Matthew (Part 16)
Bible Study Time 1-6-08
Bible Study Time 1-6-08
In Matthew, Chapter 26, we read that Jesus was arrested and falsely accused of blasphemy. In Chapter 27, Pilate consented to the death of Jesus, and we read that:
Matthew 27:27-29
27 . . . the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 . . . they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: . . . they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
Jesus had been announced as the Promised Messiah. He had done many miracles to prove that He was the Hope of Israel, but rather than a crown of royal jewels, He was given a crown of thorns. Rather than glory, honor and praise, He was mocked and humiliated.
A thousand years before Christ, the Psalmist recognized the glory of the Messiah and said:
Psalms 96:1-13 (KJ2000)
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O you families of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
The Psalmist knew the glory which would emanate from the throne of the Messiah, and the Jews of Jesus’ day knew this as well, but they found it impossible to believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was really the One for whom they longed. The writer of the book of Hebrews said that Jesus despised the shame but still endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.
Matthew says that the soldiers:
Matthew 27:30-32
30 . . . spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head.
31 And after . . . they had mocked him, they . . . put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 . . . as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
The Apostle John tells us that Jesus actually carried His own cross for at least part of the way before Simon the Cyrenian was compelled to help. Jesus had come to offer Himself as the King of the Jews, but He was willing to bear the cross which would bring salvation to all who believe.
At this point in time, the salvation that Jesus was offering to the Jews was both spiritual and political. If accepted by the Jews, it would bring spiritual salvation to the soul as well as a political kingdom.
Matthew says that:
Matthew 27:33-35
33 . . . when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing did they cast lots.
King David knew about the coming glory of the kingdom, but He also saw the agony and the suffering of the Messiah. In Psalm 22, he said:
Psalms 22:1 (KJ2000)
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?
Psalms 22:6-8 (KJ2000)
6 . . . I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psalms 22:16-18 (KJ2000)
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.
David wrote about the glory and the humiliation of the Messiah, and these prophesies were used extensively by Matthew and the other Apostles after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord to prove that Jesus had fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies. We see this in Matthew 27 as Matthew reminds the Jews that:
Matthew 27:45,46 (KJ2000)
45 . . . from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Matthew 27:50-54 (KJ2000)
50 (Then) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks were split;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
This centurion was one of the few who were able to see with spiritual eyes the truth of who Jesus really was, but for the most part, the rest of the Jews continued in their spiritual blindness, rejecting any notion that Jesus had come from God to be their Savior and King.
In Acts, Chapter 2, Peter plainly declared to the Jews that when they killed Jesus, they killed their Messiah. He said:
Acts 2:22,23 (KJ2000)
22 You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:32,33 (KJ2000)
32 This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, which you now see and hear.
Acts 2:36 (KJ2000)
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter said that it was not by accident that Jesus was killed, but that Jesus was actually delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. You see, Jesus had agreed before the creation of the universe to submit to the death of the cross.
God’s love is eternal even as God is eternal, but who was the object of His love prior to the creation. Throughout the ages of eternity past, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit loved one another. As Jesus said:
John 5:20 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does . . .
According to Peter, it was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who established a Covenant of Redemption before the creation. The plan included the creation of man with human intelligence and the capacity to make decisions according to his free will.
With this free will, they knew that man would sin and that he would need a Savior if he was to avoid the wages of sin. Since the wages of sin is death, it was decided that God the Son would enter into the human race so that He could shed the innocent blood for sin’s atonement. In so doing, He would also reveal to man the righteousness of God.
God’s purpose in giving the Bible to us today is that we might be made aware of God’s plan of redemption. Of course, God doesn’t just lay the plan out all at once in the Genesis, Chapter 1. No, but we do see hints of this plan all through the Old Testament.
However, once the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was accomplished, God started revealing through the Apostles what God had been planning since before the beginning.
John said:
John 1:1 (KJ2000)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:18 (KJ2000)
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
John the Baptist said:
John 3:34, 35 (KJ2000)
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
The Father had committed this work of redemption to the Son, and the Son was committed to accomplishing this mission so as to bring glory to the Father. This kind of love the world knows nothing of. It is a divine love which is pure and eternal. When the people marveled at the miracles of Jesus, Jesus said:
John 5:20-24 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises up the dead, and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
In these words we sense that Jesus is offering to these lost sinners the opportunity to enter into the realm of God with all of the spiritual blessings that are to be found in that realm. These blessings go far beyond our material world. Only these spiritual blessings can satisfy the longing soul of man.
Jesus Christ offered Himself to the Jews as their Messiah and King, but He knew that before He could rule as the Son of David, He would have to die as the Son of God. Jesus Christ loved the Father and made a covenant with the Father that He would accomplish this task. Jesus said:
John 10:17,18 (KJ2000)
17 Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man 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 commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus Christ came to the earth in accordance with His covenant with the Father. Jesus agreed to lay down His life so that all who believe might pass from the realm of death into the realm of life where the members of the Godhead fellowship together.
This answers the question of why Jesus would agree to die for sinful men who would hate Him and spit upon Him and kill Him. He agreed to do this because He and the other members of the Godhead experience the kind of love that man knows nothing about. It’s the kind of love that brings salvation to sinners and then transports sinners into the realm of God’s righteousness.
Paul said that when we put our faith in Christ, we are baptized into Christ and that because of our position in Christ, we become Sons of God as well. In Romans 8, Paul said:
Romans 8:1 (KJ2000)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:14-17 (KJ2000)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, so that we may be also glorified together.
When we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into the fellowship of the Godhead. We became joint-heirs with Christ of all that Christ enjoys as the Son of God. Then, Paul follows up this thought with the realization that we are also called to suffer with Christ.
If Jesus was willing to face the death of the cross in order to accomplish the will of the Father, how can we do less than dedicate ourselves to the will of God? Paul said in Romans 12:
Romans 12:1-2 (KJ2000)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Well, it certainly has been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.
Church links:
Matthew 27:27-29
27 . . . the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 . . . they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: . . . they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
Jesus had been announced as the Promised Messiah. He had done many miracles to prove that He was the Hope of Israel, but rather than a crown of royal jewels, He was given a crown of thorns. Rather than glory, honor and praise, He was mocked and humiliated.
A thousand years before Christ, the Psalmist recognized the glory of the Messiah and said:
Psalms 96:1-13 (KJ2000)
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O you families of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
The Psalmist knew the glory which would emanate from the throne of the Messiah, and the Jews of Jesus’ day knew this as well, but they found it impossible to believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was really the One for whom they longed. The writer of the book of Hebrews said that Jesus despised the shame but still endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.
Matthew says that the soldiers:
Matthew 27:30-32
30 . . . spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head.
31 And after . . . they had mocked him, they . . . put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 . . . as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
The Apostle John tells us that Jesus actually carried His own cross for at least part of the way before Simon the Cyrenian was compelled to help. Jesus had come to offer Himself as the King of the Jews, but He was willing to bear the cross which would bring salvation to all who believe.
At this point in time, the salvation that Jesus was offering to the Jews was both spiritual and political. If accepted by the Jews, it would bring spiritual salvation to the soul as well as a political kingdom.
Matthew says that:
Matthew 27:33-35
33 . . . when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing did they cast lots.
King David knew about the coming glory of the kingdom, but He also saw the agony and the suffering of the Messiah. In Psalm 22, he said:
Psalms 22:1 (KJ2000)
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?
Psalms 22:6-8 (KJ2000)
6 . . . I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psalms 22:16-18 (KJ2000)
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.
David wrote about the glory and the humiliation of the Messiah, and these prophesies were used extensively by Matthew and the other Apostles after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord to prove that Jesus had fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies. We see this in Matthew 27 as Matthew reminds the Jews that:
Matthew 27:45,46 (KJ2000)
45 . . . from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Matthew 27:50-54 (KJ2000)
50 (Then) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks were split;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
This centurion was one of the few who were able to see with spiritual eyes the truth of who Jesus really was, but for the most part, the rest of the Jews continued in their spiritual blindness, rejecting any notion that Jesus had come from God to be their Savior and King.
In Acts, Chapter 2, Peter plainly declared to the Jews that when they killed Jesus, they killed their Messiah. He said:
Acts 2:22,23 (KJ2000)
22 You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:32,33 (KJ2000)
32 This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, which you now see and hear.
Acts 2:36 (KJ2000)
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter said that it was not by accident that Jesus was killed, but that Jesus was actually delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. You see, Jesus had agreed before the creation of the universe to submit to the death of the cross.
God’s love is eternal even as God is eternal, but who was the object of His love prior to the creation. Throughout the ages of eternity past, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit loved one another. As Jesus said:
John 5:20 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does . . .
According to Peter, it was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who established a Covenant of Redemption before the creation. The plan included the creation of man with human intelligence and the capacity to make decisions according to his free will.
With this free will, they knew that man would sin and that he would need a Savior if he was to avoid the wages of sin. Since the wages of sin is death, it was decided that God the Son would enter into the human race so that He could shed the innocent blood for sin’s atonement. In so doing, He would also reveal to man the righteousness of God.
God’s purpose in giving the Bible to us today is that we might be made aware of God’s plan of redemption. Of course, God doesn’t just lay the plan out all at once in the Genesis, Chapter 1. No, but we do see hints of this plan all through the Old Testament.
However, once the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was accomplished, God started revealing through the Apostles what God had been planning since before the beginning.
John said:
John 1:1 (KJ2000)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:18 (KJ2000)
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
John the Baptist said:
John 3:34, 35 (KJ2000)
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
The Father had committed this work of redemption to the Son, and the Son was committed to accomplishing this mission so as to bring glory to the Father. This kind of love the world knows nothing of. It is a divine love which is pure and eternal. When the people marveled at the miracles of Jesus, Jesus said:
John 5:20-24 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises up the dead, and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
In these words we sense that Jesus is offering to these lost sinners the opportunity to enter into the realm of God with all of the spiritual blessings that are to be found in that realm. These blessings go far beyond our material world. Only these spiritual blessings can satisfy the longing soul of man.
Jesus Christ offered Himself to the Jews as their Messiah and King, but He knew that before He could rule as the Son of David, He would have to die as the Son of God. Jesus Christ loved the Father and made a covenant with the Father that He would accomplish this task. Jesus said:
John 10:17,18 (KJ2000)
17 Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man 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 commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus Christ came to the earth in accordance with His covenant with the Father. Jesus agreed to lay down His life so that all who believe might pass from the realm of death into the realm of life where the members of the Godhead fellowship together.
This answers the question of why Jesus would agree to die for sinful men who would hate Him and spit upon Him and kill Him. He agreed to do this because He and the other members of the Godhead experience the kind of love that man knows nothing about. It’s the kind of love that brings salvation to sinners and then transports sinners into the realm of God’s righteousness.
Paul said that when we put our faith in Christ, we are baptized into Christ and that because of our position in Christ, we become Sons of God as well. In Romans 8, Paul said:
Romans 8:1 (KJ2000)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:14-17 (KJ2000)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, so that we may be also glorified together.
When we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into the fellowship of the Godhead. We became joint-heirs with Christ of all that Christ enjoys as the Son of God. Then, Paul follows up this thought with the realization that we are also called to suffer with Christ.
If Jesus was willing to face the death of the cross in order to accomplish the will of the Father, how can we do less than dedicate ourselves to the will of God? Paul said in Romans 12:
Romans 12:1-2 (KJ2000)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Well, it certainly has been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.
Church links:
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