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THE BOOK OF MATTHEW,
Chapters 1-28

CHAPTER ONE

 

 

1:ALL:  See my Bible Spreadsheet:  “GENEALOGY CHART.”

 

1:1:  “Book” = Right from the start, Matthew calls his work a “Book,” which comes to us from the Greek word, ”Biblos,” which can mean, “Sacred Writing.”

 

“genealogy” = The Greek word translated “genealogy,” or as some versions have it, “generation,” is literally, “genesis,” and can be translated as such.  Hence, it could be said that Matthew started his Gospel with, “a Book of Genesis.”

 

“Jesus Christ” = For an explanation of why Luke’s genealogy list is different from Matthew’s, see my Luke 3:23 Note.

 

“. . . I saw that if there had been but two who would have accepted Jesus as the Son of God, to believe in Him to the saving of their souls, He would have carried out the plan.”  1SG:37.

 

“[12] As the time drew near for the Son of God to make His First Advent, Satan became more vigilant in preparing the hearts of the Jewish people to be steeled against the evidences He should bring of His Messiahship. {AND THE REASON HE COULD DO THIS WAS:}.  The Jews had become proud and boastful.  The purity of the priesthood had not been preserved, but was fearfully corrupted.  They retained the forms and ceremonies of their system of worship, while their hearts were not in the work.  They did not sustain personal piety and virtuous characters.  And the more they were wanting in the qualifications necessary to the sacred work, as priests of the Most High God, the more tenacious were they of outward show of piety, zeal, and devotion. {2SP:12.1}

 

“They were hypocritical.  They loved the honors of the world, and were ambitious to become exalted through riches.  In order to obtain their desire, they improved every opportunity to take advantage of the poor, especially of the widow and fatherless.  They exacted heavy sums of money of those who were conscientious, on various pretenses, for the Lord’s treasury, and used the means thus dishonestly obtained for their own advantage.  They were themselves rigorous to outwardly keep the Law.  They appeared to show great respect for traditions and customs, in order to obtain money from the people to gratify their corrupt ambition. {2SP:12.2}

 

“Traditions, customs, and needless ceremonies, were repeated to the people, which God had not given them through Moses or any other one.  These originated from no higher source than man. [13]

 

“The chief priests, scribes, and elders, forced these upon the people as the Commandments of God.  Their hearts were hard and unfeeling.  They showed no mercy to the poor and unfortunate.  Yet, at the same time, while praying in the market-places, and giving alms to be seen of men, and thus putting on the outward semblance of goodness, they were devouring widows’ houses by their heavy taxes which they laid upon them.  They were apparently exact in outward forms when observed of men; for they wished to give impressions of their importance.  They wished the people to have exalted ideas of their zeal and devotion to religious duties, while they were daily robbing God by appropriating the offerings of the people to themselves. {2SP:12.3}

 

“The priesthood had become so corrupt that the priests had no scruples in engaging in the most dishonest and criminal acts to accomplish their designs.  Those who assumed the office of high priest prior to, and at, the time of Christ’s First Advent, were not men Divinely appointed to the sacred work.  They had eagerly aspired to the office through love of power and show.  They desired a position where they could have authority, and practice fraud under a garb of piety, and thereby escape detection.  The high priest held a position of power and importance.  He was not only counselor and mediator, but judge; and there was no appeal from his decision.  The priests were held in restraint by the authority of the Romans, and were not allowed the power of legally putting any one to death.  This power rested with those who bore rule over the Jews.  Men of corrupt hearts sought the distinguished office of high priest, and frequently obtained it by bribery and [14]

 

“assassination.  The high priest, clad in his consecrated and expensive robes, with the breastplate upon his breast, the light flashing upon the precious stones inlaid in the breastplate, presented a most imposing appearance, and struck the conscientious, true-hearted people with admiration, reverence, and awe.  The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, Who was to become a High Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec {Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 17, 21}.  This order of priesthood was not to pass to another, or be superseded by another. {2SP:13.1}

 

“The Jewish nation had corrupted their religion by useless ceremonies and customs.  This laid a heavy tax upon the people, especially the poorer classes.  They were also under bondage to the Romans, and required to pay tribute to them.  The Jews were unreconciled to their bondage, and looked forward to the triumph of their nation through the Messiah, the powerful Deliverer foretold in prophecy.  Their views were narrow.  They thought the Coming One would, at His Appearing, assume kingly honors, and, by force of arms, subdue their oppressors, and take the throne of David.  Had they, with humble minds and spiritual discernment, studied the prophecies, they would not have been found in so great error as to overlook the prophecies which pointed to His First Advent in humility, and misapply those which spoke of His Second Coming with power and great glory.  The Jewish people had been striving for power.  They were ambitious for worldly honors.  They were proud and corrupt, and could not discern sacred things.  They could not distinguish between those prophecies which pointed to the First Advent of Christ, and those that [15]

 

“described His Second, glorious Appearing.  The power and glory described by the prophets as attending His Second Advent, they looked for at His First Advent.  Their national glory was to them their greatest anxiety.  Their ambitious desire was the establishment of a temporal kingdom, which they supposed would reduce the Romans to subjection, and exalt themselves with authority and power to reign over them.  They had made the proud boast to those to whom they were in subjection, that they were not to oppress them long; for their reign would soon commence, which would be more exalted and glorious than even that of Solomon. {2SP:15.1} 2SP:12-15.

 

“Upon Christ no requirements were laid.  He had power to lay down His life, and to take it again.  No obligation was laid upon Him to undertake the work of atonement.”  RH, December 17, 1872.

 

“It may be surprising to some that Christ’s work was confirmed to so small a circumference, that it was not extended to the heathen nations surrounding Palestine.  But the heathen nations were not prepared for His work.  And had He devoted His time to the conversion of the Gentile world, He would have closed the door whereby He could bear His message to the Jewish nation.”  ST, December 16, 1897; UL:165.

 

“Christ” = The Greek word “Christ” is merely the transliteration of the Greek word “Christ,” meaning, “Messiah.”

 

“Holy angels have been displeased and disgusted with the irreverent manner in which they have used the Name of God, the great Jehovah.  Angels mention that sacred Name with the greatest awe, ever veiling their faces when they speak the Name of God.  The Name of Christ is so sacred to them they speak It with the greatest reverence.”  4bSG:152.

 

“son of David” = That Matthew was speaking to primarily a Jewish audience is established here and is also carried on throughout eternity (see Rev. 22:16).  To lose sight of our Lord’s Jewish heritage is to discount, or miss out on us becoming “Spiritual Israel.”  The focus is our Lord’s “human nature;” for without Him assenting to the possibility to sin in that nature, we would be helpless and destroyed.

 

1:16:  “Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary” = Here is my Luke 3:23 Note:  The main reason I believe that this is Mary’s line is because in Matthew 1:16, it distinctly states that Jacob begot Joseph.  Here in Luke, it does not say that Heli begot Joseph; it says Joseph was the son of Heli; remembering that “son” may mean “son-in-law.”  In the original language, the definite article “tou,” in the genitive form, “of the,” appears before every name in the genealogy except one.  That one name is Joseph.  This singular exception strongly suggests that Joseph was included only because of his marriage to Mary.  Matthew employs the word “begot” each time, while Luke has the article “tou,” repeating “huiou,” meaning, “Son,” except before Joseph.

 

“was born Jesus” = “As there are none among the sons of men to herald the Advent of the Messiah, angels must now do that work which it was the honored privilege of men to do.”  RH, Dec. 17, 1872.

 

1:17:  “the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations” = See my Bible Studies:  “CHRIST’S BIRTH MONTH,” and  “CHRONOLOGY FROM ADAM TO NOW.”  According to my chart, Abraham was born in B.C. 2007 and Christ’s birth month was B.C. 2.  That is 2,005 years, meaning, if we divide the 42 generations into the 2,005 years, we have the average living age of each person being about 48.  Of course, Abraham lived to be 175, so some may not have even made their teenage years.

 

1:18:  “the birth of Jesus Christ” = “Before Christ left Heaven, and Came into the world to die, He was taller than any of the angels. . . When His ministry commenced, He was but little taller than the common size of men then living upon the earth.  Had He Come among men with His noble, Heavenly form, His outward appearance would have attracted the minds of the people to Himself, and He would have been received without the exercise of faith. . . [Jesus] was but little taller than the common size of men then living upon the earth.”  2SP:39.

 

“About that period Messiah was expected.  By many He was looked for to Come as a mighty monarch.  The Jews had boasted to the Gentiles of His Coming, and had dwelt largely upon the great deliverance which He would bring them, that He would reign as King, and put down all authority.  Every kingdom and nation would bow to Him, and the Jewish nation would reign over them.”  4aSG:115.

 

“But when He ascended up on high, and led a multitude of captives, escorted by the Heavenly host, and was received in through the gates of the city, with angelic songs of triumph and rejoicing, I beheld with admiration and wonder, that He possessed the same exalted stature that He had before He Came into the world to die for man.  Said the angel, God, Who wrought so great a miracle as to make Christ flesh to dwell among men, and will with His almighty power lift up fallen, degenerate, and dwarfed man, and after they are redeemed from the earth, make them ‘grow up as calves of the stall’ [Mal. 4:2], could in His infinite power return to His dear Son His Own exalted stature, which was His before He left Heaven, and humbled Himself as a man, and submitted to the death of the cross.”  4aSG:119.

 

1:21:  “eight days. . . His Name” = All Jewish children are not named until the eight day.  Particularly male children (see Lev. 12:2-3), who were then circumcised on the eight day.

 

“Jesus” = Jesus means, “Savior” (Mat. 1:1 & 16 & 21).  In the Gospels, our Savior is designated by the name of “Christ” alone, in nearly 300 passages; by the name of “Jesus Christ,” or “Christ Jesus,” less than 100 times; and by the name of “The Lord Jesus Christ,” less than 50 times.

 

Prior to His resurrection, He was designated as “Jesus Christ.”  But after His resurrection, He is often referred to as “Christ Jesus” (Acts 19:4; Rom. 8:1-2, 39; 1Co. 1:2, 30; Gal. 3:26, 28; Eph. 2:6-7 & 10 & 13; Php. 3:3 & 8 & 12 & 14; Col. 1:4 & 28; 1Ti. 1:12 & 14-15; 2Ti. 1:1-2 & 13; 1Pe. 5:10 & 14).

 

1:23:  “Emmanuel” = Here is my Isaiah 7:14 Note:  This may sound odd, but hear me out.  This was a statement, an understanding, and not necessarily a name, but a title.  This is proven by seeing Isaiah’s prophecy in Chapter 8.  In verse 3, “the LORD” told Isaiah to (name his child) “Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.”  Yet, according to verse 8the child will be referred to in a different name after Isaiah’s prophecy in verses 4-8 take place, that being, “O Immanuel.”  Which is interpreted and used again in verse 10, “God is with us.”  Thus, that Jesus is the name of the Messiah, and not “Immanuel,” can be explained as “Immanuel” is just a statement, title, or whatever you would like to call it, as opposed to the actual name.  Here is the point.  Otherwise, Isaiah is a false prophet and we should throw his writings out of the Sacred Word.

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

 

2:1:  “Herod” = See my Bible Study & Spreadsheet:  “HEROD THE GREAT.”

 

Herod the Great, who killed all the male children from 2 years and younger (Mat. 2:16), had four sons:

 

(1) Antipas; (died B.C. 78) who married Herodias whom he took from his brother Philip; and who beheaded John the Baptist; and whom Pilot sent Jesus to (Matthew, Chapter 14; Luke, Chapter 23); and who was appointed governor of Idumaea by Alexander Janneus; whose son was Antipater.  Antipater died by the hand of an assassin in B.C. 43 and left four sons:  Phasael, Herod the Great, Joseph, Pheroras, and a daughter named Salome, who danced before Herod Antipas (Mat. 14:6).

 

(2) Philip; who married Herodias.

 

(3) Archelaus; who ruled in his father’s place after Herod the Great’s death (Mat. 2:22).

 

(4) Aristobulus; whose son Agrippa I beheaded James and Imprisoned Peter (Acts, Chapter 12); and whose grandson, Agrippa II, interviewed Paul (Acts, Chapter 26).

 

2:1:  “wise men” = See my Bible Study:  “MAGI.”

 

“[19] The Jews had separated themselves so far from God by their wicked works, that angels could not communicate to them the tidings of the advent of [20] the infant Redeemer.  God chooses the wise men of the East to do His Will.”  2SP:19-20.

 

“These wise men were philosophers.  They had studied the handiwork of God in nature, and had learned to love Him there.  They studied the stars, and knew their movements.  They loved to watch the heavenly bodies in their nightly march.  If a new star should be seen, they would welcome its appearance as a great event.  On the night when the angels came to the shepherds of Bethlehem, the wise men had noticed a strange light in the sky.  It was the glory which surrounded the angel host.  When this light faded away, they had seen in the heavens what looked like a new star.  At once they thought of the prophecy which says, ‘There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.’ Numbers 24:17.  Was this star a sign that the Messiah had come?  They determined to follow it, and see where it would lead them.  It lead them into Judea.”  GHA:38; 2SP:20.

 

2:2:  “born king of the Jews” = See my Bible Study:  “MAGI.”  This is actually an insult directed at Herod; for he was not “born” of Jewish decent.  Thus, even more so Herod’s fear of an upcoming “king” that would challenge his and his offspring’s throne.

 

“king” = “No matter how exact the Jews might be in their ceremonies and sacrifices, if they could keep their eyes blinded as to the prophecies, and make them believe that it was a mighty, worldly king who was to fulfill these prophecies, they would keep their minds on the stretch for a Messiah to Come.  1SG:36; EW:158-159.

 

If Satan was so diligent then to corrupt the prophecies, think of what he is doing in our time.

 

“star” = “This light was a distant cluster of flaming angels, which appeared like a luminous star.” 2SP:20; DA:60.

 

“You will see that in every place God works after the manner that He can best reach the people.  When He came to reveal Christ to the Magi, He did not come to them as He did to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem.  The wise men were reading the works of God in the Heavens.  ‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ [Psa. 19:1], and God came to them to educate them in the very manner that He could best reach them.  He had a star, a wonderful star, to appear to them.  Angels of God hovered in the heavens in the shape of a star, and they saw the star.  As they began to understand that something strange was taking place, they began to move, and the star moved before them.” 2SAT:61; RH, December 24, 1872 (1RH:116); 3MR:362.

 

“. . . after the angels returned to Heaven, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the heavens.

 

“This light was a distant cluster of flaming angels, which appeared like a luminous star.  The unusual appearance of the large, bright star which they had never seen before, hanging as a sign in the heavens, attracted their attention.  They were not privileged to hear the proclamation of the angels to the shepherds.  But the Spirit of God moved them out to seek this Heavenly Visitor to a fallen world.  The wise men directed their course where the star seemed to lead them.  And as they drew nigh to the city of Jerusalem, the star was enshrouded in darkness, and no longer guided them.  They reasoned that the Jews could not be ignorant of the great event of the advent of the Messiah, and they made inquiries in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

 

“The wise men are surprised to see no unusual interest upon the subject of the Coming of the Messiah.  They fear that after all they may not have read the prophecies correctly.  Uncertainty beclouds their minds, and they become anxious.”   RH, December 24, 1872.

 

“in the east” = Meaning this is where they saw it from, in that they were “from the east” (verse 1), thus that is where they first saw the star from their own country “in the east.”  Bethlehem is “south” of Jerusalem.  Therefore, “in the east” of verse 9, could be translated with supplied words, “when they were in the east.”

 

“But when they came near to Jerusalem, the star grew so dim that they could not follow it.  Supposing that the Jews could at once guide them to the Saviour, the wise men went into Jerusalem.” GHA:38.

 

“They have reached the land of Israel, and are descending the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when, lo, the star that has guided them all the weary way rests above the temple, and after a season fades from their view.”  DA:60.

 

“The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended.  The report of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice.  They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah.  ‘Where is He that is born King of the Jews’ they said; ‘for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him.’

 

“[62] Now pride and envy closed the door against the light.  If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God.  These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen.  It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate [63]

 

“with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles.  They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem.  They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so.  And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement.  Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis.  From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour.  While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves.”  DA:62-63.

 

2:3:  ”Herod. . . he was troubled” = See my Bible Study:  “MAGI,” and my Matthew 2:2 Note.

 

2:4:  “he demanded of them where Christ should be born” = “Suspicion and envy were aroused in king Herod, and his wicked heart was planning his dark purposes for the future.  The Jews manifested a stupid indifference to the story of the wise men.  But Herod is intensely interested and excited.  He summons the scribes, and the chief priests, and urges upon them to search carefully prophetic history, and tell him where the Infant King was to be born.  The careless indifference and apparent ignorance of the scribes and chief priests, as they turn to their books for the words of prophecy, irritate the fully aroused king.  He thinks they are trying to conceal from him the real facts in regard to the birth of the Messiah.  He authoritatively commands them to make close search in relation to their expected king.”  RH, December 24, 1872; 2SP:22.3.

 

2:7:  “inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared” = “Although Herod received the wise men with apparent respect, yet the intimation by them of the birth of a king to reign in Jerusalem, excited his envy and hatred against the Infant Whom he thought might prove his rival, and drive him, or his descendants, from the throne.  A storm of opposition and satanic fury took possession of Herod, and he determined to destroy this Infant King.  Yet he put on a calm exterior, and requested a private interview with the wise men.  He then inquired particularly the exact time the star appeared.  He apparently hailed the supposition of the birth of Christ with joy, expressing a desire to be immediately informed by the wise men, that he might be among the first to show Him true honor by worshiping Him also.  The wise men were not able to read the heart of the tyrant Herod; but God, Who is acquainted with every emotion of the soul, with the intents and purposes of the heart, was not deceived by His hypocritical pretenses.  His power will protect and preserve the precious Infant Saviour from Satan’s devices, until His mission on earth is accomplished.”  1SP:23.

 

“The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem.  Their strange errand created an excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod.  The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of a possible rival.  Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne.  Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled.  His only security was the favor of Rome.  But this new Prince had a higher claim.  He was born to the kingdom.  Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne.  He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning.”  DA:61.

 

2:9:  “in the east” = See my Matthew 2:2 Note.

 

“After the wise men had left Jerusalem, they again saw, to their great joy, the guiding star in the heavens, which directed them to the birthplace of our Saviour.”  1SP:24.

 

“[24] These priests had not searched the prophecies [25] with an eye single to the glory of God, or with a desire to conform their lives to the high standard marked out by the prophets.  They searched the Scriptures to find ancient prophecies which they could in some way interpret to sustain their lofty pride, and to show with what contempt God regarded all the nations of the world except the Jews.  They declared that the power and authority they were then compelled to respect and obey, would soon come to an end; for Messiah would take the throne of David, and, by force of arms, restore the Jews to their liberty, and to their exalted privileges.  The understanding of the Jews was darkened.  They had no light in themselves.  They were seeing the prophecies through their own perverse understanding.  Satan was leading them on to their own ruin.  And Herod was determined to defeat the purposes of the Jews, and to humble these proud boasters, by destroying Christ as soon as He should be found.”  1SP:24-25. 

 

2:11:  “house” = The Greek word for “house” is, “oikia,” literally meaning, “residence.”  The word comes to us from “oikos,” which is properly translated “residence (abstractly); but usually (concretely) “an abode” (literally or figuratively); by implication “a family dwelling,” (especially domestic):  “home, house (-hold).”

 

From this we can conclude that -- knowing Jesus was born in Bethlehem -- this is Joseph’s “house” in Nazareth.  Jesus would have been a toddler by now.  See my Bible Study:  “THE WISE MEN, THE MAGI.”

 

The wise men “had received no such intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. . . [And they found that] Jesus was cradled in a manger.”  DA:63.

 

“unto Him gifts” = In an interesting note, “unto Him gifts,” is an expression used frequently in the Old Testament of the oblations presented to God; and is used in the New Testament, being employed seven times, always in a religious sense of offerings to God.  Beyond doubt, therefore, we are to understand the presentation of these gifts by the Magi as a religious offering.

 

“And through the gifts of the Magi from a heathen country, the Lord supplied the means for the journey into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers.”  DA:64.

 

“gold, frankincense, and myrrh” = They speak of our Lord’s offices of King, Priest, and Savior.  Gold is for, and an emblem of royalty, and speaks of our Lord’s Kingship; Frankincense was a spice used in priestly duties, placing our Lord as High Priest; and Myrrh was an embalming ointment which well signifies our Lord’s death, i.e., our Savior.

 

2:15:  “Out of Egypt have I called My son = From my Bible Study, “CHRIST, PROPHECIES FULFILLED OF FIRST COMING” = A convincing argument used by Christians is that Christ fulfilled so many Old Testamentprophecies that the scientific probability that He fulfilled all of them means He had to be the Messiah.

 

However, we must understand that the way the New Testament writers used the term, Christ “fulfilled” whatever, is not used as “Predictive Prophecy.”  An example being, Nostradamus prophesied that “there was going to be a flood in such a such a year.”  And Wow, it happened.  But that is not how New Testament writers looked at fulfilled prophecy.  When Joseph was told to return to Israel from Egypt, the Scripture was fulfilled, “out of Egypt have I called My Son.”  That saying is in the Book of Hosea, Chapter 11, verse 1.  However, it is speaking of the Exodus, with Hosea just recounting Israel’s history.  It is not speaking of a personage that a particular person was going to fulfil (you may notice I do not sight this so-called prophecy in my chart).  Then what is Matthew meaning by saying Christ fulfilled this?  The meaning is that Jesus filled Israel’s history up with meaning.  Just as God calls His people out of Egypt, He calls us out of Babylon (in Revelation), which in essence, is sinfulness.  Keep in mind that Messianic prophecy is more art that scienc; and more poetry than math.

 

“The earthly parents of Jesus were poor.  The gifts brought to them by the wise men sustained them while in the land of strangers.”  2SP:26.1.

 

2:16:  “slew all the children that were in Bethlehem” = According to Macrobius, who flourished toward the conclusion of the Fourth Century, in his Chapter, “De jocis Augusti in alios, et aliorum rursus in ipsum,” he states, “Cum audisset inter pueros, quos in Syria Herodes, rex Judeorum, intra bimatum jussit interfici, filium quoque ejus occisum, ait, Melius est Herodis Porcum esse, quam Filium.”  Meaning, “When he heard that among those male infants about two years old, which Herod, the king of the Jews, ordered to be slain in Syria, one of his sons was also murdered, he said:  ‘It is better to be Herod’s Hog than his Son.’ ”  “Saturn. lib.” ii. c. 4.

 

“Herod issued a proclamation to a large body of soldiers, whose hearts were hardened by crime, war, and bloodshed, to go throughout Bethlehem and all the coasts thereof, and massacre all the children from two years old and under.  Herod designed in this cruel act to accomplish a double purpose:  first, to exercise, by this bold act, his power and authority over the Jews; and, second, to silence their proud boastings in regard to their King, and also make his own kingdom secure, by murdering the Infant Prince Whom he envied and feared.”  2SP:27.

 

“All this terrible calamity was suffered of God, to humble the pride of the Jewish nation.  Their crimes and wickedness had been so great that the Lord permitted the wicked Herod to thus punish them.  Had they been less boastful and ambitious, their lives pure, their habits simple and sincere, God would have preserved them from being thus humiliated and afflicted by their enemies.  God would, in a signal manner, have made the wrath of the king harmless to His people, had they been faithful and perfect before Him.  But he could not especially work for them, for their works were abhorred by Him.”  RH, December 24, 1872; 2SP:28.

 

“from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men” = When Herod discerns that the Magi have not returned to him with the information he requested of them, he calculates that these Magi must have taken at a minimum, 4 months to get to Jerusalem, and at maximum, 2 years, if they did some trading along the way.  Therefore, the later instruction to kill all the babies 2 years and under, was just to cover his bases.  However, as we know, they arrived just in time for the newly born Christ, Messiah.

 

2:17-18:  “Jeremy the prophet” = Matthew recalls another time of indiscriminate slaughter of children at the start of the Babylonian captivity (see Jer. 31:15).

 

2:23:  “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene” = However, nowhere do we find this prophecy in the Old Testament, unless we go to the root word for “Branch,” which is, “ney’tser,” which is where we get our root term for “Nazareth,” Greek, “Nazoraios,” or better, “ney’tser,” which was founded by the descendants of king David.  “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  John 1:46.  And according to Revelation 22:16, Jesus claims to be “the Root and offspring of David.”

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

 

Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2; John 1:23:  “John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness” = Here is my Luke 1:80 & 3:10 Notes:  “[46] The life of John, although passed in the wilderness, was not inactive.  His separation from society did not make him gloomy and morose, neither was he unreconciled with his lonely life of hardship and privation.  It was his choice to be secluded from the luxuries of life, and from depraved society.  Pride, envy, jealousy, and corrupt passions seemed to control the hearts of men.  But John was separated from the influence of these things, and, with discerning eye and wonderful discrimination, read the characters of men.  He lived in the quiet retreat of the wilderness, and occasionally he mingled in society; but would not remain long where the moral atmosphere seemed to be polluted.  He feared that the sight of his eyes and the hearing of his ears would so pervert his mind that he would lose a sense of the sinfulness of sin.  A great work was before him, and it was necessary that he should form a character unbiased by any surrounding influence.  It was necessary that his physical, mental, and moral conditions should be of that high and noble type that would qualify him for a work which required firmness and integrity, that when he should appear among men he could enlighten them, and be instrumental in giving a new direction to their thoughts, and awakening them to the necessity of forming righteous characters.  John would bring the people up to the standard of Divine perfection.  He studied the peculiarities of minds, that he [47] might know how to adapt his instructions to the people.”

 

“John did not feel strong enough to stand the great pressure of temptation he would meet in society.  He feared his character would be molded according to the prevailing customs of the Jews, and he chose the wilderness as his school, in which his mind could be properly educated and disciplined from God’s great Book of nature.  In the wilderness, John could the more readily deny himself and bring his appetite under control, and dress in accordance to natural simplicity.  And there was nothing in the wilderness that would take his mind from meditation and prayer.  Satan had access to John, even after he had closed every avenue in his power through which he would enter.  But his habits of life were so pure and natural that he could discern the foe, and had strength of spirit and decision of character to resist him.”  2SP:46-47.

 

“God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be prepared for a special mission.  But the austerity and isolation of his life were not an example for the people.  John himself had not directed his hearers to forsake their former duties.  He bade them give evidence of their repentance by faithfulness to God in the place where He had called them.”  DA:150.

 

“John did not make his home in the cities and villages.  From childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, he lived in the wilderness.”  ST, February 18, 1897.

 

“Christ’s life had been so retired and secluded at Nazareth that John had not a personal acquaintance with Him, and he did not positively know that He was the Messiah.  He was acquainted with the circumstances of His birth, and he believed Him to be the promised One.  The secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Nazareth, in which He gave no special evidence of His Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether He was indeed the One for Whose Coming he was to prepare the way.  John, however, rested the matter in faith, fully believing that God would in due time make it plain.  The Lord had shown him that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by a distinct sign; when this should be done, then John could present Him to the world as the long-expected Messiah, the Lamb of God that was to take away the sin of the world.

 

“John had heard of the sinless character and spotless purity of Christ.  His life was in harmony with what the Lord had revealed to him respecting one that was among them whose life was without the taint of sin.  John had also seen that He should be the example for every repenting sinner.”  RH, January 21, 1873.

 

3:2: “Repent” = The Greek word John used here for repentance is “metanoeo.”  It is a compound word composed of two Greek words:  “meta,” meaning “change,” and “noeo,” meaning thinking.  Thus, “repentance,” in John’s mind, means to “change” [one’s] “thinking” about something.

 

Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6:  “locust” = Because the English word “locust” properly denotes both an insect and certain kinds of trees, the question naturally arises as to what, with honey, constituted the diet of John.  Elsewhere in Scripture, and also in contemporary Greek literature, the Greek word “akris” always refers to an insect, the locust.  This undeniable fact has led most commentators to conclude that in the record concerning John the Baptist, that this insect is intended.  It is also a fact that the locust has been part of the diet of the peoples of the Middle East from ancient times. According to the Law of Moses, certain kinds of locusts, crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids are clean foods (Lev. 11:22), and would therefore be permissible in the diet of a Jew.

 

3:7:  “Pharisees and Sadducees come to His baptism” = Pharisees means, “separated ones.”  For the meaning of Sadducees, suggestions include linking it with an Old Testament priestly family of Zadok, the Hebrew word for “just,” or “righteous,” or its Greek equivalent, “syndikoi,” meaning “fiscal officials.”

 

The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, whereas the Sadducees did not.  The Pharisees believed in the oral Torah, whereas the Sadducees did not.

 

When the Maccabees finally permitted Greek culture in Palestine many of the Jews were strongly opposed to it.  The ones who believed it was against their religion separated themselves from it and were called Pharisees, which again, means “separate ones.”  The name Pharisees is derived from the Hebrew word, “paras,” which literally means, ”to separate.”  It is believed at the time of Jesus that there were only about 6,000 members of the group.  To their credit, most of the great Jewish teachers were of the Pharisaical sect.

 

By contrast, the Sadducees accepted the Greek culture and got along with the Maccabees.  However, they only accepted the five Books of Moses as their Bible.  They did not include the Book of Job, even though written by Moses; for that contains resurrection texts (example, Job 19:26) which the Sadducees decided not to believe in.  Since the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and the Sadducees did not, thus the saying, “Fair-you-see and Sad-you-see.”

 

The first official publication of “Rabbinic Law” did not appear until the end of the Second Century A.D., when Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi (Judah the Prince) published the ”Mishnah.”  The laws recorded in the “Mishnah” reflect about four centuries of rabbinic interpretation.  Included among the contributing rabbis are many who lived at the time of Jesus, the most notable ones being Hillel and Shammai.  There was also Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel, who was also the Apostle Paul’s teacher.

 

The Rabbinic laws were called ”halakah,” which means, ”to walk.”  The rabbis felt that if a person would walk in the ways of the minor laws, they would keep the major ones by default.  However, somewhere along the way the minor laws began to take on major status, and after a while it was difficult to distinguish the traditional from the Biblical.

 

“Many of the scribes and Pharisees came to him, confessing their sins, and were baptized of him in Jordan.  The confessions made by the Pharisees astonished the prophet; for they had exalted themselves as better than other men, and had maintained a high opinion of their own piety and worthiness.  As they sought to obtain remission of their sins, and revealed the secrets of their lives, which had been covered from the eyes of men, the prophet was amazed.” 2SP:49.

 

“[50] The prophet of God was impressed by the holy Spirit that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees who asked baptism had no true convictions of their sins.  They had selfish motives.  They thought that if they should become friends of the prophet, they [51] would stand a better chance to be personally favored of the Coming Prince.  In their blindness they believed that He was to set up a temporal kingdom, and bestow honors and riches upon His subjects.”  2SP:50-51.

 

“Filled with pride and ambition, they would not hesitate at any means to exalt themselves and strengthen their influence with the people.  They came to receive baptism at the hand of John that they might better carry out these designs.”  ST, January 11, 1883; ST, July 7, 1887; 5T:225; TDG:197.

 

“[603] The two parties stood in bitter opposition to each other.  The Pharisees were rigid adherents to tradition.  They were exact in outward ceremonies, diligent in washings, fastings, and long prayers, and ostentatious in almsgiving.  But Christ declared that they made void the Law of God by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  As a class they were bigoted and hypocritical; yet among them were persons of genuine piety, who accepted Christ’s teachings and became His disciples.  The Sadducees rejected the traditions of the Pharisees.  They professed to believe the greater portion of the Scriptures, and to regard them as the rule of action; but practically they were skeptics and materialists.

 

“The Sadducees denied the existence of angels, the resurrection of the dead, and the doctrine of a future life, with its rewards and punishments.  On all these points they differed with the Pharisees.  Between the two parties the resurrection was especially a subject of controversy.  The Pharisees had been firm believers in the resurrection, but in these discussions [604]

 

“their views in regard to the future state became confused.  Death became to them an inexplicable mystery.  Their inability to meet the arguments of the Sadducees gave rise to continual irritation.  The discussions between the two parties usually resulted in angry disputes, leaving them farther apart than before.

 

“In numbers the Sadducees fell far below their opponents, and they had not so strong a hold upon the common people; but many of them were wealthy, and they had the influence which wealth imparts.  In their ranks were included most of the priests, and from among them the high priest was usually chosen.  This was, however, with the express stipulation that their skeptical opinions should not be made prominent.  On account of the numbers and popularity of the Pharisees, it was necessary for the Sadducees to concede outwardly to their doctrines when holding any priestly office; but the very fact that they were eligible to such office gave influence to their errors.

 

“The Sadducees rejected the teaching of Jesus; He was animated by a spirit which they would not acknowledge as manifesting Itself thus; and His teaching in regard to God and the future life contradicted their theories.  They believed in God as the Only Being superior to man; but they argued that an Overruling Providence and a Divine foresight would deprive man of free moral agency, and degrade him to the position of a slave.  It was their belief, that, having created man, God had left him to himself, independent of a higher influence.  They held that man was free to control his own life and to shape the events of the world; that his destiny was in his own hands.  They denied that the Spirit of God works through human efforts or natural means.  Yet they still held that, through the proper employment of his natural powers, man could become elevated and enlightened; that by rigorous and austere exactions his life could be purified.

 

“Their ideas of God molded their own character.  As in their view He had no interest in man, so they had little regard for one another; there was little union among them.  Refusing to acknowledge the influence of the Holy Spirit upon human action, they lacked His power in their lives.  Like the rest of the Jews, they boasted much of their birthright as children of Abraham, and of their strict adherence to the requirements of the Law; but of the true spirit of the Law and the faith and benevolence of Abraham, they were destitute.  Their natural sympathies were brought within a narrow compass.  They believed it possible for all men to secure [605]

 

“the comforts and blessings of life; and their hearts were not touched by the wants and sufferings of others.  They lived for themselves.”  DA:603-605.

 

“wrath” = The Greek for “wrath” is “G3709; orge,” which is where the English word “orgasm” comes from.  It means, “violet passion; anger; wrath; indignation; punishment; vengeance; punishment.”

 

3:8:  “Bring forth therefore fruits” = This occurs a lot in the Book of Matthew and throughout the New Testament.  Therefore, I will only cover a few instances of this Old English manor of speaking.  This, as you know, is improper English.  The “therefore” should always come first, such that you should not read any further until you have understood the previous.  Thus, it should read:  “Therefore, bring forth fruits.”

 

“Many of the scribes and Pharisees came to him [John], confessing their sins, and were baptized of him in Jordan.  The confessions made by the Pharisees astonished the prophet; for they had exalted themselves as better than other men, and had maintained a high opinion of their own piety and worthiness.  As they sought to obtain remission of their sins, and revealed the secrets of their lives, which had been covered from the eyes of men, the prophet was amazed.”  RH, January 14, 1873.

 

However, “The prophet of God was impressed by the Holy Spirit that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees who asked baptism had no true convictions of their sins.  They had selfish motives.  They thought that if they should become friends of the prophet, they would stand a better chance to be personally favored of the Coming Prince.  In their blindness they believed that he was to set up a temporal kingdom, and bestow honors and riches upon His subjects.”  RH, January 14, 1873.

 

Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8; John 8:33 & 39:  “think not to say within yourselves” = “The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness.”  DA:309.

 

“these stones” = According to John, Chapter 1, verses 29 & 35 & 43, “Bethabara” was only one day’s journey from Cana of Galilee, while according to John 10:40; 11:3 & 6 & 27, it was two or three days journey from Bethany. “Bethabara” may also be identical with the “Bethbarah,” of Judges 7:24, which is most likely a miss spelling of “Bethabarah.”  However, “Bethbarah” means, “house of crossing” and is the ancient ford of the Jordan of which the men of Ephraim took possession, the place south of the scene of Gideon’s victory.  It was the “great ford,” and still bears the name today of, “the ford,” Hebrew, “Makhadhet ‘Abarah,” meaning, “the ford of crossing over.”

 

It is about 25 miles from Nazareth.  Now if we go to Genesis 32:22, we find that “the ford” was near “Jabbok,” and is where Jacob crossed when he returned from Mesopotamia.  Also, according to Joshua 13:27, “Bethabara,” or “the ford of crossing over,” would be “even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.”

 

Moreover, it is here from which the prophet Elijah ascended (2Ki. 2:6 & 13 & 18) and where Elisha parted the waters of the Jordan with Elijah’s recovered “mantle.”  Also, according to Joshua 3:16, this is where the Israelites passed over the Jordan River and placed “twelve stones,” Joshua 4:3, as a monument of the event.

 

Looking at Joshua 13:27 again, we see that “Betharam, and Bethnimrah” are both located in the same “valley,” along “Jordan and his border.”  “Bethnimrah” means, “the house of leopards,” and is now identified with the modern city of “Beyt-nemir.”  Now if we go to John 1:28, we learn that this is where John was baptizing.  Thus, it is possible that John was pointing at “these [very] stones” that Joshua had the elders of each tribe of Israel place here when he spoke of “these stones,” even though archeologists have not found them there (yet) at this present time.

 

Matthew 3:10 & 12; Luke 3:9:  “cast into the fire [12] unquenchable fire” = See my Bible Study:  “ISRAEL’S REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY DOCTRINE.”

 

Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16:  “Holy Ghost” = “Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, Who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of Divine power.  It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer.”  DA:671.

 

“fire” = What is the “fire?”  According to Jeremiah 5:14:  “I will make My Words in thy mouth fire.”  And according to Jeremiah 20:9:  “His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire. . .”  And Jeremiah 23:29 states:  “Is not My Word like as a fire?”  See also Acts 2:4.

 

Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:27:  “He that Cometh” = “God made known to John that some day the Messiah would come to him and ask to be baptized.  He had also promised that a sign should be given him, so that he might know Who it was.”  GHA:47.

 

“John proclaimed the Coming of the Messiah, and called the people to repentance.  As a symbol of cleansing from sin, he baptized them in the waters of the Jordan.  Thus by a significant object lesson he declared that those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and that without purification of heart and life they could have no part in the Messiah’s kingdom.”  DA:104.

 

Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9:  “Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him” = “Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the circumstances of the birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with each other.  The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of John, in the wilderness of Judea.  Amid widely different surroundings they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other.  Providence had ordered this.  No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.”  DA:109.

 

“When Christ presented Himself for baptism, John recognized Him at once as the superior One revealed to him.  He discerned, in the Person and deportment of Christ, a character above every other man he had ever seen.  The very atmosphere of His presence was holy and awe-inspiring.  Although he knew Him not as the Messiah, yet never had such a holy influence been realized by John from any one as when in the presence of Christ.  He felt the superiority of Christ at once, and shrank from performing the rite of baptism to One Whom he knew to be sinless.  Many had come to him to receive the baptism of repentance, confessing their sins and crimes; but John could not understand why the only sinless One upon the earth should ask for an ordinance implying guilt, virtually confessing, by the symbol of baptism, pollution to be washed away.  He remonstrated with Christ, acknowledging His superiority, and refused to administer the ordinance, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?’  With firm and gentle authority, Jesus waives the refusal of John and his plea of unworthiness, saying, ‘Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.’

 

“Christ came not confessing His Own sins; but guilt was imputed to Him as the sinner’s substitute.  He came not to repent on His Own account; but in behalf of the sinner.  As man had transgressed the Law of God, Christ was to fulfill every requirement of that Law, and thus show perfect obedience.”  RH, January 21, 1873; 2SP:59.

 

3:14:  “John forbad Him” = “[58] Christ’s life had been so retired and secluded at Nazareth that John had not a personal acquaintance with Him, and he did not positively know that He was the Messiah.  He was acquainted with the circumstances of His birth, and he believed Him to be the promised One.  The secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Nazareth, in which He gave no special evidence of His Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether He was indeed the One for Whose Coming he was to prepare the way.  John, however, rested the matter in faith, fully believing that God would in due time make it plain.  The Lord had shown him that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by a distinct sign; when this should be done, then John could present Him to the world as the long-expected Messiah, the Lamb of God, that was to take away the sin of the world.

 

“John had heard of the sinless character and spotless purity of Christ.  His life was in harmony with what the Lord had revealed to him respecting One that was among them whose life was without the taint of sin.  John had also seen that He should be the example for every repenting sinner.  When Christ presented himself for baptism, John recognized Him at once as the superior One revealed to him.  He discerned, in the Person and deportment of Christ, a character above every other man he had ever seen.  The very atmosphere of His presence was holy and awe-inspiring.  Although he knew Him not as the Messiah, yet [59]

 

“never had such a holy influence been realized by John from any one as when in the presence of Christ.  He felt the superiority of Christ at once, and shrank from performing the rite of baptism to One Whom he knew to be sinless.  Many had come to him to receive the baptism of repentance, confessing their sins and crimes; but John could not understand why the only sinless One upon the earth should ask for an ordinance implying guilt, virtually confessing, by the symbol of baptism, pollution to be washed away.”  2SP:58-59.

 

3:15:  “Jesus answering” = “Jesus spoke with supreme, personal authority, and yet He always made the impression upon the people that He spoke by the authority of His Father.  He placed Himself on a level with the eternal throne.  The glory of God fell directly upon Him, and was shed upon those who would receive the light, and who would become light-bearers to others.”  ST, October 1, 1896, par. 7.

 

Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10:  “went up straightway out of the water. . . like a dove” = “[60] After Christ rose up from the water and from the hand of John, He walked out to the bank of Jordan, and bowed in the attitude of prayer.  The eyes of John were fastened upon Christ with the deepest interest and amazement.  His heart was stirred with emotion as he looked upon Him thus bowed as a suppliant.  Christ’s hands were raised upward, and His gaze seemed to penetrate Heaven.  As the believer’s example, His sinless humanity supplicated support and strength from His Heavenly Father, as He was about to commence His public labors as the Messiah.  Jesus poured out His soul in earnest prayer.  A new and important era was opening before Him.  His former peaceful, quiet life is to here end.  He had been happy in a life of industry and toil, while fulfilling the duties devolving on a son.  He was an example to those in childhood, youth, and manhood.  His deportment showed that He felt the importance and solemnity of the hour.  He knew that trials, toils, conflicts, sufferings, and death, were in the path His feet had entered.  He felt the weight of the responsibilities He must bear.  He was about to engage in new and arduous duties.  A sense of the sinfulness of men, and the hardness of their hearts, which separated them from God, convinced Him that but few would discern His merciful mission, and accept the salvation He Came from Heaven to bring them.

 

“Never before had angels listened to such a [61] prayer as Christ offered at His baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message from the Father to His Son.  But, no; direct from the Father issues the light of His glory.  The Heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested upon the Son of God, and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold.  The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ.  While the people stood spell-bound with amazement, their eyes fastened upon Christ, from the opening heavens came these words:  ‘This is my beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased.’  The Words of confirmation that Christ is the Son of God was given to inspire faith in those who witnessed the scene, and to sustain the Son of God in His arduous work.  Notwithstanding the Son of God was clothed with humanity, yet Jehovah, with His Own Voice, assures Him of His Sonship with the Eternal.  In this manifestation to His Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through the excellence of His beloved Son.

 

“As John had now witnessed the Heavenly dove resting upon Jesus, which was the promised token of the Messiah, he stretched forth his hand, and with assurance proclaimed before the multitude, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!’  From this time John had no doubt in regard to Jesus being the true Messiah.”  2SP:60-61; RH, January 21, 1873; RH, February 28, 1888 par. 5; RH, February 13, 1900 par. 14; ST, November 24, 1887 par. 8 (2ST:164).

 

Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22:  “a voice” = “He [Satan] was on the ground at the time when Christ presented Himself to John for baptism.  He heard the majestic voice resounding through Heaven and echoing through the earth like peals of thunder.  He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens, and heard the fearful words from Jehovah, ‘This is My beloved Son, in Whom I Am well pleased.’  He saw the brightness of the Father's glory overshadowing the form of Jesus, thus pointing out in that crowd the One Whom he acknowledged as His Son with unmistakable assurance.  The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene had aroused the most intense hatred in the breast of Satan.  He knew then for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limitation of his power.  He understood that the communication from the throne of God signified that Heaven was more directly accessible to man.”  ST April 5, 1883, paragraph 6 (1ST:340).

 

“Although the men whom he was then personally addressing had not heard the voice, yet they had not heard the report and knew that the testimony of John was not borne in a corner.  John’s testimony had been positive, had been given in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power. . . The Scribes and Pharisees had believed the words of John at the time, but pride and unbelief worked in their hearts after Satan’s order, and envy, jealously and downright hatred of Christ were revealed.”  ST, November 13, 1893 par. 3 (3ST:76).

 

“At the Saviour’s baptism, Satan was among the witnesses.  He saw the Father’s glory overshadowing His Son.  He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the Divinity of Jesus.  Ever since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between Heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’ (Rom. 8:3), the Father Himself spoke.  He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ.”  DA:116.

 

“Notwithstanding the Son of God was clothed with humanity, yet Jehovah, with His Own voice, assures Him of His sonship with the Eternal.  In this manifestation to Hs Son, God accepts humanity as exalted through the excellence of His beloved Son.”  RH, January 21, 1873.

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1:  “Jesus led up of the Spirit” = What is interesting to note is that according to both Matthew and Luke our Lord was “led” “into the wilderness” by the Holy Spirit, whereas Marks account of this event has Him being “driven” by the Spirit “into the wilderness.”  My point in this observation would be that both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels envision our Lord as a King, whereas Mark, in his Gospel, envisions our Lord as a Servant.  How is this pointed out here in this observation?  You can “drive” a servant, but you must “lead” a King.

 

“In going into the wilderness, Christ was led by the Spirit of God.  He did not invite temptation.  He wanted to be alone, that He might contemplate His mission and work.”  GHA:48.

 

“tempted of the devil” = “It is impossible for man to fully comprehend the strength of Satan’s temptations to our Saviour.  Every enticement to evil, which men find so difficult to resist, was brought to bear upon the Son of God in as much greater degree as His character was superior to that of fallen man.”  2SP:88.1.

 

“Satan came to Christ in the wilderness in the form of a beautiful young man -- more like a monarch than a fallen angel. . . Satan takes the advantage of the weak, suffering condition of Christ.”  RH, February 18, 1862; 4bSG:83.

 

“It was as difficult for Him {Jesus} to keep the level of humanity as it is for men to rise above the low level of their depraved natures, and be partakers of the Divine nature.”  RH, April 1, 1875.  NOTE:  It was just as hard for Christ to keep His human nature by not using His Divine powers as it is for us to keep our Divine nature and not revert back to our sinful nature.

 

“Satan came to Christ hoping to gain the victory.  He thought that he had every advantage over Him.”  CTr:190; 21MR:10.

 

“Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered.  The issues of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels.  He must personally conduct the warfare.”  DA:116.

 

Matthew 4:2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2:  “fasted forty days and forty nights” = “As soon as Christ’s long fast commenced, he [Satan] was at hand with his temptations.”  2SP:90.

 

““When Adam was assailed by the tempter he was without the taint of sin.  He stood before God in the strength of perfect manhood, all the organs and faculties of his being fully developed and harmoniously balanced; and he was surrounded with things of beauty, and conversed daily with the holy angels.  What a contrast to this perfect being did the second Adam present, as He entered the desolate wilderness to cope with Satan, single-handed.  For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in size and physical strength, and deteriorating in moral worth; and, in order to elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where he stood.  He assumed human nature, bearing the infirmities and degeneracy of the race.  He humiliated Himself to the lowest depths of human woe, that He might fully sympathize with man and rescue him from the degradation into which sin had plunged him.”  2SP:88.2.  See Hebrews 2:10.

 

“When Christ entered the wilderness His countenance was changed, its glory had departed, the weight of the sins of the world was pressing upon His soul, and His features expressed unutterable sorrow, a depth of anguish that fallen man had never realized.  The indulgence of appetite had increased with every successive generation since Adam’s transgression, until the race was so feeble in moral power that they could not overcome in their own strength.  Christ in behalf of the race was to conquer appetite, by enduring the most powerful test on that point.  He was to tread the path of temptation alone, with none to help or comfort Him.  Alone He was to wrestle with the powers of darkness, and exercise a self-control stronger than hunger or death.  The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the great sinfulness of debased appetite, and its power over the human family.”  2SP:89.1.

 

“Through appetite, Satan had accomplished the [90] ruin of Adam and Eve, and through all succeeding generations, this had been his strongest weapon in corrupting the human race.  As Christ had taken the form of man, and was subject to his infirmities, Satan hoped to conquer Him through this powerful medium, and laid his plans accordingly.  As soon as Christ’s long fast commenced, he was at hand with this temptations.  He came clothed in light, claiming to be an angel sent from the throne of God to sympathize with Christ and relieve Him from His suffering condition.  He represented to Him that God did not desire Him to pass through the pain and self-denial which He had anticipated.  He claimed to bear the message from Heaven that God only designed to prove the willingness of Christ to endure His test.

 

“Satan told Him that He was to set His feet in the blood-stained path, but not to travel it, that, like Abraham, he was tried to show his perfect obedience.  He claimed to be the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham, as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and that he had now come to save the Life of the Son of God, deliver Him from a painful death by starvation, and assist Him in the plan of salvation.”  2SP:90.

 

“The great end for which Christ endured that long fast in the wilderness was to teach us the necessity of self-denial and temperance.”  GHA:173.

 

“Many who profess Godliness do not inquire into the reason of Christ’s long period of fasting and suffering in the wilderness.  His anguish was not so much from the pangs of hunger as from His sense of the fearful result of the indulgence of appetite and passion upon the race.  He knew that appetite would be man’s idol and would lead Him to forget God and would stand directly in the way of His salvation.”  Confrontation, page 51.

 

“In the wilderness of temptation Christ was without food forty days.  Moses had, on especial occasions, been thus long without food.”  RH, July 28, 1874.

 

“The length of this fast is the strongest evidence of the extent of the sinfulness and power of debased appetite upon the human family. . . He {Satan} told Christ that one of the exalted angels had been exiled to the world, and that his appearance indicated that, instead of his being the king of Heaven, he was the angel fallen, and this explained his emaciated and distressed appearance.  {RH, August 4, 1874; 1SM:274}

 

“He then called the attention of Christ to his own attractive appearance, clothed with light and strong in power.  He claimed to be a messenger direct from the throne of Heaven, and asserted that he had a right to demand of Christ evidences of his being the Son of God.”  RH, August 4, 1874; 1SM:272 [NOTE the order of the pages]; 5BC:1079.

 

Matthew 4:3; Luke 4:3:  “Command that these stones” = According to Deuteronomy 18:18-20, Jesus was only to speak and perform miracles that God the Father tells Him to (see John 5:19).  Thus, had Jesus performed this, or any other miracle that was not sanctioned by the Father, He would die.  Even self-preservation was not acceptable for our Lord; for the Will of the Father must always come first.  So should it be in our lives.  Jesus’ response of “It is written” clearly teaches that if we do not know what is in the Torah, we shall fail in our lives to exonerate our Lord.

 

“[91] Satan now tried another expedient.  Believing that the angelic character he had assumed defied detection, he now feigned to doubt the Divinity of Christ, because of His emaciated appearance and uncongenial surroundings.

 

“In taking the nature of man, Christ was not equal in appearance with the angels of Heaven, but this was one of the necessary humiliations that He willingly accepted when He became man’s Redeemer.  Satan urged that if He was indeed the Son of God He should give him some evidence of His exalted character.  He suggested that God would not leave His Son in so deplorable a condition.  He declared that one of the Heavenly angels had been exiled to earth, and his appearance indicated that instead of being the King of Heaven He was that fallen angel.  He called attention to his own beautiful appearance, clothed with light and strength, and insultingly contrasted the wretchedness of Christ with his own glory.

 

“He claimed direct authority from Heaven to demand proof of Christ that He was the Son of God.  He taunted Him with being a poor representative of the angels, much less their high Commander, the acknowledged King in the royal courts; and insinuated that His present appearance indicated that He was forsaken of God and man.  He declared that if He were the Son of God He was equal with God and should evidence this by working a miracle to relieve His hunger.  He then urged Him to change the stone at His feet to bread, and agreed that if this were done he would at once yield his claims to superiority, and the contest between the two should be forever ended.

 

“[92] Satan thus hoped to shake the confidence of Christ in His Father, Who had permitted Him to be brought into this condition of extreme suffering in the desert, where the feet of man had never trodden.  The arch-enemy hoped that under the force of despondency and extreme hunger, he could urge Christ to exert His miraculous power in His Own behalf, and thus take Himself out of the Father’s hands.

 

“The circumstances and surroundings of Christ were such as to make temptation upon this point peculiarly aggravating.  The long fast had physically debilitated Him, the pangs of hunger consumed His vitals, His fainting system clamored for food.  He could have wrought a miracle in His Own behalf, and satisfied His gnawing hunger; but this would not have been in accordance with the Divine plan.  It was no part of His mission to exercise Divine power for His Own benefit; this He never did in His earthly Life; His miracles were all for the good of others. . . for fallen man could work no miracles in order to save himself from pain, and Christ, as his representative, was to bear His trials as a man, [93] leaving an example of perfect faith and trust in His Heavenly Father.

 

“Christ recognized Satan from the beginning, and it required strong self-control to listen to the propositions of this insulting deceiver, and not rebuke his bold assumption.  But the Saviour of the world was neither provoked to give him evidence of His Divine power, nor to enter into controversy with one who had been expelled from Heaven for leading a rebellion against the supreme Ruler of the universe, and whose very crime had been a refusal to recognize the Dignity of the Son of God.  Armed with faith in His Heavenly Father, bearing in His mind the precious memory of the Words spoken from Heaven at His baptism, Jesus stood unmoved in the lonely wilderness, before the mighty enemy of souls.”  2SP:91-93.

 

“The stone was in appearance exactly like bread.”  KC:47; DA:118.

 

God “designed that Christ should be treated as man is treated.  He was not to exercise miraculous power in His Own behalf; for if He did Satan would say that His test had not been a fair one because He had made use of Supernatural power.”  ST, April 4, 1900.

 

“It was by his words, not by his appearance, that the Saviour recognized the enemy.”  RH, July 22, 1909; HP:350.

 

“In Satan’s first temptation upon the point of appetite, he had tried to insinuate doubts in regard to God’s love and care for Christ as His Son, by presenting His surroundings and His hunger as evidence that He was not in favor with God.”  RH, August 18, 1874.

 

Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4:  “Man shall not live by bread alone” = “If Christ was a victor on the point of appetite, then there was a chance for man to overcome.  If Satan gained the victory through his subtlety, man was bound by the power of appetite in chains of indulgence which he could not have moral power to break.  Christ’s humanity alone could never have endured this test, but His Divine power combined with humanity gained in behalf of man an infinite victory.  Our Representative in this victory, raised humanity in the scale of moral value with God.”  RH, October 13, 1874.

 

“but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” = “In this declaration, and also by His example, Christ showed that wanting temporal food was a much less calamity than meeting the disapprobation of God.”  2SP:92.3.

 

“Christ refers to His Father’s Law.  The Words of God Spoken from Sinai are the conditions of life.”  4aSG:150.

 

Matthew 4:5; Luke 4:9:  “setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple” = “Here Satan spread the world before Christ in the most attractive light, and intimates to Him that He need not endure so much suffering to obtain the kingdoms of earth.  He will yield all his claims if He will but worship him.  Satan’s dissatisfaction first commenced in Heaven because he could not be first and highest in command, -- equal with God, exalted above Christ.  He rebelled and lost his estate, and he, and those who sympathized with him, were turned out of Heaven.  In the wilderness he hoped to gain advantage through the weak and suffering condition of Christ, and obtain from Him that homage he could not obtain in Heaven.”  RH, February 18, 1862.

 

“He who dared to face, and tempt, and taunt our Lord, and who had power to take Him in his arms and carry Him to a pinnacle of the temple, and up into an exceeding high mountain, will exercise his power to a wonderful degree upon the present generation, who are far inferior in wisdom to their Lord, and who are almost wholly ignorant of his subtlety and strength.”  RH, May 13, 1862.

 

“{Satan} in order to awe Christ with his superior strength, he carried Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and continued to beset Him with temptations.”  RH, August 18, 1874; 1SG:32.

 

Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:3:  “If thou be the Son of God” = “The second temptation was on the point of presumption. . . When he {Satan} quoted the promise {found in Psa. 91:11-12}, ‘He shall give His angels charge over Thee,’ he omitted the words, ‘to keep thee in all Thy ways,’ that is, in all the ways of God’s choosing.  Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience.  He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.”  2SAT:219; 4ST:108, 278; RH, May 14, 1908; 2SP:94; DA:125; TA:175; ST Dec. 10, 1902; SW, March 1, 1904.

 

“Christ had not willfully placed Himself in danger, and He knew that if He preserved His integrity, an angel of God would be sent to [95] deliver Him from the tempter’s power if it were necessary.”  2SP:94-95.

 

Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:4:  “It is written again” = In Christ’s answer, Christ gives us the principle of comparing Scripture with Scripture with the “again” phrase.

 

“Satan’s temptation to the Saviour of the world to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, was firmly met and resisted.  The arch-enemy quoted a promise of God as security, that Christ might with safety do this on the strength of the promise.  Jesus met this temptation with Scripture:  “It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  In the same way Satan urges men into places where God does not require them to go, presenting Scripture to justify his suggestions.”  RH, April 8, 1880.

 

“tempt the Lord thy God” = See Exodus 17:2; Deuteronomy 6:16; Isaiah 7:12.

 

Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5:  “sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” = What kind of temptation was it to Jesus for Satan to offer Him the cities of this world?  Did not Christ own everything anyway?  Was He not the God of this universe, having within His possession everything that He had made?  At one time that was true.  But Satan had usurped that when he was able to have mankind sin; for Satan could not offer what he did not own, else it would not be a temptation for Christ to take back what Satan now owns.

 

What Satan was really offering and tempting Christ with was these things without the cost of a cross.  Christ’s ultimate cross was to Come down here personally and be with us -- One with us, Emmanuel, Christ with us.  And He asks us to do the same with Him, and our brother’s and sister’s.

 

“Finding that he prevailed nothing with Christ in the second great temptation, Satan began to be alarmed for the result of his efforts.  The continued steadfastness of the Son of God filled him with apprehension, for he had not expected so strenuous an opposition.  He now called all the resources of his Satanic nature to his aid in one last mighty effort to baffle and defeat the Saviour.  In his first two temptations, he had concealed his true character and purpose, claiming to be an exalted messenger from the courts of Heaven.  But he now throws off all disguise, avowing himself the Prince of Darkness, and claiming the earth for his dominion.

 

“He took Jesus up into a high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world, spread out in a panoramic view before His eyes.  The sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, fruitful fields and vineyards, gilding the dark cedars of Lebanon and the blue waters of Galilee.  The eyes of Jesus, so lately greeted by gloom and desolation, gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed loveliness and prosperity.”  2SP:95.1.

 

“Satan now presented to Christ the kingdoms of the world in all their glory.  The view was the most extensive upon which the eye could rest,” ST, April 11, 1900.

 

They “gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed loveliness and prosperity.”  2SP:95.

 

“Here Satan spread the world before Christ in the most attractive light, and intimates to Him that He need not endure so much suffering to obtain the kingdoms of earth.  He will yield all his claims if He will but worship him.”  4bSG:84.

 

Matthew 4:9; Luke 4:7:  “fall down and worship me” = Christ did not deny that Satan had the right to given Him what belonged to him.  Even Paul tells us that Satan owned the world (2Co. 4:4).  But Jesus came to redeem that which Satan now claim[s]ed.

 

Worship belongs only to God.  Had Satan started with this temptation Christ would have immediately canceled this conversation as quickly as He does with this temptation.  In fact, we may never know if there were more temptations in Satan’s mind.  But even if there were not, the worship point canceled this ordeal.

 

“In this last temptation he touched on the subject of his fall from Heaven.  He had then become dissatisfied because Christ was preferred before him, and he now declared that if Christ would acknowledge him as supreme, he would relinquish his claim to the world.”  ST, April 11, 1900.

 

Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:10:  “Get thee hence, Satan” = “This last temptation was designed to be the most alluring of all.  Christ’s life was one of sorrow, hardship, and conflict.  Poverty and privation attended Him; even the beasts and the birds had their homes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head.  Homeless and friendless as He was, there was offered Him the mighty kingdoms of the world and the glory of them for a single consideration.

 

“The eyes of Jesus rested for a moment upon the scene before Him; He then turned resolutely from it, refusing to dally with the tempter by even looking upon the enchanting prospect he had presented to Him; but when Satan solicited his homage, Christ’s Divine indignation was aroused, and He could no longer tolerate his blasphemous assumption, or even permit him to remain in His presence.  He exercised His Divine authority, and Commanded Satan to desist,” 2SP:96.

 

“only Him shalt thou serve” = Since we are only to “serve” and “worship” (same verse; same context), and since we know that Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6; etcetera), then Jesus is telling Satan to “worship” and “serve” Jesus (Himself).  How about that for a turn-around!

 

4:11:  “angels came and ministered unto Him” = “Satan had asked Christ to give him evidence that He was the Son of God, and He had, in this instance, the proof he asked.  He had no power to withstand His peremptory dismissal, and was compelled to obey the Divine Command.  Writhing with baffled hate and rage, the rebel chief retired from the presence of the world’s Redeemer.  The contest was ended.  Christ’s victory was as complete as had been the failure of Adam.

 

“But the conflict had been protracted and trying, and Christ was exhausted and fell fainting to the ground, with the pallor of death upon His [97]

 

“countenance.  Then the Heavenly angels, who had bowed before Him in the royal courts, and who had watched His conflict with painful interest, ministered unto Him, strengthening Him with food, as He lay like one dying.  They had beheld with awe and amazement their Heavenly Commander passing through inexpressible suffering to achieve the salvation of man.  He had endured a more severe test than man would ever be called to bear.  But, as He lay emaciated and suffering, the angels brought messages of love and comfort from the Father, and an assurance that all Heaven triumphed in the victory He had gained for man.  Thus the great heart of Christ warmed to life again, and became strengthened for His coming work.

 

“The cost of the redemption of the race can never be fully realized by men until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer by the throne of God.”  2SP:96.

 

“Baffled and defeated, he had no sooner retired from the scene of conflict than he began to lay plans for blinding the understanding of the Jews, God’s chosen people, that they might not discern in Christ the world’s Redeemer.  He determined to fill their hearts with envy, jealousy, and hatred against the Son of God, so that they would not receive Him, but would make His life upon earth as bitter as possible.

 

“Satan held a counsel with his angels, as to the course they should pursue to prevent the people from having faith in Christ as the Messiah Whom the Jews had so long been anxiously expecting.  He was disappointed and enraged that he had prevailed nothing against Jesus by his manifold temptations.  But he now thought if he could inspire in the hearts of Christ’s Own people, unbelief as to His being the Promised One, he might discourage the Saviour in His mission and secure the Jews as his agents to carry out his own diabolical purposes.  So he went to work in his subtle manner, endeavoring to accomplish by strategy what he had failed to do by direct, personal effort.”  2SP:98.

 

“John, one of the new disciples, had searched for Christ and had found Him in His humiliation, emaciated, and bearing the marks of great physical and mental distress.  Jesus, unwilling that John should witness His humiliation, had gently yet firmly dismissed him from His presence.  He wished to be alone; no human eye must behold His agony, no human heart be called out in sympathy with His distress.”  2SP:99.2.

 

“Not only was food supplied to Him; supernatural restoration came. . . He could accept the companionship and service of the angels, since they came unbidden by Himself, sent direct from the Father, Whom He had honored by enduring the test under circumstances such as no human being will ever pass through.” ST, April 11, 1900, paragraph 5 (4ST:109).

 

“Then angels came and ministered unto Him.  Their arms encircled Him.  Upon the breast of the highest angel in Heaven His head rested.”  16MR:87.4; 4ST:153.

 

Matthew 4:12; Mark 6:17; Luke 7:19:  “John was cast into prison” = “Herod was inclined to act upon the advice of John, and stated to Herodias that he could not marry her in defiance of the Law of God.  But this determined woman would not be thwarted in her designs.  Intense hatred was awakened in her heart toward John.  Herod was weak in principle, vacillating in mind, and Herodias had no great difficulty in re-establishing herself in his favor, and holding her influence over him.  Herod yielded to the pleasures of sin, rather than submit to the restrictions of the Law of God.

 

“When Herodias had gained influence over Herod, she determined to be revenged upon the prophet for his daring to reprove their course of crime.  And she influenced him to imprison John.  But Herod intended to release him.”  2SP:70.

 

Matthew 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-20:  “straightway left their nets, and followed Him” = According to these accounts, we have very little information as to why they forsook all and followed Jesus.  However, if we read Luke 5:1-11 we learn better why besides just the testimony of John the Baptist.

 

Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10; Mark 1:17:  “follow Me” = “In coming to Christ the sinner consents to be elevated to the noblest ideal of man.”  3SP:257.

 

“Matthew ‘left all, rose up, and followed Him.’  There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship.  It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His Words, and unite with Him in His work.  So it was with the disciples previously called.  When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets.  Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Saviour’s invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family?  They were obedient to the call,” DA:273.

 

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people.  [Here is the formula: [(1)] The Saviour mingled with men as One Who desired their good.  [(2)] He showed His sympathy for them, [(3)] ministered to their needs, and [(4)] won their confidence.  Then He [(5)] bade them, “Follow Me.”  MH:143.

 

“I will make you fishers of men” = “Similar words were afterward addressed to the three other fishermen {see Luke 5:10}, when they were all upon the shore. . . Immediately after this they left their nets and boats and followed the Saviour.”  2SP:185.

 

4:21:  “John” = “John’s affection for his Master was not a mere human friendship, but the love of a repentant sinner, who felt that he had been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.  He esteemed it the highest honor to work and suffer in the service of his Lord.  His love for Jesus led him to love all for whom Christ died.  His religion was of a practical character.  He reasoned that love to God would be manifested in love to his children.  He was heard again and again to say, ‘Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.’ {1Jo. 4:11}. . . The apostle’s life was in harmony with his teachings.  The love which glowed in his heart for Christ, led him to put forth the most earnest, untiring labor for his fellow-men, especially for his brethren in the Christian Church.  He was a powerful preacher, fervent, and deeply in earnest, and his words carried with them a weight of conviction.”  RH, February 15, 1881.

 

Matthew 4:22; Mark 1:20:  “left the ship and their father” = According to Mark’s account, they also left  “the hired servants,” Mark 1:20.  Research shows that the fishermen of Galilee during the time of Christ ran a very profitable business, with many employees.  And that their goods were sold as far away as Egypt.

 

Matthew 4:23; Luke 9:6:  “preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom” = The literal meaning of the word, “Gospel,” is “Good News.”  It is assumed that “the Gospel” equals believing in “The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ,” as stated in Romans 10:9; and more specifically in First Corinthians 15:1-3, equaling “Christ died,: was buried, and that He rose again.”  However, according to these verses, those events had not yet taken place, and yet here, Christ is going about, “preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome.”  According to Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:1& 14, and many others, The Gospel equals everything to do with the Coming Messiah’s life and His actual life events.  Because Hebrews 4:2 teaches us that to the Israelites in Egypt “was the Gospel preached,” and was “preached before the Gospel unto Abraham,” Galatians 3:8, therefore, “the Gospel of the Kingdom” is Jesus stating that He, the Messiah has come.

 

By contrast, that the message and definition of the “Gospel” changed after the “death and resurrection” of Christ is clear from First Corinthians 15:1-4.

 

“Christ’s resurrection is placed in the very foreground of the foundation of the Christian Church.  This is a matter of the deepest importance.  The future of the Church militant depended on the fact that the same One that was crucified should come forth from the grave, proclaiming, ‘I Am the resurrection and the life.’ [John 11:25].  The resurrection of Christ is to Christianity as the soul is to the body.  It is the sum and substance of the truth of the inspired Word.  Christ’s life is the verification of the written Word.”  12LtMs, Ms:94, 1897, paragraph 32.

 

4:25:  “Decapolis” = This word broken down into two words means, “Deca,” equaling “ten,” and “polis,” meaning “cities.”  Thus, Decapolis means “ten cities.”

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

Chapters 5:ALL & 6:ALL & 7:ALL:  This section is called “The Beatitudes,” otherwise known as, “The Sermon on the Mount.”  The word “beatitude” is not found in the Word of God, the Bible.  It simply means “blessing” and comes from the Latin word for “blessed.”  There is a key phrase used by our Lord, which simply stated is, “Ye have heard that it was said,” see Matthew 5:21 & 27 & 33 & 43.  My point is that the “Sermon on the Mount” would not have worked with a different culture, i.e., audience.  For only with the Jewish culture can we be certain that they “had heard that it was said.”

 

5:1:  “He went up into a mountain” = “Jesus spent the entire night in prayer, while His disciples slept at the foot of the mountain.  About dawn He came and wakened them.  The disciples were now about to receive an office of sacred responsibility, second only to that of Christ Himself.  They were to be set apart for the gospel work.  They were to be linked with Jesus, to be with Him, to share His joys and trials, to receive His Teachings, and be faithful witnesses of His mighty works, that they might be able to impart the instruction thus gained to the world.  They were to be qualified so that Jesus could at times send them forth alone to teach and work even as He taught and worked.  Jesus wished His disciples to gain an experience in the gospel labor while He was on earth to comfort and direct them, so that they would be able to successfully continue the work after His death, and lay the foundation of the Christian Church.”  2SP:203.

 

“disciples” = We obtain our English word “discipline” from this Greek word, “mathetes.”  It means:  “learner,” “apprentice,” or “adherent.”  It depicts a person whose mind is set on a purpose.  In the New Testament, it is used mostly of Jesus’ disciples, especially in the Gospels.  A disciple, then, is a pupil or learner who is apprenticed to a master or teacher for the purpose of receiving instruction.  Therefore, there can be no disciple without a teacher.

 

From 6T:88 we read:  “When the great throngs gathered about the Saviour, He would give instruction to the disciples and to the multitude.  Then after the discourse the disciples would mingle with the people and repeat to them what Christ had said.  Often the hearers had misapplied Christ’s Words, and the disciples would tell them what the Scriptures said and what Christ had taught that they said.”

 

5:2:  “He opened His mouth” = “[203] Gathering His disciples about Him, Jesus bowed in their midst, and, laying His hands upon their heads, offered a prayer, dedicating them to His sacred Work.  Thus were the Lord’s disciples ordained to the gospel ministry.  This being [204]

 

“accomplished, Jesus with His companions returned to the sea-side, where the multitudes were already gathering to hear Him.  Many of them were there for the purpose of being relieved of various maladies.  Here He healed the sick and comforted the sorrowing, until the crowd increased so that there was not room for them upon the narrow beach.  Jesus therefore moved up the mountain to a level space where the people could be accommodated.  Here Jesus called His disciples near Him, that the great truths He uttered might not fail to be indelibly impressed upon their minds, and that nothing might divert their attention from His Words.

 

“Though the disciples were close about Him, and His Words seemed specially addressed to them, yet they were also designed to reach the hearts and consciences of the mixed crowd there assembled.  At every large gathering of this kind, the people still expected that Jesus would make some great display of power in regard to the new kingdom of which He had spoken.  The believing Jews looked for Him to free them from the yoke of bondage and reinstate them in their ancient glory.  But in His Sermon on the mount Christ disappointed their hopes of earthly glory.  He opened His discourse by stating the principles that should govern His Kingdom of Divine grace, as contained in the several beatitudes.”  2SP:203-204.

 

“The Words which He spoke from the pillar of cloud in the wilderness were the same as He spoke in His sermon on the mount.”  ST, September 5, 1895.

 

5:3-11:  “Blessed” = The Greek is “G3107; Makcarios,” meaning in Jewish thought process, One who has “the good life.”

 

Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit” = See Isaiah 66:2.  This is our attitude toward ourselves, in which we feel our need and admit it.

 

“The poor in spirit are those who claim no personal merit, and boast of no virtue in themselves.”  2SP:204.

 

The best way to explain “poor in spirit” is to look at it as if our Lord spoke its opposite:  “Blessed are the exalted in spirit!”  Now can you see how looking at its (“poor”) opposite helps to explain or Lord’s terminology.

 

“ ‘Poor in Spirit’ (Those who are not self-exalted, but candid, and of a humble disposition, not too proud to be taught, not vain and ambitious for the honors of the world).”  2T:631.

 

5:4:  “Blessed are they that mourn” = See Isaiah 61:2-3 & Job 5:11.  This does NOT mean sorrow over a family member’s death, or the like.  This is our attitude toward sin, a true sorrow for sin.  God blesses those who mourn over those things that break God’s heart.

 

“Blessed are they that realize their poverty, their lost and undone condition, and mourn over their sins and errors.” 1PRC:356; BEcho, June 1, 1892.

 

“The mourning spoken of by Christ is a Godly sorrow for sin, that works repentance unto eternal life.”  2SP:205.

 

“. . .they that mourn (those who are penitential, submissive, and who grieve over their failures and errors because the Spirit of God is grieved).”  2T:631.

 

Matthew 5:4; Luke 6:21:  “Blessed are they that mourn” = “The mourning spoken of by Christ is a godly sorrow for sin, that works repentance unto eternal life.”  2SP:205.

 

“To confess and deplore one’s errors evinces an excellence of character capable of discerning and correcting them.”  2SP:206.


5:5:  “Blessed are the meek” = The Greek for “meek” is “G4239; praus,” meaning, “mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness.”  However, in Greek literature we get a better picture of this word.  It really means, to be very strong, both mentally and physically, but in control of yourself.  By contrast, where this passage of our Lord really comes from is Psalm 37:11, where the Hebrew is “H6035; anav/anayv,” meaning, “poor, weak, needy, humble.”  Therefore, I believe our Lord is telling us to put more strength behind our meekness.  There is a difference between being a Passivist and someone who chooses to hold back the ability to conduct violence.  If you are not willing to defend yourself (total Passivism), then violet people will always be violent towards you.

 

“. . .meek (those who are gentle and forgiving, who, when reviled, will not revile again, but who manifest a teachable spirit, and do not hold themselves in high esteem)’.”  2T:631.

 

5:6:  “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness” = See Psalm 106:3.  Herein is described our attitude toward God in which we receive His righteousness by faith because we ask for and desire it above any other earthly desire.

 

“But a majority of those who listened to Jesus hungered only for worldly advantages and honor.  Especially did the self-exaltation of the Pharisees prevent them from longing for any higher attainments than they had already reached, for in their own estimation they were at the very pinnacle of perfect righteousness.  However, there were many who heard thankfully the lessons of Jesus, and from that time, shaped their lives according to His teachings.”  2SP:208.

 

5:7:  “Blessed are the merciful” = See Psalm 41:1.  Herein is described our attitude towards others, in that we have a forgiving spirit and love others.

 

“Here Jesus struck a blow at the arrogance and cruel intolerance of the Jews.  Both priests and people were, as a rule, overbearing, quarreling with all who opposed them, severely critical and resentful of any reflection cast upon their own acts. . . The Saviour desired to teach His followers a lesson of mercy that they should not be wanting in that tender compassion which pities and aids the suffering and erring, and avoids magnifying the faults of others.”  2SP:208.

 

5:8:  “Blessed are the pure in heart” = See Psalm 15:1-2.  The concept is that we keep our lives and motives clean. Holiness is happiness to us and there are no substitutes.

 

“[208] Jesus declared that the pure in heart should [209] see God.  They would recognize Him in the Person of His Son, Who was sent to the world for the salvation of the human race.  Their minds, being cleansed and occupied with pure thoughts, would more clearly discover the Creator in the Works of His mighty hand, in the things of beauty and magnificence which comprise the universe.  They would live as in the visible presence of the Almighty, in a world of His creation, during the time that He apportions them here.  They would also see God in the future immortal state, as did Adam when he walked and talked with God in Eden.  Even now the pure in heart see God. . .” 2SP:208-209.

 

5:9:  “Blessed are the peacemakers” = See Psalm 34:14.  We are instructed to bring peace, both between people and God, and between those who are at odds with each other.

 

“Our Heavenly Father is a God of peace.  When he created man He placed him in an abode of peace and security.  All was unity and happiness in the garden of Eden.  Those who are partakers of the Divine Nature will love peace and contentment; they will cultivate the virtues that insure those results.  They will seek to allay wrath, to quiet resentment and fault finding, and all the evil passions that foster quarrels and dissensions.”  2SP:209.

 

“The true Christian will in his intercourse with men suppress words that would tend to produce unnecessary anger and strife.  All Heaven is at peace, and those who are closely connected with Christ will be in harmony with Heaven.”  2SP:210.

 

“Men cannot manufacture peace.  Human plans for the purification and uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of producing peace, because they do not reach the heart.”  DA:305.

 

Matthew 5:10; Luke 6:22:  “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” = See Psalm 34:15.  All who live godly lives will suffer persecution.

 

“[210] The multitudes were amazed at this doctrine, so at variance with the precepts and example of the scribes and Pharisees.  The people had imbibed the idea from them that happiness consisted in the possession of the things of this world, and that fame and the honor of men were much to be coveted.  It was very pleasing to be called ‘Rabbi,’ and to be extolled as very wise and religious, having their virtues paraded before the public.  This was considered the crown of happiness.  But Jesus, in the presence of that vast throng, declared that earthly gain and honor was all the reward such persons would ever receive.  Jesus spoke with certainty, and a convincing power attended His Words.  The people were silenced, and a feeling of fear crept over them.  They looked at each other doubtfully.  Who of them would be saved if this Man’s teachings were true?  Many were deeply convicted that this remarkable Teacher was actuated by the Spirit of God, and that the sentiments He Uttered were Divine.

 

“These lessons of instruction were particularly [211] calculated to benefit the disciples, whose lives would be governed by the principles therein taught.  It was to be their work to impart the Divine knowledge they derived from Jesus, to the world.  It was their task to spread the gospel far and wide among the people of all lands, and it was very important that all the lessons of Jesus should be plain to their minds, stamped upon their memories, and incorporated in their lives.  Every truth was to be stored away in their minds and hearts for future use.

 

“After Jesus had explained to the people what constituted true happiness, and how it could be obtained, He more definitely pointed out the duty of His disciples, as teachers chosen of God to lead others into the path of righteousness and eternal life.  He knew that they would often suffer from disappointment and discouragement, that they would meet with decided opposition, that they would be insulted, and their testimony rejected.  His penetrating eye looked down the coming years of their ministry, and saw the sorrow and abuse that would attend their efforts to lead men to salvation.  Well He knew that the humble men who listened so attentively to His Words were to bear, in the fulfillment of their mission, calumny, torture, imprisonment and death,” 2SP:210-211.

 

5:11:  “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you” = “[211] Jesus here [212] shows them that at the very time when they are experiencing great suffering in His cause, they have reason to be glad, and recognize that their afflictions are profitable to them, having an influence to wean their affections from the world and concentrate them upon Heaven.  He taught them that their losses and disappointments would result in actual gain, that the severe trials of their faith and patience should be cheerfully accepted, rather than dreaded and avoided.  These afflictions were God’s agents to refine and fit them for their peculiar work, and would add to the precious reward that awaited them in Heaven.  He charged them, when persecuted by men, not to lose confidence, nor become depressed and mourn over their hard lot, but to remember that righteous men of the past had likewise suffered for their obedience.”  2SP:211-212.

 

5:12:  “Rejoice” = “[212] Those things which seem to the Christian most grievous to be borne often prove his greatest blessing.  Reproach and falsehood have ever followed those who were faithful in the discharge of duty.  A righteous character, though blackened in reputation by slander and falsehood, will preserve the purity of its virtue and excellence.  Trampled in the mire, or exalted to Heaven, the Christian’s life should be the same, and the proud consciousness of innocence is its own reward.  The persecution of enemies tests the foundation upon which the reputation really rests.  Sooner or later it is revealed to the world whether or not the evil reports were true, or were the [213]

 

“poisoned shafts of malice and revenge.  Constancy in serving God is the only safe manner of settling such questions.  Jesus would have His people use great care to give the enemies of His cause no ground to condemn their holy faith.  No wrong action should cast a stigma upon its purity.  When all arguments fail, the slanderers frequently open their galling fire upon the besieged servants of God; but their lying tongues eventually bring curses upon themselves.”  2SP:212-213.

 

Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34:  “Ye are the salt of the earth” = See Leviticus 2:13.  When one thinks of the purposes of “salt,” two purposes stand out.  One is to add flavor; another is to be a preserver.  Should the “salt” be left unused for awhile, it will go bad.  So the Christian who does not use his God given talents will lose any ability to minister to others.  When Jesus used the metaphor of “salt” He was not talking about Christian’s flavoring society.  He was talking about the preservation value of “salt” where Christians are to be the preservers of eternal truth.  Another purpose of “salt” is to create thirst.  It makes us thirsty for our Lord and His Word.  And finally, one must have “salt” in their diet or you will die.

 

In a side note, a little salt was used as a fertilizer by the Jews, Romans, and Chinese, as a manure additive.  And oppositely, armies would over salt their enemy’s field to make it unproductive.  An example would be what the Dead Sea Valley looks like, producing nothing.  This is recognized in Luke 14:35.  Christians are to be the manure of the soil.  They are the ones that are supposed to help make things grow.  Salt does not change the item.  It brings out the tastiness of it.  So Christians are to help bring out the good properties of individuals.  Help them to grow in their Christian Walk.  And lastly, you can be the person that goes to the “dunghill” places of the earth and brings home flowers.

 

“The people could see the white salt, glistening in the pathway, where it had been cast out because it had lost its savor and was therefore useless.  Jesus used salt as an illustration of the Christian’s life and teachings upon the world.  Were it not for the few righteous who inhabit the earth, the wrath of God would not be delayed a moment from punishing the wicked.  But the prayers and good works of the people of God preserve the world; they are the savor of life.  But if Christians are only so in name, if they have not virtuous characters and Godly lives, they are like the salt that has lost its savor.  Their influence upon the world is bad; they are worse than unbelievers.”  2SP:214.  See Second Kings 2:19-22.

 

“Salt is valued for its preservative properties; and when God calls His children salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others.  The object of God in choosing a people before all the world was not only that He might adopt them as His sons and daughters, but that through them the world might receive the grace that bringeth salvation.”  MB:35.

 

“Christians who are purified through the truth will possess saving qualities that preserve the world from utter moral corruption. . . Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate and infuse in order to preserve.  So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the Gospel.  They are not saved in masses, but as individuals.  Personal influence is a power.  We must come close to those whom we desire to benefit. . . The savor of the salt represents the vital power of the Christian -- the love of Jesus in the heart, the righteousness of Christ pervading the life.  The Love of Christ is diffusive and aggressive.”  MB:36.

 

“[36] Jesus added the solemn warning:  ‘If the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.’ [37] As they listened to the Words of Christ, the people could see the white salt glistening in the pathways where it had been cast out because it had lost its savor and was therefore useless.  It well represented the condition of the Pharisees and the effect of their religion upon society.  It represents the life of every soul from whom the power of the grace of God has departed and who has become cold and Christless.”  MB:36-37.

 

5:14:  “Ye are the light of the world” = “[214] Jesus took objects in the view of his listeners as emblems by which to teach his truth. The people had come together to hear him while it was yet early morning.  The glorious sun, climbing higher and higher in the blue sky, was chasing away the shadows that lurked in the valleys and among the narrow defiles of the mountains.  The glory of the eastern heavens had not yet faded out.  The sunlight flooded the land with its splendor, the placid surface of the lake reflected the golden light, and mirrored the rosy clouds of morning.  Every bud and flower and leafy spray glistened with dew-drops.  Nature smiled under the benediction of a new day, and the birds sang sweetly among the spreading trees.  The Saviour looked upon the company before him, and then upon the rising sun, and said to his disciples, ‘Ye are the [215]

 

“light of the world.’  The figure was peculiarly striking.  As the sun lit up the landscape with his genial rays and scattered the shades of night, so the disciples were to diffuse the light of truth, and scatter the moral darkness that brooded over the world.”  2SP:214-215.

 

“A city that is set on an hill” = “In the brilliant light of morning the towns and villages situated upon the surrounding hills stood forth clearly and made an attractive feature of the scene.  Jesus, pointing to them said {verse quoted}.”  2SP:215.

 

5:17:  “Think not” = Here is where most Christians STOP to “Think” reasonably anymore.

 

“to destroy the Law” = “Jesus severely criticized the false interpretations which the Jews had given to the Law, yet He sufficiently guarded His disciples against the danger of yielding up the vital truths given to the Hebrews.  Jesus came not to destroy their confidence in the instruction which He Himself had given them through Moses in the wilderness. But, while He taught them due reverence for that Law, He desired to lead them on to higher truths and a greater knowledge, that they might advance into clearer light.”  2SP:217.1.

 

“fulfil” = The Greek word used here is, “G4137; pleroo,” meaning, “to fulfil, i.e., to cause God’s Will; to be obeyed as it should be; to receive fulfilment.”  It is derived from “pleres,” which is derived from “pletho,” meaning:  “Accomplish, execute, satisfy, verify (or coincide with a prediction), furnish, perfect, supply, complete, end, expire, cover over, replete (abounding, plentifully supplied, gorged, to refill or fill to overflowing).”  Thus, the concept and true meaning behind the Greek word and Jewish thought process and understanding is:  “to fill full of meaning.”

 

To prove this point, or better, to see that it does NOT mean everything is now canceled, the same Greek word is used in Matthew 3:15, where Jesus spoke concerning His baptism, “suffer it to be so now:  for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”  Surely, we are not then to conclude that there is no longer any righteousness or need for baptism.  According to Matthew 2:23, we no longer need to refer to Jesus as being “called a Nazarene,” because that has been “fulfilled.”

 

If we see how Paul uses this phrase, in Romans 8:4, “the righteousness of the Law” has been “fulfilled.”  Therefore, can we now disregard God’s Holy Law and lie, steal, fornicate, etcetera?  In Colossians 1:25, he states, “wherefore I am made a minister. . . to fulfil the Word of God.”  Now I hope you can see that this does not mean to bring the Word of God to an end, but rather to fully carry it out in obedience to It.  In Galatians 6:2, Paul states, “Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ.”  Now, not one Christian believes that the “Law of Christ” has been abolished by this statement, and by contrast, neither should any come to the conclusion that we no longer need to help our fellow human beings with their “burdens,” or that “the Law, or the prophets” has been abolished here in Matthew 5:17.  Lastly, Romans 13:8-10 tells how to “fulfil” the Law, and that is by “obedience” to It (see also Luke 16:17; Php. 2:2; Col. 4:17; 2Th. 1:11).

 

“[292] In fulfilling ‘all righteousness,’ Christ did not bring all righteousness to an end.  He fulfilled all the requirements of God in repentance, faith, and baptism, the steps in grace in genuine conversion.  In His humanity Christ filled up the measure of the Law’s requirements.  He was the head of humanity, Its substitute and surety.  Human beings, by uniting their weakness to the Divine nature of Christ, may become partakers of His character.

 

“Christ came to give an example of the perfect conformity to the Law of God required of Adam, the first man, down to the last man that shall live on the earth.  He declares that His mission is not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill It in perfect and entire obedience.

 

“In this way He magnified the Law and made It honorable.  In His life He revealed Its spiritual nature, He revealed to Heavenly beings, to worlds unfallen, to a disobedient, unthankful, unholy world, that He fulfilled the far-reaching principles of the Law.  He came to demonstrate the fact that humanity, allied by living faith to Divinity, can keep all God’s Commandments.

 

“The typical offerings pointed to Christ, and when the perfect sacrifice was made, the sacrificial offerings were no longer acceptable to God.  Type met antitype in the death of the only begotten Son of God.  He came to make plain the immutable character of the Law, to declare that disobedience and [293] transgression could never be rewarded by God with eternal life.”  10MR:292-293; RH, November 15, 1898.

 

5:18:  “verily” = Greek, meaning “Amen.”  From the Hebrew word “Amen,” meaning:  “firm, established, sure.”  Jesus’ use of “Amen” to confirm and to strengthen His Own saying is peculiar to Him.  Many of His sayings are introduced by the phrase, “Verily.”

 

“Till heaven and earth pass. . . till all be fulfilled”.= Most scholars agree (see R. G. France; John G. Moxy; Robert Jay Bains), that these are idiomatic statements, such as, “Till Hell freezes over,” meaning, it’s not going to happen.

 

5:19:  “shall break One of these least Commandments” = “Least” only in the sense of the Law breaker.

 

“If the Law of God could have been changed or abolished, then Christ need not have come to a fallen world to suffer the consequence of man’s transgression.  Jesus came to explain the relation of the Law of God to man, and to illustrate Its Precepts by His Own example of obedience.”  2SP:218.1.

 

“and shall teach men so” = “Those who disobey the Commandments of God, and teach others to do the same by their example and doctrine, are condemned by Christ.  They are the children of the wicked one, who was the first rebel against the Law of God.”  2SP:218.1.

 

“called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven” = This would be referring to “the scribes and Pharisees” of verse 20, who “shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Therefore, “least” is in the sense of being “least” in the cosmos of existence, i.e., people in Heaven would call people who will not enter Heaven “least” in the universe.

 

5:20:  “righteousness shall exceed” = The “righteousness” that the “scribes and Pharisees” had was their attempt to keep the Law of God as they understood it.

 

“The righteousness here taught was conformity of the heart and life to the revealed Will of God.”  2SP:218.2.

 

“shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” = “Jesus declared to the multitude assembled to hear Him, to the Pharisees, who sought to accuse Him of lightly regarding the Law, and to the people of all time, that the Precepts of Jehovah were immutable and eternal.”  2SP:219.1.

 

5:22:  “angry with his brother without a cause” = Meaning without a righteous cause:  See Genesis 4:6; Psalm 7:4; 35:19; 37:8; 69:4; 109:3; Lamentations 3:52.

 

“The report had been brought of murder and robbery in the wild region near Capernaum, and there was a general expression of indignation and horror in consequence among those who were assembled to hear Jesus.  The Divine Teacher took advantage of this circumstance to point an important lesson. . . Here Jesus describes murder as first existing in the mind. That malice and revenge which would delight in deeds of [220] violence is of itself murder.” 2SP:219-220.

 

5:28:  “lust” = The Greek word for “lust” is “epithumeo,” which in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint/LXX) is translated as “covet.”  So, it is also in the New Testament in Acts 20:33; Romans 7:7; 13:9.  The point is, when you think those thoughts to the point that if you had the opportunity, you would perform the act.

 

“committed adultery with her already” = God’s Law demands that sin not only be avoided but that it be hated with perfect and instant hatred.  Where there is any secret inclination to evil, the Law condemns a person as if the evil had been done.  See Exodus 20:17; Job 31:1, 9-11; Proverbs 6:25; Malachi 2:14-16.  In a side note, Jesus was attacking the Pharisaical practice of believing this Commandment only applied to women.

 

“[221] While Jesus is teaching, there are pleasure-boats upon the water, and it is evident to all that the idlers who occupy them are disreputable characters.  The listening people expect Jesus to severely denounce this class, but are surprised when He declares [verses 27 & 28 quoted]. . .

 

“Those who have looked upon the guilty characters who lead lives of sensual dissipation as sinners above all others, are astonished to hear Jesus assert that those who cherish lascivious thoughts are as guilty at heart as the shameless violators of the Seventh Commandment.  Jesus condemned the custom then existing of a man putting away his wife for trivial offenses.  This practice led to great wretchedness and crime.  Jesus strikes at the primary cause of the laxness with which the marriage relation was held, when He condemns the unholy passions which find the marriage institution a barrier to the gratification of their lust.  Christ would have the marriage relation hedged about with judicial restrictions, so that [222] there could be no legal separation between husband and wife, save for the cause of adultery.”

 

“Many who had regarded the Commandments as prohibiting actual crime but reaching no farther, now perceive that the Law of God should be obeyed in spirit as well as in Letter.  In this manner Jesus takes up the Commandments separately and explains the depth and breadth of Their Requirements, exposing the fatal mistake of the Jews in their merely outward obedience.”  2SP:221-222.

 

“Christ presented before His disciples the far-reaching principles of the Law of God.  He taught His hearers that the Law was transgressed by the thoughts before the evil desire was carried out in actual commission.”  3BC:1145.

 

Matthew 5:29-30; Mark 9:43:  “one of thy members should perish” = Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice.  That which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul.  If something is as useful or dear to you as a hand or eye, if it hinders or slackens you in the ways of God, renounce all intercourse with it, be it person or thing.  Our Lord wanted to show the heinousness of the crimes committed; to express an abhorrence of them; and to deter persons from them; and to show that it is better that the hand be cut off, or it should be more eligible to the person himself to have it cut off, than to be guilty of such evil.  Our Lord thus directs us to what is most proper and fit to be done; even to part with what is ever so near and dear, rather than to be drawn into evil by it.  Thus, it is better to part with everything here, even if it is useful and pleasurable, if it is detrimental to you, and rather enjoy what is spiritually good, and ultimately, enter into and enjoy eternal life.

 

To actually cut ones hand off would not necessarily change the attitude of the offender (notice also that only the “right eye,” is mentioned, see Matthew 5:29, leaving the left one to do its duty if there is no heart attitude change).  For as one might put out his eyes without in the least quenching the lust to which they ministered, our Lord certainly means that we are to strike at the root of such unholy dispositions, as well as to cut off the occasions which tend to stimulate them.  And the bottom line is that victory over the desires of the heart must be attended with painful exertions.  But it must be done.  Everything is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them.

 

All our senses and powers must be kept from those things, which lead to transgression.  Jesus is powerfully pleading for self-mastery.  It is not the mutilating of the body that Christ enjoins, but control of the body against sin.  The Hebrews, like others, were accustomed to represent the affections of the mind by the members or parts of the body, Romans 6:13; 7:23.  Thus, the bowels denoted compassion; the heart, affection or feeling; meaning the reins, understanding, and secret purpose.  An evil eye denotes sometimes envy, as in Matthew 20:15, and sometimes an evil passion, or sin in general.  In Mark 7:21-22 we read, “out of the heart proceedeth an evil eye.”  In this place, as in Second Peter 2:14, the expression is used to denote strong adulterous passion, unlawful desire, or wicked inclination.  The right eye and hand are mentioned because they are of most use to us, and denote that, however strong the passion may be, or difficult to part with, yet we should do it.

 

We must shut our senses against dangerous objects to avoid the occasions of sin, and deprive ourselves of all that is most dear and profitable to us, in order to save our souls, when we find that these dear and profitable things, however innocent in themselves, cause us to sin against God.

 

“Anything by which we fall, or are ensnared, is applied to morals, and anything that is used as the means to which we fell into sin, or by which we are ensnared.  Christ’s design was to teach that the dearest objects, if they cause us to sin, are to be abandoned; that by all sacrifices and self-denials we must overcome the evil propensities of our nature, and resist our wanton imaginations.  Not one moment’s truce with an evil passion or a sinful appetite should be entertained. If you indulge them, they will gain strength, and you shall be ruined.  Bottom line:  what our Lord is really doing is dramatizing the seriousness of offending the Father, and to be free of sin.

 

“Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice.  That which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul.”  DA:439.

 

5:32:  “Whosoever shall put away his wife” = Here is my Mark 10:11-12 Note:  “[11] Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. [12] And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” = This is very interesting, in that this instruction does not follow the original instruction in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which is spelled out and followed in Matthew 5:31-32.  What do I mean?  The instruction in Deuteronomy states that you first (1) must find “some uncleanness in her,” verse 1 [i.e., not a virgin; commits adultery; and according to Paul in First Corinthians 7:10-16, that an unbeliever depart, or in Deuteronomy’s case, a non Jew depart; or they admit they were not a Jew or Christian in the first place; or change their mind later].  Then second (2), you must “write her a bill of divorcement,” also verse 1.  Then third (3), after doing steps one and two, you can “send her out of his house.”  Only by performing these three steps can you be allowed to divorce your wife (or husband according to Matthew).

 

What we discover in the Matthew, Chapter Fives account, is this process spelled out just as Jesus gave it to the Israelites in the desert.  However, in Mark’s account, Jesus must be speaking of a different situation.  There, Jesus says, if you put away your wife, notice, without divorcing her, and then go “marry another,” you, not the wife, are committing “adultery against her.”  And the same is true for the wife.

 

In the Matthew 19:9 account, the point for the man’s doings is clear.  He “committeth adultery” if he puts her away.   The point of the woman’s side is “except it be for fornication.”  In other words, if she committed “fornication,” while married, then she “doth commit adultery” if she remarries.  But she is clear if not an adulterer, especially when we read Deuteronomy 24:2, from which this instruction comes from, and is clear, “she may go and be another man’s wife.”  Our God is bigger than all of this.  If He cannot forgive this couple, then we are all lost.  These are just general principles.  However, I pray you find yourself on the right side of the Law.

 

5:34:  “Swear not at all” = Or better, “swear falsely.”  See Deuteronomy 23:21-22.  The Hebrew word for “swear” is “omnuo,” with a sub word of “epiorkeo,” which means, “to swear falsely.”  This makes more sense.  For if we go to Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20 (see also Num. 30:2), we can see that we are supposed to “swear” something.  This is the only thing (Being = God) Biblically that we are to swear to or swear by.  And since we know that Jesus cannot add to the Torah nor take away from the Torah (Deu. 4:2; 12:32; Pro. 30:6; Rev. 22:18), we can know that Jesus stated, “Swear not at all falsely.”  All of this is really brought out in Matthew 23:16-22, where Jesus points out the false swearing’s of the Pharisees and the True One you are to swear by.  Therefore, we are not to swear falsely by anything other than God.

 

“The Third Commandment condemns the profane swearer, but the spirit of the Precept reaches farther still, and forbids that the Name of God be introduced into the conversation in a careless or irreverent manner.  Many, even of the professed followers of Christ, are in the habit of using lightly the Name of God, and, even in their prayers and exhortations, do not use the Supreme Name with a proper solemnity.”  2SP:222.

 

5:38-42:  “eye for an eye” = Jesus is not here repudiating the Law in Exodus.  In Matthew, Chapter 4, when dealing with the devil, Jesus is clear about the Law by stating, “It is written.”  But when we get to the fifth Chapter and what is known as “The Sermon On The Mount,” Jesus changes His approach by stating, “Ye have heard.”  In other words, He is teaching the crowd that they have misunderstood the instructions given to them; as you have if you need an explanation here.

 

In Exodus 23:4, the Law is clear that if your “enemy’s ox” ends up in your possession, you should return it to him.  Proverbs 25:21 teaches, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.” And other examples.  This is hardly an “eye for an eye” use of that instruction.  What Jesus is really doing here is teaching His audience that “eye for an eye” is not to be used in some sort of vigilante type of justification for your own advantage.

 

Here is my Exodus 21:24 Note:  Proverbs 24:29 states, “Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me.”  AndMatthew 5:38-39 seems to contradict this instruction.  However, “eye for an eye” is in regard to civil law and would be presided over by a judge to determine who is at fault and what punishment need be applied.  Whereas, Proverbs and Matthew are forgiving another an injustice done to someone personally.

 

This discourse was proceeded by:  “[222] A detachment of the Roman troops was encamped near by, on the sea-shore, and Jesus is now interrupted by the loud blast of the trumpet which is the signal for the soldiers to assemble on the plain below.  They form in the regular order, bowing in homage to the Roman standard which is uplifted before them.  With bitterness the Jews look upon this scene which reminds them of their own degradation as a nation.  Presently messengers are dispatched from the army, with orders to various distant posts.  As they toil up the abrupt bank that borders the shore, they are brought near to the listening crowd that surrounds Jesus, and they force some of the Jewish [223]

 

“peasants to carry their burdens for them up the steep ascent. The peasants resist this act of oppression, and address their persecutors with violent language; but they are finally compelled to obey the soldiers, and perform the menial task required of them. This exhibition of Roman authority stirs the people with indignation, and they turn eagerly to hear what the great Teacher will say of this cruel act of oppression. With sadness, because of the sins which had brought the Jews into such bondage, Jesus looks upon the shameful scene. He also notes the hatred and revenge stamped upon the faces of the Jews, and knows how bitterly they long for power to crush their oppressors. Mournfully he says: [verses 38-42 quoted].”  2SP:222-223.

 

5:39:  “resist not evil” = The Greek word used here for “resist” is “anthistemi,” meaning, “to set oneself against,” or, “to oppose” in a confrontational way.  What our Lord is teaching is that when Christians become the object of an evil action, they are expected not to react in kind. 

 

“whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” = See Lamentations 3:30; Isaiah 50:6.  The Greek word used here for “smite” is “rhapizo,” and really means, “to slap,” as with an insult; as opposed to a full-out fistfight.  Thus, in keeping in context with the discourse of our Lord above, our natural response to an insult is to retaliate with one ourselves.  And although Christians may have the “right” to retaliate, they must abandon their “right” to do so.

 

5:40:  “and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also” = Our Lord is continuing on in this third example against verse 38’s admonition of, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” in not retaliating under any circumstance, even if it means deep humiliation.  Christians are to use these opportunities as an occasion for service, not retaliation.

 

5:42:  “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” = The Word of God always teaches balance (see 2Th. 3:10).

 

5:43-44:  “Love your enemies” = Christ Commands us to Love our neighbors and our enemies, not only because it is the Godly thing to do, but because it may be that someday (by the providence of God) our enemies often turn out to be our neighbors.  See Exodus 23:4-5; Second Kings 6:22; Psalm 35:13-14; Proverbs 25:21.

 

5:48:  “Be ye therefore perfect” = See my MOST IMPORTANT Bible Study in my portfolio:  “PERFECTION REQUIRED.”

 

“Perfection alone can meet the standard of Heaven.  As God Hmself is perfect in His exalted sphere, so should His children be perfect in the humble sphere they occupy.  Thus only can they be fit for the companionship of sinless beings in the Kingdom of Heaven.”  2SP:225.​

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

 

6:3:  “left hand know what they right hand doeth” = “This lesson of Jesus to his disciples was to rebuke those who wished to receive glory of men.  They performed their alms-giving upon some very public gathering; and before doing this, a public proclamation was made of their generosity before the people, and many gave large sums merely to have their names exalted by men.  And the means given in this manner was often extorted from others by oppressing the hireling in his wages, and grinding the face of the poor.”  2SG:234.

 

6:8:  “vain repetitions” = “[101] By the expression ‘vain repetitions’ the Saviour meant words without meaning, words oft repeated without corresponding thought or proper understanding, words spoken without true and earnest desire. God is not pleased with a careless, unmeaning repetition of many words. . . [102] Short, heart-felt prayers, right to the point, offered with an earnestness corresponding to the soul-hunger for the Holy Spirit, are not wearisome to God.”  18MR:101-102.

 

Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2:  “Our Father” = By Jesus teaching His disciples to pray with “Our Father,” He was showing them that they were not praying to an abstract, but to a God Who is real.

 

“The word ‘our’ expresses a sense of human brotherhood [as opposed to the normal Old Testament expression, “my Lord,” expressing individuality when “our” could have been much more appropriate]; the word ‘Father’ that of childlike trust.  In ancient time there was usually associated with the name ‘Father’ all the affection and tenderness now centered in the word ‘mother. . .’ The offering of this prayer by one who realizes his weakness makes the temptation of the enemy powerless.”  ST, March 29, 1905; YI, December 7, 1899.

 

“Hallowed be Thy Name” = “When you pray, ‘Hallowed be Thy name,’ you ask that it may be hallowed in this world, hallowed in you.  God has acknowledged you before men and angels as His child; pray that you may do no dishonor to the ‘worthy name by which ye are called.’ [James 2:7].”  ST, October 28, 1903; AG:94; MB:107.

 

6:9-13:  “as we forgive our debtors” = Commonly known as “The Lord’s Prayer” (with our true “Lord’s Prayer” being found in John, Chapter 17), what is interesting to note, is that although there are many things to learn from this prayer, Jesus only focuses upon one dynamic, i.e., “as we forgive our debtors,” as expressed in His follow-up in verses 14-15.

 

6:11:  “this day” = “As our day is so our strength will be.”  ST, September 25, 1893.

 

“daily bread” = “ ‘Give us this day our daily bread,’ refer not only to temporal food, but to spiritual food, which brings everlasting life to the receiver.  When we believe and receive Christ’s Word, we eat His flesh and drink His blood.”  YI, July 13, 1899.

 

“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever” = Shows that we acknowledge that there is one greater than ourselves.

 

6:12:  “forgive us our debts” = Jesus responds to our confessions with the giving of us more responsibility.  But the true translation of “debts” is spelled out in Luke 11:4, which is, “forgive us our sins.”  If someone “sins” against us, they become indebted to us in the form of repayment.  Our repayment to being indebted to God is to then live a righteous life.

 

6:15:  “forgive not men their trespasses” = “He who is unforgiving cuts off the very channel through which alone he can receive mercy from God.  We are to have a spirit of compassion toward those who have trespassed against us, whether or not they confess their faults.”  ST, November 4, 1903; ST, March 29, 1905; FLB:131; AG:328; MB:113; GMM, January 7, 1914.

 

6:33:  “Kingdom of God” = “As used in the Bible, the expression ‘kingdom of God’ is employed to designate both the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory.”  GC:347.

 

“and all these things” = “. . . ‘and all these things (the things needful for this life)’.”  ST, December 15, 1898.

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

7:1:  “Judge not” = In verses 2-5 it becomes evident that verse one is referring to hypocritical judgment (verse 5) and not canceling judgment altogether.  The fact that we are to administer Biblical judgment becomes clear in these verses: John 7:24; Romans 16:17; First Corinthians 5:3 & 12 & 13; Galatians 2:11; Titus 1:13; First John 4:1; Revelation 2:2.  See also my Bible Study:  “NON-ASSOCIATES.”

 

“Do not think yourself better than other men, and set yourself up as their judge.  Since you cannot discern motive, you are incapable of judging another.  In criticizing him, you are passing sentence upon yourself; for you show that you are a participant with Satan, the accuser of the brethren.  The Lord says, ‘Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.’  This is our work.”  DA:314.

 

“[123] The Pharisees were of this class.  They came forth from their religious services, not humbled with a sense of their own weakness, not grateful for the great privileges that God had given them.  They came forth filled with spiritual pride, and their theme was, ‘Myself, my feelings, my knowledge, my ways.’  Their own attainments became the standard by which they judged others.  Putting on the robes of self-dignity, they mounted the judgment seat to criticize and condemn.

 

“The people partook largely of the same spirit, intruding upon the province of conscience and judging [124] one another in matters that lay between the soul and God.  It was in reference to this spirit and practice that Jesus said, ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged.’  That is, do not set yourself up as a standard.  Do not make your opinions, your views of duty, your interpretations of Scripture, a criterion for others and in your heart condemn them if they do not come up to your ideal.  Do not criticize others, conjecturing as to their motives and passing judgment upon them.”  MB:123-124; GMM, January 7, 1914 par. 4.

 

“Christ does not here teach that members of the Church who are unworthy shall not be dealt with according to the rules that he himself has given.  And in this same Chapter He warns us to beware of false prophets, and says, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’  But Christ puts His rebuke upon those who are criticizing others, upon those who are self-sufficient, presumptuous, and censorious, judging the motives of others, and seeking to condemn them.  This class give evidence that they are looking for failings in others, and these are what they will see and comment upon.  They pass by many estimable qualities, to dwell upon and distort and magnify seeming inconsistencies.”  ST, March 14, 1892 par. 1.

 

Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9:  “Ask, and it shall be given you” = “He [God] is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those that ask Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children.”  RH, June 12, 1855.

 

Matthew 7:8; Luke 11:10:  “every one that asketh receiveth” = “Christ is here presenting a Law of the Divine government.  Asking for the Holy Spirit is connected with receiving this gift.”  ST, August 14, 1901; BEcho, August 12, 1901.

 

Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31:  “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” = This is the “Golden Rule” as depicted by Bible commentators of our Lord.  Notice that He states:  “for this is the Law and the prophets.”  What does He mean by that?  It is clear in the Jewish mind (His audience at the time) that He was referring to the “Torah,” i.e., the five Books of Moses, i.e., “the Law,” and that He was referring to the rest of the Old Testament, i.e., “the prophets.”  Thus what He was really saying, and this is a point not to be missed, is that the entire Old Testament (the only existing Bible of His day) is comprised in this admonition of our Lord.  If we will treat others as we would want to be treated than we will be doing the entire instructions given to us in the entire Bible in regards to our responsibility towards our fellow man.

 

However, it must also be understood that if there be any selfishness, one would do for others only what one deems acceptable for themselves, as opposed to what might be in the best interest of the other person.  In other words, take it farther than what our Lord has instructed here and don’t look to self as the standard for what is good for others, but, as the new saying goes, “Put yourself in their shoes.”

 

To the question: ”who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29, Jesus answered, basically, that our neighbor is every person who needs our help.  We need especially to remember that Jesus was teaching the principle to go beyond to treat others as they treat us.  Thus, instead of asking: “what would I want done if I was in the condition that my neighbor is?” we should ask:  “what does my neighbor want that would benefit his situation in a way he would want?

 

“for this is the Law and the prophets” = Notice that our Lord classes the “Golden Rule” with the Ten Commandments and the entire Bible (at that time).

 

“The standard of the golden rule is the true standard of Christianity; anything short of it is a deception.  A religion that leads men to place a low estimate upon human beings, whom Christ has esteemed of such value as to give Himself for them; a religion that would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings, or rights, is a spurious religion.  In slighting the claims of the poor, the suffering, and the sinful, we are proving ourselves traitors to Christ.  It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world.  The name of the Lord is blasphemed because of these things.”  MB:136.4.

 

Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24:  “Enter ye in at the strait gate” = To understand the Greek word “strait” in the KJV Bible, old English, which better lines up with the meaning for the Greek word “stenos,” it is not the same meaning as our modern English, spelled “straight.”  No, the old English meant very, very narrow; hard to squeeze through; one must maneuver oneself in order to get through; and not to just stay in a “straight” line, or go off the path.  You need to get through the “strait gate,” not just follow the line to get to and through it, but also to, as the Greek suggests, “to avoid obstacles standing close about.”

 

According to CTr:79; HP:362; MYP:127; Pr:276; PK:84, the “strait gate” equals Heaven.  Too many other references refer it to obtaining “salvation” (examples are:  CET:156; FW:49; HP:53).  As far as it referring to “eternal life,” see ChS:247; FW:49; NL:37.  Also, we have this statement, “He will be with us every day as we advance in the narrow path, and through {NOTE the word “through} the strait gate that leads to life everlasting.”  RC:249.  Thus we see that the “strait gate,” i.e., Heaven, only leads to, or is “eternal life.”

 

Luke’s version uses the word, “strive.” = “ ‘Strive (agonize) to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in’ -- with all their worldly treasures -- ‘and shall not be able.’ ”   ST, June 20, 1900; RH, February 5, 1895; RH, May 5, 1885; 2T:446.

 

Finally, this life will cost us everything:  “We must strive diligently, and be willing to suffer much, in order to walk in the footsteps of our Redeemer.”  4bSG:151.

 

 7:23:  “iniquity” = The Greek word “anomia,” translated “iniquity” here is interesting in that “nomia” means the “Torah,” meaning the “Law.”  So “anomia” really means, “without Law.”  Therefore what our Lord was really saying was, “depart from Me, ye that work without Law,” “without the Torah,” without the Law of God working in your lives.

 

7:24-27:  “the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew” = There is no “if” in Jesus’ parable, God knows that the storms will come and that He even sanctions them; for the only way to test the character is to bring on the storms in life.

 

7:29:  “as One having authority” = What is interesting about this is what is implied.  Apparently, it was generally known that the “scribes” did not have the “authority” themselves to teach; meaning the “power” of God behind their teachings, whereas Jesus did.  However, what is meant here is that when the “scribes” taught they always quoted some previous personage as their authority (like Moses or a well know intelligent scribe); whereas Jesus 

​

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

 

Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12:  “there came a leper and worshipped Him” = “Jesus was frequently obliged to hide Himself from the people; for the crowds collected so densely about Him to witness His miracles, and the enthusiasm ran so high, that it became necessary to take precautions, lest the priests and rulers should take advantage of the great assemblies to arouse the Roman authorities to fear an insurrection.”  2SP:225.1.

 

“[227] There was one leper who had been a man of high distinction.  It was with the greatest grief that he and his family had become convinced that he was a victim to the fatal disease.  Physicians of note had been consulted, and they had examined his case thoroughly, and anxiously searched their books to obtain further knowledge; but they were reluctantly compelled to acknowledge that their skill was baffled, the disease was incurable.  It was then the duty of the priest to make an examination; this resulted in a decision that his was the worst form of leprosy.  This verdict sentenced him to a living death separated from his friends and the society in which he had held so lofty a position.  But now those who had courted his favor and accepted his hospitality fled from his presence with horror.  He went out an exile from his home.

 

“Jesus was teaching by the lake outside the city limits, and many were gathered to hear His Words.  The leper, who in his seclusion had heard of some of His mighty works, came out to see Him, and drew as near as he dared.  Since his exile, the disease had made fearful inroads upon his system.  He was now a loathsome spectacle, his decaying body was horrible to look upon.  Standing afar [228]

 

“off, he heard some of the Words of Jesus, and saw Him laying hands upon the sick to heal them.  He beheld, with amazement, the lame, the blind, the paralytic, and those dying of various maladies, rise up at a Word from the Saviour, restored to health and praising God for their salvation.  He looked upon his own wretched body and wondered if this Great Physician could not cure even him.  The more he heard, and saw, and considered the matter, the more he was convinced that this was really the promised Saviour of the world, to Whom all things were possible.  None could perform such miracles but Him Who was authorized of God, and the leper longed to come into His presence and be healed.

 

“He had not intended to approach near enough to endanger the people; but now his mind was so powerfully wrought upon that he forgot the restrictions that had been placed upon him, the safety of the people, and the horror with which they regarded him.  He thought only of his blessed hope that the power of Jesus could set him free from his infirmity.  His faith laid hold of the Saviour, and he pressed forward, heedless of the frightened multitude that fell back as he approached and crowded over and upon each other to avoid him.

 

“Some thought to prevent him from approaching Jesus, but their efforts were in vain.  He neither saw nor heard them.  The expressions of loathing and looks of horror that greeted his appearance were lost upon him.  He saw only the Son of God, he heard only the Voice that was giving health and happiness to the suffering and unfortunate.  As he came before Jesus, his pent-up feelings found vent, he prostrated his foul, [229]

 

“decaying body before him, crying out, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.’  His words were few, but comprehended his great need.  He believed that Christ was able to give him life and health.”  2SP:227-229.

 

Matthew 8:3; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13:  “put forth His hand, and touched him” = To teach that according to this verse Jesus broke the Law and therefore cannot save anyone from their sins is to me, “Biblical Blasphemy,” see my Bible Study upon that subject.  To counteract that reasoning, Jesus’ power of healing went out and cleansed, as opposed to the leprosy going towards and into Jesus (He was not affected by the “touching”).

 

Matthew 8:3; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13:  “be thou clean” = “Jesus did not shrink from his approach, but drew near him. The people fell back, and even the disciples were filled with terror, and would fain have prevented their Master from touching him; for by the Law of Moses he who touched a leper was himself unclean.  But Jesus, with calm fearlessness, laid His hand upon the supplicant and answered his petition with the magic words,” 2SP:229.  

 

Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14:  “tell no man” = “But notwithstanding the caution of Jesus to the cleansed leper he published the matter abroad.  Conceiving that it was only the retiring modesty of Jesus that laid these restrictions upon him, he went about proclaiming the mighty power of this great Healer.  He did not understand that every new manifestation of Divine power on the part of Jesus only made the chief priests and elders more determined to destroy Him.”  2SP:230.

 

“But the publicity of this affair created so great a commotion that Jesus was obliged to retire beyond the city.”  2SP:231.

 

“Jesus well knew that if the fact of His cleansing the leper was noised abroad, those in a similar condition would be urgent to obtain the same cure.  This would raise the cry that the people would be contaminated by contact with the loathsome disease of leprosy.  His enemies would seize such an opportunity to accuse and condemn Him.

 

“Jesus knew that many of the lepers who would seek Him did not deserve the blessing of health, nor would they use it to the honor and glory of God should they obtain it.  They had no real faith nor principle, but only a strong desire to be delivered from the certain doom that awaited them.  The Saviour also knew that His enemies were ever seeking to limit His Work and turn the people from Him.  If they could use the case of the cleansed leper for that purpose they would do so.”  2SP:231.

 

“shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses Commanded, for a testimony unto them” = SDA’s, here is 2SP:229-230:  “[229] Joyfully he presented his offering to the priests and magnified the Name of Jesus Who had restored him to health.  This irrefutable testimony [230]

 

“convinced the priests of the Divine power of Jesus, although they still refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah.  The Pharisees had asserted that His Teachings were directly opposed to the Law of Moses, and for the purpose of exalting Himself; yet His special Directions to the cleansed leper to make an offering to the priest according to the Law of Moses, evidenced to the people that these accusations were false. . . However unwilling the priest might have been to accredit this marvelous cure to Jesus, he could not evade an examination and decision of the case.”

 

AND HERE IS THE CHANGED DA:264:  “Had the priests known the facts concerning the healing of the leper, their hatred of Christ might have led them to render a dishonest sentence.  Jesus desired the man to present himself at the Temple before any rumors concerning the miracle had reached them.”

 

Matthew 8:5; Luke 7:1:  “Capernaum” = “[151] The miracle that Jesus had performed in Cana prepared the way for His cordial reception.  The people who had returned from the Passover had [152] brought back the report of His marvelous cleansing of the desecrated Temple, followed by His miracles of healing the sick and restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.  The judgment passed upon His acts by the dignitaries of the Temple, opened His way at Galilee; for many of the people lamented the abuse of the Temple and the lofty arrogance of the priests, and hoped that this Man, Who had the power to put these rulers to flight, might indeed be the looked-for Deliverer.”  2SP:151-152.

 

Matthew 8:19; Luke 9:57:  “a certain scribe” = “[202] While Jesus was preparing His disciples for their ordination, and instructing them as to the duties of the great work that lay before them, Judas urged his presence among them.  This man made great professions of devotion to Jesus, and proposed to become one of His disciples.  Said he, ‘Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.’  Jesus did not warmly receive him, neither did He repulse him, but addressed him with these Words of mournful pathos, ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.’  Judas was selfish, and his main object in seeking a connection with Christ was to obtain temporal advantages through Him; but Christ’s reference to His Own poverty, contrasting His [203]

 

“condition with that of the foxes and the birds, was designed to cut off any hope Judas might cherish of securing earthly gain by becoming a follower of Christ.  Judas was a man of acknowledged executive ability, and possessed of no small influence.  For these reasons the disciples were anxious that he should form one of their number. They commended him in the highest terms to Jesus, as one who would greatly assist Him in His work.  They were therefore surprised that He received him so coolly; but the Saviour read the heart of Judas, and knew, even then, the part he was to act in His future betrayal and execution.  Still, Jesus wished to connect this man with Himself, that he might learn His Divine mission, and gain moral strength to overcome the defects in his character, and experience an entire change of heart that would ensure his salvation.  This it was possible for him to do, through the help of Christ.

 

“Had Jesus repulsed Judas, the disciples, who regarded him with such favor, would have questioned, in their own minds, the wisdom of their Master.  In receiving him, Jesus avoided this, and also placed the selfish and avaricious Judas in the most favorable position to develop qualities of mind and heart that would eventually gain for him a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.  But notwithstanding these precious opportunities Judas chose a course that covered him with everlasting infamy.”  2SP:202-203.

 

“[293] While Jesus was preparing the disciples for their ordination, one who had not been summoned urged his presence among them.  It was Judas Iscariot, a man who professed to be a follower of Christ.  He now came forward, soliciting a place in this inner circle of disciples.  With great earnestness and apparent sincerity he declared, ‘Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.’  Jesus neither repulsed nor welcomed him, but uttered only the mournful Words:  ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man [294]

 

“hath not where to lay His head.’  Matt. 8:19, 20.  Judas believed Jesus to be the Messiah; and by joining the apostles, he hoped to secure a high position in the new kingdom.  This hope Jesus designed to cut off by the statement of His poverty.

 

“The disciples were anxious that Judas should become one of their number.  He was of commanding appearance, a man of keen discernment and executive ability, and they commended him to Jesus as one who would greatly assist Him in His work.  They were surprised that Jesus received him so coolly.

 

“The disciples had been much disappointed that Jesus had not tried to secure the co-operation of the leaders in Israel.  They felt that it was a mistake not to strengthen His cause by securing the support of these influential men.  If He had repulsed Judas, they would, in their own minds, have questioned the wisdom of their Master.  The after history of Judas would show them the danger of allowing any worldly consideration to have weight in deciding the fitness of men for the Work of God.  The co-operation of such men as the disciples were anxious to secure would have betrayed the Work into the hands of Its worst enemies.

 

“Yet when Judas joined the disciples, he was not insensible to the beauty of the character of Christ.  He felt the influence of that Divine power which was drawing souls to the Saviour.  He who Came not to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax would not repulse this soul while even one desire was reaching toward the light.  The Saviour read the heart of Judas; He knew the depths of iniquity to which, unless delivered by the grace of God, Judas would sink.  In connecting this man with Himself, He placed him where he might, day by day, be brought in contact with the outflowing of his own unselfish love.  If he would open his heart to Christ, Divine grace would banish the demon of selfishness, and even Judas might become a subject of the kingdom of God.

 

“God takes men as they are, with the human elements in their character, and trains them for His service, if they will be disciplined and learn of Him.  They are not chosen because they are perfect, but notwithstanding their imperfections, that through the knowledge and practice of the truth, through the grace of Christ, they may become transformed into His image.

 

“Judas had the same opportunities as had the other disciples.  He listened to the same precious lessons. But the practice of the truth, [295]

 

“which Christ required, was at variance with the desires and purposes of Judas, and he would not yield his ideas in order to receive wisdom from Heaven.”  DA:293-295; 2SP:202-205.

 

HOWEVER, this account is the real situation later on, meaning Judas had twice heard these words and ignored the lesson in them:

 

“[305] Jesus had been teaching and healing uninterruptedly all day, and He greatly desired retirement and rest for Himself and His disciples.  He therefore instructed them to accompany Him to the other side of the sea.  But before He embarked He was accosted by a scribe who had listened to His Words, representing the Jewels of Truth as being of far greater value than hidden treasure.  In the grossness of his darkened mind, the scribe conceived that Jesus designed to enrich His followers with worldly treasure.  He therefore eagerly addressed Him, as had Judas, saying, ‘Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou [306]

 

“goest.’  The Saviour read the unworthy thought that actuated his heart, and answered him as He had answered Judas, ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.’  This Jewish teacher had only his own selfish interest in view when he proposed to follow Jesus.  He hoped that the Saviour would soon establish His kingdom on earth, and that the wealth and station which would then accrue to His disciples, were the riches of which Jesus had spoken.  But only a mind blinded by avarice and the lust of the world could so have misinterpreted the Words of the Saviour.”  2SP:305-306.

 

Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58:  “Son of Man” = This is Jesus’ favorite self-designation of Himself.  In the Book of Matthew this title occurs 31 times; in Mark 15 times; in Luke 25 times; and in John 12 times.  In an interesting twist, bystanders ask Him what He means by the title in John 12:34.  His answer is that He is the light of the world (gives understanding to the Word of God).  It occurs only once in the Book of Acts in Stephen’s speech, in Acts 7:56, and twice in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:13; 14:14).

 

Why does He call Himself the “Son of Man?”  So He can identify with all of mankind and not just the Jews.

 

The source of the title is found in Psalm 8:4 & 144:3 where it is a direct reference to mortal man (see also other Prophets use of it in Isa. 51:12 & Jer. 49:18 & 33; 50:40; 51:43).  However, in Psalm 80:17, we can see the meaning that was to be applied to our Lord by our Heavenly Father.  This is an appeal, in an age of national decline, for the raising up of a hero to redeem Israel.

 

There is a Book in the Old Testament in which the phrase “the son of man” occurs no fewer than 90 times.  Thus the true meaning and application of this title that our Lord used of Himself I believe can be discovered from this Book of Ezekiel.  It is always applied to the prophet himself and designates his prophetic mission.

 

In the words of Nosgen, in his work, “Christus der Menschenund Gotlessohn:”  “It expresses the contrast between what Ezekiel is in himself and what God will make out of him, and to make his mission appear to him not as his own, but as the work of God, and thus to lift him up, whenever the flesh threatens to faint and fail.”  How appropriate when applied to Jesus’ humanity.  It can be noticed that this definition is correct when we go further down in history to another Hebrew prophet, and that being Daniel.  In Daniel 8:17 we can see that this title was intended to raise the spirit up of the trembling servant of God and prepare him to do the work of God.

 

By contrast, once this “Son of man” is exalted, the Divine nature to the title becomes fully clear, when referring to the God/Man alone, in Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; 25:31; 26:64.  Also, Numbers 23:19 takes upon its full meaning when the Divine title “Son of man” is fully comprehended.

 

Exploring Daniel 7:13 more correctly, we can see that “one like the son of man,” or in other words, a representation of “the son of man” is meant.  To deduce the meaning, it means a representation of primarily the Hebrew people, as is expressly noted in the prophecy itself; whereas Jesus looked upon Himself as the representative of the people of God.  And that’s what he wants us to be.

 

The question then comes, why did Jesus use this title for Himself?  I believe that the reason is that it did not convey a Messianic claim to the public ear.  That He was the “Son of man” did not evidently mean for all that He claimed to be the Messiah; which is born out in Matthew 16:13 & John 12:34.  However, it is difficult to resist the belief that a principal reason was because it gave expression to His sense of connection with all men in sympathy, compassion, and empathy.  He felt Himself to be identified with all as their brother, their fellow-sufferer, their Representative and Champion; and, in some respects, the deepest words He ever spoke was, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:45.

 

Matthew 8:21; Luke 9:61:  “another of his disciples” = “If they could have the world with Christ, they would enlist in His army.  But to follow Him in His humiliation, with no prospect of an earthly reward thereby, is more than their feeble faith can endure.  They turn back crest-fallen, as did the scribe from the rebuke of Jesus.”  2SP:306.

 

8:22:  “let the dead bury their dead” = Contrary to popular belief, this young man’s father was most likely not dead.  The reason is that usually the dead were usually buried upon the very same day of death, and therefore this disciple would not have been with Jesus anyway.  However, even if he was, and asking our Lord’s permission to leave, if this is the case, why did our Lord answer this man the way He did?  Could it be that it was an excuse, one in which Jesus saw through?  Had his father actually died there would not have been a problem, because he could have attended to matters and then returned to discipleship.

 

However, this man’s response revealed his true character to our Lord.  In contrast to the scribe’s hastiness and impulsiveness, he was slow, lethargic, lacking in zeal for the work, indecisive, and prone to procrastination.  He was in fact delaying his discipleship to the indefinite future because he did not want to make an immediate commitment.  If he did not commit right then, he would perhaps never commit, and our Lord knew this.

 

The man was, apparently, saying that he could begin discipleship only when the time was convenient for him.  Furthermore, Jesus wanted it known that because of the limited time He had for ministry and training His disciples, discipleship required undivided attention and full commitment.  Thus, our Lord’s response was Jesus’ figurative way of telling His questioner that he needed to make a commitment now, not many days or years from now.  Spiritually speaking, those who do not follow Jesus are dead.

 

8:23:  “His disciples followed Him” = Along with:  “[306] After dismissing the multitude, Jesus and His disciples took ship for the other side of the sea, which was a desert in comparison with the shore that they were leaving; but for this very reason they hoped to find rest from the fatigue of their labors, being removed from the dwellings of men. [307]

 

“However, as they were moving off, a number of boats loaded with people followed Jesus, desirous of learning more concerning the doctrine that He taught.”  2SP:306-307.

 

Matthew 8:24; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23:  “a great storm of wind” = Even a fool can sit in a boat.  According to Mark 4, verse 40, they were, “fearful.”  These were experienced, professionals if you will, fishermen that well knew these body of waters and when storms would occur.  This tells me that Satan was the instigator of this violent tempest.  For our Lord, “rebuked the wind,” verse 39, thus “rebuking” Satan; for the Creator of the wind would not “rebuke” something in His control.

 

Matthew 8:25; Mark 4:38; Luke 8:24:  “save us:  we perish” = “Finally, it was discovered that it had sprung a leak and was fast filling with water {See Luke 8:23}.  All was now hurry and confusion in the darkness and amid the roaring of the angry waves.  The strong and courageous fishermen were skilled in managing their craft; but, experienced as they were to the changing moods of the sea, they knew not what to do in so terrible a gale, and their hearts filled with despair as they perceived that the boat was sinking.”  2SP:307.1.

 

“He [Jesus] trusted in the Father’s might.  It was in faith -- faith in God’s Love and care -- that Jesus rested, and the power of that Word which stilled the storm was the power of God.”  DA:336.  See John 14:10.

 

Matthew 8:25-27; Mark 4:38-39; Luke 8:22-25:  “the men marveled” = “[307] They had been so engaged in their efforts to save themselves and keep the ship afloat, that they had forgotten that Jesus was on board.  But now, as their courage fails them, and they think themselves lost, they remember that it was H Who Commanded them to cross the sea.  In their agony of fear they turn to Him, remembering [308]

 

“how He had once saved them in a like peril.  They call, ‘Master! Master!’ but the roaring of the tempest drowns their voices, and there is no reply.  The waves break over them, and each one threatens them with destruction.

 

“Despair seizes them, and they call again; but there is no answer save the shrieking of the angry blast.  Has the Master deserted them?  Has He walked away upon the foam-capped billows and left them to their fate?  They remembered that He had once walked upon the water to come and rescue them from death.  Has He now given them up to the fury of the tempest?  They search for Him distractedly, for they can do no more to save themselves.  The storm has so increased that all their efforts to manage the ship are vain; in Jesus is their only hope.  Presently a flash of lightning reveals Him fast asleep, undisturbed amid the noise and confusion.

 

“They rush to Him, and bending over His prostrate form, cry out reproachfully, ‘Master, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?’  Their hearts are grieved that He should rest so peacefully, while danger and death threaten them, and they have been laboring so hard against the fury of the storm.  This despairing cry arouses Jesus from His refreshing sleep.  As the disciples rush back to their oars, to make a last effort, Jesus rises to His feet.  In His Divine Majesty He stands in the humble vessel of the fishermen, amid the raging of the tempest, the waves breaking over the bows, and the vivid lightning playing about His calm and fearless countenance.  He lifts His hand, so often employed in deeds of mercy, and says to the angry sea, ‘Peace, be still.’  The storm ceases, the heaving billows [309]

 

“sink to rest.  The clouds roll away, and the stars shine forth; the boat sits motionless upon a quiet sea.  Then, turning to His disciples, Jesus rebukes them, saying, ‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’

 

“A sudden hush crept over the disciples.  Not a word was spoken; even impulsive Peter did not attempt to express the reverential awe that filled his heart.  The boats that had set out to accompany Jesus had been in the same peril with that of the disciples.  Fear and finally despair had seized their occupants; but the Command of Jesus brought quiet where but a moment before all was tumult.  All fear was allayed, for the danger was over.  The fury of the storm had driven the boats into close proximity, and all on board beheld the miracle of Jesus.  In the hush that followed the stilling of the tempest, they whispered among themselves, ‘What manner of Man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’  Never was this impressive scene forgotten by those who witnessed it.  Never will its wonderful majesty fail to inspire the children of God with reverence and awe.

 

“When He was rudely aroused by the terrified fishermen, the Saviour had no fears for Himself; His anxiety was for His disciples, who had distrusted Him in the time of danger.  He reproved their fears, which manifested their unbelief.  They should have called upon Him at the first appearance of danger, and He would have relieved their anxiety.  But in their effort to save themselves they forgot that Jesus was on board.  How many, in the trying scenes of life, amid perplexities and danger, fight against the storms of adversity alone, forgetting that there is One Who [310] can help them.”  2SP:307-310.

 

Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25:  “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith” = Jesus is not saying that we should not consider the storm, for He rose and calmed it; He also is not saying to ignore the emergency requests from our friends and relatives, for He calmed the waves.  What He is saying is that no matter what the outside circumstances are, Jesus wants us to inherit internal peace.

 

Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:2; Luke 8:27:  “two possessed” = Matthew states that there were “two” men, while Mark and Luke indicate that there was only one.  The discrepancy could easily be explained, in that the demons only spoke to our Lord via one of them.  Or, that Mark and Luke were only concerned about the miracle itself.  Either way, or another explanation, it appears there were “two possessed” “of the country of the Gergesenes.”

 

However, a better explanation is that “the country of the Gergesenes” had within its borders two cities by the names of “Gerfesa” and “Gadara,” which would mean that two separate miracles took place and all of the accounts are only focused upon the miracle of one of them; most likely due to the miracle of the “swine” (verse 32), with Mark (5:19-20) and Luke’s account adding the “published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”  Luke 8:39.

 

However, the main point is not the number of demoniacs, but that salvation had come to them and that it was “published throughout the whole city.”

 

Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:6; Luke 8:28:  “they cried out, saying” = “[311] But no sooner had they stepped upon the beach than two men possessed with devils rushed fiercely toward them as though they desired to tear them in pieces.  Still clinging to them were parts of chains which they had broken, in escaping from confinement.  They were cutting and bruising themselves with sharp stones and other missiles that they could lay their hands upon.  They had been dwelling among the graves, and no traveler had been safe to pass that way; for they would rush upon him with the fury of demons and kill him if they could.  Their faces glared out from their long and matted hair, and they looked more like wild beasts than men.

 

“When the disciples and the others saw these fearful creatures rushing toward them, they fled in terror.  But presently they discovered that Jesus was not with them, and they turned to see what had been His fate.  They beheld Him standing calmly where they had left Him.  He Who stilled the tempest, He Who had met Satan before and conquered him, did not flee before these demons.  When the men, gnashing their teeth, and foaming at the mouth, approached Him within a few feet, Jesus raised that hand which had beckoned the waves to rest, and the men could come [312] no nearer.  They stood raging but helpless before Him.

 

“In accents of authority He bade the unclean spirits come out of them.  The Words of Jesus penetrated the darkened minds of the men enough for them to dimly realize that One was near Who could save them from the demons that tormented them.  They fell at the feet of Jesus, worshiping Him.  But when they opened their mouths to entreat His mercy, the demon spoke through them and cried vehemently,” 2SP:311-312.

 

“They fell at the Saviour’s feet to worship Him; but when their lips were opened to entreat His mercy, the demons spoke through them,” DA:338.

 

“The demoniacs of Gadara, in the place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; but yet the hearts unspoken appeal was heard.  No cry from a soul in need is unheeded.”  ST, June 18, 1902.

 

Matthew 8:31-32; Mark 5:12-13; Luke 8:32-33:  “the devils besought Him” = What is interesting is that the “devils” have to ask Jesus’ permission to enter into innocent animals, but according to Second Timothy 2:25-26, “Satan” can enter into any unrepentant man at will.

 

“It was in mercy to the owners of the swine that this loss had been permitted to come upon them.  They were absorbed in earthly things, and cared not for the great interests of spiritual life. Jesus desired to break the spell of selfish indifference, that they might accept His grace.”  DA:338.

 

“swine” = “[333] But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted.  He allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews, who, by raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain, had transgressed the Command of God.  Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners.  The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His merciful interposition for their deliverance.  Furthermore, this scene was permitted to take place that the disciples [334]

 

“might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast.  The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not be deceived and overcome by his devices.  It was also His will that the people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage of Satan and release his captives.  And though Jesus Himself departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained to declare the mercy of their Benefactor.”  4SP:333-334; GC:515.

 

“[340] In causing the destruction of the swine, it was Satan’s purpose to turn the people away from the Saviour, and prevent the preaching of the gospel in that region.  But this very occurrence roused the whole country as nothing else could have done, and directed attention to Christ.  Though the Saviour Himself departed, the men whom He had healed remained as witnesses to His power.  Those who had been mediums of the prince of darkness became channels of light, messengers of the Son of God.  Men marveled as they listened to the wondrous news.  A door was opened to the gospel throughout that region.  When Jesus returned to Decapolis, the people flocked about Him, and for three [341]

 

“days, not merely the inhabitants of one town, but thousands from all the surrounding region, heard the message of salvation.  Even the power of demons is under the control of our Saviour, and the working of evil is overruled for good.”  DA:340-341.

 

Matthew 8:34; Mark 5:19-20; Luke 8:39:  “besought Him that He would depart” = “[312] The design of Satan, in requesting that the demons might enter into the swine, was to hedge up the way of Jesus in that region.  By causing the swine to be destroyed, considerable loss was brought upon their owners; and the enemy was not deceived in thinking that this circumstance [313]

 

“would occasion Jesus to be held in disfavor throughout that country.  The keepers of the swine had seen with amazement the whole transaction.  They had seen the raving madmen suddenly become sane and calm; they had beheld the whole drove of swine instantly afterward charge recklessly into the sea where they were immediately drowned.  They were obliged to account to the owners for their loss; and they immediately hurried to publish the news to their employers, and to all the people.  This destruction of property seemed, to the owners, of far greater magnitude than the joyful fact that two lunatics had been restored to reason. . . 

 

“they were fearful of still greater calamities following the presence of this stranger in their midst.  A panic spread far and near; the citizens apprehended financial ruin.  A crowd came to Jesus, deploring the recent loss of property and begging Him to leave their vicinity.  They looked with indifference upon the lunatics who had been healed, and were then conversing intelligently with Jesus.  They knew them perfectly well, for they had long been the terror of the community.  But the miraculous cure of these men seemed of lesser importance than their own selfish interests.  They were thoroughly [314] alarmed and displeased at their loss; and the prospect of Jesus remaining among them filled them with apprehension.  They implored Him to depart from their coast.”  2SP:312-314.

 

“[314] Some may reason that the course pursued by Jesus in this matter prevented the people of that region from receiving His Doctrine, that this startling exhibition of His power turned them away from His Teachings, and cut them off from His influence.  But such minds fail to penetrate the plans of the Saviour.  At the time that the Gadarenes besought Jesus to leave their coast, there was also a petition offered by the restored [315]

 

“lunatics.  It was that they might accompany their Deliverer.  In His presence they felt secure from the demons that had tormented their lives and wasted their manhood.  They kept close to His side as He was about to enter the boat, knelt at His feet and implored Him to take them with Him and teach them His Truth.  But Jesus directed them to go home to their friends, and tell them what great things the Lord had done for them.

 

“Here a work was given them to do, -- to go to a heathen home, and impart to their friends the light that they had received from Jesus.  They might have plead that it was a great trial to be separated from their Benefactor at this early stage of their experience, and that it was more congenial to their feelings to remain with Him than to be exposed to the trials and difficulties that were sure to beset them in the course he directed them to pursue.  They might also have plead that their long isolation from society disqualified them for the task He had given them.

 

“But instead of this, as soon as Jesus pointed out the path of duty, they prepared to follow it. N ot only did they enlighten their own households and neighbors in regard to Jesus, but they proclaimed His power to save throughout the region of Decapolis, among the Gentiles, telling the wonderful work of Christ in casting out the demons.  The people of that region had refused to receive the Saviour because He was the means of destroying their property, yet they were not left in utter darkness; for they had not committed the sin of rejecting His Doctrine, since they had not heard It when they bade Him leave their coast.  His Words of life had not fallen upon their ears.  Therefore He commissioned those who [316]

 

“were so recently the mediums of Satan to communicate the light they had received from Him to those benighted people.  Those who had so lately been the representatives of the Prince of Darkness were converted into channels of truth, servants of the Son of God.

 

“Men marveled as they listened to the wondrous news.  They became interested and anxious to have part in this Kingdom of which Jesus taught.  Nothing could have awakened the people of this country so thoroughly as did this occurrence happening in their midst.  They had only cared for the advantages of the world, and had thought little of their eternal interests.  Jesus cared much more for their real good than they did themselves.  He had permitted the devil’s request to be granted, and the result was the destruction of their property.  This loss raised the indignation of the people, and brought Jesus directly before the public notice.  Although they entreated Him to depart from them, they nevertheless saw and heard the men whom He had healed.  When these persons, who had been the terror of the community, became the messengers of truth and taught the salvation of Jesus, they wielded a powerful influence to convince the people of that region that Jesus was the Son of God.

 

“They sent Jesus from their coast because they feared additional loss of property, notwithstanding those who had crossed the lake with Him told them the peril of the previous night, and the miracle performed by the Saviour in stilling the tempest.  Their eyes, blinded by worldliness, only saw the magnitude of their loss.  They refused to consider the advantage of having One among them Who could control the very elements by the [317]

lifting of His finger, cast out demons, and heal the diseased and imbecile by a Word or the touch of His hand.”  2SP:314-317.

​

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

9:1:  “came into His Own city” = According to Mark 2:1 this would be “Capernaum.”  This is where Jesus often stayed at Simon Peter’s house.

 

Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:3; Luke 5:18:  “sick of the palsy” = “Like the leper, this paralytic had lost all hope of recovery.  His disease was the result of a life of sin, and his sufferings were embittered by remorse.  He had long before appealed to the Pharisees and doctors, hoping for relief from mental suffering and physical pain.  But they coldly pronounced him incurable, and abandoned him to the wrath of God.  The Pharisees regarded affliction as an evidence of Divine displeasure, and they held themselves aloof from the sick and the needy.  Yet it was not physical restoration he desired so much as relief from the burden of sin.  If he could see Jesus, and receive the assurance of forgiveness and peace with Heaven, he would be content to live or die, according to God’s will.”  DA:267.

 

Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:4; Luke 5:19:  “palsy” = The Greek word translated “palsy” used here is “paralutikos,” from which we derive our English word, “Paramedic.”  The Greek carries with it a more telling aspect than at first glance.  To be inflicted with the “palsy” is to have “paralysis,” which is (Webster):  “The loss or defect of the power of voluntary muscular motion in the whole body, or in a particular part, paralysis.”  The meaning is clear.  This is what sin does to us, and it is why only Jesus has the power to break us from it.

 

“[292] He had loved the pleasures of sin, his life had been a transgression of the Law of God, and [293] his bodily affliction was the penalty of his crime.

 

“He had long before placed his case in the hands of the Pharisees and doctors, entreating their interest and sympathy, hoping that they would do something to relieve his tortured mind and physical sufferings.  But they had looked coldly upon him and pronounced him incurable. They had added to his woe by telling him that he was only suffering the righteous retribution of God for his misdemeanors.  It was the custom of the Pharisees to hold themselves aloof from the sick and needy.  They held that sickness and distress were always an evidence of God’s anger toward the transgressor. . . he felt that if Jesus would only see him and give him relief of mind by pardoning his sins, he would be content to live or die according to his righteous will. His friends assured him that Jesus had healed others who were in every respect as sinful and helpless as himself, and this encouraged him to believe that his own petition would be granted.”  2SP:292-294.

 

“The sick man, although racked with bodily pain, preserved the full strength of his intellect, and he now proposed that his friends should carry him on his bed to Jesus.”  2SP:294.

 

“He suggests that they bear him to the rear of the house, and break through the roof and let him down into the immediate presence of Jesus.”  2SP:295.2.

 

“The sufferer had wealth, but it could not relieve his soul of guilt, nor remove disease from his body.”  2SP:296.

 

“The paralytic suggested that they open the roof and take off the tiling and let him down through the roof.”  FW:67.

 

“At his suggestion his friends bore him to the top of the house,” DA:268.

 

Matthew 9:7; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:25:  “he arose” = “Yet not here, but at {his own} home, when he had repented of his sins and believed in the power of Jesus to make him whole, had the life-giving mercies of the Saviour first blessed his longing heart.”  2SP:296.

 

“departed to his house” = “[300] There was great rejoicing in the home of the healed paralytic, when he came into the midst of his family, carrying with ease the couch upon which he had been slowly borne from their presence but a short time before.  They gathered round with tears of joy, scarcely daring to [301]

 

“believe their eyes.  He stood before them in the full vigor of manhood.  Those arms that they had seen lifeless were quick to obey his will; the flesh that had been shrunken and leaden-hued was now fresh and ruddy with health; he walked with a firm, free step; hope was written in every lineament of his countenance; all gloom had disappeared, and an expression of peace and purity had taken the place of the marks of sin and suffering.  Glad thanksgivings went up from that house, and God was glorified through His Son, Who had restored hope to the hopeless, and strength to the stricken one.  This man and his family were ready to lay down their lives for Jesus.  No doubt could dim their faith, no unbelief could mar their perfect fealty to Christ, Who had brought light into their darkened home.”  2SP:300-301.

 

Matthew 9:8; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:26:  “they marvelled” = “These men had received many and repeated proofs that Jesus was the promised Saviour, but none had been so convincing and unquestioned as this miracle of mercy.  Yet the stronger the evidence that was presented to their minds that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, as well as to heal the sick, the more they armed themselves with hatred and unbelief, till God left them to the forging of chains that would bind them in hopeless darkness.  There was no reserve power to reach hearts so hardened with malice and skepticism.”  2SP:300.1.

 

Matthew 9:10; Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29:  “in the house” = That is, as the Arabic version reads it, in the house of Matthew (see Luke 5:29).

 

“many publicans and sinners” = “When Jesus called Matthew to follow Him their {the “scribes and Pharisees”} anger knew no bounds that he should thus honor a hated publican. They openly attacked the disciples on the subject, and accused them of eating with publicans and sinners.”  2SP:188.

 

“If Jesus would call him, who was so sinful and unworthy, He would surely accept his former companions, who were, thought Matthew, far more deserving than himself.”  ST, June 23, 1898; CC:284; 5BC:1120.

 

“When the Holy Spirit was poured out, and three thousand were converted in a day, there were among them many who first heard the truth at the table of the publicans, and some of these became messengers of the Gospel.”  DA:275.

 

Matthew 9:11; Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30:  “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners” = “It was with bitter contempt that they asked this question.  Jesus did not wait for His disciples to answer this scornful charge, but Himself replied,” 2SP:189.

 

“By this question they hoped to arouse the prejudice which they knew had existed in the minds of the disciples, and thus shake their weak faith.  They aimed their arrows where they would be most likely to bruise and wound. . . Since the fall, the work of Satan has been to accuse, and those who refuse the light which God sends, pursue the same course to-day.”  ST, June 23, 1898; 5BC:1088.

 

“If Christ had been an impious man He would have lost His hold upon the hearts of His believing followers.  But because of their confidence in Christ, the disciples would not give ear to the insinuations of His wicked accusers.”  NL:217.

 

Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32:  “I came not to call the righteous” = “Many of them were possessed of noble integrity, and would not wrong their conscience by rejecting a doctrine which their reason declared to be true.

 

“[189] Jesus had come to heal the wounds of sin among His Own nation, but they refused His proffered aid; they trampled upon His Teachings and made light of His mighty works.  The Lord turned, therefore, to those who would hear His Words.  Matthew and his associates obeyed the summons [190]

 

“of the Master and followed Him.  The despised publican became one of the most devoted evangelists.  His unselfish heart was drawn out for souls that needed the light.  He did not repulse sinners by magnifying his own piety, and contrasting it with their sinfulness; but linked them to himself through kindly sympathy, as he presented to them the precious gospel of Christ.  His labors were attended with marked success.  Many of those who sat at that feast, and listened to the Divine instruction of Jesus, became instruments of enlightenment to the people.”  2SP:189-190.

 

“ ‘I came not to call the righteous,’ -- those who are clothed with the garments of their own righteousness.”  2ST:402; 3ST:270, 392; 4ST:283; ST, August 18, 1890; ST, March 18, 1903.

 

Matthew 9:14; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33:  “the disciples of John” = “The pointed words addressed by Jesus to the Pharisees on the occasion of this feast silenced them, but did not remove their prejudice nor soften their hearts.  They went away and complained to the disciples of John concerning the practices of Jesus and His followers.  They dilated upon the dangerous influence that He exerted over the people, setting at naught their ancient traditions, and preaching a doctrine of mercy and love to the world.  They sought to arouse dissatisfaction in the minds of John’s disciples by contrasting their austere piety and rigorous fasting with the example of Jesus in feasting with publicans and sinners.

 

“The feelings of John’s disciples were stirred, and they complained to the disciples of Jesus concerning the course of their Master, which was {THOUGHT TO BE; because of the reasoning of the Pharisees} so contrary to the teachings of John.”  2SP:190.

 

“[192] The jealous Pharisees misinterpreted all the actions of our Lord.  The very deeds that should have melted their hearts and won their admiration, only served as an excuse to charge Him with immorality.  These self-righteous men had so often been rebuked by Jesus for their iniquity, [193]

 

“and exposed in their evil purposes and wicked natures, that they did not dare to bring their complaints to Him, but carry them where they will be most likely to create prejudice and unbelief.  Had the disciples of Jesus listened to these insinuations, they would have ceased from following their Master.  But they heeded not the base charges of impiety and evil associations against Him by those who were themselves filled with malice and hatred.”  2SP:192-193.

 

“While they were mourning and fasting because of the imprisonment of John, they saw Jesus sitting and eating with publicans and sinners.  Mis-interpreting His object, they united with the Pharisees in condemning His practice.”  ST, July 7, 1898.

 

Matthew 9:16-17; Mark 2:21-22; Like 5:36-37:  “old bottles” = “The mission of Christ opened to the minds of men truths that had been hidden from the foundation of the world.”  2SP:191.3.

 

“The priests, rabbis, Sadducees, scribes, and Pharisees, who had hitherto held undisputed authority in matters of religion, and who were unwilling to give place to Christ, and to receive the truths of His kingdom, were represented as old bottles.  They were found unfit to contain the new wine of His doctrines, and it was necessary to find depositories for the truth outside of those who were satisfied with their own spiritual attainments.”  ST, October 29, 1896.

 

“In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the condition of the Jewish leaders.  Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions.  Their hearts had become contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which He had compared them.”  DA:278.4.

 

“new wine” = “The teaching of Christ, though it was represented by the new wine, was not a new doctrine, but the revelation of that which had been taught from the beginning.  But to the Pharisees the truth of God had lost its original significance and beauty.  To them Christ’s teaching was new in almost every respect, and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged.  Jesus pointed out the power of false teaching to destroy the appreciation and desire for truth… All the truth that has been given to the world through patriarchs and prophets shone out in new beauty in the Words of Christ.”  DA:279.

 

9:18:  “He spake” = “Some destroy the solemn impression they may have made upon the people, by raising their voices to a very high pitch, and hallooing and screaming out the truth.  Truth loses two-thirds or three-quarters of its sweetness, its force, and solemnity, by being presented in this manner.  But if the voice is toned right, if it has in it solemnity, and is so modulated as to be even pathetic, it will have a much better impression.  This was the tone in which Christ taught His disciples.  He impressed them with solemnity.  He spoke in a pathetic [Dictionary:  “causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable”] manner. . . The teachings of Christ were impressive and solemn.  His voice was melodious.”  RH, May 30, 1871.

 

Matthew 9:19; Mark 5:24; Luke 8:42:  “Jesus arose, and followed him” = “The disciples were surprised at this ready compliance with the request of the haughty ruler. . . Occasionally He was nearly carried off His feet by the surging masses.”  2SP:319.1.

 

Matthew 9:20; Mark 5:25-28; Luke 8:44:  “issue of blood” = “I was shown that infirmities and disease especially affect females.  The happiness of the family depends much upon the wife and mother.”  RH, April 22, 1862.

 

“touched the hem of His garment” = Here is my Ruth 3:4 & 9 Note:  Back in the days of Ruth, the “hem” of a garment was the identity of a person and great importance was attached to its meaning.  Just as our Lord had “the children of Israel” place a ribbon of “blue” (Exo. 26:4; 28:33; 36:11; 39:24; Num. 15:38-39) on the “hem” of their garments to signify that they belonged to Him and that they kept His Commandments, so it was that in those days a nobleman would take the “hem” of his garment and impress it on a seal, for each important person’s “hem” had its own particular design.  Thus it was that Ruth was asking Boaz to place his “seal” of approval upon her actions in expressing her desire to marry him.  Just as the woman with an issue touched of Christ’s “hem,” Matthew 9:20, so she was expressing the fact (in representation) that she was touching the place of Christ’s authority.

 

The Greek word here for “hem” is, “kraspedon,” literally meaning the “tassels” on Crist’s garment.  See was touching the part of Christ garment that represented the 613 Laws of God in the “Torah.”  See my Bible Study:  “PRAYER SHAWL, THE.”

 

Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:28:  “Jesus turned him about” = “Christ in His infinite love knowing her heart’s desire, moved in her direction. . . Her faith was not in the garment, but in the virtue which the garment covered.”  ST, October 25, 1899.

 

Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48:  “thy faith hath made thee whole” = “In these Words He instructed all present that it was no virtue in the simple act of touching His clothes that had wrought the cure, but in the strong faith that reached out and claimed His Divine help.”  2SP:321.1.

 

“Christ desired to teach a lesson which would sound down through the ages to our time. . . We need to understand this lesson; for it has a deeper meaning than many realize.  It is possible to be in Christ’s presence, and even to press close to Him, and yet receive no blessing because we touch Him only with the casual touch of the multitude.  There are hundreds and thousands who think they have faith in Christ; but they do not touch Him with the faith manifested by the suffering woman.”  ST, October 25, 1899.

 

“How cheering were these words to her.  Now no fear that she had given offense embittered her joy.”  ST, June 1, 1904; MH:61.

 

Matthew 9:23; Mark 5:38; Luke 8:51:  “Jesus came into the ruler’s house” = “[322] The delay of Jesus had been so intensely interesting in its results that even the anxious father felt no impatience but watched the scene with deep interest.  As the healed woman was sent away comforted and rejoicing, it encouraged him to believe still more firmly that Jesus was [323] able to grant his own petition and heal his daughter.”  2SP:322-323.

 

Matthew 9:30; Mark 5:43; Luke 8:56:  “See that no man know it” = An unusual request from our Master seeing that “A large number were present when the child died, and when they again beheld her alive and well, it was impossible to prevent them from reporting the wonderful deed done by the great Physician.”  2SP:324.1.

 

Matthew 9:32-34; 12:22; Mark 7:37; 9:17; Luke 11:14:  “It was never so seen in Israel” = What is interesting about this statement is that they were not surprised that the demon was cast out, for we know from history that even the Pharisees could cast out demons.  However, when a person was struck “dumb” from being possessed, the person was so controlled by the demon as to make it impossible to release such a one from its influence.  This is what prompted the Pharisees to make their statement, “He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils,” for even they could not release such an individual from this horrid state of being.

 

9:34:  “He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils” = See Matthew 12:24.

 

9:36:  “compassion” = This Greek word “compassion” comes from the Greek word, “splagchnon,” which refers to “the inward parts,” or “the bowels,” and in Greek thought is considered to be the seat of the emotions in the ancient world.  Thus, this type of “compassion” goes beyond mere sympathy (which merely can be intellectual).  Rather, it comes from the inside, from the heart and even the very gut.

​

 

CHAPTER TEN

 

 

10:1 & 8:  “heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” = “The way in which Christ worked was to preach the word, and to relieve suffering by miraculous works of healing.  But I am instructed that we cannot now work in this way; for Satan will exercise his power by working miracles.  God’s servants today could not work by means of miracles; because spurious works of healing, claiming to be Divine, will be wrought.  For this reason the Lord has marked out a way in which His people are to carry forward a work of physical healing, combined with the teaching of the Word.  Sanitariums are to be established, and with these institutions are to be connected workers who will carry forward genuine medical missionary work.”  NL:105.

 

Matthew 10:1; Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13:  “twelve disciples” = “In the first disciples was presented a marked diversity.  They were to be the world’s teachers, and they represented widely varied types of character.  There were Levi Matthewthe publican, called from a life of business activity, and subservience to Rome; the zealous Simon, the uncompromising foe of the imperial authority; the impulsive, self-sufficient, warm-hearted Peter, with Andrew his brother; Judas the Judean, polished, capable, and mean-spirited; Philip and Thomas, faithful and earnest, yet slow of heart to believe; James the less and Jude, of less prominence among the brethren, but men of force, positive both in their faults and in their virtues;  Nathanael, a child in sincerity and trust;  and the ambitious, loving-hearted sons of Zebedee.”  RH, November 12, 1908.

 

“As in the Old Testament the twelve patriarchs stand as representatives of Israel, so the twelve apostles were to stand as representatives of the Gospel Church.”  DA:291.

 

“There were the publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, truehearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with their brethren.  These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. . . When Jesus had ended His instruction to the disciples, He gathered the little band close about Him, and kneeling in the midst of them, and laying His hands upon their heads, He offered a prayer dedicating them to His sacred work.”  DA:296.

 

“The disciples were men who knew how to speak and pray sincerely, men who could take hold of the might of the Strength of Israel.  How closely they stood by the side of God, and bound their personal honor to His throne!  Jehovah was their God.  His honor was their honor.  His truth was their truth.  Any attack made upon the gospel was as if cutting deep into their souls, and with every power of their being they battled for the cause of Christ.  They could hold forth the Word of life because they had received the Heavenly anointing.  They expected much, and therefore they attempted much.  Christ had revealed Himself to them, and to Him they looked for guidance.  Their understanding of truth and their power to withstand opposition were proportionate to their conformity to God’s will.  Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God, was the theme of every discourse.  His name -- the only name given under heaven whereby men can be saved -- was by them exalted.  As they proclaimed the completeness of Christ, the risen Saviour, their words moved hearts, and men and women were won to the gospel.”  AA:594.

 

10:2:  “Apostle” = The term “Apostle” comes from two Greek words, i.e., “apo” and “stello.”  The literal meaning implies, “to send forth.”  An apostle then was an ambassador or emissary sent to represent a master or a kingdom.

 

Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18:  “Simon the Canaanite” = Luke 6:15 puts it this way, “Simon called Zelotes,” thus teaching us that the phrase, or word, “Canaanite,” literally means that he was a Zealot, and one that caused problems for the Roman soldiers.  Thus, geography, which was normal in those days for what we would consider to be a last name today, is not meant here.

 

According to “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible:”  “The Kanaites, or Zelotes, were a set of men, who, in imitation of Phinehas, who slew Zimri and Cozbi in the very act of uncleanness, when they found any persons in the act of adultery, idolatry, blasphemy, or theft, would immediately kill them without any more ado:  this they did, from a pretended zeal for the honour and glory of God:  nor were they accountable to any court of judicature for it; yea, such an action was highly applauded, as a very laudable one:  under this specious name of Zealots, innumerable murders, and most horrible wickedness were committed, both before, and during the siege of Jerusalem, as Josephus relates.”

 

Matthew 10:5; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:2:  “These twelve Jesus sent forth” = “None were sent forth alone, but brother was associated with brother, friend with friend.  Thus they could help and encourage each other, counseling and praying together, each one’s strength supplementing the other’s weakness.  In the same manner He afterward sent forth the seventy.  It was the Saviour’s purpose that the messengers of the gospel should be associated in this way.  In our own time evangelistic work would be far more successful if this example were more closely followed.  The disciples’ message was the same as that of John the Baptist and of Christ Himself:  ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ”  DA:350.

 

“On this first tour the disciples were to go only where Jesus had been before them, and had made friends.  Their preparation for the journey was to be of the simplest kind.  Nothing must be allowed to divert their minds from their great work, or in any way excite opposition and close the door for further labor.”  DA:351.

 

“While the disciples had been absent on their missionary tour, Jesus had visited other towns and villages, preaching the gospel of the kingdom.  It was about this time that He received tidings of the Baptist’s death.”  DA:360.

 

10:6:  “go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” = “Christ knew that, should the disciples make a specialty of laboring for the Samaritans or the Gentiles, they would prejudice the Pharisees against them, and their way would be hedged up at its very commencement.  They would be involved in controversy and would become discouraged.”  ST, July 18, 1900; DA:351.

 

“The disciples received slowly the truth that all nations, tongues, and peoples were to receive the Gospel.  Until they had a clearer perception of God’s plan, they were not to labor for the Gentiles or for the Samaritans.”  ST, July 18, 1900 (4ST:157).

 

“They were not sent among strangers on this first tour, but among their brethren who were to prepare their way that they might have access to the people.”  2SP:256.

 

10:7-14:  “go” = At this time in Christ’s ministry, a ministry He delegates to his “disciples,” there is a certain process that needs to be followed.  Luke’s account (Luke 9:1) is clearer at first by mentioning that:

 

First, He gathered them together for this task.  All must be willing and able to perform this assignment.  All must be in agreement, and obedience to Him Who calls, and the surrender of everything to Him, are essential to experience the unity that is essential for the mission to succeed.

 

Second, Luke points out (Luke 9:1) that Christ endows them with the authority to perform the upcoming duties.  Jesus never sends His emissaries empty-handed.  Nor does He expect us to be His representatives in our own strength.  It is Christ Who enables, equips, and empowers.

 

Third then, we can follow along with what was to be accomplished during this excursion from being at the feet of Jesus.  Now that they have had Him as their master, they were to apply what they have learned.

 

Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3:  “nor yet staves” = According to Mark, Jesus stated that you should take one “staff,” while Luke states that you should not take any “staves,” which agrees with Matthew’s account.  So why is Mark’s account different?  The answer is cleared up by recognizing that both Matthew’s and Luke’s account are plural, i.e., two “staves.”  If we go to Matthew 26:55 we can see that one sort of “stave” is used for weaponry, while the other would be used for traveling, i.e., a walking stick.  Thus, all three accounts agree that our Lord allowed them to take one “stave,” which would be a walking stick, as we can be certain that He would not send them out on this kind of mission with a “stave” for weaponry; because according to Matthew 10:7-8; Luke 9:2 the reason they were sent out was “to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”

 

Matthew 10:11; Luke 10:8:  “And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter” = “This was to be the burden of their message. They were not to lose sight of this message, nor to enter into controversy over matters that were unessential, or that would close the door to the important truths Jesus had bid them teach. They were to teach from the Old Testament, explaining the prophecies of the mission and the work of Christ, and presenting truths that would soften the hearts of the people, that they might be prepared to receive Christ, when He should follow.”  TDG:113.5.

 

Matthew 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:11:  “shake off the dust of your feet” = Here is an exert from my Bible Study:  “CULT, RECOGNIZING A.”  IF THEY TEACH that you SHOULD shun, disconnect, or whatever wording you want to use for this activity, then it is questionable.  In other words, it depends on how it is done.  For example, Jesus taught in Matthew 10:14 (see also Mark 6:11 & Luke 9:5; 10:11, then see Acts 13:51 & 18:6 were Jesus’ converts actually put this instruction into practice) that when you go to talk to people not of your belief system that you are to “shake off the dust of your feet,” if they will not listen or receive your teachings.  In other words, you tried to help them but they were not interested.

 

Clearly notice that this is speaking of people outside of your belief system, not inside.  The instruction procedure for someone inside your organization is found in Matthew, Chapter 18, and is for those who are now questioning or going against what the body of believers has established as their belief system.  That instruction is to attempt to persuade them to reconsider their actions.

 

Notice that it is not designed to be in any way forceful or degrading.  It does not teach that you are to shun or disconnect from family, long established friendships or acquaintances.  This would be counterproductive to the later possibility of converting or reconverting these individuals and ultimately the growing of your organizations faith system.

 

NOTE:  If the organization teaches that when someone disconnects from them and that they are then to harass, badger, bully, pester, stalk, hound, or any other type of word or action you can think of, then they are a cult.  In other words, find out what happens when you attempt to leave before you join.

 

“This act was calculated to impress the people with the importance of the gospel message, and with the fact that it could not be slighted or rejected with impunity.  The great Teacher declared to His disciples, with startling emphasis, that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for the city that refused to hear them.” 2SP:257.

 

“They were not to do this from motives of resentment or through wounded dignity, but to show how grievous a thing it is to refuse the Lord’s message or His messengers.”  DA:489.

 

10:15:  “more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha” = See Lamentations 4:6.

 

Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; John 16:2:  “beware of men” = “It is not the world, who make no profession, from whom the persecution comes.  It is those who profess to be doing God service who manifest the most bitter hatred.”  ST, September 2, 1897.

 

10:18:  “against them” = A better translation would be, “to them.”

 

10:19:  “But when they deliver you up” = “Men’s hearts are no softer today than when Christ was upon the earth.  They will do all in their power to aid the great adversary in making it as hard as possible for the servants of Christ, just as the people did with Christ when He was upon the earth.  They will scourge with the tongue of slander and falsehood.  They will criticize, and turn against the servant of God the very efforts He is leading them to make.  They will, with their evil surmisings, see fraud and dishonesty where all is right and where perfect integrity exists.  They lay selfish motives to the charge of God’s servants, when He Himself is leading them, and when they would give even their lives if God required, if by so doing they could advance His cause.”  4T:234.

 

10:24:  “sword” = This statement may better help us to understand what our Lord meant by the use of “a sword” and whenever He insinuates the use of such an instrument.  In other words, it is decision time; either for life of for death.

 

10:25:  “Beelzebub” = Jesus identifies Beelzebub as Satan in Luke 11:15-19.

 

10:28:  “fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” = See my Bible Study:  “DEATH, THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT.”

 

Jesus clearly teaches in this text that the soul is not naturally immortal.  It can and will be destroyed in hell.  But what does He mean about killing the body, but not the soul?  Is it possible for the soul to exist apart from the body?  The Hebrew word “psuche” has been translated “soul” in this text, but in forty other texts it has been translated “life.”  For example, Jesus said, “Whosoever shall lose his life (psuche) for My sake shall find it,” Matthew 16:25.  Obviously “psuche” could not mean soul in this instance, or people could be said to lose their soul for Christ’s sake.  It is properly translated “life.” But what of Matthew 10:28?

 

If we put in the word “life” instead of “soul,” the text makes perfect sense in its consistency and agrees with the rest of the Bible.  The reason is because the contrast is between one who can take the physical life, and He who can take away eternal life.  Here is proof in the Words of Jesus:  “And I say unto My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:  Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell.”  Luke 12:4-5.

 

In other words, the word “soul” here means not just life, but eternal life.  For we should notice that Luke states everything in the same manner as Matthew does, except that he does not say, “kills the soul.”  Instead he says, “cast into hell.”  They mean the same thing.  Men can only kill the body and take away the physical life.  By contrast, God will cast into hell and take away eternal life.

 

10:29-31:  “two sparrows sold for a farthing” = “Christ taught His disciples that the amount of Divine attention given to any object is proportionate to the rank assigned to it in the creation of God.  He called their attention to the birds of the air.  Not a sparrow, He said, falls to the ground without the notice of our heavenly Father.  And if the little sparrow is regarded by Him, surely the souls of those for whom Christ has died are precious in His sight.  The value of man, the estimate God places upon him, is revealed in the cross of Calvary.”  ST, November 17, 1898.

 

10:34:  “I Came not to send peace, but a sword” = By using the word “sword,” Jesus means division.  Significantly between the righteous and the unrighteous (see verse 21).

 

10:37:  “more than Me” = Here is my Luke 14:26 Note:  “hate” = Jesus used the verb “miseo,” meaning, “to hate” in a hyperbole sense, meaning, “to love less.”  The parallel passage in Matthew clarifies the clear meaning of Jesus’ words:  “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me:”  Matthew 10:37.

​

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

 

Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19:  “Art Thou He that should come” = “Herod was affected as he listened to the pointed testimony of John, and, with deep interest, he inquired what he must do to become his disciple.  He was convicted by the plain truths uttered by John.  His conscience condemned him, for a woman of vile passions had gained his affections and controlled his mind.  This unprincipled woman was ambitious for power and authority, and thought if she became the wife of Herod, her object would be gained.  As Herod listened to the practical truths proclaimed by John, reproving the transgression of the Law of God, and setting forth the future punishment which the guilty must suffer, he trembled, and greatly desired to break the chain of lust which held him.  He opened his mind to John, who brought Herod to the Law of God, face to face, and told him it would be impossible for him to have part in the kingdom of the Messiah unless he should break away from the unlawful connections with his brother’s wife, and, with his whole heart, obey the Commandments of God.

 

“Herod was inclined to act upon the advice of John, and stated to Herodias that he could not marry her in defiance of the Law of God.  But this determined woman would not be thwarted in her designs. Intense hatred was awakened in her heart toward John. Herod was weak in principle, vacillating in mind, and Herodias had no great difficulty in re-establishing herself in his favor, and holding her influence over him.  Herod yielded to the pleasures of sin, rather than submit to the restrictions of the Law of God.

 

“When Herodias had gained influence over Herod, she determined to be revenged upon the prophet for his daring to reprove their course of crime.  And she influenced him to imprison John.  But Herod intended to release him.”  RH, March 4, 1873.

 

“[70] Herodias. . . influenced [Herod] to imprison John.  John having spent his life in the open air, in active, persevering labor, enduring privations, hardship, and toil, he had never before experienced the trials of confined living.  He therefore became desponding, and even doubts troubled him whether Christ was indeed the Messiah. . . John had indistinct ideas of the kingdom Christ came to establish, as also had the disciples of Christ.  They thought Christ would establish a temporal kingdom. . . [71] He became impatient because Christ did not immediately make Himself known. . .  He hoped that if Christ established His kingdom, he would be brought out of prison.  He decided that if Jesus was really the Son of God, and could do all things, He would exercise His power and set him at liberty.”  2SP:70-71; RH, March 4, 1873.

 

“Even John thought that the reign of Christ would be in Jerusalem, and that He would set up a temporal kingdom, the subjects of which would be holy.

 

“While John was in prison, he had contemplated Christ’s taking His power and authority, and subduing the kingdoms of the world under His rule.  Then he expected to be released from prison.  As his expectations were not realized, he became impatient.  Unbelief took possession of his mind, and he sent his disciples to inquire of Christ,” RH, April 8, 1873.

 

Matthew 11:4; Luke 7:22:  “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see” = “[71] In these words John is gently reproved for his impatience.  The cautious reproof returned to John was not lost upon him.  He then better understood the character of Christ’s mission.  And with submission and faith, he yielded himself into [72] the hands of God, to live, or to die, as should best advance His glory.”  2SP:71-72; RH, March 4, 1873.

 

Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22:  “the dead are raised up” = “The dead are raised. . . His voice reached the ears of those who were dying, and they arose and became strong.”  ST, May 29, 1893.

 

Matthew 11:6; Luke 7:23:  “blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me” = The literal translation of “offended,” i.e., “skandalizo,” would be, “scandalous.  Webster’s definition of “offended” would be, “to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done; to be against what people believe is acceptable or proper.  Thayer’s definition is, “to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.”  Because John was beginning to doubt (which is why he was questioning by sending his disciples), I believe this statement by our Lord was also directed towards John.  And when his disciples came back, “This report was as Heaven’s light flashing in amid the darkness of the prison.  John accepted and appreciated this light.”  ST, May 29, 1893.

 

Matthew 11:7; Luke 7:24:  “A reed shaken with the wind” = “The tall reeds that grew beside the Jordan, bending before every breeze, were fitting representatives of the rabbis who had stood as critics and judges of the Baptist’s mission.  They were swayed this way and that by the winds of popular opinion.  They would not humble themselves to receive the heart-searching message of the Baptist, yet for fear of the people they dared not openly oppose his work.  But God’s messenger was of no such craven spirit. . . He was no trembling reed, swayed by the wind of human praise or prejudice.  In the prison he was the same in his loyalty to God and his zeal for righteousness as when he preached God’s message in the wilderness.  In his faithfulness to principle he was as firm as a rock.”  DA:218.

 

“The fearless manner in which the prophet John had denounced the Pharisees and exposed their iniquity and hypocrisy, startled those who had been accustomed to seeing them honored and exalted.”  2SP:75.1.

 

Matthew 11:8; Luke 7:25:  “A man clothed in soft raiment” = Practical and appropriate clothing for each circumstance is all that the Sons of God need wear.

 

“The prophet wore a plain, rough garment, possessing no beauty, but answering the purpose for which clothing was first designed.  In marked contrast to the garments of John, was the gorgeous apparel of the Jewish priests and elders.

 

“These officials, thinking that they would be reverenced in accordance with their external appearance, adopted great splendor of dress, making a rich display of costly robes and dazzling breastplates.  They were more anxious to win the admiration of men than to obtain spotless purity of character and holiness of life, that would gain the approval of God.”  2SP:73.

 

“Rich apparel and the luxuries of this life are not the portion of God’s servants, but of those who live ‘in kings’ courts,’ the rulers of this world, to whom pertain its power and its riches.”  DA:219.

 

Matthew 11:9; Luke 7:26:  “more than a prophet” = This is because John’s ministry was foretold by prophecy (see verse 10, “I send my messenger,” quoting Mal. 3:1.  See also Isa. 40:3; Mal 4:5), making him the fulfillment of it while at the same time being it.

 

Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28:  “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” = “[219] In the announcement to Zacharias before the birth of John, the angel had declared, ‘He shall be great in the sight of the Lord.’  Luke 1:15.  In the estimation of Heaven, what is it that constitutes greatness?  Not that which the world accounts greatness; not wealth, or rank, or noble descent, or intellectual gifts, in themselves considered.  If intellectual greatness, apart from any higher consideration, is worthy of honor, then our homage is due to Satan, whose intellectual power no man has ever equaled.  But when perverted to self-serving, the greater the gift, the greater curse it becomes.  It is moral worth that God values (see Luke 1:15).  Love and purity are the attributes He prizes most. John was great in the sight of the Lord, when, before the messengers from the Sanhedrin, before the people, and before his own disciples, he refrained from seeking honor for himself, but pointed all to Jesus as the Promised One (see John 3:3).  His unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ presents the highest type of nobility ever revealed in man.

 

The witness borne of him after his death, by those who had heard his testimony to Jesus, was, ‘John did no miracle:  but all things that John spake of this Man were true.’  John 10:41.  It was not given to John to call down fire from Heaven, or to raise the dead, as Elijah did, nor [220]

 

“to wield Moses’ rod of power in the Name of God.  He was sent to herald the Saviour’s advent, and to call upon the people to prepare for His Coming.  So faithfully did he fulfill his mission, that as the people recalled what he had taught them of Jesus, they could say, ‘All things that John spake of this Man were true.’  Such witness to Christ every disciple of the Master is called upon to bear.

 

“As the Messiah’s herald, John was ‘much more than a prophet.’  For while prophets had seen from afar Christ’s advent, to John it was given to behold Him, to hear the testimony from heaven to His Messiahship, and to present Him to Israel as the Sent of God. . .

 

“It was not his {John’s} privilege to be with Christ and witness the manifestation of Divine power attending the greater light.  It was not for him to see the blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead raised to life.  He did not behold the light that shone through every Word of Christ, shedding glory upon the promises of prophecy.  The least disciple who saw Christ’s mighty works and heard His Words was in this sense more highly privileged than John the Baptist, and therefore is said to have been greater than he.”  DA:219-220.

 

Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28:  “he that is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he [John the Baptist]” = Greater in that they would see more of Jesus than did John.  They would see the entire life and death of Jesus, and His resurrection.

 

“[84] The world was illuminated with the brightness of the Father’s glory in the Person of His Son; but the solitary prophet was denied the privilege of seeing and understanding the wisdom and mercy of God through a personal knowledge of the ministry of Christ.

 

“In this sense, many who were favored by the [85] teachings of Christ and saw His miracles, were greater than John.”  2SP:84-85.

 

“The least disciple that followed Jesus, that witnessed his miracles, and listened to His Divine lessons of instruction, and heard the comforting words which fell from His lips, was more privileged than John the Baptist, for he had a clearer light.”  RH, April 8, 1873.

 

11:12:  “take it by force” = This is a clear reference to Satan’s tactics and those that will follow them.

 

Matthew 11:13; Luke 16:16:  “and the Law” = The parallel passage is found in Luke 16:16.  We see in John 1:45:  “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth.”  So when Jesus says “and the Law,” He means Moses here.  Jesus is pointing the people to the fact that, “For all the prophets and” Moses “prophesied” about Me.  They are your primary proof [offered by Christ and the apostles] to support the fact that the Messiah is come now, “until John,” fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

 

11:14:  “this is Elias, which was for to come” = Jesus here referring to John the Baptist as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi.  Here is my Malachi 4:5 Note:  Will Elijah be reincarnated before Jesus returns to the earth?  Some think so on the basis of this verse.  But notice that Jesus commented in His day “that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. . . then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist.”  Matthew 17:12-13.  Yet, even though Jesus said that John was Elijah, John vehemently denied it.  “And they asked him, what then?  Art thou Elias?  And he saith I am not.”  John 1:21.  This sounds most perplexing, doesn’t it?  But now let us read two texts that will explain the riddle.

 

Even before his birth, it was prophesied of John, “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.  And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.” Luke 1:16-17.  Instead of actually being Elijah, John’s work was to be in the “spirit and power of Elijah.”  Jesus completed the clarification when He said, concerning John’s ministry:  “And if ye will receive it this is Elias which was for to come.”  Matthew 11:14.  This makes it abundantly clear that John’s message was the Elijah message for his day, and was given in the spirit, power and boldness of Elijah.  Just before Jesus Comes then, another message of equal power is to be given to prepare God’s people for the Second Coming of our Lord.  See also Mark 9:11-13.

 

“John came in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the first advent of Jesus.  I was pointed down to the last days and saw that John represented those who should go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to herald the day of wrath and the Second Advent of Jesus.”  EW:155.1; 1SG:30-31.

 

Matthew 11:14; Luke 1:17; 9:18:  “Elias” = “Elias is the Greek form of “Elijah.”

 

11:19:  “wisdom is justified by her children” = Wisdom is here seen in one’s conduct and lifestyle.  Our actions and conduct testify as to how Godly wise we really are.

 

Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13:  “Bethsaida” = According to John 1:44 this was the residence of Phillip, Andrew, and Peter.  Bethsaida, was a fishing village on the northeastern coast of the Sea of Galilee.  Bethsaida literally means, “House of Fishing.”

 

“mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon” = Is our Lord here faulting Himself with negligence in the salvation of “Tyre and Sidon?”  Rather, the point is that “Chorazin” and “Bethsaida” have even more evidence than “Tyre and Sidon” and are therefore more responsible for their rejection of Christ than are “Tyre and Sidon.”

​

​11:28 & 29:  “rest” = If we consider that there were no Chapter breaks, when we go to Matthew 12:1, we can see that Jesus was pointing out this particular “rest” as being His “Sabbath day” that He made for “mankind,” Mark 2:27.

 

11:29-30:  “yoke” = “The yoke is an instrument of service.  Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually.  By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last.  We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-laborers with Him.  The yoke that binds to service is the Law of God. . . Christ’s yoke is a yoke of restraint and obedience. . . The yoke and the cross are symbols representing the same thing -- the giving of the will to God.”  ST, June 29, 1904; 2PRC:324; 21MR:105; ChS:232; DA:329.

 

“How much lighter than the burden of sin and iniquity that you take along.  How much lighter than the conscience which is constantly stinging and reproaching you.  A violated conscience is hard to be endured.  How much easier is the yoke of Christ than all this!”  RH, April 19, 1870.

 

“This is Christ’s recognition of duty.  What is a yoke? -- That which restrains.  What is a burden? -- Something to be carried.  Obedience and service are combined in Christ’s Words.”  ST, June 16, 1898.

 

“I Am meek and lowly in heart” = From “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible” we learn:  “respect seems to be had to Zec. 9:9 where such characters as these are given of the Messiah.  The meekness, humility, and lowliness of Christ appear in His assumption of human nature; in His subjection to His Father; in the whole of His deportment and conversation among men; in His submission to the ordinance of baptism; in the whole course of His obedience to God.”

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

 

12:1:  “Sabbath” = During the time of Christ some of the religious leaders had surrounded the Sabbath with thirty-nine other commandments.  They reasoned that if people could keep the thirty-nine laws, then the Sabbath would be perfectly kept.

 

12:5 & 6:  “temple” = The temple was undergoing renovations during Jesus’ ministry.  Herod the Great had started the grandiose project in about B.C. 20-19, and it would not be fully completed until about 63 (some argue 66) A.D.  Recognizing how serious many Jews were about their faith, the Romans allowed the Jews to collect their own taxes in order to cover the costs involved with the maintenance of the temple.  Every Jewish male over the age of twenty was to pay the half-shekel temple tax regardless of his economic status (Exo. 30:13; 38:26).

 

12:8:  “the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day” = Jesus here declares His Lordship of the identical day in which the Jews had so scrupulously observed in form; and He did this in words which show that He regarded the Sabbath as His badge of authority; as demonstrating the fact that He was greater than the temple itself.

 

“He then [see Mark 2:27 Note] contrasted their many heartless rites with the truthful integrity, and tender love that should characterize the true worshipers of God:”  2SP:197.

 

Matthew 12:10-15; Mark 3:2-6; Luke 6:6-11:  “Is it Lawful to heal on the Sabbath day” = Here is my John 7:22 Note:  “Jesus referred to his act of healing the man on the Sabbath, and showed that it was in accordance with the Sabbath Law.  He alluded also to the custom among the Jews of circumcising on the Sabbath.  If it was Lawful to circumcise a man on the Sabbath, it must certainly be right to relieve the afflicted.”  2SP:341.

 

Why did the Pharisees have a problem with Jesus healing on the Sabbath day?  The Jews saw in the Sabbath a small taste of the new earth (see Isa. 66:23), the “olam haba,” meaning, “world-to-come.”  Their theology taught that anything that would not be done in the “olam haba” should not be done on the Sabbath, a foretaste of their “world-to-come.”  Thus, because there would be no sickness, there would be no need for healings.  Therefore they viewed Jesus’ acts of healing on the Sabbath as sinful.

 

However, even though this was their line of reasoning, they are still, themselves, breaking the Holy Sabbath day law, in that their reason for coming to the synagogue, was not to worship, but to scrutinize Christ and see “whether He would heal this man (possibly of their own planting, i.e.,) “that they might accuse Him,” Mark 3:2.

 

One of the original purposes of the Sabbath and its related institutions is to emphasize the importance of loving one’s neighbor, especially the defenseless.  In the various versions of the Sabbath Commandment, for instance, a recurring list of persons appears to whom freedom to rest on the Sabbath is to be granted.   The ones particularly singled out are usually the manservant, the maidservant, the son of the bondmaid (Exo. 23:12), the cattle, and the sojourner and/or alien.  This indicates that the Sabbath was ordained especially to show compassion toward defenseless and needy beings.

 

Matthew 12:12; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9:  = “Wherefore it is Lawful to do well on the Sabbath Days” = “There are ministers today who teach that the Son of God broke the Sabbath and justified His disciples in doing the same.  They take the same ground as did the caviling Jews, although ostensibly for another purpose, since they hold that Christ abolished the Sabbath.”  2SP:199.2.

 

“It was a maxim among the Jews that a failure to do good, when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to neglect to save life was to kill.  Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground.”  DA:286.

 

Matthew 12:14; John 5:16:  “how they might destroy Him” = “The life of Christ was in marked contrast to that of the Jews, and for this very reason they wished to destroy Him.”  2SP:31.

 

12:20:  “A bruised reed” = This comes from Isaiah 42:3.  The reed is an emblem of feebleness, as well as of fickleness or want of stability (see Mat. 11:7).  Therefore, “A bruised reed” would be in even a worse condition, such as Pharaoh, in Egypt, who couldn’t even help himself, let alone anyone else (see 2Ki. 18:21).

 

“smoking flax” = This refers to the wick of a lamp when the oil is exhausted.  This person is on their last breath (last chance to repent).

 

But Isaiah 42:3 is really about  Jesus not “break[ing] a bruised reed” or “quench[ing] a smoking flax.”  In other words, Jesus is so compassionate that He is careful not to “bruise” unnecessarily someone who was just coming to faith, or to “quench” the slightest embers of faith in their hearts.  Yet He shall “bring forth judgment unto truth,” -- be a righteous Judge and punish those that need to be punished, and bless those who are forgiven.

 

12:22:  “insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw” = See my Matthew 9:32-34 Note.

 

12:23:  “Is not this the Son of David” = The people are asking, or better stating, because of the miracles, that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

 

12:24:  “But when the Pharisees heard it” = These Pharisees, with the following statement, will now themselves be possessed of Beelzebub.  I find it interesting (and so true), that when people accuse other people falsely, they themselves are usually guilty of their own accusation[s].

 

Matthew 12:24; 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15:  “This Fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils” = “But this power, they declared, was derived from Satan.  Did they really believe this?  No; but they were so determined that the truth should not affect their hearts and they be converted, that they charged the work of the Spirit of God to the Devil.  In this they blasphemed God and committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, which has no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come.”  16MR:94.  See verses 31 & 32.

 

“The sin against the Holy Ghost was to ascribe to Satan what belongs to God or what the Holy Ghost has done.”  13MR:302; 5MR:204; YI:477.

 

12:29:  “one” = Here is my Deuteronomy 6:4 Note:  The word “one” in Hebrew, “heis,” means one in unity, not in quantity.

 

The actual Hebrew is:  “Jehovah Elohyim ‘echad Yehovah.”  Equals, “God God one God.”  The three times of mentioning “God” is very plurality in interest.  The Hebrew “Elohyim” is always understood as meaning the plurality of the Godhead.

 

According to Genesis 2:24:  “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:  and they shall be one flesh.”  This would be just “one” example of more than “one” personality becoming “one” in purpose.  When a husband and wife work together as a team they cannot be broken or separated.

 

Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23:  “not with Me” = Two primary principles are brought out here.  1) There is no neutrality; you are either for Christ or against Him.  2) To have been given great light, or in other words, you are supposed to be for Him, and to do nothing with that light, is really to be working against Christ.  This is spelled out in Luke 12:48:  “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:  and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

 

“Inaction in Christ’s service is an evidence of positive hostility against Him.”  ST, March 7, 1892 paragraph 15.

 

Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10:  “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven” = Actually, none of these texts say that this sin cannot be forgiven; just that it will not be forgiven.  Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, therefore, must be understood as the deliberate and persistent repudiation of Jesus’ saving work.  It occurs when an individual willfully and obstinately resists the Spirit’s testimony to Christ and His salvation and grace, and your wanting to live a Holy, God ordained life.

 

Jesus isn’t just talking about someone uttering a few slanderous words.  But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is committed only in the context of an attitude of persistent unbelief and open hostility toward Jesus and His life changing desires for you.  Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not a single episode; it is a determined way of life.

 

“No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable.  The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent.”  RH, June 29, 1897; FLB:58; HL:306; 5BC:1093; TMK:243; YRP:35.

 

“The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence.”  5BC:1093..

 

“In the place of receiving the evidence offered them, in the place of recognizing in Christ’s works the endowment of Heaven, they held right on to their wicked purposes, and said, He performed this wonderful work through the devil.  This was the sin against the Holy Ghost.”  Loma Linda Messages, page 156.

 

“. . . the unpardonable sin, and expressed their great thankfulness that though they had gone far in their opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit, they had been kept from that great sin of attributing its operations to the agency of Satan.”  PY:198.

 

In other words, another form of Biblical “blasphemy,” is “Ascribing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit.”  That this was what Jesus intended to explain about this sin, at that time, is clear from Marks account (3:30):  “because they said He had an unclean spirit.”

 

12:40:  “three days and three nights” = See my Bible Study:  “CHRIST ON THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”

 

“whale’s belly” = Some argue that Jonah’s account states it as a “fish,” Jonah 1:17; 2:1 & 10, and therefore the Bible is contradicting Itself, because a whale is a mammal.  However, a “whale” was not classified as a mammal until the 19th century.  Therefore, we must understand that in Bible language, a “whale” and “dolphin” are considered to be a “fish.”  And “fish” and “whale’s” do not care how we humans classify them.

 

What is interesting is that Jesus did not use the Hebrew term or word for a “shale.’  He used the Hebrew word “ketos,” meaning, “huge fish.”  Ancient Greek literature describes “ketos” as a “dog headed sea serpent.”  Homer in B.C. 800; Euripides in B.C. 400; Aristophanes in B.C. 400; Claudius Aelianus, in his book, “De Natura Animalium, B.C. 175.

 

Matthew 12:43; Luke 21:3:  “this poor widow” = “The Saviour called His disciples to Him and bade them mark the widow’s poverty; and as they stood looking at her, Words of commendation from the Master’s lips fell unexpectedly upon her ear:  ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.’  Tears of joy filled the poor woman’s eyes as she felt that her act was understood and appreciated by Jesus.”  3SP:72.

 

Matthew 12:46; 13:55; Mark 3:31-32; 6:3 Luke 8:19; John 2:12; 7:3 & 5:  “His mother and His brethren” = “The sons of Joseph, His brethren, enlisted Mary to go with them; for they knew that His love for her would add to their influence in seeking to prevail upon Him to be more prudent.  They felt that their own honor was compromised in the criticisms that came upon Jesus.  They were not at all pleased with His startling denunciations against the religious leaders of the Jews, and felt the reproach that came upon them in consequence of their relation to Him.  They knew what a great tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees.  His Words previous to their coming to seek to compel Him to cease this manner of doing had thoroughly aroused them. . . The Pharisees were filled with madness against Him, and they had made their threats to the brethren of Christ as to what they would do. . . His brethren knew that they were seeking to find occasion against Him, and they felt that in the works He had spoken, He had given occasion enough.  They must make some determined effort to prevent Him from uttering words that would not only involve Him in difficulty, but bring down upon His family the denunciations of the Pharisees.”  ST, October 1, 1896.

 

“His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called. . . Being older than Jesus. . .”  DA:86-87.

 

“The life of Christ was marked with respect, devotion, and love for His mother.  She often remonstrated with Him, and sought to have Him concede to the wishes of His brethren.  His brethren could not persuade Him to change His habits of life in contemplating the works of God, in manifesting sympathy and tenderness toward the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate, and in seeking to alleviate the sufferings of both men and dumb animals.  When the priests and rulers came to Mary to persuade her to force Jesus to give allegiance to their ceremonies and traditions, she felt much troubled.  But peace and confidence came to her troubled heart as her Son presented the clear statements of the Scriptures in upholding His practices.  At times she wavered between Jesus and His brethren, who did not believe that He was the Sent of God.  But evidence was powerful and abundant that His was a Divine character.  She saw Him sacrificing Himself for the good of others.  She saw Him meeting the people where they were.  She saw Him constantly growing in grace and knowledge, and in favor with God and man.”  ST, August 6, 1896.

 

“In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter’s trade and thus honored all labor.”  ST, July 30, 1896; TMK:30.

 

“While Christ was working at the carpenter’s bench, others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing, they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit which was there.”  AH:443.

 

“This miracle pointed directly toward breaking down the prejudices of the Jews.  The disciples of Jesus learned a lesson of sympathy and humanity from it.  His relatives were drawn to Him with warm affection, and when He left for Capernaum, they accompanied Him.”  2SP:109.

 

Matthew 12:48; Mark 3:33:  “Who is My mother? and who are My brethren” = “The sons of Joseph were far from being in sympathy with Jesus in His work.  The reports that reached them in regard to His life and labors filled them with astonishment and dismay. . .

 

“His friends felt that He was wearing Himself out by his incessant labor; they were unable to account for His attitude toward the Pharisees, and there were some who feared that His reason was becoming unsettled.  His brothers heard of this, and also of the charge brought by the Pharisees that He cast out devils through the power of Satan.  They felt keenly the reproach that came upon them through their relation to Jesus.  They knew what a tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees.  They decided that He must be persuaded or constrained to cease this manner of labor, and they induced Mary to unite with them, thinking that through his love for her they might prevail upon Him to be more prudent.”  DA:321.

 

“While Jesus was still teaching the people, His disciples brought the message that His mother and His brothers were without, and desired to see Him.  He knew what was in their hearts,” DA:325.

​

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 

 

Matthew 13:3; Mark 4:3; Luke 8:5:  “Behold, a sower” = Here is my Mark 4:13 Note:  “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” = Notice that Jesus makes this parable the most important of all parables.

 

“In plain sight are the sowers and the reapers, side by side, the one casting the seed, and the other harvesting the early grain.  The fruitful valleys, and the hill sides are clothed in beauty.  The barren rocks are seen upon the beach, and the birds make the air vocal with their music.  The sea-fowls skim upon the surface of the water. Jesus takes this opportunity to draw lessons from nature that will sink into the minds of His listeners.  He employs the scenery about Him to illustrate His Doctrine, so that in the future, whenever these objects are presented to their eyes, their thoughts will revert to the lessons of truth drawn from them by Jesus.  They will be daily reminders of the precious instruction which they had received from Him.”  2SP:233.1.

 

“His followers were mortified that the learned and wealthy were not the most willing to accept Jesus as their Saviour.  They felt the stigma that attached to their Master, because it was the poor, the afflicted, and the humbler class generally, who became His disciples.  Why, they asked themselves, did not the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers in the schools of the prophets, acknowledge that He was the long-looked-for Messiah?  It was to meet this doubt and discontent that Jesus spoke this parable.”  2SP:235.

 

“. . . in the parable of the power, He had illustrated the doctrine He had come to the world to teach.”  2SP:236-237.

 

“Thus Christ represents the characters of those whom He came to teach, in a brief and comprehensive parable. . . The parable of the power plainly sets forth the tendencies of the human heart, and the different classes with which Christ had to deal, and also explains the reasons that His ministry was not more successful in its immediate effects.”  2SP:241.

 

Matthew 13:5; Mark 4:5; Luke 8:6:  “stony places” = “The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites.  They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working.  They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up.  This class are represented also by the stony-ground hearers {“foolish virgins” = “stony-ground hearers”}.”  COL:411.1.

 

13:13:  “Therefore speak I to them in parables” = “Matthew Henry’s Concise Bible Commentary” states, “Christ taught in parables.  Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant.”  But the main reason is found in Ezekiel 12:2, which is, “for they are a rebellious house.”

 

“The Pharisees understood the parable, but affected not to perceive its meaning.  They closed their eyes lest they should see and their ears lest they should hear; therefore their hearts could not be reached.  They were to suffer retribution for their willful ignorance and self-imposed blindness.  One reason why He taught so much in parables was that the spies of the Jews were ever watching to find cause for complaint against Him.  Jesus designed to expose their hypocrisy and evil deeds without laying Himself liable to the danger of being arrested and imprisoned by them, and thus cut off from the work which He came to do among the people.”  2SP:236.1.

 

Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12:  “lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”  Jesus is here quoting Isaiah 6:10 (see also Isa. 29:10), and especially Isaiah 44:18, where Isaiah continues along the same reasoning.  This hiding of the truth was a judgment for unbelief, as happened during Isaiah’s ministry.  The images of “seeing” and “hearing” refer to knowledge of God’s revelation.

 

Refusing to look and to listen would mean that the people’s hearts were hardened.  No matter how much they saw of Jesus’ miracles, or heard of His teaching, they never would be able to understand because they had deliberately chosen to reject Him.  Jesus shows what happens when people see but do not observe what is happening; when people hear but do not hearken.  The bottom line is, that God will punish them for their willful contempt.

 

In a side note:  This Old Testament reference given by Jesus from Isaiah 6:10 is the only quotation in the Book of Matthew which is actually from Jesus’ mouth.  Other such quotations are given by Matthew about Jesus.

 

13:18:  “parable” = Why did our Lord teach in parables?  “Jesus desired to awaken inquiry.  He sought to arouse the careless, and impress truth upon the heart.  Parable teaching was popular, and commanded the respect and attention, not only of the Jews, but of the people of other nations. . .

 

“Again, Christ had truths to present which the people were unprepared to accept or even to understand.  For this reason also He taught them in parables.  By connecting His teaching with the scenes of life, experience, or nature, He secured their attention and impressed their hearts.  Afterward, as they looked upon the objects that illustrated His lessons, they recalled the Words of the Divine Teacher. . .

 

“Jesus sought an avenue to every heart.  By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers.”  COL:21.

 

“sower” = “Christ, the Sower, scatters the seed.”  2SP:238.

 

Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15:  “seed by the way side” = “Christ, the Sower, scatters the seed.  There are the worldly ones, whose hearts are like the hard-beaten highway, insensible to the teachings of Divine wisdom.  They love not the requirements of God, and follow their natural impulses.  Many are convinced as they listen to the important lessons of Christ.  They believe His Words, and resolve to lead holy lives, but when Satan comes with his evil suggestions, they are overcome before the good seed has fairly sprung into life.

 

“Had the soil of the heart been broken up by deep repentance for sin, they would have seen how wicked was their selfish love of the world, their pride and avarice, and would have put them away.  The seeds of truth would have struck deep into the fallow ground prepared for them in the heart, and would have sprung up and borne fruit.  But evil habits had so long held sway over their lives that their good resolutions had vanished before the voice of the tempter.”  2SP:238.

 

“If life moves smoothly with this class, if their way is never crossed, if all things are in harmony with their inclinations, they appear to be consistent Christians.  But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation; they cannot endure reproach for the truth’s sake.  The good seed that had sprung into so flourishing a plant, withers and dies because it has no root to sustain it in the time of drought.  The very thing which should have caused the fibers to strike down deeper and send up more vigorous growth, parches and kills the whole plant. . .

 

“These persons could cultivate and enrich the soil of their hearts, if they would, so that the truth would take deeper hold; but this involves too much patience and self-denial.  It costs them too much effort to make a radical change in their lives.  They are easily offended by reproof,” 2SP:239.

 

“The seed sown by the wayside represents the Word of God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer.  Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the heart that becomes a highway for the world’s traffic, its pleasures and sins.  Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is ‘hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.’  Heb. 3:13.  The spiritual faculties are paralyzed.  Men hear the Word, but understand it not.  They do not discern that it applies to themselves.  They do not realize their need or their danger.  They do not perceive the Love of Christ, and they pass by the message of His grace as something that does not concern them.  As the birds are ready to catch up the seed from the wayside, so Satan is ready to catch away the seeds of Divine truth from the soul.  He fears that the Word of God may awaken the careless, and take effect upon the hardened heart.”  COL:44.

 

Matthew 13:20-21; Mark 4:16-17:  “the seed into stony places” = “Many hearts respond to the voice of truth, but they do not properly receive and cherish it.  They give it a place in the soil of the natural heart, without preparing the ground and rooting out the poisonous weeds that flourish there, and watching every hour in order to destroy them should they again appear.  The cares of life, the fascination of riches, the longing for forbidden things, crowd out the love of righteousness before the good seed can bear fruit.  Pride, passion, self-love, and love of the world, with envy and malice, are no companions for the truth of God.  As it is necessary thoroughly to cultivate the soil that has once been overgrown with weeds, so it is necessary for the Christian to be diligent in exterminating the faults that threaten his eternal ruin.  Patient, earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus, can alone remove the evil tendencies of the natural heart.  But those who have allowed their faith to be overcome by the growth of Satan’s influences, fall into a worse state than that which they occupied before they heard the words of life.”  2SP:240.

 

“The seed sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil.  The plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it soon perishes.  Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers.  Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations.  The love of self is not subdued.  They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt.  This class may be easily convinced, and appear to be bright converts, but they have only a superficial religion.”  COL:46.

 

Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:18-19:  “seed among the thorns” = “The gospel seed often falls among thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be choked.  The thorns will come to be the crop, and will kill out the wheat.  Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth.  The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated.  The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually.  If the heart is not kept under the control of God, if the Holy Spirit does not work unceasingly to refine and ennoble the character, the old habits will reveal themselves in the life.”  COL:50.

 

Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20:  “good ground” = “The parable of the sower plainly sets forth the tendencies of the human heart, and the different classes with which Christ had to deal, and also explains the reasons that His ministry was not more successful in its immediate effects.”  2SP:241.2.

 

Matthew 13:24; Mark 4:3:  “good seed in His field” = “ ‘The field,’ Christ said, ‘is the world.’  But we must understand this as signifying the Church of Christ in the world.”  COL:70.

 

“The Pharisees perceived the meaning of Christ’s parable, but to them its lesson was unwelcome.  They affected not to understand it.  To the multitude it involved in still greater mystery the purpose of the new Teacher, Whose words had so strangely moved their hearts and so bitterly disappointed their ambitions.  The disciples themselves had not understood the parable, but their interest was awakened.”  COL:35.

 

13:25:  “tares” = “The tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles.”  COL:70.3.

 

13:28:  “An enemy hath done this” = “All tares are sown by the evil one.  Every noxious herb is of his sowing, and by his ingenious methods of amalgamation he has corrupted the earth with tares.”  2SM:288; 1BC:1086; 16MR:247.

 

“The soil that should have produced goodly grain for the nourishment of man, runs to waste, and the seeds of sin are carried from that to other fields.”  2SP:248.

 

13:30:  “in the time of harvest” = “[248] The growth of the tares among the wheat would draw special attention to it.  The grain would be subjected to severe criticism.  Indeed, the whole field might be set down as worthless by some superficial observer, or by one who delighted to discover evil.  The sower might be condemned by him, as one who had mingled the bad seed with the good for his own wicked purpose.  Just so the erring and hypocritical ones who profess to follow Jesus bring reproach upon the cause of Christianity, and cause the world to doubt concerning the truths of Christ.  As the presence of the tares among the wheat counteracted to a great degree the work of the sower, so sin among the [249]

 

“people of God, frustrates, in a measure, the plan of Jesus to save fallen man from the power of Satan and render the barren ground of the human heart fruitful of good works.

 

“The tares so closely resembled the wheat that the laborers might easily be deceived when the blades were green, and root out the good plants.  But when the field was white for the harvest, then the worthless weeds bore no resemblance to the wheat that bowed under the weight of its full, ripe heads.  Then the tares were ruthlessly plucked up and destroyed, while the precious grain was gathered into barns.  Sinners who make false pretensions of piety mingle together for a time with the true followers of Christ, and this external semblance of Christianity is calculated to deceive many.  But in the harvest of the world there will be no likeness between good and evil.  The wicked will be gathered from the righteous, to trouble them no more forever.”  2SP:248-249.

 

Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19:  “a grain of mustard seed” = “The seed here spoken of is the Word of God. . . But the work of cultivating is the work of a life-time. . . Sanctification is the work of a life-time.”  2SP:244.

 

“There were many educated and influential men who had come to hear the prophet whose fame had spread far and near.  Some of these looked with curious interest upon the throng, which was composed of all classes of society and every nationality.  There were the poor, the illiterate, the ragged beggar, the robber with the seal of guilt upon his face, the sick, the maimed, the dissipated, high and low, rich and humble, jostling each other for a place to stand and hear the Words of Jesus.

 

“As they gazed, they asked themselves incredulously, Is the Kingdom of God composed of such material as this.?  Jesus read their thoughts, and replied to them by another parable,” 2SP:245.

 

The people look upon the mustard, growing so vigorously about them, and their minds are vividly impressed by the illustration Jesus has used to point the truths of His Doctrine.  He thus declares that not by force of arms, and the pomp and heraldry of war, is the kingdom of Christ to be set up.  But the work is of gradual development.  Though the beginning may be small, it will grow and strengthen,” 2SP:246.

 

“Which indeed is the least” = It is argued that hear the Bible (Jesus is stupid) is in error, for the “mustard seed” is not the “smallest of all seeds,” as most false newer translations put it, which then brings in the problem, making Jesus not the Creator of it.  However, the Greek word for “least” is “mikros,” which means, “Small; little.”  The comparative degree Greek word is “mikroteros,” meaning, “smaller; less;” which is the opposite of “megas,” which means “large.”  As we can see, the word does not mean “smallest.”  Even if you insist that it does (for some Satanic reason), this is a “parable,” and a “parable” is designed to make a point; the size of the “mustard seed” not being that point.

 

When it comes to Mark’s account of this “parable,” he states that it “is less than all the seeds.”  This is easily explained by seeing Matthew’s account here, which means, “is less [valued] than all the seeds.”

 

To then argue that the text is arguing about size because the “mustard seed” grows into a tree, which is large, is pushing the point.  It needed to grow to some sort of size in order to house “fowls.”  Or in other words, the righteous whom God will bring with Him to Heaven because they placed value in His Word (which is what the seed represents).  That size is only pertinent to the point that when people place value upon God’s Word (the “mustard seed”), then it will grow; no value, no growth.

 

When you get right down to it, the point is one must plant the “seed.”  Jesus is discussing the “sowing” of “crops,” i.e., “His Word” such that people may be brought into the Kingdom,  and not which “seeds” in the world are the “smallest.”

 

“birds of the air come and lodge” = Most consider the “birds” to be gentiles who accept the Jewish Messiah and join the ranks of Judaism/Christendom.  By contrast, the birds in the parable in Matthew 13:4, are of a corrupting influence.  Thus, they could also be representative of corruption entering into the Church.

 

Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21:  “Another parable spake He” = The meaning here is the same as in the last parable (staying focused upon the same theme), i.e., that the Gospel would spread; however, intending to denote more properly the conversion of the individual more than that of the entire Church.

 

“By this parable Christ seeks to illustrate the work of the Holy Spirit upon the human heart.  The process is invisible by which the leaven changes the meal into which it has been introduced; but it continues to work until the meal is converted into bread.  So the leaven of truth, working inwardly, produces a complete change in the human heart.”  ST, October 13, 1898.

 

“leaven” = Most consider the “leaven” to be the growth of the Church.  By contrast, “leaven” is used so negatively by our Lord (Mat. 16:6 & 11; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 1Co. 5:6; Gal. 5:9), that Jesus could also be giving a warning to the Church that evil would attempt to come in to destroy the Church.  Should you argue that this is speaking of “the Kingdom of Heaven,” notice its use in Matthew 25:1, where the “Kingdom” is not “ten virgins,” it is like them.  So here is the Church like Heaven, until it becomes corrupted.  To be perfectly honest, I believe both applications can apply.

 

“The leaven in the meal represents the progressive work of Divine grace in the human heart.  The leaven was not naturally in the meal, but being placed in it gave rise to fermentation which resulted in a radical change of the whole mass.  So the principles of God’s truth, hidden in the heart of an individual, change his entire nature, and influence his life.  The natural feelings are transformed, the affections are consecrated, and the mind elevated.  Physically, the man appears the same; but inwardly, he has become renewed by the Heavenly principles that animate his life.”  2SP:247.1.

 

“And the leaven, buried in the meal, while it was an illustration that could be understood by all, brought home the truth with added power to the minds of the women, who knew so well the action of the leaven upon the meal, and were thus enabled to draw a forcible comparison between that and the workings of God’s grace upon the human heart.”  2SP:254.

 

“three measures of fine meal” = The true meaning of this quantity is discovered by studying Genesis 18:6, where we learn that “three measures” is the custom, still in Arab lands today, for entertaining guests.

 

13:35:  “That it might be fulfilled” = See Psalm 78:2.

 

13:42:  “cast them into a furnace of fire” = “Jesus Himself declares that there is a greater sin than that which brought destruction upon Sodom and Gomorrah; it is the sin of those who see the Son of God and listen to His Teachings, yet turn from His salvation, and reject His offered mercy.”  2SP:250.

 

13:44:  “treasure hid in a field” = “[251] In those days there were many who searched for treasure which was supposed to be buried in certain localities where great cities had once stood.  In the great thoroughfare of travel, where Jesus was then teaching, it was not unusual to meet persons who had come long distances on their way to where it [252]

 

“was supposed hidden treasure could be found.  The desire for great riches led them upon a journey fraught with many perils.  They had left their avocations upon a venture that seldom proved successful.  But if they secured a small treasure they redoubled their exertions, hoping to realize still greater riches.  Jesus had this class of His hearers in view, when He thus illustrated the mysterious riches of His grace, which, once having attracted the heart of man, lead him to seek higher attainments and greater blessings.  The more he realizes of the peace of God, the more he desires to drink deeper at the fountain of His Love.  The thirst for righteousness, the longing and seeking for Its treasures, continually increase.”  2SP:251-252.

 

“In the parable the field containing the treasure represents the Holy Scriptures.  And the gospel is the treasure.”  COL:104.

 

13:45:  “seeking goodly pearls” = “In the parable of the pearl of great price, the pearl is not represented as a gift.  The merchantman bought it at the price of all he had.  Many question what this means, when Christ is presented in the Scriptures as a gift.  He is a gift to all who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him, without reserve. . . Only thus can we obtain the priceless gem of salvation.  Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and sold.  In the market of which Divine Mercy has the management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought without money and without price.  In this market all may obtain the goods of heaven, which are lent on trust. . . The only condition Christ presents to those who come to Him to be clothed with His righteousness is obedience to His Commandments.”  ST, December 15, 1898.

 

13:47:  “like unto a net” = “There were many fishermen in the assembly that listened to the teachings of Jesus; and therefore He spoke a parable that would bring his truth directly home to their minds by an illustration drawn from their daily lives.”  2SP:253.

 

Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22; John 6:42:  “Is not this the carpenter’s son” = The implication is that carpenters were not eloquent, nor have “gracious words,” Mark 6:3, normally in their vocabulary.  That Joseph may have been rude should not be understood here.

 

“In marked contrast with this humble Man was the expected Messiah of the Jews.  They believed that He would Come with honor and glory, and set up, by power of arms, the throne of David.  And they murmured:  This cannot be the One Who is to redeem Israel.  Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know?  And they refused to believe Him unless He gave them some marked sign.  They opened their hearts to unbelief, and prejudice took possession of them, and blinded their judgment, so that they made no account of the evidence already given when their hearts had thrilled with the knowledge that It was their Redeemer Who addressed them.”  2SP:112.

 

“His mother called Mary? and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas” = See my Matthew 12:46 Note.

​

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

 

Matthew 14:1; Luke 3:1; Acts 13:1:  “Herod the tetrarch” = From “Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge,” we read:  “This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, by Malthace, and tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, which produced a revenue of 200 talents a year.  He married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, whom he divorced in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living.  Aretas, to revenge the affront which Herod had offered his daughter, declared war against him, and vanquished him after an obstinate engagement.  This defeat, Josephus assures us, the Jews considered as a punishment for the death of John the Baptist.  Having gone to Rome to solicit the title of king, he was accused by Agrippa of carrying on a correspondence with Artabanus king of Parthia, against the Romans, and was banished by the emperor Caius to Lyons, and thence to Spain, where he and Herodias died in exile.”

 

“Tetrarch” means “one-fourth.”  Therefore, Herod was ruler over “one-fourth” of the governor of one of four divisions of a country or province; which his section obviously included Galilee and Perea.

 

Matthew 14:2-3; Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9:  “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead” = “The Lord followed Herod as is described in Deuteronomy, [Deu. 28:65-67 quoted].”  RH, April 8th, 1873; 2SP:83.1.

 

Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17:  “Herod had laid hold on John” = “Herod was inclined to act upon the advice of John, and stated to Herodias that he could not marry her in defiance of the Law of God.  But this determined woman would not be thwarted in her designs.  Intense hatred was awakened in her heart toward John.  Herod was weak in principle, vacillating in mind, and Herodias had no great difficulty in re-establishing herself in his favor, and holding her influence over him.  Herod yielded to the pleasures of sin, rather than submit to the restrictions of the Law of God.

 

“When Herodias had gained influence over Herod, she determined to be revenged upon the prophet for his daring to reprove their course of crime.  And she influenced him to imprison John.  But Herod intended to release him.”  2SP:70.

 

Matthew 14:5; Mark 6:22:  “would have put him to death” = “[76] Herod’s purpose to release John from prison was delayed from time to time through fear of displeasing Herodias, who was determined he should be put to death.  While he was delaying, she was active, planning how to be revenged in the most effectual manner on the prophet, because he had ventured to tell the truth, and reprove their unlawful life.  She knew that although Herod kept John in prison, he designed to release him, for he honored and feared him, and believed that he was a true prophet of God.  John had made known to Herod the secrets of his heart and life, and his reproofs had struck terror to the guilty conscience of the king.

 

“In many things Herod had reformed his dissolute life.  But the use of luxurious food and stimulating drink was constantly enervating his moral as well as physical powers, and warring against the earnest appeals of the Spirit of God, which had struck conviction to his heart, and was urging him to put away his sins.  Herodias was acquainted with the weak points in the character of Herod.  She knew that under ordinary circumstances, while his intelligence controlled him, she could not compass the death of John.

 

“She had tried, but unsuccessfully, to gain the consent of Herod to have John slain.  Her revengeful spirit was now at work to accomplish her inhuman design by strategy.  She knew that the only way to accomplish her purpose would be [77]

 

“through the gratification of the king’s intemperate appetite.  So she covered her hatred as best she could, looking forward to the royal birthday, which she knew would be an occasion of gluttony and intoxication.  The king’s love of luxurious food and wine would give her an opportunity to throw him off his guard.  She would entice him to indulge his appetite, which would arouse passions of the baser order, subvert the finer sensibilities, produce a recklessness of consequences, and an inability to exercise his proper judgment and decision.

 

“She was acquainted with the effect of these carnivals upon the intellect and morals.  She knew that the unnatural exhilaration of the spirits induced by intemperance lowers the moral standard of the mind, making it impossible for holy impulses to enter the heart and govern the excited passions, that festivities and amusements, dances, and free use of wine, cloud the sense, and remove the fear of God; therefore she prepared everything to flatter his pride and vanity, and indulge his passions.  She made the most costly preparations for feasting, and voluptuous dissipation.”  2SP:76-77.

 

14:6:  “daughter of Herodias” = This was Salome (see my Note on Mat. 2:1).  She is called the “daughter of Herodias” because her real father was Philip, whom Herod Antipas had taken Herodias from.

 

Matthew 14:7; Mark 6:23:  “whatsoever she would ask” = “The unnatural exhilaration which intemperance gives to the mind and spirits, lowers the sensibilities to moral improvement, making it impossible for holy impulses to affect the heart, and hold government over the passions, when public opinion and fashion sustain them.  Festivities and amusements, dances, and free use of wine, becloud the senses, and remove the fear of God. . . Salome was decorated with costly garlands and flowers.  She was adorned with sparkling jewels and flashing bracelets.  With little covering and less modesty she danced for the amusement of the royal guests.  To their perverted senses, the enchanting appearance of this, to them, vision of beauty and loveliness charmed them.  Instead of being governed by enlightened reason, refined taste, or sensitive consciences, the lower qualities of the mind held the guiding reins.  Virtue and principle had no controlling power.”  RH, March 11, 1873.

 

“[77] When the great day arrived, and the king with his lords was feasting and drinking in the banqueting hall, Herodias sent her daughter, dressed in a most enchanting manner, into the royal presence.  Salome was decorated with costly garlands and flowers, sparkling jewels and flashing bracelets.  With little covering, and less modesty, she danced for the amusement of the royal guests.  To their perverted senses, she seemed a vision of beauty and loveliness, and charmed away the last remnants of self-respect and [78]

 

“propriety.  Instead of being governed by enlightened reason, refined taste, and sensitive conscience, the baser qualities of the mind held the guiding reins.  Virtue and principle had no controlling power.

 

“The mind of Herod was in a whirl.  His faculties were confused, judgment and reverence were dethroned.  He saw only the hall of pleasure, with his reveling guests, the banquet table, sparkling wine and flashing lights, and the young girl in her voluptuous beauty dancing before him.  In the recklessness of the moment he was desirous to make some display which would exalt him still higher before the great men of his kingdom; and he rashly promised, and confirmed his promise with an oath, to give the daughter of Herodias whatever she might ask.”  2SP:77-78.

 

Matthew 14:8; Mark 6:24:  “being before instructed of her mother” = “Salome was shocked.  She did not understand the hidden revenge in her mother’s heart, and at first refused to present such an inhuman request; but the determination of the wicked mother prevailed.  Moreover, she bade her daughter make no delay, but hasten to prefer her request before Herod would have time for reflection.”  2SP:78.

 

Matthew 14:9; Mark 6:26:  “the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake” = “Herod had been exalted by his lordly guests for constancy and superior judgment.  And he did not wish to appear fickle or rash in character.  The oath had been made on the account of Herod’s guests.  And had one of them offered a word of remonstrance, to deter him from the fulfillment of his promise, he would gladly have saved the life of John.  Herod gave them opportunity to speak in behalf of John.  They had traveled long distances to the mountains in the wilderness to listen to his earnest, intelligent, and powerful discourses.  Herod told them if it would not be considered a special mark of dishonor to them, he would not abide by his oath.  It was on their account he carried out his promise.  Why was there no voice to be heard in that company to keep Herod from fulfilling his mad vow?  They were intoxicated with wine, and to their benumbed senses there was nothing to be reverenced.”  RH, April 8, 1873; 2SP:79.

 

“[79] But though at first they were horror-stricken at the unnatural demand of the girl, they were so far intoxicated that they sat in silent stupor, without reason, reverence, or thought.  Though they were invited to release the monarch from his oath, their tongues were dumb.  No voice in all that company was raised to save the life of an innocent man, who had never done them harm.  Herod, still under the delusion that, in order to maintain his reputation, he must keep an oath made under the influence of intoxication, unless formally released from it, waited in vain for a dissenting voice, but there was none.  The life of God’s prophet was in the hands of a company of drunken revelers.  These men occupied high positions of trust in the nation, and grave [80]

 

“responsibilities rested upon them, yet they had gorged themselves with dainty food, and added drunkenness to surfeiting, until their mental powers were enervated by the pleasure of sense, their brains turned with the giddy scene of music and dancing, and conscience lay dormant.  By their silence they pronounced the sentence of death upon the anointed of the Lord, to gratify the horrible caprice of a wicked woman.”  2SP:79-80.

 

Matthew 14:10-11; Mark 6:27-28:  “beheaded John” = “The frivolities and dissipation of a single night had caused the sacrifice of one of the greatest prophets that ever bore a message from God to men.

 

“Herodias received the gory head with fiendish satisfaction.  She exulted in her revenge, and thought that Herod’s conscience would be no more disturbed.  But her calculations were greatly in error; no happiness resulted to her through her crime.  Her name became notorious and abhorred because of her inhuman act, while the heart of Herod was more oppressed by remorse than it had been by the condemnation of John.  And the very act which she imagined would rid the world of the prophet’s influence, enshrined him as a holy martyr, not only in the hearts of his disciples, but of those who had not before ventured to stand boldly out as his followers.  Many who had heard his message of warning, and had been secretly convinced by his teachings, now, spurred on by horror at his coldblooded murder, publicly espoused his cause and declared themselves his disciples.  Herodias utterly failed to silence the influence of John’s teachings; they were to extend down through every generation to the close of time, while her corrupt life and Satanic revenge would reap a harvest of infamy.”  2SP:81.  

 

John perfected his character:  “He [speaking of Satan] had been unwearied in his efforts to draw away the Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender to God; but he had failed.  And he had failed to overcome Jesus.”  DA:224.

 

“God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him.”  DA:224.5.

 

Matthew 14:12; Mark 6:29-30:  “went and told Jesus” = “With saddened hearts the disciples of John had borne his mutilated body to its burial.  Then they ‘went and told Jesus.’  These disciples had been envious of Christ when He seemed to be drawing the people away from John.  They had sided with the Pharisees in accusing Him when He sat with the publicans at Matthew’s feast.  They had doubted His divine mission because He did not set the Baptist at liberty.  But their great sorrow, and for guidance as to their future work, they came to Jesus, and united their interest with His.  They too needed a season of quiet for communion with the Saviour.”  DA:361.

 

Matthew 14:13; Mark 6:31; Luke 9:10:  “When Jesus heard of it” = “The disciples had just returned from their first missionary tour.  They came to Jesus and told Him all things.  Their intimate relationship with Him encouraged them to lay before Him all their favorable and unfavorable experiences, their joy at seeing results from their labors, and their weaknesses.  They had committed errors in their first work as evangelists, and as they frankly told Christ of their experiences, He saw that they had become weary in their labors, and that they needed to rest. . .

 

“John the Baptist had just been beheaded, and his disciples, full of grief at his death, had taken up his body, and laid it in a tomb, and had then come and told Christ. . . The rest which Christ and His disciples took was not self-indulgent rest. . . They talked together regarding the work of God, and the possibility of bringing greater efficiency into the work. . . 

 

“The disciples had just returned from their first missionary tour.  They came to Jesus and told Him all things.  Their intimate relationship with Him encouraged them to lay before Him all their favorable and unfavorable experiences, their joy at seeing results from their labors, and their weaknesses.  They had committed errors in their first work as evangelists, and as they frankly told Christ of their experiences, He saw that they had become weary in their labors, and that they needed to rest. . .

 

“John the Baptist had just been beheaded, and his disciples, full of grief at his death, had taken up his body, and laid it in a tomb, and had then come and told Christ. . . The rest which Christ and His disciples took was not self-indulgent rest. . . They talked together regarding the work of God, and the possibility of bringing greater efficiency into the work. . .

 

“The Disciples had been with Christ, and could understand Him; to them He needed not talk in parables.  He corrected their errors, and made plain to them the right way of approaching unbelievers.  He opened more fully to them the precious treasures of Divine truth.  Important truths from the inexhaustible store-house were presented to them.”  ST, August 5, 1897.

 

Matthew 14:15; Mark 6:38; Luke 9:13; John 6:9:  “five loaves, and the two fishes” = What Bible Students tend to miss here is not the apparent lack of faith of the Disciples, but the fact that “Andrew,” John 6:8 (and most likely others), had been mingling amongst the people in order to even know about this food source.  See my Matthew 5:1 Note for a possible reason.

 

“The food increased in the hands of Christ, and as often as the disciples returned to Him, they received a fresh supply.”  RH, January 11, 1898; 2SP:262.

 

“About ten-thousand people -- five thousand men and women and five thousand children.”  9MR:31.

 

Matthew 14:20; Mark 6:43; Luke 9:17; John 6:13:  “they did all eat” = “The disciples were bidden to feed the hungry multitude before eating themselves.  After the wants of all had been supplied. . . Twelve baskets full were gathered up; and then Christ and His disciples ate of the precious, Heaven-supplied food.”  ST, August 19, 1897; 4ST:218.

 

“The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour.  It is His office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the great salvation that we have through Him. . . The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of Divine truth.”  SC:63.

 

Matthew 14:22; Mark 6:45-46; John 6:14-15:  “get into a ship. . . He sent the multitudes away” = “[378] In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. . . They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. . . Violence and insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. . . Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss the people.  Never before had a Command from Christ seemed so impossible of fulfillment.  The disciples had long hoped for a popular movement to place Jesus on the throne; they could not endure the thought that all this enthusiasm should come to nothing. . . [379]

 

“They protested against the arrangement; but Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never before assumed toward them.  They knew that further opposition on their part would be useless, and in silence they turned toward the sea.  Jesus now Commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner is so decisive that they dare not disobey.  The words of praise and exaltation die on their lips.  In the very act of advancing to seize Him their steps are stayed, and the glad, eager look fades from their countenances.  In that throng are men of strong mind and firm determination; but the kingly bearing of Jesus, and His few quiet Words of Command, quell the tumult, and frustrate their designs.  They recognize in Him a power above all earthly authority, and without a question they submit.”  DA:378-379.

 

“Judas was first to take advantage of the enthusiasm excited by the miracle of the loaves. . . It was he [Judas] who set on foot the project to take Christ by force and make Him king.”  DA:718.2.

 

Matthew 14:23-24; Mark 6:47, 52; John 16:16-18:  “evening  was come. . . fourth watch” = The “first watch” would have begun at 6:00 P.M., going to 9:00 P.M., and so forth, the “second” form 9-12; the “third” form 12-3; and the “fourth” from 3-6.  Thus, the Disciples were struggling all night, for any fisherman could have traversed the trip across Lake Galilee in less than 2 hours.  Therefore, why did our Lord let them struggle all night?  The answer is He was waiting for something specific to happen:

 

“They had left Jesus with dissatisfied hearts, more impatient with Him than ever before since acknowledging Him as their Lord.  They murmured because they had not been permitted to proclaim Him king.  They blamed themselves for yielding so readily to His Command.  They reasoned that if they had been more persistent they might have accomplished their purpose.  Unbelief was taking possession of their minds and hearts. . . They were in the midst of troubled waters.  Their thoughts were stormy and unreasonable, and the Lord gave them something else to afflict their souls and occupy their minds.  God often does this when men create burdens and troubles for themselves.  The disciples had no need to make trouble.  Already danger was fast approaching.

 

“A violent tempest had been stealing upon them, and they were unprepared for it.  It was a sudden contrast, for the day had been perfect; and when the gale struck them, they were afraid.  They forgot their disaffection, their unbelief, their impatience. . .

 

“[380] Everyone worked to keep the boat from sinking.  It was but a short distance by sea from Bethsaida to the point where they expected to meet Jesus, and in ordinary weather the journey required but a few hours; but now they were driven farther [381]

 

“and farther from the point they sought.  Until the fourth watch of the night they toiled at the oars.  Then the weary men gave themselves up for lost.  In storm and darkness the sea had taught them their own helplessness, and they longed for the presence of their Master.

 

“Jesus had not forgotten them.  The Watcher on the shore saw those fear-stricken men battling with the tempest.  Not for a moment did He lose sight of His disciples.  With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden; for these men were to be the light of the world.  As a mother in tender love watches her child, so the compassionate Master watched His disciples.  When their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and in humility they prayed for help, it was given them.”  DA:380-381.

 

Matthew 14:24; Mark 6:48:  “the wind was contrary” = “At last the disciples saw that their efforts were in vain, that they were unable to help themselves.  With feelings of remorse they remembered their impatience with Jesus, and called upon God for pardon.  And now the time had come for Jesus to help them.  Placing His feet upon the waters, He stepped from one white-capped wave to another, as if walking upon dry land.”  ST, August 11, 1898, paragraph 12 (3ST:495).

 

Matthew 14:26; Mark 6:49:  “It is a spirit” = “. . .when their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they humbly prayed for help, it was given them.  At the very moment they believed themselves lost, a flash of lightning revealed the figure of a man walking toward them upon the water.  An unspeakable terror seized them.  The hands that had grasped the oars with muscle like iron, relaxed their hold, and fell powerless by their sides.  The boat rocked at the will of the waves, while their eyes were riveted upon this vision of a man stepping firmly upon the white-capped billows.

 

“They thought it must be a spirit, which omened their immediate destruction.”  2SP:267.

 

Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50:  “It is I” = The phrase “It is I” is another way of translating the Greek phrase “ego eimi,” which means “I Am.”  It is the exact equivalent of Exodus 3:14, “I Am That I Am,” as the “LXX” confirms.

 

14:30:  “when he saw the wind” = “. . .but Peter had taken only a step upon the surface of the boiling deep, when he looked back proudly toward his companions to see if they were watching his movements, and admiring the ease with which he trod upon the yielding water.

 

“In taking his eyes from Jesus, they fell upon the boisterous waves that seemed greedily threatening to swallow him; their roaring filled his ears, his head swam, his heart failed him with fear.”  2SP:269.

 

“Lord, save me” = The cry all of us should give.

 

“As he is sinking, he recovers presence of mind sufficient to remember that there is One near Who can rescue him.  He stretches out his arms toward Jesus,” 2SP:269.

 

14:33:  “Of a truth thou art the Son of God” = “The disciples, and others who were also on board, bowed at the feet of Jesus with thankful hearts, saying, ‘Of a truth Thou art the Son of God!’ ”  2SP:270.

 

14:36:  “hem” = See my Matthew 9:20 Note.

 

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 

 

Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:3, 5; Galatians 1:14:  “the tradition of the elders” = These traditions are believed to be given by Moses to the 70 elders of Exodus, Chapter 24, in addition to what Moses had written down in the “Torah” (the first five Books of the Bible),  However, see below.

 

Tradition tends to grow in its requirements; whereas truth is always constant; “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8.

 

From “Albert Barnes Notes On The Bible” we read:  “They [the Pharisees] supposed that when Moses was on Mount Sinai two sets of laws were delivered to him:  one, they said, was recorded, and is that contained in the Old Testament; the other was handed down from father to son, and kept uncorrupted to their day.  They believed that Moses, before he died, delivered this law to Joshua; he to the Judges; they to the prophets; so that it was kept pure until it was recorded in the Talmud.  In these books these pretended laws are now contained.  They are exceedingly numerous and very trifling. They are, however, regarded by the Jews as more important than either Moses or the prophets.”

 

Notice also that our Lord does not disagree where this instruction truly came from when they state:  “transgress the tradition of the elders,” throwing it back at them with what they truly should be obeying -- “why do ye also transgress the Commandment of God by your tradition?”  Verse 3.  See Isaiah 29:13.

 

Just so you better understand where this concept or doctrine comes from, by translating the word “they [the scribes and pharisees]” instead of “he [Moses],” this comes to us from Catholic doctrine.  They state that it is the “chair” that has the authority.  This is how the “KJV” translation was somewhat indoctrinated with when translating some of these passages (try to understand the state of the dead properly).  When the Pope sits in the “chair,” then anything he states from that “chair” is from God and is now new doctrine.  For you must obey the “chair.”

 

“they wash not their hands when they eat bread” = “[395] Among the observances most strenuously enforced was that of ceremonial purification.  A neglect of the forms to be observed before eating was accounted a heinous sin, to be punished both in this world and in the next; and it was regarded as a virtue to destroy the transgressor. . . [396] Whenever the message of truth comes home to souls with special power, Satan stirs up his agents to start a dispute over some minor question.  Thus he seeks to attract attention from the real issue.”  DA:395-396.

 

15:3:  “But He answered” = Notice that our Lord avoids answering their question.  Thus, it appears that Jesus had no problems with the Pharisees having their own rules.  However, He did have a problem with the elevation of these rules to the status of doctrine.  No human has the authority to create religious restrictions and elevate them to the level of a Divine mandate.  But this is not to say that groups of believers are prohibited from creating regulations that help to govern community behavior.  Practical instruction could help people greatly in keeping of the Law of God.  However, the instruction should never be allowed to take the place of the Law Itself.  The Pharisees decided to major in minors, for it is not wrong to wash your hands before eating.  But it is not a Salvational issue by placing tradition of God’s Law.

 

15:5:  “It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me” = The “Lexham English Bible” puts it this way:  “Whatever benefit you would have received from me is a gift to God.”  The Hebrew word “Corban,” is a Hebrew word denoting “a gift.”  Here it means a thing dedicated to the service of God, and therefore not to be appropriated to any other use.  Jesus however, goes right to the heart issue, that being that they just did not want to spend their money to support their parents.  Jesus may also be implying that they were not really intending to give the money to God, but just made it look publicly that way until they could later use it as they pleased once everyone assumed it was in the Lord’s treasury.

 

15:9:  “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” = See Mark 7:7; Colossians 2:8 and specifically Colossians 2:22.

 

15:11:  “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth” = If this verse helps you promote a none vegetarian diet, See my Bible Study:  “DIET, DINNING GOD’S WAY.”

 

15:14:  “‘let them alone “ = “By the words, ‘let them alone,’ Christ did not mean that His followers were to make no effort to correct their untruthful doctrines.  He was charging His disciples to enter into no controversy with them.”  ST, January 3, 1900.

 

Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-29:  “a woman of Canaan” = It is interesting to notice how many times our Lord actually encouraged this woman, as opposed to the at first glance reading of His supposed harshness (see Ellen Whites remarks below).  As an example, “But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs,” verse 26.  The actual Hebrew word used was not “dogs,” but “kunarion,” meaning literally, “puppies.”  This is encouraging, for most people would associate “puppies” as something that is cute and cuddly; as opposed to a mangy old “dog” that scavenges about the streets of Jerusalem in search of a free meal.

 

“[302] But Jesus received the importunities of this representative of a despised race in the same manner as the Jews would have done; this was not only to prove the faith and sincerity of the woman, but also to teach His disciples a lesson of mercy, that they might not be at a loss how to act in similar cases after Jesus should leave them and they could no longer go to Him for personal counsel.  Jesus designed that they should be impressed with the contrast between the cold and heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced by His reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which He would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by His subsequent granting of her petition in the healing of her daughter.

 

“Although Jesus was apparently indifferent to her cries, yet she did not become offended and leave Him, but still had faith that He would relieve her distress.  As He passed on, as if not hearing her, she followed Him, continuing her supplications.  The disciples were annoyed at her importunity and asked Jesus to send her away.  Their sympathies were not aroused by her distress.  They saw that their Master treated her with indifference, and they therefore supposed that the prejudice of the Jews against the Canaanites was pleasing to Him.  But it was a pitying Saviour to Whom the woman made her plea, and, in answer to the request of the disciples to send her away, Jesus said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’  Although this answer was in accordance with the prejudice of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the [303]

 

“disciples, which they afterward understood as reminding them of what He had often told them:  That He Came to the world to save all who would accept Him.  Whoever sought the Saviour, ready to believe on Him when He should be manifested to them, were of the lost sheep whom He had come to gather in His fold.

 

“The woman was encouraged that Jesus had noticed her case sufficiently to remark upon it, although His Words conveyed no definite hope to her mind, and she now urged her case with increased earnestness, bowing at His feet and crying, [verse 22 qouted]. . . Jesus, still apparently rejecting her entreaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of the Jews, answered, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.’  This was virtually asserting that it was not just to lavish the blessings brought to the favored people of God upon strangers and aliens from Israel.  This answer would have utterly discouraged a less earnest seeker.  Many would have given up all further effort upon receiving such a repulse, and would have gone away feeling humiliated and abused, beyond all patience; but the woman meekly answered, [[verse 27 qouted].”  2SP:302-303.

 

“[303] While favoring God’s people with rich [304] and bountiful gifts, would not Jesus bestow upon her one of the many blessings He gave so freely to others?  While confessing that she had no claim upon His favor, she still plead for a crumb from His bounty.  Such faith and perseverance were unexampled.  Few of the favored people of God had so high an appreciation of the Redeemer’s benevolence and power. . . [304] The Saviour is satisfied, He has tested her confidence in Him, and He now grants her request and finishes the lesson to His disciples.”  2SP:303-304.

 

“[304] This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought while on this journey.  It was for the performance of this very act that He went into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.  He wished to relieve the afflicted woman, and at the same time to leave an example, in this work of mercy toward one of a despised people, for the benefit of His disciples [305]

 

“when He should be no longer with them.  He wished to lead them from their Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people.  This act of Christ opened their minds more fully to the labor that lay before them among the Gentiles.  Afterward, when the Jews turned still more persistently from the disciples because they declared Jesus to be the Saviour of the world, and when the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down by the death of Christ, this lesson, and similar ones which pointed to a gospel work unrestricted by custom or nationality, brought a powerful influence to bear upon the representatives of Christ in directing their labors.”  2SP:304-305.

 

From DA:400-402 (see also ST, September 9, 1897) we read:  “[400] This woman had heard of the prophet, Who, it was reported, healed all manner of diseases.  As she heard of His power, hope sprang up in her heart.  Inspired by a mother’s love, she determined to present her daughter’s case to Him.  It was her resolute purpose to bring her affliction to Jesus.  He must heal her child.  She had sought help from the heathen gods, but had obtained no relief.  And at times she was tempted to think, What can this Jewish teacher do for me?  But the word had come, He heals all manner of diseases, whether those who come to Him for help are rich or poor.  She determined not to lose her only hope.

 

“Christ knew this woman’s situation.  He knew that she was longing to see Him, and He placed Himself in her path.  By ministering to her sorrow, He could give a living representation of the lesson He designed to teach.  For this He had brought His disciples into this region.  He desired them to see the ignorance existing in cities and villages close to the land of Israel.  The people who had been given every opportunity to understand the truth were without a knowledge of the needs of those around them.  No effort was made to help souls in darkness.  The partition wall which Jewish pride had erected, shut even the disciples from sympathy with the heathen world.  But these barriers were to be broken down.

 

“Christ did not immediately reply to the woman’s request.  He received this representative of a despised race as the Jews would have done.  In this He designed that His disciples should be impressed with the cold and heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced by His reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which He would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by His subsequent granting of her petition.

 

“But although Jesus did not reply, the woman did not lose faith.  As He passed on, as if not hearing her, she followed Him, continuing her supplications.  Annoyed by her importunities, the disciples asked Jesus to send her away.  They saw that their Master treated her with indifference, and they therefore supposed that the prejudice of the Jews against the Canaanites was pleasing to Him.  But it was a pitying Saviour to Whom the woman made her plea, and in answer to the request of the disciples, Jesus said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house [401]

 

“of Israel.’  Although this answer appeared to be in accordance with the prejudice of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the disciples, which they afterward understood as reminding them of what He had often told them, -- that He came to the world to save all who would accept Him.

 

“The woman urged her case with increased earnestness, bowing at Christ’s feet, and crying, ‘Lord, help me.’  Jesus, still apparently rejecting her entreaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of the Jews, answered, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.’  This was virtually asserting that it was not just to lavish the blessings brought to the favored people of God upon strangers and aliens from Israel.  This answer would have utterly discouraged a less earnest seeker.  But the woman saw that her opportunity had come.  Beneath the apparent refusal of Jesus, she saw a compassion that He could not hide.  ‘Truth, Lord,’ she answered, ‘yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’  While the children of the household eat at the father’s table, even the dogs are not left unfed.  They have a right to the crumbs that fall from the table abundantly supplied.  So while there were many blessings given to Israel, was there not also a blessing for her?  She was looked upon as a dog, and had she not then a dog’s claim to a crumb from His bounty?. . .

 

“The Saviour is satisfied.  He has tested her faith in Him.  By His dealings with her, He has shown that she who has been regarded as an outcast from Israel is no longer an alien, but a child in God’s household.  As a child it is her privilege to share in the Father’s gifts.  Christ now grants her request, and finishes the lesson to the disciples.  Turning to her with a look of pity and love, He says, ‘O woman, great is thy faith: [402]

 

“be it unto thee even as thou wilt.’  From that hour her daughter became whole.  The demon troubled her no more.  The woman departed, acknowledging her Saviour, and happy in the granting of her prayer.

 

“This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought while on this journey.  It was for the performance of this act that He went to the borders of Tyre and Sidon.  He wished to relieve the afflicted woman, and at the same time to leave an example in His work of mercy toward one of a despised people for the benefit of His disciples when He should no longer be with them.  He wished to lead them from their Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people. . .

 

“When He said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,’ He stated the truth, and in His work for the Canaanite woman He was fulfilling His commission.  This woman was one of the lost sheep that Israel should have rescued.  It was their appointed work, the work which they had neglected, that Christ was doing.

 

“This act opened the minds of the disciples more fully to the labor that lay before them among the Gentiles.  They saw a wide field of usefulness outside of Judea.  They saw souls bearing sorrows unknown to those more highly favored.  Among those whom they had been taught to despise were souls longing for help from the mighty Healer, hungering for the light of truth, which had been so abundantly given to the Jews.”

 

15:24:  “I Am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” = “No other people professed to be governed by the Commandments of God.  Our Saviour came first to His Own people, but they received Him not.”  RH, Dec. 31, 1872.

 

Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9:  “I have compassion on the multitude” = Earlier, Jesus had fed the 5,000 in Galilee.  Now He does a similar miracle in the Decapolis region, to the east of the Lake of Galilee.  It may be possible that to the disciples the amazing and unexpected thing was not that Jesus could supply the bread, but rather that He would do so for Gentiles.

​

 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

 

Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:15:  “desired Him that he would shew them a sign from Heaven” = By doing the miracle it would force Him to begin what they thought would be the true Messiah’s ministry; that of kicking out the Romans.  If He did not perform a miracle, than it would prove He was not the true Messiah.

 

“That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour’s work was the highest evidence of His Divine character.  The greatest significance of His miracles is seen in the fact that they were for the blessing of humanity.  The highest evidence that He came from God is that His life revealed the character of God.  He did the works and spoke the Words of God.  Such a life is the greatest of all miracles.”  DA:406.8.

 

Matthew 16:6; Mark 8:15:  “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” = Read Luke 12:1.

 

Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27:  “Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi” = “Jesus and His disciples had now come into one of the towns about Caesarea Philippi.  They were beyond the limits of Galilee, in a region where idolatry prevailed.  Here the disciples were withdrawn from the controlling influence of Judaism, and brought into closer contact with the heathen worship.  Around them were represented forms of superstition that existed in all parts of the world.  Jesus desired that a view of these things might lead them to feel their responsibility to the heathen.  During His stay in this region, He endeavored to withdraw from teaching the people, and to devote Himself more fully to His disciples.”  DA:411.

 

Matthew 16:15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20:  “Whom say ye that I Am” = “That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour’s work was the highest evidence of His Divine character.”  DA:407.

 

16:17:  “flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee” = In other words, Jesus Himself did not reveal this to Peter, but God, through the Power of the Holy Spirit did.

 

16:18:  “upon this Rock” = See my Bible Study:  “CATHOLICS, FOR HONEST.”  The reference is to Isaiah 28:16; repeated in Mark 12:10-11 & Luke 20:17-18.

 

“gates of hell” = These gates are not made for locking someone out, but locking them in.  Satan would love to keep us locked within the gates of sin.  But Jesus has come to set the captives free (Mat. 4:18).

 

Matthew 16:19:  “I will give unto thee” = “[273] The words of Christ:  ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven,’ were not addressed to Peter alone, but to the disciples, including those who compose the Christian church in all ages.  Peter was given no preference nor power above that of the other disciples.  Had Jesus delegated any [274]

 

“special authority to one of them, we would not find them so frequently contending among themselves as to who should be greatest.  They would have at once submitted to the wish of their Master, and paid honor to the one whom He had selected as their head.”  2SP:273-274.

 

Matthew 16:19; John 20:23:  “whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven:  and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” = See my Bible Study:  “ CATHOLICS, FOR HONEST.”

 

The original Greek literally states:  “whatever things ye bind on the earth shall be, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever things ye loose on the earth shall be, having been loosed in Heaven.”  In other words, you are only, and should only, be doing the will of God.  That is, whatsoever He has approved of in Heaven you can now support and authorize upon earth.

 

Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22:  “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His Disciples” = “If they were obedient, He would lead them to the Heavenly Canaan as He had planted them in the earthly Canaan.  Had they accepted Christ, His death would have been brought about by other people.  But tho they had the Word of God to instruct them in regard to these things, the Jews marched steadily on to do unto Christ as the prophecies had foretold.”  ST, July 21, 1898.

 

Matthew 16:23; Mar. 8:33; Luke 4:8:  “Get thee behind Me Satan” = “Get thee behind Me Satan” = Jesus countered Peter with this statement, not because he was trying to protect Jesus, but because he was attempting to steer Jesus.  Thus, he was no longer following Jesus, but he was telling Jesus what to do.  The fact that Marks account shows Jesus turning to His disciples before he rebukes Peter indicates that Jesus wanted all to know not to treat Him in this manner.

 

“Get thee behind Me Satan.  Let Me come close to My tempted one.  Satan hath desired thee, that he might sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.”  SpM:60.4.

 

16:23:  “Satan:  thou art an offence unto Me:  for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” = Notice that Satan goes beyond just tempting mankind to sin, he truly “savourest[‘s],” or “love’s” what he has created in ungodly mankind.

 

Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23:  “take up his cross” = Christians in the first century well knew what this phrase meant (as explained in Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24); as that is, “To live as though dead to self.”

 

16:25:  “life” = This should be translated “soul” both times, because the original Greek is “Psuche,” meaning “soul” or better “breath.”  Meaning, the “breath of life.”  This is where we get our English word “Pneumatic” from.

 

Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27:  “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom” = It is significant that all three Synoptic Gospels record the narrative of the Transfiguration immediately following this prediction/prophesy.  There is no break in the narrative -- no Chapter or verse division in the original Greek -- and furthermore, all three mention the fact that the Transfiguration occurred about a week after this statement; implying that the event was the fulfillment of the prediction.  Undoubtedly Peter understood it to be so (see 2Pe. 1:16-18).

 

“Jesus told His disciples that there were some standing with Him who should not taste of death till they should see the Kingdom of God Come with power.  At the transfiguration this promise was fulfilled.  The fashion of Jesus’ countenance was changed, and shone like the sun.  His raiment was white and glistening.  Moses was present, and represented those who will be raised from the dead at the Second Appearing of Jesus.  And Elias, who was translated without seeing death, represented those who will be changed to immortality at Christ’s Second Coming, and without seeing death will be translated to Heaven.”  1SG:43.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

 

 

Matthew 17:1-2; Mark 9:2-3; Luke 9:28-29:  “Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John” = Judas “became jealous at once when he was not included among the three who were chosen to witness the transfiguration of Christ upon the mount.”  ST, December 24, 1894.

 

“I saw that the faith of the disciples was greatly strengthened at the transfiguration. God chose to give the followers of Jesus strong proof that He was the promised Messiah, that in their bitter sorrow and disappointment they should not entirely cast away their confidence.” 1SG:40.

 

“Only the three who are to witness His anguish in Gethsemane have been chosen to be with Him on the mount.”  DA:420.

 

“These men, chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance of the sympathy of Heaven.  The hope of the world, the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview.”  DA:425.

 

Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30:  “Moses and Elias” = One represented the Law, the other Prophecy, while Jesus represented the Gospel (Grace).  One represented the resurrection, the other translation.

 

“At the transfiguration of Christ, Moses, and Elijah who had been translated, were sent to talk with Christ in regard to His sufferings, and be the bearers of God’s glory to His dear Son.  Moses had been greatly honored of God.  He had been privileged to talk with God face to face, as a man speaketh with his friend.  And God had revealed to him His excellent glory, as He had never done to any other.

 

“Moses was a type of Christ.  He received the Words from the mouth of God, and spoke Them to the people.  God saw fit to discipline Moses in the school of affliction and poverty, before he {Is this not the same with our Lord?} could be prepared to lead the armies of Israel in their travels from Egypt to the earthly Canaan.”  1SP:343.

 

“[328] While Jesus bows in lowliness upon the damp and stony ground, suddenly the Heavens open, the golden gates of the City of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, enshrouding the kneeling form of Christ.  He arises from His prostrate position, and stands in God-like majesty; the soul-agony is gone from His countenance, which now shines with a serene light, and His garments are no longer coarse and soiled, but white and glittering like the noon-day sun.

 

“The sleeping disciples are awakened by the flood of glory that illuminates the whole mount.  They gaze with fear and amazement upon the shining garments and radiant countenance of their Master.  At first their eyes are dazzled by the unearthly brilliancy of the scene, but as they become able to endure the wondrous light, they perceive that Jesus is not alone. . . [329]

 

“These two, whom God had seen fit to favor above all others who ever lived upon earth, were delegated by the Father to bring the glory of Heaven to His Son, and comfort Him, talking with Him concerning the completion of His mission, and especially of His sufferings to be endured at Jerusalem.

 

“The Father chose Moses and Elijah to be His messengers to Christ, and glorify Him with the light of Heaven, and commune with Him concerning His coming agony, because they had lived upon earth as men; they had experienced human sorrow and suffering, and could sympathize with the trial of Jesus, in His earthly life.  Elijah, in his position as a prophet to Israel, had represented Christ, and his work had been, in a degree, similar to that of the Saviour.  And Moses, as the leader of Israel, had stood in the place of Christ, communing with Him and following His directions; therefore, these two, of all the hosts that gathered around the Throne of God, were fittest to minister to the Son of God.”  2SP:328-329.

 

“[330] They believe that Elias has now come, according to prophecy, and that the kingdom of Christ [331] is to be set up on earth.”  2SP:330-331.

 

“In the joy of the moment, Peter flatters himself that the two messengers from Heaven have been sent to preserve the life of Jesus from the fate that threatens Him at Jerusalem.  He is overjoyed at the thought that these glorious attendants, clothed in light and power, are to protect the Son of God, and establish His Kingly authority upon earth.”  2SP:331.

 

“[336] Previous to his transfiguration, Jesus had told His disciples that there were some then with Him who should not see death until they should see the Kingdom of God Come with power.  In the transfiguration on the mount, this promise was fulfilled, for they there saw the Kingdom of Christ in miniature.  Jesus was clothed with the glory [337]

 

“of Heaven, and proclaimed by the Father’s voice to be the Son of God.  Moses was present, representing those who will be raised from the dead at the Second Coming of Christ; and Elijah, who was translated to Heaven without seeing death, represented those who will be living on earth at the time of Christ’s Second Appearing, and who will be changed from mortal to immortal, and be translated to Heaven without seeing death.”  2SP:336-337.

 

“[424] Now Heaven had sent its messengers to Jesus; not angels, but men who had endured suffering and sorrow, and who could sympathize with the Saviour in the trial of His earthly life.  Moses and Elijah had been colaborers with Christ.  They had shared His longing for the salvation of men. . . [425]

 

“These men, chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance of the sympathy of Heaven.  The hope of the world, the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview.  Through being overcome with sleep, the disciples heard little of what passed between Christ and the Heavenly messengers.  Failing to watch and pray, they had not received that which God desired to give them, -- a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. . . 

 

“They were assured that all Heaven knew of the sin of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ.  They were given a clearer insight into the work of the Redeemer.”  DA:424-425.

 

Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33:  “Then answered Peter” = “In the joy of the moment, Peter flatters himself that the two messengers from Heaven have been sent to preserve the life of Jesus from the fate that threatens Him at Jerusalem.”  2SP:331.

 

Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9; Luke 9:36:  “Tell the vision to no man” = “After His resurrection, the testimony of those who had witnessed it, was to be given to substantiate the fact that He was indeed the Son of God.”  2SP:332.2.

 

Matthew 17:16; Mark 9:18; Luke 9:40:  “they could not” = “But the disciples had been unable to relieve him, and therefore the scribes had seized upon this opportunity to dispute with them as to their power of working miracles.  These men were now triumphantly declaring that a devil was here found whom neither the disciples nor their Master could conquer.”  2SP:331.1.

 

17:19:  “Why could not we cast him out” = “[430] Their unbelief, that shut them out from deeper sympathy with [431]

 

“Christ, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred work committed to them, had caused their failure in the conflict with the powers of darkness.

 

“The Words of Christ pointing to His death had brought sadness and doubt.  And the selection of the three disciples to accompany Jesus to the mountain had excited the jealousy of the nine.  Instead of strengthening their faith by prayer and meditation on the Words of Christ, they had been dwelling on their discouragements and personal grievances.  In this state of darkness they had undertaken the conflict with Satan.

 

“In order to succeed in such a conflict they must come to the work in a different spirit.  Their faith must be strengthened by fervent prayer and fasting, and humiliation of heart.  They must be emptied of self, and be filled with the Spirit and power of God.  Earnest, persevering supplication to God in faith -- faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved consecration to His work -- can alone avail to bring men the Holy Spirit’s aid in the battle against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places.”  DA:430-431.

 

Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:29:  “Because of your unbelief” = “Jesus answered that it was because of their unbelief, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred Word that had been committed to them.  They had not fitted themselves for their holy office by fasting and prayer.”  2SP:335.3.

 

17:24:  “tribute” = This was not a tax to be paid to the Roman government; but a tax for the support of the temple.  The Law (Exo. 30:13-16; 38:26) obliged every male above the age of 20 among the Jews to pay half a shekel yearly for the support of the temple; and this was continued by them wherever dispersed, until after the time of Vespasian (see Josephus, War, book 7. c. 6), who ordered it afterwards to be paid into the Roman treasury.

 

The Greek word in the text for “tribute” is  “G1323; didrachmon,” which is generally translated “tribute,” and signifies the “didrachma,” or two drachms.  Though all Jews were required to pay the temple tax, priests, Levites, and rabbis were exempt.  Therefore, this question about whether Jesus paid the temple tax was a challenge to His ministry and more importantly, to Who He really was.  Notice also that Jesus did not get the money from the groups purse, but from a fish’s mouth.  It’s as if to say that it did not come from His Own hand; which would have acknowledged an untruth, that He was not a “priest” or “rabbi.”

 

“This tribute was not a civil tax, but a religious contribution, which every Jew was required to pay annually for the support of the temple.  A refusal to pay the tribute would be regarded as disloyalty to the temple, -- in the estimation of the rabbis a most grievous sin.  The Saviour’s attitude toward the rabbinical laws, and His plain reproofs to the defenders of tradition, afforded a pretext for the charge that He was seeking to overthrow the temple service.  Now His enemies saw an opportunity of casting discredit upon Him.  In the collector of the tribute they found a ready ally.

 

“Peter saw in the collector’s question an insinuation touching Christ’s loyalty to the temple.  Zealous for his Master’s honor, he hastily answered, without consulting Him, that Jesus would pay the tribute.

 

“But Peter only partially comprehended the purpose of his questioner.  There were some classes who were held to be exempt from the payment of the tribute.  In the time of Moses, when the Levites were set apart for the service of the sanctuary, they were given no inheritance among the people.  The Lord said {Deu. 10:9 quoted}.

 

“In the days of Christ the priests and Levites were still regarded as especially devoted to the temple, and were not required to make the annual contribution for its support.  Prophets also were exempted from this payment.  In requiring the tribute from Jesus, the rabbis were setting aside His claim as a prophet or teacher, and were dealing with Him as with any commonplace person.  A refusal on His part to pay the tribute would be represented as disloyalty to the temple; while, on the other hand, the payment of it would be taken as justifying their rejection of Him as a prophet.

 

“Only a little before, Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God; but he now missed an opportunity of setting forth the Character of his Master.  By his answer to the collector, that Jesus would pay the tribute, he had virtually sanctioned the false conception of Him to which the priests and rulers were trying to give currency.”  DA:433.

 

17:25:  “of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers” = From “Albert Barns Notes On The Bible” we read:  “The meaning of this may be thus expressed:  ‘Kings do not tax their own sons.  This tribute-money is taken up for the Temple service; that is, the service of my Father.  I, therefore, being the Son of God, for Whom this is taken up, cannot be lawfully required to pay this tribute.’ ”

 

“[433] While the people of a country are taxed for the maintenance of their king, the monarch’s own children are exempt.  So Israel, the professed people of God, were required to [434]

 

“maintain His service; but Jesus, the Son of God, was under no such obligation.  If priests and Levites were exempt because of their connection with the temple, how much more He to Whom the temple was His Father’s house.

 

“If Jesus had paid the tribute without a protest, He would virtually have acknowledged the justice of the claim, and would thus have denied His Divinity.  But while He saw good to meet the demand, He denied the claim upon which it was based.  In providing for the payment of the tribute He gave evidence of His Divine Character.  It was made manifest that He was One with God, and therefore was not under tribute as a mere subject of the kingdom. . .

 

“While Jesus made it plain that He was under no obligation to pay the tribute, He entered into no controversy with the Jews in regard to the matter; for they would have misinterpreted His Words, and turned them against Him.  Lest He should give offense by withholding the tribute, He did that which He could not justly be required to do.  This lesson would be of great value to His disciples.  Marked changes were soon to take place in their relation to the temple service, and Christ taught them not to place themselves needlessly in antagonism to established order.  So far as possible, they were to avoid giving occasion for misinterpretation of their faith.  While Christians are not to sacrifice one principle of truth, they should avoid controversy whenever it is possible to do so.”  DA:433-434.

​

​

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

 

18:2:  “Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him” = This statement gives me the impression that our Lord may have known this little child on a personal bases, humanly speaking, more than just a Godly bases.

 

Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2:  “little ones” = “The little ones here referred to, who believe in Christ, are not those who are young in years but little children in Christ.”  15MR:189; KC:27.

 

“Judas heard all this, but he thought, as many think today, that such teaching was uncalled for.”  ST, May 20, 1897.

 

18:8:  “cut them off” = See my Matthew 5:29 Note.

 

Matthew 18:10; Job 1:9-10; Psalm 34:7:  “their angels” = “[512] A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ.  These Heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. . . [513] The angels appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times access to His presence.”  GC:512-513.

 

Matthew 18:12-13; Luke 15:4 & 7:  “an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray” = This is (Matthew’s) the best text to conclude that there are other worlds besides ours in God’s universe.  Others also are Hebrews 1:2; “worlds” plural, and Revelation 20:3; “nations” plural.  The key here is that of “the ninety and nine which went not astray.”

 

Here is my Genesis 2:9 Note:  “The Lord has given me a view of other worlds.  Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the City to a place that was bright and glorious.  The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song.  The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes, they were noble, majestic and lovely.  They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place.  I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth.  The reply was -- ‘we have lived in strict obedience to the Commandments of God and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth.’  There I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the City.  The fruit of both looked beautiful; but of one they could not eat.  They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one.  Then my attending angel said to me -- ‘none in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat they would fall.’ ”  RH, August 1, 1849; EW:39-40; ExV:22; Broadside2, January 31, 1849.

 

“The angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God.  It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of Heaven are guarded from apostasy.  Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan.  Angelic perfection failed in Heaven.  Human perfection failed in Eden, the paradise of bliss.  All who wish for security in earth or Heaven must look to the Lamb of God.  The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and Love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.”  ST, December 30, 1889; OHC:45.

 

“When Christ cried out, ‘It is finished,’ the unfallen worlds were made secure.  For them the battle was fought and the victory won {Begin the 1000 years where Satan is bound; see my next EGW quote}.  Henceforth Satan had no place in the affections of the universe.  The argument he had brought forward, that self-denial was impossible with God, and therefore unjustly required from His created intelligences, was forever answered.  Satan’s claims were forever set aside.  The Heavenly universe was secured in eternal allegiance.”  RH, March 12, 1901.

 

“Limited alone to the earth, he {Satan during the 1000 years} will not have the privilege of ranging to other planets {meaning he DID}, to tempt and annoy those who have not fallen {Meaning they are still making their choice to serve God as opposed to us who fell}.”  EW:290; FLB:353; Hvn:118; Mar:313; 4SP:474; 1SG:211.; SR:416; TA:280.

 

Luke’s rendering (“doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness”) gives us the impression that the 99 sheep are in the “wilderness,” while Matthew’s rendering has our Lord leaving the 99 in a good place to go into the wilderness (“mountains”) after the lost sheep, i.e., “doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains,” Matthew 18:12.

 

Matthew’s rendering would appear to be clearer since it would not be correct to assume that the good Shepard would seek after one sheep when his other sheep are already in a bad place.  Let us look at it this way.  This sheep was originally a part of the “ninety and nine,” for you cannot be lost from something unless you were once part of that something.  Therefore, with this line of reasoning, which I believe to be correct, there can only be two applications in which this could be referring to.

 

First, that the sheep was once a Christian and has left the fold and the Sheppard goes back to return it to the fold.

 

Second, and the one I believe to be more applicable, is that this sheep is those upon the earth, and the “ninety and nine” are those other worlds.  That being the case, Matthews rendering is more correct of a representation.  By contrast, if we consider Luke’s rendering, we are all in the wilderness of sin, the hundredth sheep just went back to it and our Lord goes to get him back.  Or in or earths case, of the “ninety and nine,” this is the only one that sinned.

 

“He could marshal the starry hosts of Heaven, the millions of worlds above, to raise a song of honor and praise and glory to His name.”  RH, March 1, 1881.

 

“[190] By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has apostatized and has been ruined by sin.  This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which God presides, yet this little fallen world -- the one lost sheep -- is more precious in His sight than are the ninety and nine that went not astray from the fold.  Christ, the loved Commander in the Heavenly courts, [191]

 

“stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had with the Father, in order to save the one lost world.  For this He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved Him, and came to this earth, to be ‘wounded for our transgressions’ and ‘bruised for our iniquities.’ (Isaiah 53:5) God gave Himself in His Son that He might have the joy of receiving back the sheep that was lost.”  COL:190-191.

 

“This work of Christ was to confirm the beings of other worlds in their innocency and loyalty, as well as to save the lost and perishing of this world.  He opened a way for the disobedient to return to their allegiance to God, while by the same act He placed a safeguard around those who were already pure, that they might not become polluted.

 

“While we rejoice that there are worlds which have never fallen, these worlds render praise, and honor, and glory to Jesus Christ for the plan of redemption to save the fallen sons of Adam, as well as to confirm themselves in their position and character of purity.  The arm that raised the human family from the ruin which Satan had brought upon the race through his temptations, is the Arm which has preserved the inhabitants of other worlds from sin.  Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of the Father and the Son; and this care is constantly exercised for fallen humanity.  Christ is mediating in behalf of man, and the order of unseen worlds also is preserved by His mediatorial work.”  RH, January 11, 1881.

 

“In the parable of the lost sheep the shepherd goes out to search for one sheep, -- the very least that can be numbered.  So if there had been but one lost soul.  Christ would have died for that one.”  ST, December 16, 1903; GW:181; LHU:201.

 

18:15:  “if thy brother shall trespass against thee” = See Proverbs 25:8-9.

 

18:17:  “neglect to hear the Church” = “He who rejects this united overture has broken the tie that binds him to Christ, and thus has severed himself from the fellowship of the Church.”  DA:441.3.

 

18:18:  “Verily I say unto you” = The original Greek for this text should literally be translated as:  “Truly I say to you, whatever things ye bind on the earth shall be, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever things ye loose on the earth shall be, HAVING BEEN loosed in Heaven.”  See my Bible Study:  “ CATHOLICS, FOR HONEST.”

 

“This statement holds its force in all ages.  On the Church has been conferred the power to act in Christ’s stead.  It is God’s instrumentality for the preservation of order and discipline among His people.  To it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions respecting its prosperity, purity, and order.  Upon it rests the responsibility of excluding from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their un-Christlike conduct would bring dishonor on the truth. Whatever the Church does that is in accordance with the directions given in God’s Word will be ratified in Heaven.” 7T:264.

 

18:21:  “till seven times” = According to Dr. Michael Rydelnik of Moody Radio fame, Jewish tradition teaches us that the Rabbi’s instructed that after three times of forgiving a person you did not have to forgive them anymore.  Therefore, Peter assumed he was being very generous by moving the figure to “seven.”  Jesus corrects even that assumption by using a figure Peter could never conceive of, “seventy times seven,” verse 22.  The point is, we should always be in a forgiving mode, for God has forgiven us.  See Ephesians 4:32 & Colossians 3:13.

 

18:22:  “seventy times seven” = Most Bible commentators will teach you that this phrase of our Lord’s means He was teaching us of the Father’s unlimited forgiveness attributes.  What they fail to incorporate is the connection of this phrase to Daniel’s prophecy of 490 years (70 x 7) until Israel’s probation would be closed, and Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy of enslavement for the improper keeping of our Lord’s Sabbath.  My point is that eventually our Lord says, “Enough is enough,” and that there is a limit to which even our Lord reaches in regards to forgiveness.

 

18:29-30:  “[29] Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. [30] And he would not” = God the Father forgives what cannot possibly be repaid; while certain men do not forgive what can be repaid.  Therefore, it is no wonder God’s solution to the unforgiving servant (any of us who are unforgiving), was to unforgive him.

 

“Here Christ illustrates the spirit of selfishness and severity which brother exercises toward brother.  Both are human, both are in need of mercy, patience, and forbearance.  But one whom God has forgiven much will not forgive a small offense in his fellow men.”  15MR:187.

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 

 

19:4:  “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning” = Notice this rare statement of our Lord, Who usually makes statements like, “It is written,” Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; Luke 4:8; Etcetera.  Instead of saying “Scripture says,” Jesus attributes God as being the Author of this statement, even though it was written by Moses.  Thus, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” Second Timothy 3:16.

 

Also, in a twist, Paul, when writing to the Romans in Romans 9:17, states that “Scripture saith unto Pharaoh.”  We all know that it was Moses or Aaron who was speaking to Pharaoh.  Thus, what Paul is pointing out could also be stated as, “God saith unto Pharaoh,” meaning, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” Second Timothy 3:16.

 

Consequently, in Galatians 3:8, “Scripture” is accredited as being “God” speaking to Abraham.  And in Acts 4:24-25, God is denoted as the One speaking through the mouth of King David.  And the same is ascribed in Acts 13:32-35.

 

19:6:  “What therefore God hath joined together” = This, as you know, is improper English.  The “therefore” should always come first, such that you should not read any further until you have understood the previous.  Thus, it should read:  “Therefore, what God hath joined together.”

 

19:7:  “Why did Moses than command” = According to Mark’s rendition (Mark 10:4) the wording is “suffered,” or better, “allowed.”  However, Matthew uses the Greek word “entellomai,” meaning, “to order; command to be done.”

 

As we know by now when dealing with the Pharisees, they are trying to entrap Jesus.  Therefore, we must first recognize, as did our Lord, that Moses did not “command” “divorcement.”  They have misquoted what Moses really did say.  They are not looking for truth, they are not looking to learn, but to divide the audience by entrapping Him.  We must always realize that whenever Satan is quoting Scripture that there is always a “hook” in his analogy or question.

 

In a side note, God “allows divorce,” or better, the intent for God allowing divorce, was to protect the innocent party.

 

There were two dividing belief’s that prevailed at that time about divorce among the Jewish communities.  The “Torah”belief is that any reason is justified (see Deu. 24:1-4 & Isa. 50:1).  Whereas, the other reason and only justifiable cause was for fornication; adultery (Jer. 3:8).  Thus, in the Pharisaical mind they are going to alienate at least one half of the Jewish crowd away from Jesus.

 

However, Jesus takes them to Genesis 2:24 (see verse 5), thus bringing them back to the originally God ordained plan.  The only thing that should ever separate a man and a woman in marriage would be the violating of God’s Law (through adultery), and thus, God would divorce them.

 

Characteristics of a Divine marriage are:

 

1) It was/is Divinely appointed.

 

2) No part of the Law could be changed to allow any type of division (even adultery does not change the Law but breaks it).

 

3) It’s a physical union.  A man and a woman become “one flesh,” just as we are to become “one with God,” giving our entire being to Him in diet and service.

 

4) It is a permanent union that is not to be broken in any way.  There should be no prenups or trial marriages (living together before marriage).

 

5) It is to be a union between one man and one woman; regardless of what the courts or phycologists might come up with.

 

Matthew 19:8; Mark 10:5:  “because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives” = Read Malachi 2:14-16.

 

19:9:  “whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” = See my Matthew 5:32 Note.

 

Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15:  “brought unto him little children” = It was a Jewish custom (see Gen. 48:14, 20) to bring children to the synagogue on their first birthday for the Rabbi to bless them.  So these parents came to The One Whom they regarded as The Greatest of all Rabbis.

 

“Among the Jews it was customary for children to be brought to some rabbi, that he might lay his hands upon them in blessing; but the Saviour’s disciples thought His work too important to be interrupted in this way.”  DA:511.

 

Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16:  “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me” = “He Himself had drawn them into His presence.  One weary mother had left her home with her little ones clinging to her.  As she went on her way, she met a neighbor, and made known her errand, and created a desire in her neighbor, and made known her errand, and created a desire in her neighbor’s heart to have Christ also bless her children.  Thus several mothers came together, leading their little ones along.  Some of the children had passed beyond the age of babyhood to childhood and youth.”  ST, April 9, 1896; DA:511-512; MH:41.

 

“Some of the weary little ones fell asleep in His arms, resting their heads upon His bosom.”  ST, March 3, 1909; BEcho, March 16, 1903.

 

“In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be the heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake.  He knew that these children would listen to Him, and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were worldly wise and hard-hearted.  In His teaching He came down to their level.  He, the Majesty of Heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding.  He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after-years would spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.

 

“It is still true that children are most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to Divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received.  The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years.”  YI, November 3, 1908; DA:514; LHU:182; MH:42.

 

“But if you treat your children only with sternness, if you forget your own childhood, and forget that they are but children, and try to make them perfect, and make them men and women in their acts at once, you will close the door of access which you might otherwise have to your children, and you drive them to open a door for injurious influences, to affect their young minds, and before you awake to their danger, their minds have been poisoned by others. . . Satan works through young associates to influence and corrupt the minds of each other.  It is the most effectual way he can work.  Young associates have a powerful influence over one another.”  RH, January 20, 1863.

 

Matthew 19:16; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25:  “Good Master” =  Here is my Mark 10:17 Note:  “Good Master” = Take notice of verse 20, where after Jesus states in verse 18 that only God is “good,” and therefore, back to verse 20, the “rich” “young man” (see Mat. 19:20 & 23), “ruler” (see Luke 18:18), only refers to Jesus as “Master.”  His lack of faith in Jesus being God is now clearly seen and the real reason he “went away grieved,” verse 22.

 

“what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life” = “Christ knew that the lawyer was not satisfied with the position and works of the Pharisees, and, by the answer that he made to his own question, it is evident that he had been studying the Scriptures with a vital interest in the matter, and asked in sincerity, ‘What shall I do?’ ”  ST, July 16, 1894.

 

Matthew 19:16-21; Luke 18:18-22:  “All these things have I kept” = “[240] Jesus quoted five of the last six Commandments to the young man, also the Second Great Commandment, on which the last six Commandments hang.  These mentioned he thought he had kept.  Jesus did not mention the first four Commandments, containing our duty to God [nor the last Commandment; that of covetousness].  In answer to the inquiry of the young man, What lack I yet?  Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven.’

 

“[241] Here was his lack.  He failed of keeping the first four Commandments, also the last six.  He failed of loving his neighbor as himself.  Said Jesus, ‘Give to the poor.’  Jesus touches his possessions.  ‘Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.’  In this direct reference He pointed out his idol [covetousness].  His love of riches was supreme, therefore it was impossible for him to love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind.  And this supreme love for his riches shut his eyes to the wants of his fellow men.  He did not love his neighbor as himself, therefore he failed to keep the last six Commandments.”  2SG:240-241.

 

19:21:  “sell that thou hast” = “The young man’s ability to acquire property was not against him, provided he loved his neighbor as himself, and had not wronged another in acquiring his riches.  That very ability, had it been employed in the service of God in seeking to save souls from ruin, would have been acceptable to the Divine Master, and he might have made a diligent and successful worker for Christ.”  RH, March 21, 1878.

 

Matthew 19:22; Mark 10:22; Luke 18:23:  “he went away sorrowful” = “His exalted position and his possessions were exerting a subtle influence for evil upon his character.  If cherished, they would supplant God in his affections.  To keep back little or much from God was to retain that which would lessen his moral strength and efficiency; for if the things of this world are cherished, however uncertain and unworthy they may be, they will become all-absorbing.”  DA:520.

 

“He refused the offer of eternal life, and ever after the world was to receive his worship.”  RH, January 12, 1905; 4T:220; Ser.B:357.

 

19:24:  “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” = Here is my Mark 10:25 Note:  Is this passage not a strange analogy and an inappropriate mixing of metaphor’s.  Camels do not go through eyes of needles.  But when the word “camel” is translated into Aramaic, one sees that in Aramaic, the word for “camel” and the word for “rope” are almost identical.  And you can understand that a “rope” would prove to be a more appropriate metaphor, still possessing the power of the impossible, but not violating the imaginations of the hearers.

 

Bartimaeus (verse 46) is a name taken from the Aramaic “Bartimai,” which Mark translates into the Greek for his readers.  Evidently Mark had command of the Aramaic language also.  That Jesus spoke and utilized the language of Aramaic is seen when He employed the use of it by saying “Talitka Cumi,” in Mark 5:41 by resurrecting the damsel, and orchestrating the Aramaic word “ephphatha,” in Mark 7:34, in the use of the opening of the deaf mutes’ ears.

 

However, the best-known use of Aramaic by Jesus is the cry from the cross, “Eloi Eloi lama sabathani,” Mark 15:34.  These Aramaic translations (and notice that Mark is the most consistent of the Disciples to utilize them) become even more important when we consider such passages as Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25.

 

My point in pointing this out, is that if “rope” is used instead, we can understand that a rope can be taken apart into individual strands (threads) and then it can go through the “eye of a needle.”  In other words, it is still possible, but the difficulty remains.  Whereas, with a “camel” it is impossible; condemning all rich men to death, which our Lord (in my mind) would NEVER do.

 

“I was pointed to these words, ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’  Said Jesus, ‘with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’  Said the angel.  ‘Will God permit the rich men to keep their riches, and yet they enter into the kingdom of God?’  Said another angel, ‘No, never.’

 

“I saw that it was God’s plan that these riches should be used properly, and distributed to bless the needy, and to advance the work of God.  I saw that if men love their riches better than their fellow men, better than God, or the truth of His Word, and their hearts are on their riches, they cannot have eternal life.  They would rather yield the truth, than sell and give to the poor.  Here they are proved to see how much God is loved, how much the truth is loved, and like the young man in the Bible, many go away sorrowful, because they cannot have their riches and a treasure in Heaven too.  They cannot have both.  They venture to risk their chance of eternal life for a worldly possession. . . Truth set home to the heart by the Spirit of God, will crowd out the love of riches. . . 

 

“I saw that God in His providence has moved upon the hearts of some of those who have riches, and has converted them to the truth, that they with their substance may assist to keep His work moving. . . I saw that God could send means from Heaven to carry on His work; but this is out of His order.  He has ordained that men should be His instruments, that as a great sacrifice was made to redeem them, they should act a part in this work of salvation, by making a sacrifice for each other, and by thus doing show how highly they prize The Sacrifice that has been made for them.”  RH, November 26, 1857.

​

CHAPTER TWENTY

 

 

20:1:  “vineyard” = “. . . the vineyard was a symbol of the Jewish nation.”  ST, November 21, 1895.

 

20:16:  “many be called, but few chosen” = “Many hear the invitation of mercy, are tested and proved:  but few are sealed with the seal of the living God.”  TBC Church 1881, p. 25.

 

20:20:  “worshipping” = No matter what conjectures you may come up with about this “mother,” the most important thing to consider is that she came “worshipping.”

 

To conjecture however, it could be that at this point that father Zebedee had died and that in Jewish culture the son[s] would take care of his/their mother.  Just as Jesus Himself asked the apostle John to take care of His mother (John 19:26-27).  Thus, as with most people that came to Jesus, she was requesting His help.

 

Matthew 20:21; Mark 10:37:  “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on the left” = Here is my Revelation 3:21 Note:  See my Bible Study:  “THRONES, GOD’S.”

 

“The reward is not given to all who profess to be followers of Christ, but to those who overcome, even as He overcame.  We must study the life of Christ, and learn what it is to confess him before the world.  No one can confess Christ unless the mind and Spirit of Christ are in him.”  RH, April 22, 1862.

 

“The dissension’s which frequently arose among the disciples as to which of them should be greatest, were generally created by Judas.  On this occasion this spirit led to the request of James and John.”  RH October 5, 1897, paragraph 7 (3RH:505).

 

“The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who on earth has drunk most deeply of the spirit of His self-sacrificing love. . . This spirit was made manifest in the life of Paul.”  DA:549.

 

Matthew 20:22; Mark 10:38:  “baptism” = Here the Greek word is “baptisma,” which indicates the state or condition, is used instead of “baptismos,” which applies to only the act itself.  “Baptisma” never refers to the act alone and always incorporates into its meaning the entire scope of the redemptive significance of the incarnate Person of Christ.

 

“cup” = If we understand the principles and customs of a Jewish wedding, we would know that when a young man took a cup of wine to his perspective bride, and she partook of it, she was in essence accepting the offer to be his bride.

 

20:23:  “right hand” = Let’s look at this the way Jesus sees it.  If James and John receive the right and left hand side of Jesus, then what is left is the right and left hand of James and John.  And then what is left is the bishops, then the clergy, then on down to the lowest of the low in the Church.  However, Jesus sees all equal, in that, if all will “minister,” verse 26, and be a “servant,” verse 27, then they will be “chief among,” verse 26, the brethren.  Therefore, if all do this all will be “chief among,” verse 26 the Church, and all will sit on the right or left hand of Christ.

 

“He left His riches, His majesty, and His high command, and took upon Himself our nature, that He might make a way of escape -- to do what?  To humiliate you?  To degrade you?  No, indeed.  To make a way of escape for you from hopeless misery, and to elevate you to His Own right hand in His Kingdom at last.”  RH, May 31, 1870.

 

20:28:  “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” = Christ’s “mission” was that of “a teacher.”  1SP:46.  See John 3:2.

 

“to give His life a ransom for many” = According to Psalm 49:7 no “man can by any means redeem his brother.”  But here Jesus states that He came “to give His life a ransom for many.”  Since only God can do this, Jesus is claiming to be God.

 

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

 

 

Matthew 21:2; Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30:  “Saying” = Here is the only place where Jesus actually encourages the setting up of His kingship on earth; Why?

 

“Never before in His earthly life had Jesus permitted such a demonstration.  He clearly foresaw the result.  It would bring Him to the cross.  But it was His purpose thus publicly to present Himself as the Redeemer.  He desired to call attention to the sacrifice that was to crown His mission to a fallen world.  While the people were assembling at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, He, the antitypical Lamb, by a voluntary act set Himself apart as an oblation.  It would be needful for His Church in all succeeding ages to make His death for the sins of the world a subject of deep thought and study.  Every fact connected with it should be verified beyond a doubt.  It was necessary, then, that the eyes of all people should now be directed to Him; the events which preceded His great sacrifice must be such as to call attention to the sacrifice itself.  After such a demonstration as that attending His entry into Jerusalem, all eyes would follow His rapid progress to the final scene.

 

“The events connected with this triumphal ride would be the talk of every tongue, and would bring Jesus before every mind.  After His crucifixion, many would recall these events in their connection with His trial and death.  They would be led to search the prophecies, and would be convinced that Jesus was the Messiah; and in all lands converts to the faith would be multiplied.”  DA:571.

 

“Go into the village over against you” = That equals “Bethphage,” of verse 1.

 

Matthew 21:2-8; Mark 11:2-8; Luke 19:30-36; John 12:14-15:  “brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon” = “Christ was following the Jewish custom for a royal entry.  The animal on which He rode was that ridden by the kings of Israel, and prophecy had foretold that thus the Messiah should come to His kingdom.  No sooner was He seated upon the colt than a loud shout of triumph rent the air.”  DA:570.

 

Matthew 21:5; John 12:15:  “sitting upon an ass” = Whenever kings came into a city they would either be ridding a donkey or a horse.  If he was ridding a horse it meant that he was coming as a conqueror (or that he had already conquered that city).  By contrast, if he came upon a donkey, he was showing that he was coming in peace.

 

Matthew 21:7; Mark 11:7; Luke 19:35:  “brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon” = This COULD mean either on the ass and the colt; or on one of them; or both of them successively; or on the clothes they put upon them.  According to Mark and Luke’s account Jesus only set upon the colt.  According to Zechariah 9:9:  “behold, thy King cometh unto thee:  He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”  In other words, Jesus road upon an offspring of “an ass,” not yet one year old.

 

Matthew 21:8; Mark 11:8; Luke 19:36; John 12:9-10 & 17-18:  “a very great multitude spread their garments in the way” = “Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave, now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood, guided the humble beast upon which his Liberator rode.”  2SP:389; YI:03; DA:572; AG:47; SJ:84-85.

 

Matthew 21:8-9; Mark 11:8-10; Luke 19:36-38:  “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” = Hear is my Luke 19:38-40 Note:  “rebuke Thy disciples” = Compare with Matthew 21:9 and verse 38 here.  What is being quoted is Psalm 118:24-26.  In Psalm 118, we tend to think of “This is the day” as any day.  But in reality, what the Pharisees understood, and why they were asking our Lord to “rebuke” His “disciples,” was because they understood the “This is the day” as referring to the Messiah Who would be fulfilling this prophecy.  Thus, by accepting this worship, the “disciples” were, to the Pharisees, giving credit to Jesus as being the Messiah, and as such, the “disciples” were, to the Pharisees, committing blasphemy.

 

“[385] . . . this occasion was intended by Jesus to call public attention to Him as the world’s Redeemer. . . He would enter Jerusalem. . . [386] to faintly prefigure the glory of His future Coming to the world as Zion’s King.  It was the purpose of Jesus to draw attention to the crowning sacrifice that was to end His mission to a fallen world.”  2SP:385-386.

 

Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:36; John 12:13:  “Hosanna in the highest” = “It was God’s design that each event in the closing days of the Saviour’s life should be so plainly marked that no power could cause it to be forgotten.  In the vast multitude surrounding the Saviour were the evidences of His miracle-working power.  The blind whom He had restored to sight were leading the way.  The dumb whose tongues He had loosed, shouted the loudest hosannas, the cripples whom He had healed leaped for joy, and were most active in breaking the palm branches and waving them before Him.  Widows and orphans were exalting the name of Jesus for His works of mercy to them.  The loathsome lepers who had been cleansed by a Word, spread their garments in the way.”  GHA:60.

 

21:10:  “Who is this” = Of course, there was a rabble that promoted His death, but because this was during the Passover, when many Jews had come from other countries, it’s likely that these had never heard of Jesus or seen what He was like or what He had done.  When some of the people asked, “Who is this?” the crowd answered them that it was Jesus.  How could those people have not known?  Possibly they were Jews, who, coming from abroad (and thus unaware of Jesus), followed their leaders and called for His death.  Once the truth about Jesus was known however, many Jews became His followers (Acts 2:41; 21:20-21).

 

Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45; John 2:15:  “cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple” = “The beasts and birds were all hurried beyond the sacred portals. vA panic of fear swept over the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of Christ’s Divinity.  Cries of terror escaped from hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed headlong from the place.  Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, angry swords, circling in every direction, and threatening to cut them down.”  1Red:77.2.

 

“. . . a Divine light illuminated His countenance. . . Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords. . . How easily could that vast throng have resisted the authority of one man; but the power of His Divinity overwhelmed them with confusion and a sense of their guilt.”  2SP:119.

 

“As the youthful Galilean entered the enclosure, He stooped and picked up a whip of small cords that had been used in driving some of the animals.”  2SP:117.

 

“[117] As the youthful Galilean entered the enclosure, He stooped and picked up a whip of small cords that had been used in driving some of the animals.  Jesus ascended the steps of the Temple and surveyed the scene with a calm and dignified look.  He saw and heard the traffic and bartering.  His expression became stern and terrible.  The eyes of many turned instinctively to look at this Stranger; their gaze became riveted upon Him.  Others followed their example till the whole multitude were regarding Him with a look of mingled fear and amazement.

 

“They felt instinctively that this Man read their inmost thoughts and their hidden motives of action.  Some attempted to conceal their faces as if their evil deeds were written upon their countenances to be scanned by those searching eyes.

 

“The confusion was hushed.  The sound of traffic and bargaining ceased.  The silence became painful.  A sense of awe overpowered the entire assembly.  It was as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds.  The Majesty of Heaven stood as the Judge will stand at the last day, and every one of [118]

 

“that vast crowd for the time acknowledged Him their Master.  His eye swept over the multitude, taking in every individual.  His form seemed to tower above them in commanding dignity, and a Divine light illuminated His countenance.  He spoke, and His clear, ringing voice, echoing through the arches of the Temple, was like the voice that shook Mount Sinai, of old:  ‘My House shall be called the House of prayer; but ye have made It a den of thieves.’

 

“He slowly descended the steps, and, raising the whip, which in His hand seemed changed to a kingly scepter, bade the bargaining company to quit the sacred limits of the Temple, and take hence their merchandise.  With a lofty zeal, and a severity He had never before manifested, He overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the coin fell, ringing sharply upon the marble floor.  The most hardened and defiant did not presume to question His authority, but, with prompt obedience, the dignitaries of the Temple, the speculating priests, the cattle traders and brokers, rushed from His presence.  The most avaricious did not stop to gather up their idolized money, but fled without a thought of their ill-gotten gains.

 

“The beasts and birds were all hurried beyond the sacred portals.  A panic of fear swept over the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of Christ’s Divinity.  Cries of terror escaped from hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed headlong from the place.  Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, angry swords, circling in every direction, and threatening to cut them down.  Even the disciples [119]

 

“quaked with fear, and were awe-struck by the Words and manner of Jesus, so unlike the usual demeanor of the meek and lowly Man of Galilee.  But they remembered that it was Written of Him, ‘The zeal of Thine House hath eaten me up.’  Soon the multitude, with their cattle, their sheep, doves, and sparrows, were far removed from the Temple of the Lord.  The courts were free from unholy commerce, and a deep silence and solemnity settled upon the late scene of confusion.  If the presence of the Lord sanctified the mount, His presence made equally sacred the Temple reared to His honor.

 

“How easily could that vast throng have resisted the authority of one man; but the power of His Divinity overwhelmed them with confusion and a sense of their guilt.  They had no strength to resist the Divine authority of the Saviour of the world.  The desecrators of God’s Holy Place were driven from Its portals by the Majesty of Heaven.

 

“After the Temple was cleansed, the demeanor of Jesus changed; the terrible majesty of His countenance gave place to an expression of tenderest sympathy.  He looked after the flying crowd with eyes full of sorrow and compassion.  There were some who remained, held by the irresistible attraction of His presence.  They were unterrified by His awful dignity, their hearts were drawn toward Him with love and hope.  These people were not the great and powerful, who expected to impress Him with a sense of their grandeur; they were the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.

 

“After the buyers and sellers, and the promiscuous crowd with their merchandise, were driven [120] out, Jesus healed the stricken ones who flocked unto Him.  The sick were relieved, the blind received their sight, the dumb praised God with loosened tongues, the lame leaped for joy, and demons were cast out from those they had long tormented.  Mothers, pale with anxiety and watching, brought their dying infants to receive His blessing.  He folded them tenderly to His bosom, and returned them to their mothers’ arms well and strong.

 

“This was a scene worthy of the Temple of the Lord.  He Who, a short time before, had stood upon the steps like an avenging angel, had now become a messenger of mercy, soothing the sorrows of the oppressed, encouraging the despairing, relieving the suffering.  Hundreds returned to their homes from the Passover sound in body and enlightened in mind, who had come there feeble and desponding.”  2SP:117-120; DA:158-163.

 

“He [Nicodemus] was a witness of the scene when Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers; he beheld the wonderful manifestation of Divine power; he saw the Saviour receiving the poor and healing the sick; he saw their looks of joy, and heard their words of praise; and he could not doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the Sent of God.”   DA:168.

 

“Cattle were brought by priests and temple officials, the dignitaries, the moneyed men, who oppressed them of whom they purchased.  The representation was made that these animals were to be offered as a sacrifice to God at the Passover.  And thus urged the owners sold them at a cheap price.  Then these scheming men brought their purchases to the Temple, -- purchases which meant double robbery -- robbery of the men of whom they had purchases, and robbery of those who wished to sacrifice, to whom they were sold again at exorbitant prices.  They used the courts of the temple as though the animals brought there made them of the highest value.”  SpM:138.

 

Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46:  “My House shall be called the House of prayer” = Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 56:7.  However, Luke’s rendering is more direct, even though both attain to it being “the house of prayer,” Luke’s statement is that it “is the house of prayer.”  This is the second cleansing of the temple, for John’s account (John 2:13-17) is the first, around 28 A.D., while this is in 31 A.D.

 

“but ye have made it a den of thieves” = Jesus finishes by quoting Jeremiah 7:11.

 

21:15:  “the children crying in the temple” = “The children took the lead in these rejoicings.  They repeated the hosannas of the day before and waved palm branches before the Saviour.”  GHA:67.

 

Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 11:1:  “Bethany” = “On its {the Mount of Olivet} sloping descent was Bethany, where He had often found repose at the house of Lazarus.”  3SP:251.

 

Matthew 21:19-20; Mark 11:12-14 & 20-21:  “a fig tree in the way” = For explanations of why Jesus would curse this “fig tree,” see Jeremiah 8:13 & Hosea 9:10-17.

 

“The other trees in the fig-orchard were also destitute of fruit; but their boughs were leafless, therefore they raised no expectations and caused no disappointment.  These leafless trees represented the Gentiles, who made no boasts of superior piety.  In them the Words of the Scripture find an application, ‘the time of figs was not yet.’  But while the Jews in proud self-confidence stood forth assuming superiority to all others, the Gentiles were in a measure feeling their want and weakness,” 3SP:18.3; ST, February 21, 1878.

 

“It was not a common thing in the East for a fig tree to present full foliage so early in the season.  It is the nature of the fig tree for the fruit to make its appearance before the leaves.  Therefore upon a tree covered with leaves one might expect to find well developed figs. . . This instance in the ministry of Christ was a singular one.  It was unlike His ways and works. We trace His life, and see that His acts were ever performed to restore, not to destroy. . .

 

“It was the purpose of Christ that this fig tree should teach His disciples a lesson.  He desired to impress upon them the true state of Jerusalem, and her final doom; and to do this He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of Divine truth.  Just before this Christ had made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  For the second time He had cleansed the temple, driving out from its courts the traffickers. . . That tree flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ was a symbol of the Jewish nation, who had been separating from God until, in their pride and apostasy, they had lost their power of discernment, and knew not their Redeemer.”  ST, February 15, 1899.

 

“The treatment of the barren fig-tree by the Saviour of the world, shows how all pretenders to godliness will be treated.  He pronounced upon it His withering curse, and left it seared and sapless, rejected by God.  This tree represents the Jews, who refused to respond to the Love of Christ.  Despite all the privileges and opportunities granted them, they brought forth only briers and thorns, -- no fruit to the glory of God.  This blighted tree was a parable to the house of Israel, -- a most impressive lesson.  It is also a lesson to the professed followers of Christ in every age.  Reaching through all time, it speaks in unmistakable language to all formalists and boasters of godliness who stand forth to the world with high profession, but are utterly devoid of that vital piety which alone God recognizes as fruit. . . Fruitless professors, sad indeed is your fate; for the open sinner stands in a more favorable position in the sight of God. ”  RH, January 11, 1881.

 

“The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable.  That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation.  The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel’s doom.  For this purpose He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of Divine truth. . .

 

“All the trees in the fig orchard were destitute of fruit; but the leafless trees raised no expectation, and caused no disappointment.  By these trees the Gentiles were represented.  They were as destitute as were the Jews of godliness; but they had not professed to serve God.  They made no boastful pretensions to goodness.  They were blind to the works and ways of God.  With them the time of figs was not yet.  They were still waiting for a day which would bring them light and hope.  The Jews, who had received greater blessings from God, were held accountable for their abuse of these gifts.  The privileges of which they boasted only increased their guilt.

 

“Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food.  So He had come to Israel, hungering to find in them the fruits of righteousness.”  DA:583.

 

Matthew 21:23; Mark 11:29; Luke 20:3:  “the chief priests and the elders of the people” = “The Saviour knew that no argument, however logical, would melt hard hearts, or break through the crust of worldliness and selfishness.” AA:31.

 

21:28-32:  “two sons” = How many sons do you see in this parable?  Consider how many sons you see if you view them by the principles that God is trying to teach us.  Because there are three!  The first is the repentant one, the second is the liar, but the third is the father, who represents Jesus Christ, who when asked by the Father [God] to go to this earth replied:  “I go, sir,” and He did, as a Son.

 

21:31:  “Whether of them twain did the will of his father” = “It was His custom to let circumstances furnish opportunity for His lessons. . . This son represented the publicans, those who were despised and hated by the Pharisees, who held no intercourse with them.  The publicans were grossly immoral.  They were indeed transgressors of the Law of God, showing in their lives an absolute resistance to His requirements.  They were unthankful and unholy, and when told to go and work in the Lord’s vineyard, they gave a contemptuous refusal. . . but. . .

 

“When John came, preaching repentance and baptism, the publicans received his message and were baptized.  The second son represented the leading men of the Jewish nation. . . They ‘rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.’  They treated his message with disdain.  Like the second son who, when called, said, ‘I go, sir,’ but went not, the Pharisees professed obedience, but acted disobedience.”  ST, February 10, 1898.

 

21:33:  “a vineyard” = “The Church is God’s peculiar treasure, precious in his sight, and dear to His heart of infinite love.  Christ gave the parable of the vineyard to set before His hearers the wonderful history of His Church.  The householder made every provision that the vineyard should receive the best of attention.  Nothing was left undone that could be done to make the vineyard an honor to the one who owned it.”  RH, July 10, 1900, paragraph 4.

 

“Thus the Saviour referred to ‘the vineyard of the Lord of hosts,’ which the prophet Isaiah centuries before had declared to be ‘the house of Israel.’ (Isa. 5:7).”  PK:711.

 

SDA’s:  Lest you think you are exempt:  “The parable of the vineyard applies not alone to the Jewish nation.  It has a lesson for us.  The Church in this generation has been endowed by God with great privileges and blessings, and He expects corresponding returns.”  COL:296.

 

Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 20:9-16:  “They say unto Him” = Who is the house-holder:  God;  Who is the husbandmen:  The Jewish Nation;  Who are the servants:  The Prophets and Teachers;  Who is the vineyard:  The Jewish Nation;  What is the hedge:  The Divine Law;  What is the tower:  The Temple.

 

“[33] Jesus addressed all the people present; but the priests and rulers, not anticipating that the parable was to be applied to them, answered at once. . . [34] The house-holder represented God, the vineyard the Jewish nation hedged in by Divine Law which was calculated to preserve them as a people separate and distinct from all other nations of the earth.  The tower built in the vineyard represented their temple.”  3SP:33-34.

 

SDA’s:  “The householder is designed to represent God;  the husbandmen the Jewish nation, whom God had appointed to cultivate His vineyard, the world.  The servants whom God sent to receive the fruits of the vineyard were the prophets and teachers through whom God had called Israel to render to Him His dues.”  16MR:328.

 

Notice that this quote calls the vineyard, “the world.”  It cannot be “the world” because our Lord wanted “to preserve them as a people separate and distinct from all other nations of the earth.”

 

“[596] In the parable the house holder represented God, the vineyard the Jewish nation, and the hedge the Divine Lawwhich was their protection.  The tower was a symbol of the temple.  The lord of the vineyard had done everything needful for its prosperity. . . Thus was represented God’s unwearied care for Israel. . . [597] And as the husbandmen were to return to the lord a due proportion of the fruits of the vineyard, so God’s people were to honor Him by a life corresponding to their sacred privileges.  But as the husbandmen had killed the servants whom the master sent to them for fruit, so the Jews had put to death the prophets whom God sent to call them to repentance. . . Thus far the application of the parable could not be questioned, and in what followed it was not less evident.  In the beloved son whom the lord of the vineyard finally sent to his disobedient servants, and whom they

 

“seized and slew, the priests and rulers saw a distinct picture of Jesus and His impending fate.  In the retribution inflicted upon the ungrateful husbandmen was portrayed the doom of those who should put Christ to death.”  DA:596-597.

 

Bringing it up to date, Who is the house-holder:  God;

Who is the husbandmen:  SDA Leaders;

Who are the servants:  EGW and Teachers;

Who is the vineyard:  SDA’s:

What is the hedge:  The Divine Law;

What is the tower:  The Sabbath.

 

The hedge and wine-press and tower represent the various advantages conferred by God upon the Jewish people.  The Far Country:  Means that God left Israel to itself to see what use it would make of the favors He had bestowed.  Let it out indicates Who the real Owner is.

 

Matthew 21:41; Mark 12:9; Luke 20:16:  “He will miserably destroy those wicked men” = “The Pharisees answered as Jesus meant that they should; for they were always ready to condemn others.  Christ’s design in asking this question was that they should condemn themselves, and admit the justice of the punishment that was soon to fall upon them.  He wished to show them the justice of taking away their national privileges, which work had already commenced, and which would end, not only in destruction of their temple and city, but in the dispersion of the nation.”  ST, February 17, 1898.

 

“When they said this, they saw that they had condemned themselves, and they exclaimed, ‘God forbid.’ ”  4ST:18 & 156; ST, February 8, 1899.

 

Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18:  “The Stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner” = “[597] In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an actual occurrence in the history of Israel.  The incident was connected with the building of the first temple.  While it had a special application at the time of Christ’s first advent, and should have appealed with special force to the Jews, it has also a lesson for us.  When the temple of Solomon [598]

 

“was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry; after they were brought to the place of building, not an instrument was to be used upon them; the workmen had only to place them in position.  For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought; but the workmen could find no place for it, and would not accept it.  It was an annoyance to them as it lay unused in their way.  Long it remained a rejected stone.  But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it.  Should they make an unwise choice for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered.  They must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, of frost, and of tempest.  Several stones had at different times been chosen, but under the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces.  Others could not bear the test of the sudden atmospheric changes.  But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected.  It had been exposed to the air, to sun and storm, without revealing the slightest crack.  The builders examined this stone.  It had borne every test but one.  If it could bear the test of sever pressure, they decided to accept it for the cornerstone.  The trial was made.  The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit.  In prophetic vision, Isaiah was shown that this stone was a symbol of Christ. [Isa. 8:13-15; 28:16.].”  DA:597-598.

 

21:43:  “kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation” = Here is my First Kings 18:10 Note:  What is the difference between a “nation or” a “kingdom?”  I believe our Lord is attempting to point out something very important here and everywhere else He mentions a “nation or kingdom” in the same sentence or phrase.  When God mentions “nation” in this phrase He is meaning those composed of mankind.  By contrast, when He mentions “kingdom” in the same phrase, He means the spiritual realm which is composed of those who Satan drew away from God and those who are loyal to God.  In fact, when speaking of “nations,” God’s Word is not nor ever referring to the spiritual realm of God.  By contrast, when speaking of “kingdoms” the Word of God often refers to the spiritual realm of Deity.  Examples would be, “Kingdom of God,” Matthew 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31 & 43; Mark 1:14 & 15; 4:11; etcetera, etcetera.  Which side will you choose?

 

Matthew 21:45; Mark 12:12:  “they perceived that He spake of them” = In this parable the Jewish leaders were very familiar with Isaiah, Chapter 5, verses 1-7, which explains Matthew, Chapter 21, verse 45. 

 

“Unwittingly they had pronounced their own doom.  Jesus looked upon them, and under His searching gaze they knew that He read the secrets of their hearts.  His Divinity flashed out before them with unmistakable power.  They saw in the husbandmen a picture of themselves, and they involuntarily exclaimed, ‘God forbid!’ ”   PK:712.

 

Matthew 21:46; Mark 12:12:  “when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude” = “God put His restraining power upon the priests, and they were unable to carry out their murderous designs.  When they sought to stir up the people by accusing and denouncing Christ, they found that the public sentiment was in His favor.”  ST, February 17, 1898.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

 

 

Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24:  “Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables” = “In the parable {Matthew, Chapter 22}, as in that of the great supper {Luke, Ch. 14}, are illustrated the gospel invitation, its rejection by the Jewish people, and the call of mercy to the Gentiles.”  COL:307.

 

22:11-14:  “a wedding garment” = “The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence.  By the marriage is represented the union of humanity with Divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding.”  COL:307.

 

“The wedding garment, provided at infinite cost, is freely offered to every soul.  By the messengers of God are presented to us the righteousness of Christ, justification by faith, the exceeding great and precious promises of God’s Word, free access to the Father by Christ, the comfort of the Spirit, the well-grounded assurance of eternal life in the kingdom of God.”  COL:317.

 

“In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage.  Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14.  He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne.  This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing of work in the sanctuary above.  When the work of investigation shall be ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut.  Thus in the one short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage:  and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed.”  GC:428.  See Zephaniah 1:7-8.

 

22:14:  “many are called, but few are chosen” = See Matthew 20:16.

 

Matthew 22:16; Mark 12:13-14; Luke 20:21:  “they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians” = The Pharisees “now took council with the Herodians, and having laid their plans, they sent out spies. . . They did not send the old Pharisees, whom Jesus had often met, but young men, who were ardent and zealous, and whom, they thought, Christ did not know.”  ST, February 8, 1899; ST, December 12, 1900; DA:601.

 

Matthew 22:16; Mark 3:6; 12:13:  “Herodians” = This would be a Jewish political party who sympathized with (see Mark 3:6; 12:13; Luke 20:20) the Herodian rulers in their general policy of government, and in the social customs which they had introduced from Rome.  They also were in agreement with the Sadducees in holding to the duty of submission to Rome, and of supporting the Herod’s on the throne (compare with Mark 8:15; 16:6).

 

From “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible” we read:  Herodians:  learned men are very much divided in their sentiments about these men; some think they were Gentiles under the government of Herod; but it is not likely that the Pharisees would join themselves with such, whose company they carefully shunned; others, that they were Gentile proselytes, as Herod was; but that on either of these accounts, they should be called by his name, there seems to be no reason:

 

“others say, they were Greeks, whom Herod brought out of a desert into his own country, and formed a sect, which from him were called Herodians:  this way went Drusius, in which he was followed by several learned men, until the mistake was detected; who took it from a passage in the Hebrew Lexicon, called ‘Baal Aruch,’ mistaking the word for ‘Greeks,’ which signifies ‘doves:’

 

“the Jewish writer referring to a passage in the Misna (Cholin, c. 12. sect 1), which speaks of ‘Herodian doves;’ that is, tame ones, such as were brought up in houses:  for that these are meant, is clear from the Misnic and Talmudic writers, and their commentators (T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 139. 1. & Betza, fol. 24. 1. & 25. 1. Misn. Sabbat. c. 24. 8. & Cholin, c. 12. sect. 1. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.); and were so called, because that Herod was the first that tamed wild doves, and brought up tame ones in his own palace; ‘and so Josephus (De Bello Jud. 1. 6. c. 13.) says, that he had many towers stored with tame doves, which was a new thing in Judea.

 

“Others, that they were Sadducees, which carries some appearance of truth in it; since what is styled the leaven of the Sadducees, in Mat. 16:6 is called the leaven of Herod, in Mar. 18:5.  And very probable it is, that Herod was a Sadducee, and that his courtiers, at least many of them, were of the same sect; but yet it is certain, that the Sadducees are spoken of, as distinct from these Herodians, in Mat. 22:23 of this chapter.

 

“Others, that they were a set of men, that formed a new scheme of religion, consisting partly of Judaism, and partly of Gentilism, approved and espoused by Herod, and therefore called by his name; and others, that they were such as held, that Herod was the Messiah; but it is certain, that Herod did not think so himself, nor the people of the Jews in common; and whatever flatterers he might have in his life time, it can hardly be thought, that this notion should survive his death, who was odious to the Jewish nation:

 

“others think, that they were such, who were not for paying tribute to Caesar, but to Herod, and were encouraged and defended by him and his courtiers, as much as they could; since he and his family looked upon themselves to be injured by the Romans, and secretly grudged that tribute should be paid unto them:

 

“others, on the contrary, say, that these were such, who pleaded that tribute ought to be paid to Caesar, by whose means Herod enjoyed his government, and was supported in it; and were just the reverse of the Pharisees, with whom they are here joined, in their attempts on Christ.

 

“The Syriac version renders the word by, ‘those of the house,’ or ‘family of Herod,’ his courtiers and domestics: in Munsters Hebrew Gospel, they are called, ‘the servants of Herod;’ and certain it is, that Herod was at Jerusalem at this time, Luk. 23:7.

 

“We read (Juchasin, fol. 19. 1) of Menahem, who was one while an associate of Hillell, who with eighty more clad in gold, went, ‘into the service of the king,’ that is, Herod, and hence might be called Herodians.  Wherefore these seem rather to be the persons designed, whom the Pharisees chose to send with their disciples, though they were of Herod’s party, and were on the other side of the question from them; being for giving tribute to Caesar, by whom their master held his government; that should Christ be ensnared by them, as they hoped He would, into any seditious or treasonable expressions against Caesar, these might either accuse Him to Herod, or immediately seize Him, and have Him before the Roman governor.

 

“Luke observes {Luke 20:21}, that these men, the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians, were sent forth as ‘spies, which should feign themselves just men;’ men of religion and holiness, and who were upright and sincere in their question, and who had strong inclinations to become his disciples: the Jews themselves own, that they sent such persons to Jesus, Whom they mention by name, in such a disguised manner to deceive Him (Toldos Jesu, p. 8.).”

 

Matthew 22:21; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25:  “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” = “[42] They had expected Jesus to answer their question directly in one way or the other.  If He should say, [43] It is unlawful to give tribute unto Caesar, there were those present whose task it was to immediately bear the report to the Roman authorities, and have Jesus arrested at once as One Who was creating rebellion among the Jews.  This they hoped would insure His condemnation.  But in case He should Say, It is lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, they designed to call the attention of the Jewish people to His decision, and accuse Him as One opposed to the Divine Law.

 

“Jesus read their motives, and, holding in His hand the Roman coin, upon which was stamped the name and image of Caesar, declared that, as they were living under the protection of the Roman power, they should render to that power the support it claimed, so long as it did not conflict with their duty to God.  But that they should at all times render obedience to God, answering His claims, yet peaceably subject to the laws of the land.”  3SP:42-43.

 

“Jesus Himself had paid tribute, and had taught His disciples to do so.”  3SP:130.

 

Matthew 22:22; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:26:  “When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left Him” = “When the Pharisees heard Christ’s answer, they marveled, and left Him, and went their way.  They were convinced; but, altho they marveled at Christ's wisdom, they would not yield.  Another evidence of the Saviour’s Divinity had been given them, but they hardened their hearts against it.  And from that time evidence had no effect on their deeply-rooted prejudice.”  ST, February 8, 1899, paragraph 11.

 

Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27:  “Sadducees” = “The Sadducees had no respect for the traditions of the Pharisees.  They professedly believed the greater portion of the Scriptures and regarded Them as their rule of action; yet they denied the existence of angels, and also the resurrection of the body, in which the Pharisees firmly believed.  The Sadducees rejected the doctrine of a future life, with its rewards and punishments.

 

“[44] They believed in God as the Only Being superior [45] to man; but they claimed that, having created man, God left him to pursue his own course.  They argued that an overruling Providence sustaining the machinery of the universe, and a foreknowledge of events would deprive man of free moral agency, and lower him to the position of a slave.  They therefore disconnected the Creator from the creature, maintaining that man was independent of a Higher Influence; that his destiny was in his own hands.  Denying as they did that the Spirit of God worked through human efforts, or natural means, they still held that man, through the proper employment of his own natural powers, could become elevated and enlightened, and that his life could be purified by rigorous and austere exactions.”  3SP:44-45.

 

“[45] In common with the rest of the Jews, the Sadducees boasted much upon their birthright as children of Abraham after the flesh, and upon the strictness with which they observed the outward requirements of the Law; but their views were inconsistent and heterogeneous.  They entirely rejected the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and reasoned that if the same particles of matter which constituted the mortal body must also compose the future immortal being, then that [46] body must have flesh and blood, and resume in the eternal world the carnal life interrupted on earth, all the frailties and passions of this life being perpetuated in the life beyond.

 

“In the days of Christ the Sadducees loved controversy, and vehemently urged their objections to the resurrection of the dead.  In their discussions with the Pharisees, the latter became confused in their faith concerning the future state of the dead.  Death became to them a dark and unexplainable mystery.  They learned to look upon it as the most dreaded calamity which could come upon man.”  3SP:45-46.

 

“[46] The Sadducees were very annoying to the Pharisees, because the latter could not prevail over them in argument.  The discussions between the two parties usually resulted in angry disputation, and left them further apart than before.  But many of the Sadducees, living only for this life, were wealthy and influential; they were therefore eligible to the office of high priest with the express stipulation that their infidel views should not be made prominent.  As the Pharisees were far more numerous, the Sadducees were to concede to their doctrines outwardly when holding any priestly office.  But the very fact of [47] their being eligible to such office gave influence to their erratic views.  Had the Pharisees been pure in life they might have been able to enlighten the Sadducees; but as it was they had little influence over them.”  3SP:46-47.

 

Matthew 22:28; Mark 12:23:  “whose wife shall she be” = “[48] The Sadducees reasoned that if the dead were raised with bodies formed of the same particles of matter of which they had formerly been composed, and were actuated by the same propensities, then the relationships of the earthly life would be resumed, husband and wife would be united, marriage would be consummated, and all the affairs of life would go on the same as before death.  From this belief they shrank [49] with repugnance, and, in their efforts to grasp a higher ideal, groped in thick darkness.”  3SP:48-49.

 

Matthew 22:29; Mark 12:24:  “Ye do err” = “He did not charge them with hypocrisy as He had charged the Pharisees, but with error of belief.”  3SP:49.

 

22:30:  “they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God” = It is interesting to note how our Lord strikes at another notion of the Sadducees, that there were no angels (see Acts 23:8).  Also, there will be marriage in Heaven and we are all invited.  We are all called to the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” Revelation 19:19.

 

“[172] There are men today who express their beliefs that there will be marriages and births in the new earth; but those who believe the Scripture cannot accept such doctrines.  The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not part of the ‘sure Word of prophecy’ (2 Peter 1:19). [173] The Words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood.  They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth.  Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage.  They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.”  1SM:172-173.

 

22:31:  “have ye not read that which was spoken unto you” = Let’s look at that again.  Jesus is saying, that those words/writings from centuries ago where written for and to them (all of us), by God.

 

Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 12:28; Luke 10:27; Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:9; James 2:8:  “which is the great Commandment in the Law” = See Deuteronomy 6:5-7; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:17-19; Romans 13:9.

 

The lawyer’s question most likely arose from the tradition of the rabbis to arrange all the Commandments by order of importance.  If two commands appeared to be in conflict, the one assumed to be more important took the priority over the other and left a person free to violate the less important one.  The Pharisees particularly exalted the first four precepts of the Decalogue as being more important than the last six, and as a result, they failed when it came to matters of practical religion.

 

“The Pharisees had exalted the first Four Commandments, which point out the duty of man to his Maker, as of far greater importance than the other Six, which point out the duty of man to his fellow-man.  In consequence they greatly failed of practical godliness, and in the relations and duties of life.  Jesus had been charged with exalting the last Six Commandments above the first Four, because He showed the people their great deficiency, and taught the necessity of good works, deeds of mercy and benevolence, and that a tree is known by its fruits.”  3SP:51.

 

“Jesus had shown the people their great deficiency, and had taught the necessity of good works, declaring that the tree is known by its fruits.  For this reason He had been charged with exalting the last six Commandments above the first four. . . since all the Commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one Precept can be broken. . .”  DA:607.

 

Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31:  “Thou shalt love. . . Thou shalt love” = See Christs answer also in Luke 10:37.

 

The Law that we in reality have broken is the Law of “Love.”

 

“Love to God comprehends love for those who are formed in His Own image.”  3SP:52.

 

“All the Ten Commandments are embodied in these two specified.  The first takes in the first four Commandments, which show the duty of man to his Creator.  The second takes in the last six, which show the duty of man to his fellow-man.  On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.  They are two great arms sustaining all Ten of the Commandments, the first four and the last six.  These must be strictly obeyed.”  RH, March 18, 1880.

 

Matthew 22:40:  “two Commandments” = Jesus is obviously summarizing the Ten Commandment Law of God.  We can see this by examining Matthew 19:18-19; Luke 18:20; Romans 13:8-10; James 2:8-11.

 

Matthew 22:42-45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44:  “The Son of David” = The Pharisees answer is based upon Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 9:7; 16:5; 22:2; Jeremiah 33:21 (see also Luke 1:32).  This is a Biblically established fact that every Jew knew.  However, Jesus takes them to Psalm 110:1 and shows them that the Messiah is not just “that Prophet,” John 1:25, to come again, “that Prophet” to them being Moses, but that the Messiah is God (“that Prophet” equaling Messiah/God John 6:14; Acts 3:23).  This is why they could not answer Jesus, for to admit they did not know something about their very own God would be too shameful.

 

If we go to Psalm 110, we can see that “Jehovah” said unto “Adoni.”  Adoni is just another name for the Godhead, and every Jew knew this.  This is why “the common people heard Him gladly,” Mark 12:37, because they believed Jesus was Messiah/God.

​

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

 

 

23:3:  “whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do” = The Greek word for “they” is “epo,” and literally is, to quote Strong’s Concordance, “A primary verb (used only in the definite past tense {this is KEY}).”  Thus, the “they” should be translated as “he,” meaning Moses, and not the “scribes and Pharisees,” for it is Moses’ seat in verse 2that is being referred to “in the definite past tense.”  This would also be more appropriate for our Lord to tell us who we are to be obedient to, i.e., His Words and Commandments given through Moses.

 

There is a Hebrew (that’s right -- Hebrew) translation of the Gospels and it literally states of verses 2 & 3:  “Upon the seat of Moses sit the Pharisees and the sages, all that he {the “he” being/meaning Moses; for it is his seat they are sitting on, not theirs} says to you, diligently do, and according to their deeds do not do, for they say and do not.”

 

In Jewish Synagogues, there is a chair of authority placed in them.  It is called the “Seat of Moses.”  When one sits in that chair, he reads from the “Torah,” and therefore is proclaiming to be giving the instructions of Moses to the people when reading from that chair.

 

By contrast, if someone were to stand up and read from the “Torah Scroll,” when he is done the Rabbi, who is sitting in the “Seat of Moses” would then interpret what was just read.

 

Conclusion, what Jesus just proclaimed is brilliant -- just as He always is -- in that Jesus says, “OK, they claim to be the authority because they are sitting in the “Seat of Moses,” therefore “do what they just read in the reading.”  In other words, Do what Moses says to do, not what they say to do.

 

23:4:  “they bind heavy burdens” = “The Saviour’s Words concerning the bigoted Jews apply with still greater force to the Romish leaders: {verse quoted}.”  4SP:384.

 

23:7 & 8:  “Rabbi, Rabbi” = Here is my John 1:38 Note:  Contrary to popular teaching, “Rabbi” in Hebrew means “Great One,” while in Greek it means “Master (G4461),” not “Teacher.”  Teacher comes from an associate word of “rhabbi,” that being, “didaskalos (G1320).”

 

This Greek word “rhabbi” comes to us from the Aramaic “rabi,” meaning “my great one.”  It is generally equivalent in English to “sir,” but used also in a more restricted sense as a title of distinction and respect for a teacher of the Law.  In the Book written by John, “Rabbi,” is consistently the term used in addressing Jesus by those who recognize Him as a teacher, perhaps even a prophet, but who either do not as yet realize, or who are unwilling to admit, that He is the Messiah.  In the early part of the Disciple’s association with Jesus they are quoted by John as calling Him “Rabbi” (see John 1:38 & 49; 3:2; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8), but with a deepening conviction that He was indeed the Messiah they later call Him “Lord” (see John 6:68; 11:12; 13:6 & 25; 14:5 & 8 & 22; 21:15 & 20).

 

By contrast, those for whom Jesus performed miracles they often called Him “Lord” right away (see John 9:36; 11:3 & 21 & 27 & 32).  Also, after the resurrection the title “Lord” is always used of Jesus (1Co. 16:22).  The Synoptic writers do not discriminate between these titles as does John; and John the Baptist’s disciples always called John, “Rabbi,” John 3:26.

 

“Jesus also revealed their vanity in loving to be called of men Rabbi, meaning master.  He declared that such a title did not belong to men, but only to Christ.  Priests, scribes and rulers, expounders of the Law and administrators of It, were all brethren, children of One God.  Jesus would impress upon the minds of the people that they were to give no man a title of honor, indicating that he had any control of their conscience or faith.”  3SP:60.

 

23:14:  “ye devour widows’ houses” = “[61] The Pharisees so wrought upon the minds of many conscientious widows that they believed it a duty to devote [62] their entire property to religious purposes.  These deluded women would trust the appropriation of their money to the scribes and priests, in whom they placed implicit confidence; and those wily men would use it for their own benefit.”  3SP:61-62.

 

Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42:  “mint, anise, and cumin” = The “Talmudic Law of Tithing,” in “Ma’aseroth,” 4-5, extends the Mosaic Law, with most burdensome minuteness, even to the smallest products of the soil.  Of these, not only the seeds, but in certain cases, even the leaves and stalks had to be tithed.

 

“According to the requirements of God the tithing system was obligatory upon the Jews.  But the priests did not leave the people to carry out their convictions of duty in giving to the Lord one-tenth of all the increase of the marketable products of the land.  They carried the requirements of the tithing system to extremes, making them embrace such trifling things as anise, mint and other small herbs which were cultivated to a limited extent.  This caused the tithing plan to be attended with such care and perplexity that it was a wearisome burden.  While they were so exact in things which God had never required of them, and were confusing their judgment and lessening the dignity of the Divine system of benevolence by their narrow views, they were making clean the outside of the platter while the inside was corrupt.  Exact in matters of little consequence, Jesus accuses them of having ‘omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith.’  No outward service, even in that which is required by God, can be a substitute for an obedient life.  The Creator desires heart service of His creatures.”  3SP:63.

 

“judgment, mercy, and faith” = In regards to “judgment” and “mercy” with regards to the Law our Lord meant that they should be mixed.  But what did Jesus mean by “faith?”  The Greek word used here is “pistis,” meaning, “faithfulness; loyalty; fidelity; reliability; trustworthiness; dependability; devotion; commitment; conformability.”  Therefore, if we substitute the word “faithfulness” for the word “faith” here it would go along better with “judgment” and “mercy” in regards to the Law.

 

23:24:  “strain at a gnat” = “[63] The Jews read in the requirements given to Moses that nothing unclean should be eaten.  God [64] specified the beasts that were unfit for food, and forbade the use of swine’s flesh and the flesh of certain other animals, as likely to fill the blood with impurities and shorten life.  But the Pharisees did not leave these restrictions where God had left them.  They carried them to unwarranted extremes; among other things the people were required to strain all the water used, lest it might contain the smallest insect, undiscernible to the eye, which might be classed with the unclean animals.”  3SP:63-64.

 

23:27:  “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” = “As the whited and beautifully decorated tomb concealed the putrefying remains within so the outward holiness of the priests and rulers concealed iniquity.”  DA:617.

 

Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51:  “Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” = See Second Chronicles 24:20-22; Zechariah 1:1.

 

Matthew 23:36; Luke 11:51:  “All these things shall come upon this generation” = “The Saviour, with hand uplifted toward Heaven and a Divine light enshrouding His Person, spoke in the character of a judge of those before Him.  The listening crowd shuddered as His denunciations were spoken.  The impression made upon their minds by His Words and looks was never to be effaced in after years.”  3SP:67.

 

“[68] The conduct of Christ upon this occasion reveals the fact that [69] the Christian can dwell in perfect harmony with God, possess all the sweet attributes of love and mercy, yet feel a righteous indignation against aggravating sin.”  3SP:68-69.

 

23:37:  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings” = “In this lamentation over Jerusalem is given the assurance of protection to all who will come unto Christ.  He will accept and protect them, poor, defenseless, dependent, even as the hen spreads her protecting wings over her brood.  If her chickens wander from her, the hen has a peculiar call by which she warns them of peril or storm.  If they will heed the danger signal, and can reach their mother’s protecting wings, they find warmth and safety, for she will defend them while she has any life.  She forgets herself, and will give her life in defending her helpless little flock.”  16MR:275.4.

 

Matthew 23:38; Luke 13:35:  “your house is left unto you desolate” = “Hitherto He had called It His Father’s House, but now, as the Son of God passed out from those walls, God’s presence was withdrawn forever from the Temple built to His glory.  Henceforth its services were to be a mockery, and its ceremonies meaningless; for Jerusalem’s day of probation was at an end.”  3SP:69.2; DA:620.

 

“Even when Jesus’ tears were shed upon the mount, Jerusalem might yet have repented, and escaped her doom.  For a little space the Gift of Heaven still waited her acceptance.”  4ST:365; MB:151.2.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

 

 

24:ALL:  See my Bible Study:  “SECOND COMING ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, MARK AND LUKE.”  Or, my Bible Spreadsheet (via E-Mail):  “ SECOND COMING ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, MARK AND LUKE.”

 

ALSO:  See my Bible Spreadsheet (via E-Mail):  “SECOND COMING EVENTS.”

 

ALSO again:  See my Bible Study:  “LAST DAY EVENTS IN THEIR ORDER [Under SDA].”

 

“Had Christ opened the future to them as He saw it, they would have been unable to endure the scene.”  RH Dec. 27, 1898; DA:628.

 

“. . . long centuries of darkness, centuries for His Church marked with blood and tears and agony.  Upon these scenes His disciples could not then endure to look, and Jesus passed them by with a brief mention.”  DA:630.5.

 

24:1 & 24 & 30:  “sign” = “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand.  It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness.  The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man.”  GC:640.

 

Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:7:  “when shall these things be? [speaking of verse 2] and what shall be the sign of Thy Coming, and of the end of the world” = The disciples asked three questions here.  The reason is they believed that these events would take place at the same time.

 

“Jesus did not answer His disciples by taking up separately the destruction of Jerusalem, and the last great day of His Coming, and the utterances regarding its destruction are to be connected with the world’s more terrible destruction.”  ST, February 20, 1901; DA:628; LDE:32.

 

Here is one of the ministries that the redeemed must have in order to be saved in “the end times.” = “They have a definite message to proclaim in the time of the end.  ‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’”  18MR:178.  And just what is that “witness?”

 

Also, “In the time of the end the people of God will sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land.”  PK:590.

 

Matthew 24:5; Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8:  “many shall come in My Name, saying, I Am Christ” = “Christ’s Words were fulfilled.  Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem, many false messiahs appeared.  But this warning is given to those also who live in this age of the world.  The same deceptions practiced prior to the destruction of Jerusalem will be practiced again.  The events that took place at the overthrow of Jerusalem will be repeated.”  ST, February 20, 1901; DA:628.

 

24:6:  “wars and rumours of wars” = “I saw that the powers of earth are now being shaken and that events come in order.  War, and rumors of war, sword, famine, and pestilence are first to shake the powers of earth, then the voice of God will shake the sun, moon, and stars, and this earth also.  I saw that the shaking of the powers in Europe is not, as some teach, the shaking of the powers of Heaven, but it is the shaking of the angry nations.”  EW:41.

 

Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10:  “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” = Here is my First Kings 18:10 Note:  What is the difference between a “nation or” a “kingdom?”  I believe our Lord is attempting to point out something very important here and everywhere else He mentions a “nation or kingdom” in the same sentence or phrase.  When God mentions “nation” in this phrase He is meaning those composed of mankind.  By contrast, when He mentions “kingdom” in the same phrase, He means the spiritual realm which is composed of those who Satan drew away from God and those who are loyal to God.  In fact, when speaking of “nations,” God’s Word is not nor ever referring to the spiritual realm of God.  By contrast, when speaking of “kingdoms” the Word of God often refers to the spiritual realm of Deity.  Examples would be, “Kingdom of God,” Matthew 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31 & 43; Mark 1:14 & 15; 4:11; etcetera, etcetera.  Which side will you choose?

 

“Just before we entered it [the time of trouble], we all received the seal of the living God.  Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds.  And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.”  Day-Star, March 14, 1846; 7BC:968.

 

“Already kingdom is rising against kingdom.  There is not now a determined engagement.  As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads.  Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle.”  RH Nov. 27, 1900.

 

“famines, and pestilences” = Most likely man induced, or well planned out, as the “nations” attempt to wipe out Christianity.

 

24:9:  “they” = According to Mark’s version of this (Mark 13:9) the “they” begins with Church members (also consider where a “false prophet” comes from).

 

“kill you” = Death decree issued.

 

Matthew 24:10; Mark 13:12; Luke 21:16:  “shall betray one another” = Christians turning in Christians.

 

Matthew 24:11; Mark 13:22:  “many false prophets” = “False teachers are just as active in our day as they were in the days of the apostles.  Satan has many agents, and they are ready to present any and every kind of theory to deceive souls, -- heresies prepared to suit the varied tastes and capacities of those whom he would ruin.”  ST, March 27, 1884.

 

“{Verse quoted} This sign is a sign of the Second Advent.  Satanic agencies will be prepared to deceive and to delude.”  ST, February 20, 1901.

 

24:12:  “because iniquity shall abound” = “He [Jesus] had warned the disciples that the Church would be in more danger from this evil than from the persecution of Her enemies.”  AA:473.

 

24:14:  “this gospel of the Kingdom” = According to Colossians 1:5-6, 23, this “gospel” has been and will be preached to every creature upon this earth.  And according to Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:14; the only other place where this phrase appears (see also Acts 20:25), “the gospel of the Kingdom” was preached before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (but not universally).  Therefore, what is “the gospel of the Kingdom?”  According to Matthew 10:7 it is, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  See also Matthew 3:2.  It’s like a “heralding” of the Second Coming universally.  And according to this verse, until that is accomplished Christ will not Come.

 

However, Matthew 26:13 states that there will be an addition to the Matthew 10:7 proclamation.  Therefore, a better conclusion for the meaning of this phrase would be, that since “gospel” literally means “Good News,” then a better statement would be, “the Good News about the Kingdom (which is the message of salvation; and Christs soon Coming).”  And is not this our reasoning for living the Christian life?

 

“then shall the end come” = When does it come?  It comes when “this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world,” and continuing on, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation.”  This is the Sunday Law.  The enforcement of the Sunday Law is not yet.

 

Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20:  “Abomination of desolation” = Luke 21:20 = Jerusalem compassed with armies.  See also:  Daniel 8:11; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 13:14.  See my Bible Study:  “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, THE [UNDER SDA].”

 

Matthew 24:15-18; Mark 13:15-16; Luke 21:20-21:  “let them which be in Judaea flee” = Notice the instruction to “flee” is given to those in “Judaea,” which would include those in the city of Jerusalem, but more importantly, those who are in an observing position; those who already observed other instructions as to not be living in the cities at this time in the worlds history.  We should also be understanding of this dual prophecy which reaches to our time in history.

 

“We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again:  Get out of the cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies.”  AH:141.

 

“This warning was given to be heeded forty years after, at the destruction of Jerusalem.  The Christians obeyed, and not one of them perished in the destruction of the city.”  ST, February 20, 1901; DA:630.

 

Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17 & 19 & 24; Luke 21:23:  “in those days” = This is a common Old Testament expression related to end time events (see Jer. 3:16; Joel 3:1; Zec. 8:23).

 

24:20:  “pray ye that your flight be not. . . on the Sabbath day” = SABBATH DOCTRINE.  See my Bible Study:  “SABBATH STILL VALID TODAY, BIBLICAL.”

 

24:21:  “For then” = The Greek word for “then” is “tote,” which means “when, at that time (past or future).”  It is sometimes used to introduce a future event as in this Chapter (verses 9 & 10 & 14 & 23 & 30 & 40), and in this case coinciding with verse 22, thereby making this text apply to the tribulation period just prior to Christ’s Second Coming.

 

“great tribulation” = Here is my Revelation 7:14 Notes:  “came out of great tribulation” = This phrase is first used in Daniel 12:1.  Here is my Daniel 12:1 Note:  “time of trouble” = Tribulation, see Mat. 24:21.  I believe this to be a dual prophecy, for it applies to the righteous dead (see my Rev. 7:9 Note) and the 144,000 during the “Time of Trouble.”

 

“Bread and water is all that is promised to the remnant in the time of trouble.” 1SP:224.

 

“To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few – this will be our test.  At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.”  5T:136.

 

“As Satan influenced Esau to march against Jacob, so he will stir up the wicked to destroy God’s people in the time of trouble.”  4SP:435.

 

“Yet for the elect’s sake, the time of trouble will be shortened.”  4SP:447.  (See Rev. 22:11).

 

“When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth.”  4SP:432.

 

Here is my Matthew 24:21 Note:  “For then” = The Greek word for “then” is “tote,” which means “when, at that time (past or future).”  It is sometimes used to introduce a future event as in this Chapter of Matthew (verses 9 & 10 & 14 & 23 & 30 & 40), and in this case coinciding with Matthew, Chapter 24, verse 22, thereby making this text apply to the tribulation period just prior to Christ’s Second Coming.

 

Here is my Deuteronomy 4:30 Note:  “tribulation” = A “tribulum” is a wooden framework with bits of flint or metal fixed to the underside, which can be hauled over the grain by an animal.  A smaller version of it was used in “winnowing” the chaff, which was still done by tossing in the air from a “winnowing basket,” then beating the wheat with the “tribulum” when there was a favorable wind to blow away the chaff.  Thus, “tribulation” is associated with being beaten repeatedly.

 

There is no “tribulation” that is more powerful than when it is happening to you or your family.  However, if Christ is in you, the hope of glory, Colossians 1:27, then when you or your Christian brothers and sisters are in “tribulation,” and when aren’t they, then it is that you are in “tribulation.”

 

What is interesting is that “tribulation” comes to you via the “world,” “In the world thou shalt have tribulation,” John 16:33.  By contrast, God’s “wrath” comes from God Himself.

 

“Trial is part of the education given in the school of Christ, to purify God’s children from the dross of earthliness.  It is because God is leading His children that trying experiences come to them.  Trials and obstacles are His chosen methods of discipline, and His appointed conditions of success.  He Who reads the hearts of men knows their weaknesses better than they themselves can know them.  He sees that some have qualifications which, if rightly directed, could be used in the advancement of His work.”  AA:524.

 

Matthew 24:23-28; Mark 13:21; Second Thessalonians 2:3-4:  “Lo, here is Christ” = This verse and others should teach you that there is no “Secret Rapture.”  See my Bible Study:  “RAPTURE THEORY, THE.”

 

24:26:  “secret chambers” = The only “secret chamber” in the Bible is “The Most Holy Place.”

 

24:27:  “lightning” = Most people understand the visual aspect that this verse brings out.  But don’t forget the noise that lightning brings with it when it comes (1Th. 4:16).

 

“In the day of the Lord, just before the Coming of Christ, God will send lightnings from heaven in His wrath, which will unite with fire in the earth.”  3SG:82.

 

“east” = “About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future.  And I saw the time of trouble, such as never was, -- Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob’s trouble, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God.  Just before we entered it, we all received the seal of the living God.  Then I saw the four Angels cease to hold the four winds.  And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.  Then we cried to God for deliverance day and night till we began to hear the bells on Jesus’ garment.  And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest, and as He came out we heard the tinkling of bells, and knew our High Priest was coming out.  Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.  Then the saints were free, united and full of the glory of God, for He had turned their captivity.  And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and He laid off His priestly garment and put on His kingly robe, took His place on the cloud which carried Him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man.  While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet.”  DS {Day Star}, March 14, 1846; Broadside1, April 6, 1846.

 

Matthew 24:29; Isaiah 13:10; 24:21-23; Jeremiah 4:28; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:10 & 31; 3:15; Amos 5:20; Zephaniah 1:14-15; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25; Acts 2:19-20; Revelation 6:12-13:  “Immediately after the tribulation” = These signs (see below) may have been fulfilled historically; meaning, this could be a dual prophecy in that they also are the signs just before our Lord Comes a Second time.

 

SDA’s:  However, only the changed book GC, records this as historical; whereas the original 4SP, does not.  See my Study:  “4SP VERSES GC [Under SDA].”

 

Here is the true prophetic meaning:

 

“It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people.  The sun appears shining in its strength.  Startling signs and wonders follow in quick succession.  The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance [“the tokens of their deliverance” = “signs in the sun, moon, and stars”].  Everything in nature seems turned out of its course.  The streams cease to flow.  Dark, heavy clouds come up, and clash against each other.”  4SP:453.

 

“The rabbis, Christ said, would declare that the signs that appeared were tokens of the Advent of the Messiah.  But. . . The signs that they argue are tokens of their release from bondage, are signs of their approaching destruction.”  ST, February 20, 1901.

 

Now the historic dual prophecy (if there be one):

 

“shall the sun be darkened” = “At the close of the great papal persecution, Christ declared, the sun should be darkened, and the moon should not give her light.  Next, the stars should fall from heaven.”  DA:632.

 

Stars = November 13, 1833:  From “The Journal Of Commerce,” November 14, 1833, by Henry Dana Ward:  “No philosopher of scholar has told or recorded an event, I suppose, like that of yesterday morning.  A prophet 1800 years ago foretold it exactly, if we will be at the trouble of understanding stars falling to mean falling stars; or ‘hoi asters tou ouranou epesan eis teen geen,’ is the only sense in which it is possible to be literally true.”

 

From “Wikipedia,” under, “Leonids:”  “Because of the storm of 1833 and the recent developments in scientific thought of the time (see for example the identification of Halley’s Comet) the Leonids have had a major effect on the development of the scientific study of meteors which had previously been thought to be atmospheric phenomena.  Though it has been suggested the meteor shower-storm has been noted in ancient times it was the meteor storm of 1833 that broke into people’s modern day awareness -- it was of truly superlative strength.  One estimate is over one hundred thousand meteors an hour, but another, done as the storm abated, estimated in excess of 240,000 meteors during the nine hours of the storm over the entire region of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.”

 

“This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833.”  GC:333.

 

“The signs in the sun, moon, and stars have been fulfilled.”  RH, November 22, 1906; AURA:35 & 248; SW, December 1, 1909.

 

Sun & Moon = First fulfilled on May 19, 1780:  From “Noah Webster’s Dictionary, 1869 Edition:”  “The dark day, May 19, 1780 -- so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over all New England.  In some places persons could not see to read common print in the open air for several hours together.  Birds sang their evening songs, disappeared, and silent; fowls went to roost; cattle sought the barn-yard; and candles were lighted in the houses.  The obscuration began about ten o’clock in the morning, and continued till the middle of the next night, but with differences of degree and duration in different places.  For several days previous, the wind had been variable, but chiefly from the south-west and the north-east.  The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known.”

 

From The “Journal Of The Connecticut House Of Representatives,” Friday, May 19, 1780:  “A solemn gloom of unusual darkness before ten o’clock, -- a still darker cloud rolling under the sable curtain from the north and west before eleven o’clock, -- excluded the light so that none could see to read or write in the House, even at either window, or distinguish persons at a small distance, or perceive any distinction of dress in the circle of attendants; wherefore, at eleven o’clock adjourned the House till two in the afternoon.”

 

From The “Massachusetts Spy, Correspondence,” 1780:  “During the whole time a sickly, melancholy gloom overcast the face of nature.  Nor was the darkness of the night less uncommon and terrifying than that of the day, for notwithstanding there was almost a full moon, no object was discernible but by the help of some artificial light, which seen from the neighboring houses and other places at a distance appeared through a kind of Egyptian darkness which seemed almost impervious to its rays.  This unusual phenomenon excited the fears and apprehensions of many people.”

 

“On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled.”  GC:306.

 

“May 19, 1780, stands in history as ‘The Dark Day.’  Since the time of Moses, no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration has ever been recorded.”  GC88:308; GC:308.

 

“On May 19, 1780, the sun was darkened.  That day is known in history as ‘the dark day.’  In the eastern part of North America, so great was the darkness that in many places the people had to light candles at noonday.  And until after midnight the moon, though at its full, gave no light.”  SJ:176.

 

“[304] These signs were witnessed before the opening of the nineteenth century.  In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded.  Though commonly known as the earthquake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe, Africa, and America. . . [305]

 

“Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy, -- the darkening of the sun and moon.  What rendered this more striking was the fact that the [306]

 

“time of its fulfillment had been definitely pointed out.  In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the Church, -- the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened, -- He then mentioned certain events to precede His Coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed:  ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.’  {Mark 13:24} The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798.  A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased.  Following this persecution, according to the Words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened.  On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled.”  GC88:304 -306.

 

This is a dual prophecy in that it will again take place just before Christ’s Second Coming as described in Revelation 16:10 & 16:18.

 

“the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” = “I saw that when the Lord said ‘heaven’ (in giving the signs recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke), He meant heaven, and when He said ‘earth’ He meant earth.  The powers of heaven, are the Sun, Moon and Stars; they rule in the heavens.  The powers of earth are those who bear rule on the earth.  The powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God.  Then the Sun, Moon, and Stars will be moved out of their places.  They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God.”  PT:24; Broadside2, January 31, 1849; CET:111; EW:41; ExV:23; RH, August 1, 1849.

 

24:30:  “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man” = See Matthew 24:1 & 24 & 30 Note.  Here is why those previous events (see above) have not been totally fulfilled.

 

“sign of the Son of Man in heaven” = This “sign” is the “cloud.”  Let me explain.  When Christ ascended from the mount of Olivet, “a cloud received Him,” Acts 1:9, from the sight of His disciples.  They stood gazing, but they could not see Him.  So likewise, when Jesus Comes again “in like manner,” Acts 1:11, as He was taken up into Heaven, the “cloud” will appear, small in the distance, but as it draws near, it will signify to those who are looking for His return, that this is the event they have been waiting for.  This is better explained by seeing Revelation 14:14:  “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of Man.”

 

“. . . the great white cloud. . . was the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven.” WLF:20.

 

“. . . there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand.  It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour, and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness.  The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man.  In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant.”  4SP:458.

 

Matthew 24:30 & 26:64 & Mark 13:26 & 14:62 & First Thessalonians 4:17 & Revelation 1:7:  “Coming in the clouds of Heaven” = The “clouds” equals the angels (see Psa. 68:17; Matthew 16:27; 25:31; Luke 9:26; Second Thessalonians 1:7), as opposed to with His saints at the Third Coming (see First Thessalonians 3:13 & Jude 1:14).

 

“All Heaven will be emptied of the angels [at Christ’s Second Coming].”  RH, June 10, 1852.

 

Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27:  “from one end of heaven to the other” = Poor Rapture Theorists.  See my Bible Study:  “RAPTURE THEORY, THE.”  This does not mean the “Third Heaven,” which is Heaven itself where God dwells, as defined by Paul in Second Corinthians 12:2.  To derive and contrive that conclusion is to misunderstand both the state of the dead and more importantly, the false doctrine of when we are truly raptured.  Even verse 30’s “heaven” is known not to be the “Third Heaven.”  Thus, the context should tell you that this verse is not speaking of God’s dwelling place, for He has left that Heaven to Come here to receive the redeemed.

 

Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28; Luke 21:29-30:  “a parable of the fig tree” = The learning of the parable is of interest in that the putting forth of the leaves is the sign that summer is near.  A fig tree usually puts forth its leaves in April.  So “all these things” show when the Lord’s Second Coming is at hand.

 

24:34:  “generation” = A “generation” in the Bible is 40 years (Num. 32:13).  Therefore, how appropriate that Jesus should make this prophecy in 31 A.D., seeing as it was fulfilled in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army.

 

Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Mark 13:32:  “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of Heaven [“neither the Son” Mark’s account], but the Father only” = All research has stopped, all reason has been tossed out, and blindly we believe that God, i.e., the Divine part of Jesus, does not know something.  How absurd!  However, according to John 16:30:  “You [Jesus] know all things.”  And John 21:17:  Lord [Jesus], Thou knowest all things.”

 

And since we are looking for other texts that teach us that Christ is not Divine and unknowing on certain other topics, please discover another text such as Revelation 2:23, where Christ has to “search” out people’s “hearts” in order to know whether or not to give everyone “according to” their “works.”  Are we then to believe Jesus doesn’t know our “hearts” desires?

 

Back to Matthew and in particular Mark.  The Greek for “knoweth” is “G1492; eido,” which in this instance is used as a verb, and as such, can be translated as, “to see;” but more properly translated as, “maketh known.”  Compare with, and not adding the word “not” after these phrases, for it is not there in the original:  Mark 1:34, “they knew,” Mark 2:10, “ye may know,” Mark 5:6, “when he saw,”  Mark 5:14, “to see,” Mark 5:16, “they that saw,” Mark 5:22, “When he saw,” Mark 6:48, “he saw,” Mark 7:2, “when they saw,” Mark 9:1, “they have seen,” Mark 9:8, “they saw,” Mark 9:9, “they had seen,” Mark 9:14, “he saw,” Mark 9:15, “when they behold,” Mark 9:20, “when he saw,” Mark 9:38, “we saw,” Mark 10:19, “Thou knowest [Jesus speaking],” Mark 10:38 & 42, “Ye know [Jesus speaking],” Mark 11:20, “they saw,” Mark 11:33, “We cannot tell,” Mark 12:14, “we know,” Mark 12:24, “because ye know,” Mark 13:14 & 29, “ye shall see,” Mark 13:32, “knoweth,” Mark 13:33 & 35, “ye know,” Mark 14:67, “when she saw,” Mark 14:68 & 71, “I know,” Mark 15:32, “we may see,” Mark 15:36, “let us see,” Mark 16:5, “they saw.”

 

In looking at the Greek for Mark’s 13:32 word “knoweth,” we find “eido,” meaning “know” or “cannot tell.”  The other Greek word before “eido” is “ou.”  This little Greek word is significant in that it appears before the vowel “know” and means “not,” or “cannot.”  However, since “ou” appears before “know” it should be translated properly by standard Greek rules, such as “cannot tell,” instead of “knoweth.”  In other words, Christ will not tell us until sometime before He Comes “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God,” First Thessalonians 4:16.

 

A popular thought process amongst Christian apologists is that “The Humanity of Christ does not know; But the Divinity of Christ does.”  It sounds good at first approach.  But to ascribe Christ’s Humanity as being anything less than the God [all-knowing]/Man [less than God] is to lower God from His proper place as being God.  Plus, His sacrifice upon the cross would be insufficient in order to save us (cancel our debt) from our sins.

 

It is stated in First Thessalonians 5:4:  “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”  Agreed, the context and concept are that you would be prepared.  But it also denotes a possible knowing.  Consider that the ones in “darkness” are the lost, while the ones “not in darkness” know when it is “even at the doors,” Matthew 24:33. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.”  Amos 3:7.

 

The following was penned by James White in WLF:5:  “It is thought by many, that this passage proves that men are never to know the time.  But if it proves this, it likewise proves, that the Son of God, Himself, is never to know the time; for the passage declares precisely the same concerning Him, that it does concerning angels and men.  But can any person believe that our glorious Lord, to Whom all power in Heaven and earth is given, is, and will remain ignorant of the time until the very moment that He Comes to judge the world? {1847 JW, WLF 5.1}

 

“If not, then certainly this text can never prove that men may not be made to understand the time.  An old English version of the passage reads, ‘But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.’ {1847 JW, WLF 5.2} {THERE YOU HAVE IT.  This is the true meaning and correct translation of the passage.  The Father will be the One announcing Christ’s Second Coming}.

 

“This is the correct reading according to several of the ablest critics of the age.  The word know {Greek, “eido” or “oido,” meaning -- “know, cannot tell, know how, wist, behold, look, perceive, the verb know, and the verb see”} is used here, in the same sense as it is by Paul in 1Co. 2:2. {“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”  In other words, he was determined to know Jesus Christ personally, for himself, on a very personal basis.  By contrast, Paul was not teaching that he did not know anything else}.  Paul well understood many other things, besides Christ and Him crucified, but he determined to make known nothing else among them {except Jesus Christ}.  So in the passage first quoted, it is declared that none but God the Father, maketh known the day and hour; that is, the definite time of the Second Coming of His Son.  And this necessarily implies that God makes the time known {and not the Son}.”  {1847 JW, WLF 5.3} 1847 JW, WLF 5.1-3.

 

In regards to mankind’s telling of our Lord’s Coming, if we look at Luke 19:43-44, we can see that our Lord wants us to know and be ready for “the time of thy visitation.”  Here are the verses:  “(43) For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, (44) And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”  Although this is speaking of the Jewish nation not knowing the timing of Christ’s First Coming, this has a dual application, in that it implies that we should know and be ready for the time of His Second Coming.  And how can we be ready if we don’t know the time and seasons?

 

We are to be “watchman” to alert the people (Eze. 3:17).  We are told to “know when the time is near,” Matthew 24:33; Luke 21:8.  If we consider all of the context of Matthew, Chapter 24, verses 42-51, we can understand that Jesus is speaking of those who are tangled up with the cares of this world and are not watching and ready.  Whereas, the righteous are always in readiness.

 

Consider this line of reasoning from 4SP:444-445.  According to this Book, “[444] a decree will finally be issued. . . [445] to put them to death.”  Moreover, as we move on to page 452, we read:  “As the time appointed in the decree against God’s people comes, the inhabitants of the earth unite to destroy the disturbers of their peace.  In one night. . . {Now let us reason together.  How many nights?  Only ONE night.  Therefore, the death decree has a certain time and date when the wicked will} rush upon their prey. {She continues with} But {BUT WHAT!}.”  She then describes the Second Coming of Christ and declares on page 458:  “The voice of God is heard from Heaven declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.”

 

Also, EGW saw in vision that we would know the time:  “About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future.  And I saw the time of trouble, such as never was, -- Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob’s trouble {probation has closed}, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God.  Just before we entered it {before the Close of Probation}, we all received the Seal of the Living God {the “sealing” is the Close of Probation}.  Then I saw the four Angels cease to hold the four winds {God’s protection removed from earth}.  And I saw famine, pestilence {plagues begin to fall} and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.  Then we cried to God for deliverance day and night till we began to hear the bells on Jesus’ garment {Sanctuary language}.  And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest {Most Holy Place}, and as He came out we heard the tinkling of bells, and knew our High Priest was Coming out {Second Coming}.  Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.”  DS, March 14, 1846.  See also:  AG:356; CET:58; CCh:33; DD:49; EW:14; EW(1851):15; ExV:17; FLB:182; GC88:640; GC:640; Hvn:30; LDE:272; LS:65; Mar. 287; ML:344; OFC:335; 1SM:75; 3SM:112; 4SP:458; 1SG:205; 2SG:30; 1T:59; 16MR:176; WLF:14 [especially see this one]; WLF:19; DS, January 24, 1846; RH, July 21, 1851 par. 2 & 13; Broadside1, April 6, 1846 paragraph 2 & 8; Broadside3, April 7, 1847;

 

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT!  The 144,000, the only ones alive during the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” will know the “day and hour of Jesus’ Coming,” because it is the same day and hour as published in the “death decree;” and this is also when God Comes to rescue His people from the wicked.

 

However, from RH, March 22, 1892 we read:  “We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the Coming of Christ.”  See also:  6BC:1052; Ev:221; 1SM:188; 1888:958; YRP:329; Mar:136.  She writes this because we will not know the time of Christ’s Coming until certain end time events take place, i.e., “The Death Decree” date.

 

LDE:33 adds this little notice:  “We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the Coming of Christ. . . Why has not God given us this knowledge? -- [Here is the true reason] Because we would not make a right use of it if He did.”  This is speaking of those before the Close of Probation and before the Time of Trouble.

 

Also, from 1SM:189.2 we read:  “. . .but no one will be able to predict [I believe this is the true reason in line with the quotes above] just when that time will come; for ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man.’  You will not be able to say that He will Come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His Coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.”  However, you will know the date and hour once the “Death Decree” gives us the date and time.

 

And these:  “The exact time of the Second Coming of the Son of Man is God's mystery.”  DA: 633; FLB:344; LDE:33; Mar:151; SW, October 3, 1905 par. 6.

 

Here is RH, July 21, 1851:  “Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.  The living saints, 144,000, in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.”  See also:  1T:59; WTF:14; EW:15; DS, January 24, 1846; Broadside1, April 6, 1846; 1EY:261 (1BIO:57); CET:58; LDE:272; LS:65; ExV:10; Mar:287.

 

Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26:  “as the days of Noe were” = What the they “were” is that they were not only divorcing (see my Mat. 24:38 Note), but they “were” allowing and committing “same-sex” marriage.  50 years ago the world was not so tolerant of these behaviors.  Now we have gay marches and divorce rates in “Christian” churches the same as the world.  Just another sign that our Lord’s return is eminent.

 

Matthew 24:38; Luke 17:27; Luke 20:34-35:  “marrying and giving in marriage” = “Divorce after divorce is recorded. . . This is the marriage of which Christ speaks.”  7MR:56.

 

“until the day that Noe entered into the ark” = Notice that they knew 7 days before the rains that there doom was on the horizon, despite the “knew not” of verse 39, for that “knew not” is in reference to before “Noe entered into the ark.”

 

24:40:  “two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” = Here is my Second Thessalonians 2:8 Note:  “shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His Coming” = See Isaiah 11:4; 13: 6 & 9; Jeremiah 46:10; Joel 2:1-3; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Luke 17:29-30; First Thessalonians 5:2-3; Second Thessalonians 1:7-9.

 

“If the people could not look upon His glory, which appeared upon Sinai the second time, as He again wrote His Law, how will the wicked, who have trampled upon the authority of God, bear His burning glory as they meet the great Lawgiver over His broken Law?”  1SP:257.

 

“[260] Those who trample upon God’s authority, and show open contempt to the Law given in such grandeur at Sinai, virtually despise the Lawgiver, the great Jehovah.  The children of Israel who transgressed the First and Second Commandments, were charged not to be seen anywhere near the mount, where God was to descend in glory to write the Law a second time upon tables of stone, lest they should be consumed with the burning glory of His presence.  And if they could not even look upon the face of Moses for the glory [261]

 

“of his countenance, because he had been communing with God, how much less can the transgressors of God’s Law look upon the Son of God when He shall appear in the clouds of Heaven in the glory of His Father, surrounded by all the angelic host, to execute judgment upon all who have disregarded the Commandments of God, and have trodden under foot His blood!”  1SP:260-261.

 

24:42:  “Watch therefore” = No one watches for that which he does not expect.  Therefore, you can know when the time is near, “for the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”  James 5:8.

 

24:48-51:  “evil servant shall say” = “Here the condition of the Church at Christ’s Second Coming is portrayed.”  ST, April 21, 1898.

 

24:49:  “to smite his fellowservants” = “. . . ‘to smite his fellowservants (who are watching and giving meat in due season), and to eat and drink with the drunken’ (to absorb his mind and time in this world’s enterprises and turn away from the service of God).”  19MR:388.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

 

 

25:1-13:  “ten virgins” = Interesting that our Lord chooses the numbering quantity of “ten,” as opposed to possibly the more appropriate “twelve” after the number of His apostles and the “twelve” tribes of Israel.  Thus, “ten” becomes a fitting number for all Gentile and Jewish believers in the end times.

 

See my Bible Study, “TEN VIRGIN PARABLE, THE [UNDER SDA].”

 

25:2:  “foolish” = The Greek word for “foolish” is very demoralizing (in that the KJV translators were being very kind).  The true meaning of the word is, “moron,” i.e., you are a “moron” if you act this way.

 

25:13:  “ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man Cometh” = See my Matthew 24:36 Note.

 

Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27:  “far country” = Christ is resurrected to Heaven.

 

25:15:  “one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability” = A “talent” from God is: “[38] The ability that God has given us in order to be a blessing to others.” Now here is a key point.  God determines the amount of talents given to each individual, but man determines the increase.  In fact, God has determined mankind’s mission on earth as being an instrument in adding to and being a multiplier to His kingdom.  Jesus Himself states in Mattthew 13:8: “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

 

“I was then shown that the parable of the talents has not been fully understood.  This lesson of importance was given to the disciples for the benefit of Christians living in the last days.  And these talents do not represent merely the ability to preach and instruct from the Word of God.  The parable applies to the temporal means which God has entrusted to His people.  Those to whom the five and two talents were given, traded and doubled that which was committed to their trust.  God requires of those who have their possessions here [39] to put their money out to usury for Him, to put it into the cause to spread the truth.”  4bSG:38-39.

 

“Talents that are not needed are not bestowed.”  9T:37.

 

“The talents God has given men and women are not all alike for He would have one supply the need of the other.  He desires His workers to help one another in the discharge of their various duties and thorough accomplishment of the work to which He calls them.”  19MR:264.

 

“The power of speech is a talent that should be diligently cultivated.  Of all the gifts we have received from God, none is capable of being a greater blessing than this.”  ST, July 2, 1902, par. 4; COL:335; RC:282; VSS:13; VRP:197.

 

“God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life.  Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion.”  COL:343.

 

Matthew 25:18; Luke 19:20; Romans 1:21:  “one {talent} went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord’s money” = Here is my Romans 1:21 Note:  “when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God” = “These words represent the case of the servant who hid his Lord’s treasure, in the place of using it to the glory of God.”  ST, August 18, 1898.

 

“. . . buried it in the earth, that is, hid it in the world.”  RH, June 23, 1885; 4T:51.

 

“Look into our Churches.  There are only a few real workers in them.  The majority are irresponsible men and women.  They feel no burden for souls.  They manifest no hungering and thirsting for righteousness.  They never lift when the work goes hard.  These are the ones who have but one talent, and hide that one in a napkin, and bury it in the world; that is, they use all the influence they have in their temporal matters.  In seeking the things of this life, they lose the future, eternal life,” RH, March 14, 1878.

 

25:19:  “the Lord of those servants Cometh” = The Second Coming of Christ.

 

25:21 & 23:  “Well done” = “It is not the amount intrusted or the improvement made that brings to men the approbation of Heaven, but it is the faithfulness, the loyalty to God, the loving service rendered, that brings the Divine benediction, {verse 21 quoted}.”  ST, January 23, 1893; CHC:289.

 

25:24:  “Thou art an hard Man, reaping where thou hast not sown” = A misrepresentation of our Lord has been the case ever since the beginning of this earth.  Still, our Lord does require a return upon His investment.

 

25:25:  “in the earth” = These place their hopes and dreams and money into earthly things instead of Heavenly treasures which they are blind to and cannot see.

 

25:27:  “at My Coming” = The Second Coming of Christ.

 

25:29:  “unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away” = Heaven will be unimaginable joy; while eternal death takes away everything.

 

25:30:  “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness” = The “second death” of eternal non-existence in the Book of Revelation (2:11; 20:6 & 14; 21:8).

 

“And this is an illustration of the last general judgment, when each shall be dealt with according to the use he has made of his talents.”  ST, April 21, 1898.

 

25:31:  “throne” = See my Bible Study:  “THRONES, GOD’S.”

 

Matthew 25:35 & Luke 11:51:  “Abel unto the blood of Zacharias” = Zacharias account is in the Book of Second Chronicles (24:20-22), which Book was considered to be the last Book of the Scriptures in Jewish reckoning.  Therefore, Jesus is just saying, “From beginning to ending.”

 

“son of Barachias” = Should be “the son of Jehoiada,” as Second Chronicles 24:20 has it.  Luke does not even mention this.  However, according to Zechariah 1:1 & 7, Second Chronicles could mean “grandson of,” as generations are not very specific in Jewish reckoning.

​

25:41:  “everlasting fire” = IF we go to Ezekiel 20:16 & 18 & 19, we learn that Satan does not burn “everlastingly,” but is (16) destroyed; (18) devoured to the point of being “ashes upon the earth” (19) “and never shalt thou be any more.”  See my Bible Study:  “DEATH, THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT.”

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

 

 

Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1; John 11:55; 12:1:  “is the feast of the Passover” = Passover falls on the 14th of Nisan.  On the 10th of Nisan a lamb was selected to be the Passover sacrifice (Exo. 12:3).  It was inspected for 4 days:  the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th.  And if acceptable, it was sacrificed on the 14th day of Nisan (Exo. 12:6).  Thus, Jesus was inspected for 4 days before His sacrifice, and being acceptable, was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan.  The lamb is killed on the 14th day, and then eaten “that night,” Exodus 12:8, meaning the 15th day, or the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened bread.  Thus, Christ our Sacrifice, was resting in the tomb on a High Sabbath Day; meaning the Feast fell on the weekly Sabbath day.

 

It must be noted that although Jesus was being inspected for 4 days before His crucifixion, He was also inspecting the Jewish nation as a whole.

 

Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:2; John 11:47:  “consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty” = “. . .it was impossible to procure the condemnation of Jesus without the unanimous consent of the Sanhedrim.  The object of the priests had finally been obtained by calling a secret council, to which Joseph and Nicodemus were not summoned.”  3SP:175.

 

Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3:  “Simon the leper” = “Simon had led into sin the woman he now dispised.  She had been deeply wronged by him.”  DA:566.5.

 

“But Simon felt himself more righteous than Mary, and Jesus desired him to see how great his guilt really was. He would show him that his sin was greater than hers, as much greater as a debt of five hundred pence exceeds a debt of fifty pence. {DA:566.5}

“Simon now began to see himself in a new light.  He saw how Mary was regarded by One who was more than a prophet.  He saw that with keen prophetic eye Christ read her heart of love and devotion.  Shame seized upon him, and he realized that he was in the presence of One superior to himself.”  DA:566.5-567.1.

 

Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37-38; John 11:2:  “a woman having an alabaster box” = Read John 11:2, which places this Mary at the home of Mary of Bethany; thus being, Mary of Bethany and not Mary of Magdala.  See my Bible Study:  “MARY MAGDALENE.”  Also, the same under “SDA.”

 

Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37-38; John 12:4-5:  “His disciples saw it, they had indignation” = This is in “Bethany,” and as such, most likely this is Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ sister.  Again:  See my Bible Study:  “MARY MAGDALENE.”  Also, the same under “SDA.”

 

Also, according to verse 9, money is brought up, meaning most likely that Judas instigated this outrage for the act.  In fact, John 12:6 shows this to be the case.

 

“He {Judas} longed to have the avails of the expensive ointment in his own hands to apply to his own selfish purposes.  By his professed sympathy for the poor he deceived his fellow-disciples, and by his artful insinuations caused them to look distrustfully upon the devotion of Mary.”  2SP:376.

 

“Jesus might have pointed out Judas to the disciples as the cause of such severe judgment being passed on Mary.  He might have revealed to them the hypocrisy of his character; he might have made known his utter want of feeling for the poor, and him embezzlement of money appropriated to their relief.  He could have raised their indignation against him for his oppression of the widow, the orphan, and the hireling; but He refrained from exposing the true character of Judas.  He reproached him not, and thus avoided giving him an excuse for his future perfidy.

 

“But He rebuked the disciples,” 2SP:378.

 

“. . . had Christ unmasked Judas, this would have been urged as a reason for the betrayal.  And though charged with being a thief, Judas would have gained sympathy, even among the disciples.  The Saviour reproached him not, and thus avoided giving him an excuse for his treachery.”  DA:563.

 

Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6:  “Why trouble ye the woman” = “In all that Christ said to His disciples, there was something with which, in heart, Judas disagreed.  Under his influence the leaven of disaffection was fast doing its work.  The disciples did not see the real agency in all this; but Jesus saw that Satan was communicating his attributes to Judas, and thus opening up a channel through which to influence the other disciples. . .

 

“Yet Judas made no open opposition, nor seemed to question the Saviour’s lessons.  He made no outward murmur until the time of the feast in Simon’s house.  When Mary anointed the Saviour’s feet, Judas manifested his covetous disposition.  At the reproof from Jesus his very spirit seemed turned to gall.  Wounded pride and desire for revenge broke down the barriers, and the greed so long indulged held him in control.  This will be the experience of everyone who persists in tampering with sin.  The elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome, respond to Satan’s temptation, and the soul is led captive at his will.”  DA:720.

 

“Judas boldly expressed his disapprobation at such a wasteful extravagance. . . Judas, [was] the prime instigator of this disaffection,” 2SP:376.

 

Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8:  “ye have the poor always with you” = When Jesus said “ye have the poor always with you,” He was in the poorest town in the nation, i.e., Bethany.  Bethany literally means, “the house of poverty.”

 

“It is the duty of other Churches to help us in our efforts in this missionary field.  The selfish and stingy may say, ‘I am tired of this continual solicitation for means; will it never cease?’  No, never, never! until Christ shall clothe Himself in garments of vengeance, and the fiat shall go forth from His lips, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still.  When our Heavenly Benefactor forgets our returning wants; when God forgets to be gracious, and none of His gifts flow into our barns, our granaries, and our cellars, -- then may we plead an excuse for withholding our offerings. . . In this instance, Christ teaches His followers that they should bless the needy with their substance and render back to God in gifts and offerings the blessings He has bestowed upon them.”  RH, January 4, 1881.

 

Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:8; Luke 7:37:  “she hath poured this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial” = “At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of precious ointment with which to anoint the body of Jesus at His death.  But she now heard many express an opinion that He would be elevated to kingly authority when He went to Jerusalem, and she was only too ready to believe that it would be so.”  2SP:375.

 

“[377] The ointment so sacredly kept to anoint the dead body of her Lord she had poured upon His head in the belief that [378] He was about to be lifted to a throne in Jerusalem.”  2SP:377-378.

 

“Mary, pouring out her love upon the Saviour while He was conscious of her devotion, was anointing Him for the burial.  And as He went down into the darkness of His great trial, He carried with Him the memory of that deed, an earnest of the love that would be His from His redeemed ones forever.”  DA:560.

 

“It was not the comparative degrees of obligation which should be felt by the two persons, which Jesus designed to illustrate by this parable, for both were unable to cancel their debt of gratitude; but He took Simon on his own ground, as feeling himself more righteous than the woman, and showed him that though the sins which had been forgiven him were great, he had not repaid his Benefactor with that respect and love which casts out all unbelief.  His sense of obligation to his Saviour was small, while Mary, prizing the gift of mercy bestowed upon her, was filled with gratitude and love.”  2SP:381.1.

 

“Jesus will remember every good work done by His children.  The self-sacrificing and benevolent will live in His memory and be rewarded.  No act of devotion to His cause will be forgotten by Him.  There is no sacrifice too costly to be offered on the altar of our faith.”  2SP:383.

 

“As did Nathan with David, Christ concealed His home thrust under the vail of a parable.  He threw upon His host the burden of pronouncing sentence upon himself.  This way of presenting the matter made Simon feel very uncomfortable.  He himself had led into sin the woman he now despised.  She had been deeply wronged by him.  By the two debtors of the parable Simon and the woman are represented.  Simon’s sin is shown to be tenfold greater than that of the women, as much greater as a debt of five hundred pence is greater than a debt of fifty pence.”  ST, May 9, 1900; CC:308; DG:238; DA:566-567.

 

“Jesus desired him {Simon} to see how great his guilt really was.”  DA:567.

 

26:14:  “Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests” = “The look which Jesus cast upon the selfish Judas convinced him that the Master penetrated his hypocrisy and read his base, contemptible character.  He was stirred with resentment.  His heart burned with envy that Jesus should be the recipient of an offering suitable to the monarchs of earth.  He went directly from that supper to the chief priests, and agreed to betray Him into their hands.”  2SP:379.

 

26:15 & 27:3 & 9:  “thirty pieces of silver” = This is known as the common price for a slave.  It was also known as the price for a mean animal (see Exo. 21:32).

 

“But when men reject light, and blindly follow their natural inclinations, they are led into darkness, and the plainest facts are unheeded.  Judas was naturally avaricious, and he had fostered this evil propensity until it had become the ruling motive of his life.”  3SP:82.

 

“Thus it was that the Lord was sold as a slave, purchased by the temple money used for the buying of the sacrifices.”  ST, December 24, 1894; 5BC:1123; DA:716.

 

26:17:  “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread” = Notice that the word “day” is a supplied word.  The Passover had not begun yet or else they were to late in preparing for it.  Thus, the translators did not understand the Biblical cycle of days (even unto even).  This is Thursday, the day before the Passover meal, which would be that night (Friday night).  A better understanding, if we are going to supply words would be, “Now the first of the unleavened bread approached.”

 

Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; John 13:4-15:  “as they were eating” = “At this last Passover the Lord’s Supper was instituted.”  3SP:84.

 

“The salvation of men depends upon a continual application to their hearts of the cleansing blood of Christ.  Therefore, the Lord’s Supper was not to be observed only occasionally or yearly, but more frequently than the annual Passover.  This solemn ordinance commemorates a far greater event than the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.”  3SG:228.

 

“. . . though Jesus knew Judas from the beginning, He washed his feet. . . He who was to betray his Lord was privileged to unite with Him in partaking of the sacrament.  And today none who claim to be Christians should be excluded from this service, for who can read hearts?”  20MR:149.

 

“Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures and doing the will of God.  This is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God.”  21MR:131.

 

“[644] Judas pressed next to Christ on the left side; John was on the right.  If there was a highest place, Judas was determined to have it, and that place was thought to be next to Christ. . . [645]

 

“When the Saviour’s hands were bathing those soiled feet, and wiping them with the towel, the heart of Judas thrilled through and through with the impulse then and there to confess his sin.  But he would not humble himself.  He hardened his heart against repentance; and the old impulses, for the moment put aside, again controlled him.  Judas was now offended at Christ’s act in washing the feet of His disciples.  If Jesus could so humble Himself, he thought, He could not be Israel’s King.  All hope of worldly honor in a temporal kingdom was destroyed.  Judas was satisfied that there was nothing to be gained by following Christ.  After seeing Him degrade Himself, as he thought, he was confirmed in his purpose to disown Him, and confess himself deceived.  He was possessed by a demon, and he resolved to complete the word he had agreed to do in betraying his Lord.  Judas, in choosing his position at table, had tried to place himself first, and Christ as a servant served him first.”  DA:644-645.

 

“In His life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God.  God does not live for Himself.  By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering for others.”  DA:649.

 

“I was pointed back to the time that Jesus took His disciples away alone, into an upper room, and first washed their feet, and then gave them to eat of the broken bread, to represent His broken body, and juice of the vine to represent His spilled blood.  I saw that all should move understandingly, and follow the example of Jesus in these things, and when attending to these ordinances, should be as separate from unbelievers as possible.”  PT Nov. 1850; EY:189.

 

“In the place of the national festival which the Jewish people had observed, He instituted a memorial service, the ordinance of feet washing and the sacramental supper, to be observed through all time by His followers in every country.”  ST, May 16, 1900; 5BC:1139.

 

“In the last Passover our Lord observed with His disciples, He instituted the Lord’s Supper in place of the Passover, to be observed in memory of His death.”  YI, May 1, 1873; FLB:300; LHU:31.

 

Matthew 26:28; Luke 21:20:  “testament” = The Hebrew is, “diatheke” meaning “covenant.”  Therefore, a better translation would be “covenant.”  For the difference (which is VERY IMPORTANT to understand), see my Bible Study:  “COVENANTS, THE OLD AND NEW.”

 

In reality, “testament” does not appear anywhere in the New Testament.  That is a mistranslation of “diatheke” if it does in your Bible (except in the Book of Hebrews where it talks about the “testament” and the death of the “Testator:” see also Luke 1:72 where “diatheke” is translated as “covenant” correctly).

 

Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26:  “sung an hymn” = According to Jewish custom at the time, most likely this was the second portion of the “Jewish Hallel,” sung at the completion of the Passover meal.  This hymn was composed of Psalms 113-118.

 

Matthew 26:30-31; Mark 14:26-27; Luke 22:39; John 18:1:  “they went out into the mount of Olives. . . All ye shall be offended because of Me” = “Jesus had often resorted to Gethsemane with His disciples for meditation and prayer; but never before had He visited the spot with a heart so full of sorrow.”  ST, August 14, 1879; ST, November 4, 1897; BEcho, August 1, 1892; AG:169; 2T:203; PH169:4.

 

Matthew 26:33 & 35; Mark 14:29 & 31; Luke 22:33; John 13:37:  “Peter answered” = “How true was the Saviour’s friendship for Peter! how compassionate His warning!  But the warning was resented.  In self-sufficiency Peter declared confidently that he would never do what Christ had warned him against. . . His self-confidence proved his ruin.  He tempted Satan to tempt him, and he fell under the arts of the wily foe.”  5BC:1123 (MS 115, 1902).

 

Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32; John 18:1:  “Gethsemane” = A “Gethsemane” is used to crush olives in order to extract the oil from them; just as Christ was “crushed” at Gethsemane and the Biblical symbol of “oil” was extracted from Christ, i.e., The Holy Spirit.

 

“[94] The Redeemer, in company with His disciples, slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane.  The Passover moon, broad and full, shone from a cloudless sky.  The city of pilgrim’s tents was hushed into silence.

 

“Jesus had been earnestly conversing with and instructing His disciples; but as He neared Gethsemane He became strangely silent.  His disciples were perplexed, and anxiously regarded His countenance, hoping there to read an explanation of the change that had come over their Master.  They had frequently seen Him depressed, but never before so utterly sad and silent.  As He proceeded, this strange sadness increased; yet they dared not question Him as to the cause.  His form swayed as if He was about to fall, His disciples looked anxiously for His usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest. . . [95] Twice His companions prevented Him from falling to the ground.”  3SP:94-95.

 

“At the thought of the grievous character of the guilt of the world, Christ felt that He must go apart, and be alone.  The hosts of darkness were there to make sin appear as extensive, deep, and horrible as possible.  In his hatred of God, in falsifying His character, in manifesting irreverence, contempt, and hatred toward the Laws of His government, Satan had made iniquity reach unto the Heavens, and it was his purpose to swell iniquity to such great proportions, that atonement should seem impossible; so that the Son of God, Who sought to save a lost world, should be crushed beneath the curse of sin. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 3}

 

“The working of the vigilant foe in presenting to Christ the vast proportions of transgression, caused such poignant pain, that He felt that He could not remain in the immediate presence of any human being.  He could not bear that even His disciples should witness His agony as He contemplated the woe of the world.  Even His most dearly loved friends must not be in His companionship.  The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man’s Substitute, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 4}

 

“In the garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man’s stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:’ but if there be no other way by which the salvation of man may be accomplished, then ‘not as I Will, but as Thou Wilt.’  Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from Heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony.  The power that inflicted retributive justice upon man’s Substitute and surety, was the power that sustained and upheld the suffering One under the tremendous weight of wrath that would have fallen upon a sinful world.  Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God's Law.”  {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 5} BTS, September 1, 1915 paragraphs 3-5; 2PRC:155-156; 5BC:1102.

 

Here is my Exodus 25:32 Note:  Just as the “candlestick” was “beaten” and olive oil was used for its fire, so Jesus was pressed into submission in the garden of Gethsemane.  For Gethsemane in the Hebrew means, “olive oil press” and in the Greek, “oil press.”  The soiled garments of the priests were never washed, but used as wicks for the candlestick.  Thus, the purification process is seen.

 

Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42:  “let this cup pass from Me” = The “cup,” as used in the Bible, is used to designate blessings received from the Lord (Psa. 16:5; 23:5), or the salvation He offers to us (Psa. 116:13).  But more often it refers to God’s judgment against sin and sinners (Psa. 75:8).  This cup contains the wine of His anger against His enemies, His judicial wrath (Jer. 25:15-16).  It is to this cup that Jesus was referring to when He asked the Father to let it be taken away from Him.

 

“It was not a dread of the physical suffering He was soon to endure that brought this agony upon the Son of God.  He was enduring the [96] penalty of man’s transgression, and shuddering beneath the Father’s frown.  He must not call His Divinity to His aid, but, as a man, He must bear the consequences of man’s sin and the Creator’s displeasure toward His disobedient subjects.  As He felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that His human nature would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the prince of the power of darkness; and in that case the human race would be irrecoverably lost, Satan would be victor, and the earth would be his kingdom.  The sins of the world weighed heavily upon the Saviour and bowed Him to the earth; and the Father’s anger in consequence of that sin seemed crushing out His life.”  3SP:95.3.

 

“It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s Substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.  Death is not to be regarded as an angel of mercy.  Nature recoils from the thought of dissolution, which is the consequence of sin.

 

“But it was not the dread of death which caused the inexpressible agony of Jesus.  To believe this would be to place Him beneath the martyrs in courage and endurance; for many of those who have died for their faith, yielded to torture and death, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake.  Christ was the Prince of sufferers; but it was not bodily anguish that filled Him with horror and despair; it was a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that man had become so familiar with sin that he did not realize its enormity, that it was so deeply rooted in the human heart as to be difficult to eradicate.”  3SP:162.

 

“[162] The withdrawal of the Divine countenance from the Saviour, in this hour of supreme anguish, pierced His heart with a sorrow that can [163] never be fully understood by man.  Every pang endured by the Son of God upon the cross, the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, and feet, the convulsions of agony which racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father’s face from Him;” 3SP:162-163.

 

“Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which He had ever stood before.  Hitherto He had been as an Intercessor for others; now He longs for an intercessor for Himself.”  DA:686; ST, December 2, 1897.

 

“As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. . . With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ’s soul was filled with dread of separation from God.  Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal.  He would be identified with Satan’s kingdom, and would nevermore be One with God.”  DA:686.

 

“Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus.  The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb.  Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the Sacrifice.  He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal.  Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.  It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s Substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.”  DA:753.

 

“not as I Will, but as Thou Wilt” = Notice that the Father would not give up mankind.

 

“Man cannot comprehend the sacrifice made by the infinite God in giving up his Son to reproach, agony, and death.  This is the evidence of the Father’s boundless love to man.”  3SP:100.

 

Matthew 26:40; Mark 14:37:  “He cometh unto the disciples” = “[10] The disciples roused from their slumber to find their Master standing over them in a state of mental and bodily anguish such as they never before had witnessed.  They saw the grief and agony of His pale face, and the bloody sweat upon His brow, for ‘His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men’ [Isa. 52:14]. [11] The disciples were grieved that they had fallen asleep, so that they could not pray and sympathize with their suffering Lord.  They were speechless with sorrow and surprise.  The suffering Son of God leaves His disciples, for the power of darkness rushes upon Him to the earth. . . In these sleeping disciples He sees a representation of a sleeping Church.” Sufferings of Christ, pages 10-11; ST, August 14, 1879.

 

“At first they had been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified, wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension.  They had prayed as they heard the strong cries of the Sufferer.  They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed with a stupor which they might have shaken off had they continued pleading with God.” 4ST:217; RH, July 7, 1910; DA:688.

 

“The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering.  This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being.  In the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress.  The One Who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves.”  DA:686.

 

Matthew 26:43; Mark 14:40:  “He came” = “They looked upon His face with fear, for it was stained with blood.” GHA:71; 3SP:99.

 

26:45:  “betrayed” = The Greek verb here used for “betrayed” is “paradidomi,” meaning, “to hand over.”  It is used several times to describe what would happen to Jesus.  Here the context suggests that Judas is the one who betrays Him.  By contrast, it was God who “delivered [Christ] over to death for our sins,” Rom. 4:25.  The verb expresses the idea of a transfer of a possession from one to another.

 

“. . . the light of God was receding from His vision, and He was passing into the hands of the powers of darkness.”  Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, August 1, 1892.

 

Matthew 26:46; Mark 14:42:  “Rise, let us be going” = “The countenance of Christ wore and expression of calm dignity.  The traces of His recent agony were not visible.”  Sufferings of Christ, page 15; GHA:71; 1PRC:362; 3SP:102.

 

“Those last solemn, momentous hours were spent by our Saviour in speaking words of comfort and assurance to His disciples, and then all united in a hymn of praise.”  RH, November 1, 1881 paragraph 11.

 

“Instead of expressing the sadness of their hearts by the mournful measure of some solemn lament, they sung, as was customary on that occasion, the joyful Hallel, which abounded in expressions of faith, of gratitude, and of lofty praise: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.  The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous.  The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.  The right hand of the Lord is exalted.  The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.  I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.’  What a prelude to the agony in Gethsemane, the abuse and mockery of the judgment hall, and the awful scenes of Calvary, were those last hours spent in chanting the praises of the Most High!”  RH, November 1, 1881 paragraph 12.  

 

Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43; Luke 22:47; John 18:3:  “Judas” = “Judas believed that Christ would not permit Himself to be taken.”  ST, December 9, 1897.

 

“When he [Judas] decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers, he had no thought that Jesus would permit Himself to be taken.  He thought the priests would be cheated of their bribe, and he, the betrayer, would secure the money to use for some purpose of his own, and Jesus would have a new opportunity to display His divine power in delivering Himself from the wiles of His enemies.”  3SP:125; GHA:75.

 

26:48:  “he that betrayed” = So it will be in our day..

 

“I saw the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth.  The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics; but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and customs (for they hated us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institutions of the people; that is, that they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday.”  SpM:1.5.

 

26:49:  “Hail, master” = Note the “KJV” translators acknowledgement of Judas not calling our Lord, “Lord,” but “master,” even to the point of not capitalizing “Master” as others not of the disciples stated (see Mat. 19:16; 22:16 & 24 & 36; etcetera.  Note also Mat. 27:29).  The “KJV” translators may have overstepped here; but it is quite noteworthy to ascertain Judas’ attitude toward Jesus now.

 

Matthew 26:55; Luke 22:52:  “thief” = In regards to being accused of being a “thief,” Jesus stresses the fact that “the multitudes” are accusing Him of the same crime as Barabbas (John 18:40).  The Greek word used for Barabbas and here for Jesus, is “lestes.”  Jesus could have used the other Greek word for a “thief or robber,” which is “kleptes.”  The difference between a “lestes,” commonly translated in other Greek manuscripts as “robber,” and “kleptes,” commonly translated as “thief,” is that the latter does his work in a secret manner so that he may not be discovered.  However, Jesus uses the Greek word “lestes,” which incorporates with it the connotation of violence as its main characteristic.  While on the other hand, “kleptes” is the characteristic of Judas, who was a “thief” (“kleptes,” John 12:6) which does his deed using no violence to anyone.  Judas stole secretly.  Whereas Barabbas was a robber with violence.

 

The point is, under Roman law a violent thief, i.e., Jesus, must be severely dealt with.  And at that time in history, that form of dealing with a violent “thief” was crucifixion.

 

Instead of scattering like sheep and denying their Lord, the disciples were to “do nothing more than look with sympathy and love upon their Lord, and with faith undimmed show that they realized that His eye was upon them, and that at this trying moment He was guiding, upholding and caring for them.”  ST, May 12, 1898.

 

Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50:  “the disciples forsook Him” = “When the disciples saw that Jesus did not deliver Himself from His enemies, but permitted Himself to be taken and bound, they were offended that He should suffer this humiliation to Himself and them.  They had just witnessed an exhibition of His power in prostrating to the ground those who came to take Him, and in healing the servant’s ear, which Peter had cut off, and they knew that if He chose He could deliver Himself from the murderous mob.  They blamed Him for not doing so, and mortified and terror-stricken by His unaccountable conduct they forsook Him and fled.”  3SP:105.

 

Matthew 26:57; Mark 14:53; Luke 22:54; John 18:12:  “laid hold on Jesus” = It is interesting to note that our Lord’s trial took place in the evening, or Friday, our Thursday night.  So also was the pre-Exodus night of the nation of Israel a night of judgment, where a Lamb was condemned to be slain in exchange for the lives of Its believers; the Innocent for the guilty.  So it was that Israel traveled all day Friday, then they stop at the banks of the Red Sea, where our Lord places a cloud between them and the Egyptian horde, such that His Holy Sabbath day would not be desecrated.

 

“[105] Judas was himself surprised that Jesus should deliver Himself into the hands of those who sought to destroy Him.  He had frequently [106] known the Saviour’s enemies to lay plans to take Him, but Jesus would quietly depart and defeat their murderous designs.  Now the betrayer saw with astonishment that His Master suffered Himself to be bound and led away.  The false disciple flattered himself, however, that Jesus had only permitted Himself to be taken that He might manifest His power by delivering Himself from His enemies in a miraculous manner.  He knew that nothing else could free Him from that armed band.”  3SP:105-106.

 

“Jesus was followed from the garden of Gethsemane by the hooting mob.  He moved painfully, for His hands were tightly bound, and He was closely guarded.”  GHA:73; SP:106.

 

“to Caiaphas” = According to John 18:13, Jesus was first taken to Annas.

 

“Having once been shown to Annas, He was hurried away; for the priests and rulers had decided that if they once had possession of His Person, there should be no delays in His trial and condemnation.  This was because they feared that the people, remembering His acts of charity and mercy among them, would rescue Him out of their hands.”  3SP:106.

 

Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:66; Luke 22:55; John 18:16:  “Peter sat without in the palace” = “The priest recognized John as a well-known disciple of Jesus, and admitted him to the hall where the Saviour was being questioned because he hoped that John, while witnessing the humiliation of his Leader, would become affected with the same spirit that actuated His enemies, and scorn the idea of One Who could be subjected to such indignities, being the Son of God.  John, having secured himself an entrance, spoke in behalf of his companion, Peter, and gained the same favor for him.”  3SP:107.

 

Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61; Luke 22:67:  “held His peace” = See Isaiah 53:7.

 

“Jesus stood calm and serene before the high priest, while the eyes of the multitude were upon Him, and the wildest excitement prevailed around.  For a moment Caiaphas looked upon the Captive, struck with a sudden admiration for His dignified bearing.  A conviction came over him that this Man was akin to God.  The next instant he banished the thought, scorning the suggestions of his [116] own mind.  Immediately, his voice was heard in sneering, haughty tones, requesting Jesus to work before him one of those mighty miracles which had given Him such fame among the people; but his words fell upon the ears of the Saviour as though He heard them not.”  3SP:115.

 

Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61; Luke 22:67:  “I adjure thee by the living God” = Christ answered the high priest, even though He had previously “held His peace,” only because of the instruction in regards to a Jewish court, as found in Leviticus 5:1 (see also Num 5:19-21; 1Ki. 22:16; 2Ch. 18:15; etc.), terming, the “voice of swearing,” which really means, “the voice of adjuration.”  Christ would have committed the crime of not testifying about something which He knew (that He is God), but refused to do so (“held His peace”), and would have to “bear His iniquity,” Leviticus 5:1.

 

“The high priest now raised his right hand toward Heaven in a most imposing manner, and with a solemn voice addressed Jesus: [verse quoted].  Thus appealed to by the highest acknowledged authority in the nation, and in the Name of the Most High, Jesus, to show proper respect for the Law, answered,” 3SP:119.

 

Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62:  “right hand of power” = According to Luke 22:69 & First Peter 3:22, this is “the right hand of God.”

 

Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:70:  “thou hast said (Mark & Luke’s “I Am”)” = Notice that Jesus puts the blame of the high priesthood, in this case Caiaphas, for saying (knowing) that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of God.”  Verse 63.  Caiaphas cannot later say that he did not say (know) this, for it came out of his own mouth.

 

“The Judges rose up and confronted Christ, and with angry vehemence one after another asked Him the question, ‘Art thou the Son of God?’  To all came the answer as to Caiaphas, ‘I Am.’ ”  12MR:401.

 

“ ‘Thou hast said.’  In the custom of those days this was the same as answering, ‘Yes,’ or, ‘It is as thou hast said.’  This was the strongest form of an affirmative answer.”  GHA:73.

 

“Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man” = Special Resurrection.  In regards to “Son of Man,” Jesus uses this title often.  But it is not until this exchange until we can fully understand that Jesus was referencing Daniel 7:13, of which Caiaphas recognized that Jesus was clearly claiming to be Deity.

 

“For a moment the Divinity of Christ flashed through His guise of humanity; and the high priest quailed before the penetrating eyes of the Saviour.  That look seemed to read his hidden thoughts, and burn into his heart; and never in after-life did he forget that searching glance of the persecuted Son of God.”  3SP:120.

 

“Coming in the clouds of Heaven” = See my Matthew 24:30 Note.

 

Matthew 26:65; Mark 14:63; Luke 22:71:  “what further need” = “When the condemnation of Jesus was pronounced by the judges, a satanic fury took possession of the people.  The roar of voices was like that of wild beasts.  They made a rush toward Jesus, crying, He is guilty, put Him to death! and had it not been for the Roman soldiers, Jesus would not have lived to be hanged upon the cross of Calvary.  He would have been torn in pieces before His judges, had not Roman authority interfered, and by force of arms withheld the violence of the mob.”  3SP:122; DA:715.

 

“There were some in that assembly who heeded the Words of Jesus and noted His Godlike bearing as He stood serenely before the infuriated judges.  The gospel seed found lodgment that day in hearts where it was eventually to spring up and yield an abundant harvest.  The reverence and awe which His Words inspired in the hearts of many who heard them were to increase and develop into perfect faith in Jesus as the world’s Redeemer.  Some of the witnesses of that scene were themselves afterward placed in a similar position to that of Jesus in the judgment hall; and were tried for their lives because they were the disciples of Christ.”  3SP:121.

 

Matthew 26:65; Mark 14:63:  “the high priest rent his clothes” = See Leviticus 21:10.

 

“When the condemnation of Jesus was pronounced by the judges, a satanic fury took possession of the people.  The roar of voices was like that of wild beasts.  They made a rush toward Jesus, crying, He is guilty, put Him to death! and had it not been for the Roman soldiers, Jesus would not have lived to be hanged upon the cross of Calvary.  He would have been torn in pieces before His judges, had not Roman authority interfered, and by force of arms withheld the violence of the mob.”  3SP:122.

 

“[708] A high priest was not to rend his garments.  By the Levitical Law, this was prohibited under sentence of death.  Under no circumstances, on no occasion, was the priest to rend his robe.  It was the custom among the Jews for the garments to be rent at the death of friends, but this [709]

 

“custom the priests were not to observe.  Express Command had been given by Christ to Moses concerning this.  Lev. 10:6.  Everything worn by the priest was to be whole and without blemish. . . By those beautiful official garments was represented the character of the great antitype, Jesus Christ.  By rending his garments, Caiaphas made of no effect the Law of God to follow the tradition of men.  A man-made law provided that in case of blasphemy a priest might rend his garments in horror at the sin, and be guiltless.  Thus the Law of God was made void by the laws of men.”  DA:708-709.

 

Matthew 26:68; Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64:  “Prophesy unto us” = “An old garment was thrown over His head, and His jeering persecutors struck Him in the face, crying, [verse quoted].  Upon the garment being removed, one poor wretch spat in His face.  But the Saviour directed no Word or look of retaliation against the deluded souls around Him, who had cast off all restraint because they perceived that the priests and rulers sanctioned their acts.”  3SP:122.

 

Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:67; Luke 22:56; John 18:17:  “a damsel came unto him, saying” = According to John 18:16, John “brought in Peter” to where Annas was judging Jesus.  “Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou” John 18:17, which started Peter’s denial.

 

“The look of dejection on Peter’s face suggested to the woman the thought that this was one of the disciples of Christ.  Being one of the servants of Caiaphas’s household, she was curious to know. . . Peter was startled and confused; the eyes of the company instantly fastened upon him.  He pretended not to understand her; but she was persistent, and said to those around her that this man was with Jesus.”  RH, December 26, 1899; 19MR:167.

 

Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:71:  “to curse and to swear” = “The disciples were noted for the purity of their words, and Peter, to deceive, and convince them that he was not one of Christ’s disciples, denied it the third time with cursing and swearing.”  1SG:49.2.

 

Matthew 26:75; Mark 14:72; Luke 22:62; John 18:27:  “he went out, and wept bitterly” = “At this, Peter flew into a rage, and to fully deceive his questioners, and to justify his assumed character, he denied his Master with cursing and swearing.  And immediately the cock crew the third time.  Peter heard it then; and while the degrading oaths were fresh upon his lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was yet ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned His face from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple.  At the same time Peter’s eyes were involuntarily fixed upon his Master.  He read in that gentle countenance deep pity and sorrow; but there was no anger there.

 

“[109] Peter was conscience-smitten; his memory [110] was aroused; he recalled to mind his promise of a few short hours before, that he would go to prison or to death for his Lord.  He remembered his grief when the Saviour told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Master thrice that same night.  Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself.  He groaned in spirit as he realized that not only was his Master enduring the bitterest humiliation at the hands of His enemies, but He was suffering additional dishonor at the hands of one of His disciples, who had forsaken and refused to acknowledge Him in the hour of His trial.

 

“The look of Christ conveyed volumes to the repentant Peter.  He read in that glance sorrow, love, and pardon.”  3SP:109-110.

 

“Peter’s fall was not instantaneous, but gradual.  Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master.”  COL:154.

 

“Peter denied the Man of sorrows in His acquaintance with grief in the hour of His humiliation.  But he afterward repented and was reconverted.  He had true contrition of soul, and gave himself afresh to his Saviour.  With blinding tears he makes his way to the solitude’s of the garden of Gethsemane, and there prostrates himself where he saw his Saviour’s prostrate form, when the bloody sweat was forced from His pores by His great agony.  Peter remembers with remorse that he was asleep when Jesus prayed during those fearful hours.  His proud heart breaks, and penitential tears moisten the sods so recently stained with the bloody sweat-drops of God’s dear Son.  He left that garden a converted man.  He was ready then to pity the tempted.  He was humbled, and could sympathize with the weak and erring.  He could caution and warn the presumptuous, and was fully fitted to strengthen his brethren.”  GW:401; 3ST:416; 3SP:111; ST, November 11, 1897.

 

“He [Peter] fell prostrate upon the very spot where his Lord had sunk beneath His inexpressible weight of woe. . . If they had spent that mournful period in the garden in watching with the dear Saviour, and in prayer to God, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength; he would not have denied his Lord.”  3SP:111.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

 

 

Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66:  “took council” = “While the members of the Sanhedrim council were being called together, Annas and Caiaphas the priest questioned Jesus, with the purpose of provoking Him to make some statement which they could use to His disadvantage.  They brought two charges against Him, by one or both of which they meant to effect His condemnation.  One was that He was a disturber of the peace, the Leader of a rebellion.  If this charge could be verified He would be condemned by the Roman authorities.  The other charge was that He was a blasphemer.  This, if proved true, would secure His condemnation among the Jews.”  3SP:113.

 

“[127] The Jews were anxious to hasten the trial and execution of Jesus, because if it were not brought about at once there would be a delay of a week on account of the immediate celebration of the Passover.  In that case Jesus would be kept in bonds, and the intense excitement of the mob that was clamoring for His life, would have been allayed, and a natural [128] reaction would have set in.  The better part of the people would have become aroused in His behalf, and in all probability His release would be accomplished.”  3SP:127-128.

 

“. . .when Christ was treated with contempt, there was a powerful temptation before Him to reveal His Heavenly character, and to compel His persecutors to admit that He was Lord above kings and potentates, priests and Temple.  But it was His difficult task to maintain the level of humanity.”  3SP:260.

 

Matthew 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18:29:  “Pilate” = We learn the reason that the Jewish leaders had to bring Jesus to Pilate and not just kill Him themselves, was because Roman policy, according to Josephus, in his work, “Wars of the Jews,” 2:8, forbid any capital punishment to any power other than that of Rome.  See also Josephus, “Antiquities,” 20:9.

 

27:3:  “thirty pieces of silver” = See my Matthew 26:15 note.

 

27:4:  “What is that to us” = “Jesus was pushed hither and thither, and so insulted and abused that at last the Roman officers were ashamed and angry that a Man against Whom nothing had yet been proven should be subject to the brutal treatment of the worst class of persons.  Accordingly they accused the Jewish authorities of assuming to exercise a power that did not belong to them, in trying a Man for His life, and pronouncing His condemnation.  They declared that in doing this they infringed upon the Roman power, and that it was even against the Jewish law to condemn any man to death on his own testimony.  This intervention of Roman authority caused a lull in the rude excitement.

 

“Just then a hoarse voice rang through the hall, which sent a thrill of terror through the hearts of all present:  He is innocent.  Spare Him, O Caiaphas!  He has done nothing worthy [124] of death!  The tall form of Judas was now seen pressing his way through the startled crowd.  His face was pale and haggard, and large drops of perspiration stood upon his forehead.  He rushed to the throne of judgment, and threw down before the high priest the pieces of silver he had received as the price of his Lord’s betrayal.  He eagerly grasped the robe of Caiaphas, and implored him to release Jesus, declaring that He was innocent of all crime.  Caiaphas angrily shook him off, but he was confused and knew not what to say.  The perfidy of the priests was revealed before the people.  It was evident to all that Judas had been bribed to deliver Jesus into the hands of those who sought His life.

 

“Judas continued to beseech Caiaphas to do nothing against Jesus, declaring that He was indeed the Son of God, and cursing himself that he had betrayed Innocent Blood.  But the high priest, having recovered his self-possession, answered with chilling scorn, ‘What is that to us? see thou to that.’  He then represented to the people that Judas was some poor maniac, one of the mad followers of Jesus, and charged them not to let any influence prevail to release the Prisoner, Who was a base Deceiver.

 

“[124] Finding his prayers were in vain.  Judas fell at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him to be the Son of God, begging forgiveness for his sin, and imploring Him to exercise His God-like power and deliver Himself from His enemies.  The Saviour did not reproach His betrayer either by look or Word.  He knew that he was suffering the bitterest remorse for his crime.  He gazed [125] compassionately upon Judas, and declared that for that hour He had Come into the world.”  3SP:124-125.

 

27:5:  “he cast down the pieces of silver. . . and went and hanged himself” = Here is my Judges 9:54 Note:  “Draw thy sword, and slay me” = The Romans and the Greeks were sanguine about suicide.  They believed that the human body belonged to the gods.  Thus, killing oneself was an offence against them.  They were not far off from the truth.

 

And here is my Acts 1:18 Note:  “falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” = Some have suggested that the Greek word in Matthew 27:5 translated as “hanged,” should be translated as “impaled,” as if falling upon a sword.  That Greek word is “apagchomai,” and literally means, “to strangle.”  Its “Septuagint”equivalent word is found in Second Samuel 17:23, and also means “to strangle.”  The conclusion for explaining the supposed discrepancy between here and Matthew 27:5’s account, is that Judas jumped off one of the many rocks found in this “potters field,” that are still present today, and in places are from 10 to 25 feet high, and as such could have caused his bowels to burst out.  In other words, Acts 1:18, is not telling us his method of death, but what happened after he “hanged himself,” from Matthew’s account.

 

“. . . when he decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers, he had no thought that Jesus would permit Himself to be taken.  He thought the priests would be cheated of their bribe, and he, the betrayer, would secure the money to use for some purpose of his own, and Jesus would have a new opportunity to display His Divine power in delivering Himself from the wiles of His enemies.”  3SP:125.

 

27:9:  “spoken by Jeremy the prophet” = Meaning Jeremiah.  However, the prophecy is in Zechariah 11:12, creating a problem many Bible commentators have tried to explain.  I do not like any of them and more research needs to be done.  By contrast, my explanation is that, reading the verse for what it says, the prophet Jeremiah “spoke” this prophecy, the Greek being “rheo,” meaning, “to utter, speak, say, speak (of).”  Whereas Zechariah was the one who actually wrote it down.

 

However, if you don’t like my explanation (which I believe to be correct), here is one of the best attempts to explain this verse in “Albert Barnes Notes On The Bible:”  “In ancient times, according to the Jewish writers; ‘Jeremiah’ was reckoned the first of the prophets, and was placed first in the ‘Book of the Prophets,’ thus:  Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the twelve minor prophets.  Some have thought that Matthew, quoting this place, quoted the Book of the Prophets under the name of that which had the ‘first’ place in the book, that is, Jeremiah; and though the words are those of Zechariah, yet they are quoted correctly as the words of the Book of the Prophets, the first of which was Jeremiah. Others have thought that there was a mistake made by ancient transcribers, writing the name Jeremiah instead of Zechariah; and it is observed that this might be done by the change of only a single letter.  It was often the custom to abridge words in writing them.  Thus, instead of writing the name of Jeremiah in full, it would be written in Greek, ‘Iriou.’  So Zechariah would be written ‘Zion.’  By the mere change of Zinto I, therefore, the mistake might easily be made.  Probably this is the correct explanation.  Others have supposed that the words were ‘spoken by Jeremiah,’ {I LIKE THIS ONE} and that ‘Zechariah’ recorded them, and that Matthew quoted them as they were -- the words of Jeremiah.  The passage is not quoted literally; and by its being ‘fulfilled’ is meant, probably, that the language used by Zechariah on a similar occasion would express also this event.”

 

Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:37:  “Thou sayest” = Notice that Jesus was, in-a-way, having Pilot confess that Jesus was “King of the Jews.”

 

“When His answer was heard by Caiaphas, who stood at the threshold of the judgment hall, the high priest joined with others in calling Pilate to witness that Jesus had admitted His crime by this answer, which was a virtual acknowledgment that He was seeking to establish a throne in Judah in opposition to the power of Caesar. . . [This] confused the senses of the Roman governor.”  3SP:131.

 

27:12:  “He answered nothing” = Why could Jesus make no defense?  Because He stood there as if in our shoes.  (Isa. 53:7; Mark 15:3; John 19:9; Acts 8:32; 1Pe. 2:23).

 

Matthew 27:16; Mark 15:7; Luke 23:18; John 18:40:  “notable prisoner, called Barabbas” = In Matthew’s account we have to added phrase, “notable prisoner.”  The obvious purpose for choosing “Barabbas” was to pick a prisoner that was so reprobate that the crowd couldn’t possibly choose Jesus over him; John’s account adding, “a robber.”

 

“[143] Pilate, in the vain hope of exciting their pity, that they might decide this was sufficient punishment, now caused Jesus to be scourged in the presence of the multitude.  The pale Sufferer, with a crown of thorns upon His head, and stripped to the waist, revealing the long, cruel stripes, from which the blood flowed freely, was then placed side by side with Barabbas.  Although the face of Jesus was stained with blood, and bore marks of exhaustion and pain, yet His noble character could not be hidden, but stood out in marked contrast with that of the robber chief, whose every feature proclaimed him to be a debased and hardened desperado.

 

“Pilate was filled with sympathy and amazement as he beheld the uncomplaining patience of Jesus.  Gentleness and resignation were expressed in every feature; there was no cowardly weakness in His manner, but the strength and dignity of long-suffering.  Pilate did not doubt that the sight of this Man, Who had borne insult and abuse in such a manner, when contrasted with the repulsive criminal by His side, would move the people to sympathy, and they would [144] decide that Jesus had already suffered enough.  But he did not understand the fanatical hatred of the priests for Christ, Who, as the Light of the world, had made apparent their darkness and error. . . Pilate, losing all patience with their unreasoning cruelty, cried out despairingly, ‘Take ye him,’ ”  3SP:143-144.

 

27:19:  “his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just Man:  for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him” = “Pilate turned pale when he read the message; but the priests and rulers had occupied the interval in farther inflaming minds of the people, till they were wrought up to a state of insane fury.  The governor was forced to action; he turned to the crowd and spoke with great earnestness: [verse 17 quoted].” 3SP:141.

 

“Even now Pilate was not left to act blindly.  A message from God warned him from the deed he was about to commit.  In answer to Christ’s prayer, the wife of Pilate had been visited by an angel from Heaven, and in a dream she had beheld the Saviour and conversed with Him.  Pilate’s wife was not a Jew, but as she looked upon Jesus in her dream, she had no doubt of His character or mission.  She knew Him to be the Prince of God.  She saw Him on trial in the judgment hall.  She saw the hands tightly bound as the hands of a criminal.  She saw Herod and his soldiers doing their dreadful work.  She heard the priests and rulers, filled with envy and malice, madly accusing.  She heard the words, ‘We have a law, and by our law He ought to die.’  She saw Pilate give Jesus to the scourging, after he had declared, ‘I find no fault in Him.’  She heard the condemnation pronounced by Pilate and saw him give Christ up to His murderers.  She saw the cross uplifted on Calvary.  She saw the earth wrapped in darkness, and heard the mysterious cry, ‘It is finished.’  Still another scene met her gaze.  She saw Christ seated upon the great white cloud, while the earth reeled in space, and His murderers fled from the presence of His glory.  With a cry of horror she awoke, and at once wrote to Pilate words of warning.”  DA:732.

 

Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11-13; Luke 23:18; John 18:40:  “the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas” = “With the other priests he [Caiaphas] instructed the people to choose Barabbas instead of Christ.  They cried out for the crucifixion of Christ.”  12MR:388.

 

Matthew 27:22-24; Mark 15:13-14; Luke 23:21; John 19:6:  “Let Him be crucified” = There is something very important that needs to be observed here.  Notice that Pilot (representing the Roman law) found “no fault in Him.”  However, by Jewish law (John 19:7), Jesus was under the condemnation of the Law for Biblical Blasphemy (i.e., claiming to be God:  Lev. 24:16; John 8:59; 10:33 & 36).  Here is the key:  Notice also that stoning was the method Commanded for Biblical blasphemy (Lev. 24:16; 1Ki. 21:10; John 8:59; 10:31 & 33 & 36).

 

Therefore, it becomes very important why the Jews cried out for Jesus to be crucified (hung on a tree) if the method of stoning was the prescribed method for Blaspheming the Name of God!  The reason is, according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23:  “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:  His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

 

Don’t miss this point:  “for he that is hanged is accursed of God.”  You see, the Jews believed in the non-immortality of the soul.  In other words, when you die there is no life after death, unless you were raised in the future resurrection (to immortal life).  Therefore, they would now have this Jesus being “accursed,” because He was hanged upon a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal. 3:12; 1Pe. 2:24), thus having no place in the resurrection of the righteous.

 

Now understand and consider this.  In the Jewish understanding (and it should be ours), when a man is stoned, he has the opportunity of repenting and being reconciled to God before death.  But a man who is hanged on a tree was deemed “worthy” to be put to death, and considered to be “accursed” of God.  It was an irrevocable sentence, and what we would call in the New Testament, the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost (Mat. 21:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26; 1Jo. 5:16).  In other words, he could not repent, nor have any hope or part in the future resurrection.  He had to face what we call, the “Second Death.”

 

Now that we understand this, we can see more clearly Isaiah, Chapter 53, and it can take upon itself even more meaning and significance.  Especially take notice of verse 4, where this individual is considered “smitten of God,” ye rather, “cursed,” as becomes even more clear when we get to verse 8, where God’s Word does not mingle with words, stating that Messiah would be “cut off,” just as in Daniel 9:26.

 

The Jewish expression “cut off” is literally another way of saying “eternal death,” or, the “Second Death,” with no hope of being resurrected.  Now here is my point.  When the Jews were asking the Romans to Crucify Christ, they were not just asking for His death, they were asking for God to “curse” this Man and condemn Him to the “Second Death.”  This is why the conversion of a Jew is an even more remarkable event.  When the Disciples later on preached Christ resurrected to the Jews, what was going on in their minds was:  “You expect us to believe in a crucified One; are you kidding; The Man Who is accursed by God; One Who was hanged on a tree?”

 

Even Christ felt the depth and significance of what dying on a tree meant (the “Second Death”).  It truly meant total separation from God, for we hear Him crying out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  Matthew 27:46.  Satan said to God:  “You expect Your subjects to submit all to You, but You do not submit all to (for) them.”  Here we can clearly see that Jesus did, dying the “Second Death” for us.

 

“But many who had then shouted His praise, because it was popular to do so, now swelled the cry of ‘Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!’ ”  3SP:152.

 

“The same rebellion and hatred against Christ will be in the hearts of men at His Second Advent.  If Christ’s Second Coming should be in the same humble manner as at His First Advent, reproving sin, and commending virtue and holiness, where there was then one voice raised, crying, Crucify Him! crucify Him! there would be thousands in this apostate age.  Infidelity in regard to Christ’s being the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world, will increase and spread to an alarming degree previous to His Second Coming.  Satan has lost none of his skill and power which he has been exercising in past time.  He can better deceive man now than at Christ’s First Advent.”  4aSG:118.

 

 

Matthew 27:23; Mark 15:14; Luke 23:22; John 18:29:  “what evil hath He done” = “Pilate beheld, in the Accused, a Man bearing the marks of violence, but with a serene and noble countenance and dignified bearing.  Many cases had been tried before the Roman governor, but never before had there stood in his presence a Man like this.  He discovered no trace of crime in His face; and something in the Prisoner’s appearance excited his sympathy and respect.  He turned to the priests, who stood just without the door, and asked, ‘What accusation bring ye against this Man?’ [John 18:29].”  3SP:129.

 

“He had not thought it would come to that -- a Man Whom he had repeatedly pronounced innocent, to be consigned to the most dreaded of deaths.  He now saw what a terrible thing he had done in placing the life of a just Man in the balance against the decision of those, who, from envy and malice, had delivered Him up to trial.  Pilate had taken step after step in the violation of his conscience, and in excusing himself from judging with equity and fairness, as his position demanded he should do, until now he found himself almost helpless in the hands of the Jews.”  3SP:142.

 

Matthew 27:24; John 19:4:  “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing” = According to Josephus, Pilate was removed from office because he violently suppressed an armed Samaritan movement at Mount Gerizim.  He was sent back to Rome by the legate of Syria to answer for this incident before Tiberius, but the emperor died before Pilate arrived in Rome.  Nothing is known about what happened to him after this event. On the basis of events which were documented by the second-century pagan philosopher Celsus and the Christian apologist Origen, most modern historians believe that Pilate simply retired after his dismissal.

 

“[Pilot] in spite of his precautions.  His honors were stripped from him; he was cast down from his high office; and, stung by remorse and wounded pride, he committed suicide not long after the crucifixion.”  3SP:146; GHA:79; DA:738; SJ:137; 5Red:66.

 

“I am innocent of the blood of this just Person” = “[146] At this exhibition of satanic madness, the light of conviction shone more clearly upon the mind of Pilate.  He had never before witnessed such rash presumption and heartless cruelty.  And in strong contrast with the ungovernable [147]

 

“passion of his persecutors was the dignified repose of Jesus.  In his own mind Pilate said, He is a god, and thought he could discern a soft light shining about His head.  Looking thus upon Christ he turned pale with fear and self-condemnation; then, confronting the people with a troubled countenance, he said, I am clear of His blood.  Take ye Him and crucify Him; but mark ye, priests and rulers, I pronounce Him a just Man, and may He Whom He claims as His Father judge you for this day’s work, and not me.  Then turning to Jesus he continued, Forgive me for this act; I am not able to save You.

 

“Only a short time before, the governor had declared to his prisoner that he had power to release or to condemn Him; but he now thought that he could not save Him, and also his own position and honor; and he preferred to sacrifice an innocent life rather than his own worldly power.  Had he acted promptly and firmly at the first, carrying out his convictions of right, his will would not have been overborne by the mob; they would not have presumed to dictate to him.  His wavering and indecision proved his irredeemable ruin.  How many, like Pilate, sacrifice principle and integrity, in order to shun disagreeable consequences.  Conscience and duty point one way, and self-interest points another; and the current, setting strongly in the wrong direction, sweeps away into the thick darkness of guilt him who compromises with evil.

 

“Satan’s rage was great as he saw that all the cruelty which he had led the Jews to inflict upon Jesus had not forced the least murmur from His lips.  Although He had taken upon Himself the nature of man, He was sustained by a Godlike [148] fortitude, and departed in no particular from the Will of His Father.

 

“Wonder, O Heavens! and be astonished, O earth!  Behold the oppressor and the oppressed.  A vast multitude inclose the Saviour of the world.  Mocking and jeering are mingled with the coarse oaths of blasphemy.  His lowly birth and His humble life are commented upon by unfeeling wretches.  His claim to be the Son of God is ridiculed by the chief priests and elders, and the vulgar jest and insulting sneer are passed from lip to lip.  Satan has full control of the minds of his servants.  In order to do this effectually, he had commenced with the chief priests and the elders, and imbued them with a religious frenzy.  This they had communicated to the rude and uncultivated mob, until there was a corrupt harmony in the feelings of all, from the hypocritical priests and elders down to the most debased.  Christ, the precious Son of God, was led forth and delivered to the people to be crucified.”  3SP:146-148.

 

27:25:  “His blood be on us, and on our children” = “Caiaphas answered defiantly, ‘His blood be on us, and on our children;’ and his words were echoed by the priests and rulers, and taken up by the crowd in an inhuman roar of voices.”  3SP:146; DA:738; SJ:138; 5Red:66; Compare with GHA:79 [HLv:493] which states:  “The awful words were echoed by the crowd in an inhuman roar of voices.  The whole multitude said. . . The people of Israel had made their choice.”

 

“The trial and condemnation of Jesus were working on the minds of many; and impressions were being made which were to appear after His resurrection; and many were to be added to the Church whose experience and conviction should be dated from the time of Jesus’ trial.”  1SG:55.

 

Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:25; John 19:16:  “delivered Him to be crucified” = “[146] At this exhibition of satanic madness, the light of conviction shone more clearly upon the mind of Pilate.  He had never before witnessed such rash presumption and heartless cruelty.  And in strong contrast with the ungovernable [147] passion of his persecutors was the dignified repose of Jesus.  In his own mind Pilate said, He is a god, and thought he could discern a soft light shining about His head.  Looking thus upon Christ he turned pale with fear and self-condemnation; then, confronting the people with a troubled countenance, he said, I am clear of His blood.  Take ye Him and crucify Him; but mark ye, priests and rulers, I pronounce Him a just man, and may He Whom He claims as His Father judge you for this day’s work, and not me.  Then turning to Jesus he continued, Forgive me for this act; I am not able to save You.

 

“Only a short time before, the governor had declared to his Prisoner that he had power to release or to condemn Him; but he now thought that he could not save Him, and also his own position and honor; and he preferred to sacrifice an Innocent Life rather than his own worldly power.  Had he acted promptly and firmly at the first, carrying out his convictions of right, his will would not have been overborne by the mob; they would not have presumed to dictate to him.  His wavering and indecision proved his irredeemable ruin.”  3SP:146-147.

 

Matthew 27:29-30; Mark 15:17-19:  ”crown” = Here is my Revelation 12:1 Note:  The Greek word for “crown” used here is “stephanos,” meaning a “crown of victory.”  Like that portrayed in Revelation 12:10, as opposed to a “kingly crown,” as found in verse 3, which is translated from the Greek word “diadema.”  It is interesting to note that although the Roman soldiers thought they were putting, as it were, a kingly crown upon the head of Christ in Matthew 27:29, Matthew uses the Greek word “stepanos” to denote the “victors crown” “of thorns” given to Christ, considering Jesus to be victorious even in this humiliating event.

 

“crown of thorns, they put it upon His head” = “It was difficult for the angels to endure the sight.  They would have delivered Jesus out of their hands; but the commanding angels forbade them,” 1SG:50.

 

“[53] Jesus had many sympathizers in that company, and His answering nothing to the many questions put to Him amazed the throng.  To all the insults and mockery not a frown, not a troubled expression was upon His features.  He was dignified and composed.  He was of perfect and noble form.  The spectators looked upon Him with wonder.  They compared His perfect form, His firm, dignified bearing, with those who [54]

 

“sat in judgment against Him, and said to one another that He appeared more like a King to be entrusted with a kingdom than any of the rulers.  He bore no marks of being a criminal.  His eye was mild, clear and undaunted, His forehead broad and high.  Every feature was strongly marked with benevolence and noble principle.  His patience and forbearance were so unlike man, that many trembled.  Even Herod and Pilate were greatly troubled at His noble, God-like bearing.” 1SG:53-54.

 

“It was not enough that the Saviour of the world, faint with weariness and covered with wounds, must be subjected to the shameful humiliation of such a trial; but His sacred flesh must be bruised and mangled to gratify the satanic fury of the priests and rulers.  Satan, with his hellish army had gained possession of them.”  3SP:143.

 

“The blood drops of agony that from His wounded temples flowed down His face and beard were the pledge of His anointing with ‘the oil of gladness’ (Heb. 1:9) as our great high priest.”  DA:734.

 

Matthew 27:31; Mark 15:20; Luke 23:32; John 19:16:  “crucify Him” = “God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was One with the Father.”  ST, March 26, 1894. 

 

Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26:  “cross” = Crucifixion was the then known worst form of torture being practiced by the Romans.  We get our word excruciating from the Latin word “excruciare.”  “Ex” means, “out of,” while “cruciare,” means “the cross.”  Thus, “excruciating” literally speaks to a pain that comes “out of the cross.”  See my Bible Study:  “CHRIST, HOW CRUCIFIED.”

 

“Simon a Cyrenian” = If we consider Acts 11:20 it is quite possible that this “Simon a Cyrenian” was the very one that spread the Gospel there in Cyrenia.

 

“They then seized one of His followers, a man who had not openly professed faith in Christ, yet believed on Him.”  1SG:57.

 

“[150] The priests and rulers felt no compassion for their suffering Victim; but they saw that it was impossible for Him to carry the instrument of torture farther.  They were puzzled to find any one who would humiliate himself to bear the cross to the place of execution.  The Jews could not do it because of defilement, and their consequent inability to keep the coming Passover festival. . . [151] The sons of Simon were disciples of Jesus, but he himself had never been connected with Him.  This occasion was a profitable one for him.  The cross he was forced to bear became the means of his conversion.”  3SP:150-151; GHA:80.

 

Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; Luke 27:33; John 19:17:  “when they were come” = “[148] They hurried Jesus away with loud shouts of triumph; but their noise ceased for a time when they passed a retired place, and saw at the foot of a lifeless tree the dead body of Judas, who had betrayed Christ.  It was a most revolting spectacle; his weight had broken the cord by which he had hung himself to the tree, and, in [149] falling, his body had become horribly mangled, and was then being devoured by dogs.  The mutilated remains were ordered to be buried at once, and the crowd passed on; but there was less noisy mockery, and many a pale face revealed the fearful thoughts within.  Retribution seemed already to be visiting those who were guilty of the blood of Jesus.”  3SP:148-149.

 

“Golgotha” = “Companies of angels were marshaled in the air above the place.”  1SG:57.

 

“The priests had been bound by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if Jesus were delivered up to them; so all classes of people flocked to the scene of outrage, and Jerusalem was left almost empty.  Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, had not been summoned to the Sanhedrim council, and their voices had nothing to do with condemning Jesus.  They were present at His crucifixion, but unable to change or modify His terrible sentence.”  3SP:149.1.

 

Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; John 19:29-30:  “vinegar” = “Jesus thirsted in His agony; but they heaped upon Him additional insult, by giving Him vinegar and gall to drink.”  1SG(1858):60.

 

“In another prophecy the Saviour declared, ‘Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness:  and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.  They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.’  Psalm 69:20, 21.  To those who suffered death by the cross, it was permitted to give a stupefying potion, to deaden the sense of pain.  This was offered to Jesus; but when He had tasted it, He refused it.  He would receive nothing that could becloud His mind.  His faith must keep fast hold upon God.  This was His only strength.  To becloud His senses would give Satan an advantage.”  DA:746.

 

“Roman soldiers, touched with pity as he looked at the parched lips, took a sponge on a stalk of hyssop, and dipping it in a vessel of vinegar, offered it to Jesus.  But the priests mocked at His agony.”  DA:755.

 

“when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink” = Don’t you think that our Lord knew what was being given to Him?  Of course!  Thus, the lesson here is that alcohol is not to be taken under any circumstance, let along casual drinking.

 

Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:23:  “they crucified Him” = “He planted the cross between heaven and earth, and when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. “It is enough,” He said. “The atonement is complete.’ ”  RH,  September 24, 1901, paragraph 11.

 

“He planted His cross midway between Heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf.  Justice moved from Its exalted throne, and with all the armies of Heaven approached the cross.  There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin.  With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough.”  GCB, October 1, 1899, Paragraph 22.

 

Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:25; Luke 23:33; John 19:18:  “And they crucified Him” = See my Bible Study:  “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”

 

“[58] Jesus murmured not; [59] but groaned in agony.”  1SG:58-59; EW:176..

 

“They made His death as shameful as possible.”  1SG:59.

 

“Treason against the Roman government was the alleged crime for which Jesus was executed, and persons put to death for this offense were taken down by the common soldiers and consigned to a burial ground reserved exclusively for that class of criminals who had suffered the extreme penalty of the law.”  3SP:173.1.

 

“The wounds made by the nails had gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands.”  3SP:185.

 

“Satan saw that his disguise was torn away.  His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the Heavenly universe.  He had revealed himself as a murderer.  By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the Heavenly beings.  Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the Heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin.  The last link of sympathy between Satan and the Heavenly world was broken.”  DA:761.2.

 

“As soon as Christ was nailed to the cross, it was lifted by strong men, and with great violence thrust into the place prepared for it.  This caused intense suffering to the Son of God.”  GHA:80; 3SP:154-155; 1SG:59; DA:745.

 

“. . .the Father hid from His Son His face of pity, comfort, and Love.”  YI, June 14, 1900, paragraph 3.

 

Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19:  “And set up over His Head His accusation written” = It was written in these three languages, “Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,” that it might be known and read of all men; but God designed by it to signify that the gospel of Christ should be preached to all nations, “beginning at Jerusalem,” Luke 24:47, and all the known world would have access to this information, i.e., all languages.

 

However, it was written in “Hebrew” -- and we know that it was (clearly stated) -- then it would read, “THIS IS YESHUA [I AM THAT I AM] THE KING OF THE JEWS.”  The “Latin” for “Jesus” would be, “Iesu,” meaning, “Yeshua.”  And in the Greek, “Iesous,” meaning, “Yeshua.”  Pilate purposely (or Divinely without him realizing it), wrote “HaYehudim wMelech HaNazarei Yeshua,” which breaking it down using the first letter of each word (Jews read from right to left), equals, “YHWH,” “I AM THAT I AM.”

 

Regarding the evangelists differing in the account of this title:

 

Matthew 27:37, states it this way:  “THIS IS JESUS [YESHUA = I AM THAT I AM] THE KING OF THE JEWS” 

 

Mark 15:26, this way:  “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

 

Luke 23:38, this way:  “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

 

JOHN 19:19, this way:  “JESUS [YESHUA = I AM THAT I AM] OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

 

The difficulty may be easily removed.  John says that the title was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.  It is not at all improbable that the inscription “varied” in these languages.  One evangelist may have translated it from the Hebrew, another from the Greek, a third from the Latin, and a fourth may have translated one of the inscriptions a little differently from another.

 

Therefore, there are a few reasons why the accounts are different:

1) Each person is quoting from only one of the three languages posted upon the cross (Luke 23:38).

2) Most likely the sign really said “THIS IS JESUS [YESHUA] OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS,” with each writer paraphrasing (summarizing) what the sign said.  The practice of the time was not necessarily to quote exactly what was said, but to put it in their own wording.  Many examples of this can be seen in how even Jesus quoted the Old Testament text.  Compare Isaiah 61:1 with Luke 4:18.

 

“Pilate, in his inscription, wrote out the sentiments which they had expressed.  It was a virtual declaration, and so understood by all, that the Jews acknowledged that on account of their allegiance to the Roman power, any man who aspired to be king of the Jews, however innocent in other respects, should be judged by them worthy of death.  There was no other offense named in the inscription; it simply stated that Jesus was the King of the Jews.”  3SP:155.

 

“A higher power than Pilate or the Jews had directed the placing of that inscription above the head of Jesus.  In the providence of God it was to awaken thought, and investigation of the Scriptures.  The place where Christ was crucified was near to the city.  Thousands of people from all lands were then at Jerusalem, and the inscription declaring Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah would come to their notice.  It was a living truth, transcribed by a hand that God had guided.  In the sufferings of Christ upon the cross, prophecy was fulfilled.”  GHA:172.

 

Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33; John 19:18:  “two thieves” = These two thieves were “companions of Barabbas,” 3SP:150.

 

“This was done by the direction of the priests and rulers.  Christ’s position between the thieves was to indicate that He was the greatest criminal of the three.  Thus was fulfilled the scripture, ‘He was numbered with the transgressors.’  Isa. 53:12.  But the full meaning of their act the priests did not see.  As Jesus, crucified with the thieves, was placed ‘in the midst,’ so His cross was placed in the midst of a world lying in sin.”  DA:751.

 

27:43:  “‘He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him:  for He said, I Am the Son of God” = “Those who in derision uttered the words, ‘He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him:  for He said, I Am the Son of God,’ little thought that their testimony would sound down the ages.  But although spoken in mockery, these Words led men to search the Scriptures as they had never done before.  Wise men heard, searched, pondered, and prayed.  There were those who never rested until, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, they saw the meaning of Christ’s mission.  Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross.  Into the hearts of many who beheld the crucifixion scene, and who heard Christ’s Words, the light of truth was shining.”  DA:749.

 

Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32; Luke 23:39; John 19:18:  “The thieves” = “[156] The other malefactor was not a hardened criminal; his morals had been corrupted by association with the base, but his crimes were not so great as were those of many who stood beneath the cross reviling the Saviour.

 

“In common with the rest of the Jews, he had believed that Messiah was soon to Come.  He had heard Jesus, and been convicted by His teachings; but through the influence of the priests and rulers he had turned away from Him.  He had sought to drown his convictions in the fascinations of pleasure.  Corrupt associations had led him farther and farther into wickedness, [157] until he was arrested for open crime and condemned to die upon the cross.  During that day of trial he had been in company with Jesus in the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary.  He had heard Pilate declare Him to be a just Man; he had marked His Godlike deportment and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors.  In his heart he acknowledged Jesus to be the Son of God.”  3SP:156-157.

 

“While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples doubt His Divinity, the poor thief, upon the brink of eternity, at the close of his probation, calls Jesus his Lord!  Many were ready to call Him Lord when He wrought miracles, and also after He had risen from the grave; but none called Him Lord as He hung dying upon the cross, save the penitent thief, who was saved at the eleventh hour.”  3SP:158.

 

“cast the same in His teeth” = Here is my Luke 23:40-42 Note:  “he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me” = “In common with the rest of the Jews, he had believed that Messiah was soon to come.  He had heard Jesus, and been convicted by His teachings, but through the influence of the priests and rulers he had turned away from Him.  He had sought to drown his convictions in the fascinations of pleasure.  Corrupt associations had led him farther and farther into wickedness, until he was arrested for open crime and condemned to die upon the cross.  During that day of trial he had been in company with Jesus in the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary.  He had heard Pilate declare Him to be a just man; he had marked His Godlike deportment and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors.  In his heart he acknowledged Jesus to be the Son of God.”  3SP:157.

 

“[750] Among the passers-by he hears many defending Jesus.  He hears them repeat His words, and tell of His works.  The conviction comes back to him that this is the Christ. . . The dying thieves have no longer anything to fear from man.  But upon one of them presses the conviction that there is a God to fear, a future to cause him to tremble. . .

 

“There is no question now. There are no doubts, no reproaches. When condemned for his crime, the thief had become hopeless and despairing; but strange, tender thoughts now spring up. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus, how He has healed the sick and pardoned sin. He has heard the words of those who believed in Jesus and followed Him weeping.  He has seen and read the title above the Saviour’s head.  He has heard the passers-by repeat it, some with grieved, quivering lips, others with jesting and mockery.  The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together.  In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.  Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. . .

 

“As He hangs upon the cross, there floats up to Him still the sound of jeers and curses.  With longing heart He has listened for some expression of faith from His disciples.  He has heard only the mournful words, ‘We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.’  How grateful then to the Saviour was the utterance of faith and love from the dying thief!  While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples doubt His Divinity, the poor thief, upon the [751]

 

“brink of eternity, calls Jesus Lord. Many were ready to call Him Lord when He wrought miracles, and after He had risen from the grave; but none acknowledged Him as He hung dying upon the cross save the penitent thief who was saved at the eleventh hour.

 

“The bystanders caught the words as the thief called Jesus Lord. The tone of the repentant man arrested their attention.  Those who at the foot of the cross had been quarreling over Christ’s garments, and casting lots upon His vesture, stopped to listen.  Their angry tones were hushed. With bated breath they looked upon Christ, and waited for the response from those dying lips.

 

“As He spoke the words of promise, the dark cloud that seemed to enshroud the cross was pierced by a bright and living light.  To the penitent thief came the perfect peace of acceptance with God.  Christ in His humiliation was glorified.  He who in all other eyes appeared to be conquered was a Conqueror.  He was acknowledged as the Sin Bearer.  Men may exercise power over His human body.  They may pierce the holy temples with the crown of thorns.  They may strip from Him His raiment, and quarrel over its division.  But they cannot rob Him of His power to forgive sins.  In dying He bears testimony to His own divinity and to the glory of the Father.  His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, neither His arm shortened that it cannot save.”  DA:750-751.

 

“To Jesus in His agony on the cross there came one gleam of comfort.  It was the prayer of the penitent thief.  Both the men who were crucified with Jesus had at first railed upon Him; and one under his suffering only became more desperate and defiant.  But not so with his companion.  This man was not a hardened criminal; he had been led astray by evil associations, but he was less guilty than many of those who stood beside the cross reviling the Saviour.  He had seen and heard Jesus, and had been convicted by His teaching, but he had been turned away from Him by the priests and rulers.  Seeking to stifle conviction, he had plunged deeper and deeper into sin, until he was arrested, tried as a criminal, and condemned to die on the cross.”  CSA:38; DA:749; RC:34.

 

Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44:  “sixth hour” = In Jewish timing, Zero Hour equals 6:00 A.M.  Therefore, the “sixth hour” would be 12:00 P.M. (Noon).  Here is my John 19:14 Note:  How could this be the “sixth hour” (or noon -- 12:00) and Jesus standing before Pilot, if according to Matthew 27:45, Jesus is on the cross at the “sixth hour?” This apparent discrepancy is cleared up when we consider that John’s Gospel was written many years after the others (about 90 A.D.) and that he was most likely expressing Roman time keeping (as opposed to Matthew’s Jewish reckoning of time) in order to be in tune with his audience that he was writing to at the time.

 

“darkness” = “[163] There was no eclipse or other natural cause for this darkness, which was deep as midnight without moon [164] or stars.  The dense blackness was an emblem of the soul-agony and horror that encompassed the Son of God.”  3SP:163-164.

 

“The darkness lasted three full hours.  No eye could pierce the gloom that enshrouded the cross, and none could penetrate the deeper gloom that flooded the suffering soul of Christ.  A nameless terror took possession of all who were collected about the cross.  The silence of the grave seemed to have fallen upon Calvary.  The cursing and reviling ceased in the midst of half-uttered sentences.  Men, women, and children prostrated themselves upon the earth in abject terror.  Vivid lightnings, unaccompanied by thunder, occasionally flashed forth from the cloud, and revealed the cross and the crucified Redeemer.

 

“Priests, rulers, scribes, executioners, and the mob, all thought their time of retribution had come.  After a while, some whispered to others that Jesus would now come down from the cross.  Some attempted to grope their way back to the city, beating their breasts and wailing in fear.

 

“At the ninth hour the terrible darkness lifted from the people, but still wrapt the Saviour as in a mantle.  The angry lightnings seemed to be hurled at Him as He hung upon the cross.”  3SP:164.

 

“Lightings occasionally flashed from the cloud, and revealed the cross and the crucified Redeemer. . . In the meantime the darkness had settled over Jerusalem and the plains of Judea.  As all eyes were turned in the direction of the fated city, they saw the fierce lightning’s of God’s wrath directed toward it.”  3SP:166; GHA:81.

 

“The angels had viewed the horrid scene of the crucifixion of their loved Commander, until they could behold no longer; and veiled their faces from the sight.  The sun refused to look upon the dreadful scene.”  1SG:60.

 

“There was no eclipse or other natural cause for this darkness, which was as deep as midnight without moon or stars.  It was a miraculous testimony given by God that the faith of after generations might be confirmed.”  DA:753.

 

“The Father with His Heavenly angels, was inclosed in that thick darkness.  God was close beside His Son, tho not manifesting Himself to Him or to any human being. . . And in that thick darkness God hid from prying eyes the last human agony of His Son.  He clothed nature with sackcloth, that she might not look upon her suffering, dying Author in His last humiliation.”  ST, December 8, 1898.

 

“God dwelleth in the thick darkness; He hides His glory from human eyes.  The Father, with His heavenly angels, was enclosed in that thick darkness.  God was close beside His Son, though not manifesting Himself to Him or to any human being.  Had one ray of His glory and power penetrated the thick cloud that enveloped Him, every spectator would have been extinguished.  And in that thick darkness God hid from prying eyes the last human agony of His Son.  He clothed nature in sackcloth that she might not look upon her suffering, dying Author in His last humiliation.”  12MR:385.

 

Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34:  “nineth hour” = At the “nineth hour” [3 P.M.] the priest would blow the trumpet, signifying that the lamb had been slain for the sins of the people.  And how fitting it is that our Lord Jesus, at the “nineth hour” when the priest is about to blow the trumpet, would cry out for all Israel to hear, “It is finished.”  This is the only time in scripture Jesus calls to His Father as God.  Why?  Because He became sin for us, represented us fully and completely, i.e., became/is us.

 

“My God, my God” = This is the only time Jesus calls His Father “God.”  Otherwise, He has always called Him “Father.”  Why?  This is when the sins of the world are placed upon Him (He is in our place).

 

“forsaken Me” = “Angels witnessed with amazement the despairing agony [because of “the hiding of His Father’s face from Him,” 3SP:163] of the Son of God, so much greater than His physical pain that the latter was hardly felt by Him.  The hosts of Heaven veiled their faces from the fearful sight.”  3SP:163.

 

“As the outer gloom settled about Christ, many voices exclaimed, The vengeance of God is upon Him!”  3SP:164.

 

“The withdrawal of the Divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man.  So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt.

 

“Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus.  The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb.  {Here we see that Jesus, as a Man, had no advantage over us.  This would have been an advantage to know, whereas to know the thoughts of another man, as an example, was not for His advantage, but for the other man’s learning}.  Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the Sacrifice.  He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal.  Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.  It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.”  DA:753.

 

“The righteous One must suffer the condemnation and wrath of God, not in vindictiveness; for the heart of God yearned with greatest sorrow when His Son, the guiltless, was suffering the penalty of sin.  This sundering of the Divine powers will never again occur throughout the eternal ages.”  7BC:924; MS 93, 1899.

 

Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30:  “when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost” = “A light encircled the cross, and the face of the Saviour shone with a glory like the sun.  He then bowed His head upon His breast, and died.”  GHA:81; 3SP:166.

 

“Christ’s betrayal, trial, and crucifixion were all planned by the fallen foe.  His hatred, carried out in the death of the Son of God, placed Satan where his true diabolical character was revealed to all created intelligences {“other worlds” other than just the angels} that had not fallen through sin.

 

“The holy angels were horror-stricken that one who had been of their number could fall so far as to be capable of such cruelty.  Every sentiment of sympathy or pity which they had ever felt for Satan in his exile, was quenched in their hearts.  That his envy should be exercised in such a revenge upon an Innocent Person was enough to strip him of his assumed robe of celestial light, and to reveal the hideous deformity beneath; but to manifest such malignity toward the Divine Son of God, Who had, with unprecedented self-denial, and Love for the creatures formed in His image, Come from Heaven and assumed their fallen nature, was such a heinous crime against Heaven that it caused the angels to shudder with horror, and severed forever the [184] last tie of sympathy existing between Satan and the Heavenly world. . .

 

“All Heaven, and the worlds that had not fallen through sin, had been witnesses to the controversy between Christ and Satan.”  3SP:184.1.

 

Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45:  “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” = In order for it to be torn “from the top to the bottom” the priest(s) would have had to get a ladder.  Therefore, since we can safely assume that no ladder was taken into the Holy Place, only God could have done this; for the priests, or anyone else would have had to start to tear it starting from the bottom.

 

Another important fact to consider is that in order for this veil to even be “the one” that is to separate the two compartments it had to go through an intensive test.  It was first placed between four horses, one on each corner, and then the horses were forced to pull upon the veil with all of their force in order to make sure that this veil would not fray or tear in any way.

 

“When Christ was crucified, the inner vail of the Temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, which event signified that the ceremonial system of the sacrificial offerings was at an end forever, that the One Great and final sacrifice was made in the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world.”  2SP:123.2.

 

“When Christ cried out, ‘It is finished,’ the Holy Watcher that was an unseen guest at Belshazzar’s feast pronounced the Jewish nation to be a nation unchurched.  The same hand that traced on the wall the characters that recorded Belshazzar’s doom and the end of the Babylonian kingdom, rent the veil of the Temple from top to bottom, opening a new and living way for all, high and low, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile.  From henceforth people might come to God without priest or ruler.”  12MR:392.1; 5BC 1109; TA:204.3.  

 

“[756] Never before had the earth witnessed such a scene.  The multitude stood paralyzed, and with bated breath gazed upon the Saviour.  Again darkness settled upon the earth, and a hoarse rumbling, like heavy thunder, was heard.  There was a violent earthquake.  The people were shaken together in heaps.  The wildest confusion and consternation ensued.  In the surrounding mountains, rocks were rent asunder, and went crashing down into the plains.  Sepulchers were broken open, and the dead were cast out of their tombs.  Creation seemed to be shivering to atoms.  Priests, rulers, soldiers, executioners, and people, mute with terror, lay prostrate upon the ground.

 

“When the loud cry, ‘It is finished,’ came from the lips of Christ, the priests were officiating in the temple.  It was the hour of the evening sacrifice.  The lamb representing Christ had been brought to be slain.  Clothed in his significant and beautiful dress, the priest stood with lifted knife, as did Abraham when he was about to slay his son.  With intense interest the people were looking on. But the earth trembles and quakes; [757]

 

“for the Lord Himself draws near.  With a rending noise the inner veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom by an unseen hand, throwing open to the gaze of the multitude a place once filled with the presence of God.  In this place the Shekinah had dwelt.  Here God had manifested His glory above the Mercy Seat.  No one but the high priest ever lifted the veil separating this Apartment from the rest of the Temple.  He entered in once a year to make an atonement for the sins of the people.  But lo, this veil is rent in twain.  The Most Holy Place of the earthly Sanctuary is no longer sacred.

 

“All is terror and confusion.  The priest is about to slay the victim; but the knife drops from his nerveless hand, and the lamb escapes.  Type has met antitype in the death of God’s Son.  The Great Sacrifice has been made.  The way into the Holiest is laid open.  A new and living way is prepared for all.  No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest.  Henceforth the Saviour was to officiate as priest and advocate in the Heaven of heavens.” DA:756-757.

 

“As Jesus hung upon the cross, and cried, It is finished, the vail of the Temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom, to signify that God would no longer meet with the priests in the Temple, to accept their sacrifices and ordinances; and also to show that the partition wall was broken down between the Jews and the Gentiles.”  1SG:102.

 

“In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple.  When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, signifying that the great final sacrifice had been made, and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end.”  DA:165.

 

“As Jesus died on Calvary, He cried, ‘It is finished,’ and the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom.  This was to show that the services of the earthly Sanctuary were forever finished, and that God would no more meet with the priests in their earthly temple, to accept their sacrifices.  The blood of Jesus was then shed, which was to be offered by Himself in the Heavenly Sanctuary.  As the priest entered the Most Holy once a year to cleanse the earthly Sanctuary, so Jesus entered the Most Holy of the Heavenly, at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the Sanctuary.”  EW:253.

 

“the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” = “Priests, rulers, soldiers, and executioners were mute with terror, and prostrate upon the ground.”  3SP:166.

 

“Many who had scoffed and jeered at and taunted the Son of God were terribly afraid that the shaking earth, the rent and trembling rocks would put an end to their own lives.  They hastened away from the scene, beating upon their breasts [Luke 23:48], stumbling, falling, in awful terror lest the earth should open and swallow them up.”  12MR:387; 3ST:522; 5BC:1108 (MS 91, 1897).

 

27:52-53:  “saints” = This is the first occurrence of this word in the New Testament.  The Greek word for “saints,” is “hagios,” which means “those who are holy,” or “those who are devoted or consecrated” to God.  The radical idea of the word is what is separated from a common to a sacred use, and answers to the Hebrew word, “qadowsh.”  It is applied to any thing that is “set apart” to the service of God, to the temple, to the sacrifices, to the utensils about the temple, to the garments, et cetera, of the priests, and to the priests themselves.

 

It was also applied to the Jews as a people, separated from other nations, and “devoted” or “consecrated” to God; while other nations were devoted to the service of idols.  As such, it is applied to Christians as being a people “devoted” or “set apart” to the service of God.  The radical idea then, as applied to Christians is, that “they are separated from other men, and other objects and pursuits, and consecrated to the service of God.”

 

This is the special characteristic of the saints.  For the use of the word, as stated above, see the following passages of Scripture:  Exodus 13:2; Matthew 7:6; Luke 2:23; Romans 1:7; 11:16; Acts 3:21; 9:13; Ephesians 3:5; 4:1; Philippians 2:15; First Peter 1:16; 2:5, 9; First John 3:1-2.

 

See Isaiah 26:19.  According to Ephesians 4:8, these are they that went to Heaven with Jesus.  These ascended to Heaven with Christ.  3SP:252; YI:307, 358, 359.

 

“They were those who had been co-laborers with God, and who at the cost of their lives had borne testimony to the truth.  During His ministry, Jesus had raised the dead to life. . . they were still subject to death.  But those who came forth from the grave at Christ’s resurrection were raised to everlasting life.  They ascended with Him as trophies of His victory over death and the grave.  These went into the city, and appeared unto many, declaring, Christ has risen from the dead, and we be risen with Him.  Thus was immortalized the sacred truth of the resurrection.  The risen saints bore witness to the truth of the words, ‘Thy dead men shall live, together with My dead body shall they arise.’ [Isa. 26:19] Their resurrection was an illustration of the fulfillment of the prophecy.”  DA:786; 3SP:223.

 

“As He {Christ} ascended, He led the way, and the multitude of captives set free at His resurrection followed.”  ST, October 31, 1895; ST, November 2, 1904; DA:833; 3SP:252; BEcho, August 1, 1887; 6Red:69; VSS:458.

 

Christ “points to the tokens of His triumph; He presents to God the wave sheaf, those raised with Him as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth from the grave at His second coming.”  DA:834.

 

“A few graves were opened at the resurrection of Christ; but at His second coming all the precious dead, from righteous Abel [Abel not resurrected.  Note also that she does not say from righteous Adam, but “Abel.”  Could it be that Adam is raised?] to the last saint that dies, shall awake to glorious, immortal life.”  3SP:193; 5BC:1110; RC:12.

 

“[69] . . .many of the righteous dead came forth as witnesses that He had risen.  Those favored, resurrected saints came forth glorified.  They were a few chosen and holy ones who had lived in every age from creation, even down to the days of Christ.  And while the chief priests and Pharisees were seeking to cover up the resurrection of Christ, God chose to bring up a company from their graves to testify that Jesus had risen, and to declare His glory.  Those who were resurrected were of different stature and form.  I was informed that the inhabitants of earth had been degenerating, losing [70]

 

“their strength and comeliness.  Satan has the power of disease and death, and in every age the curse has been more visible, and the power of Satan more plainly seen.  Some of those raised were more noble in appearance and form than others.  I was informed that those who lived in the days of Noah and Abraham were more like the angels in form, in comeliness and strength.  But every generation has been growing weaker, and more subject to disease, and their lives of shorter duration.  Satan has been learning how to annoy men, and to enfeeble the race.”  1SG:69-70.

 

“Those who were called from their graves went into the city, and appeared unto many in their resurrected forms, and testified that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, and that they had risen with Him.  The voice that cried, ‘It is finished,’ was heard among the dead.  It pierced the walls of sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise. . . It was well known to the priests and rulers that certain persons who were dead had risen at the resurrection of Jesus.  Authentic reports were brought to them of different ones who had seen and conversed with these resurrected ones, and heard their testimony that Jesus, the Prince of life, Whom the priests and rulers had slain, was risen from the dead.”  3SP:223; 5BC:1109; RC:41.

 

“went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” = Many critics of the Bible use this verse to claim the lack of reliable evidence for this event, and therefore the rest of the Bible is unreliable.  To be honest, this is actually a great verse to attack, as other events are well established in secular history.  That makes this verse the most difficult attack upon the Bible and Its credibility.  By contrast, although we do not have testimonies of people who did claim to see any of these resurrected saints, we do have a secular historian who does record the corresponding events around the resurrections.

 

What Bible believing Christians can show evidence for are comprised in the recording of the darkness and the earthquake that took place when these saints were raised (according to the Bible).  Phlagon, a Roman historian, records, “In the fourth month of the fourth year of the two-hundred and second Olympiad, there was a great darkness at noon, so much so that at Nisaea, in Asia Minor, you could see stars in the daytime.  And an earthquake took place which demolished many of the buildings in Nisaea.”

 

Now just when is the “forth month of the fourth year of the two-hundred and second Olympiad?”  It is April of 31 A.D., the year and month of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.  Also, recent excavations of the city of Jerusalem, indicate an earthquake of an estimated magnitude of 8.2 on the Richter scale, occurred around 31 A.D.  (However, they record this “earthquake” as happening in “33 A.D.,” while I’ll stay with my reckoning).

 

“The crowd dispersed, and many returned to Jerusalem greatly changed in spirit from what they had been in the morning.  Many of them had then collected at the crucifixion from curiosity, and not from hatred toward [169] Christ.  Still they accepted the fabricated reports of the priests concerning Him, and looked upon Him as a malefactor.  At the execution they had imbibed the spirit of the leading Jews, and, under an unnatural excitement, had united with the mob in mocking and railing against Him.

 

“But when the earth was draped with blackness, and they stood accused by their own consciences, reason again resumed her sway, and they felt guilty of doing a great wrong.  No jest nor mocking laughter was heard in the midst of that fearful gloom; and when it was lifted, they solemnly made their way to their homes, awestruck and conscience-smitten.  They were convinced that the accusations of the priests were false, that Jesus was no pretender; and a few weeks later they were among the thousands who became thorough converts to Christ, when Peter preached upon the day of Pentecost, and the great mystery of the cross was explained with other mysteries in regard to Messiah.”  3SP:169.1.

 

“As they passed through the gates of Jerusalem, many wondering eyes looked upon the little company, led by One Whom a few weeks before the priests and rulers had condemned and crucified.”  3SP:249.2.

 

27:56:  “Mary Magdalene” = See my Bible Study:  “MARY MAGDALENE” & MARY MAGDALENE [UNDER SDA].”

 

“Mary the mother of James and Joses” = This “Mary” is the “wife of Cleophas,” John 19:25.  Mark 15:40 clarifies this Mary by listing her son James as “the less.”  See my Matthew 28:1 Note.

 

Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:45; Luke 23:52; John 19:38:  “Arimathaea, named Joseph” = “The scales fell from his {Nicodemus’} eyes, and faith took the place of doubt and uncertainty {remembering the prophecy, “If I be lifted up”}.  Beams of light streamed from the secret interview in the mountain and illuminated the cross of the Saviour.  In that time of discouragement and danger, when the hearts of the disciples were failing them through doubt and fear, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, came forward and obtained the Lord’s body from Pilate, and Nicodemus, who at the first came to Jesus by night, brought a hundred pounds’ weight of myrrh and aloes.  These two men with their own hands performed the last sacred rites, and laid the body of the Saviour in a new sepulchre where never man lay before.  These lofty rulers of the Jews mingled their tears together over the sacred form of the dead.

 

“[135] Now, when the disciples were scattered and discouraged, Nicodemus came boldly to the front.  He was rich, and he employed his wealth to sustain the infant Church of Christ, that the Jews thought would be blotted out with the death of Jesus.  He who had been so cautious and questioning, now, in the time of peril, was firm as the [136]

 

“granite rock, encouraging the flagging faith of the followers of Christ, and furnishing means to carry on the cause.  He was defrauded, persecuted, and stigmatized by those who had paid him reverence in other days.  He became poor in this world’s goods, yet he faltered not in the faith that had its beginning in that secret night conference with the young Galilean.”  2SP:135-136.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

 

 

Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10:  “the other Mary” = Probably, “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses,” Mark 15:40 (see also Mark 15:47; 16:1; Luke 24:1, 10), which was Jesus’ “mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas,” John 19:25.  Luke tells us there were quite a few women by naming three of them and stating also, “the other women,” Luke 24:10.  John’s account in John 20:1 makes it sound as though only Mary Magdalene was the only woman who went to the tomb.  John’s writing character is most always speaking in the preeminence fashion (see John, Chapter One as a example), and therefore he only mentions Mary of Magdala since she apparently was taking a major role in the announcement of our Lord’s resurrection.

 

The narrative of John’s account would give the impression that just Mary Magdalene went by herself.  However, the “we” in “we know not,” John 20:2, lets us know that she was not alone in coming to the tomb, as the other Gospel writers clearly indicate (Mat. 27:61; 28:1; Mark 15:47; 16:1).  However, Mark 16:9 clearly states that Jesus “appeared first to Mary Magdalene.”  Therefore, he is not speaking as if her companions were not with her at this occasion, but rather that she was most likely the first one to arrive; thus the preeminence that John gives to her.

 

“Sabbath” = That is, Greek, “Shabbath,” or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension a “se’nnight,” that is, the interval between two Sabbaths; which brings into play the plurality of this application, in that it speaks of the Sabbath (day), week, or days between the two (plural) Sabbaths.  It was at this time, early in the morning, that the burning of the “First Fruits” for the “Feast of Tabernacles” was being burnt.  The smoke rising from the Temple at this hour was a fitting symbol of the resurrection of our Lord, which was taking place at this time.

 

Here is the literal translation according to Strong’s:  “The end (G3796) Sabbath (G4521), began to dawn (G2020) toward (G1519) [the] first (G3391) Sabbath [day] (G4521).”

 

However, see my Bible Study:  “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”  The explanation there shows that the plurality of the word for “Sabbath” used here can also mean that it is referring to both the literal every seventh-day Sabbath Commanded to be kept by our Lord, and the High Sabbath (First Fruits) which was falling upon this weekly Sabbath.

 

Matthew 28:1-2; John 20:1-2:  “there was a great earthquake” = “As they neared the garden, they were surprised to see the heavens beautifully lighted up, and the earth trembling beneath their feet.  They hastened to the sepulcher, and were astonished to find that the stone was rolled away from the door, and that the Roman guard were not there.  They noticed a light shining about the tomb, and, looking in, saw that it was empty.”  RC:17.

 

“Mary Magdalene had been the first to reach the place.  Seeing that the stone was removed, she hurried away to tell the disciples.  When the other women came up, they noticed a light shining about the tomb, and looking in, saw that it was empty.  As they lingered about the place, they suddenly beheld a young man in shining garments sitting by the tomb. It was the angel who had rolled away the stone.  In fear they turned to flee, but the angel said [verse 5 quoted]. . .

 

“The angels then explained the death and resurrection of Christ.  They reminded the women of the Words that Christ Himself had spoken, in which He had told beforehand of His crucifixion and His resurrection.  These Words of Jesus were now plain to them, and with fresh hope and courage they hastened away to tell the glad news.  Mary had been absent during this scene, but now returned with Peter and John.  When they went back to Jerusalem, she stayed at the tomb.”  SJ:159.

 

Matthew 28:2; Mark 16:4; Luke 24:2; John 20:1:  “rolled back the stone” = Do you think that the stone had to be rolled away such that our Lord could get out, even though He was later shown to be able to walk through closed doors?  Not at all!  It was for the first evangelists to receive the first commission of the telling of the resurrection of our Lord, i.e., the women.  Also, it wasn’t because Jesus had to get out; it was so that the men and women could get in such that they could testify of the resurrection of our Lord.

 

“[191] One of the most exalted order of angels is sent from Heaven; his countenance is like the lightning, and his garments white as snow.  He parts the darkness from his track, and the whole heavens are lit with his resplendent glory.  The sleeping soldiers start simultaneously to their [192] feet, and gaze with awe and wonder at the open, lighted heavens, and the vision of brightness which approaches.  The earth trembles and heaves; soldiers, officers, and sentinels all fall as dead men prostrate upon the earth.  The evil angels, who have triumphantly claimed the body of Christ, flee in terror from the place.  One of the mighty, commanding angels who has, with his company, been keeping watch over the tomb of his Master, joins the powerful angel who comes from Heaven; and together they advance directly to the sepulcher.

 

“The angelic commander laid hold of the great stone which had required many strong men to place it in position, rolled it away, and took his seat upon it, while his companion entered the sepulcher and unwound the wrappings from the face and head of Jesus.  Then the mighty angel, with a voice that caused the earth to quake, was heard: Jesus, thou Son of God, thy Father calls Thee!  Then He Who had earned the power to conquer death and the grave came forth, with the tread of a conqueror, from the sepulcher, amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing of lightning, and the roaring of thunder.  An earthquake marked the hour when Christ laid down His life; and another earthquake signaled the moment when He took it up again in triumph. . . [193]

 

“Satan was bitterly incensed that his angels had fled from the presence of the Heavenly angels. . . The arch-enemy now knew that he must eventually die, and that his kingdom would have an end.”  3SP:191-193.

 

28:3:  “His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow” = “Let us live in the sunlight of the cross of Calvary.  Let us no longer dwell in the shadow, complaining of our sorrows, for this only deepens our trouble.  Let us never forget, even when we walk in the valley, that Christ is as much with us when we walk trustingly there, as when we are on the mountain top.”  ST, July 25, 1895.

 

28:4: “became as dead men” = “The Roman guard saw the angels, and fell as dead men to the ground.”  1SG:66.

 

“The soldiers. . . saw the brightness of the angels illuminate the night, and heard the inhabitants of Heaven singing.”  3SP:194.

 

“Christ came forth from the tomb glorified, and the Roman guard beheld Him.”  DA:780.

 

“I saw the Roman guard, as the angelic host passed back to Heaven, and the light and glory passed away, raise themselves to see if it were safe for them to look around.  They were filled with amazement as they saw that the great stone was rolled from the door of the sepulcher, and Jesus was risen.”  1SG:68.

 

“The astonished guard saw him roll back the stone as easily as if it had been a pebble.”  2SAT:173.

 

Matthew 28:5; Luke 24:4; John 20:12; Acts 1:10:  “the angel” = John 20:12 states that there were “two angels,” while Luke’s account states, “two men. . . in shining garments.”   First of all, to call this a contradiction is to want the Bible to be in error, instead of loving God’s Word.  These were obviously two separate accounts.  In Matthew’s account “the [one] angel” spoke to “the women,” more than once (see verses two through five).  Whereas, in John’s account, only Mary Magdalene lingered behind by herself, then she peeks “into the sepulchre” and sees “two angels.”

 

“Mary then hastened with all speed to the disciples, and informed them that Jesus was not in the sepulcher where they had laid Him.  While she was upon this errand, the other women, who waited for her at the sepulcher, made a more thorough examination of the interior, to satisfy themselves that their Lord was indeed gone.  Suddenly they beheld a beautiful young man, clothed in shining garments, sitting by the sepulcher.  It was the angel who had rolled away the stone, and who now assumed a character that would not terrify the women who had been the friends of Christ, and assisted Him in His public ministry.  But notwithstanding the veiling of the brightness of the angel, the women were greatly amazed and terrified at the glory of the Lord which encircled Him.  They turned to flee from the sepulcher, but the Heavenly messenger addressed them with soothing and comforting words. . .

 

“As the women responded to the invitation of the angel, and looked again into the sepulcher, they saw another angel of shining brightness, who addressed them,” 3SP:199.

 

“These angels were well acquainted with [200] the Words of Jesus to His disciples, for they had been with Him in the capacity of guardian angels, through all the scenes of His life, and had witnessed His trial and crucifixion.”  3SP:199-200; DA:793.

 

“These angels were of the company that had been waiting in a shining cloud to escort Jesus to His Heavenly home.  The most exalted of the angel throng, they were the two who had come to the tomb at Christ’s resurrection, and they had been with Him throughout His life on earth.”  DA:832.

 

28:9:  “All hail” = “After He had ascended to the Father, Jesus appeared to the other women, saying, ‘All hail.’ ”  DA:793.

 

28:11:  “some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done” = “They turned from the sepulcher, overwhelmed by what they had seen and heard, and made their way with all haste to the city, relating to those whom they met the marvelous scenes they had witnessed.  Some of the disciples, who had passed a sleepless night, heard the wonderful story with mingled hope and fear.”  RC:14.

 

“[187] Many of the officiating priests were deeply convicted of the true character of Jesus; their [188] searching of the prophecies had not been in vain, and after He was raised from the dead they acknowledged Him as the Son of God.” 3SP:187-188.

 

“His disciples came by night, and stole Him away while we slept” = Question.  If you were asleep, how do you know it was “His disciples?”

 

“[197] When they had recovered from their first shock at hearing this news, they began to consider what course they would best pursue, and Satan was present to suggest ways and means. They felt that they had placed themselves where they had no alternative but to brave it out, and deny Christ to the very last. They reasoned that if this report should be circulated among the people, they would not only be stripped of their honor and authority, but would probably lose their lives. Jesus had said that he would rise from the dead and ascend to Heaven; they determined to keep the people in ignorance of the fulfillment of his word. They thought this could be done if the Roman guard could be bought with money. . . [198]

 

“Meanwhile a messenger had been sent, bearing the news to Pilate.  When he heard what had occurred, his soul was filled with terror.  He shut himself within his home, not wishing to see any one; but the priests found their way into his presence, and urged him to make no investigation of the affirmed neglect of the sentinels, but to let the matter pass.  Pilate at length consented to this, after having a private interview with the guard, and learning all the particulars from them.  They dared not conceal anything from the governor for fear of losing their lives.  Pilate did not prosecute the matter farther, but from that time there was no more peace or comfort for him.”  3SP:197-198.

 

28:16-17:  “when they saw Him” = “After His resurrection His first work was to convince His disciples of His undiminished love and tender regard for them.  To give them proof that He was their living Saviour, that He had broken the fetters of the tomb and could no longer be held by death, that He had the same heart of love as when He was with them as their teacher.”  ST, June 16, 1898.

 

28:18:  “All power is given unto Me” = Who gave it to Jesus?  According to First Corinthians 15:28, God The Father gave it to our Lord, and notice that our Lord did not say this until after His resurrection.

 

28:19:  “Go ye therefore” = “Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world.  We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience.  We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is Divine.  Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs.  God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality.  These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.”  DA:347.

 

“baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” = First, note the word “name.”  That is singular, yet three are mentioned.  We have a trinitarian Godhead, but only one God.  One God with three distinct personalities.

 

According to Acts 8:16; 10:48; 19:5, these were only baptized using the name of Jesus.  In addition, First Corinthians 10:2 only Baptizes them in the name of Moses.  Why not our Lord’s method of baptizing in the name of the Trinity?  It is interesting to note that Jesus states, “in the name,” and not, “in the names,” plural, which would be proper language for the three Deities being listed together.  Thus, the Trinity is well represented as being only One God.

 

The Greek for “name” is, “onoma,” which is singular.  The union of the Three Names in one formula, such as in a benediction, can be seen in Second Corinthians 13:14.  It is possible that Jesus mention of all Three was not to lay down a liturgical formula, but to spell out the Three-Fold Nature of the disciples’ allegiance to.  Thus, in the case of Acts 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; and this verse, we are to be baptized in Whom we are in allegiance to.  In the early Church, the first priority appears to be to have the new converts understand that Jesus is God come down to die for their sins; and that is what they were to ally themselves to.

 

“He has made this a positive condition with which all must comply.”  6T:91.  See Second Corinthians 13:14.

 

“The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our Church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and Church officers.”  GW:352; 9T:117; AU Gleaner, November 4, 1908 paragraph 9.

 

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