LESSON 7
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
CHPTRS. 20-24
Explanations Continued Matt. 22:37-46 & Matt. Chapter 23
c. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: Jesus demonstrated the reality of the resurrection using only the Torah; the five books of Moses, which were the only books the Sadducees accepted as authoritative. If Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not live on in resurrection, then God would say that He was the God of Abraham, instead of saying “I am the God of Abraham.”
D. Question from a Scribe.
1. (34-36) Question from a lawyer among the Pharisees: which is the greatest commandment?
a. When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered: Matthew gives us the fascinating scene of the opponents of Jesus working hard to embarrass Him – and working unsuccessfully.
b. Asked Him a question, testing Him: This question was also planned to trap Jesus. In asking Jesus to choose one great commandment, they hoped to make Jesus show neglect for another area of the law.
1). The Rabbis reckoned up 613 commandments of the law; and distinguished them into the greater and the lesser. These later they thought might be neglected or violated with little or no guilt.
As Moses’ law or commandments are mentioned, it is not just referring to the 10 Commandments, but the 613 laws later added–Levitical law, governmental laws, judicial laws, moral laws, spiritual laws, civil laws, keeping of feasts and festivals. Jesus/ Yahshua is our guide when it comes to obedience, as He provided the proper example of how to live the precepts of His Father Yahweh. Being sinless, Yahshua was faithful to the Old Testament commandments, including the weekly Sabbath and Feasts, Hebrews 4:15, 1Peter 2:22. JESUS/YAHSHUA FULFILLED THE LAW!!
2. (37-40) Jesus answers: Loving God and your neighbor.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Notice heart ( mind of the spirit), soul ( mind, will and emotions,) and mind mentioned again.
1st and only commandment—PERFECT LOVE
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Galatians 5:13-17 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Sin by definition: An act which expresses man’s selfishness and his failure to love his God or his neighbor at some given point of contact.
PERFECT LOVE MAKES SIN IMPOSSIBLE
a. Jesus said to him: Perfectly understanding the essence of the law, Jesus had no difficulty answering. Instead of promoting one command over another, Jesus defined the law in its core principles: love the LORD with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.
i. It is clear enough what it means to love the LORD with all we are, though it is impossible to do perfectly. But there has been much confusion about what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. This doesn’t mean that we must love ourselves before we can love anyone else; it means that in the same way we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests, we should take care and have concern for the interests of others.
b. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets: God’s moral expectation of man can be briefly and powerfully said in these two sentences. If the life of God is real in our life, it will show by the presence of this love for God and others.
E. Jesus asks a question of His opponents.
1. (41-42a) Jesus asks about the lineage of the Messiah.
a. While the Pharisees were gathered together: Before they could think of another question to test Him, Jesus asked them a question.
b. What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? This was similar to the question Jesus asked of His disciples in Matthew 16:13-15 (Who do you say that I am?). Jesus confronted His opponents with the need to decide who He was, connecting Himself to the Old Testament understanding of the Messiah (the Christ).
2. (42b) The Pharisees identify the lineage of the Messiah.
a. The Son of David: This is one of the great Old Testament titles of the Messiah. Founded on the covenant God made with King David in 2 Samuel 7, it identifies the Christ as the chosen descendant of King David’s royal line (see also Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 9:6-7, and Luke 1:31-33).
b. The Son of David: It is possible that the Pharisees did not know or had forgotten that Jesus was of the line of King David and was even born in Bethlehem, the city of David. When Jesus recently entered Jerusalem, it was noted that He was from Nazareth, and perhaps His connection to King David had been unknown or forgotten (Matthew 21:11).
3. (43-45) Jesus is not only David’s Son; He is also David’s Lord.
Ps. 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Heb. 1:13
a. How then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord: The Pharisees were partially right in saying that the Messiah is the Son of David. But they didn’t have a complete understanding of who the Messiah is. He is not only David’s Son (a reference to His humanity), but He is also David’s Lord (a reference to the deity of Jesus, the Messiah).
b. If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his Son? Jesus’ brilliantly simple explanation of the Scriptures put the Pharisees on the defensive. They did not want to admit that the Messiah was also the LORD God, but Jesus showed this is true from the Scriptures.
4. (46) Jesus’ enemies in retreat.
a. No one was able to answer Him a word: The religious leaders hoped to trap Jesus and embarrass Him in front of the Passover pilgrims that crowded Jerusalem and heard Him teach. Yet Jesus embarrassed them instead.
1). Yet even their silence was a tribute. The teacher who never attended the right schools (John 7:15-18) confounds the greatest theologians in the land. And if his question (Matthew 22:45) was unanswerable at this time, a young Pharisee, who may have been in Jerusalem at the time, was to answer it in due course (Romans 1:1-4; 9:5).”
b. Nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore: Logic and rhetoric proved useless in attacking Jesus. Now His enemies would use treachery and violence instead.
1). Jesus was done debating with the religious leaders. From now on he will not debate with the authorities but will go over their heads to the crowd.
CHAPTER 23
Matthew 23:1-39
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.3 “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.4 “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.5 “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.6 “They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,7 “greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’8 “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.10 “And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.11 “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.12 “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation.15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’17 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?18 “And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’19 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?20 “Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.21 “He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.22 “And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.24 “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.26 “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.28 “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,30 “and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.32 “Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.33 “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?34 “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,35 “that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.36 “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!38 “See! Your house is left to you desolate;39 “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
23:1-39 THE FALSE RELIGION OF THE PHERISAS Then Yah Shua words with the congregation and with his disciples, wording, Upon the seat of Mosheh sit the scribes and the Pherisas: so all they word to you to guard, guard and work: and as to their works, work not: for they word, and work not: and they bind heavy burdens and place them on the shoulders of the sons of humanity: and they with their fingers will to not offer them: and they work all their works to be seen by the sons of humanity: for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the fringes of their garments: and befriend the hierarchs feasting at suppers and the seats of hierarchs in the congregation and shaloms in the markets: and to be called by humanity, Rabbi. HONORARY TITLES RESERVED FOR DEITY And you, call yourselves not, Rabbi: for one is your Rabbi — even the Meshiah and you all, brothers: and call no man on earth, father: for one is your Father — in the heavens: and be not called leaders: because one is your leader, even the Meshiah. And whoever is Rabbi among you becomes your minister: and whoever exalts his soul humbles his soul: and whoever humbles his soul, exalts. YAH SHUA DENOUNCES THE PHERISAS Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites! For you devour houses of widows and for a pretext prolong your prayers: because of this you take more judgment. But woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites! For you withhold the sovereigndom of the heavens in front of the sons of humanity: for you enter not — you those entering, you allow not to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites!! For you surround the sea and the dry to work one proselyte: and when he becomes, you work him a son of Gihana — the Valley of Burning double above yourselves. Woe to You, you blind guides — you who word, He who oaths in the nave, as being naught whatever: and he who oaths in the gold of the nave, is indebted. Foolish and blind! for which is greater, The gold? Or the nave hallowing the gold? And, he who oaths in the sacrifice altar, as being naught whatever, and he who oaths in the qurbana upon is, is indebted. Foolish and blind! Which is greater, The qurbana? Or the sacrifice altar hallowing the qurbana? So he who oaths in the sacrifice altar, oaths in it, and by all — whatever it has upon it: and he who oaths in the nave, oaths therein and in him who inhabits therein: and he who oaths in the heavens, oaths in the throne of God, and in him sitting thereon. Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites!! For you tithe of mint and anise and cummin and forsake the heavy matters of the torah — the judgment and the mercy and the trust: and you need to be working these and not to be forsaking these. Guides — blind! you strain at gnats and swallow camels. Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites! For you purify the cup and the glass outside and inside they are filled with extortion and injustice. Blind Pherisas! First purify the inward cup and glass, so that it also becomes purified outside. Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs from afar manifest well but from within are filled with dead bones and all that is foul. Even thus you — from outside you also manifest to humanity as being just, and from the inside you are filled with injustice and hypocrizing hypocrisy. Woe to you, scribes and Pherisas! Hypocrizing hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets
and you adorn the house of the tombs of the just: and you word, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we had not been — been partakers in the blood of the prophets. And then you witness upon your souls that you are the sons of them who slaughtered the prophets: and also you — you fulfill the measure of your fathers. Serpents! Offspring of vipers! How flee you from the judgment of Gihana — the Valley of Burning? Because of this, behold, I apostolize to you
prophets and wise and scribes: and of them, you slaughter and you stake and of them, you torture in your congregations and persecute from city to city:
so as there comes upon you all the just blood poured upon the earth — from the blood of just Habeil — to the blood of Zechar Yah son of Berak Yah whom you slaughtered between the nave and the sacrifice altar. Amen! I word to you,All these come upon this generation. YAH SHUA LAMENTS OVER URI SHELEM Uri Shelem! Uri Shelem! — you who slaughter the prophets and stone them apostolized to you — how often I willed to congregate your sons as a hen congregates her younglings under her wings — and you willed not! Behold, your house is forsaken to you, desolate. For I word to you, You see me not from now, until you word, Eulogized — he who comes in the name of Yah Veh. Aramaic NC
Explanations for Matthew 23:1-39
We will continue with Les.7 next week.
The blessings of the Lord are upon you whether by blood, adoption/sonship or assignment. The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Prov. 10:22
David & Mary Sue