“It is Finished!”–Mission Accomplished!

Posted on April 4, 2026 by PastorDave

These messages/Bible study lessons are over 20 years old. There are 34 of these lessons in the series. I prepared and delivered them over 2005-2006 during my former pastorate. And, yes, I confess that I capitalized on the popularity and cultural interest in the Mel Gibson film which had just come out–though yet to this day, I haven’t seen the movie. But I have studied the Scriptural texts in their historical, cultural, and theological contexts for over fifty years. This is not only the Story of the Passion of the Christ, but more, it is the Story of God’s covenant love and grace in Christ that has redeemed and saved us! I have since shared them with other groups and audiences who have expressed an interest in sharing them still with others. So, I am posting them here in this format as I first prepared them without making any effort to revise or edit them. I pray God will use them for His Glory, to make Christ known to others, and to deepen our love and worship for God and His marvelous saving grace!

THE STORY of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST | Lesson 24

“IT IS FINISHED!” — Mission Accomplished!

John 19.30; Luke 23.46

The Lord Jesus has now come to the victorious conclusion of  —  not only His agonies and sufferings of the Cross  —  but also the successful and victorious accomplishments of His lifetime’s ministry…all the works He had come to do  —  all the commandments the Father had given Him to obey  —  all the responsibilities and commitments He had taken upon Himself to complete.

When He conversed with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, the subject of their discussion was “the decease which He would ACCOMPLISH at Jerusalem.”  Luke 9.31.

When Jesus Christ exclaimed: “IT IS FINISHED!” He spoke only one word.  “TETELESTAI” (past perfect tense of teleo, which means “to complete, to bring to a conclusion, to end a work or project or mission by fulfilling everything the job required.”)  That’s what you can see with a TELEscope=the end.

So, this was not A CRY OF DEFEAT OR A CONCESSION STATEMENT. 

Jesus was not throwing in the towel…giving up…or opting out. 

Nor is He just petering out or running out of steam. 

In fact, HE FINISHED HIS MISSION WITH STRENGTH TO SPARE.  Luke 23.46 indicates that Jesus made His last two statements, not only in conjunction with one another, and within the same brief space of time, but also He made both of these statements “with a loud voice”, meaning that He summoned strength and made both of these statements on purpose.

And, without a doubt, also, He must have shouted out “TETELESTAI!” accompanied with a rush of JOY.  Hebrews 12.2 discloses the emotions and even the feelings which the Lord Jesus experienced in His soul as He suffered and died:  …who FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM endured the cross, despising the shame…  THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM WAS IN SIGHT NOW!  The reverberations of that joy were already beginning to shake and vibrate on the chords of His own soul.

And, the JOY and VICTORY of this cry was not heard just on earth only.

Do you doubt that the saints who had already died and gone to Paradise were witnessing also from Glory what was transpiring on earth ON THEIR BEHALF?   {We know for sure that THE ANGELS DESIRE TO LOOK INTO THESE THINGS [1 Peter 1.12]…and that golden cherubim arched over the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat and constantly witnessed with worship, awe, and wonder at what Yahweh was doing for these elect mortals EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICES AND SERVICES…and that their figures were woven into the veil and tapestries which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  Surely the ransomed elect who had already arrived and anchored within the veil [Hebrews 6.19] were witnesses also!}   

Don’t forget that when Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He was not only dying for the sins of ALL THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE ON HIM FROM THEN ON, but He was also dying to take away ALL THE SINS OF THOSE WHO HAD BELIEVED ON HIM BEFORE HE DIED!

Romans 3.24-25:  being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, BECAUSE IN HIS FORBEARANCE GOD HAD PASSED OVER THE SINS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY COMMITTED…

That doesn’t mean that God ignored the sins which were committed under the Old Covenant, but rather that GOD PROVIDED THE MEANS ONLY FOR THEIR COVERING FOR A TIME…and NOT TO TAKE THEM AWAY!

Hebrews 9.15:  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Do you doubt for one second that when Jesus Christ cried out “IT IS FINISHED!”  —  that ALL HEAVEN knew precisely what He meant?  And, do you believe for one second that the ransomed citizens of Heaven took it in stride…or yawned…or went about Heaven’s business as usual?

YOU KNOW THEY DIDN’T!  When Jesus cried from the Cross “IT IS FINISHED!”  — there echoed throughout the Heaven the victorious shout from millions of saints and angels:

“IT IS FINISHED!  IT IS FINISHED!  IT IS FINISHED! 

HE HAS DONE IT!”

What jubilation and sanctified dancing in the streets of Paradise there must have been when the Son of God SUCCESSFULLY AND VICTORIOUSLY COMPLETED THE WORK NECESSARY TO REDEEM THEM AND SECURE HEAVEN FOR THEM!

This word inescapably takes us back to His LIFE’S PURPOSE which the Lord Jesus repeated over and over…it never changed…and He never got away from it or deviated from it. 

Hebrews 10.7:  Then I said, “Behold I have come  —  In the volume of the Book it is written of Me  —  to do Your will, O God.”

Luke 2.49:  Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

John 9.4:  I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day…

And then, when He prayed His Prayer of Consecration to the Father in John 17.4, He said with confidence:  I have glorified You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”  And, He was saying that…not only in prospect of going to the cross…but also because HE HAD ALREADY COMPLETED AND SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED ALL THE WORKS THE FATHER HAD GIVEN HIM TO DO DURING HIS LIFETIME. 

Now, He was going to the Cross to SEAL THE FRUITS of all those works and PUT THEM INTO FORCE…ACTIVATE THEM…PUT HIS WORKS TO WORK!  And, He would FINISH that, too.

We admire people who attempt great works and achieve them in spite of difficulties and obstacles.  We celebrate discoverers, pioneers, patriots, inventors, teachers, crusaders of good causes, even athletes  —  and even many common folks among our own peers who persist against all odds to faithfully serve God and set worthy examples for us to follow.  They, too, finished their works with faithfulness and dignity. 

But, no one ever had placed upon him the responsibilities and commitments which the Lord Jesus assumed upon Himself.  And He is declaring here in His dying breath that EVERY DETAIL OF EVERY RESPONSIBILITY HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.

So, when Jesus exclaimed:  “IT IS COMPLETED…FINISHED!”  —  WHAT HAD HE DONE?

HIS HUMAN SUFFERINGS WERE COMPLETED

He had been a Man of Sorrows and intimately acquainted with griefs of all kinds all during His entire lifetime  —  but now ALL HIS SUFFERINGS HAD BEEN ENDED AND COMPLETED.  He hadn’t given up.  He hadn’t quit.  And, He didn’t succumb to anything.  He had ENDURED every grief and pain to the fullest and absorbed every jolt of agony.  But, HE WOULD SUFFER NO MORE…NOT EVER AGAIN.  2 Corinthians 13.4:  For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.  Romans 6.9:  knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.

HE HAD OBEYED EVERY ONE OF HIS FATHER’S COMMANDMENTS

Jesus Christ had received this commandment to die from His Father.  He was obedient to the point of death…even the death of the Cross.  There was no instruction His Father gave Him which He did not perfectly complete.  Hebrews 4.8:  …though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.  He didn’t LEARN OBEDIENCE from the position of DISOBEDIENCE  —  because He was NEVER disobedient.  But, He LEARNED OBEDIENCE in the sense that HE MUST EXPERIENCE HIS SUFFERINGS IN ORDER TO EXERCISE OBEDIENCE AS A MAN.  HE PERFECTED THE PRACTICE OF OBEDIENCE AS A MAN by being obedient to His Father’s commands.

ALL THE SYMBOLS AND PICTURES OF THE CEREMONIAL LAW WERE FULFILLED.

He finished and completed every detail of His shadow which had been promised and predicted in all the sacrifices, services, ceremonies, and feasts which were prefigured in the Old Testament teachings.  Every animal, every movement, every color, every element (gold, silver, bronze, wood), every fabric  —  everything was significant because it prefigured something that HE WOULD BE…and something HE WOULD DO.  And, HE FINISHED EVERY DETAIL PERFECTLY.

But, perhaps, best of all and most of all, HE COMPLETELY FINISHED ALL THE PROMISES GOD HAD MADE IN HIS COVENANT OF GRACE.  He satisfied God’s justice.  He paid for our sins.  He took them away.  He bore our punishment for us…in our place.  He secured the riches of God’s grace and our inheritance in Heaven.  HE FINISHED IT ALL AND GIVES IT FREELY TO US!

This is why God insists that we can’t add anything to what Christ FINISHED for us to pre-qualify for His salvation or earn His favor.  Christ FINISHED our salvation’s work for us because we couldn’t have done it for ourselves.  And, if you try to add anything to what He FINISHED…then you not only insult what He did, but anything you could add to what He FINISHED would spoil it by being mixed with it.

And something else  —  IF CHRIST FINISHED YOUR SALVATION’S WORK FOR YOU…and then FREELY GIVES IT TO YOU BY HIS GRACE, then YOU CAN REST AND HAVE ASSURANCE IN YOUR SECURITY IN HIS GRACE.  God’s Covenant is sufficient, and faithful, and good for ever! 

“FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT”

This is actually a prayer that Christ prayed as He voluntarily and deliberately gave up His own life. 

Luke 23.46:  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.”  And having said this, He breathed His last.

The verb which Jesus used here [paratitheme] means both “COMMIT”:  to hand over, to place, to deposit it someone’s care for safekeeping;  or “COMMEND”:  to recommend oneself or somebody else to another for acceptance, approval, safekeeping, protection.

Christ is publicly confessing one last time before He dies that GOD HAS BEEN IN CONTROL OF HIS DEATH ALL ALONG.

Yes, His enemies had murdered Him [Acts 2.23].  But, His Father is the One who provided Him to make this sacrifice for His people [Hebrews 10.5-10].  And, Jesus Himself is the One who said, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This command I have received from My Father.” {John 10.18}

Christ ALWAYS did everything He did TO PLEASE HIS FATHER [John 8.29], and His obedience to death was the ultimate PLEASURE to His Father.  Isaiah 53.10:  Yet IT PLEASED THE LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.  When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and THE PLEASURE OF THE LORD SHALL PROSPER IN HIS HAND.  {That’s where He was committing all His service and life’s work, wasn’t it?  “INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.”}

So, when He made this final statement from the Cross, He was praying that the Father would receive His service He had given the Father on our behalf, and BE PLEASED WITH WHAT HE HAD DONE.

He was COMMITTING THE JUDGMENT AND EVALUATION OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS TO THE FATHER…and asking the Father to USE HIS SERVICE to accomplish what the Father wanted to do.

The Lord Jesus TRUSTED HIS LIFED AND HIS DEATH to the Father’s evaluation. 

1 Peter 2.21-23:  For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return;  when He suffered, He did not threaten, but COMMITTED HIMSELF TO HIM WHO JUDGES RIGHTEOUSLY.

And, do you know what else?  If Jesus Christ could trust the Father with HIS life and death…

HIS service and all the works He had done for the Father…and the gracious outcome and implementation of all the sacrifice and offerings of Himself He gave the Father FOR OUR REDEMPTION AND SALVATION  —  then you, too, can COMMIT ALL YOUR ISSUES, MATTERS, AND AFFAIRS TO HIM AS WELL.

1 Peter 4.19:  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God COMMIT THEIR SOULS HIM in doing good, AS TO A FAITHFUL CREATOR.

And then, to give one final, lasting, parting expression of HIS OWN CONFIDENCE AND SATISFACTION WITH WHAT HE HIMSELF HAD DONE, He concluded His Passion experience by gracefully, submissively, willingly, deliberately, voluntarily, and gladly DYING. 

John  19.30:  And BOWING HIS HEAD, He gave up His spirit.

You, too, can believe…trust…depend upon…and rest in Him.

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“I Thirst!”

Posted on April 3, 2026 by PastorDave

These messages/Bible study lessons are over 20 years old. There are 34 of these lessons in the series. I prepared and delivered them over 2005-2006 during my former pastorate. And, yes, I confess that I capitalized on the popularity and cultural interest in the Mel Gibson film which had just come out–though yet to this day, I haven’t seen the movie. But I have studied the Scriptural texts in their historical, cultural, and theological contexts for over fifty years. This is not only the Story of the Passion of the Christ, but more, it is the Story of God’s covenant love and grace in Christ that has redeemed and saved us! I have since shared them with other groups and audiences who have expressed an interest in sharing them still with others. So, I am posting them here in this format as I first prepared them without making any effort to revise or edit them. I pray God will use them for His Glory, to make Christ known to others, and to deepen our love and worship for God and His marvelous saving grace!

THE STORY of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST | Lesson 23

John 19.28-29 | “I THIRST!”

Again, we must emphasize that this FIFTH STATEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE CROSS was a very personal expression of the very real pain He was suffering.  This is His only recorded statement He made from the cross which reflects His agonizing experiencing of the intense and excruciating physical pains He suffered during His crucifixion.

His other FOUR STATEMENTS we have examined so far have focused on either: His Divine responses to His abusers (“Father, forgive them…”);  or His concern for the needs of others (“Today, you will be with Me in Paradise” /  “Woman, behold your son;  Behold your mother”);  or the deep spiritual agonies of His soul-sufferings (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”).

BUT, HE ALSO REVEALED HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL PAINS AND AGONIES.  He felt them intensely.  His Deity didn’t cushion or buffer His physical human sensitivities.  He felt everything we would feel, and maybe even more so because of His Divine character.

THIRST!

THIRST IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST, MOST INTENSE AND OBSESSIVE SENSATIONS WE CAN FEEL.  It is often coupled with “hunger” as one of our primary essential needs for self-preservation. 

THIRST is one of our strongest sensations of LONGING, DESIRE, and CRAVING.  Even God uses THIRST to inspire us toward what our intense desires for His company and fellowship should be like.  Psalm 42.2: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

Psalm 63.1:  O God, You are my God; early will I seek You. 

My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

We are probably never any more needy than when we are thirsty.  We can survive being hungry for a long time; but when we are thirsty, we must get water or else we will die.  There may not be any physical pains which are any more intense and obsessive than being thirsty. 

My Dad has often told the story (with deep personal regrets now) about being in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge and coming across a wounded, dying German soldier.  He was already out of his head, but he was pitifully moaning something.  They knew enough German to recognize that he was crying out for “Water!”  But then he kept saying something else after that. 

Dad’s unit had an interpreter, so they asked him what the German was saying.  The interpreter said:  “He’s begging for water.  But if you won’t give him water, he’s begging you to shoot him and kill him.”  Dad said, “We didn’t want to give him any kind of relief.  So, we didn’t do either.  We just walked off and left him there to die thirsty.”

WILLINGLY, VOLUNTARILY THIRSTY

WE KNOW THAT JESUS COULD HAVE WILLED ANY OF HIS PHYSICAL AGONIES AWAY.  He COULD have healed Himself of any of the infirmities He had taken upon Himself.  But, of course, if He had done so, He would not have fulfilled the eternal covenant of redemption He had come to finish. 

He is dying in every detail of every experience precisely the way the Covenant had mandated that He die.  John emphasizes in John 19.28:  After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 

He must suffer the pains of death in order to deliver us from those same pains.  We are the ones who have inherited the sicknesses and sufferings and infirmities—and ultimately death.  All of those afflictions are the curse God imposed upon humanity because of our sin against Him.

If Jesus Christ had not become a Man, and had not come in the flesh, and had not taken upon Himself the form of a Servant, He COULD NOT and WOULD NOT have suffered any of these human infirmities.  But, He must take them upon Himself in order to take them away  —  and also so He can sympathize with us in all our weaknesses and infirmities.

Matthew 8.16-17 describes Jesus’ ministry of healing the diseased and His casting out demons from those who were oppressed and tormented by the powers of the Devil.  The way He healed was BY TAKING OUR INFIRMITIES AND SICKNESSES UPON HIMSELF.  When 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, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 

“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses”. 

Hebrews 2.14-18 teaches us how Jesus Christ BORE ALL OUR WEAKNESSES so He can sympathize with us and JOIN US TO HELP US in all our human sufferings of all kinds.  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

            17Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 5.1-2 says much the same thing: For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.  2He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

Now, I have said all this to emphasize how Jesus Christ WILLINGLY suffered all these afflictions and agonies inflicted upon His soul, spirit, and body.

THE CREATOR AND GIVER SUFFERS DEPRIVATION

THIS SAME ONE WHO IS SUFFERING THIRST IS ALSO THE VERY CREATOR WHO CREATED ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD.   This same apostle John who witnessed and recorded Jesus’ cry: “I AM THIRSTY!” also wrote in his opening testimony about the Christ

(John 1.3), All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

This is the same Jesus who told the Samaritan adulteress (John 4.10, 13): “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”…“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

But, He must suffer the pains of thirst Himself while dying the death He had been given to die…

in order to release these living fountains of waters for the supply of our needs.

He promised never-ending supplies of the Holy Spirit’s life and power to those who would believe upon Him (John 7.37-38): On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  But, He Himself must suffer extreme thirst dying the death He had been given to die…

in order to receive the authority and position to pour out the Gift on us  (Acts 2.33).

THE LORD JESUS MUST FIRST GIVE US THE GIFT OF HIS THIRST ON OUR BEHALF

IN ORDER TO SECURE FOR US THE GIFTS OF HIS GRACE AND ETERNAL LIFE. 

Since suffering thirst for eternity is one of the torments of Hell, when Jesus Christ suffered all the pains of God’s wrath in our place, He saved us from having to cry out from Hell ourselves:  “Send someone to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue…I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME!”  

THE PHYSICAL AGONIES

Of course, the physical source and reason for His intense and excruciating thirst was His extreme dehydration.  We don’t know when He had last had anything at all to drink.  We do remember that when they first began to nail Him to the cross, they offered Him the potion of vinegar-wine mixed with gall.  He refused it because it would have had a sedating / anesthetizing effect on His body.  And, He must drink the cup of His agonies with His faculties fully awake and sharp. 

But, before that, we don’t know if He asked for…or received…anything to drink during His overnight trials and hearings.

But, now, after these six hours on the cross, not only is He extremely physically dehydrated, but His body is craving any kind of liquid sustenance and refreshment to relieve the ravages of fever and infection. 

And, to compound all the physical afflictions, He also has just cried out of the agonies of His soul to ask His God and Father why He had forsaken Him.  So, you can compound the physical effects of the crucifixion with the mental and spiritual stress of His travails of soul.  (This is the real “cup of suffering and death” which He so feared and dreaded).

HE HAD BEEN ABSORBED IN THE “DRINKING OF THE CUP”

Here is something else which very well may have transpired:  we all have experienced at some time or another how you can be so absorbed in one activity that you completely ignore a mounting need which may be developing at the same time.  But then your mind suddenly snaps back to this physical necessity and it all rushes upon your consciousness with compounded force and fury.

You can get lost in a work project or so focused on it…or get engrossed in a good book or a movie you’re watching…or in some kind of sport or recreation  —  and all of a sudden realize your muscles are aching, or you have forgotten to eat for some time, or maybe you are extremely thirsty.  But, other preoccupations of your mind have so absorbed you, you didn’t give it your attention until it all suddenly rushes to the front of your mind.

That, too, is much of what is happening here.  Jesus’ cry of thirst seems to come right after His agonizing screams of being forsaken by God. 

In fact, His executioners thought He was calling for Elijah to come and rescue Him or save Him from His sufferings.  They mistook His calling out for “ELI, ELI” (Matthew) or “ELOI, ELOI” (Mark) (which is God’s Name, “EL”) for His calling out for ELIJAH.

Matthew 27.47 and Mark 15.35 both record that the soldiers around the cross thought He was calling for Elijah.  So, they sarcastically remarked that they would watch to see if Elijah came to rescue Him.  Matthew 27.49:  The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

But, it was at this time that one of them ran to get a sponge, stuck it on to the end of a hyssop branch, soaked it in vinegar, and then raised it up to Jesus’ mouth so He could suck the sour moisture out of it.

But, John records that in the meantime, after crying out for “ELI, ELI”, He also exclaimed, “I’M THIRSTY!”  Then, John says, Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

HAVE YOU GIVEN HIM ANYTHING TO DRINK?

The soldiers did, in fact, answer His request.  It may be argued whether this vinegar was all they had (I seriously doubt that the soldiers customarily drank vinegar for their own thirst), or whether they gave it to Him to actually irritate His thirst and torment Him further, or whether it was a genuine act of mercy and human kindness. 

It may also have been the same wine / gall potion which He had refused before. 

Psalm 69.21  They also gave Me gall for My food, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.

But, at any rate, Jesus’ foreordained time of suffering was drawing to a successful conclusion.  (His next statements will be:  “IT IS FINISHED!  FATHER, I COMMIT MY SPIRIT INTO YOUR HANDS!”

But, I’m sure everyone one of us would say:  “Oh, I wish I had been there.  I would have gladly done whatever it took or given whatever I had to give in order to relieve His thirst and give Him something to drink.”

Well, we all have multitudes of opportunities all around us every day to do just that.  In fact, the Lord Jesus is going to ask every one of us WHETHER WE GAVE HIM SOMETHING TO DRINK WHEN HE WAS THIRSTY.  That is going to be one of His measurements and standards for evaluating our works we have given HIM during this lifetime of service. Matthew 25.35-36:  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; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”. 

Sometimes, we may be tempted to say:  “Oh, He’s just bluffing.  He’s just being overly dramatic.” 

No, He’s telling us how we can touch Him and show our love to Him every day  —  by how we reach out to those who are suffering the afflictions and deprivations of life  —  and by how willing we are to give needed help and assistance and support and encouragement to those who genuinely need it, and whom we can physically touch.

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.”   When was the last time you visited…helped… encouraged…supported someone in their times of need?  When was the last time you gave JESUS a cup of cold water – JUST BECAUSE IT WAS HIM!  If you meet Him in need tomorrow, or the next day, WILL YOU HELP HIM?  HE’LL ASK YOU ABOUT IT LATER, I’M SURE! 

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HEALTH UPDATE: On my recent diagnosis…

Posted on March 28, 2026 by PastorDave

Since word is getting out and so many of you are concerned, asking—and especially praying; and since I am hard-pressed to respond to each one of you personally, but I sure don’t want to overlook any one of you dear friends; and since I have lost track of who I’ve told what, I’m going to make a public post here.

First, let me tell you how much I love each one of you for your friendship, encouragement, and especially for your partnership in our prayers to God.

But, the pathology results from my 3/18 prostate biopsy are back, and the tissue samples are testing positive for cancer.  

My Urologist had ordered an updated MRI back in January, and it showed some changes from the MRI a year ago. So, he wanted this 2nd biopsy.

[Flashback: The first biopsy was back in April ’25. Those results came back “irregular, atypical, abnormal cell growth—but benign.” But, in the meantime, my PSA continued to elevate; and a blood sample he had sent off for DNA/genetic analysis came back “high probability of presence of prostate cancer”—hence, a new MRI and biopsy…]

This time, he took ten tissue samples from the area of the MRI image that had changed—six of those samples tested positive for cancer. However, there is an additional concern: the positive areas are labeled “intraductal prostatic adenocarcinoma,” which means [I (Google) think], it is imbedded not only in the tissue, but also in the ducts of the prostate, where it moves from place to place. So, Urologist says, “This is a real problem. This ‘intraductal’ cancer tends to be more aggressive, and we’ll have to treat it immediately. I want to schedule a PET scan to see whether it’s still contained in the prostate, or if it’s migrated to other areas.”

So, he has scheduled a PET scan for 4/8 … so they can see where all it is.

Then there is a follow-up consultation scheduled for 4/13.

We’ll know more after that…

In the meantime, I’ve had lots of time to think and pray over this while waiting for tests, procedures, results, consultations, etc., etc. …

  • From the beginning, I have been asking everyone to pray:

“Let the will of the Lord be done” [Acts 21.14].

  • At the same time, I’ve been meditating a lot on Deuteronomy 32.4:

“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”

If His will is done, and if all His work and ways are perfect—then what He works out here will be for my good and for His Glory!

  • You know how we often repeat that trite, way-over-worked: “It is what it is.” Well, as trite as it is, there’s a lot of truth in that maxim. Leading up to the MRI, biopsy, and pathology/diagnosis, I would tell people: “It is what it is … I have no idea what it is until I’m told … and I have no control over whatever it is—no control over its coming or going. But, whatever it “is,” I know that it “is” whatever God has appointed it to be and prepared for me. All of our life’s circumstances and events are specifically appointed to us and personally prepared by God’s sovereign Providence and mercy. And He has some ‘good work’ that He’s going to bring to completion through ‘whatever it is’ [Romans 8.28; Philippians 1.6]. And even if there’s pain included in the Providences, “I know my pain will not be wasted; Christ completes His work in me!” [‘Christ is Mine Forevermore’ / Thompson & Robinson].
  • In John 9.1-7, as Jesus and His disciples encountered the blind man, His disciples asked: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus gave this enlightening perspective to our human brokenness and sin-cursed afflictions: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Every infirmity we suffer sets the stage and provides a black velvet backdrop against which God can display some flash of His Glory! When we are afflicted, God has some Glory He wants to show off! He has some witness He wants to give to His Glory! [See 2 Corinthians 1.1-11.] And His Glory shines through the broken cracks in our clay vessels! “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us!” [2 Corinthians 4.7; and context].
  • Just one more thing… Over the course of my life and ministry, and especially when I have encountered some new and challenging experience [which has been pretty much every day!], I have often thought of Joshua 3. Israel was finally staging to cross the Jordan into the long-awaited Promised Land! Yahweh would lead them in with another miracle: He would part the Jordan like He had parted the Red Sea. But they would be in uncharted territory! They had never been there before. How would they know the way? How could they proceed with confidence that they wouldn’t be overwhelmed and swallowed up by the awaiting enemies? Well, Yahweh gave them a simple GPS: “Follow Me!” “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant, of The LORD your God, being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it … in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before” [Joshua 3.3-4]. The Ark of the Covenant was the designated and manifested Presence of Yahweh with them! Which means that, everywhere they set down their foot while following the Ark, Yahweh was already there! Maybe they hadn’t passed that way before—but by the time they got there, Yahweh had passed that way before them, and He was there to meet them with His Presence! And so it is with whatever it is I’ve got. I have always enjoyed relatively good health and well-being … I’ve never passed this way before… but The LORD was already here when I got here, and He’s already in every step and path I have yet to take … purposing, planning, preparing, and providing for my every need! And wherever He leads me and wherever we end up, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold” [Job 23.10].

I’ll keep you updated…     

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Seeing the Kingdom!

Posted on March 14, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 12 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapter 17

Even as Jesus begins to urgently emphasize His impending death at Jerusalem, He then displays His Glory to them—in His transfiguration—as confirmation that His sufferings and death are the inauguration of His Kingdom Glory.

CONTEXT & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

1 / We are all familiar with the story of the Transfiguration event. And, we are probably also all convinced that the Transfiguration manifests and displays the Deity of Jesus Christ and His Father’s delight and approval of Him and His ministry. BUT, we should also dig deeper to understand how His Transfiguration fits into the contexts of the flow of Matthew’s narrative.

2 / The first thing we need to see as we begin this study here in Matthew 17, is that the Transfiguration narrative is in no way a stand-alone event. We all know that our chapter and verse divisions were added much later in the transmissions of Scripture, around the 1200s A.D. While they help us navigate our reading of the Bible and cite and find references more easily, they can also distract us from making the contextual connections that will help us get the intended messages that the Bible’s authors certainly meant for us to see—not only to keep our minds on track and in the flow of the narrative, but also to help us interpret the what and why of the message of a particular passage. There is no hard break between ch 16.28 and ch 17! Ch 17 follows and fulfills the promised beatific ‘seeing’ of ch 16.28!

3 / So, having said that, “Why was Jesus transfigured before them? How does the Transfiguration fit into the contexts that Jesus was impressing on His disciples [and us]?” It was that He was on His way to Jerusalem to suffer many things, be killed, and then be raised again! But, this was the Father’s covenant purpose and plan from the beginning—and THIS would inaugurate His Kingdom of Glory that would be finally fulfilled at the end of this age! The disciples were all gung-ho for the Kingdom and Glory aspect of His message…but the suffering and death part of it, not so much.

4 / So, with that in mind, let’s just connect all the just-previous conversations that led up to the Transfiguration experience:

  • [1] ch 16.13-20: Jesus takes them to Caesarea-Philippi, the heart of the pagan ‘kingdom of darkness’ in their place and time, and clearly establishes with them His Messianic identity as ‘the Son of Man’ [Daniel 7.13-14] and ‘the Christ’; AND He declares that His invincible church and its invasion and assault mission against ‘the gates of Hades’ will be advanced by that Gospel message. And that His Gospel message would be “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”;
  • [2] ch 16.21-23: Jesus begins to earnestly, urgently press upon His disciples what was impending upon Him—His foreordained crucifixion and resurrection. Peter disagrees with Him and rebukes Him, only to receive the sound rebuke he was actually siding with Satan;
  • [3] ch 16.24-27: Jesus ‘makes disciples’ by instructing them that if they follow Him, they must be willing to walk themselves in the same steps He is walking—but that He will reward them in His Kingdom: “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the Glory of His Father…”
  • [4] ch 16.28: But then, Jesus foretells this personal experience they will soon have, and what they should learn and take away from it: “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom!” So, what does that mean? He means that some of those very disciples who were standing in His Presence would not die until they personally and visually witnessed His victorious ‘coming’ in His Kingdom of Glory! That’s why I’m titling this lesson ‘Seeing the Kingdom.’ They would see with their own eyes—before they died—a ‘preview’ of the Glorious Kingdom He will bring to the earth when He comes again in His Second Coming … and that this Glorious Kingdom will be secured and established by His death and resurrection!

I | ch 17.1-13 | Jesus reveals the coming Kingdom to His disciples—along with some of its essential elements—by being transfigured [metamorphosed] before them; and then more fully explains to them the significance of what they had just witnessed…

1 / It appears they are still in the same regions of Caesarea-Philippi where Jesus had taken His disciples to prepare them for His impending crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Matthew records that “after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and John His brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves…” This was six days after His intense, hard conversations about His upcoming death in Jerusalem AND His promise that if they follow Him in His steps, He is coming again with His angels in the Glory of His Father to reward them for their faithfulness in His Kingdom. In other words, He is Who He says He is and Who they have confessed He is; His death and resurrection will secure, establish, and inaugurate His Glorious Kingdom yet to come; and He will share this Kingdom with them!

2 / This Transfiguration experience will both encourage Him [Jesus] and give them an earnest ‘preview’ of that promise.

3 / The high mountain is probably the well-known, often-referenced Mount Hermon. AND Luke 9.28 tells us that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. And as He was praying, this Transfiguration began to manifest itself. The word transfigured is from the Greek verb meta-morph-ah-ow which means ‘to change from one form to another.’ We often use the metamorphosis from a cocoon to a beautiful butterfly [and all the other uses of the word]. In Jesus’ metamorphosis, His innate, inherent Glory. In fact, Luke’s account uses this word Glory two times: “…they saw His Glory.” This is the God-Glory that Jesus is, the Glory He had with the Father from eternity, before the world existed [John 17.5]. Luke says the appearance of His face was altered. Matthew records His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. All of these appearances refer to the physical, visible manifestations of the Presence of God—the ways He revealed Himself in human history, and even in the creation of the world itself: And God said, “Let there be light…and there was light.” It is the Glory of the Shekinah Presence of God! It is the Glory that will accompany His Second Coming and His Kingdom [Revelation 21.9-14, 22-26; et. al.]. THIS is the Glory that He is, and the Glory He will receive by His death and resurrection, and the Glory He will share with us in His Kingdom!

4 / BUT Jesus does not appear alone. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. Both Moses and Elijah represent all the Law and the Prophets who presented the Kingdom in the OT and prophesied Jesus’ coming—both His first and second comings. And what were they talking about? Again, Luke 9.30 tells us they spoke of His departure [exodus] which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. So, even though the disciples wouldn’t grasp the full import of this vision [seeing] or conversation until after Jesus’ resurrection, still Jesus is giving them visual, experiential confirmation that what He was foretelling to them is what He will accomplish by His death and resurrection. THIS IS THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN! AND, if you read Peter’s account in 2 Peter 1.16-18, he reflects on this very experience later and gives us the confirmation of what they learned from Jesus and about Jesus that day.

5 / Yet, in spite of this stupendous and awesome display of Christ’s Glory, somehow the disciples couldn’t stay awake. They were heavy with sleep [Luke 9.32]—and, it had been a very intense and exhausting few days of stressful conversations and processing what Jesus was telling them and what it all meant. And, it also seems that Jesus’ transfiguration, the appearances of Moses and Elijah, and Jesus’ conversations with them had transpired while they were slumbering in their tiredness. Then, they woke up to see all this! “…but when they became fully awake they saw His Glory and the two men who stood with Him.”

6 / As Peter and the other two disciples woke up to this appearance of Glory, they knew they should memorialize the occasion! They may have thought that the long-promised, long-awaited-for Kingdom had finally come! After all, they were hoping and waiting for Elijah to come to announce the restoration of the Kingdom back to its former, intended Glory just as he had done during his prophetic ministry. The very last words of promise and hope in the OT told them to look for Elijah to come. Malachi 4.5-6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of The LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Maybe this was that day! So Peter proposed that they build three memorial ‘tents’—to establish a kind of Kingdom ‘headquarters’ or staging site here.

7 / That’s when “…behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” Again, this cloud of Glory is the physical, visible manifestation of the Presence and Glory of God—just like He appeared to them at Sinai; and as He accompanied and led them through the wilderness; and as He filled the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple; and as He will manifest His Presence in the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven and earth.

8 / This was God’s testimony also to focus all of their attention—not on Moses and Elijah, but—on the Kingdom Authority of Jesus Christ and what He was urging them to hear and understand—His death and resurrection. “Listen to Him!” Moses had given ancient Israel the promise in Deuteronomy 18.15 & 18: “The LORD your God will raise up for a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to Him you shall listen–…I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” That Prophet is Jesus! So now, Yahweh says, “Listen to Him!” [Maybe we’re hoping that Peter has begun to more seriously re-consider his previously rebuking Jesus for telling them about His impending death at Jerusalem with “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” [ch 16.22]. Yahweh says from Heaven—audibly—“My Son knows what He’s talking about and what we’re doing here! Don’t second-guess Him! No suffering and dying…and rising again…—no Glory and no Kingdom! Listen to Him!” As they were cowering in fear with their faces on the ground in the Presence of God’s Glory, Jesus tenderly touches them to bring them back around to their pre-transfiguration company: “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 / Well, of course, this brings up a lot of questions begging for a lot of answers. Jesus, though, gives them a preemptive ‘gag order’: “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” The reason being, even the disciples have yet to fully understand how Jesus’ death and resurrection will be the essential anchor and catalyst for the inauguration of the Kingdom. They will after His resurrection—but not till then. They can’t truthfully proclaim Christ’s Gospel and The Kingdom of Heaven until they fully understand how He must die and be raised again according to the Scriptures. And all of this must transpire in God’s time and God’s way—as Jesus is fulfilling it.

10 / And then, there’s the Elijah question: “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” This again is the Malachi 4.5-6 prophecy and promise. Jesus’ reply: “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist. So, yes, they had seen the OT Elijah in his brief appearance with Jesus as they spoke of Jesus’ impending exodus, but the Messianic appearance of Elijah and announcement of the Kingdom of Heaven had been fulfilled in John the Baptist. The Kingdom of Heaven had come in the announced appearing of Christ as prophesied and promised. And the Transfiguration they had just witnessed was the confirmation and affirmation that it would be fully and finally brought to consummation in God’s purpose and time! And that is still our Hope!         

II | ch 17.14-20 | When Jesus [again] heals and delivers this young son from his demon oppression, Jesus demonstrates [again] one of the most essential missions of His Kingdom—to destroy and dismantle the kingdom of Satan, the Evil One, and deliver his former captives into the Kingdom of Heaven … and that His power is the only power that can accomplish this mission…

1 / The significance of this event that is transpiring at the base of mountain is also so emblematic of one of the core missions of The Kingdom of Heaven. Even as Jesus is manifesting His Glory and the sure advancement of The Kingdom of Heaven up on the mountain, the disciples are struggling with a demon exorcism down at the base of the mountain. A desperate father has brought his young son to Jesus’ waiting disciples so they could cast out the demon. The boy was suffering a two-fold affliction: the physical episodes of seizures, plus it appears the demon had taken the advantage of the opportunity to possess the boy to harm himself. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” [John 10.10]. This is just another case example of the spiritual warfare that has waged since the Garden of Eden as Satan, the Serpent, has sought all means and occasions to usurp and thwart the Kingdom of Christ.

2 / However, one of the core missions of Christ and The Kingdom of Heaven is to invade, conquer, and plunder Satan’s kingdom of sin, darkness, destruction, and death—and deliver God’s people from his dominion into eternal life and liberty. [see ch 12.22-30; John 12.31] Jesus will do so here again…

3 / Jesus—along with the three disciples—descended from the mount of Transfiguration to encounter this scene of chaos, frustration, and anger. The disciples had attempted to cast out the demon, but failed—even though they had done so numerous other times on their previous short-term mission journeys. Why couldn’t they do so now, this time? Jesus will demonstrate to them that it was because they thought they could cast out the demon—or any other act of Gospel power—by their own power. But Jesus had given them what power they exercised ONLY as they exercised it in His Name, wholly dependent upon Him and His Presence and purpose. The disciples hadn’t learned that yet. But they will—both now and also later on…  

III | ch 17.22-23 | Jesus again, for the second time in this immediate context and time-frame, foretells to His disciples that ‘the Son of Man’ must first be delivered into the hands of His enemies, they will kill Him, and He will be raised again on the third day…

1 / Jesus returns with His disciples once again to Galilee—after previously spending some days farther north in the regions of Caesarea-Philippi. And once again, Jesus takes the opportunity for some intense and urgent personal conversations with His disciples, pressing upon them the impending experiences awaiting Him in Jerusalem.

2 / This is now the second such focused conversation He’s had with them just in the past few days [see Lesson 11]. The first one is recorded in ch 16.21-23; now this one; and yet a third such conversation will take place in ch 20.17-19. Jesus is feeling the weight of the seriousness of the times and events. His disciples still do not seem to grasp just how real and impending everything is…and the weight of the burden on Jesus’ soul.

IV | ch 17.24-27 | In this confrontation over the ‘temple tax,’ Jesus again asserts His priority over the Jerusalem temple [because He is greater than that temple…and IS the True Temple of God], and miraculously provides the voluntary payment He doesn’t have to render—but does…

1 / This encounter in Capernaum in Galilee may appear to be a little disconnected and unrelated to the previous settings and contexts, but it isn’t.

  • [1] For one thing, it accentuates again the escalating hostilities between Jesus and the religious elites. These collectors of the tax would be representing the Jerusalem leaders [see ch 15.1];
  • [2] and also it gives Jesus the opportunity to express to His disciples His ‘greater-than-ness’ to their temple. [see Matthew’s other examples also in vv 5-8 above (greater than Moses and Elijah); chs 4.1-11 (greater than Adam and Israel in the wilderness); 5.17–6.18 (greater than the scribes and Pharisees in righteousness); 11.11-15 (greater than John the Baptist); 12.3-6 (greater than the temple); 12.41 & 42 (greater than Jonah and Solomon]

2 / This ‘temple tax’ [‘tribute money’ KJV] was a voluntary assessment from the Jewish populace for the support of the temple activities. It was not their prescribed tithes or customs/tolls they would pay at checkpoints along their roadways. AND, the relatives of their religious officials and rabbis were exempted from paying it at all. The tax was roughly equivalent to a two days’ wages for a common laborer. So, when they approach Peter to ask him if Jesus paid the tax, Peter brings the confrontation to Jesus.

3 / In short, Jesus declares to Peter that since He is ‘greater than the temple’ anyway [see ch 12.6], He and His followers are not obligated to pay it. BUT, to avoid any unnecessary confrontation over it, He told Peter to go to the sea, cast in a hook [not a net],and the first fish he caught would have the necessary tax payment for Him and Peter. Just another demonstration of His miraculous Kingdom Authority!

4 / Now, this will set the stage for Jesus’ fourth major teaching discourse in Matthew 18—next lesson…

Matthew.L12.Matthew 17.Seeing the KingdomDownload
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“My God, My God! Why have You forsaken Me?”

Posted on March 11, 2026 by PastorDave

THE STORY OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST | Lesson 22

Matthew 27.45-46

These messages/Bible study lessons are over 20 years old. There are 34 of these lessons in the series. I prepared and delivered them over 2005-2006 during my former pastorate. And, yes, I confess that I capitalized on the popularity and cultural interest in the Mel Gibson film which had just come out–though yet to this day, I haven’t seen the movie. But I have studied the Scriptural texts in their historical, cultural, and theological contexts for over fifty years. This is not only the Story of the Passion of the Christ, but more, it is the Story of God’s covenant love and grace in Christ that has redeemed and saved us! I have since shared them with other groups and audiences who have expressed an interest in sharing them still with others. So, I am posting them here in this format as I first prepared them without making any effort to revise or edit them. I pray God will use them for His Glory, to make Christ known to others, and to deepen our love and worship for God and His marvelous saving grace!

THE STORY of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST | Lesson 22

Matthew 27.45-46

“My God, My God, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Every time we come to this FOURTH CRY OF CHRIST FROM THE CROSS,

we hardly know how to begin or where to begin…or where to go with it. 

We think we know a little something about the essential foundational thinking that the Lord Jesus may have been entertaining in His tortured mind… and maybe a little something about God’s purposes for the physical, environmental, and atmospheric phenomenon which accompanied this outcry (that is, the darkness which descended upon the land at noon). 

But, after everything we have said and could say, we still can’t come away thinking we have comprehended the depths of understanding the transactions which passed between Jesus Christ and His Father. 

James Stalker said in his excellent commentary, The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ, “In the entire Bible, there is no other sentence so difficult to explain.  The first thought of a preacher, on coming to it, is to find some excuse for passing it by; and after doing his utmost to expound it, he must still confess that it is quite beyond him.”

But, of course, Jesus DID CRY OUT with these words.  And they are WRITTEN AND REVEALED for us to know, meditate upon, look into, and learn from.  So, there are very important and significant lessons we must receive into our hearts. 

In all these seven statements, the Lord Jesus is revealing what is going on in His soul and giving us commentary on the operations and significances of His own death on the Cross.

NOT A MERE RECITATION

The Lord Jesus is not merely quoting the prophecies for the sake of fulfilling them and “checking them off.”  He IS fulfilling what had written concerning Him 1000 years before.  These are the exact words from “The Psalm of the Cross”, Psalm 22.1:  My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?  Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?  O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.

But, He wasn’t just reciting these words;  HE WAS EXPERIENCING THEM FROM THE DEPTHS OF HIS OWN PERSONAL TORTURED SOUL.  Matthew and Mark both say “Jesus CRIED OUT…WITH A LOUD VOICE.”  Meaning, this was His most passionate personal expression of the grief, pain, and anguish which wracked His soul.  He was focused and obsessed with the condition of His soul which produced this outcry of pain and vented this violent eruption from the bitter breaking of His heart.

WHAT HAD HE BEEN THINKING?

The timing of this bitter outcry tells us volumes about where it came from.  The crucifixion event itself lasted for six hours, from 9 am till 3 pm.  During those first three hours, Jesus’ first three statements were directed toward those around Him:  His accusers and abusers, the repentant thief, and Mary and John.  But, after thinking though all His pains for the interests of others first, He necessarily must deal with His own experiences. 

These last four statements came toward the final few minutes of those torturous six hours.  All three synoptic Gospellers describe how that at high noon  —  when the sun should have shone with its clearest and brightest light  —  all of a sudden it went dark.  Pitch black darkness descended upon the whole land. 

This lasted for the remaining three hours of His crucifixion.  You talk about spooky, eerie developments!  Surely, something like this convergence of events and circumstances would set everybody to thinking about the other-worldly significance of what is going on here!  “DID GOD REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS MAN AND WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HIM, AFTER ALL!?”

“GOD, IS THAT YOU?”

There seems to have been an oppressive, spooky silence and hush also which fell over this whole event.  Of course, one result of this unexpected phenomenon would be that everyone there would be more concerned about their own welfare…what is going on here?  Am I in danger?  Is God doing this?  What is God telling us?  Can I get home safely in this darkness?

For the most part, they left Jesus alone.  But, of course, Jesus had been thinking deeply this whole time.  The darkness…and everybody else’s preoccupation with these extraordinary circumstances left the Lord Jesus more alone with His own meditations.  We can’t even begin to imagine the depth and bitterness of the darkness which descended upon His soul during these hours of silence, agonies, and darkness. 

There was most certainly a physical factor which increasingly came into play and profoundly impacted His mental condition.  Call it agitation, “troubled in spirit” (John 12.27;  Gethsemane), depression.  Your mind can’t escape your body’s influence upon the ways it works.  Let me quote Stalker again:  “The wounds in His hands and feet, exposed to the atmosphere and the sun, grew barked and hardened;  the blood, impeded in its circulation, swelled in heart and brain, till these organs were like to burst; and the slightest attempt to move the body from the one intolerable posture caused pains to shoot along the quivering nerves.  Bodily suffering clouds the brain and distorts the images formed on the mirror of the mind.  Even the face of God, reflected there, may be turned to a shape of terror by the fumes of the physical trouble.”

TRULY, ABSOLUTELY ALONE

The Lord Jesus was truly, absolutely alone.  There was no one there to give Him any kind of support or help.  His enemies, of course, exulted in His dire predicament.  The populace had been persuaded to turn against Him.  His nation had rejected Him.  His own disciples had abandoned Him in disappointment.  One of the Twelve He had chosen had betrayed Him.  Mary and John and the other women would have been willing to intervene in any way they could, but they were powerless to lend Him any kind of real help.  HE WAS UTTERLY, TRULY, ABSOLUTELY ALONE IN THIS HIS DARKEST HOUR OF HIS DIREST NEED. 

BUT, WHAT ABOUT HIS FATHER?  WHERE IS HIS FATHER?

The Lord Jesus had NEVER been without the personal fellowship, companionship, and support of His
Father.  Think about all those nights He spent alone with His Father in prayer.  Remember all those spontaneous exclamations Jesus made to recognize His Father’s Presence with Him…and to receive strength, encouragement, and resolve just from knowing that His Father was with Him.  He could always comfort and embolden Himself through all the treacheries and uncertainties of His relationships with all other people by knowing that the Father would always be there.  In John 8.28-29, when Jesus was under scorching attack from the Pharisees and other unbelieving Jews, Jesus encouraged Himself by saying:  When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  AND HE WHO SENT ME IS WITH ME.  THE FATHER HAS NOT LEFT ME ALONE, for I always do those things that please Him.

Listen to some of Jesus’ last words before He went to Gethsemane to surrender Himself to His Cross.  He expresses the boldest confidence that EVERYONE WILL ABANDON HIM…EXCEPT HIS FATHER.  He could always count on His Father’s being with Him…and delivering Him.  John 16.32:  Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone.  AND YET I AM NOT ALONE, BECAUSE THE FATHER IS WITH ME.

You can hear His desperation in every syllable of this cry.  You hear plaintive cries of consternation and pleas for explanation. 

And 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?

REAL, OBJECTIVE, GENUINE FORSAKING?

or SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF BEING ABANDONED?

In other words, DID GOD REALLY FORSAKE HIM?  Or, was Christ only FEELING ABANDONED?

Here is one truth for sure:  THE FATHER DID NOT WITHDRAW HIS LOVE, OR PLEASURE, OR ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS HIS SON.  His love was never interrupted.  The Father’s heartbeat of love never even skipped a beat or got out of rhythm. 

The Son was fulfilling the service He had committed to the eternal covenant of grace and redemption.  Christ was becoming obedient to the point of death—even the death of the cross.  He had received this commandment, and He was obeying it.  He had come to do God’s will, and He was doing it.  He always pleased the Father, and He pleasing the Father now.  The Father’s relationship with the Son on the Cross was never interrupted and certainly not broken.  THE FATHER WAS NEVER DISPLEASED WITH HIS SON AND WHAT HIS SON WAS DOING ON THE CROSS.

Isaiah 53.10-11:  Yet it PLEASED THE LORD to bruise Him;  He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And THE PLEASURE OF THE LORD SHALL PROSPER IN HIS HAND.

11 He shall see the travail of His soul, AND BE SATISFIED.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

The Father was NEVER DISPLEASED WITH CHRIST AS HIS SON…but there was a necessary response and relationship that God must transact with Christ AS OUR SUBSTITUTE FOR SIN.

GOD MUST TREAT THE SUBSTITUTE AS HE WOULD HAVE TREATED THE SINNER

I don’t know how else to say it…or how much farther to go.  We can’t go farther than the plain teachings of the Scriptures and what God has revealed to us.  The rest we will gladly leave in the vast unopened treasures of God’s infinite wisdom and grace.  God and the Christ did what they did…and they knew what they were doing…and it was all perfectly transacted and accomplished.

But 2 Corinthians 5.21 clearly and plainly declares:  For He (God the Father) made Him (the Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  The sin which Jesus assumed upon Himself was not His own.  It was ours.  “The LORD has LAID ON HIM the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53.6, et al)  “Who Himself (Christ) bore our sins in His own body on the tree…” (1 Peter 2.24).  There are thousands of other statements in the Scriptures which tell the message of the Gospel:  JESUS CHRIST WAS CHARGED WITH OUR SINS AND GOD MADE HIM ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PENALTY AND CONSEQUENCES AS THOUGH HE HAD PERSONALLY COMMITTED THEM HIMSELF. 

This is what the Bible means by “impute”  —  to charge someone else’s sin and transgression to another person;  to make that other person morally liable, responsible, and accountable; and require that substitute to pay the penalties the original transgressor owed.

So, what is the penalty and punishment for this sin of ours which Jesus took upon Himself?  

The punishment is DEATH, SEPARATION FROM GOD, NOT BEING PERMITTED TO BE WHERE GOD IS, BEING REJECTED AND CONDEMNED BY GOD, SUFFERING GOD’S WRATH.

2 Thessalonians 1.8-9: …in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God,

and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord

and from the glory of His power

So, the darkness and the estrangement which Christ suffered was God’s holy and just response to CHRIST’S BECOMING OUR SIN.

            Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in

            When Christ, the Mighty Maker, died for man, the creature’s sin.

God the Father must necessarily treat His Son–for this moment–as He would have treated us (and will treat us) if our sin had not been imputed to Christ.  The very essence of God’s punishment of sin is HIS HOLY AND JUST WRATH BEING POURED OUT UPON OUR SIN.

John 3.36:  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life;

and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Romans 5.9:  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,

we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

1 Thessalonians 1.10:  …even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

THE MEANING OF THE CROSS

“In this lies the true meaning of the cross.  Those who try to explain the atoning work of Christ in any other terms inevitably end up nullifying the truth of Christ’s atonement altogether.  Christ was not merely providing an example for us to follow.  He was no mere martyr being sacrificed to the wickedness of the men who crucified Him.  He wasn’t merely making a public display so that people would see the awfulness of sin.  He wasn’t offering a ransom price to Satan—or any of the other various explanations religious liberals, cultists, and pseudo-Christian religionists have tried to suggest over the years.

Here’s what was happening on the cross:  God was punishing His own Son as if He had committed every wicked deed done by every sinner who would ever believe.  And He did it so that He could forgive and treat those redeemed ones as if they had lived Christ’s perfect life of righteousness…

It was God’s own wrath against sin, God’s own righteousness, and God’s own sense of justice that Christ satisfied on the cross.  The shedding of His blood was a sin offering rendered to God…When Christ ransomed the elect from sin (1 Timothy 2.6), the ransom price was paid to God.  Christ died in our place and in our stead—and He received the very same outpouring of Divine wrath in all its fury that we deserved for our sin.  It was a punishment so severe that a mortal man could spend all eternity in the torments of hell, and still he would not have begun to exhaust the Divine wrath that was heaped on Christ at the Cross.”  (John MacArthur, Jr)

WE CAN BE FORGIVEN AND ACCEPTED…BECAUSE HE WAS FORSAKEN!

Passion of the Christ.#22.My God-My God-why have You forsaken MeDownload
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The Looming Shadow of the Cross

Posted on March 7, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 11 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapter 16

As the public opposition of the religious leaders toward Jesus intensifies, He begins more earnestly to prepare His disciples for His impending death.

CONTEXT & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

1 / We have been following Matthew’s master writing plan which is leading up to the end of the Gospel in ch 28.16-20. The master theme of Matthew is “Making Disciples.” That’s what Jesus will command His disciples to do when He gives them [us] their Mission Mandate, or what we call The Great Commission. He will command them to “Go, make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.” And so, here in Matthew, what Matthew records is how Jesus Himself made disciples and what He commanded them to observe and teach—so they could make disciples the way He made them disciples.

2 / We have also been pointing out how Matthew is tied together around the five major teaching discourses Jesus delivered to His disciples. These are ‘masterclasses’ in what disciples must be, what they must know, and how they should conduct their disciple-making ministry. We have already worked through three of them [chs 5-7, 10, 13] and we have two more to go [chs 18, 24-25].

3 / Now, as we come to ch 16, there is another major literary turning point in the narrative writing plan we need to note. In a larger view, Matthew divides the teachings of Jesus into two distinct teaching ‘packages,’ and both of them are introduced by the words “From that time, Jesus began to…” [BTW, these are the only two times this phrase is found in all of the New Testament.]

[1] The first of these two larger teaching ‘packages’ is in ch 4.17: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’” Then He began to teach them and us, His disciples, what the Kingdom of Heaven is.

[2] The second major teaching ‘package’ is here in ch 16.21, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And so, the primary focus of this teaching ‘package’ is to prepare His disciples for His impending death on the Cross and His resurrection. As we will say, they sure needed to be prepared—this was the last thing they expected or wanted to expect. BUT, THIS IS THE GOSPEL! Without Jesus’ death and resurrection, there is no Gospel! They would come to accept and understand this essential message ONLY AFTER His resurrection.

4 / So, in the beginning of ch 16, Matthew begins to describe the dynamics of the contexts surrounding Jesus’ ministry that led up to Jesus’ focused emphasis on His impending death. That’s why I’m calling this lesson “The Looming Shadow of the Cross.” KEEP IN MIND: we are now within the last year of Jesus’ ministry—and only a few months from His crucifixion. That’s why we note the increasing intensity of opposition to Jesus [see ch 12.14] and the corresponding increasing urgency of Jesus to prepare His disciples for what He knows is impending ahead and looming over Him. The time is growing shorter and shorter…and His disciples are oblivious and clueless. He must ‘hone in’ to ‘get them on His page.’

I | ch 16.1-4 | The Pharisees and Sadducees [a weird coalition] once again attempt to publicly discredit Jesus and undermine His growing influence among the crowds [their power base and influence bloc]…

1 / I say the alliance of the Pharisees and Sadducees in a ‘weird coalition’ because they were diametrically opposed to the other in so many ways. The Pharisees were supernaturalists—they believed in the spirit world, miracles, and resurrection. In fact, in many ways, in their own religious culture, the Pharisees were the ‘conservatives and fundamentalists’ of their religious belief systems. And, they also were inveterate opponents of the Greco-Roman influences that were being imposed on them by their Roman occupiers. On the other hand, the Sadducees did not believe in the spirit world, miracles, or the resurrection [see Acts 23.6-8]. They were what we would call the ‘religious secularists’ of their day. But now, both parties have a common enemy—Jesus. And so, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Jesus threatens the power base and influence of both parties. So now they ally with the other to attempt to ‘test’ Jesus in their effort to publicly discredit and undermine Jesus.

2 / What they demand is: “they asked Him to show them a sign from Heaven.” The Pharisees and scribes had tested Jesus the same way, with the same question, in ch 12.38-40 with Jesus giving them the same ‘sign’ there as He does here. The purpose of this ‘sign’ is for Jesus to ‘give them credible credentials’ that He is who He says He is—the Son of God, their Messiah. What makes this demand even more incredulous is that Matthew connects this ‘test’ with the two miracles Jesus had just performed in chs 14-15—the feedings of the 5000+ and 4000+! It’s not that they needed any more ‘proof-signs;’ they had made up their minds to deny them—they must just destroy Jesus!

3 / Jesus soundly rebukes them for their rebellious unbelief and rejection of Him by giving them a simple lesson in their own inconsistency of observation: they could ‘interpret the physical weather prediction signs in the skies,’ but ‘you cannot interpret the signs of the times.’ The ‘times’ Jesus refers to is ‘the arrival and appearance of the Kingdom of Heaven’ in Himself! So, He gives them the only ‘sign’ that will indisputably vindicate and authenticate that He is ‘from Heaven’—they will kill Him, and He will rise again from the dead! Again, this is ‘the sign of Jonah’ that He delivered in ch 12.38-40. NOTE HERE: Jonah himself WAS the sign. Jonah didn’t work any miracles—Jonah himself WAS the miracle! Jonah just went and preached the Gospel to Nineveh and demonstrated by his own ‘death and resurrection’ that his message was God’s Gospel!

4 / AND this is another sharply focused announcement of His impending death and resurrection—The Looming Shadow of the Cross!  

II | ch 16.5-12 | Jesus warns His disciples to ‘beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ that is, their evil and corrupting teachings and influence—and chides them for not learning to trust Him from His just-previous miracles…

1 / These encounters were in regions on one side of the Sea of Galilee. Then they got into their boat again and returned to ‘the other side.’ Matthew notes [he was there, remember] that ‘they had forgotten to bring any bread.’ In all the intensity of their confrontations, they failed to pack traveling food. Jesus uses this opportunity to warn his disciples to ‘beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ He knew what He was doing, but the disciples were totally disconnected from His lesson. Jesus was warning them to discern and not be seduced by the teachings and influences they had just witnessed [see vv 11-12]. They were thinking only about bread-making leaven/yeast. They thought Jesus was chiding them for forgetting to pack travelling bread.

2 / Jesus uses this for another ‘teaching moment’—a very fundamental and serious one. He had earlier, in the beginning, taught them to not worry about what they would eat…but ‘seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be provided for you [ch 6.33]. Jesus will take care of the ‘bread’ if we commit and devote ourselves to His mission. We must trust Him to feed us and take care of us! AND BESIDES, had they not just witnessed how He had fed the multitudes on two different occasions with the little provisions they had on hand?

3 / And so, Jesus peppers them with a series of rhetorical questions to expose their ‘little faith.’ They had weak faith and thick heads. [See also “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe…” in Luke 24.25] ‘What have you just witnessed Me doing? Do you think I’m in dire straits because you didn’t bring a little bread? Do you think I and you are dependent on bread you guys should have made with leaven you got from Pharisees and Sadducees? Have you so quickly forgotten that I can make bread with my own power and hands if we need bread—and we sure don’t need to go the Pharisees and Sadducees to get yeast to make it? I’m not talking about grain-bread at all! I’m warning you to beware of the evil and corrupting influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees that is in what they believe and teach!’  

4 / The disciples may have said something like: “Oh, we get it now! We see what you are saying!” And, for that moment, they did. However, as we shall see in the next conversations, they still had ‘blind spots’ that needed to be enlightened—gaps in their ‘little faith.’ NOTE the kindness and gentleness of Jesus toward them—and us. He patiently chides them for their ‘little faith,’ but acknowledges that they do have faith. But He is willing to bring us along to a fuller understanding of what we need to know.

III | ch 16.13-20 | Jesus takes His disciples north—again into predominantly Gentile and pagan regions—to question them about His Messianic identity and make promises about the inevitable conquest of His church and Kingdom…

1 / In order to get the full significance and impact of this next teaching session—especially as it relates to The Kingdom of Heaven—we need to get into the context of Caesarea Philippi. This city is located 25 N of the Sea of Galilee. As you can tell from its name, it is a predominately Gentile city and region. Its very name is dedicated to Caesar Augustus and Philip, one of the sons of Herod the Great. [Its former name was Paneas in honor of the Greek god, Pan.] It was saturated with Greek and Roman culture and pagan worship. There was a long history also of the worship of the Canaanite god Baal from early OT times. There were also caves there that had streams of water flowing out of them that were believed to be dwelling places for their gods—and even entry portals to the regions of the underworld, ‘the gates of Hades.’ It is THERE that Jesus goes to make this proclamation, announcement, and promise of the invincible and inevitable conquest of HIS church and Kingdom!

2 / Jesus once again identifies Himself as ‘the Son of Man’ from Daniel 7.13-14—the One to Whom ‘was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.’ We need to keep this in mind as we follow this pronouncement…

3 / Jesus is once again confirming and establishing His Messianic identity and mission to His disciples—to be sure they know who they are following. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And the disciples answer with what the people on the street are speculating. Then Jesus locks in on them with a double ‘you’: ‘But you…what about you? Who do you say I am?’ Peter speaks for them all, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ There is a full recognition, attribution, and confession here to the Deity of Jesus and His fulfillment of all the OT prophecies and promises of their ‘Christ, Messiah, Anointed One’!

4 / Jesus responds to Peter personally since he is the one doing the speaking, and assures him that his confession doesn’t come from himself or any other human source or influence: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven!” Here is a clear statement to the absolute sovereignty of God in faith and salvation. See Mathew 11.25-27; John 1.12-13; 6.37, 44, 65; et. al. God reveals Himself to those whom He chooses to know Him; and He gives them to the Son to reveal Himself through Him [see John 1.18; 17.1-3, etc.].

5 / Then follows the ‘upon this Rock I will build My church…’ Jesus calls him by his family name first, Simon Bar-Jonah … but then addresses him by his Jesus-given Kingdom name: ‘And I tell you, you are Peter…’ [see John 1.42]. Peter’s Kingdom name [Petros] means ‘rock,’ but it is diminutive [smaller]. However, what Peter has just confessed about the Christ is the ‘rock [petra]’ upon which Christ’s church and Kingdom will be built. Christ Himself is the one and only Cornerstone/Foundation of the church and His Kingdom [see Matthew 21.42; Isaiah 28.16; Psalm 118.22; 1 Corinthians 3.11; Ephesians 2.19-20; et. al.]. Everything Christ will do to build His church and advance His Kingdom will be through the proclamation of Him and His Gospel!

6 / Furthermore, “…and the gates of hell [Hades] shall not prevail against it.” We need to understand the specific significance of ‘the gates of Hades.’ Remember that Jesus is standing in the regions of the pagan ‘gates of Hades’ in Caesarea Philippi. This was their local shrine dedicated to the power base of their pagan kingdom of darkness. Their pagan gods lived and operated from there. But Jesus had come to declare war against them, invade them, plunder their goods, and deliver His people from their power [see ch 12.22-29]. ‘Gates’ are not offensive weapons—the enemy does not mount an offensive attacks by throwing gates. Gates are defensive weapons—to strengthen and solidify defenses against the invasion of the enemy. Jesus boldly and confidently proclaims: “My church will victoriously invade, dismantle, and conquer the kingdom of the Evil One—I will save my people and bring them out! The gates of Hades will not prevail against my Kingdom!”

7 / What does Jesus mean by saying: “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven”? The keys to the Kingdom of Heaven obviously mean ‘the means to enter…,” and the right and authority to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. Those keys are the same as ‘upon this Rock,’ and that, in turn, refers to Peter’s confession of Christ; and that, in turn, is THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM! Further, the phrases ‘shall be bound…shall be loosed’ are in the perfect tense—an action that has been performed in the past, but with continuing effects or state of affairs. So, what Jesus is saying is that as Peter, and the other apostles—and we—preach the Gospel as Jesus delivered it to us, the effects and results in the hearers and respondents will be what Heaven has already prescribed it will be. If they believe, Heaven has already decreed they will be saved; if they reject, Heaven has already decreed they will be damned.

8 / Then when Jesus “strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ,” it was because there were so many misunderstood visions and concepts of what the Christ would do when He came, what kind of Kingdom He would bring, and so forth. AND, as we are going to see next, even Peter and the other disciples still hadn’t arrived at a crystal-clear understanding of Jesus’ Messianic mission and ministry—and how He would inaugurate and establish it…by His death and resurrection.   

IV | ch 16.21-23 | Jesus urgently, for the first of three separate occasions, begins to foretell to His disciples about His impending death and resurrection—’The Looming Shadow of the Cross’…

1 / NOW we come to that transition phrase that I told you about in the introduction—where Matthew begins with Jesus’ second teaching ‘package,’ “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things….” The first ‘package’ began in ch 4.17, and Jesus was emphasizing ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…’ Now, in this ‘package,’ Jesus will begin to zoom in on His ultimate ‘hour’ or purpose for which He came. This is still about ‘The Kingdom of Heaven,’ but now Jesus will begin explaining in bold, clear, and urgent terms that He will establish His Kingdom by His death and resurrection—The Gospel!

2 / All of religious Israel’s leadership will be allied in lock step and purpose: elders, chief priests, and scribes [Pharisees]. Jesus will ‘suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day be raised’ [this is ‘the sign of Jonah.’

3 / And then, to show us how off-the-mark the disciples still were, “Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” As Jesus rebuked Peter, He reminded Him that His death and resurrection was the Father’s will and why He had come! To try to distract or dissuade Him from that mission was to act as an agent of Satan who tempted Jesus in the wilderness to save Himself from that death, and go at building His Kingdom another way!

V | ch 16.24-28 | Jesus reiterates and re-emphasizes that His disciples must prepare themselves to walk the same path He walks if they [we] ‘come after Him’ and ‘follow’ Him…

1 / This next section is Jesus’ call for His disciples to be willing and commit to ‘come after Me’ and ‘follow Me,’ which means: we must walk the same path He walks. Peter got this message loud and clear after Jesus’ resurrection, and writes in 1 Peter 2.21: “For to you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.”

2 / That path includes: ‘deny himself…take up his cross…follow Me…lose his life for My sake.’ If we do that, we will find our life and gain the whole world.

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More Training of the Twelve for Mission

Posted on February 28, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 10 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapters 14-15

Jesus continues and intensifies His training of the Twelve as He enters what is [more or less] His final year of ministry before His crucifixion. This period of His training emphasizes His compassion for the lost crowds, His working of many more powerful miracles, and the growing antagonism of His enemies from all fronts.

CONTEXT & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

1 / In Matthew 13, Jesus had delivered His third of five major teaching/training discourses that Matthew uses to form the ‘skeleton’ of his writing plan for His Gospel [chs 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25]. In all of these discourses, Jesus is ‘making disciples’ of His disciples—with the end in view of commissioning them in the end [ch 28.16-20] to go with His “all authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth” and “make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.”

2 / Matthew 13 is especially instructive in that Jesus teaches them how the Kingdom of Heaven [of which He Himself is the Sovereign King] will be received by the hearers of the coming ages; how it will grow until the end of this age; and how God’s eternal, covenant, and redemptive purposes will be fulfilled.

3 / Matthew 13 ends with yet another ‘homecoming’ visit to Nazareth [different from the Luke 4.16-30 visit]. They have not changed their minds nor softened their hearts of unbelief toward Him. They are a representative example of the ‘beaten pathway’ hearers of the first parable [ch 13.1-4, 18-19]. What we have to see in all these illustrative vignettes that Matthew records is the representative experiences and encounters follow each of Jesus’ teaching sessions.

4 / So now we come to chs 14-15. We are going to see yet still more examples of how the various groups of hearers among the cultures of their communities received Jesus and how we can expect them to receive us also.

5 / There are just a few prominent themes or ‘threads’ that are interwoven into these two chapters that will connect Matthew’s writing plan with what he’s written before and what he will write following:

  • [1] Jesus continues to impress upon His disciples what the Kingdom of Heaven is—the essential and spiritual character and workings of the Kingdom of Heaven [especially in ch 15.1-20];
  • [2] He continues to display His identity as Messiah, Son of God, Son of David, and Sovereign King by working wonderful miraculous works in their presence…and the belief, confidence, and acknowledgement among His disciples continues to mature—even as they also display seasonal lapses in that faith;
  • [3] He continues to ignite growing and mounting enmity and antagonism, especially from the elite ruling classes of the religious leaders—a power struggle and conflict between the Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of this world, in other words, spiritual warfare [see again ch 12.22-30, 43-45]. [I know this is getting ahead of ourselves, but when we come to the next lesson in ch 16, Jesus will begin His intense pre-conditioning His disciples for what lies before Him by foretelling His death and resurrection.]

6 / So again, what we will do here in chs 14-15 is break down the content of the text into its larger movements and connect them with the context of what Matthew is developing as Jesus trains His twelve…

Chapter 14

I | ch 14.1-12 | Matthew records the guilt-ridden and superstitious reactions of Herod Antipas upon hearing the reports of Jesus’ miracles; and the flash-back account of Herod’s beheading of John the Baptist

1 / This Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great [ch 2]. He was the governing tetrarch of Galilee where most of Jesus’ ministry was conducted. Of course, he is going to hear and know of Jesus’ widespread works, fame, and acclaim. [Jesus finally has a face-to-face confrontation with this Herod in Luke 23.6-12—but that will be about a year in the future from this account.] But when Herod hears about Jesus, his guilty conscience begins to plague him because he had ordered the execution of John the Baptist shortly before this, and he fears that John had been resurrected—and with these miraculous powers, might be coming back for revenge against him. John had repeatedly [“been saying to him”] that his adulterous marriage to his brother, Philip’s, wife was “not lawful.” Herod’s adulterous wife, Herodias, no doubt stoked his vendetta against John. So “Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias…” John was incarcerated from some time and even had some intriguing conversations with John [Mark 6.19-20]. It was during this time also that John had sent some of his disciples to Jesus with his questions [ch 11.1-18]. Matthew is connecting this passage with that one.

2 / John’s execution was occasioned by this debauched birthday party Herod threw for himself and by the sensual, provocative dancing of Salome, Herodias’s daughter—pleasing the men attendees. In Herod’s drunken and senseless pleasure, he offered Salome any reward she asked. She consulted with her wicked mother, Herodias, who demanded the decapitated head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod was too proud to take back his promise and too cowardly to deny Herodias, so he ordered the beheading.

3 / Two touching scenes here: [1] John’s disciples bravely associated with John and went to request his body for burial; [2] “and they went and told Jesus,” John’s friend and the One whom John had introduced. NOTE: We also need to see here another stark example of the enmity Jesus had warned His disciples that they, too, will encounter as they identify and witness for Him; AND we should also see here a foreshadowing of Jesus’ own ultimate death at the hands of His enemies.

II | ch 14.1-21 | Jesus seeks to withdraw from those regions, seeking rest; but the crowds continue to seek Him out; Jesus has compassion on them [again] and heals their sick; then He miraculously feeds the crowd of 5000+ with meager supplies

1 / John’s martyrdom forebodes the same dangers that Jesus faces in these same regions of Herod’s jurisdiction. In fact, just a few short months after this, more toward the end of His ministry, Jesus will be warned “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you” [Luke 13.31]. But here in Matthew, Jesus senses the growing hostility from Herod, and so “…when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself.” Jesus is exhausted by His constant ministry labors and now compounded by His grief over the martyrdom of His beloved friend and prophet, John. ANOTHER THING HERE: His disciples had returned from their short mission trips [see ch 10], and they, too, were tired [Mark 6.30-31]. So Jesus takes them away on a respite retreat—to debrief them, hear their ministry stories, and reinforce His ministry teachings and preparations for theirs.

2 / However, He can’t escape the crowds. They were waiting for Him on the shore where they thought they were going for a get-away. Matthew repeats and emphasized Jesus’ compassion for the needy crowds [chs 9.36; 14.14; 15.32]. Jesus heals their sick, and then when evening fell, they were still there. His disciples urged Jesus to “send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus wants to teach His disciples that it their responsibility to minister to the needy crowds [see ch 9.35-38]. That is to be their mission! “YOU give them something to eat!” Jesus takes what they give Him and miraculously creates and multiplies it—not only feeding the “five thousand men, besides women and children” but having twelve large baskets of leftovers! The disciples, and we, need to learn from this that wherever Jesus sends us on His mission, whatever He assigns, gives, and commands us to do, HE will provide and supply the ability and resources to do it! As we will see here in a minute, the disciples were slow learners of this vital, essential, and fundamental rule of ministry. And us…?

III | ch 14.22-33 | After feeding the crowds, Jesus commands His disciples to get into their boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee; they encounter a terrifying storm at sea; Jesus comes to them walking on the stormy waves; Jesus commands Peter to get out of the boat and come to Him—Peter does, then begins to sink, and Jesus saves him; Jesus commands the storm to cease; the disciples confess Him as “Truly you are the Son of God”

1 / There are three miracles here: [1] Jesus comes to them, walking on the waves of the terrifying storm that had tired and exhausted them after vainly fighting against it all night; [2] Jesus commands Peter to jump out of the safety of the boat, into the frightening waves, and walk on them [like He was] to come to Him—and then rescuing Peter when he began to sink helplessly into the stormy waves; [3] Jesus commands the storm to stand down, reminiscent of the previous event in ch 8.23-27.

2 / This is yet another demonstration of Jesus’ Kingdom Authority—He is teaching His disciples to trust Him. And yet, Mark 6.51-52 says that, in this instance, the disciples were afraid because their hearts were hardened from remembering Jesus’ feeding the multitudes just a few hours earlier!  

IV | ch 14.34-36 | They landed at Gennesaret, another town on the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee; multitudes more are brought to Jesus to be healed

1 / “And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent around to all that region and brought to Him all who were sick…And as many as touched [Him] were made well.” This is yet another brief account of Jesus’ abundant and indiscriminate compassion on the crowds—yet it includes what may have been hundreds of cases of healing all sorts of maladies, afflictions, and disorders of the curse of sin.

2 / We have encountered a number of these ‘group healings’ in Matthew alone: chs 4.23-24; 8.16; 9.35-36; 14.14, 34-35; 15.29-31.

Chapter 15

V | ch 15.1-20 | Jesus is confronted again by the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, questioning and accusing Him of violating the ‘traditions of the elders’—their sacrosanct interpretations, extrapolations, and applications of the Law; Jesus exposes their hypocrisy, countering that they were using their ‘traditions’ to negate and nullify the very Laws of God they were pretending to uphold; He also quotes Isaiah again [Isaiah 29.13]; then follows with two more ‘application’ messages to the people in attendance and to His disciples

1 / This is a ‘follow-up’ intentional confrontation from ch 12.14: “But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, how to destroy Him.” When Matthew says they “came to Jesus from Jerusalem,” they sent this embassage some ninety miles to stage this encounter. Matthew is showing us here how the murderous plots of Jesus’ enemies among the elite religious ruling class were obsessed with publicly discrediting and undermining Jesus’ influence among the people—which, of course, was pitting them against God Himself and The Kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew traces this intensifying hostility here in his Gospel with a few linking connections: chs 9.3, 11, 14, 34; 12.2, 24; etc. It will eventually come to their murderous fulfillment in ch 26.1-4.]

2 / This particular confrontation was over what they perceived as Jesus’ chronic violations of their ‘traditions of the elders’ over washing their hands to cleanse themselves from ‘uncleanness’ they might have unknowingly come into contact with. This was not hygienic washing from bacteria or microbes; it was ‘uncleanness’ from coming into contact with ‘unclean’ persons [see Mark 7.1-8]. The Pharisees believed that their long-standing ‘traditions’ held the same God-given authority as the words of God. But what they had done was taken the original commandments of God, extrapolated from them, expanded them, and built numerous ‘fences’ around them—all in the effort to prescribe situational applications that would keep people from even getting close to violating the original commandment. This is just another example like the numerous “Sabbath laws” they had prescribed—and accused Jesus of violating.

3 / Jesus gives them a prominent example of how their ‘traditions’ had created ‘loopholes’ that actually allowed people to violate and desecrate God’s commandment; “And many such things you do” [Mark 7.13]. [1]This conversation was with the accusing Pharisees. [2] Then, in v 10, Jesus initiates a second conversation with the people in attendance to straighten out their understanding of the true nature of The Kingdom of Heaven and spiritual uncleanness—that which comes from the heart…which is cleansed or purified by His Gospel, and His Word, and by faith in Him. [3] Then, in v 12, Jesus has another more private conversation with His disciples to warn them against their ‘traditional’ false teachers, calling them bad plants and bad guides. They must understand that they are not contaminated by external contact with socially ‘untouchable’ people, but by the evil that resides and comes from their own hearts.

VI | ch 15.21-28 | Jesus takes a preaching tour further NW into the district of Tyre and Sidon [ancient Phoenicia]; He is approached by a Gentile woman, a Canaanite, who passionately and insistently petitions Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter; she wins Jesus’ heart and grace by her faith—her confession and confidence in His Sovereign and gracious mercy  

1 / Matthew inserts this encounter where he does because it is a perfect follow-up and application of Jesus’ compassion, mercy, and grace for those who were considered ‘unclean’ by the ‘orthodox’ Jewish religious culture of their day. Notice also the linking of Peter’s specific interest and questioning of Jesus’ ‘defiling’ parable in vv 15-20. Link this experience of Peter with Acts 10 when Jesus sent Peter to Cornelius’ house.

2 / This whole episode is an intense, significant training experience for Jesus’ disciples on so many levels: [1] By going into these regions of “the districts of Tyre and Sidon,” Jesus demonstrates His willingness to take His Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to the Gentiles also. [2] The disciples must learn to face their own cultivated prejudices against those whom their religious upbringing considered to be ‘unclean’ or ‘defiled’—the disciples voiced their cultivated prejudice of considering Gentiles to be ‘unclean dogs’; [3] Jesus tests the sincerity and genuineness of this Gentile, Canaanite, Syro-Phoenician woman/mother’s faith in Him by reiterating His mission’s first-in-time focus on “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [4] She ‘passes the test with flying colors’ by her clear insight into the heart of Jesus by her repeated ‘come backs’: she demonstrates her humility by calling Him “O Lord, (even) Son of David”; she pleads for mercy; she acknowledges she doesn’t deserve Jesus’ mercy, either from a cultural or personal perspective; but she also pleads for covenant mercy even for her a Gentile and woman from Jesus’ power and grace; [5] Jesus graciously grants her request that comes from her deep conviction of faith in Him: “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.  

VII | ch 15.29-31 | Jesus returns southward, again to the Sea of Galilee; He ascends again the slope of a mountain to preach and teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven; more multitudes of “the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others” are brought to Him to be healed—and He does; this prompts Matthew to record: “And they glorified the God of Israel”

Here is yet another ‘combined group example’ of Jesus’ miraculous healing works. See comment on 14.34-36 above… Matthew points out how these acts of mercy demonstrate the Kingdom Authority of Jesus Christ: “And they glorified the God of Israel.” Remember how Jesus taught us that our own works of grace and mercy that we perform in His Name should evoke the same response in ch 5.16.

VIII | ch 15.32-39 | Once again, this audience crowd who have been with Jesus “now three days” are hungry, having run out of their food supplies; and once again, Jesus commands His disciples to feed them; and once again, the disciples have no idea how they are going to feed that many hungry people; and once again, Jesus feeds them by multiplying what they have on hand; this time, there were four thousand men, besides women and children

1 / Here is yet another instance of Jesus’ gracious mercy and compassion. The crowds who have been following Him—and whom He has been teaching The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven—have been with Him “now three days.” This was an extended, intensive ‘camp meeting’ of teaching and healing ministry. “Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd because they…have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.’” This time, as Matthew says, there were another 4000+ present.

2 / And, once again, when confronted with such a daunting, humanly impossible task, the disciples freak out, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” We can almost hear Jesus heave a frustrated sigh—we don’t know exactly how long it had been since He had fed the 5000+…but it was relatively recently.

3 / So, once again, Jesus takes what they have, creates and multiplies as He serves, gave His provisions of grace to His disciples to distribute, everyone at to the full and were satisfied, and gathered up seven baskets of leftovers.

4 / Two takeaways for us: [1] Christ is sufficient! [2] When will ever learn to trust Him?

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“Take Good Care of Your Mother!”

Posted on February 24, 2026 by PastorDave

These messages/Bible study lessons are over 20 years old. There are 34 of these lessons in the series. I prepared and delivered them over 2005-2006 during my former pastorate. And, yes, I confess that I capitalized on the popularity and cultural interest in the Mel Gibson film which had just come out–though yet to this day, I haven’t seen the movie. But I have studied the Scriptural texts in their historical, cultural, and theological contexts for over fifty years. This is not only the Story of the Passion of the Christ, but more, it is the Story of God’s covenant love and grace in Christ that has redeemed and saved us! I have since shared them with other groups and audiences who have expressed an interest in sharing them still with others. So, I am posting them here in this format as I first prepared them without making any effort to revise or edit them. I pray God will use them for His Glory, to make Christ known to others, and to deepen our love and worship for God and His marvelous saving grace!

THE STORY OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST | Lesson 21

John 19.25-27

“Take Good Care of Your Mother”

Sometime during that awful night when Jesus had been arrested and brought to trial, somebody had to take word to his mother.  Most likely it was John.  Peter was the only one of the remaining eleven disciples who even followed the Lord Jesus as far as the courtyard of Caiaphas.  But, then, he had denied any association with Jesus and had fled away also himself in utter disgrace and shame. 

We believe John was a close family kin to the Lord Jesus, maybe even as close as a first cousin.   When John records those who later made their way to the foot of the cross, he names several women who were there with himself. 

(1) Mary, Jesus’ mother;

(2) His mother’s sister (this woman is surely not the same one who is named next, “Mary, the wife of Clopas”.  It is highly unlikely that two sisters would both be named Mary.  So, His mother’s sister, was most probably Salome, the mother of James and John and the wife of Zebedee.  That would make James and John Jesus’ cousins.) 

(3) Mary, Mrs. Clopas; 

(4) Mary Magdalene. 

(Many first names were very common and given to many children.  “Mary” was certainly one of those names.)

John also identifies himself as being there as “the disciple whom (Jesus) loved.”

Why do we identify this “Jesus’ mother’s sister” with Salome, the mother of James and John? 

(1) We know that Salome was the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  Matthew 27.56 and Mark 15.40.

(2) We know also that she was in this same company of women who not only followed the Lord Jesus throughout His Galilean ministry, but also provided for many of their financial and practical needs.  Mark 15.41;  Matthew 27.55-56.

(3) These same women also followed the Lord Jesus to His crucifixion and burial.  Mark 15.40;  16.1

(4) We also know that this same Salome is not mentioned by name in John’s account, but only as “His mother’s sister.”

All of this is not just historical trivia, but bears with weighty significance on what Jesus said to them from the cross and the arrangements for Mary’s care He is going to make.

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As we have said, John is probably the disciple who carried the disturbing message about Jesus’ arrest and trials to his own mother (Salome) and to Mary, Jesus’ mother.  We can be sure none of them slept at all that night.  They kept track of what was happening to Jesus the best they could by secret surveillance and by what word they could overhear on the street.

When they received the distressing news that Jesus had been formally condemned to be crucified, they made their own way to Golgotha.  They wouldn’t have been able to get too close to the actual site of the crucifixion because of the press of the crowd…and all the commotion surrounding the cross while the crucifixion was getting underway.  And, it would have been hopeless to try to intervene in any way, and they would have certainly physically jeopardized their own lives…to no practical benefit.

But, after the crowds had satisfied their initial curiosity and they had made their demonstrations against Jesus, they slowly began going back to their own holiday festivities.  Luke will tell us (especially after the miraculous physical signs which accompanied the crucifixion) that many of those who watched this debacle were suddenly sobered into second guessing and having serious second thoughts about the propriety of what they had just done.  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned.  Luke 23.48.

But, as the crowds began to thin, John and Mary and the other women felt it was safe to more closely approach the cross.  This was probably toward the end of the first 3-hour period, maybe shortly before noon when the darkness descended upon the scene. 

We must admire, not only her love and commitment to her Son, but also the indomitable courage with which she took her stand to support Him in whatever ways she could.  “The sorrow and pain such a sight would cause His mother is unfathomable.  And yet instead of shrieking and crumpling in hysteria, turning and fleeing in terror, or falling into a faint at the horrible sight, she stood.  She is the very model of courage.”  (John MacArthur)

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This was just one of the many times in Mary’s lifetime as Jesus’ mother that Simeon’s prophecy had come to pass.  Luke 2.34-35: Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 

Mary’s baby Child would not only grow up to be the Judge of every person’s destiny, but her own heart would break with grief many a time along the way.  Mary didn’t always fully understand the significance of her own Son’s character and calling.  More than one time, Mary would have to ponder and meditate upon things that Jesus said and did (Luke 2.19, 50, 51).  Jesus’ commitment to His calling would create division in their family.  More than one time, they would misunderstand Him, be embarrassed by His “excesses”, and try to rescue Him from going too far.  Mark 3.21, 31-35.

But, none of those conflicts and stresses she had suffered over the years could even come close to the painful sword of grief which pierced and twisted in her heart at this moment.  Every feeling she had was being crushed by the sight of her Son whom she had borne, nursed, and reared  —  and by what all these wicked, evil people were doing to Him.  Nobody knew any better than she did just how perfect and absolutely sinless He was  —  and how He had done absolutely nothing wrong…ever!

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When Jesus looked down from the cross and saw them standing there, He was moved with appreciation for them…and also with thoughtfulness and concern for Mary.  His heart went out to her.  His first impulse was to be sure she was taken care of after His departure.  (He knew He was going to come back after His resurrection, and He could have taken care of these arrangements then; but He thought it was most fitting to take care of this matter now.)

So, He looked down from the cross and picked out Mary and John especially.  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”  He wasn’t referring to Himself.  He probably nodded toward John.  “John will assume the role of your son, and will assume the responsibility of caring for you.”  Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!”  And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

The Lord Jesus was not above the law…and He didn’t live apart from the law.  He came to fulfill every righteous requirement of God’s holy will and law by perfectly obeying every detail of every command.  Matthew 5.17-20;  Galatians 4.4. 

And, one of the requirements of the law (in fact, one of the Ten Words of the law written by God’s own finger) is that we should honor our father and mother.  That means: to see to it that they are taken care of for as long as they live.  1 Timothy 5.8.  Honor means more than just sentimental feelings and affections toward them, or even respect you feel in your heart toward them.  The root meaning of HONOR is “to pay.”  Or, “to fix the value of something and give that price” (e.g. 1 Corinthians 6.20).

Jesus sternly rebuked those who spun the true teaching and meaning of the fifth commandment in such a way that they could create loopholes and wiggle out of their responsibility to take care of their fathers and mothers by simply saying they had otherwise committed those funds as a gift to the temple.  Mark 7.9-13.  IT IS YOUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY TO OBEY GOD BY TAKING PROPER CARE OF YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.  That is your first and best service to God.

So, Jesus is going to practice what He has preached to others.  He has come to do the Father’s will, and the Father’s will is that He make the necessary arrangements to see that His mother is taken care of.

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This is an awesome demonstration of Jesus’ obedience to His Father in every respect of His Father’s will.  And also just how deep and complete and unconditional is His personal love for us.  Even while He was still suffering under the most excruciating and painful anguishes of death, He turns His attention to those who are standing at His side.  He is giving them His attention and concern. 

And while, at the same time, He is occupied with accomplishing redemption for all His people from all the ages and fulfilling the demanding commitments laid upon Him by the Triune God’s eternal covenant of grace, He is also remembering to make earthly provisions for the needs of one woman whom He loved dearly, His mother.   “Oh, what love!”  No wonder we sing, “I stand amazed in the Presence of Jesus, the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love ME, a sinner condemned, unclean…HOW MARVELOUS, HOW WONDERFUL IS MY SAVIOR’S LOVE FOR ME!”

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Now, when we noted John’s most probable familial relation to Mary (his aunt, his mother’s sister),

then it would have most likely fallen to John to assume her care anyway. 

But, THE QUESTION WILL INEVITABLY COME UP: WHY DID JESUS CHARGE JOHN WITH MARY’S CARE, AND NOT HIS OWN HALF-BROTHERS?

It looks like they would have been more immediately responsible to assume her care.  And, they probably were.  But, under those present circumstances, Jesus was not sure they would have been the most willing to assume it and properly fulfill it.

I’m sure you are well aware that Joseph and Mary had several other children after Jesus was born.  Joseph was not Jesus’ father.  Matthew 1.25 makes it very plain that Joseph and Mary had not engaged in sexual relations when Jesus was conceived.  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph knew that, and so did God the Father.  But, Joseph and Mary had several children of their own after Jesus was born.  In fact, we know His half-brothers’ names:  James, Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13.55).  There were also several sisters.  Matthew 13.56.

Joseph appears to have been dead by the time Jesus began His public ministry.  He is never mentioned again following the trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old  (Luke 2).  Jesus assumed the headship of the household and the care of His mother and the family who remained at home. 

When Jesus began His public ministry, He moved His mother and the family He was caring for a few miles NE from Nazareth to Capernaum.  Matthew 4.13.  This was a very practical move for at least two reasons (besides fulfilling the prophecies concerning where He would live):  (1) His first disciples would come from that region; and (2) Jesus’ mother’s sister, Salome, lived not too far from Capernaum in Bethsaida.  So, she would be close to her family while Jesus was traveling for the next 2 ½ years or so.  (John 2.44; Matthew 4.18-22 and Luke 5.9-10)

But, even His own brothers didn’t believe in Him as Israel’s Messiah.  They give evidence that they were jealous of Him, they resented Him, and there was an intensified sibling rivalry against Him because of His distinctive claims to be the Son of God.  John 7.5 even says that on one occasion of the Feast of the Tabernacles, they actually mocked His claims to be the Messiah and taunted Him to go on to the Feast and do some more showing off of the works He was doing.  “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.”

(We have also previously noted how they came on at least one occasion and tried to forcibly take Him back home.  Mark 3;  Luke 8)

So, Jesus’ brothers at this time, anyway, did not share in Mary’s faith in Jesus as the Christ. 

Mary, by the way, did not share in Jesus’ sinlessness, nor did she ever even think that she would be some kind of co-redemptrix or co-Mediator with her Son, the Christ.  From the beginning of her relationship with Jesus, she confessed that she was a sinner and that her own Son whom she would bear in her womb and deliver into the world WOULD BE HER REDEEMER AND SAVIOR ALSO.  Luke 1.47

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But, His brothers would later believe, and not only believe, but go on to become strong, faithful leaders in the churches that Jesus Christ established. 

Acts 1.14 tells that sometime immediately following Jesus’ death and resurrection, His brothers converted to believing in Him and trusting Him as their Lord and Savior.  They were praying together with the apostles and with their mother and other followers of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus’ half-brother James became an influential pastor and leader in the Jerusalem church.  Acts 15.13;  Galatians 1.19.  This is the same James who wrote the New Testament epistle of James.

Jesus’ brother Judas (Jude) is the same one who wrote the book of Jude.  Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James…

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So, we can be sure that not only did John, the apostle, take her to his own home and care for her as Jesus had instructed him, but her own sons would have assumed their Scriptural responsibility as well. Mary was loved and nurtured until she died also and went to join her Son who died this death to take her to Paradise to be with Him.

Passion of the Christ.#21.Take good care of your motherDownload
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The Kingdom of Heaven: Conflict and Conquest…Adversaries and Advancement

Posted on February 21, 2026 by PastorDave

MATTHEW | Lesson 9 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

Matthew, chapters 12-13

The Kingdom of Heaven: Conflict and Conquest … Adversaries and Advancement

Jesus teaches His disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven—which He is commissioning them to proclaim—will be opposed by conflicts and adversaries; but in the end, it will advance and conquer the kingdom of the world and the Evil One.

CONTEXT & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

1 / I have titled this lesson as I have because these two themes are clearly presented in the two chapters of this lesson text. Chapter 12 will continue to develop and illustrate the increasingly mounting opposition that Jesus faced as His influence grew among His hearers. In contrast, chapter 13 contains the third major discourse or teaching block that Jesus delivers to His disciples as He continues to train them in discipleship and how they must ‘go and make disciples of all the nations’ as He will commission them at the conclusion of Matthew’s narrative. As we have stated before in previous lessons, Matthew uses these five major discourses as the skeletal framework of His Gospel. We have called it ‘the training of the twelve’ to go, in turn, to train the nations of the world to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

2 / So, again, with this formidable chunk of Scripture to cover in this brief lesson, I can but outline the various sections and give you some salient summaries of the content of each section—and how they connect and develop the overall theme and purpose of Matthew [even as I ‘grieve’ over everything I have to leave out…].

Chapter 12 | Conflict and Adversaries

I | ch 12.1-14 | Two occasions of conflict over the Sabbath

1 / ch 12.1-8 | Jesus and His disciples pass through some wheat fields on the Sabbath. They pluck and eat some of the grains of wheat, stirring up the vehement ire of the Pharisees. There had been testy complaints before [9.1-8, 32-34], but now it will break out into an all-out frontal assault—and will result in the Pharisees’ conspiring from that time how to destroy Him [v 14]. This is what Matthew wants to record. Matthew writes these two encounters together, not because they necessarily happened back to back, but because both of them have a common theme: the mounting vocal opposition to Jesus from the Pharisees—the chief religious influencers and leaders among the people. The only “not lawful” act that Jesus and His disciples did was to not conform to their man-made laws [see Deuteronomy 23.25]. By citing David’s eating of the tabernacle bread of the Presence [shewbread] [1 Samuel 21.1-6], and the continual work that the priests performed in the Temple every Sabbath, Jesus establishes the true spirit of Sabbath laws—that “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” [Hosea 6.6]—God permits acts and works of mercy like eating when you’re hungry to be performed even when other unnecessary work may be forbidden. Besides, Jesus Himself is “something greater than the Temple” and He was the One sanctioning the disciples’ Sabbath snack; and “For the Son of Man [Daniel 7.13-14] is lord of the Sabbath.”

2 / ch 12.9-14 | Jesus enters one of ‘their synagogues’ to worship and encounter a man with a withered hand. He is accosted and challenged by the Pharisees whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He does. This, too, was a ‘set up,’ to see if they could establish some public evidence and testimony to accuse Him of breaking the Law and justify their venomous enmity against Jesus.

II | ch 12.15-21 | Matthew cites Isaiah 42.1-3 as a fulfillment of Jesus’ Messianic identity and mission.

This is another one of Matthew’s numerous ‘OT fulfillment formulas’ that are written in throughout the Gospel. The import of this Isaiah quotation and why it is written here is to show that, even though the Pharisees virulently opposed Jesus as His most public and vocal adversaries, Yahweh approved Him. Quoting from Isaiah 42.1-3, Jesus was Yahweh’s Servant: chosen, Beloved, Spirit-filled, just, and gentle [full of mercy and grace]. AND, Matthew adds another prophetic statement to the redemptive plan of the New Covenant and Kingdom of Heaven to include the Gentiles—nations: “…and in His Name the Gentiles will hope.”

III | ch 12.22-37 | A third healing encounter incites more antagonism and opposition from Jesus’ adversaries—this time leading them to blasphemy against the Holy Spirit who was the Spirit and power of Jesus’ mission. Jesus responds to their blasphemous accusations by exposing the evil of their hearts and warning them of the judgment to come if they do not repent.

1 / Yet a third healing act performed by Jesus inspired the people to ask “Can this be the Son of David?” and also to invoke yet again the wrath of the Pharisees…and their accusations against Jesus that He was an agent of Satan and demon possessed: “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Jesus not only logically refutes their self-defeating charge, but he turns it back on them…and He warns them of committing the ‘unpardonable sin’ that “will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come”—the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They had witnessed the undeniable work of the Holy Spirit [see v 18] by whom Jesus worked, and yet intentionally, insistently rejected Yahweh’s witness to Jesus’ Kingdom Authority.

2 / The next section, vv 33-37, identifies these adversaries as bad trees bearing bad fruit [“for the tree is known by its fruit”] and warns them [and us] that we will give account to God, in the Person of Jesus Himself, for every careless word that we speak. This should serve as a sobering warning to all of us! 

IV | ch 12.38-45 | Some of the scribes and Pharisees openly and brazenly challenge Jesus: “Teacher, we wish to see a sign [authenticating miracle] from you”—as if they needed more evidence of His Messianic Kingdom Authority! Jesus promises them no sign…other than the ‘sign’ of Jonah which would be fulfilled in His resurrection from death. And He calls on them to repent like the Ninevites did.

1 / The hateful and bitter attacks only escalate by their demands for Jesus to certify and authenticate Himself and His Kingdom Authority to them—to their satisfaction: “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” And this, in the face of the works that Jesus has done, not only in this immediate context, but all the other works He has done from the beginning of His ministry. Jesus will not cow to their petty, self-assumed superiority over Him to judge Him. He promises them only one miraculous ‘sign’ or miracle: “the sign of the prophet Jonah”—His impending resurrection. Further, Jesus cites two Gentile responses to the Messianic prophecies/types of Him in both Jonah and Solomon, contrasting them with the rejection of “this generation” under the influence and leadership of the Pharisees and scribes. AND, again Jesus establishes His Kingdom Authority by elevating Himself: “…and behold, something greater than Jonah is here…and behold, something greater than Solomon is here” [link these statements with v 6].

2 / vv 43-45 | Jesus refers back to the charges of His accused liaison and alliance with Satan and demons in vv 22-32. Previously Jesus described His mission and that of the Kingdom of God as being an invasion of Satan’s ‘house’ and plundering Satan’s goods, which are the souls of those He came to save. Now, in these statements, Jesus gives this parable to tell “this evil generation” that it is THEY who are the ones who are under the influence of demons. Jesus warns us against half-way reform or heartless, insincere religion. In vv 22-32, He had come to “enter the strong man’s house, bind him, and plunder his goods,” that is, the souls Satan had been holding in captivity. Here, in vv 43-45, He warns this evil generation that if they do not repent and believe in Him, they will be inexorably and inescapably captivated by Satan.

V | ch 12.46-50 | Jesus encounters opposition to the Kingdom of Heaven—not only from the religious rulers of ‘this generation,’ but also from His own family.

This is a sad commentary on yet another front of adversarial opposition to Jesus’ ministry—this time from His own family. They had come to ‘intervene’ and ‘rescue’ Him from Himself, fearing and accusing Him of ‘going off the deep end.’ Compare this account with the parallel Mark 3.21, 31-35. This is Jesus’ own experience and testimony to the fore-warning He had given His disciples in Matthew 10.21-22, 34-39.

Chapter 13 | Conquest and Advancement | The parables of ‘the mystery [revealed secrets]’ of the Kingdom of Heaven—how it will be received and grow in the world during this age.

1 / Now we move into the third major discourse or teaching block that Jesus delivers as He is making disciples and teaches them how to “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” This also is what Jesus teaches them that they must, in turn, “teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.”

2 / IF they must expect adversarial conflict and opposition to their proclaiming The Kingdom of Heaven, they must also know that The Kingdom of Heaven will advance and grow until “…the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of The LORD as the waters cover the sea” [Habakkuk 2.14; Isaiah 11.9].

VI | ch 13.1-9 | The parable of the sower and the seeds

This parable will serve as the foundation, basis, and interpretive key to all the other parables. Indeed, Jesus says in Mark’s account: “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” [Mark 4.13]. Jesus will explain this parable in vv 18-23, giving the significance of the different types of ‘soils’ or hearers of the Gospel of the Kingdom. But He uses figures and illustrations that were familiar to them to describe how different persons would receive the Gospel of the Kingdom He is sending them to proclaim. As the sower sows the seeds of the Gospel, some of the seeds will fall on [1] the beaten, hard-packed pathways between the fields—only to be picked up and devoured by the birds, [2] onto rocky ground with shallow soil—only to be withered by the sun because it had no depth of soil, [3] among thorns and weeds—only to be choked out and robbed by the invasive roots of the weeds, [4] but other seeds will fall on good soil and spring up in healthy, productive growth. And so it is…

VII | ch 13.10-17 | Jesus explains why He speaks in parables … and supports His use of parables as the fulfillment of Isaiah 6.9-10.

1 / All of these parables are revealing “the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.” The word that Jesus uses is musteria, or ‘mysteries.’ The definition of a Bible ‘mystery’ is not an unsolvable riddle, but rather something that was previously hidden or unknown, but is now being clearly revealed. God is the One who first shrouds it in cloudy secrecy and mystery—and God is the only One who can sovereignly and clearly reveal it in His time.  The reason Jesus spoke in parables is both to elucidate and obfuscate. He will elucidate The Kingdom of Heaven to those who ask to understand and receive it; and He will further obfuscate it to those who refuse to believe in Him and receive His Kingdom Authority [see ch 11.25-27].

2 / This fulfills the commission and prophecy that Yahweh gave Isaiah in his own time and generation in Isaiah 6.9-10. This is a resounding testimony to both God’s absolute sovereignty in the hearing and receiving of the Gospel and also of the undeniable responsibility of every human hearer of the Gospel.

VIII | ch 13.18-23 | Jesus explains the meaning of the sower and the seeds parable—four types of hearers of the Gospel of the Kingdom

Now Jesus returns to the key parable of the sower and the seeds [see vv 1-9]. He describes each type of hearer of the Gospel. NOTE also how in all of the activity and proclamation of The Kingdom of Heaven, there is another kingdom that is at work opposing the Gospel—seeking to subvert, thwart, undermine, and defeat the Gospel…keep it from being heard and received in faith. As Jesus explains in v 18, “When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” This is another commentary and illustration of the spiritual warfare that we are constantly and continuously engaged in. See again Jesus’ repeated exposes’ of the Satanic and demonic activities that confront us in chs 12.22-32, 43-45.  

IX | ch 13.24-30 | Jesus ‘puts before them’ the companion ‘parable of the weeds’ … how the ‘enemy’—‘the god of this age’—will seek to counterfeit and subvert the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven during this age.

Once again, Jesus highlights the constant and continuous spiritual warfare that will attack and oppose the

ministry of the Kingdom of Heaven. Both kingdoms will grow together. As His disciples go forth into all the world to preach the Gospel—sowing the good seeds of the Gospel—the enemy will be busy with his own sowing. Except the enemy will make every attempt to counterfeit his false religion and make it look like the true one. When the good wheat and this worthless darnel-weed are sprouting and coming up, the darnel-weed looks remarkably like the wheat. It doesn’t really manifest itself until it grows more to maturity and doesn’t bear good grain. The temptation is to try to pull them up. But, inevitably, if you do that, you will pull up some good stalks with the bad…or else their roots will be so intertwined, that you will end up uprooting some good wheat at the same time. Often, it is difficult to tell the difference between a true believer and a false one merely by observing external appearances and actions [see ch 7.21-23]. But Jesus, the Judge of all, who knows our hearts, will separate the worthless, faithless chaff from the genuine wheat when He comes at the end of this age to harvest, separate His believing saints from the false professors, burn the ungodly in Hell, and gather His elect into the ‘grainary / barn’ of the Kingdom of Heaven. See the more specific application of the symbols in vv 36-43…

X | ch 13.31-33 | Jesus delivers two more parables: mustard seed and leaven.

Both a mustard seed and spores of leaven are among the smallest of elements; yet when they are planted or kneaded into even large measures of dough, they grow exponentially larger than their original size. So it is with the Kingdom of Heaven. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” Jesus gave these two parables to encourage His disciples—both then and now. The Kingdom of Heaven started very small— considered to be insignificant both by its first contemporaries and continuing on down through the generations to us. It is opposed, rejected, despised, and fought against from all sides and in every way. Yet, God has made it grow, and it will, in the end, “fill the whole earth with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD.” Christ’s Kingdom of Heaven IS the right side of history!

XI | ch 13.34-35 | Jesus reiterates—explains again—that His parables fulfill the prophecies of His Messianic mission, this time from Psalm 78.2 … and also the purpose His parables served.

Matthew cites yet another OT prophecy that said Messiah would teach in parables, this one from Psalm 78.2. NOTE: here is another citation of what a Bible ‘mystery’ is: “I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” See also Ephesians 8-10; Colossians 1.26.

XII | ch 13.36-43 | Jesus returns to the parable of the weeds to forewarn and explain to His disciples how ‘the sons of the Kingdom’ will be opposed by ‘the sons of the evil one.’

This is an explanatory commentary on vv 24-30…

XIII | ch 13.44-51 | Jesus tells yet three more parables to illustrate what the ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is like’: hidden treasure, pearl of great value, and fish caught in a net – then follows with a rich promise to those who are ‘trained for the Kingdom of Heaven’ by receiving, understanding, and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven.

These parables of the treasure, pearl, and fish share a common theme: the inestimable worth of The Kingdom of Heaven. The parable of the “scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven” goes back over everything Jesus has taught in this discourse; and He blesses His disciples for their interest, their inquisitive questions—and especially for the gracious blessing of God to give them understanding and their high estimation of the value of The Kingdom of Heaven. The things that are ‘new…and old” are those hidden mysteries of Christ and His Kingdom that are contained in the OT—and then how they are now revealed and fulfilled and granted to us in Christ!

XIV | ch 13.53-58 | Jesus’ lessons on the conflict and adversaries of the Kingdom of Heaven are reinforced yet again by His rejection by His hometown folks in Nazareth.

Once again, Matthew bears witness to the conflict and adversaries The Kingdom of Heaven will encounter in this rejection experience Jesus encountered in His hometown of Nazareth. See Luke 4.16-30.

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The Disciples Follow Jesus into Mission

Posted on February 14, 2026 by PastorDave

Matthew, chapters 10-11

MATTHEW | Lesson 8 | Lesson Notes / Talking Points

The Disciples Follow Jesus into Mission

Jesus sends His disciples on their first ‘short-term’ mission to train and prepare them for their [and our] age-long Great Commission mission: preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and making disciples

CONTEXT & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

1 / Again, we are facing the insurmountable task of surveying and summarizing a large portion of Matthew in just a few words and minutes. But, what we do want to do is make the connections of this portion of Matthew with what has come before and what will come after—and also with Matthew’s overall themes and writing plan.

/ So, first of all, let’s set ch 10 in the context of Matthew overall. Ch 10 is the second of the five major discourses Matthew records that Jesus delivered. All of them will flesh out Jesus’ final Great Commission charge in ch 28.16-20. So, all of these discourses are, in some way, ‘making disciples of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven’; then they will, in turn, Go, and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. The first major discourse, chs 5-7, answer the question: “What is a disciple? And, how are citizen-disciples of the Kingdom of Heaven to live—both in their ‘internal discipleship’ of character and conduct, and in their ‘external’ discipleship in their relationships with others?” Now, this discourse will answer the question: “How are traveling evangelists to conduct themselves on their evangelistic missions?”

/ Because that’s what Jesus is doing in ch 10: He is sending them out on their first ‘short-term mission’ to train them and prepare them for their eventual age-long, world-wide mission after He ascends back into Heaven. That is why I have titled this lesson: “The disciples follow Jesus into Mission.” I want to note up-front here that I’m following the outline and section divisions from Daniel M. Doriani in the ESV Expository Commentary because he presents such a clear, concise of the flow of  these two content-filled chapters. I have profited so much from his learned understanding, exposition, and application of this Gospel.

I | ch 10.1-4 | Jesus calls and sends His disciples to the Mission … and gives them His authority—the same authority He has exercised in chs 8-9.

1 / Jesus Himself does just what He has commanded His disciples to do: He has just commanded them to “therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Luke 6.12: In these days He went out into the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His twelve, whom He named apostles. Jesus teaches us both in word and deed that The Kingdom of Heaven advances both power and personnel through prayer—praying to God to make it advance through our agency.

2 / Now that Jesus has given His disciples an ‘elementary lesson’ in discipleship, both by teaching them in ch 5-7 and by having them accompany Him in ch 8-9, it is now time to send them out ‘on their own,’ although He will be with them in His authority. NOTE the continued theme and thread of authority that Matthew has highlighted in chs 7.28-29; 8.5-13; 9.1-8; etc.

3 / Another note on what discipleship is: When Jesus called these twelve as His band of disciples, Mark 3.13-15 says “that they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach.” So disciples are those who commit their lives to ‘being with Jesus’ and ‘becoming like Him’ [see ch 10.24-25]. We must do and become like Jesus!

II | ch 10.5-15 | Jesus charges His disciples to follow His ministry message and patterns

1 / vv 5-10 | They must preach what they have heard Him preach and do the works they have seen Him do … with His authority He is giving them. If the Great Commission is in ch 28, we might call this the ‘first commission,’ It is smaller in scope and duration. This would be a ‘short-term mission,’ and it would be limited to their immediately surrounding cities, towns, and communities of the lost sheep of the house of Israel [see ch 9.36]. This commission is more limited in scope because Jesus Himself had come first to the people of His own covenant nation, and also, that is where they were in their geographical context. Also, the disciples would have to be trained and get used to the inclusion of the Gentile people of the New Covenant as Jesus continues to instruct them. The commission Jesus gives them in vv 7-8 was the same mission He Himself had been fulfilling as we have seen in the previous chapters. They should go on this mission with no more than they had on their on their persons and backs. Jesus is teaching them that when they go on mission for Him, they must learn to trust Him to supply their needs. Besides, they will return to Him shortly to report back to Him.  

2 / vv 11-15 | They must seek out receptive hearers of the Gospel and stay with them until they leave that city. Their method was simple: go from one town and village to another [and there were many in their immediately surrounding environs]; they must announce why they had come [“And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’”]; and they should wait for someone to receive them and their message of the Gospel; and stay with them—receive their housing and hospitality—until they departed for another town. The people’s reception of the Gospel—or lack thereof—will be judged upon them in the Day of Judgment.   

III | ch 10.16-25 | Jesus forewarns and prepares them to expect hatred, opposition, and persecution because of their witness to Him … and how they should respond to it

1 / vv 16-20 They should expect persecution from the religious communities and authorities. Jesus warns them that everyone will not welcome them, just as everyone had not welcomed Jesus. They had already witnessed that opposition in the previous chapters. Much of that persecution [v 23] will come from the religious community and leadership. Although, in v 18, Jesus does give them a prospective ‘heads-up’ that later on, they will also encounter the same persecution from Gentile authorities.

2 / vv 21-23 | They should also expect persecution and separation from their own families. They will also encounter hatred, opposition, persecution, and even death at the hands of their closest family relationships. The Gospel divides, separates, and ruptures the nearest and dearest relationships of our lives.

3 / vv 24-25 | In all of this, they will be becoming like Him—which is what a true disciple is. But a true disciple will be committed and content with becoming like his Master and Teacher, Jesus Christ. When we identify with Jesus, they will treat us the same ways they treated Him.

IV | ch 10.26-33 | The disciples should faithfully fulfill their witnessing mission without fear

1 / vv 26-31 | They should ‘fear not’ because even if they are physically killed for their witness to Christ, they are valued by their Heavenly Father—and their physical death will usher them into eternal life. This theme of “have no fear of them, do not fear, fear not” will be repeated in vv 26, 28, 31. This is the thread that ties this part of Jesus’ instruction together. The reasons why we do not fear whatever earthly and physical threats, dangers, discomforts, or even loss of our lives is because we have an over-riding fear of God, a Godly fear of worship and reverence. And besides, God has promised to value us as His own treasured people.

2 / vv 32-33 | Rather than being afraid of their physical persecutors and denying Christ and giving up on their Gospel mission—they must faithfully acknowledge Christ…even to the end of their lives. So we will acknowledge Jesus before men in our convictions and faithful witness. And He promises “I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven.”

V | ch 10.34-42 | Jesus commands our supreme love and loyalty even over our closest and dearest relationships … but He also promises His richest eternal rewards

1 / vv 34-37 | We must love Christ more than our closest family relationships. This is a follow-up commentary on what Jesus has already taught before in vv 21-22. The sword that Jesus brings is not a sword of physical warfare, but rather the sword of choice: whom will our hearers choose to follow and serve? The peace that Jesus brings is not the peace of everybody coexisting and living ‘in perfect harmony,’ but rather the peace of a right relationship in God in The Kingdom of Heaven. This peace as we surrender to the God of peace, trust in the Prince of Peace, and believe the Gospel of peace. But everyone will not; many will not; and they will turn on those who do. But we must commit to follow Christ, loving Him more than even those who are our nearest and dearest physical relations.

2 / vv 38-39 | We must Christ more than our personal comfort—or even our own life. Following Jesus will mean being willing to take His cross as our cross. To take his cross means to be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ everything Jesus Himself suffered—slander, rejection, reproach, disdain, hatred, persecution, and eventually even death. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said: “Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him and prepare to die.”

3 / vv 40-42 | But Jesus also promises rewards to those who receive His Gospel through our witness—as well to those who assist us in our mission. But whatever we may suffer and lose for the sake of our faithfulness in following, identifying with, serving, and witnessing for Christ—Jesus promises reward. The reward that Jesus promises and that we wait to receive is His Presence and pleasure in The Kingdom of Heaven [see v 32]. We might note here also—as Jesus emphasizes—that His reward is promised not only to His witnesses who go forth in His Name proclaiming His Gospel, but also each and every one who supports, assists, and encourages them in their ministries. I have personally called upon God to bless and reward countless friends and benefactors who have blessed me along my way.

4 / ch 11.1 | NOTE here Matthew’s transition from the instructive ‘Discipleship Discourse’ in ch 10 to the next narrative passage in ch 11. After Jesus had instructed and sent out the twelve disciples on this training mission, He Himself departed to continue the same mission work He had already begun. See 4.23; 9.35.

VI | ch 11.1-6 | Jesus receives and responds to some probing questions from John the Baptist concerning His Kingdom mission

1 / vv 2-3 | John sends word to Jesus via his disciples asking: “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas because John dared to call him out over his adulterous marriage to his brother’s wife [see ch 14.1-12]. John would conclude his momentous prophetic ministry of announcing the coming of the Messiah by being beheaded. What we need to see here is multi-faceted, one of which is that John serves in that moment of the kinds of persecution and suffering Jesus has been warning His disciples to expect. We don’t believe that John had any ‘doubts’ or second thoughts about whether Jesus was the promised, prophesied Messiah. But whatever questions he may have been struggling with may have come from what he perceived to be the missing elements of judgment against sinners that would accompany Messiah when He came. Remember, this message of judgment and the wrath to come was a major theme of John’s ministry and message [see ch 3.7-12]. John also understood that he had fulfilled the prophetic pronouncements of God’s wrath and judgment found in Malachi, chapter 4. So maybe he was wondering: “Where’s the wrath? Where’s the promised judgment on the enemies of the Kingdom of God?”

2 / vv 4-6 | Jesus lovingly re-assures John the Baptist that “Yes! I am the One you announced!” and He offers the prophesied evidences of His Messianic mission. Jesus returns the tender and reassuring message back to John: “Go and tell John what you see and hear…” and then began citing His miraculous Kingdom ministry they had witnessed. ALL of these Kingdom works were prophesied repeated by the prophets, especially Isaiah: Isaiah 29.18-19; 35.3-7; 42.1-7; et. al. What John could not immediately perceive [along with the other disciples] was that there would be another coming of the Messiah at the end of this age to fulfill the wrath and judgment exercises of Messiah’s mission. But, not right now…

VII | ch 11.7-19 | Jesus publicly commends John the Baptist to the crowds

1 / vv 7-15 | Jesus gives a resounding affirmation of the prophesied and prophetic ministry God had called John to fulfill. After personally re-assuring John with His returned message, Jesus then turns to the crowds. Lest they should think John had discredited himself or that Jesus had diminished him in any way, Jesus publicly re-affirms John’s greatness in The Kingdom of Heaven and in the prophetic/historical plan of God. Jesus begins by asking six rhetorical questions to remind John’s hearers what they had expected—and what they found—in John. Then, Jesus links John with Malachi 3.1. This Malachi reference is also closely linked with Isaiah 40.3-5 [see Matthew 3.1-6]. All of these affirmations establish John’s greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. John the Baptist was Elijah who is to come. And yet, those of that generation—and we in our generations—are greater than he in that we have received the fulfilled Gospel ministry and message of the Christ that John had been sent to announce!

2 / vv 16-19 | At the same time, Jesus soundly rebukes that unbelieving and unreceiving generation for their stubbornness and rejection of both John and Himself—Jesus. Jesus issues this stinging evaluation and rebuke against the hearers of that generation. No doubt many of them were criticizing John, even in his imprisonment, and were using his questions to diminish him and highlight their own objections to Jesus’ ministry. Quoting a familiar proverb among them, Jesus compares them to a bunch of petty, petulant, moody, sulking children who refuse to play along with their playmates in the marketplaces. As they would be hanging out together, one of them would suggest “Hey, let’s play wedding. I’ll play the flute, and you all dance.” Or, “Hey, let’s play funeral. I’ll sing the dirge, and you all mourn and wail.” Both of these play-alongs were common, familiar scenes that often played out in their culture. But the stubborn, recalcitrant playmates would sulk, fold their arms, scowl, and say, “No! I’m not playing along with your games.” Jesus turned it on them to say that they just refused to hear God’s messengers of The Kingdom of Heaven regardless of how they came. John the Baptist was a more eccentric and ascetic prophet, but they just dismissed him as being a lunatic. Jesus came socializing and associating with those He had come to save, and they accused Him of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” They refused to be pleased. They already had their religion and kingdom—and they refused to receive or ‘play along’ with anyone who didn’t conform to their program.   

VIII | ch 11.20-24 | Jesus continues to denounce three prominent cities who were the most familiar with His ministry, the most blessed by His presence among them … and yet the most unrepentant in their response to Him

1 / And so, to be more specific, Jesus ‘names names’ of the three most local and prominent cities where His ministry up to that time had been concentrated: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. He had come to them all, but they had stubbornly refused to receive Him and The Kingdom of Heaven and repent.

2 / It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon and Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for them. All of these cities of the OT times were destroyed by the judgments of God for their wickedness—but they also didn’t have the light and knowledge of the ministry of Christ among them.

IX | ch 11.25-30 | Jesus continues to extend mercy to all who will come to Him for salvation and rest … just as His disciples have—who have believed in Him

1 / Jesus then thanks the Father for His sovereign choice and enlightenment He had given to those who had believed in Him. He reiterates here again what He will confirm in the Great Commission: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father…” He is the Sovereign, exclusive, undisputed King Jesus of the Kingdom of Heaven. The gift of faith and salvation is God’s sovereign prerogative as taught all throughout Scripture.

2 / But Jesus concludes this portion of this Gospel ministry by once again calling: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden [see ch 9.36], and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” THIS is Grace and mercy! THIS is salvation! And THIS is discipleship!

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