Monthly Archive for January, 2009

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Matthew 18:10f

Published on January 20, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
 
Jesus continued the analogy of the believer as a little child here (18:10-14).
18:10
10 “Take heed that you do not despise [literally—to think down on] one of these little ones,
It is important not to devalue even one believer. “Despise” means to distain. The “little ones” by analogy are people who place their faith in Christ (v.6). The small child Jesus held in His arms was an illustration of God’s children.
for I say to you [emphatic] that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
Angels living in heaven look after believers and watch to see how the Father views His followers. They await the Father’s direction in serving believers. This passage does not refer to guardian angels for individuals, because the pronoun “their” is collective—believers are served by angels in a general sense.
18:11
11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
This verse is not found in some manuscripts. It is found in the majority of manuscripts.
Note that “seek” is missing here but is found in Luke 19:10. It is clear from this verse that Jesus referred to conversion in this passage and not to actual small children.
18:12
12 “What do you think? [the Greek assumes a positive answer.] If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
Verses 12 and 13 show the importance of the individual. The parable of the shepherd searching for one sheep illustrates this.
Leaving the 99 does not imply that the shepherd left them unprotected.
18:13
13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
The shepherd places great value on one sheep. The shepherd does not hesitate to focus on one as over against the many. There is no doubt that 99 sheep are of more value than one sheep, but that does not negate the value of one sheep.
18:14
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
We cannot despise what God values. Jesus values each believer individually and personally. It is God’s will that we do the same.
PRINCIPLE: God places value on each and every believer.
APPLICATION: Since Jesus paid the ultimate price of His own blood for sins of believers, we should place great value on each believer. No believer is inconsequential or unimportant in God’s eyes. Each individual counts.
He 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant . . .
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Matthew 18:7f

Published on January 18, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And 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.
 
Jesus dealt with the subject of this passage (vv.7-9) in 5:29-30.
18:7
7 Woe [alas-a lamentation] to the world because of offenses!
People are culpable for their sins.
For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
Jesus explained that it is inevitable that we will offend God. There are spiritual forces out there that seduce the believer.
18:8
8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.
“Enter into life” here is when a person becomes a believer. This does not deal with the actual point of entering into heaven here. The only time when we can become a believer is in time, not eternity. A person begins eternal life at the point of salvation:
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
It is necessary to take drastic action to deal with sin. Jesus used hyperbolic language to describe how we must deal with the gravity of sin. It is better to surgically cut off our hand if the hand causes us to sin. The idea is to deal with sin decisively. This does not teach self-mutilation.
18:9
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life [eternal life] with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
The foot, hand, and eye are not the true source of spiritual temptation. They are hyperbolic illustrations of spiritual warfare. Temptation comes from within. Spiritual surgery is necessary to deal with sin.
The “offense” in this passage is the unbeliever expressing his unbelief. Although only unbelievers are in danger of eternal hell fire, the believer must deal with sin radically as well. God always deal with sin in judgment, either on Christ or on us.
PRINCIPLE: In order to overcome temptation, we need to deal with sin severely.
APPLICATION: To toy with sin is to invite spiritual collapse. Spiritual Christians must deal with sin decisively. This may mean going into the head wind of prevailing opinion. Eternal values take priority over temporal values.
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Matthew 18:1f

Published on January 17, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
 
 
Chapter 18 sets forth principles of conduct suitable for subjects of the King and His kingdom. Jesus and His disciples were still in the city of Capernaum. He gave a discourse on the nature of being a child of God. This is the fourth of five discourses in Matthew.
·         We enter the kingdom as a child, 18:1-4
·         We treat fellow believers as children of God, 18:5-14
·         We discipline believers as children, 18:15-20
·         We forgive fellow believers as children, 18:21-35
18:1
At that time [the time of the discussion on the temple tax in Capernaum] the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
 
The disciples introduced the subject of status in the kingdom of heaven. Their interest was in who would get preferred positions there. They argued over this issue (Lu 9:46).
 
Matthew used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” 32 times in the first book of the New Testament. This is a reference to God’s rule on earth.
 
18:2
 
Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,
 
Jesus answered the disciples’ question by setting a small child in their midst as an object lesson. In this passage the little child is analogous to a converted person.
 
18:3
 
and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted [to turn] and become [literally—become something you were not before] as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
Jesus spoke of the kingdom as first and foremost an inner issue. Jesus did not imply that His disciples were not true believers but that they must enter the kingdom with a certain attitude. That attitude was the attitude of a child. A child has no authority but is dependent upon others around him. He has no concern about his status in society. The disciples were to “turn” toward this attitude. That is a “right about face” word—they were to go in the opposite direction from where they were, like an unpretentious child depending on his parent and making no claims about his personal greatness.
 
18:4
 
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
 
People entering the kingdom must go with the humility of a lowly child. There is a difference between approaching the kingdom as a child in attitude and being childish.
 
18:5
 
Whoever receives [welcomes] one little child like this in My name [all that Jesus represents] receives [welcomes] Me.
 
Jesus spoke here of people born into His kingdom. We cannot separate Jesus from His children.
 
18:6
 
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone [cylindrical stone for grinding grain, pulled by a donkey] were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
 
Those who seduce God’s children are subject to judgment. It is one thing to sin against oneself but it is another to sin against a fellow believer. Jesus’ emphasis was to take maximum measures to maintain humility.
 
PRINCIPLE: The greatest people in the kingdom are those with humility, the inverse of 20th-century thinking.
 
APPLICATION: Most of us think about our reward in heaven rather than the awe of meeting the Lord there. We are absorbed with our little issues rather than with the greatness of the Lord. We put priority on personal prestige and aggrandizement. We jockey for positions in the church. Pride is destructive to the heart of Christian living. True humility orients to God rather than to others or even self.
 
Much of current evangelical orientation is on selfish ambition and personal advancement. It is a sad indictment of current Christianity.
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Matthew 17:24f

Published on January 16, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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24When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
 
We now come to the miracle of the tax money (17:24-27). Only Matthew, the tax collector, recorded this miracle.
24When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
 
Capernaum was a busy sea-side city, the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry. Jewish leaders asked Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax for support of the temple in Jerusalem. Every male 20 years old or over had to pay a temple tax of a half-shekel (two days’ wages).  
 
25He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
 
Rulers of Jesus’ day did not tax their own families but taxed everyone else. Family members were exempt from taxation.
 
26Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.
 
Since rulers taxed strangers and not their families, their sons were free from taxation.
 
27Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
 
Although Jesus was free from tax because He was the Son of the Father of the temple, He nevertheless agreed to pay the temple tax.
 
PRINCIPLE: Christians sometimes sacrifice their liberty so as not to offend others.
 
APPLICATION: Although Christians have liberty in Christ, we sometimes honor other viewpoints. Side issues can sidetrack us from our true goals.
 
“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 1 Co 10:29
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Matthew 17:22f

Published on January 15, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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22Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
 
 
For the second time Jesus now drew attention to His coming death (16:21-23).
 
22Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,
 
Jesus forewarned His disciples that the current generation of Jews would betray Him. Judas was the main betrayer.
 
23and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”
 
Although they would kill Jesus, He would rise on the third day.
 
And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
 
The disciples appear to have missed the point about the wonder of His resurrection.
 
PRINCIPLE: We keep eternal values in view when we remember the power of the resurrection.
 
APPLICATION: Sorrow often leads us to hear part of the story. Sometimes in our day-to-day lives we miss the wonder of the resurrection. Jesus’ death was only part of the story. Our primary future is with the Lord.
 
Paul challenged a pastor to remember the resurrection:
 
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel… 2 Ti 2:8
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Matthew 17:14f

Published on January 14, 2009 in Matthew. 2 Comments
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14And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
17Then Jesus answered and 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.” 18And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
 
 
Having coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration with His inner circle of three disciples, Jesus met a distraught father with a very sick son.
 
Jesus gave special principles for living in the kingdom, from 17:14 through chapter 20.
 
14And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,
 
The distraught father acknowledged who Jesus was by kneeling before Him. This shows the father’s dependence on Jesus.
 
15“Lord, have mercy [compassion] on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
 
The son suffered epileptic seizures causing him to fall into fire and water. He did not deserve healing, but the father made the appeal based on “mercy.”
 
16So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
 
Jesus’ disciples were powerless to heal the son, yet He had given His disciples special powers to heal.
 
17Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse [bent out of shape, difficult, distorted, or misguided] generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”
 
 Jesus addressed the disciples’ lack of faith.
 
18And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
 
The son was instantly cured.
 
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
 
The disciples asked privately about the difference between Jesus’ healing power and their lack of power to heal.
 
20So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if [hypothetical] you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
 
Jesus’ answer was about the nature of their belief. Faith the size of the smallest of seeds could cast a mountain into the sea. The “mountain” was a common metaphor for a major difficulty.
 
21However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
 
Some manuscripts omit this verse, but it is found in the majority of manuscripts.
 
The qualification of this kind of faith rests on knowing the will of God. God does not give the power of spectacular stunts to fulfill personal power lust.
 
PRINCIPLE: Faith must always rest on a promise or command.
 
APPLICATION: Personal power lust is not the same as trust in God’s promises. There are those who love to be spectacular for the sake of being impressive. True faith always rests on authentic biblical resources. If we do not make the promises of God the object of our faith, our faith is vain.
 
Hebrews 11 is the believer’s Hall of Fame. The central idea is that each believer in the chapter lived by faith. When God brings us to a sense of powerlessness, we need to exercise faith in God’s promises for us. God will meet any mountain-sized difficulty we have by trust in His promises.
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Matthew 17:9f

Published on January 13, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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9Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” 10And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
 
 
9Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
 
Jesus’ many references to “tell…no one” refer to the idea that He did not want people to make Him king before God’s appointed time of the future kingdom. He did not want the disciples to tell about the Transfiguration on the Mount (preview of the kingdom) until after His resurrection.
 
10And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
 
The disciples questioned the reason for Elijah having to come before the Millennial kingdom.
 
11Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.
                                       
The forerunner to the Messiah was to announce the coming King and kingdom in a restoration that would get everything ready for Christ’s reign on earth. However, Israel’s rejection of Jesus left the ultimate fulfillment of this restoration until the coming Millennial kingdom.
 
12But I say to you that Elijah has come already,
 
Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist (Mal 4:5).
 
and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.
 
Religious leaders of John’s day rejected both John and his message.
 
Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”
 
Jesus, as well, would be rejected by religious leaders, just as they rejected John.
 
13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
 
John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah—the herald of the coming kingdom.
 
PRINCIPLE: The cross must come before the kingdom.
APPLICATION: There are two advents of Christ. In the first advent, the cross must precede the crown. John the Baptist was the herald of that advent. Jesus “suffered” in His first advent. Ultimately He suffered on the cross.
The Transfiguration looked to a time in the future (after the resurrection). The Transfiguration was a preview of the coming kingdom. Elijah will be the herald of the coming kingdom (Re 11:3-6).
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Matthew 17:1f

Published on January 12, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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1Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
 
Chapter 17, unfortunately, breaks the flow of the context beginning at 16:27, which speaks of the coming Millennial kingdom (16:27-17:13).
17:1
1Now after six days
Luke includes the days of the confession at Caesarea and the day of the Transfiguration (eight days). Matthew and Mark refer to the six intervening days.
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the Mount of Transfiguration six days after the incident at Caesarea Philippi. The New Testament does not name the mountain.
17:2
2and He was transfigured before them [in their presence]. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
Jesus transfigured Himself (literally—changed in form) into the glory of the Shekinah symbolizing the presence of God. This is a Christophany. This previewed the coming Millennial kingdom Matthew indicated in 16:28.
17:3
3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Moses and Elijah appeared to the four, representing the Law and Prophets.
17:4
4Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
 
Peter made a rash suggestion that they build three shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. (Peter later referred to this occasion in 2 Peter 1:12ff.) His suggestion was a grave mistake.
17:5
 
5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them;
 
This was similar to the Shekinah glory cloud in Israel’s wandering in the wilderness.
 
and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
 
The Father rebuked Peter for comparing Jesus with Moses and Elijah, because Jesus was His unique Son. The Father’s statement authenticated Jesus as the unique Son of God.
 
17:6
 
 6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
 
The voice of the Father shocked the three disciples, so they fell on their faces.
17:7
 
7But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
 
Jesus allayed their fears by His personal touch.
17:8
 
8When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
 
Jesus is the center of the Millennial kingdom and the final revelation. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to demonstrate that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. He will fulfill in time and space God’s purpose. The Transfiguration was a foretaste of coming victory.
PRINCIPLE: The Transfiguration of Jesus is a preview of the coming Millennial kingdom of Christ.
APPLICATION: The Transfiguration of Jesus foreshadowed His ultimate vindication and glorification. Jesus will come in the full glory of God.
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Matthew 16:28

Published on January 11, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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28Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
 
 
16:28
 
Assuredly [places emphasis on the following statement], I say to you, there are some [three, in fact] standing here who shall not taste death till [six days later] they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
 
Jesus declared that some listening to Him at that present time would see Him enter the kingdom. How can this be true, since Jesus has not yet come back in over 2,000 years? He was speaking of the Transfiguration (following verses in chapter 17) where God’s glory became manifest on Him. All three gospels give an account of the transfiguration (Mt. 17:1f; Mark 9:1f; Lu 9:27-36). The transfiguration is a picture of the coming kingdom.
 
PRINCIPLE: God’s principle is that we win by losing and by setting a new set of priorities originating from the Lord.
 
APPLICATION: Jesus did not offer health and wealth to His followers. Discipleship is not self-image, self-love, or self-esteem. Similar to the Judaism of Jesus’ day, religious teachers of our day offer a prosperity gospel devoid of sacrifice. We cannot reconcile this teaching with the New Testament. Jesus’ reaction to Peter’s attempt to deflect Him from going to the cross was that this was of the devil.
 
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Jn 12:24-25
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Matthew 16:27

Published on January 10, 2009 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
 
 
16:27
 
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels,
 
This is the first mention of the Second Coming of Christ in the New Testament. He will come with angels at that time, with the glory of God. The “Son of Man” refers to the humanity of Christ; Jesus will come in human form.
 
and then He will reward each according to his works [deeds].
 
At His Second Coming Jesus will judge each person according to his deeds (Ro 2:5-8). Jesus will put on review the life of every person who ever lived.
 
This passage does not refer to salvation. Deeds are not the way of salvation but the outcome of salvation. Jesus referred in general to a future time of recompense.
 
PRINCIPLE: Remembrance of the glory of Christ’s Second Coming puts things in perspective.
 
APPLICATION: We keep eternal values in view by anticipation of the coming of Christ. We will meet Him one day face-to-face. We will see what is important at that time. This enables us to cultivate a sense of priorities and values in this life.
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