt. 10:25)." (BNTC-Mt) Craig Keener has an interesting comment - Convinced that Jesus is not God’s agent and annoyed by the popular response to Jesus (12:23; cf. 7:28; 8:27; 9:8), the Pharisees resort to the only other possible explanation for his supernatural power over demons (12:22; cf. 9:32–34): it comes from the devil (12:24). In a lengthy response, Jesus not only refutes their charge, but turns it back on them (12:25–45). People often thought magicians performed their acts through the help of spirit agents (cf. 1 Enoch 65:6; Ps-Philo 34:2–3; Asc. Isa. 2:5; cf. Sib. Or. 1.96; but especially magical papyri, e.g., PGM 1.88–89, 164–66, 181–85, 252–53; 2.52–54),65 hence the charge here is that Jesus was a sorcerer (cf. also Jn 7:20; 8:48; 10:20; Aune 1987: 56). This is no small charge: magic was a capital offense (Meier 1980: 134; cf. 2 Bar. 66:2; p. Ḥag. 2:2, §5; Sanh. 7:13, §2).66 (The Gospel of Matthew- A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary). Knox Chamblin observes that "the Pharisees’ charge is for the crowds’ instruction: they spoke upon ‘hearing [akousantes] this’ (i.e., the question of Mt 12:23). ‘Be not deceived,’ they say in effect; ‘this man is not the Son of David, but a messianic pretender of the worst kind.’ Contrast a leading Pharisee’s explanation of Jesus’ powers in John 3:2+ (Nicodemus at Night said "“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”)." (MC-Mt) This man - ("This fellow") They are using "this man" in a contemptuous, derogatory, disparaging, belittling sense. So even opening words of this "brood of vipers" were intentionally offensive, intended to poison the minds of the people and to detract from the greatness of Jesus and the miracle He had just performed. Notice also that they do not address Jesus directly but slander him behind his back. Mt 27:18 reminds us that part of their motivation for such evil slander was "because of envy!" If you think "envy" is a "little" sin, think again! How different from the attitude of John the Baptist who stated “He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30+) A T