Matthew 12:15
Saturday, 2 August 2025
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Matthew 12:15
“And Jesus, having known, He withdrew thence. And they followed Him, great crowds. And He cured them all” (CG).
In the previous verse, the Pharisees, not happy with Jesus having healed on the Sabbath, went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Matthew next records, “And Jesus, having known, He withdrew thence.”
Of His withdrawal, Mark adds in the words –
“But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.” Mark 3:7Matthew 3:7
Staying where these Pharisees were would only be like rubbing salt on an open wound. There was no reason to stay and have them further challenge Him at this point. He knew His time had not yet arrived, and so He put distance between Himself and them, going to a location where He could still openly speak to the people.
This is perfectly in accord with His words to the disciples from Matthew 10:23, which say, “When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.” Understanding this, it next says, “And they followed Him, great crowds.”
Mark explains the crowds, saying, “And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.” Mark 3:7, 8
Therefore, His withdrawal was not in hiding. Rather, it was just to get away from the annoying Pharisees who plotted against Him. With crowds following Him, they would not dare do something to harm Him lest the crowds turn on them. Matthew’s next words say, “And He cured them all.”
Matthew returns immediately to the thought of Jesus’ healing of others. This is what got the Pharisees in a huff. Their analysis of the law did not allow them to see the logic of Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath.
Jesus, however, knew that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, His works were not opposed to Sabbath observance. Rather, they were in accord with it, just as when the priests profaned the Sabbath and yet were guiltless.
Life application: One of the beautiful aspects of being in Christ is what it says in Paul’s epistles. First, he writes –
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14
Because of this state of grace, Paul further says –
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19
When we, as saved believers, do wrong, God does not impute our sin to us. If He did, we would lose our salvation. As we all do wrong quite often in one way or another, no person would remain saved. But God has placed us under a state of grace where we are free from condemnation.
This is the doctrine of grace. When a person is saved, he is saved forever. His state will never revert to being unsaved. A vast swath of Christianity, however, cannot stomach this truth. They fail to understand what the word grace means. Therefore, they incorrectly teach that one can, in fact, lose his salvation.
That is not grace. That is a continuing state of works. However, these same people, not accepting that they are wrong in their theology, will then accuse those who rightly understand that salvation is eternal, of teaching that it is ok to sin. To them, this must be the case because anyone who would teach eternal salvation must, by default, think it is ok to sin.
This isn’t even close to reality. Paul, who teaches the doctrine of eternal salvation, continues in his very next words after Romans 6:14, saying –
“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” Romans 6:15
No reasonable thinking Christian would ever assume that being saved means we can willingly sin. If he understands a thing about the judgment seat of Christ, he knows that his eternal rewards are based on NOT SINNING as well as living out lives of faith, because people of faith will do their best to not sin but instead be pleasing to God.
This in no way diminishes the doctrine of eternal salvation. Rather, it exalts God, whose word instructs this doctrine. He has done everything necessary for the believer to be saved and to remain saved forever, despite himself. Such people understand what grace means and are eternally grateful for it.
Lord God, Your grace is seen in how You have saved Your people and then how You have continued to save them, despite themselves. Each of us is living in a body of sin, knowing we were and remain unworthy before You, but You give more grace. Thank You for Your tender, loving care of Your people. Amen.
