Join us for a summary walk through the life of Jesus. Journey toward Resurrection Day with a renewed vision and appreciation for the life of Jesus Christ. Each day you will find a link to the Bible passage for that day and helpful resources for your study.
February 27. Read Matthew 12. The Pharisees Respond.
Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. These mostly involve the ultra-legalistic, tradition-minded Pharisees. By this point in Jesus' ministry, they had begun to amplify their attacks, accusations, and attempts to trap Jesus into saying or doing something they could use against Him.
"Harsh" is a mild way to describe the condemnation Jesus applies to these Pharisees. They produce bad spiritual "fruit" for the same reason corrupt trees make inedible crops. He calls them a brood of vipers, pointing out that the words they say reveal the true nature of their hearts. This principle applies, in general, to all people as well: what we think and feel is the origin of what we say and do. Jesus warns everyone listening that they will be held accountable on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Matthew 12:33–37).
Reflect: What do Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees reveal about what God desires? Where is God calling you to be more mindful of your words and, more importantly, your heart behind those words?
Keep reading this commentary. Click “next verse” to continue.
FAQ from our network of sites:
- Who were the Pharisees?
- Who was the Beelzebub that the Pharisees attributed Christ's work to?
- What does Matthew 12 mean? Start reading our commentary here. Click "Next verse" to continue through the passage.
- For kids: Who were the Sadducees and Pharisees?
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