The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 8: Matthew 11-12, by Kevin M. Williams
From Pneuma Review Winter 2003
Apart from bringing some Hebraic elements to light in the life of Yeshua1 and His ministry, this series has been unveiling the theme “Yeshua is the long awaited Messiah of Israel.” We have repeatedly demonstrated from the text how the teaching and deeds of Yeshua made their own messianic proclamations, without requiring direct confirmation from the mouth the Messiah.
Why? Because it would seem that Yeshua is allowing people to make up their own minds and reach their own convictions. It is one thing for a person to stand up and say, “I am the Savior,” and attempt to convince an otherwise skeptical and jaded audience. It is far more effective to allow entire communities to reach their own conclusions. Like ripples in a pond, the good report is spread ahead of you, creating a wake of faith, hope, and an undercurrent of anticipation as people begin asking “could this be the Messiah?”
Also, to proclaim the Messiahship of the Bible was to be equal to God, if not God incarnate. To openly proclaim yourself to be God in an adversarial empire (Roman), under a corrupt governorship (Herod Antipas), with a defiled religious order (the High Priest—a non-Levite) meant a guaranteed and immediate execution. Yeshua was not yet ready to be executed.
We continue in this eighth portion of our series to find the covert message, the secret codes of Yeshua as the Messiah as found in the Gospel According to Matthew.
“But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you care to accept it, he himself is Elijah, who was to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:8-15).
Versus 1-7 also discuss John, but were a part of our last study in this series. We pick up with John again in this 8th verse. Yeshua has been addressing the crowds (v. 7), but what is He telling them? He is telling them in a very unassuming fashion that He is the Messiah.
There was only one reason for Elijah to come. He is the forbearer of whom? The Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi 3:1, “‘Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
It was long believed that before the Messiah could appear, Elijah would appear. But lauding John before the crowds, Yeshua was making a clandestine revelation. If Elijah had come, then Messiah must be very, very near. Perhaps even in their midst. His own words, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” may have been a significant signal.
If the hearer heard—really heard—then he understood the relevance of Yeshua’s statements. He was praising John, and rightfully so, but there was an underlying message that still speaks today.
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“But to what shall I compare this generation? …” Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you” (Matthew 11:16-24).
Among Yeshua’s modern detractors, these verses are used to allege that Yeshua was anti-Semitic. His hard tone and condemnation, His curse of Hades, and comparison to wicked Sodom does not fit into a modern theology of a merciful and loving Messiah come to redeem mankind.
If Yeshua—or anyone—were saying such things out of sheer contempt, with no basis in fact, then these anti-Semitic allegations might find fertile ground. However, they are juxtaposed against Yeshua’s praise of the character of John the Baptist, the precursor Elijah. Elijah’s prophesied role was to be that voice in the wilderness crying “make straight the ways of the LORD.” That assumes therefore that the ways had been made crooked and corrupted. If the paths did not lead to destruction, to Hades, then there would be no reason for Elijah to appear. Yeshua was making His statements in contrast to John’s accolades to draw attention to the reality of society’s overall moral decay.
There are some theologians today who feel that this same “Spirit of Elijah” will return in the last days, with the same message before the advent of the Messiah’s return. If Yeshua was considered harsh during His first visit, wait until He returns the judge the earth!
But even putting this argument aside, was Yeshua any more anti-Semitic than the prophets of old? Consider the following examples:
As for your adulteries and your lustful neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution on the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean? (Jeremiah 13:27).
And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD) (Ezekiel 16:23).
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light (Amos 5:18).
If Yeshua’s comments were anti-Semitic, then He was in the company of some reputable Semites: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and others. Regretfully, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has often had to use jarring language and circumstances in an attempt to get His people’s attention, in every age of biblical history.
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matthew 11:27-30).
Poetic? Yes, but more importantly, very telling. Once again, for those who were listening, Yeshua is publicly yet surreptitiously disclosing His identity. He was giving them enough clues to reach their own conclusions but not saying so much as to provide evidence to have Himself arrested.
The grammar holds the secret. Yeshua says, “I will give you rest.” But who can make such a thing come to pass?
Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Only the Lord Yahweh can make this come to pass, but Yeshua is claiming that He can do this as well. Is He not alluding that the two are One? Would a Hebrew familiar with the Word of God, raised in the synagogues, having had a mandatory biblical education at least through the age of 12 recognize the implications of Yeshua’s code words? What about the Pharisees, who had gone on with their religious education? Would they hear the underlying implications?
Yeshua may also be referencing, in an offhanded way, back to John. What did Elijah through John proclaim? “Make straight the ways of the Lord.” When a rabbi quotes a segment of Scripture, it is understood that He intends the entire context. What was Yeshua referencing in Jeremiah 6:16? “Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls.” The two messages are the same, whether from the prophet or from the Messiah—the source of this good news is from the Lord!
The author of Hebrews may have picked up on this concept. “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). The source of this “rest” is none other than Yeshua.
___ Once again we find the Pharisees tailing Yeshua and His disciples. You might ask, “didn’t they have anything better to do?” In truth, if they had been listening to Yeshua’s clues, they may very well have perceived what He was saying. He was, not in so many words, saying that He was the Messiah. The Pharisees believed they were living in the days of the Messiah. Even today, in the Soncino Talmud, a footnote states that the Messiah should have come at that time. Expectations were very high in the first century.
So far, Yeshua has only proved that He was worth investigating further.
At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent? But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:1-6).
It might be easy to read these words and think a feud is brewing. Yet Yeshua answers the Pharisees adroitly. Since we do not read that they were put off by His response, it would be unfair to infer that they were offended.
In previous studies, we have pointed out that asking pointed questions are how Jewish people debate theology. By constantly challenging the status quo they dig deeper into the Word and into their own convictions. If this rabbi was the Messiah—and they may well have been entertaining the thought that He was—this was a new thing going on and they desired to understand it.
The Torah of Genesis through Deuteronomy does not state that it is unlawful to collect grains of wheat on the Sabbath, particularly since what they were gleaning was likely the end rows left specifically for the poor and the travelers to have sustenance along their journey (see Deuteronomy 23:25). The “law” the Pharisees were addressing was oral law, not the written Torah of God.
The whole role of the oral law was hotly debated in religious circles in those days. Even when this torah (little “t”) was codified and recorded in the second century into what we know as the Mishnah (and later the Talmud), differing views were presented from the varying rabbinic schools of thought. Where Yeshua’s theology would land on this issue would help the Pharisees in identifying with which school of thought He was most closely to be identified. Today, we would say they were trying to figure out which denomination He represented.
Yeshua’s answer practically dismisses their question, relegating their torah to a matter of little consequence. What He did do was attempt to answer the question within the question. They really wanted to know if Yeshua was the Promised One. His answer gave them the real answer.
Yeshua reminds them of King David who did break God’s written Torah by taking the consecrated bread and eating it, both he and his men. Yet God was merciful. If God was merciful toward David who was clearly breaking the Holy Torah, then why make an issue over an oral tradition? Clearly what David did was weightier and deserving of capital punishment.
At the same time He is putting their traditions in perspective, He is telling them that He is like David, able to enter where only the priest many enter and eat what is reserved only for the Levites. He is telling them that He is a priest, able to work on the Sabbath just as all Levites must do in the course of their ordained service. And He is telling them, “something greater than the temple is here.” Only one thing could be greater than God’s holy temple, the One who was both priest and king—the Messiah. He gave them an answer within an answer.
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7-8).
With directness few would use unless they had real authority, Yeshua tells the Pharisees that they had no right to condemn His disciples. In this He once again asserts His identity, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Earlier in the series we demonstrated that “Son of Man” could mean any average Joe or Isaac, or it could equally mean the Messiah. The words themselves were not enough to use as evidence against Yeshua in a court of law, because they could be interpreted either way. Yet they were direct enough that those within earshot could not have mistaken what Yeshua was implying.
And departing from there, He went into their synagogue. (Matthew 12:9).
We do not know what Matthew means by “their synagogue,” but the possessive form could imply that it was the synagogue of those Pharisees. Apparently Yeshua was not done teaching them. Now He would challenge their authority in front of a sacred assembly.
And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—in order that they might accuse Him. And He said to them, “What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other (Matthew 12:10-13).
Yeshua had made a remarkable claim standing next to the wheat field. He said that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” and greater than the temple. Now He proves it. Initially the question may have been innocent enough. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” It is doubtful that any of them expected what would happen next, or the embarrassment it would bring upon their heads in the witness of the synagogue’s congregation.
Again, the Torah says nothing about healing on the Sabbath. But the oral torah does. Again, in close proximity to the events outside, Yeshua points out the weakness—and lack of compassion—of their torah. He points out that they would rescue to sheep on the Sabbath and think this was good. If this type of compassion is good, then how much more compassionate when applied to a living human being! Using a typical rabbinic form of teaching He says that if saving a sheep is good, how much more true then it is good to heal a living person, the apple of God’s eye? They had thrown the first stone, judged unlawfully, and Yeshua exposed their own guilt.
Clearly this was an aggravation to them. “But the Pharisees went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him” (Matthew 12:14). The Pharisees were considered (at least by themselves) to be experts in lawful exposition. Here, in the presence of the assembly Yeshua had shamed them directly, showing the frailty of their oral traditions, that they themselves would care more for animals (representing commerce)—clearly violating God’s Torah on the Sabbath. They had condemned themselves, and this was an affront to their fleshly, religious pride. Rather than repenting and experiencing mercy, they chose religiosity—a temptation believers must contend with to this very day.
But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed Him, and He healed them all (Matthew 12:15).
While it may be commonplace to hear phrases like, “The Jews rejected Jesus,” and use this as an excuse to explain the suffering they have endured over the centuries (largely at the hands of so-called Christians) or to excuse ourselves from sharing our faith with the Jewish community, we see here that though many Pharisees had a quarrel with Yeshua, the general populous was enamored with Him.
The Greek for “followed Him” is a fairly direct term—akoloutheo. Strong’s Concordance tells us that it means to “join one as a disciple” or to “side with his party.” This would indicate that the synagogue’s congregation did not merely trail after Yeshua, but that they found faith by truly following Him.
A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory. And in His Name the Gentiles will hope (Matthew 12:20-21).
The New American Standard translation puts the words of vv. 20-21 in all capitals to indicate an Old Testament reference, specifically Isaiah 42:1-3. Why does Matthew include this verse here? To help the reader understand the messianic expectations and their fulfillment. The passage begins, “Behold My Servant” (v. 18). This “servant” is almost universally recognized in Hebraic thought as the Lord’s Messiah.
It is this “servant” who will bring justice not merely to the Jewish nation, but to the Gentiles as well. Even in our modern mindset we can see where the Hebrews of Yeshua’s day could interpret this to mean that the Messiah would throw off the yoke of political oppression. Yet what did He actually do?
Yeshua threw off the yoke of religious oppression.
It is very easy to feel that we—modern believers—have progressed beyond such self-religious pride and heresy, but have we really? Too often, it seems, there are too many believers limping through their life due to wounds suffered by the hands of religious leaders and congregational peers. Let us not think that if we have engaged in such persecution of our fellow brothers and sisters that we will not suffer a judgment!
Matthew 12:20-21, apart from demonstrating the grace and compassion of Yeshua, and identifying Him as the Savior, this disciple makes certain that we see in Yeshua a man who is not just a man of words, but a man of compassionate action. He will not let a battered reed be broken off, or a smoldering wick be put out. These people of faith are precious to our Lord and Master. He was deeply concerned that their welfare be seen to not by a committee, not by a denomination, not by a government program, but personally, as an example to us all.
Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
And knowing their thoughts He said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matthew 12:22-28).
Different situation, same result. The people at large are questioning out loud, “Is this the Son of David?” In other words, is this the Messiah? The evidence before their eyes is leading them to the proper conclusion. The self-righteous Pharisees, unwilling still to acknowledge what they are witnessing, find accusations. Clearly, their last allegations against Yeshua and His ability to turn their condemnation back upon themselves has yet to make them “gun shy.”
The result? The people are questioning and Yeshua is answering: “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” The kingdom of God cannot come upon anyone, according to ancient Jewish doctrine, short of the arrival of God’s Messiah. Again, without coming right out an saying He is the Messiah, Yeshua assures them that this is the case.
In the meanwhile, the Pharisees are cast as the ones splitting the house (metaphorically here the House of Israel) in two. Their accusations prove to be more about themselves than Yeshua and His disciples. This is a true pattern found in most people who are too quick to criticize and judge others. The problems often lie within.
He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters (Matthew 12:30).
Jewish New Testament Commentary2 author David Stern says this about this passage: “Here and in the next several verses the P’rushim [Pharisees] are presented with a last chance to stand with Yeshua. More generally, a standard is set by which a talmid [disciple] can test himself: if he is not actively on Yeshua’s side, he is on the side of the Adversary” (p. 45-46).
Stern’s statement does not imply that a redeemed person’s salvation is at stake. In fact, the following verses explain clearly that forgiveness if certainly possible. But it does appear that when believers operate according to the flesh, they serve the kingdom of darkness.
Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come (Matthew 12:31-32).
This is a passage that has caused no small amount of consternation over the centuries. How does one blaspheme (or more to the point—avoid blaspheming) the Holy Spirit? Within the context, it would appear that Yeshua is still addressing and warning the unregenerated Pharisees. We just read in verse 18 that the Holy Spirit is upon God’s “Servant,” the Messiah. This “Servant” here in Matthew and in Isaiah is proclaiming what? Justice. It is this unique brand of messianic justice that not only Israel—but the Gentiles—will put their hope (Matthew 12:21).
Is it possible that thwarting justice constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Let us consider other passages of Scripture.
Behold, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent . . . In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate (Isaiah 28:2-6).
This “agent” of God will have a spirit of justice. In fact, the Scriptures as a whole are replete with warnings against warping biblical justice. Within the context of our Matthew text, addressing the religious leadership, Micah sounds like the alarm of a ram’s horn.
I am filled with power—With the Spirit of the LORD—And with justice and courage to make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin. Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and twist everything that is straight (Micah 3:6-9).
Micah appears to be telling his contemporary religious leaders precisely what Yeshua was trying to say to the Pharisees of His day (and to us today). There is sin in the camp. Justice is distorted. The Spirit of the Lord is empowered toward justice. They have been confronted with the truth and must now make a choice, either to serve the kingdom of God, or to serve darkness.
An excellent book on biblical justice is Due Process by Messianic Jewish author Dr. Daniel Juster,3 where he dives into the subject of biblical justice in significant detail. “Without standards of righteousness, justice and due process, nothing that is lasting can be built. We will cancel out one another’s efforts in competition and mistrust. It will not be long before Satan attacks and sends difficulty. Along with prayer and spiritual warfare, establishing God’s standards of righteousness and justice are absolutely essential if the Kingdom of God is to prevail. However, God has promised that His Kingdom will prevail. Therefore I have to believe that His standards will be established again among His people” (p. iii).
Saying that the distortion of justice may be at the core of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a strong statement. Does the Bible give us further insights into this?
Earlier in Matthew, Yeshua tells us, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). In the previous verse we read, “Do not judge lest you be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
It does not seem reasonable that we are never to judge. Rather, it is prudent to judge according to biblical standards. How often do we, like the Pharisees, judge based on appearances? How often do we, like the Pharisees, pass judgment because traditional ritual was not enforced? How often do we question the giftings of others because their giftings do not line up with our own agendas? In each case we have judged, and we have not judged using biblical principles. In fact, when we behave in such a fashion, we are not judging sin, yet we fall so easily into its trap. “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
From the Torah of Leviticus 19:15 “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly,” through the through the Book of the Revelation, “And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments” (Revelation 16:7), justice is an ongoing theme. Even our brother Paul admonishes us, “Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (Romans 2:1).
Understandably, not every commentary or seminary holds this point of view. In fact, there appears to have been a great deal of debate of the meaning of Yeshua’s statement regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit over the centuries, and there are a variety of interpretations.
Yet the predominant context of Matthew 12 has been about how religious leaders have perverted biblical justice, abolished God’s Torah in favor of their own, turned a blind eye toward compassion, and preferred religiosity over the needs of their fellow man. Unless Yeshua and Matthew have both inserted a total non sequitur—with the intent of confusing the reader—the notion of blaspheming the Holy Spirit seems to fit the context specified. Is it possible therefore, that if we permit perverted justice, behaving as the Pharisees did, that we blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
Yeshua’s words then, and now, should have a profound affect on us all: “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
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Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You” (Matthew 12:38).
Unless this was a different day, under different circumstances, one must wonder why the Pharisees and scribes would ask such an inane question. Did they not see the withered hand restored in their own synagogue? Did they not witness the people following Yeshua and being healed? It may appear that they were baiting Him, or perhaps they were like us, always chasing after the next confirming sign because our faith can be so weak.
Yet Yeshua’s answer is the same as it has been. He tells them that He is the Messiah: “behold, something greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). So far He has told them that something greater than the temple is in their midst, someone who is Lord of the Sabbath has arrived, someone greater than David is near, that the kingdom of God is upon them, and now, that someone greater than Solomon is among them. He has yet to say “I am the Messiah,” but to those with listening ears, they heard! Nothing yet would stand up in the religious court of the temple, but the message could not be clearer.
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Next Issue: “Yeshua the Parable Preacher”
The parables carry relatively simple messages, yet might there be something deeper?
Endnotes
1 Yeshua is the Hebrew form of the name “Jesus” and is used throughout.
2 David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1992).
3 Daniel Juster, Due Process (Destiny Image Publishers, 1992).
