Bible, NT-12, Gospel 3, Matt 2
Part 1
LESSON 12
THE GOSPEL 3
MATTHEW 2
PART 1
By Rev. G. Evan Newmyer
INTRODUCTION TO LESSON 12
We’re half way through Matthew and we can see how the Foundation takes more time than one would think. Matthew is loaded with information and mysteries regarding the Mercy of God. It’s obvious we must have a grasp on the Mercy of God in order to appreciate the Grace of God.
The kingdom of heaven is Mercy based, the Kingdom of God is Grace based; therefore, Matthew is the basis for Mercy, the element brings us into the Ways of the Father. We want to remember how Matthew is the only writer who uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven”. We are to be holy as our Father by granting Mercy as our Father, thus Mercy and Holiness relate; let us continue with Matthew’s Account.
LESSON 12
THE GOSPEL 3
MATTHEW 2
We pick up where we left off, again we find unbelief stops the work of the Lord in our lives. The same unbelief can be evidenced in one questioning the Bible, or using the words of other unbelievers to condone their unbelief. The downfall of the children in the wilderness was their unbelief; Jude said God destroyed those who believed not (Jude 5). The old man exists by unbelief, the New Man keeps giving us reasons to believe.
And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (13:58).
Unbelief places a wall between the Lord and us, here we find the unbelief prevented the Lord from working in their lives. The works prohibited were the Mighty Works, thus Jesus was able to heal a few sick folks (Mark 6:5). This area is an important issue, to believe or not to is still a matter of choice. Unbelief will disguise itself, yet it still comes from the same source, the old man. Unbelief begins with “well, I don’t see the evidence”, then when clear verses are presented. It changes to “well, it’s not clear enough”, their mind is not willing to believe even when faced with evidence. The deception comes in many forms, one is “I believe it is not….”, which is still unbelief.
The people in this town used the same old nature, they trusted in presumption, but rejected the evidence. They filtered their conclusions through the strongman, if it didn’t equate to the stronghold, they rejected it for the reasoning. Pitiful, sad, yet a warning.
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in Him (14:1-2).
This is the other side of unbelief, Herod’s guilt regarding John the Baptist is exposed, he also has to make a decision. Herod could run to Jesus and seek forgiveness, or hold to his fear, allowing it to produce bitterness. Herod was a Jew, not a Roman, his conclusion about one being raised from the dead before they could do any Mighty Work is interesting. Herod had the right conclusion, but the wrong premise: before we can be used for Mighty Works we must die to the self, and be raised by the power of the Resurrection of Jesus. The disciples did wonderful works before the Cross, they didn’t do Mighty Works. Greater Works and Mighty Works include being Born Again in order to have a spiritual ability by the Spirit of Truth.
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for you to have her (14:3-4)
This describes why John was taken by Herod, and what caused Herod’s fear. Herod knew John was a prophet, but Herod’s lust was greater than his conviction. He knew what he did was wrong, yet he added to the wrong with another wrong, just to keep his lustful pride. Herod was by no means Chosen, but he was nonetheless among the called. Herod made the agreement to follow the Law until the Messiah came, thus John rebukes him according to the Law, yet Herod confused issues, John didn’t begin the Body of Christ, Jesus did.
Herod’s wife, Herodias, was first the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. Herodias had a daughter by the name of Salome; therefore Salome was the niece of Herod. Herodias couldn’t see any real future with Philip, so she allowed her lust to guide her, and she left Philip and married Herod. Herod divorced his first wife, the daughter of Nabataean king Aretas, to marry Herodias. John continually said the marriage was unlawful, since Philip never sought or obtained a bill of divorcement.
Herodias used her beauty to get what she wanted, when she wanted it, her daughter followed her example. Philip never divorced Herodias; therefore, she was living in adultery. Herod condoned the sin to satisfy his lust, and both of them justified their actions. Herod being the leader had more responsibility, his example was a shame to his position. John the Baptist made it clear, both Herod and Herodias were living in an adulterous affair. They had choice presented to them in the rebuke, but instead of taking the rebuke from the mouth of the prophet, they took the head of the prophet. Herod attempted to stop the prophet’s mouth by cutting off his head, but it didn’t stop the words of the prophet, those words were taking their toll.
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet (14:5).
Herod didn’t fear John, rather he feared the people; it would have been better to fear John. This also shows how Herod knew John was a prophet, and he knew the words spoken by the man were coming from God, but he simply didn’t care.
Herod’s father didn’t only kill the innocent children, he was known for killing anyone whom he thought was a threat. The Hasmonaean family, better known as the Maccabees had taken over the priesthood, then some of them illegally took over the kingship. The only people who are God ordained to be both kings and priests are Christians (Rev 1:6 & 5:10). Herod had them all killed, including his Hasmonaean wife Mariamne, along with the two sons she bore him. Even though Herod tried in many ways to placate the Jews, including restoring the temple, the people never did forgive him for destroying the Hasmonaean family. Yet, it was an unlawful act of proclaiming to be priest and king which ruined the kingly order. The Romans would appoint Herod a king, a Gentile appointing a Jew! The further result was young Herod, who disregarded the Law, to do as he desired.
We can see how he feared the people, for the people considered John a prophet. It would be like living the nightmare over again. The people would hate him, as they did his father. Nonetheless, every man is drawn away by his own lust, Herod allowed his to become his ”ruler”.
But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John the Baptist’s head in a charger (14:6-8).
Herod’s lust toward Salome was obvious, and Herodias was going to use it to her advantage. Her mother had preplanned this, (before instructed), then allowed it for the sake of making one request, the head of John. Salome didn’t only dance, she danced naked. Herod was stuck with his vow, he had to do what he really didn’t want to, but not because of the vow alone, but what others might think of him. Keeping a foolish vow based on what others might think, is bowing to please man.
Herodias prostituted her daughter before the king, to get her own way. There are various degrees of being self-centered, Herodias is the epitome of the self-based, self-serving mind. Her example is our warning, any of us can fall into the trap of prostituting the gift to get our own way (James 1:14).
And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her (14:9).
Herod was caught with his own oath, his foolish vow came as result of his lust ruling him. Herod loved to hear John talk, thus just hearing the words, or reading the Bible doesn’t bring faith, faith comes to ears desiring to hear and obey words of Life of the Spirit. Herod could have rebuked Salome, but his lust and pride ruled. He excused his lust, his oath, his position, and delivered up the prophet unto death to protect his pride. We can kill prophets in many ways, discouragement is as deadly as a gun; stones of theological abuse hurt as much as stones made of brick.
The last thing in Herod’s mind was the request of Salome, yet the enemy is the father of all terrorists. The enemy never attacks where you expect it, or when you expect it, rather in order to induce his terror he attacks where we don’t expect, in a manner we’re not expecting. The Holy Ghost is fully able to warn us of things to come, and give us words for the moment, far better to mind the Spirit, than the flesh.
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus (14:10-12).
The question arises, Why didn’t Jesus raise John from the dead? John had a job, when his was finished, he had a testimony. Jesus knew where John would be, the place for John was much better for John, for Jesus, and the for the people.
If God is no respecter of persons, and He released Peter from prison, why not John? Purpose, thus we need discernment. The first premise is knowing God has purpose, He had purpose in the Fall, He even purpose in Judas. Judas is used as an example of someone who enters the Mercy of God, yet rejects the premise and falls back to perdition, thus he has purpose. Not saying God made Judas act, only God saw it, as well as seeing Judas was going to do, what Judas was going to, thus God worked it into the plan for the good of those called, and to those who love God.
John the Baptist knew he had to decrease in order for Jesus to increase; however, the people wouldn’t allow John to decrease (Jn 3:30). Jesus had the power to save John, but Jesus also had the power to save Himself, it was better to complete the will of God, than the will of man.
When Jesus heard of it, He departed there by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities (14:13).
Mark tells us the disciples of Jesus returned, then Jesus took them to a desert place so they could rest (Mark 6:31). Luke shows the location was near Bethsaida, on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. John the Apostle finishes this by telling us this was near the second Passover during the earthly ministry of Jesus (Jn 6:4).
The death of John the Baptist coexisted with his ministry. John’s death explains why we don’t see anyone else water baptized in John’s name, as well as not seeing anyone water baptized until Pentecost. The time of John’s ministry and baptism was limited, it ceased because it served its purpose (Acts 19:3).
The time of the earthly ministry of Jesus is defined by the Passover’s; the First Passover Jesus cleaned the temple of those who sought gain off the Dove (Jn 2:13). The Second Passover was the teaching on the Bread of Life, at the time some of the disciples were so offended, they left Jesus and followed Him no more (Jn 6:66). On the Third Passover Jesus cleaned the temple again, only this time it was because of the failure to make it a House of prayer (Mark 11:17). Jesus went to the Cross on the Third Passover ending the earthly ministry; therefore, the earthly ministry was just over two years. We count one year from the First Passover, to the second, giving us one year; then another year from the Second to the Third giving us two years, and the Third Passover ended the earthly ministry. Some see “three Passovers”, and say, “must have been three years”, but it doesn’t take into consideration the fact of the first Passover beginning the ministry, the time was still within the 40 day wilderness experience (Jn 1:35, 1:43, 2:1, 2:13 & 3:24). Here we are near the half way point, the disciples will be half way across the sea, when the challenge approaches, what to do? Jesus gave them the example, continue on.
To assume Jesus wandered off to mourn John’s death, would also assume Jesus had no idea of where John would be. Not so, we see from the verses Jesus knew John would be among those taken Captive. Jesus wasn’t sad for John, rather Jesus was sad for those who beheaded John.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick (14:14).
The people also knew John the Baptist was just beheaded; prior these same people heard no greater man had been born of a woman (natural conception process) than John the Baptist. With John’s death the entire hope of the people rested in Jesus, yet if they can kill John, what’s next?
And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals (14:15).
Often the winds on the sea were so great at night, no fishing boats could dare be caught on the water. We can see how the disciples felt they were being benevolent with their regard for the people; however, they also wanted the people to leave to fend for their selves. Jesus had another plan in mind, one showing the disciples the source of their need. In this case the disciples had a problem, they went to the bag, checked the books, looked into their own pockets, yet there wasn’t near enough to buy for all these people, thus it seemed reasonable to send them away to gain their own need. What seemed reasonable, was really a sign of unbelief, all they had to do was say “Lord what would you have us do?”.
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give you them to eat. And they said unto Him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes (14:16-17).
The disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away, but Jesus said, No, You take care of them. Prior to this the disciples went into cities, preaching and being cared for, now it was time for them to give as they received; however, the reality and facts said it was impossible, they had nothing to give. Mark shows they had five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:38), Luke shows the same (Luke 9:13).
In John we find this was a test, although it was for all the disciples, Philip was the central figure of the testing (Jn 6:5-6). At the same time there stood Judas, the holder of the bag. No one asked, “hey, how come there isn’t enough money?”. Even on the night of the Passover the disciples felt Judas was going out to buy something for the poor, he did have the bag you know (Jn 13:29). John also tells us the five loaves and two fish came from a lad, yet Philip looked to his group for the need, Jesus saw it in the people (Jn 6:9).
Jesus tempted Philip, but we are told God will not tempt us with evil, could we form a doctrine regarding Jesus, based on the premise? Yes, but it would be false, since the tempting of Philip was for Good, not evil. The word Tempt has two edges, one exposes to bring a testing to our faith, the other is evil to draw us away from God. In this case the test was to expose something in Philip and the others, thus it was a test sent by Jesus but received as a temptation in Philip’s mind. If Philip would have said, “tell me what to do Lord, and I will”, it would remain as a test. The same Greek word means either a test or temptation, it came from Jesus as a test, thus Philip’s reception made it a temptation for him. Philip went to the place of money, thus he determined the ability on money, not Jesus. The deceitfulness of riches is the thought of money curing our ills; Jesus was going to show Philip the Provision could be obtained without money. A tough lesson for most people, since we are raised to depend on money as our source.
Andrew looked at the five loaves and two fish, and said, “but what are they among so many?” (Jn 6:9). Andrew looked at the product before it was blessed, but found after the blessing it was more than enough. The deeper lesson is also the most obvious: it’s not what we start with, it’s whether or not the Lord has blessed it. We tend to look upon ourselves and say, “what am I among so many?”, but Jesus takes, blesses, brakes, and puts us back into service, producing more than enough to do the job.
The five fish didn’t become fifty fish, the two loaves didn’t become two hundred, they simply kept producing until all was complete. Some contend over the feeding, calling it a fable, but they miss the lesson, there are those who think if they can’t do it, neither can Jesus. The lesson goes far beyond the natural, the Fish represent the Spirit, the Bread the Body, Jesus takes, breaks, blesses and builds; the Body will start with these disciples (less Judas), and continue to grow from the basis.
He said, Bring them here to Me. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude (14:18-19).
Whether it was dirt or grass, the people had to sit, thus becoming a symbol of humbleness. Mercy like belief is a decision and choice on our part, Mercy demands a humble heart ready to receive; forgive and love regardless of the event or person. Jesus didn’t look at the bread or fish, He looked to the place where all blessings come. The Law says, The Lord will bless the Bread and Water, taking sickness away from the midst of us (Ex 23:25). In this case we find the Bread representing the Body, the Water as Mercy, the testing humbleness (Deut 8:2).
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children (14:20-21).
Jesus didn’t turn the stones into Bread, He made the Bread multiply, yet it began and remained Bread. However, those who received attempted to make Jesus turn the stones into bread. John refers to this feeding when it became a test for the people; after the feeding Jesus went to the other side. The people followed, not for the Word’s sake, rather it was for their belly’s sake (Jn 6:15-26). The people challenged Jesus demanding Manna (Jn 6:34-43); in essence the people are “praying the Scriptures”, they used Scripture in talking to Jesus, but they were also attempting to manipulate Him into doing something they wanted, rather than seek what Jesus wanted. The test was on them, but they were attempting to tempt Jesus.
And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away (14:22).
The disciples wanted to send the people into villages, based on the torment of the sea at night. Now we add the word Obedience to the concept of faith, thus we find faith without obedience and endurance will fall apart in the storm. When the disciples were handed the Bread and Fish they obeyed and gave, now their obedience was not based on what was in hand, now the future, they were going to the other side.
Luke adds to this, showing just prior to the disciples leaving, they were with Jesus for a short period of time. At the time the disciples were asked “Whom say the people I am?” (Luke 9:18). This is different from Matthew 16:13 based on the location, timing and the answer, thus they were asked this question more than once. In Luke, Peter answered the question by saying, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20), and in John 6:69 and in Matthew the answer grows to, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16); however, in Matthew it would be the second time Peter would use the phrase. The first time was the day after the feeding in John 6:69, at the time it was a revelation from the Father as an incentive to remain with Jesus, rather than leave as did some of the others. This is another area helping us to understand why Jesus asked Peter the three questions after the Resurrection.
Peter made statements with his mouth, but they were hardly confessions. Peter needed something based on a confidence in order for his statements to be a Confession. There is much more to Godly belief than an natural intellectual view, or an assumption of belief. Godly Belief must include a firmness in God, a confidence of God being our source, with the Spirit providing a manner of life that proving it.
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone (14:23).
Did you see it? See what? Jesus sent the people away, but not before He took care of them. There is a time to separate from the multitudes, but not before they have received the Bread of Life. The disciples simply didn’t want to be bothered, Jesus wanted to pray for the people. We never see Jesus pray before He teaches, but we often see Him pray after.
Luke adds to the events, thus Matthew shows the addition was proper, rather than some addition by an over zealous scribe (whatever it means – Luke 9:18-20). Matthew shows Jesus was alone, indicating the disciples had departed, but Luke shows there was a short period of time prior thereto for a question regarding who Jesus is. This answer will add to the reason Peter walks on the water, and why Peter made the decision.
We must also see when Peter answered the question, his words should have been the basis for the confidence they needed to get to the other side. This one area more than any other proves God has purpose. Jesus said go to the other side, so what if they don’t? They can take the boat tomorrow, not so, obedience was the purpose. They had to learn to obey without question, knowing Jesus already seen them there.
The question to us is, What do we do with the faith in our hands? Peter had a word, then came the testing, isn’t it the way it always is? There are many times when the Door to the testing comes from our own mouths. “Well, I have faith in God, and nothing disrupts me”. Oh man, watch out, there is a boat rocking meeting about to take place.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea (14:24-25).
Here we find some metaphors, the winds (not Wind) are actions to disrupt us, the Sea is the Gentile world, the Boat represents us as Islands. Here the winds were contrary, and contrary winds are sent by the prince of the power of the air to take our minds off the Wind of the Lord. Some have a great deal of trouble believing this experience, but isn’t it the test of belief? Perhaps the evidence of our unbelief is found in our inability to believe Jesus or Peter walking on the water. Simply because we haven’t done it, doesn’t mean Jesus can’t. The interesting element is how Peter never again attempted to walk on water, rather he swam like the rest of us (Jn 21:7). This walking on water by Peter is a far different than Jesus walking on water. For Jesus we find He is above the Seas, the Sand of the Sea, and the Earth. Jesus is still the Word, all things were created by the Word for the Word.
This could present a problem if one looked at Revelation 4:11, causing them to miss the point. Revelation 4:11 shows how the Lord has created, yet we know the Father did the creation, what gives? The Word was the means for Creation, it’s the point. The Creation is in the hands of the Father, but By and For Jesus (The Word), thus we find the Father said “Let there be Light”, projecting the Word, then the Spirit was over the waters, One God all and all, in the beginning of time. Now in the fullness of time we find another creation, the creation (or formation same Greek word) of the New Man through Grace, yet it’s still One God all in all.
Since the Sea is a symbol of the world, we can understand why Jesus tells us, In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. If Jesus has overcome the world, so has His Body, which we are. This would also fit with “all things under His feet”, meaning all things are subject to Him, even the water.
This is more than some tempest in the sea, the winds came, the water rose up against the disciples, then fear entered. As soon as the storm was able to produce fear, they forgot the purpose was to Cross the Sea, not stop half way.
Jesus sent the disciples; therefore, He was fully able to get them to the other side. Now we can see how both Luke’s and John’s accounts show Peter’s confession was being tested, if this Jesus is the Christ, then His commands are able to be carried out. Therefore, saying Jesus is The Christ is one thing, believing it another. It’s easy to tell others to have faith, it’s easy to teach on faith, it’s another to have faith when the Sea attacks.
Mark shows Jesus would have passed the disciples by, except for their cries (Mark 6:48-49). Jesus told them to Go to the other side where He was going there to meet them, yet they heard the sounds of the wrong wind and stopped. Why wouldn’t Jesus stop for them? After all they were His disciples, and they were in trouble. He told them “Go to the other side”, it would have been a lack of faith on His part to entertain the motion of them not obeying.
There are also times we must call out, before we gain the attention of the Lord. Jesus knew the storm was coming, He knew the disciples were in trouble, but they had to know help was at hand, yet they had to ask for it. The sovereignty of God does not dispel the free moral choice of man, it’s activated or deactivated by the decisions of man.
Luke shows Jesus asking the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25). Was their faith in God? Or the storm? Or in their confession? Where was it? In the valleys and storms we must have faith going in, or we will panic in the face of danger. John adds to Luke, supporting Matthew, by telling us Jesus said, “It is I; be not afraid” (Jn 6:20). Their belief and faith were standing before them, all they had to do was recall it was Jesus who put them on the sea; therefore, He was fully able to get them through the storm to the other side (Rom 4:20-21). John also shows the boat was about “twenty or thirty furlongs”, and John was one of those disciples in the boat, as was Matthew. The accepted distance of a Furlong is 220 yards, according to the measurements the boat was about half way, it was just as far to go back, as it was to go on, it’s where most of us face the test. The command was to go to the other side, not walk on the water.
We also have an external paradox, there are those who claim, “well the verses are not in some manuscripts”, as their excuse not to believe. Yet when the verses, such as these showing Jesus walking on the water appear in the manuscripts they say, “well it’s doubtful, it was put in to make a point”, even if the verses are there they still don’t want to believe things beyond their own natural ability. If they can’t walk on water, no one can. If they can’t raise the dead, then no one can. If they can’t speak in tongues, no one can.
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear (14:26).
Here is a perfect example of Jesus being there, yet unbelief yells out “it’s a devil”, thus when the storm hits puny faith assumes the devil brought it. In this case where the storm came from was not the issue, Jesus being there was. The disciples saw Storm, their minds saw destruction, yet Jesus said He would meet them on the other side.
But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be You, bid me come unto You on the water (14:27-28).
Faith came before they entered the boat, now it was time for the application. Some of us think Peter had the courage of a lion with the brains of a rock, but Peter trusted in Jesus, his error was in his purpose and means. In this situation Peter left the Lord no choice; what was the Lord to say? This is one of those areas where we assume Jesus has given us permission, when in fact He has merely responded to a question in the only manner we allowed. We could pray, “Jesus if You are Lord, bid me go”, what’s He going to say “No”? Did Jesus fall for the temptation? Not hardly, He was about to administer a test. When our prayer becomes a temptation unto the Lord, it doesn’t mean the Lord is tempted, it means a Test is on the way back, Peter was going to have his own personal “quail hunt”.
The Sea is now calm, Peter steps out on the water, “Look at my faith boys, I can walk on water”. Peter’s faith was based in what he saw, not obedience. Jesus told them Go to the other side, here Peter is attempting to change the command, but by his experience we find an act of puny faith can put us in danger of drowning. Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, then decided to prove his faith by walking on the water like Jesus. So, what could be wrong with it? The command was not, “walk on water”, but “go to the other side”.
The event would have been different if Jesus was in the boat and told Peter, “Peter, get out and walk on the water”. Our natural faith is productive, but it never reaches the goal. We have access by His (Jesus) Faith, not by our faith (Eph 3:12). We have Life by the Faith of the Son of God, not by our faith (Gal 2:20); yet, without our faith in Jesus we have neither access or life.
Peter walked on the water, not bad, but Jesus exposed the act as puny (little) faith, but why? We can now see why, Jesus told them to go to the other side, it would have been Faith, since it entailed obedience. Well gee, walking on the water also entailed obedience. No it didn’t, Peter’s question only left one answer, it was not, “Lord if it’s your desire bid me to come to you”.
When Jesus told these men they had puny faith it wasn’t to belittle them, but to expose the limit of their measure of faith. We must know our natural faith has a limit, we can twist our natural faith into will power, or attempt to make it spiritual without the Spirit, or we can put it in God, the choice is ours. Our measure of faith is like the Mercy God grants us, it’s a gift, but in our hands, use it accordingly and it becomes beneficial.
And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me (14:29-30).
Peter’s goal was to get to Jesus, but the method he used was not in line with faith, rather it was in line with manipulation. Therefore, the minute the storm spoke, Peter’s attention went right back to the thing he feared the most, thus the storm was able to remove his focus, meaning his effort was based in puny faith. However, puny faith, and no faith at all are different. Paul said, not all men have faith, it’s only the unreasonable and wicked lack faith (II Thess 3:2). God spoke through Isaiah saying, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” (Isa 55:7). Paul’s Greek word translated as Unreasonable means “One out of location”, or “One limited to occupancy”; Isaiah uses a Hebrew word meaning, “Come to naught” or “Vain”, yet the concept is the same. The unreasonable is one who is unteachable, the wicked entered but rather than use faith, they use the he of the world. Both began with the measure of faith, but both cast it off for their own self-interests. However, there is hope, this is still the Day, while it is yet To-day we can change from unbelief to belief, from the self to faith. God added, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isa 55:8). The Ways which are not God’s, are the ways of the Unrighteous, or Unreasonable, the Thoughts not of God, are the thoughts of the Wicked; however, if one is among either of these two classes they can repent, be Born Again and have the thoughts and ways of God by the Spirit (I Cor 2:10-16).
Peter is an example of having a desire, but using the wrong premise. Jesus answering a question which leaves no other answer, is not the same as obeying a command. The failure isn’t the fault of Jesus, it isn’t the fault of the calling or position, it rests in a natural impulse which lacks spiritual discernment. The command was to get to the other side, it was not stop and show your faith half way, thus Peter failed at the command, but like all iniquity it will lead to doing something else, in this case it was the tempting question.
Did Peter know he was tempting the Lord? Not hardly, thus Jesus allowed for the exposure. All this is for Peter’s benefit, and for the sake of Judas. All the disciples were in the boat, including Judas. Jesus didn’t send him by train, Judas was privy to the lesson as well. Peter left the boat with a reasoning, but he didn’t put his faith In God, rather he was attempting to show he was not afraid. This isn’t to belittle Peter at all, but the lesson is written for us, don’t force the Lord to submit to our agenda. Never attempt to do an act to cover our fear, face the fear by faith in God. This is clear by Peter’s reaction when the storm came back, thus when it was calm he was full of courage, when the storm appeared again fear entered, faith vanished.
Peter’s puny faith is also a symbol of putting our faith in the experiences of others. If God is no Respecter of persons, why did Jesus had His three, or treat the Pharisees different than the people, as well as treating the disciples different than the people and the Pharisees? Peter’s shadow healed, but John’s didn’t; Paul was given special power, but John wasn’t. John wrote the Book of Revelation, but Philip didn’t write anything. The phrase, “No Respecter of persons” simply means both Jew and Gentile have right to entry, yet God still treats us a individuals. Just because Paul had special power, doesn’t mean we will. Just because Jesus walked on the water, doesn’t mean we can, or should.
However there is nonetheless Hope, Peter was moving toward Jesus, it’s the saving element in this. Since the desire of Peter was to reach Jesus, Jesus would reach toward Peter, but not without a rebuke from the Lord regarding Peter’s intent. What would have happened if Peter said, “Oh Lord it’s You, what would you have me do”?
And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O you of little faith, wherefore did you doubt? (14:31).
Thank God the result of the lesson shows when we do make mistakes, Jesus is there to pull us up. The intent of Peter was not known to Peter, or he would never have “exercised” his puny faith. This is akin to the same lesson as the prophet who stopped in the road, delaying his call, only in his case he died (I Kings 13:11-20). If Anyone comes to us with a change in plan, unless it’s the Lord with a Proceeding Word we continue on course.
The word Patience is defined by some as “always the same”, but someone can always be a jerk, hardly being Patient. Patience is a type of courage, it means one who stays the course regardless. James tells us we are to ask for God’s Wisdom by faith, then he adds how our faith must work by holding to Patience until we reach the goal; which is staying the course until the Wisdom of God has driven out the wisdom of man. If we hold to the wisdom of man, the wisdom of man will impress us, causing us to get out of the boat, and sink. The wisdom of man is how natural fallen man deals with people and events, even the professionals in the world can’t save our souls, or heal them. It’s takes the Holy Ghost, and the Word (Holy Spirit) in us to heal and save our souls (James 1:21).
Doubt and Unbelief are sisters, but they are not the same. Unbelief maintains the thought of God not being able to begin, it usually hangs on to the thought “if I can’t do it, no one can, not even God”. Doubt is the thought of God not being able to finish what He started, or we are not able to finish what God has given us to do. Unbelief is the enemy of Belief, but Doubt is the enemy of Faith. Peter believed he could, based on what he saw, and heard, but his faith was at issue to reach his hope. The correct hope was getting to the other side, where he would meet Jesus, not meet Jesus half way. Doubt will make excuses to remove the faith, but patience reaches to complete the effort, either blame God for the failure, or venture off in another direction.
Peter and the other disciples were told, Go to the other side, Peter was filled with as much fear as the others when the storm came. Peter’s doubt was not his failure to walk on the water, it was the failure to believe they could get to the other side, doubt is doubt, we can’t do one act, assuming we can ignore our doubt in another. Puny faith attempts to exhibit itself to impress others, even ourselves, while avoiding the call. Great Faith will complete the task, but does it mean we won’t be afraid? Not at all, but we have to recall the command, believing the Lord has seen the result, which gives us the faith to reach the goal. If the Lord said, “try to get to the other side”, it would be much different, but it was not the case. If the Lord has given us a vision, He has seen it “done”, the vision is the basis for our belief, but our faith and patience must reach the goal. Often we have belief, even faith, but lack the patience.
The lesson here is seeing how any of us can paint Jesus into a corner, “If the sun comes up tomorrow Lord, I know I’m suppose to do this”. Great Faith would never have attempted to get out of the boat, it would have finished the course, saying, “see You on the other side Lord”. “Don’t you see, it’s the Lord!”, “Yeah, well we better get going or He will get there before us”; the voice of Great Faith. “I can do things through Christ Which strengthens me” (Ph’l 4:13).
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased (14:32).
Jesus took Peter back to the boat, He didn’t take Peter to the other side, it was still up to the disciples to finish the course. As soon as Peter was safe, the wind stopped, but it didn’t stop when Jesus grabbed him. There are times when the storm is coming from all sides, yet Jesus has us by the hand.
The offense was for Peter’s own good, this one experience was a preview showing Peter it takes more than puny faith to Confess Jesus in the face of adversity. This lesson will be a reminder for Peter, later in the last chapter of John he will be told, “another shall gird you, and carry you where you would not” (Jn 21:18). It came to a pass both on Pentecost when Peter received the Gift, then confirmed when he went to the house of Cornelius where he preached on Jesus and the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:1-48).
In this case we find it wasn’t the confession of fear producing the fear, it was the fear producing the confession. When the storm came again, Peter didn’t say a word, yet the same fear overcame him. Some of us hold fear in the storm, yet claim a mountain top to mountain faith, which is really a fear of the storm (valley). “Yea though I walk on the mountain top of death”, no? “yea though I jump from mountain top to mountain top to avoid the valley”, No? “Yea, though I walk through the valley of death You are with me”, Yeah (Ps 23:4).
Faith not put to the test, is not faith at all. It’s when the storm comes again causing our confessions change from “Praise the Lord, oh my soul” to “it’s a devil, swim for your life”. Puny faith attempts to find blame for the event, rather than gain from it. Jeremiah had the opportunity to seek the Precious or the Vile, both were facing him, one was fact (Vile), the other was truth (Precious), whichever one he sought would determine his stand in the event.
In all the accounts on this experience we can’t find one word how the devil did a thing, the storm, was a storm, but Jesus was there, the fear of the disciples assumed it was the devil. Storms came on a regular basis on the Sea, Jesus knew and took advantage of it for a Purpose. When the storm hits, it’s not time to get out of the boat to prove our faith, it’s time to finish the course showing our faith. Some talk to us about faith, some show us their faith but never say a word (James 2:18). The word “faith” appears over two hundred times in the King James, with only two of those in the Old Testament, so is Faith a New Testament concept? Yes; although many in the Old had faith, the concept of Faith is still New Testament.
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth You are the Son of God (14:33).
Only after they were safe did they worship Him, but if they would have been worshipping prior, the storm wouldn’t have been an issue. It would have nonetheless happened, but it wouldn’t have been an issue. Historically we find a man by the name of John Wesley, who was also on a ship in a storm when he saw a group of people praising the Lord, yet they were not doing it out fear. He saw their faith, and it made a striking impression on Wesley.
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all that were diseased; and besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole (14:34-36).
Prior Jesus cast a devil out of a man in the same area; Mark shows the same man remained to preach the Good Things the Lord has done (Mark 5:19 & Matt 8:28). The preaching planted seeds, the result saw the people bringing their sick to the Lord. This would be after the woman with the issue of blood touched the robe of Jesus, they still received, but receiving a healing and holding Great Faith are different (Mark 5:20 & 5:29-34).
As soon as the miracles, healings or the Word is preached with Authority, along come the Pharisees with moot theological questions regarding traditions and concepts of men.
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread (15:1-2).
People being healed, preaching the Good News, a demon possessed man being set free didn’t move the scribes or Pharisees, but a violation of one of their worthless tradition did. Legalists are legal in all things, the Unbelief of the Pharisees was still Unbelief. They saw what they wanted to see, but refused to see with eyes of belief.
The Tradition was based on a truth, but it missed the point. All traditions are based on some truth, but the concept ignores the truth to give man some excuse to avoid the duty. The tradition of washing was simply a tradition, but the Pharisees wanted Jesus to side with them, or prove their theology superior to the Sadducees. It in no way means it’s wrong to wash one’s hands, it means making a doctrine out of a tradition is. It’s a good idea, but even good ideas can become doctrine, when they should not be.
But He answered and said unto them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition (15:3-6).
There are God centered Traditions, such as Communion, but here the context is Traditions of man. Tradition of men are based in what man thinks God would have said, yet they based in self-righteousness, or an attempt to avoid the commandment. Therefore, traditions of men often begin with some Bible premise, or a point in history, but they add external elements until the Tradition takes on a different premise. The Bible defines the Bible, it will not interpret itself; “Has not the Scripture said”, is a far cry from “I think the Scripture would have said”.
Children are a gift, but Jesus points to the Commandment, showing parents are also a gift. The tradition twisted it into giving money to the Temple, then saying, “it’s my gift”, thus ignoring how parents are a gift. The same is true with water baptism, the Corinthians put the emphasis on who baptized them, rather than why they were baptized. We are told to teach, baptize and teach, but it’s our side of it, as for the candidate, they must believe (Acts 8:36-39 et al). If we remove the “believe” part, we have changed the requirements. If we remove the teach part we change the Commandment and end forming a tradition, which the next generation will make a doctrine.
In this case they took the Commandment, but rather than “honor”, they replaced it with “pay” the temple, let it be your gift.
You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draw near unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (15:7-9).
Their mouth and lips are places where the words of their confession should have mixed with faith, but Jesus showed their “words” were often masked, so He answered their intent. The word Hypocrite is interesting, it’s a compound word meaning Under Judgment, or to Judge under, it shows we judge someone else guilty, while we do the same things. It’s the unequal measuring stick, we use the six mile one on ourselves, and the two inch one others. God called it Unequal, equating it to iniquity (Ezek 18:24-25).
Paul told the Romans, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are who judges: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge do the same things” (Rom 2:1). Wow, didn’t Paul Judge the Corinthians? No. He judged the “things” of the Corinthians while he was teaching them by exposure; he was not attempting to exalt himself by their failures. As he said, “he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” (I Cor 2:15). The difference is found in the subject; in Romans it was “o man”, in Corinthians it’s “he who is spiritual”. The spiritual minded Discerns (judges) from the Mind of Christ since they are instructed by the Mind of the Lord (I Cor 2:16). Discerning the event to find the Precious to bring correction unto perfection so one can gain, is much different from judging to bring self-exaltation.
Jesus will expose the intent in the heart of the Pharisees, not to belittle them, rather He gives them more opportunities to repent. They presumed doing their traditions made them holy and righteous, but their words disclosed the source, and the source was not holy or righteous.
And He called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear and understand: Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man (15:10-11).
The washings were to prevent dirty hands from touching clean food, but the Pharisees missed it, one could put clean food in a dirty mouth. The word Defile means to Make Common (unclean, or worldly), we have a phrase tending to include hypocrisy known as Common Sense. Anything Common is unclean, or natural; our five physical senses are flesh based; therefore, Common Sense is the use of unclean thoughts based on the flesh to determine what is right or wrong. Peter was told, “What God has cleansed, don’t you call common” (Acts 10:15). If God has cleaned us, we are no longer Common, and no longer among those who use Common Sense, rather we use the Mind of Christ to know right from wrong, not guess at it.
When we become concerned about what we eat, or whether some physical product is going to heal us, or keep us healthy, or if we assume it’s going to kill us, we have fallen from The Faith (I Tim 4:3-4). If we don’t like it, or it makes us fell bad, don’t eat it. If we can’t ask Thanksgiving for it, surely don’t eat it, but whether we eat or not isn’t an issue of holiness, it’s the point.
Then came His disciples, and said unto Him, Know You that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? (15:12).
Oh my, Jesus offended someone. Jesus offended everyone, including the disciples; however, the intent was exposure to bring correction unto perfection for the benefit of the one offended. Anyone who walks in the Spirit will see offense from time to time, yet they know each offense exposes some tare, or some hindering thought forming its self into a stronghold. Someone could attack with the viciousness of a mad dog, yet the spiritual will gain some benefit to help others discern and learn.
Those who walk by the flesh want all things to be pleasing to the flesh so they can brag in their supposed goodness, those who walk by the Spirit discern the event to gain the Precious. The exposure is to benefit, thus a Wise Man receives correction with joy, a Fool rejects it. A Fool calls out heresy when they are in heresy, a Wise Man seeks the Holy Ghost for the interpretation to avoid heresy. We can take the offense, repent unto the restoration of our soul; or we can ignore the offense and end attacking the very hope of our salvation. Okay, now hold it, just wait, in the last Lesson Jesus said we were in danger of hell if we called someone a “fool”. Different words, since Paul said there were some who called him a “fool”, then he remarked, “I have become a fool”. Recalling the word Jesus uses in Matthew 5:22 is the Greek Ourias meaning godless, or without God, and none of us can call a brother “without God”, since we don’t know. On the other hand the word Paul generally used is the Greek Aphron meaning stupid, ignorant, or an idiot. Not even Paul would allow himself to be referred to as “without God”.
But He answered and said, Every plant, which My heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind, And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch (15:13-14).
This goes back to the parable of the tares, and expands it from the latter days, to any day. The Pharisees were called the children of their father the devil, they were Tares, yet they could repent at any time before they crossed the final line. Were they without God? No, they were in the same field, the only time anyone is truly “without God”, is if they are joined to the second death, after the Judgment.
The time for these religious leaders will be when Stephen speaks to them, they cut their own throats when they kill Stephen. Although they failed to repent, Saul the Christian Hunter did, becoming Paul, the Apostle of Grace.
Jesus didn’t say, A ditch, rather He said The ditch, thus there is only One Ditch we fall into, it’s the Ditch of Unbelief and Doubt. The Pharisees developed their own blindness of heart by feeding their unbelief, yet they washed their hands, paid their tithe, did their service in the temple. All their Deeds were for naught, their worship was in vain, their prayers hindered, their service was tainted, all because they held unbelief and doubt.
Carnal intellectual natural reasoning is still based in the fall nature, assuming the fall nature can heal or save is failure in the making. No amount of social intellectualism is going to save our souls, the blind lead the blind, and the blind give natural carnal endeavors or man the glory.
Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are you also yet without understanding? Do not you yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man (Matt 15:15-20).
Parable? It wasn’t much of a Parable, it was forthright and open. Perhaps it means the planting thing, or blind leading the blind? No, since Jesus knows all things, His answer didn’t lead to the “blind leading the blind”. Jesus expected Peter to be more in tune than the Pharisees, this is one of those areas where Jesus will deal with us in the place He expects us to be.
This teaching seems simple enough to us, but wait these are Jews raised under the Law. The Law centered on, “watch what you eat, if it’s unclean you are defiled”, but Jesus said it’s not what goes in, but what comes out. In the natural mind it might mean vomiting what one ate. However, Jesus answered more plainly, defining all the things proceeding “out of the heart”. Hold it, wait, didn’t Paul say we must believe in our heart? How can this be? Easy, a heart transplant, not physical, since it isn’t the subject here anyway. Rather this is “create in me a New Heart oh God”, showing the “heart” of a person is the spirit or place of intent. For the natural person it’s still the spirit of man. It shows us why these lustful things come forth, but to the Born Again person it’s a New Source wherein they can truly Believe God raised Jesus from the dead.
Then Jesus went from there, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, You son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she cries after us (15:21-23).
Here is a test, the disciples were attempting to figure out what Jesus was thinking by His actions, then moving in to “assist” Him regarding what they supposed. He didn’t answer, so He must want her to leave, so let’s help! Wrong mindset, Jesus was allowing her faith to grow in her persistence and patience. This woman was not among the “family order”, she ate different things, she wasn’t required to wash her hands, yet she was persistent, with an awareness of the ability of Jesus going beyond the awareness of the disciples.
A very interesting element is what they said proving, it’s not what goes into a man defiling him, but what comes out. The teaching, then the test. They didn’t ask, “what shall we do Lord?”, they told Him what to do. They just heard Jesus rebuke the Pharisees for holding to traditions, now they are doing the same, without a clue to their own actions. Self-deception is a ruler of darkness hiding us from ourselves. The clarity of the New Man will expose, but we must have ears to hear, and a willing heart to change.
She called Jesus the “Son of David”, what importance would it have in reference to the Pharisees and other religious rulers? Going back to Matthew’s genealogy we see the line begins with the saying, “the son of Abraham, the son of David”, both of those are important. Being a “son of Abraham” means Jesus was subject to the Abrahamic Covenant through birth, and being a “son of David” gave Jesus the right to the throne as a Son of man. We also see Jesus is descended from Judah, as was David (Matt 1:2 & 1:6). Jesus had a firm background, but the Pharisees as a group seem to have appeared suddenly in history as a distinct entity during the Hasmonaean period (The Maccabees period in the Apocrypha). Rabbinic sources show, “the Pharisees first appear by name in the time of Jonathan Maccabee”, then they became a part of the governing council who served with the Sadducees. The name Pharisee is derived from the Hebrew word Perushim meaning To separate, or be separated. According to Schiffman, “it is most probably referring to their separation from Levitical impure food and from the tables of the Amhaares, the common people, who are not scrupulous regarding the laws of the Levitical purity or Tithe”. The Pharisees took it upon themselves to enforce these laws, and even accused Jesus and His disciples of violating them. However, the key is their attachment to the Maccabees period, as we now discover.
The Sadducees go back to the line of Zadoc, therein lays some of the problems between the two groups. They also had differences in the feasibility of the Resurrection and other matters. Josephus mentions the Sadducees along with the Pharisees, but also includes the Essenes as existing during the time of Jonathan Maccabee (150BC). In Solomon’s day the line of the Zadoc priests was known as the Zadokites, they ran the temple and the priestly line; however, it became very corrupt, causing the revolt of the Hasmonaean family, who instilled some major changes in many things, yet it too became corrupt and led to the Roman era.
Among other things the Sadducees enforced the “traditions of the fathers”, which seems to be the forerunner to the Oral Law. The Sadducees regarded the purity laws were only required by the Temple and priests, thus they refused to extend those laws into the daily life of the Jews. Whereas the Pharisees felt all the people should obey the Law in the same manner as the priests. The Sadducees accused Jesus of violating the “traditions of the elders”, thereby we can see how both the Sadducees and Pharisees were tempting Jesus to pick one side or the other.
Going back further we find Antiochus IV Epiphanes the Seleucid king in 168BC decreed for the practice of Judaism to stop; he also decreed altars to the Greek gods be set up in the Temple at Jerusalem. Mattathias (or Mattathian), then an old man, refused to comply, in the process he killed a royal officer along with a Jew who did comply to the Syrian demands. Many of the Jews of the time considered it an “act of Moses”, but they failed to see the same type of act caused Moses to run from Egypt. In 167BC Mattathias and his five sons and some other Jews fled to the mountains and began the revolt against Antiochus.
Mattathias died soon after leaving his son Judas Maccabees to command the rebellion. Judas was a military leader with some knowledge in those types of endeavors, he also defeated an expedition sent from Syria to destroy him. Having occupied Jerusalem, he re-consecrated the Temple. It takes eight days to make olive oil into a burning oil, yet all they had was enough for one day. They prayed for God to keep the oil burning, until they could make more. The oil in the lamp lasted until the new oil was ready, a period of eight days making the induction of the new oil on the ninth day. This introduced the Feast of Hanukkah, or as it was known in the time of Jesus the “Festival of Dedication” (Jn 10:22), the Hanukkah menorah is different from the Temple menorah, they should not be confused one into the other. The Hanukkah menorah has nine bowls, representing the nine days, the Temple menorah had seven bowls, representing Rest, or the sabbath day.
The Maccabees revolt was easier since at the time there was civil strife in Syria, Demetrius I had taken control, sending his general Nicanor with an army against Judas; the effort was routed. Another led by Basshides, defeated and killed Judas Maccabees around 161BC.
Judas’ brother Jonathan took over, he had some success for a time, but he was more of a statesmen, ending supporting the Demetrius’ rival. Jonathan was killed by treachery in 143 BC, his last brother Simon, succeeded. He was recognized as a civil ruler (not a king or prince, but more like a judge), as well as high priest.
Eventually Antiochus VII sent an expedition against the Jews; Simon defeated it, but in the disorder afterward he was murdered (135 BC) by an ambitious son-in-law. This is important, John Hyrcanus, Simon’s son managed to gain the ascendancy through the subsequent strife. He fought against Antiochus and remained in power until his death around 105 BC. John Hyrcanus was succeeded by his son Aristobulus, who died a year later. Another son, Alexander Jannaeus, then took the throne, but how could it happen? Here is the point to this, and why two things sent the religious rulers into a rage. One of those was the people calling Jesus, “Son of David”, the other was the sign Pilate put on the Cross. However, before we get to that, let’s follow this a little further; the house of the Maccabees made several attempts to overthrow Roman rule. One of its members, Alexander, lead an abortive rebellion in Syria in 40 BC. Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, invaded Judea with Parthian aid. Some of the Jews rallied to his standard, but he was defeated and put to death in 37 BC at the request of Herod the Great (the same Herod who had the innocents killed just after the birth of Jesus).
Hyrcanus II who was reinstated as high priest by the Romans, was captured by the Parthians and deprived of his ears in order to render him unfit for priestly duties. He returned to Judea around 33 BC, where he was put to death (30 BC) on a charge of treason. John Hyrcanus who was the successor of Simon, ruled from 134 to 104BC. John freed Judea from all Syrian influence, then expanded the domains to include the provinces of Idumaea and Samaria. John never proclaimed himself king, but he ruled over a civil court. However, his son Aristobulus I, known as Judah was the first of the Hasmonean family to proclaim himself as high priest and king. He annexed Ituraea (present day Lebanon) forcing it’s inhabitants to adopt Judaism. He also shared his throne with his brother Antigonus, but it was considered a “one person” rule. Considering the Hasmonean took the priestly order based on their Aaron family connection, and considering God set up the kingly order through David we can see a conflict brewing. The Pharisees felt the Hasmonean rule was the order of the day, the Sadducees felt the Law and God had divided the priestly order from the kingly line.
The Hasmonean line under the rule of Aristobulus went to Alexander Jannaeus, the brother and successor of Aristobulus, where they held the throne from 103 to 76BC, becoming king and high priest at the same time through a marriage to Aristobulus’s widow. Salome Alexandra (67BC), who claimed to be the “queen of Judea”, was the wife of Aristobulus, after his death she became the wife of Alexander Jannaeus. Salome (her Hebrew name) supported the Pharisees, making their leaders her principle advisers on internal policy. However, this attempt to be king and high priest, or queen and high priest was termed unlawful by the Talmud.
Hyrcanus II the son of Salome took the throne in 76BC, then appointed the high priest by his mother. His younger brother, Aristobulus II sized the government. In 63BC the Roman general Pompey the Great captured Jerusalem for Rome, exiling Aristobulus II and his immediate family, along with many other Jews to Rome. He then reestablished Hyrcanus II as high priest, but not king. After the death of Pompey, Julius Caesar took over Rome confirming Hyrcanus II as high priest, with limited political power.
Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, when Antipater took over in 43BC. In 40BC Antigonus II, the last of the Hasmonaean dynasty captured Hyrcanus, with the aid of Parthian troops, proclaiming himself “king of Judea”, but the next year (39BC) the Roman Senate declared Herod the Great the king of Judea. Herod promptly set out to unseat Antigonus; aided by the Roman soldiers, Herod succeeded in capturing Antigonus (37BC), and put him to death.
All this came about because none of the Hasmonean were ever legally king, since God had set the order, priests from Aaron, kings from David. When the people called out “Son of David”, it pointed directly to the illegitimate reign of king and priest in one person. Since the first was illegitimate all afterward were corrupted, or considered as an attempt to violate the order God had instituted. The result was Rome declaring the kingship over the Jews, thus when Jesus came there was the anticipation of revolt to free them from Roman rule and set up Jesus as “King”. This was more enforced when Jesus cleaned the Temple; the religious rulers knew there was a danger a foot, if the people set up Jesus as king, He might make Himself high priest.
We can see the “strongholds” Jesus had to deal with, and why greed motivated Judas. The “king of all” would have a much bigger bag, than the Master of Twelve. The thirty pieces of silver was an insurance policy, if things went wrong, Judas had his Temple connections. Yet, when he repented himself, he felt money would buy his way out, yet all he found was a piece of rope.
In all this we can see how Pilate was also attempting to set Jesus free, Pilate didn’t see Jesus as a threat to Rome, but he did see the concern of the religious rulers was based in envy. Knowing this information brings many things to light, when Jesus was before Pilate the religious leaders said, “Whosoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar” (Jn 19:12). They knew Rome had set Herod as king, yet they allowed one from the Hasmonean family to make himself king and priest, a direct violation of the order God established. The accusations of the religious leaders display their hypocrisy, they made claims they themselves did. They also claimed, “because He made Himself the Son of God” (Jn 19:7), with “forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying He Himself is Christ the King” (Luke 23:2-3). All these things point right back to the Hasmonean dynasty, they are attempting to show Jesus came to overthrow Rome; however, they were mad at Him because He said it’s not why He came.
Judas Maccabees set out to restore the temple and the priesthood, yet one in his family usurped authority then took a position not afforded to him or his line. His actions brought about a mindset wherein the religious rulers feared the mere mention of a self-made king. So, what kind of an issue was this? In the Book of Hebrews we find “For it is evident our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb 7:14). We also know Jesus is “King of kings”, showing Jesus legally held the office of High Priest and King, something illegal under the Old Covenant. Then in Revelation 1:6 we find we are made kings and priests, yet it would be illegal as well. How can this be? The only way it could happen; a complete change in Laws, thus we find before the time appointed someone attempted to make their own law to establish their self as priest and king. They not only lost their own position, but caused the destruction of the entire family order. In our case we have a New Law, one in which God has established the Order so we don’t mix laws. No one can hold both a priesthood under Levi and one under Judah, since Judah also calls for the kingly order, whereas the Old makes it illegal.
If the kingly line is from David, how does Saul fit into this? Saul was the people’s choice, and he was from the tribe of Benjamin. Whereas David was from the tribe of Judah, showing David’s was God’s choice all along. Saul was a “captain” who was suppose to be king, but he allowed rebellion to enter and lost his position. As in many things, the Purpose of God may not be apparent at the time. Saul was a big man, strong, and appeared to be the “perfect king” in the eyes of the people. However, God saw a ruddy kid named David, thus God looks at the heart (I Sam 16:7).
Now we can view this woman of great faith, she was looking to the future, the people were looking to the past and making comparisons. Could this Jesus be someone who was hidden from the people who was really from the Hasmonean line? What is His agenda? This woman wasn’t concerned with the past, she knew her hope was before her. However, she did have a problem, she was not “of the called”.
But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord help me. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs (15:24-26).
The disciples said, Send her away, but Jesus put her faith on the line, not for her sake but for the disciples sake. They were stuck in the “tradition of limit”, Jesus sent them to the lost house of Israel, so He must mean they can never reach beyond Israel, if they can’t, neither can He. This woman had “faith”, Jesus knew it the second she said, “Have Mercy on me O Lord, You Son of David”, who needed the mercy? Her or her daughter? She was interceding by reaching beyond the “limits”. Often our intercession prayers are reaching beyond the limit for someone else.
The reference to the “dogs” is interesting, the Pharisees considered anyone who didn’t wash their hands a “dog”, based on how a dog eats. She did two things linking to her faith, she reached beyond the limit, as she worshiped Jesus. The disciples reached after being saved from the storm, but here this woman is doing it before the fact. She was holding to “God Is”, rather than God won’t. Jesus said, “I can’t”, she said “yes You can, I know You can”. She knew some of the “called” rejected the “bread”, the Pharisees proved it, thus there had to be something left over. It didn’t matter how small, it was enough to accomplish the goal. Some of us want Great Clouds to appear, all she wanted was a bread crumb.
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table (15:27).
She took the Truth, but added “But God Is”. Jesus wasn’t playing with her mind, rather she had to make the request. The Cross was real 2,000 years ago, but it became real for us the day we accepted it.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (15:28).
The woman’s faith found God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. She was Diligent, thus steady persistence is being diligent. She never took her focus off Jesus by centering on His Lordship. If Jesus is Lord over all, then He is Lord over all, she knew it.
And Jesus departed from there, and came near unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them (15:29-30).
The multitudes sought the ability of Jesus, they weren’t concerned about traditions, rules, or regulations, they wanted Mercy, and knew where to find it. The Pharisees failed in several areas, they failed to bind the strongman based on their unbelief. Of course we know attempting to bind the strongman with the strongman is a lost effort, but they didn’t even make the effort.
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel (15:31).
Miracles make some wonder, but why? Their recent history, they never saw the Levites or the Hasmonean family cast out devils, or heal the sick. This Jesus was like no other, He didn’t march in and claim the throne of Israel, He didn’t kill the priests and attempt to take over, He went about doing good.
Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way (15:32).
A forced fast does little good, here Jesus was going to care for their Need. For three days He was healing the sick and preaching, thus there was more to caring for the people than preaching. This feeding connects to the feeding of the 5,000 as a sign to the disciples how close we can come to falling into the pit of unbelief by receiving the leaven of the Pharisee. Here, and in the feeding of the 5,000, the same elements were used, the only thing changing was the amounts. Since the amounts were different, the disciples failed to make the connection between this feeding and the last. A carnal mind must have formulas, past experiences, or clear examples before it believes.
We can also see how these are areas of training (discipling), although they were ordained apostles, their training didn’t stop. For some reason we think once we receive the Cross, our training is over. Not so, it’s just beginning.
And His disciples said unto Him, Where should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? (15:33).
Instead of saying, “Lord, where is the fish and bread, let’s do it again”; they said, “We don’t see anywhere to buy that much bread”. They were stuck in another tradition, “God did it then, He won’t do it now”. The very same thought process some of us fall into, “God paid last month’s bill, but I don’t think He will pay it again”, or “God healed back then, but He won’t do it again”. The famed “Yeah but it was then” excuse stops us time and again; it runs hand in hand with “yeah but it was the apostles”, yet these same apostles were not Born Again until Pentecost.
Where is this meeting taking place? In the wilderness, they forgot God gave the rebellious children of Israel manna throughout the entire forty years. This feeding is more of a test for the disciples than the people, unlike the prior feeding this one tested both the disciples and the people. Just because we pass a test doesn’t mean we won’t be tested in the same area again, neither does it mean we will.
And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground (15:34-35).
Fish and Bread again, Jesus did it once, but He didn’t say, “Ahh gee do you have some milk, or red meat? We did the fish and bread thing already”. Clearly it’s the same testing, using the same elements, a people in need, a supply of bread and fish appearing not to be enough. Not one of the disciples said, “Hold it, I’ve been around this tree before, sit back and watch the Lord do it again”. Of course they were not Born Again at this time, yet should one have to be Born Again just to believe?
The tradition of sitting on grass was also shattered. Prior the people sat on the grass in accordance with tradition, now they sit on the dirt in violation of the tradition. Jesus dislikes traditions of men, and exposes them to show they hinder us. All the troubling in our soul regarding traditions is not some strange thing coming upon us, it’s Jesus rebuking the traditions we have maintained as doctrine.
And He took the seven loaves, and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled, and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full (15:36-37).
The twelve baskets have now moved to seven but the symbols are still the same. The number of the people are less, but nonetheless, Jesus still took care of their need with an abundance left over.
And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala (15:38-39).
These feedings prove Jesus is fully able to care for us, when we cast our cares on Him. Whether it was 5,000 or 4,000, the Truth remains, our faith says He is able.
The name Mary Magdalene could better read, Mary From Magdala. Magdala was south of Capernaum on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, as Mark points out, Magdala is in an area of Dalmanutha in Galilee. Mary Magdalene is the only member of the group in which we find Jesus cast devils out of her, in fact He cast seven devils out of her. The name Mary means Bitter, it doesn’t mean the three Mary’s in the Gospel were all bitter women, it shows how Jesus can change bitterness into joy. Mary will be the first to see Jesus raised from the dead, as the one picked by Jesus to proclaim He is Risen. Mark and Luke are the only ones to tell us she had seven devils cast out of her, Mark will have an excellent point to make about the event (Mark 16:9 & Luke 8:2).
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would show them a sign from heaven (16:1)
They saw the healings, heard the teachings, yet they wanted a sign confirming their suspicions, or prove beyond any doubt Jesus is the Christ. They wanted Jesus to call fire down from heaven, or take over the Romans, or make God appear before their eyes, or set up His Kingdom on earth. They wanted a sign based on their theology and eschatology, but they rejected the signs of Mercy.
The Pharisees held to the resurrection; however, the Sadducees did not, adding to the division between them.
He answered and said unto them, When it is evening you say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky but can you not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And He left them, and departed (16:2-4).
The Sign they wanted was in fact a sign of a Season, but not their Season. Some of us make the same mistake, we look all over the world for a sign of the Night, yet it’s not our sign, nor our Season. We fail to discern the times and Seasons, walking right into the ditch.
The prophecy of Jonah was based on his experience, the time for the Pharisees would be when they see the sign of the Resurrection, yet it proved their unbelief, by the time the Resurrection happens the weeds of unbelief in the hearts of the Pharisees would become killing fields, thus today is the time to stop unbelief.
And when His disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, He said unto them, O you of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you have brought no bread? (16:5-8).
As we know the phrase Little Faith means Puny Faith, here they thought the lesson of the feeding was a warning to them to be prepared, or always have some bread on hand. Now they are allowing guilt to rule, rather than gaining from the lesson. Jesus didn’t need them to have bread before, but He did expect them to Believe. The Pharisees refused to believe, they had evidence, but like most unbelievers it just wasn’t enough. “You raised four, well I will believe if you raise ten”, “oh you have five verses, well I will believe if you have fifteen”. The Pharisees ignored the signs, teachings, and miracles, yet demanded their own signs, adherence to their traditions and submission to their thinking and positions. They were unequal, they applied the strictest of measurements to Jesus, and the broadest to themselves.
The word Forgot means “To lose out of mind”, or better “To ignore”. Paul told the Corinthians, I would not have you ignorant of the spirituals (I Cor 12:1). The Corinthians were about as spiritual as a bagel, but it wasn’t because it passed away, it was because they ignored the spiritual calling. They were carnal, assuming water baptism alone was enough, yet they fought over baptism, over their favorite man of God, had sickness and disease among them, attacked the man of God, accepted false apostles, and turned their backs on the call to submit to the Spirit, yet Paul says they had the Spirit, and were the temple of God.
The wording Take Heed means Pay Attention, or Know Why and the Pharisees were about to lose what little they had, while assuming they were so holy and right. These same disciples, except Judas, would be leaders shortly, they needed to see how corrupt thinking can corrupt a leader. The Pharisees were about one step from being sons of perdition, except they were not in the ministry, whereas, Judas was. They were self-deceived, and building strongholds and high things against the knowledge of God. Jesus told them to wait until the Resurrection, then they would have their sign. The Longsuffering of the Lord is a miracle in and of itself.
Do you not understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spoke it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? (16:9-11).
The miracle was producing bread, not leaven, the Pharisees had nothing to do with the feeding. The disciples mixed the physical into the natural, and missed the point. This wasn’t a rebuke regarding preparedness for the next feeding, it pointed to the reaction of the religious minded in reference to the miracle.
Later Peter will fall into hypocrisy, and it would take Paul to bring the correction in love (Gal 2:11-16). Even after being Born Again, even after being established, one can make mistakes, or not even be aware of what they are doing. Paul was much smaller in stature than Peter, it took love to bring the correction, not abuse or an attack. Peter received, to Peter his acts were not offensive, or hypocrisy, but his acts were causing effects on others. When he knew it, he changed. However, the Pharisees and Sadducees had the evidence of their actions, as well as the damaged caused, but refused to change.
The leaven of the Sadducees started with their private conclusions of the Scriptures, leading to strongholds, leading to attacking those who opposed their traditions and strongholds. Leaven will grow if it’s not cast out.
Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (16:12).
The Greek word used here is Didache meaning To Teach or the act of teaching; whereas the Greek Didasko means To Be Taught. However, the word Doctrine isn’t restricted to the thought of teaching alone, it includes the manner, method and act of teaching, or a procedure applied to people based on a teaching.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (16:13).
Matthew gives us the location of this event, this is a different location than the one noted in Luke. The area of Caesarea Philippi is about twenty-five miles north of Bethsaida, whereas Luke said the location where this question was first asked was at Bethsaida, giving us two events, not one (Luke 9:10 & 9:18), and we will find another shortly.
And they said, Some say that You are John the Baptist: some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets (16:14).
Some of the people assumed John the Baptist was Elijah, Herod felt someone had to be raised from the dead to do miracles, both concepts were in error. Even the seventy, and the twelve were healing the sick and casting out devils. The word Reincarnation means Carnal, or Flesh Again whereas Incarnate means Into Flesh. We confess Jesus is come (incarnate) in the flesh, but it’s not the same as the saying “Believe Jesus is come in the flesh”, rather the phrase means Jesus in us as the Greater He (I Jn 4:1-4). Reincarnation was dispelled by Jesus when He said, “that born of the flesh is flesh”, which means one time.
Jesus would later explain how Elijah did come, but John the Baptist was not the Reincarnation of Elijah, nor was John Elijah the man, rather the spirit (purpose or cause) of all the prophets was in the message of John the Baptist. The people were looking for the man, Jesus tells them they should have been looking for the message. John was a prophet, in the latter days the words of the Prophets will be one witness, the Law another.
He said unto them, But whom say you that I am? (16:15).
This question was directed to all the disciples, not just Peter. The use of the conjunction, “But”, indicates Jesus knows what the people think, He wanted the disciples to confess their thoughts openly.
And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:16).
This is the first time we read about this statement in the Gospel accounts, but it’s the second time Peter will use this phrase according to the time frame. The first time is in John 6:69, one day after the feeding of the 5,000, which is recorded back in Matthew 14:21, making it prior to this time. In John we see many of the disciples were offended and walked after Jesus spoke of His Flesh and Blood (Jn 6:66). The first time Jesus didn’t say anything to Peter about the source of the information, this time He does, thus, the statement was from the Father, but for a purpose. In John we see the disciples needed incentive to remain with Jesus, the Father gave them incentive. However, here Peter is repeating the statement to impress the Lord. Peter has no idea where the knowledge came from, or the importance, or what it pertained to. This is going to be a vital lesson, showing why the Holy Ghost continually teaches the importance of being Born Again and walking in the Spirit.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in heaven (16:17).
Jesus didn’t use, “Peter”, rather He used the term, “Simon Barjona”, which is the same as “Simon Son Of Jonah”. There are reasons for the usage, Jonah was a prophet, but Simon was the son of Jonah, not Jonah. Peter gave a word, but it didn’t mean he was a prophet. One can gain words from a prophet, but it doesn’t mean they have the position to use those words as if they are the prophet. It’s the case here, as Peter he received a revelation, as Simon he is repeating it to make his own point. The evidence will manifest when Peter attempts to make the Lord stop what God has ordained.
Also Jonah was sent to Gentiles, who at the time were enemies of the Jews, Peter will also be sent to a Centurion named Cornelius (Acts 10:1), at the time he will not “repeat” for his prior sermons, rather as the Holy Ghost leads, he will speak.
If this is the second time Peter used the phrase, why didn’t Jesus tell him it was a revelation before? Until Jesus told him the source, he had no idea, thus he felt he could use it as often as he desired. In John we will find the information came at a time when many disciples left Jesus (Jn 6:66), thus the information came to give Peter the knowledge and incentive to remain with Jesus (Jn 6:68 – “words of eternal life”). It was information for the moment, yet Peter was now using it beyond the scope of the granted authority. Jesus asked “who do you”, Peter told Him what the Father said, not “do you”. Jesus wanted to know what Peter felt, not what the Father thought.
Peter was blessed, he was still with Jesus as a piece of the Rock. The time would come for the Church, the only reason Peter is still with the Lord is based on the prior revelation.
We understand the Position of Christ has two elements, Mercy pertaining to the Rock (Body, Bread), and Grace pertaining to the Church (Blood, New Testament). They could speak of the Mercy position, but not the Grace position (Matt 17:9). Jesus wasn’t keeping Christ of the Cross a “secret”, rather it points to having the position and authority to speak on these matters. Peter was being warned, yet given a promise of what was to come, but if he continued to use phrases pertaining to the Church (Christ, Son of the Living God) without the position, he would be out of order. The disciples had the authority to speak of the things of the kingdom of heaven and the Rock, but they didn’t have the authority to speak of the things of the Spirit yet to come, unless of course the Holy Ghost fills the person, as in the case with John the Baptist. For this reason we find there were times when Jesus allowed people to speak of Him as “the Christ”, and times when they were not allowed to. It depended on which kingdom the act, saying, or activity related to.
Today all sorts of people talk about “spiritual” matters, but in truth the only ones who have the God granted permission to do so, are those who have the Spirit of Christ in them. Just the same as the only ones with the God granted permission to baptize in water are those in the Body of Christ. Paul said spiritual matters are foolishness to the natural person, they have no idea what they are talking about, usually ending in mocking the spiritual, or end blaspheming it (I Cor 2:14). Peter gained a revelation the first time he used the phrase, but it didn’t mean he understood it, nor did it mean he could go around saying it.
If the powers that be, granted us permission to make money, then the money we made would not be counterfeit, since we had permission. However, we would need a stamp of authority to prove we had authority. Paul says we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, it grants us permission and authority to speak of the spiritual things of God.
And I say unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (16:18).
Jesus didn’t say, “thou are Peter, and upon you I will build My church”, neither is the Rock revelation knowledge, rather the subject is still Christ as the Rock (I Cor 10:4). There are many indicators in the verse, Jesus used the Greek Taute (this), which is a famine of the masculine Tautais, thus He was speaking of something yet to be called a female. Neither did Jesus use the Greek Houtos referring to a person or thing, rather His reference is to a thing. The name Peter, or Petros means a Piece of the Rock, but the word Rock is the Greek Petra meaning a Great Rock. This shows Peter is not the Rock, but a piece of it, just as John was. The tenses are very important, this couples with the revelation Peter received. The Body was being formed before the Cross indicting how the Body is Mercy based in Christ, or being established by the Son of man; however, the Church was yet future tense (I will build). At this point in time Peter hasn’t a clue to the Ways of the Lord, nor does he understand the things of the Son of the Living God. However, his time will come when Jesus begins to build the Church on Pentecost. This is clearer when we know the first time Peter received the revelation it had to do with the “Body and Blood” of Jesus, at the time he and the others needed some incentive to remain with Jesus until the manifestation of the Body and Blood took place (Jn 6:62-63). There are words we receive giving us the courage and incentive to continue on until the manifestation takes place, Peter was no different.
The Church is the spiritual element of Grace, it’s a place of safety where the gates of hell shall not prevail against “it”. The only place a vessel of dishonor can be formed is in the Rock, the only place a son of perdition can be found is in the Rock, since it’s where we find Judas. The enemies of Jesus are not without, they are within. Two sides to the coin, the vessels of honor are being formed in the Rock to become the Church, but the vessels of dishonor are also being formed as the “rocks” left behind who go into the Night.
In all this we must remember, Jesus did not build the Body or the Church on a human, He used humans, but those humans had to first be in the Rock, before they could be considered as building material for the Church. Jesus is not building the Church on the revelation knowledge, or a human being, He is building by the Spirit of Christ in us.
When Jesus presents the Bread and Cup He will tell us how the New Testament is in based on the Blood of Jesus, not the Bread. The Bread is important, unless we are of the Body (Bread) we will never be of the Church. Which came first? The Bread? Or the Cup? The Bread, we don’t dip the Bread into the Wine, it’s not against placing the wafer into wine, it merely shows when Jesus gave Communion He separated the Bread from the Cup. These disciples are the Bread at this moment as the Rock, but they do not have the Blood, nor the Spirit until the time appointed. There are people in the Rock who dip the wafer into the wine something beginning several hundred years ago with a concern over many people drinking from the same cup. Today we find the smaller separate cups used, but the point is showing the separation Jesus used between the Bread as the Body, and the Blood as the New Covenant. It’s evident by the tenses He is using here, the Rock was before Him, the Church was yet future tense.
In all this we know Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, thus He is still the Head of the Body showing He is the Authority over the Body, and Christ (The Anointing, or Unction) is the Power in the Body. Power used outside the confines of the Authority becomes rebellion.
Now to understand the gates of hell, Jesus didn’t say, “the gates of hell will not come against it”, neither did He say, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against them”. He made a division between the Rock and the Church, one need only read about the Seven churches in the Book of Revelation to see how the gates of hell operate. We can obtain a clearer view of these gates: gates are not offensive, they are defensive, unless you take the gate off the hinges and beat someone with it: however, the language shows the gates are very large, not like the wooded garden gate at home. The word Gates is the Greek Pules meaning A large door to an edifice or city. It’s distinguished from the Greek Thura meaning A common door, rather the Greek Pules was used for the Gate of the Temple (Acts 3:10). Hell is equated with death, thus the gates relate to death, but they also give us another clue. Two things are important, the Unity of the Faith, and the Unity of the Spirit. These two elements stop division, after all if we are One Spirit, and One Mind in the One Faith, we have no “division”. Paul told the Corinthians they were carnal, some of the evidence he saw to make the conclusion was division, thus he asked “Is Christ divided?” (I Cor 1:13). Is he talking about Jesus? Or the Body? The Body, he taught further on the subject in First Corinthians 12:12-18. The Corinthians were becoming isolated and divided even among themselves, they were using the gates of hell to set divisions and hindrances in the pathway.
Jesus said a kingdom divided will fall, yet we know the Body will be divided, so what are these gates? Divisions between the brethren based on theology has little, or nothing to do with spiritual matters, or our redemption. The gates cause Disputes over baptism, debates over concepts lacking Bible authority ending in camel swallowing contests, splits over personalities, or divisions over prideful matters, separations based on carnal attitudes, all gates of separation from hell. We know the Body will be broken, but will Jesus break it? No, will He allow it? Yes, there are miles of difference between the two.
So, where would the enemy attack? The one place he knows there are carnal minded people who still mind the flesh. The Field is one, thus the enemy sends in Tares to bring strife, contentions, heresies, doctrines of devils, traditions of men to make the Word to no effect.
Hebrews 2:14 tell us through death Jesus destroyed (made ineffective) him who had the power of death, that is the devil. Paul tells us we war against the Wiles of the devil, not the devil (Eph 6:11-12). The devil sent his tares to bruise the heel of Christ, we are not among those who cause the bruise. Paul told Timothy, “now the Spirit speaks expressly, in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Tim 4:1-3). What do they depart from? The Faith, not faith in general, but the Faith of Jesus. They will no longer follow the path, they will form their own agenda, separating themselves.
We also see how Jesus as the Authority over the Body warns the seven churches, but the Power to make the change is within the Rock, thus Jesus doesn’t make the changes, He tells those in the churches to. If the error was in the Church, then Jesus would correct it immediately, thus in the Church we find the Unity of the Faith and the Unity of the Spirit. All who are in the Church are in the Body, but not all in the Body are in the Church. Isn’t it what we see here with Peter? He is being told the first time he used the phrase it was permissible since it came from the Father, now the second time he is being told where it came from, but the second time it came from Peter. Yet he is also being told how the Church was yet future tense, but at this point in time Peter as a piece of the Rock was of the Rock, but not the Church, yet it was up to Peter to receive the correction.
The same is true when Jesus cleaned out the temple, He had the Ability (Power), it was obvious, thus the Pharisees wanted to know “by what authority”. Why? If Jesus lacked authority His acts would have been rebellion; however, if He was granted the authority by the high priest or someone else who held authority then the correction was not only proper, it would also place the responsibility on the Pharisees to make the changes. Of course we know the religious rulers rejected the correction, and the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. The point being, there are churches many in the Body, but there is only One Church. There are Rocks many in the Rock, but there is still only One Rock. The gates of hell shall not prevail against It, meaning the Church, they may invade the Body, they may even cause the Body to be Broken, but they will never prevail against the Church.
And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (16:19).
From the Rock, to the Church, to the Keys (plural), the Keys will loose heaven, it’s clear the method is in the hands of the disciples. This is not, “whatsoever the Father”, it’s “whatsoever you”, thus this can’t be Grace, but it does have to do with Mercy. These Keys will not unlock the gates of hell, they will not unlock the Door to the house of David, they will not unlock the gates of death and hell, but they will connect heaven to earth, and earth to heaven. The context is heaven and earth, it is not heaven and hell, or heaven, hell and earth, this is limited between the Father in heaven, and the disciple on earth.
Jesus first told Peter the knowledge came from the Father, then Jesus said He would build, now He says He is giving us the keys. This is Covenant talk, Jesus will build, yet we have the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Ahh, the Church is the Kingdom of God and Grace, here the keys relate to the kingdom of heaven and Mercy.
The binding and loosing is our part, the gates being kept at bay is Jesus’ part. Mix the two into one, and we end misusing our binding and loosing authority. The “binding and loosing” have certain restrictions, with authority granted for specific purposes. We have to notice the place where the acts begin is on the earth, the place where the reaction happens is in heaven. If we bind something relating to us on the earth, then we have bound something of heaven from us, but if we loose something related to us on earth, then something from heaven will be loosed on us. To introduce devils into the equation takes it far beyond its intended purpose. Since this relates to the kingdom of heaven, it’s mercy related. However, we are also told to bind the strongman, but how? Do we use the strongman to bind the strongman? Do we use theology to bind him? One Stronger has to take residence, we bind the strongman by being Born Again, which happens when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost to receive the Gift.
This same premise is seen in other accounts, in Mark, Jesus told us to have faith in God, but we must say to the mountain, “Go” (Mark 11:22-23). If we say Go, what would it be? Loosing? Yes, then Jesus added, when we stand praying we forgive, so our Father in heaven can forgive us (Mark 11:24-25). Is it binding or loosing? Loosing, but if we don’t forgive, neither will our Father forgive us, is it loosing or binding? It’s binding the Father’s forgiveness in heaven, as we bind ourselves to the earth.
Later in John 20:23 Jesus will talk about remitting the sins of people, it has nothing to do with telling people their sins are forgiven, it has to do with each of us forgiving the sins done unto us by others. For the most part we read how we are to forgive, but in John the context is remission. The Covenant context remains, when we forgive those on earth who have sinned against us, then God will forgive us who have sinned against Him. However, if we bind someone to our unforgiveness, then we have bound God’s forgiveness from us. These issues are Mercy relating to the Rock as the kingdom of heaven.
The word Bound is the Greek Deso meaning To bind with grave clothes, it was used in Matthew 13:30 showing the wicked ones are bound to death. The word Loose or Loosen is the Greek Luo meaning To release what is already bound, thus this refers to something bound to be loosed. Unforgiveness retained binds us to the earth, producing bitterness, it never hurts the person we hold unforgiveness against. Those who are in the Body, or just entering, have a potential to use the keys in prayer in order to be free indeed. The premise we free others, and God will free us.
Peter was told he was blessed, at the time he was part of the Rock as a little rock; however, we are of the Rock, we are also the Bread (I Cor 10:17). It’s a Blessing, being separated from the world, having power over the enemy, being Born Again as we are being formed into the Image of God’s Son, yet it begins with Forgiveness by Mercy as we enter the Rock.
Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ (16:20).
Here is the proof, Peter wasn’t blessed for what he said, he was blessed based on the position he was in to receive what he said. Here the role of teaching will change; Jesus is now talking about the Church, Cross and Resurrection as the Christ position of the Son of God. The disciples don’t have a clue what it entailed, and Peter will prove it in a few verses. From this point on they are not to speak of Jesus as the Christ of the Cross, because they lack the position to do so; to them spiritual matters are foolishness. Above all else this shows they were not Born Again, they had no perception of spiritual matters.
We are not going to deny the self, by the self, and no one can pick up their Cross until Jesus goes to the Cross. This connects back to the prior saying of Peter; what did Peter say, “Thou are the Christ”, but it related to Jesus the Christ of Grace, not Mercy. At this point Peter is informed not to use the phrase again, and he doesn’t. This will also be confirmed in a few verses when we get to the Mount of Transfiguration.
We see how the context was still linked to the building of the Church, something not taking place until Pentecost after Jesus was glorified by the Resurrection (Rom 1:4 & Jn 7:38-39). We will find other people calling Him the Christ, and John the Baptist called Him the Son of God, and Nathanael will call Him the “Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (Jn 1:49), but Jesus corrected Nathanael by saying, “Son of man” (Jn 1:51). Speaking out of ignorance, and speaking after Jesus said not to, are way different, just as speaking by revelation, and speaking “just because”, are different. In the case of John the Baptist we find he was filled with the Holy Ghost to speak those matters, the disciples were not.
Mark shows when Jesus spoke of the Cross and Resurrection the disciples had no idea what He was talking about (Mark 9:32). These disciples were representatives of Jesus and the kingdom, they were not witnesses at this time, but nonetheless people would look at them as examples of the kingdom they preached. Simply, they had no idea what the position of the Christ of the Cross and Grace entailed, they had no idea what having the Spirit means, they were not to speak of Jesus as the Christ in that regard, simply because they lacked the position and knowledge.
From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day (16:21).
How is this going to fit with “three days and three nights”? Perfect, Jesus didn’t say in the morning, rather it was “the third day”. Jesus was taken from the Cross and laid in the grave at sunset (Matt 27:57), at the time the women afar off were watching where Jesus would be buried (Mark 15:40): therefore, they couldn’t be making spices at then. Mark shows the Passover as the Preparation Day, which it is for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Mark 15:42). However, the weekly sabbath was always on Saturday, regardless of the date, but the High Sabbath for the Feast of Unleavened Bread was always on the 15th day of Abib regardless of the day (Numb 28:17). Luke tells us the women made the spices, then rested on the Sabbath day according to the Commandment (6th), a Saturday (Luke 23:54-56). We just saw in Mark how the women were at the Cross at even, with the next day a Sabbath, meaning they couldn’t fix the spices. Putting just this together we find Wednesday night would be the first night, Thursday as the High Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which would be the first day. That night the second night, then Friday as the weekly preparation day the second day, the same day the women cooked the spices. That night would be the third night, making Saturday the sabbath according to the Commandment the third day. When the women arrived at the grave on Sunday morning before the sun rose, the grave was empty. We find all the Scriptures pointing to the same conclusion, Jesus was three days and three nights in the grave, yet raised on the Third Day. Since the Third day was the Sabbath, we find Jesus is our Sabbath, in Him we find Rest for our souls. Jesus gave a prophetic utterance, based on what was yet future. All the pieces have to fit and do. Prior Peter had a word from the Father, which was information or knowledge, not prophecy. When Jesus is speaking of the events yet to come, it’s prophecy. If we change the days to fit our thinking, we are calling Jesus a false prophet, not real smart.
Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You (16:22).
Here is the son of Jonah thinking he is Jonah, Jesus just said it was God’s will, purpose and design for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, yet Peter says, “no”. One minute a revelation from the Father, the next a confession from Satan, and Peter couldn’t tell one from the other. This shows they had no idea what Jesus was talking about, here Peter takes it a step further, proving why they were not suppose to talk about the Cross and Resurrection (I Cor 2:13-16).
This is classic, often it’s the snare befalling the “novice”, Peter made a statement, Jesus told him it came from the Father, now he thinks he is a prophet. Peter is still speaking about matters he has no understanding of, they are spiritual in nature. Not only is he trying to change the Lord’s path, he is trying to make Jesus change the future. Jesus didn’t say, “I think I will go to Jerusalem, and with any luck be raised the third day”, it was a prophetic utterance. If nothing else proves they were not Born Again, this does. Peter was ordained, just told he was blessed, part of the inner circle, even his house was used as the center of the ministry, why not speak his mind? Why not indeed. Some of us give a word, and think we’re prophets. All of us are suppose to give words of comfort, edification and exhortation from the Spirit in us, but it doesn’t mean we hold the Office of Prophet.
The phrase, “Be it far from You”, can also read, “have pity on Yourself”. The phrase, “this shall not be unto You”, is a Jewish phrase meaning, “Make God stop this thing”. Jesus gave a prophecy, Peter is telling Him to change it. Peter is uttering the opposite to “deny the self and pick up your cross”, going right back to the temptation, “If you be the Son of God stop this”. Have pity on yourself is using the self, not denying it. Make God stop the Cross, is avoiding picking up our Cross.
How many of us have done the same? Never? How about those times when we didn’t like what’s going on, then command the devil to leave us alone? How does it relate? How do you know it was the devil? “Because I didn’t like it, and God wouldn’t do it to me”. We have no idea what God would or would not do in the Process. If God allowed, or placed in the position of training, yet we say, “have pity on me, stop this”. Perhaps it’s why it’s the Will of the Lord for us to give Thanks for all things (Eph 5:17-20).
Later Jesus will tell Peter “you will deny Me”, again Peter will say “Not so Lord”, Peter had a problem, the cure would come after Jesus allows Peter to suffer a sifting from Satan. Peter’s confession will change from “stop this” to “You know all things Lord”.
But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get you behind Me, Satan: you are an offense unto Me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men (16:23).
Prior Jesus told Peter, “Blessed are you”, now it’s “Satan”; from one end to the other, yet Peter never knew he took the trip. The rulers of darkness are not people, they are things, such as anger, control, self-importance, or other elements of darkness ruling over, or controlling us. These rulers of darkness cause us to make decisions, to act, speak and react, based on their control over us. Once we enter the Kingdom they no longer have power over us, but we must put off the old man and his deeds, or we will be used of the rulers. Anger is not a sin, anger controlling us is a ruler of darkness causing us to sin.
However, in defense of Peter, we know he was not Born Again at this time, neither did he know the source of his information. It took Jesus as the Word to tell him which information was from the Father, and which was from Satan. The Word was able to discern, Peter was not.
The word Savor or Savorest here is the Greek Phroneo, it’s a compound word meaning Mind, or Mindset, in this case pointing to the carnal, earthly mindset based in opinions of the spirit of man. An opinion is something we think to be true, but lack the evidence to prove it so. Peter gave his opinion, it seemed right to him, or he wouldn’t have said it. Jesus wasn’t talking to some mystic spirit, He turned and said the words from Peter were Satan based, pointing to the old man, yet showing Peter had no idea of the source of his words. The real horror is how Peter’s words this time were prophecy out of darkness, attempting to stop the prophetic words Jesus just spoke. The son of Jonah had a mouth, but it didn’t make him a prophet.
Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow Me (16:24).
This is how one defeats the old man and all those “have pity on yourself, and make God stop it” opinions. We have Keys, the first key is forgiveness; unforgiveness is how the self-nature keeps us bound to the earth. The self-nature demands justice for wrongs done, but if we deny the old nature we must include the act of forgiving as we are forgiven. We can’t have the fullness of the Spirit, yet maintain the self nature at the same time. It’s the same as attempting to be humble, and proud of it. The key word is “If”, which denotes a choice to apply the key. There are prerequisites to “Follow Me”, we must deny the self and pick up our cross. These are points of death to the old nature which must take place before we can enter the grave and be raised in the newness of life by the Spirit of Holiness. No one is going to be resurrected until death takes place, we impute death by the Cross of Jesus, which is taking up our cross. The wording Take Up is the Greek Ario meaning to bear, or hold up, or lift up high. If we were baptized into His death, why would we not take up our Cross? One element allowing us to Take Up our cross is to forgive as we desire God to forgive us. The self seeks some form of justice for wrongs done, or vengeance, validation, or admission of guilt by someone, or something to show we are innocent. However, God looks at us as Innocent when He forgives us, we in turn Pardon others, then we enter the place to remit the sins done unto us removing the pains and hurts we have retained. Pardon means we have forgiven, remission means we don’t focus on validation, vengeance, or retaliation. God is Justice, but in His case it’s righteous, in ours it is not. Justice and Judgment are different, Justice is doing what is right.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it (16:25).
The word for Life here is the Greek Psuche, which is also translated as Soul, referring to the soulish life style, or what is earthly in nature. This takes us back to the Beatitudes, “take no thought for your life (soul)” (Matt 6:25). This doesn’t mean dash our souls against the rocks of torment, it means don’t hold to the old man and his life style. The one thing the Wicked do is retain the authority of the old man, we must let it go, put it off, turn the Key, and be free.
We can see how this connects to binding and loosing, if we attempt to save our own souls, we lose them, but if we lose them for the sake of Jesus we loose heaven. In loosing heaven we receive the Power from On High, which is able to save our souls. It’s the same as binding the strongman, when we bind the strongman, the Stronger One will reign. If we loose the strongman, we end with religious conceit remaining ignorant concerning spiritual matters. If we attempt to save our souls through religious efforts, we will lose them in a mass of theological jargon. However, if we receive the New Man, who is the Stronger one, join with him, then we will see the strongman bound and vacated.
Everything from the Sermon on the Mount to the Cross has to do with the preparation to deny the self in order to gain the Christ Character by the power of the Resurrection. The information announced Jesus as the Christ, the Word of God, the same Word we received: Christ in us the hope of glory, the Greater He, Another Comforter, the Seed sown. The goal is not to destroy our souls, it’s to save them by having the Spirit.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (16:26).
What good would it do to have complete control of the Abrahamic Covenant, yet lose our soul in the end? The Abrahamic Covenant never promised eternal life, it didn’t promise the Spirit, it was good, but it also became incorporated into the Law of Moses. What will be our “Lord, Lord”? “Lord, Lord I used the wisdom of man, not Your Wisdom”? “Lord, Lord I used deception, rather than truth”? This warning is for the sake of Judas, as he attempts to make something happen for his own lustful desire, but Peter wanted to stop any pain coming to Jesus; whereas Judas wants something to happen to benefit him personally regardless of the pain or suffering it generates.
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works (16:27).
What is the “glory of His Father”? Be Merciful as your Father, the same glory is within the Born Again believer, it soon will be revealed (Luke 6:36 & Rom 8:18). This is another area showing the Judgment is based on Mercy, Jesus returns as the Son of man, not the Son of God. Natural man cannot be judged on something he lacks, but all mankind can show mercy.
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom (16:28).
The phrase “taste of death” refers to the Second Death, not physical death, it’s still appointed unto all men once to die, then comes the Judgment. This verse is in conjunction with the prior one, connecting them to Revelation 20:11-15. This one teaching began with “if any man come after Me”, it still stands, our goal is to be with Jesus.
Standing there was Judas, the son of perdition. All of these men, except Judas would see Jesus in His Glory, with three seeing Him in His Glory within days. The word Some is the Greek Tis meaning Someone, A certain one, not many, pointing to A certain one, not merely Judas, but the position he will begin, the sons of perdition who bind their selves to the Earth as they become the Beast of the Earth.
Judas held a stronghold, he filtered everything Jesus said through the lust of greed. In Isaiah 34:13 in the Septuagint we find the same Greek word Paul used for Stronghold, but in Isaiah 34:13 it points to Fortresses (plural), the context shows the Fortresses were a form of idol worship. Carnal theology is a form of idol worship, since the carnal mind cannot understand spiritual matters, and God’s children are spiritual in nature. In Proverbs 10:29 the same word was used, but there we find the mystery when we read “but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity”. In Proverbs 21:22-23 we also find the same word, there it reads “A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and casts down the strength of the confidence thereof. Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his Soul from troubles”. We are told to bring every thought into captivity, the Iniquity would be a failure to do it, the resulting sin would be exercising the stronghold on others.
This is still on binding and loosing, the premise will be seen for many chapters yet to come. Jesus didn’t drop the concept in the midst of the disciples, then say “go figure it out for yourselves”, He will continue on the teaching as He gives the Keys.
And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light. And, behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him (17:1-3).
This experience on the Mount of Transfiguration is enough to take down all the strongholds, all the traditions, proving to us the Power of His Christ is just as available to us today, as it was on the Day of Pentecost. The word Transfigured comes from a Greek word, from which we get our English Metamorphose, or the position between changes, but not the change itself: the result of the Metamorphose would be the completed change. There is a place between changes we call the Wilderness, the place of discovery where we can see our victory over the self is in the hands of the Spirit.
This a preview and incentive for these three pillars, a Change was taking place, a change from one Law to another, from one position to another, from one condition to another, yet Jesus will not destroy either the Law or the Prophets. Peter, James and John will see the words of the prophet Zechariah come to pass. The command was “hear ye Him”, it can’t be any plainer.
Where was Jesus when this took place? On a Mount; the metaphor shows the Church on the Rock. This is still an aspect of binding and loosing, we see heaven loosed in Jesus which is the Body and Head of the Body.
We are Transformed by Mercy, Transfigured by Grace, Translated by the Spirit. Transformed is a change on the outside, or a covering change. Transfigured is a change on the inside to promote the covering. Translated is a change in positions, from one place to another. Paul used another Greek word for Self-Transformed (Metashematizo) linking it to those who attempt to save their own souls, which gives us another aspect of binding and loosing (II Cor 11:13-15). If we are Transformed by God, then we have entered the loosing, but if we enter some self-transformation, we are bound to the Earth.
If we were to change an event by our will power, it would be Metashematizo, but if we were to be changed by God in the event it would be Metamorphoo. The English word Transformed in Romans 12:2 is the same Greek word we find translated here as Transfigured. In Romans the reference is Transformed by the Spirit into the renewing of our minds in order to be Transfigured, or the process of obtaining a New Mind.
All this relates to the promise of the Grain of Mustard seed, they had yet to receive the Seed, but their time was nearing. The Greek word used for Grain is Kokkos from which we get the English Cocoon, it’s the same word to describe the grave clothes John finds in the tomb after the Resurrection of Jesus. It also relates to Transfigured, as the evidence of change, not the change itself. the Greek word for Seed is Sperma meaning life giver. The Cocoon must die to bring about the Transfiguration for the Life inside to become life on the outside. Transformed is blessed, transfigured is the blessing.
Unless the Cocoon opens, the butterfly never comes out. The Faith of the mustard seed knows it must Yield and submit to the process in order for the life inside to spring forth. The natural mind fights the process, one of our biggest battles is the Submission to be Born Again. The mustard seed doesn’t “think”, it responds to its surroundings. Good ground, water and the sun is all it needs, for us it’s a willingness to be changed by Christ. The mustard seed fits it’s surroundings, and allows the process to work, it’s the same type of faith we must have in God.
The figure James, John and Peter see is the Salvation Jesus, or the Christ of the Cross and Resurrection. Notice the complete appearance, His “face” did shine as the sun, His Raiment was white as the Light (Matt 17:2). Where are His feet? His hands? Surely He has feet and hands. Take the description and carry it to Revelation 1:13-15, where Jesus as the Son of man is clothed with a garment down to the foot, girt about the paps with a golden girdle, His head and hair white as snow, His eyes as a flame of fire, His Feet like unto fine Brass, as if they burned in a furnace. What is this? The Mount is Salvation, the Son of God; in the Book of Revelation it’s Judgment as the Son of man. Same Jesus, but two sides of the Cross. Here on the Mount we find The Light and the “Light of the Sun”, as if it’s the Sun, pointing to the Day. This is for us, we are children of the Day; here, Jesus is answering the comments of Peter, there is something better just ahead. Peter in his natural state saw Jesus on a daily basis, they healed the sick, did many things, were truly loved by the Master, what could be better? Unless you have the Better, you will never know.
The Figure of Jesus shows a Transfiguration in more ways than one, the Figure alone is exciting, there we are, children of the Day as His Body, the Rock of Christ. Yet the Two Witnesses are also there, what for? To show the separation of Seasons. The Law and Prophets were not part of Jesus, they stood next to Him. Jesus is the Declaration of the Day; the Two Witnesses point to the Night.
From this time forward Jesus sets His eyes on the purpose and goal, “for this reason came I into the world”. His faith reached past the Cross to the Resurrection, His confession proved, “be raised again the third day” (Matt 16:21). How many days? Two? No, three. To make it any more, or less makes Jesus a false prophet. How so? There was no, “perhaps” or “around three days”, or even “as the Lord leads”; it was specific, each time He mentions the time it’s specific, making it prophetic in nature.
Then Jesus said the Law and Prophets were until John, it didn’t do away with the Law and Prophets, rather it showed a change in process. In truth the Old Testament ended with Matthew 1:1, yet the New doesn’t begin until the Blood of Jesus is shed. The time between is identified to the Father’s Mercy, the preparation for the Gospel of Peace.
The Remnant will not have Grace or the Spirit, but they will have Mercy, it’s the Mercy they walk in. They will have the Two Witnesses of the Law and Prophets with them, the anointing on the Law and Prophets will be the Unction for the Remnant, thus they will not have a prophet, they will have the prophets. We have a much Better Promise, with a much Better Covenant, and a much Better position and condition.
As we now know, Moses represents the Law, Elijah the Prophets, as the Two Witnesses who stood next to the Lord of the whole earth (Zech 4:14). In Luke we find Moses and Elijah were speaking to Jesus regarding the “decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem”, this is not the decease of Jesus, but the Decease Jesus would accomplish (Luke 9:31). The Law and Prophets would end for the Believer at the Cross; as a power and a principality they were nailed to the Cross (Col 1:16 & 2:13-15). The actual men of flesh and blood didn’t stand with Jesus, rather the figures represented what the men stood for. The Two Witnesses in the latter days are not two guys from Jerusalem, or two reincarnated saints, they are the Law and Prophets, the Testimony of Jesus.
There is no dispute about Moses being one of the Two Witnesses, but there is a division over the second one being Elijah, or Enoch, but the division is based on the two witnesses being human beings, rather than what the person stood for. When we know Jesus said the Law and Prophets testified of Him, or how the Law is a Witness, this area becomes clear, the Law is here on earth, it has a purpose, the Prophets spoke of their time, and times to come, they have purpose, but we still “hear ye Him”. We don’t follow the dictates of the Law, we don’t mix the words of the prophets, rather we hear ye Him. The Book of Hebrews tells us God spoke to man by the prophets, now He speaks to us by His Son (in us – Heb 1:1-2). The Law and Prophets have a Season yet to come, we have a Season Now. We must keep in mind this vision is based on two Seasons only, the Day and Night.
Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if You will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elias (17:4).
Answered? What was the question? There was none, Peter reacted again, but give the guy a break, he wasn’t Born Again, truly he is an example of a zealous person without the Spirit. To the natural mind spiritual things are foolishness.
While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear you Him (17:5).
No, it wasn’t “this is My beloved Son, and His pals”, or “Gee Peter I never thought of it, go ahead My good and faithful servant”. Peter was rebuked, the Figure of Jesus shows the building was in process, there was no need to build a tabernacle, it was time to submit and be made a tabernacle.
Peter would look back on this experience by telling us how great the experience was, but it didn’t compare to the Holy Ghost interpreting the Scriptures (II Pet 1:17-19). It’s one thing to see something, another to understand it. Peter saw, but understood not, then made a statement based on his lack of understanding.
And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only (17:6-8).
Why? When they saw the vision they weren’t afraid, in fact, Peter said, “hey let’s make some tabernacles”. This was a rebuke, more important it was a Proceeding word. All their life they heard, “Moses has said”, or “the prophets say”, but the Voice loosed from heaven pointed directly to Jesus, and said, “Hear ye Him”, it’s a Commandment. It was not “it’s a good idea”, or “if you want to”, it was plain, simple, to the point.
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead (17:9).
This was a Vision? The word for Vision is the Greek Horama meaning What is seen, it does relate to a Vision, since it’s what happened. Here we find the phrase Peter used pertained to Jesus the Christ of the Resurrection, they lacked position, but the warning was limited Until Jesus as the Son of God is raised from the dead, allowing the Holy Ghost to come on Pentecost granting them the Spirit, giving them the position in order to speak. Then the person would be changed, granting them the position to preach Jesus as the Raised Son of God, no one calls Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, but I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that He spoke unto them of John the Baptist (17:10-13).
Hold it, what did the voice just say? “Hear ye Him”! What are they saying, “Why do the scribes say”. They just saw “Elijah”, yet Jesus points to John. The message of Elijah was really foreseen in Malachi, in the message we find, “You shall tread down the Wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of Your feet” (Mal 4:3). What is under the feet of Jesus? His footstool, now we know why as the Judgment Jesus His feet appear as if they were in a furnace.
We then find two messages for Elijah, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the Great and Dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal 4:5). The phrase “great and dreadful” is only found in one other place (Dan 9:4), there it relates to God being Great and Dreadful. The word Great is the Hebrew Gadowl meaning Mighty, Greater in Intensity, or Of more importance. The word Dreadful is the Hebrew Yare meaning A terrible thing, or to be Afraid, it has the same meaning as “every eye shall see Him, and they which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him” (Rev 1:7). Two groups, and we don’t belong to either. The point of course is there are two messages of Elijah, one John delivered, another written in the Prophets pertaining to the Judgment.
While all this was going on, there was unbelief raging at the foot of the mountain. When Jesus came down from giving the Sermon on the Mount, He healed a leper, when He comes down from this mountain He finds a demon possessed child, but He also finds nine unbelieving disciples who were attempting to cast out the demon, but they were also engaged in a theatrical display. They were not Born Again, so this wasn’t the Spirit manifesting, this is a display of egos. At this point in time they were still operating in the supernatural, not the spiritual. The Novice can cast out devils, even Judas did that. Of course there are some who can make a theatrical show out it, but they are playing with fire.
And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him (17:14-16).
There was a multitude milling about, wanting to see the show. This is still before the Resurrection, thus the disciples were still operating in Mercy. Not one person came to Jesus during the earthly ministry and said, “Have Grace on me”, it was always “Have Mercy on me”, indicating the concept for the earthly ministry was to establish the Mercy of God.
Mark shows Jesus telling the man, “if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). This is not an issue of faith, it’s based on belief. What was his belief? He brought the child to set free, thus he believed it could be done, but all of sudden his belief is attacked. This is important, some of us work for days on our faith, but we don’t do a thing for our belief; here we find Belief is vital.
The man said, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief”, his unbelief was caused by the disciples. It’s obvious something had gone wrong, these same disciples worked before under the Authority of Jesus, even when He wasn’t around. Now this devil refuses to leave, or is it what the devil wants them to “believe”?
The pressure was on the disciples, “don’t you guys cast out devils? What seems to be your problem here?”. As the multitude gathered the work went from freeing the lad, to proving themselves in front of the people. Luke adds to Matthew, showing it was the day after the transfiguration when Jesus and the three disciples came down from the mountain (Luke 9:37); therefore the other disciples were left alone for at least two days. We’re not told how long this was going on, but we will see the problem was not the unbelief of the man, but allowing the multitude to gather contributed to the problem.
The spirit (demon) in the child tossed the child into the fire and water. Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Ghost and Fire, from the Spirit in us comes Living Water, this demon was mocking the power of God by using the unbelief of the disciples against them.
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him here to me (17:17).
The word Faithless appears four times in the Gospel accounts, three of those times are in reference to this event (Matt 17:17; Mark 9:19 & Luke 9:41). The fourth time is in reference to Thomas doubting Jesus was raised from the dead (Jn 20:27). The word Faithless means Infidel or without faith, indicating someone who allows something to rob them of faith. Wait, the man’s foundation was belief, here for the disciples it’s faith. For the man it was something he believed when he brought the child, for the disciples it was yet future tense based on what they said to the demon. Did their faith hold the demon had to come out, and stay out by the Name of Jesus?
Prior Jesus said, “oh you of little faith”, but here it’s “faithless”. If Jesus considered these people who were at least attempting to cast out the devil faithless, what does it make those who refuse to even try to cast out devils?
The word Perverse means to Misinterpret, the disciples were moved by what they saw, as they were moved by the challenge of the scribes, their own pride to prove their ability, causing them to misinterpreted the event. Instead of casting out the devil for the sake of the boy, they were attempting to show “the power I have”.
Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour (17:18).
Luke shows the child foamed at the mouth as the devil tore at the child (Luke 9:39). We use the terms, devils and demons, but the word demon never appears in the Authorized Version, thus they are the same. There are some who equate this child to an epileptic; however, an epileptic is not suicidal, this demon didn’t throw the child on the ground, rather, it was looking for the specific locations of water or fire. It also Tore at the child, which goes much further than an epileptic seizure.
This explains how the unbelief of the disciples caused additional torment to the child. The devil successfully tricked the disciples, then assumed it could trick Jesus. The context shows, as the disciples cast the devil out, it would tear at the child, making it appear as if it hadn’t been cast out, thus the disciples would believe the lie, and attempt to cast it out again, meaning their faith was at issue. The lack of faith on the part of the disciples opened the door for the devil to enter again. This vicious circle went on, until Jesus came on the scene.
Again in defense of the disciples, at this point in time they were not Born Again, they lacked the “discernment of spirits”. Jesus Rebuked the devil, the word Rebuked means to Reprove Sharply, to Scold For A Fault or Misdeed. Mark tells us Jesus said, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you, come out of him and enter no more into him” (Mark 9:25). This explains the trick used by the devil by the phrase “enter no more”. Although the child fell on the ground, it didn’t cause Jesus to start yelling, “Come out, come out, oh boy come out, are you out?”. He knew it was out, He discerned the trick; we call this “discerning of spirits”.
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you If you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove from here to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However, this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting (17:19-21).
This goes to the unbelief, not the demon, still pertaining to binding and loosing. Jesus would continue to point to the mustard seed, the mustard seed doesn’t pretend to be an apple tree, it knows instinctively it must die before the life comes forth. When the Cross is before these disciples they will “pray and fast”, No? They will “pray”? No? They will hide. Yes. The praying and fasting has nothing to do with the devil, it has to do with unbelief. Okay how did it go from a lack of faith to unbelief? The faith issued was on what they said, the unbelief came after they said it. Faith knows the devil has no choice, it must come out; however, the belief issue was after the fact, thus their lack of faith caused their unbelief.
And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: and they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry (17:22-23).
This goes back to verse 16:21, only this time Peter has learned to keep his mouth shut. This is still the Grain, Jesus died a physical, painful death to enable us to die to the self, in order to have life. The Resurrection opened the Door for us to gain the Spirit, no one is going to have Resurrection power until they are dead. In our case we gain by the Cross, which opens the Door for Grace.
It’s also evident, Jesus knew He would be “betrayed”, or giving someone into the hands of another. Therein lays a major difference between Peter and Judas, Peter didn’t deliver Jesus to anyone, he denied knowing Him. Peter’s repentance involved weeping bitterly, the self-repentance of Judas was based in money.
When they faced the lad they were moved by what they saw, the same will happen at the Cross. They will forget everything Jesus told them, assuming it’s all over. Even to the point of Peter thinking he had to return to his old profession of fishing.
And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Does not your Master pay tribute? He said, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying what think you Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or strangers? Peter said unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go you to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for Me and you (17:24-27).
Look at the limit, it wasn’t “for this ministry”, or “for all of us”, rather Jesus is providing the tax money based on what Peter said. Showing Jesus will cover our mistakes, but we will still have to do something. Peter being a fisherman, was told to fish for the money. Jesus provided, but Jesus didn’t say, “Now Peter, go and find out what they are going to use the money for, I refuse to give to some abomination”. Jesus knew the giver is blessed, regardless of what the receiver does with the money. When an evil government takes from the Body, then uses the resource in a wicked manner, the government will pay the price, just as Rome did. If we “give” then the receiver is responsible, not us, if we “loan” then we are still responsible, better to give.
Again Peter “spoke”, the context shows he was justifying himself, the ministry and Jesus. Had they paid taxes before? It doesn’t say, but Peter wasn’t in charge of that area anyway, thus he was answering a question herein he lacked position and authority.
Peter came into the house in order to get the tribute from the ministry bag, but Jesus told him, No, the money in the ministry is for the ministry, taxes come from the labor of our hand. People gave money for the work of the ministry, not for Caesar’s gain. From these verses the Body of Christ has been given tax exempt status from certain governments. We are not to be ashamed of it either, rather the government may not know it, but they are giving a type of tithes. Jesus knew what Rome would do with the money, but He had Peter pay it anyway.
There are three different Greek words used for the English word Tribute, here the Greek word specifically means a tax, it’s used in reference to the protection paid by one country to another. Since the Jews were under Roman authority the tax was paid by the captive to the oppressor, the information sparked the next question from the disciples.
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (18:1).
They saw Rome was greater than Israel because Israel had to pay taxes, would the ruling order in the Kingdom be the same? Luke shows a dispute arose as to which of the disciples should be the greatest as a future tense question, rather than a present tense issue. Jesus said He was going to the Cross, so guess it’s time to start thinking about a new leader. No, it’s time for prayer and fasting.
All this also goes back to the ruling order their history produced, the Maccabees set them free from the Syrians, but made them captive to Rome. Attempting to form our government order after the world’s order leads to carnal leadership, not wise at all.
Prior Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees, now it’s the leaven of the Gentiles.
And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them (18:2).
The Greek word used for Child here is Paidion, this word doesn’t mean an infant, rather it refers to one of either sex under the age of accountability (13 years old), but over the age one would be considered a Babe. John used Paidion in reference to the little children; therefore, this refers to those who know their sins are forgiven. It’s the youngmen or Full Ear who have overcome the wicked.
For the disciples the question was, Who Is Greater Among Them, but they have yet to enter the place to even consider the question.
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (18:3).
This goes beyond the question of “who is greater Among us”; rather it speaks about entering the Kingdom. We must be converted and grow, none of us begin as the Full Ear. Jesus didn’t say be a child, rather we are to be As little children, willing to learn.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name receives Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believes in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (18:4-6).
Were the disciples being humble? Hardly, the minute we start thinking about being greater, we enter pride. Proper warfare is keeping the priority in order, Jesus is the Greater, He is above all things.
The context now makes an addition, it‘s not just a little one, but a little one who Believes. Humbleness kills pride, the question from the disciples reeked of pride. Before they can decide Greatness, they must learn humbleness. Humbleness is another Key to the Kingdom, we humble ourselves under the Mighty Hand of God, and He shall raise us up in due time. The paradox is beautiful, we lift Jesus, He lifts us, but He didn’t lift himself, neither do we lift ourselves.
There are other factors here as well, surely these guys are making mistakes, yet Jesus never says, “Away with you, you stupid disciples”. Not even Judas was cast off, thus Jesus never left Judas, it was Judas who left Jesus. Jesus isn’t going to kick us out of the Kingdom because we blow it, but He does expect us to be teachable and willing to learn from the mistakes. However, those who place roadblocks before us based on their envy, or traditions better take notice to the “Woe”.
Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (18:7).
Offenses will come, but this relates to Who brings them, yet we know Jesus offended many, go figure. This offense is far different from the ones Jesus brought, this offense means to suppress someone by action, deed, or word with the intent of stopping them, or causing them to sin. The offense Jesus brings, is purposed to expose, to bring correction in order to bring us into the perfection of the Covenant.
There are several Greek words for the English word Offense, Paul used a Greek word in Second Corinthians 6:3, translated as Offense meaning Sin, as he says, “giving no offense in anything, so the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, as yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live, as chastened, and not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (II Cor 6:3-10). Paul used another Greek word in the Book of Romans for Offense in the phrase, “but not as the offense, so also the free gift. For if through offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many” (Rom 5:15). The Greek word used here for Offense means to Side Step Unintentionally. The word Jesus uses in verse 7 means to bring Scandal or place Stumblingblocks in front of the children of God. The one who brings Scandal, is the Accuser acting as the binding force keeping many bound to the Earth.
Wherefore if your hand or your foot offend you, cut them off, and cast them from you: it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire (18:8).
This doesn’t mean to cut off our physical limbs: if our pride is blocking our walk, cut it off with humbleness. If our hand seeks retaliation, cut it off with applications of Mercy. The word “wherefore” shows this area connects to “bringing offense”, the type of offense Jesus is talking about is an offense to halt, hurt, or cause harm to someone. It’s a far cry from the offense of exposure unto correction to bring perfection.
The word Everlasting has several meanings, in some cases it means everlasting until another event happens, in other cases it means everlasting without end, much like the terms Bottomless or Without End. If hell is bottomless, yet it’s in the earth, it would mean it must have a bottom; however, the earth is round and has no beginning or end, no start or finish, in essence the term bottomless means without end.
And if your eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire (18:9).
Again this is metaphoric in nature, the eye isn’t the problem, closing the “eye gate” doesn’t solve the problem. The eye is the way to the soul as some say, but it’s also controlled by the soul. If the lust motivates the eye, we deal with the lust, then the eye won’t wander.
The word Cut in the phrase Cut off is the Greek Ekkopto meaning To cut off as one would cut a branch off. The word Pluck in the phrase Pluck it out is the Greek Exaireo meaning To choose one over many, or pluck out as one would select one, it also means to Rescue. In verse 8 it would be in the same context as the Broken Body of Jesus, really pointing to the area. Paul said the Body of Jesus is Broken, the Greek word he used is Klao meaning To break apart, it’s the same word used in reference to the breaking of the Bread. All this relates, in verse 9 it ‘s more of a Rescue, by the New Man we can deal with the lust; thereby rescuing us from what would destroy us.
The context of the single eye metaphorically means we are focused on Jesus, the two-eyed person is like a double-tongued person, one eye on Jesus, the other on the world. Worldly minded people are more impressed with the world, than they are with the Holy Ghost.
Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven (18:10).
This is still looking at the Children, the word Despise means to cause One To Think Against, thus this still relates to the type of Offense. If we teach someone to Think against the Bible, we are causing them to stumble.
This entire area has nothing to do with the Physical, it has much to do with our walk of faith. How hard is it to up root seeds of unbelief? In some cases it takes years, in other cases it can be quick if one is teachable.
One area where we can see how this relates is “speaking in unknown tongues”, there is no Commandment saying we have to, but there is one saying, “forbid not to speak with tongues” (I Cor 14:37-39). Whether someone speaks or not is between them and the Lord, but we Never forbid anyone to speak in unknown tongues, if we do we bring a Woe upon ourselves.
For the Son of man is come to save that which is lost. How think you? if a man have a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray, does he not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray? (18:11-12).
Not only does He have one child with Him, but Judas was also in the group hearing this. Jesus is more than willing to seek out the Lost, but the Lost must want to join the flock as well. The metaphor “mountains” means nations; the sheep was once in the fold, then entered the “mountains” becoming lost. This is a backslider, one who is a two-eyed person who became impressed with the world, ventured out of the sheepfold becoming lost. This is not the same as drawing back to perdition, in this case it’s a sheep, not a goat in sheep’s clothing. In either case, Jesus will send someone with the words of restoration, and rescue.
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (18:13-14).
This phrase starts with an “If”, where there is an “If”, there is a choice, or a question at hand. If our actions caused a little one to be devoured, their blood is on our head; however, if our display of Christ brought them to the Lord’s arms, we have saved a little one from destruction.
Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother (18:15).
All phases are covered, if the lust was in us, we deal with it by the Spirit. The eye offending caused us to wander in the mountains. Perhaps a lust in another enticed a lust in us, but it remains there had to be a lust in us for us to be enticed. If we caused the Woe, then Woe unto us, but if we were the one sought out the lost sheep, then we are faithful servants.
All this is still answering, “who will be greater”, in this we find what Greatness means in the Kingdom. James speaks on this very subject saying, “confess your Faults one to another and pray one for the other, so you may be healed” (James 5:16). The word Faults also means Offense or Trespasses against one and another. James is not telling us to confess or share our sins with someone, his comments refer to causing Offense between the brethren. The goal is Unity in the Faith and Spirit, not division by Offense. This still has to do with the “greater” in the kingdom, thus in the eyes of Jesus the greater one is the humble one who is more concerned with Unity, than being “right”.
Jesus isn’t telling us to go to our brother and say, “I forgive you”, tit’s a prideful approach, rather it’s restoration. Wait, I thought the “ministry of reconciliation” was between man and God? It is, it’s the issue here isn’t it? The restoration must take place to heal the Body bringing us back into a relationship with God, rather than cause a sheep to be offended or wander.
The first place is between the two with the fault, it is not making tapes about their sin, or selling books, it’s private with the intent of restoration.
But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established (18:16).
This is step two, if and only if the brother will not heed the words of restoration, then we get an independent third party, someone who has Wisdom. We don’t find a “yes man” who will side with us. This is the main context of “two or three gathered together in My Name”. During the meeting involving the two who had the conflict the goal was restoration, with the three it’s still centered on restoration.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican (18:17).
Okay, we did the private thing, then we obtained a third person who was not connected to personalities, we even said, “look if I offended you, I’m sorry, please forgive me”, but the other person rejected it, meaning the issue is not settled. What now? If we are Born Again then our “personal feelings” are moot, it’s doesn’t make any difference who is right or wrong, we Restore for the sake of Unity. If the person rejects the “two or three” their heart is still centered in pride, validation, or they are not concerned what Jesus thinks, or desires. They are acting like a heathen, they must be treated as such. We don’t go before the Body and tell everyone how evil the other person was, rather it’s still based on Restoration through Mercy. This would be the third step, two between themselves, then a third party, now the congregation.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (18:18).
Clearly this reflects to people connecting to the premise of binding and loosing in reference to Mercy and Restoration. If they rejected our mercy, they are more focused on validation and justice, than Mercy; they have bound themselves to earth, and have bound God’s mercy from them. If they receive the Restoration, then they have Loosed any unforgiveness, or demands for Justice, then God’s Mercy will be loosed from heaven. They may not feel like Restoration, but they also know it’s the will of the Lord for them to be in Unity.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven (18:19).
The word “again” connects this to the prior teaching, thus “two of you” agreeing has to do with resolving the conflict between them. The third party is called when the two can’t resolve their conflict, thus the third is for the specific purpose of restoration. James saw this and added how they pray for one another so they may be healed (James 5:16). The context in James 5:16 is the same as we find here, conflicts between the brethren.
The phrase “touching anything” is a Jewish idiom meaning to touch the Sacrifice, or touch the veil, pertaining to reaching the Meaning of the Sacrifice of Jesus, not anything in general, making this is a specific teaching regarding restoration.
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (18:20).
Here we find the Purpose of the Name of Jesus as it pertains to Mercy among the brethren as restoration. It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong, what matters is Unity. The word Midst is the Greek Mesos meaning Middle, if we know Jesus is standing in the Middle we should be Quick to give Mercy. The indication shows Jesus standing between the two, thus what is said is said to Him.
Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (18:21-22).
All this is still binding and loosing, Peter knew exactly what the context pertained to; however, he is looking for the loophole, the place where he can step from Mercy into validation and Justice.
God forgave Israel seventy times seven before the nation was placed into captivity; the same principle applies for us. This is clearer as Jesus also says, If one trespasses against us seventy times seven in one day, yet they repent, we forgive them seventy times seven (Luke 17:4). The repentance is not them bowing at our feet and asking our most holy forgiveness, rather it’s being sorry for bringing the occasion of stumbling. This also shows how causing someone to stumble includes mind games to make them mad, or to attack them for the pure sake of invoking anger.
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made (18:23-25).
This Parable is pointed directly to loosing and binding, showing what happens when we ask for God’s forgiveness, but reject the call to forgive and walk in Mercy.
From all this we can see how Loosing and Binding are defined as Mercy based, not Grace based. The Keys are forgiveness, mercy, and love. Also this is still relating to the Cross, and what it will take for them to get from the Cross to Pentecost. What do we think the “one accord” was? Asking for a bigger building? No, they were forgiving in prayer, their One accord was the one thing they had, Mercy, by forgiving all in prayer the Holy Ghost came with the Gift like a rushing mighty wind.
The amount of ten thousand talents would be the equivalent to several million dollars. The man was found guilty in front of the king, he owed this amount without question, yet the man was a servant of the king. Standing off in the corner was the devil waiting to make his bid to obtain this servant, but the king would grant Mercy.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him saying, Lord have patience with me, and I will pay you all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave his debt (18:26-27).
The man’s vow was to pay the king, but he lacked the ability, yet the king made a choice and picked compassion (mercy), over judgment. Freely the servant received, but would he freely give? Our model prayer says, “Forgive me my trespasses As I forgive others”; therefore, this is also a vow of faith, in order to be forgiven, we must forgive. This is the premise regarding the vessels of honor and dishonor, it’s not a matter of forgiving once, then receiving God’s mercy, but a matter of continual forgiveness. The call remains, Forgive as God for Christ’s sake has (past tense) forgiven us (Eph 4:32). This teaching hasn’t left the “two or three” premise, it’s still talking about forgiveness. If our brother comes to us and says, “forgive me”, we must forgive and seek restoration, if not God will form us into a vessel of dishonor.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that you owe (18:28).
The amount here is less than one dollar, or better, the amount didn’t matter. Many of the unforgiveness issues we hold against others really don’t matter. We can view any event as a means to apply Great Mercy to gain Great Mercy, or we can follow our pride and vengeance to rule us, in which case we end condemning ourselves.
And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt (18:29-30).
This fellow servant used the same wording which was used by the king, but the unfaithful servant won’t show the same compassion; whereas, prior he begged the king to hear his pleas. This is a perfect example of binding and loosing, the king loosed the man, but the man failed to apply the same Mercy, thus he is binding his fellow servant. The king was superior, the fellow servant, was still a servant, the only authority he had was based on what was owed him. All this shows we asked God to forgive us, and He did, but are we as willing to forgive others? What others have done to us is nothing compared to what we did to God.
So when his fellow servants saw that was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done (18:31).
The other servants didn’t write books, send their watchdogs, they didn’t run about slandering the unfaithful one in front of the congregation, they went to the king, and allowed the king to decide the matter.
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me: (18:32).
The unfaithful servant had to face the king, and answer for his iniquity. The unfaithful one sinned against his fellow servant, but it was caused by his failure to forgive, as he was forgiven. The wording, “because you desired me”, brings this parable to the truth of seeking Mercy, relating to coming to Jesus as a little child. Children have a “forgive and forget” attitude, the playmate they are mad it today, they play with tomorrow.
Should not you also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you? (18:33).
Here it changes to Pity, but it still shows the man had the power in hand to show the same compassion which was shown to him. Will God forgive some, knowing they will fail to forgive others? Yes, the purpose is still to show the Power of God. God will form the vessel based on Mercy, not Grace. The vessel received the Mercy, thus a vessel gives Mercy is one unto Honor, one who doesn’t is one onto Dishonor (Rom 9:21-23).
Paul referred to Mercy and these verses when he described the heart of the Colossians, saying they were the elect of God, called to be holy, beloved, full of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, forgiving one another, if any man had a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave them (Col 3:12-13). Clearly, this is Mercy not Grace, this is the Attitude not the Character. Mercy connects to Grace, and the Wisdom of God is Full of Mercy, thus Mercy is the glue keeping us in Grace.
We have to see the concept of binding and loosing is based on giving Mercy, after we receive it, it has nothing to do with binding devils. This brings the concept home, it’s a matter of Loosing the person from our unforgiveness, by forgiving them. If we Loose them, we are Loosed causing heaven’s forgiveness to be Loosed in us.
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (18:34-35).
Is it easy to forgiven the unforgivable? No, but denying the self includes giving up any right we may think we find regarding validation, revenge, getting justice, or seeing someone punished for what they did to us. It begins with the decision to be obedient, it’s not a mind game, using the excuse, “well I would be lying, since I’m still angry”, that is an excuse. Faith says the imputing brings the ability, then comes the impartation.
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan (19:1).
Jesus left the northern area of the Sea of Galilee, going south where the Jordan meets the Dead Sea in the area of Judea, which included Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Bethany.
And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? (19:2-3).
The wording “put away” is the same as Loosing, here we find the counterfeit. When the demon had the child, the child was bound, but Jesus freed the child by loosing the demon from the child; here the Pharisees are bound by religious tradition. Jesus will handle this differently, knowing what to do still comes by Hearing the New Man.
This is a trick question seen in the phrase, “every cause”, which would negate Mercy in any form. Accordingly the Jew sees divorce as a “loosing” from the marriage, but they also view marriage as a contract (covenant).
Their question was their own exposure, but they missed it. God divorced Israel over Her adulterous affair with idols. These Pharisees should have looked to their confession to discover their self based attitude was based in the idols in their minds.
And He answered and said unto them, Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh? (19:4-5).
Like most Pharisees they had the “Law”, but used their opinions to form the question, Jesus however answered with “have you not read”? They sought the answer to “loosing”, Jesus answers with “binding”. They understand the first commandment was “multiply”, relating to marriage. Jesus went further back than the Law of Moses to the purpose of God in the beginning when Adam was still in the Garden. God intended for Israel to be one with God, as Israel was one with Jacob, but it was Israel, not the Husband who caused the divorce.
Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. They said unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? (19:6-7).
This doesn’t say man can’t divide what God has purposed to be joined, rather it’s a warning, don’t do it. This is also a warning to those who divide the kingdom of heaven, yet it will be divided, Jesus said it would, but Woe to the one who does it. What else did God join together? The nation of Israel, yet the Pharisees were among those who were dividing it. Paul told the Corinthians he knew there were divisions among them, if divisions, there had to be heresies (I Cor 11:19).
Just prior they held Jesus to their interpretation of the Law, but they refused to apply the same Law to themselves. We can see the trick, they know what the Scriptures say, Jesus went to the Beginning, now they bring the Law of Moses in, to produce a conflict, not answer it.
He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so (19:8).
First Jesus told them “God said”, now He tells them “Moses”, so what happened? Did God change His mind? No, the provision was not based on God, but the hardness of the heart of man.
Jesus didn’t say, “hardness of their hearts”, He pointed directly at the Pharisees, and showed they were just as guilty of the divorce, as their fathers. Hardness of heart is stony ground, thus the Seed was being presented, but rejected.
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whosoever marries her which is put away does commit adultery (19:9).
The wording Put Away is still a matter of Loosing, only here Jesus says “Don’t Loose”, thus this concept still has to do with Mercy. One mate put away another because of personal expectations and hardness of heart, thus Mercy would have sought the reason they were married to begin with by seeking restoration. On the same note, if God didn’t put them together, then they need to get it correct, before the rest of it falls into place.
We also find Paul said if the unbelieving wants to leave, let them go (I Cor 7:15). How does it fit with “fornication”? Right in, adultery is based on marriage, fornication is between two people not married. It would seem fornication would be the wrong word to use, but it isn’t. Some of us think “what man has joined together”, but the context is “what God has joined”, if fornication is the issue, then it was not a marriage in the eyes of God. However, if we run out and join to one like we just “loosed”, we are committing adultery, since the problem lays with us. The entire premise is based in “the two shall be one”, if they refuse to be One, they have not culminated the marriage. Man sees the culmination based on a sexual act, but Jesus is talking about the “vow”.
This also explains Paul’s comments, the unbeliever who condones and honors their mates beliefs is not the same as the unbeliever who leaves. Also Paul didn’t say, “kick them out, and if they go, you are loosed”. If the unbeliever fails to honor the marriage, or the vows, they are committing fornication. However, if the unbeliever goes, yet the Believer then seeks another unbeliever to replace the unbeliever who left, they have committed adultery. Both terms are right, Jesus is going further than man’s legal premises, He is looking right to the “heart” of man.
More important we find marriage is a kingdom principle or mystery concerning Jesus and the Church; we entered this by taking a Vow, then accepting the terms of the Vow. If we “work” to avoid the Vow we have failed to do what we have the ability and duty to do, yet we will do many other things we want to. Jesus said He desired for us to be One, as He and the Father were One, which is a binding. Jude says there are some who are unable to hold to the Spirit, they have “separated” themselves, meaning an ungodly form of loosing (Jude 18-19). They have committed fornication, since the Vow was not entered into honestly.
Can we find adultery and fornication in the same relationship? Yes, since it’s the Mystery, let’s study the premise. Jesus takes the vows seriously, but if the person does not they commit fornication (by not holding to the two shall be one), but if they retain the old man is their guide they also commit adultery against Jesus. Therefore, we find Fornicators who have committed Adultery against Jesus. Jesus takes their vow seriously, whether they do or not. It makes the Marriage Bed undefiled, since to the Jew it’s the place the Two become One. We may not feel like it at times, maybe not even act like it, but inside there is the desire to be the submissive Bride of Christ.
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry (19:10).
Probably for the first time the view point of the woman was seen, the disciples felt it wasn’t good for a man to marry; however, if it was the case Peter was already in trouble. The disciples could see no other way around this command of Jesus, but they were not yet privy to the Spirit and Agape love, in fact, they were not yet privy to Life as Adam knew it. Once the Ingress Aries was applied they could be one with their mate as it was intended from the beginning, but they had to receive the Spirit in order to Join with God as One. Adam and Eve were a them, but a him, yet they failed to be One. Differences between the husband and wife are means of exposure unto correction for perfection, it’s only pride and ego twisting correction into condemnation, or perfection into corruption.
But He said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it (19:11-12).
This is a suggestion, not a requirement, nor a commandment, attempting to take this as a commandment is silly. Paul used this in his teaching to the Corinthians, but he wasn’t referring to keeping a virgin slave girl hostage, rather the context in the Greek shows if one is able to keep their virginity, then fine, if not, marry, it’s fine also, but settle the matter in their heart, before attempting to tame the flesh (I Cor 7:25-38).
A Eunuch is one who is appointed to the bed chamber of the Queen, yet remains free of the temptation to enter her bed. It stands, if one is a eunuch, they protect the Bride, rather than violate Her. One can be a physical virgin, yet committing adultery daily by using the self nature to accomplish what they assume are Godly results. On the other hand they can be like Peter, married, yet extremely loyal to the Lord.
Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them (19:13).
Jesus didn’t command these children to be baptized, or circumcised, rather they came to be Dedicated through the laying on of hands. This verse connects to the prior verses of binding and loosing, here the disciples were binding the children by keeping them from the Lord.
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven (19:14).
The disciples just heard “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:4), now they want to stop the process, assuming it was up to them to determine who could come to Jesus, and who couldn’t. It’s never up to us to determine who can enter, and who cannot. This same error will cause Peter to attempt to save the Lord in the Garden, none of us have the authority to protect or save the Lord, it’s He who saves us.
The word Suffer means Let Alone or Don’t Hinder, thus any hindrance places us in a dangerous position. What were the disciples doing? They were binding the children from Jesus, when they should be loosing the children unto Jesus.
And He laid His hands on them, and departed there (19:15).
Again, this is clear, Jesus didn’t baptize these little ones, He “laid hands on them”. The Doctrine of Christ has rudiments, or basic areas, two of those are the Doctrine of Baptisms, and the Laying on of Hands, two separate elements in the same Doctrine (Heb 6:1-2). The laying on of hands is a sign of Approval, Acceptance, or Dedication. We lay hands on people as our sign of approval and presentation unto the Lord. The sons of Aaron laid hands on the sacrifices as a sign of acceptance (Ex 29:10).
And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (19:16).
This person is seeking entrance by doing some Good deed, rather than being Good. Jesus will give him the requirements of Doing Good Works, rather than Abstaining from doing evil. This is akin to minding the Spirit, or minding the flesh. We can fight day and night to make the flesh appear holy, yet never mind the things of the Spirit. Or we can mind the Spirit, impute the flesh dead, and be far better.
When we are still the Seed and Root we are told to abstain from idols, things sacrificed unto idols, and the temptation to use anger to draw blood, but we are also told to Do things. The more we do the do’s the less we think about not doing the do not’s.
And He said unto him, Why do you call Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments (19:17).
The man asked a question, but so did Jesus. The question goes to intent, the man call Jesus “good”, but he also said “what good thing”, the word Good in both uses is the same Greek word. He wanted to do something like Jesus, and by doing something like Jesus he felt he gain eternal life. However, he also restricted it to doing a “good thing”, rather than being a good thing.
There is also a difference between Nice and Good, Judas was a nice guy, people liked him, he had to be pleasant to have fooled everyone so fully the night he betrayed Jesus. After all Jesus said, He it is who sups with Me, then Judas dipped into the plate then; yet no one suspected him (Jn 13:26). Someone can be nice, likable, funny, even pleasant, but it doesn’t mean they are “good”.
He said unto Him, Which? Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother: and you shall love your neighbor as yourself (19:18-19).
The man was looking for One Commandment, yet Jesus gave him six, all relating to man’s relationship with man, which of course are Mercy elements.
The young man said unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? (19:20).
Although he kept them, he knows there is something missing, something lacking for him to make entry. What could it be?
Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go and sell that which you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me (19:21).
Perfect? You mean keeping the Commandments doesn’t make us perfect? It’s what He said, we need more than self-righteousness to enter in. What was it going to take for this man to deny his self? He had to Loose his trust in riches, and begin to trust in God. It’s easy to “trust” God for the need when you don’t have a need. Paul told us this is a learning process, he knew (experienced) how to abase and how to abound, but in all things he was Instructed to be both full and hungry (Ph’l 4:12). For this person it was a trust in his riches, to him he had no need. Often our faith is being established when God puts us in positions where there is a need, thus we learn to trust in the Lord to meet our need.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (19:22).
The experiences we face bring us into perfection through the saving of the soul. We are free of the power of sin, the process is cleaning us of the effects of sin. Here the man asked, he gained an answer, not the one he wanted, but the one he needed.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, “it is a good thing for the heart to be established with grace” (Heb 13:9), and “let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15), and “for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb 13:16). An Exhortation says, “My son despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives, If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chastens not?” (Heb 12:5-7). God chastens our soul and flesh, not our Spirit, why would God chasten Himself? It’s by the Spirit He chastens us, but for what purpose? To bring forth the fruit of righteousness. To be chasten is not the same as being punished, chastened is the cutting away of the old, so we can bring forth New.
Here it was a good thing to give away all he had, it would have set him free. Yet, he looked at it as punishment, or something completely impossible for him to do.
Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (19:23-24).
It’s nearly impossible for one who trusts in their riches to enter the Kingdom of God, this is not the same as having things, it’s trusting in them. Trusting in riches is the same as holding the deceitfulness of riches, you will make your decisions based on money. When we trust in things as our salvation, or security, we will do anything to keep the things, making them rulers over us.
The phrase Eye Of A Needle refers to an opening in the wall of Jerusalem, used by some to enter the city on the sabbath. The religious rulers watched those “eyes” like hawks, but there is a correlation here. The only ones who would venture through the “eye” were those who would sale goods on the sabbath, thus the trust in riches caused them to violate the Law. They would justify their actions, yet self-justification is the “fall nature” at work.
When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible (19:25-26).
Jesus told the man there is none Good but God, thus he wanted to do a Good Thing, but it would take God in him to even begin. With God it’s possible, indicating being Born Again and having a Trust and Faith in God by the Spirit.
The man had possessions, he wanted to do one “good thing”, yet Jesus equated the good thing to “giving all”. God so loved the world He gave His Son, the man was told there is none Good but God. The premise is still binding and loosing, the man was bound to his goods, Jesus told him to loose his goods, and he would find the “goodness” he was searching for. Not easy, as we see, but not impossible either.
Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You; what shall we have therefore? (19:27).
Peter hasn’t really given up anything yet, but he did turn his business over to another (Matt 4:21-22), yet it was still his house they were all staying in. The latter part of this is more important, Peter was asking, “what’s in it for me?”, which is still the self nature seeking its own. This very nature is the attitude of the tither in Malachi (Mal 3:14): God will open the Windows for them, but He will also close the Door. The Window is used to poor the blessing out of, it is not used for entry. Only a thief would attempt to come in through the window.
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That you which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (19:28).
This is the reward, none of us give up houses, possessions or anything else for the sake of Christ that won’t be returned a hundred times in this life, and the one to come.
The Regeneration refers to the New Birth (Titus 3:5), the judging is done by what we do, it is not sitting on a throne telling someone “you’re guilty”. The twelve New Testament tribes of Israel are yet to come in the Night, they like us judge by our actions. Because people like us are accepted by Jesus, there is no excuse for others. This also points to the Rapture, or the division between the Day and Night; as seen in the phrase, “have followed Me”, which is past tense. We are to follow Jesus, but when we reach the goal then we would fit “have followed”, not “following”. Revelation 20:4 shows the judgment being given to those who are beheaded for Christ, meaning they rejected the self to obtain the Authority of Christ. The time of their judging is before the 1,000 years begins, indicating what they did to enter the Rapture anyone could have done. This gives us the reward indicated as the “world to come”.
And everyone that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life (19:29).
This points to being “beheaded” for Jesus, since it’s for the Authority (Name) Sake. Mark will tell us, “but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, with persecutions: and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30). This is still a promise of the Rapture; we gain our White Robes at the time when the Fifth and Sixth seals are broken, the phrase “world to come” means The Age to come. This is not a “new earth”, but a world, relating to time, Season, or Age, pointing to the Time of Comfort, or the Night.
But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first (19:30).
This saying is used in various ways, here it refers not only to the Remnant who are taken from the 12 tribes of Israel, but those who Sleep in Jesus, who sleep through the Night, then they are stood up when the Night is complete (Rev 20:5-15). The works of the Night were finished before the Day began, but the Night won’t be a reality until the Day is finished. The First creation (Night) will be last, but the Last creation (Day) will be first.
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers, into his vineyard. And when he agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard (20:1-2).
Jesus continues from the “first shall be last, and the last first”, as it relates to reward as well as to the agreement of the servants toward the Covenant.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them: Go you also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went about the sixth hour and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand you here all the day idle? (20:3-6).
Jesus will use Five different callings for the workers, the first group was sent into the vineyard to begin the harvest. Then about the Third Hour or early in the morning, He saw some in the marketplace, and called them to the field. Then about the Sixth Hour to around noon He obtained more laborers, then later toward evening or the Ninth Hour He gained more, then at the Eleventh Hour or near the end of the Labor, more yet. Each laborer was given the same promise, the latter were not given any less than the prior. The saying, “last first and first last” has a promise for our time in this Season. The same Power will be granted to those in the latter part of the Day, as it was to the First in the Day. Not one worker gained more than another, the ones who started gained the same as those who finished, those who finished, gained the same as those who started.
This parable also explains what happens to those who receive Jesus one second away from physical death. There are some who labor for years, others who labor for a day, some who never get to labor, but receive the benefit. All have a reward, Jesus never judges Himself, nor will He deny Himself. When we receive Jesus we change conditions and positions.
There are those who sleep in Jesus through the night, who will get their reward, which is the premise in this Parable. Paul said we will not rob them; however it’s not an excuse for us to reject the Spirit, those who sleep, Sleep because, for one reason or another, not their fault, they were denied the Spirit (Acts 19: 2 & I Thess 5:6-10)
They say unto him, Because no man has hired us. He said unto them, Go you also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first (20:7-8).
Each group who agreed to work in the vineyard was not told how much they would receive, they each accepted the offer. The Master determined the reward, not the laborer, at times we forget it.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and you have made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do you no wrong: did not you agree with me for a penny? Take what is yours, and go your way: I will give unto this last, even as unto you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good? (20:9-15).
The time element is One Hour, referring to the Hour of Temptation, which started on the Day of Pentecost. The first group was attempting to change the agreement, after they agreed. The reverse of this would be the latter group demanding the same payment or saying, “we weren’t called first, so we don’t have to do as much”. Whether called first or last, both were in the same field, had the same tools, agreed to the labor responsibility. The last part of the Parable makes it clear, we don’t make the Covenant, we agree to it.
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen (20:16).
Whether Last or First, it’s the same goal, same calling, same reward. Many are called, thus not All are called; however, All are presented the opportunity, but Many still isn’t the same as the word All. From the Many who are called Few will take the calling and enter the process of the saving of the soul. Jesus said, only a Few would walk with Him in White (Rev 3:4). The word Few is only relative to the overall number, a Few in reference to a thousand is countable, but John sees the Few as ten thousand times ten thousand, a number which can’t be counted.
And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge and to crucify Him, and the third day He shall rise again (20:17-19).
This is the third time Jesus will tell them of the events yet to come, yet being told, and seeing it come to pass are much different. The Holy Ghost tells us things to come, but for some reason when they come to pass we panic. This test of faith shows we are all told what will be, yet it’s still up to us to hold our faith in God during the event.
The first time Jesus made this statement Peter gave his desire to stop it, the other times no one spoke. This was also a warning to Judas, when Peter made his statement it showed the same intent to change what God has ordained was resting in the mind of Judas; however, in Peter’s case he took the warning, Judas on the other hand ignored the warning. Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him, yet He never cast Judas out of the group, He never took Judas’ papers, yet He said, “one of you is a devil” (Jn 6:70), why didn’t Jesus cast the devil out of His own ministry? Judas would bring about something that must be, although, we are warned not to join his position. John and Peter will show when Judas joined the ministry he was in charge of the bag, he used the Name of Jesus, he went out to preach and heal the sick, yet he was a thief as well, and sold the Lord out for his own self-benefit, it’s a clear warning.
Jesus not only told the events, He pointed out the specific order of events, as well as those involved. Jesus didn’t make the prophecy come to pass, rather He was the subject of it. Whackos make all sorts of prophecies, but they cause them to come to pass, or at least attempt to force them to come to pass. The prophecy proves the prophecy, the means proves the source of the prophecy.
The tradition of Jesus going to the Cross on a Friday, lacks supportive Bible evidence, discounting Jesus saying He would be three days and nights in the grave. Jesus was raised before the sun came up on the First Day of the Week (Sunday), if He went to the Cross on a Friday, it’s hardly three days and three nights. The Jew has the Sabbath day, thus they do not keep “part days” as some modern countries so, they do not consider noon as the full day, rather their day is from sunset to sunset. Jesus was placed in the grave at sunset on Passover, the high sabbath for the feast of unleavened bread began at sunset. The Days and Nights are conclusive, they must run from sunset to sunset in a 24 hour period. We know the day Jesus was discovered raised from the dead was Sunday before the sun came up, since the women appeared at the grave at before sunrise finding Jesus was not in the grave, we don’t count that night. Therefore, by using the Jewish method of counting days, we can count backward to find the exact day, then check the various Scriptures to verify the day. In so doing we find Jesus went to the Cross on a Wednesday, the next day was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a High Sabbath, the next day a Friday the weekly day of preparation for the weekly sabbath, the next day was the sabbath according to the Fifth Commandment, which would be a Saturday, making the Cross in the Midst of the Week, as Daniel prophesied (Dan 9:27); completing the three days and nights as Jesus said, with Jesus being raised on the third day. All the days and nights must be accounted for and they are in Scripture. The evidence shows Jesus did prophesy correctly, it’s man’s traditions casting doubt, they always do.
These Parables still center around not hindering the little children:
Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him. And He said unto her, What do you want? She said unto Him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one of Your right hand, and the other on the left, in Your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said unto Him, We are able. And He said unto them, You shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father (20:20-23).
Hearing a premise, and making up our own example is dangerous, here is the example of what happens when we make up our own. Matthew shows it was the mother of James and John who did the asking, but Mark says it was James and John, thus they coached and enticed their mother to ask for them, and did it based on something Jesus said. Prior Jesus said not to hinder the children, or their parents from bringing the children to Jesus, so James and John figure, hey, we’re children, where is mom? Although the words came from their mother, Jesus answered the two men (Mark 10:35).
Using the mother of James and John, or using Mary the mother of Jesus doesn’t help, Jesus looks beyond and answers to the source. This lesson dispels the use of making prayers to Mary, or attempting to force her to speak to Jesus on our behalf. If we can’t come boldly to the throne, we lack the position of Grace and need to apply eye salve, rather than attempt to hide behind the faith of Mary.
The James who is the brother of John, is not the same James who wrote the Book of James. This James is James Zebedee, the James who wrote the Book of James is the brother of Jude, half brother of Jesus, known as James the Less. This James was killed in Acts 12:2, the James who wrote the Book of James remained as the pastor of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15).
These verses also give us the Great Blessing of Unanswered Prayer. It was once said, If we pray in the Perfect will of God, we will never hear No or Wait, it’s true, but how many of us pray in the perfect will of God all the time? Wouldn’t it be nice to know God will not answer a prayer causing us to sin, or override the will of God? Those on the right hand of Jesus hear, “pass by My good and faithful servant”, those on the left hear, “depart from Me, you who work iniquity”. Without knowing, James and John were asking Jesus to make the decision which of them could pass, and which would end in the lake of fire. Truly they still didn’t know what spirit they were of. They had Mercy and forgiveness of sins, but they were not Born Again. Jesus will not make this decision, it’s up to us. Jesus just finished days of teaching on forgiving to be forgiven, now James and John are attempting to get around the command.
Jesus will explain a Cup and Baptism; however, this Cup is not the Cup of the Wrath of God, neither is the Baptism unto death.
And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many (20:24-28).
There are two Gentile or worldly leader actions noted here, first those who use control over others, then those who use authority to control others, yet both methods use to control to dominate. We are given authority over the devil, and his works, but the method is not to control, but to vex. The Gentile uses control over people to dominate, those with earthly authority use it Upon the people, neither is the case for us. The Gentile binds to the Earth, we loose heaven.
Rebellion is the use of a lower authority to overthrow a higher authority; therefore, before rebellion is a consideration one must have authority, although lower in nature. Stubbornness is the rejection of authority, both lead to destruction. In this case it’s having authority above the world, but using it correctly. The Cup is the Cup of ministry, the Baptism is the identification with a service as one who gives them life to serve others. Jesus took the Cup of ministry and ministered, He took the baptism of service and became a Servant by giving His life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:27-28). Were they willing to die to the self, and follow Jesus?
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, You Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, You Son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will you that I shall do unto you? They said unto Him, Lord that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him (20:29-34).
This area goes much further than two blind men, or even one blind man. Jesus told the Laodiceans, “anoint your eyes with eye salve, so you may see” (Rev 3:18). Eye salve is a change of attitudes, not a change of Character.
Mark says there was one man, yet two. Mark shows the name of the blind man as, “Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus” (Mark 10:46). However, the name Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus, thus Mark says, this is Son of Timaeus, the Son of Timaeus. This makes sense when we know the name Timaeus means Defiled Religious Garment. In essence Mark sees one human, but two men, Matthew tells us to think about the second blind man as well as the first. The Pharisees decided to retain their religious garments, and remain blind, yet they thought they could see. Bartimaeus cast away his garment, and found sight, when he asked Jesus for “Mercy”, not Grace. The Pharisees retained their defiled garment when they attacked Jesus, showing their lack of Mercy.
The city of Jericho is also significant, it relates to Rahab, the seven sevens, the trump, and the victory when the wall fell. The wall of pride and religious conceit left Bartimaeus when he cast away his garment. In essence Bartimaeus Loosed the Garment, and thus Loosed himself; whereas, the Pharisees retained theirs and remained Bound.
Jesus didn’t tell him to cast the garment away, it was his choice, Jesus already said “deny the self”, thus Jesus won’t deny the self for us, but He has given us the New Man so the effort can be completed.
The Cross is so important, more important than the earthly ministry. Wow, how do we know? Whether the ministry was three years or two years, the week of the Cross was one week, yet a majority of the ministry of Jesus centered on the one week. Not just these verses, but sayings and teachings in the Gospel also point to the week of the Cross. Just the saying, “deny yourself, and pick up your Cross” couldn’t begin for us until Jesus went to the Cross.
The Passover fell on the 14th of Abib, regardless of what day it was, the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th of Abib regardless of what day of the week it was. It’s fifty days from Passover to Pentecost (Feast Of Weeks), but Pentecost was 49 days from the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and 49 is Seven times Seven (Deut 6:9-12). The Feast of Weeks was for Firstfruits, we are the Firstfruits of the Spirit (Deut 6:9-12 & Rom 8:23). The Feast of Weeks came seven weeks after the “sickle was put to the corn” (Deut 16:9). The word Corn goes back to the Grain of mustard seed, the Grain must die before the Corn comes forth. All these events relate to the Cross and Resurrection, it’s our Pentecost introducing us to the Power of the Resurrection, bringing the Strength to become the Power of His Christ. Our path entails many lessons regarding the Power of the Resurrection, but demands the Power of His Christ to finish the race.
The Feast of Weeks is only for those who are of one accord (Deut 16:10). The purpose was to “remember you were a bondservant in Egypt” (Deut 16:11-12). When we take of the Body we Remember what Jesus did for us, we stop complaining about the laborers who came in at the eleventh hour.
Looking at all the accounts we can count back from the feast day, and find the anointing in Bethany was on a Friday, a preparation day for the weekly sabbath. Jesus was being Prepared for His burial, we are anointed during our preparation to see the old nature crucified, so we can gain the New in the Resurrection (Jn 12:1 & Mark 14:8-9). After the anointing, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the weekly sabbath, the people placed branches from palm trees, and cast their garments before Him. The branches were removed by the people, which would violate the sabbath rules, showing why the religious rulers questioned Jesus about the events. The Palm branches stood for victory, the fig tree was a covering of the flesh, but it didn’t remove the flesh. On the first curtain leading into the courtyard of the Tabernacle there are Palm Leaves painted thereon, here we see the entrance to the tabernacle, but it doesn’t mean the people were entering; however, we also see the people accepting the Sacrifice.
The garments go back to Bartimaeus, the people were casting their garments before the Master. In all this it’s apparent, the only labor Jesus did was ride the colt; however, the people were engaged in much labor, causing the Pharisees to have a Pharisaical fit. The Pharisees refused to cast away their garments, yet the people were casting them before the Lord. The blindness of the Pharisees had convinced them, Jesus was the false prophet, and must die. Their self-deception began when they wanted Jesus to submit to them, from the premise their minds continued to seek the fault and error, which produced the error in their own minds.
Now the religious leaders form their plan to tempt Jesus to say something, so they can use it against Him. They planned their trial, sought their evidence, but they were using tricks and deception. Whenever we use deception with the thought we are doing something for Jesus, we are self-deceived. This would be the 10th of Abib, on the next day Jesus would speak to the Fig Tree, this is a Fig Tree, not the Olive Tree. This would be the 11th of Abib (Mark 11:12), on the 12th of Abib Jesus would teach on the last days, making His last appearance in the temple. The Passover Lamb of God was before the people and the people accepted and approved of the Sacrifice, later they would kill the same Lamb.
On the 13th of Abib the chief priests and Judas would make their plans, while Jesus spent time with His disciples (Mark 14:10). The 14th of Abib would be the Passover, known as the Preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread fell on the 15th of Abib as the High Sabbath. The next day would be a Friday and another preparation day, which would have been the 16th of Abib. This would be the day the women would prepare the spices, then they would rest on the weekly sabbath (Saturday) “according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56), which would have been the 17th of Abib. Mary would discover the tomb empty before the sun rose on the 18th of Abib, a Sunday. With this the evidence is clear: Jesus was placed in the tomb just as the sun was going down on Wednesday, that night would be the first night. The Feast day on Thursday would be the first day, that night the second night. The preparation day of Friday would be the second day, that night the third night. The weekly Sabbath would be the third day, as Jesus was Raised on the Third Day as Our Sabbath. The tomb was discovered empty before the sun came up on Sunday, the day we use to celebrate the Discovery of the Resurrection is Sunday.
The number 13 is the number of rebellion; on the 13th of Abib the Pharisees made their plans in the company of Judas, the traitor. In the 13th year the kings rebelled (Gen 14:4), Ishmael was circumcised when he was 13 years old, it was Ishmael who mocked the son of promise (Gen 17:25 & 21:9). The Jews understood this as they held the child accountable to the Commandments in the Torah at the age of 13 years. However, Jesus brought us New Commandments based in Blessing to free us from rebellion.
And when they drew near unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying, unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightaway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto Me. And if any man says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and straightaway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell you the daughter of Sion, Behold, your King comes unto you, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt of the foal of an ass, and the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon (21:1-7).
The disciples did exactly as they were told, they didn’t add to, or take away from the commandment. Luke helps us by showing the two disciples were confronted, and said, “the Lord has need of him” (Luke 19:34). They didn’t say, “we have need of this for the Lord”, or “we have need of this”, or “we’re the anointed of God”, neither did they say, “The Lord has need of this”, and turn around and sell it, they were being servants and did exactly as they were told.
The quote points to the purpose of God, but adds the reality of God as well. Zechariah said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem..” (Zech 9:9), but both John and Matthew only show, “daughter of Zion (Sion)”. Neither Mark or Luke mention this prophecy (Jn 12:15), but Luke does show Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). The purpose of God was for both Zion and Jerusalem to rejoice greatly, but the leaders of Jerusalem rejected the Season, causing the reality of God, as Zechariah also says, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem” (Zech 9:10). This is clearer when we look at the words, Rejoice Greatly, thus this is not a commandment, but a request to enter the prophecy. This also shows us why the 144,000 are marked on Zion, rather than in the City (Rev 14:1).
We read in Zechariah, “behold your King comes unto you, He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass, and upon the colt the foal of an ass” (Zech 9:9). Again this would be the 10th of Abib, a sabbath day, the Rest of God kept the young colt settled.
Jesus said, He and the Father were One, then He added, What God has put together, let not man put asunder. Jesus walked in the Power and Authority, He knew God was greater than the devil or the works of the devil. The Pharisees had a demonic intent, but they made the choice to remain that way. Paul had the Key to this, when confronted he ran to Jesus and found Grace is Sufficient (II Cor 12:9).
Jesus begins His entry into Jerusalem, and will enter the Temple and give the last warning to the religious rulers of the people.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and threw them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna to the highest (21:8-9).
There are two groups, but one saying; there is the group going before, representing the Church, then the group following representing the Remnant, yet it began as Jews. The Church started with all Jews, then the Door was open to the Gentiles. Those who are Born Again, are Like the angels in heaven, they have a position far above the earth, they are Free of all the cares attached to the world.
The People quoted Psalm 118, which also reads, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord” (Ps 118:17); with, “the right hand of the Lord is exalted: the hand of the Lord does valiantly” (Ps 118:16). When Jesus rode through the gate of Jerusalem the gates of His Righteousness were opened, yet the gates of hell defeated; salvation had come to the people of God who were appointed the Gates (Ps 118:19 & Dan 9:24). Psalm 118 also reads, “the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Ps 118:22), more important is, “this is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes, this is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech You, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech You, send now prosperity” (Ps 118:23-25). There are many days, but there is One Day in all of man’s history wherein we Rejoice In, the Day of the Cross when Jesus brought us The Day of Salvation.
And when He was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves (21:10-13).
John’s account shows the first cleaning specifically rebuked those who sold the Dove, but here the purpose is to clean the House, preparing it for prayer. Since this is still the Sabbath, it’s obvious the Pharisees bent the rules when it came to the treasury, but enforced them on others for self-benefit. Jesus told the disciples unbelief comes out by much prayer and fasting, yet the Pharisees fasted all the time, but for the wrong reason. They would put powder and oil on their faces to make them appear drawn out, then go about like they were “suffering for the Lord”, yet it was all self-based and self-serving.
The multitude asked, “who is this?”, Jesus answered their question by going into the temple of God and saying, “My house”. They saw a Prophet, but He is more than a Prophet, He is the purpose of all Prophecy, the very Spirit of prophecy. When Jesus cleaned the temple the first time He said, “Take these things away; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise” (Jn 2:16), here He says, “My house”, the Kingdom was so very near at hand.
The Temple is a type and shadow of something desired by man to give to God, but it became a symbol of Judgment. The Tabernacle was in the hand of God, but maintained by man; whereas, the Temple was maintained by the hand of man. Jesus rebuked them, cleaned the Temple, but He never forced change, rather it was up to the religious leaders make the change, they didn’t and the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.
Mark also shows Jesus spoke to the fig tree the day after He rode into Jerusalem, Matthew regresses to this day to explain another aspect. The fig tree had two fruits, the first was not eatable, rather it was left on the tree, but the second fruit would grow over the first, thus the second is eatable. The Fig Tree is a metaphor for the religious order of Israel, Jesus said it would not produce Fruit, but it would produce leaves. The symbol for the Body of Christ is the Olive Tree, not the Fig Tree, wherein we find another mystery. The fruit of the fig tree can be taken directly from the tree and eaten; however, the olive takes preparation before it’s usable. The olive must be soaked in Salt or Lye before it can be eaten, in order to get the Oil out of the olive it must be placed under a Press of Pressure. The word, Gethsemane means, Winepress or a Place Of Pressure To Produce The Oil. All of us face our Gethsemane, our place of pressure to get the Mercy to the surface. We as Christians must be led by the Spirit into our wilderness and our Gethsemane; both are areas of great growth bringing forth the Greater works of God in us.
Proverbs 27:18 says, “Whoso keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waits on his master shall be honored”. The Pharisees lacked the fruit of repentance, they failed to produce the useful first fruit. If the first fruit is corrupt, the second fruit will also be corrupt. Jesus spoke to the fig tree before He entered the temple, it was after the temple cleaning when the disciples found the purpose. Matthew gives us the purpose, not the actual time of the event. It’s also very important to keep in mind Jesus didn’t curse the Fig Tree, rather He made an observation regarding the established religious order in the land of the Jewish people who cursed themselves, thus Jesus brought forth a New Tree.
Prior Jesus said Make the Tree Good and it’s fruit will be Good, and there are two types of fruit, one unto Life, one unto Death, thus the Fruit of the Spirit is unto Life, not death. The Second fruit of the fig tree was yet to come, if the Fig Tree’s first fruit remained, the second fruit would be useless, it was the first fruit corrupted the tree, not the words of Jesus. Jesus made an observation, and remarked about what He saw. Jesus now enters the Temple.
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them (21:14).
A House of Prayer produces Signs and Wonders, a house of merchandise produces Pharisees and legalists.
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto Him, Hear You what these say? And Jesus said unto them, Yes, have you never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise? (21:15-16).
While this is going on the disciples are standing by and watching what happens when we hinder the babes. The Pharisees are saying, “look, they are making fools out of themselves”; but it’s better to be a fool (idiot) for Jesus, than a Pharisee.
Nothing upsets a Pharisee more than praise, or acts not under their control. This still relates to Hindering the Babes, whether we like the way Jesus is doing it or not, don’t hinder the Babes, at least their hearts are seeking God. The quote Jesus used is from Psalm 8, but the rest of the verse reads, “because of Your enemies, that You might still the enemy and the avenger” (Ps 8:2). Praise stops the enemy (avenger), and praise brings the Strength of God to our side (Ps 8:2). John told us after Salvation comes the Strength of God and it’s the Strength of God removing walls of hindrance.
And He left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and He lodged there. Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered (21:17-18).
Without Mark we would think this was the next day, but Matthew takes us back to the morning of the same day, thereby connecting to Mark showing Jesus spoke to the fig tree in the morning (Mark 11:12-14).
And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on you henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away (21:19).
In the Night the Remnant will surface as the leaves of the Fig Tree, there will be no more “fruit” from the Fig Tree; however, a change is taking place, the Fruit will come from the Olive Tree, the place of pressure will bring forth a more useful product.
This is still in reference to Mark 11:12-14, in the next verse Matthew picks up the events when the disciples Saw the results of the fig tree. Mark shows the time was not yet for the fruit, surely Jesus knew; however, the purpose goes to the Remnant, it also makes room for the Olive Tree. The Fig Tree was stayed, dried up from the roots, yet the leaves will reign in the latter days.
And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive (21:20-22).
Here we find the phrase “in prayer”, which narrows this down. What was done to the Fig Tree? It was forgiven, if not, there would be no Remnant. The obvious proof of the forgiveness is the command of Jesus in Acts 1:8, “be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. Jesus said, “both”, yet named four places. The Both refers to Jews (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria), and Gentiles (uttermost), with the Jew first.
The Fig Tree was the Law of Moses, Paul said the Jews come out of the Law by faith, but the Gentile comes around the Law by faith. In order to come out of the Law, they had to have authority over it. Since the Law had both blessing and cursing, the thought process of man was first “I’m cursed” every time something adverse happens man looks for the cursing. It’s called the “curse mentality”, we have to know the New Covenant is curse-less, it is all Blessing and Precious.
In Mark we find the Mountain relates to unforgiveness, which explains how Jesus forgave the religious leaders. This prayer must include forgiveness and Mercy unto others, or the faith is useless (Mark 11:26). This takes us back to Luke 17:5 when the disciples said, “Lord increase our faith”. The request was predicated upon Jesus teaching on forgiveness (Luke 17:1-6). Jesus used the Grain of mustard seed, and joined it to the parable about the servant who worked in the field all day. The servant came to the house, and saw the master of the house. Jesus asked the disciples, if they thought the master would tell the servant to go and sit down, or would he tell the servant to fix the master’s plate? (Luke 17:6-8). Jesus said, “Does he thank the servant because he did the things commanded him? I think not” (Luke 17:9). The Greek word for Thank is Charis, known to us as Grace. The servant agreed to the position, but should he get special Grace for doing what was expected? For us Mercy is expected the second we ask God to forgive us, do we think we did something special? Or what is required?
And when He was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority do You these things? and who gave you this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, where was it from? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say unto us, Why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And He said unto them, neither tell I you by what authority I do these things (21:23-27).
The Pharisees changed their tune from, Why do You allow this? To, How come You did this? This would be the same day the disciples saw the fig tree dried up from the roots, thus the evidence of the dried root is found in the heart of the Pharisee. Who gave Jesus the authority to take over the temple? Who took the authority away from the Pharisees? What change is taking place, who authorized it? The chief priests are challenging Jesus, yet they are also attempting to throw Him out of the temple. The change was in hand, they refused to submit to the authority of God, yet used their soulish authority in rebellion. The dried root would be offended again as the plans of darkness would begin to grow.
Jesus will answer them, but they will fail to see it. If John came by the authority of God, then the One he preached about came As The Authority Of God. If John spoke from his own mind, then the lack of evidence would have proven it; however, the evidence of repentance proved John was a prophet pointing to Jehovah God. Regardless of the answer or lack thereof, the proof was still there.
But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said I go, sir: and went not. Whether of those two did the will of his father? They said unto Him, The first. Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you (21:28-31).
Two sons, same family, same womb, one repented, the other lied. This points directly to the Pharisees, as well as those who enter the Body based on God’s Mercy, yet fail to continue to Believe. This would be the fornication Jesus taught about earlier, they said they wanted to welcome the Messiah, they said they were willing to serve, but when the time came they acted like there was no marriage. They became covenant breakers, and fornicators.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him (22:32).
The Pharisees had the same opportunity to repent as the people, but they felt there was no reason for them to repent, they were the temple workers. However, they failed to discern their own fruit, or really the lack thereof.
Jesus told them they believed not, thus taking them back to their own reasoning when they said, “If we shall say, From heaven; He will say unto us, Why did you not then believe”. Their own confession was based in their unbelief, we find Jesus went to the intent, by answering the intent. They knew, yet repented not, taking them to the second aspect of their reasoning when they said, “but if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet” (Matt 21:26). They still refused to repent, like Saul of old, they feared the people, more than God (I Sam 15:23-24). The Pharisees vowed to serve God, but ended using their position to serve their own religious agenda.
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country (21:33).
The owner of this vineyard did all the work before the husbandmen took over, all they had to do was maintain the property of another. The Pharisees confused Stewardship with Ownership, they were “husbandmen” or caretakers, they didn’t own the people. They assumed the temple was theirs, the treasury was theirs, God was merely a means to be used to reach the result.
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it (21:34).
The fruit was “at hand”, since this is a vineyard we can see the time for the New Wine was close, but not yet. The change was taking place, the Fig Tree was still there, the leaves were yet future, but there was a New Wine being prepared for the Olive Tree. The key to this is “might receive”, showing presentation and choice.
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do unto those husbandmen? (21:35-40).
God sent prophets day and night with the warning, but the religiously conceited rejected the warning. The same phrases of, “The temple, the temple”, and “once protected, always protected”, were the mainstays of the Pharisee’s theology. When offense came, they killed the offense, rather than receive the prophet’s reward. After all, these religious leaders represented God Almighty, how could God displace them? Would God dare remove them? Would He indeed, will He indeed.
They said unto Him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus said unto them, Did you never read the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? (21:41-42).
The Pharisees could look at a third person situation, and have no problem in seeing the husbandmen were wicked men, but they couldn’t see the beam in their own eye. The thing they feared the most was about to fall on them, yet they not only ignored the warning, they were going to attack the one who brought it. The mirror of God is not to harm us, it’s there to expose and bring things to our vision, so we can be rid of what offends God. By using the Parable, Jesus placed the mirror before the religious rulers. In all this Jesus is offering the promise of forgiveness, this area proves He sees the fault, but is willing to forgive. This work is Marvelous; however, after the Resurrection the sign of Jonah will be past tense. The greatest lesson is knowing the Jews will kill Stephen, yet Jesus will also forgive Saul the Christian Hunter, turning Saul into Paul the Apostle of Grace, but unlike these Pharisees, Paul repented, allowing his path to be changed (Acts 9:1-6).
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (21:43-44).
The phrase “shall be taken” is future tense, thus Jesus offered forgiveness, but knew it would be rejected. The offering of the gift and calling wasn’t in vain, the religious rulers allowed it to pass, but Paul received and gained. This is not the “kingdom of heaven”, this would be the Kingdom of God. When was it taken? We know Peter preached the Gospel to the circumcised, Paul to the Gentile, but in Acts 28:26-28 the course changed and the Kingdom was sent to the Gentile with the one Gospel of Peace. Yet, the Jew still comes out of the Law, the Gentile around it, thus this doesn’t mean they can’t join in, it means the focus of the Kingdom is centered on the Gentile.
The Stone is not the same Rock upon which the Church is built, rather we find two different Greek words. This Stone is the millstone breaking the Grain, allowing the Life inside to come forth. The Stone the builders rejected became a Millstone, yet God had not left them, nor has He forsaken them, it was God bringing the correction and rebuke. If we fall on the Stone we gain life, if the Stone falls on us it will grind us to powder. Falling on the Stone will break us, but it’s easier to put pieces back together, than dust.
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet (21:45-46).
They still fear the multitude, their fear was a sign of their failure. They worried about their positions, rather than fear God. Even if Jesus wasn’t the Son of man, He was nonetheless a prophet, for no other reason they should have received Jesus as a Prophet.
And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables, and said, (22:1).
Jesus didn’t stop because they were offended, He was rolling the stone over them. As the millstone was beginning to roll, the Pharisees were becoming more and more offended at the Truth as it exposed their folly. Why would Jesus continue? To save them, if they received the offense. If He knows they won’t, why continue? Purpose, they could never say they were not given opportunity.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth servants saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage (22:2-4).
Here He introduces the concept of Marriage, the King is not the Son, rather the King formed the marriage for the Son. This parable relates to the kingdom of heaven, or the place of preparation for the marriage. The King couldn’t force the guests to come to the wedding, but they were invited. Did the King just give up? No, the King sent more servants to those who were invited, again calling them to the wedding. The “work” was all done, all they had to do was show up and enjoy.
Eternity was once described as the earth in the form of a solid steel ball, once every hundred years a normal sized eagle would pass by brushing the earth with it’s wing. The friction would remove a microscopic bit of the earth, but when this eagle finally worn the earth down to approximately one inch in size, eternity would have just begun. Man spends one brush of the eagle’s wing on earth to be tested regarding eternity. In truth Eternity is time-less, or a place where time is not a factor, it’s always Now. Time is only relative when death is involved, thus there is no time element mentioned before the Fall, only after.
Again he sent for other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, all things are ready: come unto the marriage, but they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: (22:5).
This is the same group who were Bidden prior, but now the dinner is ready. They made light of the wedding, they felt their self desires were more important. This goes back to love less, showing other things became more important, possessions, merchandise, their families drew them away from the most important day of their lives. The possessions would still be there, the family would, but the wedding was a one time event.
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city (22:6-7).
This remnant is not the 144,000, this remnant are the bad fish left behind after the Rapture, thus the King sends His armies to avenge those who were killed. Joel said, on the day when the Great Trump is blown on Zion, the noise of chariots shall be heard (Joel 2:1-7). The city being burned is Babylon, which is Jerusalem of the earth, or the Woman in the Book of Revelation; in that Day there will be death, mourning and famine shall precede the burning of the city (Rev 18:8 & 18:16).
In Luke’s account the parable shows the wedding has taken place; therefore, Jesus is telling us things to happen from the Rapture to the end when the Lord returns as the Son of man to bring Judgment. Jesus tells the church of Philadelphia, “behold, I set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength” (Rev 3:8). Then Jesus says He will write upon them the “name of My God” (Rev 3:12). Ezekiel said the faithful Jews who sigh and cry for the abominations done in Jerusalem will have the mark of God placed on them (Ezek 9:4). Why not the Name of Jesus? Because they will operate in Mercy, not Grace. This parable shows us the prophecies regarding the Remnant haven’t passed, the leaves will come forth in due Season.
Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy (22:8).
This draws us back to our Season, the First included these religious leaders; what made them unworthy? Unbelief. In the phrase, The Wedding Is Ready, the word Ready is the Greek Hetoimos meaning Prepared, or To Be Prepared. This points to the Bride making Herself ready, She does so by Belief, Faith and Submission to Her Husband. The word Bride means newly betrothed, or just married, or just about to be married. We are seen as the Bride in heaven, but the Bride made herself “ready” on earth (Rev 19:7).
We also find this connecting to the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Five had Lamps and no Oil, Five had Lamps with Oil, those Prepared with the two elements of Mercy, (Lamps) and Grace (Oil), made it through the Door. It wasn’t the lamp alone, or the oil alone, the requirement was both.
The servants were sent to another location to find guests, again they are not seeking the Bride, rather they are seeking guests, the Bride is already waiting with Her Groom. This has to be after the Rapture, the Ten Virgins were before the Rapture, the Five reflecting on those who in the first Five churches who number among the Few made it through the Door. This Parable points to the time after the Bride has made Herself ready.
Go you therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage (22:9).
The word Highways draws us to the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke’s account. The Wounded One on the highway looked up, and saw the priest pass him by. The priest represents the religious leaders, but then the Wounded One saw the Levite pass by, the Levite represented the religious community. The priests come from the Tribe of Levi, but not all of Levi were priests, thus the two groups point directly to the religious order who are suppose to care for the sick and needy.
The Wounded One was considered an outcast, a Gentile, one not worthy of healing. However, worthiness is not predicated by the place from which one came, rather it’s predicated by the condition at the moment. The Wounded One was innocent of any wrong doing, there was no sign proclaiming he had done any wrong. Some think this Wounded One is Adam; however, Adam knew what he was doing, and did it anyway, this person is a victim. This is also a symbol of how Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, then left by the religious leaders for dead. The Good Samaritan as the Holy Ghost took Jesus to the Father, then the Holy Ghost returned to find those in the Highway who would receive the Seed with gladness. The Compassion in the heart of the Holy Ghost is the same Compassion we inherit in the New Birth (Luke 10:30-33).
The unbelief of the priests and Levites caused the Wounded One to lay bound to the earth. Later Jesus will upbraid the disciples with their unbelief, indicting how their own unbelief was binding Him to the earth. The one with Compassion held the Oil and Wine, the Holy Ghost is The Comforter, the One with the Oil (Mercy) and Wine (Grace). The Holy Ghost gave the Inn Keeper (Father) the price, then said, “when I come again, I will repay You” (Luke 10:35); Paul said, the Holy Ghost takes us at the Rapture, thus we become the Payment, the Lord paid the price for us, but we are Redeemed by the Holy Ghost.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests (22:10).
The Highway is a metaphor for the Wide Road, the Street a metaphor for a place between places. Here the it’s a different timing, the Wedding is Ready, the Bride made Herself Ready, the Servants, not the Holy Ghost are searching for Guests. The Servants here would be the Angels searching out the world, the Gathering together would be the Judgment..
The King didn’t order the guests to come, he didn’t force the guests, rather he called each, one by one, they made their own decision to accept, or deny.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he said unto him, Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? and he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (22:11-13).
The King calls this person “Friend”, not “My Bride”, or “My Servant”, this man is a symbol of the son of perdition, and all who follow the position (Matt 26:50). The man was offered a wedding garment, just as we; however, he felt it wasn’t important to have, nor to be cleaned through and through, rather he felt he was clean enough by his own efforts.
For many are called, but few are chosen (22:14).
The position of Chosen doesn’t mean God picks and chooses based on some intellect or family order, rather the parable shows the guests decided if they would accept the calling or not. In our case the Acceptance of the calling is receiving the Seed Sown, moving us to the Chosen, those Chosen made the choice to be Chosen.
The word Called means Invited, the word Chosen means Selected; although God called us from the foundation of the world, we had to Select and Accept the Seed to enter the calling before it became effective in our lives. If we have the Seed we are among the Called, if we are among the Just who believe unto the saving of the soul we are among the Chosen.
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk (22:15).
The Pharisees knew they were the first group invited, but they presumed invited and chosen were the same, they are just as wrong in reference to this issue, as they were other things. They were offended, as temple workers they thought anything they did was doing God a service. This attitude is seen in the “error searchers”, they run through the Body with stones of theological abuse killing the Just. The best way to counter error is to preach the truth in love. Yelling, backbiting, and slander are hardly “in love”.
This teaching points to the Day when the Two shall be One, but the Pharisees had choice, they could be One with God, or One with the devil. The Pharisees would send three groups to Entangle Jesus, each temptation goes right back to the devil’s temptations in the wilderness. At this time the devil wasn’t coming directly against Jesus, the Flood was coming with a Mouth full of entrapping words. These next three areas become our example of how Jesus handled warfare.
And they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, master, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth, neither care You for any man: for You regard not the person of men (22:16).
This method of using complementary statements to put the victim at ease, is still a common method of those who set out to snare the saints. If these Herodians believed their own words, they would’ve rejected the thought of using temptation. This is like the woman who followed Paul and Silas around making a factual complementary statement, with deceit in her heart. A statement can be factual, but the intent determines if it’s Truth or a lie. Counterfeit money is factual, but nonetheless a lie. A statement can be Fact, but not a truth, or a statement can hold the word Believe, yet be a statement of unbelief. The authority to make the statement becomes the issue, as well as the intent used.
All three groups of tempters will use questions, but their intent is not to learn, rather it’s to lead Jesus into a trap. There are many who ask, “well what do you think about…”, but their intent is to lead us into a specific area where they can insert their opinion through manipulation and deception. Any method used by deceptive, is also demonic. How we respond is always Spirit based, we must hear the New Man in order to discern, from discernment we respond, rather than react.
Later this same day the disciples will ask a question, but their intent is to gain knowledge, not insert their opinion, or trap Jesus. The question is just a question, it’s the intent determining if it’s a method to trap someone, or simply to gain knowledge by.
The title Herodians refers to the civil government of Herod, the Pharisees knew Herod cut the head off John the Baptist, thus the Pharisees are attempting to get Herod to do their dirty work. The question from the Herodians was the temptation to place Jesus in opposition to the civil authorities. Whether Jesus agreed with the civil authorities or not, really didn’t matter, we know He never interfered with them. Jesus knew the world was on a set course, a path known by God from the foundation of the world, no man could disannul it (Isa 14:24-27). This is an issue of faith, the question could have also been, “what do you think of these Pharisees, do you think they are doing God’s work?”.
Instead of walking with God, the Pharisees were plotting against God’s Anointed. The question was a trap in and of itself, it’s equated to the famed, “do you still beat your wife? answer yes or no”. No matter which way one answers the question they’re guilty. If they say No, they admit they had beaten their wife, if they say Yes, they admit they still are. Questions beginning with deception, or leave no room for the Truth are always demonic. Questions leading us into self-justification, or cause us to judge others are traps and snares set to defeat us. Before we take the bait, look to see if the hook is there, then answer the hook, not the bait.
Tell us therefore, What do You think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? (22:17).
The word Tribute also means Honor, this was a two sided question, seeking to place Jesus in a no win position. If Jesus said Yes, then the Pharisees would call Him a Roman sympathizer, condemning Him. If Jesus said No, then the civil government would call Him a dissident. The question called for a Yes or No answer, but Jesus didn’t answer their question with either a Yes or a No. We seem to fall into the trap of giving the answer they are looking for, rather than the one they need. Here Jesus will divide the thought and intent, answering the intent.
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt you Me, you hypocrites? (22:18).
Hold it, we thought you couldn’t tempt God. Wait, you can’t tempt God to do evil, Jesus isn’t falling for the temptation, rather He returns a test. The temptation was discerned, then defeated by the Truth.
These people were not against Jesus, they were against Jesus saying He was from heaven. They looked at He who came from heaven, and said “we would have a sign”, what was before them? The greatest Sign from heaven of all time. Jesus called this group Hypocrites, they were walking with Pilate, yet called Jesus Master. If Jesus is Master, He is also the Chief Rabbi, if they were serious they would have followed His teachings, not attack them.
Show Me the tribute money. And they brought unto Him a penny. And He said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They said unto Him, Caesar’s. Then He said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s (22:19-21).
This brings up another question, If the leaders were so set against having Roman money in the temple, what were they doing with Roman coins in their pockets? They used the money changers to exchange Jewish coin for Roman coin based on the pretext of the Roman coin was heathen, evil, or not permitted in the temple treasury, yet the sound of the Roman coins in their pockets was permitted. No wonder Jesus called them hypocrites.
The Image on the coin was Caesar; therefore, the coin and the civil government belonged to Caesar; however, the people belonged to God. The Roman civil government at the time held many anti-God laws, built many temples to idols, followed many idols, were anything but merciful, yet Jesus said, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. This separates the people under the government from the government. Caesar represented the government order, but all the people belonged to God. Just as the heart and soul of the Herodians belonged to God; they said Jesus was Master, thus the question ended in conviction upon the heads of the Herodians, not a trap for Jesus.
The title Herodian came from the Greek god Hermes, who was suppose to be the god of commerce and invention, but he was noted as a cunning thief who served as a messenger for the other gods. A man by the name of Hermes Trismegistus was the legendary author of many written works, including astrology and magic, as well as a master of Alchemy or the turning of metal into gold, he associated himself to the god Hermes. All these connect to the title Hero a god of mythology who was not a god but “a man”. This same word is not restricted to males alone, but includes the title Heroine, both are included in the Greek god Hero who was noted as a priestess of Aphrodite. Making Heroes out of the men and woman of God, or making Heroes out of flesh and blood is idol worship. The Herodians made the civil government their god, yet they called Jesus, Master.
When they heard these words, they marveled, and left Him, and went their way (22:22).
The word Marveled means Admiration, but when we connect it to the Herodians, it shows they look for Heroes, not the Master. They went Their Way, not the Way of Jesus, the early church taught of Two Ways, the Way to Jesus, and the Way to Death.
The same day came to Him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, saying, master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers: and the first when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: (22:23-25).
The early church went to the synagogues on the Sabbath Day (Saturday) to evangelize the Jews, and the Gentiles who followed the Jews. However, the early church did not honor the sabbath as a “holy day”, rather they knew the Jews would gather on the sabbath. We can’t forget the early church began by converted Jews, they came out of the Law by faith, whereas the Gentile came around the Law by faith.
The Sadducees compared everything to the flesh, they didn’t believe in angels, spirits or the resurrection. To them a “devil” was an idol, they were looking at the Law of Moses as their only guide, yet the Law says nothing concerning the Resurrection. Like the Pharisees they failed to go back to the beginning. Jesus will use the words of Moses to prove their theology was based on “stinking thinking”.
Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her (22:26-28).
The question revolves around reproduction, the purpose for the law was to keep the tribes full and continue the tribal lines in face of warring nations until the purpose was completed. According to the Jew the First Commandment was “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28), but it was given on the earth, for the earthly, not the heavenly. They confused the principality for the Law of Moses, attempting to make it heaven related, yet God gave it to Moses on the earth for the earthly minded. There is only one marriage in heaven, thus any concept of other marriages in heaven is polygamy. Jesus will answer their question by rebuking their theology. Marriage is “flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone”, not Spirit of my Spirit, or soul of my soul. It doesn’t mean we won’t be together in heaven, it means the purpose of reproduction is not at issue in heaven.
Jesus answered and said unto them, You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven (22:29-30).
Angels are spirit, but more important they are spiritual. One can be a spirit, yet not spiritual, as the devil shows. The Corinthians prove one can have the Spirit, yet not be spiritual. All these attacks and questions show us the mind set of the self-based, conceited religious person; however, more important we can see how Jesus answers these attacks. The manner in which Jesus is Acting is how those who are Christ Like are suppose to Act.
The angels don’t age, Gabriel looks the same now as he did when he spoke to Daniel, as he did when he appeared to Mary. There is no death in heaven, no purpose to continue the fleshly blood lines. The question from the Sadducees was based solely on death and the flesh. Like the Herodians, they came with Master on their lips, but with deception in their hearts.
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (22:31-32).
Their concept for denying the resurrection was based on the flesh, Jesus points out the error by using the Law. Rather than focus on the “death”, they should have been seeking “Life”.
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine. But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence they were gathered together (22:33-34).
The word Astonished is different from Marveled; Astonished means to be Smitten From An Action. The multitude was moved by this doctrine, as if they were smitten, or struck with the Truth. The words shocked their minds, but at the same time the Truth pointed to liberty. The people knew Jesus spoke with a Truth and Power far above the mind games the Pharisees and Sadducees were using.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were theologically opposed, but their hate and envy of Jesus gave them a common ground. They became of One Mind, a mind bent on destruction, absent mercy or faith.
The last group to attack Jesus represents the lawyers. The lawyers were concerned with the aspects of the Law itself, they were the “defenders of the Law”. All three groups called Jesus, Master, yet they failed to respect Him as Master. When the devil tempted Jesus, it was “If You be the Son of God”; these groups are using the lusts of the devil, as they continue the temptations, yet Jesus is still defeating them with Scripture.
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? (22:35-36).
The Law had over 600 commandments, according to the Law one commandment was no greater than another, yet their question is “Which” is “The Great Commandment”, narrowing it all down to one. Jesus will answer the question, but in so doing, He shows there is only One Commandment, yet it contains a Greater Love and a Lesser Love, but nonetheless Love. Mark shows the Lawyer started out with temptation on his heart, but ended knowing he received the Truth.
Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (22:37-40).
Jesus told the devil, You shall not tempt the Lord your God (Matt 4:7), yet these people were clearly tempting Jesus. Jesus told the devil, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word proceeding from the Mouth of God (Matt 4:4). These three groups were seeking the Words from the Mouth of God to use against God.
The question was looking for The Great Commandment, Jesus said, Love is the center of all Commandments, no one can worship God without loving Him, true worship is based in the Love we receive from being Born Again. Paul said Love works no ill will toward ones neighbor, thus Love fulfills the Law (Rom 13:10). The Commandments and Law were joined by the sabbath day, thus the answer would include the Law as well, a violation of the Commandments was not the same as a violation of the Law. Jesus expanded it to include the Law and Prophets, showing Mercy and Love are sisters, thus the Remnant keep the Commandments of God by walking in love and mercy.
By Rev. G. Evan Newmyer – s.b.i. les12rev7/©2003
