Before we get into Matthew 28 today, I just wanted to share with you something I have been thinking about since last week.

Matthew 27:52 (NIV)
52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

That is fascinating stuff. In light of that I thought you might find these verses interesting. Abraham had purchased a burial ground near Mamre in Canaan and there were quite a few well known people who were put in there when they died. This is what Jacob says about the family plot:

Genesis 49:29-32 (NIV)
29 Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”

Joseph takes Jacob’s body and places it in the cave as well.

Genesis 50:4-5 (NIV)
4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”

When Joeseph is dying, he makes the sons of Israel promise to take his bones to the same cave.

Genesis 50:25 (NIV)
25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

Moses makes sure that Joseph’s body is taken to the cave as well.

Exodus 13:19 (NIV)
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

There are a lot of the patriarchs buried in that cave. What is interesting to me is that if you look on a map and find Mamre near Canaan, it is in the same vicinity that Jesus was crucified and buried. Maybe, the patriarchs knew what was going to happen and wanted to be there to be a part of that early first fruit fulfillment!

Matthew 28:1-20 (NIV)
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There were so many witnesses to the resurrection that even when the Jewish leaders tried to start a false rumor that the disciples had stolen the body, the rumor wouldn’t stick. The Apostle Paul recounts for us some the people who witnessed the resurrected Christ:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NIV)
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

His post resurrection appearances to the disciples changes them from a group in hiding to a group boldly proclaiming the Good News in the streets.

His resurrection body was free from the limitation that we have in our bodies. He appeared to them in a locked room (John 20:19), He vanished at will (Luke 24:31), He ascended into heaven (Acts 1).
His resurrection body was not less real than our bodies it was more real. He was not like a ghost that went through walls, His resurrected body more real than the wall.

News of the resurrection has spread throughout the world over the last 2000 years. The resurrected Jesus has proved His presence to people in every generation.

Jesus, fully God and fully man, has entered the world and paid the price for our sin, providing for us a way of restoring our eternal relationship with a perfect and holy God. Through the events of His ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection He has inaugurated the Kingdom of God, and when He comes back He will put everything on order and fully establish the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:12-28 (NIV)
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

So what do we do?

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

All authority – The Kingdom (God’s rule and reign) is here already, existing alongside our cultures and societies. People are given the opportunity to choose His kingdom during this time.

Make disciples – As we have read in the book of Matthew, we are His servants who have been left in charge of His possessions while He is away. When Jesus returns He will impose righteousness on the whole world. Until then, the kingdom is here as a hidden thing revealed through the eyes of faith. We are to be His hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouth telling and showing that the Kingdom is here now.

All nations – the message of the kingdom of God cuts across all languages, boundaries, and societies. We have to be aware of the fact that America’s idea of the church is not necessarily how it looks in other parts of the world.

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you – We are to live this life in a such way that it impacts the people around us for the Gospel.

I am with you always – He has not left us alone. He is always with us.

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Matthew 23:1-39 (NIV)
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;(Phylacteries are small leather pouches containing strips of parchment with Old Testament verses that were tied to their left arms and foreheads, but the Pharisees had made them very wide so they would be noticeable, just like lengthening the tassels on their prayer shawls.)6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

14 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

With the clock running down on His physical ministry, Jesus is setting the record straight about the Pharisees. He started the process of exposing them back in Matthew Chapter 5 on the Sermon on the Mount with his “You have heard it said, by I say to you” statements. Now, in what is really a scathing indictment, Jesus catalogs the faults of the Pharisees. It is a list that all of us need to be aware of so that we don’t fall into the trap of legalism ourselves.

In Matthew 23:3 we see that the Pharisees don’t practice what they preach.

In Matthew 23:5 we see that the Pharisees did what they did to be admired by the people, not to live lives that were pleasing to God

In Matthew 23:6-9 we see that they were filled with pride and arrogance and wanted to be exalted over others. They rejected servanthood and humility which are the foundation of the teaching of Jesus. Because they rejected Jesus teaching they had been rejected by God.

In Matthew 23:16-22 we see that they were blind guides who carted about man made rules and had missed the realities of faith and relationship with God.

In Matthew 23:23-24 we see that they were hypocrites who were making a big deal about tithing the leaves of tiny herbs like mint, while overlooking justice and mercy.

In Matthew 23:25-27 we see that they were hypocrites who cared about outward appearances while being filled with greed

In Matthew 23:28-36 we see that they were just like the religious legalists in their own history who had always killed the messengers sent by God

(Abel was the first righteous martyr mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis 4:8) and Zechariah was the last martyr (2 Chronicles 24:20-22 with 2 Chronicles being last in the Hebrew Bible. In this statement Jesus attests to the Old Testament canon.)

And yet at the end of this expose, we see again the amazing compassion of Jesus as His heart broke for them and for the crowds who would soon scream for His death.

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Matthew 22:1-46 (NIV)
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off–one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” 15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. 23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead–have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”‘ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. As we have seen at the end of Matthew 21 Jesus is using a series of parable to expose the Pharisees for who they really are. They don’t produce fruit, (fig tree), they are without real authority (where did John’s baptism come from, don’t know), They didn’t care about people (commercialized the temple and kept the people who needed help out) and in Matthew 22 Jesus continues His expose.

Matthew 22:1-14

Looking ahead to the day when Jesus will come into His kingdom, Jesus used the common picture of a marriage feast (Revelation 19:7). Those who were invited have refused to come. They will be replaced by others, both bad and good, who do respond to the King’s call. As was the custom, those coming are to be provided with a wedding garment by the Father. Anyone seeking to “crash” this feast will be recognized immediately; his own clothes will not be acceptable. And he will be cast “into the darkness”

These verse often cause some questions and so I am included discussions from three commentaries on the matter here:

The case of hypocrites is represented by the guest that had not on a wedding-garment. It concerns all to prepare for the scrutiny; and those, and those only, who put on the Lord Jesus, who have a Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Christ, and to whom he is all in all, have the wedding-garment. The imputed righteousness of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are both alike necessary. No man has the wedding-garment by nature, or can form it for himself. The day is coming, when hypocrites will be called to account for all their presumptuous intruding into gospel ordinances, and usurpation of gospel privileges. Take him away. Those that walk unworthy of Christianity, forfeit all the happiness they presumptuously claimed. Our Saviour here passes out of the parable into that which it teaches. Hypocrites go by the light of the gospel itself down to utter darkness. Many are called to the wedding-feast, that is, to salvation, but few have the wedding-garment, the righteousness of Christ, the sanctification of the Spirit. Then let us examine ourselves whether we are in the faith, and seek to be approved by the King. —Matthew Henry Concise

It was customary for wedding guests to be given garments to wear to the banquet. It was unthinkable to refuse to wear these garments. That would insult the host, who could only assume that the guest was arrogant and thought he didn’t need these garments, or that he did not want to take part in the wedding celebration. The wedding clothes picture the righteousness needed to enter God’s kingdom — the total acceptance in God’s eyes that Christ gives every believer. Christ has provided this garment of righteousness for everyone, but each person must choose to put it on in order to enter the King’s banquet (eternal life). There is an open invitation, but we must be ready. —Life Application Bible Notes

Matthew 22:15:46

The religious leaders decide to try and trap Jesus so that the crowd might turn against Him.

“Tell us then,” they asked. “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

The Pharisees must have thought that they had come up with the perfect question. If Jesus tells them not to pay taxes, then He is going to be in trouble with the Roman authorities. If Jesus said they should pay taxes, the Pharisees were sure He would lose popularity with the people. Tax collectors were not very popular then (unlike now, lol)

Jesus response is classic. He asked for a coin. When the Pharisees gave a coin to Jesus, He asked them whose inscription and picture it bore. “Caesar’s,” the Pharisees said. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” Jesus responded, “and to God what is God’s”. The Pharisees just walked away.

The Sadducees were sort of the aristocracy of the religious leaders. They held positions of power because of who they were, but they were not very popular with the people. They were by and large in controversy with the Pharisees but they were joining together to get rid of Jesus. The Sadducees would be swayed by the polls if they were around today, so they were not grounded in the scripture. They also don’t believe in the afterlife and so their question to Jesus is based on that belief. They spoke of a woman who had been successively married to seven brothers. “At the resurrection, whose wife will she be?” Jesus answer is amazing. If the Sadducees had read and understood the Old Testament Scriptures, they would have clearly seen there is a future life and that when a person dies he continues to exist. To the Sadducees the resurrection was ridiculous because they believed death ended man’s existence. But Jesus quoted a statement God had made directly to Moses at the burning bush: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:6). If the Sadducees were correct and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died and were no longer present anywhere, the words “I am” should have been “I was.” The use of the present tense, “I am,” implied that God is still the God of these patriarchs for they are alive with God and ultimately will share in the resurrection of the righteous. Once again the Pharisee party attempted to trap Jesus. This time a lawyer (one who was an expert in oral and written Law) asked Jesus to name the first and greatest commandment.

Jesus responds Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18

“Love God, Love your neighbor as yourself”

Jesus then asked the Pharisees a question in return.

“What do you think about the Christ [Messiah]? Whose Son is He?” The Pharisees answered correctly: “David’s.” Then Jesus asked, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’?”

The point is, of course, that no human father calls his son Lord, for in the culture of the Middle East the son always owed deference and respect to his father. David’s descendant is more than human. He is, in fact, as the Old Testament foretells, the Son of God. Only if David’s “son” is his God does David’s acknowledgment of Him as Lord make sense.

The Pharisees were unable to utter a single word. They simply went away, and no one dared to challenge Jesus to a debate again.

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Matthew 21:1-46 (NIV)
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. 18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” 23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism–where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men’–we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they nswered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watch tower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. 35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Matthew 21:1-18

The Passover week had begun, just a few days before the crucifixion would taker place. Jesus sent two of His disciples to get a donkey and a colt for him to ride into Jerusalem. This fulfilled prophecy in Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)
9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In a very humble manner, on a beast of burden, the King would come to Jerusalem. The crowds that would soon reject Him greeted Him with great enthusiasm on this day shouting Psalm 118:25-26

Psalms 118:25-26 (NIV)
25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

Hosanna was a Hebrew expression meaning “Save!”

Jesus went to the temple and in the court that was to be a place of prayer the priests has set up a money making enterprise, selling “approved” animals for sacrifice, which had to be purchased with “temple money”. It was another scam put on the people by the religious leaders. They didn’t care about the people, they cared about themselves and that it was becomes so clear in the parables that we will see in this chapter.
Once the temple was cleansed by Jesus the blind and the lame came to Him and were healed. This is significant because the religious leaders would not allow the blind and the lame into the temple. Even as the religious leaders witnessed these miracles they were not blessed for the people being healed, they were indignant and their hearts were hardened. Their true nature was being exposed.

Matthew 21:18-22

Jesus had gone to Bethany to spend the night and was on the way back to Jerusalem the next morning. He saw a fig tree that looked luxuriant and should have been filled with fruit and yet there was none. Jesus uttered a curse and immediately the tree withered. The disciples asked Jesus how that happened and Jesus replied “faith”. This event is significant in understanding the events that follow.

The fig tree is a picture of Israel, which appeared luxuriant but had produced no fruit. It would wither away as its fruitlessness was exposed. Faith would provide a better way to a life filled with fruit, not the works and rules and regulations of legalism which lead to fruitlessness.

Jesus then has a series of encounters which further expose the empty legalism of the religious leaders, which produced only appearances and not fruit.

Matthew 21:23-27

They religious leaders had no real authority. In Deuteronomy, people were told to take their disputes to the rulers for them to settle. The religious leaders challenged Jesus and asked by what authority He was acting. Jesus asked them this question: “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven or from men?” The religious leaders wouldn’t answer it because if they said “from heaven,” Jesus would condemn them for not listening to John and Jesus. But if they said “from men,” the crowds who believed that John was a prophet might even attack them! Because they were unwilling to take a stand, they demonstrated that they had no real authority and all they could say was, “We don’t know”.

Matthew 21:28-32

The religious leaders did not care about people’s lives being changed. They were like the son who say they will obey but don’t. Even when they saw sinners repent (the disobedient son in the parable repents and chooses to do his father’s will), still the religious leaders don’t respond. They don’t care about people, they only care about themselves.

Matthew 21:33-46

All the religious leaders really cared about was their own personal power. Jesus tells another parable, about an owner who leased his vineyard to tenants. They were to care for it and then give the owner his share of the profits. When messengers were sent to the tenants, they beat and stoned and killed them. Finally the owner sent his own son. The tenants’ reaction? “Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!”

This parable is a picture of the prophets that God had sent who had been rejected and often killed and now that Jesus, the Son had come, they wanted to kill Him. The religious leaders spoke of a pure and holy reverence for God and yet all they really wanted was power. This lust for power would keep them from humbling themselves and taking their place with God’s other little ones. And so in Matthew 21:43 we see Jesus make the following judgment:

“I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit”.

The Pharisees will be hard at work for the next few days trying to have Jesus arrested so they can have Him killed.

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Matthew 20:1-34 (NIV)
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” 17 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” 20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 19 and 20 are about greatness. What does it mean to be great? What does greatness look like. It was a constant theme among the disciples. In Matthew 19 we discussed “The way of the law” and “The way of being good”. In the beginning of Chapter 20 we will look at “The way of hard work”.

Matthew 20:1-16

In this parable Jesus explains the last-first comment He made at the end of Chapter 19.

“Jesus pictured a landowner who went out early in the morning and hired men to work in his harvest. Later he went out and found more standing idle. He sent them out into his fields as well. Several times during the day this pattern was repeated. At evening, those who had worked the full day were dismayed to find that others who had worked only two hours received as much pay as they! When they complained, the landowner explained that they were paid what they had agreed on that morning. As for the rest, their reward was a matter not of what they had earned, but what was given by the owner out of generosity. The last had been first. Like each of the workers in Jesus’ parable, we have been invited to serve in His kingdom. What is important is our response to the King when He calls us to our individual tasks. Greatness is not measured by how long or hard we may work trying to gain a reward.”

Matthew 20:17-28

The true leader in the kingdom of God is a servant. Jesus takes His disciples aside and tells them again of His death. “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19). He is illustrating that He will choose to give His own life in order to serve. He is still talking about true greatness. Right after this, John and James mother comes and asks Jesus to give her sons positions of power and honor in His kingdom. The disciples are all upset about this as they continue to struggle with their own ideas of greatness. Greatness to them is about ruling, but to Jesus, it is about serving. Jesus seizes the opportunity to try and teach His disciples once more about true greatness. The verses in Matthew 20:25-28 are perhaps the most significant New Testament verse about spiritual leadership.

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The servant leader would not command from above or behind, but would demonstrate leadership by actually doing. Unlike cultural leadership which puts a relational distance between those who lead and those who follow, there was to be a relational closeness between the leaders and the followers in the Kingdom. Each person was to simply use the gifts and talents the Lord had given Him to carry out the ministry at hand. There should not be a power struggle in the church as long as people realize that the true quest in the Kingdom of God is not for position and power but to serve.

Peter would figure this out in the years ahead as he records in 1 Peter 5:2-3: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care . . . not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock”

Matthew 20:29-34

Jesus gives one more demonstration of greatness as He heals the blind men who are calling out to Him. The crowd tries to quiet them, not seeing them the way that Jesus does, as people who need a touch from God.
This is greatness. To touch in compassion, and to give ourselves for others as their servant, for Jesus’ sake.

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Matthew Chapter 2

Matthew 2:1-23 (NIV)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

The Christmas story we usually have in our minds is not exactly right. While the premise of the story is close, the facts are a little different.

v 11 makes it clear that they were no longer is a manger but in a house. Jesus is described by the word for child (paidon) not the word for infant (brephos).

We aren’t really sure about the identity of the Magi. While the Christmas story has given them names, the names are not found in the scripture. We aren’t sure of their number, either. It could have been three but it could have been more or less. Magi is a title for “specialists in astronomy” which is most likely how they received the revelation of the newborn King. It is possible that this is a fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy:

Numbers 24:17 (KJV)
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob,

Herod wasn’t happy about the news but it is interesting that he connects the King of the Jews in v2 with the Christ in v4.

Herod wanted to know where the Christ would be born, and the answer to Herod’s question was simple, because Micah the prophet had given the precise location centuries before: the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

Micah 5:2 (KJV)
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The Magi present Jesus with gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. These gifts picture the wealth of the nations which will someday be completely given to the Messiah

Isaiah 60:5 (NIV)
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

Zephaniah 3:10 (NIV)
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.

Haggai 2:7-8 (NIV)
7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.

There may be a deeper significance to the gifts as well that reflect on the character of the life of Jesus. Gold might represent His deity or purity, incense the fragrance of His life, and myrrh His sacrifice and death (myrrh was used for embalming).

Joseph has a series of dreams in which he is given specific direction on what to do.

Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22.

After the visit of the Magi, Joseph was warned by an angel of the Lord to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. The reason was Herod would be searching for the Child to kill Him. Under cover of darkness, Joseph obeyed, and his family left Bethlehem and journeyed into Egypt. Why Egypt? The Messiah was sent to and returned from Egypt so that the prophet’s words, Out of Egypt I called My Son, might be fulfilled. This is a reference to Hosea 11:1:

Hosea 11:1 (NIV)
1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son

It also connects Jesus as the son of God, with the nation of Israel. Israel was God’s chosen son by adoption,

Exodus 4:22 (NIV)
22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,

Jesus is God’s son. Both had to escape to Egypt to avoid danger, both had to return for the sake of the nation.

As soon as Herod learned that the Magi had not complied with his orders to give him the exact location of the newborn King, he put into action a plan to kill all the male children in Bethlehem.

Jeremiah 31:15 (NIV)
15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”

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The New Testament – Verse by Verse Bible Study – Matthew Chapter 1:1-25

Matthew 1:1-25 (NKJV)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
2 Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.
5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
7 Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.
8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.
9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.
11 Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.
14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.
15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.
16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So 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.
18 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.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 But 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.”
22 So 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.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Discussion on Matthew Chapter 1

And you shall call His name Jesus

Jesus enters the world! (Incarnation)

The eternal God took on a body of flesh.

John 1:1 (NKJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Philippians 2:6-11 (NKJV)
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Why?

To show us who He is. People develop really strange ideas about God. Since many begin to discover God in nature their view of God is often flawed becasue nature has fallen (fallen world, broken planet)

To identify with us. How can a God who sits on a throne surrounded by angels know what I go through, temptations, weariness, etc?

To model humanity as He intended it to be. To show the potential of life lived according to His plan and purpose and in fellowship with Him. He provides the missing link in Jesus so that man would not try and relate himself to animals but to God.

Call His name Jesus

Jesus is the Greek for the Hebrew “Yeshua.” It means God our salvation. (YWEH shua)

The name expresses the mission of Christ

Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

John 3:17 (NKJV)
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

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