Matthew 23:37-39

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:29-36. Here is the summary:

Jesus pronounced the last of the eight curses on the Pharisees. This curse summarized the previous curses.

Jesus stated the BOSSES of His time were in for a GREATER judgment than their fathers (which had killed the prophets) because they were going to kill Jesus.

Notice, verses 34 through 36 were prophecy that has been fulfilled.

Tomorrow, we will see Matthew chapter 23 concluded with Jesus stating prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled...


MATTHEW 23:37-39
"37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

(Jesus BLATANTLY stated God's Will was to gather Israel together!)

(Jesus BLATANTLY stated the REASON Israel was NOT gathered together was because it was against Israel's will!)

(Remember, there are NO orthodox Jews who are Calvinists. There are NO orthodox Jews that believe in predestination. The ENTIRE Old Testament told the story of Israel ultimately OPPOSING God's Will...yet, Calvinists somehow deceive people by using the Old Testament stories to prove God predestined Israel to OPPOSE God!)

"38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

(This verse showed Jesus stated the temple would be destroyed. WHY?)

"39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

(Everything after the for is the reason WHY. Jesus stated the temple would be destroyed because this dispensation was coming to an end AND they couldn't continue operating according to their dispensation UNTIL Jesus came back!)

(In fact, Jesus gave an objective measure for WHEN Israel would see Jesus again: when they say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Where have we heard this before?)

(Remember the beginning of this month on this blog?)

("9 And the multitudes that went before him, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." Matthew 21:9)

(This month began with Matthew chapter 21 where the multitudes cried, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Now, we see, this month ends with the conclusion of Matthew chapter 23 when Jesus said He would come back to the Jews when they said, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Something that has yet to happen...and the next verses (Matthew chapter 24) presented many more prophetic things that are yet to happen!)


SUMMARY
This has been an enlightening month on the blog. We began with a post on Modeling in the Bible. July 2010 was the fourth best month in the four year history of this blog. I attributed it to the increased number of "new regular" readers...people who read this blog at least once a month. In that post, I also appealed to these people who haven't contacted me to privately send me an e-mail. Many did! Hopefully, those of you who haven't will also feel led to reach out so you can be blessed as well.

This month we have seen:

Matthew chapter 21 focused on hypocrisy. Even though EVERYTHING that was taught was an extension of Jesus' Premiere Teaching, it was presented through different methods: Prophetic, Offensive Spiritual Warfare, Questions, Parables, and Direct Statements.

Matthew chapter 22 documented Jesus' Final Teaching with the BOSSES of His time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teachers.

Much like Job's THIRD ROUND with the three comforters, Jesus dealt with three trapping questions in an excellent fashion. Then Jesus asked a question concerning the Messiah's ability to be FULLY man and FULLY God...and NONE of these people were able to answer.

Matthew chapter 23 documented Jesus Final Message to the world (multitudes). It consisted of Jesus pronouncing eight WOES on the Pharisees. The reason for these WOES were the hypocrisy of the BOSSES of Jesus' time. These BOSSES were SAYING the right thing and DOING the wrong thing. This is hypocrisy...and hypocrites don't go to Heaven.

Jesus stated He would appear to the Jews again when they greet Him the same way the multitudes greeted Him at the beginning of Matthew chapter 21!

To those who wrote comments this month, THANK YOU for making this an exceptional month. This month has already recorded the second highest number of visitors per month in the history of this blog...and who knows, by tonight, it could be the most visited month in the history of this blog!

Tomorrow, we will summarize the first twenty-three chapters of The Gospel According to Matthew.

Next Post

Matthew 23:29-36

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:23-28. Here is the summary:

Jesus followed His first four curses pronounced on the BOSSES of His time with three more curses!

These three curses PROVED the BOSSES of His time were focused on the parts of the Law dealing with OUTSIDE APPEARANCE. Jesus also PROVED the BOSSES of His time ignored the parts of the Law dealing with INWARD UNCLEANNESS.

Jesus called the spiritual matters of the Law the weightier matters.

Jesus told the Pharisees they were ACTUALLY warning the multitudes to stay away from the Pharisees if the multitudes wanted to remain clean!

Do we still believe the spiritual issues are weightier than the physical APPEARANCE issues?

Jesus had pronounced seven curses on the Pharisees...and He still wasn't done.


MATTHEW 23:29-36
"29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets."

(Jesus pronounced an eighth curse on the BOSSES of His time. The reason WHY is everything after the "for". This is the last of the curses Jesus pronounced on the Pharisees.)

(This curse essentially summed up all the curses. Jesus stated the Pharisees pretended to care for the people and regretted sins of their fathers, yet the Pharisees still did the sins of their fathers! In fact, Jesus stated the Pharisees' sins were worse than their fathers!)

"31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets."

(Jesus pointed out the statement of the will of the Pharisees...that they ADMIT they are the sons of the men who killed the prophets!)

"32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?"

(Jesus drew a conclusion and presented it in Question form: How can you escape judgment of hell when you admit you are the offspring of people who OPPOSED God?)

"34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar."

(We saw the exchanges between Jesus and the Pharisees began with three parables from Jesus: The Two Sons, The Householder, and The Wedding Feast. This statement from Jesus was consisted with the events from the parables!)

(Zachariah is also known as Zechariah. Jesus taught us Zechariah was killed in the temple. This is NOT the Zechariah from 2 Chronicles 24:20-21.
"20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he hath also forsaken you.
21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of Jehovah." THAT Zechariah was the son of Jehoida...not Barachiah.)

"36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation."

(Jesus stated the GREATEST judgment would come upon the generation of His time because they would kill the CAUSE: Jesus. The previous generations killed the EFFECT: the prophets.)


SUMMARY
Jesus pronounced the last of the eight curses on the Pharisees. This curse summarized the previous curses.

Jesus stated the BOSSES of His time were in for a GREATER judgment than their fathers (which had killed the prophets) because they were going to kill Jesus.

Notice, verses 34 through 36 were prophecy that has been fulfilled.

Tomorrow, we will see Matthew chapter 23 concluded with Jesus stating prophecy that has not yet been fulfilled...

Next Post

Matthew 23:23-28

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:16-22. Here is the summary:

Jesus' fourth curse pronounced on the Pharisees pointed out the spiritual ought to be pre-eminent over the physical.

The BOSSES of Jesus' time were much more focused on getting physical value from the people than helping the people exchange spiritual value with God.

The BOSSES of Jesus' time appear to have avoided discussing God by focusing on the temple and Heaven.

We have seen Jesus' pronounced four curses on the BOSSES of His time.

However, Jesus was still not done...


MATTHEW 23:23-28
"23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone."

(Jesus pronounced a fifth curse on the BOSSES of His time. The reason WHY is everything after the "for".)

(AGAIN, Jesus PROVED the Pharisees made the physical pre-eminent over the spiritual. He stated they focused on tithing physical things, yet don't DO the more important matters of the Law: Justice, Mercy, and Faith. Jesus stated the BOSSES of His Time should have done these things.)

(Do you understand Justice, Mercy, and Faith? Does your pastor understand Justice, Mercy, and Faith? Here are some links for explanation on each of these three "weightier matters" according to Jesus.
Justice
Mercy
Faith
Notice, these are three concepts this blog dealt with from the beginning and their presentation overlapped!)

(A lot of people point to this verse as proof that tithing is still a requirement...a Law. We addressed this in "Modeling God's Wills" in the chapter on Leadership. Here's an excerpt:

For instance, how does the "leader" of your church motivate people to tithe? The "authority" method would just take it out of your paycheck. The BOSS method would tell you it is a law (WHAT). They would tell you to do it and appeal to your emotions through guilt. They would show you what you lose if you don't do it.

The Leader would realize tithing is a principle. He would appeal to your best interests by showing you HOW/WHY you gain if you do it. He would use reason (HOW/WHY)and explain the value you get.

Tithing is part of The Law. We are under no obligation to tithe because we are not under the Law. However, the principle of tithing is true. God blesses those who tithe and have a good attitude. Tithing follows the Reward Model.

Remember, the Spiritual aspect is most important to God. The giving of money to God is an effect of a Spiritual cause.

Actually, it always was…it’s just that now we have the opportunity to be blessed (gain) because it is not a law (fear of loss), it is a principle.

There are a lot of things that Jesus tells us to do for our benefit (gain), but people seem to still interpret it as a law and use it as a threat. Excerpt from 34-4 of Modeling God's Wills)

(Remember, Jesus lived under the Law. The first four books of the New Testament are actually part of the dispensation of the Law.)

"24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!"

(Jesus' reason WHY for the fifth curse is the BOSSES of His time ignored the weightier matters of the Law and focused on the lighter matters of the Law. Verse 24 referenced the same point. The BOSSES of Jesus' time focused on the lighter matter (gnat) and ignored the weightier matter (camel). Jesus presented it with an eating analogy so the ridiculousness of the BOSSES' actions (DO) became memorable.)

"25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also."

(Jesus pronounced a sixth curse on the BOSSES of His time. The reason WHY is everything after the "for".)

(AGAIN, Jesus PROVED the Pharisees made the physical pre-eminent over the spiritual. He stated they focused on OUTSIDE APPEARANCE instead of INSIDE CLEANNESS. Jesus used a dishwashing analogy to make this point! We all know the INSIDE of our dishes get used...and therefore get dirty. ANY dirt that occurs on the OUTSIDE is incidental. Jesus stated the Pharisees would have the OUTSIDE clean and use dishes that were dirty from previous uses!)

(As an aside, I formulated new and improved versions of Dawn and Joy dishwashing liquid. During that time, I would tell people there was a Biblical right way to do dishes. Step 1. clean the inside. Step 2. clean the outside...then I would point to this passage from Jesus.)

(This dishwashing analogy is believed to be tied to the Pharisees' ceremonial cleansing according to the Law. The priests were supposed to be clean both inside and outside. Jesus is saying the Pharisees are the cup. They ONLY focus on the part of the Law that cleansed the physical...and they ignored the part of the Law that cleansed the spiritual.)

"27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

(Jesus pronounced a seventh curse on the BOSSES of His time. The reason WHY is everything after the "for".)

(AGAIN, Jesus PROVED the Pharisees made the physical pre-eminent over the spiritual. He stated they focused on OUTSIDE APPEARANCE instead of INSIDE CLEANNESS.)

(The tombs were whitewashed a month before passover to warn everyone from becoming unclean through contact with the tomb. Likewise, Jesus stated the Pharisees were inwardly unclean even though they appeared to be clean...which is hypocrisy.)

(Notice, this whitewashing did NOT make the tombs clean...it just warned everyone to stay away! So, Jesus ACTUALLY told the Pharisees their focus on the OUTSIDE was a sign to the multitudes to stay away from the unclean Pharisees!)


SUMMARY
Jesus followed His first four curses pronounced on the BOSSES of His time with three more curses!

These three curses PROVED the BOSSES of His time were focused on the parts of the Law dealing with OUTSIDE APPEARANCE. Jesus also PROVED the BOSSES of His time ignored the parts of the Law dealing with INWARD UNCLEANNESS.

Jesus called the spiritual matters of the Law the weightier matters.

Jesus told the Pharisees they were ACTUALLY warning the multitudes to stay away from the Pharisees if the multitudes wanted to remain clean!

Do we still believe the spiritual issues are weightier than the physical APPEARANCE issues?

Jesus had pronounced seven curses on the Pharisees...and He still wasn't done.

Next Post

Matthew 23:16-22

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:13-15. Here is the summary:

After Jesus PROVED the Pharisees were hindering God's Will on earth, He immediately pronounced three curses upon the Pharisees. These three curses dealt with God's Word, spiritual reward, and followers of the Pharisees.

Remember, God's Will is done through people who have enough spiritual value.

Jesus' first three curses PROVED HOW/WHY the Pharisees were hindering God's Will!

The Pharisees didn't teach God's Doctrines.

The Pharisees didn't have spiritual value.

The Pharisees distracted people from being used by God.

How is God's Will able to be done if people don't know God's Doctrines and end up not having enough spiritual value for God to be able to work through them?

These are just the first three curses.

Jesus wasn't done...


MATTHEW 23:16-22
"16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!"

(Jesus pronounced a fourth curse on the BOSSES of His time! This curse was on those who stated that swearing by the temple was NOTHING, however, swearing by the gold of the temple was binding.)

(The rest of today's post is the reason WHY...)

"17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?"

(Jesus called these people fools and blind. Then He asked which is greater: the physical gold or the spiritual vehicle that sanctified the gold? Jesus AGAIN encouraged people to make the spiritual pre-eminent over the physical.)

"18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.
19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?"

(Again, the reason WHY focused on making the spiritual pre-eminent. It appears the Pharisees held people to their vows of material things to THEM, while NOT holding people to their spiritual vows to God.)

(A Leader would facilitate the Purpose and Progress of the follower by showing them the vow to God is much more important than the vow to the church. Do pastors today focus more on the material "vows" people make to the church than on the spiritual "vows" people make to God?)

(These verses show Jesus made an intellectual argument. The conclusion was next...)

"20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon."

(Jesus was focused on Causality. He stated God was the cause and the temple was an effect. The temple was a cause and the altar was an effect. This led to three conclusions...)

(Jesus stated, THEREFORE, if you swear by the altar, then you swear by ALL things on the altar. The altar was greater than ALL the things that are on it.)

(If you swear by the temple, then you swear by Him (God) Who dwells in the temple also. Swearing by the temple is equivalent to swearing to God.)

(If you swear by Heaven, you swear by the throne of God and Him that sits on the throne. Swearing by Heaven is equivalent to swearing to God.)

(It appears the Pharisees were trying to avoid thinking they were swearing by God when they swore by the temple or Heaven!)


SUMMARY
Jesus' fourth curse pronounced on the Pharisees pointed out the spiritual ought to be pre-eminent over the physical.

The BOSSES of Jesus' time were much more focused on getting physical value from the people than helping the people exchange spiritual value with God.

The BOSSES of Jesus' time appear to have avoided discussing God by focusing on the temple and Heaven.

We have seen Jesus' pronounced four curses on the BOSSES of His time.

However, Jesus was still not done...

Next Post

Matthew 23:13-15

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:5-12. Here is the summary:

Jesus' began His Final Teaching to the World by stating the BOSSES of His time were HYPOCRITES. Jesus told the multitudes to DO what they SAID, and NOT DO what they DO. Hypocrisy is Deception.

Jesus then gave specific examples WHY the BOSSES of His time should NOT be followed. The HOW/WHY was the same as Jesus' HOW/WHY during His Premiere Teaching! These BOSSES wanted to be publicly seen so they were exalted of men.

We have seen God's Will is done through people who have spiritual value.

Jesus just PROVED following these BOSSES would actually hinder God's Will from being done on earth as it is in Heaven. These BOSSES were people who claimed to be believers who had put a stumblingblock in the path of other believers.

We have seen that people putting a stumblingblock in the path of believers are the only thing we ought to judge today.

Today, we will see Jesus' response to these BOSSES...


MATTHEW 23:13-15
"13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter."

(Jesus' response was to pronounce a curse on the BOSSES of His time!...then He followed with a REASON WHY.)

(The reason WHY came after the "because": Jesus stated the Pharisees and Torah Teachers withheld the Truth from people and taught false doctrines. They prevented others from entering the kingdom AND they themselves did NOT enter in.)

"14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation."

(Jesus pronounced a second curse on the BOSSES of His time!...and also followed it up with a REASON WHY.)

(The reason WHY came after the "for": The Pharisees and the Torah Teachers robbed widows of property. They were focused on money (physical value) instead of spiritual value...which, during His Premiere Teaching, Jesus called "Reward".)

"15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves."

(Jesus pronounced a third curse on the BOSSES of His time!...and AGAIN followed it up with a REASON WHY.)

(The reason WHY came after the "for": The Pharisees and Torah Teachers DO everything in their power to make a disciple to themselves, instead of disciples of God. Jesus stated the disciple of the Pharisees was TWO TIMES MORE a son of hell than the Pharisees! Jesus said someone was QUANTITATIVELY worse than someone else? WHY? Because, not only is the disciple working for the enemy...they feel EMPOWERED (by the Pharisees) to work for the enemy! We saw during The Salvation Series this mentality was called, "The System". It was the mentality that led to Jesus getting killed unjustly!))


SUMMARY
After Jesus PROVED the Pharisees were hindering God's Will on earth, He immediately pronounced three curses upon the Pharisees. These three curses dealt with God's Word, spiritual reward, and followers of the Pharisees.

Remember, God's Will is done through people who have enough spiritual value.

Jesus' first three curses PROVED HOW/WHY the Pharisees were hindering God's Will!

The Pharisees didn't teach God's Doctrines.

The Pharisees didn't have spiritual value.

The Pharisees distracted people from being used by God.

How is God's Will able to be done if people don't know God's Doctrines and end up not having enough spiritual value for God to be able to work through them?

These are just the first three curses.

Jesus wasn't done...

Next Post

Matthew 23:5-12

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 23:1-4. Here is the summary:

Matthew chapter 22 documented Jesus' final interaction with the BOSSES of His time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teachers.

Much like Job's THIRD ROUND with the three comforters, Jesus dealt with three trapping questions in an excellent fashion. Then Jesus asked a question concerning the Messiah's ability to be FULLY man and FULLY God...and NONE of these people were able to answer.

Jesus then turned to the multitudes (and His disciples) and began His Final Teaching to the World.

Jesus' began by stating the BOSSES of His time were HYPOCRITES. Jesus told the multitudes to DO what they SAID, and NOT DO what they DO.

That was quite a beginning...but there was more.


MATTHEW 23:5-12
"5 But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi."

(The phylacteries are two small wooden boxes containing parchment or skin on which were written Exodus 13:1-10 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21. These boxes were worn by men only on the head or arms when prayers were being said. However, these boxes were worn by the Pharisees continually to attract attention that they were always praying.)

(We have seen (from Dave Taube) the borders of their garments are signs they were Rabbis.)

(The chief places at feasts were places of honor. The chief seats were the seats in front of the ark facing the congregation.)

(All of Jesus' comments PROVED the Pharisees were focused on drawing attention to themselves...)

(These three verses were the same conclusion Jesus taught in MATTHEW CHAPTER 6! We called that chapter the "Reward Chapter" because Jesus showed HOW/WHY people do and don't get Reward when they do a Right WHAT!)

(For instance, Jesus stated the Pharisees and the Torah Teachers do all their works (Right WHAT) with a big show (Wrong HOW) so they be seen of men (Wrong WHY). It is NOT WRONG to DO works. However, the works are a Right WHAT...and we have seen in the Bible from the first of God's interaction with people, He is interested in the HOW and WHY much more than the WHAT.)

(In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus covered the following Right WHAT's: giving alms, praying, and fasting. Jesus covered the Wrong HOW/WHY for each: in public to be seen of men...the SAME Wrong HOW/WHY as presented here! A Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY is the definition of Deception. Jesus also covered the Right HOW/WHY for each: in private so God will give spiritual Reward...which is needed to bring about God's Will on earth as it is in Heaven.)

"8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."

(In the previous post, we saw Jesus dealt with Leadership. We stated: "During the Leadership Series, we saw the differences between a LEADER and a BOSS. One of the differences is a LEADER serves the people and bears their pain. More is expected of the LEADER because they are more excellent. However, a BOSS is served by the people and the BOSS inflicts pain on the people. The BOSS gets "perks/benefits" which result in the people expecting less from the BOSS...because in reality, the BOSS is less excellent than the people.")

(These four verses ALSO deal with Leadership! Verse 11 gave the same conclusion as what we've seen is the Biblical definition of a Leader: one who serves others...specifically, one who facilitates the Purpose and Progress of others.)

"12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted."

(Jesus COMBINED the Matthew chapter 6 teaching with His teachings on Leadership!)

(HOW do people become Leaders? They humble themselves...which allows GRACE to flow through these people!)

(WHY does God exalt these Leaders? Because of Justice...they humbled themselves, so God can exalt them.)

(HOW do people become BOSSES? They draw attention to themselves...which is pride. Remember, the Bible stated GRACE resists the proud. God is NOT flowing through BOSSES.)

(WHY does God humble BOSSES? Because of Justice...they exalted themselves, so God can humble them.)

(In "Modeling God's Wills", there are two chapters explaining Biblical Leadership and HOW/WHY it is the key to bringing about God's Will on earth as it is in Heaven. One of the later sections specifically covers Matthew chapter 6 as PROOF Jesus was the Ultimate Leader.)


SUMMARY
Jesus' began His Final Teaching to the World by stating the BOSSES of His time were HYPOCRITES. Jesus told the multitudes to DO what they SAID, and NOT DO what they DO. Hypocrisy is Deception.

Jesus then gave specific examples WHY the BOSSES of His time should NOT be followed. The HOW/WHY was the same as Jesus' HOW/WHY during His Premiere Teaching! These BOSSES wanted to be publicly seen so they were exalted of men.

We have seen God's Will is done through people who have spiritual value.

Jesus just PROVED following these BOSSES would actually hinder God's Will from being done on earth as it is in Heaven. These BOSSES were people who claimed to be believers who had put a stumblingblock in the path of other believers.

We have seen that people putting a stumblingblock in the path of believers are the only thing we ought to judge today.

Tomorrow, we will see Jesus' response to these BOSSES...

Next Post

Matthew 23:1-4

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we completed Matthew chapter 22. Here is the summary:

Matthew chapter 22 documented Jesus' final interaction with the BOSSES of His time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teachers.

Much like Job's THIRD ROUND with the three comforters, Jesus dealt with three trapping questions in an excellent fashion. Then Jesus asked a question concerning the Messiah's ability to be FULLY man and FULLY God...and NONE of these people were able to answer.

The question focused on the definitions of two specific words "my Lord" and "son". Remember, Jesus focused on tenses when He answered the Sadducees. Jesus was VERY SPECIFIC with the scriptures. Our ability to avoid error and do God's Will depends on our ability to handle God's Word.

Notice, if the scriptures weren't in line with God's original Word...or if the scriptures were contradictory, Jesus could not have made these points! When people today attempt to dismiss the accuracy of scripture, they are dismissing Jesus' actions and techniques!

Today, we will begin Matthew chapter 23...


MATTHEW 23:1-4
"1 Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,"

(After dealing with the BOSSES of His time, Jesus intentionally turned to the multitudes (including His disciples) and stated everything we will cover for the rest of this month. These are Jesus' final words to the multitudes...effectively, Jesus' final words to the world. We will see that what Voltaire stated was true: "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.")

"2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat:"

(Jesus stated the Torah Teachers and the Pharisees sat on "Moses' seat". This meant Jesus recognized the Torah Teachers and the Pharisees were the ones the people were required to look to for the Law. Completely ignoring these people would bring chaos and be an act by the individual AGAINST God's Law during the Fifth Dispensation...the dispensation of the Law.)

(Jesus immediately stated He was aware of the authority of the Torah Teachers and the Pharisees...)

"3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not."

(Wow!!! This is SAY vs. DO. This is the SAME message as the conclusion of Jesus' Premiere Teaching! (The rock the house was built upon was NOT Jesus or the Word of God...the rock was DOING the Word of God. The sand was NOT DOING the Word of God.) After Matthew chapter 7, Jesus did NOT teach anything different. He did NOT explain a different WHAT. However, we have seen the rest of Matthew's Gospel account documented Jesus adjusted His explanations (WHY) and His method of explaining (HOW). Jesus brought Resolution to SAY vs. DO when He told the multitudes to DO what they SAY, but do NOT DO what they DO.)

(Another way to look at this is: Jesus told the world to obey truth regardless of the source. Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY. Deception is a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY. The BOSSES of Jesus' time were Deceptive. They stated a Right WHAT, but the had Wrong actions (HOW) and didn't know the reasons (no WHY). Matthew chapter 22 PROVED these BOSSES did NOT know the WHY...)

(In "Modeling God", I wrote: "If you understand that truth is non-contradictory, you will not discriminate against sources of truth." p. 143 Jesus stated the same thing in today's passage: obey God's Word regardless of the source. The problem is, today, people interpret the Bible with what a man believes. The Bible is a fact. When the Bible is stated with a Right HOW/WHY it is the Truth regardless who is stating it. Man's belief is Deception...it has a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY and, therefore, doesn't create in the Long Term. The point of this blog is to interpret the Bible WITH THE BIBLE...with a Right HOW/WHY so it creates in the Long Term. Unfortunately, very few Pastors and Teachers are able to do this today...)

(Notice, Jesus OMITTED the Sadducees! The Sadducees ONLY considered the Torah (first five books) as scripture. The Sadducees did NOT believe in a spiritual realm. This is a WRONG WHAT! Jesus could tell the people to DO what the Pharisees and Torah Teachers SAY. Jesus would have been putting a stumblingblock in the path of the multitudes if He had told the multitudes to DO whatsoever the Sadducees SAY.)

"4 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger."

(This is HYPOCRISY!!!! This lack of congruity between a person's SAY and DO is a spiritual issue!))

(Jesus' first sentence was to point out the BOSSES SAY the Right WHAT but they themselves DO the Wrong HOW with no WHY. This second sentence has the same structure...)

(The BOSSES SAY to others the Right WHAT but they themselves DO the Wrong HOW with no WHY. We have seen this is the same mentality as Modern Day Calvinists. In fact, we saw the Pharisees had the same doctrine as Calvinists!!!)

(The Law did lay a heavy and grievous burden on the people. The problem is NOT that the people had a heavy burden. It is that the BOSSES didn't share the same burden.)

(During the Leadership Series, we saw the differences between a LEADER and a BOSS. One of the differences is a LEADER serves the people and bears their pain. More is expected of the LEADER because they are more excellent. However, a BOSS is served by the people and the BOSS inflicts pain on the people. The BOSS gets "perks/benefits" which result in the people expecting less from the BOSS...because in reality, the BOSS is less excellent than the people.)

(Jesus BLATANTLY stated the same thing about hypocritical BOSSES for His opening to His Final Teaching to the World.)


SUMMARY
Jesus' final words to the world blatantly stated the BOSSES of His time were HYPOCRITES. Jesus told the multitudes to DO what they SAID, and NOT DO what they DO.

That was quite a beginning...

Next Post

Matthew 22:41-46

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 22:34-40. Here is the summary:
The Torah Teacher asked a question about the Law. Jesus easily answered the question.
There was no recorded response to this answer from Jesus...just silence...which was a LOT LIKE the way the Three Comforters ended the THIRD ROUND in the Book of Job. During that Series, I wrote the Three Comforters went out with a whimper...just like the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teacher did in Matthew chapter 22.
In the Book of Job, the THIRD ROUND ended with Job confronting the Three Comforters. Today, we will see how Matthew chapter 22 ended...

MATTHEW 22:41-46
"41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,"
(It looked like Jesus' THIRD ROUND was going to end like Job's THIRD ROUND. Both Jesus and Job got the last word...)
"42 saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David."
(Jesus asked these BOSSES a question about the Messiah. The BOSSES of that time answered the Messiah is the "son of David". This answer PROVED the people of Jesus' time were referred to the Messiah when they used the term "son of David".)
(We have seen people use the term "son of David" nine times in Matthew's Gospel account when referring to Jesus: Matthew's first sentence of his Gospel account Two blind men who followed Jesus and asked for mercy The crowd wondered about Jesus after He healed a dumb and blind man The Canaanitish woman who asked Jesus to have mercy on her daughter Two blind men called to Jesus to have mercy on them The two blind continued to call to Jesus when the multitude rebuked them The multitudes cried "Hosanna" to Jesus The children cried "Hosanna" in the temple)
"43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet?"
(Jesus quoted from a Psalm written by David about the Messiah. David called the Messiah "my Lord".)
("1 Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Psalm 110:1)
"45 If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?"
(Jesus has His own trap question that posed an apparent contradiction! Just like we saw with each of the three questions posed to Jesus in Matthew chapter 22!)
(Jesus' question focused on "my Lord" and "son". How can the Messiah be BOTH David's Lord AND his son?)
(Jesus is the Messiah. We know Jesus is David's Lord because Jesus is God. Jesus is David's son because Jesus became man through Mary of the house of David. Notice, Jesus' question dealt with the Messiah being FULLY man and FULLY God. Were the BOSSES of Jesus' time able to handle this question? Are the BOSSES of our time able to handle this question?)
(Here is a link to the post titled, "Matthew 16:13-20 where Jesus asked who the disciples thought He was...and what an author of a recent book has to say about us answering this question today.)
"46 And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."
(The BOSSES of Jesus time had NO ANSWER...NOT even a word! In fact, there would be NO MORE QUESTIONS between Jesus and the BOSSES...they had ceased speaking to each other. This occurred two days before His crucifixion.)
(Do you remember how Job's THIRD ROUND ended?)
("1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes." Job 32:1)

SUMMARY Matthew chapter 22 documented Jesus' final interaction with the BOSSES of His time: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teachers.
Much like Job's THIRD ROUND with the three comforters, Jesus dealt with three trapping questions in an excellent fashion. Then Jesus asked a question concerning the Messiah's ability to be FULLY man and FULLY God...and NONE of these people were able to answer.
The question focused on the definitions of two specific words "my Lord" and "son". Remember, Jesus focused on tenses when He answered the Sadducees. Jesus was VERY SPECIFIC with the scriptures. Our ability to avoid error and do God's Will depends on our ability to handle God's Word.
Notice, if the scriptures weren't in line with God's original Word...or if the scriptures were contradictory, Jesus could not have made these points! When people today attempt to dismiss the accuracy of scripture, they are dismissing Jesus' actions and techniques!
On Monday, we will begin Matthew chapter 23...
Next Post

Matthew 22:34-40

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 22:23-33. Here is the summary:

Jesus' THIRD ROUND (similar to Job's Three Rounds with the three comforters) began with the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question intended to make Jesus chose between God and the government.

Today, we saw the second of the THIRD ROUND confrontations came from the Sadducees. The Sadducees confronted Jesus over the Doctrine of Marriage.

Jesus' stated the Sadducees' question showed they were WRONG, did NOT know the Scriptures, and did NOT know the power of God. Jesus' answer PROVED the dead are resurrected and the Sadducees did NOT know the Scriptures.

Jesus' answer caused the multitudes to be ASTONISHED at His teaching.

The Sadducees needed to Repent (adjust their DO to their SAY and change their doctrine) OR become worse (adjust their SAY to their DO and continue to look for ways to destroy Jesus).

We have seen Jesus was confronted by the two largest religious groups of his time: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. We have seen He has PROVEN they do NOT know the scriptures. Two confrontations down, one more to go. Who was next to confront Jesus?


MATTHEW 22:34-40
"34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together."

(The Sadducees were silenced. This caused the Pharisees to put their heads together.)

"35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:"

(The person who asked Jesus a question was a lawyer, which means "scribe"...a Torah Teacher. This teacher of the Law would, like the Sadducees, ALSO be focused SOLELY on the Books of Moses.)

(Notice, he did NOT ask his question as a Pharisee. This means the third question came from someone lesser than the sources of the first two questions. This is a lot like Job's THIRD ROUND! Each one of the three comforters spoke from most learned to least during the THIRD ROUND. In fact, the third comforter (Zophar) did NOT speak during the THIRD ROUND! Jesus' THIRD ROUND deteriorated in the same manner.)

(The HUGE point to be made here is the question was intended to TRY Jesus. "trying" is Strong's #3985 peirazo - "from #3984; to test (objectively)". Strong's #3984 peira - "from the base of #4008 (through the idea of piercing); a test". These words are very similar to the words used in an earlier chapter of Matthew...remember Matthew 4:1-11?)

("1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.
3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." Matthew 4:1-3)

(Also, in response to the second temptation from the devil, Jesus responded:
"7 Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God." Matthew 4:7)

(tempted in verse 1 is the same #3985 perirazo.)

(tempter in verse 3 is the same #3985 perirazo.)

(trial in verse 7 is Strong's #1598 ekpeirazo - "from #1537 and #3985; to test thoroughly"...which is the same #3985.)

(Verse 7 from Matthew chapter 4 showed Jesus responded to the devil in the desert with The Torah...Deuteronomy 6:16 "16 Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.")

(There is a difference between tribulation and trials/temptations/tests. In the Bible, the words trial, temptation, and test all refer to "a putting of proof" from an external source. These are things we have to go all the way through to reveal our flaws. The result is in doubt with everyone EXCEPT God. A tribulation is an internal pressure. This is NOT something we have to go through. It will never end unless we choose to focus on God.)

(So, in today's post, the Torah Teacher tempted God when he asked Jesus a question in order to "try" Him. Here was his question:)

"36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

(The Torah Teacher's focus was the Law...the Commandments. He knew all 613 commandments, which consisted of 248 DO's and 365 DON'T's. His goal was to get Jesus to identify ONE commandment above all others and, in effect, undervalue one of the commandments that was more culturally accepted. It was a weak attempt, but like we saw during Job's THIRD ROUND, the best tempters went first...)

"37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets."

(Jesus responded with the Torah:
"4 Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
5 and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

("12 And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 to keep the commandments of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

("6 And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." Deuteronomy 30:6)

("18 Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Jehovah." Leviticus 19:18)

(We have covered the following point in the post titled, "Doctrine of Sin": most people think God was different in the Old Testament than the New Testament. They think the Law was all punishment and Jesus was all forgiveness. Actually, Jesus quoted the Old Testament AND WIDENED IT to include people outside community.)

(The difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament was the Law dealt ONLY with people in community. Jesus dealt with people BOTH inside and outside of community. Jesus did NOT contradict the Law...He upheld it when He dealt with people in community. Jesus upset the religious BOSSES of His time when He demonstrated they didn't know HOW/WHY to deal with people outside of community. However, in Matthew chapter 22, we saw Jesus PROVED the religious BOSSES of His time did NOT know HOW/WHY to apply the Law to people in community!)

(Jesus was asked for the GREATEST (ONE) commandment. Jesus responded with TWO. He even stated these were two commandments in verse 40. Did Jesus NOT understand the question?)

(We've covered this point extensively on this blog. Jesus stated the FIRST command was the GREATEST. He stated the SECOND command was "like it". The reason it was "like it" was because it was an Effect of the FIRST command. We OUGHT to focus on loving God with our entire being...and the Effect of this Cause will be that God will help us love our others. Ideally, we shouldn't love others in our own strength. We ought to love others as an Effect of loving God FIRST.)

(These TWO commands were essentially "halves of a whole". They were the Cause and Effect. In fact, Jesus stated the WHOLE of the Law and the Prophets hung on these two commands! EVERY Law and word from EVERY Prophet was covered by these two commands!)


SUMMARY
The Torah Teacher asked a question about the Law. Jesus easily answered the question.

There was no recorded response to this answer from Jesus...just silence...which was a LOT LIKE the way the Three Comforters ended the THIRD ROUND in the Book of Job. During that Series, I wrote the Three Comforters went out with a whimper...just like the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Torah Teacher did in Matthew chapter 22.

In the Book of Job, the THIRD ROUND ended with Job confronting the Three Comforters. Tomorrow, we will see how Matthew chapter 22 ended...

Next Post

Matthew 22:23-33

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 22:15-22. Here is the summary:

Jesus' THIRD ROUND (similar to Job's Three Rounds with the three comforters) began with the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question intended to make Jesus chose between God and the government.

Jesus answered we ought to give the government what belongs to the government and we ought to give to God what belongs to God. Jesus even called the Pharisees hypocrites to their face for trying to make this an either/or answer!

Jesus' answer caused the Pharisees to walk away from Jesus...speechless. The Pharisees needed to Repent (adjust their DO to their SAY) or become worse (adjust their SAY to their DO).

We have seen Jesus dealt with the Pharisees...who was next?


MATTHEW 22:23-33
"23 On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,"

(ON THAT SAME DAY...the Sadducees confronted Jesus with a question to trap Him! This is looking more and more like Job's Three Rounds with the three comforters! One right after another...)

"24 saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother."

(The Pharisees began their confrontation by making four statements about Jesus intended to establish His perspective. The Sadducees did the SAME THING when they made a statement from the Torah, specifically Deuteronomy 25:5 "5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her.")

(There are two key points to remember about the Sadducees: 1. They did NOT believe in a resurrection or a spiritual realm, and 2. They held that the books of Moses (Torah) were the ONLY scriptures.)

"25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife unto his brother;
26 in like manner the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 And after them all, the woman died.
28 In the resurrection therefore whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her."

(Rabbis of Jesus time taught if a woman had more than one husband in this life, she would ONLY be married to the first husband in the next life. This was the cultural answer.)

(The Sadducees' trap question dealt with the Doctrine of MARRIAGE! They wanted to know the HOW/WHY of Marriage HERE and THERE...even though they didn't believe in a THERE! The Sadducees thought they had identified a contradiction and wanted Jesus to fall for it by saying something that either denied the Scriptures OR the current culture. Is the Doctrine of Marriage important and objective? Can a person be wrong about the Doctrine of Marriage? Does it matter to God if they are wrong?)

"29 But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."

(Jesus BLATANTLY stated the Sadducees were WRONG...and their NOT knowing the scriptures ALSO meant they did NOT know the POWER of God! NOT understanding the Doctrine of Marriage according to God proves the person is WRONG, doesn't know the scriptures, and doesn't know the power of God. Do you know the Doctrine of Marriage according to God?)

"30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven."

(This is DOCTRINE! We are NOT married to others when we are in Heaven.)

(Readers of this blog know from The Meaning of Life post that we will be in community with each other in the new Jerusalem as the Church AND be Married to Jesus because we ALL TOGETHER make up the Bride! THAT is just a portion of the Doctrine of Marriage according to God. If you are interested in the Doctrine of Marriage according to God's Word and/or you don't want to be WRONG, NOT knowing the scriptures and NOT know the power of God, I would recommend you read "Modeling God's Wills", especially the chapters on The Doctrine of Marriage. Also, "Modeling God's Wills" covers God's Doctrine on The Meaning of Life. Be careful with modern day Sadducees who don't know God's Doctrine of Marriage and/or The Meaning of Life according to God's Word...)

"31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,"

(Jesus went one step further. He taught the Sadducees HOW/WHY they were WRONG about the Doctrine on the Resurrection of the Dead! Remember, He had to use the first five books of the Bible (Torah) to PROVE the Sadducees were WRONG, because they ONLY held to these books. This is what the Sadducees would admit that God has said to THEM...)

"32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

(Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6, 16. "6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." and "16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:")

(Jesus taught God HIMSELF stated in the Second Book of Moses that HE IS the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...three men that were PHYSICALLY dead. For the Sadducees to be right, either God spoke of three men who were PHYSICALLY alive or God was WRONG when HE spoke about these three men.)

(No Sadducee would make the case God spoke of three men who were still PHYSICALLY living. Also, no Sadducee would make the case God was WRONG when HE spoke of the dead men as living.)

(Jesus actually PROVED two points with His quotation of scripture: 1. There is a Resurrection of the Dead, and 2. The Sadducees did NOT know the Scriptures!)

(Do you know the scriptures? Do you understand the scriptures well enough to apply them? According to Jesus, NOT knowing the scriptures is the same as being WRONG and NOT knowing the power of God.)

"33 And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching."

(Jesus' answer ASTONISHED the multitudes. Clearly, this Third Round PROVED to EVERYONE Jesus knew and understood the scriptures better than ANYONE...especially better than those who claimed to know the scriptures! How well do you know the scriptures?)


SUMMARY
Jesus' THIRD ROUND (similar to Job's Three Rounds with the three comforters) began with the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question intended to make Jesus chose between God and the government.

Today, we saw the second of the THIRD ROUND confrontations came from the Sadducees. The Sadducees confronted Jesus over the Doctrine of Marriage.

Jesus' stated the Sadducees' question showed they were WRONG, did NOT know the Scriptures, and did NOT know the power of God. Jesus' answer PROVED the dead are resurrected and the Sadducees did NOT know the Scriptures.

Jesus' answer caused the multitudes to be ASTONISHED at His teaching.

The Sadducees needed to Repent (adjust their DO to their SAY and change their doctrine) OR become worse (adjust their SAY to their DO and continue to look for ways to destroy Jesus).

We have seen Jesus was confronted by the two largest religious groups of his time: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. We have seen He has PROVEN they do NOT know the scriptures. Two confrontations down, one more to go. Who was next to confront Jesus?

Next Post

Matthew 22:15-22

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we began Matthew chapter 22. Here is the summary:

Matthew chapter 22 began with a third parable told by Jesus. This parable was a further illustration of the previous two parables...NOT prophecy concerning the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

This parable showed the Israelites rejected God's Kingdom AND even those to whom the Kingdom would be given still had to choose to accept the Kingdom.

There is NOTHING in this parable that stated Salvation is by predestination (sovereignty). In fact, this parable showed that people who are Saved can still reject and lose their Salvation by SAYING and NOT actually accepting what God has provided.

Today, we will see Matthew chapter 22 has a lot of similarities to the Book of Job...


MATTHEW 22:15-22
"15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk."

(Matthew chapter 22 began with Jesus' THIRD parable. We see, afterwards, the Pharisees intentionally took counsel to find a way to trap Jesus in His own words.)

(During the Job Series, we saw there were THREE ROUNDS of interactions between Job and his three comforters. With each round, the three comforters became more accusing and destructive. With each round, Job became more pointed in his responses.)

(Likewise, we have seen two rounds of interactions between Jesus and the accusers of His time. During the first round, Jesus spoke truth directly and the Pharisees became worse. During the second round, Jesus spoke truth indirectly and the Pharisees and chief priests became worse. We now see, Matthew chapter 21 began the third round...the chief priests and the elders confronted Jesus in public and Jesus became more pointed in His response: He told the BOSSES of that time they were hypocrites and HOW/WHY they would lose the Kingdom God!)

(It looks like the first BOSSES to respond to Jesus during this third round were the Pharisees...)

"16 And they send to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men."

(The Pharisees sent to Jesus THEIR disciples along with the Herodians...the government officials! We have seen, the Pharisees were a religious group that made a political alliance with the government of the world's only superpower. (Could that happen today?) This did NOT make the Pharisees God's representatives! However, people who embrace the Laws of the Land over God's Word and Will believe these people do represent God...both then and now.)

(Here is an excerpt from the post titled, "Matthew 3:1-12" explaining the Pharisees' beliefs and modern day implications:

1. The Pharisees believed that God controlled all things, yet decisions made by individuals also contributed to the course of a person's life.

2. The Pharisees believed in: the resurrection of the dead, an afterlife where Justice equaled out, and in the existence of angels and demons (Acts 23:8).

The Sadducees believed God wasn't involved AT ALL. The Pharisees' believed God controlled ALL THINGS...yet they couldn't deny individuals had SOME responsibility. Basically, the Sadducees are humanists and the Pharisees are Calvinists...less than five-point Calvinists! Any time a person tells you they are something less than a five-point Calvinist, they are stating, "I AM A PHARISEE!")

(The Herodians were also a political party. From the Dake's Bible: "The Herodians were associated with the fortunes of the Herodian family who believed the doctrines of Herod the Great. The advocated submission to the Romans and freedom to conform to pagan religion as well as to Judaism if it was more convenient and if it helped further their political fortunes and secular gain. The Herodians here could have been courtiers or servants of Herod who was at this time in Jerusalem.")

(Notice they came to Jesus with statements of their will! They consciously stated four things that their Unaware Brains now knew. The first two things they stated is that Jesus was Himself TRUE AND taught God's Truth. The next two statements were that Jesus was fearless and was NOT afraid of ANY person. These four statements were meant to encourage Jesus to side with God over the government...)

"17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?"

(Now we see the Pharisees' trap! They wanted Jesus to state His Will whether God or the government was pre-eminent.)

(If He stated the government, then the Pharisees could PROVE Jesus embraced man-made culture over God!...just like people who state Marriage is a legal agreement according to the church and the government, instead of a covenant according to God's Word! (Are things really that different today than during Jesus' time?) They would point out Jesus was NOT the four previous statements: true, speaking God's truth, fearless and not afraid of ANY person. This was meant to inflame the multitudes against Jesus.)

(However, If Jesus stated God was pre-eminent, then He would inflame the Romans and the Herodians to imprison Himself!)

"18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?"

(Just like during the THIRD ROUND in the Job Series, the combatants are calling each other names! Jesus BLATANTLY called the Pharisees HYPOCRITES! WHY? Because the Pharisees were trying to show Jesus didn't make God pre-eminent, but instead valued the government...which is EXACTLY what the Pharisees DID! Hypocrites don't go to Heaven. Be careful you aren't holding others to a standard that you don't hold yourself to...)

"19 Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius."

(Jesus perceived their WICKEDNESS and asked them a Question. Then He made a request: show me the tribute money. They brought Him a denarius...)

"20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?"

(Jesus asked whose IMAGE was on the coin. Notice, Jesus is bringing up APPEARANCE...)

"21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

(They said Caesar's IMAGE is on the coin. Jesus answered people ought to give to the government what belongs to the government and give to God what belongs to God! PHYSICAL things belong to the government. SPIRITUAL things belong to God! I have a couple of questions for you to contemplate: Is Marriage PHYSICAL or SPIRITUAL? Who does Marriage belong to: God or the government? What would the Pharisees of today SAY?)

(It turns out this ONE ANSWER of Jesus' has caused a lot of destruction TODAY because of its misinterpretation...)

(An Egyptian author and Islamist poet named Sayid Qutb lived from 1906 to 1966. He is best known for his views on the social and political role of Islam. Most specifically, his disapproval of the culture of the United States has served as justification for groups such as Al Queada in their terroristic actions. HOW/WHY did Qutb justify terrorism? WITH THE BIBLE!!! Specifically, this verse from Matthew 22! Qutb's interpretation was Jesus said to have NOTHING to do with ANYTHING PHYSICAL/MATERIAL. Qutb's interpretation was Jesus completely rejected materialism in this verse, so we ought to reject materialism AND do God's Will by attacking those who embrace materialism.)

(We've seen Jesus actually stated the two worlds ought to be separate and coexist. If Jesus had rejected the government, they would have imprisoned Him. THAT was the point of this story! We ought to give to the government what is due the government. We ought to give God what is due God. Wow...another destructive religious belief from the 1960's that occurred because people didn't know HOW/WHY to interpret the Bible. WHY is the solution to SAY we can't know anything about God? WHY isn't the solution to learn tools to more accurately understand God's Word? ANYONE who continues to advocate the idea we can't know or aren't supposed to know what God is like is actually enabling MORE destruction...which is a DO.)

"22 And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away."

(Jesus gave the PEFECT answer...an answer we still don't understand well enough today to avoid destruction. The Pharisees had told their Unaware Brains they believed Jesus was a representative of God...and then they left Him. This would cause the Pharisees to become more depressed and either Repent or become worse...)


SUMMARY
Jesus' THIRD ROUND (similar to Job's Three Rounds with the three comforters) began with the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus with a question intended to make Jesus chose between God and the government.

Jesus answered we ought to give the government what belongs to the government and we ought to give to God what belongs to God. Jesus even called the Pharisees hypocrites to their face for trying to make this an either/or answer!

Jesus' answer caused the Pharisees to walk away from Jesus...speechless. The Pharisees needed to Repent (adjust their DO to their SAY) or become worse (adjust their SAY to their DO).

We have seen Jesus dealt with the Pharisees...who was next?

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Matthew 22:1-14

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we completed Matthew chapter 21. Here is the summary:

Matthew chapter 21 focused on hypocrisy. Even though EVERYTHING that was taught was an extension of Jesus' Premiere Teaching, it was presented through different methods:

-Prophetic
As we get closer to the time of Jesus' crucifixion, we have seen Prophecy was quoted more freely and directly. This chapter documented the fulfillment of several prophecies.

Offensive Spiritual Warfare
There were miracles and healings done by Jesus both inside and outside the temple.

-Questions
The chief priests and the elders OPENLY questioned Jesus in front of the multitudes.

-Parables
Jesus told two very pointed parables that proved HOW/WHY God was going to take the Kingdom of God from those who ONLY SAY the Will of God and give it to those who DO the Will of God.

-Direct Statements
Jesus BLATANTLY stated in front of the multitudes what was going to happen to the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees.

Today, we will begin Matthew chapter 22...


MATTHEW 22:1-14
"1 And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying,
2 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
3 and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come.
4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast."

(Jesus told a THIRD parable. Remember, the first two parables PROVED the Israelites would lose the Kingdom of God because they didn't DO God's Will, in fact, they would end up killing God's Son! This THIRD parable was also intended to teach another point to the chief priests, the elders, and the Pharisees.)

(This parable began with a king who made a marriage feast for his son. The king told the servants to call those that were invited. The king represented God. The marriage feast represented the Kingdom of heaven, where both good and bad exist together. This is a parable. This is NOT prophecy of what is going to happen at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. THAT point will become obvious at the end of the parable. Two more points...)

(1. According to God's Word: a wedding is a feast in a house, NOT a ceremony in a church. We have covered this in detail. It is a man-made tradition that calls a wedding a ceremony in a church.)

(2. The ruler called those that were bidden was the same as God FIRST called the Israelites.)

"5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;
6 and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7 But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city."

(Those who were invited rejected the call AND beat the servants/messengers of the king! Jesus covered this SAME point in the parable of the householder...the second of these parables. The point of that parable is the same point here: the Israelites were called FIRST to God's Kingdom, but they CHOSE to reject it to the point they beat God's messengers.)

"8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy."

(In this parable, God says these people were NOT worthy!)

"9 Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.
10 And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests."

(The king responded by inviting EVERYONE...both bad and good! Again, good and bad co-exist in the kingdom of heaven. However, this represented God giving the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles. This was God giving EVERYONE direct access to the Kingdom of God.)

"11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment:
12 and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless."

(In the culture of this parable, the king would have provided wedding garments to the guests. When the people accepted the invitation (SAY), the king provided garments for the people to wear. It was still a CHOICE to (DO) wear the garments. We covered the use of the word friend in the post titled, "Friend". The king could speak for this person. However, the king confronted the guest through a Question. The guest did NOT respond. Their DO was wrong (NOT wearing the wedding garment). Their SAY (response/explanation) was non-existent.)

"13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth."

(The guest CHOSE NOT to wear the wedding garments provided by the king, so the king cast the person out. This would be the same as a person SAYNG they receive Salvation and then NOT demonstrating this in their actions (DO). Grace is the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life...which is a DO. We are saved by grace through faith.)

(Matthew chapter 21 covered hypocrisy...peoples' SAY and DO NOT agreeing. In this parable, we see the person's SAY and DO don't match...and they lose their Salvation.)

"14 For many are called, but few chosen."

(The point of this parable was to illustrate that God calls EVERYONE, however, few make it because of THEIR CHOICES! Again, chosen means selected in response to their actions. There is NOTHING in this parable that demonstrated chosen was something predetermined by the king. EVERYTHING in this parable was in the control of the individual...and the king RESPONDED to the CHOICES of the individual. The individual's ability to be chosen was in their control.)


SUMMARY
Matthew chapter 22 began with a third parable told by Jesus. This parable was a further illustration of the previous two parables...NOT prophecy concerning the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

This parable showed the Israelites rejected God's Kingdom AND even those to whom the Kingdom would be given still had to choose to accept the Kingdom.

There is NOTHING in this parable that stated Salvation is by predestination (sovereignty). In fact, this parable showed that people who are Saved can still reject and lose their Salvation by SAYING and NOT actually accepting what God has provided.

Tomorrow, we will see Matthew chapter 22 has a lot of similarities to the Book of Job...

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Matthew 21:41-46

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 21:33-40. Here is the summary:

Jesus followed up His statement the publicans and harlots would enter the Kingdom of Heaven AND the chief priests and the elders would NOT, with a parable to the chief priests and the elders that illustrated the implications of this fact.

The parable stated the husbandmen (Israelites) had killed the householder's son (Jesus). Then Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders what will the householder do to the husbandmen.

Just as He did to conclude the previous parable, Jesus asked this question to PROVE the chief priests and the elders understood and stated their will about WHAT God would do to them.

Today, we will look at the chief priests' and the elders' answer...


MATTHEW 21:33-46
"41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

(The chief priests and the elders understood and stated their will the kingdom ought to be taken from them if/when they kill Jesus.)

"42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes?"

(Jesus asked if they had ever read a specific passage from the scriptures. Notice, the passage He referenced was Psalm 118:22. Remember, Matthew chapter 21 began with the multitudes proclaiming Psalm 118:25-26 as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt. What follows is the expanded passage that we saw was used during the Feast of Tabernacles.)

("19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto Jehovah.
20 This is the gate of Jehovah; The righteous shall enter into it.
21 I will give thanks unto thee; for thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.
23 This is Jehovah's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, we beseech thee, O Jehovah: O Jehovah, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Jehovah: We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah." Psalm 118:19-26)

(There is also a passage from Isaiah that applied to today's section from Matthew 21:
"15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste." Isaiah 28:15-16)

(Once Jesus knew the chief priests and the elders understood the second parable, He directed them to the effects by stating He was the Christ...the chief cornerstone.)

"43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

(Jesus declared the Kingdom of God would be taken from the Israelites and given to the Gentiles. This was the POINT of the second parable.)

"44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust."

(The word broken is Strong's #4917 synthlao - "(to crush); to dash together, i.e. shatter.")

(The stone is Jesus. He stated whosoever throws himself on the mercy of Christ will be broken, humbled, and have a contrite heart. Here are two passages from Psalms to illustrate His point.)

("18 Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18)

("17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17)

(The word scatter is Strong's #3039 likmao - "to winnow, i.e. (by analogy) to pulverize".)

(Jesus stated those who are crushed by Jesus will be scattered like chaff. They will be utterly destroyed. There are several passages that made this same point that broken into pieces meant utter destruction.)

("9 Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
11 For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.
13 Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." Isaiah 8:9-15)

("35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:35)

"45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."

(The chief priests and Pharisees KNEW Jesus spoke of THEM. Notice, the passage mentioned Pharisees being with the chief priests at this point...)

"46 And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet."

(Remember, we covered the difference between Pharisees and Sadducees. Here is an excerpt: "The Sadducees were aristocrats who held the majority of the 70 seats of the Sanhedrin (ruling council). They worked hard to keep the peace by agreeing with the decisions of Rome (Israel at this time was under Roman control), and they seemed to be more concerned with politics than religion. The common man disliked the Sadducees." and "The Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen who were more concerned with religion than politics. Because the Pharisees were popular with the masses, the Sadducees tended to give in to the Pharisees' decisions.")

(The Pharisees were popular with the people. So, because the multitude considered Jesus to be a prophet, the Pharisees were afraid of capturing Jesus...even after Jesus called them hypocrites and told them they would lose the kingdom when they killed Him!)


SUMMARY
Matthew chapter 21 focused on hypocrisy. Even though EVERYTHING that was taught was an extension of Jesus' Premiere Teaching, it was presented through different methods:

-Prophetic
As we get closer to the time of Jesus' crucifixion, we have seen Prophecy was quoted more freely and directly. This chapter documented the fulfillment of several prophecies.

Offensive Spiritual Warfare
There were miracles and healings done by Jesus both inside and outside the temple.

-Questions
The chief priests and the elders OPENLY questioned Jesus in front of the multitudes.

-Parables
Jesus told two very pointed parables that proved HOW/WHY God was going to take the Kingdom of God from those who ONLY SAY the Will of God and give it to those who DO the Will of God.

-Direct Statements
Jesus BLATANTLY stated in front of the multitudes what was going to happen to the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees.

On Monday, we will begin Matthew chapter 22...

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Matthew 21:33-40

This year we are covering The Gospel According to Matthew. In the previous post, we covered Matthew 21:28-32. Here is the summary:

In the preceding posts, we covered Jesus' response to the chief priests' and the elders' question with a question about John.

The chief priests and the elders SAID they did not know. Jesus continued by showing them their ACTIONS DID KNOW...and they knew they wrong. Today's post contrastively PROVED TO the chief priests and the elders that they were hypocrites because the chief priests and the elders stated their will.

Notice, Jesus also pointed out that when these BOSSES saw FRUIT...when they saw the publicans and harlots ACTIONS, the chief priests and the elders STILL didn't believe, which would have been proven by Repentance...which is a DO. These BOSSES weren't convinced by the DO of others.

The son who SAID and DID NOT represented the chief priests and the elders.

The son who DIDN'T SAY and DID represented the publicans and harlots.

The chief priests and the elders stated their will the publicans and harlots DID the Will of the Father...AND stated they did NOT DO the Will of the Father!

In fact, Jesus illustrated the implications of THAT point with another parable...


MATTHEW 21:33-40
"33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country."

(The man was God. The husbandman was Israel.)

(The term "let it out to husbandmen" in this verse denoted a specific type of lease. This lease required the husbandman to pay a portion of the Profits to the householder. The lease had no time constraint. It wasn't for a year or for life. It was hereditary. It was meant to be passed down to their children.)

"34 And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner."

(When it came time for the householder to receive his agreed upon portion, he sent servants to the husbandmen. The servants represented the prophets...which Israel beat and killed.)

"37 But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son."

(The householder decided to send his son in order to get what was rightfully due to him. This represented the fact that after the prophets were beaten and killed, God sent His Son.)

"38 But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.
39 And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him."

(With this section, Jesus told the chief priests and elders, in front of the multitude, that He would be killed.)

"40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

(Like the previous parable, Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders a question in order to see if they understood and would state their will about what God would do to THEM...)


SUMMARY
Jesus followed up His statement the publicans and harlots would enter the Kingdom of Heaven AND the chief priests and the elders would NOT, with a parable to the chief priests and the elders that illustrated the implications of this fact.

The parable stated the husbandmen (Israelites) had killed the householder's son (Jesus). Then Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders what will the householder do to the husbandmen.

Just as He did to conclude the previous parable, Jesus asked this question to PROVE the chief priests and the elders understood and stated their will about WHAT God would do to them.

Tomorrow, we will look at the chief priests' and the elders' answer...

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