Matthew 12:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He went on from there and entered their synagogue.

NIV: Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,

NASB: Departing from there, He went into their synagogue.

CSB: Moving on from there, he entered their synagogue.

NLT: Then Jesus went over to their synagogue,

KJV: And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

NKJV: Now when He had departed from there, He went into 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.

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.

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.

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.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.