Matthew 12:25-37, Messianic Miracle #2 (3)

In Matt. 12:29 Jesus, in essence, refers to the people of Israel as Satan’s house.  How so?  Remember John 8:37-47, where Jesus demonstrated that the people of Israel were not sons of Abraham or sons of God but were of your father the devil.  Their descendance from Satan is demonstrated by the fact that they do what their father does.  He was a murderer and they were trying to kill Jesus; Satan was a liar and the Jews were lying about Jesus. 

What does it mean to “bind” Satan?  Some consider this to be an out-of-the-ordinary action when, in fact, it has to do with how we are to live daily.  It is the practical application of Romans 6.  Paul taught that we were to yield ourselves to God and our bodies to righteousness.  In doing this, Satan cannot reign over us, nor can death, nor can sin.  Rather, Christ reigns in us when we yield ourselves to Him, and when Christ reigns, then grace reigns. 

As Man He (Jesus) overcame the enemy in personal temptation, bound him (Satan), and thereby made Himself able to spoil his house. God's children who have entered into His victory by the Cross, also know something of what it is to bind the strong one.  His Cross is the force that sets us free to spoil the house of the strong one, and rescue other souls. (G. Campbell Morgan)

     The answer of the Pharisees shows they were blind to all this, blind to what the Messiah was doing in their midst.  He was performing “Messianic miracles” and the Pharisees were doing all they could to keep the people from thinking any more that Jesus could possibly be the Son of David.

§  12:30: their answer shows complicity.  In the end the two possible answers were significant.  This is not just a popular vote; we are deeply involved in this choice that must be made concerning Christ.  To reject Christ is to fight with Satan, the very one Jesus is in the process of disabling.

What is your choice?  How do you answer the question, Who is this Man Jesus?  There are only two options.  We cannot serve two masters (Mt. 6:24).  Men have always been called to make the choice.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Josh. 24:15). 

And Elijah came to all the people and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”  But the people answered him not a word. (1 Ki. 18:21) 

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (Mt. 11:28).

Matthew 12:22-32, Messianic Miracle #2 (2)

Jesus had performed a powerful sign.  The people wondered if He was not, in fact, the Son of David.  Now we see the response of the Pharisees.

·        12:24: the Pharisee’s slander.  Note: they did not deny that a miracle was done.  A great victory had been won in the spirit-world.  The question that must be asked is, what does this say about Jesus?  In Scripture there are only two assessments that are possible when considering any person: either they are the children of God or the children of the devil (1 John 3:10; Matt. 13:38).  The Pharisees opt for Beelzebub as the source of Jesus’ power.  This likely refers to a Canaanite god, meaning literally lord of the dung or lord of the flies.  In the context it refers to Satan.  What they are saying is that Jesus defeated Satan by Satan’s power.  In one sense we really don’t need Jesus to tell us how ridiculous that answer is.  But for the Pharisees it’s all they have.  Jesus is part of a great and very powerful conspiracy theory. 

·        12:25-37: the prophetic statement.  First Jesus answers the Pharisees (v25-30); then He admonishes the Pharisees (v31-37).

o   12:25-30: Jesus answers the Pharisees.  Jesus knew their thoughts.  The Pharisees had responded verbally; but underneath the words Jesus knew their thoughts.  He knows our as well (Heb. 4:13; Jer. 17:10).  How vital that we be faithful to God’s word which will judge our thoughts accurately (Heb. 4:12).

§  12:25b-26: their answer shows foolishness.  Jesus begins with a “common sense” answer.  How foolish to think Satan would oppose himself!  It is interesting that this very thing happened.  In Rev. 17:16; 18:17,19 we see Satan’s kingdom divided against itself.  The antichrist destroys the harlot who represents the worldly religious and economic system.

§  12:27: their answer shows inconsistency.  There were others, Jews, who were “exorcists” so to speak.  Joseph, the Jewish historian, says these individuals used various incantations and tricks to do their work.  The point is that the Pharisees acknowledged these “exorcists” as doing good work.  How inconsistent to charge Jesus with complicity with Satan given His obvious greater power.

§  12:28: their answer shows rebellion.  Remember: there are only two possibilities.  Jesus’ work is either of Satan or of God.  Thus, Jesus says the Pharisees are resisting the Kingdom of God by resisting Christ.

§  12:29: their answer shows blindness.  Jesus turns the argument in a more positive direction.  The miracle He performed demonstrated what Jesus was, in fact, doing.  Satan would eventually be defeated by the cross and resurrection.  But first Jesus is entering Satan’s house to disable Satan. 

This brings up some question that will need to wait until our next post. 

Psalm 110

Who reads the Bible and does not see the greatness of this Psalm? 

·        In Matt. 24:41-46 Jesus Himself quotes 110:1.  After being questioned by each of his adversaries He then questions them: What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?  They answer unanimously: The Son of David.  Jesus replies with another question: How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?  If David then calls Him ‘Lord” how is He his Son?”  We are told, no one was able to answer Him a word.  Neither can those today who deny the fullness of the deity of Christ.  The Hebrew wording is critical and your English Bible should make it clear by the difference in type.  The LORD (all caps, Yahweh, God’s covenant Name given to Moses) said to My Lord (Adonai, cap with lower case, by which David referred to his God).  David’s Son, the Messiah, is David’s Lord!  This was both the end of discussion with Jesus’ enemies, and led to His indictments of these enemies (Matt. 23), something Jesus was able to do because He, as Lord, is their Judge.

·        The flow of history, from Genesis to Revelation, is bound up in Psalm 110.  The promise of the Father to the Son in Psalm 2:7-9 is repeated in 110:1b-2 and given detail in 110:5-7.  He will rule over His enemies.  This is the mystery of His will (Eph. 1:9-10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ.  It is fulfilled in the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 10:7) when He rides out of heaven and judges the nations (Rev. 19:11-21). 

·        The entire argument of the Book of Hebrews is based on Psalm 110:4: The LORD has sworn and will not relent, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.  After establishing Jesus’ deity (Heb. 2) and humanity (Heb. 2) and the need to be faithful to Him (Heb. 3-4) the writer then demonstrates and applies the fact that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God (Heb. 4:14).  He ties the two great Psalms, 2 and 110, that the Son is the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:5-6).  Heb. 7 explains the order of Melchizedek from Gen. 14:18-24.  Heb. 8-10 ties Jesus’ High Priesthood to the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34 quoted in Heb. 8:8-12). 

This Psalm demands careful study; it is too important to ignore.  When I was in Bible College my first major paper was on this Psalm.  I was pleased to hear that my son preached in his church for several weeks on this Psalm; he said he just couldn’t get out of it, there was so much packed in a small place.

Devotionally and theologically don’t miss something very important about our Lord Jesus Christ.  This Psalm presents Him both as the victorious conqueror, at the beginning and the end of the Psalm.  It is a picture of judgment and not easy for many to hear.  But in between He is also the High Priest who has offered the sacrifice of Himself for the forgiveness of sins.  No person has to look forward with fear to the return of Christ the Judge.  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith … Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:22-23).

Matthew 12:22-30, Messianic Miracle #2 (1)

We have relied often on several “Messianic” authors (Jewish Christians) for deeper understanding of Scripture.  Victor Buksbazen (esp. his Isaiah commentary), Charles Lee Feinberg (his commentary on the Minor Prophets was referenced recently), and Arnold Fruchtenbaum (we use his Historical and Geographical Study Guide of Israel when we travel in Israel; his material can be accessed on Ariel Ministries webpage).

In one of his studies (Ariel Ministries’ Messianic Bible Study #035) Fruchtenbaum distinguishes between “general miracles” which the ancient rabbis believed could be performed by anyone empowered by the Holy Spirit, and “messianic miracles” which they believed could and would be performed only by the Messiah.  He mentions three of these signs: the healing of the leper (Mt. 8:2-4), casting out the demon from the blind and mute man (Mt. 12:22-30), and healing the man born blind (Jn. 9).  [Note: others add a fourth, the raising from the dead a person after three days, as in the case of Lazarus in John 11. Cf. haderekministries.com; The Four Messianic Miracles.]

One thing Fruchtenbaum points out is the extraordinary response from the Jews when Jesus performed these miracles.  In each case the miracle in some way involves the religious leadership, the “shepherds of Israel.”  Because of the rabbinical teaching, these miracles were scrutinized carefully.  In today’s passage, the leadership is put in a position where they must explain where Jesus’ power comes from.  They cannot deny the miracle so they must account for it in such a way that they do not honor Jesus.

·        12:22: the powerful sign.  There is no question this is major.  The man cannot see and cannot speak; and the reason is demonic.  For the rabbis it was required that the Messiah demonstrate His authority over the spirit-world.  So Jesus healed the man with no gimmicks.  Later in the passage Jesus will refer to others in the day that would seek to cast out demons.  They always used gimmicks of some sort, perhaps an incantation or some sort.  But Jesus exhibited His divine power and authority; He simply healed the man.  And clearly, the man was healed!

·        12:23: the people’s suggestion.  First, understandably, the people were amazed.  But that is not the “final answer.”  Their amazement tells us something truly happened; it could not be denied.  But Jesus was not simply out to amaze people; He was, as we have noted, making a statement about Himself.  Thus a proper response to the miracle is called for.  People must deal with the question, who is this Man?  The Samaritan woman asked, could this be the Christ (Jn. 4:29)?  On another occasion the crowd wondered, will the Christ do more signs than this (Jn. 7:31).  In our passage the multitudes ask, could this be the Son of David?  This is, of course, a very Messianic question, coming from the OT prophecy about David (2 Sam. 7:12; Ps. 89:3; Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1). 

We will continue our study in the next post.  But let us contemplate: When I come to Jesus am I asking the right question? 

Matthew 12:1-21, The Servant Savior

In continuing to consider this passage here are a few things to note.

·        The Sabbath is perhaps the greatest symbol of Judaism. Reverence for it is commanded in the 10 Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11).  Ex. 31:14 commanded death to those who profaned it. Lev. 23:3 commanded no work.

·        v3,5: twice Jesus asks "have you not read?" v3 refers to 1 Sam 21:3-6; v5 to Num. 28:9. This reminds us that Jesus will hold us accountable for living the Book, even if we have neglected it!

·        v7: Jesus recognizes that right & wrong cannot be determined simply by a list of rules.  "Mercy and not sacrifice" involved priorities.  God commanded sacrifices in the Law, but never at the expense of mercy.  We need of the Spirit to help read the Scripture and understand (v3,5: have you not read?); but also to apply the Scripture.

·        v2,4,10,12: same word "lawful" in each verse.  Similar to our concern about being "inside the lines", nor "transgressing".

·        v15: Jesus avoided death at this point because it was not the time nor the place.  When the time came He would set his face for Jerusalem (Isa. 50:7).

·        v16-21 is the 1st of 4 Servant Songs in Isaiah (42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12). These Songs speak of the Messiah, this one making clear His ministry to Gentiles and not just the Jews.  Jesus only quotes the first 3 verses of the Song.

Having noted the Servant Song let us consider this (v18-21) in a little more detail.

·        His calling, v18.  Jesus was appointed, chosen, by God. This One and His Work has been the plan of God from eternity past.  Not an afterthought.  He was called to preach justice to the Gentiles.  Justice is the good news that God has punished our sin by His Son.

·        His character, v19-20a.  This is what is so wonderful about our Savior.  He will bring this victory, not by greatness but by meekness.  He will not quarrel or cry out, which contrasts Him with the religious elite.  The only time Jesus cried out was at the tomb of Lazarus.  A bruised reed is very weak, falling in the slightest wind.  Smoking flax is a quick fire; but even that He won’t quench.  Jesus fulfilled the Father’s plan by truth, not by force.

·        His commission, v20b-21.  The justice of the cross will extend to the world, to Gentiles.  This was God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3): that through him the nations would be blessed.  This answers a critical question from back in Mt. 11:25-27.  The gospel was hidden from Jews so that the gospel might go to Gentiles. 

Matthew 12:1-21, Sabbath Controversies

In Matthew 12 the resistance comes to a boil.  It starts with two Sabbath controversies.  You might think Jesus is just stirring up trouble, and that He was not being much of a peacemaker (Mt. 5:9).  That is not the case.  There are serious issues here that must be brought out into the open.  The confrontation of the Good Shepherd with the proud shepherds is not only inevitable; it is essential.

There are three levels involved in these controversies.  At the lowest level, the traditions of the Jews were simply wrong.  Denying Jesus’ disciples the freedom to feed themselves on the Sabbath denies the precedent found in the story of David and in the responsibilities of the priests.  To deny healing to a man on the Sabbath shows disregard for the man: of how much more value is a man than a sheep. 

On the next level we see that an important Biblical principle is at state in each event.  In the first the “shepherds of Israel” do not understand what is meant by the truth, I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Hos. 6:6).  Religious obligations (even sacrifices) tended to get in the way of checed, the Hebrew word for mercy or lovingkindness or goodness.  Mercy and truth/faithfulness characterized God, and He called His people to be just like Him (Prov. 3:3-4).

In the latter story the second-level principle was profoundly simple: it must be lawful to do good on the Sabbath.  If you could not do good on that most holy day then something was seriously wrong with your traditions and worship.

Over these important truths was the highest level of understanding: For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath!  What was Jesus doing here?  For one thing, if you go back to Matt. 5:19-20 you see that He was not breaking the commandments.  Rather He was stressing for the people as well as the leaders that righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. 

But beyond that, Jesus was doing what He always did.  He made Himself the “crux of the issue.”  Verses 15-21 bear this out.  Matthew quotes one of the great Servant Songs of Isaiah (Isa. 41:1-4) depicting the Servant Messiah as gentle and not quarrelsome.  Jesus spoke the words and moved on.  When He heard that the Pharisees were plotting to get Him He withdrew and continued His ministry elsewhere.

Jesus is the focus of faith.  Men must believe that He is the Son of Man, the Man from Heaven who is the Savior of the world.  The traditions of the Pharisees served only their own pride and position, turning people away from the Christ.  Jesus spoke the truth about Himself and then continued to confirm that truth through His miracles.

What Jesus did here is a ministry for us today.  We must come to terms with Jesus who speaks with such authority.  In addition, He has set a pattern for us to follow.  We too need to make Jesus the issue for those we serve.  And we must not be quarrelsome but speak with the authority of God’s word.

Matthew 11:20-30, Take My Yoke Upon You

(To you my wife and I wish you the merriest of Christmases.  We continue in our journey through Matthew's gospel because the passage before us is perfect for meditation on the day we celebrate Jesus' birth.)

The three paragraphs of today’s passage might seem unrelated.  Actually, they provide a great gospel invitation.  Consider Jesus’ …

·        Words of rebuke, v20-24.  Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were three communities on the north end of the Sea of Galilee.  You can visit the ruins of all three of these cities.  Tyre and Sidon were cities to the north of Israel, part of Lebanon today.  Sodom was, of course, the city of OT times down around the Dead Sea.  Sodom was renown for its wickedness.  Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities.  But on the day of judgment they will have an advantage over the three around Galilee.  The reason has to do with privilege.  This is a primary passage for demonstrating that there are “degrees of punishment” in the eternity without Christ.  It is not because one is more sinful than another; it is because one has more light than another.  We are responsible for responding to the light of Christ that we see.

·        Words of thanksgiving, v25-27.  Jesus is thankful because the situation is not hopeless.  It might seem hopeless given the obstinance of people who saw Jesus’ miracles and should have easily confessed Him as Lord.  The wise and prudent, in the immediate context, were the religious leaders.  They knew the OT, they were very familiar with prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.  Remember when the wise men appeared before Herod?  Who told the wicked king where the Messiah was to be born?  It was the chief priests and scribes (Matt. 2:4-6).  They knew the truth; but they rejected it in Christ Jesus.  The truth was hidden from these who were wise in their own eyes; it was revealed to babes.  Jesus noted this when He spoke of how even the tax collectors (babes) accepted John’s ministry, while the Pharisees and lawyers (wise and prudent) rejected God’s will (Lk. 7:29-30).  The same thing happened with Jesus’ ministry.  Who then can be saved if those with all the privileged of seeing Christ’s earthly life and ministry, and all those considered the elite of the world, could not see the truth to accept it?

·        Words of invitation, v28-30.  Jesus issues three commands, all of them invitations.

o   Come unto me.  This is a strong form of the word: come now!  The ones to come are those who labor and are heavy burdened. The religious leaders laid heavy burdens on people (Mt. 23:4).  To the common person the search for God (religion) had become a burden.  Coming to Christ would bring them rest!

o   Take My yoke upon you.  This is “discipleship” terminology; every “teacher” has a yoke.  In Matt. 10 Jesus’ yoke: a deeper love (10:37), bearing the cross (10:38) and contentment with Christ (10:39).  This is Jesus’ burden.  But if it’s a burden how can it be light?  It is because of the third command.

o   Learn of Me.  Again, this is a “disciple” term.  The rest Jesus offers is not the rest of doing nothing.  It is a deep and costly (in terms of pride) relationship that is rich and deep.  When we walk with Him, we learn of HIM!  And the result of learning of Him is that we learn to rest under His yoke.

In this passage we learn that following Christ does not come naturally; we are responsible for our choice regarding Christ; knowing Christ requires a work of God revealing Him to us; Jesus invites all you who labor and are heavy laden to find rest, not for their bodies but for their souls.

Matt. 11:7-19; Rom. 9:30-33, Taking the Kingdom by Force

Jesus called the people to accept John as performing the ministry of Elijah.  To accept John in this way would enable the people to accept Jesus as their Messiah.  Jesus utters some amazing words: And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (cf. Lk. 16:16 for a parallel passage).  What does He mean by, taking the kingdom by force?  This strong approach to entering the kingdom has been going on throughout the time since John began to preach and continues now in the time of Jesus’ ministry.

The passage is not saying that only those who are physically violent enter heaven's kingdom.  Violence was being done against the kingdom of God, as was illustrated by John being in prison and Christ who was experiencing resistance and who would be crucified.  Rather we believe those who take the kingdom by force are those who are violent in terms of pressing on in their faith, not giving up as Jesus' disciples. 

This is not an unusual way of understanding the struggle it is for people to come to Christ and receive Him.  Consider, for example, Luke 13:24 where we are told we must strive to enter the narrow gate. Phil. 3:12 uses similar language (press on) as does Heb. 4:11 (be diligent to enter that rest), and 2 Pt. 1:10 (be diligent to make your call and election sure). John, in this passage, illustrates one who, in spite of confusion caused by the unfolding events, yet persevered in faith to his death. 

Furthermore, it is never easy to deny self, turn from pride, and follow Christ.   We must be ruthless in this.  The hardest thing for people to do is to give up trying to please God with their own works and to accept Christ and eternal life as God’s gift of grace.  For the Jewish crowd this is particularly true.  Remember Rom. 9:30-33.  They did not attain righteousness because they would not receive it by faith.  They sought to attain it by keeping the law.  In the end they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 

The Jewish crowd had many deterrents to following Christ.  The religious leaders, the shepherds of Israel, would make their lives miserable if they followed Christ.  In that sense the kingdom of heaven was being attacked violently.  It would take the greatest of striving and diligence to enter God’s grace at the narrow gate of faith.

Following Christ would mean you were in the minority.  Jesus says this in 11:16-19.  The majority weren’t interested in bowing the knee to God.  They could always find something wrong with the preacher.  If the preacher lived a stringent lifestyle, they criticized him because he wouldn’t party with them.  If the Preacher shared in their feasts they accused Him of being a glutton and drunkard and of hanging out with “sinners.”  Those who understood that both John and Jesus preached the same Christ-exalting message and who were willing to pay the price of discipleship, these would be seen as truly wise.

Think about it.  A faith that is like a reed in the wind or like those wearing "soft clothing" in important places will not stand the test of discipleship!

Matthew 11:1-15, A True Prophet

 John asked Jesus an important question: Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?  Jesus gave two answers to the question.  First, he spoke directly to John through his disciples.  Tell John the things which you hear and see, by which Jesus referred to the miracles as well as to the preaching of the gospel to the poor.  And, of course, He encouraged John to stand firm, announcing the blessing on those who would not stumble over the stumbling block. 

Second, Jesus spoke to the crowd as John’s disciples departed.  He spoke to them about John.  Jesus did not say these things for John to hear because his disciples were departing.  He said these things about John as an encouragement to the crowd of Jews.

Jesus began by honoring John.  He was not some “softie” and the crowd knew it (v7-8).  Rather, John was a true prophet (v9-10).  He was the “forerunner” mentioned in Isaiah, the one who would precede the Messiah.  And the crown also knew this!  They accepted John as a prophet. 

Jesus then made a significant statement, one that would bring Him to what the crowd needed to hear.  Jesus said, Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  John was the greatest of the OT prophets because he actually saw the Christ that the rest of the prophets had predicted.  But on the other hand, believers after the cross know Christ in a way which John did not know. 

·        John saw the shadow.  After the cross Christ was known as risen Lord and Savior. 

·        John ministered under the old covenant; those in the kingdom of heaven know Christ under the new covenant. 

·        John looked forward to and hoped for sin’s provision; those after the cross look back and believe in Christ’s provision. 

·        As Heb. 11:39-40 indicates, John did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. 

We will delve into the matter of taking the kingdom by force in the next post.  For now, however, note that Jesus indicates this is a critical point in His ministry and in the response of the crowd.  He tells the crowd that they can, if the are willing, receive John as Elijah who is to come.  This refers, of course, to the closing words of the OT in Malachi 4:4-6.  Malachi predicted that Elijah would come before the Messiah comes to establish His kingdom.  This can be that time for those listening to His words.  Thus, Jesus beckons the crowd: He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 

Psalm 109

This is not the first imprecatory Psalm we have studied.  This and Psalm 69 are major but there are many that emphasize David calling upon God to take vengeance on his enemies.  Psalm 109 is particularly difficult in that David calls upon God not only to afflict wicked but also the family of the wicked (cf. 109:6-13).  But before we draw the wrong conclusion let us first lay out a framework for this Psalm and then we will make some notes.

·        109:1-5: This paragraph sets the scene for David’s prayer.  If you are prone to be critical of David be sure you do not overlook the evil of his enemies.  Their works reek of deceit, injustice and a major case of returning evil for good.  As to the specific situation we cannot be sure but we can feel for David’s pain.

·        109:6-13: He prays for justice, that his enemy be found guilty.  He also prays that the life of his enemy will be short, leaving his wife and children to suffer without him.  The result would be that his family would not flourish, being homeless or hungry.  Perhaps you saw 109:8, the passage quoted by Peter concerning Judas (Acts 1:20).  The other major imprecatory Psalm also has a reference applied to Judas (Ps. 69:25, quoted in Matt. 23:38; Lk. 13:35).  If nothing else Judas helps us visualize the person who was afflicting David.

·        109:14-20: David continues, praying that this evil man will not stand before God.  He prays that he will not be blessed but cursed and that God will reward his enemy with the kind of thing he has dished out, so to speak.

·        109:21-25: David prays that God will deal with him in mercy and goodness.  But note that he prays God will do this for His glory and honor.  David has been shamed but his request is for God’s glory.

·        109:26-29: David prays that God will humble the wicked man and exalt him, David, the poor and needy man.  He asks God to bless him and not let the curse of the wicked stick; this is opposite of what he prayed for his antagonist.

·        109:30-31: David vows to praise God publicly for His goodness.

Let us note some things that not only explain what is happening here but also gives us encouragement to, in fact, do the same.  First, David is giving vengeance to God, the only One who is able to be perfectly right in His judgment.  We are commanded to do this ourselves (Rom. 12:19).  Further note how often David asks for the wicked what the wicked have given to others.  This is the law of the harvest, God giving us what we deserve.  Third, David leans on another Biblical principle which is that God always exalts the humble and humbles the exalted (e.g. Lk. 1:52; 1 Sam. 2:7-8; Mt. 23:12).  And lastly, David’s ultimate concern is with the honor of God.  We see David’s integrity in the fact that he humbled himself before God.

We would simply say that if our inner motivations were in line with those of David, then our dealings with those who deceive and mistreat us would be honorable.  David has done well in giving God the place of settling scores.

Matthew 11:1-6; 1 Peter 1:10-12, Was Jesus the Coming One?

When you think about the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish nation you probably are thinking about the crucifixion and perhaps the week leading up to the cross.  The cross is certainly the crux of the issue, the focal point of eternity in terms of receiving or rejecting Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. 

But the rejection was set in stone earlier than that.  Matthew, in his thematic approach to the life of Christ, really highlights this.  Jesus’ warning about the unpardonable sin in Matt. 12 tells us He knows that the shepherds of Israel, the religious leaders we often call them, are in the process of hardening their hearts against Him.  In Matthews account, immediately after this are recorded the parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:1-52).  Then Matthew recounts the rejection at Nazareth (13:53-58) and the beheading of John the Baptist (14:1-12). A couple of “Sabbath controversies” (12:1-14) provide real life situations where Jesus is intentionally in the face of the leaders.  The conclusion to these events is, the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him (12:14).

John Phillips gives the following titles to our upcoming chapters: 11:1-30: Resistance Felt; 12:1-14:36: Resistance Focused; 15:1-16:12: Resistance Faced.

Almost certainly this burgeoning resistance is a critical backdrop to the question of John the Baptist, Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?  There are two basic ways people tend to understand this passage (11:1-6).  

·        Some would say that John certainly knew that Jesus was the “Coming One” and was just using this as a training experience for his own disciples.  After all, John had referred to himself as the one who was preparing the way of the Lord.  He had exalted Jesus.  He had heard the voice of the Father at the baptism, This is My beloved Son.  Of course John knows.  He must.

·        But there is another way to see this, a view that is very Biblical.  It is very reasonable to think that John was having some doubts.  The assumption is that when the Messiah came He would ascend to the place of honor and glory, to the throne of David.  To say it in an important Biblical way, John is a prophet before the cross and resurrection.  He is among those prophets who inquired and searched carefully … searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which have now been reported … things which angels desire to look into (1 Peter 1:10-12).  John was one who obtained a good testimony through faith but did not receive the promise (Heb. 11:39-40).  He is surprised and perplexed by what is happening.  This view is supported by Jesus’ warning, blessed is he who is not offended because of Me (Mt. 11:6).

What we can say about John is that he asked the right question.  He asked the question that every person must ask about Jesus.  The Coming One is the one promised in Gen. 3:15 and all throughout the OT (as Peter said, the prophets spoke of the grace that would come to you (1 Pt. 1:10).  John wants to be certain: is Jesus that One or are we still waiting for another one.  Have you considered this question?

Matt. 10, Believer’s Handbook (Summary) (8)

For clarification and to help us in thinking through these things we are putting a summary-outline of the Believer’s Handbook.  We hope you are encouraged to meditate on these things and that you will see God’s increased work in and through your life.

I.Section 1: Vision, 9:35-36. (A needy world)

II.Section 2: Motivation, 9:36. (Compassion)

III.Section 3: Placement, 9:37-10:4. (By the Master of the Harvest)

IV.Section 4: Authority, 10:1.

     A. To make disciples. (Matt. 28:16-20)

     B. To pray in His Name. (Jn. 14:12-14)

V.Section 5: Target, 10:5-6.  (Acts 1:8, all the earth)

VI.Section 6: Product, 10:7.

     A. The good news of Who Christ is, Rom. 1:1-4.

     B. The good news of what Christ did, 1 Cor. 15:3-8.

VII.Section 7: Validation, 10:8.

     A. Your personal testimony, John 9:25.

     B. Consistency with the Word of God, Acts 17:11.

     C. The love believers have for each other, John 13:34-35.

VIII.Section 8: Expenses, 10:8-10. (God provides)

IX.Section 9: Perspective, 10:11-15. (Phil. 1:27-30, this ministry is of ultimate importance.)

X.Section 10: Hazards, 10:16-23. (Persecution)

XI.Section 9: Identification with Christ, 10:24-42.

     A. Treated the same as Christ.

     B. Speaking the same as Christ.

     C. Bearing your cross the same as Christ.

     D. Becoming Christ to those around you.

Matt. 10:32-42, Believer’s Handbook (7)

A disciple of Christ must speak the same things as Christ.  The reason is that Christ, the Teacher, is the source of the disciple’s information (v27).  But another factor in this is that Christ is the subject of the information the disciples share.  The words they receive from Christ are about Christ.  The followers of Christ have found great joy in their relationship with Christ; therefore, they are to go tell others about Christ so they too can have that same joy.  In other words, we are to confess Christ or “say the same as” Christ before others.  If we confess Him, He will speak the same as us before the Father (i.e. be for us).  If we deny Him, He will deny us or be against us before the Father.  To deny Christ is not an unforgiveable sin, a truth we see in Peter who denied Christ.  Christ restored him and he became a great preacher of the gospel.

v You must bear your cross the same as Christ, 10:34-39. 

The strength of this passage depends on us hearing and appropriating vs.34-36.  How can we ever be surprised at the opposition or ridicule that comes when we live and speak for Christ?  It must happen!  Out of love for the world and even our enemies we must be tolerant, in the sense of not sitting in judgment on people or being obstinate.  But in love and firmness we must always be intolerant of a message that promises a relationship with God apart from faith in Christ.  There is no other way!  One of these days the media and the politicians and other power-players in Western society are going to wake up to this fact.  And then the resistance will become strong. 

How will we ever stand up under the pressure?  How can we be courageous?  The answer is in vs. 37-39.  We can only stand if our love for Christ exceeds all other loves.  ALL of them!  Even family.  We got a letter from some friends today that reminded us of this.  They closed by saying, Faith, family and friends are almost everything.  Jesus is the most!  The problem is that family and friends might not understand this is they do not know Christ.  They might be offended. 

We can only stand if we bear our cross as Jesus bore His.  He was born to die.  We were born again to die to Christ.  There was a point in Jesus’ ministry when He began to impress upon His disciples that the ministry was headed to Jerusalem and when they arrived Jesus would suffer and die, and be raised again.  That is the way we must live out lives.  Out rights and dignity and dreams and expectations must be crucified.  Only then, when we have lost our lives for His sake, will we find it.  We cannot have resurrection life unless we have experienced death.

v You will be Christ to the people you serve, 10:40-42.  Isn’t that amazing.  Our following of Christ more and more allows Christ to be living through us.  When others find Christ in us then it means that their receiving us will be the point at which they receive Christ.  How does this come about?  It is the result of the life dedicated to the powerful truths of Mt. 10:37-39.

Let us not be fearful.  Let us rather find courage in a lifetime of love for Christ.

Matt. 10:24-33, Believer’s Handbook (6)

Matthew 10:24-25a is the focal passage for this entire chapter of encouragements for the servants of Christ.  It is a simple statement of the essence of discipleship: it is following someone with the idea of becoming like them.  Too often today we give the impression that following Christ is the way to get what we want in life.  The disappointment of prayers that are not answered according to our will or the sting of some of life’s hard experiences will go by the wayside if we remember that following Christ is all about becoming like Christ.  Following Christ means:

v You will be treated the same as Christ, 10:24-26.

Mt. 10:24-26 is also a transition in this chapter.  From the previous section on persecution we see that the more we are like Christ the more the world will treat us as they did Christ.  Therefore, we ought not fear these things but face them as did our Lord.  Throughout the rest of the chapter the fact of persecution is in the background of all that the Lord says to His followers.  It is natural to want to draw back in the face of affliction.  But Jesus stresses the need to increase or grow in our likeness to Him. 

For Jesus to be called “Beelzebub” is not just name-calling.  It is calling Him a false god or Satan.  This was the approach the leaders took when they could not deny His miracles; they attributed them to Satan (this will be central in Mt. 12).  When this happens there is no reason to fear because God knows those who are in opposition; their plans and actions are open to Him and, in time, will be revealed to all.

v You must speak the same as Christ, 10:24-26.

In the “disciple/master” relationship the Master or Teacher is the source of the information the disciple is to believe, apply and pass on to others. This is a truth that will bring about resistance so the Lord again tells the Twelve and us not to fear those who can only kill the body but not the soul (the real you on the inside, the life we have from the Creator to continues after the body dies). 

It is interesting that, in v28, the two words “fear” are the same. Yet we know that fearing God is different that fearing man.  How can this be?  Meditate on this.  To fear anyone is to respect them, to recognize their influence in our lives.  If we fear someone who opposes us then that respect will lead to being scared of them.  Why?  Because we know they do not have our best interest in mind.  But if we fear God, that respect will lead to being confident in His presence.  The reason is that we know that God loves and cares for us.  We know that because that is what Jesus says in v29-31. 

On the other hand, Jesus does note that God is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  So think about the follower of Christ who is not fully committed to Christ.  When resistance arises, their fear of men will cause them not to say what He tells them to say.  They will draw back so as not to offend men.  But now they have put themselves in a situation with God which will cause them to be afraid of God.  Think on this and we will continue in the passage in our next post.

Matt. 10:16-23; 1 Pt. 3:13-17, Believer’s Handbook (5)

Before we conclude Jesus’ teaching on opposition to the gospel, we want to note the phrase in v23: til the son of Man come.  It is a term that refers to Jesus' 2nd coming.  Thus, it is clear that He is training His disciples for ministry in the age to come and not giving instruction only for the immediate ministry to "Jews only".  In the Tribulation period there will be a ministry to the Jews as well (Rev. 7) and in that context these words make sense. 

·        Three instructions for persecution. 

o   Don’t seek persecution, v16,23.  We are never to compromise the message of Christ to avoid persecution.  But we can walk in such a way so as not to invite it.  Be wise as serpents, harmless as doves … when they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  The serpent will seek to avoid danger, even warning a person who approaches it.  The dove is harmless, will flay away from danger, causing no danger to itself.  Note that Jesus instructed His disciples to flee persecution, a principle used in Acts (e.g. Peter, 12:17; Paul, 14:5-7).  Of course, Paul was led by God to go to Jerusalem when other believers were warning him of the trouble that awaited him there (20:22-24). 

o   Don’t worry about your response, v19-20.  Note that this is for the emergency situation and is not an excuse for not preparing for teaching and preaching opportunities.  Again, we see this illustrated in Acts, when Peter, with little education, spoke boldly and clearly before the Jews (Ac. 4:8-12).  The key was that, in fact, Peter was properly prepared.  He had set apart the Lord God in his heart and thus was ready at all times to give a defense. 

o   Don’t recant, v22.  The key words here are, he who endures to the end will be saved.  Endurance is the evidence of genuine faith; thus, it is the issue in persecution or suffering of any sort in our lives.  Paul recognized the fact that we live in a crooked and perverse generation; opposition is expected.  But remember that it is an opportunity; in this generation we shine as lights (Phil. 2:14-16).  Paul also recognized that the nature of this world demanded a message that was both clear and bold (Rom. 15:15-16) and asked for prayer that he might persevere with boldness and clarity (Eph. 6:18-20; Col. 4:2-5).  He then encouraged all believers to let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one (Col. 4:6).

Let us follow the example and advice of Peter (1 Pt. 3:15)!  There is no substitute for walking in the Spirit, and for being yielded to our Lord as a living sacrifice.  When God is set apart in our hearts we are ready for whatever He wills to bring our way.

Matt. 10:16-23; 1 Pt. 2:11-17, Believer’s Handbook (4)

·        Three reasons for persecution, v16,18,22.

o   First, we are as sheep among wolves.  The picture is of sheep among those who deceitfully approach them so they can satisfy their cravings.  They are often wolves in sheep’s clothing, but they are vicious, unrelenting and smart.  We live among people who do not want to be reminded of their guilt (thus we are called fundamentalists).  We live among people who don’t want to be told there is only one way to God (thus we are called bigots). 

o   Second, we bear the name of Christ.  This is really the bottom line.  People don’t like the followers of Christ because they don’t like Christ.  It is possible that sometimes believers are opposed simply because they are obnoxious.  Peter warned about this, suffering because of wrong-doing (1 Pt. 3:17; 4:15).  But opposition will be greatest when we are at our best, being most like Christ.

o   Third, we suffer opposition because we need the opportunity for a testimony.  When we suffer for Christ the world has the best opportunity to see us under pressure and to see what is so great about those who love and follow Christ.  Remember that the Greek term for testimony is “marturion”, the term where we get the word martyr.  That is why, in the 1 Peter passage of today’s reading, Peter could speak of suffering as the will of God (2:15).  How we follow Christ, even to death, is a means of putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men.  We see this in Jesus Himself, how that the opposition of the religious leaders gave the people the opportunity to consider Jesus’ claims.  Read this in John 9:16 where the giving of sight to the blind man created division.  This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath versus how can a man who is a sinner do such signs?  And there was a division among them.  Peter spoke of this in today’s passage as did Paul in Phil. 1:27-30.  Paul said God has given us this opportunity, not only to believe but also to suffer for His sake.  It brings out clearly the eternal realities of both perdition (judgment for those who reject Christ) and salvation (for those who receive Christ). 

Therefore, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Psalm 108

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center (9/11/2001).  Perhaps it is fitting to consider this Psalm on this day.  For some it may need to be fifteen years in the rear view mirror before they can figure out how to have the same ability to reflect on our “undeserved” troubles and to do the necessary self-examination.  Consider this Psalm first; then let us see if it helps us in our own historical context.

·        108:1-5: (These verses are identical to Ps. 57:7-11).  Pay close attention to what the Psalmist says.  The rest of the Psalm will reveal he is in need of help.  But at the outset he makes it very clear: his heart is steadfast in that he will give praise and glory to God regardless of the situation and its eventual outcome.  He will even give God glory from his own glory (v1), meaning he will use the acclaim that has been given to him and refer it to God.  He does not doubt that those twin attributes of God (chesed, His mercy or lovingkindness and emet, His truth or faithfulness) are still very real (v4).  Whatever his struggle he will not deny God!  And in v5 he prefaces his prayer by asking God to glorify Himself.  What a great call to praise.

·        108:6-13: (These verses are identical to Ps. 60:5-12).  He now engages in a two-way conversation with God whereby he makes request (v6), receives an answer (v7-9), and then goes in faith (v10-13).  The request is that God will choose to glorify Himself by saving him and the nation.  It seems that this is the prayer of a warrior (Spurgeon called it The Warrior’s Morning Song).  He will be engaged in battle.  While we have no idea which war he is engaged in we do know that he is an Israelite and it involves the chosen Nation.  Further it seems to come at a time when Israel has experienced defeat because of the references in v11.  So he is calling on God to be faithful to His covenant.  And in the conversation God answers in the affirmative in that He affirms His special relationship with Israel (v7-8) as well as His disdain for the nations that so often afflicted Israel (v9).  It is possible the warrior himself repeats these words as if to give himself courage in the light of God’s relationship with Israel.  The conversation closes with positive words, but not just the power of positive thinking.  The warrior acknowledges his total dependence upon God and gains courage from the God of mercy and truth.  Any victory will be gained by God!

The United States does not have a covenant relationship with God as did Israel.  But like any people, they are free to call upon God.  Our governmental leaders are His servants and can call upon Him for wisdom and effectiveness.  What 9/11 provided was an opportunity to see our need for God and that the greatest of men are unable to prevent every attack.  It provided one of the nations, our nation, the opportunity to affirm, Through God we will do valiantly.  Every trial of nations and individuals is a call to bow before the God of mercy and truth.

Matt. 10:16-23; Eph. 6:10-13, Believer’s Handbook (3)

Every “job” has difficulties.  Some are actually hazardous.  A person will want to know about these things.  Thus, Jesus warns His disciples about “on the job hazards.”  It boils down to one thing: persecution.  There will be people who oppose Jesus’ followers; some will be moved to strongly contradict the message and the messenger.

·        Three sources of persecution, v17,18,21.

o   Religion.  We can speak with some experience on this matter.  In Israel the law provides for freedom of religion; but the primary opposition to the gospel is, of course, from Judaism.  Next door, in Jordan, again there is freedom of religion.  The opposition comes from religion, especially Islam.  In many other countries of the Middle East the opposition of Islam is, of course, even stronger.  When we have been in Ukraine the primary opposition to the gospel is from “Christians,” from the Orthodox Church.  In villages, when we would come for a week offering to help the needs and to provide Bible classes and wholesome activities, the Orthodox priest would warn parishioners about the “Baptists” or “Evangelicals”, telling them to keep their children from contact with them because they are a “cult” and that they do terrible things to children and so forth. In some Eastern European countries, the Orthodox has such influence that they have been able to get laws passed that forbid or discourage conversion to another faith.  We have been in Sri Lanka where, again, the law provides for freedom of religion, but opposition comes from Buddhists and Buddhism. In India it’s from Hindus, in the West it comes from humanists or progressives (yes, those are religions), and in the New Testament Church it was Judaism.

o   Government.  Typically, and by God’s will, the goal of government is to keep the peace.  In the NT, what Paul experienced in Corinth illustrates this (Acts 18:11-17).  What he experiences in Philippi also shows this (Acts 16); the city government, wanting to protect their special relationship with Rome, moved (too) quickly to deal with Paul and Silas whom they saw as stirring up trouble.  There may be some persecution of Christians because the government considers it to be a problem.  China might be an illustration of this, where the government is the primary opposition (although you could properly say it is because of the religion of Communism which is atheistic; the persecution is of Christians but also of Muslims and others the government deems to be a problem).  But as we noted was the case in Eastern Europe, and is true in many Muslim nations, when one religion is dominant in a country they can coerce the government to do their persecuting for them.  In a sense, this happened in the NT Church.  The initial opposition was from Judaism, until Christianity came out of the shadow of Judaism and was seen by the Romans to be a separate entity. 

o   Family.  Family ties are inseparable unless someone (religion) tells the family something is more important.  Indeed, in the Mosaic law, families as well as the community were to deal with those within who would try to introduce idolatry (Deut. 13:6-11).  Jesus did not advocate the same method of dealing with this (we are called to peace, 1 Cor. 7:15), but He warned His followers about opposition coming from within one’s own family. 

The reason opposition to the gospel comes from those who are supposed to be close and supportive of us is that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  The opposition pre-dates the establishment of governments and began within the first family (Gen. 3).  Thus, today, in our own situations, we should not be surprised by opposition.      

Matthew 10:6-15, Believer’s Handbook (2)

We are continuing to look at the ministry of the Twelve when Jesus sent them out, and making comparisons to our own ministry as servants of Christ.  The Twelve had:

·        An undeniable authentication, 10:8.  Their message was confirmed by the signs Christ gave them to perform (10:1; Heb. 2:1-4).  We have not been given these same sign gifts but there are ways the Apostles’ and our ministry is authenticated.

o   Our testimony of God’s grace in our own lives (Paul used this before Agrippa in Acts 26 as did the blind man in John 9:25.

o   The word of God (the Bible).  Our message is authenticated when it is the message of the inspired text (Ac. 17:11).

o   Our love for each other.  Jesus said this would confirm that we were His disciples (John 13:34-35). 

·        A grace framework, 10:8.  The Twelve were forbidden to take money from those to whom they ministered.  Later in the NT Paul acknowledged that sharing financially was proper in the ministry of the Church (cf. Gal. 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:17f; 1 Cor. 9:14). Nevertheless, Paul also expressed a concern that money never be allowed to interfere with ministry (1 Cor. 9:18; 2 Cor. 11:9). 

·        An all-sufficient provision, 10:9-10.  To stay in people’s homes was normal in the cultural context of the day.  In every other way they were to trust the Lord’s provision for their needs.  We today should also have a “trust in the Lord” approach.  After all, Jesus did promise to be with us in the endeavor of making disciples (Mt. 28:20).  Today, as in NT times, the basic plan was that God’s people supported the work of those who served vocationally (e.g. Phil. 4:10-20).  However, Paul was willing to work on the side when necessary (Ac. 18:3).

·        A pivotal ministry, 10:11-15.  The Twelve were aware that how people receive them was at the same time how they received Christ.  To receive them means blessing; to reject them meant a curse (shaking the dust off their feet).  They lived in a crucial time when the Messiah, the Savior of the world, was on the scene.  The people of the day (especially around Galilee) were privileged to see and hear these things.  It was a time the fathers hoped would come; and now it was here.  The servants of Christ needed to be true to their message and calling.

We also have a pivotal ministry.  We are not the issue.  But as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:18), the reception or rejection of our message is the reception or rejection of Christ.  Our testimony, and our love for one another, is pivotal.  Remember Paul's words to the Philippian church: Phil. 1:27-30: ... stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28. and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.  This is no ordinary job.  This is ultimate ministry, announcing the good news that moves men from death to eternal life!