Matthew 16 Sermon Notes

Matthew 16:1-28

Christian Schizophrenia

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December 18, 2016

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         Matthew has been systematically building the case that Jesus is the Son of God. Furthermore, as the Son of God, Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. With the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000, we see that Jesus is a maker of miracles. Essentially, He is able to create ex nihilo. This means that He is not ONLY God’s Son, but God, Himself.

         In this chapter, we see the disciples come to the reality of this conclusion. Peter confesses that the Son of Man is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. The full reality of that truth may not yet have set in on the disciples but it is forming.

         Right after Peter makes this confession, he stands against Jesus. Jesus condemns him soundly, even calling Peter, Satan. I don’t suppose there is a bigger insult than this at this juncture. Jesus had just called Peter a true child of His Father in Heaven. And in the next sentence called him Satan.

         What is going on? I think we can all relate to the disciples, relate to Peter. We embrace Jesus Christ and the reality of who He is but then we wave in our submission to Him. We may think the cost is too high. We may waver at the pain and suffering we must endure. We may waver at the ridicule of others. We may waver at His plans for us or His timing for us. We may even waver at the need for the cross for ourselves, or as Peter has done, waver at the need of the cross for Jesus.

         But when we do this, we are doing the devil’s work. When we say No, Lord, we utter nonsense. We are acting like Christian Schizophrenics, a mentality or approach characterized by inconsistent or contradictory elements. We are out of touch with reality, particularly the reality of who Jesus really is. He is the perfect man, the Son of Man. He is God’s Son, the Son of God. He is the Messiah, the Savior of Mankind. He is the Propitiation, the One who takes away sins. He is in fact, God in the Flesh, Yahweh Emmanuel, who is the One who created all things in the beginning. There is no room for No Lord for servants of Jesus Christ.

EXEGESIS

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

These men are not interested in learning from Jesus. There have already been signs from heaven.

        

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

You are already good at reading signs. You just cannot discern the signs of the times.

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Jesus has shown many signs. What is He getting at? He is pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. They do not really want a sign that proves them wrong. The only sort of sign they will accept is the one that proves them right. That is hypocrisy.

Matt. 16:5   And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Jesus is trying to move the disciples from middle school to high school. They have just witnessed great miracles related to God’s provision. Five loaves and two fish and five thousand fed and twelve baskets of leftovers. Seven loaves and four thousand fed and seven baskets of leftovers. Jesus is not worried about feeding His sheep. He can do so and abundantly.

But the disciples need to grow up both to their task and to the reality of formidable enemies.

Peter’s Good Confession

Matt. 16:13   When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man throughout His ministry. He uses the phrase many times so that it becomes associated with His name. Jesus is not merely a son of man but becomes The Son of Man. The question then becomes who is this Son of Man?

Psalm 8 gives us a clue as to the meaning of Jesus.

Psalm 8:3   When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Furthermore, Daniel 7 gives us more incite.

Daniel 7: 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Matthew 26 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

There are different ideas about who this Son of Man is. John Baptist, Elijah, Jermiah or one of the other prophets.

But Jesus wants to know who the disciples think He is. They give the right answer. The Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Jesus says that this truth was revealed to Peter by the Heavenly Father.

He then pronounces the preeminence of Peter in establishing the church. Incidentally, this is not the beginning of the papacy. James is the leader in Jerusalem in Acts 15. Peter not such a rock when Paul rebukes him in Galatians. This is a  mandate to the church, not to one leading man or to one leading place, such as Rome.

The keys of the kingdom have to do with the visible church. This is one reason we take membership seriously. Church discipline, even up to excommunication is real and God honors the work of His Church on earth.

Loosing and binding have to do with discipline. Where two or three are gathered together for the sake of discipline, the Lord is in their midst. This is the conclusion of Matthew 18. But the keys of the kingdom are not harsh or quick to judge. They are administered with patience and kindness, even forgiveness up to seven times seventy.

Tell no man- Jesus still had much to accomplish to fulfill Scripture. Furthermore, if the multitudes knew for sure that He was the Christ, they might come and take Him by force to the be the King in Jerusalem. Jesus did not want that to happen. It must needs be that one man would die for the whole country.

Matt. 16:21   From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Jesus begins to speak clearly to the disciples about what He is going to do. He is revealing the will of the Father to the disciples. Of course, they do not really understand Him. They cannot comprehend how He could rise the third day.

Their inability to understand Resurrection is also culpable. They have just admitted that some people say that Jesus is John Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. They do not have any theological problem with God raising the dead.

Perhaps it is beginning to dawn on them that Jesus is God and they cannot tolerate the idea of God dying. We should have some sympathy for them. The dual nature of Jesus is very difficult to understand. How is He both fully God and fully man? How is He one person with two distinct natures?

But the main thing to see here is that Jesus is telling the disciples what will come to pass. He is telling them exactly what is going to happen to Him and that He intends to walk right into it. This is clearly what Jesus wants to happen. And that is where the dispute is going on with Peter. Peter is disagreeing with Jesus. He is demanding that God’s will not be done. That is Satanic.

Matt. 16:24   Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Are you willing to deny your will for His will? Do you want to die? Of course not. But if you want to be a Christian, you must die daily. That is the cross. The cross may require literal death. You might have to resist the world to the point of blood. But even if you never die that way, you still have to die to the world, the flesh and devil.

How are you doing in that area? Are you becoming more sensitive to the things of God and repudiating the things of the world?

Do you love your enemies? Or do you relish words of hatred? Do you return a blessing when you are cursed? Or wish doom on those who have harmed you? Do you quickly and freely forgive? Or, do you hold grudges, remembering those particular sins against you? Are you a peacemaker? Or do you prefer stirring up strife?

These are all ways to take up the cross. God calls us Christians to a very different standard than the world. To fail to be like Jesus in these matters is to choose the will of the devil, like Peter did on that day.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Peter does not want Jesus to suffer and die because that means that the Kingdom will not come to pass. Thus, Peter and the other disciples will also likely perish. If Peter is seeking to save his own skin, then he really is going to die the death.

But if you put your faith in Jesus Christ and the power of Resurrection, then you find life and that abundantly.

Peter and the disciples were counting on taking over in Jerusalem, gaining the whole world. But what if they are unwilling to submit to the will of God? Then they will be just like the Pharisees who gained the world and lost their souls. Bad trade.

EXHORTATION

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Jesus came into His Kingdom at the Ascension. The disciples finally realize this at Pentecost.

Our duty is to embrace the cross, which is the forgiveness of sins for sinners like us. But we also embrace the Resurrection, which means there is life after death. Furthemore, we embrace the Ascension which means the Lord Jesus is alive and well and ruling Heaven and Earth. Again, we embrace Pentecost, which means that Jesus is with His Church in power until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Realizing Christ

It is a great privilege to partake of the Lord’s Table every week. Many have argued for the real presence of Jesus at Communion. Roman Catholics say the bread turns into the flesh of Jesus and the wine turns into His blood, transubstantiation. 

The Lutherans say that the body of Jesus is present near or around the elements that are still bread and wine, consubstantiation. 

The Baptists say that Jesus is only present in our memories and in our hearts as we partake. As to the elements, non-substantiation. 

The Presbyterians argue for the presence of Jesus through His Holy Spirit as we partake of the sanctified bread and wine in faith. Shall we call this hagio-substantiation? 

CREC types like to say that Jesus is present in the action of eating the meal, putting this emphasis on DO this, we’ll call this actio-substantiation.

I agree that there are some real and major theological differences in how we understand Jesus to be present at this meal. We should continue to study God’s Word to answer those important questions. But I hope you notice that all Christians recognize the special presence of Jesus at this meal. Something is going on here as we eat and drink in faith. 

I don’t think we have to argue for the literal body or blood of Jesus to be here at all, unless we further understand who are the body and blood of Jesus. It is you. It is me. In that sense, we are literally body and blood. And Jesus literally gave Himself for us, body and blood. But He expressly said that His Spirit would be here and dwell with us always. As we eat and drink, God is with us, literally, in Spirit. We are body bought, blood bought and His Spirit is here to testify of this truth.

As we eat and drink, in faith, Christ becomes real to us. He presents Himself to us and we receive Him. This meal is not mere remembrance. It is an action in which we who are called by His name and Spirit realize the truth of Jesus. He is given for us. He belongs to us and we belong to Him. So, eat and drink in faith so that Christ is real to you.

The Big Fail

We confess sins together at church every week. In your homes, you also get the chance to regularly confess sins. How are you doing?

The big fail is a failure to confess. It seems easy in our minds to confess. At least, until you get your feelings hurt or your rights trampled on. Then, you feel justified in your ridiculous stubbornness.  The big failure is a failure to see things as they really are, to see yourself as you really are. Do you really take yourself so seriously that everyone else has to also? That’s a laugh.

You get the chance to confess right now. Do you savor the things of self, we call that the things of Satan. Or do you savor the things of God? If you savor the things of God, then you will gladly kneel before Him, confess your sins and seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

The only way to fail as a Christian is to fail to confess sins.  That is the big fail.

Matthew 15 Sermon Notes

Matthew 15:1-39

Faith Like a Caananite

Sermon Notes

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December 11, 2016

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         The Kingdom has come in Jesus. The Pharisees reject their king, finding offense in Him. So, Jesus heals all those who come to Him in humble faith.

         Who represents you? The Pharisees or the Canaanite?

EXEGESIS

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,  2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 

Some forms of religion are concerned about the wrong things. There is nothing wrong with traditions but sometimes they develop the authority of manmade scripture. This way has to be the way even when this way cannot be defended by the Bible.

But that is not the only thing Jesus condemns here. He condemns a particular sort of blindness that would strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. The men asking this question are continuing to teach and live in a sinful way. There persnicketyness is laughable given the circumstances.

This is not unique to Pharisees. I have known men drawn to Covenant Renewal Worship or Reformed Theology that are at the same time cheating on their wives. What good is Reformed Theology to an adulterer? It is a devastating lack of priorities.

3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Jesus does not answer their question directly. He turns on them. You, who seem so spiritual that you must even wash your hands before a meal, lest you become unholy, are you really unholy? How about your stealing? Is that holy?

4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

The Pharisees developed a work around for honoring parents. Learn here that Jesus makes the point that children should honor their parents by taking care of them financially when needed.

The meaning seems to be that a child who neglects to honor his parents with financial help can then offer a free will offering and be acquitted. The Pharisees would rather have the money than for the people to be obedient.

Which seems the greater duty? Washing hands before a meal or honoring one’s parents? Jesus condemns the Pharisees of tossing the Bible on its head.

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus points out the hypocrisy of the thing. Why even be a Christian if you are not going to obey the Bible? Your words and actions are pretense. The love of  God and of His people should flow from your heart. To worship God in such hypocrisy is vanity. That is it will not result in any benefit whatsoever. In fact, the hypocrisy increases the curse.

Matt. 15:10   And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

This is a very simple yet profound truth. The washing of the outside does not keep on from defilement. It is only the washing of the heart, mind and soul that cleans a man. A man cleansed from within will begin to think God’s thoughts after him. His speech and whole way of life will be transformed.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 

Of course they were offended. Jesus put His finger in their eye. He touched the center of their religion and it didn’t feel like God.

13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Jesus says not to worry about the offense. Don’t try to appease them or explain away the offense. If they belong to God they will understand and return with repentance. If they do not belong to God, then they will nurse the wound, it will fester, and they will suffer the consequences. God, Himself, will destroy them.

Furthermore, the blind are leading the blind. The Pharisees deceive those who are also willfully blind. Jesus speaks the truth but He leaves the consequences up to God.

15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.  16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

We understand most of Jesus’s parables now because they were explained either by Jesus or by two thousand years of pastors and theologians. But many of His sayings were obscure and difficult. It is a bit odd that Peter asks Jesus to explain this one. The one that is most directly literal. Jesus takes the opportunity to expand on the meaning.

17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

That’s the easy part. There is no food or drink that will defile a man in an of itself. No food is unclean. Not sugar. Not gluten. Not carbs. Not alcohol. All are clean.

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

At first glance, this teaching is encouraging. We are glad that we do no have to be so uptight about what we eat or drink. If we are thankful, then the food is spiritually clean.

But the hard truth crashes down on us. It is the things that proceed out of the heart that defile a man. Then we see that we say, think and do things that are ungodly. Where do these things come from? Our environment? Our food? Our school? Our parents? Our siblings? Our church? No, they come from our hearts!

Then we are lost! What can we do? The Pharisees respond by washing their hands, or declaring a small offering sufficient to washing away a capital offense. But that will not do. When we wash the outside of the cup, the inside is still dirty. Nothing for it but to get on one’s knees in repentance. Only then, is a new heart in store.

Matt. 15:21   Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 

The Canaanite woman came to Jesus for the sake of her daughter but she had a need, too. Mark says she was a Syrophoencian. She was from the area of Syria.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.  24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus makes a statement that is true at one level and untrue at another. Jesus came to save Israel. We know that after the Resurrection at Pentecost, the definition of Israel gets expanded. The Church becomes the New Israel and it fills up the whole earth. Jesus is hinting at it here.

I believe this statement is said with a twinkle in His eye and a wink to the Apostle John. Watch this.

Why would I heal this woman and her daughter? If I did that, I might have to heal the whole world.

The Pharisees were offended when Jesus accuses them of mixing up their priorities. This woman is essentially told to go away and she is not offended. She desires Jesus even more.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

She perseveres. She knows from when her help comes. She pursues Jesus as her Savior.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Jesus turns the Pharisees teaching on its head. Shall we give our inheritance to our parents? No, we will give a portion of it to God  and call it good.

Jesus says, “Shall I help this poor woman, of whom I have no obligation to do so?” “No, the inheritance belongs to the children.”

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 

She won’t give up. She acknowledges her position and that she doesn’t even have a place at the table. She does not deserve a place, because she is a dog, a pagan, an outsider, unclean, unworthy. She appeals only to the mercy and grace of Jesus.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus saw her great faith when she approached Him. It was the perfect opportunity to teach the disciples how wicked the Pharisees were and how merciful and gracious He was.

Matt. 15:29   And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.  30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:  31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

The Canaanite woman represented the crowd, those who are lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many other maladies. They come to the feet of Jesus and He heals them. But the proud Pharisees, who are also lame, blind, dumb, maimed and demon possessed, refuse the feet of Jesus and remain in their sin.

EXHORTATION

32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?  34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.  35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.  37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.  38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.  39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

Jesus has compassion on the multitude and He heals them every one.

Seven Baskets Full

What happens when Jesus breaks bread and gives it to you? Seven loaves becomes seven baskets of loaves.

Think about this for a moment. We share one loaf to feed everyone. We share a bottle of wine and everyone drinks from it. And the result is not starvation and thirst.The result is mounds of bread and bottles of wine. The result is full tummies and glad hearts.

This body and blood of Jesus fills up our hearts, our families, the entire room, our fair city, our historic commonwealth, our God blessed nation and the world, for whom the Father sent His Son.

Do you see the miracle that is the bread and wine? Do you see the miracle that is Jesus filling up the whole world? We partake of and receive Him by grace through faith. A little bit of Jesus is exactly enough.

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