42-Matthew 10 – 24

Matthew 10 – 24

Oct. 10, 2009

We will continue our study this week in the Gospel of Matthew. Last week we finished up the Old Testament and began The New Testament with the first nine chapters of Matthew. This week we will continue with Matthew’s account of the Life of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 10 Jesus had completed His group of twelve disciples and had given them the authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. Jesus then gave the men instructions to go out only to the lost sheep of Israel and preach to them the gospel of the kingdom. At this time they were not to enter Samaria or to go to the Gentiles. They were told to take little supplies and live off the hospitality of the people they met. Jesus told them their task was not easy. He said in verse 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” The men were told they would be persecuted, but they should not fear because God went with them. He even had each hair on their heads numbered. The Lord told them that following Him could break up families. Jesus must become first in their lives. He said in verse 38-39 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus also said at the end of the chapter that there will be a reward for those that serve Him. In the beginning of Chapter 11 John the Baptist had been imprisoned and had asked the disciples if Jesus was really the Christ. Jesus sent him a reply that told him that He was who He said He was. He then spoke to the crowds of people about John and what he had come to do for Him. Jesus then went on to denounce the cities where He had performed miracles but the people did not repent. Jesus then spoke a prayer to His Father and told all people in verse 28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

    In Chapter 12 Jesus continues His war of words with the Pharisees when they complained He broke the law of the Sabbath. It was not lawful for Him and His disciples to pick and eat grain from the field during the Sabbath day. Jesus reminded the Pharisees of the time David and his men broke into the House of God and ate the showbread when they were hungry. He told them in verse 7-8 “But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus then challenged the Pharisees on if was lawful to heal on the Sabbath? He went on and healed and the Pharisees conspired together to destroy Him. When Jesus healed a demon possessed man and the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons in the name of the Devil. He told the Pharisees that the Devil would not cast out one of his own. He said in verse 30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” He told them also in verse 36-37 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to see signs from Jesus or they would not believe. Jesus told them the only sign they would see is the sign of Jonah. He said as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish so would He be in the earth. This spoke of His coming Death and resurrection. When Jesus was told at the end of the chapter that His mother and brothers were looking for Him He turned to His disciples and said all those who follow Me are My family.

Jesus then went out in Chapter 13 by the sea and spoke to the crowds in parables. He did this because of the rejection of Him by the scribes and Pharisees. Only those that believed would be able to understand the spiritual implications of His stories. He did explain His words to His disciples. The Pharisees were predicted to reject the Messiah by the prophet Isaiah. Jesus told His followers that they would be blessed and understand what they heard. Jesus then explained the first parable and told the people another parable. This parable was about tares in the crop of wheat. Believers and unbelievers would be allowed to live together until the harvest when their difference became obvious. Jesus then spoke other parables about the mustard seed and leaven. He also told the people in parables how valuable faith in the Lord will be in the end. At the end of the chapter Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth and was rejected by the people there. Chapter 14 spoke of a sad day for Jesus when He was told of the execution of John the Baptist. He was killed by King Herod at the request of his stepdaughter for her mother’s anger over John’s words against her adulteress marriage to the king. Jesus then withdrew to Himself, most likely to pray, then returned and healed all those that followed Him out of compassion. It was late when His disciples came to Him and said the people needed to be sent away so they could eat. Jesus said they did not have to go and told the disciples to feed the crowd. They had nothing to give and could only find five loaves of bread and two fishes. They brought them to Jesus and He gave thanks and broke the bread. He divided the bread and fish and had His men distribute the food. Five thousand men, not including the women and children were fed from the small amount of food. With God nothing is impossible! Jesus then told His disciples to take a boat to the other side of the sea while He sent the crowds away. Jesus went alone to the mountain to pray and saw the boat in the middle of the sea being tossed by the waves. He walked across the sea to His men in the boat. When they saw Jesus they were afraid and believed they saw a ghost. Jesus told them not to fear and Peter asked if he could come to Him. Peter also walked on the sea as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. He turned away and began to sink and cried out “Lord save me”. Jesus took his hand and they both stepped into the boat. As soon as they were in the boat the sea calmed to the amazement of the men. They declared in verse 33 “You are certainly God’s Son!” In Chapter 15 the Pharisees complained to Jesus that His disciples were breaking with the tradition of the elders. They were looking for the smallest transgression to accuse Jesus and His followers. Jesus rebuked them and called them blind guides. He said it is not what enters a man’s mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth. He explained to His disciples that whatever comes from a man’s mouth comes from his heart. After this a Gentile woman came to Jesus for healing for her demon possessed daughter. Jesus told the woman He had come for Israel but she was persistent. By her words Jesus knew she possessed faith in Him. For this reason He healed the woman’s daughter. Jesus went on to heal all in the crowds around Him and also feed four thousand again with only a small amount of food. In Chapter 16 the Pharisees again asked Jesus for a sign and again He gave them the example of Jonah then left them. His disciples came to Him across the sea and were concerned because they had brought no bread. Jesus replied to them in verse 6 “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They were confused and Jesus reminded them how He fed the four thousand with nearly nothing. The spiritual lesson for them was to not become like the Pharisees and Sadducees by listening to their teaching. Jesus then asked His disciples who they thought He is? They replied Elijah, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. Peter finally stood up and said in verse 16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then blessed him and said it was His father that had revealed this truth to him. He said that in verse 18 “upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” After this Peter turned around and spoke against the Lord’s death and was rebuked by Jesus in verse 23 “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” At the end of the chapter He told His disciples to count the cost of their decision to follow Him. Acceptance of Christ is not always an easy road to follow. After six days in Chapter 17 Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the summit of a mountain and changed to show them His true Glory. Moses and Elijah also came and spoke with Him. Peter offered to make three booths for them but the Father spoke from heaven and told the men to listen to His Son. They were afraid but only Jesus was there. On the journey down the mountain they were told to tell no one of this vision until after His death. When they reached the bottom they came to a demon possessed man the disciples were unable to cure. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and healed the man. He told the disciples that He would be given up to the authorities and killed, then raised on the third day. The men became very worried over this revelation. The Pharisees tried to catch Jesus and His followers for not paying a specific tax. Jesus proved that they were exempt but so not to offend He had Peter retrieve a coin from the mouth of a fish and pay the tax. Jesus went back to speaking with His disciples in Chapter 18. They asked Him “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He picked up a child to illustrate His answer. He told them that they must be converted and become like a small child before they were of any use. Jesus required them to have childlike faith and innocence. The greatest is last and anyone who causes a little child to stumble will be condemned. Jesus then used the analogy of removing offending body parts rather than keep them and be condemned to hell. He encouraged them to remove all the stumbling blocks from their lives. He then told His disciples how to settle disputes. Discipline must be done in order and accusations only on the say-so of two or three witnesses. The correction is for healing and restoration, not for punishment or condemnation. He declares in verse 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Then in the end of the chapter He gives Peter a lesson on forgiveness. In Chapter 19 Jesus answered the Pharisees questions on divorce, and then blessed a group of children. Someone came to Jesus and asked what he could do to obtain eternal life. Jesus told him he needed to keep all the commandments. The man believed he had kept each commandment until Jesus told to give up the one thing he coveted most. He could not give up his wealth and went away in sadness. Jesus told His disciples at the end of the chapter that even if they give up everything on earth they will be greatly rewarded in heaven. Jesus illustrated reward in Chapter 20 to His disciples and told them again of His death and resurrection. The mother of James and John came to Jesus to ask Him that her sons be given a place of authority in His kingdom. Like any good mother she wanted the best for her children. Jesus told her they must go through what was facing Him first. They did not know what they were asking for and agreed. Jesus said it was not for Him to decide but was His Father’s choice. Jesus went on to remind them that the last shall be the first and the first shall be the last. The disciples still did not realize that the ways of God were not the ways of man. On the way out of Jericho Jesus restored the sight of two blind men who called out to Him. He did it out of compassion for the men and the faith of their request. In Chapter 21 it was time for Jesus to enter Jerusalem as was foretold by the prophet Zechariah. He sent His disciples to get a young donkey for Him to ride into the city. The prophecy of Zechariah was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts of worship on the back of the animal. His first act upon entering the city was to cleanse the temple of the evil practices that were going on there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and merchants. He said in verse 13 “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” Upon leaving the city for the night He cursed a barren fig tree for not providing fruit to satisfy His hunger. This was also to illustrate to His disciple the penalty for unfruitfulness in their walk with Him. The next day the elders of the people in the temple challenged His authority to teach. Jesus refused to answer them and spoke in parables. He said to them in verse 42 “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?” The Pharisees then plotted to seize Him because His influence had become too great and threatened their authority. In Chapter 22 Jesus directly addressed the Pharisees that sought to seize Him. He continued to speak in parables to them and they would not understand. The spiritual meanings were hidden from them. They tried to catch Him in the taxes that were due Caesar. He asked them to show Him a coin and replied in verse 21“Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” The Sadducees also tried to find fault in Jesus because they did not believe in the resurrection. Throughout the day no one was able to find any fault in Jesus or His answers. Then in Chapter 23 Jesus turned to His disciples and the crowds and spoke directly against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He described eight ways their actions went against the Law they were so proud to uphold. At the end of the chapter Jesus spoke a lament for Jerusalem. In Chapter 24 as Jesus left the temple He told His disciples a prediction that the entire temple would be destroyed in the future. This did occur when the Roman army under Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus then answered His disciples questions on what will happen at His coming at the end of the age. He told them that many would falsely come in His name and mislead many. There will be wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes. He told them not to be frightened because these things must pass and are only birth pangs for what is to come. There will be difficult times ahead; there will be tribulation and a falling away from the faith. By this time the gospel of the kingdom will have been preached to all nations then the end will come. The disciples were told that when they saw the temple desecrated as was revealed as the abomination of desolation in the Book of Daniel there would be a great tribulation where no one would be safe. Jesus said that after this time they would see Him return in the clouds with His angels with power and great glory and set up His kingdom on earth. He told them in verse 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” He also gives them advice in the end of the chapter. He said that no one but His Father knows the hour of His return so all should be prepared and ready for Him to come at any time. Jesus has not come yet so we too should be prepared and ready for His return. This ends our study for this week. Next week we will finish up the Gospel of Matthew and begin the Gospel of Mark.