Matthew 15 | The Compassion Of The King

 Last Time:

The Tragic Drama Of John The Baptist.

Jesus Feeds The 5000 By Creating Food.

Jesus Walks On Water That Proves Deity.

Jesus Heals The Sick In Gennesaret.

Jesus Continues To Show His Power And His Deity.

OUTLINE: MATTHEW 15:

I. JESUS TEACHES TRUTH (15:1-20).

A. REJECTION OF RELIGIOUS LEADER’S TRADITIONS (15:1-9).

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN.

B. INSISTENCE ON RIGHTEOUSNESS (15:10-20).

THE REAL GOODNESS AND THE REAL EVIL.

II. JESUS SHOWS LOVE (15:21-39).

A. RESPONSE TO THE FAITH OF A GENTILE (15:21-28).

FAITH TESTED AND FAITH ANSWERED.

B. RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL PROBLEMS OF CROWD (15:29-39).

THE BREAD OF LIFE.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

THE KING REVEALS HIS COMPASSION IN TRUTH AND LOVE.

JESUS TAUGHT THE JEWISH LEADERS THE TRUTH.

JESUS SHOWED THE GENTILE CROWDS LOVE.

WHAT DOES MATTHEW CHAPTER 15 MEAN ?

I. JESUS TEACHES TRUTH (15:1-20).

A. REJECTION OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADER’S TRADITIONS

(15:1-9).

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN.

THE FOOD WE CAN EAT ?
THE WAYS OF RITUAL CLEANSING.
BREAKING GOD'S LAW TO KEEP MAN'S LAW.

Jesus Has Become Famous And Effective Over The People.

So Much So That The Religious Leaders Are Concerned.

CONCERN: DISRUPTION OF THEIR FALSE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM.

Jewish Leadership In Jerusalem Sent Special Teachers To Him.

Jesus Is Challenged By These Special Scribes And Pharisees.

CHALLENGE: THE ISSUE OF RITUAL HANDWASHING.

They Are Looking For Anyway To Discredit Him.

Pharisees Ask: Why Break The Tradition Of The Elders?

Pharisees Ask: Why Are You NOT CEREMONIAL HANDWASHING As Required?

These Traditions Were Rules Added To The Law Of Moses By Prior Generations Of Pharisees.

BACKGROUND FOR THIS TRADITION:

THIS IS THE KEY

TO UNDERSTANDING THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT:

"IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME."

1 CONFRONTATION:

The Pharisees And Some Of The Scribes:

Legalistic, Self-Righteous,

External Hypocritical Phony Religious,

Members Of The Apostate Establishment.

Jesus Said They Are Of Their Father, The Devil,

Full Of Hate For The Truth,

Hate For The Son Of God, Purveyors Of Lies.

They Are The Darkness And They Hate The Light.

TARGET ISSUE: Did Not Comply With Ritual Handwashing:

It Doesn't Mean They Were Unsanitary.

People Knew That Soiled Hands Could Get A Person Sick.

Leviticus: People Were To Wash Their Hands For Health Reason.

That Is All The Old Testament Prescribed About That.

Just Keep Your Hands Clean From Those Kinds Of Things That Are Obviously Dirty.

NOTE:

Priestly Functions Of Offering Sacrifices Was Not The Issue.

THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT TRADITION NOT SCRIPTURE.

The Elders: Their Forefathers,

The Rabbis: Generation After Generation Before This Time.

A System Of All Kinds Of Ceremonial Washings:

External Rules That Had To Do With Ritual Defilement.

Not So Concerned About Scripture As They Were Their Tradition.

Their Tradition Equal Or Even Superior To The Scripture.

Like Other False Religions:

A Tradition Equal To The Scripture,

A Tradition That Is More Important Than Scripture.

HISTORY:

Moses Gave The Moral Law At Sinai,

The Law Of God Was Written Down,

The Pentateuch Being The Primary Law,

Then Came The Rest Of The Old Testament.

Leaders Concerned About The External Behavior To Law.

Leaders Decided To BUILD A FENCE AROUND THE LAW.

To Make Sure That Law Is Kept This Will Prevent Violation Of It.

The Fence Consisted Of Generation After Generation Of:

Rituals And Rules,

Ceremonies And Behaviors Of All Kind,

Prohibitions, Precepts To Protect, Supposedly, The Law Of God.

THIS FENCE WAS CALLED THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS.

Jesus DID NOT BREAK THE LAW: He Violated These Traditions.

The Tradition Of The Elders.

A Massive Amount Of Material Developed.

Put Together: Called The MISHNAH And That Means "to Repeat."

The Total Accumulated Content Of Jewish Tradition.

30 Chapters In The Mishnah: Ceremonial Ritual Cleansing.

It Was Discovered That The MISHNAH Needed Clarity.

This Supplementation And Commentaries: The GEMAREA.

The Rabbinical School At Jerusalem:

Combined MISHNAH and GEMAREA = The TALMUD.

PLUS: The MIDRASH: Commentary On O.T. Books.

AND RABBIS WERE THE ONLY LEGITIMATE INTERPRETERS.

No Wonder Jesus Said:

You Bind Heavy Burdens On People So They Can't Carry Them.

EXAMPLES: The Jerusalem Talmud Says:

*The Words Of The Scribes Are More Lovely Than The Words Of The Law.

*It Is A Greater Crime To Transgress The Words Of The School Of Rabbi Hillel Than The Words Of The Scripture.

*Attend To The Words Of The Scribes More Than The Words Of The Law.

ANY KIND OF FOLLY LIKE THIS,

ANY KIND OF FOOLISH TRADITION LIKE THIS,

ANY KIND OF EXTERNALISM LIKE THIS,

IS THE VERY OPPOSITE OF WHAT PLEASES GOD.

He Wants That We Love Him:

With All Our Heart, Soul, Mind And Strength,

From The Heart, That We Delight In Him.

THAT'S THE CONFRONTATION.

2 THE CONDEMNATION:

People Honor Me With Their Lips But Their Heart Is Far From Me.

The Whole Issue Of Religion.

If It's All About The External,

If It's All About The Ceremonial, The Ritual,

If It's All About Behavior And Not About The Heart,

Then It Is Not What Honors God.

IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME THAT WAY,

TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.

Christ Didn't Deny Breaking The Tradition, He Broke It.

He Broke It Without Regard For It.

He Had No Respect For Their Whole Traditional System.

He Ignored It.

He Swept It Aside.

It Was Meaningless.

It Was Damning.

It Obliterated The Truth.

It Was Directed At The Right God But In The Wrong Way.

God Does Not Accept Worship, Even Worship In His Name Directed At Him Done Wrongly.

It Is A Serious Problem:

To Worship The Wrong God,

To Worship The Right God In The Wrong Way.

The Message Of The New Testament Is Simple.

It's The Same As The Message Of The Old Testament,

God Desires To Be Worshiped From The Heart.

Jesus Faced This Hypocritical Worship In His Day.

The Old Testament Prophets Faced It.

We Face It Today.

There Is Vast, Far-Reaching, Sweeping, Worldwide, Empty, Meaningless Worship Directed At God That Is Nothing But Hypocrisy And Sham And Externalism And Legalism And Ceremony And Ritual.

AND WE'RE ALL VERY, VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT.

OUR LORD COLLIDED WITH THIS.

He Was Concerned About Were Spiritual And Not Material.

They Were Materialists.

They Were Religious Materialists.

Their Religion Was Superficial, Not From The Heart.

Superficial Religion Doesn't Change The Heart.

They Did Not Love God Nor Worship Him From The Heart.

They Didn't Hate Their Own Sin,

They Didn't Embrace Jesus As Their Redeemer And The Savior.

Religion Is Not The Path To God, Heart Worship Is.

Religion Is The Road To Hell.

WE SEE HERE THE COMPASSION OF JESUS.

ALSO THE CONDEMNING JUDGE.

COMPASSIONATE TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR SUFFERING,

CONDEMNING TO THE FALSE RELIGIONISTS.

Tradition Is Meaningless.

What Matters Is A Heart That Loves God, Humble, Selfless Love.

The Summation Is A Terrible Indictment, Invalidating The Word Of God By Your Tradition.

There Is One Revelation Of God That Is Absolutely True.

It's The Scripture And Not Anything Beyond This.

If We Love God, We Love His Word.

If We Love His Word, We Love To Obey His Word.

True Religion Is Humble Love For And Delight In God.

Humble Love For And Delight In Christ.

Humble Love For And Delight In The Holy Spirit,

In The Beauty Of The Holiness Of Our Lord,

In The Glory Of His Majesty.

This Humble Love Leads Us To Love The Word And Love To Obey The Word.

What Is The Solution?

To Repent.

THE CURRENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS,

HONORED THE ELDERS' WISDOM.

WHO PRACTICED ADDITIONAL RULES.

AS IF THEY WERE COMMANDS OF GOD.

The Rules Were Often Designed,

To Keep The People,

From Unknowingly Or Accidentally,

Breaking One Of God's Commands.

Their Challenge Is So Hypocritical That Jesus Had Unique Reply:

HE ANSWERS THEIR QUESTION WITH A QUESTION.

Jesus Asks:

Why Break The ACTUAL COMMAND of God For Tradition?

AS JESUS SEES IT:

THEY WERE BREAKING GOD'S LAW TO KEEP MAN'S LAW.

The Pharisees Criticize Him For Ignoring Tradition,

In Favor Of God's Actual Intent,

While They Ignore God's Intent,

In Favor Of Tradition !!

Jesus Used A Prophecy Of Isaiah That States:

Their Worship Of God Is Pointless,

Since They Replace God's Doctrines,

With Human Legalism And Loopholes.

Matthew 14 | The Power Of The King

PREVIOUSLY:

THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

The Parable Of:

The Sower:

The Wheat and Tares:

The Mustard Seed And The Leaven In Flour:

The Hid Treasure And The Pearl:

The Dragnet:

THIS STUDY: MATTHEW 14: OUTLINE:
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST: VERSES 1-12:

The Tragic Drama of John the Baptist And The Fall Of Herod.

JESUS FEEDS THE 5000: VERSES 13-21:

Compassion and Power.

The Place of the Disciple in the Work of Christ.

The Making of a Miracle.

JESUS WALKS ON WATER: VERSES 22-33:

In the Hour of Trouble And Recovery.

JESUS HEALS THE SICK IN GENNESARET: VERSES 34-36:

The Ministry Of Christ That Demonstrates Power And Deity.

Key Takeaway:

JESUS USES HIS POWER AS HE IS MOVED BY COMPASSION AND CARE.

SOME FOLLOWERS SEEK FULFILLMENT IN HIM AND NOT IN THE WORLD.

WHAT DOES MATTHEW CHAPTER 14 MEAN?

Matthew 14 Begins With The News That Herod The Tetrarch (Herod Antipas) Has Heard About The Fame And Power Of Jesus.

This Is The Son Of Herod The Great.

Herod The Great: The One Who Tried To Kill Jesus As An Infant.

This Herod Was Assigned By ROME To Govern This Region.

Region: Galilee And Perea.

Ministry Of Jesus Based In This Area.

Herod Believes Jesus To Be John The Baptizer Resurrected.

This Confusion Possibly Came Out Of Guilt Or Superstition.

The Account Of John The Baptist AND Herod Found Here.

THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST: VERSES 1-12:

THE TRAGIC DRAMA OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

THE BEGINNING OF THE FALL OF HEROD.

STORYLINE:

HEROD WAS A MAN WITH A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE.

FLASHBACK REGARDING JOHN THE BAPTIST PREACHING.

HEROD'S FOOLISH OATH.

A FATAL DECISION.

JOHN'S HEAD ON A PLATTER.

John Was Imprisoned After Publicly Condemning Herod.

Herod Was Married To His Own Sister-In Law, Herodias.

Herod Hesitated To Execute John The Baptizer.

This Prophet Was Very Popular With The People Of Israel.

He Foolishly Made A Decision That Forced This Execution.

During A Pagan Feast, Herodias's Daughter Danced For Herod.

As A Gift Herod Promised Her ANYTHING SHE WANTED.

Herodias Urged Her Daughter To Have JOHN'S HEAD On A Platter.

Herod Agreed Under Pressure. (Matthew 14:1–12).

JESUS KNOWS THAT HEROD IS SEEKING HIM.

BUT HE CONTINUES IN MINISTRY:

JESUS FEEDS THE 5000: VERSES 13-21:

COMPASSION AND LOVE AND POWER ARE DEMONSTRATED.

THE MAKING OF A MIRACLE: BY CREATING FOOD.

Jesus Leaves The Crowds.

He Moves Via Boat To A More Desolate Area.

They Arrive In Bethsaida On The Northeast Shore,

The Crowds Have Walked Around Lake To Jesus.

They Find The Crowds Waiting For Jesus.

Jesus Feels Compassion For The People And Ministers To Them.

His Compassion Is On Display:

REMEMBER:

JESUS LOVES EVERY ONE OF US,

AS IF THERE WERE BUT ONE OF US TO LOVE.

He Continues His Works Of Miracles And His Words Of Love.

(Matthew 14:13–14).

Later, The Disciples Inform Jesus The Crowds Will Need Food.

THE DISCIPLES HAVE THEIR FAITH TESTED.

THEIR INITIAL RESPONSE: THEY SAID SENT THEM AWAY.

Jesus Tells The Disciples To Feed The People.

Jesus KNOWS The Dependency Of The Crowd And The Disciples.

The Disciples Gather Only Five Loaves Of Bread And Two Fish.

Jesus Said Bring Them To Me.

NOTE: THAT LITTLE IS ENOUGH WITH HIM !!

Taking That Food, Jesus Tells Everyone To Sit On The Grass.

JESUS HOSTS A MESSIANIC BANQUET !!

He Breaks The Food Into Baskets.

The Disciples Distribute It.

Everyone Ate All They Wanted And 12 Baskets Were Leftover.

NOTE:

There Could Have Been 20,000 People At This Event.

5,000 Men PLUS Their Families Were Present.

ALSO:

This Event Is Found In Each Of The Gospels Accounts.

THIS EVENT IS AT THE HIGHLIGHT OF HIS MINISTRY.

(Matthew 14:15–21).

JESUS WALKS ON WATER: VERSES 22-33:

IN THE HOUR OF TROUBLE AND RECOVERY.

WEAK FAITH GREAT FEAR.

Immediately After That Astounding Miracle Of Creating FOOD,

Jesus Sends:

The Crowds Away By Foot,

The Disciples Away By Boat To The Other Side Of The Lake.

He Goes Up Onto A Mountain And Prays Until Late Evening.

The Disciples Sailed Almost All Night On A Windy Rough Sea.

NOTE: Hardships Are Not Always From Bad Choices.

This Struggle Is Not Because Of Rebellion Or Bad Choices.

Rather, It's Because Of Their Obedience.

After Midnight, A Figure Emerges From The Darkness.

This Figure Was Walking On The Water Toward Their Boat.

The Disciples Are Afraid But Then Learn It Was Jesus.

(Matthew 14:22–27).

STORYLINE:

AN INVITATION: JESUS SAID COME.

A MOMENTARY FAILURE: PETER LOOKS AT THE WAVES.

AN EARNEST PRAY: LORD SAVE ME.

A SPEEDY DELIVERANCE: JESUS IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT HIM.

Jesus Command Peter To WALK ON WATER.

Jesus Says, "Come." Then Peter Begins To WALK ON WATER.

Then, Peter Realizes The Situation And Reacts In Fear.

He Sinks And Cries For Help.

Jesus Saves Peter And Asks Why He Doubted.

The Wind Immediate Stops And The Disciples Worship Jesus.

They Tell Him: Truly, You Are The Son Of God.

(Matthew 14:28–33).

JESUS HEALS THE SICK IN GENNESARET: VERSES 34-36:

THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST THAT DEMONSTRATES DEITY.

The Disciples And Jesus Finally Arrive At Gennesaret,

This Town Is Located On The Northwest Shore Of The Lake,

The People Recognize Jesus.

The People Gather The Sick And Afflicted From All Around.

The People Beg To Touch The Fringe Of The Clothes Of Jesus.

NOTE:

HAD THE PEOPLE HEARD ABOUT A PREVIOUS MIRACLE ?

A Similar Miracle That Happened And Recorded In Matthew 9.

The Woman With The Issue Of Blood,

Crept Up Behind Jesus In The Crowd.

And Touched The Hem Of His Cloak.

To Touch The Edge Of Jesus' Cloak:

The Same Kind Of Thing As To Look For Healing :

In The Relics.

In The Handkerchiefs Of Saints.

This Woman Came To Jesus With A Very Inadequate Faith.

She Came With What Seems Superstitious More Than Faith.

But Jesus Was Compassionate.

So, Many People Approach Jesus And Are Made Well.

EVEN THOUGH NOT A SAVING FAITH IT DEMONSTRATED POWER.

(Matthew 14:34–36).

Matthew 13 | The Parables Of The King

 Previously In Matthew 12:

Jesus Faced Rejection Of His Teaching And His Authority.

Jesus Demonstrated That His Authority:

Is Greater Than Demons.

Is Greater Religious Teachers,

Why: BECAUSE HE IS LORD AND KING.

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

The Parable Of:

The Sower:

The Wheat and Tares:

The Mustard Seed And The Leaven In Flour:

The Hid Treasure And The Pearl:

The Dragnet:

The Householder:

The Barrier of Unbelief:

Key Takeaway:

Jesus Uses Parables To Open The Eyes Of His Followers To The Truth.

Jesus Uses Parables To Hide The Secrets Of The Kingdom From Those Who Reject Him.

WHAT DOES MATTHEW CHAPTER 13 MEAN?

MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM: (MATTHEW 13:1–3).

Parables Are:

Short Stories Designed To Emphasize A Greater Truth.

To Make Large Or Abstract Ideas Easier To Grasp.

To Make Ideas Relate Something To More Common Experiences,

To Make Those Deeper Concepts More Accessible.

How Are We To Understand The Parables Of Jesus?

There Are About 40 Of Them.

They're Only In Matthew, Mark, And Luke.

No Parable Is In John.

Parables Are:

Obscure Because They Rely On Symbolism And Metaphors.

Not Focused On Small Details Which Is Not Their Purpose.

Jesus Intentionally Avoids Explaining The Meaning To Crowds.

Jesus Would Explain The Spiritual Meaning To Disciples.

Jesus Said Parables Are Given To Know About The Kingdom.

So, Israel At Large Especially Religious Leaders:

Rejected Jesus As The Messiah.

Rejected That The Source Of His Miracles Was Proof Of Deity.

HOW DOES JESUS RESPOND TO THEIR REJECTION?

PEOPLE WHO REJECTED SOON ARE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND.

THEY WERE ABLE TO SAY YES, SAID NO, THEN NOT ABLE.

HOWEVER:

TRUE CHRIST FOLLOWERS ARE BLESSED TO UNDERSTAND.

SO, A Huge Group Of People Follow Jesus From A House.

He Moved To Teach From The Shores Of The Sea Of Galilee.

So Many People Came That They Cannot All See And Hear Him.

Jesus Gets In A Boat And Pushes Off Shore A Bit.

The Crowd Listens From Shore As He Teaches Them In Parables.

How Are We To Understand Why Jesus Teaches In Parables?

The First Two Words Are Important, "That Day."

This Is A Day Like No Other Day.

This Is A Day In Which A Dramatic Transformation Takes Place In The Teaching Of Jesus.

This Is A Day With An Epic Shift.

This Is A Day That Is Ominous In Every Sense.

It Is Abrupt.

It Is A Startling Day.

It Is A Shocking Day In And Of Itself.

The Events That Happened That Day Would Be Enough,

This Is A Turning Point In The Entire Ministry Of Jesus.

It Happens To Be A Sabbath Day.

It Is Near The End Of His Second Year Of Ministry.

That Day Jesus Went Out Of The House Sitting By The Sea.

The Lake Of Galilee.

And Large Crowds, As Always, Gathered To Him,

So He Got Into A Boat And Sat Down,

And The Whole Crowd Was Standing On The Beach.

In Verse 3: He Spoke Many Things To Them In Parables,

ON THIS DAY.

Up To This Day, He Did Not Speak In Parables.

There Are No Parables In The Sermon On The Mount,

For Example, There Is An Illustration:

The Flood And Houses Built On Sand And Rock,

But There Is No Parable.

But From Here On, He Always Speaks In Parables.

He Basically Drawn From The Old Testament,

He Gave Discourses Based On Old Testament Scripture.

He Taught Doctrine, Theological Truths.

Propositional Truth: Which Is An Absolute Statement Of Fact.

He Was A Theological Preacher,

He Was A Expositional Preacher.

All Of A Sudden: He Becomes A Story-Teller.

Mark 4:33 GIVES A LITTLE MORE DETAIL OF THIS EVENT:

With Many Such Parables,

He Was Speaking The Word To Them,

So Far As They Were Able To Hear It;

And He Did Not Speak To Them Without A Parable;

But He Was Explaining Everything Privately To His Own Disciples."

NOTE:

AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME.

AND From This Day On:

Whenever He Taught In Public,

He Spoke In Parables,

This Is A Huge Shift !!

(Matthew 13:10–17).

THESE SPECIFIC TEACHINGS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF ISRAEL'S RESPONSE TO THE MINISTRY OF JESUS:

They Show How The Gospel Is Received Or Rejected,

They Are Not PRIMARILY To Present A Path For Salvation.

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

1 THE SOWER: MATTHEW 13:3-8,18-23:

This Parable Is Not Intended To Teach About Salvation.

It Is Taught To A Crowd.

A Sower Was Planting A Field.

Some Seeds Fall On Hard-Packed Paths Not Ready For Planting.

Those Sprouts Are Eaten By Birds.

Other Seeds Fall On Thin Rocky Soil But Rocks Prevent Growth.

Those Sprouts Die In A Heatwave.

Other Seeds Fell On Thorns That Choked The Plants.

Those Sprouts Do Not Grow In Abundance.

Some Seeds Fall On Good Soil And Grew In Abundance.

(Matthew 3:3–9).

Jesus Explains:

The Seeds Represent THE WORD Of The Kingdom.

The Hard Soil Is Those Who Do Not Understand And Hardened.

Satan Snatches Away That Truth Like A Bird Grabbing A Seed.

Rocky Soil Is Those Who Seem To Accept The Truth.

But Without Any Depth, Difficulty Comes, They Wither And Fail.

Thorns Represent Competing Interests From The World: Money.

Lives Choked With Thorns Of Distraction Pushes Out Truth.

The Good Soil Is Those Who Receive The Word And Reproduce.

(Matthew 13:18–23).

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

2 THE WHEAT AND TARES: MATTHEW 13:24-30, 18-23:

This One Involves A Man Who Sows Grain In A Field.

His Enemy Comes By Night, Scatters Weeds With Good Seeds.

The Bad Seeds Were TARES, Inedible, Looks Like Good Seeds.

Rather Than Uproot The Good Crop,

The Farmer Wisely Waits Until The Harvest.

At That Time, All The Plants Will Be Harvested,

But The Tares Will Be Separated Out, Bundled Up, And Burned. (Matthew 13:24–30).

Jesus Explains:

He Is The Farmer, The Field Is The Entire World.

The Children Of God's Kingdom Are The Good Wheat,

The Children Of The Devil Are The Weeds.

For Now, Both Will Be Allowed To Live And Grow.

At JUDGMENT DAY: Good Crop Kept, Tares Thrown In Fire.

(Matthew 13:36–43).

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

3 THE MUSTARD SEED: MATTHEW 13:31,32:

THE LEAVEN IN FLOUR: MATTHEW 13:33:

A Grain Of Mustard Seed That Grows To A Large Plant.

The Kingdom Will Be Great And Glorious,

Just As The Old Testament Predicted,

But Not Immediately.

Rather, IT WILL GROW TO A LARGE KINGDOM.

(Matthew 13:31–32).

Leaven In Flour,

It Appears To Be A Small Amount Of Yeast,

It Is Hidden In A Large Batch Of Flour.

The Kingdom's Apparently Small,

Obscure Beginning,

WILL COME TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE EARTH.

(Matthew 13:33).

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

4 THE HIDDEN TREASURE: MATTHEW 13:44:

THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE: MATTHEW 13:45,46:

A Treasure Hidden In A Field.

A Costly Pearl.

Wise People Recognize The Value Of Earthly Items.

Wise People Give Up Everything Else To Acquire Them.

Real Value: EARTHLY THINGS VERSUS HEAVENLY THINGS.

Giving Up All We Have Only Seems Radical,

But Not To Those Wise People Who Know The Value.

(Matthew 13:44–46).

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

5 THE DRAGNET: MATTHEW 13:47-50:

The Use Of Nets To Catch Fish.

The Net Collects Many Different Things.

Fishermen Sort Valuable Catch From Other Catch.

God's Final Judgment Will Distinguish Elect From Other.

(Matthew 13:47–50).

MATTHEW 13: THE PARABLES OF THE KING:

6 THE HOUSEHOLDER: MATTHEW 13:51,52:

A Wealthy Person Who Shows Others His Treasures.

What Is Old And What Is New.

Jesus Explains:

Disciples Teach The Old Testament And The New Testament.

Revelations In The New Testament Completing Old Testament.

(Matthew 13:51–52; 16:21–23; 26:6–13).

END OF CHAPTER:

THE BARRIER OF UNBELIEF (MATT. 13:53-58):

The People Of NAZARETH Rejects Jesus As Messiah.

The People Agree He Has Wisdom In Explaining Scripture.

The People Agree He Performs Mighty Works.

The People Could Not Accept A Local Carpenter As Messiah.

The People Refuse To Even Consider New Information.

The People Are Insincere And Disinterested In Jesus.

As A Result, Jesus Does Little Supernatural Work There.

(Matthew 13:53–58).

Matthew 12 | The Rejection Of The King

Last Lesson:

Some Would Question The Authority Of Jesus.

Solving This Problem Of Doubt And True Greatness.

Treating Christ With Criticism And Indifference.

Invitation To Rest In The Authority Of Jesus.

General Outline:

I. Rejection Of The King’s Principles (12:1-21).

A. Sabbath Work (12:1-8).

B. Sabbath Healing (12:9-14).

C. Lord Of The Sabbath (12:15-21).

II. Rejection Of The King’s Power (12:22-37).

Key Takeaway:

If Jesus Is Truly King, Then We Must Welcome His Rule And Reign In Every Area Of Our Lives.

We See The First Definite Steps That Lead To The Cross.

The Scribes And The Pharisees,

Of The Most Orthodox Religion On Earth,

Are Against The Power And Authority Of Jesus.

WHAT DOES MATTHEW CHAPTER 12 MEAN?

Jesus Taught That He Mourned Over People Rejecting Him.

Again He Comes Into Conflict With Local Religious Leaders.

These Mostly Involve The LEGALISTIC Scribes And Pharisees.

By This Point In His Ministry The Spiritual Leaders Had Begun:

To Amplify Their Attacks,

To Exaggerate Their Accusations,

To Increase Attempts To Trap Jesus

Saying Or Doing Something They Could Use Against Him.

What Event(S) Takes The Opposition And Indifference Of Jesus.

To Hostility And Triggers The Hatred.

So Much They Wanted To Kill Him.

What Takes Them From Interest With Reservation,

To Rejection Without Reservation ?

The Next 3 Chapters NOTE THE THEME: OPPOSITION TO HIM.

Jesus And His Disciples Are:

Walking Through A Field Of Grain,

Walking On The Sabbath,

Apparently On Their Way To The Synagogue.

The Hungry Disciples Pluck Heads Of Grain.

They Eat The Grain As They Go Along.

This Act Is Permissible According To Old Testament Law,

But It Does Violate The Pharisees' Traditional SABBATH Rules.

It Counts As "WORK" On A Sabbath Day.

They Accuse His Disciples Of Violating The 4^th Commandment (Matthew 12:1–2).

IN RESPONSE, CHRIST POSES A SERIES OF QUESTIONS:

Pharisees Taught A Man-made Standard For WORK On Sabbath.

Their Understanding Of The Sabbath Is Faulty.

Their Accusation Is Empty.

GOD'S LAWS ARE MEANT TO BE FOLLOWED,

BUT THEY ARE ALSO MEANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

Just As God's Laws MEAN MORE Than Avoiding Only Physical Sins (Matthew 5:27–28),

They Are Also NOT MEAN To Prevent Men From Doing Good When The Situation Requires It.

Jesus Declares Himself Lord Of The Sabbath. (Matthew 12:3–8).

The Same Day Jesus And His Disciples Enter The Synagogue.

THE PHARISEES HAVE SET JESUS UP:

A Man With A Withered Hand Is Present,

They Ask Jesus If It Is Lawful To Heal On The Sabbath.

Jesus Again Emphasizes Mercy,

Jesus Insists It Is Lawful To Do Good On The Sabbath.

He Heals The Man.

RATHER THAN LEARNING AND REPENTING,

THE PHARISEES DEEPEN THEIR CONSPIRACY.

TO DESTROY JESUS (MATTHEW 12:9–14).

Jesus Temporarily Withdraws | The Crowds Keep Following Him.

A Demon-Oppressed Man Is Brought To Jesus.

Because Of The Demon, The Man Cannot Speak Or See.

Jesus Heals Him, And The Man Dramatically Responds.

The Crowd Began To Ask,

If Maybe Jesus Is The Son Of David.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE RESPONSE,

THOSE MIRACLES INTENDED TO PROVOKE.

Proving Their Absolute Hardness Of Spirit,

The Pharisees Immediately Say,

Jesus Only Casts Out Demons By The Power Of Satan.

(Matthew 12:22–24).

JESUS REBUKES THEIR ACCUSATION WITH 3 ARGUMENTS.

First, Satan Would Not Be Divided Against Himself?

Second, Conflicts To Pharisees Saying They Cast Out Demons.

Third, Jesus Casts Out Demons Proves God's Kingdom Is Here.

(Matthew 12:25–28).

As The Messiah:

Jesus Had Defeated Satan,

Jesus Came To Rescue Citizens For God's Kingdom.

Jesus Is Working Against The Prince Of Demons,

So OBVIOUSLY, Jesus Is Not Working For Satan.

Those Who Are Not With Jesus Are Against Him.

THIS IS THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE.

WHERE JESUS MENTIONS.

BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.

In Literal Terms, This Means Seeing Christ Perform A Miracle And Attributing That Power To Satan Would Be Giving Glory To Satan When It Is Due The Holy Spirit.

In A Broader Sense, Those Who Persistently Reject God Are Committing Their Own Version Of Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit.

Such Absolute Rebellion Against God Will Not Be Forgiven. (Matthew 12:29–32).

He Calls Them A Brood Of Vipers, Pointing Out That The Words They Say Reveal The True Nature Of Their Hearts.

This Principle Applies, In General, To All People As Well:

What We Think And Feel Is The Origin Of What We Say And Do.

Jesus Warns Everyone Listening That They Will Be Held Accountable On The Day Of Judgment For Every Careless Word They Have Spoken.

(Matthew 12:33–37).

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ASK JESUS FOR A SIGN:

Of Course, He Has Very Recently Performed Miracles.

(Matthew 12:9–13, 22).

By Demanding MORE EVIDENCE Prove They Are Insincere.

Those Committed To Disbelief Will Often Claim That They Need Just One More Proof Or Confirmation, Which Is A Lie.

In That Spirit, Jesus Replies That This Is The Attitude Of An Evil And Spiritually Unfaithful Generation.

The Only Sign He Promises Them To See Is The Sign Of Jonah: Who Was In The Belly Of The Huge Fish For 3 Days.

The Son Of Man Will Also Be In The Earth For 3 Days.

This Is Another Reference To His Upcoming Resurrection.
At The End Time Judgment:

The Men Of Nineveh Who Repented At Jonah's Preaching,

Will Condemn The Generation Of Unbelieving Israelites,

Who Saw Christ In Person.

Even Those Pagan Deeply Wicked People,

Were Willing To Submit To God's Message.

(Matthew 12:41–42).

Jesus Warns: They Will Be Like A Person Possessed By Eight Evil Demons After First Being Freed From One.

So, The Demon Re-Enters And Brings Along Even More Evil Spirits.

Christ May Have Come To Fight Against Satan In That Generation Of Israel, But If They Reject Him, They'll Be Worse Off Than Before.

(Matthew 12:43–45).

Finally, Jesus Responds To News That His Mother Mary And Brothers Want To Talk To Him.

While He Does Not Dismiss Their Presence, Jesus Expands The Idea Of A True "Family" In His Response.

He Declares That His Disciples And All Who Do The Will Of His Father In Heaven Are His Brother And Sister And Mother. (Matthew 12:31–35).

4 STAGES OF INCREASING ATTITUDE OF HOSTILITY TO JESUS.

(i) In Matt. 12:1-8: We See Growing Suspicion.

The Story Of How The Disciples Plucked Grain On The Sabbath.

Growing Suspicion That A Teacher Would Allow His Followers To Disregard The Finer Points Of The Sabbath Law.

The Scribes Could Not Allow This To Spread Unchecked.

(ii) In Matt. 12:9-14; We See Active And Hostile Investigation.

The Story Of Healing The Paralyzed Hand On The Sabbath.

Jesus Knew Pharisees Would Be In The Synagogue On Sabbath.

Luke Says They Were There To Watch Jesus (Lk.6:7).

Now Jesus Would Always Be Under Close Observation.

Now The Leaders Were Seeking Evidence To Condemn Him.

(iii) In Matt. 12:22-32: We See Deliberate Deception.

The Story Of Pharisees Saying His Healing Power Is Of Satan.

From That Time Jesus Could Do Nothing Right In Their Eyes.

They Had Shut Their Eyes To True Revelation Of God.

They Were Completely Incapable Of Ever Seeing His Truth.

Their Prejudiced Blindness Put Them On A Path Of No Return.

Harsh Judgment On Blaspheming The Holy Spirit Was Revealed.

(iv) In Matt. 12:14 We See Evil Determination.

The Orthodox Were Not Content To Watch And Criticize;

They Were Preparing To Act.

They Had Gone Into Council To Find A Way To Get Rid Of Him.

Suspicion, Investigation, Blindness Became Their Actions.

FIVE WAYS IN WHICH JESUS MET THIS GROWING OPPOSITION.

(i) He Met It With Courageous Defiance. Matt. 12:9-14:

The Healing Of The Man With The Crippled Hand.

We See Jesus Deliberately Defying The Scribes And Pharisees.

This Event Was Not In Secret;

It Was In A Crowded Synagogue.

It Was Not Done In Their Absence,

It Was Done With Intent To Make A Charge Against Jesus,

Jesus Does Not Evade The Challenge,

Jesus Is About To Meet It Head On.

(ii) He Met It With Warning. Matt 12:22-32:

We See Jesus Giving The Most Terrible Of Warnings.

He Is Warning Them:

If They Persist In Shutting Their Eyes To The Truth Of God,

They Are On The Way To A Terrible Situation,

By Their Own Act They Will Be Unable To Receive Grace Of God.

Here Jesus Is Not So Much On The Defense As On The Attack.

He Makes It Clear Where Their Attitude Is Taking Them.

(iii) He Met It With A Staggering Series Of Claims. Matt 12:6:

He Is Greater Than The Temple,

The Temple Was The Most Sacred Place In All The World.

He Is Greater Than Jonah,

And No Preacher Ever Produced Repentance So Effective.

He Is Greater Than Solomon,

And Solomon Was The Very Height Of Wisdom.

His Claim Is That He Is More Than Any Spiritual Leader,

There Are No Apologies Here;

There Is The Statement Of The Claims Of Christ At Their Highest.

(iv) He Met It Stating His Teaching Is Essential. Matt 12:43-45:

What Is The Point Of The Strange Parable Of The Empty House.

It Is That The Law May Negatively Empty A Man Of Evil,

But Only The Gospel Can Fill Him With Imputed Righteousness.

The Law Simply Leaves A Man An Empty Invitation,

Empty For All Evil To Take Up Its Residence Within His Heart;

The Gospel Fills People With Imputed Righteousness,

So Full That Evil Cannot Enter In.

The Gospel Can Do For People What The Law Can Never Do.

(v) He Met It With An Invitation. Matt. 12:46-50:

In Essence An Invitation To Enter Into Kinship With Him.

These Verses Are Not Disowning Of Jesus' Own Kin,

These Verses Are An Invitation For All To Enter Into Kinship,

Through The Acceptance Of The Will Of God,

As That Will Has Come To All People In Him.

They Are An Invitation To Abandon Our Own Prejudices,

An Invitation To Deny Self.

An Invitation To Receive Him As Master And Lord.

If We Refuse, We Drift Farther Away From God;

If We Accept, We Enter Into The Very Family And Heart Of God.