The Life of Christ-pt.4
The Life of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsThis is a study which reviewsThe earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Introduction
Introduction
Review
Review
Incarnation
The reality of the incarnation is that the eternal Son of God became a temporal Son of Man.
5 Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
Jesus Christ is God, and is the Son of God.
He has always existed as God, the Son.
7 “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
He has always existed as God.
32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
But, the miracle of God is that the Son became a Man:
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
The purpose of this incarnation (becoming in the flesh) is that His body would be used as a means of becoming a sacrifice for God.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. 7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME, IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME, TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
It is important that we begin consideration of His ministry in this way, reviewing who He is.
After His baptism, Jesus introduced Himself to:
Andrew (and likely John)
35 On the next day, John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speak and followed Jesus. 38 And when Jesus turned and noticed them following, He said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
Peter
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. When Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Phillip
43 On the next day, He desired to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Nathaniel
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said about him, “Behold, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see THE HEAVENS OPENED AND THE ANGELS OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING on the Son of Man.”
He began His formal ministry in northern Israel, in Galilee.
The prophets said that He would:
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He departed into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, 15 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES— 16 THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shadow of death, The light will shine on them.
In Galilee, Jesus began preaching to the Jews:
14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15 And He was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
20 And He closed the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all were speaking well of Him and marveling at the gracious words which were coming forth from His lips, and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things, 29 and they stood up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the edge of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went on His way.
The hostility began immediately.
He left Nazareth and went to Capernaum:
31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;
He heals a demon-possessed man:
33 And in the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Let us alone! What do we have to do with You, Jesus the Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 35 But Jesus rebuked it, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm.
He continued into the countryside of Israel:
44 So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
It was here that He calls the previous men into full-time service:
9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken, 10 and James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon, were also likewise amazed. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
It was with these things that Jesus began to build more enemies:
7 And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He heals on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him.
Jesus finalizes the choosing of the Twelve:
12 Now it happened that at this time He went off to the mountain to pray, and He was spending the whole night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; 15 and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
He preaches the Sermon on the Mount:
Main points of Sermon on the Mount:
Main points of Sermon on the Mount:
Initial teaching:
Initial teaching:
Blessing:
Matthew 5:3ff.
Cursing:
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and cry. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers were doing the same things to the false prophets.
Continued teaching:
Continued teaching:
Love your enemies-vv. 27, 35
Bless and do not curse
Do not retaliate
Give generously
Be fair and loving (v.31).
Be merciful
Do not act like a judge (v.37).
Be gracious
Evaluate accurately (vv. 41-45).
Obey the Lord
Keep His Words and you will survive judgment.
46 “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who heard and did not do accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the river burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Session two:
The twelve are sent out in ministry.
Principles of ministry:
5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. 11 “And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave. 12 “Now as you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13 “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 “And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
= minister to Israel alone.
= do not see ministry as a means of personal gain.
= be discerning.
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will deliver you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 “But when they deliver you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. 20 “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 “And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 “And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23 “But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
= beware of persecution
= depend upon the Lord for the words to say.
= run from persecution, if you are able.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 27 “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 “Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
= be like your teacher.
= do not fear.
= do not be ashamed.
= family may become your enemy
= do not hold onto your life.
40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
= consider the reward
= these men represent Jesus Himself.
John the Baptist imprisoned:
18 And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?’” 21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits, and He granted sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” 24 And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and even more than a prophet. 27 “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’ 28 “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
Later, beheaded:
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they were regarding John as a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Now having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. 10 And he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.
Jesus is alone in ministry and continues to train the twelve.
Crowds chase Jesus down:
3 And He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 And the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel together with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. 7 And Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9 And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.
The Lord’s popularity grows, but not genuinely.
14 But going out, the Pharisees took counsel together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. 15 But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
It is at this point that the Lord's ministry takes a turn.
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 And all the crowds were astounded, and were saying, “Can this man really be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” 25 And knowing their thoughts He said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 “And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
The demon possessed man became the point at which the Pharisees blasphemed Jesus Christ.
The crowd began to wonder if maybe Jesus was the son of David (v.23).
In reaction, The Pharisees responded by saying Jesus is a servant of demons (v.24).
Jesus respondsI telling them that the kingdom of God has come upon them (v.28).
In actuality, the Pharisees are the ones operating by the power of Satan.
His family was even caught up in the accusation:
20 And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat a meal. 21 And when His own people heard this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 “And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 “And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27 “But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. 28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31 Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him, calling Him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” 33 And answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 35 “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
At this point, Jesus begins to teach in parables.
These parables are meant to hide the truth of the kingdom from The Pharisees and the people.
It is obvious that Satan is working pervasively in them.
Therefore, Jesus concentrates on his disciples alone.
He teaches them in parables:
Introduction
Introduction
We are studying to make sense of the world and the church.
Review pertinent passages:
Concepts important to the kingdom:
The Kingdom is for the Son.
10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
He is the Heir
He is the ruler in it.
The Kingdom is for the saints:
27 ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
They are heirs.
They are also rulers in it.
21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
The kingdom is forever
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
16 The Lord is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land.
Some who were heirs will not inherit the kingdom:
5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.
17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God,
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
So, now with that in mind, let’s consider the parables of the kingdom:
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’ 16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Notice the context:
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus healed a man whose hand was withered:
10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him.
Jesus healed a demon-possessed man:
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.
Jesus healed all from the crowds:
15 But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
The Pharisees
The Pharisees
They accuse the disciples of doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath.
2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”
They set Jesus up with a man with the withered hand.
10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse Him.
They conspire together as to how they might destroy Him!
†ἀπ-όλλυμι and ἀπολλύω, [in LXX for אבד, etc. (38 words in all)]. 1. Act., (1) to destroy utterly, destroy, kill: Mk 1:24; 9:22, al.; τ. ψυχήν, Mt 10:28, al.; (2) to lose utterly: Mt 10:42, al.; metaph., of failing to save, Jo 6:39; 18:9. 2. Mid., (1) to perish; (a) of things: Mt 5:29, Jo 6:12, He 1:11 (LXX), al.; (b) of persons: Mt 8:25, al. Metaph., of loss of eternal life, Jo 3:15, 16; 10:28; 17:12, Ro 2:12, 1 Co 8:11; 15:18, 2 Pe 3:9. In οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι, the perishing, contrasted in 1 Co 1:18, al., with οἱ σωζόμενοι, the “perfective” force of the verb, wh. “implies the completion of the process of destruction,” is illustrated (v. M, Pr., 114 f.; M, Th., ii, 2:10); (2) to be lost: Lk 15:4; 21:18. Metaph., on the basis of the relation between shepherd and flock, of spiritual destitution and alienation from God: Mt 10:6; 15:24, Lk 19:10 (MM, s.v.; DCG, i, 191 f., ii, 76, 554; Cremer, 451).
14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
The crowds
The crowds
They are drawn to Jesus because of His miracles.
15 But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all,
They are amazed at Jesus and His power to heal.
23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”
But consider:
The Pharisees were the targeted audience:
25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.
39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
The crowds were His targeted audience:
46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
What we can conclude is that the crowd was not much different than the Pharisees and scribes.
Therefore, Jesus, knowing that the crowds were being operated by the Pharisees, HAD to speak to them in parables.
1 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;
34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Eventually, Jesus left the crowds and taught His disciples privately.
36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
NOTE:
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27 “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
This gives explanation to the disciples as to what their ministries will be like, since that is what Jesus’ ministry is like.
Jesus
Parable #1 = the parable of the sower-vv. 3-9, 18-23
Parable #2 = the parable of the tares and the wheat-vv.24-30, 36-43
Parable #3 = the parable of the mustard seed-31-32
Parable #4 = the parable of the leaven-vv.33-35
Parable #5 = the parable of hidden treasure-v.44
Parable #6 = the parable of the costly pearl-vv.45-46
Parable #7 = the parable of the dragnet-vv.47-52
Parable #1 = the parable of the sower - the work of the Word
Parable #1 = the parable of the sower - the work of the Word
3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”
and:
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
Consider:
9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”
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16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Parable #2
Parable #2
24 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Parable #3
Parable #3
31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
31 Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔσπειρεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ
“Mustard seed”
20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
31 “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,
19 “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Volume 2 The Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31f.)
The point is this: despite all appearances, between the minute beginning and the grand culmination there is an organic unity (cf. Lohmeyer, Matthäus, p. 218). Indeed, the one (the tree/the eschatological climax) is an effect of the other (the seed/God’s activity in Jesus and his disciples). The end is in the beginning.
Matthew 1. The Polarization Explained: Kingdom Parables (13:1–52)
The current manifestation of God’s reign within Jesus’ small band of disciples seems relatively impotent; one day many will be astonished about how their movement grew and impacted the world.
The kingdom of God has Jerusalem at its’ core.
22 Thus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24 “All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”
32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
32 ὃ μικρότερον μέν ἐστιν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων, ὅταν δὲ αὐξηθῇ μεῖζον τῶν λαχάνων ἐστὶν καὶ γίνεται δένδρον, ὥστε ἐλθεῖν τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατασκηνοῦν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ.
“Is similar to” = present reality.
Ezekiel (8) Prophecy (Parable) of the Eagles and the Vine (17:1–24)
The verb translated “break off” (qāṭap) is the same as in v. 4, where its object is (literally) “the top of its shoots.” Again v. 22 uses the same words (except that “shoot” translates different forms of the root ynq) but adds the preposition “from” and an additional modifier, “tender,” yielding (literally) “from the top of its tender shoots” (again leaving the verb without an explicit object). The suggestion again is of a special shoot that will provide a fresh new beginning. The words translated “shoot” in vv. 4 and 22 are both derivatives of a verb meaning “to suck” (Job 3:12; Song 8:1; Isa 60:16). Another derivative (yônēq) is used of the messianic figure in Isa 53:2, where it is translated “tender shoot,” an unpromising “sucker” usually pruned to prevent it from draining strength from the main plant. The synonyms ḥōṭer, “shoot,” and nēṣer, “branch,” in Isa 11:1 and ṣemaḥ, “branch,” in Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; and 6:12 are also used figuratively of the Messiah.
Planted on the highest mountain in Israel, his people will flourish beyond anything they experienced in the past (cp. v. 23 and v. 8) and will furnish shelter to “birds of every kind” (v. 23). Furthermore, “all the trees of the field,” that is, all nations, will acknowledge what Yahweh has done in humbling the proud and in exalting and restoring languishing Israel and the Davidic line in the Messiah (v. 24).
The concluding statement of the chapter affirms the certainty of the Lord’s promised restoration. Although some have understood it to have been fulfilled in the restoration of Judah under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the language goes beyond such limited scope (cf. Ezra 9:8–9) to a time yet future when Israel will have its perfect King, the Messiah, reigning on the earth in righteousness.
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 12 “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”
see also
7 “Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. 8 “But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying, 9 ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation. 10 ‘Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. 11 ‘The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 ‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it. 13 ‘I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. 14 ‘He shouted out and spoke as follows: “Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches.
Parable #4
33 He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”
The leaven of the kingdom of God spreads - see Acts.
Parable #5
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
44 Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὃν εὑρὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔκρυψεν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ ὑπάγει καὶ πωλεῖ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει καὶ ἀγοράζει τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον.
The point is that of loss of everything in order to possess the real treasure.
Word Pictures in the New Testament Matthew 13:44
And hid (και ἐκρυψεν [kai ekrupsen]). Not necessarily bad morality. “He may have hid it to prevent it being stolen, or to prevent himself from being anticipated in buying a field” (Plummer). But if it was a piece of sharp practice, that is not the point of the parable. That is, the enormous wealth of the Kingdom for which any sacrifice, all that one has, is not too great a price to pay.
Matthew 1. The Polarization Explained: Kingdom Parables (13:1–52)
13:44 Jesus likens one who enters the kingdom to a man who sells everything he owns in order to buy a field containing a treasure that will more than compensate for his sacrifice. One should not worry about the man’s ethics in hiding the treasure. We need neither justify his behavior nor imitate it. This is simply part of the story line that helps to make sense of the plot. Jesus frequently tells parables in which unscrupulous characters nevertheless display some virtue from which Christians can learn (cf. esp. Luke 16:1–8; 18:1–8). Similarly, one must not interpret the buying of the treasure as an allegory for the atonement, as if Jesus were the treasure hunter purchasing our redemption. As in a similar rabbinic parable about Israel entering the promised land (Mek. Beshallach 2:142f.), the man who finds the treasure is more naturally seen as the person seeking after God’s blessings.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
45 Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας 46 εὑρὼν δὲ ἕνα πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην ἀπελθὼν πέπρακεν πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν καὶ ἠγόρασεν αὐτόν.
The two seeking parables.
1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Parable #6
The Costly Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Parable #7 The Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
47 Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ 48 ἣν ὅτε ἐπληρώθη ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν καὶ καθίσαντες συνέλεξαν τὰ καλὰ εἰς ἄγγη, τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω ἔβαλον. 49 οὕτως ἔσται ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἐξελεύσονται οἱ ἄγγελοι καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων 50 καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. 51 Συνήκατε ταῦτα πάντα; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ναί. 52 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Διὰ τοῦτο πᾶς γραμματεὺς μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ὅστις ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιά.
Word Pictures in the New Testament Matthew 13:47
A net (σαγηνῃ [sagēnēi]). Drag-net. Latin, sagena, English, seine. The ends were stretched out and drawn together. Only example of the word in the N. T. Just as the field is the world, so the drag-net catches all the fish that are in the sea. The separation comes afterwards. Vincent pertinently quotes Homer’s Odyssey (xxii. 384–389) where the slain suitors in the halls of Ulysses are likened to fishes on the shore caught by nets with myriad meshes.
Matthew 13:48
Vessels (ἀγγη [aggē]). Here only in the N. T. In Matt. 25:4 we have ἀγγεια [aggeia].
Matthew 13:52
Made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven (μαθετευθεις τῃ βασιλειᾳ των οὐρανων [matheteutheis tēi basileiāi tōn ouranōn]). First aorist passive participle. The verb is transitive in 28:19. Here a scribe is made a learner to the kingdom. “The mere scribe, Rabbinical in spirit, produces only the old and stale. The disciple of the kingdom like the Master, is always fresh-minded, yet knows how to value all old spiritual treasures of Holy Writ, or Christian tradition” (Bruce). So he uses things fresh (καινα [kaina]) and ancient (παλαια [palaia]). “He hurls forth” (ἐκβαλλει [ekballei]) both sorts.
Matthew 1. The Polarization Explained: Kingdom Parables (13:1–52)
3) The Parable of the Dragnet (13:47–50)
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:47–50 This passage closely resembles the parable of the wheat and weeds (vv. 24–30), especially with its interpretation (v. 49) and closing refrain (v. 50). The net was a large seine or dragnet spread out over a considerable area of water. A good catch of fish could require strenuous effort to haul to shore (cf. John 21:6–8). The parable of the dragnet does not focus on the preliminary situation of good and bad existing together, but it nevertheless teaches the three-part message that God will judge all people on the last day, gather together the righteous for further service and safekeeping, and discard as worthless those who are unredeemed. “All kinds” (v. 47) is, more literally, all races, a strange way of speaking of fish but a natural way of emphasizing the universality of God’s judgment of people.