I Desire Mercy Not Sacrifice
Questions for Study 17

Matthew 12:1-50
Key Verse: 7

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I. Jesus Helps People with God's Mercy (1-21)

1. What did Jesus' disciples do one Sabbath day when they were hungry? (Deuteronomy 23:24,25) Why did the Pharisees criticize them? What was the motive of their criticism?

2. In defending his disciples' cause, what three Scripture passages did Jesus cite? (1 Samuel 21:2-6; Numbers 28:9, Hosea 6:6) Summarize each. What does it mean when he said, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice"?

3. What was the problem of the man in the synagogue? How did the Pharisees treat him? What did they ask Jesus? What did Jesus teach them in response? How was Jesus different from the Pharisees?

4. How did Jesus demonstrate God's mercy on the man? What happened to the man with the shrivelled hand when God's mercy was given to him by Jesus? How did the Pharisees react? What does this show?

5. Why did Jesus withdraw? How did he continue to help people? According to the quotation from Isaiah, who was Jesus? What do these verses tell us about Jesus, his ministry and his power source?

II. Sin That is Unforgivable (22-37)

6. Who was the man they brought to Jesus? (22) What happened? (22-24) Why were their responses to this event so obviously wrong?

7. How did the Pharisees explain the work of God through Jesus? How did Jesus show that the Pharisees' thinking was nonsense? (25-29) Who is the strongman who is stronger than the devil? (29)

8. In what respect did the Pharisees blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Why is this an unforgivable sin? Why must we stand on God's side? (30-32)

9. What do Jesus' words and the Pharisees' words reveal about each respectively? (33-35) How important are the words we speak? Why?

III. Judgement Upon the Unrepentant (38-42)

10. How did the Pharisees respond to Jesus' warning instead of repenting? How did Jesus characterize them? (39) What was the sign of Jonah? What is the lesson we should learn from the people of Nineveh? From the Queen of the South?

IV. The Final Condition of an Unrepentant Life (43-45)

11. In the parable what does the evil spirit do to a man? How does this parable illustrate the root problem of the self-righteous and legalistic Pharisees? (43-45) What is the result of an unrepentant heart? (45b)

V. Jesus' True Family (46-50)

12. Why did his mother and brothers come to visit Jesus? (46-47, Mark 3:20) What was Jesus' response? (48) Whom did Jesus say were his real mother and brothers? (49a) How can we be part of Jesus' true family?