AN ATTORNEY
1. In seven New Testament passages we find that Biblical writers used the word “accuser.”
2.
One of the places where this term is used is Jn.
3. Jesus asked the women taken in adultery, “Where are your accusers?”
4. The book of Acts says that Paul had “accusers” make charges against Him.
5. These references are in Acts 23, 24, and 25.
6.
The only other book that uses this term is Revelation (
7. Moments ago we heard this passage read.
SATAN
ACCUSES THE PEOPLE OF GOD. IN REV. 12:10
THE WORD ACCUSER IS A NOUN.
A. In other words, this word can be thought of as one of Satan’s names.
B. The devil is the accuser.
C. The devil is the one who wants to come before God and tell stories about us.
D. Whether these stories are true or not, he wants to charge us with sin.
E. Satan is interested in prosecuting each one of us in heaven’s courtroom.
F. It is as if Satan is at the plaintiff table. We are at the defense table.
G. If we are a Christian 1 Tim. 2:5 tells us who are defense counsel is.
H. According to 1 Tim. 2:5 Jesus is the mediator for those who are Christians.
2. To help us visualize what Jesus does I want us to witness the Lord in action.
3. According to the gospels there was a time when the Lord’s people were accused.
4. This accusation was serious. One of the places where this accusation is found is Mt. 12.
5. An accusation against the Lord’s disciples was brought to Jesus.
6. The text says that our Lord responded to the charge.
7. As you are turning to Mt. 12 it may be helpful to bear in mind a small fact.
8. In this day and time teachers bore some responsibility for their students.
9. This seems to be why Jesus was held accountable for what His disciples did.
10.
A. From what we know the Jews had some very specific ideas about the Sabbath day.
B. They taught the people that they could not reap or thresh grain on this day.
C. Winnowing grain and preparing food were all considered to be sins.
D. What did the disciples do?
E. In the minds of the Pharisees the Lord’s disciples had cmmitted all four of these sins.
F. By plucking the grain they were guilty of “reaping.”
G. As these men rubbed the grain in their hands the Pharisees would have seen this as “threshing.”
H. Getting rid of the husks would have been classified as “winnowing.”
I. Eating the grain was tantamount to preparing food on the Sabbath.
11. This may not make a lot of sense to us, but this was serious business to the Pharisees.
12. These men had their own set of rules and this activity didn’t fit in with those rules.
13. This is why Jesus was asked the question in 2b: why do your disciples do what is unlawful?
A. This was a serious charge.
B. The people who were eating the grain were the Lord’s disciples.
C. These men were accused of breaking the law.
D. It was alleged that they were transgressors.
14.
THIS ACCOUNT IS
INSTRUCTIVE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON.
THE LORD’S PEOPLE WERE CHARGED WITH SIN.
THIS PASSAGE SHOWS US HOW JESUS DEFENDED HIS PEOPLE.
A. If we study the Lord’s defense this will give us some idea as to what He now does in heaven.
B. Let’s see how Jesus responded to these accusers.
C. The Lord’s first line of defense is in verses 3-4 – READ
D. The
Pharisees loved David. King David was a
hero in
E. Jesus went back to an incident in David’s life (1 Sam. 21:1-9).
F. David and his men were hungry. They didn’t have anything to eat.
G. The people David asked for food didn’t have any.
H. The only thing that was available was some bread that the priests used.
I. David and his men ate this bread.
J. These people believed that this behavior by David was acceptable.
K. They were familiar with this story but they didn’t accuse David of sin.
L. When the Lord’s disciples also ate food they were charged with sin.
M. Jesus pointed out that they could not have it both ways.
N. David ate the bread in the tabernacle (verse 4).
O. The Lord’s disciples had eaten the grain in the field, not a religious place.
P. If these people didn’t condemn David they had no right condemning Jesus or His disciples.
Q. If these people exonerated David they had to accept what the Lord’s disciples were doing.
R. They could only make an accusation if they were willing to condemn David.
15. These men were not willing to do that so their accusation was silenced.
16. The accusers were stripped of their ability (on this occasion) to make an objection.
17. Jesus could have rested His case on this one argument.
18. He provided the accusers with a little more information.
19. VERSE 5 – READ
A. Jesus showed that certain things were allowable on the Sabbath.
B. The priests worked but this didn’t mean that they sinned.
C. The Lord’s disciples also engaged in an activity but this didn’t mean that they sinned.
D. Jesus also said He was greater than the temple (verse 6).
E. In other words, He knew what was right and wrong.
F. He knew what was permissible and what was not.
G. He had the right to judge what was right and wrong and He approved of His disciple’s actions.
H. This argument shamed the accusers a little more.
20. Jesus didn’t stop with two arguments. He used a third.
21. This is found in verse 7 – READ
22. The Lord quoted from the prophet Hosea (6:6).
A. This quote meant that the law was to be kept but mercy is also important.
B. David was allowed to eat the showbread, in part, because of mercy.
C. If David and his men had not been allowed to eat this bread perhaps they would have died.
D. The priests who “profaned the Sabbath” (verse 5) were “guiltless.”
E. Why? The answer is found in the word “mercy.”
F. The disciples of Jesus were involved in an even more important work than the one done by David.
G. Their task was far more important than the things done by David.
H. Their work was more important than what was done at the temple.
I. These men were going to be the vehicle through which the story of Jesus Christ was announced.
J. They needed to survive, keep going, be helped and blessed.
K. God wanted these men to receive help.
L. This desire was associated with mercy.
M. If for no other reason, God’s mercy allowed these men to pluck and eat this grain.
23. Jesus the attorney provided three arguments that left the accusers speechless.
24. He could have stopped.
25. Perhaps He kept going to show what kind of lawyer Christians have.
26. His fourth argument is in verse 8 – READ
27. Jesus said He was “Lord” of the Sabbath.
A. This meant that when it came to judging things about the Sabbath Jesus was the expert.
B. He was the boss and the rule maker concerning this day of the week.
C. Jesus told these people, “I know the law.”
D. In fact, we could say that Jesus made (or helped make) the law.
E. Because of Jesus’ relation to the law He was able to determine right from wrong.
F. Jesus essentially said, “I have ruled. I have made a determination. You have no case.”
28. This part of the defense must have shocked the people who heard it.
29. Unless this could be disproven, this single statement took care of the accusers.
30. These people didn’t have a leg to stand on.
31. They were whipped. It was time to call for the next case and set of accusers.
32. Matthew
doesn’t add a little detail but Mark does (this is found in Mk.
A. This was the 5th argument that silenced the accusers.
B. Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
C. That is, the Sabbath day was supposed to help and benefit man.
D. It was never designed to make him go hungry.
E. It was never intended to be a chain that made him unhappy.
F. God had man’s best interest at heart when this day was instituted.
33. SUPPOSE THAT WE HAD BEEN ONE OF THE PHARISEES WHO HAD CHARGED THE LORD’S DISCIPLES WITH SIN. AFTER WE MADE THAT CHARGE JESUS FIRED BACK THE FIVE RESPONSES THAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM MATTHEW 12 AND MARK 2.
A. How would we feel?
B. We know how these men felt – verse 14 of Mt. 12 – READ
C. Those who have Jesus as their attorney cannot lose.
D. If we are on the Lord’s side we are on the winning side.
E. If Jesus is our advocate a verdict of not guilty is guaranteed.
F. This should make us feel pretty good.
G. Whether we are a Christian or not Satan is our accuser.
H. This description of the devil tells us something about this creature.
I. He has been accusing God’s people as well as the unsaved for thousands of years.
J. Over these thousands of years the devil has suffered defeat again and again.
K. The devil has lost thousands of cases.
L. He has been in court tens of thousands of times.
M. Think about yourself for just a moment.
N. How many times do you think the devil has gone to heaven’s court to accuse you?
O. Though he and the other accusers have lost countless times, they do not stop trying.
P. He and his servants repeat their efforts to charge us with sin and condemn us.
Q. The Lord loves His people enough to continually come to court on their behalf.
R. Each time Jesus has a winning strategy if we are a child of God.
34. This is one illustration of God’s love.
35. This also gives us some idea as to what the devil is really like.
36. At the present moment we can think of ourself as being in a courtroom.
37. We are not perfect so Satan is ready to accuse us of something.
38. Is anyone sitting with us at the defense table?
39. Is the Lord ready to intervene on our behalf and silence Satan’s accusations?
40. Or, will Satan be allowed to present charges against us because Jesus is not on our side?
41. We need Jesus Christ as our advocate. We need Him as our attorney.
42. Have we enlisted His services?
43. Are we one of the Lord’s clients?
44. Are we letting Jesus plead our case on a regular basis or is Satan succeeding in building a case?
45. In life people want the best legal counsel that is available.
46. Are we not convinced of this need in the spiritual realm as well?
47. Is Jesus our spiritual attorney?