Matthew

Book Outhne

Key theme: The King and His kingdom

Key verses: ;

I. The Revelation of the King ()

A. His person ()

B. His principles ()

C. His power ()

II. The Rebellion against the King ()

A. His messenger rejected ()

B. His works denied ()

C. His principles refused ()

D. His person attacked ()

E. Result: the mysteries of the kingdom ()

III. The Retirement of the King ()

A. Before Peter’s confession ()

B. Peter’s confession ()

C. After Peter’s confessions ()

IV. The Rejection of the King ()

A. His public presentation as King ()

B. His conflict with the rulers ()

C. His prophetic message ()

D. His suffering and death ()

V. The Resurrection of the King ()

Book Overview

Twenty or thirty years after Jesus had returned to heaven, a Jewish disciple named Matthew was inspired by the Spirit of God to write a book. The finished product is what we know today as “The Gospel According to Matthew.”

Nowhere in the four gospels do we find a single recorded word that Matthew spoke. Yet in his gospel, he gives us the words and works of Jesus Christ, “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (). Matthew did not write to tell us about himself. He wrote to give us a picture of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.

The Holy Spirit used Matthew to accomplish three important tasks in writing his gospel.

First, Matthew introduced a new book. That book was the New Testament. If a Bible reader were to jump from Malachi into Mark or Acts or Romans, he or she would be bewildered. Matthew’s gospel is the bridge that leads us out of the Old Testament and into the New Testament.

Second, Matthew introduced a new King. None of the four gospels is a biography in the modern sense of the word. In fact, the apostle John doubted that a complete biography of Jesus could ever be written (). Many details about the earthly life of Jesus are not given in any of the Gospels. Matthew, being accustomed to keeping systematic records, gave us a beautifully organized account of our Lord’s life and ministry.

Third, Matthew introduced a new people. This new people was the church. Matthew is the only gospel writer to use the word “church” (; ). The Greek word translated “church” means “a called-out assembly.” In the New Testament, for the most part, this word refers to a local assembly of believers. In the Old Testament, Israel was God’s called-out people, beginning with the call of Abraham (.; ). But the New Testament church was a different people, for it was composed of both Jews and Gentiles. This church had no racial distinctions (). Even though Matthew wrote primarily for Jews, he has a universal element in his book that included the Gentiles.

“Be Transformed”

Although Matthew tells us little about himself in the book that bears his name, he was clearly one of those people whose lives had been transformed by Jesus. Matthew’s own experience with the Lord is recorded in , and it is a beautiful example of the grace of God. His old name was Levi son of Alphaeus (). “Matthew” means “the gift of God.” Apparently, the name was given to commemorate his conversion and his call to be a disciple.

Tax collectors were among the most hated people in Jewish society. To begin with, they were traitors to their own nation because they sold themselves to the Romans to work for the government. Each tax collector had purchased from Rome the right to gather taxes, and the more they gathered, the more they could keep. They were considered thieves as well as traitors, and their constant contacts with Gentiles made them religiously suspect, if not unclean. Jesus reflected the popular view of the tax collectors when He classified them with pagans (, ; ), but He became known as the “friend of tax collectors and other sinners” (; , ).

Matthew opened his heart to Jesus Christ and became a new person. This decision was not easy for him to make. He was a native of Capernaum, and Capernaum had rejected the Lord (). Matthew was a well-known businessman in the city, and his old friends probably persecuted him. Certainly Matthew lost a good deal of income when he left all to follow Christ.

Matthew not only opened his heart, but he also opened his home. He knew that most, if not all, of his old friends would drop him when he began to follow Jesus Christ, so Matthew took advantage of the situation and invited them to meet Jesus. He gave a great feast and invited all the other tax collectors (some of whom could have been Gentiles) and the Jewish people who were not keeping the law (“sinners”).

Of course, the Pharisees criticized Jesus for daring to eat with such a defiled group of people. They even tried to get His disciples to create a disagreement (; see ). The Lord explained why He was fellowshipping with “tax collectors and other disreputable sinners”: They were spiritually sick and needed a physician. He had not come to call the righteous, because no righteous people exist. Jesus had come to call sinners, and that included the Pharisees. Of course, his critics did not consider themselves spiritually sick, but they were, just the same.

Matthew not only opened his heart and home, but he also opened his hands and worked for Christ. Little did this former tax collector realize that the Holy Spirit would one day use him to write the first of the four gospels in the New Testament.

According to tradition, Matthew ministered in Palestine for several years after the Lord’s return to heaven and then made missionary journeys to the Jews who were dispersed among the Gentiles. His work is connected with Persia, Ethiopia, and Syria, and some traditions associate him with Greece. The New Testament is silent on his life, but this we do know: Wherever the Scriptures travel in this world, the gospel written by Matthew continues to transform hearts.

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.

3Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

4Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.

5Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

6and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.

7Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.

8Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.

9Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.

10Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.

11Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

12And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.

13Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.

14Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.

15Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.

16And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Christ Born of Mary

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Wise Men from the East

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

2saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.

8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more.”

The Home in Nazareth

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

21Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.

23And 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.”

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

4Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

6and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

9“and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

10“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

12“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

3Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

7Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.

13And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

16The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

20They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

24Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

The Beatitudes

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Believers Are Salt and Light

13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15“Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

18“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

19“Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Murder Begins in the Heart

21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

22“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

23“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24“leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

26“Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Adultery in the Heart

27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

28“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

30“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Marriage Is Sacred and Binding

31“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

32“But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

Jesus Forbids Oaths

33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’

34“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

35“nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

36“Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.

37“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Go the Second Mile

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

40“If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

41“And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

42“Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Love Your Enemies

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45“that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Do Good to Please God

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2“Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

3“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

“that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

The Model Prayer

5“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

9“In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us this day our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

“But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting to Be Seen Only by God

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

17“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18“so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

20“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lamp of the Body

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

You Cannot Serve God and Riches

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

26“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

29“and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

“For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do Not Judge

“Judge not, that you be not judged.

2“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10“Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Narrow Way

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.

2And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

3Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,

6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

“For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

11“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

12“But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

15So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

Many Healed in the Evening

16When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities

And bore our sicknesses.”

The Cost of Discipleship

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.

19Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

21Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

22But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.

24And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

25Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

29And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.

31So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

33Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

34And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.

2Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

4But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?

6“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

7And he arose and departed to his house.

8Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew the Tax Collector

9As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

10Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

14Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

17“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

19So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

22But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,

24He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

25But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26And the report of this went out into all that land.

Two Blind Men Healed

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”

31But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

A Mute Man Speaks

As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.

33And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

38“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

4Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

Sending Out the Twelve

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

6“But go rather 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, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9“Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

10“nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

11“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12“And when you go into a household, greet it.

13“If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

15“Assuredly, 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!

Persecutions Are Coming

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

17“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.

“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;

20“for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21“Now brother will deliver up 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 for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

“When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

25“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

“Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

28“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

30“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31“Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

32“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

33“But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

Christ Brings Division

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

35“For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;

36“and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

“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.

“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

A Cup of Cold Water

“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 gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

3and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

5“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

7As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

8“But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

9“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

10“For this is he of whom it is written:

‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

11“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

13“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

14“And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

15“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

17“and saying:

‘We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.’

18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

19“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

20Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, 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 to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

23“And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24“But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

26“Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

27“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

2And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4“how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5“Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6“Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?

12“Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

14Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Behold, My Servant

15But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

16Yet He warned them not to make Him known,

17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah 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 will declare justice to the Gentiles.

19He will not quarrel nor cry out,

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench,

Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

A House Divided Cannot Stand

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

23And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

26“If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

27“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29“Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

31“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

34“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

35“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

42“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

44“Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

45“Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

47Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

49And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

50“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

2And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4“And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

5“Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

6“But 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 sprang up and choked them.

8“But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables

10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13“Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14“And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.’

16“But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17“for assuredly, 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.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

19“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

20“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

21“yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

22“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who 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 grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

27“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

28“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

29“But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

30‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

“which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Prophecy and the Parables

34All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

“I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38“The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

39“The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

“Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

41“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

42“and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

“who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Dragnet

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

48“which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

49“So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,

50“and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

52Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

54When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

55“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56“And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”

57So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”

58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

John the Baptist Beheaded

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus

2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.

4Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

5And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.

7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.

10So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.

11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Feeding the Five Thousand

13When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

15When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”

18He said, “Bring them here to Me.”

19Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.

20So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.

21Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.

23And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

24But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

26And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well

34When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

35And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,

36and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

Defilement Comes from Within

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,

2“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

4“For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5“But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—

6‘then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

9And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

10When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:

“Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

12Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

14“Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

16So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?

17“Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

18“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a 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 unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

21Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

23But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

24But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus Heals Great Multitudes

29Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.

30Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Feeding the Four Thousand

32Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

33Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”

34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

35So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

36And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

38Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Seek a Sign

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.

He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’;

3“and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

“A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

8But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?

9“Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?

10“Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?

11“How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

20Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

23But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

25“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

27“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

28“Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;

2and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

7But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

8When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

10And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.

12“But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”

13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

A Boy Is Healed

14And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,

15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

16“So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

17Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”

18And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

21“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

22Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,

23“and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes

24When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

25He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

26Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

“Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

Who Is the Greatest?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

3and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5“Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

6“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.

9“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

11“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

13“And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

14“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

16“But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

“And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

20“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24“And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

25“But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

26“The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

27“Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

30“And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

31“So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

32“Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

33‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

34“And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Marriage and Divorce

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

3The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

4And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’

5“and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

7They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

8He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

10His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

11But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:

12“For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

14But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

15And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

19‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24“And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

30“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2“Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius 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 to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.

5“Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6“And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

7“They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

8“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’

9“And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.

10“But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

11“And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,

12“saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

13“But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14‘Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’

16“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them,

18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,

19“and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

21And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

22But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”

23So He said to them, “You will indeed drink 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 is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

24And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

27“And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

28“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.

30And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

31Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

32So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

33They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”

34So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

The Triumphal Entry

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.

3“And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5“Tell the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your King is coming to you,

Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

6So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

7They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’

Hosanna in the highest!”

10And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

14Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

15But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant

16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered

18Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25“The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26“But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”

27So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’

29“He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

30“Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

32“For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

34“Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

35“And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

36“Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

37“Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

38“But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

39“So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

41They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

44“And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

45Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

46But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

2“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

3“and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

4“Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’

5“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

6“And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

7“But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’

10“So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

12“So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.

16And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.

17“Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?

19“Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.

20And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

21They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

22When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

24saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

25“Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.

26“Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.

27“Last of all the woman died also.

28“Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

30“For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

31“But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

33And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

34But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

35Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

38“This is the first and great commandment.

39“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

40“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.”

43He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

44‘The LORD said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

45“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”

46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,

saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3“Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

4“For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

“But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

6“They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

7“greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’

8“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

10“And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

11“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’

17“Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

18“And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’

19“Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

20“Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

21“He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.

22“And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

24“Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

26“Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

28“Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30“and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

31“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32“Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.

33“Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

34“Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

35“that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36“Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

38“See! Your house is left to you desolate;

39“for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ ”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

3Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

5“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

6“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

8“All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17“Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

18“And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

20“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.

24“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

25“See, I have told you beforehand.

26“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.

27“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

28“For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.

33“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!

34“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

35“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

37“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

38“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

39“and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

40“Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

41“Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.

42“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

43“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

46“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

47“Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

48“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’

49“and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

51“and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2“Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4“but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5“But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9“But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12“But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

The Parable of the Talents

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

15“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

16“Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17“And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

18“But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

19“After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

22“He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’

23“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

‘And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27‘So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

28‘So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

30‘And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

33“And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

42‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

43‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

46“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples,

2“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

3Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

4and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.

5But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

6And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,

a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.

But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?

9“For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.

11“For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

12“For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.

13“Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.

16So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

17Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

21Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”

22And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

23He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.

24“The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.

28“For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32“But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

33Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

34Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

The Prayer in the Garden

36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?

41“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

43And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

44So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

45Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46“Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”

49Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

50But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

51And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

52But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

53“Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

54“How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

55In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

56“But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

58But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,

60but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward

61and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

62And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

64Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

66“What do you think?” They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

67Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,

68saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

71And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

73And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

74Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate

1When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.

2And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”

7And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

8Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,

10“and gave them for the potter’s field, as the LORD directed me.”

Jesus Faces Pilate

Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”

12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”

14But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.

16And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

18For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.

19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

21The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”

22Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

23Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”

25And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.

28And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.

29When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on 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!”

30Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.

31And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

The King on a Cross

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.

33And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull,

they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

35Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

“They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.”

36Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads

40and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said,

42“He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is 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.’ ”

44Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

48Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

52and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

53and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,

56among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

58This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.

59When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

61And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Pilate Sets a Guard

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,

63saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’

64“Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”

66So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

He Is Risen

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

2And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

3His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

“And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

The Women Worship the Risen Lord

9And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

The Soldiers Are Bribed

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.

When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

13saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’

14“And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”

15So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Annotations for Matthew

Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for without them they could not prove their tribal memberships or their rights to inheritances. Anyone claiming to be “the Son of David” () had to be able to prove it. Matthew gave our Lord’s family tree through His foster father, Joseph, while Luke gave Mary’s lineage (.).

Being accustomed to keeping systematic records, Matthew gave us a beautifully organized account of our Lord’s life and ministry. The book can be divided into ten sections in which “doing” and “teaching” alternate. Each teaching section ends with “When Jesus had finished saying these things” or a similar transitional statement. The chapters can be divided like this:

Narrative

Teaching

Transition

Go to the

This list of names is a vital part of the gospel record. It reveals that Jesus Christ is a part of history and that all of Israelite history had prepared the way for His birth. God in His providence ruled and overruled to accomplish His great purpose in bringing His Son into the world. This genealogy also illustrates God’s wonderful grace. The names of women usually were not included in Hebrew genealogies because names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list we find references to four women from Old Testament history: Tamar (v. ), Rahab and Ruth (v. ), and Bathsheba “who had been the wife of Uriah” (v. ).

and make clear that Jesus’s birth was different from that of any other boy named in the genealogy. Matthew pointed out that Joseph was not the “father” (through normal sexual relations) of Jesus Christ. Rather, Joseph was the “husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah” (v. ). Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of an earthly father. This is known as the doctrine of the Virgin Birth.

To the Jewish people in that day, engagement was equivalent to marriage—except that the man and woman did not live together. They were called “husband and wife,” and, at the end of the engagement period, the marriage would be consummated. For a betrothed woman to become pregnant would be considered adultery (see ). But Joseph did not punish or divorce Mary when he discovered she was with child, for the Lord had revealed the truth to him. All of this fulfilled .

The word translated “wise men” (magi) refers to a group of scholars who studied the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. Their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology. God gave them a special sign, a miraculous star that announced the birth of the King. The star led them to Jerusalem, where God’s prophets told them that the King would be born in Bethlehem. They went to Bethlehem, and there they worshiped the Christ Child. We do not know how many magi were there. From the three gifts listed in , some people have assumed that three wise men made the trip, though this is not certain.

Herod was afraid of the newborn king and wanted to destroy Him. This “King Herod” was Herod the Great, called “king” by the Roman senate because of the influence of Mark Antony. Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers killed because he suspected them of treason. He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.

, That Herod tried to kill Jesus is not surprising, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.” He also wanted Jesus dead because Herod was not a full-blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that had begun even before the boys were born (). It is the spiritual versus the carnal, the godly versus the worldly.

Herod pretended that he wanted to worship the newborn king (v. ), when in reality he wanted to destroy Him. God warned Joseph to take the child and Mary and flee to Egypt. Egypt was close. Many Jews were there, and the treasures received from the wise men would more than pay the expenses for traveling and living there. But another prophecy also had to be fulfilled—, “I called My son out of Egypt.”

Herod’s anger was evidence of his pride; he could not permit anyone to get the best of him, particularly some Gentile scholars! This led him to kill the boy babies two years of age and under who were still in Bethlehem. We must not envision hundreds of little boys being killed, for few male children of that age would have lived in a small village like Bethlehem. Even today only about twenty thousand people live there. Probably not more than twenty children were killed. But, of course, one is too many!

, Jeremiah prophesied about six hundred years before Christ was born. This prophecy grew out of the captivity of Jerusalem. Some of the captives had been taken to Ramah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem, and this reminded Jeremiah of Jacob’s sorrow when Rachel died. But here “Rachel” was weeping. She represented the mothers of Israel weeping as they saw their sons going into captivity. It was as though Rachel was saying, “I gave my life to bear a son, and now his descendants are no more.”

The whole episode is a good example of how God leads His children. Joseph knew that he and his family were no safer under the rule of Archelaus than they had been under Herod the Great. They likely were heading back to Bethlehem when they discovered that Archelaus was on the throne. Certainly, Joseph and Mary prayed, waited, and sought God’s will.

Herod died in 4 B.C., which means that Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 5 B.C.

Catalyst

“He shall be called a Nazarene” (). There is not a specific prophecy that called Jesus a “Nazarene.” The term “Nazarene” was one of reproach: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (). Many Old Testament prophecies mention the Messiah’s lowly life of rejection, and this may be what Matthew had in mind.

Our Lord grew up in Nazareth and was identified with that city. In fact, His enemies thought he had been born there, for they said that He had come from Galilee (). Had they investigated the temple records, they would have discovered that He had been born in Bethlehem. Who ever heard of a king being born in a humble village and growing up in a despised city?

The humility of the King is certainly something to admire and imitate (see ).

Go to the

, , John’s preaching centered on repentance and the kingdom of heaven. The word “repent” means “to change one’s mind and act on that change.” John was not satisfied with regret or remorse; he wanted proof of people’s repentance in the way they lived (v. ). Their lives needed to give evidence of the changes.

“The kingdom of heaven is at hand” is preached throughout the early period of Matthew’s gospel (see also ; ).

, John fulfilled the prophecy given in . In a spiritual sense, John was “Elijah who is to come” () for he came in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (, ). He even dressed as Elijah had and preached the same message of judgment (). John was the last of the Old Testament prophets () and the greatest of them (; see ).

, , , The Jews would baptize Gentile converts, but John was baptizing Jews! His baptism was authorized from heaven (); it was not something John devised or borrowed. This was a baptism of repentance, looking forward to the Messiah’s coming (). His baptism fulfilled two purposes: It prepared the nation for Christ, and it presented Christ to the nation ().

John tried to stop Jesus from being baptized, but Jesus knew it was His Father’s will. Why was Jesus baptized? It was not because He was a repentant sinner. First, His baptism gave approval to John’s ministry. Second, He identified Himself with tax collectors and sinners, the very people He came to save. But mainly, His baptism pictured His future baptism on the cross (; ) when the water of God’s judgment would sweep over him (; ).

The coming of the Holy Spirit like a dove identified Jesus to John () and assured Jesus as He began His ministry that the Spirit’s ministry would always be His (). The dove is a beautiful symbol of the Spirit of God in its purity and in its ministry of peace.

On three special occasions, the Father spoke from heaven: at Christ’s baptism, at the transfiguration (), and as Christ approached the cross (). On those occasions, God spoke to His Son; today He is speaking through His Son (, ).

The Father’s statement from heaven seems to be an echo of —“The LORD has said to me, ‘You are My son. Today I have begotten You.’ ” informs us that this refers to Christ’s resurrection from the dead and not to His birth at Bethlehem. This statement ties in perfectly with the Lord’s baptismal experience of death, burial, and resurrection.

The Father’s statement also relates Jesus Christ to the Suffering Servant prophesied in through . Quoting from , Matthew says that the Messiah-Servant is called “My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!” (). The Servant described in Isaiah is humble, rejected, and made to suffer and die, but He is also seen to come forth in victory. While the nation of Israel is seen dimly in some of these Servant Songs, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is revealed most clearly in them. Again, we see the connection with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection.

Finally, the Father’s statement approves all that Jesus has done up to that point. His hidden years in Nazareth must have been spent in pleasing His Father.

From the high and holy experience of blessing at the Jordan, Jesus was led into the wilderness for testing. Jesus was not tempted so that the Father could learn something about His Son, for the Father had already given Jesus His divine approval. Jesus was tempted so that every creature in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might know that Jesus Christ is the Conqueror. He exposed Satan and his tactics, and He defeated Satan. Because of Jesus’ victory, we can have victory over the tempter.

The first temptation involved the love of God and the will of God. The tempter whispered, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” This temptation sounds like Satan’s words to Eve in ! It is a subtle suggestion that our Father does not love us.

But another suggestion was given: “Use your divine powers to meet your own needs.” When we put our physical needs ahead of our spiritual needs, we sin. When we allow circumstances to dictate our actions, instead of following God’s will, we sin.

Our Lord’s experience of temptation prepared Him to be our sympathetic High Priest (; , ). We should note that Jesus faced the enemy as a human and not as God.

The second temptation was even more subtle. This time Satan also used the Word of God, but twisted it. “So you intend to live by the Scriptures,” he implied. “Then let me quote you a verse of Scripture and see if you will obey it!” Satan took the Lord Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, probably five hundred feet above the Kidron Valley. Satan then quoted from , , where God had promised to care for His own. “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you.’ ”

For the third temptation, the devil offered Jesus a shortcut to His kingdom. Jesus knew that He would suffer and die before He entered into His glory (; , ). If He bowed down and worshiped Satan just once (this is the force of the Greek verb), He could enjoy all the glory without enduring the suffering. Satan has always wanted worship because Satan has always wanted to be God (). Worshiping the creature instead of the Creator is the lie that rules our world today (, ).

God’s will has no shortcuts. If we want to share in the glory, we must also share in the suffering (). After Jesus Christ had defeated Satan, He was ready to begin His ministry. No man has a right to call others to obey who has not obeyed himself. Our Lord proved Himself to be the perfect King whose sovereignty is worthy of our respect and obedience. But, true to his purpose, Matthew had one more witness to call to prove the kingship of Jesus Christ.

Matthew has already shown that every detail of our Lord’s life was controlled by the Word of God. Remember that between the end of His temptation and the statement in verse comes the ministry described in . We must not think that John the Baptist was thrown into prison immediately after our Lord’s temptation. Matthew wrote his book topically rather than chronologically. Consult a good harmony of the Gospels to study the sequence of events.

The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is found thirty-three times in Matthew’s gospel. The phrase “kingdom of God” is found only five times (; ; ; , ). Out of reverence for the holy name of the Lord, the Jews would not mention “God” but would substitute the word “heaven.” The Prodigal Son confessed that he had sinned against heaven (), meaning, of course, against God. In many places where Matthew uses “kingdom of heaven,” the parallel passages in Mark and Luke use “kingdom of God.” In the New Testament, the word “kingdom” means “rule, reign, authority” rather than a place or a specific realm. The phrase “kingdom of heaven” refers to the rule of God.

The term “fishers of men” was not new. For centuries, Greek and Roman philosophers had used it to describe the work of the person who seeks to “catch” others by teaching and persuasion. “Fishing for people” is but one of many pictures of evangelism in the Bible, and since these four men were involved in the fishing business, for Jesus to use this approach was logical. However, we must not limit ourselves to this image. Jesus also talked about the shepherd seeking the lost sheep (), and the workers in the harvest field ().

Those who fish have to be courageous and patient people, and winning others to Christ certainly takes patience and courage. Fishermen must have skill; they must learn from others where to find the fish and how to catch them. Soul-winning demands skill too. These men had to work together, and the work of the Lord demands cooperation. But most of all, fishing demands faith: people who fish cannot see the fish and are not sure their nets will enclose them. Soul-winning requires faith and alertness too, or we will fail.

The result of these great miracles was tremendous fame for Jesus, and a great following of people from many areas. The Decapolis was a district made up of ten communities originally built by followers of Alexander the Great. This district was in the northeastern part of Galilee. “Beyond the Jordan” means Perea. News traveled fast, and those who had afflicted friends or family members brought them to Jesus for healing.

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most misunderstood messages that Jesus ever gave. One group says it is God’s plan of salvation, that if we ever hope to go to heaven we must obey these rules. Another group calls it a charter for world peace and begs the nations of the earth to accept it. Still a third group tells us that the Sermon on the Mount does not apply to today but that it will apply at some future time, perhaps during the tribulation or the millennial Kingdom.

The Pharisees taught that righteousness was external, a matter of obeying rules and regulations. Righteousness could be measured by praying, giving, fasting, and so forth. In the Beatitudes and the pictures of the believer, Jesus described Christian character that flowed from within.

The main theme in the Sermon on the Mount is true righteousness. The religious leaders had an artificial, external righteousness based on law. But the righteousness Jesus described was a true and vital righteousness that begins internally, in the heart. The Pharisees were concerned about the minute details of conduct, but they were neglecting the major matter of character. Conduct flows out of character.

To be “poor” or “poor in spirit” means to be humble, to have a correct estimate of oneself (). It does not mean to be poor-spirited and have no backbone at all. It is honesty with ourselves: We know ourselves, accept ourselves, and try to be ourselves to the glory of God.

We mourn over sin and despise it. We see sin the way God sees it and seek to treat it the way God does. Those who cover sin or defend sin certainly have the wrong attitude. We should not only mourn over our sins, but we should also meekly submit to God (see ; ).

We experience God’s mercy when we trust Christ (), and He gives us a clean heart () and peace within (). But having received His mercy, we then share His mercy with others. We seek to keep our hearts pure that we might see God in our lives today. We become peacemakers in a troubled world and channels for God’s mercy, purity, and peace.

Being a dedicated Christian is not easy. Our society is not a friend to God nor to God’s people. Whether we like it or not, conflict exists between us and the world. Why? Because we are different and have different attitudes from the world. As we read the Beatitudes, we find that they represent an outlook radically different from that of the world. The world praises pride, not humility. The world endorses sin, especially if a person gets away with it. The world is at war with God, while God is seeking to reconcile His enemies and make them His children. We must expect to be persecuted if we are living as God wants us to live.

Jesus clearly stated that He had come to honor the law and to help God’s people love it, learn it, and live it. He would not accept the artificial righteousness of the religious leaders. Their righteousness was only an external masquerade. Their religion was a dead ritual, not a living relationship. It was artificial; it did not reproduce itself in others in a living way. It made them proud, not humble, and led to bondage, not liberty.

Jesus did not destroy the law by fighting it; He did away with it by fulfilling it! Perhaps an illustration will make this clear. If we have an acorn, we can destroy it in one of two ways. We can put it on a rock and smash it to bits with a hammer. Or, we can plant it in the ground and let it fulfill itself by becoming an oak tree.

We do not obey an external law because of fear. No, believers today obey an internal law and live because of love. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word and enables us to obey. Sin is still sin, and God still punishes sin. In fact, we in this present age are more responsible because we have been taught and given more light!

Catalyst

In , Jesus took six important Old Testament laws and interpreted them for His people in the light of the new life He came to give. He made a fundamental change without altering God’s standards: He dealt with the attitudes and intents of the heart and not simply with the external action. The Pharisees said that righteousness consisted of performing certain actions, but Jesus said it centered in the attitudes of the heart. Likewise, the Pharisees had a list of external actions that they deemed sinful, but Jesus explained that sin came from the attitudes of the heart. Anger is murder in the heart; lust is adultery in the heart.

Anger. There is a holy anger against sin (), but Jesus talked about an unholy anger against people. The word He used in means “a settled anger, malice that is nursed inwardly.” Jesus described a sinful experience that involved several stages. The first stage was causeless anger. This anger then exploded into words: “Idiot—empty-headed person!” These words added fuel to the fire so that the person ended up cursing someone.

Sinful anger must be faced honestly and must be confessed to God as sin. We must go to our brother and get the matter settled, and we must do it quickly. The longer we wait, the worse the bondage becomes! We put ourselves into a terrible prison when we refuse to be reconciled. (See for additional counsel.) It has well been said that the person who refuses to forgive his brother destroys the very bridge over which he himself must walk.

Adultery. Jesus affirmed God’s law of purity, and then explained that the intent of this law was to reveal the sanctity of sex and the sinfulness of the human heart. God created sex, and God protects sex. He has the authority to regulate it and to punish those who rebel against His laws. He does not regulate sex because He wants to rob us but rather because He wants to bless us. Whenever God says no, it is that He might say yes.

The “look” that Jesus mentioned was not a casual glance, but a constant stare with the purpose of lusting. A man can glance at a beautiful woman and know that she is beautiful but not lust after her. The man Jesus described looked at the woman for the purpose of feeding his inner sensual appetites as a substitute for the act. The look was not accidental; it was planned.

Divorce. Our Lord dealt with this in greater detail later (see ).

Vows. The Pharisees used all kinds of tricks to sidestep the truth, and vows were among them. They would avoid using the holy name of God, but they would come close by using the city of Jerusalem, heaven, earth, or some part of the body. Jesus taught that our conversation should be so honest and our character so true, that we would not need crutches to get people to believe us. Words depend on character, and oaths cannot compensate for a poor character.

Revenge. The original law was a fair one; it kept people from forcing the offender to pay a greater price than the offense deserved. It also prevented people from taking personal revenge. Jesus replaced a law with an attitude: Be willing to suffer loss yourself rather than cause another to suffer.

Love for Enemies. Jesus defined our enemies as those who curse us, hate us, and exploit us selfishly. Since Christian love is an act of the will and not simply an emotion, Jesus has the right to command us to love our enemies. After all, He loved us when we were His enemies (). We may show this love by blessing those who curse us, doing good to them, and praying for them. When we pray for our enemies, we find it easier to love them. It takes the poison out of our attitudes.

Go to the

The word “perfect” in this verse does not imply sinlessly perfect, for that would be impossible in this life (though it would be a good goal to strive for). It suggests completeness, maturity, as the sons of God. The Father loves His enemies and seeks to make them His children, and we should assist Him!

The Pharisees did good deeds to gain favor with God and attention from people, both of which were wrong motives. No amount of doing or giving can purchase salvation, for salvation is the gift of God (, ). And to live for the praise of people is a foolish thing because human glory does not last ().

Our sinful nature is so subtle that it can defile even a good thing like sharing with the poor. If our motive is to be publicly praised, then like the Pharisees, we will call attention to what we are doing. But if our motive is to serve God in love and please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them. As a result, we will grow spiritually, God will be glorified, and others will be helped.

This prayer room could be the storeroom in a house. Our Lord prayed privately (); so did Elisha (.) and Daniel (.).

, The fact that a request is repeated does not make it a “babbling on,” for both Jesus and Paul repeated their petitions (; , ). A request becomes “babbling” if it is only words without a sincere heart desire to seek and do God’s will. The mere reciting of memorized prayers can be babble. The Gentiles had such prayers in their pagan ceremonies (see ).

Catalyst

The prayer in is known familiarly as “The Lord’s Prayer,” but “The Disciples’ Prayer” would be a more accurate title. Jesus did not give this prayer to us to be memorized and recited a given number of times. In fact, He gave this prayer to keep us from babbling on. Jesus did not say, “Pray in these words.” He said, “Pray like this”; that is, “Use this prayer as a pattern, not as a substitute.”

The purpose of prayer is to glorify God’s name and to ask for help to accomplish His will on earth. This prayer begins with God’s interests, not ours: God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will. We should not ask God for anything that will dishonor His name, delay His kingdom, or disturb His will on earth.

Note that this prayer contains no singular pronouns; they are all plural. It begins with “Our Father.” When we pray, we must remember that we are part of God’s worldwide family of believers.

If we put God’s concerns first, then we can bring our own needs. God is concerned about our needs and knows them even before we mention them (). If this is the case, then why pray? Because prayer is the God-appointed way to have these needs met (see ). Prayer prepares us for the proper use of the answer. If we know our need, and if we voice it to God, trusting Him for His provision, then we will make better use of the answer than if God forced it on us without our asking.

Go to the

, We should cultivate a forgiving spirit toward others. In this appendix to the prayer, Jesus expanded the last phrase of verse , “as we forgive our debtors.” He later repeated this lesson to His disciples (). Jesus was not teaching that believers earned God’s forgiveness by forgiving others, for this would be contrary to God’s free grace and mercy. If we have truly experienced God’s forgiveness, however, then we will be ready to forgive others (; ).

Since prayer involves glorifying God’s name, hastening the coming of God’s kingdom (), and helping to accomplish God’s will on earth, the one praying must not have sin in his or her heart. If God answered the prayers of a believer who had an unforgiving spirit, He would dishonor His own name. The important point about prayer is not simply getting an answer, but being the kind of person whom God can trust with an answer.

The only fast that God actually required of the Jewish people was on the annual Day of Atonement (). The Pharisees would fast each Monday and Thursday () and would do so in such a way that people would know they were fasting. Their purpose, of course, was to win the people’s praise. As a result, the Pharisees lost God’s blessing. Fasting isn’t wrong, if we do it in the right way and with the right motive. Jesus fasted (); so did the members of the early church (). Fasting helps to discipline the appetites of the body () and keep our spiritual priorities straight.

As with giving and praying, true fasting must be done in secret—between the believer and God. Appearing with a “sad countenance” and “disfigure[d] face” (by looking glum and asking for pity and praise) would be to destroy the very purpose of the fast. God usually does not tear down one good thing in order to build up another. If we have to look miserable to be considered spiritual, then something is wrong with our views of spirituality.

We are accustomed to dividing life into the “spiritual” and the “material,” but Jesus made no such division. In many of His parables, He stated clearly that a right attitude toward wealth was a mark of true spirituality (see .; ). The Pharisees were covetous () and used religion to make money. If we have the true righteousness of Christ in our lives, then we will have a proper attitude toward material wealth.

Nowhere did Jesus magnify poverty or criticize the legitimate getting of wealth. God made everything, including food, clothing, and precious metals. God has declared that all things He has made are good (). God knows that we need certain things in order to live. But, materialism will enslave the heart (), the mind (vv. , ), and the will (v. ). We can become shackled by money and possessions, but we ought to be liberated and controlled by the Spirit of God.

, Wealth not only enslaves the heart, but it also enslaves the mind. God’s Word often uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind. If the eye is properly focused on the light, the body can function properly in its movements. But having the eye out of focus and seeing double results in unsteady movements. Making progress is most difficult while trying to look in two directions at the same time.

Materialism can enslave the will. We cannot serve two masters simultaneously. Either Jesus Christ is our Lord, or money is our lord. It is a matter of the will. If God grants riches, and we use them for His glory, then riches are a blessing. But if we will to get rich, and live with that outlook, we will pay a great price for those riches.

Jesus said that worry is sinful. We may dignify worry by calling it by some other name—concern, burden, a cross to bear—but the results are still the same. Instead of helping us live longer, anxiety only makes life shorter (v. ). The Greek word translated “to worry” literally means “to be drawn in different directions.” Worry pulls us apart. Until humans interfere, everything in nature works together because all of nature trusts God. People, however, are pulled apart because they try to live by depending on material wealth.

People who pursue money think that riches will solve their problems, when in reality, riches can create more problems! Material wealth gives a dangerous, false sense of security, and that feeling ends in tragedy. The birds and lilies do not fret and worry, yet they have God’s wealth in ways that humans cannot duplicate. All of nature depends on God, and God never fails. Only mortal human beings depend on money, and money isn’t always dependable.

Worrying about tomorrow does not help either tomorrow or today. If anything, it robs us of our effectiveness today—which means we will be even less effective tomorrow. Hypocrisy and anxiety are sins. If we practice the true righteousness of the kingdom, we will avoid these sins and live for God’s glory.

We must not pass judgment on others’ motives. We can and should examine their actions and attitudes, but we cannot judge their motives—for only God can see their hearts. Someone can do a good work with a bad motive. But someone may also fail in a task and yet be very sincerely motivated. When we stand before the judgment seat, Christ will examine the secrets of the heart and reward us accordingly (; ).

, The first principle of judgment is that we begin with ourselves. Jesus did not forbid us to judge others, for careful discrimination is essential in the Christian life. Christian love is not blind (, ). The person who believes all that he or she hears and who accepts everyone who claims to be spiritual will experience confusion and great spiritual loss. But before we judge others, we must consider ourselves.

The purpose of self-evaluation is to prepare us to serve others. Christians are obligated to help each other grow in grace. When we do not judge ourselves, we hurt ourselves and those to whom we could minister. The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good ().

Jesus chose the symbol of the eye because this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body. The picture of a person with a plank stuck in his or her eye, trying to remove a speck of dust from someone else’s eye, is ridiculous indeed! If we do not honestly face up to our own sins and confess them, we blind ourselves to our faults; then we cannot see clearly enough to help others. The Pharisees saw the sins of other people, but they would not look at their own sins.

Catalyst

How can we avoid being called “Hypocrite!” () by the Lord? The first step toward overcoming hypocrisy is to be honest with God in our secret lives. We must never pray anything that we do not mean from the heart; otherwise, our prayers will only be empty words. Our motive must be to please God alone, no matter what people may say or do. We must cultivate truth in the secret places of our heart.

Remember: Hypocrisy robs us of reality in Christian living. We substitute reputation for character, mere words for true prayer, and money for the devotion of the heart.

Hypocrisy not only robs us of character, it also robs us of spiritual rewards. Instead of the eternal approval of God, we receive people’s shallow praise. We pray, but we receive no answers. We fast, but the inner person shows no improvement. The spiritual life becomes hollow and lifeless. We miss the blessing of God here and now and also lose the reward of God when Christ returns.

Hypocrisy also robs us of spiritual influence. The Pharisees were a negative influence; whatever they touched was defiled and destroyed. The people who admired them and obeyed the Pharisees’ words thought they were being helped, when really they were being hurt.

Go to the

As God’s people, we are privileged to handle “what is holy.” He has entrusted to us the precious truths of the Word of God (), and we must regard them carefully. No dedicated priest would throw meat from the altar to a filthy dog, and only a fool would give pearls to a pig. Certainly we must carry the gospel “to every creature” (), but we must not cheapen the gospel by a ministry that lacks discernment.

Young King Solomon knew that he lacked the needed wisdom to judge Israel, so he prayed to God, and the Lord graciously answered (.). If we are to have spiritual discernment, we must keep on asking God, keep on seeking His will, keep on knocking at the door that leads to greater ministry. God meets the needs of His children.

This great truth, the Golden Rule, is a principle that ought to govern our attitudes toward others. It only applies to believers and should be practiced in every area of life. People who practice the Golden Rule refuse to say or do anything that would harm themselves or others. If our judging of others is not governed by this principle, we will become proud and critical, and our own spiritual character will degenerate. Practicing the Golden Rule releases the love of God in our lives and enables us to help others, even those who want to hurt us.

, God’s people have always been a remnant, a small minority in this world. The reason is easy to discover: The way of life is narrow, lonely, and costly. We can walk on the broad way and keep our baggage of sin and worldliness. But if we enter the narrow way, we must give up those things—Jesus said that the narrow way is difficult. And we must choose it. We cannot walk on two roads, in two different directions, at the same time.

These statements show that true faith in Christ changes a person’s life and produces fruit for God’s glory. Everything in nature reproduces after its kind, and this is also true in the spiritual realm. Good fruit comes from a good tree, but bad fruit comes from a bad tree. The tree that produces bad fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

After picturing two ways (vv. , ) and two trees (vv. ), our Lord closed His message by picturing two builders and their houses (vv. ). The two ways illustrate the start of the life of faith; the two trees illustrate the growth and results of the life of faith here and now; the two houses illustrate the end of this life of faith, when God shall call everything to judgment.

Obedience to the Father’s will is the test of true faith in Christ. True faith does not say, “Lord! Lord!” as if believing, but then disobey the Lord’s commands. We can easily learn a religious vocabulary and even memorize Bible verses and religious songs and yet not obey God’s will. Those who are truly born again have God’s Spirit living within (), and the Holy Spirit enables them to know and do the Father’s will. God’s love in their hearts () motivates them to obey God and serve others.

The Lord was illustrating one main point: Our profession of faith in Christ will ultimately be tested before God. Those who have trusted Christ and have proven their faith by their obedience will have nothing to fear. Founded on the Rock, their house will stand. But those who have professed to trust Christ but have not obeyed God will be condemned.

The scribes and Pharisees spoke from authorities, always quoting the various rabbis and experts of the law. Jesus spoke with authority; He needed no human teacher to add authority to His words because He spoke as the Son of God. We cannot lightly dismiss this sermon, for it is God who gave it to us! We must bow before Him and submit to His authority, for we will all be judged.

The Bible categorizes a number of afflictions as leprosy. This dreaded infection forced the victim to live apart from others and to cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” when others approached, so as not to defile anyone. That the leper ran up to Jesus and violated the code is evidence of his great faith that Jesus would heal him. Leprosy is an illustration of sin (, ). The instructions given to the priests in help us understand the nature of sin: It is deeper than the skin (); it spreads (); it defiles and isolates (, ); and it is fit only for the fire (, ).

Catalyst

Matthew reported ten miracles in chapters and . They are not given in chronological order, except for the last four, since Matthew followed his own approach of grouping messages or events together. Before we survey these miracles, we must pause to answer the obvious question: Why did our Lord perform miracles?

Certainly He wanted to meet human needs. God is concerned about the temporal well-being of His creatures as well as their eternal happiness. To separate ministry to the body and ministry to the soul would be wrong, since we must minister to the whole person (see ).

Our Lord’s miracles also provided additional credentials to prove His claim as the Messiah of Israel. The Jews “request a sign” (). While miracles of themselves are not proof that someone has been sent by God (even Satan can perform miracles []), they do add weight to that person’s claim, especially if his or her character and conduct are godly. In the case of Jesus Christ, His miracles also fulfilled Old Testament prophecies (see , ; ). refers us to , and Jesus Himself in referred John the Baptist to the Old Testament promises. These same “signs and wonders” would be the credentials of His followers in their ministries (; ).

Along with His compassion and credentials, Jesus had a third reason for miracles: His concern to reveal saving truth to people. The miracles were sermons in action. Even Nicodemus was impressed with them (, ). We should note that five of those miracles were performed at Capernaum, yet the city rejected Him (). But even the rejection by the nation of Israel fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (see ). Like the judgments against Egypt in Moses’ day, the miracles of the Lord were judgments on Israel, for the people had to face facts and make decisions. The religious leaders decided that Jesus was working for Satan (; ).

One thing is certain: Jesus did not perform miracles to get a crowd. In fact, He usually would avoid the crowd. Time after time, Jesus instructed those whom He had healed not to talk too much about it (, ; ; ). He did not want people trusting Him simply on the basis of spectacular deeds (see ). Faith must be based on His Word ().

Go to the

This Roman officer probably was a centurion, one who had charge over one hundred men. Every centurion mentioned in the Gospels and Acts was a gentleman of high character and sense of duty, and this man was no exception, indicated by his concern for a lowly servant boy.

Everything about this officer should have prevented him from coming to Jesus. He was a professional soldier, and Jesus was a man of peace. He was a Gentile, and Jesus was a Jew. But this soldier had one thing working for him: He was a man of great faith. The officer understood that Jesus, like Himself, had authority and was under authority. All Christ had to do was speak the word, and the disease would obey Him the way a soldier obeyed his officer.

Twice the Gospels record that Jesus was amazed: here (and in the parallel in ), at the faith of the Gentile officer, and in , at the unbelief of the Jews. This is an early indication that the Jews would not believe, but the Gentiles would. Also, in both of these miracles, our Lord healed from a distance. This was a reminder of the spiritual position of the Gentiles “without God in the world” ().

Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and Peter and Andrew told Jesus about her need when they all arrived home after the synagogue service (). Women did not hold a high position in Israel, and a Pharisee probably would not have paid much attention to the need in Peter’s home. Jesus healed the woman with a touch, and she responded by serving Him and the other men. This seems like a minor miracle, but the results were major because after sundown (when the Sabbath ended), the “whole city” gathered at the door that the Lord might meet their needs (). The change in one woman’s life led to miracles in the lives of many people.

Because great crowds followed Jesus, and opposition had not yet begun, many would-be disciples wanted to follow Him. But they would not pay the price. In verse , Jesus was not asking the man to be disrespectful to his father (who was not yet dead), but to have the right priorities in life. It would be better to preach the gospel and give life to the spiritually dead than to wait for one’s father to die and bury him.

This is the first use of “Son of Man” in Matthew as a name for Jesus. It comes from and is definitely a messianic title and a claim to kingship.

The Sea of Galilee is about thirteen miles long and eight miles wide. Often violent storms would suddenly sweep across the water. Jesus undoubtedly knew the storm was coming and certainly could have prevented it. But He permitted it so that He might teach His disciples some lessons.

The disciples experienced the storm because they obeyed the Lord, and not because (like Jonah) they disobeyed Him. Jesus was asleep because He could rest confidently in the will of His Father, and this was what the disciples should have been able to do. Instead, they became frightened and accused Jesus of not caring! Matthew wanted his readers to contrast the “little faith” of the disciples with the “great faith” of the Gentile centurion.

This dramatic incident is most revealing. It shows what Satan does for people: robs them of sanity and self-control; fills them with fears; robs them of the joys of home and friends; and, if possible, condemns them to an eternity of judgment. It also reveals what society does for those in need: restrains them, isolates them, and threatens them, but is unable to change them. In contrast, see what Jesus Christ can do for a person whose whole life—within and without—is plagued by bondage and battle.

The Lord had shown Himself powerful over sickness and storms, but what could He do about sin? This paralyzed man was unable to help himself, but fortunately he had four friends with love, faith, and hope. They brought him to Jesus and permitted nothing to stand in their way. Was the man’s physical condition the result of his sin? We do not know. But we do know that Jesus dealt with the sin problem first, for this is always the greatest need.

Catalyst

After Jesus called such notorious sinners as Matthew () and ate with other “disreputable sinners” (v. ), the Pharisees asked why Jesus would eat with “such scum” (v. ). In response, Jesus gave one of the four pictures of His ministry in this passage.

As the Physician (vv. , ), He came to bring spiritual health to sick sinners. As the Bridegroom (v. ), He came to give spiritual joy. The Christian life is a feast, not a funeral. The illustration of the cloth (v. ) reminds us that He came to bring spiritual wholeness; He did not come to patch us up and then let us fall apart. The image of the wineskins (v. ) teaches that He gives spiritual fullness. Jewish religion was a worn-out wineskin that would burst if filled with the new wine of the gospel. Jesus did not come to renovate Moses or even mix law and grace. He came with new life!

Go to the

, , Coming to Jesus must have been difficult for Jairus, since he was a devout Jew and the leader in the synagogue. But Jairus’s love for his daughter compelled him to seek Jesus’ help, even if the religious leaders were opposing Him. We must learn to trust Christ and His promises regardless of how we feel, what others say, and how the circumstances may look. The scene at home must have frightened Jairus, yet Jesus took command and raised the girl from the dead.

informs us that this woman had tried many physicians, but none had been able to help her. Imagine her feelings of despair and discouragement. Her hopes had been shattered. Because of this hemorrhage, the woman was ceremonially unclean (.), which only added to her hopelessness. The “hem of His garment” refers to the special tassels that the Jews would wear on their garments to remind them that they were God’s people.

This woman’s faith was almost superstitious, yet Jesus honored it and healed her. People must touch Christ where they are able, even if they simply begin at the hem of His garment. The Pharisees enlarged their hems and tassels in order to appear more spiritual, but they lacked the power to heal (). Others touched the hem of Christ’s garment and were also healed ().

We are not told why these men were blind. Blindness was a serious problem in the East in that day. The records state that Jesus healed at least six blind men, and each case was different. These two blind men acknowledged Christ as the Son of David (see ) and persisted in following Him right into the house. (No doubt they had friends who helped guide them.) Jesus honored their faith. Their “Yes, Lord” was the confession that released the power for their healing, and Jesus restored their sight.

The final miracle in this series involved a demon. While sicknesses and demonic workings differ (), demons do have the power to cause physical afflictions. In this case, the demon had made the man mute. Think of what a handicap this would be! Jesus delivered him, and the people admitted that this was a new thing in Israel.

Not only did Jesus heal, He also taught and preached. He did not do the work alone, however; He used others to help Him. He requested that His disciples pray that God would provide the needed workers. Soon the disciples themselves would become involved in the ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing (see ch. ).

A “disciple” is a learner, one who follows a teacher and learns his or her wisdom. Jesus had many disciples, some of whom were merely hangers-on and some who were truly converted (). From this large group of followers, Jesus selected a smaller group of twelve men, and these He called “apostles.” This word comes from the Greek word apostello, which means “to send forth with a commission.”

The apostles were given special power and authority from Christ to perform miracles. These miracles formed part of their official credentials (; ; ; ). The apostles healed the sick (“all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease”), cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. These four ministries paralleled the miracles that Jesus performed in and . The apostles definitely represented the King and extended His work.

A person had to meet certain qualifications to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. He must have seen the risen Christ () and fellowshipped with Him (, ). He had to be chosen by the Lord (). The apostles laid the foundation of the church () and then passed from the scene. While all believers are sent forth to represent the King (; ), no believer today can honestly claim to be an apostle, for none of us has seen the risen Christ ().

The Lord’s commission includes “all the nations” (, ), not just the nation of Israel. We preach the gospel of the grace of God (). Our message is “Christ died for our sins,” not “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That’s because the King has come, and He has already suffered, died, and risen from the dead. Now He offers His salvation to all who will believe.

These instructions seem to apply to witnesses at some future time, for several reasons. First, the Holy Spirit had not yet been given, and Jesus talked about the Spirit speaking through them (v. ). Second, the statement, “you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (v. ) seems to indicate a worldwide persecution, yet the apostles were ministering only in their own land. Finally, verse speaks about the return of the Lord, which certainly moves these events into the future.

If, then, these instructions apply to that future time of tribulation, we can easily understand why Jesus said so much about hatred and persecution. The tribulation period will be a time of opposition. God’s servants will be like sheep in the midst of wolves. They will need to be tough-minded but tenderhearted. This opposition will come from organized religion (v. ), government (v. ), and even the family (v. ).

Here Scripture states that government will share in this program of persecution. The prophetic Scriptures teach that, in the last days, government and religion will work together to control the world. describes a time during the tribulation period when a world ruler (the Antichrist) will force the world to worship him and his statue. He will control world religion, economics, and government; and he will use all three to persecute those who stand true to Christ.

The tribulation period will also be a time of opportunity. The believers will be able to witness to governors and kings (). Their enemies will try to trip them up, but the Spirit of God will teach the witnesses what to say. Believers today must not use verses , as an excuse not to study the Word in preparation for witnessing, teaching, or preaching. These verses describe an emergency situation; they are not God’s regular pattern for ministry today.

The tribulation will be a time of opposition and opportunity, but it will also be a time of obligation. The ambassadors of the King must “[endure] to the end” and faithfully perform their ministry, even if it costs them their lives. In spite of scourging, rejection by their families, persecution from city to city, and trials before leaders, the servants must remain true to their Lord. Their witness will be used by God to win others.

Today we can learn from these words, even though their primary interpretation and application are for God’s servants at a future time. No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, we can turn opposition into opportunities for witness. We can trust the Spirit of God to help us remember what the Lord has taught us (). Instead of fleeing and looking for an easier place, we can endure, knowing that God will help us and see us through.

, Jesus Christ was persecuted when He was ministering on earth, so why should we expect anything different? We are His disciples, and the disciple does not outrank the Master. Jesus was accused of being “Beelzebub” (Satan), so they will say the same thing about His followers. We should feel privileged to suffer for Him and with Him (; ).

, Jesus said that God would bring everything to light. The enemies of Christ use secret and deceptive means to oppose the gospel. But true believers are open and courageous in their lives and witness. We have nothing to hide.

God cares for His own. Two sparrows don’t cost much in the market. If we compare these verses with , we discover that sparrows were very cheap. In fact they were of so little value that the dealer would often throw in an extra one! Yet the Father knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, and the Father is there. If God cares for sparrows in such a marvelous way, will He not also care for His own who are serving Him?

The only way believers can escape conflict is to deny Christ and compromise their witness, and to do this would be sin. Then these believers would be at war with God and with themselves. We will be misunderstood and persecuted even by those who are the closest to us, yet we must not allow this to affect our witness. We must suffer for Jesus’ sake and for righteousness’ sake, and not for being difficult to live with. People being offended by the cross () is quite different from being offended by offensive Christians.

Keep in mind that the theme of this last section is discipleship, not sonship. We become the children of God through faith in Christ; we are disciples as we faithfully follow Him and obey His will. Sonship does not change, but discipleship does change as we walk with Christ. Today, faithful disciples are greatly needed, believers who will learn from Christ and live for Him.

Jesus presents us with only two alternatives: Spare your life or sacrifice your life. No middle ground exists. If we protect our own interests, we will be losers; if we die to self and live for His interests, we will be winners. Since spiritual conflict is inevitable in this world, why not die to self and let Christ win the battle for us and in us? After all, the real war is inside—selfishness versus sacrifice.

We can be a blessing to others. Not everyone will reject our witness. Some will welcome us and receive a blessing. After all, we are the ambassadors of the King! Our King will make sure we are rewarded for what we do. When people receive us, they welcome the King, for we are His representatives. Read for an example of what happens when people mistreat the envoys of the King.

John the Baptist was in prison in the fortress of Machaerus because he had courageously denounced the adulterous marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias (, ). We would think that the Jewish leaders would have opposed Herod and sought to free John, but they did nothing. Their attitude toward John reflected their feeling toward Jesus, for John had pointed to Jesus and had honored Him.

Our Lord’s reply to John reveals both tact and tenderness. He reminded John of the Old Testament prophecies about the works of the Messiah (, ; ). John’s disciples had already told him what Jesus was doing (), but Jesus asked them to tell Him what they had seen. John had come in the spirit and power of Elijah (), and even Elijah had his days of discouragement. Jesus assured John that he was fulfilling the Father’s will.

How unusual to find the phrase “woe to you” on the lips of Jesus! This phrase refers to judgment, but it also includes pity and sorrow. How tragic that these cities should treat lightly their opportunities to see and hear the Christ of God, and be saved! The Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon and the godless cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented had they seen the miracles that Jesus and His disciples had performed. Capernaum had been “exalted in heaven” (v. ) by being privileged to have the Messiah live there. Yet her greater privileges only brought greater responsibilities and greater judgment.

Why did the religious leaders rebel against John and Jesus? Because they were intellectually and spiritually proud and would not become like little babies in humility and honesty. A vast difference exists between the spoiled children of the parable (vv. ) and the submissive children of this statement of praise.

Catalyst

Jesus said, “Come” (). The Pharisees all said “Do!” and tried to make the people follow Moses and the traditions. But true salvation is found only in a person, Jesus Christ. To come to Him means to trust Him. This invitation is open to those who are exhausted and burdened down. That is exactly how the people felt under the yoke of pharisaical legalism (; ).

Jesus said, “Take” (). This is a deeper experience. When we come to Christ by faith, He gives us rest. When we take His yoke and learn, we find rest, that deeper rest of surrender and obedience. The first is “peace with God” (); the second is the peace of God (). To “take a yoke” in that day meant to become a disciple. When we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him. The word “easy” means “well-fitting”; Jesus has just the yoke that is tailor-made for our lives and needs. The burden of doing His will is not a heavy one ().

Jesus said, “Learn from Me” (). The first two commands represent a crisis as we come and yield to Christ, but this step is a process. As we learn more about Him, we find a deeper peace because we trust Him more. Life is simplified and unified around the person of Christ. This invitation is for all—not just the people of Israel (, ).

Go to the

Jesus deliberately violated the Sabbath traditions on several occasions. He had taught the people that mere external laws could never save them or make them holy; true righteousness had to come from the heart. The Hebrew word sabat means “repose or rest,” which explains why Matthew introduced these Sabbath conflicts at this point. Jesus offers rest to all who will come to Him; we find no rest in mere religious observances.

In His argument, Jesus appealed to a king (vv. , ), to the priests (vv. , ), and to a prophet (v. ). Jesus appealed to prophet, priest, and king, for He is Prophet, Priest, and King. Notice also the three “greater” statements that He made: As the Priest, He is “greater than the temple” (v. ); as Prophet, He is “greater than Jonah” (v. ); and as King, He is “greater than Solomon” (v. ).

In declaring Himself “Lord, even of the Sabbath” (v. ), Jesus was actually affirming equality with God, for God had established the Sabbath (). Jesus then proved this claim by healing the man with the deformed hand. Sadly the religious leaders used this man and his handicap as a weapon to fight against Jesus. But Jesus was not afraid of their threats. Not doing good on the Sabbath day (or any other day) would be the same as doing evil. Jesus argued that if a farmer could care for his animals on the Sabbath, shouldn’t we care for a person, made in the image of God?

The man who was brought to Jesus was certainly in a sad state, for he was blind, unable to speak, and possessed with a demon. Jesus delivered the man, something the Pharisees could not do. Their accusation was that he worked by the power of Satan and not by the power of God. They did not agree with Nicodemus’s evaluation of His miracles ().

Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees’ statement was illogical and impractical. Why would Satan fight against himself? Jesus affirmed that Satan had a kingdom, for he is the god of this age (, ; ). If Satan were to cast out his own demonic helpers, then he would be opposing himself, dividing his kingdom, and destroying his house.

Jesus was able to cast out demons because He had first defeated Satan, the prince of the demons. Jesus entered Satan’s kingdom, overcame his power, and claimed his spoils. Jesus’ victory was through the Spirit of God (“the kingdom of God has come upon you,” ) and not the power of the evil one. This means that God is Victor over Satan, and that people must decide on whose side they will stand. Compromise is not an option. We are either with God or against God.

Catalyst

What is this terrible blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that “will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” ()? Our Lord said that God will forgive evil words spoken against the Son but not against the Spirit. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is more important than Jesus Christ, God’s Son? Surely not. We often hear the name of God or Jesus Christ used in blasphemy, but rarely if ever the name of the Holy Spirit. How can God forgive words spoken against His Son and yet not forgive words spoken against the Spirit?

Evidently this situation existed only while Christ was ministering on earth. Jesus did not appear to be different from any other Jewish man (). To speak against Christ could be forgiven while He was on earth. But when the Spirit of God came at Pentecost as proof that Jesus was the Christ and was alive, to reject the witness of the Spirit was final. The only consequence would be judgment.

When the leaders rejected John the Baptist, they were rejecting the Father who sent him. When they rejected Jesus, they were rejecting the Son. But when they rejected the ministry of the apostles, they rejected the Holy Spirit—and that is the end. No more witness is available. Such rejection cannot be forgiven.

Today do we have a sin than cannot be forgiven? Yes, the final rejection of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it clear that all sins can be forgiven, including adultery, murder, blasphemy, and the rest of the list; they are not unpardonable. But God cannot forgive the rejection of His Son. The Spirit bears witness to Christ () and convicts the lost sinner ().

Go to the

The phrase “idle word” means “a word that accomplishes nothing.” If God is going to judge our small talk, how much more will he judge our deliberate words? Through our conversation at unguarded moments we reveal our true character.

The religious leaders asked Jesus “for a sign” (). To ask for a sign was evidence of unbelief: They wanted Jesus to prove that He was the Messiah. We wonder what further proof could have been given! If they had searched their own Scriptures and sincerely examined Jesus’ life, they would have concluded, “This is the Son of God!” But for Jesus to have given them a sign would have been wrong. That would have catered to their unbelief and allowed them to set the standards for faith. No matter what miracle Jesus performed, it would not have pleased them.

The main lesson behind this history lesson is this: The citizens of Nineveh will witness against the rulers of Israel, for they repented at Jonah’s preaching. The queen of Sheba will also witness against them. She traveled a long distance to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But the Jewish leaders rejected the wisdom of Christ, who was in their very midst! The greater the opportunity, the greater the judgment. A tragic fact in the history of Israel is that the nation often would reject their deliverers initially but then accept them later. This was true with Joseph, Moses, David, the prophets (), and Jesus Christ.

The nation should have received the Savior and been filled with spiritual life. Instead, the people rejected Him, and the end was destruction. The personal application is clear. Merely cleaning house is not enough; we must also invite in the right tenant. The Pharisees were proud of their clean houses, but their hearts were empty! Mere religion, or reformation, will not save. What matters is regeneration, the receiving of Christ into the heart (see ). We cannot be neutral about Jesus Christ.

, Why compare God’s Word to seed? Because the Word is “living and powerful” (). Unlike human words, the Word of God has life in it, and that life will be imparted to those who will believe. The truth of God must take root in the heart, be cultivated, and be permitted to bear fruit. Amazingly, three fourths of the seed did not bear fruit. Jesus did not describe an age of great harvest but one in which the Word would be rejected.

Satan opposes the kingdom by trying to snatch the Word from hearts (vv. , ). But when that fails, he has other ways of attacking God’s work. These three parables reveal that Satan is primarily an imitator: He plants false Christians; he encourages a false growth; he introduces false doctrine.

, The “thorns” represent false Christians. Satan cannot uproot the plants (true Christians), so he plants counterfeit Christians among them. In this parable, the good seed is not the Word of God. It represents people converted through trusting the Word. The field is not human hearts; it is the world. Christ is sowing true believers in various places so that they will bear fruit ().

Some make this parable teach the worldwide success of the gospel, but that would contradict what Jesus taught in the first parable. If anything, the New Testament teaches a growing decline in the ministry of the gospel as the end of the age draws near.

The “leaven” represents false doctrine. While the mustard seed (v. ) illustrates the false outward expansion of the kingdom, the leaven illustrates the inward development of false doctrine and false living. Throughout the Bible, leaven is a symbol of evil. Jesus used leaven to picture hypocrisy (), false teaching (), and worldly compromise (). Paul used leaven to picture carnality in the church () as well as false doctrine (). Sin is like leaven: It quietly grows, it corrupts, and it puffs up (, ; ; ).

The kingdom of heaven began with the sowing of the Word of God in people’s hearts. Much of the seed did not bear fruit, but some was fruitful. Satan opposed the work of God by sowing counterfeit Christians, by encouraging a false growth, and by introducing false doctrine. Satan may seem to be winning! But the test comes at the end of the age, not during the age.

Old Testament symbolism assists us in our interpretation of this verse. The treasure represents the nation of Israel (; ). That nation was placed in the world to bring glory to God, but it failed. It became a nation hidden, a treasure not being invested to produce dividends for God. Jesus Christ gave His all to purchase the whole world in order to save the nation (). God sees Israel as His treasure, and one day He will establish her in a glorious kingdom.

, The pearl represents the church. The Bible makes a distinction between Jews, Gentiles, and the church (). Today, the church, the body of Christ, is composed of believing Jews and Gentiles (.). Unlike most other gems, the pearl is a unity—it cannot be carved like a diamond or emerald. The church is a unity (), even though the professing church on earth is divided. Like a pearl, the church is the product of suffering. Christ died for the church (, ), and His suffering on the cross made possible her birth.

In spite of Satan’s subtle working in this world, Christ is forming His church. He sold all that He had to purchase His church, and nothing Satan can do will cause Him to fail. God has only one church, a pearl of great price, though many local churches exist. Not everyone who is a member of a local church belongs to the one church, the body of Christ. Only through repentance and faith in Christ do we become a part of His church.

The preaching of the gospel in the world does not convert the world. It is like a huge fishing net that gathers all kinds of fish, some good and some bad. The professing church today contains both true and false believers (the parable of the weeds) and good and bad. At the end of the age, God will separate the true believers from the false and the good from the bad.

Two things amazed the people of Nazareth: the Lord’s words and His works. They did not trust in Him, however, and this limited His ministry. What caused the people to doubt Jesus? They were too familiar with Him in a human way, for He had grown up among them. They knew Him “according to the flesh” () and didn’t have the spiritual discernment that God gives to those who will yield to Him (). These people walked by sight and not by faith.

During this period in Matthew’s Gospel, the Lord seeks to leave the multitudes to be alone with His disciples.

Herod Antipas was a son of Herod the Great. His title was “tetrarch,” which means “ruler over the fourth part of the kingdom.” He ruled from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39, and His rule was deceptive and selfish. He loved luxury and was very ambitious to become a great ruler. All of the Herods had Edomite blood in them, and, like their ancestor Esau, they were hostile to the Jews (). They practiced the Jewish religion when it helped fulfill their plans for gaining more power and wealth.

John the Baptist had boldly warned Herod and had called him to repent. John knew that the sin of a ruler would only pollute the land and make it easier for others to sin and that God would judge the sinners (). We must commend John for his courage in naming sin and denouncing it. Israel was God’s covenant nation, and the sins of the rulers (even though they were unbelievers) would bring God’s chastening.

Herod is remembered as a weak ruler whose only concern was his own pleasure and position. He did not serve the people; he served himself. He has the dubious honor of being the man who killed the greatest prophet ever sent to proclaim God’s Word.

Certainly Jesus was deeply moved when He heard that John had been killed. The Jewish nation permitted John to be killed and had done nothing to assist him. But these same leaders would ask for Jesus to be executed! Jesus would never permit the Jewish rulers to forget the witness of John (). Because they had rejected John’s witness, they had rejected their own Messiah and King.

Jesus felt “compassion” when He saw the needy crowds (). They were like sheep that had been lacerated from brutal fleecing—torn, exhausted, and wandering. Twice He had “compassion” when He saw that they were hungry (; ). The two blind men () and the leper () also stirred Jesus’ compassion, as did the sorrow of the widow at Nain ().

Certainly the disciples knew that Jesus was powerful enough to meet the need, yet they did not turn to Him for help. Instead, they took inventory of their own food supply (they found only five loaves of bread and two fish) and their limited treasury. When they considered the time (evening) and the place (remote), they came to the conclusion that nothing could be done to solve the problem. This is so similar to many of God’s people today. For some reason, they never sense the right time or place for God to work.

Matthew says, “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” Why was Jesus in such a hurry for everyone to leave? John recorded the reason: The crowd wanted to make Jesus king (, ). The Lord knew that their motives were not spiritual and that their purposes were out of God’s will. If the disciples had stayed, they would certainly have fallen in with the plans of the crowd, for as yet, the disciples did not fully understand Christ’s plans.

Catalyst

As we read our Bibles, we discover storms of two kinds: storms of correction, when God disciplines us, and storms of perfection, when God helps us to grow.

Jonah had been in a storm because he had disobeyed God and had to be corrected. The disciples were in a storm because they obeyed Christ and had to be perfected. Jesus had tested them in a storm before, when He was in the boat with them (). But here He tested them by being out of the boat.

Many Christians have the mistaken idea that obedience to God’s will produces smooth sailing. But this is not true. In fact, Jesus promised that His followers would experience “trials and sorrows” (). When we find ourselves in a storm because we have obeyed the Lord, we must remember that He brought us here and He can care for us.

Jesus always comes to us in the storms of life. He may not come at the time we think He should come, because only He knows when we need Him the most. Jesus waited until the boat was as far from land as possible, so that all human hope was gone. He was testing the disciples’ faith, and this meant removing every human prop.

Go to the

, What caused Peter to sink? His faith began to waver because he took his eyes off the Lord and began to look at the circumstances around him. “Why did you doubt?” Jesus asked him. This word translated doubt carries the meaning of “standing uncertainly at two ways.” Peter started out with great faith but ended up with little faith because he saw two ways instead of one. Peter’s experience turned out to be a blessing to the other disciples as well as to himself. When the disciples saw the power of Jesus Christ in conquering and calming the storm, they could only fall down and worship Him.

The Pharisees’ accusation about hand washing had nothing to do with cleanliness. They were referring to the ceremonial washings of the rigidly orthodox Jews (see ). They thought that Jesus and His disciples mingling with outcasts was bad enough; even worse, these men did not even seek to be purified! Of course, in making this accusation, these religious leaders were forcing Jesus to deal with the very foundation of their religious faith. If Jesus was rejecting the sacred traditions of the nation, then he was a heretic!

Handed down from the teachers of previous generations, these traditions were originally the oral law that, according to the rabbis, Moses had given to the elders, and they, in turn, had passed down to the nation. This oral law was finally written down and became the Mishnah. Unfortunately, the Mishnah became more important and more authoritative than the original Law of Moses.

In the parallel passage, , Jesus used the Hebrew word Corban, which means “a gift” to refer to the technicality people would invoke to avoid helping their parents. If a Jew wanted to escape some financial responsibilities, he would declare his goods to be “Corban—a gift to God.” This meant he was free from other obligations, such as caring for his parents. In so doing, however, the person was losing the power of God’s Word in his life, and thus hurting his character and missing God’s blessing.

Jesus stated clearly that obedience to tradition could make a person disobedient to the Word of God. taught that people should “honor” their father and mother. But using the “Corban” rule this way would make a person dishonor his or her parents and, thus disobey God.

, Unbiblical tradition is something external, while God’s truth is internal, in the heart. People obey tradition to please people and to gain status (), but we obey the Word to please God. Tradition deals with ritual, while God’s truth deals with reality. Tradition brings empty words to the lips, but truth penetrates the heart and changes the life. Actually, tradition can rob a person of the power of God’s Word. Unfortunately, today evangelical churches have many unbiblical traditions, human-made teachings that are often considered as authoritative as the Word of God—even though they contradict His Word. By obeying these traditions, Christians rob themselves of the power of God’s Word.

God wants us to give Him our hearts and not just our words. We believe in the heart (, ), love from the heart (), sing from the heart (), obey from the heart (; ), and give from the heart (). No wonder David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (). Jesus declared boldly to the multitudes that sin comes from the heart, not from the diet. What comes out of the mouth defiles us, not what goes in.

Peter was not content until he had heard an explanation of the parable about foods. Patiently our Lord explained the lesson again. The meaning seems obvious to us, but it was astonishingly new to orthodox Jews. Whatever enters the mouth eventually goes into the stomach and comes out in human waste. Food never touches the heart. But what comes out of the mouth begins in the heart, and these things defile a person. Of course, actions are included with words; often actions speak louder than words. See also .

We have to admire the patience and persistence of this Gentile mother. “Lord, help me!” was her second plea, and this time she avoided any messianic titles. She came as a sinner needing help, and she offered no argument. In His reply, Jesus did not call her a “dog” the way the Pharisees would have addressed a Gentile. The Greek word here means “a little pet dog” and does not refer to the filthy curs that ran the streets and ate the garbage. “The children” refers, of course, to the people of Israel.

, Jesus was not playing games with the woman, nor was He trying to make the situation more difficult. He was drawing out of her a growing response of faith. She immediately seized on his illustration about the children’s bread, which was exactly what He wanted her to do. We may paraphrase her reply: “It is true that we Gentiles do not sit at the table as children and eat the bread. But even the pet dogs under the table can eat some of the crumbs!” What a tremendous testimony of faith! Jesus acknowledged this faith, and immediately He healed her daughter.

We cannot help but marvel at the contrast between these Gentiles and the Jewish leaders who knew the Old Testament Scriptures. The Gentiles glorified Israel’s God, but the Jewish leaders had said that Jesus was in league with Satan (). Our Lord’s miracles did not cause the Jewish cities to repent (.), yet the Gentiles believed in Him. The very miracles that He performed should have convinced the Jews that He was the Messiah (; , ; ). Jesus marveled at the faith of a Gentile soldier and a Gentile mother. Yet He was amazed at the unbelief of His own people ().

Critics have accused the gospel writers of deliberately falsifying the records in order to prove that Jesus performed more miracles. They claim that the feeding of the four thousand was merely an adaptation of the previous miracle of feeding five thousand. A careful examination of the records shows that this accusation is false and that the critics are wrong. This chart shows the differences between the two events.

Feeding 5,000

Feeding 4,000

Primarily Jews

Primarily Gentiles

Galilee, near Bethsaida

The Decapolis

5 loaves, 2 fish

7 loaves, “a few small fish”

12 baskets left over

7 baskets left over

Crowd with Jesus 1 day

Crowd with Jesus 3 days

Spring of year (green grass)

Summer season

Tried to make Jesus king

No popular response

Go to the

The feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000 were different events in the life of Jesus. One example is the word translated “baskets” in means “a large hamper.” This was the same kind of basket that would be used to lower Paul over the Damascus wall (). The word for basket in , however, means “a wicker basket,” the kind a person would use to carry food or other goods.

Catalyst

Before leaving chapter , let’s review several spiritual lessons that it contains for us.

1. The enemies of truth are often religious people who live according to human traditions. Satan often uses religion to blind the minds of sinners to the simple truths of God’s Word.

2. We must beware of any religious system that gives us an excuse to sin and disobey God’s Word.

3. We must also beware of worship that comes from the lips only and not from the heart.

4. If we major on the inner person, the outer person will be what God wants it to be. True holiness comes from within.

5. Breaking free from unbiblical tradition can be difficult. Something in us wants to hold to the past and make no changes. Even Peter had to learn his lesson twice!

6. We dare not limit Christ to any one nation or people. The gospel came to “the Jew first” (), but today is for all types of people in all nations. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” ().

Go to the

The Pharisees were the traditionalists of their day, while the Sadducees were quite liberal (see ), so usually they would be on the opposite side of a religious dispute. Here they united to issue a challenge to Jesus, demanding that He give them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His identity. The word translated sign means much more than simply a miracle or a demonstration of power. It means “a wonder by which one may recognize a person or confirm who he or she is.”

, Jesus spoke about the weather to reveal to His adversaries their own dishonesty and stubborn blindness. They could examine the evidence in God’s world and draw valid conclusions, but they would not examine the evidence He had presented. These men would not believe; therefore, they could not believe (). The Pharisees and Sadducees did not lack evidence; they lacked honesty and humility.

The Pharisees and Sadducees’ demand for a sign revealed the sad condition of their hearts: They were evil and “adulterous.” Jesus did not accuse them of being guilty of physical adultery but of spiritual adultery (; ). These men were worshiping a false god of their own manufacture, and this was spiritual adultery. Had they been worshiping the true God, they would have recognized His Son when He came.

Often in the ministry of Jesus, people misconstrued His words by interpreting them literally rather than spiritually. Nicodemus had thought that Jesus was talking about an actual physical birth (), and the Samaritan woman had thought He was referring to material water from the well (). The Jewish crowd in the synagogue had thought Jesus was speaking about eating actual flesh and blood (.) when He was describing a spiritual experience (). Here the disciples thought Jesus was talking about making bread with His comment about “leaven.”

Leaven was to the Jews a symbol of evil (see ). Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees had infected the religious beliefs of Israel with false doctrine. The Pharisees were legalists who taught that only obedience to the law and the traditions would please God and usher in His kingdom for Israel. The Sadducees were liberal in their thinking and denied that any such kingdom would be established on earth. They even denied the truth of the resurrection () and the existence of angels.

Jesus and the disciples were about 120 miles from Jerusalem in the northern part of Palestine. The region was strongly identified with various religions: It had been a center for Baal worship; the Greek god Pan had shrines there; and Herod the Great had built a temple there to honor Augustus Caesar. In the context of this pagan superstition, Peter confessed Jesus as the Son of God. And it was probably within sight of Caesar’s temple that Jesus announced a surprise: He would not yet establish His kingdom, but He would build His church.

This confession was Peter’s response to the revelation that God the Father had given him (see ). This revelation was not the result of Peter’s personal investigation; it had come as the gracious act of God. God had hidden these things from the proud Pharisees and Sadducees and revealed them to “the childlike,” the humble disciples. We can never gather a true picture of Jesus Christ by taking a poll of the people. (But some people do get their spiritual knowledge this way!) What is important is not what people say but how each person responds.

Jesus explicitly asked for this confession. It was not an emotional response from people who had seen a miracle, but the studied and sincere statement of a man who had been taught by God. Also, Jesus accepted this confession and built on it to teach His disciples new truth. Jesus must have been thrilled to hear Peter’s words, knowing that Peter could now be led into new steps of deeper truth and service. All of our Lord’s ministry to His disciples had prepared the way for this experience.

This is the first occurrence of the important word “church” in the New Testament. It is the Greek word ekklesia (ek–klay–SEE–uh), from which we get our English word “ecclesiastical,” referring to things that pertain to the church. The literal meaning is “a called-out assembly.” The word is used 114 times in the New Testament, and in ninety of these references, a local church (assembly) is in view. In this first use of ekklesia, however, Jesus likely had the whole church in mind. He was not just building a local assembly but a universal church composed of all who make the same confession of faith that Peter made.

“The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” In Scripture, “gates” represent authority and power. The city gate was to a Jew what city hall is to people in the Western world. Important business was transacted at the city gate (; ; ). “The gates of Hades,” then, would symbolize the organized power of death and Satan. By His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ would conquer death, so that death would not be able to hold any of His people. Christ would storm the gates and deliver the captives! This declaration certainly is verified by , , , and other Scriptures.

The expression “binding and loosing” was a very familiar phrase to the Jews, for their rabbis would often speak of “binding and loosing,” that is, “forbidding” or “permitting.” Our Lord’s statement here referred to Peter. But His statement later (in ) included all of the apostles. As the representatives of their Lord, they would exercise authority according to His Word. Jesus did not say that God would obey what the disciples did on earth but that they should do on earth whatever God had already willed. The church does not get human will done in heaven; it obeys God’s will on earth.

This is Jesus’ first prediction of His death on the cross in Matthew. The second is in , and the third is in .

Today a cross is an accepted symbol of love and sacrifice. But in that day the cross was a horrible means of capital punishment. The Romans would not mention the cross in polite society. In fact, no Roman citizen could be crucified; this terrible death was reserved for their enemies. Jesus had not yet specifically stated that He would be crucified (he did this in ). But His words that follow emphasize the cross.

, What was Peter’s mistake? He was thinking like a human being, for most people want to escape suffering and death. He did not have God’s mind in the matter. We find the mind of God in the Word of God. Until Peter was filled with the Spirit, he had a tendency to argue with God’s Word. Peter had enough faith to confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but he did not have the faith to believe that it was right for Jesus to suffer and die. Of course, Satan agreed with Peter’s words, for he used the same approach to tempt Jesus in the wilderness ().

Jesus said that His followers should “deny himself” in order to give themselves wholly to Christ and share in His shame and death. Paul described this in , and , as well as in . But suffering always leads to glory. This is why Jesus ended this short sermon with a reference to His glorious kingdom ().

Matthew and Mark state that the transfiguration took place “six days later,” while Luke says “about eight days later” (). These statements do not contradict; Luke’s statement is the Jewish equivalent of “about a week later.” During that week, the disciples must have pondered and discussed what Jesus meant by His death and resurrection.

Catalyst

This incident in is known as the “transfiguration,” and it reveals four aspects of the glory of Jesus Christ the King.

The glory of His person. As far as the record is concerned, this is the only time Jesus revealed His glory in this way while He was on the earth. The word translated “transformed” (v. ) gives us our English word “metamorphosis.” A metamorphosis is a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When a caterpillar builds a cocoon or chrysalis and later emerges as a moth or butterfly, it is due to the process of metamorphosis. Our Lord’s glory was not reflected but radiated from within. The change on the outside came from within as He allowed His essential glory to shine forth ().

The glory of His kingdom. The presence of Moses and Elijah is significant. Moses represented the law and Elijah the prophets. All of the law and prophets point to Christ and are fulfilled in Christ (; ). Not one word of the Old Testament Scriptures will be unfulfilled. The promised kingdom will be established (, , ). Just as the three disciples saw Jesus glorified on earth, so God’s people will see Him in His glorious kingdom on earth.

The glory of His cross. The disciples had to learn that suffering and glory go together. Peter had opposed His going to Jerusalem to die (), so Jesus had to teach him that, apart from His suffering and death, there could be no glory. Peter certainly learned the lesson, for in his first epistle he repeatedly emphasized suffering and glory (, ; ).

The glory of His submission. Peter could not understand why the Son of God would submit to evil people and willingly suffer. The transfiguration was God’s way of teaching Peter that Jesus is glorified when we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. The world’s philosophy is “Save yourself!” but the Christian’s philosophy is “Yield yourself to God!” As He stood there in glory, Jesus proved to the three disciples that surrender always leads to glory.

Go to the

, The nine disciples were perhaps jealous because they had not been called to go to the mountaintop with Jesus. During the Lord’s absence, they began to grow self-indulgent. They neglected prayer; their faith weakened. Then, when the crisis came, they were unprepared. Like Samson, they went out to battle without realizing that their power was gone (). From their example, we see the importance of staying spiritually healthy.

Faith “as small as a mustard seed” suggests not only size (God will honor even a little faith), but also life and growth. Faith like a mustard seed is a living faith that is nurtured and caused to grow. Faith must be cultivated so that it grows and does even greater exploits for God (; ). Had the nine disciples been praying, disciplining themselves, and meditating on the Word, they would have been able to cast out the demon and rescue the boy.

Jesus did not want the people to be offended because he, being a Jew, did not support the temple ministry. While Jesus did not hesitate to break the human traditions of the Pharisees, He was careful to obey the law of God. As Christians, we must never use our freedom in Christ to hurt or destroy others. Technically, Jesus did not have to pay the tax, but for practical reasons, He paid it. He also included Peter so that their testimony would not be hurt.

God gave Adam and Eve dominion over nature, and this included the fish in the sea (; ). Human beings lost this dominion because of sin, so Peter was not able to command the fish to give him the money. Jesus Christ exercised dominion over not only the fish, but also over the animals () and the birds (, , ). What Adam lost because of his disobedience, Jesus Christ regained through His obedience (, ).

The fact that Jesus had been sharing with the disciples the truth about His approaching suffering and death did not affect them. They were thinking only of themselves and what position they would have in His kingdom. So absorbed were the disciples in this matter that they actually argued with each other ()! The selfishness and disunity of God’s people is a scandal to the Christian faith. What causes these problems? Pride—thinking ourselves more important than we really are. Pride led human beings into sin at the beginning (). When Christians are living for themselves and not for others, conflict and division are bound to result (, ).

True humility means knowing ourselves, accepting ourselves, and being ourselves—our best self—to the glory of God. It means avoiding two extremes: thinking less of ourselves than we ought to (as did Moses when God called him, .), or thinking more of ourselves than we should (). The truly humble person does not deny the gifts God has given him or her, but uses them to the glory of God.

An unspoiled child has the characteristics that make for humility: trust, dependence, a desire to make others happy, and an absence of boasting or selfish desire to be greater than others. By nature, all of us are rebels who want to be celebrities instead of servants. We need a great deal of teaching for us to learn the lessons of humility.

The truly humble person helps to build up others, not to tear them down. This person is a stepping-stone, not a stumbling block. Thus, we must remove from our lives anything that makes us stumble. If we don’t, we will cause others to stumble. Jesus had uttered similar words in the Sermon on the Mount (, ). Paul used the eye, hand, and foot to illustrate the mutual dependence of members of the body of Christ ().

What should we do when another Christian has sinned against us or caused us to stumble? Our Lord gave several instructions. Keep the matter private. Approach the person who sinned and speak with him or her alone. It is possible that the person does not even realize what he or she has done. Or, even if the act was deliberate, our own attitude of submission and love will help the person repent and apologize. Above all else, we should approach the person with the idea of winning our brother or sister, not winning an argument. We don’t want to win the argument and lose the person.

Church discipline is a neglected ministry these days, yet it is taught here and in the Epistles (see ; ; ; ). Just as children in the home need discipline, so God’s children in the church need discipline. If by the time the matter comes to the whole church, the offender has not yet changed his or her mind and repented, then this person cannot be treated as a spiritual brother or sister, having forfeited that position. He or she can only be treated as one outside the church—not hated, but not held in close fellowship.

The local assembly should be at its best spiritually before seeking to discipline a member. When disciplining a member, a church is actually examining and disciplining itself. This is why our Lord added these words about authority, prayer, and fellowship. We cannot discipline others if we ourselves are not disciplined. Whatever we permit in the assembly must first have been permitted by God (see ).

Jesus was not advising careless or shallow forgiveness. Christian love is not blind (, ). The forgiveness Christ requires is on the basis of the instructions He gave in . If someone is guilty of a repeated sin, no doubt the person would find strength and power to conquer that sin through the encouragement of loving and forgiving brothers. If we condemn a person, we bring out the worst in him or her. But if we create an atmosphere of love and forgiveness, we can help God bring out the best in that person.

We should note that this example is not about salvation, for salvation is wholly of grace and is unconditionally given. To make God’s forgiveness temporary is to violate the truth of Scripture (; , ; ). The verse is not dealing with forgiveness between lost sinners and God. The emphasis in this chapter is on believers forgiving believers (, ).

, The world’s worst prison is the prison of an unforgiving heart. If we refuse to forgive others, then we are only imprisoning ourselves and causing our own torment. Some of the most miserable people are those who will not forgive others. They live only to imagine ways to punish the people who have wronged them. But they are really only punishing themselves.

Jesus warned that God cannot forgive us if we do not have humble and repentant hearts. We reveal the true condition of our hearts by the way we treat others. When our hearts are humble and repentant, we will gladly forgive our brothers and sisters. But when we have pride and want revenge, we will not truly repent, and this means God cannot forgive. We must experience His forgiveness in our hearts so that it humbles us and makes us gentle and forgiving toward others. The servant in the parable did not have a deep experience of forgiveness and humility.

Catalyst

When Jesus taught about marriage in , instead of beginning with the laws in Deuteronomy, He went all the way back to Genesis. By going back to the original Edenic law, Jesus reminded His listeners of the true characteristics of marriage. What God did when He established the first marriage teaches us positively what He had in mind for a man and a woman. If we build a marriage after God’s ideal pattern, we will not have to worry about divorce laws.

Marriage is a divinely appointed union. God established marriage, and therefore only God can control its character and laws. No court of law can change what God has established.

Marriage is a physical union. The man and woman are united into one: “The two shall become one flesh.” While husband and wife should be of one mind and heart, the basic union in marriage is physical. If a man and woman were just to become “one spirit” in marriage, then death would not dissolve the marriage, for the spirit never dies. Even if a man and woman disagree, are “incompatible,” and cannot get along, they are still married, for the union is physical.

Marriage is a permanent union. God’s original design was that one man and one woman spend one life together. God’s original law knows nothing of trial marriages. God’s law requires that the husband and wife enter into marriage without reservations.

Marriage is a union between one man and one woman. God did not create two men and one woman, two women and one man, two men, or two women. “Group marriages,” “gay marriages,” and other variations are contrary to the will of God, no matter what some psychologists and jurists may say.

Marriage makes possible the continuation of the race. “Be fruitful and multiply” was God’s mandate to the first married couple (). From the beginning God commanded that sex be practiced in the commitment of marriage. Outside of marriage, sex becomes a destructive force; but within the loving commitment of marriage, sex can be creative and constructive.

Our Lord’s teaching is that Scripture has only one basis for divorce, and that is sexual sin. If two people are divorced on any other basis and marry other mates, they are committing adultery. Jesus did not teach that the offended mate had to get a divorce. Certainly forgiveness, patient healing, and a restoration of the broken relationship are possible. This would be the Christian approach to the problem. But, sad to say, because of the hardness of our hearts, sometimes healing the wounds and saving the marriage is impossible. Divorce should be the final option, not the first option.

Happy marriages are not accidents. They are the result of commitment, love, mutual understanding, sacrifice, and hard work. If a husband and wife are fulfilling their marriage vows, they will enjoy a growing relationship that will satisfy them and keep them true to each other. Except for the possibility of sudden temptation, no husband or wife would think of a relationship with another person, so long as their relationship at home is growing and satisfying. And the pure love of a husband or wife is a great protection against even sudden temptation.

Go to the

Remember that the Law of Moses demanded the death penalty for those who committed adultery (; ). Our Lord’s enemies appealed to this law when they tried to trap Him (). While we have no record in the Old Testament that anyone was stoned for committing adultery, this was the divine law. The experience of Joseph () indicates that the Jews used divorce rather than stoning in dealing with an adulterous wife.

, The parents brought the children to Jesus that He might bless them. They were not thinking of baptism or even of salvation. Children who have not reached the age of accountability () are surely covered by the death of Christ (). Children are born sinners (), but if they die before they are accountable, they are regenerated and taken to heaven (; ). How happy are those children whose parents are married in the will of God and are seeking to obey God and who bring them to Jesus for His blessing!

Each of the first three gospels records this event. When we combine the facts, we learn that this man was rich, young, and a ruler—probably the ruler of a synagogue. We can certainly commend this young man for coming publicly to Christ and asking about eternal matters. He seemed to have no ulterior motive and was willing to listen and learn. Sadly, he made the wrong decision.

Jesus knew that this young man was covetous; he loved material wealth. By asking him to sell his goods, Jesus was forcing him to examine his own heart and determine his priorities. With all of his commendable qualities, the young man still did not truly love God with all of his heart. Possessions were his god. He was unable to obey the command.

The young man thought only of external obedience. He forgot about the attitudes of the heart. Jesus had taught in the Sermon on the Mount that hatred was the moral equivalent of murder and that lust was the equivalent of adultery. We rejoice that this young man had such good manners and morals. But we regret that he did not see his sin, repent, and trust Christ.

The highest kind of obedience is not based on a desire for reward or the fear of punishment. It is motivated by love. In His life and His teaching, Jesus tried to show the people that inner spiritual blessings are far more important than material gains. God sees the heart, and God wants to build character. Salvation is the gift of God in response to a person’s faith. Material riches are not a guarantee that God is pleased with a person.

Peter was quick to see the contrast between the wealthy ruler and poor disciples. “We have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” Jesus gave the disciples a marvelous promise of rewards in this life and in the next. They would even share thrones when He established His kingdom. Whatever good things they had forsaken for His sake would be returned to them a hundredfold. In other words, they were not making sacrifices—they were making investments. But not all of the dividends would be received in this life.

The parable emphasizes a right attitude in service. Note that two kinds of workers were hired that day: those who wanted a contract and agreed to work for a normal wage for a day and those who had no contract and agreed to take whatever the landowner thought was right. The first laborers that the landowner hired insisted on a contract.

, The owner gave all the workers the same amount. Of course, those who worked the longest complained! But they had no argument because they had agreed to work for the normal daily wage. They received what they asked for. Had they trusted the goodness of the owner, they would have received far more. But they insisted on a contract. The lesson for Christ’s disciples is obvious. We should not serve Him because we want to receive an expected reward, and we should not insist on knowing what we will get. God is infinitely generous and gracious and will always give us better than we deserve.

For the third time, Jesus announced His arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection (see ; , ). In the previous announcements, He had not specified how He would die. But here He clearly mentioned the cross. He also clearly mentioned His resurrection, but the message did not penetrate the disciples’ hearts.

, In contrast to this announcement of suffering and death, we have the request of James and John and their mother. Jesus spoke about a cross, but they were interested in a crown. They wanted reserved seats on special thrones! We get the impression that the mother was the real inspiration behind this request, and that she was interested in promoting her sons.

, The request was motivated by pride. Satan had sought a throne () and had been cast down. Satan had offered Jesus a throne, and Jesus had refused (). Satan magnifies the end (a throne) but not the means to that end. Jesus warned mother and sons that the special thrones were available to those who were worthy of them. The kingdom of God has no shortcuts.

, Jesus highlighted being a “servant.” The word here means a “slave,” and our English word “deacon” comes from it. Not every servant was a slave, but every slave was a servant. Sadly in the church today we have many celebrities but very few servants. There are many who want to “lord it over them” (v. ), but few who want to take the towel and basin and wash feet.

The closing event of chapter is the healing of Bartimaeus and his friend, both of whom were blind (see ). Here Jesus practiced what He had just taught the disciples: He became a servant to two rejected blind beggars. The crowds around Jesus tried to silence the two men. After all, what claim did they have on the great Teacher? But Jesus had compassion on them and healed them. He was the servant even of beggars.

Why did Jesus plan this demonstration? He was obeying the Word and fulfilling the prophecy recorded in . This prophecy could apply only to Jesus Christ, for He is the only One with credentials that proved He was Israel’s King. We usually do not associate the lowly donkey with kingship, but this was the royal animal of Jewish monarchs (, ). Actually two animals were involved, the mother and the colt. Jesus sat on the colt with the mother walking beside.

The people acclaimed Jesus as their King both by their words and their deeds. They were shouting praises and quoting from , , a messianic psalm. Later that week, Jesus Himself would refer to this psalm and apply it to Himself (; see , ).

Jesus performed two acts of judgment: He cleansed the temple, and He cursed a fig tree. Both acts were contrary to His usual manner of ministry, for He did not come to earth to judge, but to save (). Both of these acts revealed the hypocrisy of Israel: The temple was a den of thieves, and the nation (symbolized by the fig tree) was without fruit. Inward corruption and outward fruitlessness were evidences of their hypocrisy.

Jesus had opened His ministry with a similar act (). Here, three years later, the temple was defiled again by the religious business of the leaders. They had turned the Court of the Gentiles into a place where foreign Jews could exchange money and purchase sacrifices. What had begun as a service and convenience for visitors from other lands had turned into a lucrative business. The dealers were charging exorbitant prices, and no one could compete with them or oppose them. Historians say that Annas, the former high priest, was the manager of this enterprise, assisted by his sons.

What does God want in His house? God wants prayer among His people (.), for true prayer is an evidence of our dependence on God and our faith in His Word. He also wants people being helped (). The needy should feel welcome and should find the kind of help they need. There should be power in God’s house, the power of God working to change people. Praise is another feature of God’s house (vv. , ). Here Jesus quoted from .

That Jesus would curse a tree may surprise us. The same power that killed the tree could also have given it new life and fruit. Jesus certainly would not hold a tree morally responsible for being fruitless.

When we consider the time and place of this event, we understand it better. Jesus was near Jerusalem in the last week of His public ministry to His people. The fig tree symbolized the nation of Israel (; , ; ). Just as this tree had leaves but no fruit, so Israel had a show of religion but no practical experience of faith resulting in godly living.

This series of three parables grew out of the demand of the chief priests and elders for Jesus to explain what authority He had for cleansing the temple. As the custodians of the spiritual life of the nation, they had the right to ask this question. But we are amazed at their ignorance. Jesus had given them three years of ministry, and they still would not face the facts. They wanted more evidence.

In taking them back to the ministry of John, Jesus was not trying to avoid the issue. John had prepared the way for Jesus. Had the rulers received John’s ministry, they would have received Jesus. Instead, the leaders had permitted Herod to arrest John and then to kill Him. If they would not accept the authority of John, they would not accept the authority of Jesus, for both John and Jesus were sent by God.

God had delivered Israel from Egypt and had planted them in a rich land of milk and honey. He had given them material and spiritual blessings and had asked only that they bear fruit for His glory. From time to time, God had sent His servants (the prophets) to the people to receive the fruit. But the people had mistreated the servants, and even had killed some of them. He could have sent His armies to destroy these wicked men. But instead He had sent His own son to them. The reference, of course, is to Jesus, the Son of God. He is the heir (). Instead of receiving and honoring the son, the men threw Him out of the vineyard and killed Him. Jesus was crucified “outside the gate” (, ), rejected by His own nation.

The Jewish leaders knew the messianic import of the Scripture Jesus quoted. They were the “builders” who were rejecting the stone ().

“The kingdom of God will be taken from you,” is a key statement in this section of Matthew (), which tells of the rejection of the King.

This parable must not be confused with the parable of the great feast () even though they have elements in common. Again we meet the Father and the Son, and the Son is alive and has a bride. The suggestion is that the Lord Jesus and His church are depicted (). The period described in this parable must be after His resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit came on the church at Pentecost, and the apostles performed great signs and wonders (; ). The rulers had rejected the witness of the Spirit, and this brought final judgment. They had rejected the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and there were no more opportunities left.

The Spirit of God is bearing witness through the Word to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit convicts the world of sin (). The Spirit can be resisted by unbelievers (), but nobody knows that crisis hour (if there is one) when the Spirit stops dealing with a lost sinner.

These verses seem like an appendix to the parable, but they are vitally important. The wedding garment would be provided by the host so that everybody would be properly attired and the poor would not feel conspicuous. Salvation is personal and individual. We must accept what God gives to us—the righteousness of Christ—and not try to make it on our own. Since these parables had a definite national emphasis, this personal emphasis at the end was most important.

The Pharisees and the Herodians were enemies, but their common foe brought them together. The Pharisees opposed the Roman poll tax for several reasons: (1) They did not want to submit to a Gentile power; (2) Caesar was revered as a god; and (3) they had better uses for the money than to give it to Rome. Since the Herodians were the party supporting Herod, they were in favor of the tax. After all, Herod’s authority had been given to him by Caesar, and Herod would have had a difficult time staying in power without Rome’s support.

Jesus immediately saw through their scheme. He knew that their real purpose was not to get an answer to a question but to try to trap Him. They were only acting a part, and this made them hypocrites. On this basis alone, He could have refused to answer their question. But He knew the people around Him would not understand. Here was an opportunity for Him to silence His enemies and, at the same time, teach the people an important spiritual truth.

Catalyst

Jesus’ statement in is instructive to Christians regarding their earthly citizenship, as well as their loyalty to the kingdom.

Christians must honor and obey rulers. This is taught elsewhere in the New Testament (; .; ). Christians have a dual citizenship, in heaven () and on earth. We must respect our earthly rulers (or elected leaders), obey the law, pay taxes, and pray for all who are in authority.

Christians must honor and obey God. Caesar was not God. While governments cannot enforce religion (), neither should they restrict freedom of worship. The best citizen honors his country because he worships God. As created human beings, we bear God’s image and owe God our all. Caesar’s image was on the coin; God’s image is on humans (, ). Sin has marred that image, but through Jesus Christ, it can be restored (; ).

Go to the

Despite the fact that the Pharisees and Herodians had been silenced, the Sadducees entered the field and tried their attack. Keep in mind that this group accepted only the authority of the five books of Moses. The Sadducees did not believe in a spirit world or in the doctrine of the resurrection (). They had often challenged the Pharisees to prove the doctrine of the resurrection from the books of Moses, but the Pharisees were not too successful with their arguments.

Speculating about the future can be dangerous. We must rest on the authority of the Word of God, for only there do we have truth that answers our questions about the future. The Bible does not tell us everything about what is to come, but it does encourage and enlighten us. Jesus answered the foolish, ignorant Sadducees so completely that they were silenced (v. ). Even the crowds were astonished and amazed at Jesus’ answer.

Love for God cannot be divorced from love for one’s neighbor, so Jesus also quoted and put it on the same level as the Shema. All of the law and the prophets hang on both of these commandments. We might add that the teachings of the Epistles in the New Testament agree with this statement. If a person really loves God, he or she must also love brother, sister, and neighbor (; ). If we have a right relationship with God, we will have no problems with His commandments. Love is the basis for obedience; in fact, all of the law is summed up in love (). If we love God, we will love our neighbors; if we love our neighbors, we will not want to do anything to harm them.

The scholars in that day were confused about the Messiah. They saw two pictures of Messiah in the Old Testament and could not reconcile them. One picture showed a Suffering Servant, the other a conquering and reigning Monarch. Should they expect two Messiahs? How could God’s servant suffer and die? (See .) Had they listened to what Jesus had said, they would have learned that God had only one Messiah, but that He would be both human and divine. He would suffer and die as a sacrifice for sins. He would then rise from the dead in triumph and one day return to defeat His enemies.

Jesus had now answered three difficult questions. He had dealt with the relationship between religion and government, between this life and the next life, and between God and our neighbors. These are fundamental relationships, and we cannot ignore our Lord’s teachings. But the question of “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” is more fundamental than these, and Jesus asked it of His enemies.

, Jesus’ opponents had a false concept of righteousness. To the Pharisee, righteousness meant outward conformity to the God’s law. They ignored the inward condition of the heart. They had a false concept of ministry (v. ). To them, ministry meant handing down laws to the people and adding to their burdens. Jesus never asks us to do anything that He has not first done. The Pharisees commanded, but they did not participate. They were hypocritical religious dictators, not spiritual leaders.

People resisting Jesus had a false concept of greatness. To them, success meant recognition and praise from people. They were not concerned about the approval of God. They used their religion to attract attention, not to glorify God (). True greatness is found in serving others, not in forcing others to serve us (; ). True greatness is not manufactured and can only come from God as we obey Him. If we exalt ourselves, God will humble us. But if we humble ourselves, in due time God will exalt us ().

The poor in spirit enter the kingdom (see ), but the proud in spirit keep themselves out and even keep others out. The Greek verb indicates people trying to get in who cannot. Keeping oneself out of the kingdom is bad enough, but standing in the way of others is worse. By teaching human traditions instead of God’s truth, they had “taken away the key of knowledge” and closed the door to salvation ().

While this verse is not in some manuscripts of Matthew, it is found in and . Instead of mourning over their own sins and mourning with needy widows, the Pharisees were taking advantage of people in order to rob them. They were “devour[ing] widows’ houses, and for a pretense mak[ing] long prayers” (cf. ).

The Pharisees were blind to the true values of life. Their priorities were confused. They would take an oath and use some sacred object to substantiate that oath—the gold in the temple, for example, or the gift on the altar. But they would not swear by the temple itself or the altar. The temple sanctified the gold and the altar sanctified the gift. They were leaving God out of their priorities.

, The Pharisees majored on minors. They had rules for every minute area of life, while at the same time they had forgotten what was important. Usually legalists are sticklers for details, but blind to great principles. This crowd thought nothing of condemning an innocent man, yet they were afraid to enter Pilate’s judgment hall lest they be defiled ().

Justice, mercy, and faithfulness are the important qualities God is seeking. Obeying the rules is no substitute. While paying attention to details is commendable, we must never lose our sense of priorities in spiritual matters. Jesus did not condemn the practice of tithing. But He did condemn those who were allowing their legalistic scruples to keep them from developing true Christian character.

Jesus used two illustrations here: the cup and dish, and the tombs. Both illustrated the same truth: A person can be clean on the outside and at the same time defiled on the inside. Imagine eating off filthy dishes! Whatever we were to put into the dish or cup would also become dirty. The Pharisees were careful to keep the outside very clean because that was what people would see, and they wanted people’s praise. But God sees the heart (). When God looked within, He saw “extortion and self-indulgence” ().

When Jesus called the Pharisees “Serpents, brood of vipers!” He was identifying them with Satan, who is the serpent (.). In His parable of the weeds, Jesus had clearly stated that Satan has a family (). Satan is a murderer and a liar (), and his children follow his example. The Pharisees were liars () and murderers (v. ).

As we review these statements by Jesus, we can see why the Pharisees were His enemies. He emphasized the inner man; they were concerned with externals. He taught a spiritual life based on principles; the Pharisees majored on rules and regulations. Jesus measured spirituality in terms of character; the Pharisees measured it in terms of religious activities and conformity to external laws. Jesus taught humility and sacrificial service; the Pharisees were proud and used people to accomplish their own purposes. The holy life of Jesus exposed the Pharisees’ artificial piety and shallow religion. Instead of coming out of the darkness, the Pharisees tried to put out the Light, and they failed.

Jesus spoke these words of lamentation as a sincere expression of His love for Jerusalem and His grief over the many opportunities for salvation that they had passed by. “Jerusalem” refers to the entire nation of Israel. The nation’s leaders had been guilty of repeated crimes as they had rejected God’s messengers, and even had killed some of them. But in His grace, Jesus had come to gather the people and save them.

Jesus’ words indicate that He was discussing events that would take place on earth during the time of tribulation (see v. , where “the beginning of sorrows” is a symbol of the tribulation, and see also vv. , ). After the church has been suddenly taken out of the world, a period of peace and security will ensue () followed by a time of terrible suffering.

, The Jews have often been led astray by false prophets and false christs. The rider on the white horse in , is the Antichrist, that final world dictator who will lead the nations astray. He will begin his career as a peacemaker, signing a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (). Israel will welcome this man as their great benefactor ().

This entire paragraph relates only to Jews, for no Christian believer would worry about breaking a Sabbath law. This event ushers in the Great Tribulation, the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week, when the judgments of God will be hurled on the earth. During the first three and one-half years of the tribulation, the judgments would be natural: wars, famines, earthquakes, and so forth. But during the last half, the judgments would be supernatural and devastating. During this period, God would care for His elect (v. ), referring to Jews and Gentiles who believed and have been converted. “Elect” here does not refer to the church since the church will have been raptured at least three and one-half years previously.

The midpoint of the tribulation period is most important, for at that time an event will take place that had been prophesied centuries ago by Daniel (). Note that this prophecy concerns only the Jews and the city of Jerusalem (“for your people and for your holy city,” ). To apply it to the church or to any other people or place is to misinterpret God’s Word.

Matthew’s aside indicates that what Jesus was teaching would have greater significance for people reading Matthew’s gospel in the latter days. By reading the prophet Daniel and the words of Jesus, these believers would understand the events and know what to do. This is another evidence that the Olivet Discourse applies to people during the tribulation period.

World conditions will be so terrible that people will wonder if any relief will come, and this will give false christs opportunities to deceive many. Satan is capable of performing lying wonders (; , ). The fact that a religious leader can perform miracles is no assurance that he or she has come from God. Many Jews will be deceived, for the Jews “request a sign” (). Jesus performed true signs in His Father’s name, and the nation rejected Him (). They will accept Satan’s miracles.

We are not told what “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” () is, but the people on earth at that time will recognize it. When Jesus comes for the church, He will come in the air, and His people will be caught up to meet Him there (). But our Lord’s second coming, at the end of the tribulation, will be a great public event, with every eye seeing Him ().

The budding of the trees indicates that summer is near. The beginning of these signs indicates that the Lord’s coming is near. The generation alive on earth at that time will see these events take place. Our generation sees a foreshadowing of these signs. We do not look for signs as such: We look for the Savior (). Jesus can come for His church at any time.

While the interpretation of this section relates to Israel during the tribulation, we may apply the Word to our own hearts. We do not know when our Lord will return for His church. Therefore, we must be alert, watchful, and faithful. Jesus dealt with this in detail in the next section of the Olivet Discourse (). How grateful we should be that God has not appointed us to wrath but to salvation when Jesus Christ appears. He has saved us from the wrath to come (; , ). As the people of God, we will certainly go through tribulation (; ), but not the Tribulation.

In the section devoted to Israel, Jesus had described primarily the outward events of the period; in this section, He described inward attitudes. While everyone who has trusted Jesus Christ as Savior will be going to heaven (; ), not every believer will be ready to meet the Lord.

God’s people on earth are called a “household” (; ). God has put servants over each household to feed the members. This suggests to us the local church family with its spiritual leaders. The purpose of spiritual leadership is that the leaders feed the people, not that the people feed the leaders! The apostle Peter caught this truth and emphasized it in his first letter ().

The servant’s task is not to be popular, but to be obedient. He must feed the family the food that it needs, when it needs it. He should bring out of his spiritual cupboard things new and old (). Some Bible teachers, in their search for something new and exciting, forget the nutrition of the old truths of the Word. But other ministers are so wrapped up in the old that they fail to discover the new insights and new applications of the old truths. The new grows out of the old, and the old is made more meaningful by the new.

A wedding in that day had two parts. First, the bridegroom and his friends would go from his house to claim the bride from her parents. Then the bride and groom would return to the groom’s house for the marriage feast. The suggestion here is that the groom had already claimed his bride and was now on his way back home. We must not press the image of the church as a bride too far, however, because much of this truth was not revealed until the ministry of Paul (). The church has known for two thousand years that Jesus will return, yet many believers have become lethargic and drowsy. They are no longer excited about the imminent coming of the Lord. As a result, little effective witness is given that the Lord will be returning.

The bridesmaids who had oil were able to light their lamps and keep them shining bright. So they entered into the wedding feast, unlike the foolish girls who had no oil. This suggests that not every professing Christian will enter heaven, for some really have not trusted Jesus Christ sincerely. One can have no true salvation without the Spirit of God and the Word of God.

The talents represent opportunities to use our abilities. If five talents were given to a person with minimal ability, he or she would be destroyed by the heavy responsibility. But if only one talents were given to someone of great ability, he or she would be disgraced and degraded. God assigns work and opportunity according to ability. We are living in the period of time between and . We have been assigned our ministries according to the abilities and gifts God has given us. Our great privilege is to serve the Lord and multiply His goods.

The two servants who had put their talents to work each received the same commendation (vv. , ). Not the portion but the proportion made the difference. They started as servants, but their Lord promoted them to rulers. They were faithful with a few things, so the Lord trusted them with many things. They had worked and toiled, and then they entered into joy. Their faithfulness gave each of them a capacity for greater service and responsibility.

Perhaps the one-talent servant thought that the one talent was not really very important. This person did not have five talents, or even two. Why worry about one? Because the servant had been appointed as a steward by the Lord. Were it not for the one-talent people in our world, very little would get accomplished. His one talent could have increased to two and brought glory to the master.

We must not force this passage to teach salvation by good works. A superficial reading would give the impression that helping one’s neighbor is sufficient to earn salvation and go to heaven. But this is not the message of this passage. Nobody at any time in the history of the world was ever saved by good works. The Old Testament saints were saved by faith (); the New Testament saints were saved by faith in Jesus Christ (). People today are saved the same way. The gospel of “do good” is not a scriptural message. It is right for believers to do good (; ), but this is not the way unbelievers can be saved.

Catalyst

The parables in encourage us to love Christ’s appearing, to look for His appearing, and to labor faithfully until He comes. We should be watching, witnessing, and working. We may not be successful in many people’s eyes or even popular with others. But if we are faithful and profitable, we shall receive our reward.

No matter what view of prophecy we take, we know that Jesus is coming again. As Christians, we must be alert and ready. We must not waste our opportunities. We may not have a great deal of ability or a great many gifts, but we can still be faithful in the calling He has given us.

Go to the

In this judgment the sheep individuals were surprised at what they heard. They would not remember having seen the Lord Jesus Christ and ministering to His needs. But just as they had lovingly ministered to the believing Jews, they had ministered to Christ. Their motive had not been reward but sacrificial love.

, If sinners listen to Satan, and follow his ways, they will end up where he ends up—in the torments of hell. Only two eternal destinies await every person: everlasting punishment for those who reject Christ or eternal life for those who trust Him. The sheep will be ushered into the kingdom, to share in Christ’s glory. The church will reign with Christ, and Israel will enjoy the fulfillment of the promises made through the prophets. All of creation will share in the glorious liberty of God’s children ().

Only John () identifies this woman as Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus. She is found only three times in the Gospels, and in each instance she is at the feet of Jesus. She sat at His feet and listened to the Word (); she came to His feet in sorrow after the death of Lazarus (); she worshiped at His feet when she anointed Him with the ointment (.). Mary was a deeply spiritual woman. At Jesus’ feet she found her blessing; to His feet she brought her burdens; at His feet she gave her best.

When we combine the gospel records, we learn that Mary anointed both Jesus’ head and feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. A woman’s hair is her glory (). Mary surrendered her glory to the Lord and worshiped Him with the precious gift that she had brought. This act of love and devotion brought fragrance to the whole house.

, specifies that it was Judas who spoke these words. Despite his affiliation with the band of disciples and his association with Christ, Judas was not a true believer. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He made it clear that one of them (Judas) was not cleansed (, ). Like many professing Christians today, Judas was in the group of believers but not of them.

Jesus immediately came to the defense of Mary because He always protects His own. He rebuked Judas and the other disciples and praised Mary for her loving act of devotion. Nothing given to Jesus in love is ever wasted. Her act of worship not only brought joy to the heart of Jesus and fragrance to the house but also blessing to the whole world. Her devotion encourages us to love and serve Christ with our very best. Such service blesses others in ways that perhaps we will know nothing about until we see Him.

Eating bread together was an act of friendship, especially bread that had been dipped into the dish of herbs. And to be given a morsel of bread by your host was an honor. Jesus gave the bread to Judas (), and Judas accepted it, knowing full well that he was betraying his Lord. For Jesus, giving the bread was a gracious act of hospitality; for Judas, accepting the bread was an evil act of treachery.

The broken bread pictured Jesus’ body given for the sins of the world. The wine (v. ) pictured His blood, shed for the remission of sins. The text does not indicate that anything special or mysterious happened to these two elements. They remained bread and wine, but they now conveyed a deeper meaning: the body and the blood of Jesus Christ.

Traditionally four cups would be drunk at the Passover festival, each cup relating to one of the four promises in , . Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper between the third and fourth cups.

The hymn that Jesus and His disciples sang before they left the Upper Room was part of the traditional Hallel, through . Read those psalms in the light of Christ’s death and resurrection and see how they take on new meaning. Imagine our Lord being able to sing praises to God in the face of rejection, suffering, and death.

We must not think that the fear of death made our Lord so agonize in the garden. He did not fear death but faced it with courage and peace. He was about to drink “the cup” that His Father had prepared for Him, and this meant bearing on His body the sins of the world (; ). Many godly people have been arrested, beaten, and slain because of their faith. But only Jesus experienced being made sin and a curse for humankind (; ). The Father has never abandoned any of His own, yet He abandoned His Son (). This was the cup that Jesus willingly drank for us. Jesus was not wresthng with God’s will or resisting God’s will. He was yielding Himself to God’s will. As perfect Man, He felt the awful burden of sin, and His holy soul was repelled by it. Yet as the Son of God, He knew that this was His mission in the world. The mystery of His humanity and deity is seen vividly in this scene.

The fact that this band of soldiers and temple guards carried swords and clubs shows that Judas did not really understand Jesus. Judas thought they would have to search for Him in the garden and fight off His disciples in order to arrest Him. But Jesus came to them and calmly surrendered. Judas did not even have to betray Jesus with a kiss, for Jesus told the soldiers who He was.

Each person must decide: Will I take the sword or the cup? Will I resist God’s will or submit to God’s will? The cup usually involves suffering, but that suffering ultimately leads to glory. We need not fear the cup, for it has been prepared by the Father especially for us. He knows how much we can take, and He mixes the contents in wisdom and love.

According to Old Testament law, the high priest was to serve until death. But when the Romans took over the nation of Israel, they made the high priesthood an appointed office. This way they could be certain of having a religious leader who would cooperate with their policies. Annas served as high priest from A.D. 6 to 15, and five of his sons, as well as Caiaphas his son-in-law, succeeded him. Caiaphas was high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, but Annas was still a power be-hind the throne (see ).

, Caiaphas knew that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (), so he put Him under oath to declare this. The clever priest knew that Jesus could not avoid replying. Jesus did affirm that He is the Son of God. He applied to Himself , which is a messianic passage. In this quotation, Jesus predicted His resurrection and ascension and His return in glory. This would mean salvation to those who trust Him, but for Caiaphas it would mean condemnation.

The fact that Peter was standing by the enemy’s fire, warming himself, indicates how defeated he was. The denial was even more humiliating because two of the interrogators were servant girls. The third challenge came from a man, one of the bystanders, but Peter failed again. This man was a relative of Malchus, the man Peter had wounded (). So Peter’s impulsive deed caught up with him even after Jesus had repaired the damage ().

After His resurrection, Jesus met privately with Peter and restored him to his discipleship (; ). Jesus also restored him publicly (). Peter learned some important lessons during that difficult experience. He learned to pay attention to the Word, to watch and pray, and to put no confidence in his own strength.

At this point, Judas returned to the scene. He witnessed the official trial and sentencing of Jesus and realized that He was condemned to die. Judas’s response was one of remorse and regret. The Greek word translated “remorseful” in verse does not indicate a sorrow for sin that leads to a change of mind and action, but a regret at being caught, a remorse that leads to despair. Peter truly repented, and Jesus restored him. But Judas did not repent, and this led him to suicide.

, adds to our understanding of the event. Judas went off by himself, brooded over his terrible crime, and finally hanged himself. Apparently his body was not discovered for some days because it had become bloated and his bowels had gushed out. Perhaps the tree limb on which he was hanging also broke and helped to cause this.

Pontius Pilate was the sixth Roman procurator to serve in Judea. He was not liked by the Jews because he did things that deliberately violated their law and provoked them. He was not above killing people to accomplish his purposes (). Pilate’s position was always rather precarious because of his bad relationship with Israel and because of Rome’s changing policy with the Jews.

The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of three crimes. They claimed that He was guilty of misleading the nation, forbidding the paying of taxes, and claiming to be a king (). These were definitely political charges, the kind that a Roman governor could handle. Pilate focused on the third charge—that Jesus claimed to be a king—because this was a definite threat to Rome. If he could deal with this revolutionary properly, Pilate could please the Jews and impress the emperor at the same time.

A comparison of the gospel accounts shows that Pilate took three steps in an attempt to exonerate himself. First, he washed his hands and declared that he was innocent of any guilt. Second, he stated clearly that Jesus was a just person, that is, not worthy of death. Third, he offered to punish Jesus and then release him, but the rulers would accept no compromise. Finally, the religious rulers used the one weapon against which Pilate had no defense: “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend” ().

Pilate knew what was right, but refused to do anything about it. He was trying to “gratify the crowd” (). Judas yielded to the devil in his great sin (, ); Peter yielded to the flesh when he denied his Lord; but Pilate yielded to the world and listened to the crowd. Pilate looked for the easy way, not the right way. He has gone down in history as the man who condemned Jesus.

Imagine attiring the Prince of Peace () in a discarded military uniform! Matthew described the robe as “scarlet,” while Mark used the word “purple” (). These do not contradict; “reddish-purple” would be a good description of an old faded garment. Imagine how our Lord must have felt when this robe was thrown on His bleeding body.

While the record does not state so expressly, evidently Jesus was unable to carry the cross, and this was slowing down the progress of the group. When we remember that Jesus had been awake all night, scourged, and abused by the soldiers, we can conclude that He was exhausted.

The custom was to give a narcotic drink to those about to be crucified, for this would help to ease the pain. Jesus refused this drink; He did the will of God in complete control of His faculties. Also this act fulfilled .

By combining the gospel records, we arrive at the full accusation that was put over Jesus’ head: “This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.” The Jewish rulers did not approve of what Pilate had written, but for once the governor did not vacillate (, ). In one sense, this title proved to be the first gospel tract ever written. It announced to one of the men crucified with Him that He was the Savior and a King. He dared to believe this message and asked Jesus to save him ().

Jesus was not executed in a quiet building, away from the city’s noise and activity. He was executed on a public highway, on a day when perhaps hundreds of people were traveling. The fact that His indictment was written in three languages—Greek, Hebrew, and Latin—indicates that a cosmopolitan crowd passed by Golgotha, “the Place of a Skull” (v. ). This in itself was humiliating, for the passers-by could stare and shout bitter mockery at the victims. Again, this mockery from the crowd had been predicted ().

Jesus was crucified at nine o’clock in the morning; and from nine until noon, He hung in the light. But at noon, a miraculous darkness covered the land. This was not a sandstorm or an eclipse, as some liberal writers have suggested. It was a heaven-sent darkness that lasted for three hours. It was as though all of creation was sympathizing with the Creator. Three days of darkness occurred in Egypt before Passover (), and three hours of darkness covered the land before the Lamb of God died for the sins of the world.

Though He was “crucified in weakness” (), He exercised wonderful power when He died. Three miracles took place simultaneously: The curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; an earthquake opened many tombs; some saints arose from the dead. The rending of the curtain symbolized the wonderful truth that the way was now open to God (). No more temples, priests, altars, or sacrifices were needed. Jesus had finished the work of salvation on the cross.

, The only disciple at the cross when Jesus died was John (, ). But many women were watching from a distance, undoubtedly those who had assisted Him in His ministry (). Three women were named: Mary Magdalene, who had been delivered of seven demons (); Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, who also was at the tomb on resurrection morning (; ); and the mother of James and John, the woman who had asked Jesus for special thrones for her sons (, ).

Joseph had not prepared that tomb for himself. He was a wealthy man and certainly would not have wanted to be buried so near a place of execution. He prepared that tomb for Jesus, and he selected a site near Golgotha so that he and Nicodemus () could bury Christ’s body quickly. Joseph and Nicodemus could very well have been in the garden waiting for Jesus to die. When they took Him from the cross, they defiled themselves and were not able to eat the Passover. But, what difference did it make? They had found the Lamb of God!

In contrast to the loving care given by Jesus’ friends, notice the plotting and maneuvering of the Jewish leaders. The disciples had forgotten that Jesus promised to rise from the dead on the third day, but His enemies had remembered. Pilate permitted the leaders to set a guard at the tomb. This guard put an official Roman seal on the stone. All of this was of God, for now it was impossible for anyone—friend or foe—to steal the body. Without realizing it, the Jewish leaders and the Roman government joined forces to help prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We must never underestimate the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The world believes that Jesus died, but the world does not believe that He arose from the dead. Peter’s message at Pentecost emphasized the resurrection. In fact, the significance of the resurrection is emphasized throughout the Book of Acts.

Catalyst

The resurrection proves that Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus stated that He had authority to lay down His life and to take it up again (, ).

The resurrection verifies the truth of Scripture. Both in the Old Testament and in the teaching of Jesus, His resurrection is clearly taught (see ; ). If Jesus had not come out of the tomb, then these Scriptures would not be true.

The resurrection assures our own future resurrection. Because Jesus died and rose again, we will one day be raised to be like Him (). In fact, the entire structure of the Christian faith rests on the foundation of the resurrection. If we do away with His resurrection, we have no hope.

The resurrection is the proof of a future judgment. “He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” ().

The resurrection is the basis for Christ’s heavenly priesthood. Because He lives by the power of an endless life, He is able to save us “to the uttermost . . . [because He] has been perfected forever” (). He lives to pray for us.

The resurrection gives power for Christian living. We cannot live for God by our own strength. It is only as His resurrection power works in and through us that we can do His will and glorify His name (see ).

The resurrection assures our future inheritance. Because we have a living hope, we can experience hopeful living. A dead hope grows weaker and weaker before it eventually dies. But because Jesus Christ is alive, we have a glorious future (see ).

Whenever God’s people gather on the Lord’s Day they bear witness that Jesus is alive and that the church has received spiritual blessings. But when the followers of the Lord gathered that first Lord’s Day, they were discouraged and defeated.

Go to the

Christians have experienced Christ’s resurrection power in their own lives. While the inward, subjective experience alone would not prove our Lord’s historic resurrection, when combined with the other evidences, it adds great weight to the case. Still, people can be self-deluded. “Believers” in all kinds of cults will claim their way is true because of what they have experienced. But Christians have the weight of church history, Scripture, and dependable witnesses to back up their own personal experiences of faith.

Over five hundred witnesses saw Jesus alive at one time (). These appearances of the risen Christ were of such a nature that they could not be explained as hallucinations or self-deception. The people who saw Jesus were surprised. For over five hundred people to suffer hallucinations at the same time would have been impossible. Even the apostle Paul, an enemy of the church, saw the risen Christ; that experience transformed his life ().

Not only had the angel commissioned them (v. ), but the Lord also commissioned them. The phrase “My brothers” reveals the intimate relationship between Christ and His followers. Jesus had spoken similar words to Mary Magdalene earlier that morning (). Jesus reinforced the instructions of the angel that the disciples meet Him in Galilee. In the garden, Jesus had told His disciples that He would rise from the dead and meet them in Galilee, but they had forgotten ().

For a Roman soldier to fail in his duty was an offense punishable by death (; , ). But the soldiers were shrewd: They did not report to Pilate or to their superior officers; they reported to the Jewish chief priests. They knew that these men were as anxious to cover up the miracle as were the soldiers themselves! Between the chief priests, the elders, and the soldiers, they put together a story that would explain the empty tomb: The body was stolen.

, If Jesus’ body had been stolen, then it would have been taken either by His friends or His enemies. His friends could not have done it since they had left the scene and were convinced that Jesus was dead. His enemies would not steal His body because belief in His resurrection was what they were trying to prevent. They would have defeated their own purposes if they had removed His body. And, if they had taken it, why did they not produce it and silence the witness of the early church?

Some Bible scholars equate this mountain meeting in Galilee with the appearance of the Lord to “over 500 of brethren at once” (). The fact that some of the people present doubted His resurrection would suggest that more than the eleven apostles were present, for these men were now confirmed believers. Our Lord’s ascension did not take place at this time, but later, after He had ministered to His disciples in Jerusalem ().

Catalyst

This statement in is usually called “the Great Commission,” though it is no greater than statements in any of the other Gospels, nor is it the last statement Jesus made before He returned to heaven. This declaration does apply to us as believers, however, so we should understand the factors that are involved.

Jesus based His commissioning of the disciples on His authority. In verse , the word “authority” indicates the right to use power. The entire Gospel of Matthew stresses the authority of Jesus Christ. His teaching had authority (). He exercised authority in healing (), and even in forgiving sins (). He had authority over Satan, and He delegated that authority to His apostles (). At the close of his gospel, Matthew made it clear that Jesus has been given all authority. Because of this, we may obey Him without fear. No matter where He leads us, no matter what circumstances we face, He is in control. By His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated all enemies and won for Himself all authority.

In verses through , Jesus by His authority orders activity. The Greek verb translated “go” is actually not a command but a present participle (“going”). The only command in the entire Great Commission is “make disciples.” Jesus was saying, “While you are going, make disciples of all the nations.” No matter where we are, we should be witnesses for Jesus Christ and seek to win others to Him (). The term “disciples” was the most popular name for the early believers. Being a disciple meant more than being a convert or a church member. “Apprentice” might be an equivalent term. A disciple would attach himself to a teacher, identify with him, learn from him, and live with him. A disciple would not learn by simply listening but also by doing.

In verse we see Jesus’ authority as ability. Jesus is not only “among them” when His people gather together (), but He is also present with them as they scatter into the world to witness. Had He remained on earth, Jesus could not have fulfilled this promise. When the Spirit came, Jesus could be with His people no matter where they were.

Go to the

The phrase “the end of the age” indicates that our Lord has a plan; He is the Lord of history. As the churches follow His leading and obey His Word, they fulfill His purposes in the world. One day everything will all come to a climax; meanwhile, we must all be faithful.

Matthew 1

1:1

1:1 ;

1:2 ,

1:2 ;

1:2

1:3 ;

1:3

1:5 ;

1:6

1:6 ;

1:6 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Greek.

1:7

1:7 NU-Text reads Asaph.

1:8

1:9

1:10

1:10 NU-Text reads Amos.

1:11 ,

1:11

1:12

1:16

1:18

1:19

1:20

1:21 ;

1:21

1:23

1:25 ,

1:25 NU-Text reads a Son.

Matthew 2

2:1 ;

2:1

2:2

2:2 []

2:4

2:6

2:6 []

2:6

2:7

2:11

2:12

2:15

2:18

2:20

2:22 , ,

2:22

2:23 ,

2:23

Matthew 3

3:1

3:2

3:3

3:4

3:4 ,

3:5

3:6 ,

3:7

3:7 []

3:9

3:10

3:11

3:11 [, ]

3:11 M-Text omits and fire.

3:12

3:13

3:16

3:16 [];

3:16 Or he

3:17

Matthew 4

4:1

4:4

4:5 ,

4:6

4:6 ,

4:7

4:8 []

4:10 ;

4:10 M-Text reads Get behind Me.

4:10

4:11 []

4:12

4:15 ,

4:16

4:16 ,

4:17 ,

4:17 ;

4:18

4:19

4:20

4:21

4:23

4:23 []

4:23

4:24

4:25 ,

Matthew 5

5:1

5:2 []

5:3

5:4

5:5

5:5 []

5:6

5:6 [; ]

5:7

5:8 ;

5:8

5:10

5:11

5:12 ,

5:12

5:13

5:14 []

5:15

5:16

5:16 []

5:17

5:18

5:19 []

5:20 []

5:21 ;

5:22 []

5:22 [; ]

5:22 NU-Text omits without a cause.

5:23

5:24 []

5:25 ,

5:25 []

5:27 ;

5:27 NU-Text and M-Text omit to those of old.

5:27 ;

5:28

5:29

5:29 []

5:31

5:32 []

5:32 Or fornication

5:33

5:34

5:35

5:37 []

5:38 ; ;

5:39

5:41

5:42

5:43

5:43 Compare

5:44

5:44 []

5:44

5:44 NU-Text omits three clauses from this verse, leaving, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

5:45

5:46

5:47 M-Text reads friends.

5:47 NU-Text reads Gentiles.

5:48 [; ]

5:48

Matthew 6

6:2

6:4

6:4 NU-Text omits openly.

6:6

6:6 NU-Text omits openly.

6:7

6:8 [, ]

6:9

6:9 [, ]

6:9

6:10

6:11

6:12 [, ]

6:13 []

6:13

6:13 NU-Text omits For Yours through Amen.

6:14

6:15

6:16

6:17

6:18 NU-Text and M-Text omit openly.

6:19

6:20

6:22 ,

6:24 , ,

6:24 []

6:25

6:26

6:33 []

Matthew 7

7:1

7:2

7:3

7:6 ,

7:7 []

7:8

7:9

7:11 ;

7:12

7:13

7:14 NU-Text and M-Text read How . . . !

7:15

7:16 ;

7:16

7:17

7:19 [, ]

7:21

7:22

7:23 []

7:23 ;

7:24

7:28

7:29 []

Matthew 8

8:2

8:3

8:4

8:5

8:8 ,

8:8

8:11 , ;

8:12 []

8:12

8:14

8:15 NU-Text and M-Text read Him.

8:16 ,

8:17

8:19 ,

8:21 ,

8:21

8:24

8:26 ; ;

8:28

8:28 NU-Text reads Gadarenes.

8:31 NU-Text reads send us.

8:34 ;

Matthew 9

9:1 ;

9:2

9:4

9:8

9:8 NU-Text reads were afraid.

9:9

9:10

9:11

9:11 []

9:13

9:13 NU-Text omits to repentance.

9:14 ;

9:14 NU-Text brackets often as disputed.

9:15

9:15 , ;

9:18

9:19

9:20

9:20 ;

9:22 ; ; ;

9:23

9:24

9:25

9:26

9:27

9:27 ,

9:30

9:31

9:32 ,

9:34

9:35

9:35 NU-Text omits among the people.

9:36

9:36 NU-Text and M-Text read harassed.

9:37

9:38

Matthew 10

10:1

10:2

10:3 NU-Text omits Lebbaeus, whose surname was.

10:4

10:4 ,

10:4 NU-Text reads Cananaean.

10:5

10:6

10:7

10:8 []

10:8 NU-Text reads raise the dead, cleanse the lepers; M-Text omits raise the dead.

10:9

10:10

10:11

10:13

10:14

10:15 ,

10:16

10:16 []

10:17

10:17 ; ;

10:18

10:19 , ; ,

10:19

10:20

10:21

10:22

10:23

10:23 []

10:23

10:24

10:25 ,

10:25 NU-Text and M-Text read Beelzebul.

10:26

10:27

10:28

10:29 ,

10:30

10:32

10:32 []

10:33

10:34 []

10:35

10:36

10:37

10:38 []

10:39

10:40

10:41

10:42

Matthew 11

11:1

11:2

11:2 ;

11:2 NU-Text reads by for two of.

11:3

11:5 ;

11:6 []

11:7

11:7 []

11:9 ;

11:10

11:12

11:13

11:14

11:15

11:16

11:19

11:19 NU-Text reads works.

11:20 ,

11:21

11:22 ;

11:23

11:23 NU-Text reads will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be.

11:24

11:25 ,

11:25

11:27

11:27 ; ;

11:28 []

11:29 []

11:29

11:30 []

Matthew 12

12:1

12:3

12:4

12:5

12:6 [, ]

12:7 []

12:7

12:8 NU-Text and M-Text omit even.

12:9

12:10

12:14

12:15

12:15 NU-Text brackets multitudes as disputed.

12:16 ; ;

12:18 ;

12:21

12:22 ,

12:22 NU-Text omits blind and.

12:23 ;

12:24

12:24 NU-Text and M-Text read Beelzebul.

12:25

12:28 [; ]

12:29

12:31

12:32 ,

12:32

12:33

12:34 ;

12:34

12:35 NU-Text and M-Text omit of his heart.

12:38

12:39

12:40

12:41

12:42

12:43

12:43 []

12:45 []

12:46

12:46 ; ,

12:47 ,

12:49

12:50

Matthew 13

13:1

13:2

13:3

13:8

13:9

13:11 ,

13:12

13:14 , ;

13:14 []

13:15

13:15 ,

13:15 NU-Text and M-Text read would.

13:15 ,

13:16 ,

13:17

13:18

13:19

13:20

13:21 []

13:21

13:22

13:23

13:30

13:31 ,

13:32 ;

13:33 ,

13:33 []

13:33 Greek sata, approximately two pecks in all

13:34 ; ,

13:35

13:38

13:39

13:41

13:42 ;

13:43 []

13:43

13:44 ,

13:44 []

13:46 ; , ; ,

13:47 ,

13:49

13:51 NU-Text omits Jesus said to them.

13:51 NU-Text omits Lord.

13:52

13:52 Or for

13:54

13:55

13:55 NU-Text reads Joseph.

13:57

13:58 ,

Matthew 14

14:1

14:3 ,

14:4 ;

14:5

14:13 ,

14:14

14:15

14:19 ;

14:23

14:24 NU-Text reads many furlongs away from the land.

14:26

14:27 ; , ,

14:30 NU-Text brackets that and boisterous as disputed.

14:31 ;

14:33

14:33 NU-Text omits came and.

14:34

14:34 NU-Text reads came to land at.

14:36 []

Matthew 15

15:1

15:2

15:4 []

15:4

15:4 ;

15:4

15:5 ,

15:6 NU-Text omits or mother.

15:6 NU-Text reads word.

15:7

15:8 ;

15:8 NU-Text omits draw near to Me with their mouth, And.

15:9 []

15:9

15:10

15:11 []

15:13 []

15:14

15:15

15:16

15:17 []

15:18 []

15:19

15:21

15:22 ; ,

15:24 ,

15:26

15:28

15:29

15:30 ,

15:30 ; ;

15:31 , ; ,

15:32

15:33

15:36 ;

15:36

15:39

15:39 NU-Text reads Magadan.

Matthew 16

16:1

16:3 NU-Text omits Hypocrites.

16:4

16:4 NU-Text omits the prophet.

16:5

16:6

16:8 NU-Text reads you have no bread.

16:9

16:10

16:13

16:14

16:15

16:16 ;

16:17 []

16:17

16:18

16:18 []

16:18

16:19

16:19 Or will have been bound . . . will have been loosed

16:20

16:21 ; ;

16:23

16:23 []

16:24 []

16:25

16:26 ,

16:27

16:27 []

16:27

16:28

Matthew 17

17:1

17:4 NU-Text reads I will.

17:5

17:5 ;

17:5 [, ]

17:6

17:7

17:10

17:11 []

17:11 NU-Text omits first.

17:12 ,

17:12

17:13

17:14

17:15 Literally moonstruck

17:17

17:18

17:20

17:20 NU-Text reads little faith.

17:21 NU-Text omits this verse.

17:22

17:22 NU-Text reads gathering together.

17:23 ;

17:24

17:24 NU-Text reads Capharnaum (here and elsewhere).

17:25 []

17:27 Greek stater, the exact amount to pay the temple tax (didrachma) for two

Matthew 18

18:1 ;

18:2

18:3

18:4 [; ]

18:5 []

18:6

18:7 []

18:7 ; ,

18:8 ,

18:10 []

18:10

18:11

18:11 NU-Text omits this verse.

18:12

18:14 []

18:15

18:15 []

18:16 ;

18:16

18:17 [, ]

18:18 [, ]

18:19 []

18:19 [; ]

18:19 NU-Text and M-Text read Again, assuredly, I say.

18:20

18:21

18:22

18:25

18:29 NU-Text omits at his feet.

18:29 NU-Text and M-Text omit all.

18:32

18:35

18:35 NU-Text omits his trespasses.

Matthew 19

19:1

19:2

19:4 ;

19:4 NU-Text reads created.

19:4 ;

19:5

19:5 [; ]

19:5

19:7

19:8

19:9 []

19:9 Or fornication

19:10 []

19:11 [, , , ]

19:12 []

19:13

19:14 ,

19:16

19:16 NU-Text omits Good.

19:17

19:17 NU-Text reads Why do you ask Me about what is good?

19:17 NU-Text reads There is One who is good.

19:18

19:19 ;

19:19

19:19 ;

19:19

19:20 [, ]

19:20 NU-Text omits from my youth.

19:21 ; ,

19:23 []

19:26

19:27

19:28

19:29 ,

19:29 NU-Text omits or wife.

19:30

Matthew 20

20:6 NU-Text omits idle.

20:7 NU-Text omits the last clause of this verse.

20:15 [, ]

20:15

20:16

20:16 NU-Text omits the last sentence of this verse.

20:17

20:18 ;

20:19

20:19 , ; ,

20:19

20:19 ,

20:20

20:20 ;

20:21 []

20:22

20:22 NU-Text omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.

20:23 []

20:23 NU-Text omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.

20:24

20:26 []

20:26

20:27 []

20:28

20:28 [, ]

20:28

20:28 [, ]

20:29

20:30

20:30 []

20:31

20:34 ; ; ;

Matthew 21

21:1

21:1 []

21:1 M-Text reads Bethsphage.

21:4 NU-Text omits All.

21:5

21:6

21:7

21:7 NU-Text reads and He sat.

21:8

21:9 ;

21:9

21:10 ,

21:11 ; ;

21:12

21:12 NU-Text omits of God.

21:13

21:15

21:16

21:17 , ;

21:18 ,

21:19

21:20

21:21

21:22

21:23

21:25 []

21:25

21:26 ;

21:26

21:28 ;

21:31 ,

21:32 ;

21:32 ,

21:33

21:35 []

21:37 []

21:38 []

21:38

21:39 []

21:41

21:41 []

21:42 ,

21:43 []

21:44 ,

21:44 []

21:46

Matthew 22

22:1 []

22:4

22:7 []

22:8

22:10 , ,

22:11 [, ]

22:12 []

22:13 ;

22:13 NU-Text omits take him away, and.

22:14

22:15

22:16 ; ;

22:21

22:21 []

22:21 [; , ; ]

22:23

22:24

22:29

22:30 []

22:30 NU-Text omits of God.

22:32 ,

22:33

22:34

22:35 ; ; , , ;

22:37 ; ;

22:37

22:39

22:40 []

22:41

22:42 ;

22:44

22:46

Matthew 23

23:2 ,

23:3 []

23:3 NU-Text omits to observe.

23:4

23:5 [, ]

23:6 ;

23:8 []

23:8 NU-Text omits the Christ.

23:9 []

23:11 ,

23:12 ;

23:13

23:14

23:14 NU-Text omits this verse.

23:16 ;

23:16 [, ]

23:17

23:17 NU-Text reads sanctified.

23:19

23:21

23:21 M-Text reads dwelt.

23:22

23:23 ;

23:23 []

23:25

23:25 M-Text reads unrighteousness.

23:27

23:29 ,

23:31 [, ]

23:32 []

23:33 ;

23:34

23:34 ;

23:34 ,

23:35

23:35 ,

23:37 ,

23:37 , ; ,

23:37 ,

23:37 ;

23:39

Matthew 24

24:1

24:2

24:3

24:3 []

24:4 [, ]

24:5

24:6 []

24:6 NU-Text omits all.

24:7

24:7 ,

24:7 NU-Text omits pestilences.

24:9

24:11

24:11 []

24:12 []

24:13

24:14

24:15

24:15 ; ;

24:15

24:15 ;

24:19

24:21

24:22 ,

24:23

24:24 []

24:27

24:28

24:29 []

24:29

24:30 [, ]

24:30

24:31 []

24:32

24:33 []

24:33 Or He

24:34 [; ; ]

24:35

24:36

24:36 NU-Text adds nor the Son.

24:38 []

24:40

24:42

24:42 NU-Text reads day.

24:43

24:44 []

24:45

24:46

24:47 ,

24:48 []

24:48 NU-Text omits his coming.

24:50

24:51 ;

Matthew 25

25:1 [, ]

25:2 ;

25:5

25:6 []

25:6 NU-Text omits is coming.

25:7

25:10

25:11 []

25:12 []

25:13

25:13 ,

25:13 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

25:14

25:15 []

25:21 []

25:21 [; , ]

25:21 []

25:23 , ;

25:23 []

25:26

25:29

25:30 ;

25:30 ; ;

25:30

25:31 []

25:31 NU-Text omits holy.

25:32 []

25:32

25:33 [, , ]

25:34 []

25:34

25:35

25:35 []

25:36 [, ]

25:36

25:40

25:41

25:41 ,

25:41 []

25:44 NU-Text and M-Text omit Him.

25:45

25:46 []

Matthew 26

26:2 ,

26:3

26:3 NU-Text omits the scribes.

26:4

26:5

26:6

26:8

26:11 []

26:11 [; ; , ; ]

26:12

26:14 , ;

26:14

26:15

26:17 ,

26:18

26:20

26:21 , ;

26:23

26:24

26:26

26:26 []

26:26 M-Text reads gave thanks for.

26:27

26:28 []

26:28

26:28 NU-Text omits new.

26:29

26:30

26:31

26:31 []

26:31

26:32 , ,

26:34

26:36

26:37 ;

26:38

26:39 []

26:39

26:39 ;

26:41 ,

26:41 []

26:42 NU-Text reads if this may not pass away unless.

26:45 , ; ,

26:47

26:49

26:50 ;

26:51

26:52

26:52 M-Text reads die.

26:53

26:54 ;

26:56

26:57 ,

26:58 ,

26:59

26:59 NU-Text omits the elders.

26:60

26:60 NU-Text puts a comma after but found none, does not capitalize Even, and omits they found none.

26:60 NU-Text omits false witnesses.

26:61

26:62

26:63

26:64

26:64 []

26:65

26:66

26:67 ;

26:67

26:68

26:69 ,

26:73

26:74

26:75

Matthew 27

27:1

27:2

27:2 NU-Text omits Pontius.

27:3

27:5

27:8

27:9

27:10 ; ,

27:10

27:11

27:12

27:13

27:15

27:16 NU-Text reads Jesus Barabbas.

27:18

27:20

27:21

27:23

27:24

27:24 NU-Text omits just.

27:25

27:26 [; ]

27:27

27:28

27:29

27:30

27:31

27:32

27:33

27:34

27:34 NU-Text omits sour.

27:35

27:35 NU-Text and M-Text omit the rest of this verse.

27:35

27:36

27:37

27:38 ,

27:39

27:40

27:41 M-Text reads with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders.

27:42 [, ]

27:42 NU-Text reads He is the King of Israel!

27:42 NU-Text and M-Text read we will believe in Him.

27:43

27:44

27:45

27:46 []

27:46

27:48

27:50

27:50 []

27:51

27:54

27:55 ,

27:56 , ;

27:56 NU-Text reads Joseph.

27:57

27:60

27:63 ;

27:64 NU-Text omits by night.

27:66

Matthew 28

28:1

28:1 ,

28:2

28:2 NU-Text omits from the door.

28:3 ;

28:4

28:6 ; ; ;

28:7

28:9

28:9 NU-Text omits the first clause of this verse.

28:10

28:16 ; ,

28:17

28:18 [, ]

28:19

28:19 M-Text omits therefore.

28:20 []

28:20 [; ; ]

28:20 NU-Text omits Amen.

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