Sermons

Week 35 – Matthew 12:1-21 – 10/6/24 The Antidote to Legalism

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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a passage where Jesus encounters some of the religious leaders. 

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

12 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. 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.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 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? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 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. 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? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 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. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

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.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21     and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Last week we talked about Jesus addressing some Israelites who had been led astray. Now, we read about Him running into some of the religious leaders, who were responsible for leading people astray by adding onto God’s Word. By taking a look at how Jesus combats this attitude, we can learn how to rid ourselves of the same mistake. 

When You’re Dealing with Legalism:

 

  1. Check your heart

Matt. 12:2, 9-10, 14, 6:1-18, Prov. 16:2, 21:2, Gal. 1:10, 1 Thess. 2:4, 1 Tim. 1:5, James 4:1

 

  1. Go to Scripture

Matt. 12:3-6, Heb. 4:12-14, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Josh. 1:8, Ps.19:7-11, 119:105

 

  1. Don’t worship the rules

Matt. 12:7-8, Lev. 26:1, 1 John 5:21, 1 Cor. 10:14, Ex. 20:3

 

  1. Using Scripture, think about God’s heart

Matt. 12:9-13, 5:17-18, Luke 16:17, Rom. 3:31, 6:1, 8:4, Gal. 4:4-5, Ps. 86:15

 

  1. Remember God’s heart for salvation

Matt. 12:15-21, 2 Pet. 3:9, 1 Tim. 2:4, Rom. 2:4, Is. 30:18, John 3:16-17, Gal. 5:1, Ez. 18:32

 

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 12:1-21 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • What surprised you as we talked about it?

 

Diving In 

  1. Putting yourself in the perspective of the religious leaders, read Matthew 12:2, 9, 10, and 14, and think about the attitude that they had towards Jesus. Spend some time thinking through what led to them having that attitude. Do you ever struggle with having that same type of attitude? If so, what leads you to have that attitude? 

 

  1. Read Matthew 12:3-5. Jesus responds to the religious leaders by pointing them towards Scripture. Oftentimes, when we read and think about Scripture, it can help us to really think through things. If the religious leaders that Jesus was talking to actually went and read what Jesus told them to read, how do you think it would have helped them? Read Hebrews 4:12-14. How does going to Scripture help you? 

 

  1. Read Matthew 12:7-8. The religious leaders of Jesus day worshiped their rules that they had added onto God’s Word. Today, we can easily fall into the same issue. It’s not wrong to have personal convictions, but it is wrong to hold others to those personal convictions, if they are on top of God’s Word. Do you struggle with that? If so, why, and where does that come from? 

 

  1. Read Matthew 12:15-21. Jesus clearly had a heart for everyone to be in a saving relationship with Him. How do you think having that same heart for people would change the way you think about your faith? How would that change the way you view them?

 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?



 

Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?