FROM HEALING A CENTURION’S SERVANT TO CONFRONTATIONS WITH PHARISEES
In essentials the synoptic gospels agree remarkably well, and form a consistent portrait of Christ. No one reading these scenes can doubt the reality of the figure behind them. That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels. After two centuries of Higher Criticism the outlines of the life, character, and teachings of Christ remain reasonably clear, and constitute the most fascinating feature in the history of Western man.
—W. DURANT1
JESUS HEALS A CENTURION’S SERVANT (MATT. 8:5–13; LUKE 7:1–10)
Entering Capernaum after His Sermon, Jesus is implored by a Roman centurion (military officer) to heal his paralytic servant. When Jesus agrees to do it, the centurion protests that he isn’t worthy of having Jesus come into his home, instead urging Jesus to heal the servant just by speaking. The centurion assures Jesus he understands the significance of authority because his soldiers follow his orders unquestioningly, but he also demonstrates humility before Christ and compassion for his subordinates. Far from treating his servant as inferior, he recognizes his human dignity and pleads with Christ to heal him. Jesus lavishes praise on the centurion for demonstrating faith like He hasn’t seen before in Israel. “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed,” Jesus declares, and the servant is instantly healed.
This story illustrates the importance of authentic faith and the sheer power of Jesus’ words—even more than His healing power, which is already established. It emphasizes that Jesus’ message is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.2 We don’t gain access to the kingdom by having Christian parents, but through our personal decision to trust Christ.
JESUS RAISES A WIDOW’S SON (LUKE 7:11–17)
Jesus leaves for the small town of Nain followed by His disciples and a great crowd. When He reaches the town gate, people are carrying out a widow’s son who has died. Jesus, filled with compassion, tells her not to cry. He touches the bier (which is more like an open stretcher than a coffin)3 and says, “Young man, I say to you, arise”—and the man sits up and starts to speak.
Again, Jesus appears to be breaking the rules, as the Jews consider it defilement to touch a dead body (Num. 19:11, 16), and touching the bier holding it would have made Him unclean.4 The people declare Jesus a great prophet and proclaim that God has visited His people, meaning that through His prophet Jesus, God had visited His people. Their observation is correct as far as it goes—Jesus is a prophet. But He is also the Son of God. If Jesus can be resurrected, He can resurrect others. He has already performed striking miracles, but here He shows His power over death itself. In this incident, Jesus provides a foretaste of our own resurrection. He doesn’t wait to be asked—He takes the initiative in restoring the man to life. Likewise, He beckons us to accept His offer of salvation, and we must only respond.
This is yet another miracle Jesus performs before many witnesses, including the crowds that accompany Him and those with the widow. Church Father Eusebius quotes from a speech by Bishop Quadratus of Athens in which he defends Christian truths against early critics: “‘The deeds of our Savior,’ says [Quadratus], ‘were always before you, for they were true miracles; those that were healed, those that were raised from the dead, who were seen, not only when healed, and when raised, but were always present. They remained living a long time, not only whilst our Lord was on earth, but likewise when he had left the earth: so that some of them have also lived to our times.’”5 Quadratus states that some of the witnesses to the event are still alive and could testify before the emperor.6
R. Kent Hughes movingly describes the wrenching situation in which Jesus intervened: “The death of a child is certainly one of the greatest agonies possible in this life—a burying of a part of oneself, a period before the end of a sentence, the death of a future. It is a burden that all parents fear. Such untimely pain was the emotional context of Jesus’ . . . ministry event.”7 Indeed, this healing poignantly reveals Jesus’ human side. He intimately feels the widow’s agony over the loss of her only son. Unlike fallen human beings, Jesus’ unique compassion stems from His infinite love and sinless perfection. Uncluttered with His own personal concerns, His empathy is wholly directed toward others. No matter the enormity of our pain, Jesus feels it, and we can always lean on Him for comfort.
JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST (MATT. 11:2–19; LUKE 7:18–35)
In prison for almost a year, John the Baptist apparently begins to have doubts. He sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus tells them to inform John He has been healing, exorcising, raising the dead, and preaching the good news to the poor. Jesus adds, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
It may seem odd that the very man who announced Jesus’ arrival is having second thoughts, but John’s imprisonment has probably left him feeling dispirited and abandoned. Additionally, even as Jesus’ forerunner, John may not understand the full scope of Jesus’ upcoming ministry, the nature of His messianic role, or some of His unorthodox actions. In announcing Christ’s coming, John promised a Judge Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He may have expected the Messiah to render His judgment on mankind—separating the wheat from the chaff (Matt. 3:11–12)—and bring in His full kingdom rule right then and there.8 “Why would one who had promised to free the prisoners (Luke 4:18) not get John out of Jail,” asks Craig Blomberg. “Most likely John also wondered why there were no signs of imminent judgment of the wicked that he had predicted (Matt. 3:10). In fact, Jesus’ ‘messiahship’ little resembled the political and military program of liberation many Jews anticipated.”9
This is a fitting lesson for us: John, while a great prophet, is still only human. He utters the question every person must ask of himself about Jesus: Is He the Messiah, the Son of God? Many Christians experience doubt, and it’s better to explore and resolve that doubt than to ignore it. Jesus softly scolds John, saying those who don’t question Him are blessed, but He never suggests it’s wrong to have questions. Nor does He abandon John—compassionately, Jesus reassures him.
As John’s disciples depart, Jesus praises John to the crowds, asking them if they think John is a “reed shaken by the wind” or “a man dressed in soft clothing.” Far from it, Jesus assures them. He extols John as His messenger, as the greatest human being, and as Elijah—the prophesied messenger of Christ. This praise is well deserved. John’s unique character is exhibited by his humility in the face of his disciples’ adulation. While they sought to worship him, he dutifully retired to the background to emphasize Christ’s incomparable greatness. “When,” asks John Peter Lange, “has a more elevated character been seen?”10
But as great as John is, even the least of those in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he—meaning nothing is like the experience that awaits Christians in the kingdom. Jesus warns that people are resisting His kingdom which, He says, has been under attack “from the days of John the Baptist until now.” But in the end “wisdom is justified by her deeds”—the coming triumph of the kingdom is inevitable, and even though John would die before seeing the risen Jesus inaugurate it, Jesus’ life and ministry would vindicate God’s wisdom.11
A SINFUL WOMAN ANOINTS JESUS’ FEET (LUKE 7:36–50; MARK 15:41; LUKE 8:1–3)
Jesus accepts an invitation to eat at the house of a Pharisee named Simon. A sinful woman comes to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears, dry them with her hair, and anoint them with ointment. Simon doubts Jesus’ legitimacy as a prophet because He interacts with a known sinner. Jesus responds with a parable, asking which man would be more appreciative if his debts were forgiven: one who owes five hundred denarii or one who owes fifty. Simon admits it would be the one who owes more. The point is that one who is in greater need of forgiveness is more likely to be grateful and an energetic evangelist and ambassador for the kingdom.
Jesus says that unlike Simon, the sinful woman has kissed and anointed Jesus, and so He forgives her many sins because “she loved much.” Simon not only lacks love but humility, for in his haste to shun the woman he displays his unawareness of his own sinful nature. In this sense, this story is analogous to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (which we’ll discuss in Chapter 9), the former proudly beating his chest over his righteousness and the latter acknowledging his sinfulness and praying for forgiveness (Luke 18:9–14).
The people marvel at Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. Jesus tells the woman her faith has saved her. Note that it’s not her love, but her faith that leads to her forgiveness, as we cannot earn our salvation—though we must acknowledge that faith is usually accompanied by love, and she does respond in love when He forgives her. Again, Jesus ministers to the poor and lost, exercising His divine prerogative of forgiving sins.
Jesus continues to preach the good news of the kingdom of God throughout the cities and villages, with the twelve disciples accompanying Him along with some women (including Mary Magdalene) whom He’d healed and freed of demons. Seeing as Jesus lived in a patriarchal culture in which women were undervalued and mistreated, the Gospel writers probably mention the women’s presence to emphasize Jesus’ unorthodox, unexpected practices and that His love and ministry are not reserved for any special classes of people.12
JESUS’ TRUE FAMILY (MATT 12:46–50; MARK 3:20–21; LUKE 8:19–21)
Speaking to people in a house as His mother and brothers stand outside, Jesus describes His family. He holds His hand toward His disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” As much as He loves His own mother and brothers, His messianic mission is even more important. He is not diminishing familial love—see Matthew 15:3–9, where He repeats and expands on the commandment to honor one’s father and mother. But He’s emphasizing the importance of our spiritual family and of one’s faith and allegiance to Him.13 Jesus does not disown His family or Israel, argues David Turner. “Rather, he challenges any notion that ethnic descent or family loyalty defines the people of God.”14 He reminds us that as Christians, we are a family, a community of believers who strengthen one another.
PARABLES (MATT. 13:3–52; MARK 4:2–34; LUKE 8:4–21)
Parables, a common form of Judaic teaching in Jesus’ day, are instructive stories that have symbolic significance.15 C.H. Dodd says a parable is “a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its application to tease it into active thought.”16 Parables come in various forms, including narrative stories, proverbs, and riddles. They even take the form of one-liners, such as Jesus’ warning against throwing pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6). Some parables impart just one lesson while others contain several,17 typically a main lesson alongside ancillary ones.18 Sometimes Jesus uses parables to hide the truth from unbelievers while revealing it to His disciples and other devotees. He says He is fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about unbelievers, who “will indeed hear but never understand” and “see but never perceive” (Isaiah 6:9, 10). As for believers, He declares, “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (MATT. 13:3–9, 18–23; MARK 4:2–9, 13–20; LUKE 8:4–8, 11–15)
Jesus tells numerous parables to the crowds gathered off the shore of Galilee to hear His teaching. In those days, farmers used broadcast sowing, in which they took a bag of seed in their hands, scattered it across the ground, and plowed it into the dirt. Growth would vary depending on the kind of soil in which each seed landed.19 In the parable of the sower, a farmer plants his seeds, and some fall along the path, some on rocky ground, some on thorns, and some on good soil. The seeds along the path are devoured by birds, which represents those who hear the word of the kingdom and don’t understand it, so Satan comes and snatches the word away. The seeds in the rocky ground quickly spring up, but the plants are scorched by the sun and wither away because they have no roots. This symbolizes those who initially hear the word with joy but, because it doesn’t fully take root, fall away when facing tribulation or persecution. The seeds that fall among the thorns are choked by the thorns, which typifies the person who hears the word but is lured away from it by the enticement of riches. The seeds sown on good soil are emblematic of one who hears and understands the word and bears fruit abundantly.
Jesus’ parables are not just for His immediate audience, but all future readers of the Gospel. We should examine ourselves and see how they might apply to us. D. A. Carson says the parable of the soils, for example, “implicitly challenges hearers to ask themselves what kinds of soil they are.”20 Where are we on this continuum? Do we read the Bible with reverence, as the word of God? Do we meditate on it? Do we apply its lessons to our lives? Or are we just fair weather readers who are enthusiastic on Sunday but neglect the Bible and prayer the rest of the week?
DISCIPLES ASK JESUS ABOUT PARABLES (MATT. 13:10–17; MARK 4:10–12; LUKE 8:9–10)
The disciples ask Jesus why He teaches in parables instead of speaking plainly. Jesus says He intends to reveal the secrets of the kingdom of heaven to certain people but not to others. “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
Though Jesus may harden certain people’s hearts, He only does so after they show their unbelief. Man, by himself, cannot unlock the secrets of the kingdom; they must be revealed to him.21 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of his law” (Deut. 29:29). But once an unbeliever’s heart is hardened against His message, Jesus withholds revelation from him, thus further hardening his heart. Jesus will reward believers—the humble and repentant—with greater insight but further confuse the unrepentant and rebellious. This doesn’t mean He punishes doubters, but there’s a difference between those who doubt yet earnestly seek the Truth, and those who shake their fists at Him in defiance. There must be a point at which God says, “Enough. If you want to continue in your prideful and defiant state and reject me, then I’ll accommodate you.”
There is precedent for this in the Old Testament. God says that the time is coming when He will send a famine on the land, but it will not be a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11). “Since Israel had rejected all His words (Amos 2:11–12; 7:10–13, 16),” explains D. R. Sunukjian, “they would hear His words no more.”22 Yet God is a long-suffering God. He tells us to knock and He will open, to seek and we shall find, to pray unceasingly and He will answer us.
This is a lesson on God’s superior wisdom and His grace. In this age, some secular-minded people believe science and unaided reason are the exclusive avenues to solving all man’s problems. But even our minds and our ability to reason are gifts from God, and certain spiritual truths will be incomprehensible without God revealing the mysteries to us. As the Book of Romans exclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (11:33).
By teaching in parables Jesus also buys Himself more time to preach, as His indirect messages are less likely to antagonize the religious authorities and hasten His arrest.23
THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS (MATT. 13:24–30, 36–43; MARK 4:26–34; LUKE 13:18–21)
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sows good seed in his field, after which the enemy sneaks in and sows weeds among the wheat so that when the plants come up weeds surround them. The man’s servants offer to remove the weeds but the master protests that gathering the weeds will endanger the wheat. So he allows them to grow together until the harvest, when he will put the wheat in the barn and burn the bundles of weeds.
Jesus explains that the man who sows the good seed is the Son of Man (Jesus Himself). The field represents the world, the good seed signifies the sons of the kingdom, and the weeds are the sons of the evil one—the devil, who is the one who sows them. The harvest symbolizes the end of the age when the angels will serve as reapers, gathering out of His kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throwing them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The righteous will shine like the sun in the Father’s kingdom. The enemies of the kingdom will coexist with the kingdom in this age until the day of judgment.24
British evangelist G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes “three outstanding things” about this parable. First, the sower sows the field on his own property—he’s at work in his own field. Second, two distinct sowings are involved: the owner sows the good seed and someone else attempts to sabotage the seed with weeds. The weeds described in Scripture are darnel, which initially resembles wheat so closely that they’re indistinguishable—“yet they are absolutely different.” Third, the man who sows the weeds is a trespasser who has no right to the field. “He was a trespasser, full of subtlety, animated by malice.” The enemy gains nothing from his actions except to advance evil. “The absolute meanness of the action appalls.”25 Indeed the devil, says Morgan, has been likened to a squatter, and as believers we must tell the devil, “Hands off in the name of the Proprietor: to declare at every point that the whole field belongs to the Son of Man.”26
Moreover, in His life and teaching, Jesus does what the owner did. He drags Satan from his hiding places into clear daylight. “It is as remarkable and valuable a fact that Jesus came to show up the work of the devil as that He came to reveal God,” observes Morgan. “It is when a man submits himself to Jesus Christ that he sees clearly, not God only, not himself only, but his enemy also.”27 This concept is particularly meaningful to me. As I described in Jesus on Trial, the pervasiveness of evil in the world used to fan my skepticism, but now it reinforces my faith because no worldview besides Christianity so accurately describes the true state of the world and the fallen human condition.
Morgan notes that it’s perfectly natural for the owner to wait until the harvest to separate the weeds from the wheat because at that point they’ll be easily distinguishable from each other. “If these sowings are allowed to work themselves out to consummation,” writes Morgan, “discrimination will be possible upon the basis of manifestation, and in that manifestation there will be vindication of the destinies of the darnel (weeds) and of the wheat. The darnel will be bound in bundles for burning. The wheat will be gathered into the garner of the owner.”28 God will allow each person to demonstrate, in time, whether he’ll be part of the wheat or the weeds, and nothing could be fairer.
THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN (MATT. 13:31–33)
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man sows in his field. It’s the smallest of all seeds, but it grows larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and make nests in its branches. Many commentators believe Jesus is not emphasizing the greatness of the kingdom in full flower because other parables make that point. Rather, he’s calling our attention to how small the kingdom appears in its initial stages while noting that it will grow large and glorious.29 This could represent the present and future aspects of the kingdom, as we’ve discussed, or it could symbolize the growth of Christendom, which began small and expanded worldwide.30 God’s work sometimes begins in small forms such as churches and student ministries, and often encounters roadblocks, but it can grow into something great.31
Jesus follows up with a short parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to “leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” The lesson is similar to that of the mustard seed parable in that they each describe positive growth in the kingdom. But here we don’t notice the positive influences as they happen like we see the seed growing into a large plant or bush. The yeast is hidden in the flour and has a pervasive impact. “The leaven depicts,” writes Arthur Robertson, “the silent, unobserved, yet permeating power of the gospel, which ultimately effects change in men and their culture.”32 Some interpret the parable differently, as yeast sometimes represents evil in the Bible, but that’s not always the case. It’s unlikely the case here, says L. A. Barbieri, because it would be redundant, as the evil has already been represented by the weeds.33
THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE, THE PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, THE NET, AND NEW AND OLD TREASURES (MATT. 13:44–52)
Jesus teaches His disciples with several more parables. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field,” He says, “which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field.” At first blush, it seems Jesus is solely stressing the kingdom’s value—it’s worth giving everything else up to acquire it. But there’s something more. Professor Daniel Doriani observes that people sometimes stumble into Christ and bump into the kingdom after encountering someone who shares with them the Word of God. “And when that happens, be glad. It’s worth all you have, and even at that price it’s a bargain.”34 Others believe Jesus is referring to Israel as God’s treasured possession, which several Old Testament passages affirm (Exodus 19:5; Psalms 135:4). One reason Jesus came into the world was to redeem Israel, and He sold everything He had (His glory in sitting at the side of the Father in Heaven) to purchase (redeem) Israel.35
Jesus also likens the kingdom of heaven to “a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This is similar to the parable of the hidden treasure in emphasizing the kingdom’s incomparable value. But it’s different because the merchant, unlike the man in the field, is deliberately searching for something of great value. In comparing the two parables Professor Doriani observes, “When we discover the kingdom, it may be a delightful surprise, or it may be because we’ve been searching for a long time. Maybe someone has looked at all the religions of the world, all the philosophies of life, and after appraising them all and hearing the claims of Christ, he says, or she says, ‘That’s the truth. That’s for me. I’m going to follow Jesus.’”36 Some commentators see this parable applying to Jesus’ redeeming the Church (believers) through His sacrificial death.37
Jesus next compares the kingdom to a net thrown into the sea that captures all kinds of fish. Once full, the men separate the good from the bad and discard the latter. This is what will happen at the end of the age. Angels will separate the righteous from the evil and will throw the evil into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. God will judge all people, gather the righteous (believers) to Himself, and reject the others.38 This confirms that if the separation will occur at the end of the age, then evil will not be totally removed until then.39
Jesus asks if they’ve understood “all these things.” When the disciples answer “yes,” He says, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of the house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” Jesus is training His disciples so they will grow to understand how God’s revelation fits together and how He and His teachings fulfill the Old Testament promises.40
“O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH” (MATT. 8:23–27; MARK 4:35–41; LUKE 8:22–25)
The disciples follow Jesus into a boat and a storm ensues, imperiling the boat while Jesus is sleeping. In fear, the disciples wake Him and ask Him to save them. He responds, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” He rises and rebukes the wind, creating a great calm. The amazed disciples declare, “What sort of man is that, that even winds and sea obey him.” Through His divine voice alone, Jesus exercises sovereign control over nature, causing awe and wonderment among His disciples. With this revelation, those of “little faith” acquire devotion and a greater sense of Christ’s divinity. “In the boat with Jesus is a happy place,” says Charles Spurgeon, “but storms may come when we are there.”41 Like the disciples, however, we must trust the power of Jesus in the storms of our lives.42
JESUS HEALS POSSESSED MEN (MATT. 8:28–34; MARK 5:1–20; LUKE 8:26–39)
When Jesus reaches the country of the Gadarenes (a town about six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee),43 two fierce, demon-possessed men meet Him and cry out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” The demons beg Him to send them into a herd of pigs. Jesus obliges, and the entire herd rushes into the sea and drowns. Nearby herdsmen flee into the city to tell what has happened. The entire city comes out and, in fear, begs Jesus to leave.
Luke’s Gospel sheds light on the demons’ unexpected request. Here, just one man is possessed by many demons who implore Jesus to send them into the pigs because they don’t want Him to cast them into the abyss—the underworld—where they will be tormented. They know that Jesus is God and their judge, but they hope to defer the unbearable judgment of torment as long as they can.44 After being exorcised, the man begs to remain with Jesus. But Jesus tells him to go home to his friends and report how much the Lord has done for him, so he returns home and preaches it to the whole city.
It’s noteworthy that Jesus does not command secrecy in this case as he has in several others (Mark 1:44; 5:43; 9:9). This is probably because the people in the Decapolis—a group of ten Hellenistic cities mostly located on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River,45 where this event occurred—don’t pose the same risk to Jesus as those in Galilee do.46 This is the same reason He was willing to identify Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman at the well and allow her to testify about Him (John 4:39–42). Jesus identifies Himself to the exorcised man as the Lord and as God, just as He had revealed Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman.
JESUS HEALS AND RAISES THE SYNAGOGUE RULER’S DAUGHTER (MATT. 9:18–26; MARK 5:21–43; LUKE 8:40–56)
When Jesus crosses back to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, a crowd meets Him. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, falls at His feet and begs Him to heal his dying daughter. As Jesus goes with the man, a great crowd follows and gathers about Him. A woman who has discharged blood for twelve years approaches Jesus from behind and touches His garment, saying, “If I touch even His garment I will be made well.” When she touches Him, her bleeding immediately stops. Feeling power leaving His body, Jesus asks who touched His garments. The woman falls down before Him and admits it was her. Jesus tells her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
The woman accesses His healing power simply through her faith and by touching His garment, which is why He feels power leaving His body (though in Matthew’s account she doesn’t heal until after He speaks to her).47 Mark gives other examples of Jesus healing by touching someone (Mark 1:31, 40–45; 7:31–37; 8:22–26) or someone touching Him (3:10; 6:56). We also see healings from indirect contact with Peter and Paul in Acts (5:15; 19:11–12). Concerning the relationship of faith, healing, and Jesus’ powers, it’s significant that when He’s rejected as a prophet without honor in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus can’t perform many miracles or other works there (Mark 6:1–6; Matt. 13:53–58).
While Jesus is still speaking, someone from Jairus’ house reports that his daughter has died and says not to trouble Jesus further. Hearing them, Jesus says to Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” He proceeds to Jairus’ house, allowing no one to follow except Peter, James, and John. When they arrive, flutists are playing and people are weeping. Jesus asks, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” After they laugh at Him, He sends them all outside and takes Jairus, his wife, and His disciples inside. He grasps the child’s hand and tells her to rise, and she immediately gets up and begins walking. He tells them to feed her, which shows she has been restored to health.48
They are amazed, but He strictly commands those present to tell no one about this, though news of the event spreads throughout the area. Jesus realizes He can’t completely suppress news of this event given the crowds present, but He’s probably hoping to delay the reports until after He leaves the area because He’s in Galilee, where His many Jewish opponents may seek to kill Him and prematurely end His ministry.49
JESUS HEALS TWO BLIND MEN AND A MUTE DEMONIAC (MATT 9:27–35)
When Jesus leaves, two blind men follow Him and say, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” He asks them whether they believe He can heal them, and they answer “yes.” He then touches their eyes and pronounces, “According to your faith be it done to you.” The men are instantly healed. Jesus sternly warns them to keep quiet about it, but they tell everyone in the area anyway. Here again we see the relationship between faith and healing, though as we’ve noted, Jesus’ healings aren’t always performed on those with faith. Before Jesus heals them, He invites them to profess their faith in His ability to do it, which is tantamount to their faith in Him as the Messiah. They show their faith not just in responding affirmatively, but also by persisting and following Him inside the house to plead for His healing.
When Jesus and His followers are leaving, a mute, demon-possessed man is brought to Him. Jesus casts out the demon, and the man speaks. The astonished crowds proclaim, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” The Pharisees contend, however, that His power to exorcise comes from the devil. They have no other explanation for His supernatural healings, since they stubbornly refuse to accept Him as the Messiah. The Pharisees are increasingly furious at Jesus for challenging their authority and beliefs, weakening their influence, and exposing their hypocrisy and errors.50 Jesus will later rebuke them for their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as well (Matt. 12:22–32).
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL, THE LABORERS FEW (MATT. 9:35–38; LUKE 10:2–3)
Throughout the cities and villages, Jesus continues His threefold ministry of teaching in the synagogues, preaching the Gospel, and healing the sick (cf. Matt. 4:23). He teaches to inform people of His identity, purpose, and work; He preaches to inspire their commitment; and He heals out of compassion and to authenticate His deity.51 When He sees the crowds, He is moved because they’re beleaguered and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus, in His humanity and as the Son of God, fully empathizes with their suffering, realizing the people are drifting aimlessly without a spiritual leader. The religious leaders are resisting the Gospel and leading the people astray, so Jesus enters the scene as a Shepherd to lead His people, as the prophet Micah prophesied (Micah 5:4). He tells His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
They need additional workers—evangelists—to spread the good news of the kingdom. When we pray for God’s help, He will sometimes answer by commissioning us for the project.52 Jesus sends out His disciples “as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3), warning them they will be persecuted. He implies they are not to spread the Gospel by force, but to share the message and invite hearers to voluntarily accept it.53
JESUS SENDS OUT HIS TWELVE APOSTLES (MATT. 10:1–42; MARK 6:7–13; LUKE 9:1–6)
Ramping up His ministry, Jesus sends His twelve disciples in pairs on their first apostolic mission, investing them with authority over unclean spirits and commissioning them to heal every affliction. As vital as Christ’s work is, He entrusts much of it to His disciples, which is a lesson for us on delegation. Notably there were twelve tribes of Israel, and Jesus later says the twelve disciples will “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes” (Matt. 19:28). In one verse Matthew calls them disciples, which emphasizes learning and following, and in the next he calls them apostles, probably to indicate they’re now vested with Jesus’ delegated authority.54 Similarly, in his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul claims apostolic authority, saying he and his colleagues did not seek glory for themselves, though they could have made demands as Christ’s apostles (2:6).
Jesus tells them not to go among the Gentiles or Samaritans but to the “lost sheep of Israel.” He focuses His earthly ministry on the Jews (though not exclusively, as we’ve seen), but when resurrected He will instruct His disciples to spread the Gospel throughout the world. Paul also first preaches to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).55 Their first mission is to go to Israel because they are God’s chosen people, who are to mediate the New Covenant to all nations.56
Jesus commands the disciples to preach that the kingdom is near and to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse the lepers. As they “received without paying,” they must “give without pay,” meaning they received the Gospel freely so they must share it freely. He tells them to determine who is worthy (receptive to the Gospel) in the villages they enter, but if people are not receptive, “shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town,” signifying that even their dust is unworthy of His disciples. They are sheep in the midst of wolves, and they should be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. They must be shrewd because they will face formidable obstacles, but must retain their Christian integrity. The disciples, writes G. F. Hasel, “need all the wisdom proverbially attributed to serpents, but deceitful cunning and treacherous guile are to be replaced by the harmless and gentle innocence attributed to doves.”57 They must be “streetwise peacemakers, compassionate confronters, and above all, patient disciples who understand that God can redeem even the worst situation for his glory,” writes Marshall Shelley.58
When they are persecuted on His behalf and brought before the authorities, Jesus instructs, they should not worry about what to say in their own defense because the Holy Spirit will provide the words to them, just as He has guided and empowered Jesus (John 15:26; Matt. 4:1; 1:18, 20; 3:1).59 He warns that brothers will betray brothers, and parents and children will be at odds. They will face hostility from all kinds of authorities and people, including friends and family. On His account they will be hated, but if they endure they’ll be saved. If they’re persecuted in one town they must flee to the next. They should be bold, but not foolishly sabotage their mission.60
Jesus avers, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” If people are brazen enough to oppose and persecute Him—the Messiah—how much more will they abuse His followers? However, they shouldn’t fear those who can only kill the body but not the soul. While persecution from mortals will be difficult and painful, only God can administer final judgment and give eternal life. Jesus assures them the Father loves them and knows everything about them—even the number of hairs on their heads.
Whoever acknowledges Him to men, He will commend to the Father, Jesus tells His apostles, but whoever denies Him, He will deny to the Father. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth,” he warns. “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Unless they love Him more than their own father, mother, son, or daughter—unless they take their cross and follow Him—they are not worthy of Him. “Whoever finds his life for my sake,” He says, “will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”
Although He’s ultimately the Prince of Peace, Jesus’ first coming brings conflict and division, contrary to popular misconceptions about Christianity. This strife will remain between believers and unbelievers until He returns and fully establishes His kingdom.61 Believers shouldn’t love their family members any less, but remember that their commitment to God is paramount. As they face persecution for His sake, they must take up His cross and persevere on His behalf despite their suffering.
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (MATT. 14:6–12; MARK 6:21–29; LUKE 9:9)
Herodias’ daughter dances at a birthday banquet for King Herod Antipas—a son of King Herod who inherited part of his father’s kingdom. Pleased with her performance, Herod promises to grant her any request. Her mother tells her to demand the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod regrets his oath but dares not break it, so he sends an executioner to behead John in prison and return with his head. When John’s disciples learn of this, they take John’s body and bury him. Later, when Herod hears about Jesus’ ministry and miraculous deeds, He wonders whether Jesus is actually John the Baptist resurrected (Matt. 14:1–2; Mark 6:14–16; Luke 9:7–9).
Jewish historian Josephus conveys the impact of John’s ministry on Palestine’s Jews at the dawn of the Christian era.62 Describing a defeat of Herod Antipas’ army, which some Jews believed God had inflicted as punishment for Antipas’ execution of John, Josephus writes:
For Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now, when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it should be too late.63
JESUS FEEDS THE 5,000, WALKS ON WATER, AND HEALS AT THE PLAIN OF GENNESARET (MATT. 14:13–36; MARK 6:30–56; LUKE 9:10–17; JOHN 6:1–21)
When Jesus hears of John’s execution, He withdraws in a boat by Himself and the crowds follow Him on foot along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. When He goes ashore, He’s moved with compassion and heals the sick. In the evening His disciples urge Him to send the crowds into the villages to get food for themselves, but Jesus insists that the disciples feed them. The disciples protest that they only have five loaves of bread and two fish. “Bring them here to me,” says Jesus, and orders the people to sit on the grass. He looks up to heaven, says a blessing, breaks the loaves and gives them to His disciples to distribute to the people. All five thousand men and their women and children eat until they’re full, and they even have twelve baskets of broken pieces left over.
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle reported in all four Gospels other than the resurrection.64 It’s reminiscent of God’s provision of manna for the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16; Psalms 78:18–30; 81:16; 105:40). Jewish tradition held that the Messiah would repeat that miracle on a larger scale.65 But we shouldn’t infer from this that God will always meet all our physical needs. Rather, Jesus is depicting, for His disciples, the kind of ministry they will pursue when He’s gone. They will feed people, but with spiritual nourishment,66 and like the crowds here, they will be satisfied.67 “Christ,” writes Warren Wiersbe, “through His Word, is the Bread of Life on whom we feed. It is the privilege—and responsibility—of His servants to give this bread to the hungry multitudes. The servants receive this bread personally from Christ, then pass it on to the others.”68 Ray Stedman adds, “You cannot read the story of the feeding of the five thousand without seeing that it is a marvelous demonstration of the Lord’s desire to meet the deepest need of the human heart, the hunger for God.”69 It makes perfect sense that the physical feeding symbolizes spiritual feeding, as Christ has already declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
While there is spiritual symbolism in this story, we must not overlook the fact that the feeding was an historical event that shows Jesus is the Messiah. Indeed, upon witnessing this miracle the people recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah, but they still misapprehend the type of Messiah He is, for they seek to make Him king. He withdraws again to the mountain alone. At night, the disciples leave on their boat toward Capernaum. It has grown dark and Jesus has not met them yet. With strong winds disturbing the water, they row three or four miles and then become terrified when they see Jesus walking toward them on the surface of the sea. He identifies Himself and tells them not to be afraid. They take Him into the boat and are amazed because, in spite of all the miracles He’s performed, they still don’t recognize Him, indicating they still aren’t fully convinced of His messianic identity.70 Even now they can say, “Truly you are the Son of God,” as if that needs to be uttered anymore.
J. C. Ryle declares that this miracle should hearten all Christians because it shows nothing in creation is outside Christ’s control. “All things serve him (see Mark 4:41),” writes Ryle. “He may allow his people to be tried for a period, and to be tossed to and fro by storms of trouble; he may be later than they wish in coming to their aid, and not draw near till the ‘fourth watch of the night’ (verse 25), but never let them forget that winds, and waves and storms are all Christ’s servants. They cannot move without Christ’s permission. ‘Mightier than the thunder of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!’ (Psalm 93:4).”71
They land in Gennesaret, a densely populated and fertile plain southwest of Capernaum.72 The people recognize Jesus, bring their sick to Him, and beg Him to allow them merely to touch the fringe of His garment. All who touch it become well, showing again the nexus between faith and healing. “What was involved,” posits William Lane, “was not simply material contact with Jesus’ clothing, but the touch of faith.” We noted that Jesus’ work is often associated with His teaching. But Lane says that in this case there is a notable “absence of any reference to preaching or teaching activity.” This is because the people are not fully prepared for His teaching. “They understand only that power is channeled through his person. Jesus patiently bears with their limited insight and graciously heals those who reach out to him from the bed of affliction.”73
JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (JOHN 6:22–59)
Those whom Jesus feeds with the loaves find Him on the other side of the sea and ask when He had arrived. He says they aren’t seeking Him because they saw signs but because He fed them. He admonishes them, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Though they have seen His miracles, they’re focused only on filling their stomachs and miss the significance of the miracle.
They ask how they can do the works of God. Jesus explains that they cannot attain eternal life through their works, but only through faith in Him. “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent,” He preaches. They ask what sign He would do for them so that they may believe in Him. They are asking for a sign greater than what Moses did in giving them manna in the wilderness. William Hendriksen says the people thought Moses’ giving them bread out of heaven was a more impressive miracle than Jesus multiplying the loaves from already existing bread.74 Jesus replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
When they ask Him to give them this bread, Jesus responds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” Just as He told the woman at the well (John 4:14), their focus must not be on tangible food, but on spiritual food that only He can provide.
Appalled, the Jews scoff that Jesus, the son of Joseph, has come down from heaven. He tells them not to grumble, explaining that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, and no one has seen the Father except He Who is from God. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” declares Jesus, “whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” When they continue complaining Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”
Bruce Barton observes that the person who feeds on Jesus’ flesh and drinks His blood “is one who accepts by faith Jesus’ sacrificial death and thereby receives eternal life.”75 Those who “abide’ in Jesus are not just those who have taken the Lord’s Supper, says Gerald Borchert, “but those who have the life of Jesus in them. . . . Believing in Jesus’ life poured out for the world is the genuine or authentic foundation for our lives as Christians.”76
Many of Jesus’ disciples are disillusioned by His discourse, so He asks them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” If they are troubled that Jesus claims to have come from heaven, how will they react if He returns there?77 What will they think when He is killed on the cross instead of conquering their political oppressors? The Spirit gives life, He tells them. “The flesh is no help at all” (John 6:63). Matthew Henry notes, “Without the soul of man the flesh is of no value, so without the quickening Spirit of God all forms of religion are dead and worthless.”78
Jesus also says, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” This upsets many of the disciples and they leave, which is a remarkable example of unbelief by those who had the privilege of living and walking with the Son of God. They don’t wait until they are persecuted to deny Him, but reject Him after witnessing Him and His ministry. Perhaps they’re unwilling to adjust their misconceptions to accept that the Messiah isn’t acting like they anticipated. Or maybe they refuse to digest His difficult teachings or His insistence on faith rather than works. He asks the twelve apostles whether they want to leave too. Peter assures Him they want to stay, for He has the words of eternal life, and they believe He is the Holy One of God. Jesus responds, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil” (John 6:70), referring to Judas, who will later betray Him.
PHARISEES CHALLENGE JESUS (MATT. 15:1–20; MARK 7:1–23; JOHN 7:1)
Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem and notice Jesus’ disciples eating without washing their hands. When they ask Him why they break the tradition of the elders, Jesus gives no ground, demanding to know why they follow man-made traditions that break God’s commandment to “honor your father and your mother.” He says Isaiah had them in mind when he prophesied, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Isaiah 29:13).
Jesus is referring to a scribal tradition that allowed sons to declare resources set aside to care for their aging parents as “Corban,” which legally excluded their parents from any claim on the property and exempted the sons from the commandment to honor their parents.79 Jesus argues that Corban nullifies the scriptures because it allows sons to withhold gifts from their father and mother by designating them as holy and “retaining” them in their possession as if they’re for God. He then addresses their hand washing tradition, insisting, “There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
What people consume can’t defile them because it passes through their stomachs, not their hearts. It’s what comes out of a person from within that defiles him—evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. Evil that comes out of a person’s heart or mind makes the person morally unclean, which is far worse than ceremonial impurity from unclean hands. Scripture repeatedly uses “the heart” to refer to the center of a person’s being, including his mind, emotions, and will.80
JESUS HEALS MORE PEOPLE AND PERFORMS OTHER MIRACLES (MATT. 15:21–38; MARK 7:24–8:9)
Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon (on the Mediterranean Sea, northwest of Galilee),81 where a Gentile woman begs Him, as “Lord, Son of David,” to cast out a demon from her daughter. When His disciples implore Him to send her away, He replies, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” She says, “Lord, help me,” and He responds, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She answers Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Jesus then declares, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire”—and the child is healed instantly.
Jesus isn’t being rude to the woman. He might mean that His first priority is to teach His disciples, who can go out and spread the Gospel there. Or He might mean that He ministers first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Regardless, He is not rejecting the woman, but may be testing her faith or demonstrating that the Gospel is for everyone.82 Alfred Edersheim explains that in addressing Jesus as “Lord, Son of David,” she is using the most distinctively Jewish designation of the Messiah, yet the text identifies her as a heathen. “It was,” writes Edersheim, “an address by a stranger to a Jewish Messiah, Whose works were only miracles, and not also and primarily signs.”
If Jesus had immediately healed her daughter without her first understanding His ministry, His healing would have been merely a work of His power. “And so He first taught her,” explains Edersheim, “in such manner as she could understand—that which she needed to know, before she could approach Him in such manner—the relation of the heathen to the Jewish world, and of both to the Messiah, and then He gave her what she asked.”83 He made her understand what she was praying for, and as a result of her faith she became “a daughter of Abraham,” entitled to the blessings God promised all people through him.
The Apostle Paul teaches that Gentiles, through their faith, are the spiritual sons of Abraham, entitled to God’s promised blessings under the Abrahamic Covenant. Paul writes, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Gal. 3:7–9). Notice that Paul describes God’s promise to Abraham that He shall bless all nations through him as “the gospel.” This further validates our discussion in Chapter 3 of God’s promise plan and promise-doctrine.
The original promise God made to Abraham to bless all nations through Him is indeed the Gospel. God would establish His chosen nation of Israel with Abraham’s descendants, and it would serve as a nation of priests to mediate the Gospel to all nations. Through Abraham’s line of descent would come King David and his descendant Jesus Christ, Who would die for our sins, be resurrected, then rule forever on His Davidic throne. Through faith in Him, both Jews and Gentiles alike will receive the gift of eternal life.
Jesus returns from Tyre and Sidon to the Decapolis region, on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, another area inhabited by Gentiles. People bring to Him a deaf man with a speech impediment and plead that He lay His hand on the man. Jesus takes the man aside privately, puts His fingers into his ears, spits, and touches his tongue. He then sighs, looks up to heaven, and commands, “Be opened”—and instantly the man can hear and speak plainly. Jesus orders those assembled not to tell anyone what they’ve seen, but the more He utters this demand, the more the astonished people proclaim His works of healing.
Mark intentionally reports that Jesus sighs, which may signify Jesus’ compassion for the man, or it could be His heartache over the condition of fallen man and Satan’s powers operating in the world. Donald English argues Jesus’ sigh is an indication of the spiritual battle taking place. “The battle against evil,” writes English, “is joined in this man’s healing.”84
From there, Jesus walks beside the Sea of Galilee and goes up on a mountain, where crowds gather to Him and bring Him their lame, blind, crippled, and mute. The people are in awe of His healings, and “they glorified the God of Israel.” Another Gentile praises the God of Israel, but many Jews remain blind to their Messiah.85 Jesus continues to show that Gentiles will share the Messiah’s blessings. These events recall Isaiah’s words, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5–6).86
Jesus tells His disciples He has compassion for the crowd because they have been with Him three days and have nothing to eat. His disciples ask how they can feed all these people with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Jesus tells the people to sit on the ground, gives thanks to God, breaks the loaves, and gives them to His disciples to distribute to the crowd. All four thousand of them eat and are satisfied, and they have seven baskets full of pieces left. Some scholars believe this is the same event as the feeding of the five thousand,87 but others surmise it’s a separate event, as all four Gospels record the five thousand but only Matthew and Mark report the four thousand.88 Jesus Himself, in Matthew, refers to both events (Matthew 16:9–10). So why would the disciples be skeptical about Jesus’ feeding this crowd when they had recently seen Him feed the five thousand? It could be they assume He would not include Gentiles in such a blessing89—but as we know, Jesus is also the living bread for the Gentiles.90
THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES DEMAND SIGNS; JESUS HEALS AND TEACHES (MATT. 15:39–16:28; MARK 8:13–9:1; LUKE 9:18–27)
Jesus sends away the crowds and leaves in the boat for Magadan, a region located on the Sea of Galilee,91 probably in Jewish territory.92 The Pharisees and Sadducees, to test Jesus, ask Him for a sign from heaven. This is unusual because these two groups are typically at odds, but in Jesus they face a common opponent. The Sadducees don’t even believe in signs and supernatural events, much less the resurrection of the dead.93 Jesus, however, refuses to take their bait, telling them they know how to interpret the appearance of the sky and determine the weather, but they cannot interpret the sign of the times. He will not perform miracles on demand, especially not for scoffers. The only sign He’s willing to give them is the sign of Jonah (Matt. 16:4), which mirrors what He tells the Pharisees and scribes when they ask for a sign (Matt. 12:38–42). Jesus explains that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, just as the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth—thereby validating the story of Jonah as actual history. “He promised them the sign of Jonah,” says Blaise Pascal, “the great and wonderful miracle of the resurrection.”94
When the disciples reach the other side, they’re anxious because they only have one loaf of bread. Jesus asks them why they’re worried about the bread, reminding them of the feedings of the five thousand and four thousand. “How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread?” he asks. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they realize He’s not warning them about bread but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Just as it would take only a small amount of leaven, or yeast, to make a batch of bread rise, the evil teachings of the religious leaders could infect all of society and turn the nation away from the truth of the Gospel.95
Jesus and His disciples arrive at Bethsaida, a fishing village on the northern shore of Galilee and the hometown of Peter, Philip, and Andrew.96 People bring a blind man to Jesus and beg Him to touch him. He takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the village, spits on his eyes, and lays His hands on him. The man says he can now see people, but they look like walking trees. Jesus again lays His hands on the man’s eyes and he now sees everything clearly. Jesus tells him to go home and “do not even enter the village.”
Some commentators suggest the man’s initially blurred vision could be analogous to the disciples’ limited understanding of Jesus—they see Him vaguely as the blind man sees the people as trees. That Mark 8:22–26 contains some nine terms related to “seeing” supports this interpretation. While the disciples begin to understand Jesus is the Messiah, they still can’t see the whole picture—that He must be a suffering Messiah—until He explains it to Peter and the other disciples.97 “If the immediately preceding context is the blindness of the disciples,” notes Lamar Williamson, “the context immediately following depicts Peter who finally sees, but sees imperfectly. He will need a second, harsh touch from Jesus to rectify his hazy view of who Christ is and what he, and therefore his disciples, must do.”98 Geoffrey Grogan writes, “The two-stage healing prepares us for [Jesus’ upcoming encounter with Peter], and may well show us how aware Jesus was of the limited nature of Peter’s faith at this time.”99
As Jesus and His disciples approach Caesarea Philippi, a town twenty miles north of the Sea of Galilee and 120 miles north of Jerusalem, at the “upper source” of the Jordan River,100 He asks them about His identity: “Who do people say that I am?” They reply that some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others, one of the prophets. He presses, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.” He strictly commands them to tell no one He is the Messiah.
The verse, “you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church” is a much-debated passage. Roman Catholics believe it shows that Peter was the first pope. Protestants interpret it otherwise, arguing if Jesus had wanted to designate Peter as pope He probably would’ve said, “and on you I will build my church.”101 “Peter” in Greek is Petros (“stone”), which is related to petra (“rock”). Peter’s other New Testament name is “Cephas,” which is Aramaic for “rock.” Many Protestants believe that even if “this rock” refers to Peter, Jesus was speaking of Peter’s role in confessing Jesus as the Messiah and indicating that the other disciples would share in that role when they make the same confession.102 Indeed, Paul says the Church is built on the foundation of all the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). If Peter were to have more authority than the other apostles, why would Paul have publicly corrected him (Gal. 2:11–14)? The evidence and arguments on both sides are complex, and I don’t intend to address them here, but I do want to draw your attention to this long-standing disagreement.
In saying the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church, Jesus is promising victory for His Church over death and the forces of evil.103 The next promise—“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven”—probably means He will give Peter and the other apostles authoritative roles to spread the Word, to carry out God’s will, and to oppose the powers of evil (cf. Matt. 18:18).104
Jesus is beginning to give His disciples a fuller picture of His role as the Messiah. He must go to Jerusalem and suffer and be killed, then be raised on the third day. Peter still firmly resists the message, telling Jesus, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Jesus replies, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
There is a reason Jesus is adamant. His purpose in becoming a man is to die for man’s sins. Of all people, His disciples should understand this. It’s one thing for the Pharisees to oppose Him and His mission, but it’s wholly unacceptable for His disciples to be stumbling blocks to Him. He was not about to sabotage His messianic mission just to meet their distorted messianic expectations, for if He had delivered a temporal military victory over Israel’s oppressors, people would still die in their sins. As Bishop Fulton Sheen writes, “Every other person who ever came into this world came into it to live. He came into it to die. Death was a stumbling block to Socrates—it interrupted his teaching. But to Christ, death was the goal and fulfillment of His life, the gold that He was seeking.”105 Likewise Charles Spurgeon declares, “You know how he had to say to Peter, well-beloved disciple though he was, ‘Get behind me, Satan; thou savourest not the things that be of God.’ Poor ignorant human friendship, would have kept him back from the cross, would have made him miss his great object in being fashioned as a man, and so have despoiled him of all the honor which only shame and death could win him.”106
What an illustration of man’s inability to fathom the mind and purpose of God! What a reminder of our duty to obey Him, even when we do not fully grasp His infinite wisdom. As Paul says,
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor. 1:18–25).
The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews because Scripture asserted that a man hanged on a tree is cursed by God (Deut. 21:23). God’s Messiah, therefore, could not be crucified and thereby be cursed by God (Acts 5:30; 10:39).
If man would have had his way, Christ would not have died for our sins and given us life, which profoundly validates this proverb: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).