Matthew 16
COMMENTARY:
: 1 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. (3985 “test” [peirazo] means tempt, to prove, to trap, examine, assay, or to learn the true nature or character of.)
DEVOTION: False religious leaders didn’t want to believe anything that Jesus taught. They thought HE was a false teacher. They came to HIM and demanded HE show from where HE received HIS authority.
They wanted HIM to give them proof that HE was the Messiah. They wanted their minds to be satisfied that HE was genuine article. They wanted HIM to follow their rules.
Jesus was not about to do that. HE told them that HE wouldn’t give them a sign of authority. HE would only tell them that Jonah was a sign in the Old Testament to the working of the LORD.
Jonah had tried to run from God and didn’t succeed. He was to preach to the city of Nineveh. He was to preach to a group of people that he hated. He wanted them to all die. He didn’t care for them to be saved. However, the LORD did want their salvation.
Jesus came to a group of people who were religious but they were not Godly. HE was sent to reach a group that didn’t want to listen. The religious leaders who were supposed to be worshiping the Godhead were not doing it. HE tried to reach them with HIS message but they rejected everything HE did and gave it all over the fact that they thought HE was a follower of Satan instead of one of the persons of the Godhead.
CHALLENGE: People like that don’t want an answer but only an excuse not to follow Jesus.
: 11 How is it that you do not understand that I spoke it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? (2219 “leaven” [zume] means pretense, hypocritical teachings, yeast, or ferment.)
DEVOTION: This word is used in a good sense and in a bad sense. In this verse it is used in a bad sense.
Yeast is added to a recipe for making bread. It helps the bread to rise to a point where you have to punch it down and then let it rise again. It is good in making bread.
However, in the life of a believer there are two senses in which yeast is used. It can be used for good or for bad regarding following the teachings of men which can permeate our thinking.
Christ was warning HIS disciples not to let the hypocritical teaching of the Pharisees to influence their lives. It would be a bad influence because they were doing everything for show. They were legalistic in their interpretation of Scripture to the point that they continued to add to the Word of God. They listed at least 365 negative commands that people had to follow to be a true follower of God. They were wrong additions. They caused people to live in a legalistic state where they thought they were better than others because they looked good on the outside but inside they were thinking sinful thoughts.
Sometimes the disciples caught what HE was teaching but other times it went over their head. HE had to force them to think through what HE was teaching them. HE was always trying to get the concept into their head that the internal life will manifest itself in their external life. Not the other way around. They could fake belief which the Pharisees and Sadducees were doing or they could be genuine and straighten out their internal life through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We have to watch out for false teachers every day. There are books in Christian book stores that teach false doctrine. There are publishing house that produce “Christian” books but are only concerned with the bottom line so they will publish whatever is popular. Some publishers of Christian books are not Christian. We need to ask someone we can trust if we should buy a popular book. Today our enemy has infiltrated the church to the point that we have to be very careful to check out what I am saying and what everyone else we hear is saying by the Word of God. We are all to search the Scriptures daily to see that what is being taught is accurate according to our Bible.
CHALLENGE: Jesus’ warning to the disciples is a warning to us today as well. The best defense is a good offense. Search the Scriptures!!
: 21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. (1166 “show” [deiknuo] means expose to the eyes, to give evidence or proof of a thing, or to expose by words or teach.)
DEVOTION: This is a chapter of challenges. The Pharisees challenged Jesus to give them a sign. The disciples were challenged not to heed the doctrine of the Pharisees. They didn’t understand. Jesus challenged the disciples to tell HIM who HE was in the eyes of the people? Then HE challenged to tell HIM who they thought HE was.
With all these challenges Jesus put in front of the disciples one that really scared the disciples, it was that HE was going to Jerusalem to die. Then Peter challenged the LORD. Jesus rebuked him. Finally Jesus challenges all the disciples to take up their cross and follow HIM.
Jesus was exposing to the disciples the future plans of the LORD. These plans were established before the foundation of the world. The kingdom of God was going to be established on earth in the future.
For now the LORD was going to go to Jerusalem. HE was going to suffer on the cross. HE was going to die. The great announcement after that was that HE was going to be resurrected from the dead on the THIRD DAY.
These details didn’t please the disciples. Peter was the one with a big mouth. He usually stuck his foot in his mouth. He told Jesus these things should not happen. That is what the enemy would have wanted. The disciples didn’t understand it at the time but they would.
We don’t understand what the LORD is doing in our lives but we need to trust HIM to do only what is good for us. Many are going through hard times. Sometimes there was a warning. Most of the time there is no warning.
Our responsibility is to trust the LORD. The disciples needed to trust the LORD, even though, they didn’t understand. We need to go into the presence of the LORD with prayer and fasting to ask HIM to help us understand HIS commands.
CHALLENGE: Believe what is taught in the Word of God. There are teachings that we need to learn that will sometimes cause us to wonder what is happening.
: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. (591 “apodidomi” means pay, recompense, to render what is due, requite, restore, yield, or to give or do something in fulfilment of an obligation or expectation.)
DEVOTION: Some people don’t think that we have enough information to make a good judgment regarding what the LORD teaches concerning the future.
Jesus gives the Pharisees a sign of Jonah regarding what is going to happen during the coming generations. There are going to be those who will become believers in the LORD. HIS first coming presented the message of salvation that is available to every human being in our world. They have to answer to the preaching that they hear regarding HIM.
HE gives this illustration regarding the future. HE knows the future because HE is part of the Godhead. HE knows that HE is going to return a second time. The second time will be HIS coming in the glory of HIS Father. HE came the first time as a suffering servant. HE is coming a second time as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
HE is going to come with angels. They are going to be at HIS side. HE is going to defeat the enemy with the word of HIS voice alone. HE doesn’t need an army to defeat Satan or anyone.
After the battle is over there is going to be time of judgment. EVERY MAN is going to be judged according to their actions while they were here on this earth. I am going to be judged for all of my actions. One of the great things is that God has an actuate according of all of our motives behind all of our actions. HE knows the truth of everything that has ever happened in our life.
We will be judged according to those truths. Each person will receive a reward for his actions. Some will be rewarded with crowns while others will receive no reward.
In fact, we are told in other places that most will receive a judgment of eternity in the lake of fire. There is a judgment day coming. What will be said of each one of us on that day???
If we are headed in the wrong direction we can through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the right direction. It is never too late while we are still here on this earth. Change is always necessary for all those who are believers. Definite change is necessary for those who have never become followers of Christ.
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.