The Bible Study Thread!

[chimney55]

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”



Matthew simply gives a list of the disciples that He is now calling his apostles. You can read these accounts in Mark 3:13–19 and Luke 6:12–16.

Peter was the natural leader. He had energy and excitement. But, he wasn't calm. He pretended to be brave, but he often felt afraid. But Jesus changed Peter. And the Holy Spirit changed him even more. The same man who would deny Jesus three times at his trial died for the sake of the gospel of Jesus.

Andrew was Peter’s brother. Andrew was one of the first men to join Jesus’ group. (Read John 1:37–40.) He brought Peter to Jesus. But Andrew didn't want to be a leader and didn't care if people didn't notice him. (Read John 1:40–42.)

James and John were brothers who were fishermen. James and John were men with strong emotions. They could get very angry (Mark 3:17). They could have too much excitement. (Read Luke 9:54–56.) But John was a man who also thought about things. He was a special friend to Jesus. (Read John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20.) Stephen was the first Christian who died for Jesus (Acts 7). James was the next one (Acts 12:2).

Philip came from Bethsaida which was the same home town as Peter and Andrew. (Read John 1:44.) Philip did not want to be a leader either. He couldn't understand all that Jesus said. (Read John 14:8.) It was the same for the other disciples too. But, he was willing to learn, as Andrew was. (Read John 6:5–7.)

Not much is known about Bartholomew. (Some think that he was the same man as Nathanael.) John 1:45–49 and 21:2 are the only passages about him. Bartholomew was a sincere student of the Hebrew scriptures. He had doubts, but when someone explained the truth to him, he understood it.

Thomas is known to us through the accounts in the gospel of John. (Read John 11:16; 14:5; 20:24–28; and 21:2.) He seemed to feel miserable quite easily. But he was also very loyal to his friends. Thomas was not sure about Jesus, like Nathanael was. But Thomas, too, could understand great truths.

We've already read about the "calling" of Matthew the tax collector. He didn't think that he was clever and was a very humble man. None of the gospel records any of his words, but he was probably the most educated of all of the apostles.

Simon was probably a brave supporter of Israel.

Little is known about James and Thaddaeus.

Judas Iscariot was also one of "the twelve". He saw and heard about God from Jesus Himself for 3 years and yet learned nothing.

After calling his disciples, He sent them out giving instructions on where to go. They were not not to go to the gentiles or the Samaritans. (Samaritans were considered a low class of people by the Jews since they had intermarried with non-Jews and did not keep all the law.) Although He would eventually show that the gospel was for all, His immediate concern was for the "lost sheep of Israel" who had been given prophecies of His coming and were supposed to be looking for Him. They were to go out performing miracles--healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, and driving out demons. They were not supposed to ask for payment for these miracles. Why not?

He told them to go out bringing very few possession with them. They weren't to bring money, or extra clothes, shoes, or staff. He said that "the worker is worth his keep". What did He mean? He had already told them not to accept money for the miracles.

In verse 14, He gives instructions for what they are to do if anyone doesn't welcome them or listen to their words, they are to leave and dust off their sandals. If the harvest is plenty, why would Jesus tell them to do that? Didn't He want those people to be saved? Can we see an application in our lives today?

Verses 16-42 were His warning (and instructions) to them and to many other "disciples" to come. The verses were also prophetic for the apostles to whom He was speaking. They DID appear before governors and kings were they were called to witness to source of their faith. They WERE flogged in synagogues and brutalized by fellow Jews. Jesus tells us that giving the gospel to the unsaved will not always make us friends. In fact, it will many times get people to treat us as enemies. First Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. While I realize that we are to "plant seeds", but no where in scripture are we told to hang around to wait to water the seeds and then be there for the harvest. If a worker did that with every seed that he planted, no real work would get done for years.

Jesus also said, 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Those of you who have committed your life to Christ have possibly seen this in your own families where the subject of Christ is seen as a division. This is so and will continue to be so until the end. Are you sacrificing your witness for Christ to "keep the peace"?

 

[chimney55]

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

John the Baptist had been imprisoned by this time by Herod. (Mark 6:17-18). He could apparently have visitors who had told him that of the things that Jesus was doing. He thought that Jesus was the messiah, but he was puzzled because he (like many others) thought that messiah was going to come as a judge. (He didn't realize that Jesus would come first as a sin offering for the world and would have to die and rise again.) Jesus reassured him, through John's followers, that Jesus was fulfilling prophecies from Isaiah (29:18–19; 35:5–6 and 61:1–2.)


7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:


‘ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’


Other than Jesus' birth, John the Baptist is the only New Testament prophet who's birth was announced in the Old Testament. (Malachi 3:1)



11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:


‘ We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”



This portion has been much discussed by many and there isn't always agreement. The "violence" spoken of meant a "taking by force". Jesus is saying that since John the Baptist began his preaching, people were taking the kingdom by force. This is probably because the scribes and Pharisees taught that sinners would have no right to the kingdom of messiah. Tax-collectors, harlots, and other sinners however heard the message of repentance and were taking it by force for themselves (through the power of the Holy Spirit). The people that the scribes and Pharisees thought would not be in the kingdom of messiah would turn out to be the greatest.

In the next verses, Jesus describes the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. He said that John came along as a prophet fasting and avoiding alcohol and they said that he was "possessed". Jesus came, without fasting and drinking wine and the religious leaders called Him a "glutton" and a drunk. They didn't like their authority slipping through their fingers.

20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be[d] brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”


Jesus came to teach and to heal. The 3 towns that He mentions are all in Galilee. Although most of His "work" was done in Galilee, the majority of the people did not come to believe Him. He says that had He done the same thing in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago. (Tyre and Sidon are in what is known as Lebanon today, but at the time were considered part of Phoenicia. They were considered by the Jews to be very sinful people.) He even says that what He had done in Galilee would have brought Sodom to repentance and they would have been saved from God's judgment.

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The "wise and the prudent" that Jesus is talking about are the "religious" people at the time with their rigid laws without compassion. Jesus thanks His Father that the message is heard by "babes". A small child is guileless. It will believe that miracles can happen before "growing up" and becoming skeptical. In Mark 18:16, Jesus, speaking of children, says that the kingdom of God "belongs to such as these". He's not saying that only children belong to the kingdom of God, but that we must first leave behind the skepticism and "allow ourselves" to believe. How many of us have spoken to atheists who will not even admit to the possibility of the existence of a god, much less the God of the Bible?

Compared to the burden of what the religious leaders were placing on the shoulders of the people to enter into the kingdom (over 600 different laws and a myriad of works), the burden placed by Christ on our shoulders is light. We need to "believe on" Him and repent (agree with God that our behavior is sinful). This doesn't mean to just recognize that He existed as a person, but to trust that He is our only way to salvation, that He is who He said that He was, and that He will keep His promises to us. Unfortunately, there are churches or even other Christians that put new "laws" or burdens on us to tell us what we need to do to be saved.

 

[eHuman]

2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't plainly answer John's disciples with a yes or a no?
John, being a devout Jew knew the scriptures. He knew what the OT said (Isaiah chapters 29, 35, 42, 43 and 61) about the miracles that the Christ would perform when He came.

Jesus' answer in verses 4-6 was in effect, "Go tell John that you see and hear prophesy being fulfilled that Isaiah wrote about years ago.

 

[chimney55]

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't plainly answer John's disciples with a yes or a no?
John, being a devout Jew knew the scriptures. He knew what the OT said (Isaiah chapters 29, 35, 42, 43 and 61) about the miracles that the Christ would perform when He came.

Jesus' answer in verses 4-6 was in effect, "Go tell John that you see and hear prophesy being fulfilled that Isaiah wrote about years ago.

Yes, John knew the prophecies, but it's not likely that almost everyone (Jews included) would recognize this 2000 years later.

 

[eHuman]

I think that the reason Jesus answered in the way he did was because He knew John would understand. He could have said, "Yes I am He". But by answering with, "Tell John what you see and hear, the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up". Those were the signs of His coming that were previously spoken of. Instead of just saying "yes", He was in effect saying, "Yes, here is the proof you've seen yourself, it testifies that I am He".

 

[chimney55]

I think that the reason Jesus answered in the way he did was because He knew John would understand. He could have said, "Yes I am He". But by answering with, "Tell John what you see and hear, the blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up". Those were the signs of His coming that were previously spoken of. Instead of just saying "yes", He was in effect saying, "Yes, here is the proof you've seen yourself, it testifies that I am He".

Right. I agree.

 

[chimney55]

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3 He answered,“Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees were looking for excuses to have the people see that Jesus wasn't following the law as they all should do. They said that His disciples were gleaning on the Sabbath which was considered "work" for them. Jesus pointed out that even King David had "broken the law" when he and his men were hungry during battle. (1 Samuel 21:1-6) He also pointed out that the priests who were on temple duty during the Sabbath were violating the Sabbath by working. He said that His disciples were in the presence of something more important than the temple. As the "Son of Man", He was the one who decided what was violating the Sabbath.


9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Here the Pharisees were looking for more excuses to condemn Him. To them, violating the Sabbath was a big "crime" and they saw to it that there were many ways to violate the Sabbath. They asked if it was "lawful" to heal on the Sabbath. Rather than give them a yes or no answer, He pointed out that even they would rescue a sheep that had fallen into a pit and a man was more important than a sheep. By answering this way, the people would see how heartless the Pharisees were being. They began plotting His death.


15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”
Matthew quoted the above passage from Isaiah 42:1-4. Jews would recognize it was talking about the Messiah and see by His normally quiet character that He was fulfilling these verses and not calling attention to Himself. He was also noting that the Messiah would be the Lord of the gentiles (all nations).


22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Pharisees claimed that the miracles that Jesus were doing were by the power of Satan. Jesus explained that Satan would not be working "against himself" (a house divided cannot stand). He also said that they (the Jews) forced evil spirits out of people and asked them by whose power they did them. If they were doing it by the power of God, wasn't it possible that He was doing it by the same power? Jesus stated at that moment that whoever was not with Him was against Him. (This is still true today. You can't be partly with Him. Either a person believes that the only way to the Father is through Jesus or they are against Jesus.) Jesus was getting angry at the Pharisees. Even the common people could recognize, through the Holy Spirit, that what He was doing was God's work. By saying that His miracles were of Satan, they were blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He said that that would not be forgiven. Some people call this the "unpardonable sin". This is the second time in Matthew that He has leveled this charge at the Pharisees.


38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus is now very angry with the Pharisees and calls them a "wicked and adulterous generation" because after all they had seen, they were still asking for a sign. (He knew that for them, no "sign" would suffice. He told them that the only sign that He would give them was the "sign of Jonah". Jonah spent three days in the belly of a great fish and was thought to be dead but he reemerged alive (an allusion to His death and resurrection). He said that the people of Ninevah repented when Jonah preached to them but that someone greater than Jonah was among them. The queen of Sheba had heard of the wisdom of Solomon and had traveled a great distance to speak to him, and someone wiser than Solomon was right among them and they refused to see it. He said that the people of Ninevah and the queen of Sheba would all rise and condemn them for refusing to see who he was.

Continuing with the theme of adultery (in the OT, Israel was considered to be the wife of God. She became guilty of adultery when she started worshiping idols. For her infidelities, she was sent into captivity to Babylon. Although in Babylon, she appeared to have swept clean all of the idols and put everything in order, it had actually become worse. For the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, it was the law that had become their god or their "idol".


46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”


Members of Jesus' family came to see Jesus while He was talking to the people. He used this occasion not to try to insult His family, but to explain that the real family of God is made up of those who follow Jesus.

 

[chimney55]

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”


10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:


‘ Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’ (Isaiah 6:9)

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

I won't go into much detail about the parable because Jesus explains it Himself. But I will point out that Jesus was explaining why He spoke in parables. The prophet Isaiah had known that by the time of the arrival of the Messiah, that the peoples' hearts would have grown dull, they would be hard of hearing (stubborn), and blind (by choice). Only those who were open would understand His messages "with their hearts".

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

This parable which is explained by Jesus later in the chapter is talking about the end-time harvest. There are tares mixed in with the wheat. Rather than risk uprooting the good seed, He will wait until it's time for the harvest. (Tares were a type of weed that resembled wheat. Often when they were young, it was difficult to tell them apart. I wasn't until the wheat was bearing fruit, that workers could tell the difference between the two.) At the harvest, Jesus will send workers to remove the tares and leave the wheat remaining (for entry into the Millennial Kingdom).

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

He told them again that the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. Where Jesus grew up, there were lots of mustard bushes. The seed was one of the smallest seeds but could grow into a bush that was 12-15 feet tall. It would be so big that birds would be able to nest in it. Jesus' kingdom would also start out small but grow to where many could find their rest in it. His kingdom will eventually become "the whole world".

The next parable illustrates the same point. If anyone has ever baked bread, they know that the amount of leaven (yeast) used is practically insignificant compared to the amount of flour used. A small amount is enough to leaven the entire batch.

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:


“ I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Again, Jesus is explaining why He is using parables--it was in fulfillment of scriptures. In this case, Psalm 78:2.

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

See Matthew 24:36-41.

44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.


45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

These two parables are talking about the kingdom as something priceless--worth more than anything that we currently possess. The first may seem a little strange to us in this day of "modern banking". However, the common people of Israel had no access to banks at the time. If a person had something of value, he would frequently bury it. Oftentimes, when people were being attacked, they would bury their valuables so as not to have to bring them with them and hope to come back one day to dig it up. The man in verse 44 is probably a poor man who is working the soil for someone else. When he found the treasure, he knew that nothing else that he had was as important so he sold everything that he had to get it. (Contrast this to the rich young man earlier in Matthew who wouldn't sell all that he had to join Jesus.)

The merchant in verses 45-46 isn't a poor man, but he realizes that the kingdom of Heaven is more important than anything that he has acquired thus far.

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Again here, Jesus is describing what will happen when He returns the second time, with the angels separating the "wicked from the just" (those who refused to believe from believers) with the wicked being cast "into a furnace".

53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

These are the people who were around when Jesus grew up. They knew His mothers, sisters, brothers, and step-father. And, yet, they were astonished by what He was saying and doing. If He had been doing "miraculous things" even as a child as some people purport, word would have obviously gotten around. It wasn't a huge community. They doubted that He could be the Messiah and He did not do many works there because of their unbelief. ( Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.)

 

[chimney55]

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.
8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”
9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

The name "Herod" is mentioned a few times in different gospels. There was more than one Herod. The one mentioned in this passage was Herod Antipas who was the son of "Herod the Great". (Herod the Great was ruler over Israel at the time of Jesus' birth. He was the one who gave the order for all of the boys in Bethlehem under a certain age to be slain. He also murdered his eldest son and died after a bungled suicide attempt.) ANYWAY, Herod Antipas was supposedly Jewish but he wasn't following Jewish law. First, he'd committed adultery with a married woman (Herodias), then he divorced his wife with just cause, and he married Herodias who was his half-brother's wife--all contrary to Jewish law. John the Baptist pointed out to the people all of the sin in Herod's life, so to "hide" his sin, he had John the Baptist imprisoned. He was afraid that if he had him killed that the people would revolt against him. In prison, at least he would be silenced. However, Herodias hated John the Baptist as well. For Herod's birthday, Herodias had her daughter (actually Herod's niece) dance for the ruler at his "birthday party". The "party" was attended by many powerful people. Herod was so pleased with the dance (can anyone else see shades of incest here?), that he foolishly promised Salome anything that she desired. She didn't know what to ask for so her mother suggested that she ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod couldn't go back on his oath especially in front of his guests so he granted her wish. We see here that often when we try to cover our sins from others that this can lead to greater sin. (Salome was probably between 13-15 years old at the time. She could have refused to dance for her step-father/uncle. She could have refused to demand John the Baptist's death. She made her choices. She later married her great-uncle.)

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and[c] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

While these two events were actual miracles that happened, they can also serve as "parables" to teach us truths. The first was when Jesus tried to go off by Himself. Remember, although He was God in the flesh, He was also human as well. His cousin John had just been horribly killed. He wanted to be alone. But the multitudes wouldn't let Him. He had compassion on them and continued healing them. The disciples had had enough of them and wanted to send them away saying that the people needed to eat. Jesus told them to feed the crowd. They replied that they didn't have enough food to share with everyone. This is when Jesus took the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, blessed them and gave the pieces to His disciples to distribute. When everyone had eaten their fill, there was an abundance of leftovers! This was after feeding 5000, plus the women and children. What we can learn from this is that Jesus can (and will) supply our needs. He won't always supply our "wants", though. (Maybe some in the crowd would have wanted a gourmet meal, but what they got supplied their needs.) Secondly, we can see that if Jesus tells us to do something, He will provide the necessary. (If He calls, He also equips.)

After this, Jesus told the disciples to take the boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Then He dismissed the crowd so that He could be alone to pray (talk to His Father) on the mountain. When He finished, the boat was in the middle of the sea and was being tossed by waves. He had spent most of the night on the mountain by Himself praying as it was the "fourth watch" (between 3am-6am) when He began walking out to the boat. The disciples thought that He was a "ghost". Jesus calmed their fears by telling them it was Him. Peter then said that if it was truly Jesus then to command him to walk on water as well. Peter was, at this moment, putting His faith (trust) in Jesus. However, as he began to walk on water, he took his eyes off of Jesus to see what his situation was and began to sink. (He wasn't putting his faith in Jesus anymore, but in himself and he knew that what he was doing was "impossible".) He called out to Jesus to save him which Jesus did and they both got safely into the boat.

From this event, we can learn 5 things.

1) In verse 27, in the Greek, when Jesus identified Himself, He used the name "I AM", i.e. "It is I AM coming to you." This was the name that God had told Moses to use to identify Him (Ex 3:14). So, Peter knew what Jesus was saying. This is why he asked the seemingly impossible because he had faith.

2) A person with faith will use all of life's opportunities. They can be used for spiritual growth and they can be used to give God praise and glory. The disciples were in danger of sinking in the boat. Jesus showed that he was God and that He had control over the elements of nature. They clearly recognized for the first time that Jesus WAS God. When He came onto the boat they fell down and worshiped Him.

3) Verse 26 shows us that a person with faith will not be too afraid to act in the way that he/she should.

4) A person with faith may have to pass through many "tests" in this life. (God does not "test" us, but He will allow trials to come into our lives for our spiritual growth and to build our faith). Many people will speak against Peter for displaying a lack of faith. But, how many of us do the same thing? We will begin in faith with our eyes on Jesus, but then we will "see" the situation that we're in and take our eyes off of Jesus. There will be fears and doubts in any believer's life. The key is to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we get through our storm, we will see how much further we have come simply by focusing on Him.

5) A person with faith will show it by trusting Jesus completely. When Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!", Jesus immediately put out His hand to him. Only Jesus has the "resources" to save us. Only He can make our faith strong. We must always look to Him and we must always come to Him. He can't help if we won't ask.

**extra note on faith: Many people have faith (trust). Some have faith in government, in other gods, in themselves, in preachers, etc. Contrary to the teachings of some "preachers", it's doesn't how much faith a person has. What matters is who their faith is in.

34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

The only thing that I will add is that Jesus continued His healing ministry. Those with faith (in Jesus) believed that if they could only touch the hem of His garment that they would be healed. I haven't found in scripture that I've found that this was passed on to any of the apostles or disciples. "Healing cloths" or "healing hankies" are unscriptural.

 

[LisaLisa]

Where's the bible study lady at?????????

 

[chimney55]

Where's the bible study lady at?????????

I"m sorry. I've had some "physical challenges" this past week. I'm hoping to feel well enough to take it up again tomorrow afternoon or Monday. Sorry!

 

[lmrasch]

I"m sorry. I've had some "physical challenges" this past week. I'm hoping to feel well enough to take it up again tomorrow afternoon or Monday. Sorry!

Father God, touch chimney's body....strengthen her in her weakness, raise her up, encourage her, speak to her and through her...

Romans 8
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

We praise you Lord, you are ever interceding for us....bless our sister

 

[LisaLisa]

Father God, touch chimney's body....strengthen her in her weakness, raise her up, encourage her, speak to her and through her...

Romans 8
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

We praise you Lord, you are ever interceding for us....bless our sister

AMEN! Please heal this precious sister Jesus, we need her!

 

[blondeambition3]

AMEN! Please heal this precious sister Jesus, we need her!

Yes! In Jesus' name we all pray in agreement for our precious sister! Amen!

 

[chimney55]

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

9 They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” (Isaiah 29:13)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”

We continue to see confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders and will continue to see it up until the crucifixion. Matthew said that that they came from Jerusalem. Soon, it would be the 3rd Passover since the beginning of His ministry. They were probably looking for new "evidence" to condemn Him should He show up in Jerusalem for Passover. They pointed out that His disciples were eating without washing. This did not mean necessarily that they had dirty hands, but that they had not followed the method of ceremonial washing before meals that had been devised by the religious leaders. The priests were able to eat the sacrifices brought to the temple but must be "clean" before eating. They developed a complicated method of washing their hands. Later, this "tradition" of washing was applied to all Jews who wanted to appear religious. The person washing their hands would hold them out with the fingers pointing up while someone else poured water over them. As the water poured down the fingers, the water would become "unclean". Then, they would turn their fingers downward and more water would be poured over them so that the water would run over downward. (The Jews required that the water be at least enough to fill 10 eggs.) Finally, they would rub each fist in the other hand. Very strict Jews would do this between each part of the meal!

This was "tradition" and tradition had taken the place of God's laws which Jesus then pointed out to them. Instead of answering their question, He said that the law said that a person should honor their father and mother. This included taking care of them in their "old age". However, the "religious leaders" had different ideas. They taught that God had a greater claim on their money than their parents did. They told the people that they could declare their money to be "Corban" (devoted to God) (Mark 7:9). It no longer had to be given to their parents. Of course, the giver was the "manager" of the money and then could do what he wanted to with it. This is where "tradition" came in direct violation of the law of God--and it was done in the name of religion.

Jesus then explained to the crowd (and His disciples) that it wasn't what they put into their bodies that made them 'unclean' (sinful), but rather what came from inside (their hearts). Likewise, sin doesn't come from "outside" although the temptation might. Sin comes to us when our hearts make a decision (whether consciously or not) to do what we know is wrong.

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This is a short passage. The woman was a Canaanite, therefore not a Jew. It would seem that Jesus was "brushing her off" because she wasn't Jewish. However, we've already seen where Jesus felt compassion and healed others who weren't Jewish. This was done "for the benefit" of His disciples so that they would see that He came to the "Jew first, but also to the gentile". And they would be expected to do the same.


29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

Jesus fed a crowd of 4000 in the same way that, in Matthew 14, He fed a crowd of 5000. Why would Matthew record such a similar miracle twice? The answer is that the first time that He fed a multitude, it was when He was "wrapping up" His teachings among the Jews. Here, in Matthew 15, He is on the gentile side of the Sea of Galilee. He had come for both the Jews and the gentiles.

 

[LisaLisa]

Looks like I have some reading to do in the morning..........thanks Chimney! I hope you're feeling better!

 

[chimney55]

Looks like I have some reading to do in the morning..........thanks Chimney! I hope you're feeling better!

Thanks, Lisa. I'm feeling better. We'll see how it goes. (((hugs)))

 

[chimney55]

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

The Pharisees and the Saducees had already witnessed many signs that Jesus was from God.
-No one spoke like he did. (Matthew 7:28–29)
-He had done many miracles.
-He controlled nature. (Matthew 8:27)
-The evil spirits knew who He was. (Matthew 8:29)
In other words, His whole life and work were testimony proof enough.

He said that the only other sign that He would give them was the sign of Jonah (He also would be "buried" and "come back" on the 3rd day.


5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The next was an important lesson for the disciples. Jesus mentioned the "yeast" of the Pharisees and the Saducees. Yeast is often used as a "picture" in scriptures. A small amount added to a large mixture will soon affect the whole batch. Most often (but not always) yeast is used as a picture of sin. Jesus knew that how a person thinks will affect the way that they act. And a persons actions will affect the way that they will teach. The way that the Pharisees and Saducees thought affected their way of reacting to Jesus.

The disciples wrongly thought that He was chastising them for not bringing bread. He showed them that He knew what they were thinking and that He was warning them that if they listened to and kept the thoughts of the Pharisees and the Saducees it would affect their view of Him and His teachings.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

When they arrived near Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked them a question about who people thought that He was. They began giving the answers that they had heard (other than the answers of the reactions of the Pharisees and Saducees). The people thought that He was a great teacher, and probably on of the prophets of the past, or even John the Baptist reincarnated.

Then, He asked who they thought He was. Peter spoke up saying that Jesus was the Messiah. Note: The Jewish people were expecting the Messiah to come to defeat their "enemy" forever. They believed that He would be the prophet spoken of by Moses.(Deuteronomy 18:15, 18). They also believed that Messiah would be a priest forever (Psalm 110:4). They believed that He would be king forever (Psalm 2:6). The Jews (including the disciples) were not expecting Jesus to die. They saw the Romans as their "enemy"---not sin, Satan, or death. Jesus blessed Peter and renamed him. (before he was called Simon). Jesus said that Peter had not known who He was because He had "figured it out", but because it had been revealed to him by the Father through the Holy Spirit. Peter's new name was "Petros" which meant rock (possibly because he was the only person "strong" enough to speak and say what the others were probably thinking). In the same verse, Jesus said "on this rock (which in the Greek was "petra" not "Petras") He would build His church. Jesus was not saying that He would build His church on Peter. Jesus is the only "rock" that the church can be built on if the gates of Hades would not overcome it. (Petra also means "rock" but a mass of rock, not just a boulder.) Remember, until the death and resurrection of Jesus, ALL people went to Hades--just on different sides. One side was for believers by faith who had looked forward to the Messiah, and the other side, those who hadn't.

Jesus' next statement has been a source of contention for years. Man cannot forgive another one's sins against God (and ultimately ALL sins are against God.) No man can judge the heart of another. He was not giving the apostles that right or ability either. Being men, they would also be liable to mistakes and sins in their own conduct. But that they KNEW who Jesus was, what He taught, and the road to salvation (or destruction) that was what they would not err in. This binding and loosing, in the common language of the Jews, signified to forbid and to allow, or to teach what is lawful or unlawful. (and not to allow the "yeast" of the Pharisees to enter in.)

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Now, that they were beginning to realize who He was, He let them know more. He would go into Jerusalem where He would suffer and be killed and rise on the third day. This was not in keeping with who they expected Messiah to be--a conqueror and king forever. Peter said that that couldn't possibly happen. Jesus rebuked Peter saying "Satan" should get behind him. He wasn't calling Peter Satan, but anything that stood in the way of God's will would be of Satan. It was time for people to take another look at death and what the Father's ultimate will was, not of human selfishness.

Jesus' next statement is another that is argued about among members of the church. Some say that upon Jesus' ascension, that He came into His kingdom. (But then, only one of the disciples had tasted death by that time.) Others believe that it was a reference to the transfiguration witnessed by 3 of the disciples a few days later with Jesus standing and conversing with Moses and Elijah.

 

[Blue Knight Max]

Oh I can say about you folks is WOW!!

Thank You Jesus!!

The Blue Knight

 

[blondeambition3]

Oh I can say about you folks is WOW!!

Thank You Jesus!!

The Blue Knight

Welcome Blue Knight! Always great to see another 'Brother' in Christ!