In Matthew 15:26 Jesus left us with a picture of Him sitting at the table with the Jews and providing bread for them. It was their bread. He told the woman, "It's not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Well this certainly wouldn't appear right, throwing the bread from the table to the pet dog below.
27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." (Matthew 15:27)
This woman was commended for her great faith. She recognized her self as being unworthy to sit at the table with Jesus, yet she asked for just a crumb. This humble request was honored and she received the bread of life.
Jesus went on to feed bread to thousands of gentiles in Decapolis. What a sign!! This was a taste of what would come. The good news of the gospel would go out to the entire world.
Back to our picture of the table; while this humble request came from 'off the table' the Jews looked at Jesus and asked why He was sitting at their table. Jesus and His disciples didn't honor their laws, didn't honor them, and didn't wash correctly and so on. As far as they were concerned, Jesus wasn't good enough to sit at their table. They rejected the bread that Jesus offered.
16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 3 and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
After the feeding of the 4000 at Decapolis Jesus sailed to Magdalan, in the region of Dalmanutha (per Mark 8); this is on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee. It doesn't seem to take long for the crowds and the authorities to find Jesus when He moves. Such is the case here when the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Him. The fact that these two groups traveled to find Jesus together is telling of how concerned they were about Jesus. These guys didn't agree on anything.
- The Pharisees lived by the oral and scribal law, defining the smallest of details to the tiniest degree; while the Sadducees only used the Torah only as their authority.
- The Pharisees believed in the resurrection and the presences of angels while Sadducees believed in neither.
- The Pharisees were driven by their religion alone and didn't want to live under any government. The Sadducees were political and worked the system to keep power and wealth.
- The Pharisees looked for the Messiah while the Sadducees did not.
As these two groups of men come to Jesus, it is like the liberals and the conservatives united in some bipartisan effort. How often does that happen legitimately? Not very often. This clearly shows the level of concern the religious establishment had and proves the old adage, "my enemy's enemy is my friend".
These men wanted a sign. There had been signs continuously that these groups had rejected. Signs weren't a means for building faith, signs confirmed faith. The same sign that confirms the faith of one is explained away or ignored by the one with no faith. They came to trap Jesus, embarrass Him in front of others. They needed to strip Him of any influence over the people. They felt threatened!! These are dark souls partnering with other dark souls to war against the light.
The request for a sign from heaven was asking Jesus to call down fire against their enemies or doing something they would consider spectacular. The traditional understanding was that signs on earth could be faked by Satan while signs from heaven could only be from God.
David Guzick cites Carson: "The proof that they cannot discern the 'signs' is that they ask for a sign!" (Carson)
The scribes and the Pharisees were very confident in their ability to read the signs and predict the weather. They were also confident in their ability to discern spiritual signs; however, Jesus calls them hypocrites. The signs of the messiah were all around them; they were looking Him in the eye, seeing the signs and wonders, yet they failed to see the signs of the times.
It's a wicked and adulterous group that seeks a sign. Until they see a sign they feel is adequate they will remain scoffers and mockers, they will retain sovereign reign of the throne of their life. This same man stands in the middle of God's creation, breathing God's air, enjoying the life that was given him, being blessed from every direction; then when things go wrong they throw their hands up and crying out, "If you are out there, give me a sign!!" It's a wicked man asking for a sign that he knows good and well he will deny. It's an adulterous generation that asks for a sign while worshiping other gods. There aren't enough signs to change an unbelieving heart. The signs are never good enough to remove someone from the throne of their life. Signs won't change a hard or adulterous heart. Signs confirm the humble faith already expressed.
Jesus denied their request for a sign with the exception of the sign of Jonah. What was the sign of Jonah? Jesus is referring to His dearth, burial and resurrection. Jesus is saying that He is the sign. He came from His Father in Heaven, He is the one sent to them. They were so blinded by their religion they didn't recognize their God.
5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?-but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
One has to wonder what happened to all the leftovers from the feeding of the four thousand. Maybe the disciples gave it all away to others to take home as leftovers. Whatever happened, the disciples found that they had no bread with them. At the same time Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These guys thought Jesus was warning them not to buy bread from the Pharisees. He scolds them for fretting over daily bread. Had they forgotten what they saw?
Jesus was speaking of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Leaven is idiomatic of sin and always represents corruption. It finds its way in spreads throughout the entire lump corrupting it entirely. While this is not a bad thing when dealing with bread, it's a picture of how bad sin can affect all those around. It quietly and unassumingly corrupts behind the scene, out of sight, until everything in its reach is corrupted by the influence. Such was the doctrine of these men.
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
"Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
Caesarea Philippi is twenty five miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This is outside the region governed by Herod Antipas and inside his brother Philip's region of Syria. The area is mostly gentile. This city was famous for it's worship of the Syrian Baals. It is said there were fourteen different temples there to the Syrian Baals. Right next to the city was a large hill that had a great cavern in it. This was supposed to be the birthplace of the great god Pan, the god of nature, some say the god of deserted places. This city was actually called Panias for a long time and is still referred to as Banias. Also near this idolatry was the temple built by Herod the Great to the godhead of Caesar? It was Herod's son Philipp who changed the name of the city from Panias to Caesarea Philippi to honor Caesar.
There stood Jesus, a Jew standing in this old city among the temples of the ancient Baals, the god's of the Greeks and the god's of the Romans when he posed the question to His disciples. Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?
14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
To be likened to these men was an acknowledgment of some level of respect toward Jesus. Yet, they all fall short of recognizing the truth of Jesus. Did no one say that Jesus was the messiah? It seems that there were many more considering him to be these other 3 men.
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
This takes it to a personal level. Did they believe Jesus was who He said He was? Did they side with the opinion of the multitude? Were they able to grasp the truth and hold onto it regardless of what others thought?
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
I wonder if there was a pause, thought and consideration to the answer. Peter was known to speak before thinking. Was he careful in his answer? Jesus said He was the Son of Man; Peter declared Him to be Christ, the Son of the Living God.
All around Jesus and the disciples were examples of the gods men chased after and worshiped. These were dead, lifeless, powerless gods that offered nothing to man.
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Peter is blessed because the Father had revealed this to Peter. This knowledge didn't come by Peter's education, wisdom, life experience or witnessing many signs. It came as a gift from the Father in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Jesus uses a play on words here as he stands near this large hill in a rocky place. The picture is of Petros meaning 'little stone' is the first building block on this petra (bedrock) of which he would build the church. We could debate all day among the many bible scholars and commentaries about the rock that the church would be built on. But you can't ignore the many other places in the bible where the Lord is the Rock. Others would argue the confession is the Rock while others say it is Peter him self. The confession is useless without the Lord, Peter is nothing more than a poor, blind, pitiful sinner like the rest of us without Jesus. The only choice that makes sense to me is that Jesus is declaring Him self to be the bedrock and Peter, with his confession to be the first little stone with many to come.
These 'living stones' Peter refers to here is another word. It is a rock hewn from a stone into something that can be used to build with.
This is he first use of the word 'church' which is the Greek word ecclesia. This is the assembly of believers. The gates of hell (which is hades) won't stand against the church. This statement contains several thoughts we should consider. Hades was the place of death; it was where both good and bad went before the death of Christ. So, we can see that the church won't be held in death; the gates of hades can't contain the Church of Jesus Christ. The gates were also a place of politics and council; it was where the leaders met to set policy and make judgments. The councils of Hades have no authority over the church of Jesus Christ. This includes Satan, his demons, the powers of this world and anyone else. The church is built on an everlasting Rock, the bedrock of Jesus Christ. Nothing will move it, nothing will stand against it.
This should give us confidence but with caution. While the gates of hell won't stand against the church, sometimes those inside the church stand against it. Like the leaven of the Pharisees, poison spreads through a fellowship or denomination to the point they cease to resemble the church. They may have all the religious trappings and still be called a church; but, if they have put away their bibles, fail to recognize sin, and there is no call to repentance, they begin to resemble the world more than the chaste bride of Christ. In the book of Revelation we see Jesus dealing with the church. Jesus doesn't empower and protect without also holding them accountable.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
As Christ lays he foundation of the church, these disciples were the men that he would use. The terms 'bind' and 'loose' were used by the Rabbi in dealing with the law. To be bound was to have a law applied to your situation; loosed was released from a law. Jesus gave these men, Peter first, the authority to set the boundaries of the church. This would be done through revelation and the inspired word.
As an example of this, consider Acts 10:9 when Peter is given the vision and told, "Rise Peter, kill and eat!" The Lord had removed the restrictions of the dietary laws. And right away Peter was sent to Cornelius' house. Peter then reported to the church what the Lord had revealed to him. We can imagine what kind of reception this idea had at first. Peter told them the facts and then said, "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" It's as if Peter acknowledged that it mattered not what he thought but the Lord had used Him to reveal something. If they didn't like it, they needed to take it up with the Lord.
This was a huge responsibility for this group of average men. These were men that had no formal education, no worldly qualification; most probably couldn't read or write. Yet, that, and their yielding to the Lord, made them perfect to be begin to build the church.
Consider Matthew 18:15-18.
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter had just made this confession to Christ; he was given the spiritual keys along with the other apostles to be the foundation of this church, then Jesus gives them the rest of the story. This was the hard part of being a Christ follower. Peter was the spokesman for the Apostles and there is no reason to think he wasn't speaking for them here. These were hard things to accept.
Jesus rebuked Peter, the man he just said was this little rock, and called him Satan. The words and the ways of the enemy came right out of the mouth of the lead apostle. He had his understanding of how this messiah thing should work and he wanted Jesus to follow his prescribed way. This is the sinful nature that we are all born with. Peter, along with the others, needed to become more mindful of the things of God. Their thinking was too small, too shortsighted, to carnal. They needed to think more eternally!! They needed to let go of their plans and embrace the plan of God.
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
We could keep this in the context of Peter and see that his desire was that Jesus would follow his desires and come in power and authority. He envisioned a rebellion in which the Romans were kicked out of Israel and Jesus sat on the throne. He may have envisioned himself sitting next to Jesus on the right as his head of state.
We each have our own ideas of how our life should look. We desire family, home, money, prestige, job and so forth. Then when we follow Jesus we see ourselves doing so in the same setting; as if we just take Jesus on and He makes all our plans and desires easier and more successful. The problem is, with a Christian worldview our idea of success is vastly different. We shouldn't have our eyes on the world and its definition of success. If we desire to come after Jesus, we need to deny our self, put away our plan and take up our cross and follow Him. Now when Jesus said this, there was nothing about the cross to be celebrated. He had just told them that He had to suffer and die on a cross; now He has said they too must do the same. The followers of Jesus have to follow him to the grave. You cannot be born again until you die to your self.
Whoever desires to save his life will live this life their own way, following after their gods and the god of their own making. In their effort to control their life and preserve it they will sacrifice their eternity. This life, for them, will be as good as it ever gets.
However, whoever loses their life for Jesus will find life. This is a life eternal, a life we can barely comprehend or imagine. I like the latin term deditio in fidem; meaning unconditional surrender. It encompassed the idea that I surrendered with no provision for myself or my flesh; it was absolute and complete. This kind of surrender of this life to Jesus results in the gift of eternal life. Then, this life is a brief bump in the road. This life is a precious gift for sure, but a gift affected by sin lived out in a sinfallen world. And when this life is over the followers of Christ will step into life eternal. All the affects of sin will be gone, Jesus will remake this world. We will live under his perfect rule and reign and enjoy life as it was meant to be, free from the curse of sin and death.
There is nothing so profitable in this world that we should set aside the decision to follow Christ. There is nothing worth selling your soul to hell for all of eternity.
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
I long for that day!!! It will be a glorious day for many, but not so for some. This might be today. Are you ready?
28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
After delivering this amazing lesson to his disciples in the setting of the world's dead gods, Jesus revealed the way of the Living God. I can imagine the looks on the faces of the apostles when Jesus said this.
What's he mean? What's he talking about?
Ah, but that's what we'll consider in the next chapter.
(Consider Matthew 25:31-46)
Amen
©2015 Doug Ford
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