Day 290: Matthew 22-24

(The previous post covered the Pharisees continual confronting of Jesus and becoming worse in response to Jesus' answers.)

Matthew 22

(Verses 1-14: the Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son.)

¹ And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying,
² The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,
³ and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come.
⁴ Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast.

(According to the Bible, a wedding is a feast. Nowhere in the Bible was there a wedding in the form of a ceremony as we see in our culture today.)

⁵ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;
⁶ and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.
⁷ But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
⁸ Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.
⁹ Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.

(Some people were more focused on the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches than attending the feast. Everyone is called to the feast.)

¹⁰ And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.
¹¹ But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment:
¹² and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless.
¹³ Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

(Those without a wedding garment (robe of righteousness: Isaiah 61:10) will be cast out.)

¹⁴ For many are called, but few chosen.

("Chosen" meant selected in response to how "good" they were, not because God selected them and then made them good because He selected them.

This is similar to the term "select" or "elect" in the New Testament, the term "choice" or "chosen" referred to the quality of these people. They weren't excellent people because they were chosen, they were chosen because they were excellent people. It is easy to abuse the Principle of Causality here and it damages the correct interpretation of scripture:
-Cause: "choice" people

-Effect: were "chosen.")

¹⁵ Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk.

(The Pharisees attempted to ensnare (trap) Jesus in His talk, His words.)

¹⁶ And they send to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one: for thou regardest not the person of men.
¹⁷ Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
¹⁸ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?

(Jesus perceived their wickedness and asked them why they tempted/tested Him.)

¹⁹ Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius.
²⁰ And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
²¹ They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
²² And when they heard it, they marvelled, and left him, and went away.

(The Pharisees tried to get the government to take Jesus away, but the Pharisees failed. Jesus answered the question by demonstrating resolution between the physical and the spiritual.)

²³ On that day there came to him Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection: and they asked him,
²⁴ saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
²⁵ Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first married and deceased, and having no seed left his wife unto his brother;
²⁶ in like manner the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
²⁷ And after them all, the woman died.
²⁸ In the resurrection therefore whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
²⁹ But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven.

(There will not be Marriage between man and woman in heaven. Jesus said these people err and do not know the power of God because they do not know the scriptures. What proved they did not know the scriptures?)

³¹ But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
³² I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
³³ And when the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

(The Sadducees did not understand the tense of one word: "is." Not knowing the tense of one word caused the Sadducees to err and not know the power of God. The people were astonished at Jesus' Doctrine. Remember, Semikah Rabbis widened Doctrine. The things Jesus taught were new and revelatory.

Jesus was tough on the Sadducees and Pharisees because they were supposed to be leaders. Jesus believed leaders ought to be more excellent than non-leaders, not less excellent. Not only did this mean Jesus would confront them, it meant He would confront them publicly. Today, how many religious leaders are able to handle public confrontation? How many religious leaders look to be treated as if they are less excellent than everyone else, as if they need to get benefits for being the leader?

Leadership is a responsibility and ought to be done by people who are more excellent: humble people who facilitate the purpose and progress of others and can handle public correction.)

³⁴ But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.
³⁵ And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:
³⁶ Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
³⁷ And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
³⁸ This is the great and first commandment.
³⁹ And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
⁴⁰ On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

(Jesus stated the greatest of the commandments: First Command - Love God with your whole being, Second Command - Love your neighbor as yourself. When you do the First Command as a cause, the Second Command will come as an effect.)

(During this time there were great debates regarding what was the "greatest" of the commandments. They were trying to organize the commandments in order of precedence so they could resolve conflicts within the Law for unusual circumstances. The debates were really an attempt to find out which commandment would be the cause of the others.)

⁴¹ Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
⁴² saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
⁴³ He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
⁴⁴ The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet?
⁴⁵ If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?
⁴⁶ And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

(Jesus asked the Pharisees whose son the Christ was and they answered David's. Then Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 and asked them why David even called Christ Lord. The Pharisees could not answer this question because they did not understand the definition of "Lord." The Pharisees did not know the definition (right why) for this passage and the tense (right how), which was the context, for the other passage. The Pharisees no longer questioned Jesus.)




Matthew 23

(In this chapter, Jesus spoke to the multitude and to His Disciples regarding the scribes and the Pharisees.)

¹ Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,
² saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:

(Moses' seat was the seat of judgment. The Pharisees ought to have judged the causes and taught the Law as Moses did.)

³ all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.

(However, the Pharisees did not do the Law. They told others what to do and they did not hold themselves to the same standard. They were hypocrites: their say and do did not match.)

⁴ Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
⁵ But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

(The Pharisees did their works to be seen by men, just like Jesus stated in Matthew 6.)

⁶ and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
⁷ and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.

(The Pharisees exalted themselves and sought to be exalted by others, again, like Jesus stated in Matthew 6.)

⁸ But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
⁹ And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.
¹⁰ Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
¹¹ But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

(The greatest among us is the one who serves the most. Jesus had previously stated this several times.)

¹² And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.

(Whoever exalts themselves will be brought down and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted. This is Just.)

(This chapter concluded with Jesus giving a series of warnings to the Pharisees regarding their hypocrisy.)

¹³ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.
¹⁴ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.
¹⁵ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.
¹⁶ Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
¹⁷ Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?
¹⁸ And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.
¹⁹ Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
²⁰ He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
²¹ And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
²² And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
²³ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
²⁴ Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!
²⁵ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
²⁶ Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.
²⁷ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
²⁸ Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

(The Pharisees were only focused on appearance. They were completely about effects.)

²⁹ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
³⁰ and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
³¹ Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
³² Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
³³ Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?
³⁴ Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
³⁵ that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.
³⁶ Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

(The Pharisees claimed that they would not have killed the prophets as their fathers did but Jesus explained that they were their father's children and they would do the same things their fathers did (to Jesus). The Pharisees had the same causes as their fathers.)

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

(The temple was desolate. The time of the Gentiles was near.)

³⁹ For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.




Matthew 24
¹ And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
² But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

(The destruction of the temple was foretold by Jesus. This occurred 70 AD. Every stone was taken apart to get the gold from the temple.)

³ And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

(The Disciples asked Jesus three questions:
-The first was: "when shall the destruction of the temple occur?" - (This occurred in 70 AD.)
-The second was: "what will be the signs of His second coming?"
-The third was: "when will the end of the world occur?" The Greek word for "world" in this passage was aion which can also be interpreted as "age"...meaning the end of the Dispensation of the Law.)

⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.
⁵ For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
⁶ And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
⁸ But all these things are the beginning of travail.

(There will be many false christs, wars, famines, and earthquakes...and these are the beginning of sorrows.)

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.

(Believers will be hated by all nations.)

¹⁰ And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.
¹¹ And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.

(Many false prophets will rise and deceive many.)

¹² And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
¹³ But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

(Those who endure until the end of the Tribulation will be saved.)

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
¹⁵ When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand),

(The end is near when we see the abomination of desolation that Daniel spoke of (Daniel 9:27) that will occur at the middle of the seven year Tribulation. Notice, Jesus encouraged us to understand the Book of Daniel.)

¹⁶ then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains:
¹⁷ let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house:
¹⁸ and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
¹⁹ But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
²⁰ And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:
²¹ for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.

(This passage was meant for Jews during the Tribulation. When the abomination of desolation is set up 3 1/2 years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will declare himself to be God and attack the Jews. Jesus warned the Jews to immediately go into hiding.)

²² And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not.
²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

(False prophets will attempt to lead astray believers with signs and wonders as a cause, not as an effect like what we saw from Jesus. Notice, Jesus said these signs would have led the elect astray if possible, meaning it would not be even possible for this to happen. Why? Because the elect will have been raptured prior to the false prophets doing signs and wonders as a cause.)

²⁵ Behold, I have told you beforehand.
²⁶ If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.
²⁷ For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
²⁸ Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
²⁹ But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
³⁰ and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

(This referenced Jesus physical return to earth at the end of the Tribulation at the battle of Armageddon.)

³¹ And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
³² Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;
³³ even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.
³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.
³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
³⁶ But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.

(The day and hour of Jesus' spiritual return is only known by the Father. However, everything in this chapter pointed to Jesus' physical return at the end of the Tribulation with angels and believers from one end of heaven to the other, so it looks as if that day and hour may also not be known.)

³⁷ And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
³⁸ For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
³⁹ and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
⁴⁰ Then shall two man be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:
⁴¹ two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.

(Because we do not know when Jesus will come (both spiritually and physically), believers ought to watch and be ready for Him at all times.)

⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.
⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
⁴⁵ Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
⁴⁷ Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
⁴⁸ But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;
⁴⁹ and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;
⁵⁰ the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,
⁵¹ and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

(Blessed are the servants who, even while their master is gone, continue to do their master's will.)

(It looked as if Jesus' answer to the second two questions were:
2) What shall be the sign of your coming? Jesus described signs prior to His physical return to earth at the end of the Tribulation.
3) What shall be the sign of the end of the world? Jesus' physical return is the sign of the end of the dispensation of the Law.)

(This post covered the Pharisees discontinuing of their confrontations of Jesus and Jesus' prophecy about the end times.)

Day 291