40 Matthew

Understanding
the
Bible
(An Independent Baptist Commentary)
Matthew through Luke

By
David H. Sorenson
B.A., M. Div., D. Min.
Northstar Ministries
(A ministry of Northstar Baptist Church)
1820 W. Morgan St.
Duluth, MN 55811
218-726-0209
Printed 2007
Second Edition
Copyright 2007
Northstar Ministries
1820 W. Morgan St.
Duluth, MN 55811
Printed in U.S.A.
An Overview of
Understanding the Bible
(An Independent Baptist Commentary)
Understanding the Bible has one purpose: to help the reader under-
stand the Word of God. It seeks to accomplish what Nehemiah
wrote, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and
gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading”
(Nehemiah 8:8).This work endeavors to give the sense of any given
passage of Scripture and help the reader to understand the reading.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
ST. MATTHEW
Introduction to Matthew: The Gospel According to St.
Matthew was written by the Apostle Matthew, also called Levi.
The date of its writing is uncertain, though some have suggested
it was as early as A.D. 37. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve dis-
ciples and was also a publican (a tax collector for the Romans)
before coming to Christ.
The Gospel of Matthew is unique among the four gospels in
that it presents the ministry of Christ from the perspective of the
Jewish nation. He thus writes from a Jewish point of view and
provides numerous details to which a Jewish mind will readily
relate. The prominent characterization of Christ in Matthew is
that of the King and ultimately of His coming kingdom. Thus,
much of the book will be presented from the perspective of the
kingdom of God. That kingdom is what Jews of that day longed
for in throwing off the tyranny of the Roman yoke and reestab-
lishing their own historical kingdom, long truncated since the
Babylon captivity. However, Jesus described and defined that
coming kingdom in spiritual terms. The kingdom will be found
in the person of its King. He presented Himself to His people
throughout His ministry. However, official Israel rejected Him
out of hand.
Matthew is particularly the gospel for Israel.
Notwithstanding that, as it flows from the death and
resurrection of Christ, it is a gospel for the whole world.
9
10 Understanding Matthew
Overview of Matthew 1: Chapter 1 records two matters:
(1) the genealogy of Joseph, and (2) the birth of Jesus Christ.
1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son

of David, the son of Abraham. The Apostle Matthew begins
his gospel with the introductory comment, “the book of the
generation of Jesus Christ.” The word translated as generation
is (genesiv) genesis. What is recorded here is the lineage and
genealogy (i.e., origins) of Jesus Christ. On the natural level, it
is His human lineage. It should be noted that Matthew goes to
great effort to establish the Jewish lineage of Jesus Christ
through David and back to Abraham.
Matthew thus notes that our Lord was “the son of David,
the son of Abraham.” In as much as Matthew’s target-audience
is Jewish people, he goes to the heart of the lineage of Jesus
Christ. He is ultimately the son of David and hence a descendant
of the Davidic Covenant which God made with Israel. He
therefore is of that royal dynasty and thus heir to the throne of
Israel.
Moreover, Jesus is the son of Abraham and hence a de-
scendant of the Abrahamic Covenant. As the seed of Abraham,
He held a unity with all Jews who would someday hear of Him.
He was one of them. Hence, He was not only a Jew, but of the
royal lineage of Israel.
1:2-5 Matthew here begins the lineage of Christ from

Abraham and immediately shifts to the house of Judah. 2
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob
begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares
and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom
begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab
begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon
begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and
Obed begat Jesse. The lineage of Jesus Christ is clearly rooted
Understanding Matthew 11
in the patriarchs of the nation of Israel in Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Matthew makes sure his Jewish audience realizes that.
Then, notice that Jesus’ lineage comes through the house of
Boaz and through the harlot Rahab. Though there is quite an age
span, evidently Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, was the mother of
Boaz. Boaz eventually married Ruth of whom Obed was born.
He was the grandfather of David. A case might be made that all
three of the women in this lineage, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth
were all gentiles. That is not coincidental. God, in the very foun-
dations of Israel, was laying the foundation for a gentile bride
for His coming Son.
1:6-11 The lineage of Christ then flows exclusively

through the royal line of David up to the time of the Babylonian
captivity: And Jesse begat David the king; and David the
king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7
And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and
Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat
begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat
Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat
Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses
begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat
Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were
carried away to Babylon. These are the kings of Judah as
recorded in II Chronicles up until the Babylonian captivity
whence the kingdom of Judah was cut off. Zedekiah, though
last king of Judah is not noted inasmuch as he was the brother of
Jeconiah. However, Matthew does denote “Jechonias and his
brethren” thus taking note of both Jehoiakim and Zedekiah.
1:12-15 The lineage of Christ then continues through the

royal line during the captivity, restoration, and inter-
testamental period: And after they were brought to Babylon,
Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim;
and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and
Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud
begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan
begat Jacob.
1:16 Matthew then takes the lineage up to Joseph, the

husband of Mary. And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of
Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called the Christ. It
is important to note that the expression changes here. Jesus was
not begotten of Joseph. The word translated as begat (gennaw
gennao) is a term referring to the male role in procreation. Jesus
was born of Mary, but not begotten of Joseph. Matthew clearly
is laying the foundation of the truth of the virgin birth about to
be revealed in verse 23. The fact remains, nevertheless, that
Jesus was born of Mary but was not begotten of Joseph.
Here, the word, Christ, appears for the second time in the
Bible. The first in Matthew 1:1. The word thus translated
(Cristov christos) literally means ‘the anointed one’ or ‘Mes-
siah.’ To the Jewish mind, the Anointed One was a clear
reference to the ultimate King of Israel, the Messiah. The idea
hearkens back to the prescribed Jewish practice of anointing
their kings into office. Thus, the Anointed One was a clear re-
ference to the King. Jesus, as Messiah, was the long promised
King of Israel. Matthew therefore has gone to considerable
lengths in the preceding genealogy to establish the royal descent
of Jesus from King David.
1:17 Matthew thus sets up an interesting progression. So

all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen
generations; and from David until the carrying away into
Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying
away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, four-
teen generations from David to the Babylonian captivity, as
well as from the Babylonian captivity unto Christ. That is a total
of forty-two generations. (See Floyd Jones’s Chronology of the
Old Testament for further mathematical details regarding these
forty-two generations.) God typically works in sequences of
sevens. In forty-two generations there are six sequences of
seven. What may be implied is that the final seven generations
pertain to Christ and His coming kingdom are yet to come. That,
in all likelihood will be during the Millennium when Jesus
Christ will be King indeed. Implied therefore is that there may
be seven generations of Jewish people in that day.
1:18 From here to the end of the chapter, is the record of the
birth of Jesus Christ. Again, it is from a Jewish perspective and
written for the consumption of the Jewish mind. Matthew thus
notes, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When
as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they
came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
The reference to Mary being espoused to Joseph is roughly
similar to the modern, western idea of being ‘engaged.’ Under
Jewish custom, however, espousal considered the couple to be
legally wed though not having consummated the marriage un-
ion. Matthew continues noting, “before they came together.”
As righteous and godly Jews, they had not engaged in sexual
intimacy before marriage, even though they were espoused.
Notwithstanding, Mary “was found of child of the Holy
Ghost.” Mary’s conception was not of Joseph, but of the Holy
Ghost. Here we have another clear indication of the miraculous
conception of Jesus Christ. He was begotten of God, the Holy Ghost.
1:19 Imagine the consternation and confusion that Joseph

must have gone through. Then Joseph her husband, being a
just man, and not willing to make her a publick example,
was minded to put her away privily. He had thought that his
bride-to-be was pure and a virgin. Now, Joseph finds out that
she is pregnant and not by him. Under Jewish law, the breaking
of an espousal was allowed in such circumstance. In fact, under
Jewish law he could have had her brought before the local
Sanhedrin and pressed charges of evident adultery. The penalty
was death. (Espousal was considered to have the force of
marriage under the Jewish law.) But Joseph was a just man and
by implication a merciful man. Rather than publicly disgrace
her by pressing charges against her, he considered quietly
divorcing her. He no doubt was under tremendous burden and
stress. One can only imagine the conversations that took place
between him and Mary at this time. Mary already knew what
had happened to her (Luke 1:30-35). But Joseph evidently did
not believe her.
1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the

angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost. As he pondered all of this, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream and said, “Joseph, thou son of
David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
The word translated as conceived (gennaw gennao) is the
same Greek word translated as begat in verse 16. Again, it is the
word used for the male aspect of conception. Her impregnation
was by the Holy Spirit. Thus, Mary’s conception was by the
Spirit of God. Of additional interest is that the “angel of the
Lord” described Joseph as the “son of David.” It is likely that
Joseph rarely, if ever, so thought of himself as such. However,
God likely was reminding Joseph of his royal descent as he
learned he would be the stepfather of God’s Son. The angel here
is not named. It may have been the same one which made the
annunciation to Mary in Luke 1:26 which was Gabriel.
1:21 The angel thus announced, And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS. The name Jesus
essentially means ‘savior.’ However, it literally means, ‘Jeho-
vah is Savior,’ or ‘the Lord is Salvation.’ It is based upon the Old
Testament word, Jehoshua, usually translated as ‘Joshua.’
(Clearly implied is that Jesus Christ is one and the same as
Jehovah in the Old Testament.) The angel continued noting,
“for he shall save his people from their sins.” The purpose of
Christ’s coming is stated in the announcement of his conception
to Joseph. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Of
further note is that the angel directed Joseph to name Mary’s child.
As the head of that new family, Joseph did as directed. See verse 25.
1:22-23 Here we come to one of the many places in

Matthew where he directly quotes from the Old Testament
Scriptures. (In Matthew there is, on average, about one instance
per chapter in which the Hebrew Scriptures are quoted.) Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall
be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with
us. The quotation is from Isaiah 7:14.
Isaiah prophesied that someday the Messiah would be born
of a virgin. Here is the precise fulfillment of that prophecy. To
deny the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (as most liberals do) is to
deny the clear statement of the Word of God, as well as all of the
circumstantial evidence toward that end.
The quoted Scripture foretold how that “they shall call his
name Emmanuel.” It should be noted that Mary and Joseph
were not instructed to name him Emmanuel. Rather they were
instructed to name him Jesus. But others would call him
Emmanuel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The
name Emmanuel in Hebrew literally means “God with us” as is
noted by Matthew.
1:24-25 Therefore, Joseph being raised from sleep did as the
angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife.
Joseph wasted no time. He did what he had been told to do and took
unto him his wife. To preserve the integrity of Christ’s virgin birth,
25 he knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son.
More simply put, Joseph was not intimate with Mary until after
Jesus was born. As directed by the angel, Joseph called the child’s
name JESUS. Joseph clearly was a just and godly man as evidenced
in his obedience to the commands of God.
*****
Overview of Matthew 2: This familiar chapter is a major

portion of the Christmas story. It encompasses the coming of
the wise men, Herod’s slaughter, and the flight of the holy
family into Egypt. The underlying presence is of the coming of
the King of the Jews. Herod understood that and reacted ac-
cordingly.
2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea

in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men
from the east to Jerusalem. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
the latter years of the reign of Herod the Great. Herod was a
powerful and cruel, surrogate ruler of the Roman province of
Judea. And, it is likely that Herod died not long after Jesus was
born. Matthew notes the “wise men from the east.” These likely
were men whom the Babylonians considered to be astrologers,
physicians, or scribes. Because the word translated as wise men
(magov magos) is either a Babylonian or Persian word, it is
likely that these men came from that area. That is plausible in as
much as they likely were aware of the Hebrew Scriptures. Large
numbers of Jews had lived in that area for hundreds of years as
a result of the Babylonian captivity.
There has been much speculation as to exactly when the
wise men saw the star. Some have thought it was several years
earlier because of the time it would have taken to travel to Israel.
However, it would have taken them only a month or so to
journey from the Persian gulf area to Jerusalem even if they
came on foot. Another clue is the murder of the infants two
years and under, as noted in 2:16. It may be that the wise men
saw the star two years prior to their arrival in Jerusalem. The
ancients were astute astronomers and intimately acquainted
with the night skies. A new and bright star was something
worthy of investigation. They may have pondered and inves-
tigated it until they concluded that it was the fulfillment of
Numbers 24:17. Therefore, it might be inferred that Jesus was
of that age upon their arrival.
2:2 Notice that they enquired, Where is he that is born

King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and
are come to worship him. They obviously had become aware
with the prophecy of Numbers 24:17. There, it was prophesied
that some day the Great King would rise out of Israel who would
not only smite Moab but all the children of Sheth. Sheth (or
Seth, as it is more commonly spelled) was the third son of Adam
and the progenitor of the godly line of the ancient races.
Essentially, the prophecy in Numbers said that the coming King
of Israel would rule the entire human race (i.e., the world), exalt-
ing the godly and destroying the ungodly. That will ultimately
take place in the Millennium.
The symbol that this was about to take place would be a star
arising out of Jacob (the land of Israel). The astronomers and
astrologers of the ancient Middle East knew the stellar heavens
precisely. They had mapped them for centuries and studied
them assiduously. When this unusual star (of no doubt some
magnitude) appeared in the west, they were startled. God saw to
it that some of them were aware of the prophecy in the book of
Numbers. They perceived that the King of kings had been born
and therefore set out for Jerusalem to worship Him.
2:3 This was news to Herod, the powerful, surrogate ruler

for the Romans. When Herod the king had heard these
things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. But the
august source of these tidings gave credence to the report and it
caused Herod to take the matter seriously.
2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and
scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where
Christ should be born. Herod therefore “gathered all the chief
priests and scribes of the people together . . . and demanded of
them where Christ should be born.” This indicates that he likely
realized the implications of who had been born.
2:5-6 The priest and scribes therefore informed him, In

Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least
among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a
Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Notice the
statement, “it is written.” (The phrase is translated from (ge-
graptai) gegraptai and is in the third person, perfect tense, and
passive voice. Implied is that what has been quoted has been and
continues to be written, thus implying the preservation of the
Word of God.) It is another reference to a quotation of Old
Testament Scripture. This will be encountered frequently
throughout Matthew. Matthew intended to convince the Jewish
mind of the fulfillment in their own Scriptures of the person of
Jesus Christ. The text quoted here is from Micah 5:2.
2:7 Therefore, Herod, when he had privily called the

wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star
appeared. Herod’s inquiry as to the time the star appeared,
when taken with his order to kill all the children in Bethlehem
two years and younger, indicates that the wise men may have
first seen the star two years earlier. It can be conjectured as to
whether the star appeared precisely when Christ was born, or if
God set the star in the heavens prior to His birth as an an-
nouncement of His coming. In any event, the wise men
evidently pondered this for some time and finally left for Je-
rusalem. It would seem that this entire time frame therefore
involved several years.
2:8 Herod therefore, sent them to Bethlehem, and said,

Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye
have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and
worship him also. The duplicity as well as the jealousy of
Herod is apparent. Though he was an elderly man, he was
deeply jealous. Moreover, as the text will unfold, he had no
scruples against killing Him. Revelation 12:3-4 makes clear
that Satan was ultimately behind this evil. Moreover, the devil
himself appeared ready to destroy the Christ child as soon as He
was born, according to Revelation 12:4.
2:9-10 Therefore, when the wise men heard the king, they
departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went
before them, till it came and stood over where the young
child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
Here is an evident miracle of God. It would seem that the
star originally gave all appearances to being in outer space as all
other stars are. But now, as the wise men took the brief journey
from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the star appeared again, seem-
ingly at treetop level and guided them to the specific place
where the young child was. It is noteworthy that the word trans-
lated as young child is (paidion) paidion. It is not the word
usually translated as ‘babe’ or ‘infant’ (brefov brephos) as in
Luke 2:12. The implication is that when the wise men arrived,
Jesus was no longer a new-born infant.
2:11 Notice also when they were come into the house,
they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell
down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened
their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh. It is evident that when the wise men
came to the holy family, they now were living in a house and not
in the stable. They, knowing whom they had found, “fell down
and worshipped him.” Though we are not told how many wise
men came, because three gifts were given, it has been assumed
that there were three of them. However, that is just an assump-
tion. It also is noteworthy that giving to the King was a direct
part of their worship.
There has been much speculation as to the significance of
the gifts given. Gold is of obvious value and is the currency of
kings. Frankincense was a product that is essentially an
expensive incense. It was used in the Jewish Temple worship
(Leviticus 24:7) and therefore had a relationship to the office of
priest. Myrrh was an expensive perfume used in the Middle
East. In the Old Testament, it was a principal ingredient in the
holy anointing oil prescribed in Exodus 30:23-25. Such oil was
used to anoint the prophets. Hence, it may be surmised that
these three gifts signified the threefold office of Christ as
prophet, priest, and king. Myrrh also was an ingredient used by
the Jews to embalm their dead and, therefore, may be a pro-
phetic significance to Christ’s death (John 19:39).
2:12 Matthew continues, And being warned of God in a

dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another way. God providentially
warned the wise men of Herod’s impending terror and they
returned home another way.
2:13-14 God thus providentially preserved His Son by
warning them to flee to Egypt. And when they were departed,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee
into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod
will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he
took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into
Egypt. The history of Herod the Great reveals a man who was
paranoiac. He had achieved his power largely by climbing over
the dead bodies of his opponents, rivals, and family. He even
killed his wife, thinking she was plotting against him. He thus
had a continual fear of being betrayed and overthrown by
everyone around him. Therefore, it was not out of character for
him to kill all the infants in and about Bethlehem if he thought
a rival had been born.
God consequently warned Joseph and Mary through an
angel in a dream to flee to Egypt with the young child. The sense
of urgency is noted in that they departed by night—apparently
that very night.
2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it

might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the
prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. The
young family thus “was there until the death of Herod.” Again,
Scripture is fulfilled and so noted. Here the fulfillment is of
Hosea 11:1, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the
Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
It would seem apparent that God’s providential deliverance of
Israel from Egypt as recorded in the book of Exodus was a type
of Christ. Hosea 11:1 clearly refers to Israel in its context.
However, the Holy Spirit revealed to Matthew that Jesus was
the ultimate fulfillment of that Old Testament prophecy.
Therefore, another prophecy of our Lord was fulfilled, even in
His infancy.
2:16 Matthew continues, Then Herod, when he saw that
he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and
sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under,
according to the time which he had diligently enquired of
the wise men. Herod’s cruel slaughter of children two years
and under hint that the wise men first saw the star two years
earlier. Whether this was the time when Jesus was born is not
clear. However, it would seem to lend credence thereto. It
would appear therefore that Jesus by this time was about two
years old.
Herod thus ordered all two-year-old boys in and about
Bethlehem to be killed. Though the Authorized Version uses
the word children, the word thus translated (paidav paidas) is
masculine and clearly refers to little boys. Herod’s cruelty was
legendary. Caesar Augustus once said he would rather be
Herod’s dog than Herod’s son.
2:17-18 Nevertheless, Scripture is again fulfilled. Then

was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation,
and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her
children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Here, Matthew quotes from Jeremiah 31:15. Rachel, of
course, was the mother of Benjamin and Rama was part of the
ancestral territory of Benjamin, not far from Bethlehem on the
ancient border between Judah and Benjamin. (In modern terms,
it is called Ramalah and has been the headquarters of Yasser
Arafat.) Of significance is that yet another Old Testament
prophecy pertaining to Jesus was fulfilled while He was still a
small child. Matthew will routinely note every fulfilled
prophecy pertaining to Jesus, particularly for the Jewish mind.
They gave credence to the Old Testament and it was they to
whom Matthew was seeking to convince.
2:19-22 God again providentially notified Joseph through
an angel. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into
the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young
child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his
mother, and came into the land of Israel.
It would seem apparent that Joseph knew he was known as
a fugitive when he had fled Bethlehem earlier. Despite Herod’s
death, he avoided the area altogether. Fearing Herod’s son
Archelaus, Joseph decided not to return to Judea, but rather to
his home area in Galilee. 22 But when he heard that Archel-
aus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he
was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of
God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee.
2:23 Again, prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus being brought up

in Nazareth. And he came and dwelt in a city called
Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. The word Nazarene
means one from Nazareth. Its literal meaning is of a Nazarite, as
described in Numbers 6. It has the sense of a ‘separated one.’
And indeed Jesus was “separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26).
No one prophet had declared in express terms that he should be
called a Nazarene. However, the Nazarites, of whom Samson
was one, were typical of Christ. The meanness and contempt in
which Nazareth was held was itself a prophecy of one who was
“despised and rejected of men.” See Isaiah 11:1, 53:3, Jeremiah
23:5, 33:15, and Zechariah 3:8, 6:12.
*****
Overview of Matthew 3: Matthew 3 deals with the ministry
of John the Baptist, culminating in the baptism of Jesus. A num-
ber of basic New Testament terms are introduced here.
3:1-2 Prior to the ministry of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist

was a forerunner sent by God to prepare the way for Christ’s
ministry. Matthew therefore notes, In those days came John
the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John’s ministry began by preaching in the desolate Judean
wilderness, south of Jerusalem. His ministry was directed spe-
cifically at the Jewish nation to prepare them for their Messiah.
His message was twofold: (1) “Repent” and that (2) “the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The first step for the Jew then
(and for the gentile now) is repentance. It signifies not only
regret of sin but also a willingness to change. It essentially is a
message of turning from our way and sin and turning to God.
Repentance is an integral part of saving faith (Acts 20:21). It is
the first step thereof. Unless and until an individual is willing to
turn from his way and turn to God, he is not in a position to trust
Him.
The kingdom of heaven is an interesting term. First, it ap-
pears only in the Gospel of Matthew and therefore has apparent
Jewish connotations. Second, for all intents and purposes, it is
synonymous with the kingdom of God. Third, it is a term that
has particular significance of the long-awaited Jewish
kingdom. The kingdom of heaven (or of God) will come
through the Jewish people and the King will certainly be of Jew-
ish character.
The kingdom of heaven, in part, is a reference to the literal
kingdom that Jesus Christ the King will establish when he
returns after the Tribulation. It has nothing to do with the church
directly and is not present today in its fullest sense. To the de-
gree that the King was present in the person of Jesus, it was pre-
sent then. But not until Jesus returns will the literal kingdom
actually be set up. Nevertheless, the kingdom of God is present
within us (Luke 17:21) in the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit and the regenerate nature given to us by God at the new
birth. Moreover, the local church is on occasion allegorically
alluded to as the kingdom in the New Testament epistles. Bible-
believing churches indeed are islands of godliness in the ocean
of the world and to that degree are spiritual representatives of
the kingdom of God in this age. But the literal kingdom is still
to come. It was that of which John preached.
The kingdom was promised to Israel through David in the
Davidic Covenant made in II Samuel 7. God reconfirmed it
through Daniel (Daniel 2:34-36,44; 7:23-27) and described it in
the prophets from Isaiah through Malachi. The Jews in the time
of Christ were particularly sensitive thereto and thus were
looking forward to the coming of the their Messiah-King. They
then were a conquered and occupied people under the heel of
the Roman government. The tragic irony is that when their King
did appear, they rejected Him (John 1:10-11).
John’s essential message to Israel was that the long
promised kingdom was at hand (i.e., near) because the King had
arrived. Sadly and for the most part, his message was ignored or
rejected.
3:3 Again, Matthew appeals to the authority of the Old

Testament Scripture in quoting from Isaiah 40:3. For this is he
that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice
of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord, make his paths straight. The message and ministry of
John was to prepare for the coming of the King. John’s ministry
began in the wilderness of Judea (the Jeshimon) and was
certainly desolate country. It no doubt typified the spiritual
condition of official Israel of that day. To “make his paths
straight” meant to make it appropriate for the King to arrive.
The word translated as straight (euyuv euthus) literally refers
to ‘straight,’ ‘level,’ ‘upright,’ ‘true,’ or ‘sincere.’ The thought
pertains not to the condition of the physical roads, but rather to
the condition of the hearts of Israel spiritually. God has always
sought after hearts which are true, upright, sincere, and on the
level, not to mention straight in contrast to crooked.
3:4 John’s manner of life was rustic. And the same John
had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about
his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. John
lived off the land and was clothed in simple, country clothing.
Cloth of camels’ hair was the garment of the humble nomads of
the region. A broad, leather girdle (belt) was that worn by
common laborers of the day. The Levitical law permitted the
eating of locusts (Leviticus 11:22). The thought was simply that
he lived off the land, eating also of the wild honey he found in
the region. The implication was he was not influenced or tainted
by the corrupt culture of the day.
3:5 As such, John was somewhat of a curiosity. He had the

dress and aura of an Old Testament prophet and may have been
considered as such by many. Therefore, there went out to him
Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about
Jordan. Large segments of the population of the region of
Judea, Jerusalem, and the Jordan River valley went out to hear
him preach.
3:6 Moreover, many were baptized of him in Jordan,

confessing their sins. The baptism of John was a Jewish
baptism and not Christian baptism, as we know it. See Acts
19:3-5. His message was repent for the King is at hand. His
baptism therefore was a public expression of repentance on the
part of the Jewish hearer. It is similar to Christian baptism in that
immersion was the mode and that it was an outward expression
of an inward spiritual decision. The Jewish cultic group, the
Essenes, along the shores of the Dead Sea at Qumran, also prac-
ticed a form of ritual immersion whereby they were immersed
for ceremonial purification. Moreover, rabbinical Judaism at
that time also advocated a form of immersion for ceremonial
purification called a mikve (or, mikvah). The point is that
baptismal immersion was not uncommon to the Jews of that
day. It generally conveyed a sense of outwardly identifying with
a message or messenger was symbolic of cleansing.
3:7 Word of these unusual proceedings certainly reached

the Pharisees and Sadducees headquartered at Jerusalem.
These were the two major religious denominations within
Judaism of that day and were the elite of the Jerusalem. They
therefore came to watch his baptisms. But when he saw many
of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said
unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to
flee from the wrath to come?
It is significant that no mention is made that these religious
leaders came to be baptized of him. The Pharisees were a strict
sect within Judaism which literally meant ‘the separated ones.’
(In later Jewish history, they came to be known as the phar-
ushim {the interpreters} because of their inordinate emphasis
upon interpreting the law.) It was the Pharisees, during and after
the Babylonian captivity, who began the oral traditions of
rabbinical Judaism which continue to this day.
These oral traditions of interpreting and embellishing upon
the Law of Moses came to have at least equal credence to the
Law and often superceded the Law in practical importance in
the mind of many Jews. Moreover, they held that God had also
orally communicated to Moses their commentary explaining
the law. Therefore, their commentary (traditions), which they
greatly espoused, carried equal weight with the Law of Moses
in their minds.
The Pharisees were those who helped develop the syna-
gogue system in the diaspora and became the caretakers thereof.
They were correct, moral, zealous, and self denying. But they
were also strongly self-righteous and considered themselves
above any need for repentance. They were true legalists in that
they believed by keeping the letter of the law (especially as they
interpreted it), they would become righteous before God.
The Sadducees were the religious liberals of the day. They
denied or doubted anything supernatural such as angels, mir-
acles, and especially the resurrection. They were particularly
represented in Jesus’ day in the priesthood and the Sanhedrin
(government). They accordingly controlled the Temple com-
plex.
John disparaged both of these groups. He called all of them
a generation of vipers (a bunch of snakes in the grass). He
therefore tartly asked them, “who hath warned you to flee from
the wrath to come?” The question dripped with sarcasm. The
idea is, ‘Who warned you self-righteous pompous leaders to
flee coming judgment? I thought you guys had no need of re-
pentance because you have no sin.’
3:8 To the contrary, John’s message to them was, Bring

forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. In other words,
true repentance will manifest itself in its fruit. True repentance
will show itself in a changed life. Implicit is that the religious
leaders of the day had a profound need for repentance.
3:9 John continued to excoriate them. And think not to

say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for
I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up
children unto Abraham. The Pharisees and Sadducees took
pride in that they were the descendants of Abraham. John thun-
dered that God was able to raise up children of Abraham from
the stones. (The land of Israel abounds with stones. They are as
prolific as grass might be in America.) In Christ however, God
raised up children of Abraham from the gentiles which the Jews
considered little different than the common stones on the
ground. (The word gentile to the Jewish mind had the sense of
‘common ones.’)
3:10 John warned that the judgement of God was impend-

ing if there was not the good fruit of repentance in Israel. And
now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore
every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire. There is a play on words that no
doubt some Jews caught. In Isaiah 5, Israel as a nation was
likened unto a vine planted by God in the land. John implies that
God was about to chop it down. If a fruit bearing tree did not
bring forth good fruit, it was cut up into firewood. The good fruit
sought by God would come as a result of repentance on the part
of Israel. Sadly, Israel, in the main, was destitute of such fruit.
In little more than a generation later, the vine of Israel per-
sonified in Jerusalem would be cut down and cast into the fire
of Roman judgment under Titus.
3:11 John again alludes to how his baptism was of

repentance. I indeed baptize you with water unto repent-
ance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose
shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost, and with fire.
But John now speaks of the One coming after him. He hum-
bly spoke how that he was not worthy to even carry the shoes of
Him. Moreover, he then prophesied that Christ would baptize
with fire and with the Holy Ghost. The baptism of the Holy
Ghost would come on Pentecost about three years later. The
baptism of fire spoken of here has no reference to Acts 2, but
rather is a prophecy of judgment when Jerusalem would be
destroyed by Titus in A.D. 70. Notice that the reference to the
baptism of fire is in the context of harsh rebuke to the Pharisees
and Sadducees and immediately precedes prophecy of im-
pending judgment in the next verse.
3:12 There is remarkable prophecy here. Whose fan is in

his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather
his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire.
John foretold that the day was coming when the Messiah
would winnow (the word fan is a reference to a winnowing
shovel) the wheat from the chaff. In ancient times, the wheat
was winnowed or separated from the chaff by first treading it
upon a threshing floor and then throwing the grain into the
breeze. The grain would fall into the prepared catching cloth,
but the chaff would drift with the breeze. After the process was
completed, the chaff was gathered onto the threshing floor and
burned. Here is a reference of impending judgement of Israel.
As the church was formed, believers were separated from
the mainstream of the Jews and were spared the judgment that
came in A.D. 70. Jerusalem was then destroyed and over one
million Jews perished. Moreover, there may be latent prophecy
how the church will be removed in the Rapture before the fire of
judgment falls in the Tribulation. See Malachi 3:2-4 and II
Thessalonians 1:7-10.
3:13-14 Jesus thereafter came to the Jordan River to be

baptized by John. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan
unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him,
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou
to me? There is no evidence that John had ever met Jesus,
though they were related through their mothers. Nevertheless,
John clearly perceived who Jesus was. This is evident from
John 1:29. This likely was through the ministry of the Holy
Spirit in John. See John 1:33.
3:15 Though John protested, Jesus urged him to allow him
(John) to baptize Him. And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him. The word translated as
suffer (afihmi aphiemi) in this context has the sense to ‘permit’
or to ‘allow.’ Jesus’ baptism was a fulfillment of righteous-
ness—it was right to do. Though Jesus had no sin of which to
repent, He nevertheless did as He ought and set an example in
so doing. Jesus in effect identified with His heavenly Father.
Moreover, in so being baptized by John, He placed the approval
of God upon John’s ministry. Though John may not have
perceived that, in retrospect, Jesus’ baptism clearly authen-
ticated the ministry of John.
3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up

straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him. The word translated as baptize (bap-
tizw baptidzo) literally means ‘immerse.’ Moreover, there is
additional, circumstantial evidence to the proper mode of
baptism in that “Jesus went up straightway out of the water.” If
John had sprinkled or poured water upon Jesus, there would be
no need for Him to go down into the Jordan (Mark 1:9) and then
come up out of the water as noted here. Sprinkling could have
been accomplished anywhere with the smallest amount of water.
As Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended like a
dove. The Holy Spirit did not descend as a dove, but rather like
a dove. The greater point is that a visible presence of God
descended upon Him, indicating God’s blessing and approval.
The modern symbolism of a dove vis á vis the Holy Spirit is over-
worked. At no other time is the ministry of the Holy Spirit so likened.
3:17 God gave not only visual approval of Jesus’ baptism,

but made it clear with a verbal blessing. And lo a voice from
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. This same blessing was also given at the mount of
transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). God clearly put His blessing on
the baptism and beginning of Jesus’ ministry. This same
statement is essentially found in Psalm 2:7, clearly in the
context of the Messiah. Though few likely caught the
significance at the time, God clearly was designating Jesus as
both (1) His Son and (2) His Messiah. God was pleased in the
obedience of His Son. To a lessor degree, the same might be
said each time a newly adopted son follows the Lord in the
waters of baptism.
*****
Overview of Matthew 4: The fourth chapter of Matthew

marks the inauguration of the public ministry of Jesus Christ.
His baptism in chapter 3 initiated it and in chapter 4 the devil
immediately challenged Him. Later in the chapter is the record
of Jesus initial message and the calling of His first disciples.
4:1 The chapter begins with Matthew noting, then was

Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil. It is apparent that God through the Holy Spirit not
only allowed such temptation, but even led Jesus thereto. It was
God’s will for Him to be tempted in all points as we, yet
demonstrate He was without sin. See Hebrews 4:15. It was,
however, the devil who tempted Him and not God. The word
translated as tempted (peirazw peirazo) in this context has the
sense to ‘entice to do wrong.’ Satan was at the source of such.
As Jesus began His ministry, it is noteworthy that Satan im-
mediately attacked Him. A lesson remains for us. As we step
forth to serve the Lord, we may well expect opposition from
Satan. Which wilderness Jesus retreated to is not noted. The
land east or south of Jerusalem is traditionally thought to be the
area. It indeed is wilderness and desolate in its ruggedness.
However, the text gives no clue.
4:2 Jesus, when he had fasted forty days and forty

nights, he was afterward an hungred. There are degrees of
fasting in the Bible. In the case of fasting for one day, it usually
meant abstinence of food and perhaps drink. When fasts went
for more than one day, they may rather have been abstinence
from customary nourishment or preferred foods. In other
words, all fasts were not absolute. That which Jesus underwent
here is not mentioned. But in any event, He denied Himself the
enjoyment of normal nourishment to humble Himself before
God and more carefully focus on things spiritual. Obviously,
He thereafter was hungry.
4:3 Here, Satan is referred to as ‘the tempter.’ And when

the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. Notice how the
devil approached Jesus with a question of doubt, “If thou be the
Son of God.” He likewise approached Eve in the garden of Eden
and asked, “Yea, hath God said?” Satan is the author of doubt.
It has been part of his standard stock and trade from day one.
Forty days prior, God had blessed Jesus at His baptism and
called Him His beloved Son. Satan now questioned that. In
effect he said, ‘If you really are God’s Son, why don’t you turn
these stones into bread and make some food for yourself?’
4:4 Notice how Jesus deflected Satan’s attack. But he

answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God. In each case of Satan’s temptation, Jesus quoted from
the book of Deuteronomy. Here, the quote it is from Deu-
teronomy 8:3—“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Our lives are
more than physical. The issues of life are fundamentally
spiritual. What we need even more than physical food is the
Word of God in our lives.
It is noteworthy that Jesus did not say, ‘but by the Word of
God.’ What He did say was ‘by every word of God.’ Jesus
referred to the very words of Scripture. Moreover, the word
translated as it is written (gegraptai gegraptai) as noted in
Matthew 2:5 is conjugated in the perfect tense and passive
voice. The thought therefore is that ‘it has been written and
continues to be written.’ Clearly implied is that every word of
God has not only been inspired (verbal inspiration) but also that
every word of God has been preserved (verbal preservation.)
Some have questioned whether there is the doctrine of preser-
vation. Others flatly deny that preservation extends to the very
words of God. Yet, Jesus here clearly implied that the very
words of God have been preserved. The phrase “it is written” as
described above appears sixty-three times in the New Test-
ament.
4:5-6 Satan again tempted Jesus by taking Him to the

highest point of the Temple. Then the devil taketh him up into
the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple.
The pinnacle of the Temple is thought to have been the top of
the Temple wall probably at its southeastern corner. There, the
Temple platform and rampart wall, rising above it, towered as
much as 300 feet above its base in the valley below. To the
lowest depths of the Kidron Valley below, the total drop may
have been as much as 450 feet.
Again, the devil attempted to sow the seeds of doubt by
further questioning if Jesus was the Son of God. 6 And saith
unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for
it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:
and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time
thou dash thy foot against a stone. One of Satan’s standard
tactics down through the ages has been to attack the person of
Jesus Christ. Here, he urged Jesus to throw Himself down.
Then, he misquoted Psalm 91:11-12. The cults will often use
the Scriptures, but invariably it is out of context or in an abrid-
ged form.
4:7 Jesus again quoted Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:16) to

thwart the temptation of Satan, Jesus said unto him, It is
written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Jesus
did not argue with the devil. He merely quoted Scripture to him
and noted that what the devil had suggested was not allowed.
4:8-9 The devil again tempted Christ by showing Him all

the kingdoms of the world (kosmov kosmos) in a moment of
time. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high
mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them. There certainly is no identification of
the mount of temptation in the text. Local tradition claims that
it is a mountain peak just west of Jericho overlooking, the
Jordan River valley. However, there is no indication of this in
the Scripture. It is further noteworthy that Satan did not show
Jesus all the kingdoms of this earth. However, the kingdom of
this world is his for he is the god and prince thereof.
Wherever, the devil offered “all the kingdoms of the world,
and the glory of them to Jesus”—if He would worship him. He
continued, 9 and saith unto him, All these things will I give
thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Here, Satan used
another standard tactic to tempt and that is deception. The devil
is the god of this world only by God’s dispensation. The king-
doms of this earth were not his to give. However, the kingdom
of this world was. Yet, he deceitfully so implied all of the king-
doms of the earth. Seven different times in the book of Revel-
ation, he is called a deceiver. In John 8:44, Jesus called him a liar
and the father of it. Notice also the self-directed focus of the
devil. He asked Jesus to worship me. Insight is gained into the
me generation. It is nothing new. It has been promoted by Satan
down through the ages. He is the author of such ego-centric
thinking.
4:10 Again, Jesus parried the thrust of the devil by quoting

to him from Deuteronomy 6:13. Then saith Jesus unto him,
Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship
the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Not only
did Jesus quote Scripture to defeat the devil, He also quite
simply resisted him. James 4:7 instructs, “Resist the devil and
he will flee from you.” Jesus did exactly that. Notice again how
that Jesus noted quoted Scripture—“it is written.” See com-
ments thereto in 4:4.
4:11 Accordingly, the devil leaveth him, and, behold,

angels came and ministered unto him. Jesus steadfastly
resisted Satan. Moreover, He blunted every attempt of Satan to
tempt Him by using God’s Word. We again find another reason
to be conversant with the Bible. It is a defensive sword to parry
and blunt every thrust of the wicked one. As a man, Jesus no
doubt was altogether drained after forty days of fasting and His
confrontation with the devil. God therefore mercifully sent
angels to minister to Him. The word used is ( diakonew) dia-
konoeo which in its most literal sense refers to serving tables.
Implied is that they brought Him food for His physical nour-
ishment. They no doubt offered Him moral and spiritual sup-
port as well. Truly, God takes care of His own!
4:12-13 Hearing of the persecution against John, Jesus

therefore departed to go back to Galilee. Now when Jesus had
heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into
Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of
Zabulon and Nephthalim.
He apparently first returned to Nazareth where He had been
brought up. He thereupon “dwelt in Capernaum.” Implied is
that He settled there for the time being. Capernaum is located on
the northern shore of Galilee. In Jesus day, it was perhaps the
most prominent and prosperous city in Galilee, located on a
major trade route bringing many merchants to and through
town. To this day, Capernaum boasts of being the ‘town of
Jesus.’
Matthew clearly makes the point that Capernaum was
situated at the ancient border, separating the tribes of Zebulon
and Naphtali. Capernaum may have been the town of the pro-
phet of the same name. The name Capernaum in Hebrew(Mwxn-
rpk) literally means ‘village of comfort.’ Situated on the north
shore of Galilee, cool winds from the south blew into the town
during the summer, making it a sort of ‘resort’ and ‘tourist’
town. It was there where Jesus spent much of His time.
4:14-16 Again, Old Testament Scripture is noted as being

fulfilled in the life of Christ. That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of
Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea,
beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which
sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the
region and shadow of death light is sprung up. Matthew here
quotes from Isaiah 9:1-2. As Jesus lived in Capernaum, He
fulfilled the prophecy that the light of the Messiah would shine
in the northern-most tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali.
Because the region of Galilee was removed geographically
from the center of Judaism in Jerusalem, it had been a region of
greater spiritual darkness through the centuries. It also had often
been the first area to come under military attack from foreign
invaders from Assyria to Rome. That likely is the reference of
them dwelling “in the region and shadow of death.” Yet in this
outpost of Israel, the light of the Messiah first shined as pro-
phesied in Isaiah.
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,

Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The initial
message of Jesus Christ to Israel was the same as John’s: “Re-
pent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” See comments
regarding the kingdom of heaven for Matthew 3:2. Jesus’ initial
ministry was in offering Himself to Israel as their long-awaited
Messiah-King. Yet, because of their spiritual condition, they
first needed to repent. Repentance remains an integral part of
saving faith and actually is the first part thereof. Before Israel
could believe in their Messiah, they had need to turn to Him in
the first place. That is repentance. Jesus’ initial ministry was in
the context of the kingdom. Sadly, they as well as the world
today have turned every man to his own way rather than turning
to God and Christ.
Israel remained an occupied nation under the military heel
of the pagan Roman government. They longed for political free-
dom and a restoration of the ancient, royal kingdom found-ed in
David and truncated at the Babylonian captivity. Most Jews
were well aware of the prophecies that the Messiah would bring
great glory, international prominence, and prosperity to Israel.
They therefore were looking for a political, victorious, military
leader who would throw off the yoke of the Romans, bringing
prosperity and prominence to Israel.
Jesus’ message to Israel was totally different. He came
preaching repentance. That is not what they wanted to hear. In
fact, for many a Jew, that message was altogether irrelevant.
Prosperity, civil rights, and politics were on their minds.
‘Getting right with God? Who cares!’ But the kingdom of
heaven was at hand because the King had arrived. Few realized
it.
4:18-20 Matthew now records the call of Jesus’ first dis-
ciples. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two
brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. The Sea of
Galilee is a beautiful lake in northern Israel about thirteen miles
long and six miles wide. To the east, the Golan Heights (a.k.a.
Gadara) rise steeply with similar high hills on the western
shores. The Jordan river flows into the lake from the north
where the terrain is not as rugged. It flows out similarly to the
south into more gentle topography.
The basic call of Jesus to his disciples was, 19 Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men. If we would be a follower
of Jesus Christ, we too, need to be fishers of men. Matthew
records, 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed
him. The word translated as straightway (euyewv eutheos) has
the sense of ‘immediately.’ It is interesting that Jesus first and
last statement to Peter was “Follow me” (see John 21:22). Our
basic call likewise is to follow Him. That is the essence of being
a disciple.
4:21-22 Matthew continues, And going on from thence,

he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and
John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father,
mending their nets; and he called them. Jesus likewise called
two other disciples: James and John (who would become the
Apostle John). These were the sons of Zebedee. They too
immediately (the same word as straightway in verse 20)
followed Him. John 1:35-51 provides parallel, though differ-
ing, details of the call of Jesus’ initial disciples. In His call of
these, His grace is evident in unilaterally choosing them. More-
over, it may be surmised that He also saw the character, inherent
godliness, and integrity in these young men necessary to the
ministry which He knew lay ahead. What a privilege it must
have been to have been chosen by the Savior. Yet, in the greater
scope of election, we have been chosen in Him as the body of
Christ even today.
Little did these humble, Galilean young men likely realize
the blessing as well as the future persecution which had been
granted to them. Notwithstanding, 22 they immediately left the
ship and their father, and followed him. Not only did they
turn to, trust in, and follow Jesus Christ; they left their liveli-
hood and even their families. Inherent is the degree of
dedication in them at even this early stage. It is likely they
already were aware of Jesus and likely were believers prior to
His call to service.
4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their

synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease
among the people. The gospel of the kingdom essentially was
that the King had arrived and would restore the kingdom of
Israel under God if they would repent of their sinful ways. Sad-
ly, they would not. Of interest is that His public speaking
ministry was a combination of both teaching and preaching,
even as the pastoral ministry is to this day. Moreover, Jesus
healed those sick and diseased. His healing was, in part, a means
of authenticating Himself to skeptical audiences and unbe-
lieving people. It was, in part, also from a heart of compassion
to meet the needs of those about Him.
4:24 Jesus’ reputation reached into the neighboring region.

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought
unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases
and torments, and those which were possessed with devils,
and those which were lunatick, and those that had the
palsy; and he healed them. Of interest is how that word of Him
spread into Syria to the north and east. These were gentiles and
they heard him gladly. He healed their sick and those possessed
of demons. The word translated as lunatick (selhniazomai
seleniazomai) refers to those with seizures, and “the palsy” to
those who were paralyzed. The word translated as possessed
with devils (daimonizomai daimonizomai) literally means
‘demonized’ or under the power of a demon. The word possess-
ed is not the traditional text (i.e., the Textus Receptus).
4:25 Moreover, large crowds followed Him from Israel and

other surrounding gentile areas. And there followed him great
multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and
from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jor-
dan. Galilee in that day essentially consisted of Jewish peo-ple.
However, Decapolis was comprised of ten cities which in
modern geography would be northern Jordan and southern
Syria. Though, no doubt, Jews lived there; it was predominantly
gentile country. Moreover, crowds journeyed north from Jeru-
salem and greater Judea to the south and the Jordan region to the
southeast. Truly, Jesus became famous, especially in a day of
limited communications.
*****
Overview of Matthew 5: The fifth chapter of Matthew be-

gins with the Sermon on the Mount. It is called this because
Jesus went up onto a mount (or hill) to teach and preach. It
continues through chapter 7. The Sermon on the Mount is not
found in Mark or John and is in an abbreviated form in Luke. In
recalling the context of the preceding chapters in Matthew, the
coming King and His kingdom were emphasized.
The Sermon on the Mount has been called by some the
constitution of the kingdom. That is, it gives insight into the
spiritual and moral conditions that will exist when the King fin-
ally is seated upon His throne in Jerusalem. As an inspired part
of Scripture, it certainly has value for us today in the church.
However, its fullest application will be in the coming kingdom.
As the Sermon on the Mount continues, Jesus used several
metaphors of God’s people. Then, He began to contrast the law
of Moses with His teaching, which in each case fulfilled the law.
As the Sermon on the Mount proceeds, Jesus continues to
illustrate that He and His teaching fulfilled the Old Testament
law of Moses. Jesus points out frequently, “Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time.” This is reference the Mosaic
law. Then, He said, “But I say unto you.” He does not contra-
dict the law, but in each case goes beyond the law. Jesus thus
fulfills the law and then some. Again, this is part of the ‘consti-
tution of the kingdom.’ These principles will be typical of the
righteous conditions in His kingdom. Nevertheless, they are
lessons and goals for us today.
5:1-2 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a

mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto
him. Jesus went up into an unspecified mountain. The text does
not indicate which, but it is thought to have been a high hillside
(mountainside) overlooking the Sea of Galilee on its north-
western side. Multitudes are mentioned, but only his disciples
are specifically mentioned as having heard Him. Whether the
multitudes also heard is an open question. In Matthew 8:1,
which is immediately after the sermon, mention is made how
that the multitudes continued to follow Him. It might therefore
be safe to assume that they heard the sermon as well.
Accordingly, “he opened his mouth, and taught them.”
5:3 Verses 3 through 12 are what are commonly called the

Beatitudes. These are nine specific blessings given by Jesus.
They likely will find their fullest application in the Kingdom of
God (i.e., the Millennium) though there no doubt are spiritual
applications of each, even in this dispensation. This very well
may be part of the gospel of the kingdom. Each of these nine
Beatitudes begins with blessed. The word so translated (ma-
kariov makarios) has the sense of (1) having God’s blessing
(2) and resulting practically in being happy. Indeed, the blessing
of God produces happiness. The world never finds true hap-
piness because they never are truly blessed by God.
Accordingly, Jesus taught, Blessed are the poor in spirit.
The poverty spoken of here is not of substance, but of spirit. It
is an eloquent allusion to humility of spirit in distinction to
pride, arrogance, and being puffed up.
To such, Jesus promised, for their’s is the kingdom of
heaven. Again, the kingdom of heaven is an allusion to the
kingdom which Jesus Christ will establish when He returns to
this earth. (It is also commonly called the Millennium. It act-
ually extends on into the eternal kingdom which will last for-
ever.) The implication is that those who are humble of spirit will
characterize that kingdom. See I Peter 5:5-6 and James 4:6-7.
Nevertheless, those truly humble in this life will find the
blessing of God and its resultant happiness.
5:4 Jesus next pronounced, Blessed are they that mourn.

This may be an allusion to sorrow for sin. See James 4:9 and II
Corinthians 7:9-11. For they shall be comforted. As the God
of all comfort, He comforts those who are brought low (II
Corinthians 1:3). An alternative view is that those of God’s
people who mourn through tragedy or loss will be comforted by
Him. In the noted cross references, there is a distinct tone that
God will encourage and comfort Israel as they are restored to
their land in the coming kingdom. See Psalm 40:1, Isaiah 12:1,
25:8, 35:10, 51:11, Revelation 21:4. The word translated as
comforted (parakalew parakaleo) might be best understood
in the more modern term of ‘encouragement.’ God is the ulti-
mate source of encouragement, especially in days of loss and
sorrow.
5:5 The third beatitude is, Blessed are the meek. The New
Testament word translated as meek (prauv praus) is often
misunderstood. It does not denote timidity or weakness. Rather,
it has the sense of gentleness of spirit because one’s spirit is
regulated by righteousness. In the Old Testament, it was a refer-
ence to those who wholly relied upon God to defend them.
Hence, in this context, it speaks of those who are righteousness
of spirit, trusting the Lord. Practically, meekness refers to being
disciplined of emotion, temper, tongue, and attitude. Its out-
working is being even-natured or calm of spirit. Moreover, it is
part of the fruit of the Spirit as noted in Galatians 5:23. And, our
Lord described Himself as meek in Matthew 11:29.
Jesus promised that these shall inherit the earth. God
promises no inheritance in His kingdom for those who are self-
assertive, self-promoters, or having high self-esteem. It is the
meek who will not only inherit but also inhabit the earth in the
kingdom of God. The word translated as earth here is the Greek
word (gh) gay. Those of the new age and radical environ-
mentalists to one degree or another actually worship the earth
(gay). Moreover, it may not be coincidence that the homosexual
movement refers to itself as ‘gay.’ There certainly is an inter-
play of words that probably is not coincidence. The irony of it
all is that the new-agers, radical environmentalists, and ‘gays’
will be precluded from inheriting the very planet they worship. But
the meek will inherit it someday in the kingdom of God.
5:6 The fourth beatitude is, Blessed are they which do

hunger and thirst after righteousness. The verb tenses are
such that this could be rendered, ‘blessed are they which are
hungering and thirsting after righteousness.’ Even in this
wicked world, God will bless those who are hungering for right-
eousness. But in His kingdom, “wherein dwelleth righteousness”
(II Peter 3:13), they shall be filled. It is interesting to read,
particularly in Isaiah, how that righteousness will abound in His
kingdom. See Isaiah 11:4,5; 59:17; 61:3; 61:10; 62:2; et al. The
fullness of righteousness, however, will not prevail on this earth
until the King of Righteousness reigns.
5:7 In the fifth beatitude, Jesus noted, Blessed are the

merciful. In this wicked world, mercy often is ignored or
viewed as a sign of weakness. But then, the merciful shall ob-
tain mercy. See Isaiah 57:1.
5:8 The sixth beatitude is, Blessed are the pure in heart.
Purity of heart is essentially holiness. Hebrews 12:14 states that
without holiness, no man shall see God. Holiness of being is an
absolute prerequisite for ever coming into God’s presence.
Thankfully, in Christ, we have been made holy and just through
Him. Therefore, on a day-to-day basis, God’s people ought to
strive to achieve holiness and purity of life. Eventually, they
shall see God. See Psalm 119:1, Psalm 15:1-4, Psalm 24:3-5,
and Isaiah 33:14-17. In each of these Old Testament references,
access to the King in His kingdom is predicated upon holiness of life.
5:9 The seventh beatitude is, Blessed are the peace-

makers. God is pleased when His people seek to make peace.
Throughout the Bible, we are admonished to live in peace. See
Psalm 34:12-14, Romans 12:18, Ephesians 4:1-3, Colossians
3:13, II Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 12:14 et al. For they shall be
called the children of God. God is called the God of peace in
Romans 15:33. Jesus is the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). More-
over, part of the fruit of the Spirit is peace as noted in Galatians
5:22. In addition, the work of righteousness is peace (Isaiah
32:17). It is only fitting that God’s people be peacemakers.
5:10 In the eighth beatitude, Jesus noted, Blessed are they

which are persecuted for righteousness sake. Down through
the ages, God’s people have been persecuted for doing right.
Witness, for example, what happened to Joseph in the Book of
Genesis, or Daniel, or other of the prophets such as Jeremiah.
They were fiercely persecuted because they did what was right.
Upon Christ’s return, for those who have been so persecuted,
their’s is the kingdom of heaven. It might be inferred that they
will have great reward in that day, see 5:12.
5:11 In the ninth and final beatitude, the verb tense

changes. To this point, either present or perfect verb tenses have
been used implying the burdens the righteous have either
endured in the past or are presently enduring. But now, the
thought looks to the future Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely, for my sake. Jesus directed the minds
of His disciples to what lay ahead for them. God’s people down
through the ages have been reviled, persecuted, and lied about
for serving Him. Now, Jesus warned His disciples that they
would likewise endure the same for His sake. But He said never-
theless, Blessed are ye.
5:12 To the contrary, rejoice and be exceeding glad: for

great is your reward in heaven. The King will not forget those
who have served Him and suffered for so doing (Revelation
22:12). We are in honored company, for so persecuted they
the prophets which were before you. See Jeremiah 26:21, II
Chronicles 36:16, Nehemiah 9:26, II Chronicles 24:22, and I
Kings 22:27. There certainly was blessing for men such as
Joseph, Daniel, or Abraham as they did right before God. In-
deed, there is a reward for the righteous (Psalm 58:11).
5:13 As Jesus continued with the sermon on the mount, He

now shifts to a number of analogies. Ye are the salt of the
earth. In ancient times, salt was used to retard food from spoil-
ing. Hence, many foods were salted (from salted-fish to
pickles). When salt lost its ‘salt’ quality, it was good for no-
thing. But if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it
be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast
out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Jesus likens God’s
people to salt. When we lose our ability to retard sin and
corruption about us, we have lost our value. Salt therefore came
to be a symbol of righteousness.
5:14 Jesus noted another analogy of the Christian life. Ye

are the light of the world. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the
light of the world.” While Jesus walked this earth, He was the
light of the world. However, in His absence, we now are. As Christ
is in us and shines through us, we, in His physical absence, have
become the light of the world. The world about us is dark spirit-
ually. Part of our duty as Christians is to be a prism through
which the light of the gospel can be focused upon a dark world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. As Jesus preached
from the mount of beatitudes, the city of Tiberias was clearly
visible along the hillside looking to the south. Tiberias was built
upon the high hills (mountains) rising up along the south-
western shore of Galilee. It is obvious from the mount of
beatitudes in the daytime. At night, its lights are like a beacon.
It cannot be missed. God accordingly has called us to be a
lighthouse to a perishing world.
5:15 Jesus therefore set forth another axiomatic proverb.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel. The
folly of the metaphor is obvious. Whether it is the old standby
of a candle or the high-tech lighting of this day, nobody turns a
light on and then covers it up. Moreover, in ancient times, a
bushel was a unit of dry measure that usually was carried in a
basket. To place a candle under a bushel would either put out the
candle or ignite the basket. Such a proposition was totally in-
congruous.
The Split Rock Lighthouse on the north shore of Lake
Superior has window shades on the windows of its lens. They
were intended to shield the heat of the sun during the day so that
the keeper could clean and service the third-order, Frêsnel lens.
However, what folly it would be to keep the shades pulled at
night when the light should shine out to warn mariners of the
rocks below. Nevertheless, many Christians routinely keep the
shades pulled in their lighthouse and never witness of the gospel
of Christ. See II Corinthians 4:3.
5:16 Jesus therefore directed, Let your light so shine be-

fore men. We are called of God to shine the light of the gospel.
Moreover, Jesus instructed His disciples that their lives are to be
such that men may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. The word translated as good
(kalov kalos) here is also at times translated as ‘honest.’ There
are few things more spiritually harmonious with light than hon-
esty. The result is that our heavenly Father is glorified by
honesty or other good work that reflects the light of the gospel.
5:17 Jesus continued that He did not come to destroy (or

overthrow) the “law or the prophets.” This term is a reference to
the entire Old Testament. Rather, His ministry was to fulfill or
complete it. He Himself is the fulfillment of the Law. It pointed
to Him and was in itself preparatory to the coming of the Him.
Accordingly, He announced, Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfil. Jesus’ reference to the ‘law or the prophets’ was
one way in which Jews of that day referred to the Old Testament
Scriptures. He came not to overthrow the Law the Jews so
revered. Rather, He came to fulfill the same.
5:18 From here to the end of the chapter, Jesus develops the
principle that He came to fulfill the Mosaic Law. The pattern for
the rest of the chapter is Jesus either quoting or commenting
upon the Mosaic Law. However, He often will counter, “but I
say unto you.” In effect, He is setting forth what will later be
known as the Law of Christ. It sets forth particularly the moral
and spiritual conditions that will be found in the coming
kingdom when He is King.
Jesus authenticated and exalted the Law. The greater
concept is of the entire Scripture itself. For verily I say unto
you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in
no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. The jot (or,
yodth) was the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. A tittle
was a little mark that was an appurtenance to some Hebrew
letters. It would be analogous to crossing a ‘t’ in our alphabet.
The significance is that even the smallest part of God’s Word
will be fulfilled. Not only have the words of God been preserv-
ed, but also the smallest parts thereof. If even the jots and tittles
of the Word of God will be fulfilled, of how much greater im-
portance must be the very words which have been inspired and
preserved by God.
5:19 Jesus went on to warn that anyone who breaks even

the smallest commandments and encourages another to do so,
will be of the least importance in the coming kingdom. Whoso-
ever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the
same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
is careful about keeping every detail of God’s word will be
called great in that day. The problem with rabbinical Judaism,
manifested in the Pharisees, was that they had substituted their oral
and written traditions for the Word of God, giving even greater
credence to them than what was written by God. Notwithstanding
them, careful and diligent obedience to the Word of God remains
a priority for God’s people to this present hour.
5:20 Here is the first of Jesus’ seven rejoinders. It is not
only a fulfillment of the Law, but actually an addition to it.
These will be the conditions in the kingdom.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. The
scribes and Pharisees were the super-pious, religious leaders of
the day. They maintained that observing all 613 rabbinical
traditions, which were embellishments of the simple Law of
God, would make a person ‘righteous.’ Jesus said that one’s
righteousness would have to be more than theirs to enter the
kingdom of heaven.
What Jesus, no doubt, was alluding to is the fact that apart
from being declared righteous in Christ (justification), no one
can go to heaven or the related kingdom of heaven. All our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags according to Isaiah 64:6. Only
Christ’s righteousness will be accepted by God. The Pharisees
and scribes thought by meticulously observing all the minutia
and trivialities of the 613 rabbinical traditions that they were
therefore righteous. They set forth an outward aura of being
super pious. Jesus saw right through their facade.
5:21-22 Jesus thus makes reference to a familiar point of

the law, noting, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old
time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment. He refers to Exodus 20:13 and
Deuteronomy 5:17 (“them of old time”). Moreover, any so
accused stood in legal jeopardy before the civil court system
established throughout the land.
However, Jesus then added, 22 But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say,
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. However, in the
coming kingdom, even being angry against another without just
cause will make one liable for judgment.
Furthermore, in that day, if someone will call his brother
Raca, he will be in trouble. The word raca is untranslated and
was a term of insult in New Testament times. It literally was
equivalent to the modern epithet of calling someone an ‘air-
head.’ In the kingdom someday, to so insult someone will result
in being called before the council. The word so translated
(sunedrionsunedrion—otherwise known as Sandhedrin), in
addition to referring to the national legislative/judicial body in
Israel of Jesus’ day, also referred to local city councils. That
undoubtedly is the sense here. The greater thought is that in the
coming kingdom of God, even such minor comments of
unkindness will not be tolerated. Absolute righteousness will be
enforced in that day. Even insulting others will not be tolerated.
However, if someone in that day becomes even more crass
and calls another a fool (mwrov moros literally, a ‘moron’), he
will be in danger of hell fire (Gehenna). Jesus’ point is that in the
coming kingdom, such simple acts of unrighteousness as being
bitter or insulting another simply will not be tolerated.
The word translated as hell here (geenna gehenna) referred
to the Valley of Hinnom. The original Hebrew word was (Mnh-
ayq) gay-hinnom and its Greek form became gehenna. It was a
garbage dump in the steep valley just below the southwestern
wall of the old city of Jerusalem. It was always on fire from
spontaneous combustion. It thus came to be a metaphor for
everlasting fire. In ancient times, to be cast there was to be
thrown out of the city. At times, this metaphor is an allusion to
the real hell as implied by the translation in the English Bible.
Here, however, it probably is merely a reference in the context
of being thrown out of town, left to scrounge in the city dump for
food.
The point Jesus was making is that in His kingdom, out-
bursts of anger, name calling, and demeaning others will not be
tolerated. In other words, true righteousness will prevail down
to the smallest details of personal life.
5:23-26 No doubt, this will indeed be the law of the land (at
least in Israel) in the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus gave further
advice on how life will be conducted then. Therefore if thou
bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy
brother hath ought against thee. 24 Leave there thy gift
before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift. There will be a
restoration of Temple sacrifices in the kingdom. Jesus said
therefore, before you come to offer your sacrifice, first make
things right with a brother.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art
in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver
thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou
shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the
uttermost farthing. Moreover, the thought is, pay all of your
obligations on time, lest your adversary before the law (the one
to whom you owe money) takes you to court. The greater
principle which Jesus taught was in that day, we had best be
careful to do right by those about us: whether with our mouths
or in our business dealings. These principles are surely helpful
even today. It is righteous to be kind to whomever as well as
honest and prompt in our affairs. In that day, unrighteousness in
the smallest matters of life will not be tolerated. This may be an
illustration of Jesus’ reign in that day being as with a rod of iron.
See Psalm 2:9, Revelation 2:27 and 12:5. Sin, even seemingly
minor, will not be tolerated.
5:27-28 Jesus introduced another “Ye have heard that it

was said . . . but I say unto you” sequence. Ye have heard that
it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart. He here refers to the seventh of the Ten
Commandments, “thou shalt not commit adultery.” But He then
takes it a step farther. He said that looking on a woman to lust
after her is adultery of the heart.
Several other comments are apparent. (1) It is not the sim-
ple looking on an attractive woman or admiring her that can be
adulterous. It is the looking to lust after her that is. There is a dif-
ference. (2) Recall that out of the heart proceeds adulteries
(Matthew 15:19). Moreover, our thought life is the prelude to
our actions. (3) The world today advances the thought that
sexual fantasies are harmless and cute. The teaching of Jesus
says that such is adultery of the heart. (4) Men need to discipline
their eyes and their thought life to do what is right when an at-
tractive woman appears. (5) Women need to be ever so modest
and careful about their appearance lest they provoke impure
thoughts in men. (And, the same injunction is true for women—
to not lust after a man in her heart.)
The greater point is that while the Old Testament Law
defined adultery as an act, Jesus defined it even further as the
lustful thought thereof. That will be the operative principle in
the kingdom of God. Though not considered as law now, the
principle certainly is valid. Moreover, in that day, Jesus, who
knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, will be the judge of
human hearts. Clearly, modesty and morality will prevail come
that blessed day.
5:29-30 Likely in that same regard, Jesus further warns that

if portions of our body (i.e., our eyes or our hands) would lead
us to do wrong, we would be better without them rather than
suffer in hell as a result of their sin. This warning is in the direct
context of the preceding “But I say unto you—warning against
even looking with lust on another. And if thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for
thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profit-
able for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not
that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
An eye given to adulterous glances is better plucked out
than to suffer divine judgment thereunto. Likewise is the
principle for a hand so given to sin. Further implied is that when
unsaved people are cast into hell, they are done so bodily. More
than just their soul is consigned to hell, but their sinful body as
well. When one considers the pain and difficulties already
available in the human body, the portent of hell becomes all the
worse.
5:31-32 Jesus now touches on the sensitive matter of

divorce and remarriage. It hath been said, Whosoever shall
put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.
Our Lord here referred to Deuteronomy 24:1. Under this
portion of the Old Testament law, a woman could be divorced
if she was shown to have been immoral (i.e., unclean). More-
over, according to Deuteronomy 24:2, she was then free to
remarry.
However, Jesus took this a step further. 32 But I say unto
you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth
adultery. Jesus restated the principle of the Law that
immorality was cause for divorce (though certainly not
mandated). However, Jesus went even further and said that if an
adulterous woman under these circumstances is divorced and
proceeds to marry again, she continues in her adultery.
We touch here upon God’s law and principle of marriage.
The perfect will of God is for marriage to be permanent. See
Matthew 19:3-8. However, there is ample evidence in
Deuteronomy 24, here, Matthew 19, and I Corinthians 7 that
God’s permissive will tolerates divorce. He in fact has set forth
rules to regulate divorce. It, however, is always God’s perfect
will for marriage to be permanent and faithful. Always, always,
always! Having said that, nevertheless, God does make
provision for the frailty and imperfection of His creatures in
tolerating divorce. But it never is His perfect will. See notes for
Matthew 19:3-8.
5:33-37 Our Lord continues by noting another provision of

the Old Testament Law and then adds thereunto. Again, ye
have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou
shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord
thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither
by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it
is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the
great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because
thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil.
Jesus here referred to Leviticus 19:12. There, men were
enjoined to not swear falsely. If an oath was taken, it was to be
fulfilled. But Jesus took it a step farther. He in effect said, don’t
swear at all! (There is a distinction between a formal swearing
as in a court of law in which one vows to tell the truth. However,
in ordinary life, people cast oaths and ‘swear words’ around
casually and in vain. It is this to which Jesus referred.)
The Jews of Jesus day knew better than to swear by God’s
name. It was considered blasphemy and a capital crime in first-
century Israel. Unfortunately, today, most godless people are
not so constrained. But then Jesus went on down the list and
said, don’t swear by the earth, or by Jerusalem (the capital city),
or by other people. In fact, Jesus taught, our speech ought to be
straightforward, not ‘blank yes’ or ‘blankety-blank no,’ as the
world routinely does. Jesus said that when we add various ex-
pletives, they in fact come from the evil (one). Notice that no
one ever curses by Satan’s name. But people routinely curse by
God or Jesus Christ’s name. It reveals who is behind such pro-
fanity.
Christians ought to avoid running around saying ‘Well, by
blank . . . thus and thus.’ Or, ‘By blank this!’ See James 5:12.
What is even more subtle is using diluted oaths such as ‘darn,’
‘heck,’ ‘gee,’ ‘golly,’ or ‘gosh.’ These all derive from more
direct swear words or the names of God, but are swearing just
in diluted form.
5:38-42 In Exodus 21:24 the Law taught that vengeance

could only equal the wrong incurred. Though it was harsh, it
was just. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an
eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye
resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right
cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue
thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy
cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile,
go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from
him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Here,
however, Jesus in effect said to forget about retaliating.
The greater principle that Jesus taught here is not that
Christians should be doormats and let the world walk all over
us. Rather, the principle is to be kind, patient, generous, taking
whatever comes without retaliating. Instead of seeking ven-
geance, return kindness. Instead of getting even, be generous.
That cuts right across the nature of our flesh, but it is harmon-
ious with the fruit of the spirit. It bespeaks a sweet, godly spirit
in distinction to a bitter, ugly, vengeful spirit. The former is
indicative of the new man in Christ. The latter is of the old. Such
living surely is a part of the Law of Christ, if not part of the
gospel of the kingdom. It surely is a principle for Christian
living today. In the coming kingdom, it likely will be the law of
the land.
5:43-47 Jesus refers to Leviticus 19:18. Ye have heard

that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and
hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on
the unjust.
Jesus, however, quoted the verse as the rabbis interpreted it.
Rabbinical tradition taught that one ought to love the people
who lived next door or those having the adjoining property, but
it was alright to hate your enemy such as the Samaritans, who
ironically lived next door to Judea.
However, Jesus directly repudiated this distortion of the
law and went even further. He directed us to love our enemies.
Bless them that curse us. Do good to them that hate us. Pray for
them that take advantage of us or persecute us. Jesus did such on
the cross. God the Father does the same in sending rain even to
the unjust.
Jesus continued, 46 For if ye love them which love you,
what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than
others? do not even the publicans so? It is no great thing to
love those who love us or are friendly to us. Even the publicans
did the same. Publicans were collaborators with the Romans
who were at liberty to extort as much tax as they could get away
with. (They were contract employees of Rome who were given
a tax quota they had to raise. Anything they could extort in
excess was theirs to keep. They often were cruel, greedy, and
ruthless—and they had the force of Rome to protect them.
Hence, they were despised as not only turncoats, but as the
lowest form of life. Here, Jesus used them as an example. Even
the publicans loved their friends and family.)
Therefore, it is no great thing for us to love only those who
love us. Rather, the real lesson is to love our enemies as well.
That is the gist of the Law of Christ. The Old Testament Law
commanded love for one’s neighbor. Jesus took that principle
and extended it to love even our enemies. That is the difficult
part.
5:48 Finally, Jesus said, to Be ye therefore perfect, even

as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Several com-
ments are in order here. 1) The word translated as perfect
(teleiov teleios) has the sense of ‘completion’ or ‘maturity.’
The word is used to distinguish an adult from a child. Maturity
is characterized by selflessness, whereas immaturity is usually
characterized by selfishness. The preceding context is the quint-
essence of selflessness.
2) The verb form here is considered future tense by some.
In that vein, the thought could be translated ‘Ye shall therefore
be perfect.’ In view of the context, that rendering does make
sense. Rather, the thought may also be imperative as it is
translated. In this case, Jesus directed us to be mature in the
sense defined above—selfless and considerate of others.
Certainly our Father in heaven is infinitely mature and selfless.
He remains our great example.
In summary, Jesus reflected upon the teaching of the Law
and illustrated how that He had come to fulfill it. In each case in
this chapter, He gave tacit approval of the law. However, He
then proceeded to supersede it with an even higher level of
moral and spiritual principle. These principles certainly are in-
cumbent upon us today. But in the coming kingdom, they likely
will be the law of the land.
Overview of Matthew 6: The chapter continues with the
Sermon on the Mount. In the first part of the chapter, Jesus dealt
with religious pretense—putting on a spiritual front to impress
others. Our Lord then moved on to deal with how we handle our
money and how it handles us. In so doing, He ranged from
priorities pertaining to money to worries pertaining to money.
6:1-2 Jesus addressed the practice of some in Israel who

made sure their good deeds were quite visible. Take heed that
ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven. The word translated as alms (elehmosunh eleemo-
sune) is a reference to charitable giving, or donating to the poor.
Jesus was not criticizing giving to the needy. He criticized the
motives evident of those who did it to be seen.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a
trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily
I say unto you, They have their reward. He alludes to how the
hypocrites made a fanfare about their charitable giving at the
synagogues and even out on the street. Their motive was to
receive glory of men. Jesus said, they already had their reward.
What ever acclamation they got, that was it. They would get
none from God. The reference to sounding a trumpet maybe hy-
perbole referring to making a big deal over their giving. How-
ever, in the east, there are reports of some who actually blew
trumpets to announce their good deeds.
6:3-4 Jesus thus used a common metaphor of our left and

right hand. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand
know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be
in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall
reward thee openly. The obvious intent is that charitable deeds
ought to be done quietly so as not to draw attention to the donor
“that thine alms may be in secret.” Moreover, God will openly
reward such a donor for his genuine good work. And so Jesus
presented this simple lesson. Do good quietly and be rewarded
by God. Do good ostentatiously and be ignored by God. Unfor-
tunately, the religious elites of the day made a practice of mak-
ing a big production over any good deed they accomplished.
6:5-6 Our Lord then dealt with a similar problem of bogus

religious people doing spiritual practices openly that they may
be perceived as spiritual. And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward. The word translated as hypocrites (‘upokrithv hy-
pokrites) has the sense of ‘pretender,’ ‘actor,’ or ‘deceiver.’
Here, such hypocrites would voluntarily stand to pray out
loud at the synagogue and even on the street corner. Their
motive was to be seen. They, too, had all the reward they were
going to get. Implicit is that true rewards do await those who
serve God righteously and in truth.
Rather, Jesus taught that we ought to do our praying
privately. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy
closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father
which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly. The word translated as closet (tam(i)eion
tameion) well reflects the sense of the underlying text. It means
a store room, back room, or a closet. In other words, it is a
private place. Not only is private prayer to be preferred lest there
be any pretense, it also is far more efficacious in that the one
praying is not distracted by extraneous goings on.
6:7 Jesus now deals with the matter of vain repetition. But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking. On the one hand, the Bible is clear that we ought to
continually bring our requests before God (Luke 11:9-10, Luke
18:1-5). However, on the other hand, Jesus refers here to vain
repetition. That is, openly and repetitiously, repeating the same
prayer over and over.
The word translated as vain repetitions (battologew
battologeo) simply means to repeat the same things over and
over. Jews, to this day, stand before the wailing wall, bobbing
their head and shoulders as they pray the same prayers over and
over. In fact, the modern Jews at the wailing wall actually read
prayers from a prayer book. Moreover, the prayers they read
have been preselected by rabbinical tradition to be read on any
given day or occasion. It is totally perfunctory.
Because modern-day, rabbinical Judaism is predicated
upon the rabbinical traditions preceding even the day of Jesus,
it is likely that the Jews of Jesus’ day practiced the similar rote,
perfunctory prayer practices the modern, orthodox Jews do.
They very likely may have even bobbed their head and should-
ers as orthodox Jews do as they pray.
Those of the church of Rome and other liturgical churches
pray the same prayers each Sunday. The Roman Catholics
repeat their Our Fathers and their Ave Marias. The liturgists
ironically repeat the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ which soon follows in the
context. God is not interested in rote, repeated prayers that do
not come from the heart.
6:8 Jesus therefore proceeded to present what is tradition-

ally known as the Lord’s Prayer. However, this prayer was
never intended to be vainly repeated week after week. Rather,
He set it forth as an example in form and content how one ought
to pray. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. We
are clearly instructed to not so pray as described above. More-
over, our heavenly Father already knows our needs. What a
wonderful assurance! Our heavenly Father knows our needs
even before we pray. He is just waiting for us to ask Him.
6:9 Jesus here sets forth the manner, or example, of how we

ought to pray. After this manner therefore pray ye. The key
thought here is found in the word translated as manner (‘outw
houto). As implied, it simply means ‘in this manner’ or ‘in this
fashion.’ Jesus therefore presented what tradition has called
‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ It rather was a prayer of instruction for the
benefit of the disciples. It never was intended to be prayed in
rote fashion as is done in liturgical churches the world around.
Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Jesus began this example prayer with praise to God. The
phrase “hallowed be thy name” literally means ‘holy’ or ‘sanc-
tified’ be thy name. Jesus thus praised the holy character of His
Father. In like fashion, our prayer life ought to include praise. It
perhaps ought to be one of the first things on the prayer list. We
touch here upon the matter of personal worship. The most basic
forum of worship is when a believer gets alone with God and
praises and adores Him. Worship therefore begins in the prayer
closet.
6:10 Jesus continued, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be

done in earth, as it is in heaven. In effect, Jesus submitted
Himself to God’s rule. The phrase “thy kingdom come” is not
only a request for the appearance of that blessed time, but also
a statement of submission to the King. Likewise, invoking His
will be done on earth is yielding to His Lordship. It, in effect, is
saying, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’
6:11 Then, Jesus turned to making request for needs. Give

us this day our daily bread. The English word prayer literally
means to make petition or to make request. Only after He
praised and submitted Himself to God did Jesus make request.
6:12 Next, Jesus touched upon the matter of confession of
sin. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. The
word translated as debt (ofeilhma opheilema), though liter-
ally referring to that which is owed, can also have the more
allegorical sense of ‘sin’ or ‘offense.’ That likely is the case
here. Jesus taught to seek forgiveness from God when sin is
present (I John 1:9). Moreover, our forgiveness is predicated
upon our willingness to forgive others. (See verse 15).
6:13 Furthermore, He taught us to ask God for strength,

guidance and help. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. We ought to so pray for His help, strength,
and guidance. “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, for ever. Amen.” Jesus closed this sample prayer with
additional praise to God. So ascribing the coming kingdom as
well as power and glory to Him is praise indeed. Since His
ascension, the thought parallels seeking the soon return of our
Lord. He ended with the familiar amen which in this context
means, ‘So be it.’
6:14-15 Our Lord then touched upon a condition for divine

forgiveness. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not
men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses. If we will forgive others, God will forgive us. If we
will not forgive others, God will not forgive us. It is as simple as
that. It behooves us therefore, to examine our hearts to see if
there is bitterness, a retaliatory spirit, or lack of forgiveness on
our part toward others. Right fellowship with our heavenly
Father, to this degree, is predicated upon right fellowship with
those around us.
6:16-18 Jesus thus returned to the theme addressed earlier

in the chapter—putting on a pretense of piety and false spirit-
uality in front of others. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their
faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward.
Here, the matter is fasting. Fasting was a biblical practice in
which people would deny themselves the simple pleasures of
eating or other physical appetites to (1) humble themselves
before God and (2) focus on things spiritual in contrast to things
physical. At times in the Old Testament, it was a custom to wear
sack cloth (rough cloth) and to put ashes upon one’s head to
show contrition and humbling. However, in Jesus’ day, hypo-
crites put on contrived appearances of fasting and contrition.
Again, they had already received their desserts, such as it was.
No more was forthcoming from God.
Rather, Jesus taught: if you are going to fast, do it secretly.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash
thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto
thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly. Jesus said, wash your face,
fix your hair, and go about life without any clue about your
special time with God. When in such a season of seeking God’s
face through prayer and fasting, do it secretly. God in turn will
reward outwardly.
6:19-20 Our Lord now shifts to another major topic: how

we handle money and how it handles us. He begins by dealing
with the goal of wealth and of seeking wealth. Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. Jesus
was not addressing the matter of prudent savings, but rather that
of motives. He here confronted living for wealth and getting
more (i.e., covetousness). See I Timothy 6:5-11. The word
translated as rust (brwsiv brosis) is not referring so much to
literal iron oxide as we might think of it, but rather of spoilage
such as of meat (i.e., corruption.) The greater thought is that
whatever wealth we might accrue is certainly subject to deter-
ioration or theft. It is tenuous and temporal.
In contrast, Jesus said, 20 lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through nor steal. Rather, we
ought to invest our lives in heaven where time and effort laid up
is secure for ever. The simple application is that in serving the
Lord, our reward is secure forever. The greater composite of
New Testament teaching clearly implies that work and service
done for Jesus Christ today is invested in heaven. Though God
does not have a payday, as such, for service to Him now; when
we get to heaven, there will be. That can only be seen and under-
stood by faith.
Notwithstanding, service for Christ now will be rewarded
someday then in heaven. Moreover, that which we invest there
now is accruing in value. No thieves can ever steal that invest-
ment. No downturn or economic crash will ever affect it. There
is no inflation or deterioration of those assets. And finally, there
will be no taxes on it either. Without question, the best place to
invest is in heaven. No earthly investment opportunity can ever
match the yield God will pay for investing there.
6:21 Moreover, where your treasure is, there will your

heart be also. If what we value are things of this earth, our heart
then will be there. Conversely, if we value the things that pertain
to heaven and God’s work, likewise our heart will be there. Our
heart will be where we invest. If we invest in this life and its
values, our heart will be in this world. If however, we invest our
lives in heaven, our heart will be there.
6:22 Jesus now seemingly changes the subject. However,

what he actually has done is digress momentarily to illustrate
the subject at hand—where our priorities are. The light of the
body is the eye. The word translated as light (lucnov luchnos)
is not the regular word for light (fwv phose). Rather, the sense
is that of a ‘candle’ or ‘lantern.’ In modern vernacular, it would
be reference to a headlight or a light for guidance. If therefore
thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be filled with light.
The word translated as single (‘aplouv haplous) has the sense
of ‘whole’ or ‘sound.’ As Jesus develops His thought here, He
in effect said, if your eye is sound, your whole body will have
light.
6:23 The converse is also true. But if thine eye be evil, thy
whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! The
word translated as evil (ponhrov poneros) in this context is a
reference to being ‘sick’ or ‘diseased.’ Therefore, a diseased
eye will bring darkness or blindness to the whole body.
The greater thought in the context is if our priorities are
wrong, our entire life will be affected. Likewise, if our eyes are
good, they will influence the entire way we live. The clearly
implied thought is that we had best make sure that the spiritual
eyes of our priorities are sound. If not, not only will our life now
be impacted, but eternity then will be affected as well.
6:24 Jesus now returns to the greater thought. No man can

serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Several comments are in order. (1) The flow of the con-
text continues—getting the priorities of life straight. (2) The
word translated as masters (kuriov kurios) is the ordinary
word, usually translated as ‘lord.’ Jesus said, no man can serve
two lords. That is profoundly true. Either He is Lord or someone
or something else is. That someone may range from self all the
way to Satan himself. (3) The word translated as hate (misew
miseo) is a somewhat relative term. Here, it has the sense of
‘loathing’ someone or something. (4) The idea of the word
translated as despise (katafronew kataphroneo) can also
have the sense of ‘ignoring’ another. That may be the idea here.
Hence, Jesus in effect was saying that if one tries to serve two
masters (i.e., two lords), he either will loathe one and love the
other, or ignore one and be partial to the other.
He now comes to His point. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon. Again, this is a direct part of the greater context. The
word translated as mammon (mammwnav mammonas) has the
idea of ‘wealth’ or ‘the getting of wealth.’ Jesus said, we cannot
serve God and at the same time seek wealth. They are mutually
exclusive. Again, see I Timothy 6:5-11.
6:25 Now, Jesus shifts from the wrong priorities con-

cerning wealth to the other extreme—worry about the lack of
money. Therefore take no thought for your life, what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
ye shall put on. The idea of is worry. The word translated as
take (no) thought (merimnaw merimnao) is the same used in
Philippians 4:6 where Paul said, “be careful for nothing.” The
idea is ‘don’t worry.’ Don’t worry about what are we going to
eat. Don’t worry about what are we going to drink. Don’t worry
about what are we going to wear. Is not the life more than
meat, and the body more than raiment? Jesus again touches
upon a basic principle of life: the issues of life are funda-
mentally spiritual. As Jesus said to the devil, “man shall not live
by bread alone.” The real essence of life therefore is spiritual
and not physical.
6:26-29 Our Lord then introduced a number of rhetorical

questions (those in which the answer is clearly implied). In each
case the answer to these questions is apparent. Behold the
fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are ye not much better than they? Does not God take care of
the birds? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one
cubit unto his stature? Can anyone by fretting about it, really
grow taller? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Con-
sider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Why worry about having enough clothes? Just look at the wild
flowers. Even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of
these.
6:30 Wherefore, stop and think about it. If God so clothe

the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast
into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith? The allusion to being cast into the oven is a refer-
ence how wild grass would be cut and dried in the midday sun
and then used the next day to bake bread. An earthen vessel
called a klibanus was used to bake one loaf of bread. The dough
was placed inside, and usually dried grass was used as fuel to
bake that one loaf. The application Jesus made is if God takes
care about something so lowly as wild grass, alive one day and
used to bake bread the next, how much more will he take care of
us?
“O ye of little faith.” When we unduly worry about how we
are going to make it, we manifest a lack of faith that God is able
and willing to provide for us. (One reason some contemporary
Christians have such financial worries stem from {1} foolish
purchases that far deviate from food and clothing and {2} credit
purchasing that haunts them each month with endless bills.)
6:31-32 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall

we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we
be clothed? The idea is, don’t worry about how are we going to
survive. 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all
these things.
(1) By so contrasting the gentiles here, Jesus quite evi-
dently implied that these promises are for God’s people. The
word translated as gentiles (eynov ethnos), though literally re-
ferring to a non-Jew, also can have the sense of the world at
large. That likely is the sense here. Therefore, the promise is to
God’s people and not to the world at large. (2) God knows that
we need the necessities of life. It should be noted that in the
foregoing context, Jesus spoke specifically about the ne-
cessities of life. He did not allude to the wants and luxuries of
life that people often purchase. Worse still is when they buy on
credit and then find themselves in a bind, unable to afford
necessities.
6:33 Rather Jesus taught, but seek ye first the kingdom of

God and his righteousness. Here is the culmination of this
entire section. It precludes both problems discussed in the
chapter: wrong priorities and worry about not having enough.
Jesus directed us to make the things of God (and that which is
right) the first priority in our lives. Then He promised, and all
of these things shall be added unto you. What is clear is when
we seek the things of God and His righteousness first, God has
promised to provide the necessities of life. There may even be
reference to the nicer things of life referred to earlier in the
section; if not in this life, certainly in the next. When we make
our priorities what they ought to be and live accordingly, God
will provide and bless.
6:34 Therefore, Take no thought therefore for the

morrow. The idea is, don’t worry about how we are going to
make it tomorrow. For the morrow shall take thought for the
things of itself. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof. We have enough things to be
concerned with today without worrying about tomorrow. The
greater, overarching principle is to put the Lord and the things
of God first in our lives (including His righteousness) and He
will meet our every need. That precludes worry and is the es-
sence of living by faith,
Jesus therefore has touched upon two major problems
pertaining to handling money in life. (1) The first is to invest in
heaven rather than seek wealth in this life. The other (2) is to
seek the things of God first and He will meet our needs. Act-
ually, the distilled essence of it all is “seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.” That precludes all of the problems that Jesus has
dealt with in the last section of this chapter.
*****
Overview of Matthew 7: The Sermon on the Mount con-

tinues. Jesus proceeds with various teachings, including
avoiding a critical spirit, perseverance in prayer, the golden
rule, and the narrow versus the broad gate. In the latter portion
the chapter (the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus
touches upon three areas of warning: false prophets, false
professions, and false foundations.
7:1-2 Our Lord thus deals with the common fault of having
a critical attitude toward others. Judge not, that ye be not
judged. The word translated as judge (krinw krino) has
several nuances of thought, but is used here in the sense of
‘condemning’ or ‘criticizing’ others. In day-to-day life, it could
be summed up with the idea of being critical of others. It should
be noted that this same word (judge) has another sense. It also
can mean to ‘discern’ or ‘understand.’ In that sense, Jesus said
to judge righteous judgement in John 7:24.
However, when we have a critical attitude toward others, it
will come back on us. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye
shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again. Moreover, to what degree we deal
with other people, we will tend to be dealt with in the same
fashion. The word translated as mete (metrew metreo) has the
idea to ‘measure out.’ It is whence the modern word meter
derives. More broadly and in this context, it has the sense of
how we deal with others. If we are critical of others, we can ex-
pect the same. If we are kind and considerate of them, the same
will tend to be returned to us.
7:3-5 Jesus touches upon one of the ironies of life. And

why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how
wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of
thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? It is very
easy to see the minor faults in those about us, while being obliv-
ious to major faults in our own life. Jesus illustrates this truth by
a mote, which literally refers to a piece of straw or a fleck of
debris. He contrasts that to a beam which refers to a construct-
ion timber. He draws attention to the irony by exaggeration. The
greater context is of avoiding a critical attitude. 5 Thou
hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and
then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy
brother’s eye. When we find fault in those around us while
ignoring our own faults, Jesus said that we are hypocrites.
7:6 Jesus now changes the subject and presents a cryptic

proverb that is not entirely clear. Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest
they trample them under their feet, and turn again and
rend you. Casting that which is holy to the dogs may refer to
giving meat leftover from the altar at the Temple to scavenging
dogs. Also, wild boars were common in the Jordan valley of the
day and would welcome refuse that resembled peas. However,
when they discovered they were pearls, they would spit them
out and trample them, even turning upon those who had so fed
them. (Incidentally, the Greek word for pearl is margarites from
whence the English name Margaret derives.)
The application of the short parable may be that at times
there is wisdom in not presenting the precious things of God’s
Word to the hounds and hogs of the world. The epithet of a dog
in the first century was a reference to base, vile, and wicked
men. Dogs of that day were semi-wild, scavenging creatures of
the streets, held in low esteem. At times it may be wiser to not
witness or teach the things of God to some who will only make
a mockery of it.
7:7-8 Jesus next advances a major principle concerning

prayer. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened. The greater thought is just
keep on praying. The verbs ask, seek, and knock are all in the
present tense which implies ongoing action. Therefore, Jesus in
effect said, ‘keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on
knocking.’ Those who will so persevere in prayer will in due-
season have their prayer answered. See Luke 11:5-7; 18:1-7. A
key to answered prayer is never giving up in asking.
There is a threefold sequence presented. Asking is making
requests. Seeking is appealing for God’s guidance. Knocking is
requesting God’s help. In any event, the greater principle is to
keep on praying for as long as it takes to move God to answer.
Prayer is a major activity of faith. As long as we are asking,
seeking, or knocking; we to that degree are living by faith.
Moreover, faith is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6). God may
forebear answering for a season to keep us in ongoing
fellowship with Him. And indeed, the journey of faith often is
even better than the sought-after destination.
There is a greater principle here. When we persevere in
prayer, Jesus said that God shall give, shall help, and shall
guide. These all are promises of God that pertain directly to
prayer. God will answer as we persevere in prayer.
7:9-10 The Savior now reenforces the promise of answered

prayer by using two references from day-to-day life. Both are
rhetorical questions. Or what man is there of you, whom if
his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a
fish, will he give him a serpent? Jesus posed the question, ‘If
your son asks you for some bread, will you give him a rock?’
The answer it obvious. Or, ‘If he asks you for a piece of fish to
eat, will you give him a snake?’ Again the answer is obvious. In
the preceding and succeeding context it is clear that as we go to
our heavenly Father in prayer, He will respond as any honorable
father will. The greater lesson is that God answers the prayer of
His children. There certainly are conditions and qualifications
to prayer. But as a basic principle, God answers the prayer of
His people.
7:11 This principle is even further reenforced here. If ye

then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father which is in
heaven give good things to them that ask him? If we as sinful
people know how to give nice things to our children, how much
more will God respond when we appropriately ask Him?
7:12 What is traditionally called the Golden Rule is thus set

forth by Jesus. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is
the law and the prophets. The common distortion of this is to
do unto others as they do to us. However, that is not what Jesus
said. What He did say was “whatsoever ye would that men
should to you, do ye even so to them.” In other words, do to
others as we would have them do to us. Be thoughtful, kind,
helpful, selfless, generous, etc. As mentioned earlier in the
chapter, “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
you again.”
He concluded this thought by noting, “for this is the law and the
prophets.” The whole thrust of the Old Testament (the law and the
prophets) was to so live. Jesus, in essence, thus taught us to be
selfless rather than selfish; to be others-directed rather than self-
directed. This is the essence of agape-love. See Romans 13:9-10.
7:13-14 Our Lord then proceeded to contrast that strait or

narrow gate to the wide and broad gate. Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The word
translated as strait (stenov stenos) simply means narrow. The
thought refers to an out-of-the-way gate or that which is not the
popular way. There were numerous gates to the city of
Jerusalem. Some were the broad magnificent gates through
which the rich and powerful entered the Temple. Others were
narrow and humble used for more mundane functions such as
delivery, disposal of dung, or for animals. The word translated
as destruction (apwleia apoleia) is the base word whose
derivative refers to ‘perishing’ or being ‘lost’.
There have been two traditional views as to the application
of this truth. One is that (1) Jesus is alluding to the fact that the
popular road that most are traveling, though broad and
crowded, misses the relatively unknown gate leading to eternal
life through Christ. (See John 14:6.) The world is heading at
breakneck speed down the expressway of life toward hell, for
the most part ignoring the exit that points to eternal life in Christ.
An alternative position is that (2) Jesus is referring in the
context to God’s people and how many of them never seem to
find the narrow path of righteousness and obedience which
leads to fullness and blessing of the Christian life. In defense of
this view, it may be noted that though life is mentioned, it is not
referred to as eternal life. And indeed, many Christians go
through life on the broad road of doing as everyone else does,
but reaping heartache and misery because they never were
willing to use the narrow gate of faithfulness, consistency, sep-
aration, and genuine spiritual living.
In any event, God’s way is the way of the minority.
Whether it be of people missing the gospel altogether or of
Christians missing the road of spiritual maturity, those who go
God’s way are a minority.
7:15 Verses 15-20 warns of false prophets. Beware of

false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5,
God set forth warning regarding false prophets. In the Old
Testament, the basic criteria for determining a false prophet
was if his prophecy did not come to pass. However, it was not
always easy to know if a given prophecy came to pass. There-
fore, Jesus added another criteria—the fruit of their lives. “Ye
shall know them by their fruits.”
Jesus likens false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing.
That is, they portray themselves as something they are not. A
brief overview of history or even of current events will reveal
there has never been lack of religious charlatans. They portray
themselves as men of God, and yet in reality are just the
opposite.
He used the analogy of wolves. The world around, wolves
are noted for their predation upon other creatures. As carn-
ivores, they prey upon other animals for their food. See Ezekiel
22:25-27 wherein the prophet likened false religious leaders to
wolves preying upon undiscerning people. Recent religious
history in America reveals how notorious ‘tele-evangelists’
have fleeced gullible followers across the land. They turned out
to be wolves in sheep’s clothing.
7:16-20 In the same vein, Jesus uses another analogy from

nature and that of horticulture. Ye shall know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their
fruits ye shall know them.
Grapes don’t grow on thorn bushes and figs don’t grow on
thistle plants. Wild plants don’t yield the sweet fruit of a domes-
ticated plant, and cultivated plants don’t yield the sour fruit of a
wild plant. (Wild orange trees produce bitter and sour fruit. The
oranges that we eat come from trees that been cultivated and
grafted for centuries to produce sweet fruit.) Moreover, fruit
growers will not continually work with trees that will not
produce good fruit. Such trees are eventually cut down and
burned.
The thought of a corrupt tree here likely refers to a wild tree.
The word translated as corrupt (saprov sapros), in this con-
text, refers to being of poor quality or unfit for use. Wild trees
as a rule produce sour, bitter fruit. In contrast, good trees
produce the sweet, good fruit which is desirable.
The application of this is that the fruit of a religious leader
or prophet will reveal their true character. Their morals,
honesty, temperament, humility, and even their family are good
indicators of the their true, spiritual condition. As many sadly
found out, the corrupt life styles of recent televangelists re-
vealed their true character.
7:21 Verses 21-23 presents a warning of false professions.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. Jesus warned how not everyone
that professes to know Him will in fact enter the kingdom of
heaven. The key is doing God’s will. In the matter of salvation,
it is of turning to and trusting in Jesus Christ as one’s personal
savior. See John 6:28-29,40. That is the unequivocal key.
7:22 Sadly, many religious people, and even those calling

themselves Christians, will face a rude and shocking awakening
in that day. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast
out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
The phrase “that day” is a reference to the day of judgement,
likely the Great White Throne Judgment. Many professing
Christians are going to wake up in eternity and it is not going to
be where they had supposed. Jesus goes on to speak of religious
people who (1) have prophesied in His name, (2) cast out devils
in His name, (3) and in His name done wonderful works—
perhaps healing.
(At the risk of sounding judgmental, it should be noted that
the modern, charismatic movement lays an emphasis on ‘pro-
phecy,’ casting out devils, and healing—all in the name of
Jesus. However, their life styles more often than not reveal fruit
that is not consistent with that of the Holy Spirit. This writer has
personally known charismatic individuals, claiming to have the
anointing of the Holy Ghost with the reputed ‘signs’ of the
Spirit, yet their personal lives were vile. They may have had an
experience with a spirit, but it was not the Holy Spirit.)
7:23 Jesus said, And then will I profess unto them, I

never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. The
tragedy is that many, who though quite religious, are not truly
saved and will not prevail at the judgement. Jesus said, by their
fruits we shall know them (verse 16). It likewise behooves us to
examine our own heart, to determine if we are truly saved and
not just religious. Many a member in a fundamental church
knows the language and the right answers, but has never been
truly born again. What a horrible time it will be for unsaved
though professing Christians to hear Jesus Christ say, “I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
7:24-27 In Verses 24-27, Jesus warns of false foundations.

He set forth a simple test with a simple illustration. Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,
I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon
a rock. It is not enough to just hear his Word, but also to actually
do it. (See James 1: 22-25.) That doing begins with trusting
Christ. But it then continues in keeping the entire spectrum of
biblical principles. Jesus uses another simple illustration from
life: a house and its foundation.
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it
was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened
unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was
the fall of it.
A structure built upon bedrock will be solid and stable. A
structure built upon the sandy shore of a body of water, may
have a nice view for a time, but when the inevitable storms
come, the foundation of the house will be washed away and the
house will collapse.
The clear and simple application of this illustration is of not
only hearing, but actually doing the full spectrum of God’s
Word in our lives. Not only is there the foundation of salvation,
but also of the numerous other principles contained in the Word
of God. Some people miss salvation because they have built
their lives on the shifting sands of religion.
And yet, let us apply this principle to the lives of people
who are genuinely born again. There are many Christians who
though saved, have never really built their Christian lives upon
the solid foundation of actually doing Bible reading, righteous
living, walking in the spirit, being faithful to the things of God,
and separating themselves from the world. Sooner or later,
when the storms of life come, their lives and their family come
crashing down. See James 1:22.
The actual doing of God’s Word is the foundation that
brings strength, security, and blessing. This is true in the matter
of being saved in the first place and it is particularly true of the
ongoing Christian life. Some have assumed the rock to which
Jesus spoke was Himself. Though in a secondary way that is
true. However, the context here clearly indicates that the doing
of the Word of God is the foundation which provides the
stability of the Christian life. It is the doer of the Word who is
like the house on the rock. The one not doing His Word is lik-
ened to the house on the sand.
7:28-29 The common people of the day were astonished

with the authority and clarity of the preaching of Jesus. And it
came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the
people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught
them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. It was
the custom of the scribes and rabbis of the day to reference
anything they said to the rabbinical traditions for their authority.
Their teaching was dry, dull, tentative, and monotonous. More-
over, they gave equal if not greater credence to their traditional
interpretations than to the Word of God itself.
Jesus taught and spoke with the authority of God and the
power of the Holy Ghost. He didn’t need to ‘footnote’ every-
thing He said from some commentary. He simply preached the
Word of God. It accordingly was with power and authority. The
same principle remains to this day.
*****
Overview of Matthew 8: The eighth chapter contains the

first record of Jesus’ miracles in the New Testament. Here,
there is (1) the healing of a leper; (2) the healing of the centur-
ion’s servant; (3) the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law; (4) the
stilling of the storm; (5) and the casting out of the demons of
Gadara. Additionally, Jesus dealt with several erstwhile
disciples.
8:1-4 After the sermon on the mount, Matthew records,

When he was come down from the mountain, great
multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper
and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean. Several comments are in order. (1) The leper
worshiped him and Jesus accepted it. This points clearly to the
Deity of Christ. (2) Notice the faith evident in the leper: “Lord
if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” (3) His healing was total
and complete. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him,
saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but
go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that
Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
(4) The charge to “tell no man” likely is that the time for
Jesus to publicly reveal Himself to Israel as their Messiah and
King was not yet ready. When that time came, He would
officially reveal Himself to Israel. In the meantime, He would
seek to touch the hearts of Israel rather than make the political
statement of proclaiming Himself the Messiah.
The miracles of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry were
for several reasons. Most obvious is the compassion and con-
cern of our Lord for others. As He saw suffering around Him,
He alleviated it by healing. But there is another less obvious
reason. His miracles authenticated His message and verified
His claim to be the Son of God. It is noteworthy, that the Holy
Spirit led Matthew to provide a list of notable miracles immed-
iately after the Sermon on the mount. They give added weight
to what Jesus taught and preached.
8:5-13 Here is the account of the Roman centurion and his

sick servant. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum,
there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And
saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. Capernaum was located at the north
end of the Sea of Galilee and was at an important crossroads.
There was considerable merchant traffic and the city was pros-
perous. The Romans had a tax office here and though there is no
record of a Roman garrison at Capernaum, clearly there must
have been Roman soldiers nearby as evidenced by the Roman
centurion. He may have been connected with the Roman
department of revenue for protection and enforcement. In any
event, this man came to Jesus. What is notable is the compass-
ion the Roman had for his servant and his faith in Christ.
To his request, 7 Jesus saith unto him, I will come and
heal him. Notice in verse 8 the centurion’s humility and his
total faith in Jesus to help. 8 The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof:
but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For
I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I
say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he
cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Verse 9 further reveals the degree of faith this man had.
Jesus noted that great faith in verse 10. 10 When Jesus heard it,
he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say
unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
This gentile Roman showed more faith than Jesus had seen in
so-called, godly Israel.
In verse 11-12, Jesus alludes to how in the foreseeable
future, the gospel would go to the uttermost parts of the earth. In
that day, gentiles from all over the world will sit with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in the Jewish kingdom of heaven, but many
(Jewish) children of the kingdom would be excluded. 11 And I
say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in
the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom
shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
Herein is prophecy that the gospel would go to the utter-
most parts of the earth. Gentiles the world over will turn to and
trust in Jesus Christ. Yet, His own people (the Jews) largely
would not. See John 1:11-12. The ultimate fulfillment of this,
however, will be in the kingdom when godly gentiles sit with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Sadly, when Christ returns, there
will be still unbelieving Jews, notwithstanding that many are
saved during the Tribulation.
This also may be a tacit prophecy that when Christ returns,
Israel from ages past will be resurrected to face their judgment.
See Daniel 12:1-2. Many Jews, which down through the ages
have rejected Christ and otherwise have been ungodly, will be
confounded to see gentiles entering the kingdom and they be
condemned.
Notice in verse 13 that it was the faith of the centurion that
moved Jesus to heal his servant, even from a distance. And
Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast
believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed
in the selfsame hour. The common denominator in all of
Jesus’ miracles was faith on the part of the recipient. The faith
of this gentile centurion was the agency which effected the
healing of his servant.
8:14-15 Peter was married. And when Jesus was come

into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of
a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her:
and she arose, and ministered unto them. Notwithstanding
claims to the contrary, Peter’s wife is clearly mentioned here.
Jesus, in compassion to His disciple, healed her. Today in the
ruins of ancient Capernaum, there has been uncovered the ruins
of a house that archaeologically is linked to Simon Peter. This
is thought to be the home of his mother-in-law.
8:16-17 Later, when the even was come, they brought

unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses. There is a correlation between demonic activity and
physical ailment alluded to here. All human sickness is not to-
tally physiological. Satan at times can produce illness. There is
again reference to fulfilled Scripture as Matthew quotes from
Isaiah 53:4, referring to Jesus’ healing.
8:18 By now the sun had evidently set and when Jesus saw
great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to
depart unto the other side. Endeavoring to find a bit of pri-
vacy, Jesus instructed the disciples to sail to the other side of
Galilee, intending to go with them.
8:19-22 However, before they could get underway, a

certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow
thee whithersoever thou goest. He evidently was a marginal
disciple, professing allegiance to Him. Jesus replied, 20 The
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the
Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Jesus essentially
said, if you follow me, you will not have any place to live. In
other words, he would face deprivation. Total discipleship to
Jesus Christ of necessity demands sacrifice. That is not to say all
disciples will never have shelter. The vast majority do. But
Jesus was warning of the cost. This is His first use of the term
“Son of man” in the New Testament. It alludes to His humanity
even as His title, the Son of God, refers to His Deity.
It would seem that after Jesus left home and embarked upon
His ministry upon His baptism, He did not have a permanent
home in those three years. He and His disciples ‘camped out’
wherever they could. (Matthew 9:7 refers to His house at Caper-
naum. That however, apparently was only a temporary arrange-
ment.) When in the vicinity of Jerusalem, they likely slept at
Gethsemane which was a park-like garden. He ate where people
would invite Him. During the three final years of His life, He
evidently was largely itinerant and indigent.
Whereupon, 21 another of his disciples said unto him,
Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. This one
essentially said, ‘Lord I will follow you, but let me tend to my
own affairs first.’ Jesus replied, 22 Follow me; and let the dead
bury their dead. Though seemingly harsh, in affect He said, ‘If
you would really follow me, I must take priority over everything
else in your life.’ Complete dedication means sacrifice. That at
times means that our family takes second priority.
8:23-27 Finally, Jesus was able to get into the boat with His
disciples. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples
followed him. In the midst of a literal storm, our Lord showed
that He is the key to peace. 24 And, behold, there arose a great
tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with
the waves: but he was asleep. As they journeyed across the
Sea of Galilee in an open boat, a storm raged around them. It is
not unusual for storms to roll down onto the lake from the west
or northwest. The Sea of Galilee is nestled beneath high hills
(low mountains) on both its western as well as eastern shores.
As weather systems came ashore from the Mediterranean Sea,
not distant; they could stir up nasty windstorms on Galilee,
especially for those using small, open boats such as were com-
mon in that day.
The fishing boats customary on the lake were designed to
have relatively low freeboard to enable fishing nets to be drawn
aboard. The peril thereof was that rough seas could sweep right
over the gunwales. That apparently happened that night. Riding
out storms in a small boat is always nerve wracking. However,
in the darkness of night, it becomes terrifying. Accordingly, 25
his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us:
we perish. The humanity of Jesus is evident in His sleep. How-
ever, His Deity quickly became evident as He stilled the storm.
There is implicit fulfillment of Psalm 89:9 as well as Psalm
65:7; 93:3,4; and 107:29 which all point to the Deity of Christ.
Jesus therefore 26 saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O
ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and
the sea; and there was a great calm. There is an interesting
correlation between fear and faith. The disciples’ fear rested in
their lack of faith in the Lord. It was not until they turned to Him
and besought Him for deliverance that He saved them
(physically). That is a lovely picture of our salvation. Moreover,
it was not until the disciples in faith finally turned to the Lord
and besought Him that peace came.
Thereafter, 27 the men marvelled, saying, What manner
of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Indeed, who by his word can speak and the winds and the wave
cease? The disciples were likely not thinking theologically at
the time. However, they witnessed in Jesus One who by His
own word commanded the forces of nature. Truly, only God
could so accomplish such.
The miracle is even more notable in that the waves immed-
iately ceased. On a body of water, even after the winds have
subsided, swells will linger as wave energy continues to oscil-
late back and forth across the lake. Normally, though the wind
may stop, the swells will continue on for some time. In this case,
all was flat calm at Jesus’ word. The physical peace upon the sea
that night surely is instructive of the spiritual peace that only He
can give. Indeed, He is the Prince of Peace. As we trust Him, He
imparts the peace of God which passeth all understanding. That
peace precludes the many problems of anger, fear, anxiety,
bitterness, and depression that modern psychology in futility
tries to treat.
8:28-34 The next day, when he was come to the other

side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two
possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding
fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. After the
storm, the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples arrived on the
eastern shore of Galilee. The region today is called the Golan
Heights. These are high hills rising steeply and in some cases
almost out of the water’s edge. To this day, the hills are pocked
with caves. The region then was called Gergasa and some miles
inland was the town of Gadara. Greeting Jesus were two men
“possessed with devils.” The word so translated (daimonizomai
daimonizomai) literally means to have a demon or to be
‘demonized.’
In the account of these so-called maniacs, several things are
of note. (1) Such behavior, if exhibited today, would be called
a mental illness. Here, it was produced by demonic activity.
These therefore 29 cried out, saying, What have we to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to
torment us before the time? (2) The demons knew precisely
who Jesus was. They acknowledged Him as the Son of God. (3)
The statement of the demons to Jesus about being tormented
before the time, no doubt, is a reference that they knew Jesus
would someday judge them, casting them into the Lake of Fire.
They feared He would do so on the spot.
Matthew notes, 30 there was a good way off from them
an herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the devils besought
him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the
herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they
were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and,
behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep
place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 And they
that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and
told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of
the devils.
(4) Demons (the devils) apparently desire to be clothed
with a body, if even that of animals, as in the case of the pigs
here. (Gergasa was a gentile area in what would be called
modern-day Syria. Jews then and now would not tolerate pigs.)
Thereafter, 34 the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and
when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart
out of their coasts. (5) The fact that the Gergesenes besought
him to depart may have reference to the fact that their livestock
had been destroyed and they feared Him. It also maybe that the
community had other Satanic activity and they did not care for
His presence.
*****
Overview of Matthew 9: In the 9th chapter of Matthew,

Jesus continues to heal people and enlarge His ministry. But He
now begins to receive opposition from the ‘religious commun-
ity.’ He also begins to hint at the coming of a new dispensation
and a new spiritual body—the church. In the last half of this
chapter, Jesus performed four miracles. Each was linked to
faith, explicitly or implicitly. The chapter concludes revealing
the compassion of our Lord.
9:1 Upon leaving the region of Gadara on the southeastern

portion of Galilee, he entered into a ship, and passed over, and
came into his own city. The reference to “his own city” is Caper-
naum which Jesus adopted as His hometown upon entering His
ministry. It is located on the northern shore of Galilee.
9:2 On arrival there, behold, they brought to him a man

sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith
said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins
be forgiven thee. The account here evidently is the same story
told in Luke 5:18-26 wherein the man is let down through the
roof. Notice that the criteria by which Jesus healed was their
faith. In most cases of Jesus’ healing, there was evident faith
involved. See Matthew 8:10, 26, 9:22,29. It is noteworthy that
Jesus did not immediately heal the man. Rather, He forgave his
sin. (The word translated as palsy {paralutikov paralytikos}
is whence the English word paralytic derives. In any event the
man likely was paralyzed.)
9:3 Opposition to Jesus ministry thus begins to surface.

And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves,
This man blasphemeth. It is noteworthy that such opposition
found its root in the ‘religious community.’ Frequently, the
sharpest opposition to Bible-believing Christianity comes from
religious professionals. The word translated as scribes (gram-
mateuv grammateus) refers to a man learned in the Mosaic
Law and in the sacred writings, who was an interpreter or
teacher thereof. Scribes examined the more subtle questions of
the Law and added embellishments and decisions of various
rabbis to elucidate its meaning and scope. In so doing, they in
fact obfuscated the Law to the detriment of Judaism. Since the
advice of men skilled in the law was needed in the examination
and the solution of difficult questions, they were enrolled in the
Sanhedrin. They frequently are mentioned in connection with
the priests and rabbis. In fact, modern rabbinical Judaism finds
it roots in the interpretations and practices of the ancient scribes.
These also were the professional copyists of the Law and there-
fore considered expert thereon.
9:4-6 A strong clue to the Deity of Christ is evidenced here.

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye
evil in your hearts? He knew their thoughts. See II Chronicles
6:30. Continuing, Jesus asked, 5 For whether is easier, to say,
Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But
that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth
to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise,
take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. The Lord put His
critics on the defensive, for indeed the forgiveness of sins and
healing are both of God. To therefore validate his divine author-
ity, He not only forgave the man, but healed him completely.
Notice also the term “the Son of man.” Jesus used this in
referring to Himself about eighty times in the New Testament.
It refers to his humanity even as the term “Son of David” is a
reference to his royal Jewish heritage and as His title “Son of
God” reveals His divine nature.
9:7-8 Reference here is made to the house of Jesus. And he

arose, and departed to his house. Apparently when at or near
Capernaum, a house was made available to Jesus. It is known
that Peter had relatives at Capernaum. Perhaps through that
contact, Jesus had a house offered for His use when needed.
However, it is apparent throughout the gospels that Jesus did
not spend a great deal of time in Capernaum.
Matthew thus returns to the healing of the palsied man. 8
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glor-
ified God, which had given such power unto men. The
paralytic man, sick of the palsy, took his bedding and headed
home. It is ironic that the common people heard and observed
Jesus uncritically, praising God for His ministry. However, the
religious professionals of the day utterly opposed Him to the
very end. That should give insight into the world of ‘pro-
fessional religion.’
9:9 The Roman government had a regional tax office at

Capernaum. Located at the crossroads of thriving commercial
routes, the Roman department of internal revenue was deter-
mined to extract every shekel it could. And as Jesus passed
forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the
receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he
arose, and followed him. The word translated as receipt of
custom (telwnion telonion) refers to toll house, or the local
office of the department of revenue. Matthew clearly was a tax
collector, notwithstanding the fact he was a Jew. We are not told
anything about his spiritual condition or conversion. But Jesus
certainly knew his heart. Living in Capernaum at the time, Jesus
may have otherwise known him, if only casually. Mark and
Luke refer to him as Levi and as a publican (a revenue agent
working for the Roman government).
Publicans were notorious for their graft. Though this is not
imputed to Matthew, nevertheless, Jesus called one whose
background was questionable. The lesson is that God can use
virtually anyone in His service. His call to Matthew was simple:
“Follow me.” That same call was made to many of Jesus’ dis-
ciples and is the essence of being a disciple. Matthew thereupon
“arose, and followed him.” He apparently up and quit a good-
paying position to follow Jesus. Implicit and not described is
how Matthew otherwise believed on Jesus. It may have been
through him earlier hearing Jesus teach and preach in the
community and witnessing His miracles.
9:10-13 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the
house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat
down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master
with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that,
he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick. Again, the religious crowd of the day
criticized Jesus for having contact with presumed sinners. His
reply was as simple as it was profound. A doctor is primarily for
those who are sick and not the healthy. He came not to reach the
righteous but to call sinners to repentance.
The word translated as publicans (telwnhv telones) refers
to the contract Roman tax collectors of which Matthew was
one. These were Jews who agreed to work for the hated Roman
government to collect taxes on their behalf. They generally
were given a quota of taxes which could be collected anyway
necessary. Anything they could extract over and above that was
theirs to keep. They therefore came to be known for their harsh-
ness, greed, and deception. Moreover, they were backed by the
force of Rome. Thus, publicans were, as a rule, hated by their
fellow countrymen.
What house Jesus so ate with these publicans and other
‘sinners’ is not mentioned. However, in Luke’s account, it is
noted as Levi’s (Matthew’s) house.
Jesus refers evidently to Hosea 6:6. 13 But go ye and learn
what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repent-
ance. With biting sarcasm, He told his critics to go and learn
what that verse meant. The quotation, “I will have mercy and
not sacrifice,” apparently is a reference to how God is more
interested in being merciful than dwelling upon the letter of the
Law (sacrifices). Jesus did not in anyway violate the integrity of
the God’s Word. Rather, He showed that there are priorities in
God’s work (mercy before sacrifice). His association with
sinners was not a violation of the principle of separation for his
motive was to seek to reach them with the gospel.
There undoubtedly is latent sarcasm in His reference to the
righteous. The Pharisees who accosted Jesus considered them-
selves as righteous because they thought they kept all the min-
utia of the 613 rabbinical traditions. Jesus with a tinge of
sarcasm informed them that He did not come to call the ‘right-
eous.’ It was those who would admit and acknowledge their sin
that were candidates for repentance. Before one can be saved, he
must acknowledge his sin and hence his need for a Savior. The Phar-
isees in their self-righteousness would not do so and thus to that
degree were not candidates for God’s mercy and salvation.
9:14-15 Here, John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus

and wanted to know why Jesus’ disciples were not careful about
Jewish fastings. Then came to him the disciples of John,
saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy
disciples fast not? It is evident that John’s disciples were
caught up in the religious asceticism of the day in outward fast-
ings. The Pharisees did so as did the Essenes. The disciples of
Jesus did not because their Master, as a rule, did not.
Jesus’ answer alludes to the yet to be revealed birth of the
church. 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the
bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with
them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be
taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Jesus spoke in terms of a wedding (the future marriage of
the Lamb to the church) which is always a time of rejoicing and
not of fasting. However, He noted that the days were coming
when the bridegroom (Christ) would be forcibly taken from the
disciples and then they would fast. That certainly came to pass
in the days and years after our Lord’s death and return back to
heaven. Then, the disciples faced the sorrow of His death. Even
after His resurrection and ascension, the disciples faced intense
persecution. Then, they learned to fast in the absence of their
Lord. See Acts 13:2-3 and 14:23. (Fasting in the Bible was a
means of humbling one’s self before God in times of trouble and
intense prayer.) Jesus here began to allude to the fact that a new
era (a new dispensation), a new spiritual body (the church), and
a new circumstance (His death and ascension) were impending.
9:16-17 In that same immediate context, Jesus set forth a

parable that something new and distinct is not added to that
which is old. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old
garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the
garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put
new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the
wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new
wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. He alludes to
how new cloth usually is not patched onto an old garment nor is
new wine placed into seasoned, leathern, wine bottles. In the
case of wool or linen, it will shrink. Sewing new un-shrunken
cloth as a patch onto an old garment would only cause the
original tear to be worse. Upon washing, the new would shrink
and further pull open the tear.
In the case of the bottles, skins were sewn together to hold
new wine in a flask (bottle-type container). New wine, if allow-
ed to ferment, will release gasses which will crack and split an
old, dried-out wine skin. Rather, fresh grape juice was placed
into new, leathern, wine flasks preserving both the wine and the
‘bottle.’
The application of the parable undoubtedly is how that the
coming church will be a new entity and completely distinct
from the Old Testament covenant with Israel. God has not
poured the church into the old container of Israel. Neither has
He sewed it onto the old cloth of the covenant He made with
Israel. The context of verse 15 lends credence to the concept of
the bride as a new, spiritual entity—namely, the church.
Here is clear indication that the church is distinct from and
totally different than Israel. Contrary to Covenant and Re-
formed theology, the church is not a continuation or ‘variation’
of Israel. It is totally distinct. Israel, and the covenant God made
with it, still remains. But the church exists independently and
parallel to Israel.
9:18-19 While he spake these things unto them, behold,

there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My
daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon
her, and she shall live. It is noteworthy that Jesus accepted his
worship which implies His Deity. The man pled with Jesus that
his daughter was at the point of death. Notice the implicit faith
on the part of this man: “But come and lay thy hand upon her,
and she shall live.” In each case in this chapter, Jesus healed as
people trusted Him. Accordingly, 19 Jesus arose, and followed
him, and so did his disciples. The scene remained in and about
Capernaum.
9:20-22 Meanwhile, Jesus was interrupted by a woman

who for twelve years evidently had had serious health pro-
blems. But she had faith that if she could just touch the garment
of Jesus, she would be healed. And, behold, a woman, which
was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came
behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she
said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be
whole.
It is noteworthy that there was no power in the garment of
Jesus. But Jesus, realizing what was happening, turned and
healed her. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw
her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath
made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from
that hour. The word translated as whole (swzw sozo) is the
word usually translated as ‘saved.’ Evidently, not only did Jesus
heal her body, He also saved her altogether. Notice again that it
was the faith on the part of this woman which imparted
deliverance, both physically and spiritually. Faith therefore is
that which motivates God to work on His part.
9:23-26 Jesus thereafter finally arrived at the ruler’s house

and saw the middle-eastern bereavement customs already
under way. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and
saw the minstrels and the people making a noise. Some were
singing mournfully, others were wailing, and others were
causing general commotion. The word translated as minstrels
(aulhthv auletes) literally refers to ‘flute players.’ By exten-
sion, the thought is of musicians, implying they may even have
been professionals.
As Jesus ordered them to back off, 24 He said unto them,
Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they
laughed him to scorn. The latter thought is that they laughed at
Him derisively. Unbelievers often mock and deride those who
believe that God can miraculously intervene. However, 25
when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by
the hand, and the maid arose. Because of the father’s insistent
faith, Jesus brought her back to life. Once again, the simple
spiritual principle of faith is at hand. This man, desperate to see
his daughter healed, did the best he could do. He committed her
into Jesus’ keeping. The problem was no longer that of the
distraught father. Rather, it now was Jesus’ problem to deal
with. The man cast all his care on Him. In simple faith, he pled
with Jesus to intervene and heal. That He did. Accordingly, 26
the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. Thus, Jesus’
reputation spread throughout Galilee.
9:27-31 After Jesus departed, He was accosted by two

blind men. These followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son
of David, have mercy on us. Interestingly, they knew the lin-
eage of Jesus (“thou Son of David”) and perhaps realized that
He was in fact the Messiah. In simple faith, they pled for His
mercy. Once again, an unspecified house is mentioned. This
may be the place where Jesus resided while at Capernaum. 28
And when he was come into the house, the blind men came
to him. These two blind fellows followed Jesus into the house
and Jesus asked them a simple question. Believe ye that I am
able to do this? Their answer was simple, Yea, Lord—‘Yes,
indeed!’
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your
faith be it unto you. As He touched their eyes, Jesus said,
“According to your faith, be it unto you.” There is a profound
lesson here. As we trust Him, nothing is impossible. Genuine
faith is the key. It is totally relying upon Him. Consequently, 30
their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them,
saying, See that no man know it. Jesus again warned them to
keep this to themselves. His reason for this was that in the
greater scheme of events, the time for His revelation as the King
of Israel had not arrived. Therefore, He sought to keep His mir-
acles quiet for the time. That turned out to be futile. 31 But they,
when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that
country. Throughout the region of Galilee, they made clear
who had healed them. They were thrilled with what Jesus had
done for them and they were not about to keep it quiet.
9:32-34 As Jesus continued, behold, they brought to him

a dumb man possessed with a devil. He could not speak and
may have been deaf as well. Notice that he was “possessed with
a devil.” The word translated as such (daimonizomai
daimonizomai) literally means ‘demonized,’ or under the con-
trol of a demon. Satan’s minions, commonly known as demons,
are fallen spirits and often seek to enter into or control bodies,
particularly human. At times their presence is mistaken for
physical or mental illness.
Whereupon, 33 when the devil was cast out, the dumb
spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never
so seen in Israel. However, 34 the Pharisees said, He casteth
out devils through the prince of the devils. Notice that the
‘religious professionals’ sought to dismiss the power of God by
claiming that Jesus cast out demons by the prince of demons
(i.e., Satan). Not only did they refuse to acknowledge His divine
power, they blasphemed Him by accusing Him of acting in Sa-
tan’s name. Apostates, liberals, and traditionalists are usually in
their positions for ulterior motives and rarely are willing to
acknowledge the power of God. They will always seek some
alternative reason.
9:35 Matthew here summarizes Jesus ministry in Galilee.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Notice how that Jesus went. His ministry was active in going
where needy lives were. Scattered across the hills of Galilee
were numerous villages and towns. Jesus made it a practice to
visit as many of these as He could, teaching and preaching in
their synagogues. His message was the “gospel of the kingdom”
which has been noted earlier, particularly in the Sermon on the
Mount. It essentially was “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
because the King had arrived (Matthew 10:7). It moreover was
announcing to Israel their need to repent for the impending
kingdom. Later in His ministry, Jesus’ message would shift its
focus to Calvary. See Matthew 16:21. However, at this junc-
ture, His message remained the gospel of the kingdom.
Jesus further sought to meet the needs of the people about
him in “healing every sickness and every disease among the
people.” His ministry thus was both strategic in offering the
kingdom of God while at the same time meeting the needs of
those who would come to Him in simple faith.
9:36 Matthew moves on to another salient factor in His
ministry. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved
with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. It is note-
worthy that before He saw the needs of people about Him, He
first went. That principle remains true to this day. We rarely will
become burdened for people and their spiritual needs until we
go to them. In so doing, He saw their true spiritual condition.
They were weary and dying spiritually. Furthermore, He saw
the multitudes about Him as a flock of sheep without a shep-
herd. It is noteworthy that although Jesus no doubt was quite
aware of the sinfulness and hardness of those about him, yet He
focused on the fact that they were as sheep without a shepherd.
His compassion and kindness is thus evident.
9:37-38 As Jesus surveyed the crowds about him, He

declared, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers
are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he
will send forth labourers into his harvest. That was true then.
It certainly is true today. The great lack in God’s work are those
willing to go and seek the waiting harvest of souls.
The solution to that need is prayer that God will send
additional laborers into His spiritual harvest. Of interest is that
the word translated as pray (deomai deomai) is in the imper-
ative mode. We are commanded to pray that the Lord of the
harvest will send forth laborers into His harvest. Simple logic
dictates that the first one to go ought to be ourselves. Then, we
need to keep on praying that God will send others. Moreover,
the harvest is more than across oceans in foreign lands, though
they certainly are a part of that harvest. It actually begins across
the street from where we are.
*****
Overview of Matthew 10: The tenth chapter is fascinating.
Matthew records the calling of the twelve disciples/apostles. As
Jesus commissioned them into the ministry, a double strand of
thought runs through much of the chapter. Apparent is the im-
mediate ministry of the disciples in Galilee. However, there
also is a prophetic foreview of messengers which will preach in
the days after the Rapture and preceding the second coming of
Christ. The chapter is very much in the context of the kingdom
and Israel. The message for the disciples then (and perhaps
during the Tribulation) was that the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.
In the latter portion of the chapter, Jesus continued to
instruct and encourage His disciples on their upcoming min-
istry. Again, there are strong hints referring to the days when
144,000 Jewish disciples also will preach the gospel of the King
and the kingdom. Jesus also touches upon total dedication and
future reward.
10:1 The thought here evidently refers back to the calling of

the twelve disciples. And when he had called unto him his
twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spir-
its, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and
all manner of disease. From other gospel accounts, we know
that the disciples were called by Jesus before the Sermon on the
Mount. However, Matthew at this point now details that call.
The concept of a disciple was a follower who had disciplined
himself to follow a master. The Lord gave to these twelve men
apostolic authority to perform miracles as well as to preach. The
miracles allowed evidently were to validate and authenticate
their divine appointment.
10:2-4 Notice in contradistinction to verse 1, that the

twelve are also called apostles. The word translated as apostle
(apostolov apostolos) literally means a ‘sent one.’ Now the
names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon,
who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son
of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Barth-
olomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the
son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was
Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot,
who also betrayed him. These were sent forth with divine
authority. Each apostle was chosen directly by the Lord Himself
and endued with divine authority and power. The ultimate qual-
ification was that each apostle would be an eyewitness of the
resurrection.
Some of the apostles are well known and mentioned
elsewhere in the New Testament such as Peter, the brothers
James and John, Andrew, Philip, Matthew, and Thomas. Not so
well known are Bartholomew, James the son of Alphaeus (at
times known as James the less), and Lebbaeus surnamed Thad-
daeus. The latter also was known as Judas. See Luke 6:16 and
Acts 1:13. Simon the Canaanite is also known as Simon Zelotes
in Luke 6:15. Finally, Judas Iscariot (or Judas of Kerioth) was
the only disciple not from Galilee. Kerioth was in the region of
Judea. Matthew ominously notes that it was he “who also
betrayed him.”
10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded

them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into
any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The word translated as
sent forth is translated from the verb form of ‘apostle’
(apostellw apostello). These apostles thus were sent forth by
Jesus Christ with His message.
Luke’s gospel records two occasions when Jesus sent forth
His disciples to preach. The first is in Luke 9 and the second in
Luke 10 wherein seventy disciples were sent forth. The initial
ministry of the disciples apparently was in the region of Galilee.
Matthew’s account seems to parallel the account in Luke 9. On
the one hand, Israel had hardened their hearts against the
prophets and had largely rejected the message of God from Old
Testament times onward. Yet, on the other hand, Jesus saw the
need of their hearts. They were lost. Likewise sinners today,
though often hardened by sin, really don’t understand their
hopeless condition. There thus is a lovely glimpse here into the
heart of our Lord. Clearly, He had compassion on those lost in
their sin.
10:7 Their message was simple. And as ye go, preach,

saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That apparently
was the essence of the gospel of the kingdom. In the setting of
the day, the Jewish King had already arrived and was offering
to Israel the opportunity to establish their long-awaited king-
dom. It was at hand. It was about to happen. The Jews longed for
the reestablishment of their nation as an independent state with
the glory it once held among the nations. Sadly, Israel rejected
their King and missed His kingdom.
There also is an apparent foreshadow, looking through the
church age, to the days prior to Jesus’ return. We, with the ben-
efit of the completed New Testament, know that when the
church age is consummated at the Rapture, the spotlight of
God’s work will focus once again upon Israel. Then, God’s
attention will return to Israel altogether. During the Tribulation,
God will raise up two witnesses and then 144,000 young Jewish
preachers. (See Revelation chapters 11, 7, and 14.) These mes-
sengers evidently will fan out across the world during the Tribu-
lation, apparently going to the Jew first and preaching: “the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Indeed by the time the
Tribulation is complete, the King will have returned and His
kingdom will be established. Throughout the remainder of this
chapter, there is the likely foreshadow of the ministry of the
144,000 similar to the ministry of the twelve recorded here.
10:8 The ministry of the twelve then was to perform obvious
miracles validating their divine authority. Jesus directed, Heal the
sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye
have received, freely give. They had freely received the gospel and
God’s gracious gift of salvation. Jesus now directed them to impart
it to others. If this fore-shadows the 144,000 during the Tribulation,
it might be construed that they will be granted similar powers,
though there is no textual basis thereof.
10:9-10 Jesus further instructed, Provide neither gold,

nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your
journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for
the workman is worthy of his meat. The mention of gold,
silver, or brass refers to money in descending degree of value. A
purse of that day (zwnh zone) referred to what often was a
‘money-belt’ type of article. It would be similar in concept to a
modern ‘wallet.’ The word translated as scrip (phra pera) re-
fers to a leather bag which was common in that day. It would be
analogous to a modern, ‘overnight’ bag. Moreover, the dis-
ciples were not to take extra clothing or other travel accessories.
The implied thought may be of urgency. They were not to
take the time to search and provide for the needs of their
journey. (Bear in mind that this refers to the urgency of that
hour. Jesus was presenting himself as King. If there is a
connection to the Tribulation, it may be surmised that the time
the 144,000 will have then likewise will be limited. The context
reveals this to be entirely different than the later missionary
movement of the church age. What Jesus instructed here is not
God’s plan for the preparation and support of missions today.)
A corollary thought however likely was that of training His
disciples to live by faith. God supplies the needs of His servants.
He did so then and still does today.
The Apostle Paul would later quote Jesus and account His
comment, “for the workman is worthy of his meat,” as Scripture
in I Timothy 5:18. Both there and in I Corinthians 9:7-14, the
Apostle applied this principle that those in the ministry should
be supported by the ministry.
10:11-15 Jesus further directed, And into whatsoever city

or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there
abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house,
salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come
upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your
words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off
the dust of your feet.
The disciples were to go where they were received and giv-
en provision. In a given city, upon receiving accommodations,
they were not to seek other housing. They were directed to
kindly greet (salute) a house if it received them. If a house or city
rejected them, they were instructed to shake off the dust of their
feet. The land of Israel to this day is a dusty place. It surely was
even more so then. The shaking off of the dust of one’s feet was
a Jewish custom of a nonverbal curse toward another. The dust
of the ground was considered unclean like a gentile. Thus, to
shake off the dust of one’s feet by a Jew to another Jew was to
consider the other as if they were a gentile. That was a pungent
curse to Jewish sensibilities.
The spiritual significance of this prescribed action was
linked to the message with which the twelve were sent. They
came preaching the good news of the kingdom which essent-
ially was that the Messiah/King had arrived and the kingdom
was impending. Therefore, repent. Those who received the
disciples likely were sympathetic to that message, with hearts
inclined particularly to repentance and faith. Those who re-
jected that message in effect already were rejecting their
Messiah and King. It was to these that Jesus directed the shak-
ing off of the dust of their feet.
In that context, Jesus warned, 15 Verily I say unto you, It
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gom-
orrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Though Paul
in his ministry at Antioch of Pisidia shook off the dust of his feet
toward the rejecting Jewish leaders; in the main, it was a Jewish
custom. The early apostles were instructed to so deal with
communities of Israel who rejected the message of the King.
Communities which rejected the very concept of their
Messiah and His impending kingdom could look forward to
judgment worse than that bestowed upon Sodom and Gomor-
rha. That judgment may have been effected by Titus between
A.D. 68 and 70 or possibly during the suppression of the Bar
Kohkba revolt in A.D. 135. Through the centuries since, many
a Jewish town has suffered the ravages of war. For some, it very
well may have been those to whom came the message of their
King and they received Him not.
10:16 Jesus thus warned His disciples of what lay ahead.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be
ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Servants of Christ often go forth as sheep in a world of wolves.
Their only protection is from on high. It therefore is incumbent
upon us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The les-
son is simple. God’s people need wisdom and discernment with
the humility and meekness of a dove.
10:17-18 Jesus further warned that in that day (and in all

probability for Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation), His
messengers will face fierce opposition from their own. But
beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils,
and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye
shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake,
for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. The context
clearly is of the persecution of Jewish believers by local Jewish
authorities. The word translated as councils (sunedrion sun-
edrion or ‘sanhedrin’) refers to not only the national judicial
body of Israel but also the local judicial councils in each town.
Both the terms sunedrion and synagogue are quintessentially a
Jewish phenomena. Clearly referred to are Jews in the land.
There is no historical record of local sanhedrins raising up
against Jewish believers in the first century A.D. Early believ-
ers then certainly were persecuted by both the synagogues and
the secular civil authorities alluded to in verse18. However,
these events certainly did not happen as Jesus sent out the
twelve across Galilee and Judea to preach (as noted here).
Moreover, the succeeding developing context clearly points to
events which have yet to be fulfilled. The fulfillment therefore
likely points to Jewish believers during the Tribulation. This
and the following context is the evidence leaning strongly to
eschatological fulfillment. By extension, the ultimate
fulfillment of this therefore likely is of the 144,000 Jewish
witnesses during the Tribulation.
10:19-20 In that same immediate vein, Jesus continued,

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what
ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour
what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. These events
certainly did not take place as the twelve spread out across
Galilee in their first preaching tour. Moreover, the actual
fulfillment of this likely has yet to be fulfilled in the first place.
The counsel given by our Lord here is clearly prophetic of
end time events as Jewish believers are arrested during the Trib-
ulation in the land and hauled before local authorities, both
religious and civil. Yet as they will be brought to judgement,
Jesus foretold them not to worry about how to respond. Rather,
in that day, the Holy Spirit would put the words in their mouths.
Though there no doubt has been limited fulfillment of this by
persecuted brethren down through the ages, the total fulfillment
is yet to come for Jewish converts during the Tribulation.
10:21-22 The preponderance of the thought here likely

continues to focus upon Jewish converts during the Tribulation.
And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and
the father the child: and the children shall rise up against
their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye
shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that
endureth to the end shall be saved. In that day, the internal
turmoil in Israel will be great. Jewish family members will
betray each other even unto death. The cause of such division
evidently will be those who have turned to and trusted the
Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Though there has been persecution against both Christians
and Jews down through the ages, never will there be such
intense hatred even within the family unit as in that day. Both
Jew and Christian have been hated throughout history. But in
that day will be a hatred which will reveal the utter wickedness
of the human heart. The context clearly is of a time such has
never before existed in human history. Nevertheless, those who
so endure to the end (of the Tribulation) will be saved (i.e.,
delivered) at Christ’s return. The context clearly is of Jewish
converts surviving the Tribulation. It has nothing to do with
enduring through life and finally being saved (spiritually) when
all is said and done.
10:23 The view quite evidently continues to be of the final

days of the Tribulation in Israel. There does not seem to be any
corresponding events in the recorded life of the apostles
indicating this was fulfilled in their day. Rather, the view is of
the last days in Israel during the Tribulation prior to the Lord’s
return. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into
another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone
over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. As the
Jewish preachers of that day (a portion of the 144,000) go across
the land of Israel preaching the good news that their long
awaited Messiah is at hand, He in fact will return in power and
great glory. As events unfold, these persecuted believers will
not have traversed the length of Israel before Jesus Christ
returns.
10:24-25 Even as the Lord would be hated (verse 22), they

could expect the same. They will receive no better reception
than He. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant
above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his
master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household? Beelzebub was a name of derision
referring to Satan. (It is of Aramaic origin and is an idiomatic
combination of the thought ‘lord of the house’ and ‘lord of the
flies.’ It may derisively refer to being ‘lord of the outhouse.’ The
name hence had come to be a derisive name for Satan.) Jesus
said in effect, if they have called me that, they will call you it as
well. As our Lord was persecuted unto death, His followers
could expect the same. The context remains of Jewish converts
in the Tribulation.
10:26 Here is one of the many ‘fear nots’ in the Bible. Fear
them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall
not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Though
the thought is both cryptic and enigmatic, the context holds the
key. In the midst of such ferocious persecution in that day, Jesus
explained that anything they might seek to do to you, will be
made known. Though Jewish believers in the Tribulation will
be harshly persecuted, Jesus prophesied encouragement and to
fear not in that day. Anything their tormentors would do would
be made known in judgment.
10:27 In any event, Jesus in essence said, preach openly
what I have taught you privately. What I tell you in darkness,
that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye
upon the housetops. There does not seem to have been any
fulfillment of the disciples preaching from housetops in Jesus’
day (though that is possible). Rather, the ultimate fulfillment of
this will be during the Tribulation. Many homes in Israel, even
in this day, have flat roofs upon which one might stand and
preach. For reasons not clear, Jesus directed preachers in that
day to do so from housetops. They had heard the gospel private-
ly (in darkness and whispered in their ears). Now preach it
publicly, He said. Islamic mullahs to this day rise to their
minarets to announce prayer times even in Israel. It may be that
Jesus will have His special preachers in that day do the same.
10:28 Again Jesus taught, don’t fear those who at worst can
only kill your body. Rather fear God who has the power to not
only deal physically but also spiritually. And fear not them
which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body
in hell. See Proverbs 23:17. Though this principle certainly has
universal application, the context remains of Jewish converts
during the time of Jacob’s trouble. Then, both the forces of the
antichrist as well as unbelieving Jewish brethren will turn in un-
believable hatred against those who do turn to Christ. We ought
rather fear the God who has the power to destroy forever in hell.
10:29-31 The theme, ‘fear not,’ continues. Are not two

sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are
of more value than many sparrows. Not one sparrow falls to
the ground, but that God the Father does not know and allow it.
Moreover, God has every hair of our head numbered. (And that
number changes from day to day.) Therefore, “fear ye not.” We
are of more value than many sparrows. If God takes care of the
most ordinary of birds, will not He likewise take care of His peo-
ple? (Moreover, there is pungent reply to the current
philosophical fad of animal rights being equal to human life.)
Jesus’ promise of God’s protective care, undoubtedly, is of
universal application to all believers. However, the context
remains of Jewish converts during the Tribulation.
10:32-33 Jesus continued, Whosoever therefore shall

confess me before men, him will I confess also before my
Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is
in heaven. In light of God’s gracious and powerful care; if we
would wickedly fail to acknowledge Him before men, Jesus
said that He in turn would not acknowledge us before His
heavenly Father. Jesus is not implying a loss of salvation for
such ungodliness, but rather a loss of recognition, commend-
ation, and reward before Him someday. Though this principle
undoubtedly is universal, the immediate context continues of
the fierce persecution Jewish converts will face during the Trib-
ulation.
10:34-36 As the message of Christ will go into particularly

Jewish homes, some will believe and some will not. Think not
that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance
against his father, and the daughter against her mother,
and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And
a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. Jesus said
that He would cause division in families.
It would seem that the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy
will be during the Tribulation when persecution will be the most
intense in history. Then, as members of Jewish families turn to
Christ, there will be great persecution, even by one’s own
family. This also has been true to a lessor degree among some
gentile believers who have had family oppose them for turning
to Christ. But Jewish families even now consider it the ultimate
betrayal for a family member to turn to Christ. These often are
thereafter considered dead as far as the family is concerned.
Jesus here warns His Jewish brethren of the intensity of the
opposition they will face upon turning to Him especially during
the Tribulation.
10:37 Our Lord thus sets forth a simple principle. He that

loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me. Though family is the second most important
matter in life, one thing is more important: Jesus Christ. To put
even our family ahead of Him is to make Him second place. He
always is to be first. This principle is certainly true today. It will
be even more so in that day.
10:38 Jesus therefore continued to instruct His disciples

before they embarked on their journey. And he that taketh not
his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. To
take up one’s cross was an idiom well understood in the first
century.
Crucifixion was a common Roman means of execution.
The condemned usually was forced to take at least the cross
member of his own cross to the place of crucifixion. In effect,
Jesus was saying, if you are not willing to give your life for me,
you are not worthy of me. He sets forth here the simple but
profound principle of total dedication to Him. In as much as He
did that for us, should we not be willing to do the same for Him?
Again, the principle surely extends through the church age.
However, the overarching context pertains to Jewish believers
in the Tribulation.
10:39 Christianity is a body of seeming paradoxes. He that
findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it. One who will live for himself and in effect
focus upon himself will lose not only God’s fullest blessing
now, but also any reward in eternity (assuming he is saved in the
first place). However, one who will sacrifice himself for Christ
will find richness and fullness of life, not only now, but in the
ages to come. See similar references in Matthew 16:25, Mark
8:35, Luke 17:33, John 12:25.
10:40-42 This amazing passage concludes with Jesus

noting, He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that
receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41 He that
receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a
prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in
the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s
reward. Those who received Jesus’ disciples ultimately were
receiving the God who sent them. To likewise receive a prophet
or a righteous man for His sake, was to receive their reward.
Moreover, 42 whosoever shall give to drink unto one of
these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a
disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his
reward. In fact, to receive even a young believer was pleasing
in God’s sight. See Matthew 25:40. The greater lesson is to
receive God’s servants and God’s people. There will be reward
someday in eternity for such. That was true in Jesus’ day. It is
true today. It will remain especially so during the Tribulation.
*****
Overview of Matthew 11: In this chapter, John the Baptist

questions whether Jesus is in fact the Messiah. Jesus responds
to that and uses the occasion to answer the whole matter of His
person and ministry. The chapter ends with Jesus taking the
cities of Galilee to task for ignoring His message of repentance.
He concludes with a moving invitation for any who will come to
Him.
11:1 Verse 1 could just as well be a part of the last chapter.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of com-
manding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach
and to preach in their cities. Notice the emphasis of His
ministry: teaching and preaching. That forms an example for
the ministry even to this day. The cities mentioned in all
likelihood were those of the Galilee region.
11:2-3 Matthew records, Now when John had heard in

the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we
look for another? John the Baptist by now had been impris-
oned by Herod the tetrarch. (See Matthew 14:3 ff.) He
wondered if Jesus was the One. The essence of John’s ministry
had been to preach that the King was about to appear and
establish His kingdom. His message was repentance toward
that end. Now in prison and with no imminent appearance of a
Jewish kingdom in sight, John wondered if Jesus indeed was the
Messiah. John, may well have harbored a bit of the prevailing
Jewish thought that the Messiah would come politically and
militarily, throwing off the yoke of the Romans. Yet, he knew of
Jesus’ miracles and message. He thus may have been a little
confused.
11:4-6 Jesus’ response to John’s disciples essentially was

go and show John what you have heard and seen in my ministry.
Accordingly, Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and
shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up. After
reciting His various miracles, Jesus said, and the poor have the
gospel preached unto them.
The word translated as poor (ptwcov ptochos) has the es-
sential thought of ‘lowly.’ The gospel was bypassing the relig-
ious hierarchy and going directly to the common people who
were willing to listen and believe. Morever, Jesus added, 6 And
blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. There
is promised blessing for any who are not offended by the name
and message of Jesus Christ. The message to John was clear:
bear reproach for the gospel and for His sake.
11:7-9 In the early ministry of John, multitudes had gone

into the wilderness to see and hear John. Referring back to that
time when John’s disciples departed, Jesus began to say unto
the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the
wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what
went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto
you, and more than a prophet.
Jesus asked three questions. (1) Did you go into the wilder-
ness to see a reed bent by the wind? The answer is obviously no.
However, the metaphor is not a coincidence. John did not bend,
though the winds of opposition against him were great. (2) Did
you go to see someone in soft clothing? Again, the answer is
obvious. Moreover, Jesus was well aware that John’s garments
were camel skins and leather. (3) Did you go to see a prophet?
Here, the answer is obviously yes. But Jesus went on to com-
ment that John was far more than an ordinary prophet.
11:10 He made clear that John was the forerunner

prophesied in Isaiah and Malachi. For this is he, of whom it is
written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
which shall prepare thy way before thee. See Isaiah 40:3 and
Malachi 3:1.
11:11 Jesus gave John rich compliment. Verily I say unto

you, Among them that are born of women there hath not
risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he
that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Jesus clearly demonstrated that spiritual values are in a different
dimension than the values of the world. John was a preacher and
a man of God. The world considered him a curiosity. But Jesus
said he was greater than all the kings and notables the world had
produced. Yet, John would not have the privilege of seeing the
kingdom in his day. To that extent, he was less than the least
who will someday be in the kingdom. Thus implied is the great-
ness of the kingdom. Moreover, it is apparent that the kingdom
was not as yet. Though the King was present in their midst, the
ultimate kingdom was not and will not be until the King returns
to establish it.
11:12 The message for the kingdom (i.e., repentance) had

been largely ignored and the principle thereof rejected by the
leadership of Israel. And from the days of John the Baptist
until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force. The word translated as suffereth vio-
lence (biazw biazo) means to ‘use force’ or more simply ‘to
force.’ Likewise, the word translated as violent (biasthv
biastes) has the sense of ‘strong’ or ‘forceful.’
The thought likely is that many Jews had sought, through
means of insurrection, to overthrow the Roman occupation
forces to reestablish the Jewish kingdom. That occurred with
some degree of regularity and was why Barabbas was later
incarcerated. The Zealots temporarily succeeded in revolting
against Rome in A.D. 66 only to be crushed altogether several
years later when Rome returned with overwhelming force. At
one point during Jesus’ ministry, some in Galilee even thought
to make Him king. Moreover, John was now in prison for his
convictions. The greater point Jesus was making is that the
kingdom would not be by political or human means. It would
not come by force though some were trying to accomplish it
through that route.
11:13 Jesus continued, For all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John. His mention of “the prophets and the
law” refers to the Old Testament Scripture. The thought clearly
implied is that John was the last prophet of the Old Testament.
Though John’s ministry was recorded in the New Testament, he
essentially was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus
clearly implied that John occupied the Old Testament office of
prophet. As the common people of Israel perceived that John
was a genuine prophet, they flocked to see this historic person-
ality. The last bona-fide prophet had been Malachi, more than
four-hundred years earlier.
11:14 Now, Jesus makes direct reference to Malachi. And

if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. In
Malachi 4:5, Malachi made clear that the prophet Elijah would
reappear before the Day of the Lord. Jesus said that if they
would receive it (the whole and message of the kingdom—
repentance), John was in fact the embodiment of Elijah. He
perhaps was not so in person, but he certainly fulfilled the
essence of the prophecy. And indeed there were distinct
similarities between the ministry of Elijah and John. Though
John had earlier denied that he was Elijah in person (John 1:21),
Jesus however, said that he had in fact fulfilled that prophecy.
To that degree, John was a spiritual fulfillment of Elijah.
It is conceivable that there may be a literal return of Elijah
as one of the two prophets described in Revelation 11. See
comments thereto. That certainly will be the time prior to the
actual implementation of the kingdom and the return of the
King.
11:15 Jesus thus concluded this particular section with the

comment, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. On four
different occasions in the gospels, Jesus used this phrase. The
thought in other words simply is, take heed. He intimated there
is more to what He had just said than might meet the eye.
Therefore, take heed thereto.
11:16-19 Jesus now addressed the contradiction of His

critics. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like
unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their
fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have
not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not
lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating
and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a
winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom
is justified of her children.
No matter what Jesus or John did, they were criticized.
Jesus likened His critics to the vacuous and fickle nature of
undisciplined little boys out in public. They ask foolish
questions and then changed the subject to some other
foolishness.
John came with a spartan lifestyle. They thus accused
him of being demon possessed. Jesus came with a normal
life in so far as His eating habits were concerned. The world
around Him thus accused him of being a partygoer. Jesus’
response was as profound as it was pithy. “Wisdom is
justified of her children.” Wisdom is justified in its results.
His reference to children is not coincidence. Perhaps the
most telling revelation of wisdom in our lives will be dis-
closed in the lives of our children. Likewise, the justification
of wisdom is found in its results. In so many words, Jesus
answered His critics by noting that the proof is in the pudding.
They criticized everything He did. But the wisdom of His life
and ministry were manifested in the results thereof.
11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most

of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.
Verse 20 marks another ominous turning point in Christ’s
ministry. Little by little it was becoming evident that Israel
collectively was rejecting the gospel of the kingdom. The thrust
of that message was of repentance. Even the region of Galilee,
more likely to receive such truth than the religious professionals
of Jerusalem and environs, had rejected the moral and spiritual
basis of the kingdom—repentance toward God. Though the
rejection of the King was not final until Calvary, for all intents
and purposes, it was clear enough even now. Jesus’ initial
ministry had been in the region of Galilee. There, His miracles
had been evident and His voice heard. Yet, the cities of even that
region refused to repent. (Galilee was considerably more
‘conservative’ and potentially receptive than elitist Jerusalem.
Nevertheless, even they for the most part refused Christ’s
message.) Therefore, He began to sharply warn them.
11:21-22 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee,

Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you,
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented
long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It
shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of
judgment, than for you.
Sackcloth and ashes were an ancient, middle-eastern way
of publicly expressing repentance and mourning. Chorazin and
Bethsaida were small Jewish towns in Galilee which had wit-
nessed Christ’s ministry. And yet Jesus said that if the gentile
and pagan cities of Tyre and Sidon (in Lebanon) had witnessed
the same, they would have repented. (Both Tyre and Sidon had
been violently destroyed in earlier history. The Old Testament
made clear that it was God’s judgment upon them. See Isaiah
23:1, 4-12 and Ezekiel 26-29.) These gentile cities will be dealt
with more tolerably in the day of judgment than these towns
which had rejected Christ’s ministry.
11:23-24 Jesus reserved the same judgment for Caper-

naum which was His adopted city. And thou, Capernaum,
which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to
hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this
day. Capernaum was a relatively affluent city with a prosperous
business climate. Situated on the north shore of Galilee, it en-
joyed cool breezes off the lake. Its very name, Capernaum,
means ‘village of comfort.’ Therefore, it was a town to which
prosperous Jews resorted. An ornate synagogue had been con-
structed there. However, in their prosperity, the town had
become indifferent to the things of God. They were cynical of
Jesus’ ministry. Their affluence and prosperity dulled them to
things spiritual.
The word translated as hell (‘adhv hades) can also refer to
the ‘grave’ or the ‘realm of the dead.’ Jesus may have been
referring to the inhabitants of Capernaum or He may have been
referring to the city itself. Though many towns and villages in
Israel continue to this day with their ancient namesake, Caper-
naum along with Chorazin and Bethsaida were long ago de-
stroyed and only ruins remain to this day.
Notwithstanding, they had witnessed perhaps more of
God’s power through Jesus’ presence than other cities. 24 But I
say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. Jesus said that
if the same works had been performed in Sodom, it would have
long ago repented. Likewise, it will be more tolerable for Sod-
om than for them in the judgment. Implicit was the spiritual
hardness of heart of these towns.
11:25-26 Perhaps in the spirit of Isaiah 6:9-11, Jesus

prayed and thanked God that the learned and upper echelon of
the day were oblivious to the truth. Yet, babes (i.e., children)
understood and accepted the truth. At that time Jesus
answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. His
reference to the “wise and prudent” alludes to the elite of the
day. The overall thought may be that the common and humble
accepted Christ’s ministry while the high and mighty did not.
Jesus accordingly added, 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed
good in thy sight. Notice also how that Jesus referred to His
Father as “Lord of heaven and earth.” Indeed, He is!
11:27 Here is an insight into the intimate relationship

between Jesus and His heavenly father, similar to John 17. Jesus
noted that fellowship between Himself and the Father below.
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man
the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will
reveal him. God has revealed all to the Son. Only they truly
know each other. The thought likewise parallels that which
Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “He that hath seen me hath
seen the Father.” As we come to know Jesus Christ, we likewise
come to know the Father as well.
11:28-30 The message of Jesus here begins to subtly

change. Whereas to this point, the focus of His ministry has
been the kingdom and preparation thereof, He now begins to
shift to that of a personal relationship, fellowship, and disciple-
ship. This is particularly poignant in light of the rejection and
ignoring of Him by His own people. See John 1:11. Jesus thus
extended an invitation for all who will come. Come unto me, all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Though not specifically noted, implicit is the ministry of
our Lord in now turning to the gentiles. Israel in general and
official Israel in particular had rejected Him and His offer of the
kingdom. Now He offered His grace to all. Though not noting
gentiles specifically, His offer to all clearly extended to them.
Truly, a turning point in His ministry had been reached.
There are three imperatives here: (1) “Come unto me,” (2)
“take my yoke upon you,” and (3) “learn of me.” It is only as we
come to Him that we can find rest for our soul. His promise is
essentially of peace of heart which is rest of soul. The word
translated as rest (anapauw anapauo) also has the idea of quiet
and calm. Rest of soul and peace of heart are precious virtues
which ultimately come only in Christ.
Most ‘psychological’ problems which people have are
rooted in the simple fact that they do not have the rest of soul or
peace of heart. In coming to Christ and following Him alto-
gether, there comes that rest and peace which no psychiatrist or
psychologist can ever give. But it indeed requires a turning to
and coming to Him. That is called repentance and faith.
It also includes accepting His yoke. A yoke was an ancient
implement used to harness oxen or other draft animals to work
together. It implies both work and cooperation. It is a symbol of
service. That peace and rest which is in Christ comes as we
willingly begin to serve Him, taking His yoke of service upon
us. Also implied is that we thus become a laborer together with
Him as Paul mentioned in I Corinthians 3:9.
Here is another of the seeming paradoxes of true Christ-
ianity. As we are weary and heavy laden with the problems of
life, Jesus directed to take His yoke. In so doing, He will give
rest to our souls. Morever, He directed to learn of Him. In
addition to coming to Him and serving with Him, He also said,
“learn of me.” It is part of the greater equation.
Jesus succinctly noted two of His character traits. He is (1)
meek and (2) lowly in heart. Wonderful qualities in a lord are
these. Though these terms are somewhat related, they certainly
are not synonyms.
The word translated as meek (praov praos) derives from
the more basic word (prauv) praus. The latter in particular has
the sense of being even natured. It implies discipline of one’s
emotions, attitude, and tongue. Meekness, in the biblical sense,
therefore has the outworking of being gentle of spirit and
disciplined of emotions. It results in one being even-tempered;
or, cool, calm, and collected. It is the antithesis of losing one’s
temper or other emotional outbursts. It bespeaks righteousness
of spirit and attitude.
The word translated as lowly (tapeinov tapeinos) refers to
being of humble spirit. Thus, our Lord characterized His Person
as being even tempered and humble of spirit. This is all the more
extraordinary when we recall that He is King of kings and Lord
of lords. He is the Creator and Judge, the beginning and the end.
A clear pattern for our spirit and attitude is thus established for
our example in being conformed to the image of His Son.
Notwithstanding our Lord’s commands to come to Him,
take His yoke, and learn of Him; He reminded us, 30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The word translated as
easy (crhstov chrestos) is also rendered as ‘kind’ and has the
additional sense of being ‘gentle.’ The word translated as light
(elafrov elaphros) has the simple sense of ‘not heavy.’
Though our Lord has called us to salvation and thence to
service; when engaged, that yoke is neither difficult nor
burdensome. This stems from the fact that He is meek and lowly
of heart. No ill temper or arrogance dwells in our Lord. As we
submit to His Lordship, He gives peace and rest.
New Christians may be apprehensive about serving Him,
fearing what He may require. And yet as they will submit to His
will, it never is unpleasant or onerous. This writer in his
adolescence resisted the call to the ministry. However, after
eventually yielding thereto, it has brought more than thirty years
of blessing. Anything less would have been miserable. His way
is always best. See Romans 12:2.
*****
Overview of Matthew 12: As Jesus’ ministry increased, so

did His opposition. In chapter 12, it is primarily from the
Pharisees. What is evident in them is a critical spirit. The focal
point of their opposition was Jesus’ conduct on the Sabbath.
Then, He touches upon five areas of teaching in the last portion
of this chapter: (1) the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; (2) the
mouth reveals the heart; (3) the sign of Jonah; (4) warning to
Israel of impending judgment; and (5) the basis of Jesus’ spirit-
ual family.
12:1-2 Jesus was roundly criticized by the Pharisees for

allowing His disciple to pluck ears of grain to eat on the Sabbath
day. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the
corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck
the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it,
they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not
lawful to do upon the sabbath day. The Pharisees accused
Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Law of God. It should be noted
that what the disciples broke was not the Law of God, but rather
the rabbinical tradition regarding the Law. They thus only
violated the tradition of the rabbis.
Through the centuries after the Babylonian captivity, the
rabbinical system had developed in Judaism. In time, the tra-
ditions of the rabbis (elders) came to be viewed as having equal
authority to the Word of God. In practice, the Pharisees (which
most rabbis were) considered the traditions to be more author-
itative than the Law itself. Thus, they came to view their
traditional commentaries as a part of the Law.
The Pharisees mentioned throughout this chapter were a
sect within Judaism. They were the religious conservatives of
their day and held to a literal understanding of the Scriptures.
They likely were named after a son of Judah named Phares
which means to be separated. An alternate view is that the name
Pharisees derived from the Hebrew word pharushim which
means ‘interpreters’ (of the Law). Indeed, the Pharisees took it
upon themselves to interpret the Law. Their interpretations
came to be known as the traditions.
Today, rabbinical traditions are collectively recorded in the
Talmud. Jesus never censured the Pharisees for their basic
theology, though He was harshly critical of their traditions.
However, he took them to task repeatedly for their critical spirit,
hardness of heart, and their lack of faith, mercy, and com-
passion. They were the true legalists. Their entire perspective
was of keeping the Law and particularly all of the rabbinical
traditions as the way to righteousness and God.
12:3-5 Jesus replied, Have ye not read what David did,

when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the
shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for
them which were with him, but only for the priests? Jesus’
response to this criticism was twofold. (1) He reminded them
how that David ate the shewbread at the Tabernacle when
greatly hungered. Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees by
using the same phrase “not lawful” in regard to David. Rab-
binical tradition has long held that breaching the nonmoral or
nonethical portions of the Law was permissible to prevent
death, injury, or harm. That is precisely what David did in eating
the shewbread. And that is what the disciples did on the Sab-
bath. It should be noted that under the Levitical Law, itinerants
could lawfully pluck grain to eat in transit. That was not the
issue. Rather, Jesus thus turned the criticism of the Pharisees on
its head by appealing to the very exceptions noted by the rabbis
themselves.
He also noted, 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that
on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the
sabbath, and are blameless? (2) He reminded the Pharisees
how that priests of the Temple routinely profaned the Sabbath
day by their chores at the Temple. Among other things, this
included kindling of fire for the sacrifices which they ate. The
word translated as profane (bebhlow bebeloo) alludes to
doing that which is common. The Pharisees had so elevated the
Sabbath in their thinking that someone doing anything common
on the Sabbath was thought to be violation of the Law. But
eating is one of the most common practices in life. Priests on
duty at the Temple routinely ate on the Sabbath and in the Tem-
ple yet. Once again, Jesus caught them in their own web of
traditions.
The greater principle Jesus taught here is that the Sabbath was
made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The Pharisees had
become so caught up in the minutiae and pettifogging of rabbinical
embellishments of the Law that they had lost sight of the greater
purpose of it. They couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
12:6 Jesus then ‘blew them away’ by informing them that

He was greater than the Temple. But I say unto you, That in
this place is one greater than the temple. His point likely is
that if the priests at the Temple were allowed exceptions by the
traditions of the rabbis, how much more the Messiah?
Furthermore, the Jewish Temple was a vast, thirty-five-
acre complex which was one of the architectural wonders of the
world. The Jews were extremely proud of it, not only for its
‘religious’ significance but for its fame throughout the world.
For one to stand and say He was greater than the Temple to them
was blasphemy.
12:7 For the second time in this gospel, Jesus quoted Hosea
6:6 (see also Matthew 9:13). But if ye had known what this
meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not
have condemned the guiltless. What Jesus clearly taught is
that the purpose of the Law was to be a blessing to God’s people,
not a burden. God is more interested in mercy than the minutia
of the law. Hence, they were confused in condemning His
simple actions. If these pettifogging sticklers of legalism and
the minutia of the Law really understood it and its greater pur-
pose, they would not have criticized the innocent disciples of
Jesus.
It should be noted that eleven out of the twelve of Jesus’
disciples were from Galilee and away from the legalistic center
of Judaism at Jerusalem. They may not have even known this
particular rule of the Pharisees. Or, they may have been aware
of it and considered it absurd. Modern, less than ultra-orthodox
Jews likewise consider the similar legalistic rules of the ultra-
orthodox today as absurd.
12:8 Jesus then noted another truth which likely infuriated

His antagonists. For the Son of man is Lord even of the
sabbath day. He in fact was the Lord even of the Sabbath.
Moreover, the Pharisees likely were aware that He often
referred to Himself as the Son of man. But as Creator of the
Sabbath, He indeed was Lord thereof.
All of this fuss, of course, was predicated upon the
interpretation of the fourth commandment wherein God
decreed among other things that on the Sabbath, “thou shalt not
do any work” (Exodus 20:10). The problem was all the
regulations and interpretations which the rabbis had added to
interpret what was work on the Sabbath. Most of it bordered
upon the absurd if not altogether. It was this legalistic minutia at
which Jesus bristled. They had in fact added to the Word of
God.
12:9-10 It is of note that Jesus went to the synagogue on that

Sabbath. And when he was departed thence, he went into
their synagogue: 10 And, behold, there was a man which
had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it
lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse
him. It is not mentioned which town or synagogue into which
He entered. However, the last geographical marker noted was at
Capernaum in 11:23. This likely was still where Jesus was.
The synagogue at Capernaum was an ornate, expensive
edifice—the big ‘downtown’ synagogue of the monied class. It
also is noted as “their synagogue” implying it was whence the
critical Pharisees (noted in verse 2) attended.
As it so happened, present was “a man which had his hand
withered.” Jesus likely knew that before He entered in as much
as this had become His ‘home’ synagogue. The critical,
hardhearted Pharisees knew it also. They therefore asked Him,
“Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?” Their interest was
neither curiosity nor theological. Rather, their interest was “that
they might accuse him.” They hoped Jesus would heal the man,
not because of any concern for him. Rather, they were hoping to
have further ammunition to use against Jesus.
12:11-13 He then sprung the trap. And he said unto them,

What man shall there be among you, that shall have one
sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not
lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better
than a sheep? Jesus reminded them that not a one of them
would hesitate to rescue their own livestock on the Sabbath day.
He then asked an eloquent rhetorical question. 12 How
much then is a man better than a sheep? The answer to that
is apparent. Jesus therefore announced, Wherefore it is lawful
to do well on the sabbath days. It certainly was good to do such
a compassionate act. Moreover, the rabbis themselves had a
rule that it was ‘lawful’ to save a life or to save one from injury
on the Sabbath. The Pharisees knew that. Jesus thus had them.
They had no rejoinder to such incisive wisdom.
Whereupon, Jesus 13 then saith he to the man, Stretch
forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was
restored whole, like as the other. Lest there be any question to
the ‘legality’ of what Jesus had done, He merely instructed the
man to stretch forth His hand. Jesus otherwise did nothing. The
man’s hand miraculously was restored before their eyes.
12:14 The true colors of the Pharisees bled through. They

were not interested in anyone but themselves. Because Jesus
undermined their power base, they began to plan His
destruction. Accordingly, the Pharisees went out, and held a
council against him, how they might destroy him.
The word translated as council (sumboulion symboulion)
is of significance. Though a Greek word, it had strong Latin
connotations. It was not used to speak of Jewish meetings, but
rather Roman. Strongly hinted is that the Herodians were
invited to this plotting session. At this relatively, early point in
Jesus’ ministry, His enemies were already plotting His
destruction, even in Galilee. Moreover, those who otherwise
were political adversaries were now forming coalitions against
Jesus.
12:15 Meanwhile, (evidently still on that Sabbath) when

Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great
multitudes followed him, and he healed them all. Jesus
simply evidently left Capernaum and went elsewhere. But as
He went, He continued to heal, apparently still on the Sabbath.
He was not deterred by the threats of His enemies.
12:16-21 However, He charged them that they should

not make him known. As in many Jewish communities, Jesus
sought to discourage those recipients of His miracles from
publishing the news thereof. The time for the official offer and
announcement of Him as Messiah had not arrived. Though He
clearly was laying the groundwork for that announcement, it
was not as yet God’s time for Him to be publicly revealed.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to comment
that this was in fact a fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1-4, 17 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom
my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he
shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor
cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A
bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his
name shall the Gentiles trust.
The greater import of this quotation is (1) it clearly was
Messianic, as any Jew would know. Furthermore, it clearly was
applied to Jesus. (2) The implication is that God was pleased
with Jesus’ ministry even if the religious officialdom of the day
was not. (3) Moreover, there is another clear hint that the work
of Christ was pointing toward the Gentiles inasmuch as the
formal, Jewish establishment was rejecting Him.
Isaiah foretold how the Messiah would be meek and lowly
of spirit—‘He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man
hear his voice in the streets” (Isaiah 42:1-4). This, Jesus clearly
fulfilled. A bruised reed was one already bent. The thought
likely is how the Messiah, when He came, would not harshly
break what already was bruised. Smoking flax likely referred to
a smouldering wick in a lamp struggling to keep its flame alive.
Again, the thought likely is that when the Messiah came, He
would not brusquely, and with no concern, snub out a flickering
lamp.
The greater thought likely is how that the Messiah would be
gentle and compassionate to the needs of those around Him. As
Jesus had gone about healing (even on the Sabbath), He had
demonstrated such a gentle, kind spirit and thus fulfilled what
Isaiah had prophesied centuries before. Moreover, Isaiah clear-
ly foretold that “in his name shall the Gentiles trust.” That has
altogether come true in the largely gentile church. Again, Jesus
strongly hinted at how the gospel would, before long, go to the
gentiles. Paul would quote this same passage in this regard in
Romans 15:12.
12:22-24 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a

devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the
blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were
amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the
Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils,
but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Jesus again performed
a notable miracle in healing one who by Satan was blind and
dumb. Significant is the implication that serious, physical de-
fects can be caused by the devil.
The common people recalled that Jesus was the son of
David implying He was the Messiah. But when the Pharisees
heard that, they claimed He was acting under Satanic power.
Beelzebub was a pejorative name for Satan literally meaning
‘lord of the flies,’ perhaps referring to an outhouse. Not only did
they blaspheme Jesus by implying His work was of the devil,
they did it in the most base way they could find. See notes for
Matthew 10:24-25.
12:25-26 Notice that Jesus knowing their thoughts clearly

indicated His Deity. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said
unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought
to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself
shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided
against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? Jesus
simply reminded them that Satan does not attack his own
kingdom. He knows better. If demons were cast out by the aid
of Satan, then Satan was fighting against his own servants. His
kingdom would be divided against itself.
12:27 Continuing, Jesus asked, And if I by Beelzebub cast

out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?
therefore they shall be your judges. The Jews practiced a
form of ‘exorcism.’ Jesus turned the tables on them and asked
in effect, ‘if I cast out demons by Satan, then how do you guys
do it?’ Let your children be the judge. Biting indeed was His
sarcasm.
12:28 The other alternative is that He was acting by the

power of God’s Spirit. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of
God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. He
reminded them if that be the case (and it was); therefore the long
awaited kingdom of God was at hand. Sadly, they rejected Him
and in so doing the kingdom they sought.
12:29 Jesus thus used a simple analogy. Or else how can

one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods,
except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil
his house. One cannot enter into a powerful man’s house and
rob it without first subduing the owner. Jesus was in fact break-
ing into Satan’s kingdom and was in the process of subduing it.
12:30 Our Lord thus noted, He that is not with me is

against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth
abroad. He in effect asked the question, ‘Who is on my side,’
or, ‘Who is with me in this?’ We are either with Him in the battle
or we are not. There is no middle ground.
12:31-32 The unforgivable sin, also known as the blas-

phemy of the Holy Ghost, is mentioned here. Wherefore I say
unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall
not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a
word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be
forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come.
The context holds the key to understanding this precept.
Just prior, the Pharisees in rejecting Christ’s miracles had also
spurned the Holy Ghost by whose power He worked. They had
ascribed the work of God to the devil. It was actually the Holy
Spirit working through Jesus by which He performed His
miracles during His earthly ministry. Thus, they actually were
blaspheming the Holy Spirit in claiming that Jesus worked
through the power of the devil.
Today, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is continually re-
jecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He seeks to draw
men and women to Christ. A corollary passage is Hebrews 6:4-
6. It is a dangerous thing to repeatedly reject the work of the
Holy Spirit as He would draw one to Christ.
12:33-34 This short parable likely refers to the human

heart. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else
make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is
known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye,
being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of
the heart the mouth speaketh. Jesus used the illustration of
fruit bearing trees to illustrate the character of the trees them-
selves. A wild, crab-apple tree produces fruit that is so bitter one
will involuntarily spit it out. The source of the bitter (corrupt)
fruit is the tree itself. A domesticated, cultivated apple tree,
rather, will produce sweet desirable fruit. The source thereof is
the very nature of the tree whence the fruit came.
Likewise, the old spiritual nature within each of us bears
bitter fruit, whereas the new spiritual nature bears good fruit.
Our lives reveal the character of the spiritual nature operating
within. The solution to a harvest of bitter fruit is in changing the
tree itself. In the realm of agronomy, that can be accomplished
only by grafting cultivated domesticated stock onto the root
stock of a wild tree. It in effect gives the tree a new nature. It is
a simple, yet, effective illustration of the new birth and its
implications. That is why Jesus said, “Either make the tree
good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his
fruit corrupt.” Only when a man has been born again can there
be altogether good fruit brought forth from his life.
Jesus thus switched metaphors. Moving from the analogy
of bitter fruit coming from wild trees, He alluded to the poison
which comes from venomous snakes. A viper was an adder or
perhaps a cobra. Its venom was deadly. Jesus likened the Phari-
sees (to whom He undoubtedly referred) as a “generation of
vipers.” From the mouth of such creatures comes its char-
acteristic venom.
He thus tied both analogies together by noting, “for out of
the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” What comes
out of the mouth indicates the spiritual nature of the heart from
whence it comes. Good words come from a good heart. Bitter
and venomous statements likewise come from the heart. The
distinction reveals the spiritual nature from whence things are
spoken. One walking in the new, spiritual nature will utter good
words. One walking in the flesh will utter the foul and
venomous words characteristic thereof. Moreover, Jesus noted
that it is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth over-
flows.
Galatians 5 speaks of walking in the Spirit as a habit of life.
In so doing, it thus becomes the abundance of one’s heart and
one speaks accordingly. Conversely, as one continues to walk
in the flesh, that ugly nature forms the abundance of the heart
and one speaks accordingly. See notes for Galatians 5:13-26.
12:35-37 Jesus elaborates further on this principle. A good

man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth
good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bring-
eth forth evil things. What comes forth from our lips emanates
from the heart. Jesus thus noted both good and evil men and the
treasury of the heart. The thought likely is that place in the
center of our being wherein we guard our deepest thoughts.
From that treasury utters forth from the mouth the abundance of
what is in the heart.
If one’s heart is godly and spiritual, that which comes forth
will reflect that. If one is carnal, evil, and worldly, the same will
overflow as well. Jesus called the Pharisees and their crowd a
bunch of snakes in the grass. As in verse 33, our mouth reveals
which spiritual character is operating in our lives: the old or the
new.
Moreover, every idle word we speak will be accounted of
in the day of judgment. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment. The word translated as idle (argov
argos) also has the sense of ‘casual’ or ‘careless.’ The thought
likely is how that every casual, careless word is being recorded
and will be brought up at the judgment. How careful we must
therefore be with our words. See Romans 14:12.
Inasmuch as words reveal the true character of the heart,
what men have said in their lives will be used as testimony
against them in that day. Each incident, in which men have
cursed by God’s name, will be used as testimony against their
lost and wicked condition at the Great White Throne Judgment.
In concluding this section, Jesus said, 37 For by thy words
thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con-
demned. The words of one’s mouth will bear witness either for
him or against him at the judgment someday. Once again, the
clear warning of how we use our tongue is brought to bear by
our Lord. Talk may be cheap, but it also carries long-lasting and
heavy responsibility. Moreover, it reflects the spiritual con-
dition of the heart whence it comes.
12:38 Matthew now shifts to another incident in our Lord’s

ministry. Though the time is not noted, it may be that it followed
directly after the preceding events as the context seems to
suggest. Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees
answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Unbelievers down through the ages have sought for some sort of
sign as evidence of God’s reality. In so doing, they reveal their
unbelief and spiritual blindness to God’s revelation through His
Word and creation. See John 2:18 and I Corinthians 1:22.
The Jews (who ironically had witnessed more of God’s

working through them than any other people) seemingly were
the worst offenders in this regard. In the preceding context,
Jesus had wrought a miracle of healing the blind and dumb man.
Apparently the same scribes and Pharisees wanted to see more.
There may have been carnal curiosity to be entertained. There
certainly was unbelief. Of interest is that the word translated as
sign (shmeion semeion) also is the same word usually trans-
lated as ‘miracle.’
12:39-40 Jesus’ reply was that the only sign they would be
given was that of Jonah. But he answered and said unto them,
An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and
there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet
Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the
whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth.
Jesus referred to His resurrection. That is the only major
sign He has given to this age. The reference to Jonah being in the
whale’s belly three days and three nights is likewise ascribed to
Christ’s burial. Simple arithmetic will indicate that Jesus
therefore was crucified earlier than the traditional Good Friday.
Counting back three days and three nights from Sunday
morning places the actual time of the crucifixion probably on
Thursday, possibly on Wednesday. The Bible nowhere men-
tions Friday as the day. The greater point however, is that one
definitive sign Jesus would give to that generation (and to this
day) was His resurrection. That is the singular sign which
authenticated Him as Deity, Savior, and Lord. (The word
translated as whale {khtov ketos} literally refers to a ‘great
fish.)
Moreover, our Lord referred to that generation, always
seeking signs from God, as an “evil and adulterous generation.”
There is an instructive correlation revealed between unbelief
and adultery. Though outwardly pious and self righteous, Jesus
called the scribes and Pharisees adulterous. What utter hypo-
crites. They jumped Jesus’ for what they thought was a terrible
breach of the Sabbath by healing thereon. Yet, they apparently
were adulterers. To this day, it is not unusual to find that
theological apostates are involved in sexual sins of the worst
kind.
12:41 Jesus again brings to mind ancient cities which faced

God’s judgment, in this case, Nineveh. The men of Nineveh
shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of
Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. Jesus again
condemned Israel for its unbelief and hardness of heart. Nine-
veh (a gentile city) repented at the preaching of Jonah, though
covenant-Israel would not repent at the preaching of Jesus.
Clear is the continued implication of the need for Israel to
repent. Nineveh, a pagan, gentile city, did so when Jonah
preached. Israel only hardened their hearts and demanded more
signs when Jesus preached.
Moreover, clearly implied is the reality of the resurrection.
Jesus said the men of Nineveh would rise in judgment against
Israel, condemning it. That clearly bespeaks their resurrection
as well as the condemnation by them of Israel in that day.
Further implied is that the Ninevites would prevail in the judg-
ment whereas Israel, at least of that day, would not. Jesus likely
infuriated the Pharisees by informing them that One greater
than the prophet Jonah was in their midst. This is the second
comparison in this chapter to Jesus being greater than that
esteemed by the Jews. The first was the Temple in 12:6.
12:42 In addition, the queen of the south shall rise up in

the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it:
for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear
the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than
Solomon is here. The queen of Sheba (a gentile ruler), who
came from Ethiopia, will likewise condemn unbelieving Israel
at the judgment following the resurrection. She came with an
open heart to hear the godly wisdom of Solomon and believed.
See I Kings 10:1. Yet, One greater than Solomon was in their
midst.
For the third time in this chapter, Jesus likened Himself to
being greater than the luminaries of Jewish history. He com-
pared Himself to being greater than Solomon, the wisest and
wealthiest king to ever grace the throne of Israel. The
significance of these comparisons likely did not escape His
antagonists though they refused to acknowledge it. Whether
they liked it or not, Jesus had described Himself as greater than
the Temple, Jonah, and king Solomon.
12:43-45 Jesus continued to excoriate contemporary
Israel. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he
walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I
came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept,
and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself
seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they
enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is
worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked
generation.
This parable may be a reference to the worthlessness of
self-righteousness which the Pharisees routinely practiced. Or,
more likely (in its context), it may be a reference to collective
Israel in its self-righteousness facing even worse judgment
ahead. And indeed, they did.
In any event, the analogy Jesus used sheds light on the
realm of demonic activity and how they operate. They desire a
human body. Moreover, more than one can and often does
occupy one body. In the case which Jesus described, the demon
left and returned to find that the poor individual had in turn
gotten his life back in order. Therefore, the demon brought
seven other of his comrades to reoccupy the hapless individual.
Jesus’ point very well may have been that though Israel of
that day outwardly endeavored to present the appearance of
being righteous, they were even worse than before. The key
phrase of this parable is found in the final phrases, “and the last
state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also
unto this wicked generation.” Though Israel had seemingly
cleaned up its ‘act’ in ridding itself of idolatry, their spiritual
condition was indeed worse than before. Even as a group of de-
mons returning to the described man was worse, so was it with
Israel. Moreover, they would suffer the chastisement to come as
God judged them for their rejection of Christ in the decades to
follow.
12:46-50 Meanwhile, as he yet talked to the people,
behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring
to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy
mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak
with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told
him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren.
At first reading, the preceding paragraph would seem to
indicate that Jesus was discourteous to His own immediate
family. However, the lesson He intended was in the greater
sphere of events. His true spiritual family were those who are
obedient to God’s will. 49 And he stretched forth his hand
toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my
brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother.
Those who are obedient and submissive to His Lordship
are those closest to Him. Obedience to Christ is that which
demonstrates true love for Him. See John 15:21,23-24. Iron-
ically, most of Jesus’ siblings did not believe in Him during His
earthy ministry. Jesus knew that as did they. Again, the overtone
is of Israel’s spiritual rejection of Him as did some of His own
family. By contrast, many a gentile in years to come would not
only believe on Him but be obedient to the Father altogether. It
was these who would become His true spiritual family. That
principle remains to this day.
*****
Overview of Matthew 13: The thirteenth chapter of Mat-

thew deals with seven parables taught at the edge of the Sea of
Galilee. Each parable or mystery deals with principles per-
taining to the kingdom of God.
13:1-2 Matthew introduces this interesting chapter noting,
The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea
side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto
him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole
multitude stood on the shore.
Once again, an unspecified house is mentioned. The
general location likely is still in the region of Capernaum,
though in 12:15, Matthew noted that Jesus had departed thence.
The “same day” evidently refers to the same day wherein the
events in the latter portion of chapter 12 took place. It has been
called ‘the busy day’ because of all which was accomplished
thereon. Capernaum is located on the north shore of Galilee. To
the south and west of Capernaum, there is a small bay or inlet
along the shore of the lake. It is thought that it was at this place
that Jesus got into a boat while the crowds lined the shore in a
great, natural amphitheater. From there, He taught the seven
parables recorded in this chapter. Each pertain to the kingdom
of God.
The kingdom concept is future. The church is present. The
kingdom refers to the establishment of the Jewish kingdom
headquartered at Jerusalem when Jesus returns as King. More
commonly, it is called the Millennium. However, the kingdom
will then continue on into eternity as God creates a new heavens
and a new earth. See further comments on the kingdom for in
notes on Matthew 3:2.
13:3-8 The first of the parables of this chapter is that of the

sower and the seed. And he spake many things unto them in
parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And
when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the
fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony
places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they
sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And
when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they
had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among
thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them. 8 But
other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some
an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus spoke of four
categories: (1) the wayside where the fowls devoured it, (2)
rocky ground in which there was no depth, (3) weeds and thorns
which choked the seed, and (4) good ground that brought forth
much fruit.
Ancient farmers would walk through their fields with a bag
of seed slung over their shoulder. They would ‘broadcast’ the
seed by throwing it manually in a semicircular pattern as they
went through each field. In this case, it would seem that the
farmer (sower) was planting wheat or some other type of grain.
Such fields usually were not large and frequently had a path or
‘road’ running along at least one side. This wayside was
compacted from traffic. Seed falling thereon would only lay
upon the surface, easy prey for birds.
The geology of Israel is such that ledge rock (bedrock)
often lies just beneath shallow soil. In the parable Jesus told,
evidently one portion of the field was underlain with such rock.
The soil above it would be hotter and drier than the rest because
of the shallowness of the soil. Other portions of the field were
infested with weeds, specifically thorn plants. However, other
portions of the field were of good soil not compacted, not
underlaid with rock, and not full of thorns.
Furthermore, it should be noted that in three of the four
categories of soil, the seed germinated and sprang to life. The
greater point of the parable will be why some bring forth fruit
and others do not.
13:9 Jesus again admonished His hearers, Who hath ears to

hear, let him hear. The thought is take note and pay heed. There is
more to what you have heard than might at first be suspected.
13:10-15 His disciples thus asked Him, Why speakest
thou unto them in parables? He continued, 11 Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to
him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that
he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because
they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.
When Jesus was asked why He taught in parables rather
than directly, He alluded to Isaiah’s prophecy that God would
spiritually blind the hardened hearts of unbelieving Israel
(Isaiah 6:9-10). There are consequences to ongoing rejection
and disobedience to God. God removed their ability to under-
stand.
Jesus’ reference to one having more versus one who did not
(and taking away from him), without a doubt in the context, is
a reference to Israel. God had given to them light, grace, and
blessing down through the centuries. For the most part, Israel
had taken for granted God’s blessing, ignored Him, and rejected
His truth. They, of all people, had been blessed by God and yet
had turned their backs on Him.
Therefore, God through Jesus was speaking to them in
parables which for the most part they did not understand. For
those few who opened their hearts to the Savior, to them even
more was given. However, for the many whose hearts were
hardened and thus oblivious to the truth, from them would be
taken away even what little understanding they had. It was a
harsh reality. Israel had so offended their God that now He
spoke to them in oblique parables speaking only directly to
those whose hearts were opened to Him.
The multitudes heard but did not understand. They saw and
did not perceive. It was a direct fulfillment of the ancient warn-
ing of God through the prophet Isaiah. 14 And in them is
fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye
shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with their
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (The
passage quoted was from Isaiah 6:9-10).
Israel had rejected the simple message of both John and
Jesus: repent. There was nothing complicated about that. Be-
cause of that rejection, Jesus now spoke to them in less than
direct parables. They heard but did not understand. They thus
were reaping the harsh consequences of their longstanding
sinful attitude.
13:16 Nevertheless, Jesus had a blessing for His disciples

in the midst of the gloom. But blessed are your eyes, for they
see: and your ears, for they hear. They were receptive to their
Lord and therefore He saw to it that they would understand and
perceive the truth.
13:17 Jesus pointed out to the disciples the blessings they

were witnessing. For verily I say unto you, That many pro-
phets and righteous men have desired to see those things
which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Prophets and
righteous men from centuries past had longed to see and hear
what they were witnessing. Yet, these blessed twelve men were
seeing prophecy fulfilled before their very eyes. They were
hearing truth uttered which few had been privileged to hear
through the ages. Because their hearts were open and they were
willing to obey their Lord, He revealed to them profound and
blessed truth to which Israel at large was oblivious. They were
a uniquely privileged few.
13:18-23 Jesus thus began to explain to them the parable of the
sower and the seed. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
It should be pointed out that the major thrust of this parable is why
many of God’s people never bear much fruit. It is true in the church
today and it will be true for Israel in the days of the kingdom.
(1) Jesus thus noted the first category of the parable. 19
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and
catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he
which received seed by the way side.
In regard to the wayside, Jesus pointed out that Satan will
deflect interest in the things of God by the hectic, busy pace in
which so many live. Satan is a direct adversary in squelching
interest in the things of God. In this category, the subject evi-
dently is never saved. Even as a pathway through a garden or
field is compacted and not receptive for seed, hearts which are
hardened by sin and distractions of the world never understand
the gospel nor receive Christ. No new birth ever takes place.
(2) In the next category, 20 he that received the seed into
stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon
with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but
dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
In the case of the stony ground, people do hear and receive
the Word, but because they lack depth of character, as soon as
trouble or opposition arises over being a Christian, they give up
and fade away. Though evidently saved, they bear no fruit for
the Savior. Even as soil which is underlaid with ledge rock is
shallow, so are these. They receive the gospel and are born
again. But because they lack root, when trouble comes, they
quit. Hence, they never bring forth fruit for Christ. The essence
of Christian character is the discipline to do as we ought. Many
in life have never developed that virtue. True Christianity is not
easy so they quit.
(3) Next, the seed sown among the thorns springs up. 22 He
also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth
the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness
of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Here, the seed germinated and a new life sprang forth. The
person quite evidently was born again. However, because of
distractions by the things of life, the seed is choked and though
alive never brings forth much fruit. Though saved, this type of
Christians get so involved in the activities of this world that he
never brings forth much fruit for God. Legion are their number.
The are saved, but fruitless.
(4) However, the seed on the good ground is not so
afflicted. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is
he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
Here, a receptive heart hears the gospel and receives Christ.
There is not the other problems of a hardened heart. There is not
the lack of character or conflicting activities. The seed of the
gospel therefore springs up and bears much fruit. In some cases,
the seed produces a yield of thirty, sixty, and even one-hundred
fold. The application is to people who hear the gospel, under-
stand it, and proceed to bring forth much fruit for God. The fruit
likely is in other people won to Christ over one’s lifetime. In
some cases, people will win thirty, in other cases sixty, and for
some, one-hundred people will come to Christ through their
ministry. The lesson is to be careful of being too busy for God;
of developing depth of character; of not becoming entangled
with the affairs of this life so that we might bring forth fruit for
God.
13:24-30 Here is the parable of the tares and the wheat. It is

explained in verses 36-43. Another parable put he forth unto
them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man
which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept,
his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and
went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and
brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said
unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field?
from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An
enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt
thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said,
Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the
wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the
time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together
first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.
The story is simple. Tares are false wheat. They are an
undesirable weed, which in its early stages looks like wheat.
When mature, it produces a black, noxious grain. Here, an ene-
my sowed this counterfeit seed while the husbandman slept.
When the tares became evident, the husbandman counseled it
would be better to leave them than try and root them out and
damage the good crop. At harvest they would be gathered out
and burned.
The explanation of this is forthcoming in verse 36 ff. It is
significant that this is a parable of the kingdom of heaven and is
thus a kingdom parable. Understanding that will provide insight
into the interpretation thereof.
13:31-32 The parable of the mustard seed is the next

parable of the kingdom of heaven presented by Jesus. Another
parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took,
and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all
seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs,
and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and
lodge in the branches thereof.
Indeed mustard seeds are small and some varieties can
produce a large, tree-like plant. The application of the parable is
found in the context of the kingdom. One simple application of
the parable is how something so small as one’s faith can grow
into a great spiritual work.
However, in the context, the thought may be that through
obscure men (Seth, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Samuel,
etc.), God in time will produce a kingdom which will cover the
entire earth. That of course will be fulfilled in the millennial
reign of Christ. The birds of the air may refer to the gentile
nations of the earth being a part of the kingdom and living
therein.
The kingdom of God will be the greatest kingdom ever
when Christ returns and establishes it in the Millennium. How-
ever, the kingdom began through godly men in ages past whom
the world knew not. Moreover, as a concept, the kingdom long
promised to Israel presently is nothing more than a tiny seed.
However, when Christ returns, it will spring forth into the
mightiest kingdom this world has ever seen, encompassing
every nation on the earth.
13:33 Jesus thus presented the fourth kingdom parable.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of
heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Leaven in the Bible frequently refers to the permeating
aspects of sin. Though the kingdom of God will be a reign of
righteousness, yet there will still be sinful people born during
that time. Revelation 20:7-9 records how at the end of the
Millennium, there will be a Satan-led revolt against God. This
evidently is a parable thereof. The leaven of sin, though re-
strained, will still remain during that time. By the end of the
Millennium, sadly, the entire kingdom evidently will have been
permeated with the sin of revolt even as a little leaven leavens
the whole lump of dough. God will allow that revolt to spring
forth upon Satan’s release at the battle of Gog and Magog. Sin
and Satan at that time will be utterly defeated once and for all.
13:34-35 Matthew thus pauses in the midst of this lengthy

string of parables to comment, All these things spake Jesus
unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable
spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in
parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.
The thought hearkens back to what Jesus explained to His

disciples in 13:10-15, which see. Jesus taught the masses of
Israel obliquely through parables. He taught His disciples
directly. Greater Israel, and official Israel in particular, had
witnessed the miracles of Jesus. They also had heard His simple
message: repent. They tragically had already rejected both Him
and His message. Therefore, Jesus now taught them in oblique
parables. They were hearing but did not understand and seeing
but not perceiving. The prophecy here quoted is from Psalm
78:2.
13:36 Matthew thence records, Then Jesus sent the

multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples
came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the
tares of the field. Consistent with His intention of teaching
obliquely to Israel but directly to His disciples, Jesus sent the
multitudes away for the day. He had already explained the par-
able of the sower and the seed to them. The disciples therefore
asked Jesus to explain the second of the four parables—that of
the tares in the field.
13:37-43 He answered and said unto them, He that
soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the
world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but
the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy
that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the
world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the
fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man
shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who
hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Herein is the explanation of the tares and the wheat. Again,
the key to understanding the parable is remembering that the
context is of the kingdom, not the church. The thought is similar
to the parable of the leaven. Though only born-again people will
be allowed to enter the Millennium at its inception, those who
so enter in a natural body will produce children. These will still
have a sinful nature. Many will get saved during the kingdom
age, but some will not. Those who remain unregenerate likely
are the tares sowed in the kingdom.
At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released and he
quickly will find those who have never been born again during
the Millennium. Though they initially seemed to be God’s
people, their true colors will show and they, with Satan, will
revolt. God’s reaction is to send angels throughout His kingdom
who will gather these to judgment. In collating this with Revel-
ation 20:7-9, apparently the angels of God in one way or another
gather them together to battle at Gog and Magog. See notes for
Revelation 20:7-9.
In that final battle against sin and rebellion, Satan and his
followers will be utterly destroyed. Moreover, Satan at that time
will be cast directly into the Lake of Fire. Though Revelation
20:7-9 does not directly address the matter, here clearly implied
is that all who join in that last fateful rebellion against God will
also be cast directly into the Lake of Fire. Not only will that be
a day of great judgment of the rebellious, but those who lost
loved ones will greatly mourn their perdition. The lost may also,
but for them it will be too late.
It is at this time that the eternal kingdom will be established
in new heavens and a new earth. See Revelation 21:1 ff. It is then
that Christ will have put all enemies under his feet and delivered
up the kingdom to God even the Father (I Corinthians 15:24-
28). “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father.” Jesus concluded this explanation with
the cogent admonition, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
The latter phrase indicates there is more in the parable than at
first seems apparent.
13:44 With only His disciples present, Jesus proceeded to

teach a fifth kingdom parable. Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man
hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth
all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
The parable of the hid treasure may be a reference to when
one fully understands the gospel of Christ (Jew or gentile) and
embraces Christ, he is willing to give His all for Christ. The
gospel of salvation as well as the kingdom itself is a treasure of
great value. When one comes to Christ and is truly converted,
there is an excitement and willingness to surrender completely
to Him. That likely is the thought encompassed in this short
parable.
For the Jew of that hour, the operative gospel was that of the
offered kingdom. Since Calvary, that gospel has been trans-
formed into the gospel of salvation through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
13:45-46 Jesus thus announced to His disciples a sixth
kingdom parable. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto
a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he
had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it.
The essence of this parable is virtually the same as the preceding
one. When one fully realizes all that waits ahead for a truly-com-
mitted servant of God, he will give his all to Christ. For a Jew of that
day (or during the Tribulation) the realization of the prospect of the
impending kingdom was (will be) a gem of inestimable value. For
those living in the church age, the comprehension of the gospel of
salvation becomes a jewel of great value.
13:47-49 Our Lord thus proceeded to announce a seventh

and final kingdom parable to His assembled disciples. Again,
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into
the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was
full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the
good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Again, Jesus alluded to how in the initial 1,000 years of the
kingdom, there will be included all manner of people. Though
only the regenerate will enter therein, along the way children
will be born which will need to be converted. Many will, some
will not. Though righteousness will be sternly enforced, there
evidently will be some ‘tares’ who survive to the end. God in
that day in His own inscrutable way will separate the good from
the bad. The greater allusion most likely refers to the Battle of
Gog and Magog described in Revelation 20:7-9.
Jesus continued, 49 So shall it be at the end of the world:
the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from
among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
This likely parallels the parable of the tares. See notes on
13:37-42. Though there is no direct mention made in
Revelation 20:7-9 of other than Satan being cast directly into
the Lake of Fire, both here and in 13:42, there is a strong
indication that all who rebel in that day will be thus cast directly
therein. There thus will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth.” The
latter phrase is an idiomatic middle-eastern phrase referring to
great sorrow.
13:51-52 After having presented these seven kingdom

parables, Jesus asked His disciples, Have ye understood all
these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. With all due
respect, they likely did not. We today have the benefit of the
completed New Testament as well as a comprehensive theo-
logical structure wherein to understand such complex eschato-
logical truth. The disciples as yet did not have that benefit.
There no doubt was wishful thinking on their part in this regard.
Jesus thus concluded this section by commenting, 52
Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the king-
dom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
The scribes that Jesus referred to were not the Jewish
scribes which only rehashed the minutia of the Law. A scribe
was also a general synonym for a teacher and that likely is the
sense in which Jesus uses the word here. Jesus however referred
here to scribes which were “instructed unto the kingdom of
heaven.” He spoke of those (such as the disciples) who
hopefully understood the truth regarding the kingdom of God.
Such were likened unto a homeowner bringing from his store-
room both old and new things.
The application likely is how the concept of the kingdom
was an old matter of which Jews for centuries had been looking.
However, Jesus brought forth from that same storeroom (the
Scriptures) new truth concerning the kingdom that even the
disciples had not realized. Those various truths were embedded
in the seven preceding kingdom parables which Jesus had just
taught. The basic truth was old, but He had added entirely new
dimensions of understanding concerning it. Indeed, both new
and old truth had been mixed together.
13:53-57 Thereafter, And it came to pass, that when Jesus

had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he
was come into his own country, he taught them in their
synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished.
After having taught these weighty parables, Jesus departed
from what evidently was Capernaum. The reference to his “own
country” likely refers to Nazareth which was some distance to
the west and south over the rugged hills of the region of Galilee.
Nazareth was where Mary and Joseph had returned and had
raised their family including Jesus. It was His small hometown.
In the meantime, Jesus’ reputation had undoubtedly
preceded Him and the local population thereof was well aware
of His fame and miracles. Upon arrival there, He entered the
local synagogue and taught them. His former neighbors were
astounded at what they heard.
They thus asked, Whence hath this man this wisdom,
and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son?
is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and
Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not
all with us?
In His own home area, His former neighbors were reluctant
to believe in Him. Allusion is made that Joseph, His step-father,
was a carpenter. This is the only mention thereof in the New
Testament. The Catholic Church notwithstanding, Jesus did
have brothers and sisters. Mary was not a perpetual virgin. She
did have other children. Jesus’ brothers are herein named:
James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. He likewise had at least two
sisters in as much as they are referred to in the plural. The
comment, Whence then hath this man all these things?
essentially means, ‘Who does He think He is?’
Matthew notes further, 57 And they were offended in him.
Neighbors were likely put out at what they presumed was His
folly. He claimed to be the Messiah. They thought they knew
better. He had grown up there. His brothers and sisters were
embarrassed that their brother seemingly was making a fool of
Himself.
Jesus thus responded with a proverb that is a truism to this
day. A prophet is not without honour, save in his own
country, and in his own house. The place where a preacher
grew up often does not give serious credence to him. They knew
Him as a kid. In retrospect, this is a sad commentary. Even
Jesus’ family and friends rejected Him. Indeed, He came unto
His own and His own received Him not. To his credit, James,
His brother, later became a believer and mightily preached
Christ.
13:58 Accordingly, he did not many mighty works there

because of their unbelief. Notice the correlation between
God’s power and faith. Moreover, the unbelief mentioned here
is more than just a lack of understanding. It reflects hardness of
heart. Where there is a lack of faith, God does not work in any
degree. That lesson remains to this day.
*****
Overview of Matthew 14: Three major incidents in our

Lord’s ministry are found here: (1) the death of John the Bap-
tist, (2) the feeding of the five thousand, (3) and Jesus walking
on the water.
14:1-2 Matthew now shifts his focus to the untimely death

of John the Baptist. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of
the fame of Jesus, 2 And said unto his servants, This is John
the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty
works do shew forth themselves in him. Record is made of
Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, also called Herod
the Tetrarch because he ruled over one fourth of his father’s
former kingdom. His rule was over the region of Galilee and
Perea. Because he was absent much of the time in military
campaigns against Arabia, he likely had not heard much of
Jesus. However, upon returning and hearing more of Jesus’
miracles, he thought that Jesus was John the Baptist come back
to life.
14:3-11 Matthew thus records how John the Baptist had

been executed. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound
him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother
Philip’s wife. 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for
thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to
death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as
a prophet.
John had preached against Herod’s adultery with his sister-
in-law Herodias. We catch a glimpse of the depravity of the rich
and famous even then. Herodias was actually the niece of both
Philip and Herod Antipas. She first married Philip but began an
adulterous affair with Herod and eventually married him.
For this, John had publicly condemned Herod, rightly
noting such a relationship was in violation of the Law of God.
Herod had thus imprisoned John. Herod’s intentions were to
kill him. But because he perceived the public thought John to be
a prophet, he hesitated.
However, 6 when Herod’s birthday was kept, the
daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased
Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her
whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before in-
structed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s
head in a charger.
The dancing of Herodias’ daughter certainly implies
sensuality. It was not customary for the ladies of high rank to
dance in public. However, this powerful, ruling family were not
encumbered by propriety. Roman birthday dances would be
comparable to a modern, strip-tease dance. This wicked mother
induced her own daughter to thus degrade herself in order to
accomplish her revengeful purpose. Herod accordingly was
entertained by this impure young woman and thus promised to
give her whatever she wished. Her mother had already instruct-
ed her as to what she should ask.
The vindictiveness of Herodias in demanding John’s death
and its gruesome presentation only reveals the depravity of the
human heart. She literally demanded his head on a platter.
Notwithstanding Herod’s reservations, 9 for the oath’s sake,
and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to
be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the
prison. 11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given
to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. Though
perhaps the final Old Testament prophet, John became the first
recorded martyr in the New Testament. He thus truly suffered
for righteousness’ sake.
14:12 The events of the rest of the chapter follow immed-

iately upon Jesus receiving news of John’s violent death. And
his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and
went and told Jesus. It was John’s disciples who attended to
the body of their master and informed Jesus thereof.
14:13 The humanity of our Lord is here in view. When

Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert
place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they
followed him on foot out of the cities. John the Baptist was a
cousin and ‘colleague’ of Jesus. Upon hearing the news of his
death, Jesus found a solitary place to pray. (See Mark 6:46). In
times of distress, Jesus found a place to get alone with God. That
lesson remains.
14:14 A spiritual principle is thus presented, found in num-

erous places throughout the Bible. And Jesus went forth, and
saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion
toward them, and he healed their sick.
Notice that Jesus (1) “went forth.” Then He (2) “saw”
people in their need. (3) He then was “moved with compassion
toward them.” (4) He thereafter acted to meet their need. A
major key in developing compassion for the lost is going to
them and seeing their need. Then follows compassion. In
modern ministries, it usually is not until we go forth and actually
see people in their spiritual need that we will develop compass-
ion on them. That is why Jesus on several occasions taught us to
go with the gospel. It is not until we go and see people in their
lost condition that we will develop compassion for them to win
them to Christ. Thus, a key ingredient for compassion is going
in the first place. Compassion and concern will inevitably
follow.
14:15-21 And when it was evening, his disciples came to

him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past;
send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages,
and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them,
They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say
unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he
commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and
took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to
heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his
disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did
all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments
that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had
eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and
children
That same evening (after hearing of John’s death), multi-
tudes followed Jesus into the desert (or wilderness area). When
the disciples urged that He send back into the villages to buy
food, Jesus astonished them by directing the disciples to feed
the crowd. The disciples protested that they only had five loaves
and two fishes, about enough to make several fish sandwiches. (The
loaves mentioned were small and like modern buns.)
They, like we, saw the problem by sight. They, however,
could not see how the problem could be solved. The solution
was to allow the Lord to work. Only when they brought their
meager resources to Jesus and gave them to Him did His mighty
power show forth.
Notice that Jesus prayed over the food about to be eaten.
Then the miracle began. Not only did the bread and fish extend
to feed the five-thousand men (not counting the women and
children), there were twelve full baskets left over. It has been
suggested that Jesus saw to it that each disciple received a
basket of food thereafter. Maybe so. When they in faith com-
mitted what little they had to meet the need of others, the Lord
used it to meet that need. True is the saying, “Little is much
when God is in it.” Moreover, God is able to meet our every
need, though through human eyes there seems no solution.
14:22-24Whereupon, Jesus immediately directed his dis-

ciples to get into a boat and go before him unto the other side.
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into
a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he
sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the
multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray:
and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But
the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves:
for the wind was contrary.
As night came on, Jesus went up into a mountain to pray.
He, perhaps, was still grieving over the death of John. He
therefore got alone with God to cast His burden on His Father.
Meanwhile, the disciples found themselves in a violent storm
on the Sea of Galilee. They had gotten into a ship. The word so
translated (ploion ploion) refers to a boat in the twenty-five to
thirty foot range.
As weather systems roll down from the high hills from the
west and the Mediterranean (or the Golan Heights to the east),
violent storms can be stirred on Galilee. Though the lake is only
six miles wide and thirteen miles long, nevertheless, for craft
the size mentioned above, seas sufficient to sink such a craft are
not unusual. The word translated as contrary (enantiov enan-
tios) has in this context the idea of ‘hostile’ or ‘adverse.’ The
word translated as tossed (basanizw basanizo) has more of the
idea of ‘distressed’ or ‘fighting a head wind.’ In this context, the
latter likely is the thought. The disciples were thus struggling
with their craft against hostile seas. Moreover, it was the middle
of the night when darkness only exacerbates fear.
14:25-26 When the disciples saw His form moving over the
dark water they were terrified. And in the fourth watch of the
night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
The Jews had adopted the Roman system of watches which
began at 6 p.m. Each watch was of three hours each. Therefore,
Jesus came to them in the grey hours sometime after 3 a.m. The
word translated as spirit here (fantasma phantasma) could
be rendered as ‘phantom’ or ‘apparition.’ In other words, they
thought they were seeing some sort of other-world ghost.
14:27 A sweet lesson is at hand. But straightway Jesus

spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid. When He is near, we need not fear. The phrase “be of
good cheer” could be translated ‘be encouraged.’ Recall how
that Jesus later said, “Lo, I am with you alway.” If we will
realize He is always with us, we need never fear.
14:28-33 Matthew here records one of the quintessential

stories in the Bible. And Peter answered him and said, Lord,
if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he
said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship,
he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw
the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink,
he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus
stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto
him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Peter, in brashness and yet with a note of doubt, told Jesus
if it really were Him to bid him come. Jesus’ answer was simple.
Come. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was alright.
But when he looked around and saw the threatening circum-
stances, he began to sink. In desperate faith, he therefore cried
out, “Lord, save me.” Notice that immediately, Jesus caught
him. What a wonderful picture of our salvation. When there is
no other deliverance, if we in simple, urgent faith turn to Him
and trust Him; He immediately will save.
Notice Jesus’ admonition to Peter. “Wherefore didst thou
doubt?” When we take our eyes off Jesus, the alternative is
doubt.
Thereafter, 32 when they were come into the ship, the
wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and
worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
It seems apparent that God allowed this storm in the lives of the
disciples to impress upon them a profound lesson. It took such
a storm to convince them that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.
Indeed, God allows storms in the lives of His people to teach
and to train.
It took such a storm to transform what had been an
academic truth into reality in the minds of the disciples. They
had given lip service that Jesus was the Son of God. Now they
knew it to be true from experience. Indeed, all things work
together for good for them that love God, who are the called
according to His purpose.
14:34-36 The next day, when they were gone over, they
came into the land of Gennesaret. Gennesaret was a town on
the northwest side of the sea of Galilee. 35 And when the men
of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all
that country round about, and brought unto him all that
were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only
touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were
made perfectly whole.
Here is a wonderful illustration of the principle of faith. The
men of that place undoubtedly were aware of Jesus and His
power. They therefore sent word throughout that immediate
area for all sick and diseased to be brought to Jesus. In simple
faith, they begged to be allowed to touch even the hem of His
robe. That in itself had no healing power. But Jesus perceiving
their simple but desperate faith healed each who came and
touched Him.
Of interest is the word translated as were made perfectly
whole (diaswzw diasozo). It also can have the sense of being
made completely saved. Implicit is not only physical healing
but spiritual redemption as well. However, the undergirding
principle for it all was their simple willing faith. Though official
Israel had rejected Jesus out of hand, these common country
people were willing to trust Him altogether. He thus responded
in great power.
*****
Overview of Matthew 15: Four events take place in this
chapter: (1) Jesus confronts the Pharisees, (2) the incident with
the Syrophenician woman, (3) multitudes healed, (4) and, the
4,000 fed.
15:1-2 A group of Pharisees and scribes evidently had

traveled up from Jerusalem to see this Jesus for themselves.
They thus took Jesus to task because his disciples did not ob-
serve the traditions of the Jewish rabbis.
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were
of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when
they eat bread.
Judaism of Jesus’ day was largely rabbinical Judaism, in
many respects similar to the rabbinical Judaism of today. After
the destruction of the Temple and the Babylonian captivity, the
rabbinical system developed along with the synagogue system.
The rabbis took it upon themselves to become the official
interpreters of the Law and developed a complex system of 613
rules a Jew must keep to be considered righteous by God.
The primary advocates of this minutia were the Pharisees
whose name originally meant, ‘the interpreters.’ One of the
rules of rabbinical Judaism was that a righteous Jew must wash
his hands before eating. That requirement was not based so
much upon hygienic concerns as it was on ceremonial cleansing
related to keeping the Law of Moses.
Jesus and His disciples were from small-town Galilee
which was not as infected with the minutia of such legalism as
Judea and Jerusalem. Thus, the arriving Pharisees promptly
jumped Jesus because His disciples did not regard their tra-
ditions. Of interest is that orthodox Jews to this day still practice
this rule. In modern Israel, even in fast-food restaurants, there
are lavatories in the front of the establishment for orthodox
Jews to wash their hands before they eat.
15:3 Jesus rejoinder was simple. Why do ye also trans-
gress the commandment of God by your tradition? The pro-
blem with religious tradition is that it frequently contradicts and
violates God’s Word. The prevailing rabbinical Judaism of that
day (and today) had degenerated into an endless observance of
external do’s and don’t’s. In these, observant Jews then (and
today) thought they became righteous before God.
15:4-6 Jesus took them to task for their hypocrisy. For God
commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and,
He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,
It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.
Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect
by your tradition.
The Bible clearly commands us to honor our parents. How-
ever, the religious politicians had a tradition of taking large
sums of money (which could have been used to help their elder-
ly parents) and diverting it to the Temple for political advan-
tage. They justified the neglect of their parents (and their own
potential, political gain) by using their funds as gifts to the
Temple. It was sheer hypocrisy and Jesus confronted them with it.
These pompous hypocrites were accosting Jesus and His
disciples about not practicing ceremonial hand-washing. Yet,
these were same low-lifes who allowed their elderly parents to
be impoverished rather than support them all in the name of
their rabbinical tradition. They were absolved from helping
their senior parents because they had channeled their funds to
the Temple. (They in turn might receive prized contracts or
advancement therefrom.) They neglected their elderly parents
in the name of their rabbinical traditions which allowed such a
loophole. In so doing, they confounded the commandment by
their tradition.
15:7-9 Our Lord then quoted from Isaiah 29:13 about
honoring God outwardly, yet having hearts far from God. Ye
hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This
people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and
honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men
Their worship was empty and hollow. Their doctrine was
the commandments of men. They talked piously about hon-
oring the Lord, but they in reality were far from Him. It was true
in Isaiah’s day and it was true then. Jesus called them hypocrites
and noted how that Isaiah had prophesied even of them. Any-
time human traditions supersede or even become of equal
practical importance to the Word of God; hypocrisy, heresy,
and apostasy are not far behind.
15:10-11 In referring back to the original criticism of the

Pharisees about hand-washing, Jesus set forth a profound prin-
ciple. And he called the multitude, and said unto them,
Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the
mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the
mouth, this defileth a man. It is not what goes into a man that
defiles him spiritually. Rather it is what comes out of his mouth
that is defiling. Rabbinical Judaism laid an inordinate emphasis
upon externals. Their entire focus was upon that which could be
seen. Jesus rather taught that what is important is spiritual.
Moreover, what comes out of the mouth is from the heart and
that therefore is a spiritual issue.
15:12-13 Then came his disciples, and said unto him,

Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they
heard this saying? The Pharisees were offended by this
rebuke. To that, Jesus went on to say, 13 Every plant, which my
heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. The
implication is clear that the human origin of religious tradition
will be uprooted in due season. There are hints of the parable of
the wheat and tares. In due season, the truth will prevail, if only
after Jesus returns.
15:14-20 Jesus continued, Let them alone: they be blind

leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both
shall fall into the ditch. The disciples still didn’t get it. They,
like the Pharisees, had been taught that externals, such as how
food was eaten, was important. Therefore, Peter asked, 15 Peter
and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Jesus replied, 16 Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at
the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the
draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the
mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with
unwashen hands defileth not a man. Jesus explained how that
whatever is eaten eventually winds up in the sewer. But what
comes “out of the mouth” originates in the heart and that is what
defiles a person.
The source of evil thoughts, murders, immorality, thefts,
dishonesty, and blasphemies all originate from the human heart.
Jesus thus touches upon a greater principle of the depravity of
fallen, human nature. Later in the New Testament, it is called
the flesh. Sin of whatever type originates from within the
human heart. See Jeremiah 17:9 and Romans 3:10-23.
Therefore, the real problem is the heart of man. That is a
spiritual issue. External rites and rituals do nothing to change
the heart. The rabbinical tradition of washing hands before eat-
ing may have hygienic value, but it does nothing to cleanse a
man’s heart. Defilement comes not from what goes into the
mouth but from what comes out thereof. The real need is for the
heart to be cleansed. That comes only by a new birth spiritually.
Then and only then, as we live in the new nature (walk in the
spirit), is there complete transformation.
15:21-28 Matthew thus records, Then Jesus went thence,

and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. As He was
routinely rejected by the leadership of His own people, Jesus
went to the area of Tyre and Sidon which is in Lebanon. It was
gentile country. (His path now was beginning to bend toward
Calvary.)
There, a gentile woman besought Him to heal her daughter.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same
coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O
Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed
with a devil.
Notice that she addressed Him as the Son of David. This
gentile woman had no doubt heard of His fame and that He was
the Messiah. (The religious officials utterly refused that no-
tion). However, as a gentile she had no right to address Him as
the Son of David. That was a term of Jewish domain. 23 But he
answered her not a word. He therefore ignored her.
Jesus knew His initial ministry was to offer Himself as
King to Israel. Moreover, his disciples came and besought
him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Jesus
added, 24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. He fully realized that His initial ministry was to the Jew
first. He came initially preaching repentance to Israel. How-
ever, this Lebanese woman was a gentile.
But then in desperation she came and 25 worshipped him,
saying, Lord, help me. Jesus, testing her, said, 26 It is not meet
to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. (The word
translated as meet {kalov kalos} essentially means ‘good.’)
Again, she addressed Him as Lord. See Romans 10:12-13.
Immediately, Jesus responded. 28 O woman, great is thy faith:
be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was
made whole from that very hour.
Jesus was not trying to play hard-to-get or to unduly test
her. Rather, He was teaching a lesson that whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Notice again that the
criteria of the miracle was the faith of this woman. Faith is the
same force that moves God for either Jew or gentile. Moreover,
there clearly was fervent prayer on the part of this woman evi-
dencing the intense faith on her part. Though Jesus did test her
to illustrate a point, the greater principle at hand is that faith on
our part moves God to act.
15:29-31 Returning to Jewish country, Jesus healed the

sick and crippled of the multitudes who came to Him. And
Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of
Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them
those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many
others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed
them: 31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they
saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to
walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of
Israel
Though rejected by official Israel, nevertheless, the com-
mon people received Him gladly. Once again, there is implicit
faith on the part of the many who brought their sick and
handicapped to Jesus. As they trusted Him, He met the needs of
their lives.
The word translated as wondered (yaumazw thaumazo)
also has the essential thought ‘to be amazed.’ They therefore
glorified the God of Israel. Once again, it was the common, or-
dinary, country people who turned to and trusted in Jesus. The
word translated as multitude (oclov ochlos), among other
things, refers to the common people. The elite and professional
religious leadership of official Israel wanted nothing to do with
Him. But the common people heard Him gladly. See Mark
12:37.
15:32-38 Again, Jesus fed thousands of people with the

smallest of resources. Then Jesus called his disciples unto
him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because
they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to
eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in
the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should
we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great
a multitude?
34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have
ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he
commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave
thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the
disciples to the multitude. 37 And they did all eat, and were
filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left
seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four
thousand men, beside women and children.
The concern and compassion of our Lord is evident in that
He realized the need of His followers. They evidently had been
following Him for three days with little or nothing to eat. What
eagerness and spiritual hunger was manifested in these that they
would ignore their physical needs to follow Jesus!
The loaves referred to were smaller than what we would
consider a loaf of bread today. They were on the order of buns.
Yet, little is much when God is in it. There were four-thousand
men plus the women and children present. Once again, Jesus
met the needs of those who in simple faith turned to and follow-
ed Him. Moreover, there was order in our Lord’s working. He
had the throng sit down to be served by the disciples. These
again were the common people who were not afflicted with the
pompous hypocrisy of the religious elite. Of further interest is
that even after witnessing Jesus feed the five-thousand a short
time earlier (Matthew 14:15-21), the disciples still worried
about physical needs. A lesson remains to this day for God’s
people. Our Lord will provide. Moreover, Jesus provided more
than enough. He never under-supplies.
15:39 Thereafter, he sent away the multitude, and took ship,

and came into the coasts of Magdala. There is some dispute as to
exactly where Magdala is. The traditional site is on the western
shores of Galilee, about three miles south of Tiberias.
*****
Overview of Matthew 16: The sixteenth chapter is the piv-

otal point of the Book of Matthew. Jesus here makes a de-
finitive shift from offering Himself as King to preparation for
Calvary. The first reference to the church of the New Testament
is made. He also alludes to the cross as well. Inasmuch as offic-
ial Israel had rejected Him as their Messiah, Jesus now turns
His ministry to Calvary and the gospel of salvation for all.
In Matthew 16, (1) Jesus rebuffs His adversaries, (2) warns
His disciples of the leavening influence of religion, (3) and
reveals the coming church with its foundation. He also (4) re-
veals His coming crucifixion and resurrection as well as His
second coming and future rewards.
16:1 Again, His adversaries in the Pharisees and Sadducees

came to tempt him. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees
came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a
sign from heaven. The basic sense of the word translated as
tempting ( peirazw peirazo) is to ‘test.’ They wanted a sign
from heaven. To seek a sign rather than accept the Word of God
is a clear token of unbelief. Even if some special sign were
given, they would question it as well. Paul would later write,
“the Jews require a sign” (I Corinthians 1:22). They did so in
Matthew 12:38. Even Jesus’ disciples succumbed to such sign-
seeking in Matthew 24:3. It evidences lack of faith.
16:2-3 In reply, Jesus noted several common signs in the

weather. He answered and said unto them, When it is even-
ing, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in
the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red
and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
To this day remains the axiomatic adage, ‘Red in the morn-
ing, sailors warning, red at night sailors delight.’ The religious
big-wigs of that day could read the common weather patterns
but they were oblivious to the Son of God in their midst. Jesus
had wrought all manner of miracles before them. The word
translated as signs (shmeion semeion) is also the common word
for ‘miracle.’ Jesus had done many in their midst and they were
oblivious to them all.
Furthermore, when they asked Jesus to show them a sign
from heaven, they likely were asking Him to do another miracle
for them. Jesus did not perform His miracles to entertain or
impress bystanders. He did them to meet the needs of people
and to authenticate Himself as the Son of God. The religious
officials of the day merely questioned the authenticity of the
miracle or ascribed it to Satan. See Matthew 12:24. They man-
ifested the spiritual blindness God had imparted to Israel
because of their continual rejection of His truth.
16:4 Sign seeking is the antithesis of faith and true spirit-

uality. Accordingly Jesus said, A wicked and adulterous gen-
eration seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given
unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them,
and departed. The only sign to be given would be that of Jonah
as described in Matthew 12:39. That sign was the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the keystone of New Testa-
ment Christianity to this day. In other words, Jesus foretold His
antagonists that the only sign they would be given would be His
resurrection from the dead. Ironically, when that in fact
happened, they refused to believe it.
16:5-6 Meanwhile, they had forgotten to bring any food

with them. And when his disciples were come to the other
side, they had forgotten to take bread. Jesus therefore
warned, 6 Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Phar-
isees and of the Sadducees. (The Pharisees were the con-
servative orthodox Jews of the day. The Sadducees were the
Jewish liberals comparable to the Reformed Jewish movement
today.)
Leaven is the yeast used in bread making. It permeates and
expands through the dough thus causing it to rise, making the
bread soft. Spiritually, it is a symbol of sin in the Bible. Just as
yeast will permeate and expand, so likewise does sin. Jesus
likened the influence of both the Pharisees and Sadducees to
that of leaven in that it permeated. Moreover, their influence
was deadening to biblical truth. See further notes for 16:11-12.
16:7-10 The disciples thought Jesus was talking about the

literal bread of the Pharisees or Sadducees. And they reasoned
among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no
bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O
ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because
ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand,
neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and
how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of
the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Jesus thus rebuked their lack of faith and discernment,
recalling how He had just recently fed the 5,000 and 4,000
respectively. Our Lord thus used a simple day-to-day happen-
ing of forgetting to get groceries to teach a greater spiritual
lesson. As it occurred to one of them that they had not brought
along anything to eat, Jesus warned of the leaven of the
Pharisees and Sadducees. Again, they represented the two ma-
jor denominations within Judaism of that day. The disciples
thought He was talking about literal bread. However, Jesus in-
tended a far deeper lesson.
16:11-12 He thus asked, How is it that ye do not

understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that
ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them
not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the
Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees was the doc-
trine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Their teaching, phi-
losophy, and influence is about what Jesus warned. Specific-
ally, the leaven of the Pharisees was the legalism of keeping the
external minutia of rabbinical Jewish tradition. Moreover, they
lacked faith, kindness, and were hard hearted.
The leaven of the Sadducees was their spiritual liberalism.
They doubted such supernatural Old Testament truths as an-
gels, the resurrection, and life after death. Both denominations
went through the motions of Judaism meticulously, but both
groups were spiritually blind, hard hearted, and far from God. In
short, Jesus warned His disciples of the spiritual error of the
major religious denominations in Israel of that day.
Of interest is that modern-day rabbinical Judaism is the
direct descendant of Pharisaical Judaism of that day. Moreover,
the modern Reformed Jewish movement is similar in nature to
the Sadducees. Within the broader circles of ‘Christendom;’
pharisaical rabbinical Judaism of that day is very similar in
principle to the modern Catholic Church. Both lay inordinate
emphasis on external rites and give significant credence to the
traditions they have developed over and above the Scriptures.
Moreover, the liberal ‘main-line’ denominations of Christ-
ianity are similar in principle to the Sadducee party in Judaism.
Both are parallel in that they routinely deny the supernatural
revealed in Scripture. Thus, while neither the Pharisees nor
Sadducees exist today, Satan has continued to replicate them in
modern variations with the same error he cultivated in them.
Jesus’ warnings therefore remain most apropos.
16:13-14 Jesus then journeyed north of the Galilee region

to a place called Caesarea Philippi. There, Philip the Tetrarch
(brother of Herod the Tetrarch) had built a city and called it
Caesarea in honor of Caesar Tiberias. His name was added to
distinguish it from the Caesarea on the coast which was the
provincial capital of Rome of that region. In modern geography,
Caesarea Philippi would be along the border of Lebanon and
Syria, just south of Mount Hermon. It essentially was gentile
country.
There, Jesus asked his disciples, Who do men say that I
the Son of man am? He sought to draw them out and to use the
occasion to reveal profound, new truth to them. They replied, 14
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:
some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
The disciples innocently noted that some thought He was a
prophet whether it was John the Baptist, Elijah, or Jeremiah. All
had been major prophets as recent as John. Jesus knew that, but
He was setting the stage for a far greater truth.
16:15-17 Jesus then asked, But whom say ye that I am?

Peter’s reply is profound. He answered, 16 Thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. He hit the nail on the head. He knew
precisely who Jesus was. He acknowledged Jesus as (1) the
long awaited Messiah and (2) the Son of God. Jesus thus com-
mented that Peter’s understanding had been revealed to him by
God the Father which is in heaven.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art
thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Barjona was
Peter’s Aramaic surname. It simply meant ‘son of Jonah.’) God
reveals truth and understanding to those receptive of His truth.
Though Peter certainly had His weaknesses, He also had a heart
of faith and was open to God’s leading. God therefore made
clear to Him who Jesus really was.
16:18 In verse 18, major new truth is revealed. For the first
time ever, the church of the New Testament is directly
mentioned. The emphasis in Christ’s ministry will now slowly
shift from the kingdom to His work on the cross and the coming
of the church. Jesus thus continued, And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
It has been commonly and erroneously assumed because
Peter is mentioned in this verse that he is the rock of which Jesus
spoke. The Roman Catholic Church builds their entire system
of theology upon the premise that Peter is the rock and was
therefore the first pope. They allege he thus passed his papal
authority to perform the mass and to forgive sin on to his suc-
cessors down through the ages.
Peter cannot be the rock Jesus referred to for the following
reasons. (1) Laws of grammar preclude it. Peter or (petrov)
petros in the Greek is masculine in gender. Rock or (petra)
petra in the Greek is neuter in gender. A basic law of Greek
grammar is that for a word to be the antecedent with another, it
must agree in gender. Here it does not. Therefore, the Rock
(petra) referred to cannot be Peter. (2) The word petros (Peter)
refers to a small rock or stone. The word petra refers to a major
rock, like the Rock of Gibraltar.
The rock to which Jesus referred is the confession of Peter
in verse 16: “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The foundation of the coming New Testament church would be
the person of Jesus Christ Himself. Numerous places through-
out the Bible refer to Him as the rock. See Psalm 18:2, 61:2,
Acts 4:11, I Corinthians 10:4, and I Peter 2:7 amongst many.
It is noteworthy that the coming church would (1) belong to
Jesus Christ. Notice that He said, I will build my church. (2) He
would build it. It is not our doing. (3) Morever, the gates of hell
“shall not prevail against it.” The final phrase is a promise that
Satan and the very gates of hell will never prevail against the
church, try though they will. The phrase “gates of hell” was a
Jewish idiom referring to the strength of the devil and the force
of his evil empire. Try though he might, all the infernal forces of
hell will not overcome the church Jesus was about to build.
The word church is translated from the Greek word
(ekklhsia) ecclessia. It literally means a ‘called-out-assem-
bly.’ Spiritually, the church is those who have been called out of
the world, having trusted Jesus Christ as Savior. The local
church is the formal association of believers who assemble
themselves for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, the
observance of the ordinances, and the preaching of the Word of
God. Ninety-six percent of the times the word church appears in
the New Testament, it is a reference to local, visible assemblies.
The background of the word (ekklhsia) ecclessia, is
instructive. The ancient Greek city-states were pure demo-
cracies. They did not practice a representative form of govern-
ment. Rather, when city business was to be conducted, every
citizen was called out to an assembly wherein the business in
question would be voted upon. The amphitheaters often found
in Greek cities were first for political assembly and then for
other purposes. In a given city, the assembly was called the
ecclessia. It was the called-out-assembly. Our Lord so chose
that word to refer to the assembly of believers He was about to
build. The church as a body is first and foremost a called-out,
visible assembly of born-again believers.
16:19 Jesus continued, And I will give unto thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. The “keys of
the kingdom of heaven” likely is a reference to how Peter and
the apostles had the authority under the direction of the Holy
Spirit to unlock the door to various regions with the gospel.
Recall how that Paul sought to go to Bithynia but the Holy
Spirit would not allow him to go. Rather, he went into Europe.
In so doing, and for reasons we do not understand, he left a
region bound and another loosed by the gospel. The preaching
of the gospel thus releases souls bound by sin and its
condemnation. Where the gospel does not go, men remain
bound in their sin. They thus are either bound from going to hea-
ven or they are loosed from sin to go thereto.
There is no mystical power or other hidden meaning in the
keys to the kingdom of heaven. They were not mysteriously
passed on from Peter to his supposed successors through the
Catholic Church. The keys to the kingdom of heaven is the
gospel itself. Where it is preached, people are loosed from sin
and its condemnation. Where it is not preached, people remain
bound in their sin.
16:20 Jesus thus charged he his disciples that they

should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. The reason
is simple. No longer was the primary thrust of His ministry to
present Himself as the King and Messiah of Israel. Rather, He
now was headed to Calvary, the resurrection, and the founding
of the church. The church would be built upon the testimony of
Christ-crucified and risen again. Israel had already rejected
Him as King. Though His formal rejection was yet to take place
at Jerusalem about six months later, it already was clear that
Israel as a whole had rejected Him as Messiah and King. More-
over, the time of His official presentation to Israel was still not
at hand. That would be accomplished at His triumphal entry on
what has since come to be known as Palm Sunday.
It is significant that these momentous announcements by
our Lord were made in Caesarea Philippi. It was outside the
land of Israel. They were at Caesarea Philippi in Syria which
was gentile country. Jesus left the land to announce the for-
mation of the coming church. In the course of its development,
it would be essentially gentile in composition. Matthew in the
next verse would also note Jesus’ clear foretelling of His death
and resurrection. This also was done outside of the land. Israel
to this day, in the main, has rejected the resurrection of Christ.
However, gentiles the world around have believed.
16:21 The watershed of Matthew occurs in verse 21. The

whole scope and perspective shifts toward what lay ahead. The
remainder of Christ’s life not only physically but also spiritually
is herein outlined. He explained to perhaps incredulous ears
how that He would ultimately go to Jerusalem, be killed, and
raised again the third day. It summarized the rest of His min-
istry.
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his
disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer
many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and
be killed, and be raised again the third day. Though the
kingdom concept would still be a part of Jesus’ ministry over
the final months thereof, His focus was now upon the cross.
This truly is the turning point of His earthly ministry.
Moreover, it is the beginning of several occasions wherein
Jesus clearly foretold His disciples of not only His impending
death, but more importantly of His coming resurrection. Al-
though He had hinted thereto earlier, now He openly will speak
of being raised from the dead. Unfortunately, most of it went
right over the heads of the disciples.
16:22-23 Peter in unbelief thus rebuked Jesus. Jesus in turn

harshly rebuked him. Then Peter took him, and began to
rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not
be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men. Peter was incredulous. As far as he was concerned, he
would not let Jesus be taken or killed. The matter of Him being
resurrected seemed to escape Peter altogether.
Jesus responded sharply to Peter’s rebuke. He refers to him
as Satan. Peter’s perspective was through human eyes. Jesus’
knew God’s plan. Peter may have been taken aback by Jesus’
sharp rebuttal. However, what Peter did not realize is that God’s
perfect plan of redemption was at stake. It was God’s plan from
the foundation of the world for Jesus to die and arise again.
Satan, of course, was in opposition thereto.
By opposing, even with an offhand remark, God’s redemp-
tive plan; to that degree, Peter had allied himself with Satan.
Peter saw things from human perspective. Jesus spoke from a
heavenly one. His rebuke to Peter no doubt hurt him. But the
truth Peter had unwittingly sought to block superceded hurt
feelings. It was God’s perfect plan.
16:24 Jesus therefore began to set forth the requirement for

future discipleship. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me. ‘Coming after Jesus’ bespoke being
a disciple. There were twelve present, but Jesus actually had
many more which followed Him. With the shadow of the cross
already portending its specter, future discipleship would be
entirely different than it heretofore had been. Though there had
been moderate opposition to Jesus’ ministry; in the days
coming, following Him openly would become a matter of life
and death.
Because of the pervasive Roman presence in the land, the
Jews were well aware of the practice of crucifixion. Rome
accomplished it openly and frequently as a means to intimidate
their conquered territories. It was Roman practice (exemplified
in Jesus’s crucifixion) for the condemned to drag his cross to the
place of execution. Thus the metaphor of taking up one’s cross
was a clear analogy of impending death. Jesus therefore warned
His disciples that in the days ahead, if one would follow Him,
He would have to take up his own cross and follow Him.
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, there must be denial of self
as well as a willingness to suffer even unto death. Though cru-
cifixion is no longer a part of the landscape, the principle
remains. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires total dedi-
cation and self denial.
The word translated as deny (aparneomai aparneomai)
means to ‘forget one’s self,’ or to ‘lose sight of one’s self and
one’s own interests.’ Self is the essence of sin and the flesh. To
be a disciple of Jesus Christ requires no less than the self-dis-
cipline to deny self and its interests. Therefore, discipleship
certainly includes spiritual discipline. It is the disciplining of the
flesh. Legion are believers. Few are they who are true disicples.
16:25 Jesus therefore sets forth one of the great paradoxes

of Christianity. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:
and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Jesus spoke of one saving his life. Spiritual salvation is not in
view. Rather, our Lord spoke of the self interest mentioned
above. If the focus of one’s life is on preserving his own inter-
ests, he will lose both it and them. Of note is that the word
translated as lose (apollumi apollumi) is the common word for
‘perish.’ To focus upon self interests and one’s own will is to
miss God’s will. The ultimate end thereof is to perish.
In contrast, those willing to lose themselves for Christ’s
sake will find fullness of life now and on into eternity. Jesus is
touching upon total surrender of our will, our lives, and our self
interests. As we thus surrender ourselves entirely to Him, He
gives the fullness of life which will redound not only in this life,
but on into eternity.
16:26 Jesus thus uttered one of the profound questions of

all time. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul? With the perspective of eternity
in view, to lose one’s soul is to be a fool. To gain the whole
world implies great power, fame, and wealth, as the world
counts it. Down through the ages, there have been many who
have become rich, powerful, and famous. However, in most
cases those same rich and famous people died and entered eter-
nity lost and on their way to hell. All the wealth and fame was
left behind. It will avail them nothing in that day.
The old joke remains. Two commoners watched the funer-
al procession of a rich man. One asked the other, ‘I wonder how
much he left?’ He replied, ‘All of it.’ Though one might gain if
it were possible all the wealth and power in the world; when he
passes this life, he will take nothing with him to hell. There, he
will be no different than any other sinner.
Moreover, what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul? The answer is obvious. There is nothing. Only one life,
twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last!
16:27 More new revelations are made. For the Son of man
shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and
then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Jesus Christ will someday return in great glory. Then, “he shall
reward every man according to his works.” The rewards
referred to have nothing to do with being saved. Rather, they are
rewards for faithful service to Christ after one’s salvation.
Salvation is by grace through faith. Rewards in glory someday
are by the work we have done for Jesus Christ since being saved.
See Revelation 22:12.
Thus, two, major, end-time truths are set forth. (1) Jesus is
coming again and (2) He will reward His servants based upon
their work for Him. The latter for the church age saint will be at
the Bema which likely is after the Rapture. That of course is a
part of the greater scope of the second coming of Christ.
16:28 While still teaching His disciples at Caesarea Philip-

pi, Jesus finally noted, Verily I say unto you, There be some
standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the
Son of man coming in his kingdom. This will be developed
more fully at the beginning of the next chapter. However, Jesus
clearly noted that some of them would see the Son of Man
(Jesus Christ) in His glory in His coming kingdom (as it could
be translated). That would take place on the mount of
transfiguration, soon to happen.
*****
Overview of Matthew 17: In this chapter, there are four

notable features: (1) the transfiguration and its related teach-
ing; (2) the healing of the lunatick with its associated lesson of
faith and prayer; (3) Jesus again foretelling his death and
resurrection; (4) and Jesus regarding taxes.
17:1 Contextually, Matthew 16:28 is directly related to

chapter 17. Here, Jesus told his disciples they would not taste of
death till they saw “the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”
Quite evidently, Jesus was alluding to that in six days, several of
the disciples would be allowed to witness His glory in His trans-
figuration. This would be a preview of the coming kingdom.
Matthew thus records, And after six days Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up
into an high mountain apart. ‘Tradition’ (the Catholic/
Orthodox Church) claims that the mount of transfiguration was
Mount Tabor in south-central Galilee. However, in Jesus’ day,
Mount Tabor was occupied by a town and a fortress. Moreover,
six days earlier, Jesus had been at Caesarea Philippi which is
actually in Syria. Though it is conceivable that Jesus and His
disciples could have marched down through Galilee to Mount
Tabor in six days, they would have spent all their time in transit.
The greater text does not suggest this.
Rather, Mount Hermon is just north of Caesarea Philippi
and certainly is a ‘high’ mountain whereas Tabor really is not.
At 10,000 feet, Hermon can be seen throughout much of
northern Galilee. In any event, it is likely that Hermon was the
mount of transfiguration. Again, it is outside of the land and
therefore suggests that the revelation of the kingdom, albeit
brief, bypassed Israel, being unveiled in gentile country.
It would appear the inner circle of disciples were Peter,
John, and James. These seemingly were most spiritually per-
ceptive and dedicated to their Lord. By implication, we might
therefore derive the idea that those who are closest to the Lord
will be allowed the greatest privileges someday in His kingdom.
17:2 Matthew thus notes that Jesus was transfigured

before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his
raiment was white as the light. The word translated as
transfigured (metamorfow metamorphoo) also has the sense
to be ‘transformed.’ The thought is that Jesus was transformed
or changed before their very eyes. They were allowed to see
Him in His glorified body as it would be after His resurrection
and particularly someday in the kingdom. Recall other refer-
ences to the glorified Christ in Acts 9 on the road to Damascus
or in Revelation 1 on the Isle of Patmos. Notice the emphasis on
light and whiteness. The latter undoubtedly is related to His
infinite holiness and light to His glory.
These three disciples in effect were allowed to see the glory
of the coming kingdom of God in the person of Jesus. Before
their very eyes, He was transformed into the glory He now has
in His resurrected body and will be apparent in the Millennium.
17:3 Two, noted Old Testament saints appeared with Him.

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias
talking with him. There is much significance to these. Moses,
the giver of the Law, had likewise been visited by the Lord on
a mountain top. Elijah had been translated to heaven without
death. (These two maybe the two witnesses described in
Revelation 11. See notes thereto.) It is significant that this
encounter took place after the announcement six days earlier in
Matthew 16:21. Though the offer of the kingdom by Jesus
Christ to Israel had not yet been officially rejected, for all intents
and purposes it had been. Jesus was now on the road to Calvary.
The kingdom would be postponed for approximately 2,000
years and the church age. Perhaps, Jesus was conferring with
Moses and Elijah how that in God’s infinite wisdom and pur-
pose plans had changed. If they are the two witnesses, their
ministry prior to the advent of the kingdom would be postponed
until that time when it would be fulfilled as described in Rev-
elation 11.
17:4-5 Peter brashly, naively, and foolishly suggested:

Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make
here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and
one for Elias. God responded immediately by invoking His
favor upon Jesus. This is the same statement made by the Father
at Jesus’ baptism. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud,
which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased; hear ye him. In effect, God said, ‘Stop talking and
listen to Jesus.’ It is similar to the statement in Psalms, “Be still
and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Peter naively and foolishly had equated Moses and Elijah
with Jesus. He had foolishly equated mortal men, albeit
redeemed, with the Son of God. He had placed the creature on
the same plane as the Creator. God instantly put a stop to Peter’s
impulsive folly
17:6-8 Suddenly, the three disciples realized they were on

holy ground. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on
their face, and were sore afraid. To paraphrase in contem-
porary vernacular, they were scared to death. Once again, Jesus
uttered the oft repeated phrase reserved for His people, “be not
afraid.” 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said,
Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their
eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. Though Moses and
Elijah were notable Old Testament saints, they were mortals.
God set Jesus high above them. No longer were they even
visible.
17:9 Again, the disciples were enjoined to keep the matter

under their hats. And as they came down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until
the Son of man be risen again from the dead. In this case, they
were instructed to be discreet until after His resurrection. The
reason likely relates to Jesus’ determination to not in premature
fashion publicly announce His official offer of the kingdom.
That would take place as He rode into Jerusalem the Sunday
before He died. Moreover, His focus was now upon the cross.
Once again, Jesus alludes to His coming death and resurrection.
This is the third time He has mentioned it in Matthew. Not-
withstanding His repeated forewarning thereof, it largely
escaped His disciples, especially at the time of His resurrection.
17:10-13 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then

say the scribes that Elias must first come? The disciples in
referring to the appearance of the kingdom asked why the
scribes (referring to Malachi 4:5) said Elijah must come first.
Jesus replied, 11 Elias truly shall first come, and restore all
things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and
they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever
they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of
them. However, Elijah for all practical purposes had already
come in the person of John the Baptist.
Though John was not an incarnation of Elijah, he had come
in the spirit and ministry of Elijah. John, of course, had been ex-
ecuted for righteousness’ sake. Jesus would suffer a similar
fate. Again, there is further foreboding of His coming passion
and humiliation. 13 Then the disciples understood that he
spake unto them of John the Baptist. They finally got it.
17:14-18 Jesus and His disciples had evidently walked

southward back into upper Galilee. Matthew now shifts to the
account of a man whose son was afflicted by a demon. And
when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a
certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord,
have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed:
for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16
And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure
him.
The word translated as lunaktick (selhniazomai elen-
iazomai) derives from the idea of being ‘moonstruck.’ In
ancient times, it was thought that degrees of what is now called
epilepsy were induced by the phases of the moon. The disciples
had attempted to heal him, but could not. Therefore, the dis-
traught father brought the boy to Jesus. 17 Then Jesus
answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation,
how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?
bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and
he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that
very hour. The allusion to the “faithless and perverse gener-
ation” by Jesus may refer to His exasperation at the lack of faith
on the part of His disciples. He was wearied with their lack of
spiritual power.
Notice also that Jesus “rebuked the devil” and he departed
out of him. Not only did Jesus heal an obviously troubled boy by
casting out a demon, it is noteworthy the infirmity parallels
modern mental disorders. The implication is that some of what
is diagnosed as psychiatric disorders may in fact be demonic in
origin.
The cause of Jesus’ healing once again was the implicit
faith on the part of the distressed father. As in most of Jesus’
miracles of healing, the key thereto was faith on the part of
either the afflicted or one close to him.
17:19-20 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and

said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto
them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If
ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto
this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Our Lord used this occasion to teach an even greater truth.
The reason for the impotency of the disciples was their lack of
faith. He went on to describe that if they had faith as small as a
mustard seed, they could do anything. It is not faith which
moves mountains. Rather, it is God who moves mountains.
However, God is motivated to act as we trust Him. When God
gets into the picture, nothing is impossible. (Witness the
crossing of the Red Sea, David and Goliath, the slaying of the
185,000 Syrian soldiers, or Elisha at Dothan.)
17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer

and fasting. Prayer is an exercise of faith. Fasting is a means of
spiritually humbling oneself and focusing on the matter at hand.
It is a means of demonstrating repentance and contrition. It, in
effect, is a way to indicate to God that we are serious in our
prayer. Fasting coupled with prayer magnifies and amplifies the
faith inherent in the prayer. As we would totally trust Him for
the crisis or need at hand and amplify the faith inherent in prayer
by genuine fasting, God is moved to act. And with God, nothing
is impossible.
It is ironic that the critical text whence most modern Bible
translations derive eliminates this verse. (It certainly is a part of
the traditional Received Text—the preserved Word of God.)
The key to great power with God is faith which is transmitted to
heaven by fervent prayer and verified by fasting. Proponents of
the critical text claim that no great truth is diminished by their trun-
cated versions. Well, here is one profound truth they leave out.
17:22-23 Again, Jesus foretells His disciples what is ahead.

And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The
Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23 And
they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again.
And they were exceeding sorry.
This is the first direct reference of the return to Galilee from
Caesarea Philippi and the mount of transfiguration. The cross is
clearly before Jesus. He once again foretells His disciples of
what was ahead. His resurrection is clearly foretold. (This is the
fourth time thereof in Matthew’s gospel.) Jesus now was on the
road to Calvary. For the first time, the disciples seemed to hear
the distant thunder of what was coming. Yet, they soon would
forget what their Lord had foretold them.
17:24-27 Having returned to Capernaum, Peter was
approached by collectors of the Temple tax, wanting to know
why Jesus had not paid up. And when they were come to
Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to
Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
In Capernaum was the regional office of the Roman
department of revenue. However, this incident apparently did
not involve Roman taxes. The fact that the tribute (i.e., tax) in
question was voluntary precludes Roman taxes. Theirs was
mandatory. Rather, what is at hand was the Temple tax which
was payable each March (the month Adar) by all Jewish men
twenty years and older. The Temple tax was not levied by the
Romans, but rather by the Jews for the maintenance of the Tem-
ple. It was the proper thing for a Jewish man to do, though it was
not legally compulsory.
In as much as Jesus had been out of Galilee for some
months, His tax was overdue. The Jewish tax authorities
evidently pulled Peter aside and wanted to know why Jesus had
not paid His tax. If He was a great religious teacher, why did He
not set the example and pay the prescribed Temple tax of a half
shekel?
To that Peter replied, 25 Yes, Jesus did customarily pay the
Temple tax. However, Jesus was omnisciently aware of this
confrontation. Therefore, when he was come into the house,
Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon?
of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of
their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him,
Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children
free.
The word translated as prevented (profyanw prophthano)
has the sense to ‘come before,’ ‘precede,’ or to ‘anticipate.’
Upon entering their house, Jesus, anticipating Peter’s question,
preempted Him and brought up the subject Himself. He asked
the rhetorical question, “of whom do the kings of the earth take
custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?” The
answer thereto is obvious. Kings of that day didn’t require taxes
of their children, but of their conquered subjects. Peter
answered rightly. Jesus pointed out that children of the king are
not taxed implying the God of the Temple was in fact His
Father.
Jesus therefore directed, 27 Notwithstanding, lest we
should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook,
and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou
hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money:
that take, and give unto them for me and thee. In an obvious
miracle, Jesus directed Peter to find the money in a fish’s
mouth. Jesus thus paid the tax so as not to offend (literally ‘scan-
dalize’) them.
Taxes are always onerous. Yet to avoid needless offense to
His ministry, Jesus paid the tax through a unique miracle. Out of
the mouth of the fish came the exact amount necessary for both
of their taxes. According to Romans 13, God’s people are to pay
their taxes, even if offensive. There also is a simple lesson in
how God provides the needs of His own as they trust Him.
*****
Overview of Matthew 18: Four areas are touched upon in

this chapter: (1) reaching children with the gospel; (2) resolv-
ing conflict between brethren; (3) the power of prayer; (4) and
the principle of forgiveness.
18:1 The tone of the chapter is set when Jesus’ disciples

enquired who would be the greatest in the kingdom. At the
same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The immaturity of their
focus is obvious. The flesh thinks in terms of self-aggrandize-
ment. The Spirit thinks in terms of righteousness and helping
others. To their credit, the disciples believed Jesus to be the
Messiah-King who was about to reestablish the long awaited
Jewish kingdom. We today think of it as the Millennium. They
wanted to know who would be the greatest therein.
18:2-3 Jesus’ answer was telling. And Jesus called a little

child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said,
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become
as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven. As a graphic object lesson, He set a little child in their
midst. In God’s eyes, lowliness is a virtue and pride is always
carnal.
The word translated as converted (strefw strepho) in this
context has the sense of a changed mind or of repentance. Jesus
in effect said, if you fellows don’t change and become like little
children, you won’t even be in the kingdom. There is an intrin-
sic humility to a small child. They usually are unassuming and
without pretense. It likely is not that Jesus was warning His
disciples they were not saved. Rather, He used the venality of
the occasion to teach a lesson regarding the value of true spirit-
ual humility.
18:4-5 God is impressed with humbleness of attitude.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In the
coming kingdom, it likely will not be the high-power, high-
profile, religious leaders who will be in positions of rank.
Rather, those who in this life faithfully serve in humble
positions—missionaries to forgotten peoples; godly small-
town pastors; and faithful, humble people in the church—will
be great in that day. Once again, Jesus used the little boy at His
knee as an object lesson of innocence and humble estate. More-
over, 5 whoso shall receive one such little child in my name
receiveth me. Receiving small children to reach them with the
gospel is tantamount to receiving Christ Himself.
18:6 Spiritually offending a little one who believes is a

serious matter. Jesus said, But whoso shall offend one of these
little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea. It may be that Jesus was
speaking of little ones in the sense of small children, open to the
things of God. On the other hand, He may be referring to little
ones who are young in the Lord. It maybe both are in view. In
either case, Jesus described such as believing in Him. In any
event, Jesus issued a severe warning toward those who by their
carelessness or inconsistency become a stumbling block to such
young ones.
To sour a child to the things of God by inconsistency or
hypocrisy is a serious charge before God. Similarly, to offend
and drive away a babe in Christ by carnality, hypocrisy, incon-
sistency, or unadulterated sin is an offence God will not treat
lightly. Jesus likened having a millstone being tied around His
neck and throwing such an one in the sea better than facing God
for such sin.
A millstone typically was a heavy, round, flat, stone weigh-
ing around one hundred pounds. The phrase translated as mill-
stone (mulov onikov mulos onikos) literally means the
millstone of an ass because the upper stone of the twin mill set
was heavy enough, it required a donkey to turn it. Again, the
greater point is the certainty of judgment for driving away those
who are tender spiritually. God will deal severely against such
an one.
18:7-9 In this same context, Jesus continued, Woe unto the

world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences
come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
The word translated as offences is (skandalon) scandal-
on. Scandals are destructive to young Christians. Jesus thus is-
sues a woe to those who would allow themselves into scandals,
thus offending young Christians. Scandalous offences certainly
take place out in the world and Jesus issued a blanket
condemnation against such. However, His focus narrows to the
“man by whom the offence cometh.” The thought hearkens
back to the preceding of offending those who are young and
tender spiritually. There are enough scandals in the world. But
woe to the one who so offends, especially if he is a carnal or
backslidden Christian.
He continued, 8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend
thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for
thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having
two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And
if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it
is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than
having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Jesus in effect said, it would be better to go through life
maimed than to face God’s judgement in hell with a whole body
given to sin. Again, the greater context is of offending those
who are young spiritually. It clearly is a serious matter. The
wherefore certainly links the thought to the immediate
preceding context. The thought may have broadened here away
from professing, carnal Christians to the world at large and their
attempts to squelch God’s people.
Of interest is the juxtaposition of “everlasting fire” in verse
8 and “hell fire” in verse 9. The Greek word translated as hell
(geenna gehenna) is of interest. It derives from the Hebrew
word (Mnh-ayq) hinnom. Both referred to a steep valley on the
western and southern edge of Jerusalem. In ancient times, the
walls of Jerusalem rose up on the ridge above the valley. For
some centuries, the valley of Gehenna (or, Hinnom) was a gar-
bage dump for the city. Because of spontaneous combustion,
the valley was a place of never ending fire. It thus came to be a
symbol of the greater spiritual truth of hell which likewise will
be a place of everlasting fire. See also comments for Matthew
5:22 for further insight.
The greater point Jesus is making here is that sin in general
and the sin of offending young Christians is a serious matter.
Still at Jesus’ knee was the little boy He had used as an object
lesson. To damage such tender lives spiritually (or those other-
wise a babe in Christ) will be dealt with by God severely. This
likely will be particularly so during the Millennium.
18:10 Jesus thus concludes the warning to not offend a

young believer or even potential young believer. Take heed
that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you,
That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven. Touched upon here is the concept
of guardian angels. In heaven, the guardian angels of those
young and tender come before God’s throne. The thought likely
is how that they are in direct communication with headquarters
concerning those who are their charge. They are assigned to
head off physical danger or attack by the evil one. See Psalm
91:11.
Jesus’ point is that to spiritually offend a young believer
will be brought to the direct and immediate attention of God by
the very guardian angels assigned to ward off physical or
satanic attack. Such guardian angels have direct contact with
God. They come before His very throne.
Recall, this entire discourse was prompted by the shallow
and venal concern of the disciples over who would be great in
the kingdom. Jesus used a small child to illustrate simple hum-
ility. In that context, He proceeded to warn in no uncertain terms
against offending those spiritually young. Clearly implied is
that carnal jealousies and politics among God’s people can
severely offend those who are babes in Christ.
18:11 In the immediate, preceding context still at hand,
Jesus stated that He had come to save that which was lost. For
the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. The
backdrop remains of ‘little ones.’ There thus is a powerful
lesson in reaching children for Christ, even while they are
young. The overall context is a warning of offending these by
sinful scandal or carnal immaturity.
18:12-14 Again in this same context, Jesus spoke of a shep-

herd of one hundred seeking and rejoicing to find his one lost
sheep. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and
one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and
nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which
is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto
you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and
nine which went not astray. His point is directly applied to the
reaching of little ones. 14 Even so it is not the will of your
Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should
perish.
Here is clear indication that we ought to have a heart and
burden to reach children with the gospel. It is God’s express will
that children not perish. Also implicit is the need for children to
be brought to Christ.
The greater context remains. The little ones are not only
children, but babes in Christ. The word translated as perish
(apollumi apollumi) also has the basic thought to ‘be
destroyed.’ Therefore, the thought likely refers also to those
who are babes in Christ being spiritually destroyed by the carnal
bickering, jealousy, and other inconsistencies of older believ-
ers. The thought of a shepherd seeking a sheep gone astray
certainly is consonant with a young one who has been
discouraged or offended by the inconsistency of another.
This writer knows young Christians who in Bible college
were virtually destroyed in their Christian experience by the
bickering, squabbling, and political infighting of renowned
‘spiritual leaders.’ Not only does the world observe the in-
consistencies of Christians, but so do babes in Christ as well. It
is a matter of grave concern to offend those who are spiritually
weaker by our carnality and inconsistencies. It therefore be-
hooves us to walk circumspectly.
18:15-17 Jesus thus gives instructions for resolving

conflict between brethren. The setting remains the same as the
preceding and likely may have stemmed from the folly which
spurred the foregoing discourse. Moreover if thy brother
shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
thy brother.
Notice (1) it is the offended brother who is to go to the
offending brother, not the other way around. Frequently, the
offender is not even aware he has offended his brother. If that
settles the matter, the problem is resolved.
(2) However, 16 if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established. If the conflict is not
resolved through direct, personal attempts thereto, then the
biblical method is take one or two others to fulfill the age-old
biblical injunction of determining a matter before two or three
witnesses. See Deuteronomy 19:15.
(3) 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto
thee as an heathen man and a publican. Finally, if the matter
remains in conflict, then the offending one (unwilling to
reconcile the matter) is to be taken before the church body. The
word translated as neglect to hear (parakouw parakouo) has
the sense to ‘refuse to hear.’
It is questionable if the disciples at that time understood the
word (ekklhsia) ecclessia (translated as church) in reference
to the coming church as we know it. The Jews had a synagogue
council known as the ‘assembly.’ However, in the later context
of the church age, the local church is no doubt in view. If the
offender remained recalcitrant, then he is to be considered not a
part of the body. That is, he was to be disciplined therefrom.
That Jesus was speaking in a Jewish context is clear in His
reference to “heathen man and a publican.” The former word is
translated from (eynikov) ethnikos which essentially referred
to gentiles or pagans. A publican (telwnhv telones) was a Jew-
ish tax collector working for the Roman government. They
were universally hated by the Jews and thought of as collab-
orators with Rome. A devout Jew would have no fellowship
with either a gentile or a publican.
The context thus is Jewish. Such an unrepentant trouble-
maker who would not reconcile with a brother was to be
disfellowshipped from the local community. The broader
application surely extends to the church. The key reason for
disfellowship was not because a brother was wrong or had sin-
ned. Rather, when a brother refused all efforts to be reconciled
to another, it was then that he was to be disfellowshipped.
18:18 The thought contained here certainly is related to the

preceding context. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye
shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. The principle
is whatever is resolved (loosed) here on earth likewise will be
considered resolved in heaven. However, matters which are
bound or unresolved on earth then will be dealt with at the judg-
ment someday.
The thought may also relate to what Jesus said in Matthew
16:19. See notes thereto. It very well also may be that the key to
understanding is found in the next verse. The truth there
pertains to prayer. Accordingly, Jesus spoke of things being
accomplished in heaven as we properly pray. As we pray as we
ought, men and women can be loosed from their burdens.
Whereas when we are delinquent in prayer, things which could
have been resolved remain bound.
18:19 In the same context, the principle of answered prayer

is set forth as brethren are in harmony. Again I say unto you,
That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven.
The word translated as agree is (sumfwnew) symphoneo
from which the English word symphony derives. Often over-
looked in applying this verse is the context of having resolved
conflict with other brethren. If we will not forgive and work things
out with brethren, God very well may not listen to our prayer.
To the contrary, as brethren resolve conflict and are in
harmony one with another concerning anything they shall ask,
it will be accomplished by the Father in heaven. Though har-
mony in prayer requests may be implied, the context is dealing
with harmony between brethren. That is what places us upon
praying ground.
18:20 This verse is often erroneously used as a definition of

the local church. For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Rather, in the context, Jesus taught when brethren are in unity
and harmony, there His presence is. Notice the preceding and
succeeding context deals with brethren in conflict. Nothing will
remove the power and presence of the Lord more quickly than
Christian brethren who are at odds one with another, having
hardened hearts toward each other. As God’s people are in har-
mony, the presence of Christ is there in power.
18:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how

oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till
seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Peter may have thought he was being generous at seven times
for the rabbis taught that forgiving three times was the limit.
Therefore, when asked if one should forgive another even after
seven incidents of offense and forgiveness, Jesus said, “Until
seventy times seven.” The greater idea is not 490, but rather as long
as one is willing to ask forgiveness, we ought to be willing to forgive.
Even as God is limitless in His mercy, so ought we to be.
The entire chapter has dealt with brethren out of sorts with
each other. The first portion dealt with jealousy and venal
ambition. The second portion has dealt with brethren at odds
with each other. Jesus summarizes the principle that we ought
always be willing to forgive.
18:23-34 In this continuing context, Jesus further taught a

parable on forgiveness. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven
likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his
servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was
brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord com-
manded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant
therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord,
have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the
lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and
loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his
fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he
laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay
me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his
feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and
I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast
him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they
were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that
was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said
unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that
debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also
have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had
pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him
to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto
him.
The gist of the parable is quite obvious. The reference to
ten-thousand talents in today’s money would be a vast sum. It
might be hundreds of millions of dollars. Notice that the Lord in
the parable was moved to compassion. In contrast, the forgiven
servant cruelly demanded payment of what was a much smaller
amount.
The application clearly is how that God has forgiven us of
an immense debt of our sin. We ought therefore to be willing to
forgive our brethren of their relatively minor offences. (The an-
cients often would imprison a debtor, especially if it was
thought that his lack of payment was related to fraud or folly.
The mention of the tormentors refers to inquisitors, often
jailors, who were assigned the task of applying torture to extort
truth.)
The parable culminates the lesson Jesus taught earlier on
forgiving others. The whole matter was occasioned by the petty
immaturity and squabbling of the disciples over who would be
the greatest in the kingdom. Implied is that one or several of the
disciples would not forgive another. Jesus thus taught the lesson
of resolving conflict in a proper fashion. Peter may have been
the guilty party inasmuch as he asked Jesus about forgiving a
brother seven times.
18:35 The greater lesson is that God will not forgive us of

our daily transgressions when we refuse to forgive others. So
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye
from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their
trespasses. Once again, the thrust of the parable was the im-
portance of forgiveness. Moreover, clearly implied is that God
will not forgive one with a heart hardened against another.
*****
Overview of Matthew 19: This chapter contains not only

the last year of our Lord’s ministry, it actually records events in
the last weeks before His crucifixion. The chapter has rich
teaching on marriage and divorce, Jesus’ reception of children,
the wealthy young ruler, and a foreview of the future kingdom.
19:1-2 In as far as Matthew’s gospel is concerned, this is

the first recorded instance of Jesus traveling to the area of
Jerusalem. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished
these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the
coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes
followed him; and he healed them there.
Jesus was on the road to Calvary and He knew it. He had set
His face as a flint. He thus began His last and fateful journey
into Judea. He journeyed southward evidently east of the Jordan
River, skirting Samaria before crossing over, and arriving
eventually at Jericho. As He had foretold in Matthew 16:21, He
was on His way to Jerusalem to be ultimately crucified. The
time is no more than several weeks before His crucifixion. His
final miracles would now be performed in the environs of the
official seat of Judaism.
19:3 Once again the Pharisees sought to ensnare Jesus.

They threw at Jesus a topic that even then was controversial and
emotionally charged. Matthew records, The Pharisees also
came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it
lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause. That
is, can a man divorce his wife for any reason? The backdrop of
this confrontation is instructive. The Pharisees sought to tempt
Jesus. The word translated tempting (peirazw peirazo) in this
context has the sense to ‘test one maliciously.’ They already
knew what rabbinical Judaism had to say on this matter.
The Pharisees knew it was a highly-charged issue and they
hoped to put Jesus upon the horns of a dilemma. If He answered
with a tone of mercy, they would accuse Him of being soft on
the issue. If He was replied with a hard-nosed answer, they
would accuse Him of having no empathy for the problems of
people. It was an emotionally charged issue even as it is to this
day.
19:4-5 Jesus answered them by a quotation from the Old

Testament. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye
not read, that he which made them at the beginning made
them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a
man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:
and they twain shall be one flesh?
The quotation is from Genesis 1:27 and 2:23-24. (Though
not the major point, in so quoting from Genesis 1, Jesus
validated the creation account.) Again, Jesus emphasized the
distinctiveness of the two sexes. God did not create two forms
of a unisexual creature. He made male and female. Implied is a
distinction of the two. Moreover, it is God’s general will in due
season for a young man to leave home and marry a wife,
forming the most basic unit of society—the home. Though that
might seem obvious, the obvious needs to be stated.
The word translated as cleave (proskollaw proskollao)
has the sense of being ‘glued’ or ‘welded’ together. The word
is not by accident. God’s will is for a man and wife to be glued,
yea, welded together. Implied is the permanency of the
marriage relationship. The reference to one flesh alludes not
only to the intimate relations of the marriage union, but even
more broadly to the total unity of being between a husband and
wife. They, as two people, become as it were a single unit of
body, soul, and spirit.
19:6 Jesus continued, Wherefore they are no more

twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined
together, let not man put asunder. Here we find the perfect
will of God in the matter of marriage and divorce. It is never
God’s perfect will for a couple to divorce. A paraphrase might
read, ‘What therefore God hath joined together, let not man
separate.’ Of further note is that the word translated as joined
together (suzeugnumi suzeugnumi) literally means to be
‘yoked together.’ The word translated as put asunder (cwrizw
chorizo) in its most basic sense means to ‘separate.’ Divorce is
never God’s perfect will.
19:7 The Pharisees then asked why Moses permitted

divorce. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command
to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? Here
we touch upon the permissive will of God. Under the Mosaic
law in Deuteronomy 24:1-2, a man could divorce his wife if she
were guilty of infidelity or previous moral impurity. God is
never for divorce, but in the Bible it was grudgingly tolerated
and closely regulated.
Though Moses is credited with this allowance, it should be
recalled that what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy came directly
from God. Deuteronomy 24:1-2 unquestionably established the
allowance of divorce and under very limited circumstances
tolerated remarriage. That is never God’s perfect will, but He
did grudgingly allow and regulate the same.
Of further interest is that the word translated as divorce-
ment (apostasion apostasion) is whence the English word
‘apostasy’ derives. It literally means a ‘repudiation,’ in this case
of a marriage. Apostasy is a repudiation of God’s truth. Divorce
is a repudiation of God’s way.
19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness

of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but
from the beginning it was not so. Jesus’ reply was that God
had permitted divorce because of the hardness of human hearts.
The fundamental reason people get divorced is because of one
or both parties have a hardened heart toward the other.
There is no sin or transgression too great which cannot be
forgiven. However, hardness of heart will preclude repentance
and forgiveness. The word translated as hardness of hearts
(sklhrokardia sklerokardia) is made up of two more basic
words (kardia) kardia for heart and (sklhrov) skleros for
hard. The latter has the additional thought of ‘harsh’ or ‘stiff.’
Implied again is a heart which will not forgive. The root cause
of divorce is that one or both parties have hardened their re-
spective hearts and will not forgive the other. In any event,
divorce has never been God’s perfect will.
19:9 Jesus continued, And I say unto you, Whosoever

shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall
marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth
her which is put away doth commit adultery. Here again is
delineation and regulation of God’s permissive will in the mat-
ter of divorce and remarriage. God’s perfect will is for a mar-
riage to remain intact. To divorce and remarry is wrong. How-
ever, remarriage is permissive for the innocent party if the
divorce was precipitated by the other’s infidelity. Otherwise, to
remarry is adulterous.
God’s perfect will is for a marriage to remain intact and if
it should separate for the parties to not remarry. However, Jesus
offered one exception in the matter reflecting God’s permissive
will. If one party is adulterous and sues for divorce, the innocent
spouse has the option of remarriage. The guilty spouse who
remarries continues in his or her adultery.
The word translated as fornication (porneia porneia) is a
word with rather broad implications. In its narrowest sense, it
refers to premarital sexual intercourse between unmarried par-
ties. In its broader sense, it refers to any form of sexual impurity
including adultery and homosexuality.
In this whole matter, the perfect will of God reflects His
righteousness and holiness. However, His permissive will
reflects His mercy in allowing an innocent spouse the option of
remarriage if he or she should so choose. What Jesus taught here
closely parallels what is set forth in Deuteronomy 24:1-2.
Morever, it is helpful to recall the context in which this entire
matter arose. The Pharisees had tried to snare Jesus with the
troublesome question of divorce. See verse 3. Jesus did not
elaborate further, but set forth in concise form the distilled
essence of the matter.
19:10 The disciples were amazed at how restrictive Jesus

was, indicating that even then the subject matter was contro-
versial and delicate. His disciples say unto him, If the case of
the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. The
rabbinical Judaism of the Pharisees freely allowed divorce and
remarriage. Jesus’ teaching on the subject was actually stronger
and more restrictive than to what the disciples were accus-
tomed.
19:11-12 Jesus concluded His comments on this subject

noting, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to
whom it is given. It would seem that Jesus mitigated His
teaching by noting that not everyone will be able to so achieve
the ideals of God’s perfect will, settling only for His permissive
will.
He continued, 12 For there are some eunuchs, which
were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are
some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there
be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the
kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let
him receive it. The word translated as eunuchs (eunoucov
eunouchos) here can refer to either those who have been sur-
gically neutered or to those who choose to be remain unmarried.
The latter probably is the idea in view of the context. (Jesus also
alluded to some who by birth defect are unable to consummate
the marriage union.)
However, the greater principle Jesus taught seemed to
indicate some can receive such teaching and some cannot.
Some are willing and able to forego marriage to pursue spiritual
objectives. However, verse 5 makes it clear that God’s general
purpose is for men and women to marry. The last phrase in verse
12 seemingly leaves it up to the individual party. However, the
verb tense of the final phrase is imperative. Therefore it could be
translated, ‘He that is able to receive it, must receive it.’ In other
words, those to whom this circumstance applies are command-
ed of God to so abide. Though God is merciful in tolerating
remarriage under stringent conditions, His moral laws are
otherwise commanded.
19:13-15 Again as in chapter 18, Jesus commanded his

disciples to allow children to come to Him. Then were there
brought unto him little children, that he should put his
hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not,
to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 15
And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence. The
thought may be that those as humble and lowly as little children
typify the character of those allowed into His kingdom some-
day. It bespeaks repentance, tenderness of heart, and lowliness.
Contrast this character with the fellow who accosts Jesus in the
coming verses.
It is astonishing that some contrive this verse to somehow
or another teach baptism of children. Circular is the reasoning
that advances the thought that allowing little children to come to
Him implies baptism and salvation. It should be noted that those
(parents) bringing their children to Jesus merely sought the
privilege of Jesus blessing them and praying for them. The Holy
Spirit undoubtedly was setting the stage to demonstrate the
contrast with the pride and pomposity of the one to follow.
19:16-22 Here thus is Matthew’s account of the rich young

ruler. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good
Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal
life? Matthew’s account will imply that he was rich and young.
Only Luke adds the detail that he was a ruler as well. He en-
quired what he had to do to have eternal life. Jesus deflected his
question. 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me
good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
It may be that Jesus perceived the pride and pretense of this
self-righteous fellow. He therefore was aloof to his inquiry. It
seems that the fellow was more interested in adding eternal life
to his portfolio than any true spiritual concern. Our Lord
therefore continued to be distant in noting “there is none good
but one, that is, God.” This wealthy, young man of influence
undoubtedly was a son of the ruling elite of official Israel. He
had heard of Jesus and naively thought he could just add eternal
life to his other possessions.
Jesus continued, but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments. It is significant that Jesus did not say ‘if thou
wilt enter into eternal life.’ He only spoke of life. The fact is
when one keeps the commandments there is a richer quality of
life, not the least of which is peace of heart and peace along with
other blessings. In this rich man was much pride. Jesus per-
ceived that and remained apart. He fully realized there was
neither a repentant spirit nor faith in him. The young aristocrat’s
focus was on what he could do to achieve eternal life. He there
replied to Jesus and asked, 18 Which commandments?
To that Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt
not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not
bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother:
and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Jesus touched
upon six commandments (including five of the Ten Command-
ments). Each of these dealt with relationships with others.
Implicit in Jesus’ view is that this fellow was deficient therein.
If in no other, he probably was guilty of the last, if not the fourth
on the list.
To that 20 the young man saith unto him, All these things
have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? This fellow
presumed that he had kept all these commandments already and
was therefore righteous. Here is a paradox. The rich young man
claimed to have kept all these commandments and yet he was
not satisfied. He had an uneasy conscience and Jesus called him
to something that he did not have. He thought of salvation as a
series of acts and evidenced no faith.
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Again, Jesus
remained aloof of this cocky, self-righteous, young man. In
replying, Jesus described being perfect. The idea is of being
spiritually complete. Jesus wasn’t teaching good-works salva-
tion. Rather, He was trying to humble a proud, self-righteous
person.
His instruction for this young aristocrat to be perfect (i.e.,
complete) was to give away everything he had. This is never the
means to salvation. Rather, Jesus knew what was really this
man’s god, his riches. He was not willing to part with them. To
the contrary, if the young aristocrat had been willing to humble
himself by divesting himself of his wealth and then in simple
faith to follow Jesus, he would be on the road toward true
salvation. He was not willing to do any of that.
Consequently, 22 when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great posses-
sions. The word translated as possessions (kthma ktema)
refers to land holdings. This young man apparently owned large
blocks of real estate which were a primary source of wealth in
Israel of that day. These holdings likely were lucrative
vineyards, olive groves, fig plantations, and other estates; all of
which produced a handsome income on an ongoing basis. He
very well may have inherited these. His problem was not his
wealth. It was his heart. His true god was his assets. Moreover,
he had an ample layer of self-righteousness and pride which
likely blocked the light of the gospel.
19:23-24 The preceding incident prompted Jesus to

comment to His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich
man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. The
word translated as hardly (duskolwv duskolos) has the sense
‘with difficulty.’ Jesus went on to teach how difficult it is for
wealthy people to be saved. The reason is simple. They are all
wrapped up in their wealth. They enjoy life too much to look
toward eternity and the God who created them. Furthermore,
like the rich young ruler above, they are encrusted with self-
righteousness and pretentious pride. The gospel is not the
religion of the social elite. And indeed the majority of God’s
people are those who have grown up through humble means.
Jesus continued, 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God. The “eye of the
needle” has been the source of much controversy. Some have
likened it to the small door within the large city gate through
which a man could enter after the gates had been closed. For a
balky, stubborn camel it would be a hard experience as it would
have to lower itself with much difficulty. However, there is no
indication of that in the text as such. Others have suggested that
the eye of the needle referred to the narrow defensive slits in the
stone walls of a city from which defenders could shoot arrows
out at attackers. However, such slits were usually high on the
wall and held no significance for a camel.
Extant rabbinical writings refer on several occasions to an
elephant passing through the eye of a needle. The intended
thought was an idiom of the absurd or the impossible. It may be
that Jesus offered His own variation of this thought substituting
a camel for an elephant. Camels to this day are notorious for
their stubborn, uncooperative spirit.
In any event, the greater lesson Jesus was undoubtedly
teaching was that it is difficult if not impossible for rich people
to come to terms with the gospel. Their gods are their rank,
social standing, and wealth. These together create the by-
product of pride, self-righteousness, arrogance, and often the
‘self-made-man’ mentality who does not need God. For such,
the spiritual principles of repentance, faith, humbling of self,
and a servant’s heart are alien indeed. It is as preposterous as a
camel trying to go through the eye of a needle.
A related side note is that Jesus now was in Judea where the
wealthy, upper-class of the nation lived. They were the ruling
elite of official Israel.
19:25-26 When his disciples heard it, they were

exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? The
disciples were astonished. They asked, “Who then can be sav-
ed?” It was commonly assumed in Israel of that day that the
wealthy, because of their generous gifts to the Temple and their
conspicuous attendance at the synagogues, certainly would be
in the first ranks of the righteous.
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With
men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
He referred back to a camel attempting to pass through the eye
of a needle. However, it is in this context that Jesus said all
things are possible with God. He can and at times does save rich
people. Moreover, a greater principle of the omnipotence of
God is set forth. Though to us things may seem impossible, God
specializes in things thought impossible.
19:27 Still in the general context of the rich young ruler,

then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have
forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have
therefore? Peter reminded Jesus that they had in fact forsaken
all to follow Him. (Herein is an example of true discipleship.)
Peter wanted to know what they could expect as a result.
Implied in his question was, what reward is there for all this? Or,
what part would they have in the Messiah’s kingdom? Or, what
treasure could they expect in heaven?
19:28 Jesus therefore answered, Verily I say unto you,

That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when
the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also
shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel. The word translated as regeneration (paliggenesia
paliggenesia) in this context has the sense of ‘re-creation.’ It
clearly is a reference to the restored kingdom wherein Jesus
Christ will someday be King. Jesus taught that the disciples,
though obscure and humble then, would in that day be rulers
with Him in His kingdom. Specifically, the apostles then will
rule the twelve tribes of Israel. Also clearly stated is Christ’s
rule upon His throne in that day.
19:29 Jesus set forth another profound principle. And every

one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake,
shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
When God’s people are willing to sacrifice their lives and
things important to them for His sake, they will receive one
hundredfold in His kingdom. The clear lesson here is that
wealth in this life is not only irrelevant in light of eternity, it
likely will be a hindrance. Moreover, as God’s people are will-
ing to sacrifice to serve the Lord now, they can receive con-
siderable reward then. Notice also that serving Christ may
involve sacrificing not only material wealth, but also family.
19:30 Jesus concluded this section with another axiomatic

principle. But many that are first shall be last; and the last
shall be first. The context is the key to understanding. Those
who are prominent in this life very likely will be last in heaven,
if they get there at all. Moreover, those who are of humble estate
for the gospel’s sake now will be of high place and rank then.
*****
Overview of Matthew 20: In chapter 20, Jesus (1) taught a

lengthy parable pertaining to the kingdom. (2) He again clearly
spoke of his impending death and resurrection. (3) He dealt
with ambitious requests of his disciples. And, (4) He healed two
blind men.
20:1-16 Our Lord taught another kingdom parable. For the

kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into
his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers
for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others
standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go
ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give
you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the
sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the
eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle,
and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He
saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatso-
ever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come,
the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the
labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last
unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the
eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But
when the first came, they supposed that they should have
received more; and they likewise received every man a
penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured
against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have
wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto
us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do
thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last,
even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will
with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
The story is of day labor of the first century. One of the
major, agricultural industries in Israel of that day was the
production of grapes and their byproducts. Throughout the
growing season, laborers were needed to work the vineyard,
particularly during harvest. The householder mentioned was
the owner of this vineyard. It was customary for such a
husbandman to go to the local town-market early in the morning
and hire day-laborers as he had need.
Men needing work would loiter around the marketplace,
hoping area landowners would come and hire them for the day.
The standard day’s wage of that era was a penny. The word so
translated was (dhnarion) denarion (or, denarius) which was
a silver Roman coin. The field workers agreed to do a day’s
work for such. Thus far, the story is typical of middle-eastern
practices.
However, as this story further developed, Jesus added
features which were not typical. At about nine o’clock that
particular morning, the husbandman determined that more help
was still needed. Therefore, he went back to town and hired
more men with the comment, “whatsoever is right I will give
you.” He repeated this process at noon and again at three
o’clock in the afternoon. Finally, at five ‘o clock, he hired still
others. He asked them, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?”
They answered, “Because no man hath hired us.” However, the
end of the work day was only one hour away.
Therefore at six that evening, the husbandman directed the
steward, his foreman, to call it a day and to pay the hired help.
Moreover, he directed that the order of payment to be made
from the last to the first. What was astonishing was that every-
one was paid the same wage, one penny (a denarius). Some had
worked all day for that wage while others had only worked for
one hour for the same.
Those who had put in a twelve-hour day immediately
grumbled that their pay was no more than those who had toiled
only one hour. The landowner however reminded them that
they had agreed to work all day for one penny (a denarius). He
therefore directed them to go home, commenting that he could
do with his wages as he so chose. His final comment, “Is thine
eye evil because I am good,” referred to envy on their part. He
had dealt kindly with those late in the day. Why should the
others be envious thereof.
Jesus concluded the parable again with the comment, 16 So
the last shall be first, and the first last. He added, for many
be called, but few chosen.
The parable once again is of the kingdom. A major key to
understanding is to see it through the perspective of Israel and
their position in the kingdom. Someday, all Old Testament
saints (redeemed Israel) will be resurrected into the kingdom.
And yet, there will be Jews who were saved in the waning days
of the Tribulation. They too will be afforded all the privileges of
their Old Testament counterparts, though they will have been
converted only a short time.
The implication is that some in that day will consider that
they should have a higher reward or rank than those only recent-
ly converted. It should not be inferred that there will be open
covetousness or discord in the kingdom. However, Jesus used
an analogy typical of life. It illustrated how even the Jew
converted at the last will also be accorded full rights in the
kingdom.
Jesus applied His proverb “the last shall be first, and the
first last” in this context. Evidently, those saved at the last will
have the same rank of those who were saints from the first.
Moreover, followers of Christ either of New Testament times or
martyrs of the Tribulation very well may have higher rank in the
kingdom than ordinary Jews of Old Testament times. Indeed,
“many be called, but few chosen.” Many are called to salvation,
but only a fraction respond to that call. Many have been called
to serve the King, but only a few are chosen for positions of
leadership because of their prior faithful service in this life.
20:17-19 From perhaps the vicinity of Jericho, which is in

the Jordan River valley, Jesus for the fifth time in Matthew’s
gospel again prophecies of His impending death and resur-
rection. And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve
disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we
go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed
unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall
condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the
Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and
the third day he shall rise again.
Jesus added additional details to His impending passion.
(1) It would happen at Jerusalem. (2) He would be betrayed unto
the chief priests. (3) They, along with the scribes, would con-
demn Him to death. (4) Moreover, He would be delivered to the
gentiles (Romans) to be mocked, scourged, and crucified. (5)
Finally, the third day He would rise again.
Jesus gave His disciples remarkable detail in foretelling
His death and resurrection. Curiously, it was not until after He
had risen from the dead that they remembered how He had
foretold in detail exactly what was going to happen. Never-
theless, in the final months prior to His death and resurrection,
Jesus sought to prepare them for what was approaching.
20:20-27 James’ and John’s mother (the wife of Zebedee)

thereafter came to Jesus asking that her two sons might have the
privilege of high rank in His coming kingdom. Then came to
him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons,
worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him,
Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right
hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Some have assumed that James and John put their mother
up to this. However, there is no direct indication in the text of
that. It is clear however, that this woman had no doubt who
Jesus was and that the kingdom of God was at hand. She cor-
rectly perceived that her sons already were arguably His first
and second lieutenants.
Jesus implied however that James and John were privy to this
self-directed request by replying to them in the plural. He essentially
said that they didn’t know that for which they were asking.
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye
ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and
to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them,
Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right
hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given
to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Jesus pointed
out how they would indeed drink of His cup and be baptized
with His baptism.
This no doubt is an allusion to how the disciples of Jesus
would face fierce persecution and martyrdom in the following
decades. Jesus pointed out, however, that rank and position in
the kingdom would be the prerogative of His Father. Our Lord,
though the Son of God and Deity Himself, clearly remained in
submission to the will of His Father, in even such details as who
would someday sit at His right hand in His kingdom.
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with
indignation against the two brethren. Though the ten
resented this imposition upon Jesus, it should be noted that it
was the mother of James and John who made the request. The
text only implies that James and John had part therein. Mother’s
at times can be vicariously ambitious for their children. Such
self-directed ambition more often than not backfires and creates
animosity which was the case here.
Jesus went on to reply upon how the gentile world routinely
operates. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know
that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them,
and they that are great exercise authority upon them. In the
world at large, those in places of rank often ‘lord over’ those of
lessor degree. However, in the kingdom of God, rank and
position will be granted on the basis of having a servant’s heart.
Jesus went on to comment, 26 But it shall not be so among
you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him
be your servant. In God’s economy, greatness is exemplified
by service and humility. That is the paradoxical antithesis to
how the world operates. Unfortunately, Mrs. Zebedee, at the
least, extended the latter view.
To the contrary, the unique example of true, spiritual
greatness is how Jesus Christ Himself 28 came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many. There is a clear view of Christian philo-
sophy here. Jesus came to serve others. A simple philosophy of
life is to live for others and not for ourselves. Therein is the
highest level of happiness and fulfillment. Ironically, such a
philosophy is the opposite of the world’s formula for success
and happiness.
Another clear foreview of Jesus’ impending substitutionary
death is presented. The word translated as ransom (lutron
lutron) is the corollary word used along with redemption. When
a person was redeemed, the purchase price was called the
‘ransom.’ Jesus in effect said, I came to not only serve others but
to redeem them. It all was totally selfless. The sterling character
of our Lord’s pure character shines forth while at the same time
manifesting the proper attitude for His disciples.
20:29-34 The account here parallels that of Mark 10:46-52.

And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude fol-
lowed him. 30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way
side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out,
saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they
should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying,
Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32 And Jesus
stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I
shall do unto you? 33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes
may be opened. 34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and
touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received
sight, and they followed him.
In Mark’s account, one of the blind men is named Barti-
maeus. Here, he along with his consort desperately cried out,
“Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.” Several
comments are in order. (1) There is an obvious manifestation of
faith in these poor men. Even when rebuked by others, they all
the more pled His mercy. God is honored when His people
plead with Him all the more. It evidences deep faith. (2) They
realized and acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus. Submitting
to the Lordship of Christ is not only a humbling of oneself
before Him, it also is a tacit form of repentance. (3) They
addressed Him as the “Son of David.” Even in the environs of
Jericho where Jesus had not long been, the common people
realized He was of the royal line of David and in fact the
Messiah.
As Jesus perceived their intense faith in Him, He had
compassion on them and touching their eyes, they were immed-
iately healed. Though Jesus undoubtedly performed miracles to
authenticate His ministry, He also reacted in compassion to
human need and misery, particularly as men would evidence
total faith in Him. Notice also how these former blind men in
turn followed Him. A lesson remains to this day. We who were
formally blind spiritually ought to utterly follow our great
Savior and Lord even as these two men did.
*****
Overview of Matthew 21: This is a momentous chapter. It

begins the last week of Christ’s life before Calvary. Here, He
officially offers Himself to Israel as their King. Though un-
official Israel (i.e., the common people) rejoiced, the position of
official Israel was a categorical rejection of Him and all for
which that He stood.
In the first half of the chapter, Jesus rode into Jerusalem in
humility, presenting Himself as King. He cleansed the Temple
and cursed the barren fig tree. The last half of the chapter is rich
in metaphor and conflict as Jesus is confronted and rejected by
official Israel. Here, the chief priests questioned His authority
and were frustrated by His response. Jesus then proceeded to
present three pungent parables referring to how God’s blessing
and program would shortly pass from Israel to gentile be-
lievers.
21:1-3 As Jesus and His disciples approached Jerusalem

from the east, coming from Jericho, they passed through the tiny
community of Bethphage which is on the backside of the Mount
of Olives on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. There, he sent
two of His disciples to fetch a donkey from the village.
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were
come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent
Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village
over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied,
and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3
And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord
hath need of them; and straightway he will send them
The road from Jericho to Jerusalem passes through a
rugged, inhospitable, mountainous region which tradition calls
the valley of the shadow of death. Approaching Jerusalem,
Bethphage is located on the east, or the back side, of the Mount
of Olives in relationship to Jerusalem. From there, Jesus would
ride the donkey over the ridge of the Mount of Olives down into
the Kidron Valley and up into Jerusalem.
Notice (1) Jesus’ omniscience in knowing of such a mun-
dane thing as an donkey and her colt tied in the village. Notice
also (2) His foreknowledge in knowing how the owner of the
animal would react when told of the need of the animal. That in
itself would border upon a miracle in allowing strangers to walk
away with one’s livestock, simply because they said the Lord
had need thereof.
21:4-5 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which

was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of
Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. Here is a clear
fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 which is partially quoted here.
It is significant that Jesus Christ did not officially present
Himself as King of the Jews, riding upon a prancing white
stallion in royal array. He came rather upon a donkey, a symbol
of servitude and lowliness. Christ’s first coming was entirely in
humility and grace. His second coming will be in power and
royal array. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God
looketh upon the heart. Jesus Christ sought for men willing to
repent and receive the truth of spiritual principle. Sadly, most did
not. He thus would formally offer Himself to Israel as their king.
It is evident that the inhabitants of Jerusalem were obliv-
ious to the clear prophecy in Zechariah how that their Messiah
would arrive. Within days, they had crucified Him.
21:6 Here is a simple illustration of obedience to Christ’s

command. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus com-
manded them. God’s people to this day would solve most of
their spiritual problems by adhering to the simple principle of
obedience advanced in this verse.
21:7-8 As Jesus entered Jerusalem, many with great en-

thusiasm and joy received His entrance. The disciples brought
the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they
set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their
garments in the way; others cut down branches from the
trees, and strawed them in the way. Only John’s gospel
accounts that the branches were from palm trees.
The word translated as strawed (strwnnumi stronnumi)
has the simple sense to ‘spread.’ But in spreading the way be-
fore him with their own clothes and branches, many of the
common people in effect were receiving Jesus as the Messiah.
Unfortunately, the powers that then were did not.
Spectacular must have been the sight as throngs gathered
upon the Mount of Olives as Jesus rode slowly down the mount
to Jerusalem and then across the Kidron Valley and up to the
gates of the city. Moreover, the jubilant procession could un-
doubtedly be seen from the Temple on the eastern edge of the
city. The King of Israel was officially arriving. Sadly, the nation
as a whole received Him not.
21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that

followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna
in the highest. The word hosanna, is a Hebrew word and
essentially means, ‘Save us, we pray.’ The throngs were
quoting this from Psalm 118:25. Inasmuch as Israel of that day
was under the political and military occupation of the Romans,
they well may have been crying out for Jesus to deliver them
from the yoke of Roman tyranny. But the salvation He offered
to them was spiritual, requiring repentance towards God and
faith in Him. Sadly, most were not interested therein.
“Hosanna to the son of David” is evidence that some real-
ized Jesus was the Messiah, the descendant of David’s royal
dynasty. They also quoted from Psalm 118:26, “Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The final acclamation is
quite similar to that which the angels cried out in Luke 2:14.
21:10-11 However, the greater majority of the multitude

rather considered Him merely a prophet from Galilee. And
when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved,
saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus
the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. The word translated as
moved (seiw seio) also has the sense of being ‘shaken,’ ‘agitat-
ed’, or ‘shaken with fear.’ It is apparent that it was the elite of the
city which asked this question, for it was the multitudes which
answered them. The power brokers of Jerusalem were shaken
by the prospect of Jesus’ arrival. It rather was the multitude, the
common people, who were happily proclaiming His entrance,
notwithstanding most thought Him merely a prophet from
Galilee.
21:12-13 Matthew thus records the account of Jesus’

second purging of the temple. And Jesus went into the temple
of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the
temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers,
and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them,
It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer;
but ye have made it a den of thieves. John’s gospel records
how that Jesus similarly cleansed the Temple near the
beginning of His ministry. See John 2:13-16.
The cleansing of the Temple was not to rid it of any
commercial activity. Rather, Jesus was purging dishonest prac-
tices therefrom. Jewish custom required all males to pay the
annual Temple tax in Hebrew coin, which was a half shekel.
Hebrew pilgrims traveling from the diaspora frequently did not
have the proper coinage or animals for sacrifice in their possess-
ion. Therefore, by sanction of the high priests, local busi-
nessmen set up kiosks in the Temple complex to exchange mon-
ey and sell doves and other animals for sacrifice.
The problem was, these dealers charged exorbitant prices
and offered a fractional value in their currency exchange. They
were gouging unwary Jewish pilgrims from distant lands when
they came to the Temple. In quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and
Jeremiah 7:11, Jesus was not condemning the practice of pro-
viding a service for pilgrims at the Temple. Rather, He was
incensed at the fraudulent practices of the unscrupulous mer-
chants present. Recall, His wrath was directed at those who had
made the Temple a “den of thieves.”
21:14 Jesus thereafter healed in the very temple complex.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and
he healed them. Over the several years of His public ministry,
most of Jesus’ miracles had been performed either in Galilee or
at least outside of the Temple itself. However, now the high
priests and rulers of the nation could see with their own eyes the
miracles which multitudes in Galilee had witnessed. Jesus
showed forth His miraculous power before them. Yet they
hardened their hearts and continued their rejection.
21:15-16 Official Israel saw the power of God evident in

His miracles. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the
wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the
temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were
sore displeased. Even the children present in the vast Temple
complex were crying out Hosanna (‘Save us now, we pray’).
Yet in jealousy and anger the Temple leadership enjoined Jesus
to put a stop to it all. 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what
these say? The word translated as sore displeased (aganak-
tew aganakteo) also has the sense to be ‘indignant.’
Jesus therefore replied in quoting from Psalm 8:2. Yea;
have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
thou hast perfected praise? When the supposed godly leaders
of the land failed to praise Him, children did. God’s Spirit so
laid it upon the heart of even small children to praise the Son of
God when the official leadership of the nation refused.
21:17 That evening, he went the short distance to Bethany

to lodge. And he left them, and went out of the city into
Bethany; and he lodged there. Contrary to modern assump-
tions of the word, lodged, the Greek word (aulizomai auliz-
omai) has the sense of sleeping out of doors. There may be an
allusion here to how the foxes had holes and the birds had nests,
but the Son of man had not where to lay His head (Matthew
8:20). In the last week of His ministry, Jesus may not have had
a place to stay. Though Jesus certainly had friends at Bethany,
He also had His party of twelve disciples which would have
been imposition for any home.
The name Bethany literally means ‘house of despair.’
There may be more than coincidence that in Jesus’ last days, He
spent his nights in a place so named. Indeed, in His rejection, He
was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. Bethany was a
village just to the east of Jerusalem and on the east side of the
Mount of Olives. It thus was on the back side of the mount in
relation to Jerusalem though only several miles distant.
21:18 Evidently, the next morning, no one offered Him

anything to eat. In His humanity, He therefore hungered. Now
in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
21:19-20 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came

to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.
And presently the fig tree withered away. In Palestine, fig
trees can bring forth two crops annually. The early figs appear
in the spring and the latter crop in the autumn. However in the
spring, the figs form on the trees before leaves appear. A fig tree
in the spring with leaves and no figs was unnatural. When its
very Creator was in need, it had nothing to offer Him. It appar-
ently had plenty of leaves, but no fruit for the Master. A lesson
remains as a warning to this day.
Grammatically, Jesus’ statement about the tree is more of a
prophecy than a command. He in affect said, no fruit will ever
grow on you again. The word translated as presently (para-
crhma parachrema) has the sense of ‘immediately.’ Immed-
iately, the tree thus withered. 20 And when the disciples saw it,
they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered
away!
A likely application of the incident was that Israel, as God’s
planting, was like unto a fig tree. Though they had much super-
ficial religion like unto leaves, they bore no fruit for God. A
similar application can be related to John 15:1-16. We have
been called to bear fruit. Sadly, all many have to offer the
Master are leaves. Ominously, Israel soon would wither nation-
ally from their land.
21:21-22 Jesus, in replying to the disciples’ astonishment

at the withered tree, taught another great lesson in faith. Jesus
answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye
have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is
done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
it shall be done.
A major vehicle of faith is prayer. Jesus thus commented
further, 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive. As we pray, trusting God and taking
Him at His Word, that faith can move God to move mountains.
It is not prayer or faith that moves mountains. It is God. How-
ever, as we trust Him and His Word, imploring Him for help, He
can and very well may move the mountain before us. The
thought may in some fashion be allegorical. However, the
greater point is that with God nothing is impossible. Faith
channeled through prayer can move God to do the impossible
including moving mountains of whatever variety they might be.
21:23 On what was Tuesday after His official presentation

of Himself to Israel (see Mark 11:13,20), Jesus went again into
the Temple and began to teach. And when he was come into
the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people
came unto him as he was teaching. He was promptly
challenged by the chief priests and elders. They wanted to know
who gave Him permission to so teach in their Temple. The
significance is that these men represented official Israel. Under
the Romans, official Israel was embodied by the Temple offic-
ials and these were the ones now hostile to and rejecting Jesus
Christ.
Their challenge was, By what authority doest thou these
things? and who gave thee this authority? Their question
was simple: by whose authority are you so teaching? It certainly
was not theirs.
21:24 Jesus masterfully answered their question with a

question. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will
ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell
you by what authority I do these things. A malicious question
is often best answered by a question which will expose the ques-
tioners.
21:25-26 He then put them on the spot. The baptism of

John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they
reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From
heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe
him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for
all hold John as a prophet. Official Israel, in the high priests,
scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, had rejected John and dis-
missed his baptism. To the contrary, the common people in
much of Israel had responded to his preaching and many had
been baptized of him.
Thus, if the Temple authorities accepted Jesus’ clear
inference that John’s baptism was of God, then why didn’t they
believe John? Conversely, if John’s baptism was not of God,
they faced the political wrath of the populace who perceived
him as a prophet of God. Jesus left them on the horns of a
dilemma. Like most politicians they were unwilling to expose
their true color if it was unpopular.
21:27 When they declined to answer Jesus, He declined to

answer them as well. And they answered Jesus, and said, We
cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by
what authority I do these things. The authorities of the
Temple were utter hypocrites and wolves in religious clothing.
Jesus had no respect to them in any regard. He thus dealt with
them.
21:28-31 In this immediate context, Jesus proceeded to set

forth a pungent parable illustrating how official Israel, though
outwardly pious and religious, was in fact rebellious against
their God. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons;
and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my
vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward
he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and
said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went
not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
They say unto him, The first.
Israel, in the main, would not be the first to see the kingdom
of God. The two sons are a clear allegory of Israel and church in
the greater scope of history. The first son, Israel, historically
gave lip service to the Father, but in reality ignored His will. The
second son, the gentiles, though initially rebellious against God,
in due season repented and have accomplished God’s will in the
church. The import of this thought was not lost on the Jewish
ears. Israel, in the time of Christ, had come to view themselves
as the exclusive recipients of God’s blessing and the sole heirs
to the promised kingdom. Jesus here clearly indicates they, by
their unbelief and hardness of heart, had missed God’s blessing
in their cherished hope of a messianic kingdom.
The parable might conceivably also be a veiled allusion to
Isaac with Jacob and Esau. The first son initially rebelled
against his father, but in the fullness of time obeyed. The other
son gave lip-service to obeying, but in the final analysis did not.
What seems obvious is that pious and religious official Israel
gave lip service to God, but were in fact disobedient and far
from God. The ungodly gentile, though initially disobedient
will in fact repent and turn to God.
He continued, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans
and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye
believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed
him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward,
that ye might believe him.
Jesus clearly made the application how that publicans and
harlots, obvious sinners, would enter the kingdom before hypo-
critical official Israel. The former were willing to repent and
believe. They had already done so before the preaching of John.
Likewise, they were the ones turning to Christ throughout his
ministry.
Indeed, it is the largely gentile church which will see heav-
en and rise first before Israel. An application even for today is
how that heritage and tradition have little importance to God.
His interest is in finding those who will repent and trust Him for
salvation. Often the gospel is more widely received by obvious
sinners than those who have been exposed to it throughout their
lives.
21:33-41 Jesus continued in the same vein to the same

audience with another pointed parable. Hear another parable:
There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard,
and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and
built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a
far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his
servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the
fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and
beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again,
he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto
them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They
will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw
the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come,
let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the
vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the
vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those
wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other
husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their
seasons.
In this parable, Jesus referred to a landowner who planted
a fine vineyard with all of the necessary accessories: a hedge, a
winepress, and a tower to guard it. To the Jewish ear, the refer-
ence likely was loud and clear. In Isaiah 5:1-7, God through the
prophet clearly portrayed that the nation of Israel was His
vineyard and the people thereof His planting. In that context,
God protested how He sought for righteousness therein, and
found none. The parallel between the vineyard in Isaiah 5 and
the parable here likely did not escape the hearers.
Moreover, Jesus expanded the story to explain that the
landowner in due course sent servants to receive the lord’s
portion of the crop. In each case, these servants were rejected
and treated with cruelty. The parallel to how Israel down
through the centuries had treated prophets sent by God was only
too obvious.
Finally, the landlord sent his son. The implication is clear.
Jesus was that sent Son. He clearly foretold that He shortly
would be not only rejected, but in fact slain at the hands of
official Israel. The ultimate application of the parable was how
the Lord of the vineyard would therefore give the vineyard to
others who will bring forth fruit unto Him. The clear inference
is that Israel was about to be set aside as God’s basic people on
earth.
The “other husbandmen” likely is a reference to the coming
gentile church. In referring back to Isaiah 5:7, the sought after
fruit was righteousness. Israel surely had produced only the
hollow shell of self-righteousness. Inwardly, they were like
unto ravening wolves. The coming gentile church, though
having no godly heritage, would be willing to repent and turn to
God. The parable was a clear portrayal of God’s impending
shift to the gentile church. Israel was about to go in the penalty
box and a new spiritual body was about to emerge in the church.
21:42 Our Lord, in concluding the parable, inserted another

‘mini-parable.’ Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in
the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the
same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s
doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23 which is thought to be
an account of the building of the Solomonic Temple. Then, the
stones for the Temple were cut and fitted at the quarry before
being shipped to the Temple site. In the process of con-
struction, the chief cornerstone was shipped earlier than
expected and the builders cast it aside. The weeds grew up about
it. In due season they sought for it but could not find it.
The inference is clear as to how God had sent His Chief-
Cornerstone and He was rejected. Meanwhile, Israel sought for
their Messiah and could not find Him. Yet, the same rejected
Cornerstone has become the Chief Cornerstone of the church.
See Ephesians 2:20-22. This short parable closely parallels the
previous one of the husbandman and his vineyard. Our Lord
once again, albeit in allegorical form, clearly foretold His
impending re-jection and death several days hence.
21:43 Jesus further drove the point home. Therefore say I

unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. The
sought-for kingdom of God was about to be taken from Israel
and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
The word translated as nation (eynov ethnos) is the com-
mon word usually translated as ‘gentile.’ With the benefit of
retrospect, we can clearly see how God shifted His focus from
Israel and turned it to the coming gentile church. Though the
chief priests may not have had any understanding thereof, they
no doubt understood the implication concerning God turning
away from Israel. In verses 45 and 46, they desired even then to
destroy Him, but it was not quite yet His time.
21:44 Jesus continued, And whosoever shall fall on this

stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will
grind him to powder. The clear reference shifts back to Christ
as the Stone (or Rock). (1) To Israel, He was a rock of offence
and a stumbling stone (Isaiah 8:14-15). (2) To the church, He is
the foundation and cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20-22, I Corinth-
ians 3:11. (3) To the world, He will be a stone smiting them with
judgement and destruction (Daniel 2:34).
To reject Christ and stumble over Him will bring destruct-
ion. Ultimately, when He returns in power and great glory, He
will grind His enemies into powder. See II Thes-salonians 1: 7-9.
21:45-46 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had

heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
The implications of these several parables did not escape His
enemies. They clearly perceived that He spoke of them. How-
ever, 46 when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared
the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. Though
Jesus was in the Temple and on the ‘turf’ of the chief priests, the
time was not quite yet for His death. They were intimidated by
the common people which still had regard for Jesus. He was
perceived to be a prophet by them. Curiously, the common
people had little more respect for their leadership than did Jesus.
They could see through their hypocrisy and self-righteousness.
Thus, the authorities of official Israel were forced to bide their
time for several more days.
*****
Overview of Matthew 22: Jesus taught a unique parable in

which both the church and Israel are related. Then, three differ-
ent groups of antagonists try to entangle Him in His words to
snare Him. He simply yet forcefully refuted them all.
22:1-14 Jesus taught another unusual parable showing, in

part, the relationship between the coming church and Israel.
Never before have both entities been included in one direct teaching.
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by
parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent
forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the
wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them
which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my
oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:
come unto the marriage. 5 But they made light of it, and
went their ways, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise. 6 And the remnant took his servants, and
entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he
sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and
burned up their city. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The
wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not
worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye
shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out
into the highways, and gathered together all as many as
they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was
furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw
there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 13 And
he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not
having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand
and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The mention of a king, his son, and the marriage of his son
clearly are an allegorical reference to the future marriage of the
Lamb and the church. Evidently, those who ignored the
invitation to the marriage are Israel. They were too busy making
money. Moreover, they dealt severely with the servants of the
king. Thereupon, the king sent harsh judgement against them.
(God clearly judged Israel in A.D. 70 when Titus leveled and
burned Jerusalem, bringing an end to ancient Israel as a nation.)
Meanwhile, the king sent servants, still inviting others to
the wedding. Yet, some came in garments inappropriate for a
wedding. Interestingly, in Isaiah 61:10 we read of the garments
of salvation and a robe of righteousness. When we were saved,
God so clothed us. Here, an individual tried to enter the wedding
without such garments and was cast out. One application is
clear and that is without the garment of salvation, no one may
enter God’s wedding feast. Many were called to the wedding.
However, only a few were properly clothed with the necessary,
wedding robe of the righteousness of Christ and the appropriate
garment of God’s salvation.
The greater application of the parable likely is that some-
day, at the great marriage supper of the Lamb, Israel will be
invited as guests but only those with the garments of salvation
will be allowed entrance. Also, though this is a parable of the
kingdom, Jesus clearly is looking on through the church age to
the time when both the church and Israel will abide together in
the kingdom.
Jesus concluded this astonishing parable with the axio-
matic proverb, 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Many have been called to repentance and salvation. In fact the
invitation to come to Christ begins with Israel and extends to the
whole world. However, only few accept that invitation and thus
become chosen to spiritual leadership after having received
Christ. Those who in fact respond to God’s gracious offer in
the gospel become the chosen in Christ Jesus. Of these even
fewer are called to leadership in the church and the later
kingdom.
22:15 Curiously, enemies often make strange bedfellows.

There were three main parties within Israel which normally
were political adversaries. However, now they formed a co-
alition to jointly attack Jesus. Recall, the time is the last several
days prior to Calvary and the place is in the Temple complex at
Jerusalem. Therefore, then went the Pharisees, and took
counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
In the next verse, it is noted that they collaborated with the
secular Herodians with whom the pious Pharisees otherwise
had no concord. The word translated as entangle (pagideuw
pagideuo) has the sense to ‘trap’ or ‘ensnare.’ They no doubt
had been ruminating about how to trap Jesus with trick ques-
tions and then use His presumed faux pas against Him. If they
could turn it to their advantage to have Him arrested, all the
better. There was no charity or intellectual curiosity in the
following questions. They were designed to back Jesus into a
legal or political corner so that they could use His answers
against Him.
22:16-22 The Herodians were more or less non-observant

Jews who were collaborators with the Romans under the name
of Herod, the former Roman puppet king. Normally, the
Pharisees loathed them for their cooperation with the Romans.
However, these came to Jesus and with a flowery introduction and
then asked Him if it was lawful (for Jews) to pay taxes to Caesar?
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the
Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and
teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any
man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us
therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute
unto Caesar, or not?
It was a loaded question. The Jews universally detested
payment of taxes to the pagan occupying Romans. Yet, the
Romans were in power by force of the sword. Moreover, Rome
was very sensitive about tax avoidance. There were continual
efforts in Israel to either rebel against Rome or at the least evade
the payment of taxes to Rome. Therefore, the Romans moved
quickly to snuff out tax rebellion. The Herodians knew that.
They thus hoped to entice Jesus into making an anti-tax state-
ment, ensuring the Romans would arrest Jesus.
On the other hand, if Jesus advocated payment of taxes to
Rome, He would make Himself unpopular with the common
people who detested Roman taxation. They thus thought that
they had the perfect trap for Jesus. In their mind, either way He
answered would redound to His hurt. If He spoke against Rome,
they would make sure the Romans heard about it. If He spoke
favorably regarding Roman taxes, they would make sure the
common people heard about it.
In reply, Jesus simply asked for the Roman, silver coin
required for payment of the tax. 18 But Jesus perceived their
wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a
penny. The word translated as tribute (khnsov kensos) is
whence the English word census derives. It then referred to the
tax or tribute levied on individuals in lands occupied by the Ro-
mans. It would be roughly similar to modern income or property
taxes. The penny mentioned was a Roman denarius which was
a silver Roman coin of common denomination. On it was an
image of Caesar Tiberias.
Jesus therefore took the coin and asked, 20 Whose is this
image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s.
He thus replied, Render therefore unto Caesar the things
which Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
Jesus’ answer was as masterful as it was short. In several brief
sentences, He demolished the carefully, crafted question
designed to entrap Him either legally or politically. Accord-
ingly, 22 when they had heard these words, they marvelled,
and left him, and went their way. They had nothing more with
which to try and trick Him.
As a secondary principle, the Bible teaches that God’s
people ought to pay taxes to secular government. See Romans
13:1-7. Taxes are usually onerous. But God has ordained for
His people to duly pay all applicable taxes. Moreover, implicit
is the principle of separation of church and state.
22:23-32 Next, the Sadducees accosted Jesus. The same

day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no
resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said,
If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his
wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
The Sadducees were the liberal party with Judaism. They,
as a rule, denied the miraculous in the Old Testament such as
angels, the resurrection, or miracles. Ironically, they tried to
trick Jesus with a question concerning the resurrection. Under
the Law of Moses, when a man died without children, his
brother was to marry the widow to raise children for his brother.
See Deuteronomy 25:5.
Therefore, the Sadducees trumped up this outlandish story
about seven brothers each marrying the original widow. 25 Now
there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he
had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his
wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the
third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died
also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be
of the seven? for they all had her.
The Sadducees likely knew that Jesus believed in the
resurrection. Therefore, they hoped through their hypothetical
story to trip up Jesus and make Him look foolish. They were
typical of liberals to this day. They assume that if a Bible-
believer is confronted with their supposed superior intellect and
education that the ‘fundamentalist’ will look like a bumpkin.
That undoubtedly was their strategy here.
However, Jesus’ reply was forceful. 29 Jesus answered
and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither
marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of
God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the
dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by
God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living.
The Sadducees’ problem was they did not understand the
Scripture or the power of God. Jesus confronted them there-
with. Lack of understanding of Scripture and ignorance of
God’s power remains true to this day for Bible skeptics. In an-
swering His critics, Jesus described that in our glorified bodies
after the resurrection, there will no longer be physical marriage
as we understand it. We will however be as the angels which
evidently are neutral in gender.
Moreover, Jesus confronted them with Exodus 3:6 whence
God spoke to Moses. There, Jehovah-God used the present
tense in referring to Himself and the already deceased Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob. “I am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He thus clearly implied they
were alive (in heaven), though deceased on earth. He indeed is
the God of the living. Jesus accordingly used the Scriptures to
clearly and forcefully show the resurrection the Sadducees
denied. They had no answer.
22:33 Meanwhile, when the multitude heard this, they

were astonished at his doctrine. The Sadducees evidently had
confronted Jesus publicly, hoping to embarrass Him before the
common people. However, it was the Sadducees who were thus
discomfited. Moreover, the Sadducees for the most part
comprised the elite of the Temple rulers. The common people
therefore were astonished how Jesus had deftly confounded
these who were the religious elite of the nation.
22:34-40 Finally, the Pharisees accosted Jesus with their

own trick question. They were the arch-rivals of the Sadducees
and similar to orthodox rabbinical Jews today. Though pro-
fessing allegiance to the Law of Moses, their true focus was
their rabbinical traditions which they meticulously observed.
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the
Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then
one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question,
tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great
commandment in the law? They reckoned they could catch
Jesus either way, for they held all Scripture to be equally im-
portant.
Notice how they sent forth one of their lawyers tempting
Him. The word so translated (peirazw peirazo) in this context
has the sense to test one maliciously or craftily. In the Jewish
culture of that day, lawyers were experts in the Law of Moses.
They usually were Pharisees and often were scribes. Thus, the Phar-
isees sent one of their heavy hitters against Jesus, thinking to con-
found Him and embarrass Him before the assembled multitudes.
Furthermore, the Pharisees held there were 613 command-
ments in the law, which was the number of letters in the
decalogue. They said that there were 248 positive commands in
the Law which was the number of parts of the human body.
They claimed there were 365 negative commands in the law
which was the number of the days in a solar year, totaling 613.
To demand which commandment was the greatest, in their
view, would also be presumptuous. The question was loaded
and Jesus knew it. To the Jewish culture and thinking of the day,
the question would be akin to the question, ‘Have you stopped
beating your wife yet.’ They assumed Jesus’ answer would em-
barrass Himself.
Our Lord however answered their question, cutting
through their pettifogging with a direct quote from
Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. 37 Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first
and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus bypassed the traditions of the Pharisees which they,
in practice, held as important as Scripture itself. Rather than get
entangled in the morass of the endless entanglements of
pharisaical traditions, Jesus answered their trick question by
quoting the very Scripture they claimed to revere. Moreover,
Jesus said the sum and essence of the entire Old Testament was
found in these two profound principles.
Truly, love is the fulfilling of the law. If we loved God as we
ought, we would never violate His commands. If we loved each
other as we ought, we would never offend another. Jews re-
ferred to the Old Testament summarily as the Law and the
Prophets. Jesus said, the whole of the Old Testament Scripture
was thus summarized in these two simple, yet, profound truths.
The Pharisees had no comeback. Jesus had deftly stymied
them even as He had the Herodians and the Sadducees. With
divine wisdom, logic, and Scripture, He shut them up.
22:41-46 Now Jesus puts them on the spot. While the

Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42
Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say
unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How
then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The LORD
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make
thine enemies thy footstool? 46 If David then call him Lord,
how is he his son?
Jesus asked whose son (or descendant) the Messiah would
be. The Pharisees correctly answered, David. Then, He deliv-
ered His coup de grâce. He asked, “How then doth David in
spirit call him Lord?” He thus proceeded to quote from Psalm
110:1 directly applying it to the Messiah. Immediately, David
had written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God the
Father would in effect say to the Messiah, sit on my right hand
until I deal with your enemies. However, David called his own
Son his Lord which shows that He is more than his Son. The
Pharisees had never looked at that passage that way, though
rabbinical tradition agreed the Psalm was messianic.
He thence asked, “If David then call him Lord, how is he his
son?” Jesus clearly was referring to both the Deity and the hu-
manity of the Messiah. The Pharisees had never thought of that
before either. Yet, the truth of the God-man was evident in
Psalm 110:1. 46 And no man was able to answer him a word,
neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any
more questions. In one simple question, Jesus had confounded
the Pharisees. They had no answer. The proud and critical op-
ponents of the God-man were no match for His infinite wisdom.
They abandoned trying to ensnare him.
*****
Overview of Matthew 23: This chapter is a scathing attack

by Jesus against the professional ‘clergy’ of the day. Though
His targets were the scribes and Pharisees, many a ‘reverend’
today would be on the receiving end of Jesus’ invective. His
main charge was that “they say, and do not.” They were hypo-
crites. Again, remember these events took place in the final days
of our Lord’s ministry. Verse 1 of the next chapter clearly
implies that this charged sermon took place at the Temple, the
very seat of official Israel and Judaism. It was Jesus’ clear and
final acknowledgment of His rejection by His own people (John
1:11).
23:1-2 The target of Jesus’ address, as He spoke to the

multitudes and his disciples, was the scribes and Pharisees.
Scribes were professional copyists of the Scripture and there-
fore considered themselves to be experts thereof. The Pharisees
were the rabbinical interpreters of the Law who prided them-
selves in fulfilling the tiniest minutia thereof.
Matthew records, Then spake Jesus to the multitude,
and to his disciples saying, 2 The scribes and the Pharisees
sit in Moses’ seat. The time likely is still the Tuesday of Jesus’
final week. The thought is how the scribes (who usually be-
longed to the Pharisee party) along with the greater Pharisee
party presumed to speak for Moses in interpreting the Law of
Moses. Jesus described them as sitting in Moses’ seat. The
word so translated (kayedra kathedra) refers literally to a
‘seat’ or ‘chair.’ However, in its broader sense, it referred to the
exalted seat occupied by men of eminent rank or influence such
as teachers and judges. (Of interest is the modern term cath-
edral derives therefrom.) The scribes and Pharisees thus sat in
the seat of the synagogue where the Law was embellished upon
and came to be known as the “Moses’ seat.” Though they stood
for the reading of the Torah, they sat to teach therefrom.
23:3-4 The problem with these ‘clergymen’ was not so

much what they taught, for Jesus essentially did not attack their
teaching. In fact, Jesus directed the people to do what they
taught. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say,
and do not. Rather, Jesus charge against them was that “they
say, and do not.” Therefore, Jesus said don’t do as they do.
Like many politicians down through the years, they put
burdens upon others from which they exempted themselves.
Jesus continued, 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous
to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they
themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
They were hypocrites.
The burdens referred to were the endless minutia of rabbin-
ical traditions that came largely from the Pharisees, the inter-
preters of the Law. Thus, they added to the Law. The Law itself
was a heavy yoke, but the traditions so strenuously in-sisted
upon were added to this yoke. See Acts 15:10. As de-scribed in
the notes for Matthew 22:34-40, the rabbis had added 613 rules
to the Law, supposedly to ‘clarify’ it.
The Pharisees and scribes were the historic instigators of
these. However, they themselves found endless loop holes to
avoid the burdens they imposed upon others. Though they
insisted upon strict observance of these rules publicly, in private
they often ignored them. They presented an outward appear-
ance of great piety and self-righteousness. However, in private,
they were double-dealers. Though they added many burdens to
already difficult living for the common people, they themselves
would do nothing to ease their load.
23:5-7 Jesus touched upon their real motives. But all their
works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats
in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be
called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
The Pharisees and scribes, the professional ‘clergy’ of that
day, enjoyed doing good deeds so that others would see. The
phylacteries mentioned were little boxes containing verses
from the Law which they strapped to their arms and foreheads.
The conventional wisdom was that the larger the phylactery, the
more spiritual was the wearer. Thus, they “made broad” or
enlarged them. Such ostentatious phylacteries illustrated their
lack of spiritual understanding. Rather than hiding God’s Word
in their heart, they wore it on their head.
They reveled in wearing the garb of the ‘clergy.’ A custom
of Judaism was for men to wear a fringe or tassel upon the hem
of their garment. See Numbers 15:38 and Deuteronomy 22:12.
Therefore, these ‘reverends’ sewed large, ostentatious fringes,
believing the larger the tassels indicated the greater their
godliness. Their righteousness was in false externals.
Moreover, these clergymen routinely sought the seats of
prominence at the Jewish feasts and at the synagogues. The
word translated as uppermost rooms (prwtoklisia protoklisia),
in this context, refers to the chief place at banquet tables.
Moreover, they reveled in being called Rabbi out in public.
In modern parlance, that would be similar to being called
‘Reverend.’ Theirs was a religion of outward externals and they
did so ostentatiously. Hypocrites were they to the core.
23:8-10 Jesus rebuked them, teaching only the Messiah
should be so called. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is
your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. They, like
the clergy of the Roman church today, also liked to be called
Father. Jesus thus instructed, 9 And call no man your father
upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Jesus taught that only God should be so addressed as father
in a religious context. Notwithstanding, the scribes of Jesus’
day loved to be called ‘abba’ or ‘father.’ There is little differ-
ence philosophically between rabbinical, pharisaical Judaism
of that day and the Roman Church later. The emphasis upon
rites, rituals, and externals along with a professional clergy in
their distinct garb is strikingly similar between the two.
Likewise, Jesus instructed, 10 Neither be ye called mas-
ters: for one is your Master, even Christ. One problem with
the Pharisees in those fateful days was their emphasis upon
externals. They were hypocrites through and through. They wore
the garb of the ‘clergy.’ They passed themselves off as pious men of
God when in fact they were bogus to the core. They were religious
counterfeits. Jesus called their sham for what it was.
He knew He only had several days left in His earthy
ministry. Therefore, He pulled no punches. The die was cast.
The mold was set. He thus told it like it was and let the chips fall
where they may. The time to try and influence was long past. It
was time to condemn and that He did.
23:11-12 Again the principle of the virtue of a servant’s

heart is presented. But he that is greatest among you shall be
your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
The scriptural principle that self-exaltation will eventually
bring abasement is set forth. Rather, God exalts those, in His
perfect time, who humble themselves. See James 4:6, I Peter
5:6, Luke 18:14.
Spiritual greatness is not measured in rank or fame. It cer-
tainly was not in the phony robes of self-righteousness passed
off by the scribes and Pharisees. To the contrary, those great in
God’s eyes are those who humble themselves to serve others.
To the world, a servant’s heart is a sign of low social standing.
To God, it is a mark of spiritual maturity. In due season, God
will magnify such humility. God indeed resists the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.
23:13 Verses 13-33 form an eight-fold series of woes Jesus

placed upon such religious hypocrisy. It remained in the context
of His condemnation of the hypocritical pretense made by the
religious leaders of that day.
Woe #1: But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men:
for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that
are entering to go in. Notice that Jesus called the scribes and
Pharisees hypocrites. The word hypocrites is used in direct
apposition for the “scribes and Pharisees.” This harsh word
hypocrites essentially means a ‘fake’ or a ‘pretender.’ Jesus
charged them with obstructing the way to the kingdom of
heaven by their hypocritical religiosity. Moreover, He clearly
implied they wouldn’t be there either.
23:14 Woe #2: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pre-
tence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation. Though these hypocrites professed to be
righteous and were ostentatiously pious, yet they would fore-
close a mortgage against an impoverished widow with harden-
ed hearts. Their public prayers were purposefully long, as a
pretense of pseudo-piety. Notice also how that Jesus clearly
implied there will be degrees of punishment in hell. In this case, there
would be greater judgment for their pretentious hypocrisy.
23:15 Woe #3: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more
the child of hell than yourselves. Jesus castigated these for
their feverish efforts to make one convert to their cause and yet
in so doing made him twice as bad as they were. They would
spare no effort to induce one gentile to become circumcised,
thus inducting him into Judaism. However, the proselytes of
such teachers often went to even more extremes than their
teachers.
23:16-22 Woe #4: Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which

say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but
whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a
debtor! Jesus castigated them for their hair splitting and
pettifogging. He called them “blind guides.” Upon reflection,
such a description is an oxymoron. Nevertheless, it quite
accurately characterized the spiritual estate of the Pharisees and
scribes. If it were not so pathetically true, it would be humorous.
These pompous ‘clergy’ would allow a Jew to swear gen-
erically by the Temple, but if one were to swear by the gold of
the temple, he obligated himself to pay such a sum to the
Temple. This came back to the endless minutia of the rabbinical
traditions. In fact, it was absurd and Jesus thus called them on it.
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or
the temple that sanctifieth the gold? The answer to that
question should be apparent.
He continued, 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the
altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that
is upon it, he is guilty. Again, the Pharisees allowed one to
swear by the altar at the Temple. But woe to anyone who would
swear by what might be a sacrificed thereon. The word trans-
lated as guilty (ofeilw opheilo) has the basic sense to be ‘in-
debted to’ or ‘obligated to.’ Therefore, if one swore an oath by
a potential sacrificial upon the brazen altar of the Temple, he
was obligated to in fact bring it to the Temple as a sacrificial gift.
Jesus rightly asked, 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is
greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Jesus
went further than calling them blind, He noted them as fools.
The word translated as such is (mwrov) moros whence the Eng-
lish word moron derives. That they were. Our Lord’s patience
had expired toward the pompous hypocrisy of these.
Continuing, Jesus noted, 20 Whoso therefore shall swear
by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And
whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him
that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven,
sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth
thereon.
In Matthew 5:34-35, Jesus taught to not swear at all. All
their obscurantism about swearing was in vain, for Jesus taught
that swearing by itself bordered upon blasphemy. Particularly
as they swore by the Temple or of heaven itself, they were
swearing by the God of the Temple and the God of heaven.
They thus came perilously close to taking God’s name in vain.
Far better it is not to swear by anything at all.
23:23-24 Woe #5: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin,
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone.
Jesus took them to task for observing the microcosm of the
law but of ignoring the macrocosm thereof. They meticulously
tithed of the small spices they grew in their gardens such as
mint, anise (dill), and cumin. Yet, they omitted the major truths
of God’s Word such as righteousness, mercy, and faith. The
word translated as judgment (krisiv krisis) in this context likely
refers to ‘right judgment’ or more simply, ‘righteousness.’
They could not see the forest for the trees. Notice that Jesus
did not criticize them for tithing. In fact he said, “these ought ye
to have done.” Their problem was they saw only the externals
and not the greater, invisible, spiritual virtues of true godliness.
To be sure, tithing even on such a minor portion of one’s income
as garden spices was proper. However, they missed the major
matters of spiritual truth. They could not see the forest for the
trees.
They in effect were filtering out gnats, but swallowing
camels. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and
swallow a camel. Apart from the sardonic humor used by our
Lord, both gnats and camel were considered ceremonially un-
clean by the Jews. Therefore, as they focused upon minute
details of supposed holiness, they in fact were grossly polluted
by their own, hardened hearts.

hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of
the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
These religious hypocrites were utterly concerned about por-
traying an outward pious appearance. Yet, they were filthy on
the inside. He likened them to the absurdity of washing the
outside of tableware, but never cleaning the inside surface
where the food was. In fact, Jesus said they were like a cup or
platter still full of old, dried, leftover food.
Moreover, He described that within them as “extortion and
excess.” The thought is of ethical crookedness and moral in-
temperance. Though they endeavored to put on a pious front of
external religion, they in reality were moral and ethical
degenerates.
Jesus therefore admonished, 26 Thou blind Pharisee,
cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that
the outside of them may be clean also. Returning to the
analogy of dirty tableware, Jesus directed these blind Pharisees
to clean up the inside of their lives. In so doing, the outside
would follow suit. True godliness begins with a new spirit being
created on the inside which ultimately works its way to the
outside. The religion of the Pharisees was essentially cleaning
the outside of a garbage can while leaving the inside filthy.

hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which
indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of
dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Again, here is a
similar condemnation. The professional religionists in the
scribes and Pharisees cleaned up the outside so as to be seen by
men. However, they were internally revolting.
The term “whited sepulchres” basically means whitewash-
ed graves. On the 15th day of the month of Adair, before the
Passover each year, the Jews would whitewash all the places
where graves were situated. This was done both to beautify
them and to mark the place lest any one passing over them
would occasion Levitical defilement. For this, they cited Num-
bers 19:16 Ezekiel 39:15.
Jesus said, 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear

righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and
iniquity. Biblical Judaism by Jesus’ day had degenerated into
rabbinical Judaism which was nothing more than a hypocritical
religion of externalism. As long as one followed the prescribed
rites, rituals, and traditions of the rabbis; it mattered little
whether they were honest, moral, kind, or just. In fact, the
professional clergy, the rabbis, scribes, and Pharisees, often
were utterly corrupt morally, spiritually, and ethically all the
while remaining in good standing as an observant Jew. As long
as they followed the external rules of rabbinical Judaism, they
were considered to be righteous. Thus, they also were afflicted
with self righteousness as well.
hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and
garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we
had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been
partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Where-
fore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children
of them which killed the prophets.
The utter hypocrisy of pharisaical, rabbinical Judaism was
made evident as they memorialized the prophets and righteous
of old. Even Herod the Great, the paragon of cruelty, immor-
ality, and ungodliness, had rebuilt the tomb of David in his day.
In the Kidron Valley, just east of the Temple, was the ornate
tomb of Zechariah who had been slain between the temple and
the altar. See II Chronicles 24:22. Yet in so doing, they bore
testimony to the fact they were the descendants of those who
killed the same prophets.
Our Lord continued, 32 Fill ye up then the measure of
your fathers. Jesus in effect taunted them. The phrase “fill ye
up” is an imperative. In so many words, Jesus said, go ahead and
finish what your forefathers started. There is both irony and
invective therein. He urged them to fill the guilt of their fathers
to the brim. Go ahead and crucify the Holy One and thus fill up
your cup of iniquity.
Jesus effectively ended as John had done earlier in calling
them a generation of vipers—snakes in the grass. 33 Ye ser-
pents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell? Jesus’ question about them escaping the
damnation of hell was rhetorical. The answer was obvious.
They would not escape! The gauntlet had been cast down. Jesus
challenged them to do something about Him. No more was He
teaching the gospel of the kingdom or even of salvation. He
fired broadside after broadside at the hypocrisy of His enemies.
The cross was just ahead and He knew it. He thus spared no
words against these wicked hypocrites, the religious leaders of
official Israel. Righteous indignation fairly poured forth from
our Lord.
23:34-35 Jesus then made prophetic utterance of coming

events and tied it to Jewish history. Wherefore, behold, I send unto
you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye
shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. He foretold
that in the not-distant future these same religious hypocrites
would martyr and persecute another generation of godly
preachers, foremost of whom was the God-man in their midst.
This certainly was fulfilled as official Israel persecuted the
early church with a vengeance. Stephen was killed at their
hands. Simeon, the son of Cleophas, was crucified at the
instigation of the Jews. Peter, John, and Paul were scourged in
their synagogues. The chief priests ferociously pursued early
Christians from city to city in Saul of Tarsus and others inquis-
itors. The church at Antioch was founded largely by believers
fleeing the persecution in Judea.
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed
upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the
blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between
the temple and the altar. Jesus said that in so persecuting the
early church, they would bring upon themselves the guilt of all
righteous blood shed from Abel, Adam’s son, to Zechariah in II
Chronicles 24:20-22. He imputes to them the guilt of marty-
rdom from Cain to the hard-hearted Joash and his minions. The
judgment of the generations of righteous blood ranging from
Abel through the early church would fall upon them as Titus
obliterated Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
23:36 He continued, Verily I say unto you, All these

things shall come upon this generation. Jesus clearly implied
the wrath of God, stored up down the through the ages against
such persecution, would be vented against that very generation.
Their cup of iniquity was full. That judgement indeed came
under Titus with the utter destruction of Jerusalem, its Temple,
and its inhabitants. The mills of God grind slow, but they grind
exceedingly fine. God in His perfect time will judge sin! But
woe unto those upon whom the wrath of God falls. Better it
would be that they were never born.
23:37-38 In concluding this devastating condemnation

against His own people, Jesus lamented with deep pathos how
Jerusalem had repeatedly and violently rejected God’s gracious
and merciful attempts to bring it to repentance.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would
I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
His tone dramatically shifted from the righteous indig-
nation against the hypocrisy of official Israel to poignancy of
what was coming. Our Lord’s heart ached as He with remorse
recalled the prophets sent from God being martyred by the
leadership of Jerusalem. He compassionately recalled how He
as God would often have gathered His people from danger and
trouble like a hen protects her chicks. And yet He cryptically
noted, they would not! They refused.
Even more ominously, Jesus foretold, 38 Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. The word translated as des-
olate (erhmov eremos) is more commonly rendered as ‘wilder-
ness’ or ‘desert.’ Such regions certainly abounded to the south
and east of Jerusalem. There is an air of resignation and further
pathos. Jesus sorrowfully foretold the impending desolation to
come upon Jerusalem about a generation later. God’s wrath
would soon be unleashed against His own people through the
Roman general Titus. When he was finished, Jerusalem in
many ways had become as a wilderness.
23:39 Jesus’final statement at the Temple was, For I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Jesus, in
cryptic fashion, foretold that they would not see Him again (in
the Temple) until they cried out, “Blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord.” He was referring to how He would
someday return to the Temple in power and great glory at His
second coming. Two days thereafter, He would hang upon the
cross looking down upon the Temple. But Jesus never entered
therein again.
*****
Overview of Matthew 24: This chapter is one of the most

fascinating and yet misunderstood chapters in Matthew. It,
along with chapter 25, forms what is known as the Olivet
Discourse. It is virtually entirely eschatological. Its focus is
upon events befalling Israel during the Tribulation.
Several helpful keys to understanding the Olivet Discourse
are to remember that (1) Matthew’s gospel was written for the
Jewish mind. (2) The church is not directly in view in the Olivet
Discourse. It already has been raptured to heaven. Rather, the
focus is upon Israel during the Tribulation. (3) The Rapture has
already taken place prior to the events discussed here. Refer-
ences to the coming of Christ are of His second coming in power
and glory at the end of the Tribulation. The perspective of the
entire discourse is of Israel as they are converted to Christ dur-
ing this time of great confusion and judgement.
The final portion of Matthew 24 is a detailed description of
the coming of Jesus Christ in power and great glory. This is in
distinction to the Rapture. The key to understanding this pass-
age is to remember that it is from within the context of the
Tribulation and involves Jewish converts. The perspective is
thus for believing Israel in that day. Nevertheless, there is
fascinating insight of events then. A related passage is Revel-
ation 19:11-19.
24:1-2 Following Jesus’ scathing attack upon the scribes

and Pharisees in chapter 23 at the Temple, He retreated and
headed for the Mount of Olives just east of the city. (The time
was just one or two days until He was crucified.) As He and His
disciples walked past the monumental architecture of the
Temple complex, Jesus informed them that the day was coming
when not one stone thereof would be left upon another.
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and
his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the
temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these
things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one
stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
The Temple at Jerusalem (recently renovated by Herod the
Great) had become a national Jewish monument. Apart from its
religious significance, it had become the symbol of Judaism and
the nation of Israel. It was one of the architectural wonders of
the world. Tourists came from all over the known world to visit
it. The Temple complex was immense covering thirty-five
acres. It was lavish with architectural embellishments, in some
places gold plated or even solid gold. It had taken almost 50 years
to renovate and still was not totally complete. Josephus likened it to
a snow-capped mountain. It was built with massive, dolomite
limestone foundations and polished marble in its superstructure.
It was the symbol and seat of worldwide Judaism. It would
be comparable to the collective significance of the national
buildings in Washington, D.C., for Americans. It represented
the seat of government, the national capital, and the symbol of
all the nation stood for. Jesus in effect said, before long it all will
be rubble, implying utter destruction and devastation for the
Jewish nation.
In A.D. 70 when the Romans under Titus attacked Jeru-
salem, the Temple caught fire and the melted gold thereof ran
down into the rubble. When the ruins cooled, Roman soldiers,
in looting the Temple, literally left not one stone upon another
in digging for the melted gold. Titus thereafter ordered the
remaining stones of the Temple structures thrown over the sides
of the temple platform. Some of that rubble remains where it fell
to this day. God’s judgement against Israel for its wickedness
and rejection of Christ had fallen.
24:3 Upon leaving the temple, Jesus led His disciples down
across the Kidron Valley and up onto the nearby Mount of
Olives from which they could see the city of Jerusalem and the
Temple stretched out just to the west. And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be
the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
In light of Jesus’ foreboding comments not long before
about the destruction of the Temple, the dumbfounded disciples
therefore asked three questions. They wanted to know (1) when
this would happen. (2) They wanted to know what would be the
sign of His coming. And (3), they wanted to know the sign of the
end of the world.
Their question as to His coming in all likelihood refers to
His establishment of the kingdom. They still had no inkling of
His death and departure after His resurrection. They still
thought in terms of Him reestablishing the Jewish kingdom.
They also were curious about what sign He would give as to the
end of the world. The word so translated (aiwn aion), in this
context, refers to the ‘age.’
They essentially wanted to know when the Temple would
be destroyed, when His kingdom would be established, and
when the age in which they were living would end. They there-
fore sought a sign from Jesus regarding these. It would seem
also that the disciples perceived the kingdom as not immediate
in light of the hostile reaction by official Israel toward Jesus.
Therefore, they were curious as to when all these things would
come to pass.
Jesus’ answer would remain strictly within a Jewish con-
text. The church is not in view in His lengthy, following
discourse. Rather, the focus is upon Israel and their conversion
during the Tribulation.
24:4-7 Jesus proceeded to outline the events of end-time

events for believing Israel. And Jesus answered and said unto
them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall
come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive
many. He mentioned a number of events which would preface
this cataclysmic time. (1) Many will be deceived as false
Christ’s present themselves. Down through the ages, there have
been those who have claimed to be the Messiah, particularly in
Jewish circles. That evidently will increase during the time
prior to the Tribulation.
(2) Moreover, Jesus warned, 6 And ye shall hear of wars
and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Wars
and rumors of war will proliferate along with international
strife. It is interesting to note that Revelation 6 makes clear that
warfare will prevail in the first half of the Tribulation as the
antichrist accumulates power through force of arms. Never-
theless, Jesus warned that the end of the Tribulation was not in
sight.
(3) Furthermore, 7 nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Famine and
pestilence will develop. Again Revelation 6:5-6 speaks of great
famine across the world in the first half of the Tribulation as
worldwide warfare destroys crops. (4) Earthquakes in many
places will take place as God literally shakes the earth (See
Isaiah 24:1-20, Isaiah 2:21). The very foundations of the earth
are shaken as God pours out His wrath against a wicked world.
It should be pointed out that the greater context of this all is
within the parameters of the Tribulation. There have been wars
and rumors of war all through history. Nations have risen
against nation throughout the ages. There, from time to time,
have been famines, plagues, and earthquakes in widely diverse
areas of the world across history.
24:8 Jesus however pointed out how this is only just

beginning of what will come in the Tribulation. All these are
the beginning of sorrows. These all will be just the prelude to
what is to follow during the Tribulation. Once again, what Jesus
has thus far described largely parallels the opening of the first
four seals in Revelation 6. Those are only the opening stages of
the Tribulation.
24:9-13 Jesus then detailed how that converts to Christ

(particularly Jewish converts at this time) will be persecuted.
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill
you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one
another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false
prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved.
It is helpful to recall from Revelation 7 and Romans 11:26
that during the Tribulation, a significant proportion of Jewish
people will be saved and converted to Christ. Unfortunately
they will suffer for it and many will be martyred. It will be a time
of great confusion and deception. Jews will hate other Jews who
turn to Christ. False prophets will abound in that day, not the
least of which will be the false prophet. As the sin of that day
increases, the love of many will become cold.
Those (particularly Jewish converts) who are able to en-
dure to the end of the Tribulation will be delivered when Jesus
returns. The context here is clearly of the Tribulation and
converted Jews who find themselves in it. These Jewish
converts probably will be the result of the ministry of the two
witnesses of Revelation 11 and the 144,000 as noted in
Revelation 7 and 14.
24:14 Jesus continued, And this gospel of the kingdom

shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come. Notice that the gospel
spoken of here is the gospel of the kingdom. This was the
message of Jesus in the early days of His ministry. See Matthew
4:23. The gospel of the kingdom is Jewish in character. It per-
tains to the coming King and His soon to be established
kingdom.
Notice also how that gospel “shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations.” This is likely a reference
to the ministry of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14.
These young Jewish preachers will spread out across the globe
preaching perhaps what John the Baptist preached, “Repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In any event, the context
points to these preachers in the Tribulation preaching across the
world prior to Christ’s return in glory.
“And then shall the end come.” The idea is of the culmin-
ation of the age. It is when Jesus will return to establish His
kingdom. The disciples had asked Jesus for a sign concerning
the end of the world (age). Implied is the preaching of the gospel
of the kingdom to the whole world during the Tribulation.
(During the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus, the gospel of
the kingdom was preached primarily in Israel. However, in that
day, it will go around the world as the 144,000 apparently fan
out to that purpose. Jesus thus answered one out of three of the
questions asked by His disciples.
24:15 Jesus continued, When ye therefore shall see the

abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him under-
stand). The “abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the
prophet” is a reference to Daniel 9:27, 11:31 and 12:11. There
is both an historic and prophetic reference here. During the time
of the Greek conquest of the Israel under Antiochus Epiphanes,
a pig was sacrificed upon the altar of the restored Temple thus
desecrating it, and as far as the Jews were concerned, making it
desolate.
II Thessalonians 2:3-12 details how the antichrist, during
the Tribulation (at about the midpoint), will declare to Israel and
the world that he is the Christ and in fact is God. He therefore
will seat himself in the rebuilt Temple at Jerusalem as God.
Revelation 13:14-15 speaks how that an image (idol) of the
beast (the Antichrist) will be made and possibly erected in the
Temple of Jerusalem. This most likely is to what Jesus referred
as the coming abomination of desolation in the holy place.
24:16-21 Looking forward prophetically to converted

Jews in Israel during the Tribulation, Jesus thus warned, Then
let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him
which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back
to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and
to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your
flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Jesus in effect sent warning ahead to the Jews in Israel of
that day that when they see the sign of this new desecration of
the Temple to head for the hills—literally. In fact, He said don’t
linger to take anything with you. Clearly implied is that a rebuilt
Temple will be in Jerusalem during the Tribulation. The events
described here very well may be at the mid-point of the
Tribulation when the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel
and turns his wrath against those messianic Jews who have
turned to Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Also implied is that at that time, the full fury of the
Tribulation will descend upon the nation of Israel. To the mid-
point of the Tribulation, the gentile world will have received the
full brunt of the plagues and judgments of this awful time. Now
seemingly, if only by the wrath of the antichrist, the focus of
terror of the Tribulation will center on Israel. It is also evidently
at this same general time that there will be an invasion of Israel
by Russia, causing a major war in the land as the Russians and
the forces of the antichrist do battle. See Ezekiel 38-39.
The greater point however is a warning to believing Jews of
that day, who evidently will have already turned to the New
Testa-ment as a source of truth and revelation. Jesus warned
that when they saw the rebuilt Temple desecrated as it was in
Daniel’s prophecy to flee immediately to the neighboring
mountains for refuge. The ferocity of those days will be unlike
any other time in human history. The last half of this time thus
is called ‘the Great Tribulation’ insofar as Israel is concerned.
The greater scope of the Tribulation is a seven year period
stretching from the Rapture to the return of Christ in glory and
power. However, Daniel and John (in Revelation) make it clear
that the overall Tribulation is divided into two distinct periods
of three-and-one-half years each. The first portion of the Tribu-
lation (the first three-and-one-half years) will be particularly of
God’s wrath being poured out upon a Christ-rejecting, gentile
world.
However, “the great tribulation” spoken of here is a refer-
ence to the final three-and-one-half years which will focus
particularly upon Israel in chastening them unto repentance and
faith in Christ. This period is also known as the time of Jacob’s
Trouble. See Jeremiah 30:7. During this final three-and-one-
half year period, the antichrist will focus his wrath against the
nation of Israel, culminating in the campaign of Armageddon in
which all nations of the world will descend upon Israel to de-
stroy it once and for all.
24:22 Moreover, Jesus warned, And except those days

should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. The intensity
of God’s judgement and the wrath of the devil will be such that
no one will survive. However, for the “elect’s sake” (Israel),
God will shorten those days. It is clear from the books of Daniel
and Revelation that the final period of the Tribulation is exactly
1,260 days or 42 months, both of which are three-and-one-half
years. Therefore, the shortening foretold by Jesus is not in the
quantity of the days, but rather in the length of the days.
In Revelation 8:12, clear reference is made that during
the fourth trumpet judgment, the length of the days will be
reduced by one third to sixteen hours a day. Perhaps God
will speed up the rotation of the earth. The long, accepted
axiom of a twenty-four hour day will be utterly shaken. Mat-
thew 24:22 makes clear it is out of God’s mercy unto Israel
that this will happen.
24:23-26 Jesus warned that in that time there would be

other false christs and false prophets including the notorious
false prophet spoken of in Revelation 13. Then if any man
shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and
shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have
told you before. Amongst the more orthodox Jewish people to
this day, there is interest in the appearance of the Jewish Mes-
shiach. Even today, some ultra-orthodox Jews at times believe
a particular modern rabbi is the Messiah.
During the Tribulation, the antichrist will arise along with
his cohort, the false prophet, who will indeed present himself to
Israel as their Messiah. Moreover and particularly, the false
prophet described in Revelation 13 will have the ability to
perform great signs and wonders. See Revelation 13:13-15.
Jesus warned that these will have the capability of deceiving
even God’s people then. See II Thessalonians 2:9-11. The elect
spoken of here, without question refers to Jewish people, and
perhaps even those who have turned to Christ in that day.
Finally, Jesus warned, 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto
you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in
the secret chambers; believe it not. When these false prophets
in that day claim the Messiah is in the dessert or in some secret
place, Jesus forewarned Jewish believers to believe it not. In the
coming paragraphs, He makes it clear that the Messiah will then
return from the heavens and every eye shall see him (Revelation
1:7).
24:27 Jesus thus describes the nature of His coming. For as

the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. The
Greek word translated as coming is (parousia) parousia. It
has the sense of one ‘appearing’ or ‘arriving.’ Jesus said His
appearance in that day will be as the lightning is across the
sky—unannounced, heavenly, instant, brilliant, fear inspiring,
and in great power.
24:28 He continued, For wheresoever the carcase is,

there will the eagles be gathered together. As strange as this
statement may seem, it gives specific indication how Christ’s
return in power and great glory is different from the Rapture. At
the conclusion of Armageddon when Christ appears, there will
be a great slaughter of the forces of the antichrist in the vicinity
of Megiddo in Israel. God calls the fowls of carrion of the
heavens from the ends of the earth to clean up the carnage. See
Revelation 16:14, Revelation 14:14-20, Revelation 19:17-21,
and Luke 17:37.
There is little question that what Jesus announced here
pertains to the Battle of Armageddon and the ensuing clean up
thereafter. There will be a vast carnage. The word translated as
eagles (aetov aetos) though commonly translated as ‘eagle’
may refer to vultures. Most species of eagles are not birds of
carrion. However, in flight eagles and vultures are similar in
appearance. An alternate view is that the reference to eagles refers
to the Roman army whose symbol was such. However, to take such
a position is out of context with the entire Olivet discourse.
24:29 One of the disciples’ question to Jesus was, “What

shall be the sign of thy coming?” Jesus thus gives a specific time
of these events. Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give
her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
At the end of the Tribulation, cataclysmic events will take
place in the heavens. See Isaiah 24:19, 23. In comparing
Matthew 24:29 with Isaiah 24: 19, 23, it might be concluded
that the earth is even removed from its very orbit around the sun,
totally disrupting what has been the accustomed and assumed
patterns of day, night, and time. In addition to whatever sign
intended in these events, they no doubt will be God’s revelation
of His power striking terror into the hearts of a rebellious, God-
rejecting world. It is noteworthy that similar events are
mentioned in Revelation 6:12-17. However, the chronology
there is evidently of the middle of the Tribulation. Here, it clearly
is at the end.
Thus, at the end of the Tribulation, catastrophic events in
the heavens will include (1) the darkening of the sun. This
apparently is only for a short time for life will continue
thereafter. This seems to parallel the fifth vial judgment record-
ed in Revelation 16:10 which is near the end of the Tribulation.
(2) The moon likewise will be darkened. Its light is reflected
from the sun so it only stands to reason it will not shine either.
(3) Stars falling may refer to cataclysmic meteor showers or the
collision of the earth with asteroids. This seems to parallel
several of the trumpet judgments of Revelation 9. Indeed, the
very powers of the heavens, so taken for granted by mankind,
will be shaken.
24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man
in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory. The word translated as
sign (shmeion semeion) also may be translated as ‘wonder’ or
‘miracle.’ The very grandeur of Jesus Christ appearing in the
sky visible for all to see no doubt will be a powerful sign to an
unbelieving world. Moreover, every eye shall see Him as He
comes in the clouds with power and great glory. See Revelation
1:7.
The word translated as tribes (fulh phulay) can also have
the sense of ‘nations’ which probably is the thought here. As the
One whom they have rejected makes clear His power, defeating
the world’s assembled military forces at Armageddon, many of
the people of the world will evidently mourn in fear of Him.
There conceivably might even be repentance in view. However,
as late in the Tribulation as Revelation 16:11 (the fifth vial
judgment), the world’s populace refuses to repent. The word
translated as glory (doxa doxa) has the literal sense of brilliant,
blinding light. See also Revelation 19:11 ff. When Jesus Christ
appears in power and glory, every eye upon this earth will see
Him. In that day, all mankind will instantly learn the fear of the
Lord. However, for most, it will be too late.
Thus, the actual return to earth of Jesus Christ is described
as in “power and great glory.” This is in distinction to the
Rapture, seven years earlier, when He only came in the clouds
to snatch up the church from the earth. His return here is to stay
and set up His kingdom on earth.
24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of

a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. It is most
helpful to note that these events will take place at the conclusion
of the Tribulation, or shortly thereafter. Furthermore, the term
elect in the Scripture, particularly as it is found in Matthew,
usually refers to Israel. Then, now, and even in Jesus’ day, Jews
were scattered to the four winds of the earth. Though there has
been a limited re-gathering of Israel to the land even in this
generation, the present return of Jews is in unbelief. Then, it will
be altogether and in belief. It is only after Christ returns that
there will be the complete re-gathering of the Jews to their land.
And then, they will be coming to their Messiah in belief.
Some have tried to force a post-Tribulation rapture into this
verse. However, the context of the chapter clearly is of Israel in
the Tribulation. Furthermore, at the Rapture, it is Jesus Christ
who snatches the church to heaven as noted in I Thessalonians
4:13-17. Moreover, a post-Tribulation rapture does not make
sense on the face of it. The context clearly indicates that God
will use angels to help believing Jews of the diaspora, scattered
throughout the gentile world, to return to the land of Israel when
Christ returns.
24:32-34 Our Lord here shifts ‘gears’ to answer the third of

the disciples questions: what shall be the sign of the end of the
world. To answer that question, Jesus uttered a brief parable.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet
tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is
nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things,
know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto
you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be
fulfilled. Jesus begins to specify when these events will take
place. His first clue is found here. He uses an analogy of a fig
tree in the spring. When the leaves set on the trees, common
knowledge foretold that summer was near. Jesus said when they
likewise saw all these previously described events (in verses 27
through 31), the long promised kingdom was at hand.
It is noteworthy that the word translated as it in verse 33
may also be translated as ‘he.’ In that case, it would imply the
return of the Messiah. In any event, the return of the King and
His kingdom will be preceded by the events described in the
preceding context. The generation that sees the previously de-
scribed events will see all things fulfilled. That is, they will
witness the inauguration of the kingdom.
24:35 Though the very creation will someday pass away,

God’s Word is eternal. Jesus said, Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Moreover,
clearly implied herein is the preservation of Scripture. Notice
that Jesus used the plural of words. Not only is the plenary
whole of Scripture in view, but the very individual words there-
of. Inspiration and preservation extend beyond the thoughts of
Scripture to the very words thereof. Thus, not only is inspiration
verbal, but its preservation as well. The Word and words of God
are eternal, never to be done away. (Some would dismiss verbal
preservation and claim this verse is merely promising that the
events foretold will be foretold. However, Jesus clearly said
that His very words would not pass away. Indeed, the events
foretold will come to pass. But the very words of God will be
preserved as well.)
The greater thought contextually is likely that the Word of
God is inviolate, more than even the very creation which we so
take for granted. The time of our Lord’s return is unsure, but the
Word of God is not. It is clear and eternal.
24:36 The time of the return of Christ, not only in the

Rapture, but also in His coming in power and glory are not
available to mankind. But of that day and hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Beware of date setters. Regarding the Rapture, we have no
indication whatsoever when it will be. However, regarding His
return in power and great glory, some in that day might count the
seven years from the Rapture. However, Jesus is specific. No
man knows the day or the hour whence Jesus will return. The
Tribulation is clearly noted in Scripture as precisely seven
years. There may however be some lead time between the Rap-
ture and the actual commencement of the Tribulation, thus
fogging the precise time of His return in power.
24:37-39 Nevertheless, there will be clear signs regarding

His parousia (i.e., coming). One of which is that human life and
culture will be similar to that of the day of Noah. But as the
days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until
the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. See Genesis 6:5-6, 11-12.
Two thoughts are notable. (1) In Noah’s day there was great
wickedness and (2) people went on with everyday life, ignoring
the impending wrath of God. So will it be at the time of Christ’s
return. The world at large was oblivious to Noah’s warnings in
his day. There will likewise be an ignoring of the source of the
gathering judgment during the Tribulation.
24:40-41 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be
taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. These
descriptions have often been mistakenly applied to the Rapture.
However, the context clearly is of the final appearing of Christ.
Interestingly, in Luke 17:30-33 a similar statement was made by
our Lord. There, the context clearly is of Armageddon which
immediately precedes the coming of Christ in power and glory.
The idea may be in reference when at this time of great crisis,
people are taken and perhaps killed in the heat of the battle.
Luke 17 seems to so indicate. The thought therefore leads to
Jesus’ admonition which follows.
24:42-44 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour

your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman
of the house had known in what watch the thief would
come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered
his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for
in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
The injunction for Jewish converts in that day is to watch
and be ready for their Lord’s return. For us in the church today
waiting for the Rapture, the instruction is the same. The
illustration of a homeowner being alert to a thief appertains
once again to watching. In no way ought the return of the Lord
be construed to be an evil act for those waiting Him. However,
the return of our Lord is likened to the surreptitious nature of a
thief in the night in several places. See I Thessalonians 5:2,
Revelation 3:3, and Revelation 16:15.
24:45-51 Jesus alludes to what He will develop more fully

in chapter 25. Those who faithfully serve Him, waiting for His
return, will be rewarded with position and rank in His coming
kingdom. And in contrast, those who ignore His impending
return, living in a profligate manner, will be dealt with by Him
when He returns. If such a person is actually saved, there will be
no inheritance for Him in that day.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord
hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in
due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when
he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That
he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My
lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his
fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken: 50
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh
not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And
shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Though the concept will be expanded in the next chapter,
the overarching thought here is to be waiting and watching for
the Lord’s return. The immediate context is of converted Jews
during the Tribulation. However, the principle for the church to
be watching and waiting for the Rapture is apparent. The
emphasis in the parable is of being a “faithful and wise servant.”
The backdrop is of a wealthy land owner who had committed
the care of his estate to a servant. His duty was to wisely and pro-
perly administer his master’s affairs in his absence, not
knowing when he would return.
Jesus posited two alternatives for such a scenario. In the
one, the servant wisely administered the affairs of his master,
anticipating his soon return. In the other, the servant foolishly
abused his privilege, thinking his lord was long in coming. In
the former case, the lord would richly reward his wise servant.
In the latter, he would fire him, causing much sorrow. The
greater truth intended is that God’s people, whether the church
in this age or converted Jews in the Tribulation, ought to be
watching and ready for the Lord’s return.
*****
Overview of Matthew 25: The twenty-fifth chapter of Mat-
thew continues the Olivet Discourse. Again a clue to under-
standing this parable is to remember that Matthew’s gospel is
directed to the Jewish mind. Moreover, this clearly is kingdom
teaching as per verse 1. In this section, two parables of the king-
dom are set forth. The first deals with Israel being prepared
when their King returns. The second deals with God’s people in
general (the church and Israel) serving the Lord in the mean-
time.
The final portion of Matthew 25 is a fascinating glimpse
into events at the conclusion of the Tribulation and immediately
prior to the beginning of the Millennium. Specifically mention-
ed is the judgement of the sheep and goat nations. It is helpful
to remember that these events deal primarily with Israel. The
church is not in view here. Moreover, some of the clearest
descriptions of hell in the Bible are found in this chapter.
25:1-13 Jesus set forth another kingdom parable which

more often than not is improperly understood. Then shall the
kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And
five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish
said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are
gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there
be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:
and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other
virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh.
In the parable of the ten virgins, it is helpful to understand
some of the cultural practices of Jewish people of that day. It
was the custom for the bridegroom to go to the home of the bride
on the appointed wedding day to get his bride. Sometimes the
festivities would be at night depending upon the arrival of the
groom. At the bride’s home would be her bridesmaids who
would accompany her and the groom in a festive procession to
his home. They typically would carry lamps or torches to light
the way as they went, particularly if the procession took place at
night. Once at the home of the groom, the marriage would be
accomplished and then the wedding feast would begin.
The lamps of that day were fueled with olive oil. Here, half
of the wedding party were prepared for the eventuality of a night
procession and half were not. The immediate application of the
parable is to be ready for when the bridegroom came.
However, it will be insightful to take note of the three
parties mentioned here. In the greater scope of biblical
eschatology, the bridegroom clearly is Jesus Christ. See Ephe-
sians 5:25-32 and Revelation 19:7-9. The bride clearly is the
New Testament church. Less clear is who the ten virgins are.
The number ten likely is of little significance other than these
were perhaps a common number in a wedding party. Further-
more, in collating the various parables and passages in the New
Testament in which a wedding ceremony is presented in an
eschatological sense, it seems that Israel is represented as the
wedding party as the friends of the bride and groom (i.e., the
bridesmaids and groomsmen).
In that light, the application of the parable is as follows. The
ten virgins are representative of Israel (though not all of Israel).
The Groom, Jesus Christ, comes for His church in preparation
for the wedding of the ages. Meanwhile, Israel is invited to the
great festivities which will commence with the Millennium.
When the Groom and His bride prepare to enter the marriage
feast, (the Millenium) only half are ready.
It is of interest that the word translated as marriage (gamov
gamos) also has the idea of the greater festivities, including a
wedding feast. The parable may be a reference to when Christ
returns prior to the Millennium, a certain proportion of Israel
will be prepared to enter into the festivities (the kingdom) with
Him and the rest will not. The proportion who are prepared and
waiting are those Jews who during the Tribulation heard the
gospel, repented, and received Jesus Christ as their Messiah and
Savior.
Again, recall that the context of the Olivet discourse is
exclusively Jewish in character. Jesus thus said, “Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the
Son of man cometh.” Even as the church is enjoined to be wa-
tching for the Lord’s return in the rapture, believing Israel in
that day is enjoined to be watching for their returning King.
Clearly implied is that a sizeable proportion of Jews worldwide
(perhaps fifty percent) turn to Christ during the Tribulation and
are allowed into the wedding feast of the Millennium while the
rest are shut out. For them it will be a time of great bitterness ind-
eed. Jesus thus urges His own people, the Jews, to be ready for
the return of their King who also is the Bridegroom of the
church.
25:14-30 Jesus presents another parable which clearly is of

end-time events and particularly of the rewards and rank within
the kingdom.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a
far country, who called his own servants, and delivered
unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one; to every man according to
his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded
with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And
likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth,
and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh,
and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received
five talents came and brought other five talents, saying,
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have
gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto
him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said,
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have
gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto
him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping
where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast
not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy
talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord
answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and
gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest
therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then
at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto
him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath
shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him
that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The scene is simple enough. A wealthy man (i.e., a lord)
entrusted to his servants varying amounts of his assets to invest
on his behalf in his absence according to their respective
abilities. He then departed. After a lengthy time, he returned.
Upon returning, he sat down and took stock how his servants
had invested on his behalf. To those who had wisely and dili-
gently invested for their lord, there was reward. For the one who
had been careless and lazy, not only was there no reward but
even loss of what he otherwise could have received.
The greater application would appear to be how our Lord
has entrusted us with time, resources, and abilities. As we in this
life wisely use and invest those assets there will someday be re-
wards in His kingdom (i.e. the Millennium and heaven).
Let us look more closely. In verse 14, the word translated as
goods (uparconta huparchonta) could also be translated as
‘wealth.’ A talent was a measure of gold or silver which was of
significant value. In today’s terms, a talent of gold would be
money into six figures. The lord of the parable gave to each of
his servants according to their ability to handle the assets com-
mitted to them.
In verse 16, the word translated as traded (ergazomai
ergazomai) in this context has the sense of working with or
investing that money. In other words, the servant invested it. So
also did the second servant in verse 17. However, the third
servant did nothing with the asset entrusted to him. There was
not only a lack of dedication to his lord, but also laziness. The
first two servants doubled their lord’s money. The third earned
nothing.
In verse 19, the clear parallel to our Lord’s return is evident.
In that day, He will reckon with His servants. The word trans-
lated as reckoneth (sunairw sunairo) in this context has the
sense of settling accounts. For the church, this likely is a refer-
ence to the Judgement Seat of Christ. For Israel, it may also be
a reference to the judgement of Israel just prior to the millen-
nium.
The profitable servants in that day will hear their Lord say,
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” In Luke’s account of
the same or a similar parable, Jesus spoke of the first having rule
over ten cities and the second being over five cities (Luke 19:17-
19).
The clear implication of the parable is that those who have
faithfully served the Lord and invested their lives in this age (in
His absence) will be rewarded in His kingdom with rank and
honor then. Also implied is that faithful servants of God in this
day will rule and reign with Him in that day. See Revelation
20:4-6, 5:10, 22:5.
In merging these related passages together, it seems clear
that those who have faithfully served the King in this age will be
given rule over portions of His kingdom in the Millennium and
on into eternity. There is a reward for the righteous (Psalm
58:11). If put in contemporary terms, those who have faithfully
served Jesus Christ in this life will be appointed as governors,
presidents, mayors, and ranking officials in the His kingdom
when He returns.
Finally, we come to the slothful servant. He was called
“wicked and slothful.” This could also be translated as ‘evil and
lazy’ in contrast to ‘good and faithful.’ He had had opportunity
to serve the King of kings who had given him the privilege of in-
vesting His assets. In his carelessness and laziness, this fellow
did nothing with his Lord’s trust.
The application of him losing what little he had may be a
reference to how in that day, he will have no reward in the king-
dom. The thought of being cast into outer darkness may not
necessarily be a reference to eternal judgement. In ancient cities
which were without the benefit of street lights, to be cast into
outer darkness was a reference to being forced out of the light of
the household into the street. What this may be reference to is
that believers who have squandered their lives pursuing their
own interests and advancement rather than serving the King
will in that day find their lot on the outskirts of His Royal
blessings and rewards. Those who have faithfully served the
King in this life will receive even the assets of the unprofitable
servants in that day. See Matthew 13:12.
25:31 Jesus moved onto another major eschatological

event. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory. The time of these events is clearly established here—
“when the Son of man shall come in his glory.” This is not a
reference to the Rapture, but rather to the appearing of our Lord
at the end of the Tribulation. Additionally, Jesus mentioned that
all the holy angels will be with Him then. What an awesome
sight that will be.
“Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” This is a
clear reference to Jesus Christ establishing His throne on this
earth (evidently at Jerusalem). When He returns, it will be in
political and military power. See Revelation 19:11 ff.
25:32-33 Jesus continued, And before him shall be gath-

ered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left. It is helpful to recall that many will survive the
Tribulation. The word translated as nations (eynov ethnos) is
also translated as ‘gentiles’ and ‘peoples.’ It may be that God
will ordain this judgment of all surviving people individually.
Alternatively, the judgment, as implied in the Authorized
Version, maybe of actual nations. In any event, this judgement
clearly is of gentile peoples.
In that day, the Lord will separate these who survived the
Tribulation into two groups: the sheep and the goats. A likely
Old Testament passage related to this event is found in Joel 3:2,
12-14. There in a parallel text, Joel foresaw how God would
“gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of
Jehoshaphat.”
The Hebrew words in Joel translated as nations and
heathen (mywg goyim) is again the basic Old Testament word for
‘gentile.’ It is still used by the Jews to this day. The Valley of
Jehoshaphat is not clearly defined in the Bible geographically,
but most likely is adjacent to Jerusalem. It is assumed by
modern Jews to be the valley of Hinnom or Kidron. In verse 14
of Joel 3, there is the ominous statement: “multitudes, multitudes in
the valley of decision.” See comments for Joel 3:2, 12-14.
Throughout the Bible, God’s people have routinely been
referred to as His flock or His sheep. See Psalm 100:3 and John
10:11. Here, the church has already been raptured. But the text
clearly is of gentiles. Therefore, by process of elimination, the
sheep referred to here evidently are gentiles who were saved
during the Tribulation and who survived the same. Goats in the
Bible usually refer to those who are not God’s people. See
Zechariah 10:3. The sheep are thus placed on His right hand and
the goats on His left hand. Implied is the reception of those on
His right hand and rejection of those on His left.
25:34 Jesus continued, Then shall the King say unto

them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Notice that He who is called the “Son of man” in
verses 31-32 is now called the “King” here. And indeed, He is
King of kings and Lord of lords. Those on His right hand (the
sheep) are now invited into His kingdom. It is noteworthy that
at the beginning of the Millennium, (1) there will be normal
human beings (in a non-glorified state) who repopulate the
earth and evidently continue their ethnic and national heritages.
(2) However, these mortal gentiles will be altogether, born-
again, regenerate people. Initially, the Millennium will be
populated only with saved people. However, in the course of
time, these will have children who also will need to be saved.
The promised kingdom has been in preparation since
before the foundation of the world. The word so translated is
(kosmov) kosmos, referring to the world system. The word
translated as foundation (katabolh katabole) in this context
has the sense of ‘conception.’ From before the beginning of the
world’s system, God had fore-planned His coming kingdom. It
will be the capstone of human history. Jesus as King will rule
the earth and the inhabitants thereof initially will be all saved.
Israel will be the capital nation of the world and the church will
have returned with her Groom to rule and reign with Him. It will
be paradise on earth.
25:35-40 The key to understanding this paragraph is

recalling the context and the participants at this judgement.
Jesus continued, For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord,
when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and
gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took
thee in? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came
unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily
I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
The sheep are evidently those gentiles who trusted Christ as
Savior during the Tribulation and survived. The King’s bre-
thren no doubt are the believing Jewish people who underwent
the ferocious persecution and opposition during the
Tribulation. Evidently, an indication of the salvation of gentiles
during the Tribulation will be their sympathy and compassion
on the Jewish believers in that day.
Believing Jews, particularly during the final half of the
Tribulation, will undergo unbelievable opposition at the hand
of the Beast and his minions. Believing gentiles who aide their
Jewish brethren will be recognized and rewarded by the King in
that day. Jesus said such compassion on His brethren was as
unto Him. There is a lesson here that, even in this dispensation, we
as believing gentiles ought to be kind and compassionate to our
wayward, though as yet unbelieving, spiritual cousins, the Jews.
25:41 Unbelieving gentiles who survive the Tribulation

will be summarily summoned to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for
this awesome event. Then shall he say also unto them on the
left hand, Depart form me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels. If the Rapture took
place now, unbelieving people of today who survive the
Tribulation in seven years will be summoned to this awful pro-
nouncement.
Then, Jesus Christ, the King of kings, will utter to each of
them, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels. Though the word hell
is not used here, clearly this is what is in view. Several things are
of note. (1) The word translated as cursed (kataraomai
kataraomai) could also be translated as ‘doomed.’ (2) Hell is a
place of everlasting fire. (3) It was initially prepared for the
devil and his angels. When mankind rebelled and became as
Satan, hell also became their destination.
25:42-45 In converse fashion of verses 35-40, unsaved,

godless people of the world exemplify no compassion on the
suffering Jews during the Tribulation. Jesus continued, For I
was an hungred, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a strang-
er, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick
or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he
answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. The King will
use the preceding as evidence of their lost condition.
25:46 Again, though hell is not so named, clearly it is hereto

referred. And these shall go away into everlasting punish-
ment: but the righteous into life eternal. In addition to the
other descriptions of hell above, it also here is called
“everlasting punishment.” In stark contrast, the righteous can
look forward to life eternal. In comparing the greater overview
of Scripture to this verse, the righteous clearly refer to those
who have been justified (or declared righteous) by faith in Jesus
Christ. See Romans 5:1.
*****
Overview of Matthew 26: In the first half of Matthew 26,

Jesus prepared for and then ate the Last Supper. He there
eloquently spoke of His coming shed blood which would be the
sign of the New Testament and the basis for the forgiveness of
sins. He then went out to the Garden of Gethsemane and poured
out His soul in prayer to God in anticipation of what was
coming. The last half of Matthew 26 presents the betrayal, ar-
rest, and initial proceedings held against Jesus. The latter
portion of the chapter also contains Peter’s denial of his Lord.
26:1-2 After finishing the Olivet Discourse, Jesus foretold
how in less than two days He would be betrayed to be crucified.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these
sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two
days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is
betrayed to be crucified.
Common tradition holds that Jesus was crucified on Friday
of that week. However, as noted earlier in Matthew 12:40 Jesus
clearly foretold that the Son of Man would be three days and
three nights in the belly of the earth. That makes it impossible
for him to have been crucified on Friday. He evidently was
crucified most likely on Thursday of that week. (The Passover
could fall on any day of the week, and evidently was on a Friday
of that year.) Two days prior evidently put these events on about
Tuesday of His final week.
26:3-5 The active conspiracy to take and kill Jesus began in

earnest. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the
scribes, and the elders of he people, unto the palace of the
high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that
they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they
said, Not on the feat day, lest there be an uproar among the
people.
Caiaphas was high priest from A.D. 18 to A.D. 36. His
father-in-law Annas had been high priest from A.D. 6 to A.D.
15, but was still called high priest by many. The Romans had
installed Caiaphas over Annas for political reasons. The
leadership of official Israel assembled on that fateful Tuesday
to directly plan the arrest and death of Jesus. They met in the
palace of Caiaphas. The word so translated (aulh aulé) in this
context likely refers to the courtyard adjacent to his home, so
typical of the affluent in that day. They thus consulted, or con-
ferred how they might do away with this Jesus of Nazareth.
They further revealed the evil character of their hearts by
seeking to take Jesus by subtilty, avoiding any outcry of the
populace on a feast day.
The word translated as subtilty (dolov dolos) has the
sense of ‘deceptively’ or ‘by stealth.’ Not only were they
politicians at heart, they were cowardly ones at that. They want-
ed to eliminate this Jesus with a minimum of political expense.
Though the common people may not have altogether believed
upon Jesus, they viewed Him as a prophet and to that degree He
was popular. Thus, the leadership sought a way to deviously
and quietly seize and kill Him.
26:6 Meanwhile, Jesus had returned to ‘suburban’ Bethany

and was resting at the house of Simon the leper. Matthew thus
records, Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of
Simon the leper. This evidently was one of the lepers Jesus had
healed earlier in His ministry.
26:7-8 There came unto him a woman having an

alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on
his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it,
they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this
waste? By referencing John’s account, we are led to understand
the woman mentioned here probably is not Martha’s sister
Mary as indicated in a similar account in John 12. There, the
events took place six days before the passover, even before His
triumphal entry.
In the similar account several days earlier recorded by
John, it was Judas who had been indignant at such an alleged
waste. Here, the other disciples evidently picked up on that
refrain as well.
Alabaster was a carbonate type of stone named for the town
in Egypt whence it was chiefly found. It was carved into small
boxes or vials which evidently was the case here. Contained
therein was an expensive, perfumed anointing oil. This
otherwise unidentified woman thus anointed Jesus therewith.
This act of worship in Bethany evidently took place while the
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was convening at Caiaphas’ house
plotting against Jesus.
26:9-13 Matthew continues to record the complaint of the

disciples. For this ointment might have been sold for much,
and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said
unto the, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought
a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with
you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath
poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall
be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that
this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
The word translated as ointment here (muron muron) is
derived from the word (murrah) which is similar to the word
translated myrrh in Matthew 2:11 at Jesus’ birth. It was an ex-
pensive perfume-type of product often used in the embalming
process to mask the odor of death. Jesus acknowledged that this
woman did it for His burial. Perhaps the Holy Spirit had laid it
upon her heart to so honor the Lord prior to His impending
passion. Again, there is a clear implication of what lay ahead.
The prospect of His death, however, seemed to again escape the
disciples.
Jesus thus gently rebuked His complaining disciples in
explaining that wherever the gospel would someday be preach-
ed, this anonymous woman would be remembered for what she
did for her Lord. And indeed, even as we so speak, that pro-
phecy is being fulfilled.
26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot,

went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto them, what will
ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they
covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from
that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
The word translated as then (tote tote) has the sense ‘at
that time.’ At that time, Judas began his nefarious and notorious
betrayal. Evidently while Jesus was at Simon the leper’s house
at Bethany, Judas slipped away back to Jerusalem and possibly
met with the high priests, even as they were plotting at Caia-
phas’ house. His basic offer to the high priests was, ‘What are
you willing to give me?’
The word translated as covenanted (isthmi histemi) here
has the idea of working out a deal. In other words, they dickered
over the price. What a despicable deed to dicker over—the price
for the Son of God. They finally came up with the price of thirty
pieces of silver as prophesied in Zechariah 11:12-13. Some
authorities say this was the going-price in that day for a slave.
There thus, no doubt, was contempt for Jesus in both the minds
of the leadership of Israel as well as Judas. He therefore sought
for an opportune time to thus betray Jesus.
26:17-19 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened

bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where
wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18
And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto
him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the
passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples
did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the
passover.
The reference to the feast of Unleavened Bread and the
Passover is of note. The feast of Passover initiated the longer
seven-day period of the feast of Unleavened Bread. When the
disciples inquired of Jesus where they would so eat the
Passover, He directed them to return into Jerusalem and find
“such a man.” We are not told who this man was, though Jesus
evidently so instructed them. Both Mark and Luke indicate the
man would be bearing a pitcher of water. He evidently thus was
a servant. Some have thought that the house, which obviously
was substantial, was the home of Mary the mother of John
Mark. There, the disciples made ready for the Passover.
26:20-25 Now when the even was come, he sat down

with the twelve. Jesus clearly had returned to Jerusalem from
Bethany whence He had been. 21 And as they did eat, he said,
Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And
they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of
them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and
said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish the same
shall betray me.
The reference to ‘dipping in the dish’ likely referred to
dipping bread (as a sop) into a bowl of broth. All at the table
would do so for that was a typical table custom of that day. How-
ever, Judas apparently had just done so. The word translated as
dippeth (embaptw embapto) is an aorist participle possibly
indicating Judas had just done so.
24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe
unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had
been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then
Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it
I? He said unto him, Thou has said.
As they began to eat the Passover meal, Jesus told them that
one of them would betray Him. Each asked dutifully if it was he.
Judas evidently followed course so as to conceal his identity.
Jesus indicated it would be better if His betrayer had never been
born. When Judas asked, “Is it I?,” Jesus answered, “Thou has
said.” He in effect had said ‘yes’ to Judas. But evidently the rest
of the disciples did not pick up on it.
26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and

blessed it, and break it, and give it to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is my body. Notice that before Jesus ate of the
bread, He blessed it. There is indication that we ought likewise
so to ask before we eat. As He distributed the unleavened bread
to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” It was
obvious the bread in His hand was not His literal body, but
rather a symbol of His body. The same remains true today in the
Lord’s Supper.
26:27-28 And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave
it to the disciples, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed for the many for
the remission of sins.
As Jesus drank of the fruit of the vine (there is every indi-
cation it was not fermented), He said, 28 This is my blood of the
new testament which is shed for many for the remission of
sins. Again, the reference is obviously symbolic. To this point,
no blood had been shed. Rather, the grape juice product in the
cup clearly was a symbol of His impending shed blood.
It was customary of ancient Hebrews to confirm (in modern
parlance ‘to close’) a covenant (or a testament) by the appli-
cation of blood. The words covenant and testament are both
translated from the word (diayhkh) diatheke. In the case of a
testament (a will), it became of force after the death of the
testator. This clearly is the new covenant foretold in Jeremiah
31:1 ff. Jesus’ taking of the cup clearly identified it as a symbol
of the covenant (testament) about to be entered into.
Moreover, Jesus went on to say that His blood would be
shed “for many for the remission of sins.” The word translated
as remission (afesiv aphesis) is also the basic word translated
as ‘forgiveness.’ The shed blood of Jesus Christ is the basis for
forgiveness of sin. Romans 3:24-25 indicates that Christ’s shed
blood is universal for not only the sins of the future, but also for
the collective sin prior to Calvary. It all is forgiven by faith in
Christ’s shed blood.
26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with
you in my Father’s kingdom. Jesus furthermore told His
disciples He would not again partake of the Passover supper
(drink of the fruit of the vine) until the day when He was estab-
lished in His Father’s kingdom. That promise still is on hold.
After His resurrection, we have no record of Him drinking any
fruit of the vine. However, when He returns in His glory, that
will be on the agenda. The disciples probably did not catch the
prophetic significance of that statement.
26:30 Matthew thus records, And when they had sung an

hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. It was the
custom of the Jews upon completion of the Passover supper to
sing a portion of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 115-118). These are
essentially the hallelujah (praise the Lord) psalms. Though we
are not told which psalm they sang here, no doubt one of those
mentioned above was sung. They evidently thus began a lei-
surely stroll from the city itself down across the Kidron Valley
toward the Garden of Gethsemane. It likely was at this time that
Jesus shared with His disciples what John recorded in chapters
15-17.
26:31-35 Jesus then indicated how before the night was

over, they all would be offended in Him. Then saith Jesus unto
them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for
it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered abroad. Jesus thus quoted from
Zechariah 13:7.
He continued, 32 But after I am risen again, I will go
before you into Galilee. Again, Jesus clearly implied His death
and even more clearly His resurrection. He instructed them that
He would go to Galilee then. After His resurrection, the angel at
the tomb directed the women there to remind His disciples that
He would go to Galilee. See Matthew 28:7. That evidently was
fulfilled in John 21:1-14.
Meanwhile, Peter impulsively denied he would ever be of-
fended because of Jesus. Likewise professed the rest of the
disciples. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all
men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be
offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That
this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Before the rooster would crow the next morning, Peter would
indeed have denied Him three times.
35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee,
yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
The rest of the disciples chimed in with Peter. At least Peter
followed Jesus after He was arrested. With the exception of
John, the other nine forsook Him and fled.
26:36-38 They thereupon came to the garden of Geth-

semane which literally means an ‘olive press.’ This was at the
western base of the Mount of Olives adjacent to the Kidron
Valley, just across from the Temple complex on the other side
of the valley.
Matthew records, Then cometh Jesus with them unto a
place called Gethsemane and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye
here, while I go and pray yonder. He instructed the main body
of His disciples to sit in a specific place. The word translated as
yonder (ekei ekei) has the sense of ‘there.’ However, He took
His inner circle with him (Peter, James, and John). These were
the same three on the mount of transfiguration. 37 And he took
with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be
sorrowful and very heavy.
As Jesus contemplated what lay immediately ahead, He
became sorrowful. Moreover, Matthew records how he became
very heavy. The word so translated (adhmonew ademoneo) has
the thought to be ‘troubled’ and even ‘depressed.’ As He real-
ized the focal point of His betrayal, total rejection by His own
people, and becoming sin for us who knew no sin; His humanity
could scarcely bear the load. He thus told the three at hand, 38
My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye
here, and watch with me. Again, there is a portent of His
impending crucifixion. In fact, the terrible burden upon Him
took him close to death then and there. In fact, in Luke’s
account, we are told that God sent an angel to strengthen Him.
See Luke 22:43. The disciples however evidently did not catch the
import of it. He thus instructed them to watch and wait for Him.
26:39 Notice the intensity of His prayer. And he went a

little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed. It was not on
His knees, but on His face He fell. In the frailty of His humanity,
He cried out, O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me. He knew what was just around the corner and
humanly He was not sure if He could take it. His reference to
“this cup” was a figure of speech, in this case referring to the
bitter dregs of death. Yet in His Deity, He prayed, Nevertheless
not as I will, but as thou wilt. The clear purity and holiness of
His Divine nature shined through as He yielded Himself in total
submission and obedience to the will of His heavenly Father.
26:40-41 He thus returned back the short distance to Peter

and the others and found them sleeping. And he cometh unto
the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter,
What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak. At the most crucial hour in His
eternal life, His closest associates slept.
Herein is a profound principle concerning prayer. 41 Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. As we watch,
that is, as we are mentally disciplined to focus upon that which
we ought and as we pray without ceasing, we will not enter into
temptation. Prayer has a spiritually antiseptic quality. As long
as we are in a spirit of prayer, we will not walk in the flesh.
Hence, we then are impervious to temptation. Moreover, when
we are on the line with God, the devil cant’ get through. The line
is busy.
Unfortunately, the flesh is weak though the spirit is willing.
The disciples had undergone a long day. It now in all likelihood
was late at night. They couldn’t keep their eyes open. Though
just hours before they had professed their allegiance to Jesus in
spirit, in their flesh, they couldn’t stay awake.
26:42-43 Jesus again returned to effectual, fervent prayer

referring to what lay ahead as a cup. He went away again the
second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may
not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes
were heavy. Notice, however, the tenor of His prayer changed
from verse 39. He there asked that the cup might pass from Him.
Now, He acknowledged its inevitability and simply prayed that
God’s will be done. Again, He found them sleeping on the job.
26:44-46 A third time He prayed like unto the previous

prayer. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed
the third time, saying, the same words. 45 Then cometh he to
his disciples and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take
your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is
betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going:
behold he is at hand that doth betray me.
There now may be irony in His words. It may be Jesus im-
plied, ‘Go ahead and sleep. You have missed your opportunity
to minister to me in my hour of need. It’s too late now.’ Or, He
may have meant it as the query, ‘Sleep on and take your rest
now? Behold the hour is at hand.’ He then essentially said, ‘Get
up and let’s go. He who is going to betray me is here.’
26:47-49 As Jesus was rousing His sleepy disciples, Judas
returned. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve,
came, and with him a great multitude with swords and
staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Notice
that Judas is described as “one of the twelve.” His treachery is
all the more as we are reminded of his status as one of Jesus’
chosen and trusted disciples. He brought with him an armed
party from the Jewish authorities.
Some have presumed this group to have included borrowed
Roman soldiers and the Jewish Temple police. John 18:3 hints
at the former. See notes thereto. Curiously, the eight drowsy
disciples at the entrance to the garden evidently did not hinder
them.
Judas had previously tipped off his accomplices how he
would identify Jesus—a kiss in the dim light of night. He then
proceeded to piously, pompously, and hypocritically greet
Him. 48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying,
whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49
And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, Hail, master; and
kissed him. The word translated as hail (cairw chairo)is the
word commonly translated as ‘rejoice.’ It was an idiom for
greetings. However, the bitter irony was superseded only by the
devious hypocrisy of Judas.
The word translated as kissed (katafilew kataphileo)
has the sense of ‘tenderly kissing.’ It literally means ‘with
affection.’ What incredible, despicable duplicity. The betrayal
of Judas only reveals the utter depravity of the sinful human
heart. He categorically knew what he was doing, and he did it
anyway!
26:50 And Jesus said unto him, friend, wherefore art

thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and
took him. Jesus’ use of the word translated as friend (etairov
hetairos) is of note. It is a word of comradeship and not the
common word for friend (filov philos). It was out of character
for Jesus to be sarcastic to His disciples. Rather, even in be-
trayal, He extended kindness to His betrayer. Jesus in affect
said, ‘Why are you here?’
26:51-52 And, behold, one of them which were with

Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and
struck a servant of the high priest’s and smote off his ear. 52
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his
place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the
sword.
Though Matthew does not record who, John’s Gospel
notes that it was Peter who drew a sword and assaulted the high
priest’s servant (Malchus, according to John’s account). He
likely had a sword (or large knife) for the preparation of the
Passover meal he had made ready earlier in the evening.
It may well be that Peter had in mind to take off the fellow’s
head. When he ducked, Peter only got his ear. The weapon
involved may have been a sizeable knife (based upon the Greek
word used—macaira machaira). Such items were used in cut-
ting up the Passover lamb. And, it was not uncommon for
travelers on foot then to carry such a blade for defense against
wild animals or robbers. It probably was not a military type of
sword or comparable to carrying a gun today. But it served as a
weapon nevertheless.
Jesus gave wisdom that extends to this day. “They that take
the sword shall perish with the sword.” As a practical matter, the
carrying or possession of weapons frequently provokes lethal
force. Christians are far better served to trust the Lord to be their
shield and refuge than take matters into their own hands in
defending themselves.
26:53 As Jesus was in the process of being arrested, He thus

told Peter that if He so desired, He could request and receive
from His Father twelve legions of angels. Thinkest thou that
I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels.
The word translated as presently ( paristhmi paristemi)
does not refer to when as to what. The idea is how that God
could at that moment present to Him twelve legions of angels.
Angels probably are not organized into legions as such. How-
ever, Jesus used this Roman military term to help Peter
understand the significance of which He spoke. A Roman
legion of that day was comprised of 6,100 heavy infantrymen
and 726 cavalrymen. It would be roughly comparable to the
modern military unit referred to as a division. Twelve legions
may have been the Roman unit which might be analogous to the
modern concept of an entire army. For example in World War
II, General George Patton commanded the Third Army which
was made up of numerous divisions.
Moreover, one need only recount the might of a single
angel. During the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, one angel slew
185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (II Kings 19:35). It has
been suggested that Jesus mentioned specifically twelve
legions with the view of one legion for each of the eleven
disciples and Himself. However, there certainly is no textual
basis for that.
26:54-56 He continued, But how then shall the

scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that same
hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as
against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat
daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on
me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the
prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook
him, and fled.
Twice in these verses, Jesus referred to fulfilling Old Testa-
ment Scriptures. What seems in view is not any specific Old
Testament reference, but rather the sum total of the prophets
how that the Messiah would suffer and violently die at the hand
of His own people. No doubt Isaiah 53, portions of Zechariah,
as well as Daniel 9 were in mind. The greater thrust of His com-
ment was that Peter need not oppose His betrayal and arrest. It
was the overall fulfillment of long-prophesied Scripture.
Moreover, Jesus pungently reminded His antagonists that
He had sat in the Temple teaching throughout that very week.
Yet they made no move then. Their cowardice and duplicity
was only amplified by operating under cover of darkness. And
indeed, men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds
are evil. One of the saddest sentences in the Bible is “Then all
the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away
to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders
were assembled. Jesus was taken to the high priest’s palace
whence were gathered the scribes and elders of Israel. Though
the term Sanhedrin is not noted as such, this evidently was the
meeting of the same. (The Sanhedrin was the national council or
assembly of Israel in that day, similar perhaps to the United
States Senate and Supreme Court put together. Under the dis-
pensation of Rome, they issued the civil and religious law of the
land and served as the supreme court as well.) Matthew’s
account implies that they were already waiting for the arrival of
Jesus. They undoubtedly had been made aware of Judas’ plans
for betrayal. They represented the highest level of official
Israel.
They thus, holding proceedings in the darkness of night and
the wee hours thereof, only portrayed the sinister nature of their
motives. By the time most of the city had arisen and began their
morning the next day, Jesus had been arrested, tried, convicted,
and was on His way to the cross. The term kangaroo court never
was more apropos.
26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high
priest’s palace and went in, and sat with the servants, to see
the end. The residence of Caiaphas has been uncovered in
modern east Jerusalem by archaeologists. It was built upon a
steep hillside overlooking the Kidron Valley to the east. In col-
lating other references to Peter’s half-hearted following, there is
an antithetical illustration of Psalm 1:1 of walking with the
ungodly, standing in the way of sinners, and finally sitting in the
seat of the scornful. He surely was not blessed in his deed.
26:59-62 As often is the case, malfeasance is nurtured by

deceit. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council,
sought false witnesses against Jesus, to put him to death; 60
But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet
found they none. At the last came two false witnesses.
It should be recalled it was the middle of the night. No
wonder they had trouble finding someone to cooperate in
perjurious testimony. Though the ninth commandment was to
not bear false witness, the spiritual leaders of the land sought
exactly that. Yet, they could find none. It is of note that they had
already determined their goal and verdict. They sought “to put
him to death” before they even began their crooked proceedings.
Finally, in the middle of the night, they found two characters
who twisted the context of a statement Jesus had made three years
earlier recorded in John 2:19-22. These claimed, 61 This fellow said,
I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three
days. (There, His intent was that His body would be destroyed and
raised three days later. It was and He did.) The high priest thus
pressed Him, in affect asking, ‘What about that???’ 62 And the high
priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What
is it which these witness against thee?
26:63-64 He did not dignify their diatribe with a reply. But

Jesus held his peace. He stood in the dignity of silence. In
pompous exasperation, the high priest, in affect, told Jesus he
was placing Him under oath. And the high priest answered
and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou
tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
When the high priest said, I adjure thee by the living God,
he in effect put Jesus under oath. The fact that Jesus answered
negates the position that a Christian ought not take an oath in a
court of law.
To ignore that question would be tantamount to denying it.
Therefore, Jesus replied, 64 Thou hast said. That phrase
essentially means, ‘you said it.’ It was an affirmative to the
question without answering in the first person. Jesus then deliv-
ered His coup de grâce. Nevertheless I say unto you, Here-
after shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Not only was He the Messiah, the Son of God, but the day
was coming when He would return with the authority of the
right hand of God in the clouds of heaven. Clearly implied was
His Deity, His royalty, and His power. Moreover, there is
definite allusion to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13, both bespeak-
ing His royal Deity. Curiously, Jesus chose to refer to Himself
one final time as the Son of man. His earthly humanity was
about to cease. It was the last time He used the term prior to His
death. As the God-man, He was about to make His great
redemptive sacrifice.
26:65-66 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying,

He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of
witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66
What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of
death. Their legal prejudice now had a shred of legitimacy.
They could accuse Him of blasphemy. He had thus ascribed
Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. They could justify their
action with that.
Whereupon, their fore-concluded judgement was given.
“He is guilty of death.” The rending of clothes by the high priest
was the Jewish custom to show abhorrence to the hearing of
blasphemy. He thus signaled to his cohorts how they should
react. Jesus was convicted for stating the truth.
26:67-68 Whereupon the doctors of divinity, the spiritual

leaders of God’s chosen nation (with kangaroo court in ses-
sion), began to instigate the most base form of human
indecency. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him;
and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68
saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote
thee?
There are few insults lower than spitting in another’s face.
Moreover, these were the august leaders of the nation acting so
intemperately. Few courts of the vilest of godless nations stoop
to such judicial indiscretion. Their bitter hatred, jealousy, and
vindictive spirit became evident as they sarcastically urged Him
to prophecy, “Who is he that smote thee?” There seems to be
evidence of demonic maliciousness in their malevolent glee. It
all was done under the power of darkness in the middle of the
night when Satan’s power is greatest. They thus reacted in the
most base ignominy of human depravity.
26:69-74 The bitter and ironic antithesis of Psalm 1:1 is

found here. Now Peter sat without in the palace. It should be
recalled that the word translated as palace (aulh aulé), in this
context, most likely refers to the courtyard just adjacent to the
residence.
And a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also was
with Jesus of Nazareth. 70 But he denied before them all,
saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was
gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said
unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus
of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not
know the man.
This time, Peter not only denied Jesus again, but did so with
an oath. Moreover, he referred to him as only ‘the man.’ 73 And
after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to
Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech
bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear,
saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock
crew.
Peter on three occasions denied his Lord, even cursing as he
did so. In modern vernacular, his reply is verse 70 might be, ‘I
don’t know what you are talking about!’ Likewise in verse 72,
he in effect said, ‘By blank, I don’t know the guy!’ Finally in
verse 74, it might be paraphrased, ‘Blankety-blank, I said, I
don’t know the guy!’ And immediately the rooster crowed.
The matter about Peter’s speech may be a reference to the
way Galileans pronounced words or it may be a reference to his
local accent. Galilean dialect slurred their gutturals. In any
event, Peter’s speech patterns betrayed his origins and hence his
association with Jesus.
26:75 Perhaps the Holy Spirit pointedly brought to Peter’s

mind what Jesus had said the night before. And Peter remem-
bered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the
cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. With that
remembrance, Peter’s heart was pierced. And he went out, and
wept bitterly. What a painful memory Peter would bear the rest
of his life. In his Lord’s hour of crisis, he had not only failed
Him, but denied him in foul fashion. See Matthew 10:33.
*****
Overview of Matthew 27: The charade of the trial of our
Lord continues with Jesus being delivered to Pilate and the Ro-
man authorities. As a politician, Pilate waffled, trying to
appease the larger constituency. When he discerned Jesus had
no backers, he washed his hands of Him and granted the desire
of the Jewish leaders to crucify Him. Also included is the par-
enthetical thought of Judas’ shallow remorse and suicide.
The mid-section of Matthew 27 contains the climatic events
of the actual crucifixion, the focal point of the ages. Here, in
majestic pathos, we read of the awesome death of the King of
kings, our Creator, God’s Son. He had come unto His own, and
truly, His own received Him not.
The final portion of Matthew 27 details the events which
took place at the time of Jesus’ death and immediately there-
after. This includes the veil being rent, the resurrection of Old
Testament saints, the proclamation and possible conversion of
the centurion, the burial of Jesus, and the guard set by the
authorities.
27:1 Matthew continues, When the morning was come,

all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel
against Jesus to put him to death. The fact the proceedings
had taken place during the night established the illegality of it
all. Hands which shed innocent blood are not only unlawful, but
also something that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). Their bitter
envy and hatred brought forth its cruel fruit. They thus took
counsel against Jesus to put him to death. The early-morning
meeting evidently was a formality to cover the illegal trial
during the night.
27:2 All they had done had been a farce for only Rome held
the power of death. But they evidently had enjoyed their lording
of authority over Jesus. Therefore, when they had bound him,
they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the
governor. Mention is again made of Jesus being bound as He
was taken to Pilate. The Lord of Glory was treated as a base
criminal, further humiliating Him.
It is worth noting that though the Sanhedrin was more than
willing to be roused out of bed in the middle of the night, Pilate
likely did not share that zeal. In all likelihood, the Jewish
leadership showed up at Pilate’s doorstep at about six o’ clock
in the morning. The Jews had no regard for Pilate. His affections
for them were the same.
As governor (procurator) of Judea, Pilate normally lived at
Caesarea. However, when in Jerusalem, he resided at the
fortress Antonio which was adjacent to the Temple complex.
The Jewish leadership evidently stood outside his residence in
a public courtyard, not wanting to defile themselves at the
beginning of the high holy season by entering into the precincts
of a gentile.
27:3 Matthew now shifts his focus to Judas Iscariot. Then

Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty
pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. Apparently the
gravity of what he had done began to sink in. Judas therefore
repented himself.
The word so translated (metamelomai metamellomai) has
the sense of ‘sorrow.’ However, the sorrow of Judas was not
godly sorrow as in II Corinthians 7:8. Judas did not repent in the
sense of turning from his sin and turning unto God in contrition,
begging God’s mercy. Rather, he was only sorry when he
realized the jam he was in. Such repentance is not unto sal-
vation. He thus returned the blood money which was the price
of a slave.
27:4 Judas’ confession of guilt was not to God nor to Jesus,

but only to his co-conspirators. He lamented, I have sinned in
that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said,
What is that to us? See thou to that. He perhaps little realized
the significance in his description of Jesus’ blood as innocent,
for indeed it was sinless. They really did not care. Their reply,
“What is that to us,” might be akin to the modern, colloquial
phrase ‘Big deal,’ or, ‘So what? The phrase “See thou to that”
might find modern equivalent in the colloquial phrase ‘That’s
your problem.’
27:5-6 Judas’ suicide showed the bitter emptiness and hope-

lessness of one betraying his Maker. He thus cast down the
pieces of silver in the temple, and departed and went and
hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver
pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the
treasury, because it is the price of blood.
The pompous and pious priests, who had no problem in
murdering the innocent, once again begin to split hairs over the
legality of where to deposit the money. The word used for
treasury here is (korban) korban. It is the same word of which
hypocritical religious leaders would deprive an elderly parent to
curry political favor in giving to the treasury. See Mark 7:11.
The thought likely was a rabbinical tradition based upon Deu-
teronomy 23:18 ff. However, the focus there is not upon blood
money, but upon other ill-gotten gain.
27:7-8 They thus took counsel, and brought with them the
potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was
called, The field of blood unto this day. The significance of the
“potters field” is not known. It may have been a clay field not well
suited for raising crops but suitable for making pottery. It may have
been a place where a potter dumped his potsherds (broken pottery)
thus making it of small value. But they evidently bought this ground
upon which to bury Judas and other indigents. It has come to be
otherwise known as the field of blood.
27:9-10 The Old Testament passage quoted here probably
is from Jeremiah 18-19 though it also closely parallels Zech-
ariah 11:12-13. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by
Jeremy the prophet saying, And they took the thirty pieces
of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the
children of Israel did value; 10 And gave them for the
potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. There also is even
more notable similarity found in Zechariah 11:12-13. The
reason for the evident disparity was the custom of some New
Testament writers of only making mention of the major prophet
when a quotation was taken from both a major and minor
prophet.
27:11 The scene now returns to Jesus before Pilate. And

Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked
him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said
unto him, Thou sayest. Pilate here is called “the governor.”
His actual title was Legatus Ceasaris, and specifically procur-
ator. Minor Roman provinces such as Judea were ruled by a
procurator. More significant provinces such as Syria were ruled
by a propraetor and senatorial provinces such as Achaia by a
proconsul. In any event, Pilate, though the highest ranking
Roman officer in Judea, was not a high-echelon Roman ruler in
the greater scheme of Roman government.
He evidently had some foreknowledge of Jesus for the first
thing he asked Him was, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” Such
a question was serious in that it implied a potential threat to
Roman rule. Moreover, the Romans knew they were not pop-
ular in that part of the world. Rebellions against Roman
authority were not uncommon. Jesus’ cryptic answer, “Thou
sayest,” would be similar to answering, ‘You said it.’
27:12 When accused further by His Jewish antagonists,

again He remained silent. See I Peter 2:23. And when he was
accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered
nothing.
27:13-14 As Pilate thus furthered questioned Him, Jesus

maintained a silent dignity. Then said Pilate unto him, Hear-
est thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14
And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the
governor marvelled greatly. Jesus patiently ignored their
interrogation, looking silently to the cross which lie directly
ahead. Jesus’ life was on the line. Pilate knew that. Jesus knew
that. His serenity amazed Pilate, yet he was strange-ly
impressed.
27:15-18 There evidently had been a custom during that era

for the Roman governor to release a prisoner to the Jews as a
gesture of good will at the feast of Passover. Now at that feast
the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner,
whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner,
called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered
together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release
unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18 For
he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
Pilate, realizing that whoever Jesus was, knew He was no
threat to Rome or otherwise guilty of death. He hoped to find an
easy way out. Maybe they would opt for Jesus. He therefore
asked, “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or
Jesus which is called Christ?” Luke’s account points out that
Barabbas was in prison for murder and insurrection. He may
have been part of a plot against Rome. He likely therefore was
popular amongst the Jews who otherwise hated the Romans. If
not plotting sedition or tax rebellion against Rome, he at least
was a Robin-Hood type of character to the Jewish populace.
It is of note that Pilate here referred to Jesus as the Christ.
He evidently understood the implications of the term and its
political overtones. Pilate also discerned the real reason Jesus
was before him. It was the envy of the Jewish religious leaders
toward Jesus that prompted their vehement hatred of Him. That
was the unvarnished truth and Pilate saw right through their
pretentious allegations. The hatred by official Israel of Jesus
was motivated by nothing more base than envy and jealousy.
27:19 Meanwhile, Pilate received another distraction. His

wife sent word of a dream she had had that night, warning him
to have nothing to do with Jesus. When he was set down on the
judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, have thou
nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many
things this day in a dream because of him. How or why she
dreamed such a dream is not disclosed. It could be that God so
warned her. It may have been the evil one.
She realized from her dream that Jesus was a “just man.”
She perceived that to condemn Him would bode ill for her
husband. Of further interest is that the word translated as judg-
ment seat is (bhma) bema which literally means a raised
platform whence a judge sits. It is the same word used referring
to the Judgment Seat of Christ. Though Pilate was inclined to
release Jesus, now his wife’s foreboding dream added super-
stitious fear to the mixture. Her advice apparently was, ‘steer clear
of Him. Have nothing to do with Him. Avoid contact with Him.’
27:20-21 Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders had

stirred up the local populace to rail against Jesus. But the chief
priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should
ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 And the governor
answered and said them, Whether of the twain will ye that
I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
The city by now was coming to life. The official leadership
of the nation, in a frenetic exercise of political grass-root efforts,
convinced the common people to vote for Barabbas and against
Jesus. Thus, when Pilate did his public opinion poll, simply
asking the throngs below whom he should release, they roared
back, Barabbas.
27:22-23 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with

Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be
crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he
done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
No doubt many of the same people who had welcomed His
triumphal entry into the city on Sunday of that same week now cried,
“Let him be crucified.” How fickle is popular opinion. The leaders-
hip had done their political work well. Not only had they coached the
people to clamor for Barabbas’ release, they had been instructed to
demand that Jesus be crucified.
It is apparent that Pilate was inclined to release Jesus.
Though he certainly had few scruples, he seemed to have at
least the common decency to not execute an innocent man.
However, he was foremost a politician and a spineless one at
that. His primary concern was to keep the majority of the local
Jewish population pacified. Though he was an appointed Ro-
man official, not liable to popular election, nevertheless,
keeping the public happy was to his personal advantage.
As a career officer of Rome, Pilate undoubtedly aspired to
a more substantial appointment than the backwater province of
Judea. If there were political unrest and uproars during his
watch, it would be a negative on his résumé. Moreover, Roman
interests concerning its conquered territories was to maintain
tranquility and political stability. Thus, a governor who kept his
province stable and pacified would in due season be promoted
to a more favorable position. All of this undoubtedly was in the
back of Pilate’s mind as he deliberated over Jesus.
27:24 However, when Pilate saw that he could prevail

nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water,
and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am
innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. In one of
the greatest acts of cowardice of all time, rather than dealing
justly, Pilate simply, literally, and visibly washed his hands of
the whole affair.
He cravenly said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just
person: see ye to it.” In so doing, he clearly admitted the in-
nocence of Jesus. He acknowledged Him as just which was the
Roman equivalent of innocent of charges. He therefore
enjoined the Jewish nation to take note of his determination.
Yet by the same token, he in effect told them to go ahead and do
with Jesus as they wished. In the consummate act of moral cow-
ardice of the ages, Pilate washed his hands of Jesus.
27:25 In one of the fateful statements of all time, the Jews

called condemnation down upon their own heads. Then an-
swered all the people, and said, His blood be on us and on
our children. Little did they realize what they had invoked
upon themselves. A generation later, that condemnation fell
beginning with the wrath of Titus against Jerusalem and the
ensuing depopulation of Jews from their land—until the
twentieth century. During Titus’ siege and invasion of Jeru-
salem, Josephus records the carnage that may have included as
many as one million Jews being slaughtered, the temple de-
stroyed, and the city obliterated. Indeed, the guilt of their
rejection of Christ fell certainly upon their children.
27:26 The pre-crucifixion ordeal thus began. Then re-

leased he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged
Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. It was a common
practice before a Roman crucifixion for the victim to be
scourged. The victim was typically stripped naked. A cat o’ nine
tails was procured which was a whip of nine leathern fingers
whence sharp implements were embedded at the end of each
finger. The Romans were not constrained by the Jew’s limit of
forty blows. The furry of the whip could literally disembowel a
man as the fingers of it wrapped around his abdomen. It cer-
tainly flayed his back and left deep stripes of shredded flesh.
(See Isaiah 53:5-6 and I Peter 2:24.) It was not difficult for a
Roman scourging to kill the victim. Therefore, some care was
exercised so as to not finish the victim before the actual
crucifixion. It was altogether a horrible prelude to what would
soon follow.
27:27-29 Thereafter, the solders of the governor took

Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the
whole band of soldiers. The “common hall,” or praetorium,
was a part of the greater fortress of Antonio adjacent to the
Temple. Evidently, the several soldiers who had custody of
Jesus at His scourging now roused the entire military unit
garrisoned at Jerusalem to entertain themselves with Jesus.
They thus 28 stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it
upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed
the knee before him, and mocked him saying, Hail, King of
the Jews!
To add insult to injury, the assembled Roman soldiers
began to amuse themselves by mocking Him. As He stood there
bleeding and naked, they placed upon Him a “scarlet robe.”
Scarlet or purple capes were common Roman garments which
were reserved for those of high rank. The word translated as
robe (clamuv chlamus) actually refers to a short cape or cloak
worn by Roman officers that usually came only to the waist.
They further fashioned a crown of Judean thorns and impressed
it upon his skull, no doubt further wounding Him.
There He stood partially naked, with perhaps a worn-out,
regal cape hanging to his waist, and a fake crown upon His head.
He thus stood and bled as they mocked on. They were aware
that the charge for which He would be officially crucified was
that He was the King of the Jews. They thus laughed all the
more, not only at the wretched spectacle they had made of Him,
but also in mockery of the Jewish nation. The travesty of the
ages was under way. Satan and his minions no doubt reveled in
empathic glee as they influenced His tormentors to do even
worse.
27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and
smote him on the head. If the mockery were not enough, they
spat upon him. Few gestures of human behavior are more
insulting and despicable than to spit upon another. The reed
mentioned probably was a bamboo-type of rod with which they
beat him on the head. By the time that Jesus got to the cross, “his
visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more
than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). He had been so abused and
demonically tortured, He no longer appeared to have a human
face. But He willingly suffered such torture for us.
27:31-32 Therefore, after that they had mocked him,

they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on
him, and led him away to crucify him. He thus was reclothed
with His own garments and was led away to be crucified. Evi-
dently weakened by the ordeal of Gethsemane, a sleepless
night, the recent scourging, and now the weight of the cross; He
evidently could not bear its load. None of the gospels actually
mention Him faltering beneath its weight. However, that has
been the traditional understanding.
Therefore, 32 as they came out, they found a man of
Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his
cross. The mention of ‘coming out’ likely refers to the cruci-
fixion party exiting the gates of the city. They very well may
have come through the Damascus gate in the northern wall of
the city, not far from Golgotha. Thus, Romans impressed the
services of a passing man of Cyrene named Simon to bear that
old rugged cross. We know little more of Simon other than he
was from Libya (Cyrene). He likely may have been a Jew visit-
ing Jerusalem in as much as his name was Simon. But he
undertook the great privilege of bearing the cross of the King of
Glory. What an eternal blessing.
27:33 And when they were come unto a place called

Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull. The word Golgotha
is Aramaic which was a language quite similar to Hebrew and
was the common tongue of the Middle East in the first century.
The English word Calvary (which appears only once in the
Bible in Luke’s account) derives from the Latin word calvariae
which was translated from the Greek word kranion. It is whence
the English word cranium derives. In each case, they all refer to
the human skull. Golgotha, or Calvary, was evidently so called
because the formation of the rock out-cropping resembled the
form of a human skull. A human skull frequently being a sym-
bol of death, Calvary was an ironic place for the death of the
Creator of life. That rock outcropping exists to this day in
Jerusalem.
27:34 Prior to Jesus being lifted up on the cross, an attempt

was made to give him a drink of vinegar or sour wine. They
gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he
had tasted thereof, he would not drink. Mark’s account
specifies myrrh rather than gall. In fact, both additives may have
been involved. In any event, the myrrh gave the sour wine a
better taste and, in addition to the alcohol probably present, had
a narcotic effect intended to stupefy the victim.
Yet, when Jesus realized what was being offered to him, He
refused it. He no doubt desired to drink to the full the cup from
His Father. See John 18:11. The Romans may have offered this
to their victims to temporarily stupefy them while they went
about the grisly task of actually nailing them to the cross and
setting it up thereafter. A doped victim would thus ease their
ugly task.
27:35 The horrible, Roman crucifixion therefore actually

began. It has been likened to dying a thousand deaths. And they
crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They
parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did
they cast lots.
In a typical Roman crucifixion, the victim died somewhere
between 24 to 72 hours later. The cause of death usually was
from exhaustion, exposure, infection from the wounds, and
tetanus which set in from the rusty nails. As the victim and cross
was lifted up, it was then allowed to violently drop into its
prepared hole before being shored up to a near-vertical position.
The impact of the cross hitting the bottom of its hole usually
caused the major bones of the body to be jerked out of joint. (See
Psalm 22:14.) The victim thus was forced to breathe by forcing
himself against his outstretched legs. The diaphragm muscles
could not work properly due to the arm and shoulder dis-
locations. In some crucifixions, the Romans would affix a
pointed peg in the cross where the small of the back would rest,
thus gouging the back as the victim lifted up to breathe.
As the heat of the middle-eastern sun began to beat upon the
victim, delirium would set in. Moreover, as tetanus from the
puncture wounds began to work, the victim would go into
convulsions, further exacerbating his wounded back and the
various distended and dislocated joints. Dehydration, insect
bites, pounding headaches, nausea, and taunts from the exe-
cutioners only added to the horrendous torture of it all. Our Lord
likely suffered much of this agony.
Meanwhile, the callous Roman soldiers gambled nearby
over his clothing. (Implied is that Jesus was crucified if not
totally naked, nearly so. What ignominy and embarrassment
that added to the physical torture.) In so doing, the solders
fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 22:18 pertaining to Christ’s
death.
27:36 If torturing their victim and then casually gambling

over His garments were not crass enough; they then sat down to
watch their deed making it, in effect, a spectator event. And
sitting down they watched him there.
27:37 It was a Roman custom to make public the name,

address, and crimes of which the convicted had been charged.
This was written on a placard and was carried before the victim
or hung around his neck. In this case, it was fastened above His
sacred head upon the cross. Matthew thus records how they set
up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS
THE KING OF THE JEWS.
In each of the gospel accounts, the rendition is slightly
different. However, these do not contradict each other, rather
complement. Each gospel account gave a partial version of the
whole. Though no doubt sarcasm and mockery were intended,
the statement was ironically precise and true. For indeed, Jesus
is “the King of the Jews.” Only John’s account points out that
the announcement was in three languages—Latin for legal
purposes, Hebrew for the Jew, and Greek for anyone else.
27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him,

one on the right hand, and another on the left. The two
thieves mentioned may have been members of Barabbas band
upon whose cross Jesus now hung. Truly, Jesus died as the Just
in place of the unjust.
27:39 Matthew continues, And they that passed by

reviled him, wagging their heads. The word translated as
wagging (kinew kineo) most likely was not a horizontal move-
ment as we might think. It rather was the vertical nodding which
was the custom of Jews in prayer. However, here it clearly was
in mockery. This, no doubt, is a fulfillment of Psalm 22:7,8,11-
13; 109:25. It is ironic that orthodox Jews to this day still bob
their heads while they pray. However, it here clearly was done
in utter mockery of Jesus.
27:40 The mockery continued in verbal form. They thus

said, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three
days, save thyself. His antagonists referred back to the incident
of John 2:18-21. However, Jesus then described how He would
arise from the dead in three days. They accordingly mocked
Him further by urging Him to save Himself.
Moreover, they continued, If thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross. There no doubt is parallel with
Satan’s temptation of Jesus early in His ministry (Matthew 4:3).
He then sought to cause Jesus to doubt His identity. The devil
egged on Jesus’ antagonists as they thus threw this at Jesus.
Furthermore, their urging Him to come down from the cross
clearly was intended as a taunt. It only revealed the depth of
human depravity as the Savior of the world was at that moment
dying for their very sins.
27:41-43 The varying members of the Sanhedrin present

likewise took their turns taunting and mocking Him. Likewise
also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and
elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he
be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God: let him
deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the
Son of God.
What degenerate evil spewed forth from the mouths of
these religious leaders! Truly, out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh. There is an evident depraved glee as they
threw back at Him elements from His own ministry. They were
almost like unto demons dancing in glee beneath His cross. No
doubt the foul sarcasms and mockery were inspired in hell and
found receptive minds in those Christ-hating Jewish leaders.
“He saved others; himself he cannot save.” Their taunt was
ironically true. If He had saved Himself, He could have saved no
one. To their claim, if He came down from the cross they would
believe, they themselves showed their duplicity. For when
Jesus in fact did come down in the form of His resurrection three
days later, they refused to believe and did all they could to cover
it up.
They further mocked and sneered at Him by misquoting
Psalm 22:8. Continuing, they added further invective by imply-
ing that even God would not have Him now. It is noteworthy
that it was primarily the Jewish religious leadership which so
viciously taunted and mocked Him. Indeed, He came unto His
own and His own received Him not. Official Israel had
altogether and inexorably rejected their King.
27:44 Initially, even the two thieves also, which were

crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. The
vehemence and intensity of their hatred is sensed in this phrase.
However, one of them evidently repented and trusted Jesus as
he watched the events unfold according to Luke’s account.
27:45 Matthew thus notes, Now from the sixth hour there
was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. The sixth
hour mentioned is a reference to Jewish time. Their day began
at 6 a.m. (The Roman day, upon which our western time is
based, began at midnight.) Therefore, the darkness referred to
here began at noon and stretched to three o’ clock in the after-
noon. It is the opinion of this writer that the darkness was more
than just a heavy overcast. Rather, the sun itself could not bear
to shine upon its Creator and cast its burning, midday rays upon
His naked body. No doubt, God the Father so showed mercy
upon His Son in darkening the sun’s heat that fateful afternoon.
27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani? That is to say, My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Thus at about
three in the afternoon that momentous day, Jesus cried out “Eli,
Eli, lama Sabachthani?” This was a quotation from Psalm 22:1.
The translation thereof is provided at the end of the verse.
The despair and anguish of our Lord clearly is revealed in
its deep pathos. As our Savior became sin for us who knew no
sin and the iniquity of us all was laid upon Him, God could no
longer look upon Him. The prophet Habakkuk had centuries
earlier cried out, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and
canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13). On that dreadful
day and hour, God could no longer even look upon His only
begotten Son. Indeed, for that short time, God in fact forsook
Him. It broke the holy and tender heart of Jesus. He thus hung
between heaven and earth, rejected by His own people and
forsaken of His Heavenly Father. If that were not all, the sin of
the world had been placed upon Him and He bore that awful
burden as He suffered and died.
27:47-49 And some of them that stood there, when they

heard that said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway
one of them ran, and took a spunge, an filled it with vinegar,
and put it upon a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said,
Let ve, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Some
misunderstood Him and thought he was calling for Elijah. One
kind bystander, in pity, offered Him vinegar upon a sponge for
He had cried, “I thirst” (John 19:28). He evidently accepted this
offer. The rest, however, still in mocking unbelief decided to
see if Elijah would show up to save Him.
27:50 Therefore, Jesus, when he had cried again with a
loud voice, yielded up the ghost. We are not told in Matthew’s
account what Jesus said here. It may have been His quotation
from Psalm 31:5 as given in Luke 23:46, “Father, into thy hands
I commend my spirit.” Or, it may have been His cry, “It is
finished,” as recorded in John 19:30. It may have also been a
loud cry of intense pain as His physical heart ruptured and broke
from the intensity of the spiritual burden He suffered.
Psalm 69:20 seems to foretell that the Messiah’s actual
cause of death was that of a broken heart. All the forensic
evidence which may be gleaned from the gospel accounts clear-
ly points to the pathology of a heart ruptured by grief. If that be
the case, His final cry on the cross may have been one of great
pain as His heart ruptured and He expired.
27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in

twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent. As the Son of God died, God sent forth a
number of very graphic signs. Perhaps most indicative was the
rending of the veil. In the Temple, as prescribed by the law of
Moses, a heavy veil hung between the larger room called the
holy place and the smaller holy of holies. The priests went into
the holy place daily, but only once a year was the high priest
allowed in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. The veil
was the barrier separating the priest from the Shekinah glory,
the earthly presence of God upon the mercy seat in the holy of
holies.
The veil itself was a massive curtain thought to have been
60 feet high and thirty feet wide. It has been estimated to have
been as much as four inches in thickness. Its weight was
immense and the force necessary to rip it must likewise have
been tremendous. When it was rent, it was from the top indi-
cating no human participation. The only other possibility is that
God did it, which indeed He did.
The significance of the rending of the veil was profound.
Not only had the practical, internal workings of the Temple
been rendered inoperative—the holy of holies was now expos-
ed, God clearly indicated His blessing and work had been
removed from the Temple. No longer, even in theory, did the
earthly presence of God, the Shekinah Glory, dwell amongst
men. Therefore, all of the sacrifices of the Temple were now
irrelevant.
More importantly, as the book of Hebrews makes plain,
God’s entire plan and agenda for mankind had changed. The
law had been fulfilled. The ultimate sacrifice for sin had been
made. The entire system of Old Testament sacrifices, along
with its priesthood, Temple, and laws had been superseded. A
new dispensation, a new ministry, a new body, and a new cov-
enant were at hand. See Hebrews 10:19-20.
Such momentous events, the focal point of history, were
accompanied by suitable signs in nature. “The earth did quake,
and the rocks rent.” The word translated as rent (scizw
schidzo) has the sense of splitting. Probably what is referred to
is that natural rock formations split from the powerful
earthquake. As the Creator died, the creation literally and phys-
ically shook.
27:52-53 Moreover, graves were opened; and many

bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the
graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city,
and appeared unto many. As the earth shook, not only were
graves broken open, there was a resurrection of saints already
deceased. The word translated as saints (agiov hagios) literally
means ‘holy ones.’
These no doubt were redeemed people from Old Testament
times whom God miraculously brought forth after Jesus’ resur-
rection. Jesus indeed was the first of the resurrection. That these
Old Testament saints were resurrected from Paradise and
allowed to enter Jerusalem is clear. What is totally unclear is
what happened to them thereafter.
There is no indication in the Scripture they subsequently
died again. And indeed if they were given a glorified body, that
would be impossible. It may be, they went with Jesus into
heaven when He ascended on high according to Ephesians 4:8-
10. This is truly one of the mysteries in the New Testament.
In any event, these resurrected saints “went into the holy
city, and appeared unto many.” God again provided visible in-
dication of the momentous nature of what had just taken place.
27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with
him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things
that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was
the Son of God. The centurion mentioned evidently was the
officer over the contingent of Roman soldiers assigned to the
crucifixion. Tradition says his name was Petronius. He was an
eyewitness to the events at Calvary both prior to and after the
crucifixion of Jesus. He may have been present for the
proceedings against Jesus before Pilate. He therefore heard
Jesus’ acknowledgment of being the Son of God.
As they witnessed the earthquake, the darkening of the sun,
and the related events; the confession was made, “Truly this
was the Son of God.” It has been considered that this Roman
may have in fact been thus saved, confessing with his mouth the
Lord Jesus. If that be so, then not only the thief on the cross, but
he also came under the convicting power of the cross. The
power of the cross had thus already begun to work.
27:55-56 As these climactic events came to their

culmination, many of the believing women who had followed
from Galilee beheld these events from a distance. And many
women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus
from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56 Among which was
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and
Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
It is noteworthy that the male disciples had largely forsaken
Jesus and fled. However, a number of noble godly women
stayed until the bitter end. Those named are Mary Magdalene
(Mary of Magdala), Mary the mother of James and Joses. (This
very well may have been Jesus’ mother for two of His brothers
were named James and Joses. See Mark 6:3). Also, the mother
of Zebedee’s children (John and James) usually identified as
Salome was present. See Mark 15:40. These may have lingered
to stand with Jesus’ mother and mourn with her. This small
loyal band of noble women stood as the saddest of tragedies was
fulfilled. What an awful sight it must have been to see the Son
of God hanging dead upon the cross.
27:57-61 When the even was come, there came a rich

man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was
Jesus’ disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of
Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth. 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which
he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to
the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61 And there was
Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against
the sepulchre.
The evening of the crucifixion, a wealthy member of the
Sanhedrin named Joseph of Arimathaea requested from Pilate
the privilege of burying Jesus. We are told that he was a disciple
of Jesus, but according to John, a secret one. He, along with Nic-
odemus, proceeded to bury the body according to Jewish
custom.
The Jews of the day would typically wrap a body in linen
and then tightly wind cloth strips around the linen-clad body
almost in a mummy-like fashion. This is significant. It would be
impossible for even a healthy man to escape from such
confinement. Yet, when Jesus arose, His departure was so sub-
lime that even the confining grave linens were left intact like a
cocoon.
The stone rolled against the door of the tomb, no doubt, was
massive. The design of Jewish tombs was such that a circular
gravestone was placed in an carved track which inclined down-
ward. To remove the stone door would require rolling it uphill,
a very difficult feat designed to prevent grave tampering.
Once again, it was the godly women who sat to watch the
tomb. Significant is the fact that they clearly saw the dead body
of Jesus prepared for burial as well as exactly where He was
buried. The validity of the resurrection is predicated upon the
verified death of Jesus. These women provided multiple wit-
nesses to the death and precise burial place of Jesus. On the
resurrection day, three mornings hence, they also knew the right
tomb for they had witnessed Jesus’ burial.
27:62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the
preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together
unto Pilate. If we maintain that Jesus was crucified prior to
Friday of that week, “the next day” probably was in fact Friday.
The day of preparation evidently was in preparation for the feast
of Unleavened Bread. It evidently began on Friday on that year.
That day, members of the Sanhedrin approached Pilate. What
further mitigates against a Friday crucifixion is that these
Jewish religious leaders, meticulous about observing the Sab-
bath (especially the Pharisees), would not undertake such an
odious task as approaching the pagan, gentile ruler, Pilate, on
the Sabbath day. This however would be permissible if the cru-
cifixion was on Thursday.
27:63-64 The leadership of Israel accordingly said, Sir, we

remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
After three days I will rise again. 64 Command therefore
that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his
disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto
the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall
be worse than the first. Curiously, the disciples did not re-
member that Jesus had repeatedly forecast His resurrection, yet
His unbelieving enemies did. To the contrary, the disciples
were grief stricken and had had their dream of a political
Messiah shattered. His enemies were still afraid of the influence
of Jesus, even in death, and therefore took steps to preclude any
grave tampering. They thus sought the assistance of Rome in
guarding the grave.
27:65-66 Pilate therefore ordered the grave have the seal of

Rome placed upon it. He thus ordered, Ye have a watch: go
your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and
made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a
watch. The seal probably amounted to a cord being placed
across the tomb with a Roman wax seal placed at each end.
A Roman seal carried the authority and force of Rome. To
tamper with it could be a capital offense. Moreover, soldiers
were posted to further secure the site. The word translated as
watch (koustwdia koustodia) implied a minimum of at least
four soldiers and as many as sixteen. The likelihood was that
four were on duty during any one watch. The power and author-
ity of Rome, the most powerful government on earth to that
time, now secured the tomb of Jesus. Any departure or grave
robbing became humanly impossible.
*****
Overview of Matthew 28: The Gospel of Matthew con-

cludes in a blaze of glory as Jesus Christ is found risen from the
dead. Though His enemies sought to discredit His resurrection,
it was clear. Finally, Jesus gave charge and commission to His
disciples for the new dispensation at hand.
28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn to-

ward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Some have sought to
describe this time as Saturday evening which indeed was the
end of the Sabbath. However, the reference “as it began to
dawn” makes it clear the time is early Sunday morning. The
other Mary mentioned here probably is the same as mentioned
in 27:56 which was Mary, the mother of James and Joses.
Again, this very well may have been Jesus’ mother. See notes
for 27:56.
28:2 And behold there was a great earthquake. The lan-

guage literally is of a ‘mega seismic.’ This was no minor tremor.
Even as an earthquake marked the crucifixion of our Lord,
likewise a “great earthquake” marked His resurrection. Indeed,
in the course of history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was an
earth-shaking event.
For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and
came and rolled back the stone from the door. It likely would
have taken the assigned watch of Roman solders to roll the great
stone back up its track. Yet, one lone angel did the job effort-
lessly. It may well be that the angel did not roll back the stone for
Jesus to get out, but rather for the women, disciples, and for
everyone else to look in. It allowed the first eyewitnesses to see
for themselves that the grave was empty.
The angel thence “sat upon the stone.” The angel sitting
upon the stone conveyed a clear, though unspoken, message of
divine supremacy. He did what he had been sent to do, sat down,
relaxed, and watched the proceedings. There is an air of victory
as well as contempt for the enemies of the risen Christ.
28:3 God presented His angelic messenger in full-dress,
celestial uniform. His countenance was like lightning, and
his raiment white as snow. Imagine in the dim light of dawn
coming upon one whose face had the blinding brightness of
lightning and clothing white as fresh fallen snow.
28:4 Understandably, the Roman guards were ‘scared to

death.’ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and
became as dead men. The word translated as keepers (threw
tereo) in this context has the sense of ‘guards’ and clearly refers
to the Roman watch. The fear that causes physical shaking is a
profound. Though these pagan solders probably did not under-
stand it, they had experienced firsthand a full dose of the fear of
the Lord. Moreover, though they likely did not appreciate it at
the time, they had witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
28:5-6 Universally throughout the Scripture, when angels

in their awesome appearance appeared to godly and righteous
people, their response is the same, ‘Fear not.’ Accordingly, the
angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye.
Angels are ministering spirits to God’s people. Indeed this an-
gel had the greatest news of all time.
For I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He
is not here: for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place
where the Lord lay. Not only was Jesus Christ risen, it was as
He had said. Recall the numerous times He foretold not only
His death, but more importantly His resurrection. (See Matthew
16:21, 17:9, 20:19 et al.) A simple sermonette at this point is that
the Lord always does what He says He will do.
28:7 The first command to witness of the resurrection after

it happened is found here. And go quickly, and tell his
disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he
goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I
have told you. The women were instructed to go and tell His
disciples of the resurrection. Moreover, instructions were con-
veyed how that Jesus would meet with His disciples soon in
Galilee. Jesus in fact did appear several times to His disciples
prior to the two appearances in Galilee. However, a specific
appointment was made for any who cared to come and see Him
in Galilee, His home area.
28:8 These privileged godly women were the same who

had stood by His cross to the bitter end. Now, they were not only
allowed to be the first eyewitnesses to His resurrection, they
also were allowed to make the first announcement of His
resurrection. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre
with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples
word.
The excitement of what they had witnessed no doubt
caused the adrenaline to flow, stimulating both fear and eu-
phoria. They were thrilled to rejoicing of what they had learned.
Yet, the obvious heavenly messenger at the tomb gave pause for
fear. They therefore ran back into the city to where the disciples
were lodging. The word translated as bring word (apaggellw
apangello) has the sense in this context to ‘proclaim’ or
‘announce.’ Indeed, that they did.
28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold Jesus

met them, saying, All Hail. And they came and held him by
the feet, and worshipped him. Now, these same, faithful,
dedicated witnesses who had stood near the cross to its awful
conclusion were privileged to be the first to see their beloved,
resurrected Lord.
The word translated as All hail (cairw chairo) is most fre-
quently otherwise translated as ‘rejoice.’ (It was an idiomatic
greeting of that day.) Furthermore, it is in the imperative mode.
As Jesus met His excited, faithful servants; He in effect directed
them to rejoice. The battle was over. The victory was won.
Implied in holding Him by His feet is utter worship. They were
either utterly bowed on their knees or prostrate on their faces
altogether. Here, the women did indeed touch the body of the
resurrected Christ, clearly indicating that He was bodily resur-
rected.
28:10 Again, these godly women were enjoined to fear not.

Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my
brethren that they go in to Galilee, and there shall they see
me. It is of interest that Jesus referred to His disciples now as
brethren. See Hebrews 2:11. In a majority of the accounts of
Jesus appearing after His resurrection to His disciples, He en-
joined them to “be not afraid.”
Though both the angel and Jesus Himself gave instructions
that He would meet His disciples in Galilee, He met with the
two disciples on the road to Emmaus later that day. He met with
the ten that evening and again with the eleven a week later, still
at Jerusalem. However, He certainly did meet with them in
Galilee as noted at the end of this chapter and John 21. It may be
that when He referred to His disciples that He had the greater
body of His disciples in mind and not just the eleven.
The political environment in Jerusalem remained hostile. It
may be that Jesus wished to meet with His hundreds of true
believers in more friendly circumstances. In I Corinthians 15:6,
Paul wrote that Jesus met with more than five-hundred brethren
at once. That surely was in Galilee and not at Jerusalem.
28:11-15 Matthew now shifts the thought to the reaction of

the local authorities to Jesus’ resurrection. Now when they
were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city,
and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were
done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and
had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him
away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will
persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they took the money,
and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly
reported among the Jews until this day.
The Roman soldiers assigned to the Sanhedrin for guard
duty came and reported to their immediate superiors what had
happened. Whereupon, they were bribed to set forth the party-
line and ‘talking points’ that the disciples came and stole His
body while they slept. For decades and even centuries to come,
Jews dismissed the resurrection of Jesus Christ based on this
scurrilous disinformation.
The chief priests and members of the Sanhedrin were some
of the earliest recipients of the message of the resurrection and
they knew it was true. However, their problem was not unbelief.
Rather, it was willful disbelief. They refused to submit to the
knowledge of the truth even when confronted with it. They
chose to ignore the obvious.
It is ironic that based upon Jesus’ comments, they
anticipated He might rise from the dead. They tried to thwart
that by the Roman guards. Yet, when they were confronted with
the reality that He had indeed risen, they refused to believe it.
They had ears which would not hear and eyes which would not
see lest they should believe and be converted. The world at large
to this day remains in similar estate.
The irony of this ‘big lie’ is, how could the soldiers have
known what happened if they were sleeping? How could they
know it was the disciples who came and secretly stole his body?
Any good lawyer in a court of law would have torn their story
to shreds in cross examination.
28:16-17 As instructed, the remaining eleven met Jesus at

the appointed, unrecorded mountain in Galilee. Then the
eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain
where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw
him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. (There are at
least two times Jesus met with the disciples in Galilee, here and
also by the seashore as recorded in John 21.) This probably is
the incident to which Paul referred in I Corinthians 15:6 of more
than five-hundred brethren at once. As recorded here, some of
these initially were doubtful. But the fact that some did at first
doubt only strengthens their testimony thereafter. Even as Tho-
mas in the upper room, they were skeptical. But upon seeing
with their own eyes, they believed.
Hundreds of eyewitnesses, even some who are initially
skeptical, is overwhelming evidence. Liberals have tried to
explain away the resurrection by claiming that the disciples hal-
lucinated in their grief. But five-hundred people don’t hallu-
cinate at once. Moreover, the fact that some initially doubted
demonstrates that not all shared the same mind-set. The
recorded history of the witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus
Christ is unshakable. It is a demonstrable foundation upon
which Christianity rests and which the gates of hell cannot
shake.
28:18 Matthew thus records his version of the final in-

structions uttered by Jesus to His disciples not long before His
ascension back to glory. With the church in embryo form pre-
sent, Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. His announcement is a
proclamation of victory.
The word translated as power (exousia exousia) has the
sense of power as in ‘authority.’ He now had authority over
even death and the grave. In that meeting with His faithful
followers, He reminded them that He held all authority in
heaven and in earth. They were on the winning side. So are
God’s people to this day!
28:19-20 Prior to His ascension, Jesus issued to His assembled
disciples (more than five hundred—the embryo church) their new
standing orders. This, by extension, is the basic mission and ministry
of the church, the Great Commission.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.
In light of His resurrection and having all authority, Jesus
thus commanded them to “go ye therefore.” The actual verb
construction at this point could be more accurately translated as
‘Having gone therefore.’ Some imply the imperative is upon the
‘go.’ However, the imperative is yet to come.
The single imperative of the Great Commission is found in
“teach all nations.” The rest are subordinate clauses. The word
translated as teach (mayhteuw matheteuo) in verse 19 literally
means ‘to disciple.’ It is aorist tense, active voice, and imper-
ative in mode. The basic command of the Great Commission
therefore is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. That begins by
first making believers. The word translated as nations comes
from the Greek word (eynov) ethnos from which the English
word ethnic derives. It most frequently is translated as gentiles,
and to lessor degree people. Our commission by Jesus Christ is
to disciple all peoples of whatever ethnic origin.
Two subordinate clauses follow describing the process of
discipleship. The first is (1) “baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” A clear part of
the process of discipleship is believer’s baptism. The word
translated as baptizing (baptizw baptidzo) literally means
‘immersion.’ Furthermore, the instruction to baptize is to do so
in the name of each member of the Trinity. This does not imply
trine immersion, rather it is an acknowledgment of each Per-
sonality of the Godhead as the candidate is duly immersed.
The second subordinate clause is (2) “teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Here, a
totally different word for teaching is used (didaskw didasko).
It is the word most commonly used for ‘teaching.’ Our com-
mission of making disciples thus shifts to the ongoing process
of teaching God’s Word to young believers.
Notice also, that which is to be taught is for the believer to
“observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” The
sense is to teach believers to observe what Jesus commanded.
Implicit is the principle of obedience. Discipleship is not pri-
marily accumulating knowledge of Jesus Christ, but rather
developing obedience to His commands. Therefore, discipleship
involves not only knowledge of God’s Word, but obedience
thereto.
Our Lord thus concluded His commission with the prec-
ious promise, “And, lo I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. Amen.” The word translated as with (meta meta)
literally means ‘along side of.’ As the disciples fulfilled the go
of the Great Commission, Jesus promised He would be right
beside them—“even unto the end of the world.” The word
translated as world is (aiwn) aion. Its most basic sense is of an
‘age.’ In its greater sense, it refers to eternity. Jesus thus said, in
effect, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” He said, He
would be with us to the end of the age.
The gospel ends with the pervasive amen which means, ‘So
be it.’ And indeed, so be it!

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Understanding

Matthew through Luke

1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son

1:2-5 Matthew here begins the lineage of Christ from

1:6-11 The lineage of Christ then flows exclusively

1:12-15 The lineage of Christ then continues through the

1:16 Matthew then takes the lineage up to Joseph, the

1:17 Matthew thus sets up an interesting progression. So

1:19 Imagine the consternation and confusion that Joseph

1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the

1:22-23 Here we come to one of the many places in

Overview of Matthew 2: This familiar chapter is a major

2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea

2:2 Notice that they enquired, Where is he that is born

2:3 This was news to Herod, the powerful, surrogate ruler

2:5-6 The priest and scribes therefore informed him, In

2:7 Therefore, Herod, when he had privily called the

2:8 Herod therefore, sent them to Bethlehem, and said,

2:12 Matthew continues, And being warned of God in a

2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it

2:17-18 Nevertheless, Scripture is again fulfilled. Then

2:23 Again, prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus being brought up

3:1-2 Prior to the ministry of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist

3:3 Again, Matthew appeals to the authority of the Old

3:5 As such, John was somewhat of a curiosity. He had the

3:6 Moreover, many were baptized of him in Jordan,

3:7 Word of these unusual proceedings certainly reached

3:8 To the contrary, John’s message to them was, Bring

3:9 John continued to excoriate them. And think not to

3:10 John warned that the judgement of God was impend-

3:11 John again alludes to how his baptism was of

3:12 There is remarkable prophecy here. Whose fan is in

3:13-14 Jesus thereafter came to the Jordan River to be

3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up

3:17 God gave not only visual approval of Jesus’ baptism,

Overview of Matthew 4: The fourth chapter of Matthew

4:1 The chapter begins with Matthew noting, then was

4:2 Jesus, when he had fasted forty days and forty

4:3 Here, Satan is referred to as ‘the tempter.’ And when

4:4 Notice how Jesus deflected Satan’s attack. But he

4:5-6 Satan again tempted Jesus by taking Him to the

4:7 Jesus again quoted Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:16) to

4:8-9 The devil again tempted Christ by showing Him all

4:10 Again, Jesus parried the thrust of the devil by quoting

4:11 Accordingly, the devil leaveth him, and, behold,

4:12-13 Hearing of the persecution against John, Jesus

4:14-16 Again, Old Testament Scripture is noted as being

4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,

4:21-22 Matthew continues, And going on from thence,

4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their

4:24 Jesus’ reputation reached into the neighboring region.

4:25 Moreover, large crowds followed Him from Israel and

Overview of Matthew 5: The fifth chapter of Matthew be-

5:1-2 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a

5:3 Verses 3 through 12 are what are commonly called the

5:4 Jesus next pronounced, Blessed are they that mourn.

5:6 The fourth beatitude is, Blessed are they which do

5:7 In the fifth beatitude, Jesus noted, Blessed are the

5:9 The seventh beatitude is, Blessed are the peace-

5:10 In the eighth beatitude, Jesus noted, Blessed are they

5:11 In the ninth and final beatitude, the verb tense

5:12 To the contrary, rejoice and be exceeding glad: for

5:13 As Jesus continued with the sermon on the mount, He