The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (50 page)

The parable of the dragnet (13:47–51) portrayed the separation of Jesus' righteous disciples from the wicked people of the world in final judgment and the punishment that the wicked will face. The parable of the scribe (13:52) depicted Jesus' disciples as better qualifi ed than the scribes and Pharisees to serve as teachers of the law. In their storeroom of instruction, they had both old (the OT) and new treasures (the teachings of Jesus).

D. Galilean Ministry Extended to the North (13–17)
This section of the Gospel begins with another reference to the rejection of Jesus by his own people, this time, the people of Nazareth, his own hometown (13:53–58). The beginning of the close of the Galilean ministry is further signaled by the execution of John the Baptist, last heard from in 11:1–19, by Herod the Tetrarch (14:1–12). In God's plan John's mission as a voice preparing the way for the Lord in the wilderness has been fulfilled, and he passes from the scene, with Jesus' mission in full swing.

Jesus sought to retreat to a place of solitude after John's death, but the crowds followed him wherever he went. He miraculously provided for the crowds through the miracle of the loaves and the fish (14:13–21). He also amazed his disciples by the miracle of walking on the water (14:22–36). The two miracles were reminiscent of the provision of the manna in the wilderness and the crossing of the Red Sea and thus contribute to Matthew's emphasis on Jesus' identity as the new Moses. Jesus' miracles resulted in even greater popularity among the common people who thronged around Jesus in hopes that they might just touch the hem of his garments and be healed.

This popularity stirred the resentment of the Pharisees and scribes. They traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee to challenge Jesus for breaking their traditions (15:1–20). Jesus denounced the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites who elevated their own traditions above the commandments of God. He also charged the scribes and Pharisees with caring too much about matters related to Jewish rituals and with neglecting the more important matter, the condition of their hearts.

The faith of the Canaanite woman (15:21–28) provides a striking contrast with the disbelief of the Jewish leaders. Jesus' willingness to heal her demon-possessed daughter and his words of commendation, “Your faith is great,” imply that Jesus would call disciples from among the Gentiles as well as from among the Jews, though for now Jesus affirms the salvation-historical privilege of the Jews and indicates that they are the primary focus of his earthly mission (15:24, 26; see 10:5–6).

Jesus continued his miraculous ministry by ascending a mountain and healing people who suffered from various conditions. He also performed another miraculous feeding that was reminiscent of the miraculous feedings that God provided through Moses during the wilderness wanderings (15:29–39). Despite these frequent, public miracles, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached Jesus and requested another miraculous sign (16:1–12). Jesus insisted again that they would receive only one sign, the sign of Jonah mentioned earlier, Jesus' resurrection. Jesus warned his disciples to avoid the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, perhaps particularly their constant demand for another miracle to prove Jesus' identity.

Jesus' disciples, particularly Peter (16:13–20), recognized Jesus' identity as God's Son as Peter stated in the watershed confession at Caesarea Philippi. According to Jesus, this was the result of divine revelation, and he would build his messianic community on Peter on the basis of his confession.
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However, when Jesus began to predict his suffering, death, and resurrection, Peter protested. This indicates that, despite his confession of Jesus as the Messiah, Peter still did not understand that the Messiah must suffer. Jesus explained that all Christian disciples had to be prepared to bear their own cross just as Jesus was prepared to bear his. Jesus promised his disciples that they would see the dawn of the kingdom before they died.

This promised dawn of the kingdom arrived six days later during the transfiguration of Jesus (17:1–13). Several features of the event are paralleled in Exod 34:29–35. This suggests that the event served to confirm Jesus' identity as the new Moses, the Savior and Redeemer of God's people. However, the event transcends Moses' experience and demonstrates that Jesus is vastly superior to Moses. The description of Jesus echoes descriptions of God in the OT and strongly implies Jesus' deity. Jesus proceeded to cast out a demon which his disciples were unable to expel. Jesus explained that their inability to drive out the
demon was due to their lack of faith. If the disciples had faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible for them.

The section concludes with the account of Jesus' paying the temple tax (17:24–27). Jesus described himself as the Son of the heavenly king and thus under no obligation to pay the tax. But he performed a miracle that displayed his authority over the animal kingdom so that he and Peter could pay the tax and avoid unnecessarily off ending the Jews.

Discourse 4: Parables of the Kingdom (18)
Jesus began the fourth major discourse in Matthew by describing the childlike humility of his disciples, which enabled them to submit to Jesus' authority like a child submitted to his parents' authority (18:1–9). Jesus warned that those who attempted to bring about the downfall of his disciples would be severely punished. Jesus stressed the importance of his disciples to God by promising that their angelic representatives had access to the heavenly throne room and always remained in God's presence. Moreover, God's sovereign will determined that all of Jesus' disciples should remain true to him. Though they may wander from him, they will not be permanently lost (18:10–14).

Jesus outlined a disciplinary process that would encourage true disciples to repent and isolate false disciples from the Christian fellowship (18:15–20). Jesus promised to be present with his disciples when they gathered to seek his leadership regarding what behavior was acceptable or unacceptable for disciples. He also promised to answer their fervent prayer for the sinning brother's forgiveness and restoration.

Finally, Jesus used a powerful parable to urge his disciples to offer gracious forgiveness to others (18:21–35). This forgiveness expressed to others the great grace that God had expressed to the disciple. Failure to offer forgiveness to others showed utter disregard for the magnitude of mercy that God exhibited in forgiving the disciple's sin. True disciples will forgive others. Those who refuse to forgive others who repent demonstrate by their refusal that they are not true disciples. They will suffer God's wrath for their hypocrisy.

III. Jesus' Judean Ministry and His Passion (19–28)

A. Judean Ministry (19–20)
Jesus ended his ministry in Galilee and crossed the Jordan River to enter Judea and begin his journey to Jerusalem. The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus with a question regarding divorce (19:1–12). Jesus affirmed the sanctity and permanence of marriage. He taught that divorce had been permitted in OT law because of the hardheartedness of God's people. The implication was that, since Jesus' disciples were characterized by pure hearts (see 5:8), they were also capable of marital love that fulfilled God's original ideal.

After blessing the children that were brought to him (19:13–15), Jesus explained to a questioner the requirements for inheriting eternal life (19:16–30). Jesus urged him to keep the commandments and named all of the commandments from the second table except for the tenth which was related to possessions. Jesus' command, “[S]ell your belongings.…Then come, follow Me,” was designed to show the young man that he defied the spirit of the Tenth Commandment by his covetousness and the commandment to love
his neighbor by his neglect of the poor. Jesus' teaching was intended to shake the man's dependence on his own good works and to shatter his arrogant refusal to acknowledge his sinfulness and need for divine grace. Such a spirit of prideful self-dependence made entrance into the kingdom difficult for the rich. Kingdom entrance required giving up this self-dependence and humbly relying on the gracious forgiveness of God.

Jesus taught that the sacrifices his disciples made to follow him would be rewarded. The disciples would reign over the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus' disciples would receive back 100 times more than what they had sacrificed for him. This teaching was followed by a parable that demonstrated that just as a rich landowner was free to dispense his wealth as he saw fit, God is free to dispense his grace as he determines (20:1–16).

Jesus then gathered his disciples privately and foretold explicitly his betrayal, trial, mockery, scouring, crucifixion, and resurrection (20:17–19). The mother of James and John approached Jesus asking that her sons be granted special positions in the kingdom (20:20–28). Jesus urged his disciples to offer humble service to others rather than seek to dominate others. He concluded with a powerful statement that portrayed his death as an atoning sacrifice, a ransom for many. As Jesus passed through Jericho, he healed two blind men by touching their eyes (20:29–34).

B. Final Ministry (21–22)
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy by riding a donkey into the city in triumphal procession (21:1–11; see Zech 9:9). The crowds in Jerusalem praised Jesus as both a prophet and as the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah.

Jesus entered the temple and threw out those who sold currency that was acceptable for temple offerings and animals acceptable for temple sacrifice (21:12–17), and he quoted Isa 56:7 as justification for his actions. He also healed the blind and the lame in the temple. Jesus' display of miraculous power and the praises of the children who proclaimed him as the Son of David incited the anger of the Jewish leaders. He then defended the testimony of the children with an appeal to Ps 8:3.

On his way from Jerusalem back to Bethany, Jesus cursed a fig tree whose green leaves gave it the appearance of life but which produced no figs (21:18–22). The tree immediately withered. The cursing of the fig tree foreshadowed the destruction of Jerusalem, which had failed to produce the fruits of righteousness that God expected of it.

When Jesus returned to the temple, the Jewish leaders attempted to trap him in his words (21:23–27). He evaded the trap by laying a clever trap for them. He then contrasted the Jewish leaders with his own disciples by telling a parable about two sons: one who rebelled but later humbly submitted to his father's authority and another who promised obedience but then did not obey (21:28–32). Jesus compared the first son to sinners who repented in response to John's preaching, and the second son to the Jewish leaders who refused to believe and obey John's message.

Jesus then told the parable of the wicked tenants, which describes the Jewish leaders' abuse of the OT prophets and their murder of God's Son. These leaders were motivated by
their refusal to offer to God the fruits of righteousness that he demanded (21:33–46). Jesus warned that God would punish the Jewish leaders by stripping his kingdom from their hands and entrusting it to Jesus' disciples who would produce the righteousness that God expected. The parable enraged the Jewish leaders, and they resolved again to kill Jesus.

The parable of the wedding feast reiterated Jesus' warning by portraying the Jewish leaders as those who insulted the heavenly King by refusing an invitation to honor his Son and by mistreating and killing his servants, the OT prophets (22:1–14). The King destroyed both them and their city, thus foreshadowing the impending destruction of the city of Jerusalem. The King then invited other guests, who represent Jesus' disciples, to participate in the great messianic feast.

Another trap was laid when the Pharisees asked Jesus whether they should pay taxes to the Roman Emperor (22:15–22). If so, he would have acknowledged the Romans' right to tax God's people. If not, they would have had grounds to accuse Jesus of political subversiveness against Rome. Jesus cleverly, and memorably, responded that people must give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Jesus' reply evaded the trap and taught the important principle that since human beings were created in the image and likeness of God, all they have and are belong to God.
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The Sadducees also attempted to trap Jesus by offering what they thought was irrefutable evidence against the doctrine of the resurrection. Jesus demonstrated from the law of Moses that individuals continued to exist even after death (22:23–33).

The Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus again with a question regarding the most important commandment (22:34–40). He replied that the most important commandments required wholehearted devotion to God and love for others and insisted that all other aspects of the law were related to and dependent on these two central commands. Finally, Jesus questioned the Pharisees about the lineage of the Messiah, which they could not answer. He demonstrated that the Messiah was superior to David and was recognized by David himself as Lord (22:41–45). Jesus' response so thwarted the Jewish leaders' ploys that no one dared to challenge Jesus' teaching in a public forum again (22:46).

C. Jesus' Denunciation of the Pharisees (23)
In a series of blistering woes, Jesus warned the crowds that although the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees was generally reliable, their example should not be followed since their lives were not consistent with their teaching (23:1–39). He challenged the egotistical way that these religious leaders sought honor from other people. He urged his followers to be characterized by humility. Jesus pronounced judgment on the scribes and Pharisees for the way they prevented others from entering the kingdom, sentenced those who embraced their teaching to destruction, used legal loopholes to evade the clear demands of the commandments, and focused on the minutiae of the law to the neglect of the more important matters such as justice, mercy, and faith. He rebuked them for focusing on matters related to external purity and for giving no attention to their
inner corruption. Although the Jewish leaders piously claimed to be morally superior to their ancestors, Jesus insisted that their abuse of his disciples would make them accountable for the blood of all righteous martyrs that had been shed in human history. Jesus concluded his cry against the Jewish leaders with a warning that God would abandon the temple and that Jesus would not return to Jerusalem until his Second Coming.