Matthew 26-27

Matthew 26:1-5 Jesus foretells His death for the fourth time (21:45-46). The priests and elders scheme to do so. Why? Did they sincerely believe that Jesus was misleading the people and that since their arguments for the status quo religion were not prevailing, the greater good was served by killing Jesus? Or was it just a simple power game - politics continued at a deeper level?

Matthew 26:6-13 Jesus is anointed for His burial. The disciples concern for the poor (26:8-9) may have been based on Deuteronomy 15:11, or perhaps Jesus’ own words (25:34-46). Jesus explains that ministering to the poor is important, but total devotion to Him is more important (26:10-13). As a general principle, obedience to God’s commands is important, but the overarching consideration must be devotion to God, and putting all other directives in context to our worship of Him with our lives. That is why this woman’s act of devotion will also be told wherever the gospel is preached - she poured out her life savings to anoint Jesus for His burial. Symbolically, she was the only person ever to honor Jesus death in the flesh appropriately. (Those that buried Him in the tomb could not anoint Him at that time and He rose before anyone could.) 

Matthew 26:14-16 Judas agrees to betray Jesus, as prophesied in Zechariah 11:12. Thirty denarii, about 135 grams of silver, worth about $200 at today’s market prices. If the silver coins were shekels, that raises it to 400 grams of silver, worth about $600.  What a bargain for the priests and elders! How many people sell their soul that cheaply these days?

Matthew 26:17-30 The Last Supper. Jesus follows the commands given to Moses in Exodus 12, but Passover was fulfilled at the Last Supper. The bread and wine were done as commanded, but the Passover lamb without defect was Jesus Himself. The blood, instead of being on the sides and tops of the doorframe, was on the cross, which became the door to eternal life for those who believe. Whether communion involves remembrance and commitment, or a sacramental transformation, we are to partake. God thus brings judgment on those spiritual forces of evil  - the Egypt of sin - that enslave us. In this case (Exodus 12:15), abstaining from leaven symbolizes abstinence from sin, not voluntarily re-opening the connection to those things that God has judged and delivered us from. Sing a hymn instead. (26:30)  In 26:24, Jesus alludes to Job bewailing the day of his birth (Job 3:1), and Judas Iscariot would have been better off not having been born.

Matthew 26:31-35 Jesus predicts Peter’s denial, and quotes Zechariah 13:7. 26:34 was fulfilled in 26:69-74. How often do we make a promise to God when we experience His presence, only to not keep it when we have left church and are in the world?

Matthew 26:36-46 Praying in Gethsemane. In 26:39, 42, and 44 Jesus was seeking to reconcile His earthly will to the Father’s will, not pleading with the Father to change His mind. (John 8:29) Jesus’ holiness wasn’t just abstaining from sin, it was active obedience. It was just hard, even for Him. What He was going to do was very, very hard.

Matthew 26:47-56 Jesus is arrested; He  cites Scriptures and the prophets being fulfilled.(26:54&55) Possibly He was citing Daniel 9:26, although there are many other potential verses as well. Peter’s last act of courage was to draw a sword and cut off a servant’s ear (John 18:10), and Jesus rebuked him. When Jesus willingly surrendered to arrest, the disciples were understandably afraid, and left abruptly, lest they be charged as co-conspirators. In healing the servant’s ear, Jesus protected Peter from being so charged (at least there wasn’t any evidence).

Matthew 26:57-67 Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin; lots of false witnesses - are things any different today? Finally, two unnamed witnesses repeated what Jesus said in John 2:19-21.(26:61) They missed the whole point of that discourse a few years prior. They saw only the literal meaning of the words, and did not, perhaps could not grasp the symbolic, underlying spiritual reality.

Finally the high priest got fed up, and asked Jesus under oath to state whether or not He is the Messiah, the Son of YHWH. Jesus says “You have said so” and quotes Psalm 110:1 & Daniel 7:13.(26:64) Perhaps the best way to understand Jesus’ first response is something like ‘you said it!’ Meaning ‘right on!’. The high priest was clearly angry. The verdict was delivered.

Matthew 26:68-75 Peter denies Jesus three times.  The rooster crowing reminded him of Jesus’ prophecy and his confidence then (26:34), and now completely demoralized, wept bitterly. Do we deeply lament our failures before God?

Matthew 27:1-2 Jesus is bound for trial. Since the Jewish priests and elders couldn’t legally execute someone, they figured out how to have the Romans do their dirty work.

Matthew 27:3-10 Judas commits suicide. It seems odd that Judas would now recognize that he had betrayed innocent blood. Was his focus the previous day solely on getting the money that he ignored this, or did the Holy Spirit now convict Him, or was the devil now leading him to suicide? It is unclear where the prohibition on blood money is found. (27:6) I cannot find this explicitly or implicitly in the Pentateuch, so it must have been inferred from other rules in the law about how blood is to be treated. The quote from Jeremiah that Matthew cites (27:9-10) includes a reference to both Jeremiah 32:6-9 and Zechariah 11:12-13. What is the significance of the potter’s field? It was likely a field where potters got clay to make their wares, leaving it depleted of soil and unsuitable for farming.  

Matthew 27:11-26 Jesus is tried by Pilate. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but was afraid of the crowds (27:18&23) The crowd wanted Jesus dead rather than in spiritual authority. (27:22-23) Pilate seemed to not care about spiritual matters, but did attempt to cleanse his conscience. (27:24) Did washing his hands work for that purpose? 

A curious intersection of three groups (priests, Pilate, crowd), but not mentioned in the trial is the spiritual battlefield. Satan wanted Jesus dead to eliminate his judgment, but God allowed it to happen to enable the removal of judgment on those people who accept Him but still have sinned. Satan was rebellious beyond redemption, but God was creating a spiritual fabric in which humans could ask for and receive it, albeit at a very steep price. Pilate was Satan’s unwitting tool, but God allowed it. Did Satan not realize that God in the flesh might be killed, but God transcends mere fleshly existence. As Aslan explains the deep magic at the stone table  in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, death cannot hold the sinless one who is killed, but all eternity begins to experience a reversal and turns towards life and light.

Matthew 27:27-31 The Roman soldiers mock Jesus. This is love - Jesus knew what was coming and did it anyway. (27:27-50) It was not just physical pain, as bad as that was (27:29-30), but the spiritual pain of knowing that these soldiers were mocking the Truth, by calling Him king of the Jews in jest, when He was truth(John 14:6), to their own eternal judgment.

Matthew 27:32-44 Jesus is crucified. Evidently Jesus’ words in John 2:19-21 were widely known, since the passers-by mocked Him with them. (27:40) The priests, elders, and legal professors all mocked Him just as the Roman soldiers had, not physically but in their words.

Matthew 27:45-56 the death of Jesus. Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 while on the cross. (27:46) Perhaps He quoted the entire Psalm since it describes this event in detail. The reference to Elijah coming to save Him once again refers to what must have been a common belief among the Jews that since Elijah had been carried into heaven while still alive, he would return, and they thought Jesus was calling on that promise, unaware of the events recorded earlier. (17:1-5) 

When Jesus died, the veil in the temple that separated man from God’s presence was torn in two from top to bottom (27:51). Whether this was to allow man to enter God’s presence, or to symbolically release the Holy Spirit into the world is unclear. It definitely signifies the direct contact of God with mankind.  Ultimately (in the truest sense of ultimate), Jesus’ death was the defeat of death, His resurrection led the victory parade. (27:52-53)

Matthew 27:57-61 The burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea is an enigmatic figure, appearing here, in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. What an honor, to be entrusted with Jesus’ body!

Matthew 27:62-65 A Roman guard is posted at the tomb. The Pharisees and the chief priests were afraid enough of Jesus’ widely known prophecy of His resurrection that they asked for the Roman guard at the tomb.  (27:63 —> 16:21) It didn’t help them deny the presence of the living Christ to those that encountered Him. 

Matthew 24-25

 Matthew 24 The signs of the end of the age

Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus talks about the end of the Temple; this happened in 70 AD, exactly as He described. Empty symbols have no value and won’t persist indefinitely. It was torn down.

Matthew 24:3-8 The disciples ask about sign of His coming and the end of the age. Don’t be misled by beginning of birth pangs. Wars, famines, and earthquakes are not signs of the end - they have happened throughout human history, and can be expected.

Matthew 24:9-14 Things that will happen before the end - persecution and cold faith. Christians will be hated and persecuted, the love of many will grow cold; the gospel must be preached to the whole world, as a testimony to all nations.  (Strong’s g1484, ethnos -  heathen, pagan, nations, tribes)

Matthew 24:15-22 The Abomination of Desolation a sign. This is mentioned in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. Things will go very badly after this.  Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrated the altar of the temple in 167 BC by offering a pig to Zeus. Things did go very badly for the Jews living in Jerusalem at that time, as related by Josephus. Yet Jesus here speaks of a future event, so Antiochus was only a picture of what will happen in the times of the end. This is a true sign because the distress of that time will surpass any past or future era. So great, in fact, that mankind would be wiped out if Jesus Himself doesn’t come to end it.

Matthew 24:23-27 False messiahs and false claims of His presence. Even when the signs point to Jesus’ return, only recognize Him in the sky, nowhere else and no one else. Jesus was on earth once, only a small cadre recognized Him at that time; He died to redeem mankind, established the church to carry His message, and sent the Holy Spirit to empower it. When He returns, every eye will see Him, it won’t be a hidden event. (Revelation 1:7) 

Matthew 24:28 Vultures gather around carcasses. Corpses imply many killed in the open, perhaps as part of the events that are signs of Jesus’ return. Vultures feed on dead meat - the spiritual evil that will prevail and nearly destroy mankind, feeds on this distress and its victims.

Matthew 24:29-31 The sign in the sky. Jesus cites/quotes three separate passages that link signs in the sky to judgment: Isaiah 13:10 - Babylon; Isaiah 34:4 - The whole world; Daniel 7:9-10 - The four beasts. When He returns, He will fulfill these prophecies.

Matthew 24:32-35 Signs of the Times. Referring back to the preceding verses, the signs appear to be false messiahs, false reports of Jesus on the earth, the preaching of the gospel to every tribe and nation, and the abomination of desolation.

Matthew 24:36-51 The time of His return is not revealed to anyone, so live ready. Jesus refers to the time of Noah, described in Genesis 6:13. The emphasis in Noah’s day is on the world’s wickedness, so it will be at the time of Jesus’ return. Although we can decry the wickedness of modern society, this is only one of the signs of Jesus’ return. God is looking to rescue those who are His faithful servants. Those who are not faithful, even if they thought themselves servants to Him, will be placed with the actors - the hypocrites - in God’s economy.

Matthew 25 The two parables have a common theme - await the arrival or return. However, they have different foci on what was expected. The bridal party was expected to wait and be prepared, while the servants with gold were expected to be gainfully employed.

Matthew 25:1-13 Parable of the wise and foolish virgins. I have heard it inferred that having ten virgins wait with the bride for the groom’s arrival was a custom of the time, but that is really unimportant to Jesus’ point. The oil may represent the Holy Spirit, or may represent providing for the light of God to illuminate our path. When the foolish virgins ask the others for some oil, they ask the impossible. Neither the Holy Spirit nor God’s light to our path can be just given by one person to another. We must go to God for these things. Learning from His word takes time. And the door being slammed in their faces seems to speak of the rapture, of people who believe they are part of the bride of Christ being left behind, because they are not waiting with anticipation for the bridegroom. (Hebrews 9:28) Being a virgin by itself does not qualify them to go. Although personal holiness is important, there is more to faith - as Jesus will explain with sheep and goats.

Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of three servants with bags of gold. The talent as money seems to be a symbol or metaphor for man’s capabilities and time, perhaps talent as innate ability is not far off from Jesus’ meaning. The master gave bags of gold to each according to his ability (25:15). There is perhaps a hint that the third servant was jealous of the greater resources given the other servants, but that is not his excuse. He saw his master as a hard man who demanded the impossible. He completely misunderstood the master. It is like seeing God’s holiness as unachievable perfection and therefore not even trying to let God change his life, by running and hiding. God calls us to be active, not hide in our safe place. The outer darkness ultimately delivers the third servant from the Lord’s presence, but it is not a happy place.

Matthew 25:31-46 The sheep and the goats. In Psalm 23, the sheep accepted Jesus as their shepherd, and He directs their paths.  In Leviticus 16:21-22, Aaron was directed to release the scapegoat into the wilderness, with all the wrongdoings of Israel on it, to an isolated place.  This parable weighs into the faith vs. works debate firmly on the side of  James 2:18. There are lots of types of works - giving food and drink to and clothing the needy, welcoming strangers, and visiting prisoners. And these are just examples. Jesus’ point is simple: He identifies with these needy people, and He expects His followers to minister to them. To neglect them is to neglect Him. One has to wonder how Jesus’ warning weighs against our treatment of illegal migrants. Were the Pilgrims and Puritans, and the settlers in Jamestown illegal immigrants to North America?

Matthew 22-23

Matthew 22

Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Many are invited but few are chosen. One might infer that the Son that this parable speaks of is Jesus Himself, the bride is the church, the King is God the Father, as Revelation 19:6-9 seems to indicate, who are the guests? That is not the important point of this parable. The point is that firstly, some openly ignore or resist His messengers, and they are summarily destroyed by fire. Secondly, when the King’s servants invite anyone who will come for a good meal without regard to qualifications, a man is there showing blatant disrespect for the king and the occasion. Why did the bouncers at the door let him in? I have no idea. But he was thrown into the outer darkness, not allowed to join the festivities. The point is clear: the gospel invitation is open to everyone, but God’s kingdom will not include those who disrespect Him or His standards. He will clean them up, but not if they refuse the fine linen (Revelation 19:8).

Matthew 22:15-22 Paying taxes to Caesar. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Even though the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking about paying taxes to heathen gentiles, Jesus did not denigrate them, but simply answered it as an honest question. The kingdom of Heaven does not need human taxes, and does not interfere with lawful human authority.

Matthew 22:23-33 Marriage at the Resurrection. The Sadducees want to use Deuteronomy 25:5-6 as a proof-text against resurrection. Jesus responds two-fold. They do not know the Scriptures - Exodus 3:6 - in which God tells Moses He is the God of some long-dead people (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) so they are still alive somewhere. They do not know the power of God - to make humans like angels in heaven at the resurrection. The transcendent joy of being in God’s presence trumps merely human appetites for sex, marriage, etc. Most of us probably have a hard time grasping this as well.

Matthew 22:34-40 The Greatest Commandment. Since Jesus silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisee have another go at Him. Although this is posed at a test, asking what the greatest law is a reasonable question that Jesus answers straightforwardly. He quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He does not say (but perhaps implies) that loving God is easy for those who do, because by doing so they have a taste of the joys of eternity with God. Loving God as the highest law left the Pharisees to judge themselves by it.

Matthew 22:41-46 Jesus asks, Whose Son is the Messiah? He is not trying to trap the Pharisees or even embarrass them, but to make them think. He quotes Psalm 110:1, pointing to the apparent theological problem of David calling one of his descendants “Lord,” which is counter to all human cultures. (Note that Psalm 110:4 David says the He is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.) David clearly understood the divinity of the Messiah. Jesus was trying to get them to recognize the amazing power and mystery of the incarnation.

 

Matthew 23

Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus warns the disciples and the crowds to not imitate the scribes & Pharisees. Jesus uses a word that is unique to this verse (23:10) in telling them that He and only He, the Messiah, is to be their mentor, their guide down the road of faith. (Strong’s g2519) This is in contrast to the word used for the scribes which is sometimes translated teacher (Strong’s g1122), used subsequently.

Matthew 23:13-36 Jesus pronounces seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrisy is knowing what God’s word says and not doing it.  (Strong’s g5273 - an actor) A actor’s real life is disconnected from his presentation on stage. The woe is that pride prevented the scribes and Pharisees from having a real relationship with God. Jesus states seven dimensions in which genuine holiness confronts actor’s costumes.

Matthew 23:13-14 They have no kingdom relationship with God, and prevent others from having one.

Matthew 23:15 They evangelize and missionalize to make more people just as bad actors as themselves.

Matthew 23:16-22 They pervert the eighth commandment to badger people into giving to the temple fund, into thinking that ornate gold is more holy than the reality of God’s presence.

Matthew 23:23~24 They prioritize legalistic rituals over substantive lifestyle decisions.

Matthew 23:25-26 They look good but are a mess inside.

Matthew 23:27-28 They look alive but are dead inside.

Matthew 23:29-36 They have accepted their ancestors’ inheritance of murdering God’s spokesmen, being snakes  descended from snakes. The judgment of evil of all generations will come on the scribes and Pharisees who conspire to have Jesus put to death. (21:45)

Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus mourns over Jerusalem’s reaping of what it has sown. Gathering his chicks together almost implies a rapture-like event. He ends by quoting Psalm 118:26, repeating 21:9, except that the triumphal entry had already happened.  Hw was now confronting disbelief.  This seems to imply that the second coming will not occur until Jerusalem is  converted to faith in Jesus. Is that happening in our day?

Matthew 20-21

 

Matthew 20:1-16 Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. We have an idea of proportionate rewards, but this does not apply in God’s kingdom. It is either in or not in - that is what matters most. And once there, He decides rewards based on His inscrutable (to us) ways. 20:6-7 might make one wonder if these late-to-be-hired workers didn’t have any credentials, or show much initiative, or if they had gentle personalities and didn’t elbow their way to the front of the hiring line? But they showed up, waited, and were hired. 20:16 repeats 19:30, tying the two narratives together, switching perceived vs. real positions in life this life and the next - the highest and the lowest.

Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus predicts His own death a third time, repeating 17:22. Referring back to 20:16 in that He would die the worst kind of death, condemned by both religious and secular authorities, yet He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Revelation 17:14)

Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus  discusses who will rule with Him in His kingdom. The disciples wanted authority and position. Jesus told them what real authority costs and looks like: drinking His cup, and  healing the helpless and lowest. Those in positions of earthly authority lord it over their subjects (ain’t that the truth!), but authority in Jesus’ kingdom looks like Him. Not only do the positions of the first and last get switched (19:30, 20:16), but the one who is first in His kingdom then serves others.

Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men are healed. What is the significance of them calling Jesus Lord, son of David? 2 Samuel 7:16 reports on the word of the Lord given through Nathan the prophet about the descendant of David; these men recognized Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment. There is nothing in David’s life about the blind receiving sight, but these men must have heard of Jesus’ miraculous healings and linked that to this scriptural promise from a thousand years earlier. They were right to do so. When we link current events to scriptural prophecies or promises, are we doing it right?

Matthew 21 Jesus triumphal entry and in the temple

Matthew 21:1-11 The triumphant entry to Jerusalem. 21:5 quotes Zechariah 9:9. Zechariah 9:9-17 goes on to say that this king will bring peace and save His people, and that He is Lord as well. In 21:9 the crowd sings or shouts Psalm 118:25-26. In 21:42 Jesus quoted previous verses, Psalm 118:22-23  (the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone). 

Comparing verses 21:9 & 21:11, we see that the crowd saw Jesus as both king and prophet. Recognizing Jesus for who He is and proclaiming it is the essence of His kingdom; this was in Jerusalem but not in Herod’s temple.

Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus enters the temple. This shows risky love by Jesus because He knew the consequences of provoking the priests and Pharisees. (See 21:45-46) As He overturned tables and benches, He quoted Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The children were still shouting hosanna in the temple (presumably with Jesus no longer on a donkey). When He was asked indignantly by the priests if He heard what they were saying, He quoted Psalm 8:2 and left the temple. Psalm 8:1 opens with the majesty of His Name in all the earth. So obvious that little children can see it.

Matthew 21:18-22 Jesus curses the fig tree. This was outside the temple, but the tree withered immediately. The Jewish faith was God’s fig tree and He found no fruit in what was supposedly His temple. In 70 AD, this symbolic curse was fulfilled.

Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus returns to the temple and discusses the sources of authority for faith with the priests. He trounces their with a simple counter-question that reveals the emptiness of their religion. Theirs was a religion of rules and rituals. Genuine repentance, life-change, and relationship to God, John the Baptist’s ministry, was not part of it. So there was no hope they would recognize Jesus’ ministry.

Matthew 21:28-32 Parable of the two sons. This hits close to home. If a believer is a son, God is pleased with the one who, in the end, does what God asks. But if he is a son who talks a good talk but in the end dies not do what God asks, the first will enter God’s kingdom first. Note the reference back to John the Baptist, who the priests were unwilling to acknowledge that he preached and baptized with authority. 

Matthew 21:33-44 Parable of the tenants. In 21:42 Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23, perhaps to show how consistently the Old Testament tells of Him, since the crowds had been singing Psalm 118:25-26 when He entered town. But then He talks about the ministry of this stone. In 21:44 He reveals that the price of being saved is being broken, but the price of being judged is to be punished. 

Matthew 21:45-46 The chief priests and Pharisees conspire to kill Jesus. Jesus had provoked them beyond their tolerance with His ministry there, telling people the truth about God and performing miracles. They could not see beyond protecting their way of life to recognize God incarnate, the very God whose word they studied and they thought they were serving.

Matthew 18-19

 

Matthew 18:1-7 Jesus tells His disciples they must enter the kingdom of heaven like little children. One might think this is a statement that He receives them because they receive Him (in simplicity), but in view of the disciples’ question, this is different. He is talking about not causing others to stumble, either by teaching or by lifestyle. It is not possible for little children to teach bad theology (maybe crazy but not evil), or for them to abuse alcohol or drugs or engage in sexual immorality. Adults have to, and should, choose to abstain from these for the basic reason that they can corrupt children’s or new believers’ faith.

Matthew 18:8-9 Self denial; parallel to 5:29-30. Self mutilation is better than eternal fire. Poking out eyes and lopping off hands is the reductio ad absurdum of external-only discipline.

Matthew 18:10-14 Parable of the wandering sheep. The Father values every one of His sheep. This does not imply that one should wander off to increase the Father’s joy when he returns. But He does not want the lost ones to perish, in eternal separation from Him. That is why the angels of the little ones constantly see the Father’s face, to intercede for them. That’s why Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and died on the cross.

Matthew 18:15-20 Dealing with sin. A matter being attested to by two or three witnesses cites Deuteronomy 19:15. The church practice of excommunication goes back to this passage, with a well defined path of several confrontations with warnings of increasing emphasis. It does not necessarily assume demonic control, starting with the possibility that the sin is due to yielding to temptation or deception. But if there is demonic possession, believers have authority to bind or loose. 18:18 refers to both binding demons and empowering angelic protection. 18:19 indicates prayers have authority outside church when two or three met together. 18:20 sums up the reason for this is Jesus’ presence with groups of two or three united in prayer. It is not a magic formula, but calling on Jesus to exercise His authority,  (17:14-21)

Matthew 18:21-35 Parable of the unmerciful servant. In response to Peter’s question, Jesus makes a contrast to Genesis 4:24, where Cain vowed vengeance, vs. Jesus’ depth of forgiveness. (18:22) God is the King who wants to settle accounts with His servants and is willing to forgive incredible moral debts. But there is a condition. This amplifies 6:12, by contrasting the size of our own moral debt to God to others’ to us. The resolution of this is that out of love for the sinner (another person), we should hate the sin for its effect on him and his life and soul, but discharge him from moral debt to us.

Matthew 19

Matthew 19:1-12 Jesus teaches on divorce, expanding on 5:31-32, in response to the Pharisees’ question about what are grounds for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus starts with the Edenic basis for marriage - God joins man and wife together, quoting Genesis 1:27 & 2:24. Since marriage is of God, man has no standing to break the relationship. The Pharisees turn to Mosaic law, citing Deuteronomy 24:1-4 - aren’t these legal justification in God’s eyes? Jesus’ response is to point out the link between hearts being far from God and sin. The man is forcing his wife to commit adultery unless she already has done so voluntarily.

The disciples were then concerned about the risk of marriage; Jesus’ response seems enigmatic, talking about eunuchs. Some men are biologically that way, and others choose that life for the sake of the kingdom of God. But only those who either are born or consciously choose monastic lifestyle can accept it. We know Peter was married (8:14), but not much about the other disciples. And we know from our day and age that many who are not married live sinful lifestyles. 

Matthew 19:13-15 Jesus says to let little children come to Him, which parallels 18:1-5.

Matthew 19:16-30 The rich and the kingdom of God.  This section parallels Matthew chapters 5-6. In defining the entrance criteria for heaven, Jesus starts by quoting Exodus 20:12-16  and Leviticus 19:18. (See 5:21, 27, 33, 41) His  call to a vow of poverty because earthly riches don’t matter in heaven parallels 6:19-33; earthly riches distract us at the very least, and control us if we let them.   Jesus will perfect us if we let Him, but it will be painful in our earthly lives.  19:28 implicitly cites Proverbs 13:7-8, but only if we achieve humility which comes through service, self-denial, and submission to others & God. The bottom line is 19:30: many who are first will be last; and the last, first. Not every one, but many. Jesus judges the heart before He puts anyone on a throne.

Matthew 16-17

 

Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign. Jesus’ first comment is that they should be looking at the signs of the times, and are wicked because instead they wanted a miracle. In our day and age, how many of us seek the miracle rather than reading the signs of the times and seeking the one who carries the good news. Jesus repeated His teaching to the Pharisees (the same ones?) from Matthew 12:39-41. Jonah’s preaching didn’t sound like good news (Jonah 3:4), but the good news was that they repented and God relented (Jonah 3:10).

Matthew 16:6-12 After they cross the lake, Jesus uses a discussion by the disciples about bread as a metaphor for bad teaching. Yeast was previously used as a metaphor for the kingdom of God (13:33). The key property of yeast is that it is initially almost insignificant in size, but when it is energized in bread it causes the bread to expand by a volume far greater than the yeast initially. This is true whether the yeast is the kingdom of God or the bad teaching of the Pharisees. He reminded them of how a few loaves of bread & fish had fed thousands of people on two occasions. Bad doctrine can destroy a church, a denomination, or a nation.

Matthew 16:13- 20 Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus makes the famous statement  “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” Whether Jesus meant that He would build His church on Peter himself, or on the confession of Him as the Messiah and Son of God, has been debated for centuries. Less often discussed is the specific authority Jesus conferred on His church. It would prevail against the gates of hell, and has the authority to loose and bind heavenly (i.e. spiritual) power. We see this displayed in the book of Acts when the disciples cast out demons in Jesus’ name and impart the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers cannot do this because it comes from authority, not a formula. (Acts 19:13-16)

Matthew 16:21-23 Jesus warns the disciples about His upcoming death, Peter confronts Him, and is corrected. When God is revealed in power, Satan is not far behind to challenge human response. Spiritual warfare can attack even the most devoted followers of Jesus. As a rule of thumb, we should never challenge what God tells us. We may seek to understand it better, but we can’t tell God that He is wrong. The most aggressive we can be is to plea to God to change His mind about judgment and ask for mercy.  (Exodus 32:7-14)

Matthew 16:24-28 Jesus explains the cost of following Hm. Divine authority and earthly success both carry the huge risk of deception, to make that the end goal of life. True reward in eternity will come from God and be in a different dimension than earthly riches and success. The authority that Jesus conveys in 16:19 is for the purpose of building His kingdom, not ours. Even if we tithe faithfully and God blesses us with abundance in this life, it is for His kingdom purposes. As clearly stated in 16:21&24, both Jesus and His disciples must carry crosses as part of their (our) calling.

Matthew 17

Matthew 17:1-13 Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mount

Matthew 17:2 God veiled in flesh is a mystery beyond our comprehension, but the point is that we believe it. Transfigured is the Greek word metamorphosis, but this is really the spiritual reality of who Jesus is unveiled in our world, the clothing torn off to reveal the true Person.

Matthew 17:5 The Father repeated what He had said at Jesus’ baptism (3:17). Do we really listen to Jesus? This could point to His teachings recorded in Scripture, or to His voice in our spirit speaking to us ‘this is the path, walk in it’. (Jeremiah 6:16) 

Matthew 17:6 Will we be joyous or terrified when our spiritual reality is unveiled? 

Matthew 17:10 This teaching of the law was probably based on Malachi 3:1-2 which did not explicitly name Elijah as the prophet. Apparently Elijah’s return was widely believed because of his transportation to heaven while still alive (2 Kings 2:11), and, as seen above (17:3), he did return, just not as expected by the teachers.

Matthew 17:11-13 Identifying John the Baptist with Elijah was not Jesus’ primary point, but did show fulfillment of prophecy (Malachi 3:1 says a prophet). Jesus’ focus was on how the world treats God’s messengers; He would soon follow John in being executed by the state. (14:1-12)

Matthew 17:14-21 Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy. The disciples could not expel it despite the commission given to them earlier. (10:1) Jesus was disappointed in their lack of faith, which needed only to be the size of a mustard seed (13:31), typically 1-2 mm in length. Why are demons even able to afflict people? Probably a range of contributing factors (an open door, deliberate sin, lack of a spiritual covering, etc.) all traceable to Satan’s rebellion and Adam’s fall. The authority of Jesus trumps all other considerations: a believer in Him empowered by the Holy Spirit has the authority Jesus gave in Matthew 10:1, along with the instructions in 10:5-8.

Matthew 17:22-23 Jesus predicts His death and resurrection again, repeating Matthew 16:21. This time Peter did not try to correct Him.

Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus has Peter pay the temple tax.

Matthew 17:24 The temple tax is likely based on Exodus 30:13, a half shekel to be laid before the altar of incense, as part of the census (pun intended). This offerings that Moses was told to collect were for the Israelites to continue on to the promised land. Perhaps a one-time offering. It is unclear how often the temple tax was collected in Jesus’ day.

Matthew 17:25-26 Peter was wrong, but Jesus paid it anyway. The king pays for his sons’ upkeep, doesn’t expect them to pay him back in kind (he expects far more), so sons are legally exempt.

Matthew 17 :27  One drachma = 1 day’s wage for a skilled worker, 4.3 grams of silver, worth about $6 in 2025. By contrast, the average daily wage for a skilled worker in the U.S. in 2025 is in the range $160-185, roughly 30 times the value of a 4.3 gram silver coin.  The daily wage of $6 seems in line with third-world or fourth-world countries today, consistent with pre-industrial, pre-agricultural revolution economies. This tax would be a huge burden to the average worker.

Matthew 14-15

Matthew 14:1-12 Murder of John the Baptist by Herod

Matthew 14:2 implies that John the Baptist, besides preaching and baptizing people, also performed miracles which are not mentioned elsewhere.

Matthew 14:4 John the Baptist implicitly cited Leviticus 19:16 & 26:31 which forbids  having sexual relations with one’s brother’s wife.

Matthew 14:6-11 imply that Herodias liked her position so well that she wanted John silenced by murder. Speaking truth to power carries risk. Beheading has been practiced elsewhere (notably with the guillotine in the French Revolution) but having the victim’s head brought on a platter seems gruesome. But maybe in the day of Herod, they were used to this? 

Matthew 14:13-14 Did Jesus withdraw to a private place to deal not only with John’s death, but a foreshadowing of His own? The need of ministering to others was more important, or perhaps more opportune, so He postponed His private time with the Father.

Matthew 14:15-21 Feeding of the five thousand men, plus women and children. Jesus repeats the manna given to Israel with fish added rather than quail. (Exodus 16:4-21; Numbers 11:31-35) But this time there was no anger from YHWH. In the account in Numbers, interspersed with the provision of manna and quail, the Lord has Moses assemble seventy elders  and puts some of the power of the Holy Spirit on them, a one-time event, and they prophesied. Moses says “If only all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29) Perhaps Jesus saw the provision of fish without anger foreshadowing the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Matthew 14:22-23 Jesus finally got away by Himself which He had been interrupted from earlier (14:13-14).

Matthew 14:24-33 Jesus walks on water. The storm was there so the disciples could grow  through trials. They did. Jesus showed them their need to completely rely on Him. Nothing else could save them (especially Peter). The means by which Jesus and Peter walked on the water is a mystery, a manifestation of the spiritual reality outside of our space time continuum, details are unimportant. Was calming the storm afterwards a lesser miracle? God who created the universe being manifested as a human in their presence, was a far greater miracle. 

Matthew 14:34-36 Jesus visits Gennesaret. The edge of His garment evoked faith for healing, just as it did in Matthew 9:20-22. Did the people seek Jesus solely for miracles, without any repentance, just as in Matthew 4:23-25? What follows in Matthew 15 is not another sermon, but a confrontation with the Pharisees.

Matthew 15

Matthew 15:1-9 Some Pharisees confront Jesus.  Most likely, the traditions of the elders were loosely based on passages such as Exodus 30:21 and Leviticus 15:21. Most likely the Pharisees and their elders had expanded the envelope of circumstances requiring hand-washing beyond priests at the altar in the holy of holies, or anyone touching the bed of a woman in her period, to provide a margin of safety or to please God by being holier than He commanded. Jesus invoked clear commands of the law in Exodus 20:12 & 21:17 to honor ones’ parents to point out the Pharisees hypocrisy in manipulating what sounds holy - to devote something to God - to avoid these commands. He quotes Isaiah 29:13 verbatim as speaking directly about the Pharisees, whose worship is in vain because their hearts are far from Him even though they talk a good talk. 

Matthew 15:10-20 Jesus explains to His disciples about true defilement vs. unnecessary rituals. Leviticus 11 describes several things that are unclean to eat. But His point is that words reveal the heart, and that is what comes out of the mouth, not what goes in. The metaphor comparing the Pharisees and their followers to the blind leading the blind is classic. What pit will they fall into? Probably hell. Leviticus 18 defines actions that defile, several of which Jesus repeated in 15:19, but His point is that the heart was defiled before the actions occurred.

Matthew 15:21-28 Jesus talks to a Canaanite woman with great faith. Contrasting 15:21&15:24, it seems unclear why Jesus was in the region of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus must have known her heart and this was His way of drawing her out, perhaps in playful banter, in contrast to dealing with the Pharisees. Calling her a dog seems like an insult, but He must have known her faith, since she had traveled from Canaan to Phoenicia to see Him. In any event, she humbly accepted the label and still made a case for, and received, her daughter’s healing.

Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus heals many Galileans. As with 14:34-36 we aren’t told if people sought Jesus solely for miracles, without any repentance, or some did repent?

Matthew 15:32-39 Jesus feeds four thousand men, plus women & children, closely paralleling 14:15-21.