Matthew
Ch 1Ch 2Ch 3Ch 4Ch 5Ch 6Ch 7Ch 8Ch 9Ch 10Ch 11Ch 12Ch 13Ch 14Ch 15Ch 16Ch 17Ch 18Ch 19Ch 20Ch 21Ch 22Ch 23Ch 24Ch 25Ch 26Ch 27Ch 28
Chapter 1
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
1
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
The first sentence points out how the gospel and consequently the New Testament rests on the foundation laid by the Hebrew scriptures. The order of names is Jesus, David, and Abraham. Jesus first and David in the center. Notice how son of does not imply direct ancestry.
Matthew emphasis on announcing Jesus as the Messiah, the Anointed one, is strong (1:1, 16, 17, 18, 2:4)
Jesus is how two promises will be fulfilled. The first is the promise to David to have an heir as king. Thus, it was important to confirm that Jesus was a descendant of David as the kingdom is to remain in David’s lineage (2Sa 7:8-16, 27-29, Ps 132:11-13).
The second is the promise to Abraham to be a blessing to many nations and to be the father of many nations (Gen 12:3, 17:1-6, 22:15-18). The gospel of Matthew is missions-oriented, he encourages his audience to be a part of the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham.
The opening words of the gospel are Βίβλος γενέσεως which are two words that occur in Gen 2:4 and 5:1 in the Septuagent to recall the events of creation of man and the descendants of Adam.
Son of David is a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42), especially expressed by the people.
2
     Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers.
Birth of Isaac, Gen 21:1-3.
Birth of Jacob, Gen 25:24-26.
Birth of Judah, Gen 29:35.
The mentioning of Judah and his brothers brings to mind the twelve tribes of Israel.
3
Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram.
Tamar was supposed to receive Judah’s son Shelah to be her husband. Her story is in Gen 38.
Perez and Hezron, Gen 46:12, Num 26:21.
The names mentioned in verses 3-5 are listed also in 1Ch 2:1-12 and Ruth 4:18-22.
4
Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon.
Amminadab and Nahshon, Num 1:7.
5
Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.
Rahab is most likely the lady who helped the spies in Jericho (Jos 2:1-7), a non-Israelite.
The timespan from Judah to Salmon would have been some four hundred and seventy years, four hundred and thirty in Egypt (Ex 12:40-41) and forty in the wilderness). Then the timespan from Salmon to Jesse and David would have been around five hundred years. The exodus is believed to have happened around 1,440 BC and David to have died around 960 BC (see timeline estimates in the introduction to Exodus).
Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1:4) and forbidden to join the assembly of Israel (Dt 23:3).
Boaz, king David's great-grandfather, was from Bethlehem (Rth 2:4, 4:11).
6
Jesse fathered David the king.

     David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
David plotted to have Uriah, one of his mighty men, so he could marry Bathsheba after forcing her to commit adultery. The story is in 2Sa 11-12.
On all four women mentioned or alluded to so far in the genealogy of Jesus there is a type of stain or fault; however, each performs a courageous act that is commended and rewarded for. Ultimately, these acts make the line of the Messiah possible. Mary, the next woman to be mentioned in the genealogy, will also have to be courageous to carry and give birth to the Messiah.
Notice that from Judah (1:2) to David some seven to eight hundred years must have passed.
7
Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asa.
The genealogy in verses 7-11 can be compared with that outlined in 1Ch 3:10-17.
8
Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah.
Asa and Jehoshaphat, 1Ki 15:24.
From the records of the kings of Judah (also 1Ch 3:11-15), we know that there are three generations between Joram and Uzziah. Joram (aka Jehoram) was the father of Ahaziah (2Ki 8:24), the mother was Athaliah (2Ki 11:1). Ahaziah was the father of Joash (2Ki 11:2). Joash was the father of Amaziah (2Ki 12:21). Amaziah was the father of Uzziah (aka Azariah, 2Ki 14:21).
9
Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.
10
Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah.
11
Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12
     After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel.
Jeconiah and Shealtiel, 1Ch 3:17.
In 1Ch 3:19, Zerubbabel is mentioned to be a nephew of Shealtiel.
13
Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor.
Abihud is not mentioned among the sons of Zerubbabel in 1Ch 3:19-20.
We do not have other records of the genealogy after Zerubbabel. In the historical record, Herod is accused of destroying the Davidic genealogy records.
14
Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud.
15
Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob.
16
Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
In the previous verses the word for fathered could also translate as engendered or procreated, note here that the text uses a different word to explain that Mary was the means by which Jesus was born but there is no begetting or engendering from Joseph or Mary.
17
     So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.
After the glory of David’s kingdom, Matthew reminds his audience of Israel’s failure to follow God and the destruction of the temple and the exile in Babylon that came as a consequence. The subsequent siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD would have been an additional reminder of how the Messiah would bring a renewal to establish a new heavenly kingdom.
Subtly, Matthew accuses the monarchy of that time of usurping the throne that belongs to David’s descendants.
The numeric value of the word for David in Hebrew, DWD, is fourteen (4+6+4). Three groups of fourteen make six groups of seven, perhaps a reason to divide the gospel of Matthew into six sections.
Conception and Birth of Jesus
18
     Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew assumes that his audience knows who the Holy Spirit is, and about His power. The words Holy Spirit appear in Ps 51:11 and Isa 63:10-11. For Jesus to be the Son of God (3:17), there would have to be a tacit understanding that the Holy Spirit was also God.
This verse about the birth of Jesus mentions Mary first, but the subsequent verses are from Joseph’s perspective. Joseph was a carpenter in Nazareth (2:23, 13:55).
Joseph in the gospels is widely acknowledged as Jesus’ father (Lk 3:23, 4:22; Jn 1:45, 6:42), especially by Mary (Lk 2:48).
19
And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
According to Dt 22:20-21, Mary should have been stoned to death.
The word to describe Joseph, righteous (δίκαιος) is of the same root as the words used by Paul in the letter to the Romans to speak of justification (δικαίωσις) or righteousness (δικαιώματος) (e.g. Rom 4:25, 5:18) and used by Jesus in the beatitudes (δικαιοσύνη).
The Law instructions in Dt 24:1-4 refer to taking back a wife who had been sent away and become someone’s wife in the interim. This text would not be applicable to Joseph’s situation.
Pilate’s wife refers to Jesus as a righteous man (27:19).
20
But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph is addressed with an honorific title of son of David, like that of Jesus (1:1).
In this gospel in particular and in the bible in general, dreams are a common way in which God communicates with people, Jews and Gentiles alike (1:20, 2:12, 13, 19, 22, 27:19), which is also common in the OT (e.g. Gen 20:1-6, 28:12, 31:10-11, 24, 37:1-10, 40:5-11, 41:1-7).
21
She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Yeshua means Yaweh Saves (Ps 130:8).
Paul refers to Jesus' birth in Gal 4:4.
The people expected the Messiah to deliver them from the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel (Mt 20:21; Lk 24:21; Jn 1:49; Act 1:6), even Matthew just emphasized that Jesus was the Son of David, but the angel is clear that Jesus’ deliverance would be from sin.
22
Now all this took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled:
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
23
“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”
Isa 7:14, this was spoken ca. 730 BC.
Jesus being born means God being among us.
Matthew reminds how God gave king Ahaz a sign of the deliverance that God would perform (Isa 7:3-16, ca. 720 BC) a sign that neither Ahaz nor anybody else had asked for. The sign would be a maiden giving birth to a boy who would emblem having God among us.
The word used in Hebrew means maiden, a young unmarried woman, but the word used in the LXX (παρθένος) does mean virgin.
24
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,
25
but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.
Jesus (Ἰησοῦ) is the Greek form of Y'shua, which means Yaweh saves.
Questions about who Jesus’ father was were a point of argument, verses like Mk 6:3 and Jn 8:19, 8:41 might be veiled accusations that Jesus was an illegitimate child.
Chapter 2
The Visit of the Magi
1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
The announcement of Jesus’ birth was universal. Immediately after describing how an angel communicated to Joseph the circumstances about the birth of Jesus, Matthew relates how His birth was announced to the Gentile world, thus the missions-oriented character of Matthew’s gospel is more evident. From Luke, we know that it was announced to the the priests, Elizabeth was married to the High Priest (Lk 1:39-45), and to the people in Galilee (Lk 2:8-20), and to the prophets at the Temple (Lk 2:25-38).
The nations of the world were to be part of the eternal kingdom (e.g. Isa 2:2-4, 11:10-12, 42:1-8).
μάγος (plural μάγοι) is the word from which magician derives from. Similar words are used in Act 8:9 (μαγεύω), 13:6 (μάγος) and 13:8 (μάγος), where they have a tone closer to sorcerers. These magi were likely court officials of foreign kingdoms, perhaps with roles similar to those mentioned in Daniel (Dn 1:18-20, 2:1-12, 27, 4:4-9, 5:5-8).
Rachel was buried in the area of Bethlehem (Gen 35:19, 48:7).
Boaz, king David's great-grandfather, was from Bethlehem (Rth 2:4, 4:11).
Samuel went to Bethlehem where Jesse and his sons to anoint David as king (1Sa 16:4, 17:12-15).
Angels in Luke’s gospel refer to Bethlehem as the City of David (Lk 2:4, 11).
Herod the Great had had a long political career and was appointed king of Judea around 35 BC. He was not ethnically Jewish but his family had converted to Judaism. He led important improvements in Jerusalem including renovations to the Temple.
2
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Isaiah prophesied that nations would come to the Lord’s light and bring presents (Isa 60:1-6, which echoes Ps 70:10-11).
The magi are called to Herod court in v. 7, thus the Magi have been interacting with the people or perhaps the priests. The divinity of Jesus becomes more explicit as the magi seek to worship Him. The word for worship could also translate to paying homage, an act of honoring by kneeling, but this word is also used in Jn 4:23 when referring to adoring or worshiping God.
Aside from this verse, the title King of the Jews appears in the four gospels only during Jesus’ passion hour.
A number of unusual astronomical events took place around this time: Halley’s comet appeared in the sky in 12 BC and this has been depicted in some nativity art; a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred in 7 BC and a conjunction of Saturn and Venus in 3 BC.
The star was likely a gleaming or beaming angel or a heavenly being guiding the magi to Judea (Lk 2:9; Act 12:7).
3
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
The magi discount Herod as the king of the Jews and proclaim Jesus as the true king.
4
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
5
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
See note about Bethlehem in 2:1.
6
‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR FROM YOU WILL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”
Mic 5:2, this was spoken close in time to Isa 7:14 in 1:23, ca. 730 BC.
7
     Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
8
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”
9
After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found.
In v. 8, Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem, though the text does not tell us where the magi found Jesus. Luke tells us that after presenting Jesus at the Temple, Joseph and Mary went back to Nazareth (Lk 2:39-40).
10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11
And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Isaiah prophesied that nations would come to the Lord’s light and bring presents (Isa 60:1-6, which echoes Ps 70:10-11).
Gold acknowledges Jesus as king.
Frankincense acknowledges Jesus as priest and God.
Myrrh, a fragrance (e.g. Ps 45:8; SS 1:5) acknowledges Jesus as man and the passion and burial He will receive (Mk 15:23; Jn 19:39).
The text does not mention the number of magi and their entourage. Tradition named the magi as Caspar who presented the frankincense and was young and beardless; Melchior, who presented the gold and was older with gray hair and beard; and Balthasar who presented the myrrh and had dark skin.
προσκυνέω, the word for kneeling or bowing down can also translate as worship (2:11, 8:2, 15:25).
12
And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
In this gospel in particular and in the bible in general, dreams are a common way in which God communicates with people, Jews and Gentiles alike (1:20, 2:12, 13, 19, 22, 27:19), which is also common in the OT (e.g. Gen 20:1-6, 28:12, 31:10-11, 24, 37:1-10, 40:5-11, 41:1-7).
The Escape to Egypt
13
     Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”
“The Child and His mother” are almost treated as a unity (2:13, 14, 20, 21).
In this gospel in particular and in the bible in general, dreams are a common way in which God communicates with people, Jews and Gentiles alike (1:20, 2:12, 13, 19, 22, 27:19), which is also common in the OT (e.g. Gen 20:1-6, 28:12, 31:10-11, 24, 37:1-10, 40:5-11, 41:1-7).
14
     So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
The natural world and its dynamics are instruments used by God to fulfill His purpose. God communicated to Joseph to leave for Egypt rather than using a miraculous way to protect the “Child and His mother” when Herod’s guards would be looking for the child, the responsibility to watch over them is Joseph’s.
Jesus personifies Israel, the people of God. Like Jacob and his family has to go to Egypt to survive the famine, Joseph takes his family to be safe from Herod.
15
He stayed there until the death of Herod; this happened so that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”
Hos 11:1, not a prophecy about the Messiah but a remark on the cyclical nature of God’s plan.
Just as the people of Israel were delivered from Egypt, Jesus would leave Egypt and come back to the land of Israel.
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
Historical records place Herod’s death in 4 BC.
Herod Slaughters Babies
16
     Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.
The only clue Herod had about where Jesus could be was Bethlehem, though the magi might have visited Jesus somewhere else and Jesus was already in Egypt.
17
Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
18
“A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH,
WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING,
RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN;
AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED,
BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”
Jer 31:15.
Notice the association between the killing of the boys in Bethlehem and the death of Rachel while giving birth and her burial nearby (Gen 35:17-19, 48:7; 1Sa 10:2).
Notice also the typology between the births of Moses and Jesus with order to kill the boys in Egypt (Ex 1:22) and the order to kill the boys in Bethlehem.
19
     But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said,
Historical records place Herod’s death in 4 BC.
20
“Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
21
So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Comp 2:20-21 with Ex 4:19-20.
22
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
Galilee was under the rule of Herod Antipas.
23
and came and settled in a city called Nazareth. This happened so that what was spoken through the prophets would be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Nazarene (Ναζωραῖος) is perhaps a reference to being a Nazarite,.
Other commentators have observed that Nazarene evokes Jdg 13:5 and the promise of a deliverer as well as Isa 11:1 since Nazarene sounds like the word for branch.
Jesus followers were known as Nazarenes (Act 24:5). Perhaps also because John the Baptist might have been identified as a Nazarene (see note in 3:1).
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
Chapter 3
The Preaching of John the Baptist
1
Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
Luke relates the circumstances around John the Baptist birth. He was Jesus’ cousin and the son of a High Priest (Lk 1:5-24). John was probably a Nazarite.
The Nazarite vow is described in Num 6:1-21, usually a temporary vow. Samson was a life-long Nazarite (Jdg 13:5), Samuel never shaved his hair (1Sa 1:11), like John, Samson and Samuel were born to previously barren women. John the Baptist ordered not to drink wine (Lk 1;15) and was criticized for that (Mt 11:18).
John was recognized as a prophet. Other commentators might say that there had been no prophets in Israel for four hundred years, but that is incorrect, we know of Anna, a prophetess who ministered at the Temple (Lk 2:36-37).
Just like baptism meant something else prior, to preach (κηρύσσειν) meant to announce, to proclaim, especially a royal edict.
2
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
This was Jesus’ preaching too (4:17).
The Kingdom of Heaven had been prophesied by Daniel (Dan 2:44).
3
For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,
‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”
Isa 40:3, an announcement of God arriving.
4
Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
The description of the garments is to link John to Elijah (2Ki 1:8, Mal 4:5-6).
5
At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan;
6
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
The Jordan would evoke the entering into the Promised Land by Joshua and the Israelites. The Jordan was where Elijah was taken to heaven (2Ki 2:6-13).
7
     But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized demonstrate a type of respect or fear that they had for John’s ministry, who uncovers it as insincere.
In this verse John refers to the Pharisees and Sadducees’s ancestry as vipers (evoking the Fall in the garden, Gen 3:1), in contrast with being Abraham in v. 9.
Jesus had a similar charge (Mt 12:34, 23:33; Jn 8:44).
The Sadducees are mentioned seven times in Matthew, never in a positive light (3:7, 16:1, 16:6, 16:11, 16:12, 22:23, 22:34).
8
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance;
This was Paul’s preaching too (Act 26:20).
Bearing fruit is a prevalent teaching in the NT (e.g. Mt 7:15-20; Mk 4:14-20; Jn 15:1-5; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 5:9; Col 1:5-10; Heb 12:11; Jam 3:17-18).
9
and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham.
Though one might expect God making people from dust (Gen 2:7, 3:19), the image of Abraham’s descendants coming from stone was known (Isa 51:1-2).
Claiming Abraham in their ancestry was a common defense (Jn 8:39, 53).
10
And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.
Preaching that Jesus repeats (7:19).
Pointing to the root of the fruitless trees evokes a final judgment that the tree does not survive, a picture of God’s judgment in the OT (Is 10:34).
11
     “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
After having read about John, where he was, his garments, and the people around him, we read now about Jesus. John presents Jesus as someone more powerful than him with a more powerful ministry.
Paul refers to John’s baptism as one of repentance (Act 13:24, 19:4).
Baptism with the Holy Spirit refers to salvation and the fulfillment of a promise (e.g. Is 32:15, 44:3; Ezk 36:26-27, 37:14, 39:29; Jo 2:28). Baptism with fire refers to Judgment Day (e.g. Mt 13:42-42; Lk 12:49; 1Co 3:12-15).
The image gains intensity if we think of Spirit as the wind and the effect wind has on fire.
12
His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John’s preaching is eschatological; it presents Jesus as the judge of humanity.
The Baptism of Jesus
13
     Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.
14
But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?”
Why Jesus needed to be baptized is an ancient question without a definite answer. Perhaps He did because He takes each of our place as sinners and demonstrates the act of repentance that we need to go through. It also demonstrates the fullness of God that we encounter after our baptism of water, Spirit, and fire.
15
But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16
After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him,
Isaiah had prophesied about the Spirit resting on the Servant (Isa 11:2, 42:1, 61:1).
The heavens were open is a reversal of Gen 3:24 where God blocks the way to the garden, and an allusion to Isa 64:1.
A picture of the fullness of God being with us, the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit. See also 1Co 12:4-6, which mentions the Spirit, Jesus the Lord, and God the Father; as well as 2Co 13:14 and Gal 4:6, which present the three persons as a unity as well.
As in Gen 8:8-12, the dove announces a time when the judgment on the nations has passed.
17
and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
God speaks like at creation (Gen 1:3), Sinai (Ex 20:1) and the transfiguration (Matt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).
For Mary to conceive by the Holy Spirit (1:18) and for Jesus to be the Son of God (3:17) there would have to be a tacit understanding that the Holy Spirit was also God.
Beloved Son evokes God asking Abraham to offer Isaac, the son he loved (Gen 22:2). God’s words evoke Ps 2:7 and Isa 42:1.
If Jesus personifies the people of God, then each follower of Jesus becomes God’s beloved child.
Chapter 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Jesus submits to the Spirit, a tacit acknowledgment of the Spirit being God and of the Trinity.
The word for devil, διαβόλος, means slanderer, enemy.
Πειράζω means to test, to try. Here it is translated as to temp. Testing is something that God puts us under to reveal what is in our hearts (e.g. Gen 22:1-2; Ex 15:25, 20:20; Dt 8:2, 16; 2Ch 32:31; Job, Jam 1:2, 13). Thus we can see why the Spirit would lead Jesus to be tested.
The Pharisees and Sadducees also test (πειράζω) Jesus (16:1, 19:3, 22:18, 35).
2
And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
The typology with Moses (Ex 24:18, 34:28) and with the people of Israel continues (Dt 29:5).
Forty days, and sometimes forty days and forty nights, is a common lapse of time in biblical texts (e.g the Flood, Gen 7:4-17, 8:6, 50:3; Moses in Sinai, Ex 24:18, 34:28 and Dt 9:9-25, 10:10; the spying of the land Num 13:25, 14:34; Goliath’s challenge, 1Sa 17:16; Elijah hiding, 1Ki 19:8; Ezekiel’s testimony, Ezk 4:6; Jonah’s warning, Jon 3:4; Jesus’ temptation Mt:4:2; Mk 1:13; Lk 4:2; Jesus’ teaching after the resurrection, Act 1:3).
3
And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Tempter is another term to refer to Satan (1Th 3:5).
Satan refers to what God had spoken (3:7), a tactic similar to that in the garden (Gen 3:1), that Jesus is the Son of God, and tries to provoke Him to exert His authority and put an end to the hardship and discomfort He is experiencing.
Israel is God’s son (Ex 4:22; Jer 31:9; Hos 11:1-4), thus Jesus personifies Israel, the people of God.
Jesus knows what we experience and He sympathizes with our weaknesses (Heb 4:15-16).
Temptation can start with flattery to make us think we deserve better.
Jesus will hear if you are the Son of God again when He is on the cross (Mt 27:40).
4
But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”
Jesus quotes Dt 8:3.
Jesus switches the focus to a different type of hunger, which is overcome with the word of God (Mt 5:6). The creation story tells us that the words of God are life-giving.
Jesus is not saying physical food is not important, He Himself is concerned about people experiencing hunger (Mt 14:20, 15:32).
5
     Then the devil took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
The holy city is Jerusalem (Is 52:1; Nh 11:1) but it can also refer to the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2).
6
and he said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written:
‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
Satan tells Jesus He can prove He is the Son of Godby letting Himself fall from the top of the Temple and points to Ps 91:11-12 as an argument.
The people test God and Jesus by saying if you are the Son of God when Jesus is on the cross (Mt 27:40).
Temptation plants doubts about the veracity of God’s words.
7
Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
A quote from Dt 6:16.
Jesus does not need to prove again what He already knows, that He is the Son of God (3:17).
8
     Again, the devil took Him along to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
High mountains were associated with dwellings for the gods; God Himself is depicted this way (e.g. Ex 19:20; Ezk 20:40).
See note in 5:1 for a comment of Jesus being on a mountain.
9
and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Satan is commonly referred to as the ruler or god of this world (Jn 12:31, 14:30, 2Co 4:4), thus the offer was substantiated.
10
Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”
Jesus shows us how to fight spiritual warfare, by rebuking Satan.
A quote of Dt 6:13, 10:20.
go away, Satan (ὕπαγε, σατανᾶ·) are similar words expressed to the demons in 8:32, go (ὕπαγετε), and to Peter in 16:23, get behind Me, Satan (ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ·).
Note this rebuking is not a final bounding of Satan’s power. Jesus’ followers have this authority (Lk 10:18-20).
11
Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.
A fulfillment of Ps 91:11. Satan was quoting true words in 4:6.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
12
     Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;
John was apprehended because as a prophet he had condemned Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for breaking the Law by marrying his brother’s wife (Mt 14:3-4; Mk 6:17-18).
13
and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
Capernaum means town of Nahum; the sea would refer to the Sea (or Lake) of Galilee.
Despite having witnessed Jesus’ ministry and miracles, Capernaum will reject Jesus (Mt 11:23-24).
14
This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
15
“THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI,
BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES—
A quote from Is 9:1.
Matthew continues emphasizing the mission to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
It was not entirely clear to the people that the ministry of the Messiah would develop in Galilee (Jn 7:41-42). Zch 14:4 speaks of the Messiah being in Jerusalem; to Jesus’ followers this verse points to His second advent.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’ ministry unfolds in Galilee through Chapter 18. Jesus announces that He must go to Jerusalem in 16:21 and starting in Chapter 19 Matthew presents Jesus’ ministry in Judea. This is much different from John’s gospel, which shows Jesus going back and forth between Galilee and Jerusalem as the Law required multiple visits to Jerusalem throughout the year.
16
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT,
AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH,
UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”
Is 9:2.
17
     From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
This was the same preaching as John’s (3:2), Jesus’ ministry is a continuation of John’s; or rather, John initiates Jesus’ ministry.
Just like baptism meant something else prior, to preach (κηρύσσειν) meant to announce, to proclaim, especially a royal edict.
When comparing parallel passages, Matthew presents the gospel with the phrase kingdom of heaven whereas Mark and Luke use kingdom of God. For example, when comparing Mt 4:12, 17 and Mk 1:14-15, and Mt 5:3 and Lk 6:20.
First aspect of Jesus’ ministry, preaching.
The First Disciples
18
     Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.”
Second aspect of Jesus’ ministry, working with a team.
Notice the transformation that Jesus announces to His followers. This is similar to the transformation the people undergo as they enter the promised land, they stop being a nomad nation who gather manna and become a sedentary nation who works and harvests the land (e.g. Dt 24:19-22).
20
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
We know from John’s gospel that this was not the first encounter between the brothers and Jesus (Jn 1:39-42).
21
Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them.
22
Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
When comparing 4:20 and 4:22 we see a progression of what the followers of Jesus leave behind, from nets to boats and family.
It would be tempting to think James and John left behind more than Peter and Andrew but Luke tells us that Peter also had a boat (Lk 5:3).
Note the mentioning of leaving Zebedee, the father, as James and John’s mother likely leaves with their sons to follow Jesus (Mt 20:20, 27:56), her name was Salome (comp. Mt 27:56 and Mk 15:40).
Ministry in Galilee
23
     Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Third aspect of Jesus’ ministry, teaching.
A fulfillment of Dt 7:15.
This is Matthew’s first use of the word gospel, good news (εὐαγγέλιον).
24
     And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them.
Fourth aspect of Jesus’ ministry, healing and deliverance.
25
Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Here we see the results, the harvest, of Jesus’ ministry.
Galilee represents the northern part of Israel, the Decapolis the easter part, while Jerusalem and Judea the southern part, thus denoting a whole (even though Samaria is not mentioned). Here Matthew implicitly displays a mix of Jewish and Gentile followers.
Chapter 5
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
1
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
Like Moses ascended to the mountain to receive the Ten Words and the Law (Ex 19-23, Dt 4:10-11, 5:22), Jesus goes up a mountain to deliver the Beatitudes and further exegesis of the Law. There is also a typology with the blessings on mount Gerizim in Dt 27:11-12, 28:1-14.
Moses goes up the mountain to speak with God seven times (Ex 19:3, 19:8, 19:20, 20:21, 24:1-13, 32:30-31, 34:2-4).
Continuing the Moses typology, Matthew presents Jesus going up a mountain several times (Mt 5:1, 14:23, 15:29, 17:1, 21:1, 24:3, 26:30, 28:16-17). The one in 4:8 would not be part of Jesus’ ministry.
2
And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
The teaching was continuous, it was not a single occasion.
Some of the beatitudes speak of the present time, others of a eschatological time to come. Frequently they evoke pieces from the OT. The joyful effect of calling someone blessed is also frequent in the OT (e.g. Ps 1:1, 32:1-2, 40:4, 118:26, 119:1-2, 128:1) and in the NT (e.g. Mt 16:17; Lk 1:42, 11:27; Jn 20:29)
Jesus brings an awareness that the beatitudes deal with spiritual matters and the eternal, heavenly kingdom. V. 5 speaks of inheriting the earth, and it most likely refers to the New Earth, as there is no mention of the material world.
Opening one’s mouth is an idiom to bring attention to what is about to be said (Job 3:1, 33:2; Ps 78:2; Dan 10:16; Mt 5:2, 13:35; Act 8:35, 10:34).
3
     “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A paraphrasing of Ps 34:18. A blessing for those whom their spirit is not enough.
The kingdom of heaven is an important theme in this gospel and in Luke’s; Jesus refers to it in His initial preaching (4:17, 23). At this time, there was an expectation that the Kingdom of Israel would be restored imminently (Mt 20:21; Lk 17:21-21, 19:11, 24:21; Jn 1:49; Act 1:6). Jesus clarifies what the kingdom of heaven means in Lk 17:20-21.
The eternal kingdom was announced by the prophets, e.g. 2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Ezk 37:24-28; Dan 2:44, 7:14; Mic 4:6-7.
Here poor in spirit might be a translation of being short of breath as being short would be the opposite of being able to afford, being able to reach out, and spirit would translate as breath. This would evoke Ex 6:9 where the Israelites were so short of breath that they could not listen to Moses’ words.
This is one of the beatitudes using the present tense along with v. 10 and 11; otherwise the beatitudes speak of a future, eschatological time.
The first four beatitudes bring relief to people experiencing a lack of sorts, to those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek, who hunger and thirst.
4
     “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
It evokes Is 61:2-3 and Jer 31:13.
God is ready to fill the void of the physical or emotional loss of someone, especially if it is the consequence of deciding to follow Jesus (Is 61:3; Mt 19:29; Jn 9:35; Rev 7:17).
5
     “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
A paraphrasing of Ps 37:11. See also Ps 37:9, 22, 29 and Is 61:7.
A common rendering of this beatitude uses meek instead of gentle. Humbleness is an important trait in the life of a believer (e.g. Num 12:3; Is 66:2; Tit 3:2).
The promised land was Israel’s inheritance after their deliverance (e.g. Num 18:23-24; Dt 3:28, 14:29, 15:4). Jesus’ deliverance brings a similar promise of land in the kingdom of heaven (Rev 21:1-2).
6
     “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
To be hungry or thirsty is to be aware of a deficiency (Ps 42:1-2). Isaiah had this awareness and he received atonement (Is 6:4-6), similarly Peter (Lk 5:8). Jesus evokes the years Israel spent in the wilderness when the people were hungry and thirsty and God gave them manna (Ex 16:1-5) and water from the rock (Ex 17:1-6) and evokes the preaching of Isaiah (Is 41:17-18). The promise to satiate and quench a non-physical type of hunger and thirst is in Is 55:1-3.
Jesus does not say we have to have righteousness but that we are to desire it in us and in the world around us.
Here righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) could be translated as justice; it has the same root as the words used in the letter to the Romans to speak of justification (δικαίωσις) or righteousness (δικαιώματος) (e.g. Rom 4:25, 5:18). To be justified is to be made righteous.
7
     “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
This is in the center of the beatitudes. Expresses the blessedness of imitating God in the act of showing mercy and as the defining trait of the believer’s life . It is something emphasized throughout the bible (e.g. Pro 11:17; Jon 3:10; Mt 6:12, 14-15, 18:21-35; Mk 11:25-26; Lk 6:34-36; Jam 2:13).
The prophet Jonah argued with God about the dispensing of mercy (Jon 3:10-4:11).
8
     “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
A paraphrasing of Ps 24:3-5.
Seeing God refers not only to the time when we encounter Him face to face (Rev 22:4) but to the ability to recognize His works and His words (Act 15:7-9; Heb 12:14; 1Jn 3:6).
9
     “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Being a child of God means to get involved in God-like ventures, to engage in His enterprises. The ministry of the Messiah is a ministry of peace (Jdg 6:23-24; Is 2:4, 9:5, 52:7; Ezk 34:25; Eph 6:15; Heb 12:14, 13:20); sharing the gospel with other is to make peace between man and God.
Jesus spoke this to contrast with the sons of God mentioned in the OT, usually in relation to rebellion (e.g. Gen 6:1-8; Job 1:6, 2:1; 2Pe 2:4-5).
Sonship denotes becoming part of the family of God (Is 43:6; Hos 1:10; John 1:12; Rom 8:14-16, 8:19, 9:8, 9:26; 2Co 6:18; Gal 3:26; 1Jo 3:1; Rev 21:7), a consequence of salvation.
Jesus expands on what making peace means later in 5:21-26.
Jesus’ followers form a family, a household (Mt 5:9, 6:9, 10:25, 12:50, 23:8-9).
See note in Heb 13:20.
10
     “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Notice the change of tense in this beatitude for those who have been.
11
     “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
A paraphrasing of Is 51:7-8 and Is 66:5.
Notice how verses 10 and 11 equate righteousness with Jesus, the reasons for persecution.
Acts and the epistles document some of the persecutions that believers at that time were experiencing (Act 5:41, 28:22; 2Co 12:10; 1Th 2:14-15; Jam 1:2-3; 1Pe 1:6-7, 2:11-12, 2:15, 3:14-17, 4:3-5, 4:14-16).
12
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Here Jesus places His followers to continue the work of the prophets, who were persecuted for following God’s instructions (e.g. 1Ki 18:4; 2Ch 30:9-10, 36:16; Neh 9:26; Jer 20:7-10, 26:10-12).
Jesus mentions a reward, a topic He will discuss further later (6:1-18) when speaking about practicing righteousness. Contrast the reward in heaven with that in Dt 28:11-12.
If this verse were counted as a beatitude (all ten would have an opening of blessedness or rejoicing), then they would count as ten, like the Ten Commandments.
Disciples and the World
13
     “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
From here to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, You is plural, highlighting the collective nature of the body of believers. There are some exceptions where it switches to a singular you, e.g. 5:23-26, 29-30, 36, 39b.
Qualities of the followers of Jesus: salt and light (5:13-16).
Salt was an ingredient of the incense to be burned when meeting God in the Tabernacle (Ex 30:35-36). It was commonly used in food preservation. Though the word salary comes from the word for salt, a common belief is that soldiers and workers used to be paid with salt, but there is not enough evidence to support this.
An interesting trait of salt is that nor much of it is needed to improve the flavor of otherwise insipid food (Job 6:6). Paul recommends giving a flavor to the words we speak to others (Col 4:6), especially non-believers.
Other translations for the word for tasteless could be dull, foolish, insane.
14
     “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
Evoking God’ initial act of creation, declaring the light to be good (Gen 1:3-4). And an exhortation to His followers to show the unity and force of a city.
15
nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
As Jesus is a light to the nations (Is 42:6, 49:6, 51:4, 60:1-3), we are to be a light to the world (Phi 2:15).
The previous verse highlighted the corporate effect of the lights of a city, this verse highlights the individual effect of a lamp in a house.
16
Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We are called to do good works that are visible, not to call attention to ourselves but to Our Father in heaven.
17
     “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
A section about the Law of Moses (5:17-48) starts.
Jesus explicitly states the purpose of His coming (5:17, 9:13, 10:34-35, 20:28).
The Law and the Prophets is likely a reference to what we now call the Old Testament, which is usually divided in the Law, the Prophets and the Writings (Mt 5:17, 7:12, 22:40; Act 24:14, 28:23; Rom 3:21).
The commandments reflect the character of God. In His divine nature, every action of Jesus displays the character of God, thus fulfilling the Law.
18
For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!
The Law reflects God’s character, thus the Law is as eternal as He is (Is 40:8; Mt 5:18).
Jesus’ words are in the same category as the Law, God’s words (Mt 5:18, 24:35; Mk 13:31).
truly I say to you (ἀμὴν γὰρ ὑμῖν) is a distinctive phrase that Jesus repeats throughout the gospels. In John, the truly (ἀμὴν) is often repeated.
19
Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Nullifying the commandments would be denying the character of God.
20
     “For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees would be an external demonstration of observing the Law. Jesus explains in the following verses that true observance of the Law takes place in our hearts (1Sa 16:7; 1Ki 8:39; 1Ch 28:9; Lk 16:15).
Note the phrase enter the kingdom … and how John mentions being born again as its precondition to Nicodemus (Jn 3:5). Several preconditions and circumstances about entering the kingdom are listed across the gospels and the NT (Mt 5:20, 7:21, 18:3, 19:23-24, 23:13; Mk 9:47, 10:15, 10:24-25; Lk 18:17, 18:25; Jn 3:5; Act 14:22).
Personal Relationships
21
     “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’
In five instances (v. 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus refers to you have heard … perhaps to make a distinction with “it is written” as the commandments that follow are not quite exact quotes from the Torah or other parts of the OT. Jesus is perhaps pointing out how the actual commandments have mixed with other traditions; this has continued to be an issue throughout history.
The ancients refers to the people of Israel through time.
22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Jesus presents an exegesis on the sixth commandment (Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17).
The words that reveal the intent would be enough evidence for conviction in a heavenly court.
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
23
Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
To present ourselves before the throne we must make peace with those around us. Something that starts with an insult may end up in murder.
24
leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
Just as we are reconciled with the Father (Rom 5:10-11; 2Co 5:18-20), we are to pursue reconciliation with those around us.
25
Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison.
Note that reconciling with an accuser is a prerequisite to present an offering at the altar (5:23), thus this verse refers to the heavenly judge.
26
Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.
Reconciling with our brethren goes beyond pursuing harmony in this life, it also has consequences in the judgment to come (Mt 18:15-19).
27
     “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;
In five instances (v. 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus refers to you have heard … perhaps to make a distinction with “it is written” as the commandments that follow are not quite exact quotes from the Torah or other parts of the OT.
Jesus presents an exegesis on the seventh commandment (Ex 20:14; Dt 5:18).
28
but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus explains that breaking the tenth commandment can also break the seventh (Ex 20:17; Dt 5:21; Job 31:1).
29
Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
This and the next verse have words difficult to hear. In a way shocking like those we see in John (e.g. Jn 6:51-60).
Like many commandments in the Torah, the principle behind is as important as the actual words. In modern terms, this would say if your smartphone is causing you to sin, throw it away.
30
And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
In verses 29 and 30, Jesus is perhaps alluding to the story of the Garden, in which Eve saw that the tree was pleasing to the eye and then took it with her hand to eat. Jesus perhaps is also alluding to the fact our bodies are prone to sin even after being made in the image of God.
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
31
     “Now it was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY IS TO GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’;
This is not a commandment from the Torah, which only addresses divorce in Dt 24:1-4.
32
but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Jesus also addresses the issue of divorce in Mt 19:2-12, Mk 10:2-12, and Lk 16:18. Paul addresses divorce in 1Co 7:10-13.
God hates divorce (Mal 2:13-16).
33
     “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’
In five instances (v. 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus refers to you have heard … perhaps to make a distinction with “it is written” as the commandments that follow are not quite exact quotes from the Torah or other parts of the OT.
It is unclear what portion of the OT Jesus is referring to, candidates can be Lev 19:12 or Ps 50:14. Most likely Jesus presents an exegesis on Dt 23:21-23 and the third commandment, which instructs no to use God’s name in falsehood (Ex 20:7; Lv 19:12; Dt 5:11).
34
But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
Jesus refused to take an oath during His trial (Mt 26:63).
James reiterates this advice in his epistle (Jam 5:12).
35
nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.
36
Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
We see Paul appeal to God as his witness (2Co 1:23; Gal 1:20) to assure his audience.
37
But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.
We are to live our lives in such a manner that those around us would not ever think of asking us to take an oath.
38
     “You have heard that it was said, ‘EYE FOR EYE, and TOOTH FOR TOOTH.’
In five instances (v. 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus refers to you have heard … perhaps to make a distinction with “it is written” as the commandments that follow are not quite exact quotes from the Torah or other parts of the OT.
Jesus presents an exegesis of Ex 21:23-25, Lev 24:19-20, Dt 19:21, rules for judges to apply sentences commensurate with the wrongdoing and prevent escalation of conflicts.
Though Jesus does not mention it, the advice to leave vengeance to God is throughout the bible (Dt 32:35; Ps 94:1; Rom 12:19; 1Th 4:6; Heb 10:30).
39
But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also.
A paraphrasing of Jer 3:29-30.
Passages forbidding retaliation include Lv 19:18; and Pr 20:22, 24:29.
40
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
Paul presents a similar advice in 1Co 6:7-8.
41
Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Here whoever can be replaced with an unreasonable boss.
42
Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
A summary of Dt 15:7-11
The advice we see in Luke includes not asking for the borrowed to be returned (Lk 6:30, 34-36), a demonstration of mercy.
Sharing with the poor is encouraged throughout the bible (e.g. Pr 19:17, 22:9; Lk 12:33; Gal 2:10) and oppressing the poor is a grave sin (e.g. Pr 14:31; Is 3:13-15, 10:1-2).
43
     “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
In five instances (v. 21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus refers to you have heard … perhaps to make a distinction with “it is written” as the commandments that follow are not quite exact quotes from the Torah or other parts of the OT.
Jesus explains that neighbors are not only those who live nearby to us in Lk 10:29-37.
The first part love your neighbor is from Lv 19:18, the second part hate your enemy is not an actual prescription in the Law.
The word for love here and in the next verse has the same root (ἀγαπή) as that for beloved in 3:17.
44
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
A paraphrasing of Pr 25:21.
Paul also advises in this manner (Rom 12:14).
45
so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
There is a burden of proof on us as children of God.
46
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?
47
And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same?
The mention of Gentiles has puzzled readers. Jesus is not justifying looking down on Gentiles, it is more of an ironic, self-deprecating comment about being Jewish.
48
Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The section about the Law (5:17-48) ends with a quotation from the middle of the Torah, Lv 19:2.
Here perfect (τέλειός) evokes the image of the animal without spot or blemish that is apt for the sacrifice (Dt 15:21, 17:1; 1Th 5:23; 2Pe 3:14), but it also conveys the idea of completion, of maturity, of reaching full growth (e.g. 1Co 2:6; Phi 1:6, 3:15).
Notice how Dt 32:5 describes those who are not God’s children as with a defect.
This verse also evokes the time at creation when we were His image and likeness, the intent was always to be like Him, and the promise to return to that time (1Co 13:9-10; Eph 5:26-27).
Chapter 6
Charitable Giving to the Poor and Prayer
1
“Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
In His teaching on the practicing of the Law (5:17-48), Jesus emphasized the internal aspect of following the commandments in. In this section about the practicing of the faith (6:1-18), Jesus emphasizes the restrained, quiet, away-from-the-crowds exercise of piety. This section is rich in allusions to a theatrical performance.
The practice of righteousness includes three areas: giving to the poor, prayers, and fasting (6:1-18). The practice of these is not to showcase how righteous we are or to bring honor to ourselves. This goes along with Jesus’ teaching on the observance of the Law (see comment in 5:20), in which Jesus emphasis is on the internal observance of the Law. Contrast this with 5:16 where our works are to be noticeable but not to bring attention to us.
The word for to be noticed by is θεαθῆναι, which has the same root as θέατρον, which is the word for a place for a public show, a theater.
For each of these three areas, God will reward us (6:4, 6, 18). The reward will be in this life or in the next (e.g. Mt 5:12, 6:19; Mk 10:29-30). Note that this section (6:1-18) will be followed by a teaching on storing treasures in heaven).
2
     “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
When Jesus speaks of giving to the poor, praying, and fasting, He says, “when you …” (6:2-3, 6:5-7, 6:16-17), implicitly referring to these three areas as standard practices among the believers.
The word for hypocrite (ὑποκριτής) referred to one who plays a part on a stage, an actor.
3
But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Most likely another reference to a theatrical performance where the movements of an actor’s hands are coordinated.
4
so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
In the giving, there is to be love too (1Co 13:3).
5
     “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
When Jesus speaks of giving to the poor, praying, and fasting, He says, “when you …” (6:2-3, 6:5-7, 6:16-17), implicitly referring to these three areas as common practice among the believers.
The word for street corners is πλατεῖα, likely another reference to theater as the word platea in medieval theater was a neutral area of the stage.
6
But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7
     “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
e.g. 1Ki 18:26.
8
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
The Lord’s Prayer
9
     “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
The Lord’s Prayer occupies a very special place in the Sermon on the Mount as it is placed halfway between the beginning and end.
God is our Father, we are a family. Jesus’ followers form a family, a household (Mt 5:9, 6:9, 10:25, 12:50, 23:8-9).
The term Father is reserved to those who receive Jesus (Jn 1:12).
His dwelling is in heaven but He desires to have us near (Jn 14:2), also a reminder that this world is not our home (2Co 5:1; Heb 13:14).
His Name is His character (e.g. Ex 20:7; Jn 17:6, 11-12). We are to sanctify His name and not profane it (Lv 18:21 19:12; Is 29:23, 52:5; Ezk 36:23; Rom 2:24).
Notice the corporate character of this prayer, “Our Father” (6:9), “Give us” (6:11), “forgive us” (6:12), “not lead us” (6:13).
10
-‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
God is acknowledged as king and we as his subjects. His kingdom is near, but it is yet not fully here.
His will is perfect though it may not be easily seen (e.g. Rom 12:2; Lk 1:34, 38). A tacit acknowledgement that the world does not follow an order that God approves.
11
-‘Give us this day our daily bread.
Bread is both physical and spiritual (Job 23:12).
We tend to worry about the days to come, but Jesus tells us to focus on the present time (Mt 6:25, 34).
This evokes the time Israel spent in the wilderness and the daily collection of a portion of manna (Ex 16:4).
Notice the corporate character of this prayer, “Our Father” (6:9), “Give us” (6:11), “forgive us” (6:12), “not lead us” (6:13).
12
-‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Just as we need a measure of daily sustenance, we need a daily measure of clemency that is to flow to others, not stay with us.
Similar to the fifth beatitude (5:7).
Notice the corporate character of this prayer, “Our Father” (6:9), “Give us” (6:11), “forgive us” (6:12), “not lead us” (6:13).
13
-‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’
The Spirit led Jesus to be tested (4:1), we acknowledged that we are not like Jesus.
We acknowledge our captivity to sin and the deliverance we need, we ask for the power to overcome temptation like Jesus did (4:4, 4:7, 4:10).
The words here are similar to the warning that Jesus gave to the disciples in 26:41. not lead us into temptation here is μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν. In 26:41, not come into temptation is μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν·. Prayer helps us stay away from temptation.
Notice the corporate character of this prayer, “Our Father” (6:9), “Give us” (6:11), “forgive us” (6:12), “not lead us” (6:13).
14
For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Jesus emphasizes the importance of releasing forgiveness to others as a central item in the believers' prayers and lives and as He mentioned in the fifth beatitude (5:7).
15
But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.
Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth
16
     “Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
17
But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
When Jesus speaks of giving to the poor, praying, and fasting, He says, “when you …” (6:2-3, 6:5-7, 6:16-17), implicitly referring to these three areas as common practice among the believers.
Observant people would fast twice a week (Lk 18:12).
The prophet Isaiah explains that looking after our families and the poor reveals God to us more so than depriving ourselves from food (Isa 58:1-12).
18
so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
19
     “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
For each of the three practices of the believers, giving alms, prayers, and fasting, God will reward us (6:4, 6, 18). The gospel now transitions into a teaching of storing treasures in heaven and not having material advantage as the decision-making ruler in our lives. Note how giving up material possession can result in a heavenly reward (19:21).
In the first part of the Sermon, Jesus addressed the Law and the practice of righteousness. In this second part (6:19-7:27), Jesus gives instruction in sections that impart wisdom, like Solomon’s proverbs, making distinction between the wise and the foolish (7:24, 7:26).
Material wealth is vulnerable to the environment, circumstances, and criminals. Spiritual wealth is indestructible and can’t be taken away. Satan is someone who destroys and steals (Jn 10:10).
20
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22
     “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
The eye was thought of as a source of light (Dan 10:6); and the eyes could be bright (Pr 15:30) or grow dim with age (Gen 27:1, 48:10; Dt 34:7; 1Sa 3:2; 1Ki 14:4).
This verse speaks of an eye without impurities, sincere, an instrument of discernment to see the world. But the context would also imply a generous eye, without avarice.
23
But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
The light under which we see the world may be polluted by the impurities in the eyes, mainly avarice or greed (Dt 15:9; Pr 28:22). These impurities could prevent us from following Jesus.
A nice reference to the Creation story in which God saw that creation, light notably, was good; creation was a lavishing act of God.
24
     “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
The word for master can also be translated as lord, the word used to refer to Jesus too.
Serving wealth can cloud our vision and block God’s light.
Micah 6:9-15 speaks of an avaricious man who stores up wicked treasures (see also Act 20:35; Heb 13:5; 1Ti 6:10).
Jesus illustrates this principle in 19:2, where He points to the love of material possession as an obstacle to reaching being perfect (τέλειός) (see 5:48).
The Cure for Anxiety
25
     “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?
The command to not worry appears three times (6:25, 6:31, 6:34).
26
Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?
27
And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?
A more literal translation could be “ … can add inches to their height?”.
28
And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth,
Jesus is not saying that we do not have to work, but rather that we are to labor and that it will not be without results. The commandments explicitly instruct labor for six days every week (Ex 20:9; Dt 5:13).
29
yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
The word for You of little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), a plural, appears in 6:30, 8:26, and 16:8. A more literal translation could be short-of-faith ones. The singular (ὀλιγόπιστος) appears in 14:31. This term is likely a loving rebuke. Their small amount of faith is also referred to in 17:20.
31
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’
The command to not worry appears three times (6:25, 6:31, 6:34).
32
For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Gentiles refers to those who live without God as their Father.
He knows even before we ask (Mt 6:8).
33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.
34
     “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The command to not worry appears three times (6:25, 6:31, 6:34).
Not to worry is not the same as not to prepare or make provisions for the future. For example we are to build a house on the rock (e.g. 7:24-27) to withstand a storm.
Chapter 7
Judging Others
1
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
There is a difference between judging and being discerning. We are to discern good and evil, but it is something that demands practice and maturity (Heb 5:14). We are to test the spirits to know if they are from God (1Jn 4:1).
Job’s friends failed when they tried to exercise judgment (e.g. Job 15:1-6, 22:21-23).
Judging is Jesus’ job, thus we are to yield to His judgments. We are evil (Mt 7:11), we are not qualified to sit on the judge’s seat and pronounce a sentence on anyone (Rom 2:1, 14:10; 1Co 4:5, 5:12-13; Jam 4:11-12, 5:9).
2
For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Judging and declaring a sentence is the opposite of being merciful, which is what we are called to be (Pr 11:17; Mt 5:7; 6:12, 6:14-15; Jam 2:12-13). David condemned himself (2Sa 12:5-7).
3
Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
In all likelihood, we are guiltier of deeds much more fragrant that those we might observe in others. We are inclined to judge others in areas we think we master; but if we are doing well, it’s probably a minor aspect of our lives whereas there might be other major aspects where we fall short.
4
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?
Perhaps Jesus’ background as a carpenter played a role in this comparison.
5
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!
Introspection is part of our lives as believers (Lk 18:10-13).
6
     “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
We are to be discerning, we must be able to know what is holy, what are pearls, and who the dogs and pigs are.
Pearls can refer or be compared to the heavenly kingdom, the teachings of the word, or wisdom (Job 28:18; Mt 13:44-52).
Dogs and pigs were unclean and disdained animals (carrion eaters). The terms likely refer to those who reject the faith (e.g. Pr 1:7, 23:9, 26:11; Isa 56:10-11; 2Pe 2:21-22) or enemies of the faith, internal or external (Phi 3:2; Rev 22:15).
Prayer and the Golden Rule
7
     “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
The ask, seek, and knock refer to our interactions with God as this section is bracketed by 7:7 and 7:11.
Examples of God answering prayers are copious in the bible (e.g. 1Sa 1:27; 1Ki 3:5; Ps 6:9, 66:19-20; Jn 15:7).
God will make Himself known to those who seek Him (e.g. Dt 4:29, 12:5; 1Ch 16:10-11; 2Ch 7:14; Ps 27:8; Pr 8:17; Is 55:6; Jer 29:13; Amo 5:6).
We are to ask for the scriptures to be opened to us (Lk 24:32) along with our heart and understanding (Lk 24:45; Act 16:14).
8
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Everyone can reach out to the Father.
9
Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?
Perhaps a reference to the temptations in the wilderness (Mt 4:3) as Jesus mentions being evil in verse 11.
10
Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
11
So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
The mentioning of bread and fish in the previous verses portray a common diet; the mentioning of the Father and His goodness here likely point to the heavenly provision for the feeding of the five and four thousand (14:15-21, 15:32-38).
Jesus referring to us as evil is also a commentary on our inability to judge others (Mt 7:1).
12
     “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
A step farther than Pr 24:29.
A reminder that living out our faith is measured in how we relate to others. The living out of our faith is outwardly as much as it is inwardly. Notice that people refers to all (Lv 19:18).
Jesus mentioned the Law and the Prophets back in 5:17 where He mentioned that He came to fulfill them.The Law and the Prophets reveal the character of God to us. An important trait of God’s character is that He loved extended grace to those who did not deserve it (Jn 3:16; Rom 5:10). If we abide by the words in this verse. we will reflect the character of God (Mt 22:37-39; Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:14).
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13
     “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
Pr 14:16.
The wide gate is Hades (Mt 16:18).
Verses 7:13-27 bring the Sermon on the Mount to a close. In a further typology with Moses pronouncing the blessings and the curses to Israel on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Dt 27:11-28:7), Jesus presents four parables that teach on life and death. Life is represented by the narrow gate (7:13-14), the good fruit of the good tree (7:17), and the house built on the rock (7:25). Death is represented by the destruction of the wide gate (7:13), the bad tree that is cut and burned (7:18-19), exclusion from the kingdom (7:23), and the great fall of the house built on sand (7:27).
14
For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Choosing the narrow gate is to choose life (Dt 30:19; Jer 21:8; Jn 5:24; 6:63). Jesus is the narrow gate (Jn 10:7, 10:9, 14:6);
The narrowness of the gate also represents the path that takes focus, effort, difficulty, time, and patience (Mk 4:26-29), perhaps at times also unattractive.
The wide gate may be deceptive (Pr 16:25), we need God’s guidance to choose (Ps 16:11, 25:4-5).
The few may refer to the larger world population, as we know that the saved will be many (Mt 8:11, 20:28).
A Tree and Its Fruit
15
     “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
False prophets give words that ignore sin and sound encouraging (Jer 6:13-14, 8:11, 14:13-14; Lam 2:14; Ezk 13:10, 19), destroy the lives of people (Ezk 22:24-29), corrupt entire cities (Jer 23:14-15; Zep 3:2-4), are in the midst of the believers (Act 20:29; 2Pe 2:1; 1Jn 4:1), and will be prominent in the last days (Rev 13:14, 16:13, 19:20, 20:10).
Paul and Barnabas encountered a false prophet in Cyprus (Act 13:6).
16
You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
Thorns and thistles are a reference to the sin and rebellion of the Fall (Gen 3:18). Thus the fruit of the false prophets is sin, notice the reference to lawlessness (7:23) and fire (7:19).
17
So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Jam 3:11-12.
18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
The fire is for the false prophets.
20
So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21
     “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
The warnings in 7:21-23 are for the false prophets and their followers.
Note the phrase enter the kingdom … and how John mentions being born again as its precondition to Nicodemus (Jn 3:5). Several preconditions and circumstances about entering the kingdom are listed across the gospels and the NT (Mt 5:20, 7:21, 18:3, 19:23-24, 23:13; Mk 9:47, 10:15, 10:24-25; Lk 18:17, 18:25; Jn 3:5; Act 14:22).
We need God to teach us to do His will (Ps 143:10).
22
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
The name of Jesus is power regardless of the person invoking the name (Mk 9:38; Lk 9:49; Act 19:13-16).
23
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
It is knowing Jesus that marks the difference between the lost and the saved (Jn 17:3). Pharaoh did not know God (Ex 5:2).
Jesus accused the Jews of not knowing the Father (8:19, 8:55, 16:3). This was also the charge to the foolish virgins (Mt 25:12).
Knowing God is emphasized in the entire bible extensively (e.g. Ex 33:13, Jer 22:16, Dan 11:32, Gal 4:8-9, Phil 3:10, Col 1:10).
Gen 1 tells us about what God is like, He speaks, He sees, He discerns, He gives life, He blesses His creation. When we know God, we recognize His voice and His words, His mighty acts, His mercy. We know what pleases/grieves Him, we know His heart.
It is to practice lawlessness that condemns (Gen 3:24; Ex 33:1; Ps 6:8, 119:115, 139:19; Lk 13:27).
The Two Foundations
24
     “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The Sermon on the Mount is coming to a close, these words of Mine refers to the whole sermon (Mt 5:1-7:27). This is the first of many parables in this gospel.
Verses 24-27 are paraphrasing of Pr 10:25, 12:3, 12:7 and Is 28:16-17.
Jesus builds His church on a rock too (Mt 16:18).
25
And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
We all should prepare for the time of rain and floods.
26
And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
The foolish man is to contrast with the wise man in 7:24 (Pr 10:8).
Digging into the sand is much easier than digging into the rock (7:24), another way of illustrating the narrow gate (7:14).
27
And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”
We all should prepare for the time of rain and floods.
28
     When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
This section started with Jesus teaching after His disciples joined Him up the mountain (5:1). Here we see that the crowds had joined the disciples to hear Jesus’ teaching.
Other commentators have observed that Mathew divides his gospel into six sections. The first five (perhaps an allusion to the five books of the Torah) close with the phrase when Jesus had finished … (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1); this is also part of the typology with Moses (Dt 32:45).
The last sentence of the sixth section is the Great Commission, Jesus is still speaking.
29
for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Chapter 8
Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy
1
When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
In verses 8:1-17 we see three miracles of healing closing with a quote about healing from Is 53:4. In the first two miracles and in two others later in 9:20-25, Jesus deals with unclean situations. In the first one, Jesus touches a leper (8:3), in the second He is willing to enter the house of a Gentile (8:7). Later, a woman suffering from bleeding touches Jesus (9:20), and He touches a dead body (9:25). These situations would have made the people involved unclean (respectively: Lv 13:45-46; a practice mentioned in Act 10:28, 11:2-3; Lv 15:19-24; Num 19:11).
2
And a man with leprosy came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
People with leprosy were to live isolated and cry “Unclean!” if others approached (Lv 13:45-46).
This man’s faith brings him close to Jesus; he bowed down, or worshiped, like the maggi did. The man submits his faith to Jesus’ will.
προσκυνέω, the word for kneeling or bowing down can also translate as worship (2:11, 8:2, 15:25).
Verses 2-10 show the principle of the Jew first and also to the Gentile (Rom 1:16).
3
Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Miraculous healing usually takes place with physical contact (Mt 8:3, 8:15, 9:20-21, 9:25, 9,29, 14:36, 20:34) though healing may happen without it (e.g. Mt 8:13, 15:28).
Jesus speaks and it is so, this is evocative of the Creation story.
Another miraculous healing of leprosy had required bathing seven times in the Jordan river (2Ki 5:9-10), here Jesus is presented as the cleansing, living water.
4
And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Lv 13 and 14 have extensive regulations about leprosy and the role of the priests, especially to grant a person a return to society. This man in front of the priests would be an announcement that someone greater than Moses was in their midst.
Jesus sends His disciples after training them about what to say and do (10:1-42). Jesus wanted the man not to tell anyone because the man was not ready to share a complete gospel message, which includes repentance and entering into the kingdom of heaven, not just a miracle worker.
The Centurion’s Faith
5
     And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him,
Centurions, Roman army officers, appear frequently in the gospels and Acts (Mt 8:5-13, 27:54; Mk 15:39, 44-45; Lk 7:6, 23:47; Act 10:1, 10:22, 21:32 22:25-26, 23:17, 23:23, 24:23), especially in the last leg of Paul’s journey to Rome (27:1-3, 6, 11, 31, 43).
6
and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.”
The character of the centurion shows compassion for the servant, as the centurion seeks Jesus and implores Him.
7
Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8
But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Jewish people would not enter a Gentile home (Jn 18:28; Act 11:3). The house of a Gentile was considered unclean like a leper (8:2).
By the description of the servant (8:6) and the healing by means of say the word, the servant might have been possessed by an evil spirit.
9
For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10
Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
We see Matthew’s emphasis on the spreading the gospel to the Gentiles.
11
And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
Messianic prophecy and imagery includes a banquet prepared by God (Is 25:6).
12
but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13
And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.
Peter’s Mother-in-law and Many Others Healed
14
     When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.
Peter was married, later on his wife traveled with him in his missionary journeys (1Co 9:5).
15
And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.
Physical miraculous healing usually involves physical contact.
Divine provision (like healing in this case) should be used for the kingdom.
16
Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.
Verses 3, 15, and 16 show an important principle, healing is by touching whereas deliverance is by speaking.
17
This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR ILLNESSES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.”
This quote of Is 53:4 closes a section that started with 8:1 and includes three miracles of healing.
This quoting is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
Jesus pointed out that the text in Isaiah was about Himself (Lk 22:37).
Discipleship Tested
18
     Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea.
19
Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”
In verses 19-22, Jesus teaches that the cost of following may include giving up material comforts and family obligations. There are material and emotional costs to following Jesus.
A scribe would be an important member of society, likely with a privileged upbringing. This scribe is already a follower, a disciple of Jesus. Note how verse 21 mentions another of the disciples.
20
And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Jesus warns the scribe about the hardships of following Jesus, perhaps much different circumstances than the scribe was accustomed to. We do not know if the scribe ended up following Jesus.
21
And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
This other unnamed person is called a disciple, a follower, who is perhaps showing hesitation to commit to his/her calling in light of family responsibilities.
22
But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Jesus encourages this person with a Follow me. We do not know if this disciple continued following Jesus.
Jesus Calms the Storm
23
     When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
In verses 8:23-9:8 we see three miracles in which Jesus demonstrates His authority over creation, the spiritual realm, and judgment; and consequently demonstrates His deity.
24
And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.
25
And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”
26
He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
Ps 65:5-8, 89:8-9, 93:3-4, 104:6-7, 107:28-30.
This episode (8:23-26) might be what Jesus referred to as the sign of Jonah (Mt 12:39, 16:4; Lk 11:29). It evokes the time when Jonah was sleeping during the storm and gave up his life to save the others. It also evokes the parting of the Red Sea.
The word for You of little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), a plural, appears in 6:30, 8:26, and 16:8. A more literal translation could be short-of-faith ones. The singular (ὀλιγόπιστος) appears in 14:31. This term is likely a loving rebuke. Their small amount of faith is also referred to in 17:20.
27
The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus Sends Demons into Pigs
28
     And when He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men confronted Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.
There are different spellings of this location in the gospels: Gadarenes here and Gerasenes in Mark (Mk 5:1) and Luke (Lk 8:260; but it might have been the city of Gadara, today Umm Qays, which is located southeast of the Sea of Galilee and was a member of the Decapolis. In 9:1 we read that they cross the Sea of Galilee back.
Mark and Luke mention only one man. Perhaps the same scenario occurred with two men, thus the account in Matthew.
29
And they cried out, saying, “What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
30
Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them.
The tombs (8:28) and the pigs represent uncleanliness and denote the spiritual state of the town.
31
And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32
And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the pigs; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
Spirits submit to the word spoken.
33
And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
Miracles do not necessarily make people believe. Here Jesus is rejected after delivering the two violent men.
Chapter 9
A Paralyzed Man Healed
1
Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee and came to His own city.
The city would be Capernaum (Mk 2:1).
2
     And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Both Mark (Mk 2:3-12) and Luke (Lk 5:18-26) mention a large crowd and that the men carrying the paralyzed man got him close to Jesus through the roof. Their faith is manifest in a way similar to the woman suffering from a chronic bleeding (Mt 9:20-22; Mk 5:24-34; Lk 8:42-48).
To both the paralytic and the woman, Jesus says, ‘Take courage’ (θάρσει), thus linking the two miracles (9:2, 22).
Note that the Law would require blood for atonement (Lev 17:11).
Jesus tacitly points out that spiritual welfare is more important than physical welfare, a point similar to that made in 5:29-30.
3
And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”
The scribes were sitting close to Jesus; they judged Jesus’ words incorrectly.
4
And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
5
For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
6
But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.”
Jesus presents Himself to the scribes as the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13-14, a king with authority over all the peoples.
7
And he got up and went home.
8
But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
This closes the section (8:23-9:8) with three miracles in which Jesus demonstrates His authority over creation, the spiritual realm, and judgment, and, without Matthew mentioning it explicitly, the fulfillment of Dan 7:13-14.
Matthew Called
9
     As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
In 9:9-17, Jesus announces the ending of the Mosaic, sacrificial order and the start of the dispensation of mercy instead. This would require first a new approach to reaching out to the lost and second a way of teaching that teachers of that time would not be able to deliver because of their notions about how to keep faithfulness; teachers like John, who was the son of a high priest (Lk 1:5, 8-11), and the Pharisees.
Both Mark (Mk 2:14) and Luke (Lk 5:27-28) call this tax collector Levi. This has prompted readers to assume that Mathew is placing a preferred name for himself. Since Mark also identifies him as son of Alphaeus, it is possible that James, another of the twelve apostles, was his brother (10:3). A tax collector knew how to read, write, and arithmetic.
10
     Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples.
11
And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”
Likely, the Pharisees kept close tabs on Jesus and were promptly informed of Jesus’ whereabouts and activities (9:11, 12:2).
In their zeal for the Law, the Pharisees would not interact with those they considered unfaithful. Verses like Dt 7:1-6 advice against mixing with people who do not follow God.
This section, 9:9-17, places the Pharisees and John’s disciples (9:11, 14) on the same side of a perspective about religious practices. Note that John was a Levite and the son of a high priest (Lk 1:5, 8-11).
12
But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
13
Now go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
A quote of Hos 6:6. Jesus repeats this quote in 12:7.
Jesus explicitly mentions the purpose of His coming (5:17, 9:13, 10:34, 10:35, 20:28).
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
The Question about Fasting
14
     Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
In Mark and Luke, we also see people who are neither with John nor with the Pharisees who ask Jesus this question (Mk 2:18; Lk 5:33).
This section, 9:9-17, places the Pharisees and John’s disciples (9:11, 14) on the same side of a perspective about religious practices. Note that John was a Levite and the son of a high priest (Lk 1:5, 8-11).
15
And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the groom cannot mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16
But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
Jesus chose His twelve disciples from people without a religious background (e.g. 4:18-22, 9:9) in contrast with John and the Pharisees.
A religious background was important nonetheless, later on priests will also become followers of Jesus (Act 6:7) and He will commission Paul, a Pharisee, to preach to the Gentiles (Act 9:5-16).
17
Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
The wineskins to keep wine were sheep bellies. New wine would still ferment and release carbon dioxide that would make the wineskin inflate and in need of stretching. Old wineskins cannot stretch and thus are unsuitable to hold new wine. Job illustrates this concept in Job 32:18-19.
In Deuteronomy, new wine represents God’s blessing and continuous provision (e.g. Dt 7:13, 11:14, 12:17, 14:23, 18:4, 28:51, 33:28). It was also part of Isaac’s blessing to Jacob (Gen 27:28, 37).
Miracles of Healing
18
     While He was saying these things to them, behold, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will become alive again.”
Mark (Mk 5:22) and Luke (Lk 8:41) identify this official as Jairus. Both Jairus and the woman with the hemorrhage speak by faith (9:18, 21) and describe what is to happen.
A daughter was not considered important in the social scale of the time, Jesus’ actions break this mold.
19
Jesus got up from the table and began to accompany him, along with His disciples.
20
     And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak;
According to Lev 15:25-28, this woman was considered ceremonially unclean.
The border (κρασπέδον) would be the tassels (Num 15:37-39; Dt 22:12), also mentioned in Mt 14:36 and 23:5. This verse gives us an idea of the garments Jesus wore.
In two previous miracles in 8:2-8 and in the two in 9:20-25, Jesus deals with unclean situations. In the first one, Jesus touches a leper (8:3), in the second He is willing to enter the house of a Gentile (8:7). Here, a woman suffering from bleeding touches Jesus (9:20), and He touches a dead body (9:25). These situations would have made the people involved unclean (respectively: Lv 13:45-46; a practice mentioned in Act 10:28, 11:2-3; Lv 15:19-24; Num 19:11).
21
for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.”
Both Jairus and the woman with the hemorrhage speak by faith (9:18, 21) and describe what is to happen.
22
But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” And at once the woman was made well.
23
     When Jesus came into the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder,
24
He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.
25
But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.
26
And this news spread throughout that land.
27
     As Jesus went on from there, two men who were blind followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Son of David is a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42).
28
And after He entered the house, the men who were blind came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Driven by their faith, the blind men had to retrace and follow Jesus’ steps to encounter Him.
29
Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done for you according to your faith.”
30
And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows about this!”
31
But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that land.
32
     And as they were going out, behold, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him.
33
And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
34
But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
The Pharisees should have realized that the words of the prophet Isaiah about the blind seeing and the mute speaking had come to pass (Is 35:5-6). Instead, they commit a most serious offense (Mt 12:31-32), which is repeated in 12:24, and addressed by Jesus later (12:24-32).
By presenting false testimony, the Pharisees are breaking the ninth commandment (Ex 20:16; Dt 5:20).
35
     Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
The ministry of Jesus consistently includes preaching (proclaiming), teaching, and healing a deliverance. The ministry also involves a team (10:1-4). Compare with 4:17-24.
36
     Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.
This evokes the time when God saw the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt (Ex 2:23-25).
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
37
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38
Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Notice that the commandment here is to pray.
Chapter 10
The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service
1
Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
The commissioning is given with authority. As Jesus is about to send out His disciples, the first concern is deliverance from spirits and physical health. The disciples now play a role in the fulfillment of Dt 7:15.
2
     Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Apostle meant messenger, envoy, but the term became someone who had worked closely or had been commissioned by Jesus (e.g. Eph 2:20, 3:5), as in 10:5-42.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed here being the first one mentioned. He tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
3
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him.
The group included fishermen, a tax collector, and a Zealot, a political extremist. This was a very diverse team.
5
     These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans;
This is the First Commission, in which the gospel is proclaimed to Israel first, it will be proclaimed to the nations second (Mt 28:18-20).
The noun for instruction (παραγγελία) has a strong military flavor.
6
but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Despite the quote of Is 9:1 earlier (4:15), the preaching will focus on Israel. At the end of the gospel, Jesus will send His disciples to all nations (Mt 28:20). Here we see the principle of preaching to Israel first (Rom 1:16, 2:9-10).
Focusing on Israel first and on all nations later (Mt 28:19) reflects how spiritual growth is gradual and how to prepare ourselves with smaller tasks before bigger and greater ones.
7
And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
This is similar to John’s and Jesus’ preaching (3:2, 4:17) but note that the call to repent is missing.
8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
The kingdom of heaven is of power, with eternal life, without illnesses, and free from spiritual bondage.
The ministry of disciples mirrors after Jesus’ (4:23).
9
Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,
Gold to copper is a wide spectrum of compensation representative of highly valued items and others not as desirable. The apostles are not to come back to Jesus having accumulated material wealth (Mt 6:19-20).
Throughout history, wealth accumulation by the church has been contentious, in this instance Jesus is speaking against it.
10
or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.
The preaching of the kingdom may require setting aside the comforts of life.
11
And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city.
Though they had to reach out to the lost sheep of Israel (10:6), the apostles had to be careful where to lodge. The reputation of the house where they stayed could tarnish the gospel message.
12
As you enter the house, give it your greeting.
13
If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.
The ministry of the gospel is one of peace (Jdg 6:23-24; Is 2:4, 9:5, 52:7; Ek 34:25; Eph 6:15; Heb 12:14, 13:20).
14
And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet.
An amount of rejection is to be expected when preaching the gospel.
15
Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.
Notice the collective judgment of a city.
A Hard Road Ahead of Them
16
     “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
Verses 10:16-25 include stern warnings that would terrify anyone listening.
As sheep among wolves, the followers of Jesus operate at a disadvantage, Jesus is aware of this. The word wary is sometimes translated as shrewd, which may have a negative connotation. Examples of people acting shrewdly are the Syrophoenician woman replying to Jesus’ initial objections (Mk 7:24-30) and Paul putting a wedge between the Pharisees and Sadducees (Acts 23:6-9).
17
But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues;
The opposition will be in secular and religious circles.
Peter and John were imprisoned (Act 4:3) and faced the Sanhedrin (Act 4:5-7, 15). Peter is imprisoned again (Act 12:3-4).
The apostles were imprisoned (Act 5:18), faced the Sanhedrin (Act 5:27), and were flogged (Act 5:40).
Stephen faced the Sanhedrin (Act 6:12).
Paul and Silas were flogged by city officials and imprisoned (Act 16:22-24).
Paul faced the Sanhedrin (Act 22:30-23:1).
Paul was imprisoned for years (Act 24:27).
18
and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
The gospel will be preached to the people and the governing class. All need to hear the gospel.
Paul spoke before governors Felix and Festus (Act 24:1-2, 25:6-7) and before king Agripa (Act 26:1).
19
But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour.
20
For it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you.
We need divine empowerment. The Spirit is our advocate. The previous verses have been using a future tense, but this one switches to a present, continuing time.
The Spirit spoke in Peter (Act 4:8) and Stephen (Act 6:10). God promised Moses help to speak (Ex 4:12).
21
     “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
Stephen and James are killed (Act 7:59-60, 12:1-2).
22
And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
The opposition may be within our own families and will require patience.
23
     “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
We are to exercise caution and protect our lives.
The time when the Son of Man comes may refer to His resurrection or His second coming.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24
     “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.
Verses 10:24-39 speak of the obstacles we will face in our walk with Jesus.
25
It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!
Our goal is to be like Jesus. The more we are like Him, the closer the world will treat us like Him.
Jesus’ followers form a family, a household (Mt 5:9, 6:9, 10:25, 12:50, 23:8-9).
Beelzebul is the term for the prince of demons (12:24), Jesus will answer to this charge in 12:25-32.
26
     “So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
After the rather dreadful warnings in 10:16-25, it would not be surprising if Jesus saw terror on the apostles’ faces. Jesus now reassures them and tells them to not be afraid three times (10:26, 28, 31).
27
What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
28
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Note the advice to not be afraid is mentioned three times (verses 26, 28, 31).
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
29
Are two sparrows not sold for an assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30
But even the hairs of your head are all counted.
31
So do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
Note the advice to not be afraid is mentioned three times (verses 26, 28, 31).
32
     “Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
Verses 32-36 speak of a land where there are no upright people as described by the prophet Micah in Mic 7:1-6. This section is closed with a quote from Micah 7:6.
In verse 28, Jesus already warned about not fearing men but God. Confessing Jesus before men is consequently a minor task when compared to confessing someone before God.
33
But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34
     “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
We know that Jesus’ ministry was one of peace (Jdg 6:23-24; Is 2:4, 9:5-6, 52:7; Ek 34:25; Eph 6:15; Heb 12:14, 13:20), where the peacemakers are children of God (5:9), we need to make peace with out neighbor before coming to the altar (5:23), peace is given to a household (10:13), how are we to knit all with this verse?
Our relationships are twofold, on one hand we have our relationship with God, Jesus makes peace possible. On the other hand, we have our relationships with others, it is here where the word of God (the sword) can bring conflict as our obedience to God may conflict with how we relate with those around us.
Jesus explicitly mentions the purpose of His coming (5:17, 9:13, 10:34, 10:35, 20:28).
35
For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
Jesus explicitly mentions the purpose of His coming (5:17, 9:13, 10:34, 10:35, 20:28).
36
and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
Verses 35-36 are a quote from Mic 7:6. The Micah passage describes a land where there are no upright people, which is where conflict may arise if we follow God’s word.
Love is demonstrated by obedience (Jn 14:15, 14:21, 15:10). Thus we are to follow Jesus’ commandments above those of our parents.
37
     “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Love is demonstrated by obedience (Jn 14:15, 14:21, 15:10). Thus we are to follow Jesus’ commandments above those of our parents.
38
And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39
The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.
The Reward for Service
40
     “The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Each of the apostles, and for extension each one of us, represents Jesus (Mk 9:37; Lk 9:48, 10:16; Jn 13:20; Gal 4:14). We are ambassadors of the kingdom (2Co 5:20; Eph 6:20), a rather important responsibility.
In verses 35-40, Jesus prepares His followers to renounce not only family relationships but one’s privileges and way of life for His sake.
41
The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward.
It is not necessary to be a prophet to participate in a prophetic ministry. Not everyone is a prophet (1Co 12:29), but we all can share in a prophet’s reward.
42
And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
The gospel of Matthew is not shy about mentioning rewards to our work for the kingdom (Mt 5:12, 5:46, 6:1-6, 6:16-18, 10:41-42, 19:27).
Chapter 11
John’s Questions
1
When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Other commentators have observed that Mathew divides his gospel into six sections. The first five (perhaps an allusion to the five books of the Torah) close with the phrase when Jesus had finished … (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1); this is also part of the typology with Moses (Dt 32:45).
The last sentence of the sixth section is the Great Commission, Jesus is still speaking.
2
     Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples,
John was apprehended (4:12) because as a prophet he had condemned Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for breaking the Law by marrying his brother’s wife (Mt 14:3-4; Mk 6:17-18).
This is an example of how God’s word brings animosity among people (10:34), in this case Herod and John.
3
and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to look for someone else?”
The text might suggest that John had doubts about who Jesus was but that seems unlikely after John's testimony during Jesus’ baptism and the voice from heaven speaking (Mt 3:13-17). More likely, John knew his death was close and was making sure his disciples would follow Jesus afterwards.
The Coming One alludes to texts in the Old Testament about one who would come (Ps 96:13, 118:26).
4
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:
Jesus does not offer a response in words, but a response in deeds.
5
those who are BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
Jesus replies by quoting and paraphrasing the prophet Isaiah (Is 26:19; 29:18, 35:5-6, 42:7, 42:18, 61:1). In particular, Is 35 is a chapter with verses about a Messianic era. Note how Is 61:1 speaks of freeing the prisoners while John is still in prison.
This verse portrays Creation in a dreadful shape (Gen 1:31).
Jesus is emphasizing to John’s disciples a time of repairs and restoration before the time of judgment that John had preached (3:7-12).
6
And blessed is any person who does not take offense at Me.”
A late beatitude (Mt 13:57; Jn 6:61).
Jesus’ Tribute to John
7
     As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
Reeds were probably abundant where John baptized in the Jordan river.
Other commentators have observed that verses 11:7-15 might draw a contrast between John and Herod. It is believed that Herod issued a coin with a reed printed on one of its sides.
A reed represents a weak, delicate, perhaps easy to manipulate person, perhaps a description of Herod.
8
But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!
Herod would be the one dress in soft clothing and in a palace.
9
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.
10
This is the one about whom it is written:
‘BEHOLD, I AM SENDING MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,
WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’
A quote of Mal 3:1.
11
Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
The greatness of John cannot be assessed by the place where he lived (11:7) or the clothes he wore (11:8).
And yet, entering the eternal kingdom of God is greater than anything on earth.
12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.
violent men may refer to people like Herod.
13
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
This does not mean that prophesy stops with John. Prophesies, dreams, and visions will continue through the Last Days (Joel 2:28; Act 2:17-18).
14
And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
Mal 4:5.
15
The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.
16
     “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children,
17
and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not mourn.’
In other places, children draw positive comparisons (Mt 11:25, 18:3-4), unlike in this verse.
18
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Being a glutton and a drunkard are among the charges against a son who would deserve to die (Dt 21:18-21).
The deeds of wisdom would be its fruit (Mt 7:16).
The Unrepenting Cities
20
     Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
Note the mentioning of the most miracles. Sometimes it is emphasized that Jesus criticized the religious leaders of His time, but in these verses 20-24 Jesus condemns entire cities. Jesus was rejected by all sectors of society.
21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
The scriptures that we have today do not tell us what miracles occurred in Chorazin. In Bethsaida a blind man was cured (Mk 8:22-25).
Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities.
Sackcloths and ashes are worn when mourning and denote severe distress (Gen 37:34; 2Sa 3:31; Est 4:1-3; Job 2:8; Ps 30:11; Jon 3:6).
22
Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23
And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
24
Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”
Come to Me
25
     At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants.
Wise and intelligent people can become arrogant and become unable to receive the gospel. NIV’s translation of 1Sa 15:23 includes arrogance is like the evil of idolatry.
With the word infants, this verse is a different way of illustrating the same principle as new wineskins for new wine (9:17). Also an illustration of Ps 19:7, where the simple is made wise.
26
Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight.
27
All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.
Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son (Jn 10:15, 17:3). Knowing God was Moses' request (Ex 33:13).
Revealing the intimacy between the Father and the Son is part of the gospel message (Jn 17:6-8, 25-26).
28
     “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Verses 11:28-30 reflect the divinity of Jesus; these are complemented by Jesus’ claims of being lord of the sabbath (12:8) and greater than the temple (12:6), the prophet Jonah (12:41), and king Solomon (12:42).
The words in this verse are only possible if Jesus is God incarnated. A prophet would never say, Come to me; this is a convocation reserved to God (Job 22:23; Is 31:6, 44:22, 45:22, 55:1-3; Zch 1:3; Mal 3:7; Jam 4:8). Wisdom, a portrayal of divinity, also invites to come (Pr 8:12-31; Pr 9:1-6).
Approaching Jesus is a celebration of the Shabbat, this evokes Ex 33:14 and Ps 23:2 (the waters are at rest).
People who are weary and burdened and receive rest also evoke the liberation from Egypt in the Exodus story (Dt 5:15).
It is possible that the weary and burdened also refers to those who are trying to fulfill the obligations of the Law (Mt 23:4; Act 15:10).
Notice how 11:28-12:13 form a unit as these verses deal with the Sabbath rest.
29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
you will find rest for your souls is a promise from Jer 6:16 for those who walk on the good old way.
If we are yoked with Jesus, He is our partner in service, He guides us, and we focus on what is to come, not what is behind.
The book of Hebrews elaborates how Israel did not enter God’s rest because of their disobedience, but entering is still possible today (Heb 3:7-4:11).
See note in Dt 12:10.
30
For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
The Law would forbid us to be yoked with Jesus until we become like Jesus (Dt 22:10; 1Co 15;49; 2Co 3:18).
The word for comfortable, easy to bear is χρηστὸς; it sounds similar to the word for Christ, Χριστος, and it conveys that the tasks we are to perform are well-suited for us.
Chapter 12
Sabbath Questions
1
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.
Verses 12:1-21 follow a common formula in Matthew, where a number of events are described followed by a quote from the OT. In this case, a discussion about what is lawful to do on the Sabbath followed by a paraphrased quote of Is 42:1-4.
When walking through someone’s field, picking heads of grain to eat was not stealing (Dt 23:25).
2
Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!”
This gospel tells us often about the Pharisees offering unrequested feedback to Jesus (9:11, 12:2). In a previous episode (9:10-13), they approach the disciples first, in this one they approach Jesus; or perhaps they all were on their way to the synagogue (12:9).
By criticizing the disciples they are really criticizing the teacher (Mt 12:2, 15:2).
3
But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions—
Jesus refers to 1Sa 21:1-6, in which David presents a innacurate story to request food.
4
how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?
Here the house of God refers to the Tabernacle as the temple had not been built in David’s time. The instructions for the bread are in Lv 24:5-9.
5
Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent?
The priests would burn incense and trim the lamps twice a day every day (Ex 30:7-8). The lamps would be lit every night, including the Sabbath (Ex 27:20-21; Lv 24:1-4), in opposition to Ex 35:3. The priests would sacrifice on the Sabbath (Num 28:9-10). They would also circumcise baby boys on the Sabbath (Jn 7:22-23).
6
But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
Claiming to be greater than the temple would also be a claim of His divinity.
7
But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
A quote of Hos 6:6. Jesus repeats this quote in 9:13.
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
Note how Jesus points out to the judgment the Pharisees had already made.
Lord of the Sabbath
8
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
See comment in 11:28.
9
     Departing from there, He went into their synagogue.
10
And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him.
11
But He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?
Jesus and the Pharisees are debating, Jesus answers their question with another question. Caring for the animals is considered righteous behavior (e.g. Dt 22:4; Pr 12:10).
12
How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
The Sabbath is a day to give life, deliver from oppression, and dwell in God’s presence.
13
Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
This sign brings the man’s hand to the state intended in God’s creation.
Notice how 11:28-12:13 form a unit as these verses deal with the Sabbath rest.
14
But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
15
     But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
Like when Herod tried to kill Him (2:13-14), Jesus withdraws to protect His life.
16
and warned them not to tell who He was.
17
This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
18
“BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL DELIGHTS;
I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
This is the first Servant Song in Isaiah (Is 42:1-7, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12).
This verse evokes the baptism story (3:16-17).
19
-“HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
20
-“A BENT REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
AND A DIMLY BURNING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH,
UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
The portrait of a gentle Servant.
Or the careful examination of evidence before a trial, note the song mentions justice multiple times.
21
-“AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
Matthew does not continue the quote after Is 42:4 but it is important to note that Is 42:7 is part of the answer Jesus gave to John’s disciples (11:5).
The Pharisees Rebuked
22
     Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and could see.
23
And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
Son of David is a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42).
24
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
A recurrence of a most serious offense (Mt 9:34).
By presenting false testimony, the Pharisees are breaking the ninth commandment (Ex 20:16; Dt 5:20).
25
     And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26
And if Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27
And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
Jesus points out the double-standards being used by the Pharisees, a grave offense (Dt 25:13-16).
28
But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
A picture of the Trinity, with Jesus, the Spirit, and God mentioned.
Jesus points out that the kingdom of God is spiritual in nature.
29
Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Likely a reference to Is 49:24-26, which speaks of deliverance both physical and spiritual.
The Unpardonable Sin
30
The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.
Jeremiah accused the leaders of scattering the people (Jer 23:2).
The Messianic will gather His people (e.g. Is 11:11-12, 34:16, 43:5-6, 49:5, 56:8, 66:18-20; Jer 16:15, 31:10).
31
     “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
Examples of offenses that would not be forgiven: 1Sa 3:14; Is 22:14.
32
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Words Reveal Character
33
     “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
Jesus is telling the Pharisees to compare His deeds against their own.
Similar to 1Sa 24:13 and Mt 7:16-20.
34
You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.
Jesus is pointing out that their hearts are full of blasphemous thoughts and words.
Similar words to John’s (Mt 3:7)
35
The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things.
Words are a type of fruit, the fruit can be good or bad.
36
But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.
37
For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Not only deeds, words and thoughts are sinful (Mt 12:34-37, 15:18-19). But the heart and words are also the means of salvation (Rom 10:8-13).
Miranda warnings in the USA evoke this verse, “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
The Desire for Signs
38
     Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
It is unclear if this happened right after the deliverance of the man blind and mute (12:22) and the subsequent discussion (12:24-37) or some time later. If it is right after, the Pharisees are asking Jesus to prove that God is working through Him though this would be odd as Jesus just delivered the man who was blind and mute (12:22).
We see the authorities asking Jesus for a sign twice in this gospel (12:38, 16:1). Asking for a sign was probably motivated by how God commissioned Moses to present signs to the elders of Israel (Ex 4:7-9, 4:29-31). Paul encountered similar reactions (1Co 1:22, 2Co 12:12).
39
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet;
The ministry of the prophet Jonah is rich in images that foreshadow the ministry of Jesus. The sign of Jonah can be, his willingness to die to save others (Jon 1:12), a call to repentance (Jon 3:4-5), the response that the Ninevites, a Gentile nation, displayed (Jon 3:5), the mercy the God shows to Nineveh (Jon 3:10), the sleeping on a boat while a storm is raging (Jon 1:4-5; Mt 8:23-24), or a type of burial and coming back alive (Jon 2:10) and Jesus’ resurrection.
40
for just as JONAH WAS IN THE STOMACH OF THE SEA MONSTER FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
An announcement of Jesus’ resurrection.
41
The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
42
The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
43
     “Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.
In verses 12:43-45, Jesus speaks of the spiritual state of the people of the land (note the repetition of generation in verses 39, 41, 42, and 45). After this spiritual state would have been improved by Jesus’ ministry, once He ascended into heaven, they would persecute His followers, the spiritual state would worsen and the land and the temple would be overthrown.
44
Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
45
Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
Changed Relationships
46
     While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Mark and John describe situations where Jesus' family tried to restrain Him (Mk 3:21; Jn 7:3-5).
47
[Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”]
We learn the names of the brothers in 13:54.
48
But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
Mary and His brothers joined the disciples later (Act 1:14).
49
And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers!
50
For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Jesus’ followers form a family, a household (Mt 5:9, 6:9, 10:25, 12:50, 23:8-9).
Chapter 13
Jesus Teaches in Parables
1
On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea.
2
And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3
     And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;
The first of seven parables. The word for parable is παραβολή, its meaning was comparison. This meaning is explicit when Jesus says “The kingdom of heaven is like …”, which is frequent in this gospel.
Sowing, rain, and harvesting were common pictures of the fruits of righteous behavior (Pr 11:18; Is 55:10-11; Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12; Gal 6:7-9; Jam 3:18).
The use of stories with details that correspond to real-life counterparts to teach or illustrate a situation is not absent in the OT (e.g. Jdg 9:7-15; 2Sam 12:1-10; 1Ki 20:39-42; 2Ki 14:9-10; Is 5:1-7; Jer 13:12-14; Ek 15:1-8; 17:1-10; 19:1-14; 31:1-18).
These describe earthly situations but they are not prophecies, which are rich in figures of speech.
4
and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5
Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil.
6
But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7
Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
Sowing among thorns was considered unwise (Jer 4:3). Thorns are also symbols of the curse of the ground (Gen 3:18).
8
But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.
9
The one who has ears, let him hear.”
An Explanation for Parables
10
     And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11
And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
A mystery invites us to search and find. God wants us to have a role in reaching out to Him.
12
For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
13
Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
A bit paradoxically, the parables reveal details about the kingdom of God and at the same time they obscure the mysteries of the kingdom. This is to prompt us to seek the kingdom (6:33, 7:7) and labor through the narrow door (7:13-14).
This is not a hard rule, the chief priests and Pharisees understood the parable of the tenants immediately (Mt 21:33-45; Mk 12:12).
14
And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU SHALL KEEP ON LISTENING, BUT SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND;
AND YOU SHALL KEEP ON LOOKING, BUT SHALL NOT PERCEIVE;
A quote of Is 6:9.
Isaiah had lived some 700 years before. The word of God speaks to all generations and places, Paul brings this charge to this audience in Rome (Act 28:26-27).
15
FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
A quote of Is 6:10.
16
But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
A beatitude.
17
For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18
     “Listen then to the parable of the sower.
The sower is not identified, the sower can be Jesus (like in the next parable) or anyone preaching the word.
Only two parables are explained, the sower and the wheat and tares (Mt 13:18-23, 13-42). In each of His explanations, Jesus identifies several details of the story with a spiritual participant each. But we should be cautious about assigning roles to elements unnecessarily.
19
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.
The word spoken by an unidentified subject is the seed. The soil is the hearts of people.
The word is vulnerable if not explained. The evil one can reach into our hearts.
20
The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21
yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.
We are not immune to affliction or persecution.
22
And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Thorns are also symbols of the curse of the ground (Gen 3:18) and here they are linked to anxiety and the deceitfulness of wealth.
23
But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
The word of God needs to be understood.
Being part of the kingdom is about bearing fruit (Jn 15:8, 16; Rom 7:4; Gal 5:22-23; Phi 1:9-10; Eph 5:8-9; Col 1:6-10).
Sowing, rain, and harvesting were common pictures of the fruits of righteous behavior (Pr 11:18; Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12; Gal 6:8-9; Jam 3:18).
Weeds among Wheat
24
     Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
This is the second of seven parables.
Parables reflect the kingdom of heaven unto a worldly scene. A portrait of the heavenly with something ordinary.
25
But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
Sowing different types of seeds in one field is against the Law (Lv 19:19; Dt 22:9).
In a previous parable, the enemy snatches the seed from the soil (13:4, 19). In this parable, the enemy has a greater role in the world.
26
And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident.
27
And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
28
And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
29
But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30
‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Harvesting is an image of final judgment (Jer 51:33; Joe 3:13; Mt 3:12, 13:30, 39).
The Mustard Seed
31
     He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field;
The third of seven parables.
The gospel only tells us about two parables explained by Jesus. At this point we are to meditate and discover the meaning of the remaining parables. Discovery is an important didactical tool.
32
and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE SKY come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.”
A paraphrasing of Ezk 17:23 and Ezk 31:5-6.
Daniel the prophet uses a similar picture to describe Nabuchadnezzar’s kingdom (Dan 4:20-22), thus this parable might describe the influence of Kingdom-oriented culture in the world’s civilization development.
The Leaven
33
     He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
The fourth of seven parables.
Leaven had a connotation of impurity (Hos 7:4; Ams 4:5; Mt 16:6; 1Co 5:6-8; Gal 5:9). Passover was to be celebrated by eating unleavened bread (e.g. Ex 12:15, 19-20; Dt 16:3-4). Most of the offerings in Leviticus required unleavened bread (e.g. Lv 2:4-5, 2:11, 6:16-17, 7:12, 10:12). The holy cakes in the Tabernacle were unleavened (Lv 8:26).
This parable means that even a few people, the leaven, can be instrumental in spreading the kingdom worldwide.
34
     All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them without a parable.
The past four parables describe the kingdom as involving a process that requires time and patience. Sowing and harvesting, a tree, the leavening of dough all require time to happen .
35
This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:
“I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES;
I WILL PROCLAIM THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”
A quote of Ps 78:2.
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
The Weeds Explained
36
     Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37
And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
The sharing of the gospel is doing Jesus’ work.
38
and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;
Here people play the role of the seed. Note how of the kingdom means of the Father.
See Jn 8:44, 1Jn 3:10, Act 13:10.
39
and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
The people of the kingdom will live among non-kingdom people until the end of the age.
Harvesting is an image of final judgment (Jer 51:33; Joe 3:13; Mt 3:12, 13:30, 39).
40
So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41
The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
42
and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43
Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH LIKE THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears, let him hear.
This verse evokes the resurrection and final judgment in Dan 12:2-3.
Hidden Treasure
44
     “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
The fifth of seven parables.
A Costly Pearl
45
     “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,
The sixth of seven parables.
46
and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.
Being part of the kingdom is worth leaving everything else behind. For some it may indeed require giving up financial privileges (Mt 19:16-21, 27; Lk 18:18-22).
Some see Jesus as the merchant who gives up his divine statute (Ph 2:6-7) and purchases the redeemed.
A Dragnet
47
     “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;
The seventh of seven parables.
every kind refers to all nations on earth. A similar idea in Ezk 47:9-10 and Hab 1:14.
48
and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.
Notice that the bad fish are thrown away, no mentioning of fire. Thus the details of the parable do not necessarily map to details in this world or the world to come.
49
So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous,
50
and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51
     “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.”
To understand (συνίημι) is rather important as it may mean the difference between being fruitful or not (13:19 and 13:23).
52
And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure new things and old.”
An additional parable but not to describe the kingdom.
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53
     When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.
Other commentators have observed that Mathew divides his gospel into six sections. The first five (perhaps an allusion to the five books of the Torah) close with the phrase when Jesus had finished … (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1); this is also part of the typology with Moses (Dt 32:45).
The last sentence of the sixth section is the Great Commission, Jesus is still speaking.
54
And He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, with the result that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man acquire this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
Jesus’ wisdom and miracles are not enough to convince people attending the synagogue.
55
Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
56
And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man acquire all these things?”
57
And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and in his own household.”
It may be difficult to share the gospel message with close relatives.
They missed a blessing (Mt 11:4).
58
And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Jesus could only do a few miracles, not too many.
Chapter 14
John the Baptist Beheaded
1
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus,
2
and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3
     For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.
4
For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Lv 18:16, 20:21.
5
Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.
6
     But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod,
7
so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
8
And after being prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”
9
And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and his dinner guests.
10
He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison.
11
And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
12
John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.
Five Thousand Men Fed
13
     Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard about this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
This was a reminder to Jesus about what He would have to go through to redeem His people.
It also parallels the killing of the infants by Herod the Great (Mt 2:16).
14
When He came ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
15
     Now when it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is secluded and the hour is already past to eat; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
16
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go; you give them something to eat!”
This sounds like an impossible request to fulfill (Mt 19:26).
17
They said to Him, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.”
In the second miraculous meal, they had seven loaves and a few small fish (Mt 14:17, 15:34).
18
And He said, “Bring them here to Me.”
19
And ordering the crowds to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looked up toward heaven. He blessed the food and breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
This is the only miracle that is reported in all four gospels (Mt 14:13-18; Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-13).
It evokes the feeding of Israel with manna (Ex 16:4-5) and since it happened close to the Passover (Jn 6:4) it also evokes the liberation from Egypt. Other Messianic motives include sitting on grass (Ps 23:2) and the twelve baskets corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel.
In the next miraculous meal they sit on the ground (15:35).
Note the progression, the people prepare to receive something that is not yet a reality, heaven becomes the focus of attention and a prayer is said, Jesus gives to the disciples, and the disciples give to the people (food did not suddenly appear in people’s bags).
Note the parallel between this event and the Last Supper, the disciples prepare to eat (26:20) then Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks and gives it to the disciples (26:26).
20
And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces: twelve full baskets.
Messianic prophecy and imagery includes a banquet prepared by God (Is 25:6; Mt 8:11).
They pick up twelve baskets, in the next miraculous meal, seven (Mt 14:20, 15:37). The words for baskets are different, κοφίνους in 14:20 and σπυρίδος in 15:37, the latter believed to be larger.
21
There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22
     Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.
This verse conveys a sense of urgency to depart, from John’s gospel we know that the people were ready to start a rebellion to make Jesus king (Jn 6:15). Perhaps the disciples would be easy to convince to start such a rebellion as they were ready to strike the contingent that arrested Jesus (Mt 26:51-52; Mk 14:47; Lk 22:38, 49-50; Jn 18:10-11).
23
After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
24
But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.
In a previous episode, Jesus is sleeping as the storm rages (Mt 8:23-27).
25
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.
By walking on the water, Jesus demonstrates His divinity (Job 9:8; Ps 77:19; Is 43:16).
26
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.
27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
The words for it is I, ἐγώ εἰμι, could also translate as I am; sometimes they are translated as I am He. These two Greek words appear often in John’s gospel as I am as a self-identification (Jn 4:26, 6:20, 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5, 18:6, 18:8); or with a phrase following, I am the … (6:35, 6:41, 6:48, 8:12, 9:5, 10:7, 10:9, 10:11, 10:14, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1), commonly known as the seven I am declarations in John. In the Septuagint, they also appear in Dt 32:39; Isa 41:4, 43:10, 46:4; and as double I am, I am in Is 43:25 and 51:12.
28
     Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Peter submits to Jesus’ authority before attempting to imitate Jesus.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
29
And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
30
But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
This verse and the next one illustrate how fear and faith oppose each other; they cannot coexist (Is 35:3-4, 41:10, 41:13-14, 43:1, 54:14; Lk 8:37, 8:47-48, 8:50).
The wind represents anything in the world that has an adverse effect on us.
31
Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Note the immediate reaction of Jesus.
The word for You of little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), a plural, appears in 6:30, 8:26, and 16:8. A more literal translation could be short-of-faith ones. The singular (ὀλιγόπιστος) appears in 14:31. This term is likely a loving rebuke. The small amount of faith is also referred to in 17:20.
32
When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.
33
And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are truly God’s Son!”
An acknowledgement of Ps 2:7 (Mt 4:3; Lk 1:32).
34
     When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
35
And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding region and brought to Him all who were sick;
36
and they pleaded with Him that they might just touch the border of His cloak; and all who touched it were cured.
Chapter 15
Tradition and Commandment
1
Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
Verses 15:1-20 deal with purity and holiness.
Matthew’s gospel still has not presented Jesus in Jerusalem. We know that the Pharisees and Sadducees had visited John from Jerusalem (Mt 3:5, 7).
In verses 15:1-20 Jesus addresses how the Pharisees and teachers of the law had misunderstood the purpose of the law. The teachings in the Law about washing and clean and unclean animals were given as a training ground in the physical realm to reveal a reality in the non-physical realm; Paul illustrates in 1Co 9:10-11 and Gal 4:21-31.
2
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
By criticizing the disciples they are really criticizing the teacher (Mt 12:2, 15:2).
In Exodus there are instructions for the priests to wash their hands and feet before officiating at the Tabernacle (Ex 30:17-21, 40:30-32) and in Leviticus there are extensive regulations about clean and unclean animals (e.g. Lv 11:1-47, 20:25).
The Pharisees acknowledge that the ordinance is not from the Law of Moses but rather a tradition from the elders.
3
And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
Rather than answering their question about their tradition, Jesus challenges them with another and more important question about one of the Ten Commandments.
4
For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘THE ONE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’
One of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16) and a separate commandment from the Law (Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9).
5
But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,”
What had been promised as a gift would have become part of the religious class to own, this was unrighteous as the consequences would be hardships for the parents, a type of curse upon them.
6
he is not to honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Mk 7:11-13 helps us understand Mt 15:3-16 in that God is not honored when goods have been promised or allocated to the church when one’s parents (and by extension other relatives) could benefit from the assets.
7
You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:
Isaiah had lived some 700 years before. The word of God speaks to all generations.
The word for hypocrite (ὑποκριτής) referred to the one who plays a part on a stage, an actor; thus Jesus is expressing that the washing of hands is just an act to perform.
8
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
Verses 15:8-9 quote Isa 29:13.
9
-‘AND IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’”
The Pharisees probably left after these words.
10
     After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand!
With the Pharisees absent, Jesus now addresses the crowd.
11
It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”
Not only deeds are sinful, our words can be sinful.
See comment in 15:1.
12
     Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”
13
But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
A gardener is a common portrait of God (e.g Ex 15:17; 2Sa 7:10; Is 5:1-7,60:21, 61:3; Jer 2:21, 12:10, 24:6; Ezk 19:10-13; Am 9:15; Mt 15:13; Jn 15:1). A portrait alluded to in the parables too (Mt 13:24, 29-30 and 21:33).
14
Leave them alone; they are blind guides of blind people. And if a person who is blind guides another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Blindness and darkness can denote unrighteousness (e.g. Is 42:6-7; Mt 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26; Jn 5:19-20, 9:39-41; Rom 2:17-21;
The Heart of Mankind
15
     Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
16
Jesus said, “Are you also still lacking in understanding?
17
Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
The gospel of Mark goes further and states that all foods are clean (Mk 7:19). Purity and holiness are matters of the heart, not attainable by avoiding foods or external washing (Rom 14:17; 1Co 8:8; Col 2:16; Heb 9:10).
Even after this teaching Peter refuses to eat unclean animals in the trance he falls into while in Joppa (Act 10:9-15); in this case, the principle extends to entering the home and associating with Gentiles.
After being rebuked for not understanding (15:17, 16:11), the disciples start to be able to receive the words from Jesus. This is noted in 16:12 and 17:13.
18
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person.
Not only deeds, words and thoughts are sinful (Mt 12:34-37, 15:18-19).
But the heart and words are also the means of salvation (Rom 10:8-10).
19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements.
Thoughts, deeds, and words can be sinful. Notice the similarities with the Ten Commandments.
The word for slanderous statements is βλασφημίαι, the word from which we get blasphemy, but it also can mean insulting talk.
20
These are the things that defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”
Purity and holiness are matters of the heart, not attainable by avoiding foods or external washing (Rom 14:17; 1Co 8:8; Col 2:16; Heb 9:10).
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21
     Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Tyre and Sidon were in Syria, north of Israel, already mentioned in 11:21-22. This is a Gentile region.
22
And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
The woman probably found out how to address Jesus, she uses Son of David, a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42).
Mark refers to this woman as Syrophoenician (Mk 7:26).
23
But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us!”
The woman was persistent and did not accept the initial rejection.
The disciples consider the woman a nuisance and have no compassion for her situation.
24
But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
This reply might have been directed to the disciples.
Jesus’ was focused on Israel at this point (Mt 10:5-6). Notice the emphasis on lost. This reply is at odds with the fact that Jesus was outside Israel’s territory (15:21).
25
But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
προσκυνέω, the word for kneeling or bowing down can also translate as worship (2:11, 8:2, 15:25).
26
Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Dogs were carrion-eating unclean animals (e.g. 1Ki 14:11, 16:4, 21:23-24), a derogatory term for evil workers or enemies of the faith (Pr 26:11; Ps 22:16; Mt 7:6; Phl 3:2; 2Pe 2:22; Rev 22:15).
27
And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
The woman does not take offense or argues with Jesus about how He referred to her. She accepts the terminology with a Yes, and persists in her request.
28
Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Jesus remarks on the great faith of Gentiles (8:10, 15:28) and the little faith of Israelites (6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20).
Healing Crowds
29
     Departing from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee, and after going up on the mountain, He was sitting there.
After the encounter with the Syrophoenician woman, Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples went down to the Sea of Galilee into the region of the Decapolis (Mk 7:31). Jesus was probably prompted by the encounter with the woman Jesus now ministers to the Gentiles.
30
And large crowds came to Him bringing with them those who were limping, had impaired limbs, were blind, or were unable to speak, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and He healed them.
A fulfillment of Is 35:5-6.
These miracles happened in the region of the Decapolis, a Gentile area, see comment in 15:29. In Mark, these miracles are described in Mk 7:31-37, a section in between the encounter with the Canaanite (Syrophoenician) woman and the feeding of the four thousand.
31
So the crowd was astonished as they saw those who were unable to speak talking, those with impaired limbs restored, those who were limping walking around, and those who were blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
An example of how our works are to bring glory to God (Mt 5:16).
The phrase the God of Israel appears in the OT (e.g. Ex 5:1; 1Ki 1:48) but here it might reflect the Gentile perspective of the region.
Four Thousand Men Fed
32
     Now Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”
Jesus is concern about our physical well-being.
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
33
The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?”
34
And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
In the previous miraculous meal, they had five loaves and two fish (Mt 14:17, 15:34).
35
And He directed the people to sit down on the ground;
In the previous miraculous meal, the people sat on grass, in this one on the ground (Mt 14:19, 15:35).
36
and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
Note the progression, like in the previous occasion, the people prepare to receive something that is not yet a reality, heaven becomes the focus of attention and a prayer is said to give thanks, Jesus gives to the disciples, and the disciples give to the people (food did not suddenly appear in people’s bags).
The greek word for thanksgiving is εὐχαριστία, which is where we get eucharist from. It also appears in 26:27.
37
And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full.
In the previous miraculous meal, they picked up twelve baskets, in this one seven (Mt 14:20, 15:37). The words for baskets are different, κοφίνους in 14:20 and σπυρίδος in 15:37, the latter believed to be larger.
38
And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus and His disciples were still in the region of the Decapolis (see note v. 29).
39
     And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan.
Chapter 16
Pharisees and Sadducees Test Jesus
1
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
We see the authorities asking Jesus for a sign twice in this gospel (12:38, 16:1). Asking for a sign was probably motivated by how God commissioned Moses to present signs to the elders of Israel (Ex 4:7-9, 4:29-31). Paul encountered similar reactions (1Co 1:22, 2Co 12:12).
2
But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
3
And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but are you unable to discern the signs of the times?
4
An evil and adulterous generation wants a sign; and so a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.
The ministry of the prophet Jonah is rich in images that foreshadow the ministry of Jesus. The sign of Jonah can be, his willingness to die to save others (Jon 1:12), a call to repentance (Jon 3:4-5), the response that the Ninevites, a Gentile nation, displayed (Jon 3:5), the mercy the God shows to Nineveh (Jon 3:10), the sleeping on a boat while a storm is raging (Jon 1:4-5; Mt 8:23-24), or a type of burial and coming back alive (Jon 2:10) and Jesus’ resurrection.
5
     And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread.
6
And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Leaven had a connotation of impurity (Hos 7:4; Ams 4:5; Mt 16:6; 1Co 5:6-8; Gal 5:9). The Passover was to be celebrated by eating unleavened bread (e.g. Ex 12:15, 19-20; Dt 16:3-4). Most of the offerings in Leviticus required unleavened bread (e.g. Lv 2:4-5, 2:11, 6:16-17, 7:12, 10:12). The holy cakes in the Tabernacle were unleavened (Lv 8:26).
7
They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.”
8
But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
The word for You of little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), a plural, appears in 6:30, 8:26, and 16:8. A more literal translation could be short-of-faith ones. The singular (ὀλιγόπιστος) appears in 14:31. This term is likely a loving rebuke. Their small amount of faith is also referred to in 17:20.
9
Do you not yet understand nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up?
10
Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up?
11
How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
After being rebuked for not understanding (15:17, 16:11), the disciples start to be able to receive the words from Jesus. This is noted in 16:12 and 17:13.
12
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
After being rebuked for not understanding (15:17, 16:11), the disciples start to be able to receive the words from Jesus. This continues and is noted in 17:13.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13
     Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.”
John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah are all prophets, thus highlighting the prophetic character of Jesus’ ministry. In 17:5, the Father confirms that Jesus is the prophet promised in Dt 18:15.
15
He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?”
Ultimately, each one of us has to answer this question, and that in 27:22.
16
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Three confessions by Peter: Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed one. Jesus is the Son of God. God is the living, eternal God.
We see a similar confession by the centurion present at the crucifixion (Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39).
An acknowledgement of Ps 2:7.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
17
And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
A type of beatitude.
Flesh and blood refers to the perishable, the human body (e.g. Gen 15:4; 2Sa 5:1; 1Ki 8:19; 1Co 15:50; Eph 6:12; Heb 2:14) as opposed to the divine in heaven.
18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Like Abraham (Gen 17:5) and Jacob (Gen 32:28), Simon receives a new name. Peter plays a key role in bringing the message to the Gentiles (Act 10:24-48, 15:6-11).
A rock is a picture of God (Dt 32:4, 31; 1Sa 2:2; 2Sa 22:2-3, 22:32; Ps 18:2, 31). Jesus Himself is the cornerstone (Ps 118:22; Is 28:16; Rom 9:33; Eph 2:20; 1Pe 2:4-8). Thus this verse describes the transformation into the image and likeness of Jesus (Rom 8:29; 1Co 15:49; 2Co 3:18; Phl 3:21).
God’s people are pictured as rocks, suitable for building (Is 51:1-2; Mt 3:9).
The announcement of rebuilding of the church is foretold in Amo 9:11-12 and confirmed in Act 15:13-18.
This verse is the announcement of the fulfillment of 2Sa 7:13.
This is the first verse in the NT where church appears. In the gospels, it only appears twice, here and in 18:17.
As several verses in the OT refer to the gates of death or the gates of Sheol (e.g. Job 38:17; Ps 9:13, 107:18; Is 38:10), Jesus might be referring to our victory over death by His ministry (Hos 13:14; 1Co 15:57). This idea is reinforced as Peter refers to God as the living God in v. 16.
Neither the gates nor the storms of Hades will prevail (Mt 7:24-25).
Notice how in the next pericope (16:23) Peter finds himself benign referred to as a stumbling block.
19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Jesus holds these keys (Rev 1:18, 3:7). Peter is the new Eliakim (2Ki 18:37; Is 22:20-22), he is in charge of the household and able to open and close the doors.
A charge that Jesus brings against the scribes and Pharisees is that they had closed the gates to heaven and did not let people enter (Mt 23:13), thus Peter and the apostles take this responsibility from the scribes and Pharisees.
Some commentators have observed that in view of Is 22:22, Mt 18:15-18, and Jn 20:23, binding and loosing convey the idea of shutting and opening the gates of heaven, or discerning what is righteous and not, and directing the believers accordingly, an appointment which carries a rather great responsibility. Examples of this authority in action are in Act 5:3-4, 5:8-9, 8:20-23.
20
Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.
The disciples are still not ready to explain Jesus’ ministry and mission as the following verses show.
Jesus Foretells His Death
21
     From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day.
So far, Matthew has not presented Jesus in Jerusalem.
Jesus predicts His Passion three times (Mt 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19).
Being raised on the third day evokes Hos 6:1-2.
Peter does not marvel at the mentioning of the resurrection but focuses his attention on what will happen prior.
22
And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!”
Frequently, like Peter, we think we know better than God. Perhaps, in Peter’s mind, Jesus’ mission was to restore the kingdom of Israel (Mt 20:21; Lk 19:11, 24:21; Jn 1:49; Act 1:6).
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
23
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.”
The words expressed to Peter here, get behind Me, Satan (ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ·), are similar to those in 4:10, go away, Satan (ὕπαγε, σατανᾶ·), when Jesus rebuked the devil.
Though Satan is being the stumbling block, Peter is in the midst of this event, see 18:7. In the previous pericope, Peter was called rock.
Discipleship Is Costly
24
     Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
25
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Losing our lives for the sake of the gospel can manifest in different ways, it is not just losing one’s life as a martyr (e.g. Mt 4:22, 19:27-29).
26
For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?
The redemption of a soul is costly (Ps 49:7-9), thus unattainable to people.
27
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
Coming in glory with the angels points to a eschatological period of judgment (Job 34:11; Ps 24:12, 28:4, 62:12; Jer 17:10; Rom 2:6; Rev 2:23, 22:12).
28
     “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
This might be a reference to the transfiguration, which is the next pericope in this gospel. It could also refer to Jesus’ resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, or the destruction of Jerusalem; or all of these are a piece in the establishment of the kingdom.
But given the context of the previous verse, this might refer to Jesus’ second coming.
Jesus’ second coming is foretold in the OT in several ways. In the book of Genesis, Joseph is arguably the strongest messianic figure as he saves the incipient nation of Israel. Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him the first time they encountered him, and he revealed himself to them in their second journey to Egypt (Gen 45:3). In the book of Exodus, Moses' first commission to deliver the Israelites fails (Ex 5:19-21), it is in his second commissioning that the people are liberated (Ex 5:22-6:9). The prophet Isaiah speaks of a second ingathering of His people (Is 11:10-12).
Verses like this one and Jn 21:22 are vaguely related to the myth of the Wandering Jew.
Chapter 17
The Transfiguration
1
Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
Commentators have observed the typology between the episode of the transfiguration and the events at Sinai in Exodus.
Reference to six days (Ex 24:16; Mt 17:1).
A cloud over the mountain (Ex 24:16; Mt 17:5).
God speaks (Ex 20:1, 24:16; Mt 17:5).
Companions (Ex 24:1, 9; Mt 17:1).
Radiant appearance (Ex 34:30; Mt 17:2).
Reactions of awe and fear (Ex 20:18-19, 34:30; Mt 17:6-7).
2
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
The Law and the Prophets, represented by Moses and Elijah, testify about Jesus. Conversely, Jesus upholds the Law and the Prophets (5:17-18, 7:12, 11:13, 22:40).
4
Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Israel, and the disciples, were expecting Jesus to restore the kingdom (Mt 20:21; Lk 19:11, 24:21; Jn 1:49; Act 1:6). The prophet Zechariah describes the Day of Lord (Zch 14:9-21) as people celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (Zch 14:14, 16, 18, 19), thus Peter is ready to prepare the booths for the feast. We see similar reactions in Jon 4:5 and Jn 12:13.
The feast of Tabernacles has a eschatological character, God is to dwell among the people (Ek 37:27; Rev 21:3).
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”
Jesus is the prophet foretold by Moses to whom we must listen (Dt 18:15).
Jesus has been given authority over all (Ps 8:5-6; Mt 11:27, 28:18; 1Co 15:27-28; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:7-9). Mary's actions reflect this (Jn 2:5).
A statement similar to that heard during Jesus’ baptism and foretold by Isaiah (Is 42:1; Matt 3:17, 17:5; Mk 1:11, 9:7; Lk 3:21-22, 9:35)
6
When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.
7
And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
8
And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
9
     When they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
10
And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Mal 4:5-6.
11
And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;
Jesus refers to the restoration foretold by Malachi (Mal 4:5-6).
12
but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
13
Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
This understanding adds to that mentioned in 16:12.
The Demon-possessed Boy
14
     When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,
The man is aware of the disciples’ limits and he approaches Jesus directly. Likewise, our confidence should not rest on men.
15
“Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
16
And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
The disciples had been given authority to cast out unclean spirits (Mt 10:1). People’s limits are not a reflection of God’s character and power.
17
And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”
It is unclear if Jesus is referring to the disciples or to the people in general.
18
And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.
19
     Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
Three elements are needed, authority (10:1), faith (17:20), and spiritual sensitivity (17:21).
20
And He said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
The authority given to the disciples (Mt 10:1) is to be exercised in faith.
The word for You of little faith (ὀλιγόπιστοι), a plural, appears in 6:30, 8:26, and 16:8. A more literal translation could be short-of-faith ones. The singular (ὀλιγόπιστος) appears in 14:31. This term is likely a loving rebuke. Their small amount of faith (ὀλιγόπιστια) is also referred to in 17:20.
Verse 21 was added later mentioning prayer and fasting as necessary (perhaps because it is referred to in Mk 9:29), likely because they made possible a revelation about the spirit.
22
     And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men;
Matthew’s gospel has not presented Jesus in Judea. The gathering mentioned here conveys an atmosphere of preparation to go to Jerusalem.
23
and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.
Jesus predicts His Passion three times (Mt 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19).
Being raised on the third day is foretold in Ps 16:10 and Hos 6:1-2.
The Temple Tax
24
     Now when they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”
Some translations refer to this payment as the temple tax, perhaps the one mentioned in Ex 30:13. However even earlier audiences would know that the temple had been destroyed, thus the teaching extends to secular taxing obligations.
Peter’s role is recognized as a leader. He tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
25
He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?”
26
When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt.
27
However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
Peter was a fisherman. Jesus asks Peter to take a break from ministry and exercise his trade to pay the required tax.
Late first-century audiences would have known that the temple had been destroyed, this teaching would be about civil obligations to fulfill.
Chapter 18
Rank in the Kingdom
1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
This section of Matthew, 18:1-20:28, is to guide us in our relationships within the body of believers, the church.
Human nature admires those who reach the top, who are the best. Jesus tells us that in the kingdom last will be first (20:16, 26).
Mark and Luke (Mk 9:33-37; Lk 9:46-48) explain that the disciples had been arguing who of them would be the greatest. This would be an unexpected question in light of 16:18, but since Matthew arranges teachings by topics, this discussion is part of the section (18:1-14) about children and their care. This was not a one time event, a similar situation is mentioned again in 20:20-24.
2
And He called a child to Himself and set him among them,
A child is quick to respond when called.
At that time, the word for child, παιδίον, could also refer to a servant.
3
and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Very similar words to those expressed to Nicodemus about being born again to enter the kingdom (Jn 3:3-5).
The word for change (στρέφω) conveys the idea of turning to a different course, thus it also evokes repentance.
4
So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Several traits of a child can be mentioned as needed in our relationship with the Father (a blind trust, faith in what is possible, zeal for the parent figure, etc.) but the one Jesus highlights is humbleness.
Humbleness is required to accept that our sins need to be atoned for. Humbleness is needed to live with and serve our families and brethren.
To humble ourselves to serve others is a teaching repeated throughout the gospel (18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 20:26-27, 23:11-12).
5
And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me;
We are to welcome and care for young (in age or in faith) people as Jesus would.
6
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Jesus no longer mentions children and now refers to little ones. This word, μικρός, conveys the idea of a brief time, something humble or insignificant. Likely Jesus refers to those in society who are regarded unimportant.
Dropping like a stone into the sea evokes the drowning of Pharaoh's army (Ex 15:5, 10; Neh 9:11)
Stumbling Blocks
7
     “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!
Peter found himself in such a situation (Mt 16:21-23).
Even our freedom from the Law can be a stumbling block to others as Paul teaches (1Co 8:7-13).
Note that the woe is to the world, the second one to the person.
8
     “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
This and the next verse are similar to those in 5:29-30. Inserting them here into the context of relationships in the church, they can take the meaning of expelling members that are causing the rest to stumble, a point emphasized below in 18:15-17.
9
And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
10
     “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
Angels serve the saved (Heb 1:14).
Ninety-nine Plus One
12
     “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost?
God is aware when a sheep goes missing, and no one will snatch any out of His hand (Jn 10:28-29). Within the context of church dynamics, this is an exhortation to leaders to reach out for those who have gone astray.
A shepherd is a common portrait of God and the Messiah (e.g. Ps 23:1; Is 40:11; Jn 10:11, 14) along with a concern for the lost ones (Is 53:6; Jer 50:6; Ek 34:11-16).
13
And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.
14
So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.
God’s desire is for everyone to be saved (Ek 18:23, 18:32, 33:11; 1Ti 2:3-4).
Discipline and Prayer
15
     “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Three verses, 15, 16, and 17, mention the action of listening by the brother in sin.
16
But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY MATTER MAY BE CONFIRMED.
This is a principle outlined in the Torah (Dt 17:5-7, 19:15) for serious accusations of transgressions. Mentioned also by Paul in 2Co 13:1 and 1Ti 5:19-21.
17
And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Jesus is speaking at a time when the term church might not have been widely used. In the gospels, church appears twice, here and in 16:18. The term refers to the assembling of the people of God (e.g. Dt 4:10).
Jesus does not look down on Gentiles (4:15, 2:21) or tax collectors (9:10-11, 11:19), this is a figure of speech to emphasize a point. We have seen similar language in 5:46-47, 6:7, 6:32.
18
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
We have the authority to forgive transgressions committed against us and can request forgiveness when we wrong others. A similar teaching is given in 5:23-26.
19
     “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
The pursuit of harmony among the brethren is to be an agreement before the Father (Php 2:1-2).
The first half of the book of Acts makes note of the disciples living and ministering as of one mind multiple times (Act 1:14, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 15:25).
It is God’s joy to have unity in the church, it reflects the character of God and it is a witness to the world (Jn 17:11, 20-23).
20
For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
As the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed, Jesus teaches us that the fellowship of the believers becomes the new Temple (see 16:18); Jesus' promise is to be always with us (28:20).
Paul mentions similar words when a member of the Corinthian church was disciplined (1Co 5:3-5).
Forgiveness
21
     Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Peter probably thought seven times was generous or perhaps Peter was referring to a different occasion when Jesus had mentioned to forgive seven times (Lk 17:4). Rather, this passage shows how we all fall short from God’s character.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
22
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.
The main challenge involved in forgiving is the action of accepting back the brother after each offending instance. Note that these many times would be multiplied by each brother and sister we interact with. As His followers, Jesus is telling us that forgiving is our way of life (Mt 5:7, 9:13, 12:7, 6:14-15, 18:32-35; Lk 6:37; Jam 2:13).
23
     “For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.
A parable to describe the kingdom.
24
And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
A talent was about six-thousand denarii, the wage for a day. If we consider 300 denarii the wages for a year, then ten thousand talents would be the wages for two hundred thousand years. Compare this with the amount in v. 28.
Ten-thousand talents would be insurmountable for anyone. The point is not how this amount of debt originated; but it is a picture of the offenses we commit against God and the type of remission we need.
25
But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made.
26
So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’
There was absolutely no way the slave could have paid the debt.
27
And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt.
The master is a portrait of God willing to forgive.
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
28
But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’
A hundred denarii is not a small amount but it very little when compared with ten thousand talents (v. 24).
29
So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’
30
But he was unwilling, and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed.
31
So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened.
32
Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
33
‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’
34
And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him.
When we do not forgive and hold grudges, we carry unnecessary weights upon us, which feel like torture. This verse does not speak about being sent to hell or losing our salvation.
35
My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
A stern warning about the role of mercy in our lives and interactions with one another.
Chapter 19
Concerning Divorce
1
When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;
Matthew closes Jesus’ teachings on relationships within the community.
Matthew presents Jesus leaving Galilee and approaching Jerusalem.
Other commentators have observed that Mathew divides his gospel into six sections. The first five (perhaps an allusion to the five books of the Torah) close with the phrase when Jesus had finished … (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1); this is also part of the typology with Moses (Dt 32:45).
The last sentence of the sixth section is the Great Commission, Jesus is still speaking.
2
and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.
3
     Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
There is a contrast between the crowds who follow Jesus to receive healing and the Pharisees who are interested in how to legislate.
Some commentators have proposed that the Pharisees are trying to drag Jesus into the debate that the Jewish authorities had about what reasons were acceptable to grant a divorce, where one faction advocated for serious offenses like adultery and the other faction accepted any reason.
God hates divorce, it is violence against the wife (Mal 2:16).
Deutoronomy was vague about when divorce could occur (Dt 24:1).
4
And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,
Gen 1:27.
5
and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’?
Gen 2:24.
In verses 4 and 5, Jesus makes reference to the two creation stories in Genesis.
6
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.”
The union between man and woman reaches beyond a physical union as it has a divine origin.
7
They said to Him, “Why, then, did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?”
Deutoronomy was vague about when divorce could occur (Dt 24:1).
8
He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
Scripture refers to our hearts of stone (Zch 7:12) and the promise to replace it to be able to walk in His ways (Ek 11:19-20, 18:31, 36:26-27).
Hardened hearts recall Egypt’s Pharaoh (e.g. Ex 7:13).
9
And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Mt 5:32.
10
     The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.”
The disciples display a reluctance to make a lifetime commitment.
Mark tells us that this objection from the disciples came later when they were in the house that was their headquarters (Mk 10:10).
11
But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.
12
For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
Origen, the theologian from the third century castrated himself. In light of Dt 23:1, Jesus must be referring to those who do not marry, thus effectively making themselves eunuchs. It is not clear if Paul had a wife, he seems to refer to being celibate in 1Co 7:7 but seems to mention having a wife in 1Co 9:5.
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13
     Then some children were brought to Him so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
In this section, 19:13-20:28, Jesus’ teachings focus on what it means to attain success in the kingdom and the principle of being last to be first (19:30, 20:16). Starting with a reminder that the kingdom belongs to those who are like children (the last ones in society). The story of the young ruler tells us that material success does not translate into success in the kingdom. We then have the parable of the workers and their wages, with the same reward for different amounts of service. And it concludes with the story of John and James’ request to sit next to Jesus.
14
But Jesus said, “Leave the children alone, and do not forbid them to come to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
The children and those who are like them stand alongside those poor in spirit, those persecuted (5:3, 5:10).
Jesus reminds us of the importance of raising the next generation in the knowledge of our Lord.
15
After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.
Though blessings are spoken, it is also customary to lay hands on children as the blessings are pronounced. Isaac laid his hands on Jacob to bless him (Gen 27:26-29). Jacob blessed Joseph and also laid his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh as he blessed them (Gen 48:9, 13-20)
The laying on of hands play a role in several settings:
To bless children (Gen 48:9, 13-20; Mk 10:13-16).
To impart the Holy Spirit (Dt 34:9; Act 8:14-17, 19:6). There is much disagreement as to whether this is necessary; we have examples where people receive the Holy Spirit without the laying on of hands (Jn 20:22; Act 2:2-4, 10:44-46). There is no script that God will follow.
To impart spiritual gifts (1Ti 4:14; Rom 1:11 likely implies the laying on of hands).
To commission someone into a particular ministry, usually along with prayer.
Joshua to lead Israel (Num 27:15-19, 23; Dt 34:9).
The apostles appointed seven men to coordinate the distribution of food (Act 6:6).
The church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul into their first missionary journey (Act 13:3).
Timothy’s ministry (1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6).
Healing usually involves physical touching (e.g. Mt 8:3, 8:15, 9:20-21, 9:25, 9,29, 14:36, 20:34) though healing may happen without it (e.g. Mt 8:13, 15:28). But this physical contact is not referred to as the laying on of hands.
In the Mosaic covenant, the guilt of the people would be placed on a bull by the laying on of hands by the priest.
The Rich Young Ruler
16
     And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain eternal life?”
We have seen on multiple occasions people addressing Jesus as Lord (e.g. 8:5, 8:21, 9:28, 15:22) and religious leaders addressing Him as teacher (e.g. 8:19, 12:38). This unnamed person (Luke mentions he is a ruler), addresses Him as teacher. Mark mentions that this man kneels in front of Jesus.
17
And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18
Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY;
Ex 20:13-16; Dt 5 17-20.
19
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16. Lv 19:18.
Jesus now goes backwards from how Ten Commandments are listed. Perhaps the man was lacking in honoring his parents.
Note that Jesus leaves the commandment about loving our neighbor to the end, before asking the man to give all his possessions away.
20
The young man said to Him, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?”
Matthew mentions this man was young, Luke tells us he was a ruler (Lk 18:18), impressive credentials for anyone. But we do know how this question was asked; perhaps in sincere belief that he was still lacking something or expecting an endorsement from Jesus that he had done exceptionally well at his young age.
21
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
The word for complete also appears in 5:48 and it is translated there as perfect. This word, τέλειός, conveys the idea of completion, of maturity, of reaching full growth (e.g. 1Co 2:6; Phi 1:6, 3:15), this Jesus is implying that despite all his possessions, this man was not complete, though in his mind, he lacked nothing. Luke makes this point explicit (Lk 18:22).
After the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost, the community of believers did sell their possessions and share with others (Act 4:34-35).
22
But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23
     And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Material wealth often yields arrogance, Jesus pointed out humbleness as an essential trait to enter the kingdom of heaven. Our faith is paradoxical in that material blessings from God make us more likely to forget Him (Dt 8:10-14; Hos 13:5-6; Rev 3:17).
24
And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
The gospels tell us of wealthy people who were Jesus’ followers. The disciples themselves were not poor, they owned boats and had employees (Mk 4:19-20; Lk 5:2-3); collecting taxes must have been lucrative for Matthew (Lk 3:12-13); there were women who provided funds for Jesus’ ministry (Lk 8:3); Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy follower (Mt 27:57); Lazarus’ sister Mary owned a rather expensive perfume (Jn 12:3); Nicodemus provided expensive materials for Jesus’ burial (19:39) (though the gospels do not identify him explicitly as a follower of Jesus).
Lydya was a merchant and able to host Paul and his companions (Act 16:14-15).
Cornelius was a centurion (Act 10:1), most likely a member of the upper class, they were literate as they needed to read written orders. Other centurions are mentioned in the gospels (Mt 8:5-8; Lk 23:47) that might have become followers.
It has been noted that the word for rope in Aramaic is very similar to the word for camel.
25
When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?”
26
And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
A recurring theme throughout the bible is that with God anything is possible (Gen 18:14; Num 11:23; Is 50:2, 59:1; Jer 32:17, 27; Zch 8:6; Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27; Lk 1:37, 18:27).
The Disciples’ Reward
27
     Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”
Perhaps Peter is pointing out that they had already done what Jesus had asked the rich man to do. Perhaps the disciples expected financial or social gain for following Jesus as 20:20-21 shows.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
28
And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus might be referring to the opening of the books before judgment in Dan 7:9-10, 13-14.
The word for regeneration is παλινγενεσίᾳ (also in Tit 3:5), a second genesis, a second birth or second creation (Rev 21:1-5). Isaiah spoke of this regeneration (Is 65:17, 66:22).
29
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms on account of My name, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
30
But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
Having left everything would make the disciples look like the last ones when compared to the rich ruler, who looked like being at the top. Jesus declares a principle that He will expand with the parable following and repeat it in 20:16. Jesus is telling the disciples that they are better off than the rich ruler.
To humble ourselves to serve others is a teaching repeated throughout the gospel (18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 20:26-27, 23:11-12).
Chapter 20
Laborers in the Vineyard
1
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
A vineyard is a portrait of Israel (Is 5:1-7), which is to yield justice and righteousness as its harvest (Is 5:7). The owner is the Lord (Is 5:7). A gardener is a common picture of God (e.g. Gen 2:8; Ex 15:17; 2Sa 7:10; Is 5:1-7, 60:21, 61:3; Jer 2:21, 11:17, 12:2, 12:10, 24:6; Ezk 19:10-13; Am 9:15; Mt 15:13; Jn 15:1).
2
When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
A denarius was the daily wage.
3
And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace;
The third hour would be around 9:00 am.
4
and to those he said, ‘You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.’ And so they went.
5
Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.
The sixth and ninth hour would be 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm.
6
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’
The eleventh hour would be 5:00 pm. Just one hour before their shift would end.
7
They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
8
     “Now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’
Withholding wages is unrighteous (Lv 19:13; Dt 24:15; Jer 22:13; Jam 5:4).
9
When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
10
And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
11
When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
12
saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the scorching heat.’
This could refer to the people of Israel seeing the Gentiles share in the blessings of God. It can also apply to people who have been members of a church for a long time and feel privileged compared to newcomers. It can also apply to Peter (19:27) as he mentions to Jesus all he has given up for the kingdom.
13
But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14
‘Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you.
15
‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’
The reference to the eye is linked to verses 6:22-23 where a faulty eye is not generous.
16
So the last shall be first, and the first, last.”
Jesus repeats the principle mentioned in 19:30, which was spoken in response to Peter’s statement about having left their families and possessions. It is also repeated in 20:26-28, thus it points as to what this parable is teaching us.
Jesus is explaining that it is difficult for us to understand how we will be rewarded in heaven, it does not follow conventional wisdom.
To humble ourselves to serve others is a teaching repeated throughout the gospel (18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 20:26-27, 23:11-12).
Death, Resurrection Foretold
17
     As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road He said to them,
This gospel announces Jesus traveling to Jerusalem for the first time in contrast with the gospel of John, which shows Jesus traveling back and forth between Jerusalem and Galilee.
18
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
19
and they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
In this section, 19:13-20:28, Jesus’ teachings focus on what it means to attain success in the kingdom and the principle of being last to be first (19:30, 20:16). Here in v. 18-19, Jesus shows how He will relinquish His standing and become last (note the passive tone of Jesus’ words), He will be handed over, they will condemn Him, they will hand Him over, He will be mocked, flogged, crucified, He will be raised.
Jesus predicts His Passion three times (Mt 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19).
Being raised on the third day evokes Hos 6:1-2.
Request for Preferred Treatment
20
     Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.
Likely, the mother’s name was Salome, Jesus’ aunt, one of the women present at the crucifixion (Mt 27:55; Mk 15:40-41; Jn 19:25).
21
And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.”
There was an expectation among the people that Jesus’ rule as king was imminent (Mt 3:2, 20:21, 21:9; Mk 11:10; Lk 19:11, 24:19-21; Jn 1:49, 6:14-15, 12:13; Act 1:6).
22
But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.”
A cup symbolizes God’s wrath (Is 51:17; Jer 25:15-16; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42).
23
He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
James is killed by Herod after a persecution of the believers started (Act 12:1-2).
The doctrine of the Trinity presents three different persons, here we see they have different responsibilities (Mt 20:23, 24:36).
24
     And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers.
25
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them.
26
It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant,
27
and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave;
To humble ourselves to serve others is a teaching repeated throughout the gospel (18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 20:26-27, 23:11-12).
28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
A ransom conveys the idea of liberation from captivity (Ps 68:6; Is 9:4, 49:8-9, 49:26, 61:1)
Jesus explicitly mentions the purpose of His coming (5:17, 9:13, 10:34, 10:35, 20:28).
This verse closes the section that started in 19:13 and deals with what it means to be successful in the kingdom.
Sight for Those Who Are Blind
29
     As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
30
And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
31
But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32
And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33
They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.”
34
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
There are a few parallels between this miracle and the triumphal entry, which is the passage that immediately follows in this gospel. The miracle happens as they leave Jericho, the entry is into Jerusalem. They blind men and the people in Jerusalem cry “Son of David” (20:29, 21:9), and some complain about it (20:31, 21:15). Blind men are healed (20:3, 21:14). The blind mind in Jericho see and follow Jesus (20:33), the priests and scribes saw the miracles but refuse to follow (21:15). These two passages together place Jericho and Jerusalem at the same level, and are a prelude to Jesus’ revealing Jerusalem's fate to be the same as that of the ancient Jericho (Jos 6:20-21; Mt 24:1-2).
The word for immediately is εὐθέως, which means directly, without delay. The word used in 21:19 is παραχρῆμα, which means means on the spot, at once.
This gospel emphasizes the compassion Jesus felt for the people (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and its importance in the life of the believer (Mt 9:13, 12:7, 18:27).
Chapter 21
The Triumphal Entry
1
When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples,
Mentioning Jesus at the Mount of Olives as He approaches Jerusalem and the temple ties the following pericopes: the triumphal entry, overturning the tables of the money changers, the barren fig tree, and the parables following, to the subjects of authority and judgment, and the using of (palm) branches to the celebration of Tabernacles. These were Messianic events spoken of in Mal 3:1-5 and in Zch 14 especially verses 4,8,16,18-19.
2
saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to Me.
3
And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them on immediately.”
4
Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:
This is a formula that Matthew is known for, highlighting an event around Jesus’ life or ministry by pointing out a preceding text that such event evokes (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
5
“SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
HUMBLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.’”
Zch 9:9.
6
The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them,
7
and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on them; and He sat on the cloaks.
8
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road.
9
Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;
Hosanna in the highest!”
Ps 118:26.
Son of David is a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42), especially expressed by the people.
There was an expectation among the people that Jesus’ rule as king was imminent (Mt 3:2, 20:21, 21:9; Mk 11:10; Lk 19:11, 24:19-21; Jn 1:49, 6:14-15, 12:13; Act 1:6).
10
When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”
11
And the crowds were saying, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The prophet promised by Moses (Dt 18:15-19).
Up until now, Matthew has only shown Jesus in Galilee, to further fulfill Is 9:1 (Mt 4:15).
Cleansing the Temple
12
     And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.
Malachi spoke of the Lord coming to the temple to cleanse it (Mal 3:1-5).
The reason for there being sellers and money changers is in Dt 14:22-26. However they had corrupted God’s commandment into an evil practice.
13
And He said to them, “It is written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a DEN OF ROBBERS.”
Is 56:7; Jer 7:11.
14
     And those who were blind and those who limped came to Him in the temple area, and He healed them.
Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecies (Is 35:3-6).
There were strict restrictions for priests and people with defects approaching the altar and the assembly (Lev 21:17-23; Dt 23:1), everyone is called to be a priest (Ex 19:6; Is 61:6, 66:21; 1Pe 2:5).
To be in the kingdom we will be restored and made perfect (Eph 5:27; Phi 1:6; Col 1:22; Heb 10:14,11:40,12:23). We need this so we can approach the Most Holy Place (Heb 10:19-22).
15
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant,
The priest and scribes do not acknowledge the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah (Is 35:3-6). Matthew shows the reaction of the priests and scribes against the response of the children (Mt 18:3).
The chief priests are accompanied by the scribes (v. 15), the elders (v. 23), and the Pharisees (v. 45).
16
and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘FROM THE MOUTHS OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?”
Ps 8:2.
17
And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
The Barren Fig Tree
18
     Now in the early morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.
19
And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
The fig tree, or figs, is a portrait of Israel (Jer 24:4-10; Hos 9:10; Mic 7:1) and the promised land (Num 13:23; Dt 8:8).
Having the fig tree wither is a picture of judgment (Ps 105:33; Jer 8:13; Hos 2:12).
The withering of the tree was noticed the day after (Mk 11:12-14, 19-21), at once in biblical language can mean a 24-hour period (comp. with 1Co 15:52).
The word παραχρῆμα means on the spot, at once; the word used in 20:34 is εὐθέως, which means directly, without delay.
20
     Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”
21
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
22
And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.”
The story of the fig tree, 21:18-22, brings judgment and prayer as a unit, similarly to the passage in Mt 18:15-19.
Authority Challenged
23
     When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
Implicitly, they were asking for a sign (Jn 2:18). We see the authorities asking Jesus for a sign twice in this gospel (12:38, 16:1). Asking for a sign was probably motivated by how God commissioned Moses to present signs to the elders of Israel (Ex 4:7-9, 4:29-31). Paul encountered similar reactions (1Co 1:22, 2Co 12:12).
Notice Jesus had demonstrated signs (21:14) the day before, perhaps they were not willing to see them, a type of blindness (21:14). Certainly He was not willing to perform on demand.
The chief priests are accompanied by the scribes (v. 15), the elders (v. 23), and the Pharisees (v. 45).
24
But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
25
The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
The baptism of John was a call to repentance (Mt 3:1, 11; Act 19:4), if it was from heaven, they should have responded. Furthermore, John pointed to Jesus (3:11-12), thus the authority had been given to Jesus from heaven (Mt 3:16-17).
By referring to John, Jesus is asking the priests to look at what the prophets had spoken about Him.
26
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”
Matthew mentions the priest and Pharisees being afraid of the crowds twice (21:26, 46), this evokes the circumstances before the exodus in which the Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites (Ex 1:12).
27
And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.
Parable of Two Sons
28
     “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’
In the section that follows, 21:28-22:14, we have three parables that deal with lack of obedience, lack of fruit, and a refusal to respond to God’s calling. In all three parables we have characters that responded inadequately.
A vineyard is a common picture of God’s people; e.g. spoken by Isaiah (Is 5:1-7), by Jesus in this parable and the next one (21:33) and on the night he was betrayed (Jn 15:1-2).
29
But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went.
30
And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go.
31
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
Jesus is still referring to the ministry of John, to which tax collectors responded (Lk 3:12-13, 7:29, 7:37-38).
32
For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.
This is also noted by Luke (Lk 7:30).
Parable of the Landowner
33
     “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A FENCE AROUND IT, AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and he leased it to vine-growers and went on a journey.
A picture spoken by Isaiah (Is 5:1-7).
God equips us to do the work He assigns to us.
34
And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit.
A picture of the prophets God sends to us.
35
And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36
Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them.
God is patient and delivers His message repeated times. See comment in 23:34.
37
But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38
But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’
39
And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
A picture of Jesus dying outside Jerusalem.
40
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?”
41
They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons.”
42
     Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘A STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?
A quote Ps 118:22-23.
The Jewish people had been given a charge to build, Isaiah used this figure of speech when speaking against the rulers of Jerusalem (Is 28:14-19).
In Hebrew the words for son and stone sound similar (at play also in Mt 3:9).
43
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.
44
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
A paraphrasis of Is 8:13-15; it evokes the words of Is 28:16 and Dan 2:34, 2:44-45.
45
     When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.
The chief priests are accompanied by the scribes (v. 15), the elders (v. 23), and the Pharisees (v. 45).
46
And although they sought to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a prophet.
Matthew mentions the priest and Pharisees being afraid of the crowds twice (21:26, 46), this evokes the circumstances before the exodus in which the Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites (Ex 1:12).
Chapter 22
Parable of the Marriage Feast
1
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
2
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son.
Messianic prophecy and imagery includes a banquet prepared by God (Is 25:6).
We are to understand that the son, the groom, is Jesus and the bride is the church (Is 61:10; Mt 9:15; 2Co 11:2; Eph 5:25-27; Rev 19:7, 21:2, 21:9).
3
And he sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
4
Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened cattle are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’
5
But they paid no attention and went their separate ways, one to his own farm, another to his business,
Note the two types of guests that refuse to attend, in this verse it is people concerned about their daily affairs. In the next verse, it is people who commit evil. Contrast this with verse 10 in which good and bad people attend the wedding.
6
and the rest seized his slaves and treated them abusively, and then killed them.
Another mentioning of the mistreatment of prophets (21:35-36).
7
Now the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.
This may be a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.
8
Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
9
‘So go to the main roads, and invite whomever you find there to the wedding feast.’
10
Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
Comp. with v. 5, which also good and bad among those initially invited.
11
     “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,
12
and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.
The garments to wear are the garments of salvation, provided by God (Ps 132:9; Is 61:10; Rev 19:8) as opposed to garments provided to leave the garden (Gen 3:21). Note the relevance of the clothes is higher than then character of the people (v. 10).
13
Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’
14
For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Poll-tax to Caesar
15
     Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said.
This verse tells us that the following questions that they present to Jesus are intended to maneuver Him into saying something that will snare Him with the Roman authorities or with the people.
It has been pointed out that John 7:53-8:11, the story of the adulterous woman, only appears in later manuscripts of John’s gospel and that the mentioning of the scribes and the Pharisees in v. 8:3 is a phrase common to Mathew but not to John. If the story of the adulterous woman was to be placed as part of Mathew’s gospel, it would be in this section where Jesus is (unsuccessfully) challenged with situations aimed to trap Him.
16
And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and do not care what anyone thinks; for You are not partial to anyone.
It was common to address someone with (false) flattery (e.g. Mt 22:16; Mk 10:17; Act 23:26, 24:2-3, 26:25).
17
Tell us then, what do You think? Is it permissible to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”
18
But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?
ὑποκριτής
The word for hypocrites, ὑποκριτής, is a compound word. ὑπο is the prefix hypo, which means under or below. κριτής is the word for judge or umpire also related to critic. Combined they give us hypocrite, which at that time referred to an actor on a stage who commonly wore a mask in their performances.
19
Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
20
And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
If Jesus had replied that it was permissible to pay the tax, He would have been accused of siding with the Romans and being an oppressor of the people of God. If He had replied that it was not permissible, they would have denounced Him before the authorities and have Him arrested for rebellion against Rome.
22
And hearing this, they were amazed; and they left Him and went away.
Jesus Answers the Sadducees
23
     On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him,
The Sadducees' position is mentioned in Act 23:8.
The prophets spoke of the resurrection (Is 25:8, 26:19; Ezk 37:1-14; Dn 12:2-3; Hos 13:14), but the Sadducees did not recognize the prophets as authoritative, they only recognized the Torah, which is why Jesus quote it in v. 31.
24
saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’
25
Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died, and having no children, he left his wife to his brother.
The Sadducees are referring to the instructions in Dt 25:5-6 (also referred to in Ruth 4:5, 10), which likely was a common practice at the time (Gen 38:8).
26
It was the same also with the second brother, and the third, down to the seventh.
27
Last of all, the woman died.
28
In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her in marriage.”
29
     But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.
The Sadducees were educated people able to read (v. 31) but unable to understand the scriptures, a serious charge that evokes Is 6:9-10 (Mt 13:14-15). In the verses that follow, Jesus teaches them how to read and exegete the scriptures.
30
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
31
But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God:
When Jesus speaks to the crowds, He mentions having heard the scriptures (Mt 5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43). When speaking to the Sadducees, Jesus knows that they have read or supposed to have read the scriptures.
Here Jesus shows the model that Matthew follows in his gospel, reminding his audience that the events had already been declared by God (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4) and used by Jesus Himself (22:31).
32
‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Jesus quotes the Torah (Ex 3:6), which the Sadducees recognized as authoritative, and gives them a clinic on how to read and exegete the scriptures.
33
When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
34
     But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
It is hard to tell if the Pharisees are delighted that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees or if they feel they need to continue the challenges to Jesus to make Him fall, or both.
35
And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him:
36
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37
And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
Jesus refers to a portion of the Shema (Dt 6:4-9. Also in Dt 11:13).
38
This is the great and foremost commandment.
39
The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
Lv 19:18.
40
Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
41
     Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question:
42
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.”
Son of David is a Messianic, royal title (2Sa 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Lk 1:32, 69; Rev 22:16) repeated throughout the gospel (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42), especially expressed by the people.
43
He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET”’?
Ps 110:1.
45
Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
46
No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions.
The tests of the Sadducees and Pharisees came out to nothing (Job 5:13; Ps 94:11; Rom 1:21-22; 1Co 1:20, 3:18-20).
Chapter 23
Hypocrisy Exposed
1
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
In verse 13, Jesus turns His attention from the people and His disciples to the scribes and Pharisees; thus it is unclear if this continues right after the interaction with the Pharisees in Chapter 22 or if it takes place on a separate occasion.
2
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses.
The chair of Moses, whether it was a physical chair or not, denotes the legal authority that the scribes and Pharisees have to direct the lives of the people. This role is a great honor, but it is also a great responsibility (1Ki 3:5-12).
In light of v. 4, this might be a charge of complacency and unwillingness to help people.
3
Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them.
The priests and judges were expected to give righteous judgments (Dt 16:18-20) and the people were expected to listen to their verdicts (Dt 17:9-12).
Notice that Jesus elevates the words of the scribes and Pharisees, but dismisses their actions, thus pointing out their hollowness.
First warning to leadership, not practicing the teachings of their own words.
4
And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger.
Second warning to leadership, not helping the congregation in their lives.
Jesus’ burden is light (Mt 11:28-30).
5
And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
Their deeds are theater, thus Jesus calls them actors, hypocrites.
Third warning to leadership, focus on the theatrical aspects of worship and service.
The phylacteries were likely the boxes that contain portions of the Torah worn on one hand and the forehead as an observance of Ex 13:9 and Dt 6:8, 11:18.
The word for phylactery is φυλακτήριον, which also meant a guarded post.
The wearing of tassels was an observance of Num 15:38-40 and Dt 22:12.
6
And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues,
Fourth warning to leadership, seeking honor for honor’s sake.
7
and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people.
8
But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.
Jesus’ followers form a family, a household (Mt 5:9, 6:9, 10:25, 12:50, 23:8-9).
9
And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
Calling someone father was a sign of respect. For example, Paul calls Abraham the father of us all (Rom 4:9-18) in reference to Gen 17:4-5 where God refers to Abraham as a father. Paul sees himself as a father to the believers and Timothy (1Co 4:15; Gal 4:19; Phl 2:22; Phm 10) but Paul does this to demonstrate concern not to seek honor.
10
And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
11
But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
To humble ourselves to serve others is a teaching repeated throughout the gospel (18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 20:26-27, 23:11-12).
12
Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Seven Woes
13
     “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
Jesus turns His attention from the people and His disciples to the scribes and Pharisees.
The first of seven laments.
After the song of the vineyard (alluded to in 21:33-40) in Isaiah 5:1-7, Isaiah proclaimed six laments against Israel (Is 5:8-25). This type of laments are also common by the prophets (e.g. Jer 4:13, 6:4, 13:27, 22:13, 23:1; Hab 2:6-20).
Leadership has a role in making the kingdom accessible; Peter received the keys (Mt 16:19) for this purpose; see comments in 16:19. The priests actually shut the kingdom when they prevent others from hearing about the resurrection (28:13).
Verses 33 and 37 show that there must have been a mix of anger and sorrow in Jesus as He delivered these seven laments (23:13-29).
The beatitudes start off with a reference to who are the heirs to the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). This first woe points out how the scribes and Pharisees prevent people from entering the kingdom, thus the woes in this portion of the gospel may be seen as anti-beatitudes.
Verse 14 (not included here) would have additional instances of the words woe and hypocrites, it has a parallel in Mk 12:40.
15
     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
A new believer should be trained to be more like Jesus rather than an image and likeness of ourselves (Rom 8:29; 2Co 3:18).
The second of seven laments.
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
16
     “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
After accusing the scribes and Pharisees of making proselytes in their image, Jesus charges them with blindness, which is contrary to what God did during creation, God saw His creation.
Verses 16-22 deal with swearing, the people of that time might have struggled telling the truth.
The third of seven laments.
17
You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
18
And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering that is on it is obligated.’
The altar was most holy (Ex 29:37).
19
You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
Notice how the leaders in their teaching elevate the gold (v. 16) and the offerings (v. 18), thus revealing a type of covetousness and greed.
20
Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.
21
And the one who swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells in it.
God’s dwelling is referred to in Ps 11:4, 18:6, and 135:21; Mic 1:2; Hab 2:20.
See note in Dt 12:5.
22
And the one who swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
In the third lament, Jesus rebukes the leaders for making rules that do follow sound logic. In addition, these rules present a false testimony about the nature of consecrated pieces of worship.
God’s throne is referred to in Ps 11:4, 103:19, Is 66:1, and Rv 4:2.
Jesus admonished the people not to swear (Mt 5:33-37), also mentioned by James (Jam 5:12).
23
     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Jesus repeats the admonishing about paying attention to less relevant items and ignoring more important ones (7:3-5).
The fourth of seven laments.
24
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
The charge from 7:3-5 is repeated. Today, we must be careful not to focus on smaller issues while ignoring major ones.
Note that the camel was an unclean animal, not to be eaten (Lv 11:4).
25
     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
This is an admonishing similar to the one Jesus made about the externality of the washing of hands (Mt 15:2, 10, 20). Unwashed hands or cups or dishes do not defile the person.
The fifth of seven laments.
26
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.
27
     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
Under the Law of Moses, touching a corpse would make someone unclean (Num 19:11-22) and failing to follow the instructions for purification would mean being cut off from Israel.
The sixth of seven laments.
28
So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Hypocrisy and lawlessness are paired with dead men’s bones (v. 27).
29
     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
The seventh of seven laments.
Along with the seven laments, Jesus calls the leaders hypocrites, which meant being theater actors (v. 13, [14,] 15, 23, 25, 27, 29).
30
and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31
So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32
Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.
33
You snakes, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
Jesus repeats John’s accusation (Mt 3:7; also Jn 8:44) and alludes to the Fall where the serpent caused Adam to sin.
Verses 33 and 37 show that there must have been a mix of anger and sorrow in Jesus as He delivered the seven laments (23:13-29).
The word for hell is γέεννα, which most commentators agree is a reference to the Valley of Hinnom, a region nearby Jerusalem (5:22, 5:29, 5:30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33). Tradition marks this area as the place where rubbish was burned.
34
     “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
Note that after the seven laments, Jesus will not give up pursuing their hearts and continue calling Israel back to the Father.
Ps 30:5 describes God’s anger as fleeting compared to His favor.
This type of harsh treatment is depicted in the book of Acts (Act 5:40-41, 7:58-59, 8:1, 9:1-2, 11:19).
35
so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Blood upon or on someone was a sign of guilt (e.g. Jos 2:19; 2Sa 1:16; Act 5:28). Note the explicit righteous to emphasize the severity of the acts and how Jesus charges His listeners for a crime in the past.
2Ch 24:20-21 tells us about a prophet named Zachariah who was killed in the temple’s courtyard. Note that Abel was the first person killed in the Bible and that Chronicles is the last book in the Tanakh, the Jewish canonical collection and arrangement of the books in the OT, thus these two murders would overarch the entire OT.
However, we know of a Zechariah son of Berechiah as the eponym of the prophetic book (Zch 1:1). But he could not have been the same Zecheriah of 2Ch 24:20-21 as they lived in different times. Perhaps they died in similar circumstances or Jesus was referring to a third person.
36
Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Grieving over Jerusalem
37
     “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Verses 33 and 37 show that there must have been a mix of anger and sorrow in Jesus as He delivered these seven laments (23:13-29).
This is one of the few passages in the bible where God is depicted in a feminine light, which is not surprising as both man and woman were made into His likeness; other passages include Isaiah 46:3, 49:14-15, 66:13 and Hosea 13:8.
38
Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
We see a picture of God leaving the temple in 24:1.
39
For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”
These words from Ps 118:26 were already spoken by the crowds in Mt 21:9, thus there will be a second triumphal entry.
Chapter 24
Signs of Christ’s Return
1
Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.
The gospel marks Jesus’ last time in the temple and His departure from it. Contrast with Judas entering the temple with an impure offering (Mt 27:5).
This verse shows the very human side of the disciples, we are easily impressed (Mk 13:1).
2
But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
This section 24:2-44 comprises a prophetic section of the gospel. As such it is rich with imagery of events to happen, not necessarily in a chronological order. It is also rich in references to Isaiah, Daniel, and the gathering of the children of Israel and the final judgment.
3
     And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Matthew presents a cyclical order. Here we see an iteration of the circumstances around the Sermon on the Mount.
This was a private exchange with Jesus and four of the disciples (Mk 13:3).
The Mount of Olives evokes pictures of the coming of the eternal kingdom and judgment (Zch 14:4-11).
Three questions are asked, the time of the destruction of the temple, the signs of Jesus’ second coming, and the signs of the end of time.
The word for coming is παρουσία, Parousia; it appears in v. 24:3, 27, 37, 39.
The idea of the Messiah returning is expressed in multiple places in the NT (e.g. Act 3:20; 1Co 15:23; 1Th 2:19, 3:13, 4:15, 5:23; 2Th 2:1, 2:8; Jam 5:7-8; 2Pe 3:12; 1Jn 2:28). But the OT also gives us several signs about two separate instances of the Messiah’s advent. Joseph in Egypt was not recognized by them on their first visit. It was on their second visit to Egypt that Joseph revealed himself to them (Gen 45:3). Moses was unsuccessful in delivering the Jewish people in his first commissioning (Ex 5:22-23); Moses is sent a second time (Ex 6:9). The prophet Isaiah speaks of gathering the sons of Israel a second time (Is 11:11-12).
4
     And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
Note that an important emphasis of this prophetic section, 24:2-44, is the warnings about false prophets that will try to mislead the believers; it is addressed in verses 4-5, 11, and 23-26.
5
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people.
In v. 5-13, Jesus gives a number of instructions and warnings about the end of time. Paul had similar admonishments in 2Th 2:1-12.
First admonishing to the disciples, impostors will appear.
6
And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
Second admonishing, to remain composed at the hearing of alarming news.
7
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Third admonishing, there will be large-scale geopolitical events.
8
But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
9
     “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
Zechariah spoke about the nations gathering against Jerusalem (Zch 12:2-3, 14:2). Here Jesus speaks about His followers, wherever they might be (Mt 24:14, 28:19).
Fourth admonishing, tribulation for the believers.
10
And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.
Fifth admonishing, apostasy and loss of relationships.
In addition to the large-scale geopolitical events (v. 7), personal-level relationships will suffer.
11
And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.
The sixth admonishing is a restatement of the first one.
Note that an important emphasis of this prophetic section, 24:2-44, is the warnings about false prophets that will try to mislead the believers; it is addressed in verses 4-5, 11, and 23-26.
12
And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.
Lawlessness is a reference to God’s commandments more than a reference to civil local laws (Pr 17:15; Is 5:20).
The seventh admonishing is a loss of the social order.
13
But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.
14
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
This is the response to the third question posed by the disciples in v. 3.
Perilous Times
15
     “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place—let the reader understand—
Dn 9:27, 11:31, 12:11.
16
then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17
Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house.
18
And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
19
But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
This might be a reference to the extreme circumstances of a city under siege (2Ki 6:24-29, 8:12, 15:16; Lam 2:11; Hos 13:16).
20
Moreover, pray that when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
21
For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.
22
And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him.
Note that an important emphasis of this prophetic section, 24:2-44, is the warnings about false prophets that will try to mislead the believers; it is addressed in verses 4-5, 11, and 23-26.
24
For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
Rev 13:13-14, 19:20.
25
Behold, I have told you in advance.
26
So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.
Far away places or secret gatherings is not how Jesus will be revealed.
27
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Jesus will be revealed in a grandiose, unmistakable way (see v. 30).
The word for coming is παρουσία, Parousia; it appears in v. 24:3, 27, 37, 39. See comment in 24:3.
28
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Glorious Return
29
     “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
those days is an eschatological expression (e.g. Jer 5:18, 33:14-16; Joe 3:1-2; Zch 8:22-23).
The Day of the Lord is of darkness (Zep 1:14-15), a reversal of creation (Gen 1:2-3, 14-18) which also evokes the second to last plague in Egypt (Ex 10:21-23).
Isaiah spoke of the stars falling down (Is 34:2-4).
30
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
The sign may be a banner (Is 11:10-12, 18:3, 62:10-12).
31
And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Jesus spoke of sending His angels in 13:37-41.
The trumpet is actually a ram’s horn.
The trumpet sound is characteristic of the end of the age (Joel 2:1-2; 1Co 15:50-55; 1Th 4:16-17; Heb 12:19; Rev 8:2, 11:15).
The trumpet blast evokes the gathering of Israel at Sinai (Ex 19:16, 19:19, 20:18).
The gathering was spoken by Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (Dt 30:4; Is 11:11-12, 27:13; Jer 31:10) and reiterated by Paul (1Co 15:51-53; 1Th 4:16-17).
Parable of the Fig Tree
32
     “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near;
Many people believed that the formation of the state of Israel in 1948 was what Jesus referred to in this verse and that His second advent was imminent.
The word for summer is θέρος, it has the same root as the word for harvest in Mt 13:39 (θερισμός). θέρος can also mean the harvest, the summer fruits. A harvest is a common picture of the end of time (e.g. Joe 3:12-14; Mt 13:39-40; Rev 14:14-20).
33
so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
34
Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Jesus’ words are in the same category as the Law, God’s words (Mt 5:18, 24:35; Mk 13:31); thus this verse is an affirmation of Jesus’ divinity. When this verse is contrasted with the one following, we see an illustration of the Trinity with different persons of the same essence.
36
     “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
The answer to the second question in v. 3 is that nobody but the Father knows. The day of vengeance (Is 34:8, 35:4, 47:3, 61:1-2, 63:3-4; Jer 51:6) being in God’s heart (Is 63:4, NASB) is likely a reference to not being revealed to anyone.
Throughout history many people have claimed to know the time when Jesus would come back, but this is knowledge not revealed to us (v. 42).
The doctrine of the Trinity presents three different persons, here we see they have different responsibilities (Mt 20:23, 24:36).
37
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
The word for coming is παρουσία, Parousia; it appears in v. 24:3, 27, 37, 39. See comment in 24:3.
38
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39
and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
We are to stand on a rock (Mt 7:24-25).
During the flood, those taken were the one who perished; those who were left survived, compare with v. 40-41.
The word for coming is παρουσία, Parousia; it appears in v. 24:3, 27, 37, 39. See comment in 24:3.
40
At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
41
Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
Be Ready for His Coming
42
     “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
Throughout history many people have claimed to know the time when Jesus would come back, but this is knowledge not revealed to us, not even to Jesus (v. 36).
43
But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
This section, 24:42-25:46, places a strong emphasis on the uncertainty about the time when Jesus will come back and the final judgment, the separation of the saved and the lost.
44
For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
The commandment is to be ready (also in 25:10). The manner in which we are ready is by remaining in active service (24:45-51).
45
     “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time?
In the section that follows, 24:45-25:46, we have four teachings (some of them parables) on judgment. In each of these four, there is a separation. There is a separation of the faithful and sensible slave from the evil one, of the prudent virgins from the foolish ones, of the good and faithful slaves from the wicked and lazy ones, and of sheep from the goats.
These four separations evoke the creation story where God separates the elements of His creation (Gen 1:4, 1:6, 1:7, 1:9, 1:14, 1:18).
46
Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
A type of beatitude.
47
Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48
But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’
49
and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk;
50
then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know,
51
and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
Parable of Ten Virgins
1
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
In the verses prior (24:36-51), Jesus speaks about being ready as nobody knows the time of the Parousia, see comment in 24:3. This parable drills this point down.
2
Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
3
For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them;
4
but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps.
Oil is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit is received as an anointing (Is 61:1). As Paul explains, the Holy Spirit is a pledge of our inheritance (2Co 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14), thus it is the prudent virgins that entered the wedding feast (v. 10).
5
Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep.
Likely a picture of dying.
6
But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8
But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9
However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
The wedding party may take a long road and then all ten virgins would be out of oil.
10
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
The commandment is to be ready (also in 24:44).
11
Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’
12
But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’
Eternal life is knowing the Father (Jn 17:3). Jesus accused the Jews of not knowing the Father (Jn 8:19, 8:55, 16:3). This is also the charge to the foolish virgins.
Knowing God is emphasized in the entire bible extensively (e.g. Ex 33:13, Jer 22:16, Dan 11:32, Gal 4:8-9, Phil 3:10, Col 1:10).
Gen 1 tells us about what God is like, He speaks, He sees, He discerns, He is a creator, He gives life, He blesses His creation. When we know God, we recognize His voice and His words, His mighty acts, His mercy. We know what pleases/grieves Him, we know His heart.
Pharaoh did not know God (Ex 5:2).
13
Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
The command is to be alert.
Parable of the Talents
14
     “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
15
To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
16
The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents.
17
In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more.
18
But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19
     “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
20
The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’
21
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
A job well done is rewarded with more and greater assignments (1Sa 17:34-37).
22
     “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’
23
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
24
     “Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.
25
‘And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’
26
     “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?
27
‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
28
‘Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29
     “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30
And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Judgment
31
     “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32
And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
The gospel will be preached to all nations before this takes place (Mt 24:14, 28:19).
33
and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
34
     “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35
‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37
Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38
‘And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39
‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
Note the mentioning of brothers (siblings) as the recipients of the favors.
41
     “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
42
for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43
I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
44
Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
45
Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’
Is Jesus pointing toward the side of the sheep?
46
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Chapter 26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1
When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,
Other commentators have observed that Mathew divides his gospel into six sections. The first five (perhaps an allusion to the five books of the Torah) close with the phrase when Jesus had finished … (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1); this is also part of the typology with Moses (Dt 32:45).
The last sentence of the sixth section is the Great Commission, Jesus is still speaking.
2
“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
This is the first mention of the Passover in the gospel. John’s gospel tells us about three Passovers during Jesus’ ministry (Jn 2:13, 6:4, 11:55).
3
     At that time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Caiaphas;
4
and they plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.
5
But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
The Precious Ointment
6
     Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the Leper,
John’s gospel provides additional details about this episode (Jn 12:1-8), which likely was a separate event from the one described in Lk 7:36-39.
7
a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
A recognition of Jesus as the LORD’s anointed.
8
But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?
9
For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10
But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me.
11
For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.
12
For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
13
Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas’ Bargain
14
     Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
Matthew presents Judas and the chief priests on the same plane, willing to strike a deal.
15
and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
A low price gained from Jesus compared to the high price of the perfume offered to Jesus. Judas is portrayed as self-seeking in contrast with the woman in the previous episode who was all-giving.
Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave (Ex 21:32), perhaps denoting contempt. The price in the Exodus text is set in circumstances where the servant is pierced by a bull (see Ps 22:12).
The prophet Zechariah names this as the price set for the LORD (Zch 11:12-13).
Joseph, a Messianic figure in Genesis, was betrayed by his close associate (brothers) and sold for twenty pieces of silver (Gen 37:27).
Compare this low price with the high price of the perfume (Mt 26:7, 9; Mk 14:5; Jn 12:5).
16
And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.
17
     Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18
And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”
19
The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
The Last Passover
20
     Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve.
21
And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
22
Being deeply grieved, they began saying to Him, each one: “Surely it is not I, Lord?”
23
And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.
24
The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25
And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
Judas is being hypocritical, as the Pharisees were. Judas had not yet learned that Jesus would know.
Ps 41:9 refers to Judas’ betrayal.
The Lord’s Supper Instituted
26
     Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
The Passover bread would be unleavened (e.g. Ex 12:8, 14-20, 39), pointing to the perfect, sinless state of Jesus.
Eating Jesus’ body represents the transformation we are to undergo to become like Him.
27
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;
Eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus represents the process of becoming like Him, of conforming to His image and likeness (Rom 8:29; 1Co 15:49; 2Co 3:18; Php 3:21; 1Jn 3:2). This is in contrast with eating the bread of wickedness and drinking the wine of violence (Prv 4:17). Jesus illustrates this when referring to Himself as the vine and to us as the branches, and how the vine provides nurturing for the branches.
Drinking blood was strictly forbidden in the Torah (Gen 9:4; Lv 7:26-27, 17:10-14, 19:26; Dt 12:16, 12:23-24, 15:23) and recommended against in the letter send from the Council at Jerusalem (Act 15:20, 29). The key is that the blood represents life (Gen 9:4; Lv 17:10-14); thus Jesus is giving us His life through His blood and He is saying that only the life He possesses and gives is true life, eternal life.
The greek word for thanksgiving is εὐχαριστία, which is where we get eucharist from. It also appears in 15:36.
28
for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Note that the baptism of John was of repentance and to point to Jesus (Mt 3:11; Mk 1:4, 7-8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:26-27; Act 13:23-24, 19:4), the covenant instituted here is for the forgiveness of sins.
The Torah indicated that the shedding of blood was required for atonement (Lv 17:11; Heb 9:22).
The new covenant to replace the Sinai covenant was announced by the prophets Isaiah (Is 55:3, 61:8), Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34, 32:38-41, 50:5), Ezekiel (Ezk 11:19-20, 16:62-63, 34:24-27, 36:24-28, 37:26-28), and Hosea (Hos 2:18-23).
One of the purposes of the new covenant is for us to know God (Jer 31:34; Jn 17:3).
In the Sinai covenant, the blood is sprinkled on the people (Ex 24:8).
An example of substitutionary atonement is in 2Sa 21:1-9 in which seven people died hanged for the sins of Saul during the barley harvest, which is the time of the Passover.
An example where the death of a man stops a plague afflicting the nation for their idolatry is in Num 25. God stops the plague after an Israelite man dies pierced by a spear.
29
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”
The word for new is καινός, which can also mean fresh. New wine is a symbol of blessings (Gen 27:28; Dt 7:12-13, 11:13-14), of entering into God’s rest (Dt 33:27-28), and of the Messiah’s redemption (Jer 31:11-12; Hos 2:21-23; Zch 9:14-17).
30
     And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31
     Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.’
A quote from Zch 13:7.
The striking of the shepherd and the scattering of the sheep was ordained by the Father, but we have received the promise of the gathering of the sheep (Jer 31:10, 50:19-20; Ezk 34:12-13).
32
But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Going ahead of the people is a role for God (see note in Mk 14:28; Ex 13:21, 23:20-23; Dt 1:30, 1:32-33, 9:3, 31:3, 31:8; Isa 45:2, 52:12; Jn 10:4, 14:3), also for the leaders of the people like Joshua (Num 27:16-17; Dt 3:28, 31:3).
33
But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away!”
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
34
Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35
Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.
The Garden of Gethsemane
36
     Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37
And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed.
38
Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39
     And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Contrast this with drinking from the Last Supper’s cup (Mt 26:27; Mk 14:23-24; Lk 22:20; 1Co 11:25). The cup can be a symbol of blessings (Ps 23:5) and drinking from the cup can be a symbol of redemption and atonement; but drinking from the cup can also be a symbol of wrath and suffering (Job 21:20; Is 51:17, 51:22, 63:6; Jer 25:15-16; Ezk 23:31-35; Mt 20:22; Rev 14:10).
Jesus drinks the cup of wrath while we drink from the cup of atonement.
The LORD is described as a cup (Ps 16:5)
Jesus addresses the Father also with Abba (Mk 14:36).
40
And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?
41
Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The words for this warning are similar to those in the Lord’s prayer. not come into temptation here are μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν·
and not take us into temptation in 6:13 are μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν. Prayer helps us stay away from temptation.
42
     He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.”
We may wonder if Jesus had heard from the Father after His first prayer or if the Father was silent.
43
Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44
And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
Even if Jesus had heard from the Father twice already, He prays a third time.
45
Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46
Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”
Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest
47
     And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48
Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign previously, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him.”
49
And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50
But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.
51
     And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
We know from the other gospels that the disciples had swords with them (Lk 22:38, 49) and that it was Peter who struck the high priest’s servant (Jn 18:10).
52
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.
53
Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
Jesus knows that the Father has not abandoned Him.
The angels would not desert Jesus like His disciples will do (26:56).
54
How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
Jesus will not make the Father a liar; contrast with what the serpent did (Gen 3:4).
55
     At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I used to sit within the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest Me.
56
But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
Jesus before Caiaphas
57
     Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
58
But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
Peter’s role as leader is displayed as he tries to be one step ahead of the rest, not always ending with the best results (e.g. Mt 14:28, 15:15, 16:16, 16:22, 17:4, 17:24, 18:21, 19:27, 26:33, 26:58; Lk 5:8; Jn 13:8-9, 18:10, 20:3, 21:3, 21,7).
59
     Now the chief priests and the entire Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
60
They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward,
At least two witnesses are required to condemn someone (Dt 19:15).
61
and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”
62
The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?”
63
But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I place You under oath by the living God, to tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
The high priest had an understanding of the Messiah’s character, Son of God (2Sa 7:12-16; 1Ch 17:10-14; Ps 2:6-7; Act 13:32-33; Heb 1:5, 5:5).
64
Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Jesus reaffirms His character by referring to Ps 110:1 and Dan 7:13.
65
     Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy;
The high priest was not allowed to tear his clothes (Lv 21:10).
66
what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
67
     Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,
A fulfillment of Is 50:6.
Jesus was blindfolded (Mk 14:65).
68
and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
Peter’s Denials
69
     Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a slave woman came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
A female servant was of a low status in society.
Jesus reaffirmed His character (26:64), Peter will renounce his.
70
But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Note the progression of Peter’s denials. From denying being with Jesus, to denying knowing Him, to uttering curses.
71
When he had gone out to the gateway, another slave woman saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72
And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
Peter is not able to follow Jesus’ instruction (Mt 5:34-37).
73
A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk gives you away.”
Galilea had its own distinct Hebrew or Aramaic accent.
74
Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the Man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
75
And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had made: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Note how we read about Peter’s and Judas’ remorse (27:3-5) one after the other. In a way, both failed.
Chapter 27
Judas’ Remorse
1
Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death;
Morning came, by this we learned that the trial took place overnight.
2
and they bound Him and led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.
3
     Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You shall see to it yourself!”
The Law had a curse on such acts (Dt 27:25).
Priests had a role to help people make atonement for their sins.
5
And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself.
As Jesus leaves the temple (Mt 24:1), Judas enters the temple to present an impure offering.
By committing suicide Judas forfeits any opportunity to be forgiven.
6
The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them in the temple treasury, since it is money paid for blood.”
The priests acknowledge that the silver was paid for an arrest.
7
And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.
8
For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9
Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN SET by the sons of Israel;
This quote, 27:9-10, is closer to that spoken by Zechariah (Zch 11:12-13) but Matthew might be thinking of passages like Jer 18:2-4, and Jer 32:6-9,
10
AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER’S FIELD, JUST AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME.”
Jesus before Pilate
11
     Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
There might be a tone of mockery in Pilate’s question.
In Greek, the pronoun you is often omitted in a sentence as the declension of to be implies the person (e.g. Mt 4:3, 4:6, 16:23); but it may explicitly included to place emphasis on the subject of to be (e.g. Mt 16:16). Since it is unlikely that Pilate is declaring that Jesus is the King of the Jews, it is more likely that Pilate is mocking Him. In Jesus’ reply there is also an explicit you.
12
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not offer any answer.
13
Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?”
14
And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.
15
     Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16
And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17
So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
Barabbas means son of the father.
18
For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.
19
     And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
God reveals Himself and speaks to all peoples, not only to His people, particularly in dreams, Abimelech (Gen 20:3), Laban (Gen 31:24), the cupbearer and the baker (Gen 40:5-8), Pharao (Gen 41:1-7), Balaam (Num 24:1-9), a Midianite (Jdg 7:13-15), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:1, 4:4), the wise men (Mt 2:12), Pilate’s wife (Mt 27:19).
20
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death.
21
And the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
The people choose a false son of the Father (Mt 24:5, 11, 24).
22
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!”
Pilate asks a question that each person on earth needs to provide an answer for.
23
But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
24
     Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.”
Washing one's hands is a symbol of pleading innocence (Dt 21:6-7; Ps 26:6, 73:13).
As judge, Pilate declares himself innocent, and places the guilt on the chief priests, the elders, and the crowd. Compare this setting with Judas accepting the guilt before (Mt 27:3-4).
25
And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”
All the people encompasses all people throughout history.
Scripture may have different meanings to different people. Paul illustrates this as the aroma of knowing Jesus for the saved and the stench of death for the lost (2Co 2:14-16) or as how the cross is the power of God to the saved and foolishness to the lost (1Co 1:18).
This verse has different meanings to the saved and to the lost. To the saved, the blood of Jesus is a symbol of redemption, as the blood of the covenant (Mt 26:28) is sprinkled on the people Moses did (Ex 24:8). It is the blood of the Passover lamb that does not allow the destroyer to smite the people (Ex 12:22-23). It is also the blood for the consecration of the people as priests (Ex 19:6; 1Pe 2:5; Rv 1:6, 5:10) like Aaron and his sons (Ex 29:21) and the means to make peace with God (Is 52:13-15). It is also a symbol of God’s election and the sanctifying work of the Spirit (1Pe 1:2).
At the same time, this verse is a condemnation for the lost (Jos 2:19; Act 5:28, 18:6).
26
Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
Barabbas is a symbol for each one of us who has the opportunity to walk away while Jesus receives the penalty for something He did not commit.
Jesus Is Mocked
27
     Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him.
Immediately after the condemnation by the chief priests, elders, and the crowd, the Roman army makes Jesus’ crucifixion happen. Thus Jewish and Gentiles participate.
28
And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him.
29
And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
The crown of thorns represents the curse on man and creation (Gen 3:17-19) being placed on Jesus; He becomes a curse for us (Dt 21:23; Gal 3:13).
In the mockery, the reed was the scepter held by the king.
30
And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head.
A fulfillment of Is 50:6.
31
And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32
     As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they compelled to carry His cross.
The Crucifixion
33
     And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull,
34
they gave Him wine mixed with bile to drink; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink it.
35
     And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among themselves by casting lots.
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22.
The nailing to the cross points to Ps 22:16 and the casting of lots to Ps 22:18. The presence of Roman soldiers, gentiles were referred to as dogs, point to Ps 22:16.
36
And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there.
37
And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
This was the charge that resulted in a death sentence.
38
     At that time two rebels were being crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left.
39
And those passing by were speaking abusively to Him, shaking their heads,
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22. This verse points to Ps 22:6-7.
40
and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
if you are the Son of God are the words Jesus heard from the enemy in the wilderness (4:3, 4:6).
41
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying,
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22. This verse points to Ps 22:7.
42
“He saved others; He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
43
HE HAS TRUSTED IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE TAKES PLEASURE IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22. This verse points to Ps 22:8.
44
And the rebels who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22. This verse points to Ps 22:7.
45
     Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.
The darkness (v. 45) and earthquake (v. 51) were prophesied by Amos (Amo 8:7-10).
The day of the Lord is a day of darkness (Amo 5:18-20). The three hours evoke the three days of darkness over the Egyptians (Ex 10:21-22).
46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LEMA SABAKTANEI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22. This verse points to Ps 22:1.
47
And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”
48
And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
This section (in particular verses 35, 39, 41, 43, 44, 46, and 48) makes multiple references to the foretelling of the crucifixion in Psalm 22.
The gospel of John tells us that shortly before dying Jesus said “I am thirsty” and that they gave Him sour wine to drink (Jn 19:28-29) as this verse describes, this points to Ps 22:15.
49
But the rest of them said, “Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”
50
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit.
51
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
The veil is likely the veil,described in Ex 26:31-35, a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies.
The darkness (v. 45) and earthquake (v. 51) were prophesied by Amos (Amo 8:8-10).
52
Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53
and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
Verses 52-53 are a fulfillment of Ezk 37:11-14.
Note the clarifying after His resurrection. It is unclear how long after the resurrection this happened (Jerusalem was still standing), who these saints were, and how long they had been in their tombs.
54
Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
This confession about Jesus is similar to Peter’s (Mt 16:16) in contrast with the previous mocking references to Jesus' sonship (v. 40 and 43). Throughout this gospel, we see the Gentiles eager to receive the message of salvation (Mt 2:1-2, 4:15, 8:8-10, 12:18, 12:21, 15:28).
Centurions, Roman army officers, appear frequently in the gospels and Acts (Mt 8:5-13, 27:54; Mk 15:39, 44-45; Lk 7:6, 23:47; Act 10:1, 10:22, 21:32 22:25-26, 23:17, 23:23, 24:23), especially in the last leg of Paul’s journey to Rome (Act 27:1-3, 6, 11, 31, 43).
55
     And many women were there watching from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while caring for Him.
56
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
The gospels give us puzzle pieces about the women present at the crucifixion (Mt 27:55; Mk 15:40-41; Jn 19:25).
Mary the mother of James and Joseph here was the wife of Clopas or the mother of Jesus.
The mother of the sons of Zebedee, John and James, was Salome, Jesus’ mother’s sister.
Jesus Is Buried
57
     Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin (Mk 15:43; Lk 23:50).
58
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
A body could not be left hanging overnight (Dt 21:22-23; Act 5:30; Gal 3:13).
59
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
Is 53:9.
61
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
The other Mary was the mother of James and Joseph mentioned in v. 56 (Mk 15:47). They both return to the tomb (Mt 28:1), it is unlikely that there would be a misunderstanding as to where Jesus had been laid.
62
     Now on the next day, that is, the day which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,
A rather odd instance of the priests and Pharisees meeting with Pilate on the Sabbath.
It is unclear where they are meeting, John tells us the leaders would not enter the Praetorium (Jn 18:28).
63
and they said, “Sir, we remember that when that deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘After three days I am rising.’
64
Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
These guards would claim to have fallen asleep (28:13), this would carry the death penalty (Act 12:18, 16:27). Thus the guards were likely a Jewish guard, which is why they would report to the priests first (28:11).
66
And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.
Chapter 28
Jesus Is Risen!
1
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.
It is nearly impossible that the two Maries went to the wrong place as they both were present when Jesus was buried (Mt 27:61).
2
And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.
3
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4
The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.
5
And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
Do not be afraid is a common greeting by the angels (Jdg 6:23; Dan 10:19; Lk 1:13, 1:30, 2:10).
6
He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7
And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8
     And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples.
9
And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!” And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.
That they held His feet demonstrates that Jesus was not a ghost.
10
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go, bring word to My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
A repeated assurance to not be afraid (Mt 14:27).
11
     Now while they were on their way, some of the men from the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened.
Note that the priests receive the report before the disciples.
The guards were likely a Jewish guard, which is why they would report to the priests first (28:11). This report would have included the earthquake, and having seen the angel (28:2-4).
12
And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
It is likely that some Sadducees were part of this gathering, they would not believe in a resurrection or angels intervening (Mt 22:23; Lk 20:27; Act 23:8).
13
and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him while we were asleep.’
The angel sends Mary to proclaim the resurrection (v. 6-7), the priests send the soldiers to proclaim a lie. This evokes the denial of God’s commandment in the garden (Gen 3:4).
Jesus had accused the priests of shutting the doors to the kingdom, of not entering and not letting others enter (23:13).
The priests give a bribe for false testimony, a grievous offense (e.g. Ex 20:16, 23:1, 23:7-8; Lv 19:11; Dt 5:20, 19:16-18) as stealing a corpse was a serious offense.
Letting prisoners escape would carry the death penalty (Act 12:19, 16:27, 27:42).
The typology between the resurrection and the Fall in the garden is rich, see comment in Jn 20:18.
14
And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and keep you out of trouble.”
15
And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews and is to this day.
Referring to the jewish people and authorities as the Jews is more common in John’s gospel.
The Great Commission
16
     But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated to them.
17
And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
This recalls what the magi, the leper, the synagogue leader, the canaanite woman, and the mother of John and James had already done (Mt 2:11, 8:2, 9:18, 15:25, 20:20, 28:17).
18
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
In verses 8:23-9:8 we see three miracles in which Jesus demonstrates His authority over creation, the spiritual realm, and judgment; and consequently demonstrates His deity. Jesus had made a similar announcement (Mt 11:27). He taught with authority (Mt 7:29).
All authority given to Jesus is a fulfillment of Ps 8:6 and Dan 7:13-14, 27; and a point stressed throughout the NT (Jn 3:35; Rom 14:9; 1Co 15:27; Eph 1:20-22; Phl 2:9-11; Col 2:9-10; Heb 2:8; 1Pe 3:22).
19
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
The First Commission (10:1, 5-7) was to reach Israel alone, here this commission is to reach all nations. This commissioning is part of the promise to Abraham (Gen 17:4-6; Rom 4:16-17); and something that will happen before the Parousia (Mt 24:13).
Note that Jesus is sending the disciples to the places under the dominion of the enemy (Mt 4:8-9).
In the name … denotes the divine nature and authority of the task to execute (e.g. Dt 18:5, 21:5; 1Sa 17:45; 2Sa 6:18; Ezr 5:1; Ps 20:5, 118:10-12, 118:26; Is 50:10; Mic 4:5; Zep 3:12).
The Trinity brackets the ministry of Jesus on earth, they are present in Jesus’ baptism (Mt 3:16-17) and here to be invoked when baptizing new disciples.
20
teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The charge is to go, to make disciples, to baptize them, to teach them.
The task is to teach the new believers to follow what Jesus commanded, not our own.
The promise of being among us was announced with His birth (Mt 1:23).
The promise of being along with His people is an overarching theme in the bible (Gen 21:20, 21:22, 26:3, 26:24, 26:28, 28:15, 31:3, 35:3, 39:2-3, 39:21-23, 46:4, 48:21; Ex 33:14; Dt 2:7, 20:1-4, 31:6-8, 31:23; Jos 1:5, 6:27; Jdg 1:19; 1Sa 18:14; 2Sa 7:9; 1Ki 11:38; 2Ki 18:7; Is 41:10, 43:2, 43:5; Jer 1:8, 1:19, 15:20; Zch 8:23; Mat 1:23; Act 7:9, 18:10; Phil 4:9). Failure awaits us when God is not with us (Num 14:42).
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
www.lockman.org