The
Matthew
(NIV)
By
Syd Cleveland
(©
1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and Revised
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JESUS CHRIST = “Jesus” is the Greek transliteration of
the Hebrew “Jehoshua” (Strongs #H3091) meaning, “Yahweh is
salvation.” “Christ”
is from the Greek “Christos” (Strongs #G5547) meaning “the
anointed one” or “Messiah.”
Jesus Christ is the “proper name of the Savior of
the world. The title 'Christ' gathers all of the Old Testament prophetic hopes
and infuses into them the meaning associated with the proper name Jesus, Man of
Galilee--Man of sorrows. Jesus is the clearest picture of God the world has
ever seen--that is the affirmation of believing hearts. In Jesus Christ are
united the vertical of God's revelation and the horizontal of history's
meaning. Christians see in this one proper name a conjunction of God and man.
"The believers of the New Testament did not first
'read' Jesus Christ chronologically. That is, they did not set down to
construct a doctrine called Christology that would move from preexistence to
parousia (final coming). Rather, they were caught up in the historical reality
of what God was doing for them and all the world through Jesus Christ. Looking
at the different episodes of the Christ event should show the New Testament
understanding of Jesus, God's Christ.
"Jesus'
resurrection grasped the early believers. The walk of the risen Christ with
those burning hearts en route to Emmaus, the appearance of the risen Christ
first to Mary Magdalene, the appearance and commissions of the risen Christ to
His disciples--these things which no other experience can duplicate nor any
other religious movement validate claimed the Christians' attention in an unforgettable
way. People of the first century had seen people die before. None before or
since had seen a person bring God's resurrection life to bear on this world's
most pressing problem, death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the center of
the Christian gospel (see 1 Corinthians 15).
"He who was
raised on the first day of the week was the same as the One who had died three
days earlier. His was not simply a natural death. It was a ritual murder
carried out by the authorities of
"This One who
was raised, the same One who died, had performed the miracles of God's kingdom
in our time and space. John testified that in the doing of God's mighty works
Jesus was the prophet sent from God (John
"'Never man
spoke like this man'" with such authority (John
"Just as the
first coming of Jesus Christ was according to prophecy, so the final coming of
Christ is to be by divine promise and prediction. The earliest Christians
expected Christ's coming immediately (1 Thessalonians 4). This must be the
expectation of the churches in every age (Revelation 1-3). It was the same
Jesus who ascended who will return (Acts 1). His return heralds the end and
brings an end to the struggle of good and evil, the battle between the kingdoms
of this world which must become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15).
In the meanwhile His followers must work to eat (2 Thessalonians 3). His
followers must go and tell; His followers must unite the hope of eschatology
and the life of ethics in a fashion that will share the gospel with all the
world (Matthew 28:19-20). The time of His final coming is not a Christian's
primary concern (Acts 1:5-6). Natural calamities, man-made tragedies, and great
suffering will precede His coming (Matthew 13; Matthew 24-25). All of these
will find His people faithful, even as He is to His promise--found faithful
even as God was to God's promises in sending this Child of promise to the
world.
"The Gospels
began in the heart of God and in the resurrection faith of the writers, but
Matthew and Luke begin with the story of Jesus' birth. His conception was
virginal. His advent was announced by angels. His actual birth occurred in a
place and time that seemed to be no place and time for a baby to be born.
Angels announced. Shepherds heard, came, and wondered. Magi came later to bring
gifts. A wrathful and jealous King (Herod) killed many innocent children hoping
to find the right one. The 'right One' escaped to
"Eternity
began the story. If this one is the Son of God, then He must be tied on to the
ancient people of God. He must be in the beginning ... with God (John 1:1).
Preexistence was not the first reflection of the early church about Jesus
Christ, nor was it merely an afterthought. The purpose of Jesus' preexistence
is to tie Him onto God and to what God had been doing through
"Jesus' own
proper name is a Greek version of the Hebrew 'Joshua,' salvation is from
Yahweh. His very name suggests His purpose. 'He shall save his people from
their sins' (Matthew
"Christ is
the way to God. His way of being in the world was a way of obedience,
faithfulness, and service. The earliest Christians saw who He was in what He
did. In the great deed of the cross they saw the salvation of the world. The
inspired writers offered no physical descriptions of the earthly Jesus. The
functional way the New Testament portrays Him is found in the statement that He
was a man "who went about doing good" (Acts
THE SON OF DAVID = Not the literal son of King David, but a
descendant of David. This term has a
dual application here, for it is also a popular Jewish title for the coming
Messiah (see Matthew 1:1;
THE SON OF ABRAHAM = This is the fulfillment of the Messianic
prophecy in Genesis 12:3.
ABRAHAM = A great spiritual leader and patriarch, Abraham was also
a liar (Genesis 20:1-13).
Mat 1:2
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
ISAAC = Was a liar like his father, Abraham. See Genesis 12:10,
JACOB = Jacob was a deceiver (Genesis 27:19). Christ's lineage fulfilled this Messianic
prophecy from Numbers 24:17.
Mat 1:3
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
TAMAR = Was a deceiver who had sexual relations with her
father-in-law (Genesis 38:13-18).
Mat 1:4
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
Mat 1:5
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
RAHAB = She was a prostitute who helped the Israeli spies at
RUTH = Ruth was a Moabitess, not a Jewess (Ruth 1:4). The law prohibited Moabites from entering the
temple for ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:3).
Thus Ruth belonged to a hated alien nation.
Mat 1:6
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
DAVID = A warrior king, polygamist, and adulterer (2 Samuel 3:2-5,
14; 2 Samuel 11:3-4).
Mat 1:7
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
SOLOMON = World's wisest man, extremely wealthy, a polygamist, and
a worshiper of false gods (1 Kings 11:2, 4-9).
REHOBOAM = A harsh and foolish man whose policies caused the people
of
ABIJAH = Another sinful man (1 Kings 15:1).
Mat 1:8
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
ASA = Failed to trust God and contracted a severe foot disease as a
result (2 Chronicles
JEHORAM = Reintroduced Baal worship in
Mat 1:9
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
AHAZ = An exceedingly evil king of
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
MANASSEH = Reintroduced paganism, even sacrificed his own son. Later repented (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles
33:19).
AMON = Evil man who followed in his father's sins. He was assassinated (2 Chronicles 33:22-23).
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
JOSIAH = Became king at eight years of age. He instituted sweeping reforms and is
remembered as
JECONIAH = He was also called Jehoiachin. He was eighteen years old when he became king
of
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
SHEALTIEL = Little is known about him other than he was the father
of Zerubbabel.
ZERUBBABEL = "He is named in Ezra 2:2 among the leaders of
those who returned from Exile. According to Ezra 3, Zerubbabel and Jeshua (or
Joshua, the high priest) rebuilt the altar and in their second year (autumn of
537 B.C.) laid the foundation of the
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
ABIUD = This is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew name Abihud. He is mentioned here as one of Zerubbabel's
sons, but his name does not occur in the list of 1 Chronicles 3:19. Whether or not he was disinherited, or simply
too insignificant to be remembered further is unknown.
ELIAKIM = Very little is known about this person, all though there
were several others who had this name.
Azor = Another little known ancestor of Christ.
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
ZADOK = Another little known ancestor of Christ.
AKIM = Also known as Achim.
Nothing but his name is known.
Eliud = Another little known ancestor of Christ.
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
ELEAZAR = Another little known ancestor of Christ, though several
other people in the Bible have the same name.
MATTHAN = Another little known ancestor of Christ.
JACOB = Another little known ancestor of Christ.
Mat
THE FATHER OF = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P
Sing 1Aor
JOSEPH = "He was a descendant of David, a carpenter by trade
(Matt.
Scripture also
calls him a "righteous man" and indicates he was a compassionate
person (Matthew
THE HUSBAND OF MARY = It is significant that the Holy Spirit makes
a clear distinction here that Joseph was Mary's husband, but not the natural
father of Jesus. See Matthew
WAS BORN = The Greek "gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is 3P Sing
1Aor
JESUS = See note on Matthew 1:1.
CALLED = Pres Pass Ptc Nom Sing Masc "he being called."
Mat
FOURTEEN GENERATIONS = Christ's genealogy is arranged in three
groups of fourteen people each. This is
technically known as a mnemonic, a technique which makes it easier to memorize
these lists of names. The three sections
correspond to the three great periods of
Mat
CAME ABOUT = The Greek "houtoos" (Strongs #G3779) means
"came about, in this way, after this manner." Grammatically it is 3P Sing Imperf Act
PLEDGED TO BE MARRIED = The Greek "mnesteuo" (Strongs
#G3423) means "betrothed, engaged to be married." Grammatically it is a 1Aor Pas Ptc Gen Sing
Fem "she being betrothed."
There were three steps in the Jewish marriage procedure: (1) The
Engagement which was generally made by the parents when the couple were
children. Often the couple had never
even seen each other. The engagement
could be broken by the girl if she refused to go on to the betrothal. (2) The Betrothal, which was a ratification
of the engagement and lasted one year.
During this year of betrothal the couple were legally considered to be
husband and wife, but without the rights associated with marriage. If a girl's fiancé died during this time of
betrothal she was called "a virgin who is a widow." The only way a betrothal could be terminated
was either by death or by divorce. (3)
The Marriage, which took place at the end of the year of betrothal.
CAME TOGETHER = The Greek "sunerchomai" (Strongs #G4905)
means "assemble, come together, gather, cohabit, conjugal
relationship." Grammatically it is
a 2Aor Act Infin "came together."
Here the term means sexual intercourse.
When we compare this statement with Luke 1:34-35 and Luke 2:5, there is simply
no doubt about Scripture's affirmation of the virgin birth of Christ. For Old Testament issues regarding the
prophecy of Christ's virgin birth, see commentary on Isaiah 7:14.
SHE WAS FOUND = 3P
TO BE WITH CHILD = Pres Act Ptc Nom Sing Fem "having"
(the full phrase literally translates: "before they came together she was
found having in womb by the Spirit Holy").
This is a reference to the Virgin Birth.
THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT = In Jewish theology, the Holy Spirit was
the Person who inspired the prophets (Numbers
Contrary to the
Jehovah Witnesses' belief that the Holy Spirit is just an "active
force" like electricity, "the idea of 'spirit' excludes not only the
idea of material substance, but also that of inanimate substance. It implies that God (or in this case, the
Holy Spirit) is alive." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology, by Henry C.
Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 76.
Mat
WAS = Pres act Ptc Nom Sing Masc "he being."
WANT = Pres Act Ptc Nom Sing Masc "he wishing."
PUBLIC DISGRACE = 1Aor Act Infin "an as example."
HAD IN MIND = 3P
TO DIVORCE = 1Aor Act Infin "to dismiss/let go." See note on Matthew 1:18 concerning the
Jewish marriage process. See note on
Malachi 2:16 for God's view of divorce.
Mat
CONSIDERED = 1Aor Pass Ptc Gen Sing Masc "having
thought."
(LOOK!) = 2P Sing 2Aor Mid Imper "behold/look"
(literally, "Look, an angel of the Lord appeared.").
AN ANGEL OF THE LORD = The New Testament makes a distinction
between "the Angel of the Lord," (Matthew 1:24) which could mean a
specific angel, or even God Himself; and "an Angel of the Lord" (see
Matthew 1:20; 2:13, 19; 28:2; Luke 1:11; 2:9; 5:19; Acts 8:26; 12:7; 12:23)
which simply means an angel sent from the Lord -- the Lord's angel.
"Those books
which narrate the great acts of God (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Judges, 1
Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings) contain numerous references to angels.
In these books, especially at key points, God reveals Himself and acts on
behalf of His people. Sometimes He does
this directly, sometimes in the person of an angel. Often the distinction between God's action
and the angel's is blurred to the point that they seem synonymous (Genesis
This does not lend
support to the idea that the Archangel Michael is Jesus Christ, as Seventh-day
Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses teach (see note on Jude 1:9).
APPEARED = 3P
SAID = Pres Act Ptc Nom Sing Masc "saying." Did the angel speak to Joseph in Greek? Or did the angel speak Hebrew/Aramaic and the
conversation was subsequently translated into Greek? This is important because there are those who
incorrectly teach that Hebrew is the language of God and heaven. Scripture is clear God speaks in the language
people understand (see Acts 2:6-11 and compare with Acts 26:14; John
BE AFRAID = 2P
TO TAKE = 2Aor Act Infin "to take."
CONCEIVED = The Greek "Gennao" (Strongs #G1080) is a 1Aor
Pass Ptc Nom Sing Neut meaning "was conceived, was born, was
delivered."
IS = 3P Sing Pres Act
FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT = Not "of" the Holy Spirit, which
would have indicated that the Holy Spirit was Jesus' "father" and
therefore Jesus was not eternally preexistent.
Contrary to the
Jehovah Witnesses' belief that the Holy Spirit is just an "active
force" like electricity, "the idea of 'spirit' excludes not only the
idea of material substance, but also that of inanimate substance. It implies that God (or in this case, the
Holy Spirit) is alive." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology, by Henry C.
Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 76.
Mat
AFTER ... MAGI = The Magi came approximately two years after Jesus
was born (see notes on
JESUS = Greek form of the Hebrew name "Joshua" which
means "Jehovah is salvation."
If, as the "sacred name" proponents argue, we should call
Jesus "Yashua," then the Holy Spirit has erred in permitting the
Greek form to be written in the Bible.
And the Holy Spirit has erred in using Hebrew names for God in Genesis
chapters 1-3 when Hebrew did not become a language until 2,500 years later! If it is important to use the Hebrew form of
Christ's name, then it must also be important to use the Hebrew/Greek form of
all other personal names rather than their anglicized forms. But, nowhere in Scripture is this concept
even alluded to. On the contrary, the NT
repeatedly uses the Greek forms of the Hebrew names for God as well as for
people. The name "Jesus" is
not important as to its pronunciation, or spelling in any particular
language. The importance of this name is
found in its meaning: He will save His people from their sins (Matthew
Mat
TO FULFILL WHAT THE LORD HAD SAID = The circumstances surrounding
the birth of Christ were prophesied beforehand.
This particular reference to prophecy is from Isaiah 7:14.
Mat
VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD = The Greek word "parthenos"
(Strongs #G3933) is used here, meaning "virgin." Thus the angel's quotation taken from Isaiah
7:14 is heaven's approval of the interpretation that Isaiah's use of the Hebrew
word "almah" (Strongs #H5959) was intended to mean "virgin"
not "young woman." Matthew
CALL HIM IMMANUEL = Here Jesus Christ fulfilled the Messianic
prophecy found in Isaiah
Mat
HE DID WHAT ... HAD COMMANDED HIM = The prophecy concerning the
birth of Christ not only depended upon the divine intervention of the Holy
Spirit, but also upon Joseph's free choice.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD = See note on Matthew
Mat
HE HAD NO UNION WITH HER = This is a clear statement of Scripture
that Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus. It is also a clear statement that Joseph did
have sexual union with Mary after Jesus' birth.
Thus the Roman Catholic doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity is not
Biblical.
Mat 2:1
AFTER JESUS WAS BORN = The Magi apparently arrived some two years
after Jesus' birth (see note below and also on verses 9 and 11).
Another bit of evidence, as to the date of Christ’s
birth, is found in Matthew 2:16. Here
Matthew tells us King Herod executed all the boys in
Since the first
century, Christianity has taught that Jesus Christ was born on December
25. While there is no way of proving the
date of Christ's birth beyond any doubt, there is solid evidence for the
December 25 date. Luke 2:8 tells us at
Christ's birth "shepherds were living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night.”
Some question whether shepherds would be in the fields in winter. However,
Edersheim quoted Jewish sources confirming that flocks remained in the
fields year around (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Bk. 2, p.
186). This agrees with Genesis 31:40
where Jacob complained he had suffered from cold (Hebrew “qerach”
[Strongs #H7140] meaning “frost, ice, hail” at night while tending sheep.
Others wonder if
people would travel in winter. The
answer is "yes," because the
Credible Christian
authorities taught the December 25 date.
Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.) claimed the December 25 date was supported by
the actual census/tax records of the Holy Family when they registered in
"According to
rabbinical tradition, when the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., the priestly
course of Jehoiarib was serving. If the
order of priestly service was unbroken through all those 70 years, it has been
calculated that the course of Abijah, to which Zacharias (the father of John
the Baptist) belonged, would have been serving during the first week of
October. This would put Mary’s
conception in March and Christ’s birth in December” -- Christmas
Reconsidered, by Ralph Woodrow, pp. 35-36.
MAGI = The exact identity of the Magi is not revealed, although
numerous traditions about them have developed.
Probably they were wealthy Gentile astronomers from a country to the
east of
TIME OF KING HEROD = "Josephus writes in his 'Antiquities'
that there was an eclipse of the moon just before the death of Herod (Bk. XVII,
Chap. XIII, Sect. 2). This might refer
to any of three eclipses in 5 and 4 B.C.; the most likely choice is
Mat 2:2
HIS STAR IN THE EAST = Planets and stars generally travel from East
to West. See notes on Matthew 2:1,
9.
Mat 2:4
TEACHERS OF THE LAW = See note on Matthew 23:2.
Mat 2:5
BETHLEHEM IN JUDEA = There are two towns named "
Mat 2:7
EXACT TIME THE STAR HAD APPEARED = Herod wanted this information to
ascertain the exact birth date of Christ.
Apparently the "star" had appeared approximately two years
earlier, for he included children up to two years of age in his death decree.
Mat 2:9
STAR THEY HAD SEEN IN THE EAST WENT AHEAD OF THEM = Stars and
planets travel from east to west, due to the rotation of the earth (see note on
Matthew 2:2). However now this
"star" traveled from
CHILD = The Greek "paidion" (Strongs #G3813) means
"a child" as opposed to the Greek "brephos" (Strongs
#G1025) meaning "a newborn infant" (see Luke 2:12). See note on Matthew 2:1.
Mat
HOUSE = Greek "oikia" (Strongs #G3614) meaning "a
building, house, residence." Thus
by the time the Magi arrived a year or two later, the Holy Family no longer
resided in a cave or stable. See note on
Matthew 2:1.
WITH HIS MOTHER MARY = Perhaps Joseph was down at the carpentry
shop working.
Mat
AN ANGEL OF THE LORD = The New Testament makes a distinction
between "the Angel of the Lord," (Matthew 1:24) which could mean a
specific angel, or even God Himself; and "an Angel of the Lord" (see
Matthew 1:20; 2:13, 19; 28:2; Luke 1:11; 2:9; 5:19; Acts 8:26; 12:7; 12:23)
which simply means an angel sent from the Lord -- the Lord's angel.
"Those books
which narrate the great acts of God (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Judges, 1
Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings) contain numerous references to angels.
In these books, especially at key points, God reveals Himself and acts on
behalf of His people. Sometimes He does
this directly, sometimes in the person of an angel. Often the distinction between God's action
and the angel's is blurred to the point that they seem synonymous (Genesis
This does not lend
support to the idea that the Archangel Michael is Jesus Christ, as Seventh-day
Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses teach (see note on Jude 1:9).
Mat
THE DEATH OF HEROD = Herod the Great died in March, 4 B.C.
WAS FULFILLED = This is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy
found in Hosea 11:1.
Mat
KILL ALL THE BOYS ... TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER = "This suggests
that Jesus was born in 6 or 5 B.C. and He was between one and two years old
when Herod the Great died (March, 4 B.C.).
He was probably born in 5 B.C., and was taken to
This fulfilled the
Messianic prophecy found in Jeremiah 31:15.
Mat
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH = Jeremiah 31:15.
Mat
RAMAH = The province of "Ramah is likely modern Negram in
Mat
AN ANGEL OF THE LORD = See note on Matthew
Mat
THE CHILD'S LIFE = The Greek "psuche" (Strongs #G5590)
has several meanings, the primary one being "life or soul."
Mat
ARCHELAUS = When Herod died in 4 B.C., his sons Herod Antipas and
Philip were named tetrarchs; but his son Archelaus was the principal
successor." -- Holman Bible Dictionary
This is conclusive
evidence that Jesus was born prior to 4 B.C., probably early in 6 B.C. or late
in 5 B.C. Strong evidence leans towards
December 25 as actually being the day Christ was born (see "Christmas
Reconsidered," by Ralph Woodrow).
Mat
"
SAID THROUGH THE PROPHETS: 'HE WILL BE CALLED A NAZARENE' = The
word "prophets" is plural, indicating this prophecy that Jesus would
be a "Nazarene" is gleaned from a number of sources in the Old
Testament scriptures.
"These exact
words are not found in the OT. ... In Jesus' day 'Nazarene' was virtually
synonymous for 'despised' (see John
Therefore the
phrase "He will be called a Nazarene" can be understood as a play on
words: (1) signifying that Jesus would live in
Mat 3:1
IN THOSE DAYS = The immediate context indicates this phrase refers
to the days when Jesus was living in
JOHN THE BAPTIST = A cousin of Jesus, born about 6 B.C. to
Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-80).
John was divinely ordained to prepare the way for Jesus Christ (Matthew
3:3).
Mat 3:2
REPENT = John's message had two aspects: (1) The soteriological
aspect was "Repent." (2) The eschatological aspect was "For the
Kingdom of heaven is near." The
eschatology of a coming kingdom was well understood in the OT. However the idea that repentance was
necessary to enter this kingdom was unknown.
Many Jews thought that they would automatically be members of Messiah's
kingdom by virtue of their descent from
Abraham. John's message was that
a complete change of heart and mind (Greek "metanoya") was necessary
in all who wanted to be part of Messiah's kingdom.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN = "An analysis of 136 passages in the NT
where the expression 'kingdom' occurs, shows that it means the "rule of
God" which was "manifested in and through Christ," is
"apparent in the Church," "gradually develops amidst
hindrances," is "triumphant at the second coming of Christ ("the
end"), and finally "perfected in the world to come." (Life and
Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, book 2, page 270).
IS NEAR = God's kingdom rule in heaven was about to be extended to
earth through the person of the Messiah.
John's message was that, to be part of God's kingdom, the people/nation
had to repent.
Mat 3:3
THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH = See Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. Isaiah's words primarily refer to the construction workers
who were called to clear the desert roads in preparation for the return of the
Jews from Babylonian exile in 537 B.C. A
secondary application is found in John the Baptist's work of preparing the way
for the Messiah and His kingdom.
MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS FOR HIM = The paths were straightened by
calling the people to repent and come back to Him
Mat 3:4
CLOTHES ... CAMEL'S HAIR ... LEATHER BELT = John's clothing was
similar to those of Elijah and other prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4).
LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY = This was the food of the poor (Leviticus
Mat 3:6
CONFESSING THEIR SINS = John's central message was to
"repent" (Matthew 3:2). The
response of these sinners was to "confess" their sins -- however
simple confession of sin is not enough to save one from the "coming
wrath." To be on good terms with
God requires us to be convicted of our sins, to confess our sins, to repent of
our sins, and to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew
3:8).
BAPTIZED = John's baptism was not the same as Christian baptism
(Acts 19:3-5) in that his was a religious rite involving confessions of sin and
commitment to a holy life in anticipation of the coming Messiah (The Bible
Knowledge Commentary).
Mat 3:7
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES = These individuals rejected John's message
because they thought they were qualified to be in the kingdom of heaven by virtue
of their lineage to Abraham. See note on
Matthew 23:2. In view of this, John
refused to baptize them because they did not "produce fruit in keeping
with repentance" (Matthew 3:8).
VIPERS! WHO WARNED YOU TO
FLEE = A word picture of snakes fleeing from a burning field. Even though they
flee, they remain "snakes." To
be saved from God's wrath requires us to be changed from "snakes"
into "saints." This requires
us to be convicted of our sins, to confess our sins, to repent of our sins, and
to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8).
Mat 3:8
PRODUCE FRUIT = Here is John's call for commitment to a holy
life. Jesus also said we would be known
by our "fruit" (Matthew
IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE = To repent means to turn back, turn
around, turn away from sin. The
repentant person produces "fruit" by turning from sin and turning to
a life of righteousness. Jesus warned
unrepentant sinners (specifically the spiritual leaders of
Mat 3:9
WE HAVE ABRAHAM AS OUR FATHER = Here John pointed out the error of
the Pharisees' and Sadducees' belief that their Abrahamic genealogy guaranteed
them a place in the kingdom of heaven.
The Gospel assures us that unless we personally repent we cannot enter
the kingdom.
STONES = A warning that God would abandon the Jews because of their
lack of repentance and turn to the Gentiles.
By the time Jesus' ministry had concluded God had indeed turned from the
Jews and turned to the Christian church (see notes on Matthew
Mat
AX ... CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE = Unless they repented,
God would cut down the tree of Judaism.
Jesus visually demonstrated this same message (Matthew
Mat
BAPTIZE ... WITH WATER = The water baptism of John was a baptism of
repentance. It only affected the outside
of a person. See Romans 2:18-19. Thus when the Messiah came, He would baptize
with the greater baptism of the Holy Spirit.
His baptism would change the heart.
BAPTIZE ... WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT = JWs state "John the
Baptizer said that Jesus would baptize with holy spirit, even as John had been
baptizing with water. Hence, in the same
way that water is not a person, holy spirit is not a person (You Can Live
Forever in Paradise on Earth, p. 40)."
This JW reasoning against the personality of the Holy Spirit is not
valid. The same "baptism"
argument could be made against the personality of Jesus Christ who obviously
walked the earth as a person. For
example, Romans 6:3 says: "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death."
"Therefore," the parallel argument would go, "in the same
way death is not a person, Jesus is not a person." And Galatians
Contrary to the
Jehovah Witnesses' belief that the Holy Spirit is just an "active
force" like electricity, "the idea of 'spirit' excludes not only the
idea of material substance, but also that of inanimate substance. It implies that God (or in this case, the
Holy Spirit) is alive." -- Lectures in Systematic Theology, by Henry C.
Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 76.
AND WITH FIRE = A possible reference to the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:1-4). But more likely, in context with
Matthew 3:7, 10, 12, a reference to the destruction of unrepentant
sinners. John's water baptism affected
the outside of a person. Jesus' baptism
of the Holy Spirit affected the inside of a person. Jesus' baptism of fire totally burned away
the chaff and left only pure wheat.
Mat
GATHERING ... BURNING = Christ is the judge (Matthew 25:31-33) and
His judgment is both final and irrevocable.
At His judgment His threshing floor is cleared -- nothing is left over
in a corner to be judged later -- thus there is no second chance for sinners
and the saved cannot be lost. Christ's
judgment has two aspects: (1) those who are judged saved are gathered into the
"barn;" (2) those who are judged lost are burned with
"unquenchable fire." For the
saved, judgment is a joyful blessing for it is the long-awaited reward.
Mat
JESUS CAME ... TO BE BAPTIZED = John's ministry was a national call
to repentance, thus Jesus could not ignore it.
He set us the example of obedience to the call of God.
Mat
JOHN TRIED TO DETER HIM = John did not know that Jesus was the
Messiah until after His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:31). Nevertheless, John could see that Jesus was
very different the sinners who flocked to hear him speak.
Mat
TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS = All God's righteous requirements for
the Messiah were completely fulfilled in
Jesus Christ.
Mat
JESUS ... SPIRIT ... GOD = The three Persons of the Trinity are
clearly evidenced here. The fact the
Holy Spirit is called the "Spirit of God" in no way lessens His
Personhood. The "wife of Mr.
Jones" is still every bit as much a distinct and unique person as when she
is called "Sally Jones." The
three members of the Trinity are mentioned in Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:16;
Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:35; Luke 10:21; John 3:5; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:38; Romans
1:4; Romans 15:16, 30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians
13:14; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 3:3; Hebrews 10:29; 1 Peter
1:2; 1 John 4:2.
SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING ... LIGHTING ON HIM = The Holy Spirit came
upon Jesus to equip Him for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), not to empower
Him to overcome sin (Ezekiel 36:27).
This is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy found in Isaiah 11:2.
LIKE A DOVE = Not that the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a
dove, but that He "descended like a dove." A dove lands with a fluttering -- apparently
the way Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descend on Himself.
Mat
THIS IS MY SON = This is the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy
found in Psalm 2:7. Jesus did not become
the Son of God at His baptism. Instead,
He was commissioned to the work which only He, as God's Son, could perform.
WHOM I LOVE = Greek "agapay" (Strongs #G27) meaning
"the highest form of principled, self-sacrificing love." Thus God's love for His Son and for His
created humans is a principled,
self-sacrificing love.
WITH HIM I AM WELL PLEASED = This is a loose quotation from Isaiah 42:1. God's pleasure in Christ was not so much that
Jesus never sinned, but that Jesus was the focus point of God's redeeming love
for sinners.
Mat 4:1
THEN = Christ's temptations came after His baptism and after He
received the Holy Spirit and God's commendation. God does not does not ask us to battle Satan
without empowering us to be victorious and assuring us of His blessing (see
Matthew
LED BY THE SPIRIT INTO THE DESERT = Jesus' journey toward
temptation in the desert was under the guidance of God. The Holy Spirit did not lead Jesus
"into" temptation (James
TO BE TEMPTED = Immediately after Christ's baptism He was tempted
by Satan. This indicates that baptism is
not a magical event which protects us from Satan's onslaughts, but it is our
commission to fight for the Lord. Jesus'
temptation was very real in that the struggle caused Him to suffer (Hebrews
"You can be
tempted anywhere, anytime: in church, alone, in the wilderness (where, in fact,
Jesus was most severely tempted). So how
are you going to 'avoid temptation'? You
can't really. ... Any real solution has to deal with the brain ... If you are
free from temptation in your own thoughts, you can conquer the problems that
friends and things bring into your life." -- Victory Over Temptation,
Wilkinson, (Tim Stafford), page 104.
BY THE DEVIL = God does not tempt us (James
Mat 4:2
AFTER FASTING = It was God's will that Jesus have no food. Thus Satan's first temptation was designed to
cause Jesus to disobey God's will. At
issue is the question "Who is God?
Who has ultimate authority in my life?
Do I cease obeying when obedience makes me suffer? Or do I bow to God's will regardless of the
personal consequences?"
FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS = This same period of time appears in
the Bible as follows: time rain fell during the Flood (Genesis 7:11-12); time
flood began to dry up until Moses opened the window (Genesis 8:6); first time
Moses fasted on the Mountain of God (Exodus 34:28); second time Moses on the
Mountain of God (Deuteronomy 10:10); time spies were in Canaan (Numbers 13:25);
time Goliath challenged Israel (1 Samuel 17:16); time Elijah ran for his life
(1 Kings 19:8); time during which Jesus made His post-resurrection appearances
(Acts 1:3).
Mat 4:3
IF YOU ARE = Not necessarily a question of Christ's deity, but
possibly a statement of fact: "since you are the Son of God perform a
miracle and feed yourself." This
temptation was to get Jesus to disobey God's will that He fast, it was not to
prove He was the Son of God by performing a miracle. The Bible has numerous examples of people
performing miracles (even raising the dead), but those miracles did not prove
they were the "Son of God."
Certainly Jesus was aware that God was able to rain down manna from
heaven for Him just as God had on His people in the wilderness fifteen
centuries previously (Exodus 16:14-15).
STONES TO BECOME BREAD = Just as Satan tempted Eve at the tree
through her "lust of the flesh"/"cravings of sinful man"
(Genesis 3:1), so Satan tempted Christ.
This temptation is designed to divert us from God's will in order to
serve our flesh. It is one of the three
avenues of temptation that Satan uses (1 John
Mat 4:4
MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE = Here Jesus quoted from
Deuteronomy 8:3. It is better to obey
God's Word than to satisfy human desires which are contrary to God's will..
Mat 4:5
THE
HIGHEST POINT OF THE TEMPLE = This was the place from which the
priests blew ram's horn trumpets to signal important religious events. Satan lifted Christ up to this highest place
in order to throw Him down. The
“highest” places in the Church are also slippery, and those who
inhabit them must clearly know and implement the Word of God.
Mat 4:6
THROW YOURSELF DOWN = Satan is able to tempt us, but he cannot
force us to sin. Our choice to stand
secure in God's will, or our choice to jump out of God's will, is ours
alone. There is no such thing as
"the Devil made me do it."
IT IS WRITTEN = Here Satan quotes a portion of Psalm 91:11-12, but
deliberately omits the phrase: "in all Your ways." This phrase refers back to Psalm 91:9 where a
person has made "the Most High" his "dwelling" and
"refuge." God's promise is to
guard us wherever His way may lead us. God
does not offer protection for anyone who is walking contrary to His ways.
Mat 4:7
LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST = Satan has repeatedly been testing Jesus
to prove He is the "Son of God."
In the context of Matthew 4:6 where Satan tempts Jesus to "throw
yourself down," Jesus warns Satan that He is not just the "Son of
God," but the "Lord your God!"
Here Christ claims equality with the Father. Jesus is also saying here that Satan is wrong
in trying to get Him to act contrary to God's will. See the note on Matthew 4:6.
Mat 4:8
VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN = Reminiscent to Moses' experience on
Mat 4:9
I WILL GIVE YOU = In this temptation Satan presented Jesus with an
easy way to power and glory by disobeying God.
Peter later presented the same easy way out for Jesus in Matthew 16:22. God's will for Jesus was to achieve all power
and glory through self-sacrifice (Philippians 2:5-11).
WORSHIP ME = Jesus would always have been in bondage to Satan if He
had fallen to this temptation. What we worship controls us. Idolatry is the
result of creating idols in our hearts which take the place of God.
Mat
AWAY FROM ME, SATAN = In response to Jesus' command "the devil
left him" (Matthew
ONLY = The first four of God's Old Covenant Ten Commandments made
it clear that He expected to be supreme in His people’s lives.
Mat
THE DEVIL LEFT HIM = The Devil left because Jesus saw through each
temptation, recognized him as "Satan," and commanded him to
leave. Thus Satan's temptations were
futile because they contradicted God's Word.
However, this was not Christ's final victory over Satan (see Luke
THE ANGELS CAME AND ATTENDED HIM = This is the fulfillment of the
Messianic prophecy found in Psalm 91:11.
Mat
JOHN HAD BEEN PUT IN PRISON = Josephus states that John was
imprisoned at Herod's fortress, Macherus, located just east of the Dead Sea
(Antiquities, book 18, chapter 5, section 2).
John was imprisoned because he had warned Herod that his relationship
with Herodias was immoral (Matthew 14:3-4).
Mat
LEAVING NAZARETH = Jesus left his home town of
Mat
TO FULFILL WHAT WAS SAID THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH = Here Jesus
Christ fulfilled the Messianic prophecy found in Isaiah 9:1-2.
Mat
LIVING IN DARKNESS = People without Christ are "living in
darkness."
HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT = Jesus Christ (John
LIVING IN THE LAND OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH = Quoted from Isaiah 9:1,
2 where it refers to Naphtali and Zebulun, not "hell." No case here for "life" after
death. When Jesus began his ministry in
Mat
REPENT = Greek "metanoya" (Strongs #G3340) meaning
"turn around, turn away from sin and turn toward God." Participation in the kingdom of heaven
requires repentance.
Mat
TWO BROTHERS = Christianity is a family religion which is best
evidenced when an entire family follows Christ.
THEY WERE FISHERMEN = Jesus did not call great religious scholars
who dealt in ethereal arguments to follow Him, for there would have been too
much for them to unlearn. Instead, He
called those who dealt in the practical realities of life, illustrating that
the Gospel is both practical and simple enough for even the unlearned to
comprehend and apply its saving power.
Mat
FOLLOW ME = Here Jesus calls his disciples to "follow me"
before he empowers them to become "fishers of men." We cannot be an effective "fishers of
men" unless we follow where Christ
leads (John
I WILL MAKE YOU = The success of our calling comes from being
personally directed and empowered by Jesus Christ.
FISHERS OF MEN = Regardless of our occupations, our primary
ministry in Christ is to be "fishers of men" to save them.
Mat
AT ONCE = Instant obedience is worth much more than high-sounding
resolutions (1 Samuel
Mat
IMMEDIATELY = See note on Matthew
LEFT THE BOAT AND THEIR FATHER = Nothing, not their occupation, not
their family, was permitted to keep them from following the Lord.
Mat
TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES = The synagogue was the most important
institution in the life of any Jew.
There was a difference between the synagogues and the
This is a
fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy found in Psalm 22:22.
PREACHING = The difference between "teaching" and
"preaching" is this: Preaching is the uncompromising proclamation of
certainties. Teaching is the explanation
of the meaning and significance of those uncompromising certainties. One preaches to eliminate ignorance, and one
teaches to eliminate misunderstandings (Barclay, vol. 1, p. 83).
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM = In the context of Matthew
HEALING EVERY DISEASE AND SICKNESS = Christ demonstrated his power
to heal people spiritually (the "Gospel") through his power to heal
physically. The power of Satan was
broken and the people were experiencing God's reign in their lives.
Mat
HE HEALED THEM = This was a demonstration of the kingdom of
heaven's power and rule.
Mat
ACROSS THE
Mat 5:1
SAT DOWN = Typical teaching position for a rabbi (Luke
Mat 5:3
POOR IN SPIRIT = These are people who know they can do nothing good
without God's help -- that they have no ability to do what God requires of
them. This is a classic example of
righteousness by faith and not by works.
To be poor in spirit does not mean "poor" financially. It does not mean "depressed." Neither does it mean "fearful," or
lacking courage. Being "poor in
spirit" means admitting that you are personally bankrupt spiritually, and
that you must depend solely upon God. It
is being "humble" before God.
Mat 5:4
MOURN = James enlarges upon this type of mourning in James
4:8-10. These are people who sorrow on
account of their own sins and failures as well as on account of the vast extent
of evil in this world.
COMFORTED = These people, who mourn because of all the evil in the
world, will be comforted when God destroys sin/evil and makes all things new
(Revelation 21:4-5, 7-8).
Mat 5:5
MEEK = These are people who acknowledge they are completely
dependent upon God, and humble themselves before God. As a result, they are gentle in their
dealings with others.
INHERIT THE EARTH = When God destroys rebellious and evil people in
the "second death" (Revelation 21:8), only the "meek" will
remain. This text does not say the
"meek" will always only live on the earth. The New Testament is clear that the Redeemed
will occupy heaven as well as earth (Hebrews 3:1; John 14:2, 3). Paul expected to go to heaven with Christ:
"God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians
Mat 5:6
HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS = These are people who long to
see God's righteous rule established throughout the earth, and who love to do
what is right and just themselves. They
are helping God's kingdom to be fully established.
THEY WILL BE FILLED = In context, they will be filled with
righteousness (see Philippians 1:11; 2 Peter 3:13).
Mat 5:7
MERCIFUL = These are people who acknowledge they are saved by grace
and unworthy of God's mercy. Thus they
extend to others the same mercy they have received themselves. The more we deal mercifully with others the
more mercy God will show us (Matthew 18:32-35; 1 Timothy 1:13-16).
Mat 5:8
PURE IN HEART = These are people who have pure motives. They do not try to serve God and serve the
world at the same time. They are people
of integrity.
THEY WILL SEE GOD = Moses had this experience (Hebrews
Mat 5:9
PEACEMAKERS = These are people who are at peace with God and use
every opportunity to make peace with others.
CALLED SONS OF GOD = God is the God of peace (1 Thessalonians
Mat
PERSECUTED = The Greek "dioko" (Strongs #G1377) means
"to prosecute, persecute, pursue with repeated acts of enmity." This is further defined in Matthew 5:11. All who live godly lives will suffer persecution
(2 Timothy
BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS = They suffer because they uphold God's
standards of truth, justice and purity.
They refuse to compromise with evil or accept any substitute for
God. They are not persecuted because of
political reasons.
Mat
FALSELY SAY = This persecution is totally without justification,
there is not a shred of truth in the accusations.
BECAUSE OF ME = This persecution is not the result of self, but the
result of living a Christ-like life.
Mat
IN HEAVEN = Our reward will be received in heaven, not on this
earth. Jesus promised to take us back to
heaven with Him (see notes on John 14:2-3).
Mat
YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH = Jesus did not say, "I WISH you
were the salt of the earth," he said "you ARE the salt of the
earth." The only question open to
us is whether we are functioning like salt. Christians are called to be
distinctive -- to be different from the evil society in which they live. Just as salt is a disinfectant which kills
germs, so the Christian is to be a moral disinfectant which destroys evil.
BUT IF THE SALT LOSES ITS SALTINESS = The power of a Christian to change
the world for good lies in his willingness to retain his distinctiveness in his
own life. If he turns to the world and
embraces it's moral corruption then he has lost his "saltiness" and
is no longer morally different. In turn,
this blunts his ability to present an effective witness for the Lord.
HOW CAN IT BE MADE SALTY AGAIN? = The importance Christ placed upon
His disciples is seen in this and the following three verses. In each case Jesus urges us to do the work we
have been created to do. He stresses the
fact that if we do not do our unique work, we ourselves will suffer a great
loss.
THROWN OUT AND TRAMPLED BY MEN = A warning which was repeated in
Matthew
Mat
CANNOT BE HIDDEN = A relationship with Christ produces changes in
our lives which cannot be hidden. A
Christian stands out in society just as a city on a hill stands out for all to
see.
Mat
PUT IT UNDER A BOWL = The very purpose of a Christian is to
"shine." One cannot be a
Christian in secret (Matthew
Mat
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE = A genuine Christian experience results in a
changed of life which is the natural response to a relationship with
Christ. This change is
self-evident. It does not have to be put
on or forced (see Matthew 23:5).
PRAISE YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN = A genuine Christian experience
results in praise to the Father, not praise for oneself.
Mat
DO NOT THINK = This is a Divine warning to carefully heed Christ's
exact words and not misconstrue them to say something we might prefer but which
He did not state.
I HAVE NOT COME TO = Jesus' words are plain: "I have not come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets."
Because the Law and the Prophets have not been abolished they still
exist. How can Christians turn Jesus'
words around and claim He abolished the Law when He specifically tells us He
did not? Jesus came and died to save
sinners, not to abolish God's Law (see Matthew
ABOLISH = The Greek "kataloosai" (Strongs #G2647) is 1Aor
Act Infin meaning "to do away with, abolish, annul, make invalid."
THE LAW = A general term for the "Torah" summarized in
the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21). As an Israelite living under the Old
Covenant, Jesus quoted the sixth commandment in Matthew 5:21.
FULFILL THEM = The Greek "playrowsai" (Strongs #G4137) is
1Aor Act Infin meaning "do, carry out, fully preach, complete, show it
forth in its true meaning." At the
cross, Christ fulfilled the Old Testament Covenant/Laws. As a Jew, living under the Old Covenant,
Christ fulfilled the Ten Commandment Law of God by never sinning. Christ fulfilled the "Prophets" in
that everything prophesied about Him came to pass. Christ’s perfect obedience to God's Ten
Commandments enabled Him to be our perfect sacrifice. See notes on Exodus 20:1-11, Colossians 2:14,
and Hebrews 10:1-10.
Mat
I TELL YOU THE TRUTH = The Greek "amin" (Strongs #G281)
meaning "amen, surely." A
confirmation of the truthfulness of what is about to be said. No Christian can doubt the veracity of what
Jesus said here about His relationship to the Law and it's immutable, eternal
characteristics.
UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH DISAPPEAR = Jesus was speaking as an
Israelite living under the Old Covenant.
The Old Covenant is the Ten Commandments written in stone (Deuteronomy
UNTIL EVERYTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED = Until Jesus had fulfilled the
prophecies, fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant, and received
God’s blessing (all of which occurred at the cross). The Old Covenant expired at the cross. Christians live under the New Covenant in
Christ’s blood.
Mat
LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN = The next verse makes it clear that
Jesus was not saying that the person living under the Old Covenant who
deliberately flaunted God's commandments would have a place in the kingdom of
heaven. But rather, good-hearted,
sincere people might err by breaking "one of the least of these
commandments." That does not mean
that a person living under the New Covenant is expelled from the kingdom of
heaven for not keeping God’s law, for we do not enter God's kingdom by
keeping the law. However, there is a
reward for obedience and growing in grace: one "will be called least"
and one will be called great."
Mat
UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SURPASSES = Jesus is not saying that we
enter the kingdom of heaven by keeping the law, for we only enter it through
God's grace. However, if we intended to enter the kingdom of heaven by keeping
the law, Jesus warns us that our law-keeping must surpass what the most
meticulous law-keepers attained. In other words, if the Pharisees and teachers
of the law could not attain the kingdom of heaven through law-keeping, then
neither can we.
PHARISEES = See note on Matthew 23:2.
TEACHERS OF THE LAW = See note on Matthew 23:2.
CERTAINLY WILL NOT ENTER = The Greek is "oo may" (Strongs
#G3756 + 3361) which is an absolute negative meaning "absolutely not,
without exception, under no condition, it is impossible." No Pharisee or
teacher of the law ever entered the kingdom of heaven through their works.
Mat
IT WAS SAID = Here Jesus quotes Exodus
MURDER = Here, and in Exodus
SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT = It is the unrepentant wicked who suffer
judgment, not saved believers.
Mat
BUT I TELL YOU = Jesus is not contradicting what the Old Testament
taught regarding murder, rather He is sweeping away the wrong interpretation
that the rabbis had taught about these topics.
As the Messiah Jesus confirms the eternal principles of the Old
Testament while condemning the "rules of men" (Matthew 15:9).
HELL = When Jesus warned his listeners of the “fires of
hell” (a Hebraism “Gehenna” [Strongs #G1067]) He was speaking
of a literal place which a person experienced conscious torment – a place
his listeners would not want to go. Thus
Scripture indicates the existence of a place variously called
“Sheol”, “Hades”, “Gehenna”, in which
departed souls experience a conscious existence at death while awaiting their
final reward. “Sheol, Hades, Gehenna”
is not the “lake of fire” into which both “death and
hell” are cast when God makes all things new (Revelation
Mat
THEREFORE = Because Christians are distinctly different from the
evil of the society around them they are to follow Christ's teachings in all
these matters. By following His
teachings they will retain their distinctiveness. This distinctiveness is not evidenced by an
unusual way of dressing, eating, or other externals. Rather it is evidenced by a different
morality.
AT THE ALTAR = A Christian is to apply these teachings even when
engaged in the most sacred events of worship.
In other words, there is no time or place where a Christian is free to
neglect Christ's instruction.
HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU = If you are the "brother" who
has something against someone, and it is trivial, then forget it. If the one you have something against is a
weaker brother, then be patient (see 1 Thessalonians
Mat
FIRST GO AND BE RECONCILED = In Christianity, reconciliation is
more important than formal worship.
People are more important than altars.
The expression of genuine reconciling
love is more important than religious piety.
"God does not
want to receive offerings from Christians who are not at peace with one another"
-- The Gospel According to Matthew, by Tasker, p. 69.
"Biblical
reconciliation with others is so important that it must be done before your
worship and service to the Lord. You are
not able (fit) to worship or serve the Lord unless you have sought reconciliation
with others who are estranged from you." -- Self-Confrontation, by John C.
Broger, page 200.
Mat
SETTLE MATTERS QUICKLY = When an injustice has been incurred,
bitterness increases with the passing time.
To avoid a situation which rapidly worsens, "settle matters
quickly." Even today there is no
guarantee that justice will be done in a court of law.
Mat
COMMIT ADULTERY = The verb case is 2d person singular, future
active indicative, meaning continuous action in the future.
Mat
BUT I TELL YOU = See note on Matthew
LOOKS ... LUSTFULLY = The Greek "bleepon" (Strongs #G991)
means "to see, to look at."
Here the verb is a present active participle in the nominative singular
masculine case meaning the "looking" is continuous; not a brief
glance, but a long, continuous stare. The Greek word "epithumeesai"
(Strongs #G1937) means "to lust, to long for, to desire
greatly." In view of this
Christians cannot fantasize about sex, for Christians are to take every thought
captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY = The verb case is 3d person
singular, 1st aorist active indicative meaning punctiliar action (a one-time
event).
Mat
GOUGE IT OUT = See notes in the more extensive parallel passage
that occurs in Mark
LOSE ONE PART OF YOUR BODY = "Parting with lust is like
getting rid of a part of our bodies. ... Though Christ wasn't telling us to
amputate parts of our bodies, He expects us to cut off the source of our lust
or to remove ourselves from the temptation." -- Victory Over Temptation,
Bruce Wilkinson, (Erwin Lutzer), page 230
HELL = The destruction that occurs in the fires of hell ("lake
of fire," Revelation
Mat
CUT IT OFF = See notes in the more extensive parallel passage that
occurs in Mark
HELL = The destruction that occurs in the fires of hell ("lake
of fire," Revelation
Mat
IT HAS BEEN SAID = Here Jesus is not quoting Scripture, for He
would have said: "It is written" (Matthew 4:4, 6 et cetera). Instead, Jesus is referring to a
misapplication of Deuteronomy 24:1-4 by the religious leaders of His day. On the basis of this text, the liberal
Pharisees taught Moses sanctioned divorce for any cause whatsoever. However, in Matthew
Mat
BUT I TELL YOU = Jesus is not contradicting the Old Testament
teaching in Deuteronomy 24:1. Rather He
is sweeping away the lax rabbinical interpretations which enabled husbands to
divorce their wives at any time for any reason by simply presenting them with a
divorce certificate.
MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS = The Greek word "porneia"
(Strongs #G4202) means ""fornication, lewdness, or any sexual sin
including harlotry, adultery, incest."
It is the root word for English words such as “porn, pornography,
pornographic, etc.).
CAUSES HER TO BECOME AN ADULTERESS = The Greek
“moichao” (Strongs #G3429) means “commit
adultery”. Here the verb case is
1st aorist passive infinitive, meaning punctiliar action in the past, present,
or future (a one time event). It
literally means "causes her to be considered or counted as an
adulteress" (Zodhiates, p. 993).
The reason is the man unjustifiably divorced his wife and therefore it
is assumed his wife is sexually immoral.
“The subject
of this sentence is the licentious person described in Matthew 5:27–30
who constantly looks upon and touches a woman other than his wife. If he consequently dismisses his own wife and
does not give her the bill of divorcement spoken of in Matthew 5:31 and
Deuteronomy 24:1–4, which amounted to a certificate of innocence for his
unjustifiably dismissed wife, he causes her dismissal to be looked upon as
adultery on her part. An innocently dismissed wife cannot possibly be conceived
of as having committed adultery herself. It is her licentious husband who has
dismissed her for a reason other than sexual infidelity who commits adultery
against her and, therefore, causes her to be thought of as an adulteress. In
addition, the person who would marry such a dismissed woman also assumes her
undeserved ‘adultery.’ The TR has the present middle / passive
infinitive ‘moichásthai’ which is derived from
‘moicháomai,’ whereas the UBS has the 1st aorist passive
infinitive ‘moicheuthemnai’ derived from the synonym
‘moicheúo’ (Strongs #G3431), ‘to commit
adultery.’” – The Complete WordStudy Dictionary, Zodhiates,
AMG, p. 993.
Also see note on
Matthew 19:9, Mark
COMMITS ADULTERY = The Greek "moicheia" (Strongs #G3430)
means "adultery." The verb
case is 3d person singular, present passive indicative, meaning linear action
(continuous). The verb tenses literally
mean "has adultery committed against him" – The Complete
WordStudy Dictionary, Zodhiates, AMG, p. 993.
“The verb
occurs for the second time in Matthew 5:32 in the present indicative,
‘moichátai’, not in the active voice, but in the middle / passive
form. ‘Moichátai’, therefore, should be translated “has
adultery committed against him” (a.t.). Since the form of the verb is the
same whether it is middle or passive, the exegetical context of the verb is
used to determine its meaning. In this verse, the meaning can be both middle
and passive The phrase, ‘whosoever marries a dismissed woman’
(a.t.), refers to an innocent woman unjustifiably dismissed by her licentious
husband and not having been given a bill of divorcement clearing her of
extramarital sexual sin (see Matthew 5:31 and Deuteronomy 24:1–4). She
must bear upon herself the presumed and assumed guilt of an adulteress because
of the action of her husband.” – The Complete WordStudy Dictionary,
Zodhiates, AMG, p. 993.
Mat
KEEP THE OATHS YOU HAVE MADE = This is a consistent Bible
position. God is against swearing falsely
with the intent to deceive, or with the intent to find a devious way to get out
of the oath one has taken: Zechariah 8:17; Leviticus 5:4; 1 Kings 22:16.
Mat
EITHER BY HEAVEN = The Rabbis would swear "by heaven" and
then claim their oaths were meaningless because they had not sworn by God's
Name. Here Jesus points out that, to the
Jewish mind, swearing by "heaven" is just as sacred and binding as
swearing by the name of God because "God's throne" is in heaven. See Matthew 23:16-22.
Mat
OR BY THE EARTH ... OR BY
Mat
SIMPLY LET YOUR 'YES' BY 'YES,' = In other words, since a Christian
is morally upright, there is no need to ratify one's words with verbose
oaths. A Christian's "yes" or
"no" is every bit as binding as any oath.
ANYTHING BEYOND THIS COMES FROM THE EVIL ONE = This is a direct
slap in the face to the rabbis who swore great oaths to deceive the listener
into believing the rabbi would carry out his oath. Jesus is not prohibiting oaths taken in a
court of law as God requires in Deuteronomy 6:13. Nor is God stating in Exodus 20:7 that
Christians are prohibited from taking oaths.
God is not against swearing by His name, in fact He commands and
approves it: Deuteronomy 6:13; 1 Kings 8:31; Psalm 63:11; Isaiah 45:23; 65:16;
Jeremiah 12:16. What both God the Father
and God the Son are against is swearing falsely with the intent to deceive, or
with the intent to find a devious way to get out of the oath one has taken:
Zechariah 8:17; Leviticus 5:4; 1 Kings 22:16.
Mat
EYE FOR EYE, AND TOOTH FOR TOOTH = Here Jesus quotes Exodus
21:23-25 and Leviticus 24:20. But in
each of these cases God was both decreeing the necessity of punishment and
warning the greatest penalty that could be exacted could not exceed the crime.
Mat
BUT I TELL YOU = Here Jesus contrasts the perverted teaching of the
Rabbis to punish without mercy (Matthew
TURN TO HIM THE OTHER ALSO = Do not retaliate.
Mat
LET HIM HAVE YOUR CLOAK AS WELL = Do not waste your time in court.
Mat
FORCES YOU TO GO ONE MILE = A Roman soldier had the right to force
a citizen of an occupied country to carry his gear for one mile.
GO WITH HIM TWO MILES = Do more than is required.
Mat
GIVE = Be kindly generous.
Mat
YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID ... HATE YOUR ENEMY = This teaching
was a rabbinical perversion of Deuteronomy 23:6 and Psalm 139:21-22. In the next verse Jesus contrasts His truth
with this rabbinical perversion of truth.
Mat
LOVE ... PRAY = In context, be better than those who seek revenge.
YOUR ENEMIES = The Greek "echthros" (Strongs #G2190)
means "hated enemy, hostile enemy, bitter adversary." In Matthew
Mat
WHAT REWARD WILL YOU GET = Christians are to be better, more noble,
more conscientious, more generous, more kindly, more forgiving than the rest of
society. This is not achieved through
will power, but through Christ's power in us.
Mat
MORE THAN THE OTHERS = Christianity asks more of its followers than
other religions do.
Mat
PERFECT = The Greek "teleios" (Strongs #G5046) means
"complete, mature, reaching the goal." Perfection, in the context of Matthew
5:43-48, is treating both friends and enemies alike. Christians are to follow God's example of
reaching out in perfect love to even those who reject Him. By doing this we are "perfect as our
heavenly Father is perfect." The
parallel passage in Luke 6:32-36 substitutes the word "merciful" for
"perfect," but the context is the same.
Mat 6:1
BEFORE MEN ... TO BE SEEN BY THEM = The context makes it clear that
Jesus is addressing a prideful motive here.
Giving is not to be "announced with trumpets" (Matthew 6:2) in
order to draw attention to the giver.
Jesus refers to those who give in this way as
"hypocrites." "Although
(Christ's) disciples are to be seen doing good works, they must not do good
works in order to be seen" -- Levertoff.
REWARD = Scripture is clear that Christians have a
"reward." This reward has
three general characteristics: (1) it is a satisfaction which results from
doing what is right; (2) it is having a clear conscience and being at peace
with God; (3) it is being entrusted with more work and greater responsibility
both now and in the hereafter (Matthew 25:14-30). A Christian's reward is called
"great" (Luke
Mat 6:2
ANNOUNCE IT WITH TRUMPETS = A means of drawing attention to
oneself. Jesus is not saying good works are
to be done in secret, but that we are not to seek the attention of passersby
when we do good works. The central issue
is pride versus selflessness.
HAVE RECEIVED = The Greek "apecho" (Strongs #G568) is an
accounting term indicating that payment has been made in full. Here the payment received is the adoration of
the watching crowd. No additional
merit/reward is to be expected from God.
Mat 6:3
DO NOT LET YOUR LEFT HAND KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHT HAND IS DOING = See
note on Matthew 6:4.
Mat 6:4
SECRET = Not secretive, but without fanfare (Matthew 6:2). We are not to seek the attention of passersby
when we do good works. The central issue
is pride versus selflessness.
Mat 6:5
STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES = Jesus is not saying we cannot stand
for prayer in church. The issue here is
pride. The Pharisee prayed to be
"seen by men" rather than to be heard by God.
RECEIVED THEIR REWARD IN FULL = See note on Matthew 6:2.
Mat 6:6
GO INTO YOUR ROOM = Not that one cannot pray out-of-doors, but that
everything which would attract attention to oneself must be eliminated. Pride in
religiosity prevents our relationship with Christ.
Mat 6:7
HEARD BECAUSE OF THEIR MANY WORDS = The heart-felt groan of a
sincere believer is of more value in God's sight than the glorious oratory of
the self-righteous.
Mat 6:8
KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK = Our prayers do not convey new
information to God, rather they impress us with the need to trust God to supply
our needs. To pray for someone else's
needs and not help fulfill those needs our self is to have prayed a
hypocritical prayer.
Mat 6:9
OUR = Indicates we are all one family and God is our corporate
Father.
"The first
thing that strikes you about this prayer is that it uses only plural pronouns
when referring to God's people. It's not
'My Father' but 'Our Father'; it's not 'Give me' but 'Give us.' This prayer is a family prayer that involves
all the people of God. In fact, a dual
relationship is expressed with 'Our father': a relationship with other believers
('Our'), and a relationship with God ('Father').
"As a child
of God, I can pray in solitude, but I can never pray alone. I must consider other believers as well. I must keep before me all the family of God
and not pray for anything for myself that would in any way harm one of God's
children. The blessings that come to me
in answer to prayer must also bring blessing to the rest of God's family. James said that one reason God's children
were at war with each other was because their praying was selfish (James
4:1-3). They were praying 'My Father'
instead of 'Our Father.'
"Prayer
involves relationships, and it also involves responsibilities: the glory of
God's name ('Hallowed be Your name'), the success of God's kingdom ('Your kingdom
come'), and the fulfilling of God's will ('Your will be done'). Before we even pray about our own concerns,
we must focus on the concerns of God. I
dare not ask anything of the father that would dishonor his name, hinder the
coming of His kingdom, or obstruct the fulfilling His will on earth." --
Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Warren Wiersbe), pages 79-80.
FATHER = Aramaic "Abba" meaning "father,
daddy." The Jews were so afraid to
pronounce God's Name that they inserted the pronunciation of another word:
“Adonai”. It was these
super-fearful people that Jesus taught to pray to God using the intimate name
"Father." To those today who
claim the importance of using God's "correct" name, we simply ask,
"How did Jesus teach His disciples to pray? How did Jesus Himself pray?"
IN HEAVEN = We have only one Father and He is in heaven.
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME = JWs point out that God's name must be
"sanctified," thus they "prove" we must use the name
"Jehovah," in order for our prayers to be heard by God. But, while encouraging reverence for God's
name, Jesus specifically taught His disciples to pray to "our Father in
heaven," not to "Jehovah God!"
This text definitely does not teach us to use the name
"Jehovah" in prayer! Also see
Exodus 3:15.
Mat
YOUR WILL BE DONE = We Christians voluntarily place ourselves under
our heavenly Father's authority. We
willingly obey Him and follow His leadership.
"The purpose
of prayer is not to get man's will done in heaven, but to get God's will done
on earth." -- Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Warren Wiersbe), page
80.
Mat
GIVE US ... OUR DAILY BREAD = God is our creator and thus
responsible to sustain us. He supplies
both our physical and spiritual needs.
Here Jesus used the word "bread," not "cake," thus
indicating that God will supply our basic needs -- not necessarily our requests
for luxury.
"Daily bread
includes every need I have in the present ("this day"), whether it's
food to eat, clothes to wear, money to pay my bills, or the strength to get
through a difficult day. Forgiveness
looks to the past and deals with whatever God has on my record that needs to be
wiped clean (1 John 1:9). Deliverance
relates to whatever future decisions I make that might lead me too close to
Satan's snares and make me vulnerable to his attacks. So these three requests cover the past, the
present, and the future, and each of our prayer needs can be put into one of
these categories." -- Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Warren
Wiersbe), page 80.
"In Matthew
Mat
FORGIVE US = Indicates the saving grace of our heavenly
Father. Forgiveness is the most important
aspect of salvation.
DEBTS = Forgiveness is for the moral debts/sins of the past. God's mercy towards us enabled our just
obligations to be paid in full through the death of Jesus Christ.
AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN = Receiving God's forgiveness for our own
sins carries a clear responsibility to forgive others who sin against us. We acknowledge God's mercy towards us by
showing mercy towards others and thus demonstrating that we have truly received
God's forgiveness (see Matthew
Mat
LEAD US NOT = Indicates God's continuing watch care over us in the
present and future. Here the agency of
the Holy Spirit is brought out as the one who guides us "into all
truth" (John
"How can you
say, 'lead us not into temptation,' when you are resolved to lead yourselves
into it, by running into the occasions of sin?
You are commanded to keep from the appearance of evil; and do you do
that by running into the place and company where it is likely to be
committed? No, this is so far from avoiding,
and shunning temptation, that it is plain proof to the contrary." -- George
Whitefield
TEMPTATION = The Greek "peirasmos" (Strongs #G3986) means
"temptation" and/or "outward trial." Not only does this include the daily tests
and temptations we all encounter, but also the trials and tests that
immediately precede Christ's second coming.
Notice that, in context, these "temptation(s)" have to do with
forgiveness -- with not forgiving someone who has sinned against us. Jesus speaks about our need for God's
forgiveness in verse 12, and about our responsibility to forgive others in
verse 13. But in between the two Jesus
speaks about temptation -- the temptation to be unforgiving. Therefore, in verse 15, Jesus concludes these
four verses about forgiveness by warning that if we do not forgive others, God
will not forgive us.
DELIVER US = God is not only our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
but He is also our Protector and Deliverer.
THE EVIL ONE = Specifically Satan.
Generically this refers to all evil persons and entities who try to harm
God's children.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER.
AMEN = Though present in the KJV, this phrase is not found in the oldest
manuscripts, neither is it found in the synoptic Gospel of Luke 11:4. It is an addition which can be traced back to
its origins in 1 Chronicles 29:11.
Mat
IF YOU FORGIVE = Conditional phrase.
Mat
IF YOU DO NOT ... YOUR FATHER WILL NOT = This concept is clearly
illustrated in Christ's parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35).
Mat
DISFIGURE THEIR FACES = When fasting, Pharisees applied
cosmetics/ashes to make themselves look sickly in order to call attention to
their self-affliction. The issue is not
fasting, but calling prideful attention to a person's fast (see Matthew
6:17-18).
Mat
NOT BE OBVIOUS = Jesus is not saying we must fast secretively, but
that we are not, in pride, to call attention to our fast.
"Fasting
isn't something we do either to impress people or to earn something from
God. True fasting grows out of an inner
concern -- a burden so great that we set aside the normal activities of life
and concentrate wholly on the spiritual purpose at hand.
"Jesus made
it clear that fasting must be voluntary and come from the heart; it must be
sincere; and unless others are fasting together with us, it must be a private
exercise between the believer and God.
If we gain the applause of others, we lose the blessing of God, and it
isn't worth it.
"One reason
true fasting is effective is that there's a subtle but dynamic relationship
between the physical and the spiritual.
When the body is disciplined, as during fasting, the Holy Spirit has the
freedom to clarify the mind and purify the intentions and make our praying and
meditating much more powerful. He can
use times of fasting and prayer to sanctify our lives and glorify the
Lord." -- Victory Over Temptation, Wilkinson, (Warren Wiersbe), page 81.
Mat
ON EARTH = See note on Matthew 6:20.
Mat
STORE UP ... TREASURES IN HEAVEN = Put your focus on the heavenly
rather than on the earthly. The earthly
is transient, the heavenly is eternal.
Mat
WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS = "Treasure" is defined here as
what we focus on, what we dwell upon, what our lives revolve around.
Mat
EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY = The Israelites considered the eyes to
be the windows through which light entered the body. If the eyes were in good condition the whole
body was lit up. But if the eyes were
bad the whole body was covered in darkness and disease.
Mat
EYES ARE BAD = See note on Matthew 6:22. Christ's appeal to the church of Laodicea was
to recognize its blindness and purchase salve so they could see (Revelation 3:18).
DARKNESS = Primarily a spiritual darkness resulting from a refusal
to accept Jesus Christ (see Romans 1:25-32).
Mat 6:24
TWO MASTERS = The conflict between good and evil rages in every
life. No one is permitted to straddle
the fence. Christ's message to Laodicea
was: "Because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to
spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).
Mat 6:25
DO NOT WORRY = In context, Jesus is urging us to have faith in God
and not worry.
ABOUT YOUR LIFE = The Greek "psuche" (Strongs #G5590) has
several meanings, the primary one being "life or soul."
Mat 6:26
ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY? = "The point is not
man's great worth but God's far-reaching providential care. If it extends to sparrow, which are worth so
little, then it surely extends to man, who is worth more. ... Man's value to
God is not in question. The argument
from the lesser to the greater on the scale of being has to do with God's
providence and not with man's value. If,
in His infinite goodness, God cares for the birds of the air, won't He care for
you, who in the eyes of men are worth more?" -- The Biblical View of
Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image, by Jay E. Adams, pages 84-85.
Mat 6:27
BY WORRYING = Worry results from a lack of planning, and/or lack of
faith. Worrying is a companion of fear
and discouragement. This unholy trinity
has devoured many wonderful, God-given opportunities.
Mat 6:28
CLOTHES = The value of even the best suit of clothes is
transient. Look back at the clothing
people coveted in the 1960's and went into debt to purchase. What is the value of that clothing
today? Who would wear it today? Christians are to focus on eternal, heavenly
values rather than on earthly things.
Mat 6:30
GRASS ... FIRE = Dry grass was used to fuel the clay ovens of Palestine,
just as it was used to heat the homes of prairie farmers in the USA.
Mat 6:31
WHAT ... EAT ... DRINK ... WEAR = Our faith is to be in God's
generous provisions rather than in miserly worrying.
Mat 6:32
THE PAGANS RUN AFTER ALL THESE THINGS = The "things" the
pagans run after are food, drink, and clothing (Matthew 6:31). Notice this is
the same philosophy advocated by Adler and Maslow's pyramidal hierarchy of
needs. "The self-esteem need theory
-- the emphasis on having my own needs met first -- puts a person in the same
camp as pagans. ... And that is exactly what this 'New Reformation' is doing to
the Christian Church: bringing us back to the humanism from which Christ
rescued us!" -- The Biblical View of Self-Esteem, Self-Love, Self-Image, by
Jay E. Adams, pages 48-49.
FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM = God supplies our needs, not
necessarily our wants. We can always
trust God for our needs.
Mat 6:33
SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM ... RIGHTEOUSNESS = This is the primary
issue in a Christian's life. The
question is, "Am I working for God's kingdom and righteousness, or for my
kingdom and righteousness? Am I focused
on inviting Christ to live within me, or am I busy shutting Christ out of my
life?"
Notice we must
first "seek" God's "righteousness." "Every man and woman born into this
world (except Jesus Christ Himself) was born a sinner, dead to God. No one is born without sin. God's kingdom, however, is for righteous
people; those who are perfectly righteous.
That means that you do not quality.
You have lived a life in which you have not put God and His will first;
instead you have lived for yourself.
This is an offense against God.
You have ignored and have broken the ten commandments: lying, stealing,
hating, lusting, etc. That means that
you are not only ineligible to become a citizen of the kingdom of God, it means
that you are condemned by your sin to punishment in an eternal hell that God
provided for those who disregard His kingdom and His righteousness. But, notice, He says 'seek.' You may seek the forgiveness of your sins and
the eternal citizenship of the heavenly kingdom if you will. 'How?' you may ask. Through Jesus Christ, and through Him
alone. Christ came into the world to die
for guilty sinners. Instead of sending
them to hell, He took upon Himself the guilt and the punishment for the sins of
all of His people everywhere. He died in
their place, in effect taking their hell for them. And, God demonstrated His acceptance of
Christ's work on the cross by raising Him from the dead and taking Him to
heaven where He now rules with power and authority over all men and every force
in this universe. Those who trust in Him
as their Savior, that is to say, those who believe that He died and rose from
the dead for them, not only have their sins forgiven, but God promises also
that their faith is counted for righteousness.
The very perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is attributed to them
even as the very wickedness of their sin was attributed to Him on the
cross. If as you read, God is convicting
you of your sin and your need of a Savior, seek the
AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN YOU AS WELL = "Jesus is
saying that the so-called 'basic things' that are needed ("what we shall
eat, drink, or wear" [Matthew
Mat
DO NOT WORRY = Worry changes nothing except our ability to grasp
God's opportunities.
Mat 7:1
JUDGE = The Greek "krino" (Strongs #G2919) can mean
"avenge, condemn, damn, call into question," as well as "judge,
decree, sentence." Here the meaning
is to "judge" from a hypocritical or biased standpoint in order to
pervert justice.
DO NOT JUDGE = The context indicates this is not a prohibition
against properly established civil or religious judges (John 8:15; Acts 13:20;
Romans 2:1; 13:1; 14:4; 1 Corinthians 5:12-6:6; 11:31-32; Hebrews 4:12; James
2:4; 4:11), rather Jesus is prohibiting Christians from setting themselves up as hypocritical
judges and gossips against their neighbors: Matthew 7:2-5. Whenever we seek to help another person we
must be careful to do what is beneficial, not what is vindictive.
OR YOU TOO WILL BE JUDGED = In other words, "what goes around
comes around." We cannot sow the
seeds of vicious criticism without reaping the same harvest ourselves (see
Matthew 7:2).
Mat 7:2
IN THE SAME WAY = See note on Matthew 7:1.
Mat 7:3
SPECK ... PLANK = It is hypocritical to point out the
"specks" in other people's lives without addressing the major defects
("planks") in our own lives.
Mat 7:4
HOW CAN YOU SAY = Criticizing another for an offence which is less
than mine is incredulous!
Mat 7:5
YOU HYPOCRITE = The Greek "hupokrites" (Strongs #G5273)
means "one who pretends to be what he is not, one who is a
counterfeit." God cannot tolerate
hypocrites (Matthew 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 28-29; 24:51).
PLANK = The Greek "dokos" (Strongs #G1385) means "a
beam or rafter in a building."
SPECK = The Greek "karphos" (Strongs #G2595) means
"anything that is dry and light, such as straw, stubble, chaff, a little
splinter of wood, a mote" -- The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New
Testament, Zodhiates
Mat 7:6
DOGS ... PIGS = These animals are classified as "unclean"
according to Old Testament law and thus were good examples for Christ's
teaching. In context Jesus was not
defending the Old Testament's laws of "clean" and "unclean"
animals or foods, rather He was using this concept to teach His listeners that
some people will not accept rebuke even when the rebuke is given in Christian
love. In that case, stay away from them
and let them devour one another rather than you.
Mat 7:7
ASK ... SEEK ... KNOCK = Each of these verbs are in the present
active imperative mood, indicating we
are to continually keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. In context, this is a continuation of
Christ's teaching in the Disciple's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). We are encouraged to persist in asking,
seeking, and knocking at our Heavenly Father's "door" because He does
"give good gifts to those who ask Him" (Matthew 7:11; James
1:17).
Mat 7:8
RECEIVES ... FINDS ... OPENED = In our physical world much is lost
because we do not implement this teaching and we quit too soon (often just
before we achieve our goal). In the
spiritual realm, our motives affect whether or not we "receive" God's
gifts (James 4:3).
Mat 7:9
BREAD ... STONE = Here, and in the next verse, Jesus is teaching
the theological truth that God does not tease us, or trick us. Neither does God permit Satan to bring harm
into our lives by answering prayers addressed to God. Instead, God will supply our needs according
to what is truly good for us, and not according to what will harm us (see
Matthew 7:11). This truth is in perfect
harmony with Hebrews 12:5-6. As Christians
we cannot expect to breeze through life without the trials which God uses to
help us reach maturity.
Mat 7:10
FISH ... SNAKE = The "fish" is a symbol of Jesus Christ,
the "snake" is a symbol of Satan.
At times Christians wonder: "Since Satan can perform miracles, how
do we know if a miracle is from God or Satan?" Here Jesus promises us that when we pray in
the name of Jesus (i.e. "asks for a fish") God will not permit Satan
to answer our prayers (i.e. will not "give us a snake"). Also see note on Matthew 7:9.
Mat 7:11
GIVE GOOD GIFTS = In context the "good gifts" our Father
gives to us will supply our every need according to what He knows is truly
"good" for us. The companion
text in Luke 11:13 specifically indicates the "good gifts" as the
Holy Spirit.
Mat 7:12
DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU = This "golden
rule" summarizes the warnings Jesus has given concerning hypocritical
judging of others. Only a person who is
closely connected to Jesus Christ is able to fulfill the "golden rule."
SUMS UP THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS = The "golden rule" does
not abolish the "Law and the Prophets," rather it is a summary of the
essential teaching of the Law and the Prophets.
By this, Jesus takes the non-believer's highest motivation (love of
self) and turns it into the Christian concept of agapay love for our fellow man
(John 15:13). Jesus elaborates further
on implementing the "golden rule" in Matthew 7:13-14 by explaining
that only those who "enter through the narrow gate/road" can live
according to its precept.
Mat 7:13
ENTER = The Greek word "eiserchomai" (Strongs #G1525)
means "to enter, to go into."
Here it is grammatically in the 2 person plural, aorist, active,
imperative form indicating a command: "you-all go in." Not only is life composed of two basic
choices symbolized by the "narrow gate" and the "wide
gate," but each person must implement their choice by actually "going
through" the gate of their choice.
It is not enough to choose -- the choice must result in action.
NARROW GATE = This "gate" is Jesus Christ (John
14:6). Only the follower of Christ (one
who "enter(s) through the narrow gate") can live the "golden
rule" (Matthew
WIDE GATE = When it comes to spiritual things, the majority chooses
to travel the road to destruction.
Mat
NARROW ... ROAD = This "road" is Jesus Christ (John
14:6). Only the follower of Christ (one
who "enter(s) through the narrow road") can live the "golden
rule" (Matthew
ONLY A FEW FIND IT = Humanism is a religion of works which revolves
around one's self and results in destruction.
Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ which produces a life
lived for Him and results in eternal life.
Mat
FALSE PROPHETS ... FEROCIOUS WOLVES = Jesus goes on to tell His
disciples how to distinguish between false prophets and true prophets in
Matthew
Mat
BY THEIR FRUIT = Every teaching has results, thus the
"fruit" of any teaching is a primary determiner of its
truthfulness. At times the
"fruit" is carefully hidden and requires diligent searching to
uncover. For example, the Mormon
religion appear to be highly moral, and family-oriented, however per capita,
there are twice the number of suicides among Mormon teens than the rest of the
population.
Mat
GOOD TREE ... BAD TREE = Again the emphasis is knowing a
"prophet" (teacher) by the fruit (Matthew 7:15).
Mat 7:18
CANNOT = The fruit is always in harmony with the tree. A "bad" religion will, in the final
analysis, always produce evil fruit.
Mat 7:19
EVERY TREE ... CUT DOWN ... THROWN INTO THE FIRE = Nothing evil will
escape God's just judgment.
Mat 7:20
See notes on Matthew 7:15-19.
Mat 7:21
HE WHO DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER = Here the "fruit" of
Matthew 7:16-20 is seen to be a change in the life of the believer. One cannot claim to be a Christian and also
be unchristian, for a Christian is to be growing daily in understanding and
implementing Christ's will. Even one who
is prophesying, driving out demons and performing miracles (Matthew 7:22), but
neglecting to do Christ's will, is classified as an "evildoer" (Mathew
7:23).
Mat 7:22
LORD, LORD = The use of God's name does not make a person righteous
(Matthew 7:23). The fruit of their life
(Matthew 7:20) is the deciding factor.
That "fruit" is not "prophesying," "driving out
demons," or "perform(ing) many miracles" -- it is the general
trend of the life. If the person does
not have a growing relationship with Christ (does not know Christ Matthew
7:23), then the person is an "evildoer" (Matthew 7:23). Knowing Christ has to do with following
Christ and putting Christ's teachings "into practice" (Matthew
7:24). Anything less is building one's
life upon the "sand" (Matthew 7:26-27). In Hebrew repetition is used to emphasize or
to heighten the meaning. By repeating
the name "Lord" ("Lord, Lord") these false prophets are
addressing Christ in the highest, most profound sense. It is the equivalent of calling Him
"Lord of all lords," or "highest Lord."
Mat 7:23
EVILDOERS = These are the people who "prophesy, drive out
demons and perform many miracles" (Matthew 7:22) but who do not have a
relationship with Christ ("I never knew you"), and who have heard
"these words of mine" but who do "not put them into
practice" (Matthew 7:26).
Mat 7:24
THEREFORE = Here Jesus presents the conclusion to His teachings:
there are just two options open to His listeners. They can "build on the rock" by
implementing Christ's teachings in their own lives; or they "build on the
sand" by hearing but not doing.
HEARS ... PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE = Christianity is discipleship --
we are to hear Jesus and implement His teachings into our lives. Hearing but not doing is not following.
Mat 7:25
FOUNDATION ON THE ROCK = Jesus is the rock upon which we must build
(Matthew 16:18; Romans 9:33; 1 Corinthians 10:4).
Mat 7:26
FOOLISH MAN = Neglecting to follow Christ and implement His
teachings is considered "foolish."
See note on Matthew 7:24.
Mat 7:27
IT FELL WITH A GREAT CRASH = Because it had no solid
foundation. This divine warning applies
to both individual people and nations.
Mat 7:28
AMAZED = Their amazement was due to the fact Jesus "taught as
one who had authority" (Matthew 7:29).
Mat 7:29
NOT AS THEIR TEACHERS OF THE LAW = The Jewish rabbis were fond of
quoting one another as authorities.
Jesus was different in that He spoke from personal experience and Divine
wisdom. The Rabbis continually focused
on works and duty (the externals of religion) while Jesus focused on faith and
love (the internals of Christianity which produce the external
"fruit"). Jesus pronounced
seven awful woes against the Rabbis because they blocked the way to salvation
through their emphasis of externals (Matthew 23:1-33). The result of Christ's teaching was that
"large crowds followed him" (Matthew 8:1). For a further description of "teachers
of the law" see Matthew 23:2.
Mat 8:1
DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINSIDE = Refers back to Matthew 5:1 where
Christ went up the side of a mountain to teach the crowds.
Mat 8:2
LORD = This man's healing began with his acknowledgment of Christ
as "Lord."
IF YOU ARE WILLING = This is in complete harmony with Jesus
teaching in 1 John 5:14.
YOU CAN = An expression of faith in Christ.
MAKE ME CLEAN = The ceremonial laws of cleanliness were a constant
illustration of how sin separates us from God (Ephesians 2:12; 4:18; Matthew
13:49; 2 Corinthians 6:16-17). Only Christ is able to make us "clean"
through propitiation and reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20;
Colossians 1:22).
Mat 8:3
REACHED OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHED THE MAN = Jesus was not afraid of
leprosy. He was not afraid of
contracting the disease.
I AM WILLING = Christ's mission on earth was to "preach good
news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for
the blind, to release the oppressed,
(Luke 4:18). Thus Jesus was
willing to heal the leper because it was in harmony with his mission.
BE CLEAN = Christ's spoken command immediately healed the
leper. Here Christ's authority over
disease is a picture of his authority over sin.
IMMEDIATELY HE WAS CURED = This is in response to Christ's
authority over disease. There were no
incantations, fanfare, or huge production as is often seen in modern
"healers."
Mat 8:4
DON'T TELL ANYONE = Jesus wanted the priest(s) to be the first to
hear of the healing and personally examine the man to verify he was
healed. This would prevent them from
being angry that Jesus had by-passed them and thus cause them to begin
persecuting Him before the right time (see note on Matthew
SHOW YOURSELF TO THE PRIEST = This command was in harmony with the
Old Testament requirement: Leviticus 14:1-32.
AS A TESTIMONY TO THEM = In the entire history of
Mat 8:5
CENTURION = In the Roman army a centurion was the commander of a
century (often supposed to be one hundred soldiers, but actually only
eighty). This centurion had helped the
Jews in
Mat 8:6
LORD = Here the Gentile centurion calls Jesus "Lord" in
the same way the Jewish leper addressed Christ (Matthew 8:2).
SERVANT = The Greek "pais," (Strongs #G3816) means a
"boy servant, a manservant, attendant, or maid, also is used in the sense
of a son or slave." It is used when
speaking of "all ages from infancy up to full-grown youth." -- The Complete
WordStudy Dictionary, New Testament, Zodhiates, p.1089
Mat 8:7
I WILL GO = In the first example (Matthew 8:1-4), the leper came to
Christ. In this example, Christ offers
to go to the sick person.
Mat 8:8
I DO NOT DESERVE TO HAVE YOU COME UNDER MY ROOF = This centurion
was sensitive to the Jewish ceremonial laws of clean and unclean. He knew Jesus would become
"unclean" if he entered the home of a Gentile (Acts 10:28). Therefore, out of respect for Christ, the Centurion politely refused His offer to
come to his home.
JUST SAY THE WORD = As in the case with the leper (Matthew 8:3)
Christ only needed to speak a word to effect healing.
Mat 8:9
UNDER AUTHORITY, WITH SOLDIERS UNDER ME = A principle of authority is
that the one in authority does not need to be present to accomplish a
task. Orders are carried out by others
who may be at a great distance from their superior.
Mat 8:10
I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYONE IN ISRAEL WITH SUCH GREAT FAITH = The
centurion's faith was the type of faith Jesus was looking for in his own people
(Mark 6:3-6). This same great faith was
exhibited by a Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:22-28).
Mat 8:11
MANY WILL COME = See note on Matthew 21:43.
FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST = The great faith exhibited by the
centurion is the type of faith that makes it possible to enter the kingdom of
heaven. People of all nationalities,
race, and geographical location will enter the kingdom and take the places
which were originally intended for Israel (Matthew 8:12).
Mat 8:12
THE SUBJECTS OF THE KINGDOM = These are the Jews who thought that
because of their lineage and/or religion they were automatically in the
kingdom.
WILL BE THROWN OUTSIDE = The Gentiles have taken the Jews' place in
the kingdom and therefore the Jews are thrown "outside." In this, God has rejected the Jews as a
nation (Jeremiah 17:4) and turned to the Christian church as His instrument for
the salvation of mankind (Matthew 8:10-12; Matthew 23:13-15, 37-38; Luke 13:28;
Luke 14:16-24; Acts 3:22-23; Acts 13:46;
Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 2:7-10).
Nevertheless, God accepts repentant Jews on an individual basis just as
He accepts anyone else: John 3:16.
Mat 8:13
DONE JUST AS YOU BELIEVED = Faith in Christ makes the difference
between healing and lack of healing: Matthew 9:29; 13:58.
Mat 8:14
INTO PETER'S HOUSE = Peter was living in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5).
Mat 8:15
HE TOUCHED HER HAND = In the previous cases healing was effected by
Christ's words, here it was his touch.
Mat 8:16
WHEN EVENING CAME = This is significant for two reasons: (1) people
were less likely to be identified under the cover of darkness; (2) Satan is the
prince of darkness, thus Christ conquered Satan on his own turf (Isaiah 42:7;
Matthew 4:16).
DROVE OUT THE SPIRITS WITH A WORD = Christ drives out demons by
simply commanding them to depart. What
humans were unable to accomplish at any price Christ accomplished with a word.
Mat
THIS WAS TO FULFILL = Christ's healing the sick and driving out
demons fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 53:4). Here Matthew ended his quotation with verse 4
and did not include the next verse (Isaiah 53:5). Isaiah 53:4 refers to physical healing, Isaiah
53:5 refers to spiritual healing. Both
are encompassed in Christ's ministry.
Mat
OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE = Jesus left Capernaum and traveled east
across the Lake of Galilee to its eastern shore near the town of Gersa (Khersa)
(Matthew 8:28). The distance is
approximately four miles.
Mat
A TEACHER OF THE LAW = The Greek "grammateus" (Strongs
#G1122) means "a professional scribe or secretary." See note on Matthew 23:2.
I WILL FOLLOW YOU = Apparently this disciple hoped to receive some
benefit or fame from following Christ, for in the next verse Jesus cautioned that
he himself did not even have a permanent home.
Mat
SON OF MAN = This is the first of many times Jesus used this title
for himself. "Son of Man"
points to Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 16:27-28; 19:28; 24:30).
"That this
name ("Son of Man") was regarded by the Jews as referring to the
Messiah is evident from the fact that the high priest rent his garment when
Christ applied this prophecy in Daniel to himself (Matthew 26:64-65). The Jews understood this phrase to mean the
Messiah (John 12:34), and to call Christ the Son of Man was equivalent to
calling Him the Son of God (Luke 22:69-70).
The expression implies not only that He is truly human, but also that He
is the representative of all humanity (cf. Hebrews 2:6-9)." -- Lectures in
Systematic Theology, by Henry C. Thiessen, Eerdmans, p. 221
NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD = Christ did not even have a permanent
home, therefore his disciples should not follow him hoping for fame and
fortune.
Mat 8:21
ANOTHER DISCIPLE = This individual had committed to following
Christ, therefore he is called a "disciple."
FIRST LET ME ... BURY MY FATHER = This man did not want to offend
his father by following Christ, so he wanted to wait until his father had
died. Our relationship with Christ is
personal and must not be hindered by others nor dependent upon others.
Mat 8:22
DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD = Not a hard-hearted concept when taken in
the context of the previous verse.
Following Christ is our highest priority.
Mat 8:23
HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED HIM = Where Christ leads we follow, but
often we are totally unaware of what lies ahead.
Mat 8:24