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Sunday Morning 4 Nov 2007
In this chapter we have 2 parts split into 4 scenes.
Part 1v1-12:
1st scene v1: A warning to
lost Souls
The Pharisees and Sadducees join forces to test Jesus!
Their hatred of Jesus unifies them. This is the first
time they have joined together!
They can’t agree normally together but they agree over
their rejection of Jesus.
V4 Jesus condemns them straight away! Says they were
evil and unfaithful.
Their asking for a sign was pure sham / mockery. Really
they did not want anything to do with God!
The only sign they would get was he sign of Jonah. See
Mat 12v39-40
That for them would be no real sign at all! They
expected cosmic signs etc
Jonah disappeared out of sight and sound - that is what
would happen to Jesus.
For the Pha and Sad that would confirm their assumption
that Jesus was not the one!
The scene finishes with Jesus leaving them and going away!
What can we learn from this?
Jesus is nobodies fool! In coming to him there must be
no hint of insincerity or unbelief! That will only
receive his rebuke and rejection!
The way to go to Jesus is humbly and honestly. If we are
unsure, and don’t fully understand we are honest about
that too!
Jesus is not to be messed around with! Our acceptance or
rejection of Jesus is thee most important thing in the
whole universe!
2nd scene v5. A warning to
Saved Souls
Obviously this bit of detail is not there just to show
us that the disciples were a bit forgetful! v5
It is there to show us the situation and how the skilful
Teacher used the it!
So what does he do?
He brings up the concept of yeast. A very important
ingredient in bread, but also one that historically the Jews
left out of their bread to remember the speedy escape from
Egypt (see Ex12).
So here are the disciples in the boat, without bread and
Jesus starts to talk about the yeast of the Pha & Sad!
They don’t know what Jesus is getting at and conclude
that Jesus is talking about having no bread!
This has become a big problem for them! They are
worried. We know that because the first thing Jesus does
is pull them up about their lack of faith v8!
They were on a purely superficial level - thinking of
their stomachs!
But Jesus is not talking about bread at all! V11.
He was talking about yeast - that one ingredient that
did not go into their bread!
Then v12 tells us that the penny dropped for the
disciples. They realised Jesus was talking about the
“teaching” of the Pha & Sad!
The teaching of the Pharisees was what was dangerous and to
be avoided!
Note: Jesus is teaching all the time. He uses the situation
with the Pharisees and with the bread to help the disciples
understand!
What is it about the Pharisees teaching and yeast? It may
just be a very small amount but it is very dangerous and
spreads like wildfire!
What was their teaching / failing? Both groups taught
different things but at the end of day they both taught a
way of following God that did not involve following Jesus!
Which lead inevitably to hypocrisy, because without Jesus
you cannot follow God!
They became hypocrites - all outward show! See 15v7.
The Lord’s strong warning v6 - told to be careful and be on
guard.
V6 "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard
against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
“be careful” - comes from the word “to see”
“guard” - from word “to attend to / pay close attention to”
Jesus condemns this false teaching more strongly than
anything else!
An abomination to God! Why? Because it’s a lie, that
humans find very easy to believe!
We like to think we can follow God our own way! That we
don’t need Jesus!
We always need to make sure that our lives are focused
on Jesus.
The moment we move away from him is the moment that we
are putting yeast into our bread! We are seeking to grow
in ways of our own invention, rather than the simple way
of following Jesus.
sunday evening service 4th Nov 2007
Part 2 scene 3.
3rd scene v13: A personal
Soul Question
Just as the 1st scene involved a test so now
the 1st scene of part 2 involves a test.
This time however, it is Jesus testing the disciples.
They have moved into another region, and they are around
6months away from the Cross. Time is pressing!
Jesus now get to the heart of the matter! Who is he really!?
This is what it is all about. The identity of Jesus.
The Lords test is split into two:
Generally who do people think Jesus is? V13-14.
This general question was to make sure that the disciples
had a fully informed decision to make! They new all the
options on the table!
Specifically who do he disciples think He is? V15-16
Knowing that the disciples had all the possibilities at
hand, He wanted to see if they realised yet, who He was.
This time Peter gets the right answer. The disciples then
are learning!
Note: it is good to come to Jesus with a full appreciation
of all the options at hand. We have nothing to fear in
investigating Jesus. Either he was who he claimed to be or
he wasn’t!
Faith needs to come to it’s own conclusions! What I
believe and know about Jesus is my faith! You cannot
rest your faith on my faith! You need to believe for
yourself! V15 - “what about you?”
V17 - yet their learning was a revelation! God opened their
hearts to believe. Peter gets a personal beatitude! All who
come to this point of belief also get personal
beatitudes!!!!!!!!!
V18-19 a great commendation comes for Peter now.
He is appointed a position of authority in the Kingdom of
God.
Yet not as another Head, but as a “first among equals”.
Keys were for access and whatever else the keys represent
they show the person who knows the truth has access to
heaven and can give access to others by telling them the
truth too.
Next we have the last scene V21 : The
Paradox of Saving your soul.
Following the high of the confession of Peter and the
disciples Jesus begins to do something again! He
teaches! He teaches what Messiah-ship is all about. Not
about glory and power by way of military battle, but
about glory and power through the Cross! Totally not
what was expected of the Messiah.
The disciples recognise Jesus as the Messiah, now they
need to recognise the Way of the Messiah!
Remember this is around 6 months before the cross!
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
"Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind
me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have
in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
This Way Peter cannot accept! He rebukes the Lord! - he
is saying “I know better”! perfectly assured that this
cannot take place.
The Lord rebukes him! Peter is brought down to earth. He
was thinking in an earthly way about the Way of the
Messiah. Before he was commended as a good sound solid
rock, now he is a shifty dangerous rock
“stumbling-block”
Peter had come to Jesus as his close confidant - already
acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, and then puts this
temptation before Him!
How sure Peter must have felt about the situation! Yet
how wrong he was!
Note: being utterly convinced about something does not mean
you are right!!
A humble recognition of reliable ‘others’ may keep us from
doing the devils work!
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will find it.
Not only is the Way of the Messiah one of death, so is
the disciples way!
Peter had to concentrate on his own following rather
than on the Way the Messiah would follow!
Note : don’t worry about what other people are up to. Make
sure that you are following. It is your own soul that is a
stake!
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the
whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give
in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man
is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and
then he will reward each person according to what he has
done.
The logic of following is simple. There is no choice
really. The choice is live for yourself and gain as much
stuff as you can, then die and go to hell.
Or live for God doing his will, not your own, thus
saving your life and going to heaven!
Your soul will have to be given at one time or another!
Now, happily willingly. Later, forcefully and fearfully.
Jesus does not want us to waist our lives!
