The Book of Matthew
By Charles Box,
The Coming Of The Messiah
– Matthew One –
The saddest chapter in the Bible is Genesis 3. It is sad because
it is the story of sin entering into the world. Satan used the sneaky snake to
deceive the woman. He asked her if there was any tree in the garden from which
they could not eat the fruit. She explained that God had said, "But of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the
day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)
Eve explained to Satan that God had said, "Ye shall not eat
of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Satan told her that she
would not die but God was just keeping wisdom from her. She was told that if
she ate the fruit she would "know the difference between right and wrong,
just as God does." "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make
one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6)
Sin had now entered the world and man will quickly understand that sin always ends in misery. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and
thus
death spread to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12) Because of sin
all men stand in need of the Savior.
The story of the Bible can be seen in three simple statements: (1)
The Savior is coming, (2) The Savior has come, and (3) The Savior is coming
again as judge.
Matthew chapter one provides inspired information about the
background and birth of the Messiah. Matthew gives the legal genealogy of
Jesus. He does not provide Jesus' blood lineage through Mary, but His legal
lineage through Joseph. In the gospel of Luke we are able to trace the blood
lineage of Jesus through Mary. Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy and the
realizing of the hope of
The
background of the Messiah – Matthew 1:1-11: The genealogy of Jesus connects him with God and man, Jew and Gentile,
rich and poor, and men and women. It is of interest that four women are named
in the lineage of Jesus, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba mentioned by
implication in Matthew 1:6. Jesus Christ is connected with everyone. "We
trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men." (I Timothy 4:10)
Jesus' coming fulfilled God's promises made to Abraham found in Genesis chapter
twelve. His coming to the earth is unique in that He is the only person ever
born having to do with forgiveness of man's sins. "But we see Jesus, who
was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned
with glory and honor: that he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man." (Hebrews 2:9.) The first seventeen verses of Matthew one are not just
dead and dry words. They provide a beautiful link to bring heaven and earth
together. Read the genealogy of Jesus and rejoice. "For unto you is born this day in the city of
More
about the ancestors of Jesus – Matthew 1:12-17: There were fourteen
generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen generations from
David to the exile in
The
birth of the Messiah – Matthew 1:18-21: "But when the fullness of
the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as
sons." (Galatians 4:4-5) Christ was born in fulfillment of prophecy.
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
Jesus was born to save us from our sins. "And she will bring forth a Son,
and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their
sins." (Matthew 1:21) The good news of Jesus is that he is "able to
save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to
make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25) Salvation is only in the name
of Jesus. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts
His name was called Jesus – Matthew 1:22-25: The conception of Jesus took place in an extraordinary manner. While Mary was a virgin, still untouched by any man, she conceived a child by the Holy Ghost. The prophet had predicted that a virgin would have a son and now the thing was done. The child of the virgin was "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Jesus, who is the Word, was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) Immediately upon receiving this revelation from God about Mary and her child Joseph did as the angel said. He "did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, speedily, without delay, and cheerfully, without dispute." The message had been, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Now Joseph publicly married to Mary! Joseph "knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." Joseph was a just man, simple in heart and obedient to the Lord.
Jesus was the first born son of Mary and He was the first and only
begotten Son of God. His birth was a fulfillment of Psalm 2:7. "I will
declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have
I begotten thee." Mary brought forth the Savior of the world because God
wants all men to be saved. Luke
The birth of Jesus proves God's desire for your salvation. Because
Jesus came to earth we can go to heaven. However, man must understand that
without Jesus there is no hope. You can be saved through Jesus when you hear
the gospel (Romans
Where Is The King?
– Matthew Two –
Wise men will always seek Jesus. Matthew chapter two gives us a look at the wise men that came seeking Jesus and the wicked act of a godless king that broke the hearts of many families. The wise men sought a king but they found a child who had been born in a stable. But remember this child was Emmanuel – “God with us.”
Matthew tells us of the visit of the wise men (two or more men)
that came some time after the birth of Jesus. Luke records the account of how
the shepherds heard the good news concerning the Savior on the night of His
birth. There are many similarities between Jesus and Old Testament events. A
couple of examples are, (1) The Jews went to
The wise men visit the king – Matthew 2:1-12: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) People are not wise because of what they know, but because of what they seek. These wise men were exactly what we should be – earnest, sincere seekers of Christ. God pity the king, president or beggar who does not know Christ and where he was born.
From this beautiful section of Scripture we observe: (1) The
Seekers – “…there came wise men from the east to
The
Christ is taken into
After the wise left an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream. He was told to get up and quickly take the child and his mother to
Observe, (1) The Warning – “…the angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and
flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek
the young child to destroy him." (Matthew
The
murder of the infants in
The only hopeful thing concerning the slaughter of these innocent
children is that while their physical lives were taken at the command of a
cruel and heartless king they are forever in the care of a loving, kind and
merciful God. (Matthew 18:1-5) This is also true of the millions of babies that
are murdered each year by abortion.
The
Christ returned out of
When Joseph knew that Herod's son Archelaus was now ruler of
It was not a mere coincidence for them to settle at
Jesus died, innocent children died, many suffered so salvation
could be ours. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to
save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) To be saved you must hear
(Romans
Jesus Was Baptized By John
– Matthew Three
Matthew was inspired by God to skip about thirty years in the life
of Jesus between Matthew two and Matthew three. In Matthew three he introduced
us to John by simply saying, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in
the wilderness of
God can always use fearless, dedicated men like John the Baptist.
His mission was that of being a forerunner for Jesus. This common man had an
uncommon influence for God's cause. In quiet solitude with God, this great man
prepared to be a true and faithful servant of God. Jesus would later say of
John, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen
one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11)
John was a public preacher and his message was a public
proclamation of the need for all men everywhere to repent. It is of interest
that John did much of his public preaching “in the wilderness of
John's message was simply, "Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repentance is
one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible. Some confuse repentance with
prayer or confessing sins. Repentance is not expressing regret for sin. It is a
change of heart or a change of mind that leads to a change in one's actions.
Matthew described John as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” This
was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. John's work was to prepare
the way for Christ. His dress and food was primitive. He was like Elijah, one
of the great Old Testament prophets. Many people came to John to confess their
sins and to be baptized by him.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to check out John's baptism. He
knew their lack of conversion so he said, “O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet
for repentance.” (Matthew 3:7-8) He was not trying to be popular and he did not
just want these people to be religious. He wanted them to be righteous.
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. John's baptism was a
baptism growing out of repentance and it was for the remission. But Jesus was
the sinless Son of God. (II Corinthians 5:21) He had no need of repentance and
forgiveness of sins. Jesus was baptized because that was the “proper way to
fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus wanted to be baptized because that was God's
will. He was willing to be baptized when he did not even need to be. The
Pharisees and Sadducees were unwilling to repent and be baptized for the
remission of sins when they very much needed to be!
At the baptism of Jesus it was verified from heaven that He is the
Son of God. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the
water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)
John
prepared the way for Jesus – Matthew 3:1-6 John was called “The”
Baptist. Never was he called “A Baptist”. Saying John the Baptist identified
the fact that he baptized. John “The Barber” would identify a man as one who
cuts hair and saying John “The Baptist” identified him as one who baptized. He
was a special man with the special mission of being a forerunner for Jesus.
Both the man and his message were unique: (1) The Man – “Now John himself was
clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was
locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4) and, (2) The Message – “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2) Even today (especially today)
people still need to hear preaching about “Repentance” and the “
John
preached a message of repentance – Matthew 3:7-10: There were those
that John refused to baptize because they showed no repentance. (Matthew 3:7-8)
He called these people a generation of vipers because of their hypocrisy and
malice. They, like their parents, were children of the evil one. John felt that
if these people had truly repented that there would be works that would show
the genuineness of their repentance.
John anticipated or possibly had already heard them say that they
were Abraham's seed. Just because they were Abraham's seed did not mean that
they were not responsible for their actions. Repentance was still their urgent
need!
John
preached one mightier than himself – Matthew 3:11-12: John was born
about six months before Jesus, and began his ministry before Jesus did His.
John wanted it clearly understood that though Jesus’ ministry started after his
that Jesus is the mightier. When John spoke of Jesus he said, “Someone more
powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.”
What colorful symbols were used to show the Jews the urgency of
their repentance to prepare for Jesus, (a) an ax laid to the root of the tree,
(b) a baptism of fire, and (c) a winnowing fan? John promised God's wrath on
those who would not repent. The ax was an ax of God's judgment and vengeance.
The baptism of fire is that of tribulations and afflictions. Those that will not repent will be separated
with God's winnowing fan to face certain destruction.
God wants all men to become Christians. To be saved you must hear
the gospel (Romans
Jesus Began To Preach
– Matthew Four –
Matthew chapter four gives us a look at the
faithfulness and work of the Savior. In this chapter Matthew shows us, (1) a
tempted Savior (Matthew 4:1-11), (2) a preaching Savior (Matthew
The Devil put Christ under severe temptation immediately after God
declared Him to be the Son of God following His baptism. The goal of the wicked
one was to cause the Savior to doubt God. Temptation is the plight of all
mankind. "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust,
and enticed." (James 1:14) Jesus was able to resist temptation and with
the help of God so are we! Satan tempts at those moments when we are the
weakest. But with enough of God's word within us we are able to resist. In dealing
with each temptation Jesus answered "It is written." Satan will
attack everywhere and under every circumstance, so be ready.
The wonderful Savior preached the same message that John had
preached before Him. "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
When Jesus began His preaching He called men to be His disciples.
Later He named these special men "apostles." Among those that were
called were Peter, Andrew, James and John. Jesus chose those that would have
been rejected by the world. They were called to leave everything and follow
Him.
As Jesus went about preaching He proved Himself to be the Son of
God by the great miracles that He did. "Jesus went about all
Jesus
was a tempted Savior – Matthew 4:1-11: At this point Jesus began His
preaching ministry as described in Isaiah 61:1. "The Spirit of the Lord
GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto
the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."
Before this, however, Jesus had to deal with the Devil. The Devil is the
tempter. "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted of the devil." (Matthew 4:1) The tempter came when Jesus was weak
with forty days of fasting. (Matthew 4:2) The tempter used doubt and deception
to tempt Jesus and Jesus used scripture to resist him. (Matthew 4:3-11)
Three times Satan tempted and three times Jesus answered with
Scripture. His reply was "It is written." How Christians handle temptation
shows both the reality and depth of their faith. Satan learned that as long as
one stands on the word of God he can resist temptation. Satan even used
scripture or in this case misused scripture to try to cast doubt in Jesus'
mind. (Psalm 91:11-12)
Jesus
was a preaching Savior – Matthew 4:12-17: Gospel preaching brings
people out of darkness into God's marvelous light. Without the gospel people
sit "in the region and shadow of death." The good news for the poor
soul in darkness is hope through Christ. Jesus, like John the Baptist, preached
repentance (a change of mind that results in a change of life) and the kingdom
of heaven (the church). "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
It is impossible to preach the gospel without preaching "the
kingdom of heaven." Christ has only one church and all the saved are added
to it. (Acts
Jesus
was a calling Savior – Matthew 4:18-22: Jesus called four fishermen to
follow Him. They were Peter, Andrew, James and John. His call was simple --
“follow me.” The purpose of the call to the apostles was to make them
"fishers of men." "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will
make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) They were still to be fishermen
but in a much higher sense. They were to be involved in the noble employment,
and purpose of rescuing men from sin. Jesus still calls "follow me and I
will make you fishers of men!"
These men were called to follow Jesus as (1) teacher (Matthew
Jesus
was a healing Savior – Matthew 4:23-25: Christ healed "all kinds
of sickness" and "all kinds of diseases." He did not heal for
money or fame but as proof that He is the Son of God. "And many other
sings truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which
are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name." (John 20:30-3l)
Jesus healed the bodies of men but he was far more interested in
their souls. "All sick people that were taken with divers
diseases and torments" were brought to Jesus
and were healed. He healed both the worst physical and mental afflictions. He
also healed those that were under the total power of demons. Jesus healed
without any means. He did so just be speaking the word. This showed Him truly
to be the Son of God.
Great multitudes of people followed Jesus. Some followed for the
healing of their bodies and others for their spiritual needs. Do you follow
Jesus with a heart filled with love and obedience?
To have Jesus as Lord you must hear the gospel and believe,
(Romans
A Look At The Savior's Mind
– Matthew Five –
Matthew
chapter five is part of that section of Scripture known as the "Sermon on
the Mount." This is the longest continuous sermon from Jesus that is in
our Bible. The Sermon on the Mount deals with practical things concerning every
day living. We learn from Jesus' sermon that there must be a willingness on our
part to be a doer of the word of God.
The mind of Christ is revealed in this great sermon. The Sermon on
the Mount is recorded in Matthew five, six and seven. The teaching of Jesus was
done with love and authority. In Matthew chapter four Jesus had declared that
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In Matthew five He began to give a
description of what kingdom actions are to be like. Those in the kingdom must
(1) have certain character, (2) obey certain commands, (3) face certain
challenges, and (4) make certain choices. You can find the teachings of the
Sermon on the Mount in all the gospels but only Matthew records it as a continuous
message.
Jesus'
teachings about blessedness – Matthew 5:1-12: "And seeing the
multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came
to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying." (Matthew 5:1-2)
Jesus used a mountain as a pulpit
for this great sermon. His teaching was simple, powerful and tender. He spoke
to the hearts of His hearers. His message was designed to change people from
the inside out. He was wonderful in name, life, and message. (Isaiah 9:6)
Truly, He was and is the Son of God. The teachings of Jesus were pure
teachings, showing people how to have pure thoughts and how to live pure lives
The multitude was there but the lesson was given specifically to
the disciples of Jesus. A disciple is a learner. In some countries, those that
are learning to drive must have an "L" on the windshield of their
car. Followers of Christ need an "L" written on their heart.
Disciples are willing to receive instructions and humble enough to learn and
obey.
The attitudes of the
beatitudes make one teachable and useful to God. These attitudes will result in
a humble, serving life. The type of person that will inherit the kingdom of God
is (1) poor in spirit – one that constantly knows they are struggling spiritually,
(2) a mourner – one that is brokenhearted over spiritual failure, (3) the
meek/humble – those that accept and grieve over their failures, (4) hunger and
thirst for righteousness – in that hunger satisfaction comes, (5) merciful – we
become able to extend mercy to others, (6) pure in heart – authenticity all the
way through, (7) peacemakers – seek to end conflict, and (8) persecuted and
reviled – put down by the world.
Concerning the Law Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the pro-phets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) The purpose of Jesus was to
"fulfill or accomplish what was in the law and the prophets"
concerning the Messiah. In the Old Law there were many predictions concerning
the coming, birth, life and death of the Christ. These were all to be fulfilled
by Jesus, His sufferings and death. Jesus said that not "one jot or one
tittle" (something like a period or comma) would disappear from the Law until it
all was fulfilled in Him. The righteousness of the Christian comes from their
heart, and is therefore genuine. This righteousness
must exceed that of the Pharisees and Scribes. Their righteousness was
external, and was not true holiness.
Jesus' teaching about murder, adultery and swearing – Matthew 5:21-37:
In Matthew 5:21-26 we learn that the thought of hatred produces the act of
murder. Therefore, the thought is the act in the heart. Right actions grow out
of right thinking. Attitudes can be just as wrong as actions. (Matthew 5:27-30)
Lust is adultery in the heart. Our hearts must be brought into submission to
Christ. Wrong thoughts are just as evil as the wrong act. That is why
Christians must "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ." (II Corinthians 10:5)
Attitudes also affect marriage relationships. (Matthew 5:31-32)
Divorce for any reason except sexual immorality leads to or causes adultery.
Right attitudes build good marriages. Today instead of respecting God's law of
marriage and divorce many in the church accept divorce and remarriage upon the
most foolish and frivolous pretenses. Did Jesus mean what He said? "But I
say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife,
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." (Matthew
5:32)
Our attitudes also affect our words. (Matthew 5:33-37) There will be no swearing
from the faithful child of God. You can trust their words completely. Rash
swearing, about trivial matters must be avoided by God's children. As Christians
we must not forswear ourselves, but we should simply declare that a thing is
so.
Jesus' teachings about
retaliation and love – Matthew 5:38-48: Having the right attitude will
cause us to go the second mile. (Matthew 5:38-42) Do anything and everything
within your power to show the world what Christ is like. Go the second mile.
Right attitudes will cause love for enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48)
Those that learn to love learn to forgive. The only acceptable disposition for
the Christian in any circumstance of life is love. By inspiration Paul
expressed it this way, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him: if he thirst,
give him drink." (Romans 12:20) As a Christian you must love your enemies
and pray for anyone that mistreats you. When you love your enemies and pray for
those that mistreat you, "then you will be acting like your Father in
heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And He sends rain
for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong."
We must love our enemies. "For if ye
love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the
same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye
more than others? do not even the publicans so?"
God expects the Christian to do more than others and to be more than others. He
expects us to be perfect. We must be sincere and upright in our love to all
men, as our heavenly Father is in His affections to them.
To become a Christian you must hear the word of God and believe
(Romans
A Look At The Actions Required
– Matthew Six –
Matthew six is the second part of the scripture in that section
known as the "Sermon on the Mount." (Matthew 5, 6, & 7) This
chapter shows some of the actions that Jesus requires. Saving faith demands
more than just belief – saving faith requires actions.
The action of sharing – Matthew 6:1-4: Charitable deeds are to be done by children of God. But, if
charitable deeds are done only to be seen of men that will be your reward in
full. Our charitable deeds are to be acts of sacrifice and service, not acts of
show. Charitable deeds done in the right spirit produce a
special reward from God.
The scribes and Pharisees were guilty of heart-sins. They were
hypocrites. When they did their alms they sounded a trumpet before them in the
synagogues and in the streets, that they might have glory
of men. We must
do better than that.
What we do must be done from the heart in order to have God's approval.
Do all the good deeds that you can. Hide this good from others so
that they will not discourage your efforts nor boast too much about you for
your actions. Do the charitable deed and forget it quickly so that you will not
become complacent by thinking about what you have done. Allow God to have the
glory for the deed!
The prayers of the Pharisees was nothing
more than show-off. They loved to pray "standing in the synagogues and in
the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." Their reward is
that they will be seen of men and they already have that reward. Our prayers should
be private, from the heart and with deep devotion. Such prayers will be
rewarded openly by God, the Father.
The actions of fasting and giving – Matthew 6:16-21: Fasting is to be seen only by God. God
said, "When you fast." It seems that fasting is expected among
Christians, but not commanded for Christians. Fasting is to be in
private but the reward for fasting will be given openly. Fasting may be one of
those overlooked things that Christians could benefit greatly from! When you fast do not try to look like a sad and gloomy religious
show-off. Others do not even need to know that you are fasting. God will
know and He will provide you with proper reward!
Treasures should be laid up in heaven, not on earth. The treasures
laid up on earth may be stolen or destroyed by moths or rust. Christians should
store up treasures
in
heaven. Moths and rust cannot destroy these treasures; and thieves cannot break
in and steal them. The
treasures laid up in heaven are enduring. "Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also." Get your money into God's work and you
will get your heart there! We have learned a powerful truth when we recognize
that our heart will always be where our treasure is!
The actions of shinning, serving and living – Matthew 6:22-34:
God's desire is for our "whole body to be full of light." A good eye
leads to a shinning life. A bad eye will lead to a life of darkness. God
expects of us actions that produce a shinning life. Your eyes are like a window
for your soul.
It is impossible to serve both God and money. "You cannot be
the slave of two masters!" You will love one master more than the other.
Some allow God to be their Master. Others are mastered by mammon. However, you
cannot serve both God and money.
Living the Christian life is to live without worry. If God cares for the flowers and the birds He will care for you! God knows your needs and is both able and willing to meet those needs. God expects us to put His righteousness and His kingdom first in life. If this is done there is nothing to worry about!
Solomon was not clothed as well as the wild flowers of the field.
If God so clothed them, then we can also have confidence that He will care for
us. It is sad if we have only "little faith" in such a BIG God!
God's message is "Don't Worry!" There is no need to ask yourself, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What
will we wear?" God knows your needs and He is more than willing to meet
the needs of His servants. "But seek ye first the
God's advice to His children is, "Do not worry about
tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about
today." When that holiness of heart and purity of life that God desires of
His followers is developed blessings will follow. Faithful members of God's
spiritual kingdom will be blessed!
Nothing is better than following the actions required by God. God
requires (1) faith (John
A Look At The
Authority Of Jesus
– Matthew Seven –
Matthew chapter seven is the final part of scripture in that
section known as the Sermon on the Mount. This section shows the authority of
Jesus as He spoke on such themes as judging, praying, the one way to heaven,
being known by your fruit, obedience and building on the rock. In His teaching,
"Jesus taught them as one having authority." (Matthew 7:29)
When
Jesus spoke of judgment He said that we should not judge harshly or rashly.
Many are able to see small faults in their brethren, but overlook greater ones
in themselves. Jesus called the faults motes and beams. Before we look for
faults in others we must first reform and correct ourselves.
Jesus taught us to pray sincere and ardent prayers. We must pray
often and fervently. Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7)
The throne of God's grace is open to the faithful child of God. Earthly parents
know how to bless and answer the requests of their children. How much more is
God able and willing to bless His faithful sons and daughters?
There are only two ways to go as we travel through this life. One
is the right way and the other is the wrong way. The narrow way leads to heaven and the broad way
leads to hell. “Many” travel that broad way that leads to destruction. A
"few" will not travel the broad way to hell,
rather they choose to walk the straight and narrow! Walking the straight and
narrow way a person must resist temptation, and do their daily duty for God.
Nothing keeps man from the straight and narrow way more that
"false teaching." We must hear and learn the teachings of Jesus,
believe in His as the Christ, repent of sins, confess the precious name of
Jesus, be baptized into Christ, and live a holy life. Jesus, by His authority,
commanded every one that names the name of Christ to depart from iniquity. What
kind of builder are you? Let us build our lives on the solid foundation of
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When a life is built
upon the rock nothing separates us from the love of Christ. Jesus "taught
them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:29)
Not all judging is condemned. The Bible says, "Judge not
according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24) In
all of our dealings there must be "righteous judgments!"
We must judge our own deeds and the deeds of others, but we must not judge the
hearts of others. We cannot judge a person's intentions. God judges the heart
and we must not try to put ourselves on His throne. It would be impossible for
us to judge another's eternal state! However, must continually judge by the
word of God as to what is right and what is wrong.
Jesus
spoke with authority about praying – Matthew 7:7-12: Prayer is pictured
in different ways in the Bible. In Matthew six prayer
is pictured as our duty toward God. In Matthew seven prayer
is picture as a means whereby our needs are obtained. The lesson taught is
simple -- pray, pray, pray! In the words of our text -- keep asking, seeking
and knocking. Jesus knocks at our door. (Revelation 3:20) He allows us to knock
at His door so that the needs of our life may be met. God is both able and
willing to answer the prayers of His children. He is more loving than any
earthly father.
All that you expect or desire of other people do or say the same
to them. Try to think like God and to put yourself in the place of other
people. Your attitude to toward others will determine whether God can answer
your prayers. Jesus said, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this
is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
Jesus
spoke with authority about bearing fruit – Matthew
7:13-20: There are two ways and two gates. Only one way has eternal appeal.
Walking the straight and narrow way requires a new heart and a new life. (II
Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:4) Though the way is straight and narrow it is our
goal because "it leads to life." The straight and narrow way is
entered as people believe without a doubt that Jesus is the Christ (John 6:69),
repent (Luke 13:3) and are baptized into Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27) Conversion
or regeneration is the gate into this straight and narrow way.
Jesus often cautioned
against false prophets -- false teachers. There are false teachers, teaching
false doctrine leading to false conversions. How tragic! False prophets come as
"wolves in sheep's clothing." Christians must try the spirits whether
they are of God. (I John 4:1) Examine both the teaching and the fruit it
produces! Make sure that those that teach do so according to God's truth.
Jesus
spoke with authority about obedience – Matthew 7:21-29:
As Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount He showed the absolute necessity
of obedience. An outward profession without "heart" obedience
will not lead to heaven. Jesus spoke of the one "...who does the will of
My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) At judgment, the cries of those that
have been religious, but have not truly obeyed God, will be pitiful. They will
hear the Lord say "Depart from me." This will be a terrible
separation from the very Jesus that they claimed to serve. This separation will
be caused by a lack of obedience to Christ!
The hope of the Christian rests in the
foundation upon which he builds. "For no other foundation can anyone lay
than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 3:11.)
Only those that hear and obey Jesus are truly building on the Rock of Ages.
These are the people that are like a wise man. True wisdom consists in being
sure about the salvation of our soul. Salvation comes only when we have built
upon the firm teaching of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished as we keep
Christ's gospel teaching. When you confirm to the words of Christ you are
building upon a solid rock.
Those that heard Jesus speak were astonished that He spoke with
such authority. Yet, only few chose to walk the straight and narrow way. Have
you chosen to follow Christ and His teaching? God wants all men to become
Christians. To be saved you must hear the gospel (Romans
Miracles Of The Master
– Matthew
Eight –
Jesus
did undeniable miracles that proved Him to be the Son of God. "And truly
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which
are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in
His name." (John 20:30-31.) Nicodemus had it right when he said of Jesus,
"...no one can do these things that you do unless God is with Him."
(John 3:2)
A
miracle is an event or actions that could not be produced by man or nature. It
is a supernatural event that goes beyond natural law. In Bible days no one had
to try to defend miracles or prove that they were done. They were so out of the
ordinary that they either happened or they did not happen. Many people saw
Bible miracles; therefore none could deny that they were real. Even the enemies
of Christianity admitted that miracles were done in Bible days! Matthew eight
lists several of Jesus' miracles.
Some
miracles of Jesus – Matthew 8:1-15: In Matthew 8:1-4 the great multitudes followed him.
They did not follow Him with their hearts but they walked along with Him. A
leper came in faith to the only one that could help. He knew Jesus could
help if it
was His will.
Healing
leprosy was beyond anything that
humans could accomplish. This was a miraculous act by the Lord.
"Immediately" is a key word in this story. Jesus was willing and the
man's leprosy was healed immediately. After leprosy was healed the Law
required certain ceremonial things. Jesus sent the man forth to meet those
requirements. (Leviticus 14)
The
next miracle involved the healing of a centurion's servant. He was sick of the
palsy, grievously tormented. (Matthew 8:5-13) This centurion, recognizing the
authority of the words of Jesus, asked help for his sick servant. Jesus
commended the faith of the centurion. The "servant was
healed that same hour." The Lord said of the faith of the
centurion, "I have not found such great faith, not even in
Jesus
also healed Peter's mother-in-law. (Matthew 8:14-15) The touch of the Master's
hand cured her of a great fever. She was healed quickly and immediately. She
then arose and served them. Peter was married and therefore does not fit the
idea of a Pope. Peter was neither the first Pope nor a Pope at all.
Miracles
demanded a following – Matthew 8:16-22: Matthew tells us the Jesus did that which
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would do. (Matthew 8:16-17) "When
evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He
cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick." (Matthew
8:16.) Isaiah had said, "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our
sickness." (Isaiah 53:4) Observe carefully that Jesus healed all that
were sick and He simply did it "with a word."
The
text in Isaiah likely refers to the taking away of our sin. However, the lesson
is clear, just as Jesus healed the physical infirmities He is able to heal
(forgive) the sins of the soul. Matthew referred to the prediction of Isaiah,
concerning miraculous healing of physical bodies as a prophecy of the salvation
of souls by Jesus.
Discipleship
cost and those that follow Jesus must make the necessary sacrifices. Jesus
said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the
Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Those that followed Jesus were
called upon to give up many of the comforts of life. Those that follow Him do
not do so for earthly gain. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with our
spiritual service to Christ. "But Jesus said to him, follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Matthew
8:22.) Jesus is the Son of God. His miracles prove Him to be so. He deserves
our following.
Miracle of
the wind and waves – Matthew 8:23-27: Jesus had power even over the wind and the
waves. As He and his disciples were in a small ship they were about to be sunk
by a storm. Jesus was sleeping when His disciples awoke Him in fear saying,
"Lord, save us: we perish." Jesus arose and "rebuked the winds
and the sea; and there was a great calm." The disciples marveled saying,
"Even the winds and the sea obey Him." Many today claim the same
miraculous power and yet none of them ever quite the storms. They are thus
proven false teachers that claim false miracles and no one marvels at what they
do!
Have
you ever felt that life was just shaking you in every direction and that you
were sinking quickly? If so you should easily recognize the need for having
Jesus in the boat of life with you. Those that sail the ship of life without
Jesus face certain disaster!
Miracle of
healing the demon-possessed – Matthew 8:28-34: Jesus also healed two very
pitiful demon possessed men. These men were exceedingly fierce, living in the
tombs. They were so fierce that no one could travel that way. The demons
recognized Jesus as the Son of God! They said "If you force us out, please
send us into those pigs!" The demons were allowed to go into a herd of
swine that were drowned into the sea. When the hogs were drowned the people
that were taking care of them ran to town and told others what had happened.
"The whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they
besought him that he would depart out of their coasts."
Notice
the change that takes place when Jesus touches a person's life. The demons had
brought these two men to a place that was uncomfortable and distressing. This
made them even more wild and fierce. But when Jesus touched their lives all of
that turmoil was gone. No words can describe the change that Jesus can bring to
a person's heart, life and situations. Sadly, just like these demon possessed
ones many have nothing to do with Jesus; they miss the benefits of His blood,
they miss His grace and His righteousness. Jesus cannot be Savior for those
that have nothing to do with Him.
Instead
of asking Jesus to leave their region these people should have recognized Him
as Lord and Christ. There was no doubt that the demons that were in those men
were subject to Christ. He cast them out by a word or command. The men were
made whole in mind and body. Jesus wanted to make all of
these people whole but they asked Him to leave! This sad account is
repeated in many lives today as people tell the Savior to get out of their
region.
The
miracles prove that Jesus is the Son of God. If you believe that He is God's
Son you will want Him in your life. You will not ask Him to leave. Hear His
word (Romans
The Compassion Of
Jesus
– Matthew Nine –
The life of Jesus was a unique life. His life blessed those that
He touched. One quality that made Jesus' life so beautiful was His praying.
Another outstanding quality in the life of Jesus was His compassion. Jesus felt
deep sympathy and concern for the hurting. Jesus' entire life demonstrated
compassion. His compassion for the hurting caused Him to become known as the
friend of publicans and sinners. Jesus had compassion for the crowds of
people that flocked to him, because they were harassed and helpless. They were
like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) His heart went out to them.
Christians need this kind of compassion in their lives. Matthew nine looks at
the compassion of Jesus.
Of all the qualities in the life of Jesus none is greater than
compassion. Compassion means having a since of deep sympathy and the heartfelt
feelings of sorrow for someone hurting physically, mentally or emotionally.
Compassion is that unselfish need to reach out to help relieve the unfortunate
misery of a person in need. Jesus' compassion caused Him to want the hurting to
be helped and the lost to be saved. "He was moved with compassion."
Do you have the compassion of Christ?
Compassion
forgave and healed a paralyzed man. – Matthew 9:1-8: When the Gadarenes asked Jesus to leave He took them at their word.
(Matthew 8:34) He got into a boat and went to
The paralyzed man felt the touch of Jesus' compassion. "When
the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified
God, which had given such power unto men." (Matthew 9:8) Jesus' compassion
made possible the forgiveness of sins. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)
Some of Jesus' greatest teaching arose out of criticism. Jesus was
criticized because His disciples were not fasting. His answer was there was no
need for fasting and sorrowing while He (the bridegroom) was still with them.
In this section the Lord used the cloth and the wineskins to teach that what is
done must be done correctly or a waste was made. Out of compassion Jesus
answers their criticism.
Compassion
restored a girl and healed a woman – Matthew 9:18-26: It was
compassion that caused Jesus to raise Jairus'
daughter from the dead. (Luke 8:51) Jairus was a
father that loved his daughter very much. He had heard about Jesus' miracle
working ministry. He believed that Jesus could heal his daughter too. So when Jairus heard that Jesus was in town he ran out of to find
Him. The compassion of Jesus shined as He immediately arose and went with Jairus. When Jesus went into Jairus'
house He took the little girl by the hand and raised her from the dead.
It was also compassion that caused Jesus to heal the woman with
the issue of blood. She felt that if she could touch the hem of His garment she
would be healed. He tenderly said to the woman, "be of good cheer,
daughter; your faith has made you well." Jesus felt much compassion for
this woman that had such faith in His power. We are challenged by Jesus to be
compassionate and merciful, as He was. As those that would imitate Jesus we
must be active in showing compassion to others.
The case of this mute man is also very sad. He was under the power
of Satan, possessed with a devil. He was not able to speak. By compassion Jesus
gave him speech. How thankful we should be to be able to see and speak. The
events in this case are as follows: (1) the man was under the power of Satan,
(2) Christ cared or had compassion on him, (3) the man was cured, (4) the
people marveled, but (5) the Pharisees blasphemed. They said, "He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils."
The compassion of Jesus caused Him to go to others teaching and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing the sick. The compassion (pity
and sympathy) Jesus felt for the dejected and distressed multitudes caused Him
to say, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the
harvest." The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.
The fact that Jesus is no longer present with us in the flesh has
not altered His compassion for our weaknesses. "Seeing then that we have a
great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but
was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews
4:14-15) Jesus is our high priest; He sits at the right hand of God the Father
to intercede for His people, and He so intimately understands the feelings of
our infirmities.
The compassion of Jesus is learned as one hears the gospel and
believes. (Romans 10:17, John 8:24) Faith in the compassionate Christ must lead
one to repent of sins (Acts
Jesus Taught The Apostles
In Matthew chapter ten we see that Jesus called the twelve apostles, gave them power and a charge to carry out. Jesus specifically told them what they were to do. He said, "Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:6-8) He also instructed them on how they were to react during this time of work. Jesus taught them the great lesson of how prudent and wise they were to be in spreading the gospel message. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)
The apostles of Jesus Christ were special men with a special mission. "Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him." (Matthew 10:2-4) The apostles were (1) God called men (2) with a God appointed mission, and (3) God given power.
Jesus sent out the apostles – Matthew 10:1-15: In this limited commission the Lord sent the apostles to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The apostles were sent forth to "preach and to heal." Their message was to be "the kingdom (church) of heaven is at hand." They would see the kingdom come with power. (Mark 9:1, Acts 2:1-47) The apostles were to work miracles and freely do good works.They were worthy of support from those they taught. "The workman is worthy of his meat" seems to be almost a proverb. These apostles were workmen, or laborers in God's vineyard. They were carrying out His mission and were entitled to food and raiment.
Those that rejected the preaching of the apostles would feel God's wrath, a wrath even more sever than His past judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19) He said, "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment, than for that city." (Matthew 10:14-15)
Jesus taught the apostles to not fear men – Matthew 10:16-26: The apostles were taught to both expect and prepare for persecution. They were to accept their cross and take it up for Jesus. Just as He continued His work, while persecuted, the apostles must also continue their work while suffering persecution. Jesus used the expression, "sheep in the midst of wolves" to show how sever persecutions would become.
The Lord warned the apostles to prepare for persecution. They would be hated, beaten, refused and rejected. But Jesus said, "Therefore do not fear them." No doubt the worst of all the persecution came from rejection and hurt by their own kin. "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child..." (Matthew 10:21-22) Jesus has always dealt fairly with humanity telling them both the best and the worst that they can expect in His service! "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
Jesus taught the apostles to fear God – Matthew 10:27-33: Tribulation does not take away God's love for His people. He told the apostles, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) A lack of the fear of the Lord causes people to thoughtlessly expose their souls to eternal ruin and damnation.
God cares even for the sparrows and you are "of more value than many sparrows." Surely God would not feed and protect the sparrows then starve and desert His saints! "The very hairs of your head are all numbered." If God numbers the hairs, how much more does He takes care of the head, life and soul of His faithful servant. God takes great care in His work of providence. He cares for all of His creation, especially man. God's precious children and faithful ministers can know beyond doubt that God cares for them! Do not fear death for no man can harm your soul. Fear God!
If Christians confess Jesus in the day of persecution, He will confess them in the Day of Judgment. Christians should never be ashamed to confess what they believe in their heart about Jesus. Our confession ought to be both by words and deeds. It must be a sincere confession of the Lord that is visible, and open, before men. Christ will deny those who deny Him. Sadly, He will even do more. He will banish them from the presence of God forever. "It is a dangerous thing for any to deny and disown Christ before men; for they who do so will be disowned by Him in the great day, when they have most need of Him: He will not own them for His servants who would not own Him for their master."
Jesus taught the apostles how to find life – Matthew 10:34-42: The Jews had the belief that outward peace and prosperity would come in the days of the Messiah. Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) The "sword" is the word of God or the gospel that often leads to the separating of people. The Gospel separated people that wanted to hold to the world from the Lord. The gospel even brings divisions, and discords in families as some accept it while others reject Christianity.
Jesus taught that you must be willing to give up anything or anybody to serve the Lord. Jesus Christ must be before any other. Serving God must be worth everything to you! Everything and everyone in your life must yield to your service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ must come before (1) family (2) safety (3) ease, or (4) life itself! Christianity is worth every thing; all that believe the truth will make every thing else yield to it.
Some would receive the apostles and would be rewarded. Whatever is done to the Lord's faithful servant, whether in kindness or in unkindness, is done to the Lord Himself. Jesus looks at Himself as being treated as His faithful minister are treated; "He that receiveth you, receiveth me." Even a "cup of cold water," a thing ever so small, given in the name of the Lord will be rewarded. The rewards are great for those who will be God's faithful servant.
There are no living apostles in the church today. However, Christians today can learn much from the lessons Jesus taught His apostles. To become a Christian, you must hear the gospel and believe (Mark 16:15-16), repent of sins (Acts 2:38), confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). After baptism do not allow anything or anybody to keep you from your service to God.
Jesus, The Source Of Spiritual Rest
– Matthew Eleven
The
Lord Jesus gave commandments and a commission to the apostles. (Matthew 10) Now
by example, preaching, teaching and work He showed them how to do their work.
"Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples
that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities."
(Matthew 11:1)
At
this time John the Baptist was in prison. His only crime was preaching the
truth. He must have been terribly discouraged. He sent some from prison to
Jesus to ask, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another?" Jesus' answer was very unique. He told them to tell John that,
"The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel
preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in
me." (Matthew 11:2-6)
A man called
John – Matthew 11:1-6: John the Baptist was a great servant of God. But, even great servants
can doubt and need reassurance. He asked, "Are You the Coming One, or do
we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3) Are you Christ? Are you the Savior?
Are you the Messiah? John said if Jesus was not the Christ they would look for
another. How wonderful it is when people are looking for the Messiah. Jesus
wanted John to know that He was the long expected Messiah. He told the two
disciples to, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The
blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the
dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed
is he who is not offended because of Me."
(Matthew 11:4-6)
A most
unusual man – Matthew 11:7-19: John was one of God's greatest servants. Jesus used
this occasion to say some things concerning his character and ministry. He gave
His approval to the good work done by John. He said, "Assuredly, I say to
you, among those born to women there has not risen one
greater than John the Baptist." Yet He said, "He who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11) John was great, but
he was not born under the New Covenant. This is because he lived and died
before the completion of Jesus' work at the cross and His resurrection.
Therefore, he did not enjoy the benefits of the New Covenant and being a
citizen in the church. (Hebrews 8:6-13) Jesus said, "He who is least in
the kingdom of heaven is greater than John."
If
when they first went out to John in the wilderness they thought they might find
an unstable, and an unreliable man they were very mistaken. John did not dress
in soft cloth or live delicately like a king but he did stand strongly for
God's truth. John was that Elijah that was to come. He was a prophet and far
more than a prophet. He spoke of the Christ in very simple language and from
close proximity. He was God's messenger preparing the way for the Christ. He
did his work well! In spite of that many were not pleased with John. Some have
a heart to criticize, and they will find something to criticize. They would not
be pleased by either John or by Jesus.
A message of
repentance – Matthew 11:20-24:
The Lord pronounced woes
upon the cities where most of His mighty works were done because they did not
repent. "Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty
works had been done, because they did not repent." (Matthew 11:20) Jesus
urged these people to change their hearts and lives, to leave their sins and
turn to God. Repentance is a change of heart or mind leading to a change in
action. It is a decision to cease doing wrong and to begin doing right. When a person repents his life changes completely. One is a
sinner before repentance and is headed toward hell. After repentance and
baptism one is righteous and lives for God.
A means of
rest – Matthew 11:25-30:
There are many ways Christ
benefits our lives and there are many blessings that come through the gospel.
No blessing is greater than "rest for your soul" which is obtained as
one comes to Jesus. He promised, "Come to Me, all
you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) Those that
"labor and are heavy laden" are invited to come to Jesus for rest.
Only
those who truly feel the burden of sin will come. We should come to Jesus as
(1) Savior, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son
to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John
"Will you come; will you come, with your poor broken heart, burdened and sin oppressed? Lay it down at the feet of your Saviour and Lord: Jesus will give you rest, O happy rest, sweet, happy rest! Jesus will give you rest." Will you come to Jesus by hearing God's word and believing John 6:44-45, repenting of sins Acts 2:38, confessing Christ and being baptized? (Acts 8:36-39) If sinners come to Christ and stay with Him they obtain rest for their soul.
Rejection
Leading To The Cross
– Matthew Twelve –
Matthew twelve is a section of scripture dealing
with the rejection of Jesus by the Jews that ultimately led to His crucifixion.
"Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might
destroy Him." (Matthew 12:14)
Jesus
showed that many of the ideas advanced by the Jews concerning the Sabbath day
were in error. He explained that even they allowed works of necessity and mercy
on the Sabbath. He wanted them to know that "the Son of man is Lord even
of the Sabbath Day." When "the Pharisees went out, and held a council
against him, how they might destroy him" Jesus just quietly continued to
teach and work miracles showing that He was indeed the Christ.
The scribes
and Pharisees accused Jesus of doing His miracles by the power of Satan. Such
an attitude was blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and it would not be forgiven.
Jesus reminded them that, "every idle word that men shall speak, they
shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."
These
people demanded a sign from heaven. Jesus said that Jonah was their sign.
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so
shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth." He concluded this chapter by saying; "whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
The
Pharisees rejected the Savior – Matthew 12:1-21: The Bible is plain in showing
that it is wrong to fail to be as strict as God intents. But, the Bible also
shows that it is wrong to be stricter than God intended us to be. The Pharisees
desired to trap Jesus. They had no interest in learning truth. If they had
desired truth they would have "read in the law" concerning the
Sabbath. They would also have learned that, "the Son of Man is Lord even
of the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:8)
The
Pharisees asked, "is it lawful to heal on the
Sabbath?" Jesus showed that they were more concerned about a sheep needing
help than a man needing help. They are without excuse, yet they rejected God's
Son and sought opportunity to kill Him. "Then the Pharisees went out and
plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him." (Matthew 12:14) Their
envy of Jesus led to spiritual blindness, and hardness of heart.
God
described Jesus as "my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my
soul is well pleased." (Matthew 12:18) The Pharisees, through their
blindness and prejudice, rejected Jesus -- their only hope. The blindness of
the Pharisee lead to disobedience to the Lord's
commands. "And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name
of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment."
(I John 3:23)
The
warning from the Savior – Matthew 12:22-37: After Jesus healed the
demon-possessed man the multitude asked, "could
this be the Son of David?" (Matthew 12:23) The Pharisees spoke scornfully
of the Christ calling Him -- "this fellow." (Matthew 12:24) Jesus
warned them to guard their words so as not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit -- a
sin that cannot be forgiven. Jesus warned, "For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37) The
prayer that we all need to pray is, "Lord, put a watch before the door of
my lips!"
Blasphemy
is pictured as a horrible sin, but what is it? Many are frightened that they
might be guilty of some form of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. The word
"blasphemy" means to injure by speaking against. In this text Jesus
said that those that blasphemed or spoke against the Spirit could not be
forgiven. To deny the personality of the Spirit is to blaspheme Him. When these
Jews said miracles that were done by His power were done by the power of the
Devil they blasphemed Him. To be hardened against the gospel plan of salvation
is likewise to blaspheme the Holy Ghost. With the crucifixion of the Messiah
and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost the age of
redemption came. If men rejected that which was verified by the Spirit what
else could God offer them? They had hardened themselves against the gospel plan
and therefore, blasphemed Holy Ghost. Those that continue with such a spiritual
disposition have no means of obtaining forgiveness of sins.
The
claims of the Savior – Matthew 12:38-45: Jesus had every right to call
on people to repent and to be righteous, (1) He is greater than the temple
(Matthew 12:6), (2) He is greater that Jonah (Matthew
Jesus
simply repeated some signs they had already rejected. He showed them that just
like Jonah was preserved three days by miracle in the fish's belly, that He
would be raised from the dead on the third day. What happened with Jonah led
the people of
Jesus used
a powerful parable (that of an unclean spirit returning) to show the Jews that
they were even worse than before because of the rejection of Jesus. They were
full of evil words and evil actions. Wicked words and sinful actions are the
overflowing of a heart that is filled with a spirit of wickedness. They were
truly a "wicked generation." Many of these Jews would be satisfied
with Jesus under no circumstances.
The
invitation of the Savior – Matthew 12:46-50: Mary had other children after the
birth of our Lord. Matthew
Jesus
invited any that are willing to obey to be part of His family. "For
whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My
brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50) If we obey Jesus we enter
the family of God, with God as our Father and Jesus as our elder brother. What
a beautiful lesson it is to see how much Jesus loved His disciples. As He loved
His own mother, He loved His disciples even more. The Lord still loves His
children today. His heart will always be full of affection for His faithful
followers!
The only
way to show love to God is through obedience. Do you love the Lord enough to
obey? To become a Christian you must hear the Gospel (Romans
Jesus Spoke In Parables
– Matthew Thirteen –
Much of the teaching of Jesus was embodied in His
parables. He taught more than thirty parables and also used a number of
parable-like statements. A parable is a very simple story that did happen or could
happen. It contains only one moral or spiritual lesson.
Parables
are attributed to Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The gospel of John, contain
the lessons of the Good Shepherd and The Vine and the branches that are
parables. Some of the parables are found in more than one gospel. Several are
unique to one gospel only. One source said that the gospel of Matthew contains
twenty-three parables and six of them are unique to Matthew. Luke contains
twenty-four parables and ten of them are unique only to Luke. Mark contains
eight parables and only one is unique to Mark, John contains the parable-like
stories of the “Good Shepherd” (John
In Matthew
13 we have record of several parables spoken by our Lord. We read, (1) the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23), (2) the Tares (Matt-hew 13:24-30,
(3) the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32), (4) the Leaven (Matthew13:33), (5) the
Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), (6) the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew
13:45-46), and (7) The casting of the dragnet. (Matthew 13:47-50)
The
parable of the sower – Matthew 13:1-23: Jesus taught from a boat as a
great multitude stood on the shore. In Jesus' day sowing was absolutely
necessary for survival. Sowing is necessary but it also takes a fertile heart.
Jesus spoke of the seed failing (1) by the wayside and being devoured, (2) on
stony places and withering because of lack of depth, (3) among thorns and being
choked, and (4) on good ground and producing fruit. The word of God produces
different fruit according to how it is received.
Jesus
explained the parable by saying, (1) the seed is the word of God, (2) the Devil
takes the word from some hearts, wayside soil, (3) the lack of depth keeps
God's word from growing in some hearts, rocky soil, (4) the pleasures and
riches of the world choke the word from other hearts, thorny soil, and (5) the
word was received in good hearts and brought forth fruit, good soil.
The
"good ground" hearer is willing to listen to and to learn the word of
God. They are never too busy to learn nor too proud to change. These people are
literally transformed into the likeness of Christ by the power of the gospel.
Is your heart good soil for God's word?
The
disciples asked Jesus, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" Jesus
spoke in parables so His disciples could understand and so those who did not
want to hear, see or understand would not understand. (Matthew 13:11)
The
parable of the wheat and tares – Matthew 13:24-43: A man sowed good seed in his
field. An enemy sowed tares among the wheat. The servants were not allowed to
root up the tares least, by accident they also root up the wheat. At harvest
time the reapers would separate the wheat from the tares.
Jesus
explained the parable of the tares by saying, (1) the Son of man sowed good
seed, (2) the field is the world, (3) the good seed are the children of the
kingdom, (4) the tares are the children of the evil one, (5) the enemy is the
Devil, (6) the harvest is at the end of the world, (7) the reapers are the
angels, and (8) a furnace of fire awaits the wicked.
The parable
of the mustard seeds and leaven, both show that the kingdom would begin small
but would grow to become strong and even to fill the earth. The church is to
spread like leaven in meal or it is to grown from the smallest seed till it
becomes strong. Christians must create an atmosphere of growth. Only then can
the transformation of lives take place. (II Corinthians 5:17) This is a
transformation similar to that to the leaven in the meal.
It was a
matter of prophecy that Jesus would speak in parables. (Matthew 13:35)
Prophecies like Psalm 78:2 prove Jesus to be the Messiah. "I will open my
mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old."
The
parables of precious things – Matthew 13:44-46: In Jesus' day the safest place to
keep treasures was buried. That idea led to the parable of treasure hidden in a
field. The man that found the treasure was willing to give up everything, with
joy, for the kingdom. In the
The pearl
of great price teaches a similar lesson. Pearls in the days of Jesus
represented supreme value. The man was searching for the pearl just as we
should search for the kingdom. The searching merchant was able to recognize the
pearl just as we should recognize the
The
Parable Of The Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-58: The dragnet was a common way of
fishing in Jesus' day and is still used today. The dragnet took in all kinds of
fish. Just so, the gospel net brings all kind of people into the church. When a
person comes into the body of Christ you cannot tell whether they will turn out
good or bad, you just love them and encourage them, praying that they will be
among the good. Our duty is to gather all that will come into the kingdom. At
the end of the world there will come a time of separation when, "the
angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just." The
righteous will go to heaven; the wicked will go into a furnace of fire.
To have
Jesus as Lord you must hear the gospel and believe, (Romans
Troubles And Tragedies Come
And Jesus Cared
– Matthew Fourteen –
Jesus
cared for those that were facing sorrows, troubles and tragedies in this life.
When Christians hurt, He cares and comforts troubled hearts. He is also
concerned about the hurts of all humanity. His interest in humanity springs
forth from the fact that He "truly is the Son of God." (Matthew
14:33)
Matthew 14 pictures the care of Jesus for humanity in four brief
but touching accounts. Here we read, (1) the account of John the Baptist's
death (Matthew14:1-12), (2) the record of Jesus feeding the five thousand
(Matthew
John
was killed and Jesus cared – Matthew 14:1-12: Hatred leads people to do and
say terrible things to one another. John had told Herod the Tetrarch that it
was not right for him to have his brother, Philip's wife (Herodias). John
reproved Herod at the risk of his own life. (Matthew 14:3) Mark likewise
recorded that this remarriage was a violation of God's law. (Mark 6:14-29)
Herod, like many in our day, had total disregard for Biblical laws of divorce
and remarriage.
The hatred of Herodias for John led to his being beheaded.
(Matthew 14:9-10) John died for his preaching. He died with the approval of God
on his life and with a good conscience. John was a great hero of faith. His
death touched both his disciples and the heart of the Savior Himself. Troubles
and tragedies will come and when they do, remember the Savior cares!
The death of John was used to show that Jesus cares when people
are hurting. What happened to John was a precursor of what the hatred of the
people would eventually do to Jesus Himself. The fact that John was killed
because of an "angry" woman compounds the tragedy of his death. Herod
concluded that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This, within
its self, put Jesus in great danger.
People
were hungry and Jesus cared – Matthew 14:13-21: "When Jesus heard of
it" He went to a "deserted place by Himself." (Matthew 14:13) It
is not clear whether Matthew intended us to understand that Jesus had just
heard about the death of John the Baptist or of was it that He heard about
Herod's opinion that he was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Likely the
second is true!
The popularity of Jesus was so great that the word of His movement
spread and before he arrived people were already waiting for Him there. He
cared about their needs and was very touched with their situation. "He was
moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick." (Matthew 14:14)
Jesus cared so much that He did not want the multitude to be sent away hungry.
He told the disciples, "You give them something to eat." (Matthew
14:16) The disciples could only see the five loaves and two fish. They could
not see the power of God's Son. (Matthew 14:17) "He took the five loaves
and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the
loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all
ate and were filled." (Matthew 14:19-20) Even after 5,000 men, plus women
and children had eaten their fill twelve baskets of fragments still remained.
Jesus cared when people were hungry and so should we.
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle mentioned in
all four gospels. In the Old Testament God fed the people with manna. Now in
the ministry of Jesus He multiplied the food and fed thousands. The compassion
of Jesus motivated His actions. God cares about people and supplies their
needs. This miracle, along with the other miracles of Jesus, proves that He is
the Messiah.
The
disciples were tossed and Jesus cared – Matthew 14:22-33: Jesus sent the disciples to the
other side of the sea. This time alone allowed Him a time of prayer. "And
when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray:
and when the evening was come, he was there alone." (Matthew 14:23)
However, as they went they were beaten and tossed for the wind was against
them. (Matthew 14:24) Jesus came to the disciples walking on the sea. His
message was "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." (Matthew
14:27)
When the storm came Jesus spoke words of peace and encouragement
to the frightened disciples. When He said, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be
not afraid" it must have lifted the disciples up. The conclusion of these
miracles that were done on sea was, "they came and worshipped him, saying,
Of a truth thou art the Son of God." (Matthew
14:33) Their response was just right. They did not say, "Wow that man can
walk on water." They understood that by Jesus walking on the water he was
teaching them His deity. They said, "Truly, this is the Son of God."
If Christ is God there is no reason to fear.
People were hurting and Jesus cared – Matthew
14:34-36: Gennesaret is a valley on the west side of
the
The sick were brought to this man that had
come to be known as the healer of all kinds of diseases. Jesus cared about
hurting humanity and so should we. He did what He could to relieve their hurts.
Wherever He went He was doing good. Though we cannot
do what Jesus did, at least there is something we can do to help those that are
hurting. If we have the compassion that Jesus had, we can never just pass by
and do nothing!
The most important thing in life is to become a Christian and then
live like Jesus and for Jesus. To become a Christian hear the gospel (Romans
Changing Hearts And
Causing Faith
– Matthew Fifteen –
It is Jesus' desire that our hearts be changed and our faith becomes strong. Pure hearts and strong faith lead to devoted service to the Master. A lack of purity of heart or having weak faith causes one not to be able to distinguish between faith and custom. These failures also cause us not to recognize Jesus as the Christ of God.
Jesus was the master teacher. In spreading God's truth He often came in conflict with the religious leaders of His day over the matter of keeping traditions. Traditions start and people keep them up with no understanding of why. The problem is never tradition but it is "traditionalism." This happens when people give human traditions the same authority as is given to the word of God.
Paul even referred to the word of God as the "ordinances" or "traditions" that I have delivered to you. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you." (I Corinthians 11:1-2) He said, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (II Thessalonians 2:15)
Obviously not all "traditions" of men are wrong. When the traditions are the inspired teachings of God they must be respected. The doctrines and commandments of men are not to be looked upon in that way. The problem with the traditions of men is that they can: (1) make void the word of God, (2) lead to vain worship, and (3) lead to hypocritical worship that does not come from the heart. We must be certain that our faith is based on the written Word of God and not on the traditions of men.
Jesus also dealt with the bind leaders of the blind. These blind leaders held to the traditions of men. They put traditions above the word of God. They planted things that God had not planted. Jesus said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."
The
very touching account of the Syrophenician woman was
is also found in Matthew 15. She was a Gentile. She was from one of those
nations that should have been driven out of the
Matthew 15 likewise provides record of Jesus feeding the 4,000. There were Jews, Gentiles, men and women, adults and children. The thing they all had in common is that they were hungry. They were hungry both spiritually and physically. Their spiritual hunger caused them to stay with Jesus three days without physical food. His compassion caused Him to perform this great miracle.
A Change Of Heart Is Needed – Matthew 15:1-20: Through traditions the Pharisees were transgressing God's law. They were beautiful on the outside but they needed a change of heart on the inside. (Matthew 15:1-3) Just having the outside right but not the heart makes one a hypocrite. "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." (Matthew 15:8) This change can never be brought about by blind leaders of the blind.
Jesus said that the, evil things in a person's life come from the heart. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” (Matthew 15:19-20) Good things come from a good heart, and evil things come from an evil heart. When our heart is pure we have peace and can enjoy the abundant life!
A Change Of Heart Brings You To Jesus – Matthew 15:21-28: A woman with a changed heart came to Jesus asking for help for her daughter. "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." (Matthew 15:22) She knew Jesus could help and a changed heart brought her to Him. Jesus' response to a changed heart was, "...O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour." (Matthew 15:28)
This woman was commended for her faith because she acted boldly on her faith. Her request to Jesus was urgent and Jesus was willing to give her daughter the needed help!
A Reason To Change Your Heart – Matthew 15:29-31: Both what Jesus said and what He did gives good reason to change your heart. "Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel." (Matthew 15:30-31)
The multitude wondered about the things done by Jesus as well they should because only a man sent from God could do these signs. Right before their eyes they had proof of both the love of Christ and of His miraculous power. Jesus is the Son of God and His actions and words demand a change of heart. Jesus had two purposes in His personal ministry. He wanted to bring glory to God and to be a blessing to humanity. In His life and actions we observe that He accomplished both!
More Reason To Change Your Heart – Matthew 15:32-39: The
multitude had been listening to Jesus three days without eating. He had
compassion on them and did not want to send them away hungry and faint.
(Matthew 15:32) Jesus multiplied seven loaves and a few little fish (Matthew
What a lesson of Jesus' power and His faithfulness and His sufficiency? This miracle proved Jesus to be God's Son and demanded a total change in every human heart. It is wonderful news to know that Jesus feeds and saves even those that are Gentiles.
In a world full of hypocrisy and evil actions there is a great need for changed hearts and strong faith. Only Jesus can change hearts. Blind religious leaders do not and cannot help. "But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." (Matthew 15:13-14)
To become a
Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans
"I
Will Build My Church"
–
Matthew Sixteen –
The Pharisees and Sadducees
were very much opposed to each other in their conduct and doctrine. However,
they joined against Christ to trap Him. They had not been satisfied with the
signs that Jesus had given them to prove that He was the Messiah. They desired
a sign of their own choosing. No such sign would be given.
The disciples were worried
because they forgot to take bread as they went across the lake. Jesus reminded
them of the feeding of the 4,000 and the 5,000 and how much was left over. When
Jesus said, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of
the Sadducees" "He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but
of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:6,
Matthew 16:12)
Matthew sixteen contains the
Lord's promise to build His church. Matthew is the only Gospel in which the
word church appears. Following Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah,
Jesus said, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew
16:18)
One purpose set forth in
Matthew 16 was to provide a prediction of the suffering, death and resurrection
of Jesus. Matthew proved beyond doubt the Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. There was also a challenge to
give up everything and follow Him. When one follows Jesus he lives a life that
is defined by the will and way of God and shaped in the image of the Lord.
The danger of
false doctrine – Matthew 16:1-12:
The Pharisees and Sadducees were seeking a sign from heaven. Hatred for Jesus
had brought together this strange coalition. There were the Pharisees that
believed in the resurrection, spirits and angels and the Sadducees that did not.
They asked for a "sign from heaven." Those seeking a sign were
"a wicked and adulterous" generation. The only sign they would
receive was, "the sign of the prophet Jonah." In our day it is not
unusual to see those in denominational error join forces against Christ, His
church and His truth.
"Jesus said,
Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" simply meant
beware of their doctrine." (Matthew 16:12) The lack of physical bread was
no problem for Him who could feed multitudes with only a small amount. But,
false doctrine always poses a serious problem for those that would follow
Jesus.
I will build My church – Matthew 16:13-18: Jesus promised to build His church. It is still true,
"Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in
vain who build it..." (Psalm 127:1) Jesus was not John, Elijah, Jeremiah
or one of the prophets. Those that thought Him to be so were wrong. Peter said,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16)
Jesus promised to build His
church. Observe: (1) The foundation -- "upon this rock", (2) The
certainty -- "I will build My church", (3)
The owner -- "I will build My church", (4) The nature of it --
"the gates of hell shall not prevail against it", (5) The authority
involved -- "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus kept His promise and built His church. (Acts 2) He is both foundation and
chief corner stone for His church.
It was God's eternal purpose
that men should serve Him in the one church that Jesus built. Both Jew and
Gentile are reconciled unto God in one body or one church. (Ephesians 2:16)
There is only one true church for all nations. (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians
4:4) This one body is also called the church in Colossians 1:18. The one true
church was purchased by the blood of Jesus. "Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
A prediction
of suffering, death and resurrection – Matthew 16:21-23: There was no way for Jesus or His disciples but the
way of the cross. "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples
that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." (Matthew
16:21)
Peter rebuked Jesus for talking
about suffering, dying, and being resurrected. Jesus called him
"Satan." "...Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the
things of men." (Matthew 16:23) Satan was using Peter to speak a message
to Jesus. Satan uses many voices today to have his message heard.
We must understand the
necessity of the cross if we are to understand Christianity. Christianity would
make no sense apart from the sacrifice of Jesus. What a shock it must have been
to the disciples when Jesus told them that (1) He would suffer at Jerusalem,
(2) that He would suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, (3) that He would be killed, and (4) That He would be raised again the
third day.
The greatest challenge of a
lifetime is not the highest mountain or the fastest speed. The greatest
challenge of life is to follow Jesus. This means that real sacrifices will be
made for God. (Matthew 16:25) A true disciple gladly gives up all that he has
in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God expects you
to give yourself. Anything less would mean the lose of
your soul. (Matthew 16:26) But those that live for the glory of God will live
forever and will receive that everlasting reward, eternal life.
Are you ready to lose all for
Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ? Our greatest privilege is
to be in the blood bought
The Way Of The Cross
– Matthew Seventeen –
Jesus
again showed that the way of salvation is the way of the cross. "Jesus
said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And
they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were
exceeding sorry." (Matthew 17:22-23)
Matthew
seventeen provides us with at least four looks at Jesus. We see (1) Jesus in
His glory -- transfigured. (Matthew 17:1-13), (2) Jesus in His power --
healing. (Matthew 17:14-21), (3) Jesus in His death and resurrection –
sacrificing. (Matthew 17:22-23), and (4) Jesus in His
humility and might -- paying tax. (Matthew 17:24-27) Nothing helps our
life more than to see Jesus from all these dimensions.
We
observe that the glorious sight of the transfiguration of Christ overcame the
apostles. (Matthew 17:1-13) Jesus presented the case of the afflicted child to
God and he was healed. Jesus cast out a dumb and deaf spirit. (Matthew
17:14-21) He again foretold His sufferings, death and resurrection. He endured
the cross in order to bring about our redemption. (Matthew 17:22-23) The Divine
power and the earthly poverty of Christ were mentioned together. He did not
even have money for
Jesus in His
glory, transfigured – Matthew 17:1-13: It was probably on
Observe
that Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John. Moses and Elijah appeared with
Jesus. He was "Transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and
His clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:2) Peter wanted to
do something. He suggested that they would build three tabernacles, one for
Jesus, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. (Matthew 17:4) Instead, God wanted
the disciples to listen to Jesus. (Matthew 17:5) Even the glory of the
transfiguration was not without thought of the suffering and death that awaited
the Redeemer. (Matthew 17:12)
Jesus in His
power, healing – Matthew 17:14-21: Following that heavenly transformation there is an
earthly problem for Jesus to deal with. An epileptic, demon possessed boy had
been brought to Jesus' disciples that had been left behind but they were unable
to help. The man pleaded, "Lord, have mercy on my
son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire,
and oft into the water." (Matthew 17:15)
Jesus said "O faithless
and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear
with you? Bring him here to Me." (Matthew 17:17) This account demonstrates both a Fathers' faith (Matthew
Jesus in His
death, resurrection, and sacrifice – Matthew 17:22-23: Jesus tried for a second
time to cause the disciples to understand that He must suffer and die. The
important detail added here is that he would be "betrayed" or
"delivered up." The disciples
were exceeding sorry, as they understood that Jesus death was imminent. They
did not fully understand the work of redemption until later when they could looked back on the death, burial and resurrection of the
Lord.
The
work of redemption demanded Jesus' death for our sins. Nothing less than
killing the Son of God would satisfy that angry mob, "Pilate said to them,
What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?
They all said to him, Let Him be crucified!"
(Matthew 27:22.) Without the blood of the Son of God there could be no
redemption. Thank God that the light of Jesus’ resurrection diminished the
gloom of
Jesus in His
humility, paying tax – Matthew 17:24-27: It was costly to operate the temple. The
ransom tax was used for that purpose. (Exodus 30:11-16) The tax authorities
questioned Peter about whether Jesus was going to pay His tax. If Jesus had
simply paid the tax he would have been looked upon as just another Jewish Rabbi
or teacher. He was a great teacher but He wanted it to be understood that He
was the Messiah. If He failed to pay the tax the Jews would have something
unlawful of which to accuse Him.
Jesus
claimed to be God's Son. They wondered whether He would pay tax to God, His
Father. First Jesus again proved to Peter that he was the Messiah. He told
Peter what he was thinking without Peter expressing anything. Jesus said to
Peter that the tax must be paid so attention would not be focused on some small
detail instead of the fact that He is the Messiah. The tax money was taken from
the mouth of a fish. The Lord somehow put a coin in the mouth of the fish and
then directed the fish to Peter's hook. The miracle of Matthew seventeen proves
again that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. (John 20:30-31)
The Bible gives us many looks at Jesus but
non more vivid than the transfigured Savior healing a boy no one else could
help, taking about His death and resurrection and being humble enough to pay
the temple tax, but powerful enough to do so with a great miracle. Truly
"this man is the Son of God". Do you love Him and are you keeping His
commandments? Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
(John 14:15) "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he
that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark
The Heart Of A Christian
– Matthew Eighteen –
In
Matthew Eighteen a brief look is given into the heart of a Christian. The
Christian's heart is characterized by qualities far different from the world.
Within the heart of the Christian you will find (1) Humility, (2)
responsibility, (3) care, (4) concern, (5) compassion, (5) dedication to
fellowship, and (7) forgiveness. Do you have the heart of a Christian?
During
His personal ministry Jesus was asked many questions. Matthew 18 contains a very
strange question. The disciples asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1) This question provided Jesus an opportunity to
teach a great lesson on "Humility." Jesus set a little child before
them and said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Children have humble and
loving hearts like the disciples needed. Children accept all other children as
their equals. The Lord wanted these men to understand that there could be no
superiority among them if His work was to be accomplished.
In
Matthew 18 we find a simple but powerful lesson on the subject of discipline
among the people of God. The way of God is always best in dealing with every
situation of life. Here God gives a
simple way to
solve personal issues
among His people. This is God's
principle for helping brethren that have sinned to be rescued! God's way is
simple, (1) Go and tell him his fault, just you and him alone, (2) If he will
not hear, take one or two with you to plead with him, (3) If he will not hear
have the church plead with him, and (4) If he still refuses to hear treat him
as "a heathen and a tax collector."
Matthew
18 also deals with the great subject of forgiveness. Peter wanted to know how
many times he was to forgive a person that had sinned against him. He thought
seven times would be generous in giving forgiveness. The Lord told Peter to
forgive seventy times seven. This means that he was to forgive an unlimited number
of times.
The heart of
a Christian is characterized humility and understanding – Matthew 18:1-9: "Assuredly, I say to
you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3) The disciples were
concerned about greatness in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told them that unless
some changes were made (conversion) they could never enter the kingdom of
heaven. Humility, like a little child, would lead to greatest in the kingdom.
Humility involves loving, trusting, forgiving and being lowly in heart.
Children should be received because they are an example of a heart
characterized by humility. A failure to humble yourself may lead to your being
humbled by someone else or to being humbled by God on Day of Judgment. It takes
much humility to surrender in obedience to the teachings of our Lord.
The
Holy Spirit of God made clear personal responsibility in both attitude and
action. If one causes another to sin or hinders him in his right conduct or
right thought, "...it would be better for him if a millstone was hung
around his neck, and he was drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew
18:6) Do not cause others to sin and do not allow anything to cause you to sin.
"If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is
better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to
be cast into hell fire." (Matthew 19:9)
The heart of
a Christian is characterized by concern for others – Matthew 18:10-14: God is concerned about the
individual. Christians should share that concern. "Even so it is not the
will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should
perish." (Matthew 18:14) God's love will "...leave the ninety-nine
and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?" (Matthew 18:12)
The Father has no desire that even one be lost.
Those
that seek high places often despise the poor and helpless. "One of these
little ones" must never neglected or mistreated.
Even the smallest and lowest are important because God's angels watch over
them. The account of the lost sheep pictures Gods' deep love for even the
smallest among His children. God is especially concerned about His lost
children and as Christians we must share that concern.
The heart of a Christian is characterized by a desire for fellowship – Matthew 18:15-20: God provided a way for brethren to settle their differences. God's way always works. If your brothers wrongs you: (1) Go and tell him his fault, just you and him alone, (2) If he will not hear, take one or two with you to plead with him, (3) If he will not hear have the church plead with him, and (4) If he still refuses to hear treat him as "a heathen and a tax collector." Those things declared as improper and unlawful must be so declared by Heaven. Those things permitted as proper and lawful must be so accepted by Heaven.
This
action demands a lot of prayer. It would also make sense for us to confess our
own faults first. The prayers of the faithful reach the throne of God.
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall
agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for
them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19-20)
Sincere, earnest prayer has a great influence with the Almighty.
We
must deal gently with the brother because he may not even be aware of the fact
that he has sinned against us. That is why we first talk to him and not to others.
This approach must be made with a spirit of meekness. God's desire in all of
this is that fellowship be restored. This is a matter that should be approached
with all seriousness. Souls are at stake!
The heart of
a Christian is characterized by forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-35: Jesus taught us just to
keep on forgiving (seventy times seven). (Matthew 18:22) Are we like the man
that owed several million dollars (Matthew
Christian
must have a spiritual heart that just keeps on forgiving. We must forgive
others in order to be forgiven by the Father. Jesus used one of His longest
parables to teach the lesson of forgiveness. The fault of the unmerciful
servant was his failure to realize the enormity and absolute hopelessness of
his debt without forgiveness.
To
become a Christian, you must believe in Jesus (Mark
Wisdom From Above
– Matthew Nineteen –
In Matthew nineteen we have
record of the Pharisees asking Jesus about divorce and remarriage. Jesus said
that the only reason a man could divorce his wife marry another was because of
her adultery. He also said that if a man divorces his wife because of her
adultery and another man marries her that man is in like manner committing
adultery. Jesus again showed his compassion on children by saying, "Suffer
little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the
kingdom of heaven." He showed that it is difficult for the rich to go to
heaven. He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Life is full of problems. Only
wisdom from above can provide answers to questions about (1) divorce and
remarriage, (2) celibacy, (3) how important are children? (4) what about our wealth?, and (5) who can be saved? Matthew
chapter nineteen allows us to look into the mind of God for wisdom from the
Master on some very difficult subjects.
If the divorce occurred for some reason
other than adultery the one that marries this divorced woman commits adultery.
After hearing the Master teach about divorce the disciples
thought it might not be advisable for man to marry. They thought celibacy might
be preferred to marriage. Jesus named three groups who could practice celibacy:
(1) those that were born eunuchs, (2) those made eunuchs by men, and (3) those
that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom's sake. Celibacy is a command only
for those able to accept it. (Matthew 19:12)
Wisdom from above concerning children – Matthew 19:13-15:
It was only natural that
the Lord would move from the topic of marriage to discuss children. Wise parent
will always desire the blessings of the Lord upon their children. These parents
"brought unto him little children, that he
should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them." They thought that it was beneath the dignity of
Jesus to be "bothered" with children. Jesus told them to leave
the children alone.
Jesus told the
apostles to leave the children alone. Today I
would like to say to the abortionist "leave the children alone." Do
not murder these innocent children. The drug pusher, tobacco industry, sexual
perverts and atheist need to hear the same message -- "leave the children
alone." They are too precious to be destroyed by your evil works! Jesus
told the disciples the kingdom of heaven is composed of those who are like
little children. (Mt 19:14)
Wisdom from
above concerning our attitude toward wealth – Matthew 19:16-22: The rich young ruler came running to Jesus. He knelt down in the presence of the Lord manifesting his
humility. He asked the most important and interesting question that any person
can ever ask of God. His question was, "What good deed must I do to
possess eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16) He was interested in having eternal
life.
Jesus told him, "...you
must continually keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17) The young man
said he had been obedient from youth. But, he asked, "What still do I
lack?" (Matthew 19:20) Jesus told him that to have spiritual maturity he
must, "...go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:22) He would
not obey. He would have had far more than he was asked to give up if he had
only been willing to surrender to the Lord. The church in the twentieth-first
century has been drastically affected by the same problem, materialism. Many
sell their souls for a few perishing things!
The rich young ruler wanted
to go to heaven, but he wanted to go on his own terms! We see
the same thing with denominations today. They have their own teachings. They
say, "Just pray the sinner's prayer, and you will go to heaven!" They
have their instruments of music in their worship services, sometimes even a
full band. They want salvation, but they want it on their own terms. It seems
as if many want to go to heaven but few are willing to live in simple, humble
obedience to what the Word of God teaches.
Wisdom from
above concerning who can be saved – Matthew 19:23-30: It is difficult for those who have wealth to get into
the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:23) When the disciples heard Jesus say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven they asked,
"Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:24)
The rich man that Jesus spoke
of was a person that loved his riches, and made an idol of them. His desire was
to gain more and more. "Who then can be saved?" Jesus told the
disciples that those that had left all and become His disciple would be blessed
in this life. They would receive one hundred percent on whatever they had given
up. However, even more than this they would receive eternal life. (Matthew
19:29) We can have faith in this promise and trust Christ for its performance!
The only power that can cause a
man to cease trusting in his money is the power of God. The problem is never
that a person has possessions but rather, that the possessions have him. Any
wealth that we possess must be used to serve God and glorify Him in His
kingdom. The apostles had given up material things for Christ. Peter wondered
what they would have as a result of this sacrifice. What they gave up may have
been looked upon by many as "small" but by forsaking these things
they showed their sincerity. Jesus told the apostles that they would sit upon
"twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Wisdom from above says that
sinners should come to Christ and live for Him. Purify your heart by faith
(John
At The Heart
Of Christianity
– Matthew Twenty –
Matthew twenty takes us to the
very heart of Christianity. At the heart of Christianity is (1) God's grace,
(2) The death of Christ, (3) The spirit of service, and (4) Compassion for the
hurting. All of these truths are seen in this great section of Scripture.
This chapter begins with the
parable of the workers in the vineyard. Jesus said some that were hired early
in the morning agreed to work for a penny a day. The trouble came when others
that were hired later in the day were also paid a penny. Those
that had worked through the heat of the day though they should have received
more. The lesson of this parable was to demonstrate God's grace. Jesus
said "the first will be last and the last shall be first."
Jesus again reminded the disciples
that He was going up to
As Jesus and His disciples
started towards
At The Heart
Of Christianity Is The Grace Of God – Matthew 20:1-16: The parable of the workers in the vineyard is a
powerful lesson on the theme of God's grace. What God gives comes from His
goodness not from what we deserve. Some workers were hired early in the
morning to go work in the vineyard. It was agreed that they would receive a
penny for their work.
When the last ones hired
received a penny those hired first thought they should have received more. How
dare anyone try to tell God Almighty what to do with what is rightfully His in
the first place. The order was the last shall be first and the first shall be
last, many are called but few are chosen. The workers complained but they
should have praised the Master for His generosity. We were called from the
market place of the world's idleness into work in the Lord's vineyard. Do not
put off obeying God until your lose your reward.
God, in His goodness, allowed
the Jews to be first called into His kingdom. He likewise allowed the Gentiles
to be called last. Now He also gives us what we do not deserve nor can we earn
– salvation by His grace. But His message is still the same. "Why are you
standing here idle all day?" "...Go into the vineyard..." But
remember, "many are called, but few are
chosen." (Matthew 20:16)
At The Heart Of Christianity Is The Death Of Christ – Matthew 20:17-19: We are allowed to walk along with Jesus and His
disciples as they make their way to
At The Heart Of Christianity Is The Spirit Of Service – Matthew 20:20-28:
On at least three occasions there was a discussion among the apostles
concerning greatness in the kingdom. (Matthew 18:1-4, Matthew 20:20-28 and Luke
22:24-27) In John 13 Jesus taught the lesson of humble service by washing the
feet of the apostles. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for
so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also
ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example,
that you should do as I have done to you." (John 13:13-15)
The mother of Zebedee's
children with her sons and the other disciples were still thinking about an
earthly kingdom, rather than the church, God's spiritual kingdom. This mother
wanted her sons to have honor in that earthly kingdom. Jesus asked them if they
were willing to suffer for the kingdom and to agonize with Him is building the
church or kingdom? Christ let it be know that be great
in His kingdom did not come through worldly power but by humble service to
others.
Every Christian must have a
servant's heart. "...whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Matthew 20:26-28) The price paid to set us free from sin was Jesus becoming a
servant and giving His life a ransom for many. Those that would become His
follower must follow His example of service.
At The Heart Of Christianity Is Compassion – Matthew 20:29-34: As Jesus left
These men knew that Jesus was
their only opportunity of getting their sight back so they would not allow the
multitude to silence them. When He called them they went to Him immediately. Some hear the Master call thousands of times
and never go to Him. Jesus heard their cries for mercy. In pity or compassion
He touched their eyes and they received their sight. (Matthew 20:34) The result
of Jesus having compassion and helping these men was – “they followed Him.”
Following Jesus was the best way these men could express their thanks.
To become a Christian by God's
grace and through the blood of His Son you must hear the gospel (Romans
The Finish
Was In Sight
– Matthew
Twenty-One –
Jesus' had predicted that His earthly life would end with His
death on the cross, burial, resurrection, post resurrection appearances and His
ascension to Heaven. Matthew twenty-one begins that last phase in Jesus'
earthly mission. Soon He would say from the cross "It is finished."
These are the things Jesus came to this earth to accomplish. This is simply the
carrying out of God's eternal plan.
Matthew twenty-one gives the account of how Jesus was praised as
He rode into
Jesus was faithful to the heavenly Father and He was also busy
teaching until the finish. Some of His greatest lessons were those that were
"Taught when the finish was in sight." He taught (1) The Lord has
need of what you have, (2) Be humane in
your dealings with others, (3) Do not pretend, but practice Christianity, (4)
Respect God's authority, (5) Do not allow your life to hinder those that
would enter the kingdom, and (6) Receive God's Son and
honor Him in all of your life.
With the finish in sight Jesus entered
Jesus drove out those that bought and sold in God's sacred place
(the
With the finish in sight Jesus caused a fig
tree to wither – Matthew 21:18-22: The fig tree is unique in that the
fruit and the leaves come at the same time. Mark wrote, "For the fig
season had not yet come." (Mark
God comes to many so-called disciples, seeking fruit, and finding
only leaves. His grace and blessing will be removed from that life where a
person continues to be unfruitful. Peter said that Jesus cursed the fig tree.
(Mark
With the finish in sight Jesus taught about
authority and repentance – Matthew
Repentance is a change of mind or heart followed by a change of
action. This is illustrated by the son that at first said "no" but
later repented (regretted it) and went. (Matthew 21:29) Jesus used this parable
of the two sons to teach the chief priests, elders and all that promise God but
do not perform. "Verily I say unto you, That the
publicans and the harlots go into the
With the finish in sight Jesus spoke of God's
goodness and desire to save – Matthew 21:33-46: "The vineyard of
the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel." (Isaiah 5:7) God had entrusted
His vineyard to men. They were responsible for it. The abuse of
Those in charge of the vineyard even killed the Son of the owner.
"But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, this
is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. So they took him
and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him." (Matthew 21:38-39) But,
thank God, "this stone which the builders rejected is become the chief
cornerstone." This parable shows God's goodness and His desire to save
and also it shows how wicked and deliberate man can be in his sins.
The most important thing in life is to become a Christian and then
live like Jesus and for Jesus. To become a Christian you must hear the gospel
(Romans
Speechless Before The King
– Matthew Twenty-Two –
Matthew twenty-two pictures occasions when people stood
"Speechless Before The King": (1) Matthew 22:1-14 -- the man without
a wedding garment, (2) Matthew 22:15-22 -- the Pharisees that asked about
paying tax, (3) Matthew 22:23-33 -- the Sadducees that questioned the
resurrection, (4) Matthew 22:34-40 -- the Pharisees that asked Jesus about the
greatest commandment, and (5) Matthew 22:41-46 -- those Pharisees that could
not answer Jesus' questions about why David called Him Lord even though He was
David's son.
In Matthew 22 we have one of the saddest of Jesus' parables. This
parable has to do with the Savior's mission among the Jews and their rejection
of Him. The King had prepared a wedding feast for His Son. The Jews were
invited to this great feast. Sadly they made light of the invitation, and went
their way, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. Some of the Jews
even "took the Kings servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew
them." The problem was "the wedding was ready, but they which were
bidden were not worthy."
The Jews were unworthy because they chose things of the world
rather than heavenly things. They could have come but they "would not
come!" The King sent His servants
to get others to come to His feast. The Jews had rejected the feast so the
Gentiles would now be invited. Today, thanks to our amazing God, everyone is
invited to His glorious salvation feast.
A man in disrespect came in without a "wedding garment."
There was no excuse for such conduct. The King that prepared the feast also
provided the garments. The man was just unrighteousness in his actions. The
result was that he stood "speechless" before the King. The King said,
"Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." God requires
humble obedience from all that would come to His feast.
The Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus many questions that
"they might entangle him in his talk." Jesus "perceived their
wickedness" and gave unbelievable answers to their questions. When they
tried to trap him with a question about tax He answered, "Render therefore
unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are
God's." They marveled at His answer.
The Sadducees asked Jesus a question about the law of marriage.
(Deuteronomy 25:5-10) Moses said that when a man dies leaving a wife and no
children, that his brother ought to marry her and have children with her in his
brothers name. This kept the Jewish families and tribes distinct. The Sadducees
ask Jesus about seven brothers that had all been married to the same woman.
They wanted Him to explain whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus
answered, "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
A
lawyer asked Jesus about the greatest commandment. Jesus said to him,
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind." This is the great commandment because God is
the source of all blessings and goodness.
This chapter closed with Jesus asking the Pharisees some very
difficult questions. He asked, "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?
They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in
spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how
is he his son?" Jesus was David's Lord and his Savior in a spiritual
sense. Never was wisdom or truth any more clear, never more triumphant than
with Jesus Christ!
The man without a wedding garment –
Matthew 22:1-14: The man without a wedding garment stood
speechless before the King. The message came "all things are ready, come
to the wedding." Those that were invited made light of the invitation.
(Matthew 22:5-6) The Jews rejected Jesus and this rejection opened the door for
the Gentiles. "Go into the highways, and as many as you find; invite to
the wedding." (Matthew 22:9) The one that came in without a wedding
garment shows an attitude opposite that of faith, humility, penitence and
reverence that prepares one to enter the Lord's kingdom.
The question about taxes – Matthew 22:15-22:
The Pharisees that asked if it was lawful to pay tax to Caesar stood speechless
before the King. They desired to entangle Jesus in His talk. (Matthew 22:15)
Their question was, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
(Matthew 22:17) Jesus answered "Render therefore to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21) He
taught plainly that Christians have both a duty to God and to government. The
Pharisees "marveled and left Him." (Matthew 22:22)
The question about the resurrection – Matthew
22:23-33: The Sadducees, that deny the resurrection, questioned
Jesus about the "Levitate" law of marriage. (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
They wanted to know who this woman would be married to after the resurrection.
Jesus said their questions came from a basic mistake. "For in the
resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels
of God in heaven." (Matthew 22:30) Then Jesus astonished them and made
them speechless by saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
(Matthew 22:32) The Sadducees that questioned Jesus about the resurrection
stood speechless before the king.
The greatest commandment and an
impossible question – Matthew 22:34-46: The Pharisees Jesus
asked about the greatest commandment. He gave them that and more. "You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like
it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39) The
lawyer and other Pharisees were speechless before the king because they
realized they were in violation of not only the first and great commandment,
but the second also.
The Pharisees were speechless before the king when He asked them
questions about David. Jesus asked, "What think ye of Christ? whose son is
he? They say unto him, The Son of David." (Matthew 22:42) Then He said,
"If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?" (Matthew 22:45)
Jesus asked how the Messiah could be both David's son and David's Lord. Their
lack of understanding of the Messiah, who He was and what is His work, made it
impossible to answer these questions. From that time no one "dare question
him anymore." (Matthew 22:46) They were speechless!
We too will stand speechless before the King in judgment if we
fail to become Christians (Acts
Upbraiding
The Scribes And Pharisees
– Matthew Twenty-Three –
The wrath of that meek and lowly man of
Jesus wanted His disciples to be warned about
these Pharisees and teachers of the law. Their hypocrisy had caused many
unbelievers to be hardened. Jesus lamented that these unbelievers have no hope
of being in His heavenly kingdom. He pronounced several woes on these people
that He identified as "scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." He mourned
deeply over the unbelief that He observed in
Woe to those that are religious for the wrong
motives – Matthew 23:1-12: Jesus taught His followers to "observe
and do" what the Pharisees taught as they, "sat in Moses' seat."
They knew and understood the law well enough to explain and teach it to people.
But the warning also followed, "Do not do according to their works: for
they say, and do not do." (Matthew 23:3)
The Pharisees were guilty because they made religion an impossible burden, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." (Matthew 23:4) They loaded the people with impossible encumbrances, however they refused to carry those burdens themselves.
These religious leaders became a stumbling
block to the person that wanted to learn and live in God's way. They did this
because their spiritual motives were all wrong: (1) Their works were to be seen
of men (Matthew 23:5), (2) They loved the chief seats (Matthew 23:6), and (3)
Religious titles had a great appeal to them. (Matthew 23:7-10) They were proud
and arrogant. They were haughty and self-righteous, and they had little or no
respect for the common people. Jesus taught them the lesson of true greatness
by saying, "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant."
(Matthew 23:11) Christians should always remember that, "Whoever exalts
himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
(Matthew 23:12)
Woe to you scribes, Pharisees,
hypocrites – Matthew 23:13-24: Woes were pronounced because the
Pharisees would not enter the kingdom themselves and hindered those that would
enter. (Matthew 23:13) They did this by perverting what the prophets had
foretold about the Messiah, and then teaching their perversions to people.
Imagine a religion that would allow you to make long prayers and at the same
time steal houses from widows. (Matthew 23:14) They would steal the widows house in the self-righteous pretense that it was for
God.
The Pharisees would go around the world to make a proselyte and
when he was made he was worse than they. (Matthew 23:15) They go out for
converts and bring them under their own evil doctrines and practices of
thievery. Just look around you in our modern day religious orders, the rip-off
artist demand a high price in this day and use much of the contributions on
themselves. Their schemes hammer on your emotions while they steel you blind.
These people quote the scripture, however they never teach the scripture and
are never touched by the scriptures.
The Pharisees even found ways to break their
promises to God. "Whoever shall swear by the temple it is nothing"
(Matthew
More woes for the Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites – Matthew 23:25-33: The scribes and
Pharisees were not clean on the inside, in their heart, where it mattered. They
were religiously beautiful on the outside but were very corrupt within. They
pretended to have such respect for all the prophets that their fathers had
killed! They honored the prophets and built their tombs. They would even
garnish their sepulchres. They did all of this but
they were still corrupt on the inside. God wants the outside right, but that
begins with a change from within.
Jesus saw straight through the Pharisees. He
looks at the heart of man! They looked beautiful on the outside but inwardly,
they were full of hypocrisy, envy, haughtiness, lust, and malice. He pictured
the result of the Pharisees religion in these shocking words, "Serpents,
brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" (Matthew
23:33) They rebelled against the
Light of Christ Himself, that He still brings into the world today.
Weeping over the city of
Jesus did not give up on the Jews. He looked
at them with love, mercy, compassion, and a desire that they would repent of
their sins and live godly for Christ Jesus. He compassionately lamented the
fact that
To be a child of God a number of changes must
take place. Faith changes the heart. (Hebrews 11:6) Repentance changes the
life. (Acts
The Destruction Of
And The End Of The World
– Matthew
Twenty-Four –
Jesus, foreseeing the terrible
destruction that would come upon
Questions
about the destruction of
The questions asked by the disciples were "Tell
us, when will these things be? And what will be the
sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
(Matthew 24:3) They assumed that what Jesus was talking about would be at His
second coming. They asked about "when" and "what signs would be
given?" We will later see that the things before Matthew 24:34 would take
place in the lifetime of those in that generation. “Assuredly, I say to you,
this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”
Jesus warned them of the
possibility of being misled. This is our Lord's number one warning! "Take
heed that no one deceives you." (Matthew 24:4) How can you make sure you
are not deceived? You check it out in God's Word and carefully study for
yourself. Jesus said that there would be false Christs,
wars, famines, earthquakes, and the gospel would be preached to the whole
world. All of these would be things people would try to use as signs but these
things would not pinpoint the destruction of
Sign concerning the destruction of
Many think these things refer
to the end of the world. But, this cannot be because these things would happen
"immediately'' and these things are before Matthew 24:34. Remember, in
Matthew 24:34 Jesus starts His discussion of the end of the world.
Some say this has to be the end of the world because of the natural disasters described in the text. These natural disasters were used commonly in the Old Testament to talk about the fall of nations. (1) Babylon, Isaiah 13:1, Isaiah 13:6-13, (2) Egypt, Isaiah 19:1-2, Ezekiel 32:2-9, (3) Tyre, Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 24:21-23, (4) Edom, Isaiah 34:4-6, (5) Nineveh, Nahum 1:1-5, (6) Israel, Amos 8:9, and (7) Judah, Jeremiah 4:5-6, Jeremiah 4:23-28.
Here they are used to talk
about the destruction of the Jewish nation. The destruction of
This
Generation Shall
Jesus said, "Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
(Matthew 24:35-36) "That day" is used to refer to the final day of Judgment, Jesus said (1) no one knows when it will
be, (2) no signs will be given, and (3) no fleeing from this event. "That
day" will be a day of separation. Christians will certainly prepare
themselves for "that day." "Therefore you also be ready, for the
Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44)
The faithful
must watch and prepare – Matthew 24:45-51: The
servant who watches for the Master's return will have a great motivation to
faithfulness and will be blessed. "Blessed is that servant whom his
master, when he comes, will find so doing." (Matthew 24:46) A failure to
focus on "that day" will cause one to be unfaithful. (Matthew
24:48-51)
The final Judgment will also
come as the Lord promised. The precise time of Judgment Day is not revealed for
us to know, so that we must at all times be watching for it. Therefore, we as Christians
are obligated by the Lord's Word to watch for His coming. Are you ready for the
Judgment day? (Amos
The seriousness of judgment and
eternity says that sinners should come to Christ and live for Him. Purify your
heart by faith (John
The Prepared And The Unprepared
– Matthew Twenty-Five –
Matthew chapter twenty-five provides Bible
students with three different looks at the prepared and the unprepared. The
parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the parable of the talents, and the
judgment scene all picture some that were prepared and some that had every
opportunity to prepare but still remained unprepared.
God has given each of us talents that we
should use to His glory. If we fail to use those talents they will be taken
from us. If we have anything in our hand we must give it to God so that He can
bless it and bless us. This is necessary if we are to be prepared for final
judgment.
The prepared and the unprepared virgins –
Matthew 25:1-13: The primary subject this chapter has to do with is the
final judgment. Matthew 24 ended with the need to be prepared for the sudden
and unexpected return of the Lord. The parable of the five wise and the five
foolish virgins continues that emphasis of preparation for the coming of the
Messiah. In this section five foolish and thoughtless virgins were set in
contrast against five wise and sensible virgins. The kingdom of heaven is like unto
all "ten"
virgins. Of the ten virgins, only
the five wise ones were taken to the wedding. The
foolish ones were not. Jesus used this story of a wedding taking place to teach
some great lessons concerning His kingdom.
The point of Jesus' parable is very clear.
Only those that are prepared for the bridegroom's coming will participate in
the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those that are unprepared will be left
outside. The only difference between the five wise and the five foolish virgins
was their preparation. In the parable five virgins were wise and they made the
necessary preparation and even went the extra mile. Five other virgins tried to
get by on the very minimum. "Those who were foolish took their lamps and
took no oil with them." (Matthew 25:3) It was in contrast to this spirit
of doing only the minimum that the godly attitude of the wise virgins’ shines
forth. "The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
(Matthew 25:4) The wise are simply those that are prepared for Christ’s coming.
Many want to go to heaven attending only a
minimum number of services, giving only a minimum amount of money and time,
teaching and visiting only the minimum. These that try to get by on the minimum
will find the door to heaven shut just as did the foolish virgins. "While
they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with
him to the wedding; and the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10) What about
you? Are you wise or foolish? Are you prepared or unprepared?
The servants that used their talents –
Matthew 25:14-23: Jesus wanted us
to understand what readiness means so He taught a great lesson about two men
that used the talents of money that their master had put into their hands, and
about one that failed to do so. "He who had received the five talents went
and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had
received two gained two more also." (Matthew 25:16-17) The result of using
what had been given is stated in Matthew 25:21. "Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
Those that use what God puts into their hands
are upright, honorable and faithful. What has God put into your hands? Has He
put a car, a house, some money, a pen, an envelope, a family member or a friend
into your hand? The delay of our Lord's second coming should cause an increased
appreciation for opportunities of evangelism, worship, and service that this
delay offers believers. Are you a faithful servant that is using your talents
for God?
The servant that did not use his talent –
Matthew 25:24-30: The man that
did not use what God put into his hands is one of the most condemned men in the
entire Bible. "You wicked and lazy servant... take the talent from him...
cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:26-30) "Being ready" when
the master comes consists not only of keeping pure but also of active and
faithful service that produces good results.
What the unfaithful servant had was taken
from him and given to the servant that had ten talents. The master said,
"Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall
be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath." Those that are faithful in God's
service will have more opportunities for service and blessing. Those that are
unfaithful will loose the blessings that they earlier had. Use what God puts
into your hands for His glory or stand condemned before your Marker!
The prepared and unprepared among the people –
Matthew 25:31-46: In this portion of scripture the Lord contrasted the
saved and the lost. "These will go away into everlasting punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46) Observe the following
facts about the judgment. (1) The Son of man will be the judge. (2) All nations
will be gathered before Him. (3) A separation will take place. A separation
from God in life because of sin leads to a separation from the righteous in
eternity. (Isaiah 59:1-2) (4) The basis
of judgment will include little things that we all could have done and should
have done. The prepared will hear the words, "Come, you blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world." (Matthew 25:34) The unprepared will hear the words, "Depart
from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)
Each of these parables is designed to teach
the immanent return of Christ. He could come soon, or His return could be a
long time away. However, one thing is certain. Jesus is coming again. The
uncertainty of the time of the Lord's coming motivates us to live our lives in
such a way as to stay prepared for eternity. We need to live and work like the Lord
is going to be back any minute. We will be rewarded according to what we have
done while the Master is away.
To prepare for eternity you must obey the
gospel NOW and keep faithful to God. The seriousness of judgment and eternity
says that sinners should come to Christ and live for Him. Purify your heart by
faith (John
Jesus Was Anointed,
Betrayed and Denied
– Matthew Twenty-Six –
Jesus knew the cross was both sure and
certain. He was prepared to redeem mankind with His precious blood! He was calm
and precise when He told His disciples again what was going to happen to Him in
This is the record of the last time the
Passover would ever be observed with the approval of God. Here Jesus would call
out Judas, the one that would betray Him. On this solemn occasion the Lord instituted
the Lord's Supper or the Communion. Jesus went unto a place called
In Matthew twenty-six Jesus said to the
apostles, "All ye shall be offended because of me this night." They
would scatter like a flock of sheep. Peter protested by saying, "Though
all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended." Then Jesus said to Peter, "Verily I say
unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou
shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I
should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also
said all the disciples." In a few short hours Peter denied the Lord
three times just like Jesus had predicted.
The anointing and betrayal of Jesus –
Matthew 26:1-16: The chief priests, scribes and elders plotted with
Caiaphas to destroy Jesus. Their intention was to by trickery, kill Jesus.
Nevertheless, they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar
among the people." (Matthew 26:5)
Jesus was in "
One of the twelve, a man named Judas, was
guilty of betraying Jesus. Thirty pieces of silver is the price he received to
betray the Son of God. Judas "sought opportunity to betray Him."
(Matthew 26:16) Matthew 26:24 says, "The Son of man goeth as it is written
of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been
good for that man if he had not been born." Many people today will do the
same thing that Judas did. They will sell out their Lord and Master, Jesus
Christ, for a short-lived piece of this world's goods.
The Passover and Communion – Matthew 26:17-35:
Jesus ate the Passover with the disciples for the final time. This was the
last Passover in two senses: (1) Jesus would soon die and would not be on earth
to observe Passover, and (2) Passover was a part of the Law of Moses that ended
at the death of Jesus. As they ate Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you,
one of you will betray me. (Matthew 26:21)
Jesus' death is to be remembered by
Christians on the first day of each week. The Lord's Supper is a memorial to
His death. This powerful memorial involves bread that is His body and the cup
that is His blood. The bread that we break is symbolic of His wounded, pierced,
and broken body, all of which was absolutely essential and necessary for Him to
undergo if we were ever to know redemption from sin. The reason Jesus came to
die was so that sin could be destroyed and we could be a part of His church!
The cup or fruit of the vine that we drink is symbolic of His precious blood
that was shed for our salvation. (I Peter 1:18) The Lord's Supper is a memorial
kept by the Lord's disciples (those in the kingdom) in memory of the death of
the Savior every Sunday.
Jesus told the disciples that the sheep
would be scattered. This fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7. Jesus also
predicted Peter would deny Him three times. (Matthew 26:34) Peter protested by
saying, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Matthew 26:35)
The prayer in
Judas came with a kiss and betrayed His
friend. (Matthew 26:49-50) During Jesus' arrest, Peter cut off a man's ear with
a sword. This fulfilled prophetic words. Jesus had power to call twelve legions
of angels to help, but to fulfill prophecy He refrained from doing so. (Matthew
26:54) Even when the disciples "forsook Him and fled", the prophecies
were being fulfilled. (Matthew 26:56)
The mock trials and denials – Matthew 26:57-75:
The Sanhedrin was the "Supreme Court" of the Jews. The council
sought "false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death." (Matthew
26:59) Jesus was condemned by the words of two false witnesses. (Matthew
26:61-62) They were angry at Jesus' claim of power and also His claim to be the
Son of God. (Matthew 26:63-66) Even before the Sanhedrin Jesus was beaten, spit
on, and "struck with the palm of their hands." (Matthew 26:67)
Peter felt two emotions. Fear caused him
to run away. Love caused him to stay close by Jesus. Peter denied the Lord
Jesus, even cursing and swearing that he did not know Jesus. The crowing of the
rooster brought shame to Peter's heart. "Peter remembered the word of
Jesus who had said to him, Before the rooster crows,
you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly."
(Matthew 26:75)
If Jesus could willingly endure this
suffering for us, surely we can live for Him! To prepare for eternity you must
obey the gospel NOW and keep faithful to God. The seriousness of judgment and
eternity says that sinners should come to Christ and live for Him. Purify your
heart by faith (John
The Death and Burial
of Jesus
– Matthew Twenty-Seven
The death of Jesus demands more
than just asking Jesus into your heart. His death for our sins demands
submissive obedience. The death of Jesus demands a change in behavior of those
that would follow Him. The life of one that would follow Jesus must show evidence
of commitment to Him who died, was buried and arose again. The story of Jesus'
death and burial in Matthew Twenty-seven should move us to that commitment.
Matthew devoted about
one-fourth of his gospel to the death of Jesus and the events of the last days
of His life leading to that sacrifice for our sins. His death pictures the
struggle between salvation by His blood and damnation brought on by following
men. Jesus was a godly and perfect man that did nothing wrong. (Matthew 27:19, Matthew 27:23) The Christ
suffered pain, humiliation and separation from God so that sinners might be
saved. He died for the sins of the entire world. Jesus was crucified not for
doing anything wrong, but for His claim to be the Messiah.
Jesus' betrayer
hangs himself – Matthew 27:1-10:
The chief priests and elders wanted
Jesus put to death. Pilate was the person used to
accomplish
their wicked purpose. They thought that Pilate would be willing to put Jesus to
death because he
claimed to be a friend of Caesar. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but did what
the Jews wanted anyway.
In addition to the tragedy of
Jesus' death Matthew twenty-seven also records the death of Judas. Judas had
sold Jesus and betrayed Him with a kiss. (Matthew 26:47-50) Judas then
committed suicide by hanging himself. He reminds us that sin never turns out
like the sinner thinks it will. In this case Judas' sin lead to such
guilt that he returned the money and hanged himself. When he hanged himself he
probably fell down, and the violence of his fall probably caused his bowels to
gush out according to Acts 1:18. Judas
also reminds us that we cannot undo what has been done. Sin always has a
terrible end!
Jesus was sentenced
to death by Pilate – Matthew 27:11-26:
Pilate asked Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus did not reply to the false
charges made by the chief priests and elders. This caused Pilate to marvel and
to understand that Jesus really was innocent. Pilate believed in Jesus but,
like many, would not submit to Him. Even Pilate's wife knew Jesus was an
"upright man." "...His wife sent to him, saying, have nothing to
do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because
of Him." (Matthew 27:19) Though man can never rid himself of personal
responsibility Pilate tried. He first wanted to release Jesus instead of
Barabbas. The people refused. Then in response to the people's desire to
crucify Jesus, Pilate washed his hands of responsibility (he thought) and
allowed Jesus to be crucified.
Jesus was mocked
by the soldiers – Matthew 27:27-31:
Jesus was mocked and humiliated in every possible way. He was dressed in a
scarlet robe like a king. They probably decided that a king needs a crown. They
platted a crown of thorns and put it on His precious head. As if that were not
painful and humiliating enough, they gave Him a "scepter" to hold in
His precious hands. It was a reed. Then they began to mock Him, and bow their
knees to Him, and say to Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Hail means
greetings, good health to you, live long to you. They spat on Jesus, struck Him
with a reed, dressed Him again in His own clothes and led Him away for the
crucifixion. Why did Christ have to suffer so? Jesus suffered this agony
because He loved us and He did not want any of us to die without hope! His
suffering causes us to see a vivid picture in our own minds of the ugliness of
sin.
Jesus' death
and burial – Matthew 27:32-66:
The power of the cross makes
salvation possible. The sign over His head read, "This is Jesus the King
of the Jews." He is far more though, "Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and
ever." (1 Timothy 1:17) Jesus showed the world
God in the most sacrificial way possible. Now we must be, "Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Simon of Cyrenia
helped Jesus bear the cross to
Jesus was buried in a tomb
belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. He had not
consented to the action of the council even though he was a member. He
displayed love and courage by seeing that Jesus was properly buried. Joseph's
tomb was a "new tomb hewn out in a rock." (Matthew 27:60) Some Roman
soldiers were given the impossible task of trying to keep Jesus in the tomb. In
spite of their guard "He arose."
Jesus' sacrifice on
the cross is the result of amazing love. "Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all." If Jesus could willingly endure this
suffering for us, surely we can live for Him! To prepare for eternity you must
obey the gospel NOW and keep faithful to God. Purify your heart by deep faith
(John
A Reason To Rejoice
– Matthew Twenty-Eight –
In the end of the Sabbath or
after the Sabbath was over Mary Magdelene and the other Mary went to see the
tomb where Jesus was buried. When they got near to the tomb there was a great
earthquake "for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and
rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” The angel's "countenance
was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow." He said that Jesus was
not there; He had risen from the dead. The women were invited to, "Come,
see the place where the Lord lay."
The angel told the women to
"go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is raised from the dead; and,
behold, he goeth before you into
Matthew twenty-seven closed with a
scene of sorrow and grief, Jesus dead and buried. In Matthew twenty-eight we
see that humanity found reason to rejoice, Christ arose. The death, burial and
resurrection of Christ are the heart of the gospel. "Moreover, brethren, I
declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and
in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word
which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you
first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures." (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
The Risen Lord
– Matthew 28:1-8: Near dawn on
the first day of the week Mary Magdalene and the other Mary became the first to
know that Jesus had been resurrected. When they came to the tomb the seal had
been broken and the stone was rolled away. The angel did not roll away the
stone to let the Lord out, but rather to let the witnesses in. Our hope in the
hereafter is that God or some angel may roll the stone from our grave and that
we may arise. The angel urged the women to believe that Jesus had been
resurrected. "He is not here; for He is risen, as
He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
(Matthew 28:6)
He also urged them to tell what
they had learned. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from
the dead, and indeed He is going before you into
The Rejoicing
Women – Matthew 28:9-10: When
Jesus first appeared to the women He gave two commands: (1)
"Rejoice", (2) "Go and tell my brethren..." When He met the
women He said, "All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and
worshipped him." When the women saw Jesus they recognized Him, and they
knew for a fact that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
Our Savior is divine, and as
the women fall down at His feet, and worshiped Him, Jesus said to them,
"Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into
The Rejecting
Soldiers – Matthew 28:11-15: The
guards were placed at the tomb by Caiaphus so that the disciples would not
steal the body. These guards saw every thing that happened, and reported it all
back to the chief priests. They told how the angel came and rolled back the
stone. Imagine how it was when these unbelievers rehearsed the story of the
resurrection.
Judas received thirty pieces of
silver to betray the Lord. The soldiers were given "large money" to
keep silent about the resurrection. The guards took bribes to say, "His
disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were sleeping."
(Matthew 28:13) Keep in mind that this is the high priest, Caiaphus, and those
guards are religious people that are involved with this cover-up.
The guards were told that even
if this came to the ears of Pilate that they were telling these lies that their
freedom would be secure. The result of their lie was disbelief among many of
the Jews. "So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and
this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day." (Matthew
28:15) This synagogue of Satan led many astray with their lies. Their plot was
evil but thank God, good and right always prevails. Truth prevails! He arose
and no one could silence the believers!
The Reaction
To The Resurrection – Matthew 28:16-20: The resurrection called attention to Jesus' POWER. "Jesus came
and spoke to them, saying, All authority (power) has been given Me in heaven
and on earth." (Matthew 28:18) Through His power the GREAT COMMISSION was
given. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
(Matthew 28:19) The
If Jesus’ commission is carried
out He promises His PRESENCE. "Teaching them to observe all things that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." (Matthew 28:20) Do you believe in the resurrection? Jesus'
resurrection is essential to our future. "But now Christ is risen from the
dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since
by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." (I Corinthians
15:20-22) Victory comes through His resurrection.
Jesus' death, burial and
resurrection are the result of God's amazing love for lost mankind. "Love
so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." If Jesus would
die, be buried and resurrected for us, surely we can live for Him! To prepare
for eternity you must obey the gospel NOW and keep faithful to God. Purify your
heart by faith (John