Matthew Study Notes

1:1 The title of this genealogy introduces several important themes in Matthew. Jesus is identified as the Christ, the Messiah, the King anointed by God to rule over His people. This is reiterated by identifying Jesus as son of David (v. 20; 2:2; 9:27; 12:3,23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15). OT prophecies like 2 Sam. 7:16 and Isa. 9:2-7 foretold that the Messiah (the "anointed one") would be a descendant of King David. Jesus' Davidic lineage shows that He meets this qualification. Though the genealogy is otherwise arranged in chronological order, Matthew shifted "son of David" ahead of son of Abraham to lay emphasis on the royal title.

The title "son of Abraham" implies that just as Abraham was the father of national Israel, Jesus will be the founder of a new spiritual Israel. The phrase the book of the generation of Jesus is unusual. OT genealogies are consistently named after the earliest ancestor in the lineage because the Jews considered that person to be most significant since everyone else derived from them. That Matthew names his genealogy after Jesus, the final descendant in the lineage, implies that Jesus is more important than anyone who preceded Him.

1:2-6 Some of the names are spelled differently here than they are in the OT, such as Judas (Judah). This is because the NT has the Greek form of the Hebrew names. Matthew mentioned four women in his genealogy, all of them Gentiles. Thamar was a Canaanite. Rachab was from Jericho. Ruth was a Moabitess. The wife of Urias, Bath-sheba, was probably a Hittite. The mention of these women signals God's intention to include Gentiles and women in His redemptive plan. Several kings are named also, but only David is explicitly given the title king. This highlights that the Son of David (Jesus) will likewise be a kingly figure.

1:7-16 Matthew's genealogy agrees with the genealogies of 1 Chron. 1–3 and Luke 3:23-38 from the generation of Abraham down to David. After David, Matthew's genealogy agrees with that of 1 Chronicles except for a few intentional gaps, but departs significantly from Luke's. From this, some interpreters argue that one or both of the NT genealogies is inaccurate. However, Jews in David's line carefully preserved their genealogies because they knew from the OT prophecies that one of their descendants would be the Messiah. David's descendants also had the privilege of providing firewood for the altar in Jerusalem (m. Ta'an. 4:5). Naturally, they kept careful records to demonstrate their Davidic descent and preserve their privileges. Evidence in Josephus (Life 1) and rabbinic texts suggests that genealogical archives were kept in public registers.

There are several ways in which the genealogies of Matthew and Luke may be harmonized. First, one may preserve the genealogy of Jesus through Mary and the other through Joseph. Second, the custom of levirate marriage resulted in a child having different biological and legal fathers. Perhaps one genealogy follows the biological line while the other follows the legal. Third, one genealogy may trace David's legal descendants who would have reigned if the Davidic kingdom had continued while the other lists descendants in Joseph's specific line. A combination of these approaches is also possible.

In Greek, the pronoun whom is feminine. Thus, although the rest of the genealogy focuses on fathers and only rarely mentions mothers, Matthew identified a human mother but not a human father of Jesus, thus affirming Jesus' virginal conception.

1:17 Matthew's arrangement of Jesus' genealogy into three sets of fourteen generations is probably an example of gematria, a system that assigns numerical value to letters of the alphabet (e.g. A = 1, B = 2, etc.) in order to communicate a subtle message. In Hebrew, the numerical value of the letters composing the name "David" is 14.

1:18 The words of Jesus Christ are in an emphatic position in the Greek text, implying that the circumstances of Jesus' birth differed from those of everyone else in the genealogy. Although several of those people were conceived by miracles, they all had a human father. Only Jesus was born of a virgin. Before they came together means that Joseph and Mary had not yet had intercourse. Joseph thus assumed that Mary had been unfaithful. With child of the Holy Ghost means that Mary's pregnancy was a miracle performed by the Spirit, not that God assumed material form and physically impregnated her. This makes Jesus' conception dramatically different from Greek myths that speak of children born to gods who lay with women.

1:19 Joseph did not want to humiliate Mary publicly because he was a just man. True righteousness is characterized by compassion and mercy, an important theme for Matthew (5:6-7,21-26,38-48).

1:20 God spoke to Joseph through dreams, just as He did to his OT namesake (Gen. 37:1-11). The title son of David reminded Joseph of his royal lineage and prepared him for the announcement of the Messiah's birth. On conceived . . . of the Holy Ghost, see note at verse 18.

1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "Jehovah saves." Jesus' name revealed His purpose: He would rescue sinners from the punishment they deserve. This salvation would be experienced by his people—those who follow Jesus.

1:22 The Lord was the ultimate author of the messages spoken and written by the prophets. The grammar that Matthew uses to introduce the quote suggests that the angel quoted this verse to Joseph during his announcement. Some interpreters argue that Matthew mishandled Isaiah 7:14, but he seems to have handled it just as the angel did, which means his usage is backed by angelic authority.

1:23 The name Emmanuel (God with us) implies Jesus' deity. Mary's virgin-born Son would be God Himself living among His people. The "Immanuel" of Isa. 7:14 is to be identified with the person described in Isa. 9:2-7 and 11:1-9.

1:24-25 These verses emphasize Joseph's absolute obedience to the angel's instructions, a prevalent theme in these early chapters (2:13-15,19-21). Joseph is a model of the obedience that should characterize Jesus' disciples (5:19-20). Knew her not confirms again that Jesus was the product of a virginal conception.

2:1 The wise men were magi. Eastern magi mixed Zoroastrianism with astrology and black magic. They are described in Dan. 2:2,4-5,10, where they are associated with diviner-priests, mediums, and sorcerers. The term "magus" (sg of "magi") appears only once in the NT. It describes Elymas, whom Paul portrayed as "full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness" (Acts 13:6-10). The magus of whom Paul spoke would have held beliefs that were similar to those of the wise men. Thus, the summons of the magi to visit Jesus demonstrates God's intention to save Gentiles from their futile religions. As an adult, Jesus cast out demons and broke Satan's grip on beleaguered people. Here we see that even in His infancy, Christ plundered Satan's kingdom and set captives free. The east may refer to Babylonia or Persia.

2:2 The question posed by the wise men was an unintentional challenge to Herod's reign. Jesus was born King in the sense that He was from David's line and thus King by birthright. Herod, however, was neither a full Jew nor a descendant of David and thus was not genuinely qualified to reign as king. The word translated star can indicate many different astronomical phenomena, including comets, meteors, or planetary conjunctions. Matthew later (2:9) described the star as moving through the sky in order to point the magi to Jesus' precise location. This indicates that it was no ordinary star. In the east probably means "at its rising," indicating that the star mysteriously appeared in the eastern sky to signal the Messiah's birth. The interest of the magi in astrology, a practice condemned in the Bible (Isa. 47:13-15), probably first directed their attention to the Messiah's star. In another profound display of grace, God condescended to use the magi's pagan superstitions to draw them to Jesus.

2:3 Herod was troubled by reports of the birth of a legitimate claimant to his throne. The people of Jerusalem were equally disturbed because they feared Herod's paranoid and delusional rages. In the past he had killed even his favorite wife and sons in order to protect his rule.

2:4 Herod summoned experts to learn where the OT said the Messiah would be born. To this point the star had guided the wise men near to Jesus, but now the witness of the Scriptures was necessary before God caused the star to reappear and pinpoint the Messiah's exact location. Thus the value of biblical revelation was upheld even as new revelations unfolded.

2:5-6 The chief priests and scribes (v. 3) knew Scripture well enough to identify Bethlehem as the Messiah's birthplace (Mic. 5:2; John 7:42); nevertheless, they later opposed His teachings. Knowledge of Scripture does not guarantee that your heart is right with God. The priestly opposition to Jesus is foreshadowed here by the fact that they made no effort to go visit Him even as the magi undertook the last leg of a long journey to do so. Micah 5:2 foretold that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of a king who would rule . . . Israel. Matthew's translation says that the Messiah will literally "shepherd" Israel. Matthew likely chose this word to reflect Micah's use of "feed" in 5:4 and thus show that the entirety of Mic. 5 applies to Jesus. This indicates that Jesus is eternal since Micah says His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah also said He will "be great unto the ends of the earth."

2:7-8 Herod questioned the magi about the exact time of the star's appearance under the assumption that the star first appeared at the time of the child's birth. On the basis of this date, he ordered the execution of all male children in Bethlehem two years of age and under (2:16). This implies that the magi's journey was lengthy and involved great sacrifice. Herod's pretended desire to worship the Messiah highlights his deceitfulness.

2:11 In contrast to the stable in which Jesus was born (Luke 2), Jesus' family now lived in a house. This shows that the magi visited Jesus after the visit of the shepherds described by Luke. The magi worshipped Jesus openly, as did many other people during His lifetime (8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17). Jesus' reception of worship reinforces His identity as Immanuel, "God with us" (1:23).

2:13-14 The angel called Jesus the child rather than "your child" when speaking to Joseph because Joseph was not Jesus' biological father. Similarly, he described Mary as his mother rather than "your wife" because he wished to identify her in relation to the greater (Jesus) rather than the lesser (Joseph). Joseph promptly obeyed (see note at 1:24-25).

2:15 That what was spoken had to be fulfilled indicates that the Bible is inspired by God and authoritative over history. In its original context, the calling of the son out of Egypt in Hos. 11 is a reference to Israel's exodus from Egypt, not the young Messiah's trip back home. Matthew understood this, but under the Spirit's direction he recognized Jesus as the new Moses who will lead a new and climactic exodus. Just as Moses delivered his people from slavery to Pharaoh, Jesus will deliver people from slavery to Satan. Thus Matthew rightly regarded Hos. 11:1 and other portions of the OT as foreshadows of Jesus and events in His life.

2:16-17 Skeptics deny that Herod ever slaughtered the boys of Bethlehem since no extrabiblical source documents this horrific event. However, the murders are consistent with his documented dealings, such as his murdering his own family. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that Herod arranged for many Jewish nobles to be murdered upon his death in order to ensure that the land mourned his passing (Ant. 17:167-69). Herod's behavior is reminiscent of Pharaoh's around the time of Moses' birth (Exod. 1:15-22). This and other striking similarities to Moses' birth narrative strengthen Matthew's presentation of Jesus as the new Moses whom God promised in Deut. 18:15-19. Ancient Jews thought of Moses as a deliverer (Acts 7:25,35). By highlighting parallels between Moses and Jesus, Matthew shows that Jesus was the promised Deliverer who would save His people from their sins (see notes at Matt. 1:7-16 and 2:20-21). Herod killed all boys two years old and under because the star had appeared to the magi two years previously, presumably at the moment of Jesus' birth.

2:17-18 Once again Matthew introduces a quotation in a way that implies that the OT author (Jeremiah in this case) was used by God to proclaim His message. Matthew quotes Jer. 31:15 which originally expressed the lament of mothers who grieved over sons who were sent into exile. Matthew's application here implies that Israel was again in exile, estranged from God, and in need of redemption. Since Jer. 31 includes the weeping and then climaxes with the joyous promise that God would establish a new covenant with His people, one in which He would forgive their sins and write His law on their hearts, Matthew likely intends to call this to mind and apply it to the Bethlehem massacre and the coming of Jesus. Just as the weeping of mothers preceded the promise of the new covenant in Jer. 31, so now the weeping of mothers preceded the establishment of the new covenant through Jesus (see note at 26:28).

2:19 Since Herod died in 4 b.c., and since Jesus was born roughly two years before Herod ordered the massacre of the Bethlehem boys, it seems that Jesus was born in 5 or 6 b.c. It also seems likely that the shameless Bethlehem massacre was one of Herod's final acts—a fitting close to a life of infamous violence.

2:20 The angel's words are almost identical to the words Jehovah spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exod. 4:19, LXX). This allusion to the Moses narrative again identifies Jesus as the new Moses (see notes at 2:15 and 2:16-17).

2:22-23 Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, inherited his father's violent traits. His rule over Judaea signaled that the holy family should settle elsewhere, and so Joseph led his family to resettle in the obscure Galilaean village of Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary had previously lived (Luke 1:26). Matthew states that the decision was a fulfillment of an OT prophecy that the Messiah shall be called a Nazarene. No specific OT text explicitly prophesies this, and so Matthew was appealing to a prominent OT theme rather than a particular text. Specifically, he was probably alluding to the "Branch prophecies" since the Hebrew consonants nzr (which make up the word "branch") are shared by the words "Nazareth" and "Nazarene." These prophecies (Isa. 4:2; 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15) told of a righteous descendant of David whose wise and just rule would be empowered by the Spirit and who would bring salvation to Judah. Matthew thus saw Jesus' hometown as a subtle clue to His identity as the Messiah.

3:1 In those days means "during the time of Jesus' residence in Nazareth" rather than "during the reign of Archelaus." After all, Archelaus reigned from 4 b.c. to a.d. 6, too early for John the Baptist to have begun his ministry since he would have been under age 12. In OT usage, "in those days" often referred to a time of prophetic fulfillment (Isa. 10:20; Amos 9:11; Zeph. 1:15; Zech. 12:3-4). Matthew probably used the phrase in conjunction with his references to fulfilled prophecy to emphasize that God's promises were being fulfilled through Jesus and John the Baptist, herald and predecessor of the Messiah. The location of John's ministry is reminiscent of the ministry of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:3; 19:3-18; 2 Kings 2:1-12), who many Jews believed would appear again to prepare the way for the Messiah (Matt. 17:10-13).

3:2 John's message focused on repentance and the coming kingdom of heaven. Jesus emphasized the same thing from the outset of His ministry (see note at 4:17). The kingdom is defined as the rule that God exercises through the person, work, and teachings of Jesus. The call to repent means we must abandon sinful lifestyles and express sorrow for sins.

3:3 Matthew's application of Isa. 40:3 to John the Baptist tells us as much about Jesus as it does about John. After all, in its original context the prophecy spoke of one who prepared the way for the coming of Jehovah, God Himself. By using a text about the coming of Jehovah to describe the coming of Jesus, Matthew proclaimed that Jesus is divine.

3:4 John's raiment was similar to Elijah's (2 Kings 1:8), and his ministry and lifestyle paralleled Elijah's also, including his residence in the Judaean wilderness, his austere diet, his call for Israel to repent, and his confrontation with an evil king and his wife. Jesus explained the significance of these parallels in Matt. 11:14; 17:12-13.

3:6 Although Jews required Gentiles to immerse themselves in water in order to convert from paganism to Judaism, John demanded that repentant Jews be baptized as well. This bold move implied that Jews did not belong to God merely by virtue of their descent from Abraham (see note at v v. 7-9). Like anyone else, ethnic Jews needed to repent in order to enter the coming kingdom. Unlike the repetitive ritual washings of other religious groups, John's baptism appears to have been a one-time event associated with a permanent repentance and a transformed life.

3:7-9 In Matt. 2:4 the chief priests and scribes identified the place of the Messiah's birth but made no effort to visit Him. Their attention was on worldly power instead. That negative portrayal is now followed by John's charge that the leading priests of the Jews were vipers (see 12:34; 23:33) fleeing from God's wrath. The coming kingdom would be accompanied by blessing for God's people and by punishment for the unrepentant. The Pharisees and Sadducees had no intention of confessing their sins because they presumed that descent from Abraham guaranteed that they would escape God's wrath. This belief was reflected in the Mishnah, which stated, "All Israel will have a share in the world to come." John's statement about raising up children unto Abraham from these stones involves a wordplay in Hebrew. The word child (ben) sounds similar to the word stone (eben). A stone has no intrinsic value, yet Almighty God can transform worthless rock into a person and include him in His covenant people if He so chooses (Isa. 51:1-2). Consequently, descent from Abraham gave the Jews no grounds for boasting. John's warning foreshadows the incorporation of believing Gentiles into the people of God, an important theme in Matthew's Gospel.

3:10 God will punish those who fail to produce "fruits meet for repentance" (v. 8). In the teachings of John and Jesus, fruit represents good works that result from a miraculous inner transformation (7:15-20; 12:33; 13:23). Later, the cursing of the fig tree and the parable of the wicked tenants illustrated the penalty (21:18-22,33-43).

3:11 Removing the master's shoes was a task so menial that Hebrew slave owners could not require it of Hebrew slaves. John, however, saw himself as unworthy to perform for Jesus the very task that slaves were spared from performing. John expressed this deep humility because Jesus was mightier than he, and this greater power expressed itself through a new baptism that was vastly superior to John's. John's baptism was a public expression of repentance, but his baptism could not change a person's heart. Jesus, however, baptized the repentant with the Holy Ghost, making them holy through inner transformation. Matthew's quotation from Jer. 31:15 in Matt. 2:18 was probably intended to remind his readers of the promise of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). The reference to baptism with the Spirit recalls the related promise in Ezek. 36:24-27 in which God declared, "I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." This work of the Spirit was highlighted again at Jesus' baptism (3:16). Jesus would have the power to transform human character in a way that John could not. Jesus would also baptize people with fire, a reference to divine judgment against unrepentant sinners.

3:12 A winnowing fan was a pitchfork or scoop-shaped basket used to toss grain into the air. The wind would blow the useless chaff aside while the heavier grain kernels fell to the threshing floor. The chaff would then be gathered up and burned. John's parable thus described a coming divine judgment in which all people are sifted, with the result that the Messiah's followers will be preserved by God while the unrepentant are gathered for punishment. Though chaff is highly flammable and burns away quickly, John made clear that the fire will never go out. God's punishment against unrepentant sinners is eternal.

3:14 By his protest John recognized Jesus' superiority and further identified Jesus as the holy One who would come after him (v. 11). John knew that he needed Jesus' baptism, the baptism of the Spirit, and he also understood that sinless Jesus did not seek water baptism as an expression of repentance.

3:15 Jesus explained that baptism was essential to His perfection. Jesus wished to please His Father by obeying the commands of the prophets (John was the greatest of the prophets; 11:9-13) and by identifying with God's righteous cause among the people. If He had refused to participate in John's baptism, Jesus would have seemed like a rebel rather than One who came to fulfil all righteousness.

3:16 The opening of the heavens demonstrates that both the voice and the descending Spirit came from heaven and were divine. First-century Jews associated the dove with the Spirit since Gen. 1:2 describes the Spirit as hovering over the primeval waters. The Hebrew verb translated "moved" is the same word used to describe a bird fluttering its wings. The descent of the Spirit thus alludes to Gen. 1 and identifies Jesus as One who brings new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).

3:17 The Father speaks directly only twice in Matthew—here at Jesus' baptism and later at the transfiguration. On both occasions He identified Jesus as His Son and expressed approval of Him (see 17:5). Here He alludes to two OT texts: Ps. 2:7 and Isa. 42:1. Psalm 2 was a song sung at the crowning of Israel's kings. The Father's application of this text to Jesus identified Him as a divinely appointed King who would rule with divine authority and whose kingdom would extend to the ends of the earth. The allusion to Isa. 42 identified Jesus as the Servant, the messianic figure who Isa. 53:5 promised would be "wounded for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities." Matthew 12:18-21 explicitly applies Isa. 42 to Jesus, and Matt. 8:17 explicitly applies Isa. 53 to Jesus. The Father's words identify Jesus as King and Saviour.

4:1-2 The temptation of Christ highlights numerous parallels between Jesus and OT Israel. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 says that the Lord led Israel into the wilderness to be tested for 40 years. Similarly, Jesus was led . . . into the wilderness to be tested for forty days. The three temptations Jesus faced parallel the tests Israel faced in the wilderness, and every Scripture that Jesus quoted in response to His temptations were drawn from God's message to the Israelites about their wilderness test (Deut. 6–8). Israel failed its tests, but Jesus passed His and in doing so "fulfilled all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15). Thus He is qualified to create a new spiritual Israel. Later, when He chose 12 disciples to parallel Israel's 12 tribes, He identified His followers as the new Israel. The fact that Jesus hungered shows that He was truly human as well as divine.

4:3 The stones that littered the wilderness floor resembled small round loaves of bread in shape, size, and color. Interpreters disagree as to why it would have been wrong for Jesus to transform and eat the stones. Most suggest that He was tempted to exercise supernatural power rather than depend on God's provision. Clues in the text suggest that the Spirit, who led Jesus into the wilderness, commanded this fast. Thus, breaking the fast prematurely would have been an act of disobedience, preventing Jesus from fulfilling every act of righteousness (3:15). Jesus aimed to end His fast when the test was over and no sooner. God would signal the end by providing food. Matthew 4:11 shows that at fast's end, angels came and "ministered unto" Jesus. The verb "minister" means "to serve as a table-waiter" (Acts 6:2) and implies that the angels fed Jesus. During their wilderness wanderings, Israel failed to trust God to provide food and water. Jesus, the embodiment of the new Israel, had unwavering trust in God's care. On Son of God, see note at 3:17.

4:4 Jesus is quoting Deut. 8:3. God's words are not idle, but are to be received as commands. Deuteronomy 8:1,6 emphasize the need to obey God's commands, and Deut. 8:1 teaches that man lives by following God's commandments just as 8:3 says that man lives by what comes from God's mouth (Deut. 6:24). Thus the OT text Jesus quoted teaches that obeying God is more important than being well-fed. Israel struggled to learn this truth (Exod. 16:3; Num. 11:4-5). In contrast, Jesus hungered for righteousness more than bread and thirsted for obedience more than water. He urged His disciples to have the same priority (Matt. 5:6).

4:5-7 Satan quoted Ps. 91:11-12 out of context, trying to convince Jesus that the Father would supernaturally protect Him even if He gambled with His life. Jesus responded by quoting Deut. 6:16 which refers to the time when Israel, angry and thirsty, questioned God's presence until He miraculously produced a stream of water from a rock (Exod. 17:7). Had Jesus succumbed to Satan's temptation, it would indicate that His faith was frail and depended on God's miraculous action. Jumping from the pinnacle of the temple would test God by attempting to force Him to perform a miracle.

Satan implied that God is trustworthy only when He rescues us from suffering and danger. Jesus knew better. God is trustworthy even when He allows us or even causes us to suffer. True faith recognizes this and perseveres through hard times. When Jesus suffered on the cross (27:41-44), those who tormented Him used arguments similar to that of the devil. They even quoted Ps. 22:8 to argue that Jesus would be rescued if God really loved Him, much as Satan quoted Ps. 91:11-12 to argue that God would rescue Jesus from a deadly fall if He were really God's Son. Again, Jesus knew better. He trusted God even through a brutal scourging, even when nails were driven through His limbs, and even when God let Him suffer a horrible death.

4:8-9 Although Satan exercises some authority over the world (Luke 4:6; John 12:31), the kingdoms of the world belong to God, and He promised to give them to the Messiah (Ps. 2:8).

4:10-11 Jesus responded to Satan by quoting from Deut. 6:14 and 10:20. If Jesus had worshipped Satan in order to gain worldly power, it would have indicated that He valued creation more than the Creator and the kingdoms of the earth more than the kingdom of God. Jesus insisted that only God is worthy of worship. After citing Deut. 6:13, Jesus' reception of worship later in this Gospel (8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17) without rebuking the worshipper (cp. Acts 10:25-26; 14:11-15) strongly implies His deity. That the angels came to serve Jesus further implies His superior status.

4:12 John the Baptist had been imprisoned because he dared to say that Herod Antipas's marriage to his brother's wife was immoral. As tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (Luke 3:1), Herod did not have jurisdiction over Judaea, the locale of Jesus' baptism and wilderness temptation. Thus Jesus fearlessly marched into the heart of Herod's territory when He heard of John's arrest. In Luke 13:31-33, the Pharisees urged Jesus to leave Galilee in order to escape arrest by Herod. Jesus replied by calling Herod "that fox" and insisted that He would travel to Jerusalem only because it was necessary for Him to die there, not to flee Herod. Jesus caused kings to tremble (2:3; 14:1-2), but He Himself feared no man.

4:13 At this point Jesus made an important strategic move by shifting his headquarters from Nazareth to Capernaum. Nazareth was an obscure village, but Capernaum was a much larger fishing center on the shores of lake Galilee. It boasted a tax collection station and a Roman garrison of at least 100 soldiers. Upon the sea alludes to Isaiah's prophecies, which describe the area as "the way of the sea," an ancient trade route stretching from Damascus down to Caesarea Maritima on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. By the time of Christ, the Romans had built a stone road along the route, allowing caravans to travel from Syria and pass through Capernaum on the way to Caesarea. Capernaum also provided boat access to every other city along the Galilaean coast. Thus Jesus was able to reach many Jews and Gentiles.

4:14-16 Matthew's quotation of Isa. 9:1-2 highlights the international focus of Jesus' ministry by describing the region as Galilee of the Gentiles. Second Kings 15:29 and 17:24-27 show that after the Jews were deported from the northern kingdom of Israel, foreigners flooded into Galilee. For instance, reports from the geographer Strabo and first-century Jewish historian Josephus show that Egyptians, Arabians, Phoenicians, and Greeks lived in Galilee. The Apocrypha (1 Maccabees 5) says Galilee's population was largely Gentile and heathen. Jesus' move to Galilee and the strategically located city of Capernaum shows His intention to save Gentiles as well as Jews. Matthew's application of Isa. 9 also shows that Jesus was the great King called "Mighty God" who would reign from David's throne over a universal and eternal kingdom, liberate God's people from spiritual slavery, and bring peace and joy to the world (Isa. 9:3-7).

4:17 On the significance of the words from that time, see "Structure" in the Introduction. Jesus' message was identical to the message proclaimed by John the Baptist before his arrest. This identifies Jesus as the One who came after John (3:11) whom John had identified from Isa. 40:3 as the Lord God Himself (see note at Matt. 3:2).

4:18-22 Jesus' command, Follow me, urged the disciples not just to accompany Him on His travels but to follow His example and emulate His character. Following Jesus involved significant sacrifice for these men. They abandoned their careers as fishermen and placed commitment to Jesus above commitment to their own families (10:37; 19:29).

4:23 Jesus' ministry in the synagogues shows that He initially focused His ministry on the Jewish population of Galilee. The gospel of the kingdom, the primary topic of Jesus' preaching, was that the long-awaited Messiah, the human ruler through whom God would establish His reign on earth, had come at last. This was the message proclaimed by John the Baptist (3:2), preached by Jesus (4:17), and emphasized by Matthew through his mention of Jesus' Davidic lineage, the account of His miraculous birth, and his record of the visit of the magi. All manner means no type of ailment was beyond Jesus' power to heal.

4:24 Syria was located just north of Galilee. Not surprisingly, word of Jesus' healings quickly spread to that region, crossing geographical and language barriers. Soon Syrians began bringing their sick for Jesus to heal. By consenting to this, Jesus distinguished Himself from some later Jewish interpreters who urged Jews to give no aid to a drowning Gentile or a Gentile woman giving birth (Maimonides). Matthew says Jesus healed possessed people, but some scholars argue that these people had natural diseases. However, this verse distinguishes natural diseases from demon possession, which proves that the ancients differentiated between the two.

4:25 Jesus' earliest followers hailed from Jewish and Gentile regions. Jerusalem and Judaea were Jewish regions, Galilee had a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, and Decapolis was a group of predominantly Gentile cities. Jesus desired to serve, heal, teach, and save all the nations of the earth (28:18-20). He came as the world's Messiah.

5:1 Jesus deemed the mountain to be a good setting for teaching a large group. As the new Moses, His delivery of God's message from a mountaintop provides yet another parallel with the ancient Moses. The Greek words translated he went up into a mountain are used three times in the Greek OT (Exod. 19:3; 24:18; 34:4), and all three fall in the section describing Moses' ascent of mount Sinai.

5:3 Since Matthew introduces the Sermon on the Mount by highlighting the connection between Jesus and Moses, the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12) should probably be read against the backdrop of Moses' teachings. The only time the adjective "Blessed" (Gk makarios) was used by Moses was in his blessing on Israel (Deut. 33:29). Israel's blessing had both a historical and future focus. Historically, they were "saved" by being delivered out of Egypt. The remainder of the blessing assured the Israelites of future success in their conquest of the promised land. Against this backdrop, the blessings of the new Moses identify Jesus' disciples as the new Israel who will enjoy a new exodus and conquest. The new Moses is a spiritual deliverer rather than a political one, and His promises must be understood in that light. Jesus pronounces spiritual salvation (exodus from slavery to sin) and promises spiritual victory (conquest and inheritance of a new promised land). This background is confirmed by the allusion to Israel's exodus and conquest in the promise that the meek will "inherit the earth" (5:5).

In the OT, the poor were those who cried out for God's help, depended entirely on Him for their needs, had a humble and contrite spirit, experienced His deliverance, and enjoyed His undeserved favor (Ps. 86:1-5). In light of this background, Jesus was describing His disciples as unworthy sinners who depend on God's grace for salvation. Although the promises in Matt. 5:4-9 are expressed in the future tense, the affirmation theirs is the kingdom of heaven is in the present tense (5:3,10). This suggests that the kingdom had already arrived through the coming of Jesus but that the fulfillment of many kingdom promises will occur only in the future. This future fulfillment awaits Christ's second coming. The statement "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" appears at the beginning and end of the main body of the Beatitudes (5:3,10). This bracketing device suggests that the Beatitudes constitute promises only to those who belong to the kingdom. Isaiah 61:1 promised that the Messiah would bring good news to the poor. This beatitude serves as a fulfillment of that prophecy (Luke 4:16-21).

5:4 This beatitude is also dependent on Isa. 61:1-3. The context of Isa. 61 portrays mourning as expressive of Israel's sorrow over the exile, which their sins had caused. In this light, Matt. 5:4 expresses the grief of those suffering the consequences of sin. Theirs is an attitude of repentance.

5:5 Like the preceding Beatitudes, this one parallels Isa. 61. Isaiah 61:7 (LXX) uses the words "they shall inherit the earth," an exact parallel to Matt. 5:5b. The first three Beatitudes thus confirm Jesus' identity as the Servant of Isa. 61. This identification is important for understanding the sacrificial nature of Jesus' death since Isa. 52:14–53:12 describes the Servant as suffering the punishment that sinners deserved (see Matt. 8:17 and 12:17-21 which appeal to Isa. 53:4 and 42:1-4). The beatitude also echoes Ps. 37:11 in the which the meek are those who stubbornly trust God and surrender to His authority even when they cannot make sense of their circumstances. Inherit the earth in the OT refers to inheriting the promised land of Canaan. Thus most of Jesus' hearers recognized that His disciples were a new Israel that would inherit the land promised to Abraham. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount and the Gospel of Matthew as a whole, "inheriting the earth" involves more than the promise of living in Israel. It refers to living in a recreated earth over which Christ rules eternally. Matthew 19:28 anticipates the renewal of earth and assures Jesus' disciples that they will enjoy great reward in the eternal kingdom.

5:6 Hunger and thirst are metaphors for a disciple's fervent desire for righteousness. The words they shall be filled are in the passive voice, indicating that righteousness is not something that disciples can achieve by their own efforts. The verb here, like those in the promises of Matt. 5:4,6–7 (and possibly 9), is a "divine passive" that describes an act of God. This is crucial to understanding the theology of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus required His disciples to keep the least of the commandments (5:19), surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20), and to be "perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (5:48). Such demands can be twisted into a false theology in which righteousness is achieved by works, but the righteousness Jesus demands of us is actually a divine gift.

5:7 The merciful are those who relate to others with a forgiving and compassionate spirit (6:2-4; 18:21-35). God will show mercy to the merciful.

5:8 The pure in heart are authentically righteous in their inner person. Righteousness can be faked, as was the case with the Pharisees (23:25-28). Jesus said true purity is attained when God grants it to the person who hungers and thirsts for it. Complete fulfillment of this divine promise will occur at Jesus' return, but the identification of His disciples as those who are pure shows that dramatic transformation occurs even in this lifetime (John 15:13). The promise that Jesus' disciples shall see God is not to be interpreted figuratively as if it refers merely to special insight into God's nature or to a visionary experience. Rather, it looks forward to the time when they will literally behold God in all His glory. The new Moses promises His followers access to God that not even the ancient Moses was allowed to experience (Exod. 33:12-23).

5:9 The ministry of peacemaking involves resolving conflict by making prompt apologies and acts of restitution, refusing to seek revenge, and humbly serving and loving one's enemies (5:21-26,38-41,43-48). The promise probably means that Jesus' authentic disciples emulate God by undertaking the ministry of reconciliation. Thus at the final judgment they shall be accepted as the children of God.

5:10 The purest form of righteousness is pursued by disciples who know that their good deeds will demand great sacrifice and will result in pain rather than immediate reward. This is the epitome of the kingdom righteousness demanded by the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus pronounced that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who suffer for righteousness. In the Greek text, theirs is shifted from its normal position at the end of the clause to the beginning instead. This gives the pronoun a special emphasis indicating that the kingdom belongs to righteous sufferers and to them alone. Those who always endeavor to evade persecution are not true disciples and will not have a share in the kingdom because true disciples follow Jesus even at the cost of their lives (16:24-27). The kingdom of heaven is the reign of God in the person of Jesus the Messiah. Righteous sufferers are subjects of God's rule through their submission to Jesus' authority. Jesus inaugurated this kingdom during His ministry, but it will be consummated in the end times.

5:11-12 Jesus' words show that persecution is typically either verbal or violent. Verbal forms include insult and slander. The word persecute includes acts of physical violence like the slap of Matt. 5:39. Jesus promised that the cost of discipleship will be offset by the enormity of the reward the disciple enjoys in heaven. Jewish leaders rejected and vehemently persecuted the OT prophets, and Jesus repeatedly denounced this persecution (21:34-36; 23:29-37). By treating Jesus' followers in the same way they had treated the prophets, Jewish persecutors unwittingly bestowed on them a prophet's honor.

5:13 Salt has many uses, but in the OT it is most often a purifying agent (Exod. 30:35; Lev. 2:13; 2 Kings 2:21; Ezek. 16:4). As the salt of the earth, Jesus' disciples are to purify a corrupt world through their example of righteous living and their proclamation of the gospel. However, contaminated salt does not promote purity. The verb translated lost his savour indicates foolish and immoral behavior. It refers to a professing disciple whose unrighteous lifestyle promotes destruction rather than purification. Such salt is only good for spreading over ground where you want to kill vegetation. Such is the fatal effect of an unrighteous disciple's lifestyle. Nothing grows where they go. The verb cast out describes the disposal of something worthless, and the verb trodden alludes to the treatment an immoral disciple receives from the world.

5:14-16 This is an allusion to Isa. 9:1-2; 42:6; 49:6—texts that describe the ministry of the Messiah, Servant of the Lord. It indicates that Jesus' disciples are to be extensions of His ministry, carrying salvation to the ends of the earth. Such ministry is intrinsic to true discipleship. A disciple should no more conceal his righteousness or the gospel message than a glowing city should douse its light at night. The reference to giving light unto all combines with the reference to the world to show that Christ's ministry is intended for all people. This anticipates the Great Commission of Matt. 28:18-20.

The disciple is not the ultimate author of his good works. If the disciple were the author of his good works, he would justly receive praise. However, Jesus taught that only the Father in heaven is to be praised for a disciple's good works, for He is the true source of such works (see note at v. 6). This must not be overlooked. The righteousness demanded by the Sermon on the Mount is a divine gift that God imparts to Jesus' followers.

5:17-20 Jesus defended Himself against charges that He defied the law (9:3,11,14; 12:2,10; 15:1-2; 17:24; 19:3; 22:34-36) by insisting that He came to fulfil both the law and the prophets, which together amount to the entire OT. The word "fulfil" may refer to fulfillment of OT prophecies (1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54,56; 27:9). This is suggested by the words all be fulfilled. However, it can also refer to obedience to God's commands (3:15). This additional meaning is implied by the reference to practicing these commandments. Consequently, Jesus' words imply that He would fulfill all of the OT promises and obey all its commandments. The jot is the Hebrew letter jod, which resembles an English apostrophe. The tittle is a slight pen stroke that distinguishes similar letters, like the tail that distinguishes 'j' from 'i' in English. Jesus' statement shows that He regarded the OT as accurate and reliable down to the smallest detail. In keeping with this conviction, Jesus taught that fidelity to the OT witness determines a disciple's stature in His kingdom. True fidelity to God's commands is made possible by God's miraculous work in a disciple's heart (see note at v. 6).

5:21-22 Matthew 5:21 begins a section of the Sermon on the Mount generally known as the "Six Antitheses." The title may seem to imply that Jesus opposed the OT in some way, but in reality He always upheld its authority. Rather than contradicting or overturning OT teachings, Jesus opposed the misguided interpretations of the scribes and Pharisees. These men were concerned only with superficial matters, but Jesus went deeper. He argued that the law prohibits not just actual murder but murderous attitudes as well. Similarly, violent temperaments are condemned just as surely as violent deeds.

5:23-24 Disciples must attempt at their earliest opportunity to reconcile with a brother or sister who has something against them, even if doing so interrupts important business. Speaking to the context of His day, Jesus said disciples should seek reconciliation even if it meant halting in the middle of offering sacrifices at the Jerusalem temple. This interruption was significant since Jesus' original audience (located away from Jerusalem) would have to abandon their gift at the altar, travel for days to reach Galilee and seek reconciliation, and then return to Judaea to complete the sacrifice. Such is the priority of reconciliation.

5:25-26 A person can typically pay a smaller penalty for their offense by seeking an out-of-court settlement rather than waiting for the issue to be settled in court. This illustrates that reconciliation is urgent because the longer it is postponed, the more severe the consequences.

5:27-28 Jesus said that gazing on a member of the opposite sex for the purpose of arousing illicit sexual desire is adultery of the heart. True righteousness therefore seeks to avoid not only adulterous acts but also adulterous thoughts.

5:29-30 Self-mutilation and amputation are not effective ways to overcome sin. After all, sin arises from a corrupt heart rather than flesh and bone (15:19). Jesus here uses hyperbole (intentional exaggeration for the sake of making a point) and allegory (in which the eye represents a lustful perspective and the hand represents an immoral deed) in order to convey a vital requirement of discipleship. Disciples should put a stop to thoughts and behaviors that contribute to immorality.

5:31-32 Jesus challenged a loose rabbinic paraphrase of Deut. 24:1 that distorted the original meaning of the text. In the hands of the rabbis, Deut. 24:1 greatly multiplied the number of offenses that could justify divorce, such as fading beauty or a tendency to burn food. Jesus kept true to Deut. 24:1 and insisted that fornication is the legitimate grounds for divorce. People who divorce for frivolous reasons and remarry are guilty of adultery since their original marriage covenant has not been genuinely dissolved.

5:33-37 Oaths unto the Lord (i.e., "I swear to God") were considered binding, but since Jews avoided use of God's personal name and instead used reverent substitutions, clever liars could take an oath that seemed to appeal to God without technically doing so (23:16-22). Jesus taught that swearing oaths is wrong since oaths call for the destruction of an object or person if the oath is broken. Thus, swearing by heaven . . . earth . . . Jerusalem, or even one's own head is inappropriate because it implies that we have the authority to destroy things over which God alone has authority. Swearing against God or His belongings aligns us with the evil one who attempted to assume God's position as Ruler of the universe.

5:38-39 Jesus explained that eye for an eye (Exod. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21) was given not as a mandate for personal vengeance but as a principle to guide courts in determining appropriate punishments. The slap on the right cheek was a back-handed slap that was both insulting and injurious. For this act Jewish law imposed a fine that was double the one for an open-palmed blow on the left cheek. Thus we see that Jesus urged His disciples not to seek vengeance even against the most offensive kind of blow. The words resist not evil do not indicate, however, that we should not seek justice or defend ourselves when threatened with serious bodily harm.

5:40 Frivolous lawsuits were rare in first-century Israel, and so the suit described here was probably a legitimate one which the plaintiff was likely to win. Jewish law permitted an opponent to sue for possession of an offender's inner garment, the coat. Typically it was a sleeved tunic that extended to the ankles. These could be valuable and were frequently used for bartering or making payments. The cloke was an outer robe or wrap. It was the more essential piece of clothing since it provided warmth and could double as a blanket for the poor. Based on OT texts such as Exod. 22:26-27 and Deut. 24:12-13, Jewish law insisted that the cloak was exempt from seizure by the courts (m. B. Qam. 8:6)—it was too severe a punishment. Jesus thus commanded His disciples to do even more than the courts allowed when seeking reconciliation with an opponent.

5:41 Jesus likely had in mind the much-resented practice of compulsion, in which Roman officials could force their subjects to perform menial tasks such as hauling a load on their backs (27:32). It is often said that soldiers could legally compel a subject to carry a load for only one mile before letting them go, but no surviving text establishes this as law. Most likely compulsion was usually limited to a mile simply out of common sense: people are tired after hauling a load for a mile, and soldiers who pressed for more than this risked fostering dangerous resentment among subjugated peoples. In contrast to this, Jesus said His disciples should carry their oppressor's pack out of obligation for the first mile, but then exceed all expectations by going a second mile as an act of love and service.

5:42 Since this entire paragraph is devoted to Jesus' teaching against retaliation, this verse probably prohibits disciples from seeking vengeance against opponents by refusing to help them in a time of need. By giving the necessities of life to an enemy, disciples may restore broken relationships (Rom. 12:19-21).

5:43 The words love thy neighbor appear in Lev. 19:18. However, the command hate thine enemy does not appear anywhere in the OT. Evidently some of Jesus' contemporaries argued that the command to love your neighbor also implied the opposite.

5:44-45 Loving enemies and praying for one's persecutors does not make a person God's child. Only rebirth does that. However, the sort of forgiving love Jesus mentions displays your family resemblance to the heavenly Father, and thus serves as a sign to your true identity. God's blessing on both His friends and His enemies serves as an example.

5:46-47 Publicans (tax collectors) were despised because they often collected more than the legal tax and served Rome at the expense of their downtrodden fellow Jews. Jesus taught that selfish behavior resembles the behavior of tax collectors, not the character of the heavenly Father.

5:48 Much as a child resembles his biological parents, spiritual children bear close resemblance to their heavenly Father. Consequently, Jesus' disciples are commanded to exhibit moral perfection. The close connection between this verse and Jesus' teaching about love (v v. 43-47) suggests that unconditional love is the most crucial expression of God's character in the life of His followers.

6:1 Jesus did not prohibit public acts of righteousness (see note at 5:16), but He warned that the motivation for such acts is most important. All such deeds must be done for God's glory, not human reputation. Those who seek human acclaim when performing good works will receive no heavenly reward. In 6:2-18 Jesus supplies general principles for performing righteous acts.

6:2-4 The word when assumes that disciples will regularly assist needy people. To sound a trumpet is likely a reference to tossing coins noisily into the trumpet-shaped opening on the coffer and thereby calling attention to one's generosity. The word hypocrites (Gk hupocrites) originally referred to actors who performed in Greek or Roman theaters. The hypocrites to whom Jesus referred are spiritual actors who pretend to have piety in order to win human approval. The instructions about the left hand and the right hand prohibit a person from celebrating their own acts of righteousness. Give liberally, but never dwell on the fact that you do so.

6:6 A closet (Gk tameion) was a room that did not have doors or windows to the building's exterior. Since the true disciple prays for a heavenly rather than a human audience, privacy is ideal for genuine prayer. Jesus described the Father as the One who is in secret. The disciple can encounter Him in the most obscure locations.

6:7 The babbling of heathen may refer to the meaningless gibberish that appears in Greek magical papyri. Like the familiar "abracadabra," these formulas were nonsensical combinations of sounds that were believed to have special power. Ancient texts show that Jews sometimes embraced these practices.

6:9 By commanding His disciples to pray after this manner rather than simply "pray this," Jesus demonstrated that this prayer was offered as a model rather than a mantra to be recited. The first person plural pronoun Our implies that Jesus intended this prayer to be a model for corporate prayer, i.e., a prayer for when disciples gather as a group. This confirms that Matt. 6:5 was not intended to prohibit disciples from praying together publicly in the synagogue or other gatherings but instead prohibited prayers that were motivated by religious showmanship. Jesus expected His disciples to live righteous lives that hallow or honor rather than profane God's name (5:16; Lev. 22:31-32). This is an important precondition for successful prayer.

6:10 In light of parallels with contemporary Jewish prayers and Jesus' teaching that the kingdom of God is a present reality but also awaits a fuller future consummation, the petition Thy kingdom come has a present and a future focus. The petition asks that disciples submit more fully to God's will as subjects of His reign through Jesus. We should daily pray for the future consummation of God's rule in which He will reign fully and completely over the earth.

6:11 Daily bread was the amount of bread necessary to survive for a day. Jesus wanted His disciples to live in a state of constant dependence on God and His provision (Prov. 30:8-9).

6:12 The Greek grammar indicates that the disciple prays for forgiveness from God only after having first expressed forgiveness to others.

6:14-15 God forgives those who are truly repentant. True repentance results in a willingness to forgive others.

6:16 The Jewish practice was to smear ashes on the face and wear grim expressions during times of fasting. Although these acts originally expressed true repentance, hypocrites adopted them as a mask of false piety.

6:17 The word when assumes the disciples will fast regularly.

6:19-20 The larvae of the moth could quickly destroy valuable fabrics. The word rust is literally "eating." It can refer to the pitting of metal coins or to vermin in food stores.

6:21 Jesus taught that a person's heart truly belongs to what it most treasures. Since a disciple is to love God with all his heart (22:37; Deut. 6:4), love for material possessions and riches is a subtle form of idolatry (Col. 3:5).

6:22-23 In Jewish writings, a good eye represented a generous attitude and a bad eye a stingy, miserly attitude. The single eye is sincere and focused. The evil eye (an improper perspective on wealth) results in a deep internal darkness, a moral blindness that diminishes the ability to see and pursue what is good.

6:25 This rabbinic-style argument reasons that if God does a greater thing for us, He will also do lesser things. Specifically, if God created you (the greater accomplishment), He is certainly capable of feeding you (a lesser accomplishment).

6:26 Jesus here reversed His previous argument and reasoned that if God bothers to do a lesser thing (feeding wildfowl), He will assuredly accomplish the greater thing (feeding humans).

6:27 The words translated as add one cubit unto his stature probably refer to longevity. Worry is futile and cannot prolong your life.

6:30 Jesus revealed that the real cause of anxiety is when disciples have little faith, meaning doubt about God's power and disbelief in His desire to provide for His children.

6:32 Obsession with material possessions displays the warped priorities of Gentiles (Col. 3:5).

6:33 The disciple who values the reign of God over his life and who diligently pursues righteous living can trust God to satisfy his needs.

6:34 Jesus did not prohibit planning for the future, but He did prohibit worrying about it. He urged His disciples instead to focus on the challenges of the present.

7:1 Jesus did not intend to prohibit all acts of judgment. Elsewhere He commanded believers to discern the actions of others (v. 15; 18:15-20). What Jesus condemned is hypocritical judgment that focuses on the faults of others while excusing one's own sins.

7:2 Jesus warned that those who use a harsh standard of judgment when evaluating others can expect God to use the same harsh standard when they face His judgment.

7:3-5 The mote, perhaps a piece of sawdust, represents a small fault. The beam, a piece of large timber, represents a major moral fault. He who corrects the minor faults of others without attending to his own more serious faults is a hypocrite. Believers do have a responsibility to help one another repent of sins, but only after first dealing with their own serious sins.

7:6 The holy probably refers to sacrificial meat. Dogs would devour it insensibly without appreciating its sacredness. In Jesus' allegory, this sacrificial meat symbolizes His own sacred teachings. The dogs symbolize the wicked who disregard the value of His teachings. First-century teachers referred to pearls symbolically to speak of insightful and valuable teaching. Consequently, the pearls here symbolize Jesus' teachings given by the disciples. Swine were ritually unclean animals. They symbolize the wicked and unclean. Pigs eat spoiled food but have no appreciation for pearls, just as the wicked consume wicked pleasures but disregard the gospel. This contempt for the gospel is pictured by the pig trampling the pearls underfoot. That pigs may turn against the one offering the pearls shows that contempt for the gospel message can become contempt for the gospel messenger, as has often happened in history.

7:7-8 While some people interpret these verses as a promise that God will give disciples whatever they pray for, linguistic connections between these verses and other portions of the Sermon on the Mount suggest that Jesus promised that those who ask, seek, and knock will be invited to enter His kingdom. The command to ask is tied to the promise of "good things" to those who ask in verse 11. In the Lukan parallel, these good things are interpreted as the Holy Spirit who transforms the disciple and makes him fit for the kingdom. Seek uses the same Greek verb as 6:33, "seek ye first the kingdom of God." Knock likely refers to knocking on the gate of the kingdom (mentioned in v v. 13-14).

7:9-10 Round loaves of bread resemble smooth, brown stones. Certain fish in the sea of Galilee resemble snakes.

7:11 Jesus' description of humans as being evil disproves the modern concept that people are basically good. Although Jesus acknowledged that humans may perform gracious acts like providing for their children, He insisted that they do so contrary to their sinful nature. God's gracious acts, on the other hand, express our heavenly Father's perfect nature.

7:12 The word therefore suggests that the "Golden Rule" of this verse draws an application from the preceding section. Since the preceding verse describes God's gracious and loving provision for others, the conjunction probably implies that following the Golden Rule shows the disciple's resemblance to the heavenly Father (see notes at 5:44-45; 5:48).

7:13-14 The strait gate symbolizes the exclusive nature of Christ's kingdom. Entrance requires the disciple to do the will of the Father in heaven (v. 21). The gate that is wide indicates that hell grants unrestricted entrance. The narrow . . . way may symbolize the life of hardship and persecution that the disciple must face. However, since Jewish literature often used the symbol of the road to represent a moral path (Judg. 2:22; Isa. 30:21; Jer. 6:16; 2 John 6) and because the law was portrayed as a narrow road from which a person was not to deviate (Deut. 5:32; 17:20; 28:14; Josh. 1:7; 2 Kings 22:2), the narrow road probably represents Jesus' morally restrictive teaching. The wide road permits travelers to meander and pursue worldly desires, but the narrow path requires travelers to stick to God's will (Matt. 7:21).

7:15-20 A prophet's character and behavior (his fruits) indicate whether he is true or false. Other NT texts insist that a teacher's doctrine must also be examined (1 John 4:2-3). True disciples bear the fruit of good works, and this confirms their identity as Jesus' disciples (Matt. 7:21-23). The image of cutting down and burning a bad tree portrays the judgment and eternal punishment of false disciples.

7:21-23 By referring to Himself as Lord and depicting Himself as the ultimate Judge of humanity, Jesus asserted His deity. True disciples affirm Jesus' lordship, submit to His authority, and obey His commands. Jesus insisted that a person is confirmed as a true disciple not by prophecy, exorcism, or working miracles but by living a transformed life made possible by God. The disobedient lifestyles of evildoers are inconsistent with genuine discipleship. Jesus' words, I never knew you, show that these were never truly disciples.

7:24-27 The adjectives wise and foolish describe a person's spiritual and moral state, not his intellect; it is determined by his response to Jesus' teaching. Since OT writers described God's wrath using the image of a great storm (Isa. 28:16-17; Ezek. 13:10-13), the storm that destroys the house upon the sand is a picture of divine judgment. Hence, the person who hears and acts on Jesus' sayings is prepared for judgment. The one who hears but doesn't act on Jesus' words will be destroyed in the storm of judgment.

7:28-29 Jesus amazed the crowds with an authority that surpassed that of other teachers. First-century Jewish teachers appealed to the authority of their rabbinic predecessors. However, Jesus introduced His teachings with the contrast, "You have heard that it was said . . . but I tell you" (5:21,27,31,33,38,43). By this Jesus made clear that He had the authority to interpret the law independent from and even contrary to the Jewish oral tradition and the most esteemed rabbis. The words when Jesus had ended are important for understanding the structure of Matthew's Gospel (see "Structure" in the Introduction).

8:2 The Greek term for leper can refer to several conditions, ranging from fungal infections to Hansen's Disease. The OT law required lepers to be isolated from society (Lev. 13:45-46). By kneeling before Jesus and addressing Him as Lord (Gk kurios, the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Jehovah), the man recognized Jesus as far more than just a man. His confidence in Jesus' ability to heal his condition hints that his act of worship involved full recognition of Jesus' deity. After all, only God was capable of healing lepers in the OT (Exod. 4:6-7; Num. 12:10-16; 2 Kings 5:1-15, esp. v. 7). The man's qualification, if thou wilt, may indicate that other so-called healers had mistreated or failed him.

8:3 Jesus could heal by command and even at great distance from the sufferer (8:5-13; 9:6). Touching this leper was an expression of boldness and deep compassion since doing so was prohibited by OT law (Lev. 5:3).

8:4 By being inspected and declared clean by the priest, the healed man could authenticate the miracle that Jesus performed.

8:5 A centurion was an officer of the Roman army who commanded about 100 soldiers.

8:7-8 Jesus' willingness to enter the home of a Gentile shocked the centurion, for Jewish law banned Jews from doing this (Acts 10:28). God's grace to Gentiles and His intention to include them in His redemptive plan is a prominent theme in Matthew. The centurion was confident that Jesus had the authority to heal his servant even though the servant was in another location.

8:11 The kingdom of heaven is open to anyone who places their faith in Jesus. Believing Gentiles will be equal to the great Jewish patriarchs.

8:12 The children refers to Jews to whom the kingdom was originally promised but who will be excluded because they rejected Jesus. Outer darkness is a metaphor for damnation in ancient Jewish texts. Weeping and gnashing of teeth denotes anguish.

8:14 Mention of Peter's wife's mother confirms that Peter was married. His marriage was foundational to Paul's argument that apostles had the right to marry and to have their wives accompany them in their missionary labors (1 Cor. 9:5).

8:15 The woman's healing was instant and complete.

8:16 Jesus' ability to drive out spirits by command stands in contrast to the drastic measures used by Jewish exorcists. These included using offensive odors to drive demons away or nose rings to hook them (Tob 6:7-8,16-17; Josephus, Ant. 8:45-49). No disease could thwart Jesus' healing powers.

8:17 In one sense Jesus was able to heal physical illnesses because His impending sacrificial death purchased spiritual atonement from sin. All sickness is ultimately a consequence of Adam's sinful choice. Jesus could remove these consequences because He would bear the full penalty for sin on the cross. Matthew's application of Isa. 53:4 shows that he understood Jesus' death as an act of substitution, an atonement in which Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions" and bore punishment for "the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:5-6).

8:20 Following Jesus can involve sacrificing the comforts of home. Jesus is more than worthy of such sacrifice because He is the Son of man. This title was drawn from Dan. 7:13-14 where it described a ruler of heavenly origin who would reign over a universal and eternal kingdom. This was Jesus' favorite self-designation. It is used 32 times in Matthew.

8:21-22 Jesus' demand seems harsh to modern readers, for today funerals would only briefly delay a commitment to follow Him. However, ancient Jewish burials stretched over an entire year. A year after the initial interment, the eldest son was obligated to gather the skeletal remains and place them in an ossuary for second burial. Many Jews regarded the commandment to honor father and mother as the supreme commandment, and they viewed the burial ritual as its most important implication. Jesus insisted that following Him was to be a higher priority. Since obligation to God supersedes obligation to parents (Deut. 13:5-6), Jesus assumed a divine prerogative in this teaching.

8:23-27 Jesus' authority over winds and sea identified Him as the Creator and Ruler of nature.

8:28 The Gergesenes lived in Gergesa, near Gadara (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). Gerasa was 35 miles to the southeast in the same province. These regions were Gentile lands, as confirmed by the large herd of pigs nearby. The tombs were burial caves in which fugitives sometimes hid. The presence of the demon-possessed among the tombs indicates their obsession with things profane and unclean.

8:29 Although Jesus' disciples were slow to recognize His divine Sonship, the demons were not. Jesus was first identified as God's Son by the Father during His baptism (3:17). Later, Satan acknowledged Jesus' divine sonship (4:3,6). Now demons reiterated Jesus' identity. Son of God was a messianic title drawn from Ps. 2:7,12 (see note at Matt. 3:17). The demons also recognized Jesus as the One who would someday judge and punish them.

8:30-32 No longer able to continue their destructive and violent work in the lives of the two men, the demons begged for permission to enter the herd of pigs, where the demons' deceptive and murderous nature was clearly displayed in the senseless destruction of the entire herd. Here is a picture of Satan's ultimate aim for the world.

8:34 Gentiles may have thought that Jesus personally destroyed the herd as a statement against idolatry and uncleanness, and they feared destruction of other herds.

9:1 Jesus' own city was Capernaum, the headquarters of His ministry (see note at 4:13).

9:2 Jesus elsewhere insisted that illness is not necessarily a direct consequence of a person's sin (John 9:1-3). Seeing their faith implies that personal faith ("their" included the paralytic and his friends) was necessary to receive Jesus' healing and forgiveness. On the association of personal faith with Jesus' miracles, see 8:13; 9:22,28-29. Jesus healed people who were lame (v v. 1-8), blind (v v. 27-31), and unable to speak (v v. 32-34). A Jewish audience who knew OT prophecies would recognize these miracles as the fulfillment of Isa. 35:5-6.

9:3 Scribes were a guild of scholars skilled in copying and interpreting the OT. They viewed themselves as guardians of Jewish traditions. The scribes considered Jesus' pronouncement of forgiveness to be blasphemous since only God can forgive sins (Mark 2:7).

9:4 Jesus had supernatural knowledge of their thoughts.

9:5 On easier, see notes at Mark 2:8-11 and Luke 5:21-25. Jesus proved His authority to forgive sins by removing the physical consequences of sin.

9:6 Jesus associated His power to forgive sins with His identity as the Son of man (see note at 8:20). Although first-century Jews did not associate forgiveness of sin with the Messiah, Isa. 53 showed that the Messiah would offer the sacrifice that accomplished atonement for sin (see Matt. 8:17; 20:28).

9:8 The amazement of the multitudes shows that the scribes were incapable of performing such miracles even though they claimed to be God's authoritative spokespersons.

9:9 Parallel texts (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27) identify this tax collector as Levi. Most Jews had two or three names. Matthew means "Gift of Jehovah," and it may have been a nickname later given to Levi by Jesus (cp. Matt. 16:17-18) to remind him that his conversion and call were gifts from God. Many interpreters believe this verse identifies Matthew as the author of this Gospel.

9:11 On publicans, see note at 5:46-47.

9:12-13 Like sick people who think they are well, the Pharisees were sinful but thought they were righteous. Only those who realize they are sinners will respond to Jesus' call. Hosea 6:6 is an important text in Matthew, since it is quoted twice (see 12:7). In its original context, the verse meant that sacrifice would not secure atonement for anyone who sought God's mercy but did not extend it to others. Jesus often insisted that those who seek forgiveness from God must also offer it to others (5:23-24; 6:14-15; 18:21-35). The two Hos. 6:6 citations are the only times that Matthew uses the term sacrifice. Elsewhere when he refers to sacrifice, he uses the term "gift" (Gk doron). This is likely because Jesus' death was the one true sacrifice that secured atonement for sins (8:17; 20:28). Matthew wanted Jewish Christians who continued to practice temple rituals to view their sacrifices as gifts expressing gratitude for forgiveness already received through Jesus rather than acts that accomplish atonement.

9:15 The presence of the Messiah gave the disciples an irrepressible joy that was inconsistent with fasting.

9:16-17 The images of a shrinking patch tearing the garment that it was intended to repair and brittle wineskins rupturing from the gases released by fermenting wine picture the incompatibility of traditional Jewish teaching and Jesus' teaching.

9:20 This woman's condition left her perpetually unclean (Lev. 25:15-31; Isa. 64:6). The penalty for entering the temple while unclean ranged from 40 lashes to death by stoning (m. Ker. 1.1).

9:23-24 The presence of mourners and minstrels indicate that the girl had been dead for a while and that her funeral had begun (m. Ketub. 4.4). The word sleepeth implies that death is a state from which believers will be awakened at the resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13-14).

9:27 On the meaning of Son of David, see note at 1:1. The healing of the blind recalls Isa. 35:5-6 and confirms Jesus' identity as the Messiah.

9:28-29 On faith, see note at 9:2.

9:32 The healing of a man who was unable to speak recalls Isa. 35:5-6 and confirms Jesus' identity as the Messiah (see notes at v v. 2 and 27).

9:34 Because they were unable to deny Jesus' repeated exorcisms, the Pharisees attempted to dismiss them as evidence of His alliance with Satan. Jesus later showed how unreasonable this accusation was (12:25-32).

9:35 On Jesus' ministry in the region of Galilee, see note at 4:23. These two very similar verses bracket Matt. 4:23–9:34 as a single literary unit.

9:36 The words as sheep having no shepherd recall Ezek. 34. They imply that Israel's spiritual condition reflected the failures of its spiritual leaders. By showing compassion for the abused and neglected, Jesus identified Himself as the Shepherd of God's people, Lord and Servant of David (Ezek. 34:11-16,20-24). See also Matt. 25:32; 26:31.

9:38 By sending out the twelve in Matt. 10:5, Jesus identified Himself as Lord of the harvest. Since OT texts and rabbinic parables presented Jehovah as Master of the harvest in portrayals of eschatological judgment (Isa. 18:4-5; 27:12; Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:13), this identification strongly implies Jesus' deity (Matt. 3:11-12; 13:39,41).

10:1 The emphasis on Jesus' selection of twelve disciples (cp. 11:1) reminds readers of the 12 tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28) and identifies Jesus' followers (the church) as the new and true Israel, the beneficiaries of God's promises to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:6; see note at Matt. 1:1).

10:5-6 Jesus prioritized the mission to Israel. Although He had already served Gentiles (8:5-13) and would do so again (15:21-28), Jews were the main focus of the earliest Christian missions (see Acts).

10:9-10 Jesus prohibited His disciples from carrying the provisions normally taken on lengthy trips. The disciples had to trust that God would provide for them just as He had for OT Israel (Deut. 8:3-4). Some suggest that the prohibition against staves here contradicts the permission to carry one in Mark 6:8. However, Matthew may prohibit acquiring a staff while Mark allows those who already own one to take it along.

10:11-14 Those who were worthy would welcome the disciples and their message (see note at 7:6). Those who were unworthy would neither welcome them nor listen. The typical Jewish greeting Shalom ("Peace be unto you") pronounced a blessing, but those who rejected the gospel were unworthy of such a greeting. Jews shook the dust off their feet when they returned to Israel from pagan lands. By doing this when rejected, Jesus' disciples marked those who rejected the gospel as pagans who did not truly belong to Israel.

10:15 God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha because of their wickedness (Gen. 19:24-29).

10:16 Just as wolves stalk and destroy sheep, persecutors will attempt to hunt and destroy Jesus' disciples. Serpents are wise because they flee from danger (see note at 3:7-9). Similarly, Jesus' disciples must be prepared to take strategic action when persecution threatens (10:23). However, like doves, they should be harmless and not use violent means to answer persecution.

10:17-18 The references to councils (sanhedrins) and synagogues show that Jews sponsored the first anti-Christian persecution. Jewish persecutors appealed to governors and kings because only Roman officials had the authority to order executions. However, persecution by the highest levels of government gave the disciples opportunity to bear testimony before the Gentiles.

10:23 Christian disciples will not complete their mission to the Jewish people before the second coming of Christ. The cities of Israel likely include the far-flung cities of the world where Jews settled down after several dispersions from Israel. However, Jesus' promise is closely linked to the first half of the verse by the conjunction for and by the repetition of the word city. Thus the disciples will not have run out of Jewish cities to which to escape before the Messiah comes. The mission to the nations in Matt. 28:19-20 augments rather than replaces the mission to Israel.

10:25 On the meaning of Beelzebub, see note at 12:24.

10:28 Only God has the authority to condemn to hell.

10:29-30 If God must consent to the fall of sparrows, no disciple can suffer persecution without His consent. The God who has numbered even the hairs of your head has also determined the days of your life.

10:34 Jesus' words do not imply that His disciples should take up weapons in violent reprisal against persecutors. The sword is merely a symbol for conflict and division (Luke 12:51).

10:38 Taking up a cross does not refer to evangelism. Instead, Jesus refers here to the death march that leads to crucifixion. The point is that disciples must be prepared to die (literally and figuratively) as martyrs for Christ.

10:40-42 The person who welcomes a persecuted disciple can expect to receive a heavenly reward.

11: 1 The words when Jesus had made an end are important for understanding the structure of the Gospel (see "Structure" in the Introduction).

11:2-3 John the Baptist previously expressed faith in Jesus as Christ (3:14; John 2:29-37; 3:22-30). John's doubts here were likely the result of his prolonged imprisonment. Isa. 61:1 promised that the Anointed One would "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." John probably interpreted the prophecy literally and thus mistakenly expected a miraculous release from prison.

11:4-5 Jesus confirmed His identity as the Christ by appealing to His miraculous and gracious works (Isa. 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1).

11:6 Jesus pronounced blessing on those who were willing to suffer without being offended at Him. John thus serves as a model for those who persevere in faith despite suffering.

11:7 A reed shaken with the wind is a metaphor for someone who lacks conviction and is easily swayed by public opinion (1 Kings 14:15; 2 Kings 18:21).

11:8 Unlike false prophets, John did not allow himself to be bought off by a king who wished to purchase favorable prophecies (see 1 Kings 22:13-28).

11:10 On John the Baptist in Isaiah's prophecy, see note at 3:3.

11:11 John was imprisoned and executed before Jesus' reign was established through His death and resurrection (Acts 2:32-36; Rom. 1:4). Thus, disciples who enjoy the present reign of Christ enjoy blessings that John yearned for but did not experience (Matt. 13:17). The description of the OT prophets in 1 Pet. 1:10-12 accurately portrays the experience of John.

11:12 The arrest, imprisonment, and eventual execution of John and the Jewish leaders' violent opposition to Jesus were attempts to seize and control the unfolding kingdom of heaven. The words until now hint that the kingdom will someday break free from the grip of those who seek to restrain it (see note at v. 14).

11:14 Malachi 4:5 promised that the day of the Lord, a time of divine judgment for the wicked but healing and joy for God's people, would be preceded by the sending of Elias. Jesus explained that John the Baptist fulfilled this role and that his ministry signaled the dawn of the day of the Lord. Malachi 4:3 promised that the day of the Lord would be a time when God's people "shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet." This signals that violent suppression of the kingdom will soon end (see note at Matt. 11:12).

11:16-19 Jesus portrayed His unbelieving contemporaries as spoiled children who whined when they did not get their way. In an ancient version of the game "Simon says," if a designated child played a pretend flute the other children were supposed to dance. If he sang a lament they were supposed to mourn. However, like unresponsive children, Israel did not pay heed to the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist. The reference to wisdom's children parallels the reference to the Messiah's works (v. 2) and implies that Jesus' claims were vindicated by the acts described in verses 4-6. Between the time of the OT and the NT, Jewish interpreters elaborated on Prov. 8:32-36 and taught that Wisdom was an eternal being who served as God's agent in the creation of the world. By identifying Himself with personified wisdom, Jesus hinted that He is the eternal One through whom the Father created everything (John 1:3).

11:20-24 The Gospels are not exhaustive accounts of Jesus' life. He performed mighty works in Chorazin . . . Bethsaida, and Capernaum, yet the Gospels do not describe His miracles at Chorazin and mention only two that were performed at Bethsaida (Mark 6:45; 8:22; Luke 9:10). God's judgment against sin is more tolerable for people to whom little revelation is given. On the other hand, those who have received much revelation bear greater responsibility and thus incur greater judgment for their unbelief.

11:28-30 Jesus' words recall a statement made by personified Wisdom in a Jewish document dating to several hundred years before Christ (Sir 6:18-31; 51:23-27). When combined with Matt. 11:19, this suggests that Jesus portrayed Himself as personified Wisdom, the One who exists eternally and acted on Jehovah's behalf to create the world. (1 Cor. 1:24; see note at Matt. 11:16-19). Jesus' teaching provided an easy yoke in contrast to the heavy, suppressive yoke of rabbinic teaching (23:4; Acts 15:10).

12:1-2 Handpicking grain from a neighbor's field was not considered stealing (Deut. 23:25). However, work was prohibited on the sabbath. First-century rabbis divided work into 39 categories, each having many subcategories. Three prohibited categories were picking, threshing, and winnowing. The disciples picked wheat or barley and rubbed it between their hands to remove the husks and thus broke those three rules.

12:3-7 Jesus taught that sabbath law was overridden by priorities such as (1) genuine human need (1 Sam. 21:1-6); (2) worship (Num. 28:9-10); and (3) acts of kindness (Hos. 6:6).

12:8 Son of man was Jesus' favorite self-designation. Lord of the sabbath refers to Jehovah since He instituted the sabbath (Gen. 2:1-3), commanded the sabbath (Exod. 20:10), and was the Lord for whom the sabbath was observed (Lev. 23:3). Jesus clearly meant to identify Himself as God Almighty.

12:10 Many rabbis permitted healing on the sabbath only when a life was at risk (m. Yoma 8:6). Otherwise, it was illegal to tie a bandage, set a broken bone, or administer medicine. Some rabbis even banned prayer for the sick on the sabbath.

Reconstruction of a typical first-century synagogue

12:11-12 With the exception of the Essenes (CD 11.13-14), most Jews believed it was permissible to rescue a beast of burden (e.g., a donkey) on the sabbath. It was inconsistent to refuse the same privilege to humans since God values people more than animals. The sabbath was to be kept holy (Exod. 20:8-11), but a ban on good deeds is unholy and dishonors God.

12:13 The man's paralyzed hand had wasted away from disuse. Jesus restored the hand's function and also renewed the wasted muscle. Thus, this miracle was an act of creation. Since the Creator God had instituted the sabbath (Gen. 2:1-3), the miracle confirmed Jesus' self-confessed identity as Lord of the sabbath.

12:15-21 Matthew recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of Isa. 42:1-4. This implies: (1) He is God's Son/servant; (2) He is chosen and loved by God; (3) He pleases God with His obedience; (4) He bears God's Spirit; (5) He will rule over a universal kingdom that includes all nations; (6) He is humble and nonviolent; and (7) He will include Gentiles in His redemptive plan. Jesus as "servant" is closely connected to Isa. 53 (see note at 8:17).

12:23 On son of David, see note at 1:1.

12:24 Beelzebub ("Lord of the flies") was a parody on Beelzebul ("Lord prince"), an ancient name for Baal, a Canaanite storm/fertility god. Worship of Baal competed with worship of Jehovah in the OT. Although gods were nonexistent, demonic spirits were at work in the pagan religions (Ps. 106:28,36-39; 1 Cor. 10:19-20). Satan himself was deemed to be the spirit at work in Baal worship. Consequently, Beelzebub became an alternate name for Satan.

12:25-27 Jesus argued that Satan is too smart to undermine his own kingdom. Also, the objection of the Pharisees (v. 24) indicted their own disciples, for they too claimed to cast out demons.

12:28-29 Jesus' power to cast out devils proved that the kingdom of God was overthrowing Satan's kingdom. Jesus was tying up the strong man (Satan) so He could rob his house, or claim Satan's captives as citizens of His own kingdom.

12:31-32 Jesus claimed to cast out demons "by the Spirit of God" (v. 28). By refuting this and attributing His exorcisms to Satan's power instead, Jesus' opponents were guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost in whose power Jesus worked the miracles. Their attempt to dismiss Jesus' supernatural power would not be forgiven because it expressed a resolute, permanent rejection of Jesus.

12:33-37 The evil words spoken by the Pharisees divulged the true nature of their hearts.

12:38 The Jewish leaders had already witnessed several of Jesus' miracles (v v. 9-14; 9:1-8).

12:39-40 The word adulterous refers to the scribes' and Pharisees' spiritual adultery exhibited by their rejection of Jesus. Mention of the sign of Jonas is Jesus' first explicit prediction of His death in Matthew. Jonas was as good as dead for three days and three nights (Jon. 1:17). His prayer compared his experience to being in the grave. Thus, Jonas's experience was analogous to Jesus' experience of being interred for three days. Since Jesus' resurrection occurred on Sunday, some have argued that the reference to three days and three nights requires a Thursday or Wednesday crucifixion. However, 1 Sam. 30:12-13 suggests that "three days and three nights" could be idiomatic for a span of time that covered all of one day and parts of two others. Thus Jesus' interment late on Friday and His resurrection early Sunday counts as three days.

12:41-42 Ninevites and the queen of Sheba were pagan Gentiles who repented and sought the truth. Jesus is greater than Jonas and Solomon, whom these pagans heard and obeyed.

12:43-45 Jesus cast evil spirits out of afflicted people, but the Jewish leaders discouraged them from accepting God's help and rule through the person of Jesus. This left them empty and vulnerable to even greater evil. The application to this wicked generation shows that this discussion functioned like a parable.

12:48-50 Jesus valued His spiritual relationship with His disciples above His physical relationship with His family. Once His family members came to faith, they agreed (James 1:1; Jude 1).

13:3 Parables can refer to a wide variety of figurative speech. Although many interpreters insist that Jesus' parables were simple metaphors that teach only one main truth, Jesus' interpretation of His own parables may suggest that many of them were allegories that carried multiple points of symbolism, teaching several related truths (see note at v v. 18-23).

13:10-13 Jesus' parables had two distinct purposes: (1) to reveal truth to those who were willing to hear and believe, and (2) to conceal truth from those who willingly rejected truth because of their calloused hearts (v. 15). The hiddenness component of Jesus' teaching may seem harsh, but since greater exposure to truth increases one's accountability to God in judgment (11:20-24), the concealment may represent God's graciousness toward those whom He knew would be unresponsive.

13:14-15 Matthew frequently explained how Jesus' ministry fulfilled prophecy. Here Jesus Himself described the fulfillment of Isa. 6:9-10. The application of this text to Jesus' contemporaries probably implies that Israel's hardened rejection of Jesus was not permanent, since Isa. 6:11-13 showed that the hearts of the people would someday be softened and that God would preserve a righteous remnant in Israel. The picture is of stony resistance, not permanent resistance.

13:18-23 The four types of soil represent types of people and their differing responses to Jesus. The first three types represent those who reject Jesus outright (7:26-27) and those who falsely claim to be His disciples (7:15-23; 10:35-39). Since bearing the fruit of good deeds is an essential expression of discipleship (3:8,10; 7:16-20; 12:33; 21:18-19,33-41), only the last type is a true disciple. A harvest of 10 to 20 times what was sown was considered a bumper crop, given the primitive agricultural technology of the period. True disciples bear fruit in a miraculous quantity.

13:24-30 The tares (weeds) were probably darnel, which resembles wheat during the early stages of growth, but is actually poisonous. Roman law prohibited sowing darnel in another's field, which suggests Jesus' story was realistic. The root systems of wheat and darnel become intertwined as the crop matures, which makes it difficult to uproot the weeds without damaging the wheat. For the interpretation, see note at verses 36-43.

13:31-32 Like the mustard seed, the kingdom of heaven began as something small and seemingly insignificant but later grew to be large.

13:33 Though leaven usually stands for something evil, in this context it is probably the good effect of the gospel. The image of a pinch of yeast permeating 50 pounds of dough parallels the great impact the kingdom would have despite its small beginnings.

13:36-43 Jesus' interpretation shows that the subject of this parable is not the mixture of true and false disciples in the church but rather the presence of both good and evil people in the broader world. Many Jews expected the Messiah to immediately destroy evildoers and vindicate the righteous. Thus they were puzzled as to why Jesus didn't do this if He truly were the Son of man (see Dan. 7:13-14). In this parable Jesus demonstrated (1) that He is not the source of evil (13:27-28,36-39); (2) the entire world belongs to the Son of man and the devil had no right to bring evil into it; and (3) the Son of man would assert His kingship over the world by punishing the wicked and blessing the righteous at an appropriate future time.

13:44-46 These parables teach that the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that the wise are willing to sacrifice anything in order to gain it (19:21-26).

13:47-50 The parable of the net closely parallels the parable of the wheat and tares (v v. 24-30,38-43). It describes the final judgment in which the righteous (Jesus' disciples) are separated from those who reject Him and His rule and are sentenced to everlasting punishment.

13:51-52 Because Jesus disclosed what had previously been hidden (v v. 34-35), Jesus' disciples were qualified to serve as teachers. They had old treasures (the OT) and new treasures (the teachings of Jesus).

13:53 The words when Jesus had finished are important for understanding the structure of the Gospel (see "Structure" in the Introduction).

13:54 Jesus' own country was Nazareth (see note at 2:22-23).

13:55 This verse and its parallels (Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22) are the only references to Joseph's and Jesus' trade in the NT. Jewish tradition dictated that fathers teach their trade to their sons. The word "carpenter" (Gk tekton) was occasionally used to describe stone masons, but normally referred to woodworkers. One early tradition says that Jesus primarily made yokes and plows. Both James and Judas later became followers of Jesus and authored NT books.

13:57 Jesus identified Himself as a prophet, but also more than a prophet (12:41). Prophets were typically rejected (23:37).

14:1 Herod Antipas ruled as tetrarch of Galilee and Perea from about 4 b.c. until he was banished for seeking the kingship in a.d. 39 (Josephus, Ant. 18.252-54). In general, a tetrarch was one step below an ethnarch which was in turn a step below king.

14:3 The explanatory conjunction for (Gk gar) shows that Herod's belief that John had been resurrected and possessed supernatural powers was a product of paranoia fed by his guilty conscience.

14:6-11 Herodias's daughter Salome danced erotically for her uncle Herod. This seems to have enticed a drunken Herod to make an oath he would later regret. Herodias preferred beheading as the means of execution so she could display John's head as a trophy. The Gospel accounts of this event were probably dependent on an informant in Herod's court, possibly Joanna or Manaen (Luke 8:3; 24:10; Acts 13:1).

14:14 On Jesus' compassion for the crowd, see note at 9:36.

14:17 Loaves of bread and small fishes were staple foods in Galilee. The loaves were the size of dinner rolls. John's description of the fish (Gk opsarion) indicates that they were either dried or pickled (John 6:9). He also identified the loaves as made of barley, the food of the poor. He implied that the loaves and fish were small since they were sufficient for only one boy's lunch.

14:18-21 This is the only miracle of Jesus recorded by all four Gospels. A true miracle is clearly expressed by the words they did all eat, and were filled. Normally, a few small loaves and fish divided among so many people would only provide each person with a very tiny crumb. However, everyone ate to satisfaction and the disciples collected in leftovers more food than was originally available. Collecting these baskets full of fragments served as a powerful reminder of Jesus' ability to provide abundance for His disciples (6:11,25-33). John's Gospel shows that many bystanders compared Jesus' miracles to God's provision of manna in the wilderness (John 6:22-33). The miracle also resembles a miracle of Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44). The five thousand men, beside women and children might equal a total of 15,000 people. Thus Jesus' miracle was far greater than Elisha's 20 loaves for 100 men.

14:25 The Romans divided the period from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. into four watches of three hours each. Thus the fourth watch was from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

14:26 The word spirit (Gk phantasma) was used in Greek literature to describe dream visions or spirit apparitions. In the OT a closely related term referred to a dream or vision in which one saw something that was not real (Isa. 28:7; Job 20:8 [LXX]). Matthew's usage may imply that the disciples thought their eyes were deceiving them. The language of the text does not imply that the Bible supports the belief that spirits of the dead roam the earth.

14:27 The words it is I are literally "I am." The statement is Jesus' purposeful echo of OT texts like Exod. 3:14 and identifies Him as Jehovah God.

14:33 The disciples' confession of Jesus as Son of God is not surprising in light of close connections between this miracle and important OT parallels. The title often serves as a messianic title in the NT (see note at 3:17), but here it also implies Jesus' deity. The disciples likely interpreted the miracle in light of Job 9:8 (LXX), which states that Jehovah walked on the sea as if it were dry land. Their worship of Jesus also confirmed their growing recognition of His divine nature (see note at Matt. 4:10-11).

14:34 Gennesaret was located on the northwestern shore of the sea of Galilee about five miles south of Capernaum.

14:36 The people of Gennesaret appeared to be aware of how the woman with an issue of blood was healed in nearby Capernaum (see note at 9:20).

15:1-2 The Mishnah devotes an entire tractate of Jewish law to a discussion on how the hands should be washed. Good Jews were expected to perform ritual hand washing before, during, and after each meal. A person would first pour water over his hands with the fingers pointing up and with the water reaching the wrist, then he would point the fingers down and pour the water again, this time allowing the water to drip off the fingers. If one mixed up this order or poured the water both times with the hands pointed down or up, the hands were still ritually unclean. Each hand had to be rubbed with the other, but this could not be done until the other hand was clean. To neglect the first or third washing was considered a serious sin, possibly a deadly one. Such washing was not prescribed by OT law, but was a tradition passed down to first-century Jews by their elders. Many teachers gave these human traditions an authority equal to that of OT commandments.

15:3 Jesus condemned the Pharisees and scribes for valuing human tradition above Scripture.

15:5-6 Jewish law required sons to care for their aging parents (1 Tim. 5:8). However, corrupt priests allowed sons who were tired of caring for their parents to take a vow of Corban ("gift"). This vow dedicated to God and the Jerusalem temple the resources they would otherwise have used to support their parents. Since one's obligation to God truly outweighs all other obligations, the priests taught that such a maneuver was righteous. Jesus strongly condemned it, however.

15:11-12 The laws regarding purification of the hands were concerned with ritual purity, not sanitation. After all, Jewish law permitted the water to be drawn from vessels made of cow manure. Further, it permitted the water to be so filthy that cattle refused to drink it (m. Ta'an. 1). Jesus argued that food consumed with unpurified hands does not spiritually defile a person. The words that come out of one's mouth defile a person because they show the sinful condition of the heart (v. 18). That the Pharisees were offended at Jesus' teaching suggests that they understood that He was referring to their hypocritical speech, which honored God even as their hearts refused to worship Him (v v. 8-9).

15:13 Based on texts like Isa. 60:21 and 61:3, first-century Jews described themselves as the "plant of the Lord." The plant that God had not planted represents national Jews who neither understood nor practiced true righteousness. Like the weeds in the parable of Matt. 13:24-30, these imposters would be uprooted and destroyed.

15:14 Jewish teachers like the Pharisees and scribes prided themselves on being leaders of the blind (Rom. 2:19).

15:18-19 Jesus taught that the human heart is innately corrupt, but He also described His followers as "pure in heart" (5:8). From this we conclude that following Jesus results in a transformation of the heart that greatly diminishes our love of sin.

15:21 Tyre and Sidon were Mediterranean port cities north of Galilee. Because these cities were denounced in Isa. 23 and Ezek. 28, first-century Jews viewed them as notoriously wicked and deserving of divine wrath (11:21).

15:22 By labeling the woman a Canaanite (cp. Mark 7:26), Matthew associates her with the most notorious pagan enemy of Israel. Like the magi of Matt. 2, her role shows that Gentiles may follow Christ and be blessed by Him (see note at 2:1). Her use of the titles Lord and Son of David indicates that she recognized Jesus as the Jewish Messiah (see note at 1:1).

15:24 Matthew emphasized Jesus' intention to include Gentiles in His kingdom, but he also stressed that Jesus focused His earthly ministry on Israelites who had been abused by their spiritual leaders (10:5-6).

15:26-27 Comparison of the Canaanite woman to a dog sounds like a racial slur to modern readers, but the word dogs (Gk kunarion) was a diminutive used as a term of endearment. It typically referred to house dogs that slept in the master's lap. Jesus' metaphorical statement merely implies that He had a higher obligation to serve His fellow Jews, not that He despised Gentiles. The woman replied that Jesus need not neglect Jews by meeting Gentile needs any more than children go hungry because crumbs that fall from their table are eaten by their pets.

15:28 The faith that Jesus most highly commended in Matthew was expressed by Gentiles (see notes at 8:7-8 and 8:11). The faith of the Canaanite woman even compared favorably to that of the 12 disciples (14:31).

15:29-31 The location is apparently the northern shores of the sea of Galilee, still in Gentile territory. The list of ailments that Jesus cured is reminiscent of Isa. 35:5-6 and identifies Jesus as Messiah (Matt. 11:1-6). The people's praise to the God of Israel shows that Jesus' ministry pointed Gentiles to the one true God.

15:32-38 This miracle is similar to the previous feeding (Matt. 14:13-21). In both cases Jesus was moved with compassion, utilized loaves and fishes, and satisfied the people so completely that leftover pieces were collected. One notable difference is the audience. The first miracle was performed for Israelites, the second for Gentiles.

15:39 Magdala was on the northwestern shore of the sea of Galilee, the home of Mary Magdalene.

16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed on major theological and political views. They were only united in their opposition to John the Baptist and Jesus (3:7).

16:2-4 Jesus' opponents could skillfully read signs for the coming weather but they missed the more obvious signs (Jesus' miracles) about the coming kingdom of God. Jesus' description of Israel's religious leaders is reminiscent of Deut. 32:5, where Moses rebuked Israel for rejecting Jehovah. Jesus thus compared Israel's rejection of God with its rejection of Himself. By doing this, He equated Himself with God. The context of Deut. 32:5 uses meteorological terms like heavens, rain, dew, and showers (Deut. 32:1-2) and Moses elsewhere calls "heaven and earth as witnesses" against rebellious Israel (Deut. 4:26; 30:19). Jesus used a meteorological illustration in order to tie in the OT text. On the sign of . . . Jonas, see note at 12:39-40.

16:5-6 The disciples should have brought the leftovers from Jesus' feeding miracle to sustain them on their next journey. Their failure to do so may have been an act of carelessness, but it may also indicate that they expected Jesus to perform signs and wonders at every turn, as did the sect leaders (v v. 1-4). The verb had forgotten (Gk epilanthanomai) often implies willful neglect (Ezek. 23:35, LXX). Leaven was a metaphor for something seemingly insignificant that could have enormous influence (see note at 13:33). It could be used to indicate positive influence, but here it is used negatively. The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed about many doctrines, so reference to their common teaching likely meant their joint skepticism regarding Jesus' messiahship.

16:7-12 The disciple's memory of Jesus' feeding miracles should have been enough to sustain their faith. Their constant desire for miracles paralleled the Pharisees' and Sadducees' demand for a "sign from heaven" (v. 1) and demonstrated that they were people of little faith.

16:13 Two cities in ancient Israel were named Caesarea. Caesarea Maritima was located on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. Caesarea Philippi was an inland city about 25 miles north of the sea of Galilee. This was the site of worship for a nature god known as Pan and the home of a temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar. That Jesus' identity as the Messiah was announced here demonstrates that Jesus is superior to Caesar and to all idols and mythical gods. On the meaning of Son of man, see note at 8:20.

16:14 Many of Jesus' contemporaries recognized His prophetic role. Herod suspected He was John the Baptist resurrected (14:2). Some of Jesus' miracles were similar to those of Elijah (cp. 1 Kings 17:9-16 and Matt. 14:13-21; 1 Kings 17:17-24 and Matt. 9:18-19,23-26), leading people to believe He was the fulfillment of Elijah's promised return (Mal. 4:5). Like Jeremiah, Jesus was a much-rejected preacher of judgment.

16:16 On the titles Christ and Son of the living God, see notes at 1:1 and 3:17. Although Matthew called Jesus Messiah earlier (1:1,16), this is the first time the disciples called Him this. Peter used the title "living God" to contrast Jehovah with lifeless pagan deities (see note at 16:13).

16:17-18 Simon understood Jesus' identity due to divine revelation (11:25-27), which is why Jesus nicknamed him Peter. Although Matthew previously referred to Simon as Peter, this is the first time in the Gospel that Jesus did so. Jesus identified Peter as the rock on which His church would be founded. Peter and the other apostles' proclamation of Jesus' messiahship laid the foundation for the church (Eph. 2:19-20; Rev. 21:14). I will build demonstrates that Jesus is ultimately responsible for the growth and expansion of the church. The word church was the word used in the OT to describe sacred Jewish assemblies. Jesus' use of the word implies that His followers constitute the new Israel, the true people of God who submit to His kingly reign.

16:19 The keys are a symbol of authority. The rabbis used the words bind and loose to denote decisions about what was or was not permitted. Shall be bound is literally "shall have been bound," and shall be loosed is literally "shall have been loosed" (Gk perfect tense). Peter will permit or prohibit only what had already been permitted or prohibited in heaven. Peter was an agent of divine revelation.

16:21-22 On the significance of the words from that time forth began Jesus to, see "Structure" in the Introduction. Jesus referred to His death and resurrection earlier (12:40), but now He did so more persistently and clearly. Peter could not accept the warning because his messianic expectations did not include a suffering, executed Messiah.

16:23 The cross was central to Jesus' purposes on earth. Because Peter's statement essentially tempted Jesus to evade the cross, he unwittingly became a spokesman for Satan.

16:24 Take up his cross refers to the death march of the Christian disciple, who is figuratively sentenced to crucifixion over his decision to follow Christ. The Christian must be prepared to give his life for Jesus. Follow me requires the disciple to follow the example of his Master.

16:27 Jesus applied to Himself Ps. 62:12 and Zech. 14:5, statements that referred to Jehovah God. On the title Son of man, see note at 8:20.

16:28 This promise refers to Jesus' transfiguration, which foreshadowed His resurrection and glorification (2 Pet. 1:16-18).

17:1-6 The reference to six days indicates the rapidity of the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in Matt. 16:28, but it also may draw a parallel between Jesus' transfiguration and God's revelation of Himself to Moses in Exod. 24:13-18. Other parallels include the reference to a cloud, a brilliant light, a mountain, and the separation of a small number of men from the larger group. Moses' face shone brilliantly after he met with God (Exod. 34:29-35), so Jesus' transfiguration serves to identify Him as the new Moses. This seems confirmed by the words hear ye him which echo Deut. 18:15, a text from the prophet-like-Moses prophecy (Deut. 18:15-19). On the new Moses theme, see notes at Matt. 2:15 and 2:16-17. However, the description of Jesus transcends OT descriptions of the glorified Moses. In Exod. 34:29-35, only Moses' face was radiant and this radiance was concealed by his veil. Jesus' face had radiance too glorious to conceal and even His clothes became white as the light. The description of Jesus parallels the description of the Ancient of Days in Dan. 7:9-10 and shows that Jesus possessed the glory of His Father (Matt. 16:27).

The presence of Moses and Elijah indicates that the necessary conditions for the Messiah's coming had been fulfilled (v. 10; Deut. 18:15-19; Mal. 4:5). Peter's request to build tabernacles unjustly suggested equal treatment for Jesus and His guests. The Father's voice from heaven showed Jesus' superiority to Moses and Elijah. Jesus is God's beloved Son, the object of His pleasure, and the focus of true disciples (see note at 3:17). God spoke from heaven only twice in Matthew, both times to express His love for Jesus and His delight in His works (v. 5; 3:17).

17:9 The disciples could report the transfiguration only after the resurrection when the nature of Jesus' messianic reign became clear. This is Jesus' third mention of His resurrection in this Gospel.

17:10-13 The view of the scribes was prompted by Mal. 4:5. John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the Elijah prophecy (see notes at Matt. 3:1,4, and 11:14).

17:14-16 Like the magi (2:11), the leper (8:2), the father of the deceased daughter (9:18), and Jesus' disciples (14:33), this father worshipped Jesus (cp. 4:10). What he called lunacy was probably epilepsy. Epilepsy is distinguished from demon possession in Matt. 4:24. However, Jesus recognized in this rare instance that the seizures were the result of demonic activity. The apparent suicidal tendencies described in verse 15 show the destructive influence of demons.

17:17 Jesus' description of His own disciples as a faithless and perverse generation is similar to His description of the Jewish leaders who rejected Him (11:16; 12:39,45).

17:20 Moving a mountain was a metaphor for accomplishing an impossible task (1 Cor. 13:2). Nothing that Christ authorizes His followers to do will be impossible.

Mount Tabor, in lower Galilee, is the traditional site of Jesus' transfiguration, but it is not a high mountain (1,850 ft.) and was probably fortified and inaccessible in Jesus' day. The more likely site is Mount Hermon, shown in the photo. Mount Hermon is 9,100 feet and is north of Caesarea Philippi where Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah.

17:22-23 This is Jesus' fourth prediction of His death in Matthew (v. 12; 12:40; 16:21). Each prediction adds additional details. This prophecy adds that it will involve betrayal.

17:24 On Capernaum, see note at 4:13. The tribute was collected from every Jewish male over the age of 20 and used for the upkeep of the Jerusalem temple (Exod. 30:13; 38:25-26; Josephus, Ant. 18.9.1 and War 7.6.6). This episode is recorded only in Matthew and provides evidence for the pre-a.d. 70 date of Matthew (see "Date" in the Introduction).

17:25-26 Here prevented means preceded (in speaking). Because Jesus' disciples were children of the true King, they were free from the obligation to support the temple. This had enormous implications for Jewish Christians. If temple taxes were no longer obligatory, sacrifices and other offerings were also now optional. See the discussion of Matthew's view of sacrifice under "Date" in the Introduction.

17:27 Though Jesus insisted that the temple tax was not obligatory for His disciples, He gladly paid it to avoid offending His fellow Jews. His action provided an important model for believers who dealt with issues of ritual later in the early church (Rom. 14:13-23). Several ancient texts refer to fishermen discovering valuable items inside fish. Through supernatural knowledge, Jesus knew that a nearby fish had swallowed an amount of money that was sufficient to pay the tax. He also exercised authority over nature, ensuring that the fish would take the bait Peter offered.

18:1-4 These verses are commonly said to promote childlike innocence or naiveté, but Jesus' statement actually urged disciples to adopt childlike humility. The desire to be the greatest in the kingdom displayed a pride that was inconsistent with genuine discipleship.

18:5 Jesus urged kind and gracious treatment of children by teaching that they should regard a child as they would regard Him.

18:6 Jesus shifted the topic from literal children to spiritual little ones which believe, meaning His disciples. The millstone was a large round stone turned by a donkey rather than the much smaller stone used to grind grain by hand. Drowning was a particularly horrifying way to die in the mind-set of first-century Jews, for Israel was not a seafaring nation.

18:7-9 Those who cause Jesus' disciples to sin will face severe punishment. Nevertheless, disciples are responsible for their own actions and must commit to purity (see note at 5:29-30).

18:10 Daniel 10:10-14 teaches that angels are assigned to represent and protect the nations. In similar fashion, Jesus appears to teach that angels are assigned to represent believers to God. Jesus said that these angels have access to the heavenly throne and constantly present the needs of believers to God.

18:11-14 Little ones (v. 14) are disciples (v. 6). Sinful believers who are restored to church fellowship should not be received begrudgingly or hesitantly but with the jubilation of a shepherd who finds a sheep that had gone astray. The heavenly Shepherd cannot accept the loss of even a single believer. Like the shepherd of this parable, He will rescue His stray sheep.

18:15-17 These verses outline the process by which disciples demonstrate the Great Shepherd's concern for stray sheep. The purpose of the process is not to punish, but to restore the sinful disciple (thou hast gained thy brother). If, at the final step of the process, the professing disciple refuses to heed the church's call to repentance, the church must assume that they are not a true believer and must exclude them from fellowship (see 1 Cor. 5:1-13).

18:18 On binding and loosing, see note at 16:19. The decisions made by the church about what behavior is permissible or unacceptable reflect decisions already made by God in heaven.

18:19-20 A common but mistaken interpretation holds that these verses promise that God will do whatever two or more believers ask. This violates the context. There is a clear connection with the immediately preceding discussion about restoring a sinning disciple. Verses 18 and 19 relate the restoration/disciplinary actions of Jesus' disciples on earth to the decisions of the Father in heaven. The word again at the beginning of verse 19 suggests that this verse restates the principle of verse 18. The two or three mentioned in verse 20 are thus the two or three witnesses that were first mentioned in verse 16. Christ is present with His disciples when they gather and seek His leadership about troubling behavior among disciples. He will answer their prayer for the sinning believer's restoration.

18:21-22 Although forgiving someone only seven times seems stingy, this standard was generous considering the fact that some rabbis required their students to forgive offenders only three times. Jesus' point was that forgiveness should be unlimited when true repentance is present.

18:23-27 The king symbolizes God and to take account symbolizes divine judgment. The ten thousand talents was was more money than was circulating in all of Israel. The talent was the largest unit of currency (equivalent to approximately 6,000 days' wages) and 10,000 is the highest single number that can be expressed in Greek. The sum represents the sinner's hopeless debt to God. Selling the debtor, his family, and possessions would hardly begin to recoup this debt. Forgiving such a loan is an astounding act of grace.

18:28-29 A hundred pence (denarii) was equivalent to three months of wages. The contrast between the 10,000 talents and the 100 denarii shows that the sins of others against us are trivial in comparison to the enormity of our own sins against God. The drudge begged the slave to have patience just as the slave had begged before the king, but the drudge was more honest in his pleas and promises since his debt was actually manageable.

Church Discipline

Mark Dever

Jesus Christ founded and purchased the church with His blood (Acts 20:28), and He builds it upon acknowledgement and faith in Him as Messiah (Matt. 16:18). This means the church belongs to Jesus and represents Him to the nations. In this light, the purity of the church is vital. Rightly practiced, church discipline helps ensure that purity.

Two Categories of Church Discipline

Two categories of church discipline describe ways a church may teach its members right living and right beliefs.

• Formative Discipline: Formative discipline is a preventative measure. It includes the positive, direct teaching of biblical truth through sermons and Sunday School lessons. It also includes modeling godliness and mentoring new believers.
• Corrective Discipline: Corrective discipline is used when trouble arises. It can include contradicting, challenging, rebuking, and excommunicating a member for impenitence or erroneous teachings.

Corrective discipline may seem controversial, but Jesus clearly taught that if a believer continues to sin despite the call to repentance, the church should treat him as if he were "an heathen man and a publican" (Matt. 18:17). This exclusion from church membership is generically called "church discipline." It is also called "excommunication" because those under discipline are not permitted to participate in Communion (the Lord's Supper).

Correcting Misconceptions about Church Discipline

Excommunication is the final stage of church discipline. It is undertaken only if other corrective measures fail to bring the sinner to repentance. Though painful and traumatic, excommunication is not an unloving act. One of the obligations of love is to not leave someone in their sin. "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov. 27:5–6).

Excommunication does not mean that the person should stop attending church. Except in rare cases, the congregation desires the disciplined sinner to continue attending and sitting under the preaching of God's Word. By this the sinner is confronted by Scripture and his life is observed by the faith community that has disciplined him.

Church discipline need not be permanent. One goal is the repentance of the sinner. Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for not readmitting into membership a repentant member whom they had disciplined (2 Cor. 2:6–7). Finally, church discipline is not an infallible assessment of the eternal state of the person disciplined. It is instead a fallible but serious warning about an evident lack of regeneration.

Why Church Discipline is Important

Church discipline presents to the world and believers a clarifying picture of what it means to follow Christ. It is important to make sinners aware of their sin (e.g., 1 Cor. 5). By confronting persistent sin, the church may reveal hypocrites—both to themselves so that they might repent, and to the church so that the church might distinguish sheep from wolves (see Matt. 7:15–20).

The practice of church discipline is also an important part of glorifying God, for the church is to reflect God's holy character in a fallen world (1 Pet. 1:14–16). God is both merciful and holy. To neglect either aspect of His character is to distort His image and lie about Him.

18:32-35 The parable's point is now revealed. Since God has shown believers such great mercy by pardoning their sins, they should in turn sincerely forgive the sins of others. The debtor's torture would continue until the debt was paid in full. Since the debt could not possibly be repaid, the torture symbolizes eternal punishment.

19:1 For the importance of when Jesus had finished, see "Structure" in the Introduction.

19:3 First-century Pharisees who associated themselves with Hillel's school were liberal toward divorce. They permitted it for virtually any reason, such as burning supper or having bushy eyebrows.

19:4-6 God ordained marriage both by creation and by command. He created two complimentary genders, male and female, and commanded one man and one woman to unite in marriage. Since God ordained marriage, human efforts to dissolve it constitute an attack on God's own work.

19:7-9 Although the Pharisees described divorce as something Moses commanded, Jesus described it as something Moses merely permitted. No provision for divorce was given at the beginning. Only after human hearts became hardened by sin was divorce permitted. The hearts of Jesus' disciples are transformed (5:8), enabling them to be faithful to their marital covenant. Jesus permitted divorce and remarriage for marital unfaithfulness because sexual infidelity effectively destroys the one-flesh union of marriage.

19:10-12 The disciples rashly concluded that if marriage covenants are permanent, lifelong celibacy is the wisest option. Jesus upheld the value of marriage, but in this case He affirmed those who chose celibacy in order to devote themselves wholly to God. Eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs are those who voluntarily abstain from marriage. Jesus did not condone self-emasculation.

19:13-15 On Jesus' blessing of children, see note at 18:1-5.

19:16-17 This question wrongly assumed that eternal life can be earned through good deeds. The statement there is none good but one was intended to shatter the man's deluded notion of attaining a personal goodness that merited salvation.

19:21 Jesus' command to sell everything, give to the poor, and follow Him was designed to show the young man that (1) his covetousness defied the spirit of the tenth commandment, (2) his neglect of the poor defied the commandment to love his neighbor, and possibly (3) his love for his possessions surpassed his love for God, thus breaking the commandment against idolatry.

19:24-26 The image of the largest animal in the Levant, a camel, passing through a small opening was an oft-used metaphor for impossible events. The salvation of rich people (tempted as they are to trust themselves and their possessions) is possible only by divine miracle.

19:28-30 The regeneration, the renewal of all creation, will take place when the Son of man reigns over the new heaven and new earth. The reign of the 12 disciples over Israel demonstrates that Jesus' disciples constitute the new Israel, the chosen people of God who will benefit from His covenant with Abraham. In a great divine reversal, those who made personal sacrifices for Christ will enjoy enormous blessings and those like the rich young ruler, who loved wealth more than Christ, will be punished.

20:1-2 In Jewish parables, authority figures like a wealthy householder typically represent God. Penny is literally "denarius," the wage for a day's work in the first century.

20:8 The words from the last unto the first recall 19:30 and show that this parable is an illustration of the principle taught there.

20:9-10 Since those who worked only one hour received a full day's wage, other workers expected to be paid proportionately—one denarius per hour (see note at v v. 1-2).

20:11-15 The workers had no right to protest their pay since their wage was the normally accepted sum and since they had agreed to work for this wage in the first place (v. 2). Just as the landowner was free to dispense his wealth as he saw fit, God is free to dispense His grace as He determines. The first workers hired represent people who consider themselves to be of greater importance to God, like the self-righteous man in 19:16-26. The last workers hired represent people like the 12 disciples, who live sacrificially but will be rewarded far more generously than they expect or deserve.

20:16 Since this is repeated immediately before (19:30) and after the parable of the vineyard workers, it is the key to interpreting the parable. The conjunction at the beginning of 19:30 links this discussion with the one about the unexpected reward of Jesus' 12 disciples. On called, see note at 22:13-14.

20:17-19 This is Jesus' fifth prediction of His death in Matthew's Gospel (12:40; 16:21; 17:12,22-23). Each prediction adds additional details. This time He added that He would be mocked, scourged, and crucified at the hands of Gentiles.

20:20 Zebedee's sons were James and John (see note at 4:18-22).

20:21 Jesus had promised that His disciples would sit on 12 thrones ruling over Israel when He reigns (19:28-29). Now James and John sought, through their mother, to gain prominence over their fellows. Along with Peter, they were members of Jesus' inner circle. Because Jesus rebuked Peter in 16:23, they may have aspired to usurp Peter's position of prominence as well.

20:22-23 The cup was a metaphor for suffering (26:39). Jesus' question probed the disciples' willingness to suffer for Him like He would suffer for them. Ye shall drink indeed of my cup foretells the martyrdom of James (Acts 12:1-2) and John. The parable in Matt. 20:1-16 demonstrated that the Father distributes reward as He chooses, not according to merit. Jesus confirmed again the principle of the Father's freedom to determine who will enjoy heaven's greatest blessings.

20:24-28 The competition between the disciples exposed their pride. Jesus called His disciples to the same humble servitude that He modeled. The ultimate expression of His humility was His own sacrificial death that served as a ransom for believers. Jesus' words echo the themes of Isa. 53, which Matthew applied to Jesus in Matt. 8:17.

20:29-31 The parallel passage in Mark 10:46-52 refers to only one blind man, not two blind men. However, since Mark gives the name of the blind man he mentions, he was probably known to Mark's original readers. Mark did not mention the other blind man because he wished to focus attention only on the man with whom his readers were familiar. On Son of David, see note at 1:1.

21:1 The mount of Olives was a large hill on the eastern side of Jerusalem. It was mentioned in Zech. 14:4, which ancient rabbis interpreted as referring to the Messiah (Matt. 24:3). Bethphage was a village on the slopes of the hill.

21:2-3 Jesus commandeered the animals in a show of messianic authority.

21:4-5 The formula that Matthew used to introduce the OT quotation affirms that God spoke through the OT prophets. The quotation is a combination of one line from Isa. 62:11 and excerpts from Zech. 9:9. The first text refers to the coming of the Lord while the second refers to the approach of the divine King. Both texts imply Jesus' deity and messiahship.

21:7 The mother donkey was led alongside her untamed colt in order to calm it. The clothes of bystanders were draped across the backs of both animals, serving as makeshift decorative saddles. The word thereon refer to Jesus sitting atop the robes, not to His riding both animals simultaneously.

21:8 The scattering of garments and branches in Jesus' path recalls the way in which kings entered their royal cities (2 Kings 9:13).

21:9 These words of celebration echo Ps. 118:25-26. Hosanna was a plea to God for salvation.

21:12 Since Roman currency had idolatrous images stamped on it, the temple accepted only idol-free Tyrian currency. Moneychangers exchanged pagan coins for acceptable currency for a fee. Merchants sold sacrificial animals to those who had traveled long distances. Doves were sacrificed by poor pilgrims who could not afford lambs (Lev. 5:7). Although the merchants and money changers normally performed their services outside the temple precincts, they occasionally set up shop in the court of the Gentiles.

21:13 Jesus' quote is from Isa. 56:7 and Jer. 7:11. The commotion in the court made the temple unsuitable as a house of prayer. Zechariah 6:12-13 foretold that the Messiah would purify the temple. See also Zech. 14:21.

21:14 Evidence suggests that first-century Jews extended the demands of Lev. 21:16-20 to exclude handicapped persons from entering the temple (2 Sam. 5:8, LXX). By healing the blind and lame, Jesus identified Himself as the Messiah (Isa. 35:5-6). By doing so in the temple complex, He demonstrated that the handicapped were welcomed by a gracious God.

21:15-16 Both the wonders performed by Jesus and the words spoken by the children identified Jesus as the Son of David and the Messiah (see note at 1:1). Jesus argued from Ps. 8:2 that the children's celebration was appropriate and divinely inspired.

21:17-19 On His way from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus passed again through Bethphage, "the House of Unripe Figs" (v. 1). In light of Mic. 5:7, the fruitless fig tree symbolized Israel's moral barrenness. The cursing of the tree forewarned of God's coming judgment against Jerusalem and its temple.

21:20-22 Jesus' disciples apparently overlooked the symbolic significance of Jesus' miracle and simply focused on the power of His command. Although this mountain could be a reference to the mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) or the temple mount, it probably referred to God's power to do humanly impossible things in response to prayer (1 Cor. 13:2).

21:23-27 John the Baptist said that the Messiah would pour out the transforming Spirit on His disciples and punish the unrepentant with fiery judgment (see note at 3:11). John also identified Jesus as the promised Messiah (see note at 3:14). Admission that John was a prophet would require the Jewish leaders to acknowledge Jesus' authority also.

21:28-32 The first son symbolizes notorious sinners like publicans and harlots who initially rebel against God's will but later repent and obey. The other son represents the chief priests and elders who promised obedience to God but never fulfilled their commitment.

21:33-41 The householder represents God; the vineyard stands first for Israel (Isa. 5:1-7), then Jerusalem, then the kingdom; the husbandmen are the Jewish leaders; the servants are the OT prophets; the son is Jesus. Because the Jewish leaders refused to give God the fruits of righteousness that He demanded and because they rejected and murdered His Son, God would destroy them, take His kingdom away from them, and entrust it to Jesus' disciples.

21:42-44 Jesus quoted Ps. 118:22-23, the same psalm from which the people praised Him in Matt. 21:9. The image of a stone that was rejected as worthless by builders but later used as the cornerstone—the most important part of the structure—foreshadowed the fact that though Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leaders, He would be vindicated by God and would become the focal point of God's kingdom. Verse 43 interprets and applies the parable of the vineyard owner: God would take His kingdom away from the Jewish leaders and entrust it to Jesus' disciples. Verse 44 alludes to Isa. 8:14-15 and Dan. 2:34,44-45. In Isaiah, the stone is Jehovah over whom the people of Israel stumble, fall, and are broken. By identifying Himself as the stone, Jesus strongly implied His deity. In Daniel, the stone symbolized a powerful kingdom that would destroy all others and endure forever. The OT allusion thus describes Jesus' deity and kingship and the destruction of all who reject Him.

22:1-7 The king represents God; the son, Jesus; the servants, the prophets and possibly Jesus' disciples; and the wedding banquet symbolized the great messianic feast that Jews expected to share with the Messiah at the beginning of His rule. Those who rejected, persecuted, and murdered the slaves represent OT Israel and their rejection of the prophets. The destruction of the city represents God's judgment on those who refuse to honor His Son. This destruction, like the penalty described in verse 13, portrays eternal punishment but may also hint at the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70.

22:8-12 The guests represent Jesus' disciples who are invited into the kingdom despite their unworthiness. The improperly dressed guest represents a false disciple (7:15-23). His presence seems initially to honor the Son, but his refusal to wear festive garments dishonors Him. Similarly, many false disciples appear to honor Jesus by calling Him "Lord," but their lack of true faith and repentance offends Him.

22:13-14 On the guest's punishment, see note at 8:12. Many people are called to God's kingdom, but only those who repent and honor the Son are chosen to enter.

22:15-17 The question was a trap. Jesus would have seemed to support the Roman occupation if He expressed approval, and had He disapproved it would have counted as treason against Rome. The Herodians were probably Jews who preferred the rule of Herod's dynasty over the rule of Roman procurators.

22:18 On hypocrites, see note at 6:2-4.

22:19 The coin was a denarius (see notes at v v. 20-22 and 20:1-2), but Matthew also used the more precise term tribute money (Gk nomisma). This may reflect his background as a tax collector.

22:20-22 The denarius was a Roman silver coin that bore a portrait of Emperor Tiberius, a Latin superscription that said "Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus," an image of a goddess, and superscripted titles of the Roman high priest. Thus the coins were loaded with propaganda for the worship of emperors and pagan gods, and the Jews considered them to be idolatrous. Jesus approved the payment of taxes to Rome. However, He said that coins ultimately belong to the one whose image it bears, which implied that all a person is and has belongs to God since we bear God's image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27).

22:23 The Sadducees believed that humans cease to exist at the moment of physical death (Acts 23:6-8).

22:24-28 The Sadducees appealed to the law of levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5) in an attempt to disprove the doctrine of resurrection. Although many first-century Jews practiced polygamy, they generally rejected polyandry (a woman having multiple husbands). The Sadducees tried to force Jesus either to reject the doctrine of resurrection or admit the legitimacy of polyandry.

22:29-32 Like angels, resurrected people will not marry because they are eternal and have no need to procreate. This shows that the dilemma described by the Sadducees is false. The Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) as Scripture, so Jesus did not cite Isa. 26:19 or Dan. 12:2. Thus He cited Exod. 3:6,15-16, where God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and referred to the dead patriarchs in a manner that implied that they still existed, i.e., I am the God of Abraham rather than "I was the God of Abraham."

22:37 Deuteronomy 6:4-5, known as the Shema, was recited several times daily by faithful Jews.

22:40 Deuteronomy 6:4 and Lev. 19:18 summarized the essence of God's demands in Scripture by calling individuals to love God and their fellow man (Matt. 5:43-47).

22:41-42 After having been questioned by His opponents repeatedly (v v. 17,23-28,34-36), Jesus entrapped them with a question of His own. Due to several OT prophecies, the Messiah was expected to be David's descendant (see note at 1:1).

22:43-46 Psalm 110:1 describes Jehovah's command to David's Lord (Gk kurios; Hb 'adon). "Lord" was a title of authority and/or deity that portrayed the Messiah as David's divine superior, not just his descendant.

23:2 Several centuries after Jesus, seats reserved for teachers of the OT in synagogues were regularly called Moses' seat.

23:3 Jesus did not intend to impose all the teachings of the Pharisees on His disciples. After all, He criticized many of their beliefs. His command meant "Obey the Pharisees' teachings whenever they accurately interpret the Scriptures."

23:4 The Pharisees sought to "build a fence around the law," i.e., establish rules so strict that people would not even come close to breaking God's law (Acts 15:10).

23:5 Phylacteries were small boxes containing tiny scrolls of Exod. 13:2-16 and Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21. They were worn by faithful Jewish men on one arm and on the forehead (Deut. 6:8; 11:18). Borders were tassels made of blue or white threads, worn at the four corners of the outer garment (Num. 15:38-39; Deut. 22:12). The Pharisees tried to appear more pious.

23:8-10 Jesus prohibited the use of honorific titles for spiritual leaders that might encourage a sense of superiority in them or detract from the reverence that is properly due the Father and Christ.

23:13 Woe expressed condemnation (Isa. 5:8-23; Hab. 2:6-9). Pharisees prevented people from entering the kingdom of heaven by discouraging them from following Jesus.

23:16-22 First-century laws declared some oaths to be valid and others invalid. The system was corrupt insomuch as it allowed loopholes that justified lies and manipulated naive or credulous people. See note at 5:33-37.

23:23-24 In accordance with Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:21-32; and Deut. 14:22, the scribes and Pharisees meticulously payed a tithe of everything, including their tiny garden herbs. Jesus did not discourage this. However, He rebuked the Jewish leaders for obsessing with ritual matters while overlooking the true essence of religion as described in Mic. 6:8. Like those who strain a gnat out of their drink but leave a camel floating in it, they were obsessed with tiny matters but overlooked important ones.

23:25-26 The rabbis' obsession with ritual purity led to neglect of inner spiritual purity.

23:27-28 First-century Jews whitewashed the sepulchres in Jerusalem to alert people to their location so they would not unintentionally draw too near and thus defile themselves. The whitewash also beautified the tombs. Despite this outer beauty, Jewish purity laws regarded the inside of tombs as defiled. Jesus said this resembled individuals whose outer piety (the whitewash) masks an inner corruption (spiritual defilement).

23:32 By persecuting God's representatives (John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples), the scribes and Pharisees continued the rebellion of their ancestors and probed the limits of God's patience.

23:33 On serpents and generation of vipers, see note at 3:7-9.

23:35-36 Jesus, in an apparent allusion to the coming destruction of the temple in a.d. 70, warned that His generation would suffer God's wrath for its abuse of the righteous. Abel's murder is recorded in Genesis 4, while Zacharias's is recorded in 2 Chron. 24:20-21. Second Chronicles was the final book of the OT in the typical order of the Hebrew Bible, so the martyrdoms of Abel and Zacharias were recorded in the first and last books of the Hebrew OT. Thus Jesus apparently meant to cite the whole span of martyrdom in the OT. Some interpreters argue that He confused the Zacharias (aka Zechariah) of 2 Chronicles (identified as the son of Jehoiada) with the prophet Zechariah (described as the son of Berechiah in Zech. 1:1). However, the Hebrew phrase son of was used to identify sons, grandsons, and even remote descendants. Consequently, Jesus probably identified the Zechariah of 2 Chronicles by an earlier or later ancestor. It is not unreasonable to suggest that both Zechariahs had ancestors named Barachias, a common name meaning "Jehovah blessed."

23:37 In Ps. 17:8; 91:4; and Isa. 31:5, the image of a hen sheltering her chickens portrayed Jehovah's protection of Israel. By rejecting Jesus, Jerusalem rejected God's protection. The image implies Jesus' identity as Jehovah.

23:38-39 The word desolate denotes God's abandonment of His temple. This occurred when Jesus departed from the temple with the words Ye shall not see me henceforth. Blessed is he quotes Ps. 118:26 and echoes the jubilant greeting that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem in Matt. 21:9 before His rejection by the people.

24:2 This remarkable prophecy must have stunned the disciples. The temple was constructed of blocks of white limestone that measured 37.5 feet long, 12 feet high, and 18 feet wide—weighing nearly 400 tons.

24:3 The separate questions imply that Jesus' disciples understood that the destruction of the temple and His second coming would be separate events.

As Jesus left the temple He prophesied, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (24:2). This part of Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled in a.d. 70 when the Roman general (and later emperor) Titus led in the destruction of Jerusalem.

24:4-14 These verses describe events that will happen between Jesus' prophecy and the end of the age.

24:15-22 These verses probably describe events related to the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in a.d. 70. However, Matt. 24:29 closely associates this tribulation period with the second coming of Jesus (cp. 2 Thess. 2:3-4). The entire period ranging from the destruction of the temple to the events preceding Christ's return may be described as a period of great tribulation for Christ's followers. The abomination that causes desolation is an idolatrous object that will desecrate the Jerusalem temple as foretold in Dan. 9:27. Jesus' description of the abomination as standing in the temple implies that it is an object, not an event.

24:24 God protects and preserves the faith of the elect.

24:27 The second coming will be visible to everyone on earth.

24:28 Some interpreters believe this verse refers to eagles that were emblazoned on the standards carried by Roman soldiers as they destroyed Jerusalem, but it is probably a reference to birds of carrion descending upon the corpses of those destroyed during this judgment (Deut. 28:26; Job 39:30; Ezek. 39:17-20).

24:29 Jesus' words combine allusions to Isa. 13:10 and Isa. 34:4. In the OT context, the words were metaphorical. Jesus may also have used the words in a symbolic portrayal of the judgment and destruction of people and nations who opposed His rule.

24:30 The sign of the Son of man may resemble military banners that signal the onset of battle, calling all who belong to Christ to gather around Him (Isa. 13:2-4). Such a sign would parallel the function of the trumpet in Matt. 24:31. However, since Isa. 11:10 figuratively identified the Messiah Himself as a military banner, His own appearance may be the sign about which He spoke. Matthew 24:30b is an allusion to Zech. 12:10-14 in which the Jews will mourn for the One they pierced (crucified). The reference to the Son of man coming in the clouds is an allusion to Dan. 7:13. It identifies Jesus as the King who will descend from heaven to establish an eternal reign over the earth.

24:31 This verse combines Deut. 30:4; Isa. 27:13, and Zech. 2:6 (LXX). The Messiah will gather the elect, His followers both living and dead, from heaven and earth. The angels are His angels because He has absolute authority over them (see note at 4:10-11).

24:33-34 All these things refers to the tribulation that will precede Jesus' return, not the second coming itself. It is near means that the Messiah is prepared to return at any moment, not that He must return immediately after these events unfold. All of these events occurred within Jesus' generation, particularly in the circumstances surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. Thus Christ's followers must always be ready for His return.

24:35 Jesus' words have the same reliability and enduring quality as the OT itself (5:18).

24:36-44 Close observation of world events will not enable us to predict the time of Christ's return. Rather, Jesus' followers should live in a state of constant preparedness. One shall be taken, and the other left means some will be gathered by the Messiah at His return while others will be left behind. Noe is Noah. On Son of man, see note at 8:20.

24:45-51 We must not take advantage of the delay in the Messiah's return by pursuing sinful pleasures. Rather, we must live each day as if it were the day of His return.

25:1-5 The previous parable warned against postponing preparation; this one warns against making inadequate preparations for the lengthy delay before His second coming.

25:6-7 Midnight signifies the suddenness of Jesus' return (24:36,42). The cry announcing the groom's arrival parallels the trumpet blast in 24:31.

25:8-13 The foolish virgins represent those who fail to persevere by waiting for Jesus' return with constant vigilance. The cry Lord, Lord (Gk kurie, kurie) is identical to that of the false disciples in 7:21. I know you not echoes 7:23 and expresses exclusion from the Messiah's kingdom. The parable does not describe a true disciple who loses his salvation, but a false one whose commitment to Jesus was deficient from the start. Jesus implied His deity: God was often portrayed as a bridegroom in the OT (Isa. 54:4-6; Ezek. 16:7-34; Hos. 2:19).

25:14-30 The man on the long journey symbolizes Jesus and the lengthy delay that will precede His second coming. The talents (Greek coins whose value equaled 6,000 days, or about 20 years, of wages) represent the financial resources, gifts, privileges, and opportunities that Jesus entrusts to His disciples. The faithful servants (true disciples) used their gifts and resources responsibly and were generously rewarded. The wicked and slothful servant (a false disciple) failed to use the resources and was severely punished. He attempted to excuse his failure by assaulting the character of his Lord (v. 24). However, the master's treatment of the other servants demonstrates that the wicked servant's slander was unfair.

25:31-46 In v v. 32-33 this passage uses figurative language (shepherd . . . sheep . . . goats) drawn from Ezek. 34:17-19, but the rest is too literal to be classified as a parable; it is best taken as a literal description of the final judgment. Verses 31 and 34 define the title Son of man as King (see note at 8:20). The King, Jesus, will judge people based on their reception and treatment of the least of His brethren. In light of 12:50, the brethren are Jesus' followers who seek to do God's will. Humble and compassionate treatment of them necessarily accompanies acceptance of the gospel that they proclaim (10:40-42). Further, a person's treatment of Jesus' representatives expresses their love for and commitment to Jesus Himself. Those who show no compassion to Jesus' followers betray their lack of devotion to Him. As in 7:21-23, Jesus identifies Himself as the final Judge, a role that Jews expected Jehovah to fulfill.

26:1-2 Passover was a celebration that commemorated the Israelites' flight from Egypt in the days of Moses (Exod. 12). The timing of Jesus' death confirms His identity as the new Moses who will lead His disciples on a new spiritual exodus. On Son of man, see note at 8:20. After two days means that this prophecy was given on Tuesday.

26:3 Joseph Caiaphas served as high priest from a.d. 18 to 36, after he replaced his father-in-law, Annas. His burial cave was discovered in 1990 south of Abu Tor.

26:5 A riot would cause the Romans to tighten their grip on Jerusalem and the Jewish leadership.

26:6 Jesus had apparently healed Simon of his skin disease at a previous date since he now lived in a house (rather than a leper colony) and entertained Jewish guests before the Passover.

26:7 The unnamed woman was Mary (John 12:3). Her ointment was worth a year's wages. Since Jesus was the Messiah (a title meaning "anointed One"), anointing His head was especially meaningful. It recalled the anointing of OT kings (1 Sam. 10:1; 2 Kings 9:3,6).

26:12 Corpses were perfumed in first-century Israel to mask the odor of putrefaction.

26:14-16 If the pieces of silver are shekels, thirty would be 120 days' wages. Thus by his traitorous act Judas earned only one-third of the value of Mary's lavish gift (see note at v. 7). On the significance of this amount, see note at 27:9.

26:17 The Feast of unleavened bread was a seven- or eight-day feast associated with the one-day passover. During this feast, the Jews refused to eat anything containing yeast in order to commemorate the speed with which God delivered them from Egypt (Exod. 13:7-8; Deut. 16:3-4). The feast began on the day before Passover, Thursday of Passion Week.

26:18-19 Mark's account of this event more clearly implies that Jesus had used supernatural knowledge (Mark 14:13-16).

26:24 As it is written indicates that Jesus' sufferings were foretold in the OT. Jesus probably had in mind texts such as Isa. 53 and Ps. 22.

26:26 The Passover meal was rich with symbolic meaning. Jews ate lamb to commemorate the lamb whose blood protected firstborn Israelites from the death plague. Bitter herbs were reminiscent of their enslavement. Unleavened bread symbolized the haste of their departure from Egypt (Exod. 12). Jesus invested the meal with new symbolism: the bread symbolized His own body which would be torn by scourging and crucifixion. His sacrifice would begin a new exodus in which people were liberated from slavery to sin.

26:28 The making of a testament or covenant was normally accompanied by an act of sacrifice (Exod. 24:8). The slaughter of the animal signified the consequences that would befall anyone who broke the covenant. Now, Jesus' sacrifice enacted the promised new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) in which God vowed to forgive and forget His people's sins. He also promised to write His law on the hearts of His people so that they will fulfill His righteous demands.

26:29 Many Jews expected the Messiah to begin His reign by sharing a great banquet with His subjects. Jesus encouraged His disciples to eagerly wait "till he come" (1 Cor. 11:26).

26:30 Jews typically sang portions of OT psalms like Ps. 113–118 during the Passover meal.

26:31 Many Jews regarded Zech. 13:7, which Jesus quoted here, as a prophecy about the Messiah. Jesus' quote implied that the Father Himself would smite Him. Although His crucifixion involved the conspiracy of religious leaders, Roman officials, and the betrayal of a friend, Jesus viewed His death ultimately as the fulfillment of God's righteous plan (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).

26:34 For the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy, see verses 69-75.

26:38 Jesus' sorrow resulted from His anticipation of His physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering, especially His alienation from His Father as He bore the sins of the world on the cross.

26:39 In the OT, the cup is often an image of divine wrath and judgment (Ps. 75:7-8; Isa. 51:17). The cup that Jesus faced was God's wrath against sin. With the words if it be possible, let this cup pass, Jesus asked His Father to provide forgiveness by some means other than His sacrificial death. Jesus knew that God's power made it possible for Him to evade the power of Jewish and Roman executioners (see note at v. 53), but He did not want to reject the Father's plan to provide salvation to His people.

26:42 Jesus' second petition in Gethsemane assumed that His sacrificial death was necessary. God had predicted Jesus' death in the OT (v. 54). The Scriptures, being God's Word, had to be fulfilled. This second petition closely parallels the model prayer of 6:9-13. Both prayers address God as Father and contain the petition thy will be done.

26:47-49 For Jewish men, a formal kiss expressed respect and affection. Thus Judas's kiss was an act of shameful hypocrisy.

26:51 The servant was named Malchus (John 18:10). Jesus restored his severed ear (Luke 22:51).

26:53 A Roman legion consisted of 6,000 soldiers. A roughly equal number of auxiliary troops supported each legion. Thus 12 legions of angels would be equivalent to 72,000 or even 144,000 angels, more than enough to defend Jesus against arrest and crucifixion.

26:54-56 Jesus expressed the same view of the scriptures that He taught in the Sermon on the Mount (5:17-20).

26:59-60 The council (Sanhedrin) was obligated to interview witnesses separately and then compare their testimonies to determine if they were consistent (Mark 14:55-59). Inconsistent testimonies were considered invalid.

26:61-63 The testimony was based on a confused understanding of Jesus' statement in John 2:19. Since both 2 Sam. 7:13-14 and Zech. 6:12 portrayed the Messiah as One who would build a temple for God, the high priest regarded the statement about building the temple in three days as a claim to messiahship. The high priest appears to use the titles Christ and Son of God interchangeably, suggesting that many Jews saw the title "Son of God" as messianic in light of Ps. 2.

26:64 Jesus' confession acknowledged that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. However, He countered confused interpretations of His messianic role by describing Himself as the Son of man. Both "Son of man" and the phrase coming in the clouds of heaven were drawn from Dan. 7:13. Jesus' words confirmed that He intended this title to express not just His humanity but His identity as a King of heavenly origin who would reign over an eternal kingdom. The words sitting on the right hand echo Ps. 110:1 (see note at Matt. 22:43-46). Jesus' application of Ps. 110:1 to Himself gave the impression that He was claiming to be God's equal. Jewish leaders saw this as blasphemy, a crime worthy of death (Lev. 24:10-23).

26:65 Tearing one's clothes was the customary Jewish response to blasphemy. However, because the robes of the high priest were sacred, Lev. 21:10 prohibited the high priest from tearing his garments. Thus the high priest's anger at Jesus' statement prompted him to commit an act of sacrilege.

26:66 Execution by stoning was the prescribed OT penalty for blasphemy (Lev. 24:10-23).

26:67-68 Mark 14:65 shows that the men covered Jesus' face before they beat Him. Thus Jesus was expected to identify His abusers by name without seeing their faces. This mock test of messiahship was probably based on a misinterpretation of Isa. 11:3 which said that the Messiah "shall not judge after the sight of his eyes." A century later Bar Kochba was executed after his claims to be the Messiah were disproved by his inability to judge by smell.

26:69-75 This event fulfilled Jesus' prophecy in verse 34.

26:69-71 Jesus was thought to be from Galilee or Nazareth. One of the arguments used to refute His messianic claims was that He did not come from Bethlehem, the city of David, identified as the birthplace of the Messiah in Mic. 5:2. This argument confused His hometown with His birthplace (Matt. 2:4-11).

26:73 Galilaeans apparently spoke with an accent.

27:1-2 This early morning meeting of the Sanhedrin was convened to compensate for the illegal procedures of the previous night. According to Jewish law, judges had to conduct and conclude capital trials during daylight hours (m. Sanh. 4:1). The law also prohibited conducting trials on the eve of the sabbath. The Jewish leaders needed to plot and secure Roman approval for the intended execution of Jesus. Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect of Judaea from a.d. 26–36.

27:4 Betraying innocent blood is a heinous offense that results in a divine curse (Deut. 27:25). The reaction of the chief priests and elders shows that they realized that Jesus was innocent.

27:5 Some Jews believed that criminals received atonement from God through their execution (m. Sanh 6:3). Once he realized the horror of his crime, guilt-stricken Judas ended his life, perhaps hoping to earn atonement. But only one death brings atonement: that of Jesus Christ.

27:8 This verse hints that Matthew wrote his Gospel before the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. That such a burial field could be located and recognized by name decades after the utter destruction of Jerusalem is unlikely.

27:9-10 Matthew's appeal to the OT blends themes from Zech. 11:12-13 and Jer. 32:6-9. The first text describes Israel's rejection of its spiritual Shepherd, the low estimation they had of Him (worth only thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave; Exod. 21:32), and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. The second text assures that Israel will be restored after its devastation by the Babylonians. The two prophecies do more than just foretell the events surrounding Judas's actions. By merging these texts, Matthew showed that Jerusalem's rejection of the Messiah would result in its destruction, but that God would restore the city in due time.

27:11-14 According to Roman law, the refusal to offer a defense counted as an admission of guilt.

27:15 The custom of releasing a prisoner for Passover seems to be attested in one Jewish text (m. Pes. 8:6: "they may slaughter a Passover lamb for one . . . whom they have promised to bring out of prison").

27:16 Mark 15:7 describes Barabbas as a murderous rebel. Some ancient manuscripts of Matthew and some important figures in the early church mention that Barabbas's full name was Jesus Bar Abbas, which might indicate that he was the son of a renowned teacher. Thus Pilate apparently offered the Jews a choice between a Jesus who was the son of a teacher and a Jesus who was the Son of God.

27:24-25 Both Judas (v v. 3-5) and Pilate (v. 24) feared being accountable for Jesus' death, but the people gladly accepted responsibility.

27:26 Roman flogging utilized an instrument of torture called the (Gk) flagellum, a leather whip that had thongs laced with sharp pieces of iron or bone. Although beatings in the Jewish synagogue were limited to 39 blows, no limit was imposed on Roman flogging. Ancient writers described victims being disemboweled or having their bones laid bare by the flagellum.

27:28-29 The soldiers ridiculed Jesus' messianic claims.

27:32 Crucifixion victims normally carried the cross's (Gk) patibulum (crossbeam) to the execution site. Having lost much blood, Jesus was too weak to carry it beyond the city walls. The soldiers impressed (see note at 5:41) Simon to carry the beam the rest of the way. Simon's sons were later known in the early church (Mark 15:21). This suggests that Simon became a disciple of Jesus. Cyrene was situated near the Mediterranean coast in northern Africa. Simon was probably an ethnic Jew visiting Jerusalem for the Passover (Acts 6:9).

27:34 This mixture was probably intended to dull the pain of crucifixion or hasten death. Jesus' refusal to drink it expressed His determination to suffer the full agony of the cross.

27:35 Crucifixion was a horrifying and torturous means of execution. Naked victims were tied or nailed (John 20:25) to a cross. The victim might remain alive for days, and after death they were often consumed by dogs, carrion birds, or insects. Josephus described crucifixion as "the most wretched of all ways of dying" (War 7.5.4). Cicero (106–43 b.c.) said that crucifixion so frightened Roman citizens that they refused to speak the word "cross."

27:37 A wooden placard called a titulus was often tied around the criminal's neck as he marched to death. This sign announced the reason for his crucifixion. When Jesus arrived at Golgotha, the placard was nailed over his head. Although Roman crosses were sometimes shaped like X or T, the placement of the titulus shows this one was shaped like a lowercase letter "t."

27:45 While the bystanders interpreted the darkness as God's judgment against Jesus (Amos 8:9), in light of His later resurrection they came to see it as judgment against the sin that Jesus became on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21).

27:46 Jesus' lament quotes Ps. 22:1. The psalm reads like it was written by someone standing near the cross (see especially Ps. 22:7-8,14-18). Jesus' cry expressed the alienation from God that He endured as He bore the Father's wrath against sin. Although Jesus elsewhere addressed God as "Father," He addressed Him merely as My God in this verse.

27:50-51 Jesus' death at 3:00 p.m. coincided with the afternoon sacrifice. Thus the priests were present in the temple to observe the rending of the curtain. The veil separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple. According to the Mishnah, it was 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and as thick as a man's palm. It was so heavy that it took 300 men to lift it when it was wet (m. Shek. 8:5). That it tore from the top to the bottom shows that it was torn by God. This signified that Jesus' death granted sinners new access to God (Heb. 6:19-20; 10:19-20).

27:52-53 Although the graves were ruptured at the time of Jesus' death, the saints did not depart from them until after Jesus' resurrection. Jesus' victory over death guaranteed that God would also raise His people (1 Cor. 15:20).

27:54 Gentiles again recognized and confessed Jesus' true identity. This hints at God's worldwide plan for salvation (see note at 28:19).

27:56 James and Joses were probably among the many lesser-known disciples of Jesus.

27:57-60 Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), had opposed their condemnation of Jesus (Luke 23:50-51). Though Jesus taught that rich people cannot enter God's kingdom by their own efforts, Joseph is proof that God can save anyone by His grace (Matt. 19:24-26). The bodies of crucified victims were normally allowed to rot on the cross, but Pilate respected Jewish scruples and allowed the dead to be buried.

Gordon's Calvary, one of two sites considered to be the location of Jesus' crucifixion. This site was named for British General Charles Gordon who argued that this was the site of Jesus' crucifixion. It is located just north and east of the Damascus Gate and conforms closely to the details of the Gospels. The second site is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre within the walls of the modern city. It has the weight of tradition on its side (from about the fourth century).

27:64-65 Pilate sent a detachment of soldiers to protect the tomb from disciples who might attempt to stage a fake resurrection. The Greek term for the watch (Gk koustodia) does not specify the number of soldiers in the unit.

27:66 The seal consisted of wax bearing the imprint of an official Roman seal. This ensured that no one could tamper with the tomb without being detected. Any unauthorized persons who broke the seal defied the authority of Rome and could be punished by death.

28:1 These events occurred early Sunday morning. On the other Mary, see note at 27:56. Since the ancients did not view women as trustworthy, a writer who made up an account designed to convince readers of Jesus' resurrection would not have made women the first witnesses of the resurrection. That Matthew included the women confirms that he was faithful to record actual events, even if they would be seen as discreditable by society.

28:3 The angel's appearance identified him as a heavenly being (see Dan. 7:9; 10:6).

28:4 The soldiers lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

28:6 The words as he said recall Jesus' prophecies about His resurrection (12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19).

28:9 During His wilderness temptation (4:10), Jesus quoted Deut. 6:13, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." By accepting worship here, Jesus identified Himself as "the Lord thy God."

28:13-14 Wide circulation of this story probably led to the emperor's edict in the Nazareth Inscription (likely dated ca a.d. 41–54) that threatened death to anyone who removed an entombed body. Several aspects of the soldiers' story make no sense. If the soldiers were all asleep, they could not have known that it was Jesus' disciples who removed His body. Furthermore, it is extremely unlikely that all of the soldiers would have slept at the same time. Finally, soldiers were severely punished or even executed for sleeping on duty.

28:17 On worshipped, see note at verse 9. Some skeptics say that the disciples shared a hallucination of Jesus' resurrection because they all expected Him to arise. However, the lingering doubt among them undermines that theory.

28:18 Before the resurrection, Jesus had authority (7:29; 9:6,8; 11:27; 21:23). However, through the resurrection, the Father granted Him all power . . . in heaven and in earth, an authority far greater than that which Satan had vainly promised Him (see note at 4:8-9).

28:19-20 The command to extend their mission worldwide brings to a climax Matthew's repeated theme of Gentile participation in God's salvation (see notes at 1:2-6 and 2:1). Baptism marked a person's entrance into the faith community. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is a reference to the Trinity. An understanding of Jesus' nature and identity as God was required before baptism. The Great Commission is preceded by a reference to Jesus' authority and concluded by the promise of Jesus' spiritual presence among us. Both are necessary if we are to fulfill our God-given mission.

Matthew

Circumstances of Writing

Message and Purpose

Timeline of Matthew

Contribution to the Bible

Structure

Outline

Matthew Study Notes

Matthew Cross-References