THE BOOK OF LUKE,
Chapter 1-24
CHAPTER ONE
1:1: “in order” = The meaning is, “in an orderly manner,” such that Luke “will not rush through this;” as opposed to, “in the exact order of events.”
1:2: “eyewitnesses, and ministers of the Word” = Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke claims to have surveyed the historical materials and interviewed the eyewitnesses.
1:3: “had perfect understanding of all things from the very first” = The phrase “had perfect understanding of all things from the very first,” should most likely follow in the footsteps of its counterpart translation in John 3:31, where the Hebrew word “anothen,” translated means, “from the very first.” It is translated in John’s rendition as “from above.” Thus, it could read in Luke rendition as, “had perfect understanding of all things [the ability given to him] from above.”
“in order” = Or better, “in an orderly account.” This is another reason for Luke writing his Gospel.
“Theophilus” = Of whom Luke is writing to, means, “Friend of God,” or “A lover of God.” He is also mentioned in Acts 1:1, thus concluding that both of these Books (Luke and Acts) come to us as a result of Luke writing to this man. We could only wish we knew more about him. He is thought to be a Gentile convert by some. The title, “most excellent,” was a title like, “Your Excellency,” and shows that he may have held an office, such as Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and Festus (Acts 26:25), perhaps being a Roman governor, as this was the appellation usually given to them. See my “INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF LUKE.”
1:5: “Zacharias, of the course of Abia” = We learn from First Chronicles, Chapter 24, that there were 24 courses, or groups of priests, serving from Sabbath to Sabbath; Abia being the eighth course, First Chronicles 24:10. The priests in each division were on duty twice a year for a week at a time. Zacharias was of the division of Abijah (1Ch. 24:10).
1:6: “blameless” = The “Hebrew Bible” (yes there is a Hebrew manuscript for the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts) translates this as, “without craftiness.” The Hebrew thought and understanding is that you do not try to find ways to get around a Commandment of God.
1:8: “in the order of his course” = See my Luke 1:5 Note.
1:9: “his lot” = Zacharias was chosen by lot (“elache”) to be the priest who offered the incense. The possibility of the “lot” falling to Zacharias was most likely minimal. In “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible,” upon this verse (too long to include here), we learn that there were 12 priests from which the “lot” could fall upon. Thus, we see the providence of God’s hand again in mankind’s events.
1:10: “at the time of incense” = Incense was burnt twice a day in the temple, in the morning and in the evening (Exo. 30:7-8); but the evangelist does not specify the time of the day in which this transaction took place. It was probably in the morning.
1:11: “on the right side of the Alter of Incense” = The Altar of Incense stood near the veil which divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Zacharias, as he came in, would have been facing West, placing the Table of Shewbread on the North. On the South would then be the Golden Candlestick. Thus, Zacharias, with his face toward the West would see the angel standing on the North of the Altar of Incense, near the Table of Shewbread.
1:13: “John” = “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.” RH, January 7. 1873.
1:15: “drink neither wine nor strong drink” = Isn’t it interesting that the same instructions upon diet that was given to Samuels parents (as an example, see Jud. 13:4-6) were also given to John’s (confirmed in Mat. 11:18; Luke 7:33)?
“The indulgence of appetite in luxurious food, and the use of wine, were lessening physical strength, and weakening the intellect, so that crime and grievous sins did not appear sinful. The angel Gabriel gave special directions to the parents of John in regard to temperance. A lesson was given upon health reform by one of the exalted angels from the throne of Heaven.” 2SP:43.
“The world at large are given to gluttony and the indulgence of base passions. The light of health reform is opened before the people of God at this day, that they may see the necessity of holding their appetites and passions under control of the higher powers of the mind. This is also necessary, that they may have mental strength and clearness, to discern the sacred chain of truth, and turn from the bewitching errors and pleasing fables, that are flooding the world. Their work is to present before the people the pure doctrine of the Bible. Hence health reform finds its place in the preparatory work for the second appearing of Christ.” 2SP:44.1. Note: Just as it was for the First Appearing.
1:17: “spirit and power of Elias” = See Malachi 4:5-6 & Matthew 11:14.
“to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” = Here we are given a list of what John’s ministry was to accomplish; the purpose of his being. The “disobedient” in this passage are the “unbelieving.” Thus, John would turn them to the truth, for “the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32.
1:18: “Whereby shall I know this?” = Zacharias must have asked this in an unbelieving demeanor; else he would have been treated like Mary (see Luke 1:34-35). It’s as if he was asking for a sign or affirmation of the information from the angel.
1:20: “not able to speak” = “The particular office of Zacharias was to pray in behalf of the people, for pardon of public and national sins, and to earnestly pray for the Coming of the long-expected Saviour Whom they believed must redeem His people. When Zacharias attempted to pray, he could not utter a word.” 2SP:45.1.
1:22: “when he came out. . . they perceived he had seen a vision” = Because they saw this: “When Zacharias came out of the temple, his countenance was shining with the light which the Heavenly angel had reflected upon him. But he could not speak to the people. He made signs to them that an angel had appeared to him in the temple, and because of his unbelief he was deprived of the power of speech, until the prediction of the angel should be fulfilled.” 2SP:45.1; RH, January 7, 1873.
1:26: “In the sixth month” = See my Bible Study: “CHRIST’S BIRTH MONTH OF.”
1:28: “blessed art thou among women” = This saying of the “angel” is actually inspired via the “Holy Ghost,” Luke 1:41. For my Catholic friends, note that this saying of God is not, “above women,” but “among women.”
1:33: “He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” = In the year B.C. 4, we find that this is when the right of the Jewish people to exercise the punishment of capital punishment was taken away by the Roman power (see John 8:31). It is said that the Jewish leaders considered this to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Genesis 49:10, the taking away of the “sceptre” from Israel. Priests and rulers walked around in “sackcloth and ashes” because they believed that this prophecy had been fulfilled, and yet the Messiah had not yet come. Little did they know that the prophecy was fully in effect, in that a little to the North, a Baby was being born in Bethlehem. What is not recognized by most is that this prophecy has a dual meaning. Most understand that Jesus fulfills the fact that the “sceptre” never departs from the tribe of Judah, yet the one I have related is not generally understood.
1:34: “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man” = Mary was not here questioning that this event would take place, as did Zacharias (see verse 18), else she would have experienced what Zacharias did, or worse. But she was only expressing, “How are you going to make this take place, seeing I have not had any relations with any man.” We can know this was the case because of her acceptance of the angel’s words when we read verse 38.
1:36: “thy cousin Elisabeth” = This has baffled Bible commentators for centuries; therefore, I will here attempt to solve the mystery. As Elisabeth was of the tribe of Levi (see Luke 1:5), and Mary of the tribe of Judah, they could not have been relatives except from the mother’s side. The nature of the relationship, however, is unknown. The word “cousin” is a general term, meaning “of the same family.” The best texts make substitute for the term as a feminine form, which would be rightly rendered as “kinswoman.” Though Elisabeth was of the tribe of Levi, yet it was possible for her to be Mary’s cousin: for whereas it was forbidden by the Law for maidens to be married to men of other tribes, there was an exception among the Levites, who could take for themselves wives out of any tribe: for the Levites had no portion allotted to them when the land was divided among the people.
1:42: “blessed art thou among women” = See my Luke 1:28 Note.
1:56: “Mary abode with her about three months” = By this text we can understand that Mary waited until Elisabeth’s baby was born, for Elisabeth was “six months,” verses 26 and 36, pregnant, plus these three months brings us to the birth of John the Baptist (see verse 57).
1:62: “made signs” = It is interesting to note this, in that they would not have “made signs” to Zacharias if he could hear. Thus, we learn that he was not only “dumb,” verse 20, but deaf also.
1:69: “salvation” = So clear is the affinity in the New Testament that one of its principal words for healing, Greek, “soteria,” may be translated as either “healing” or “salvation.” Salvation, then, may include not only rescue from sin and its consequences but also restoration, healing of the whole person. Through the miraculous healings Jesus gave great evidence regarding His role as the Savior. But He did so much more, as well. As humans, we have been damaged spiritually, emotionally, and physically by sin. The whole plan of salvation centers on restoring to us what we had once lost. In the beginning there was no sickness and no death; in the end there won’t be either (see Rev. 21:4). By healing, Jesus was showing the world the power of God to bring about restoration, to bring about what was lost by sin. The healings weren’t an end in themselves; they were all to point to something greater: salvation in Jesus.
1:70: “As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets” = The “His” in this verse gives credence to the fact that the “He” in this verse is none other than God.
“It is the voice of Christ that speaks through the prophets and patriarchs, from the days of Adam even down to the closing scenes of time. This truth was not discerned by the Jews who rejected Jesus, and it is not discerned by many professing Christians to-day.” RC:28.
1:80: “was in the deserts” = “[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.
CHAPTER TWO
2:1: “Caesar Augustus” = Although he is not specifically named in the original prophecy in Daniel 11:20, he is the one who fulfils that prophecy here. However, sometimes personages are named as in Isaiah’s prophecy of “Cyrus,” Isaiah 44:28, none the less, the prophecy is fulfilled here.
2:2: “Cyrenius was governor of Syria” = Cyrenius served as “governor of Syria” twice in his career. The one we are concerned with is the one which dated B.C. 4-3; which is when our Lord was born (B.C. 2). See my Bible Study: “CHRIT’S BIRTH MONTH.”
2:5: “espoused wife” = According to Matthew 1:24, Joseph “did as the. . . Lord had bidden him, and took unto him [Mary as] his wife.” That the Bible states that Joseph “did” as the Lord instructed him to do and that he was “married,” i.e., “his wife,” should be clear enough. However, Luke may have made this statement because the marriage had not yet been consummated, for Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son,” Matthew 1:25. By contrast, they were married.
The proof is in the facts that neither the Roman nor the Jewish law required Mary to go to Bethlehem to be taxed. According to Roman law, women were to pay a poll tax, but need not appear in person. Thus, Mary probably would not have traveled with Joseph unless they were married, because if they weren’t some relative, such as her father, would have been taking care of paying her taxes instead of Joseph. If we consider this verse again, Luke specifically states, “to be taxed with Mary,” which clearly indicates that they were traveling as a married couple.
“Mary, who went with her husband, was very weary as she climbed the hill on which Bethlehem stands.” GHA:31.
2:6: “that she should be delivered” = “In Heaven it was understood that the Time had come for the Advent of Christ to the world, and angels leave glory to witness His Reception by those He Came to bless and save. They had witnessed His glory in Heaven, and they anticipate that He will be received with honor in accordance with His character, and the dignity of His mission. As angels approach the earth, they first come to the people God had separated from the nations of the world as His peculiar treasure. They see no especial interest among the Jews, no eager waiting and watching that they may be the first to receive the Redeemer, and acknowledge His Advent.” 2SP:16.1.
2:7: “there was no room for them in the inn” = “In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they at last find refuge, and here the Redeemer of the world is born.” DA:44.
“inn” = The Greek word for “inn,” used here is, “kataluma,” which is the same word Luke uses to describe the upper room (translated “guestchamber”) in Luke 22:11, where our Lord had His, “Last Supper,” with His disciples. What is interesting to note is that Luke uses a different Greek word when describing the dwelling of the “Good Samaritan’s” wayfarer. That Greek word he uses there is, “pandocheion,” which is more fitting for a Hotel type of establishment.
What is implied is that it is quite possible that Joseph was asking for lodging from a relative, in that “kataluma” is more of a dwelling than a Hotel, as is implied better with the Greek word “pandocheion.” The implication is that Joseph’s relatives could have been shunning him due to Mary’s condition, i.e., disgrace to the family name caused by Joseph and Mary not being married before she was pregnant. However, it is also possible that his relatives had left for Bethlehem just as much as Joseph had left for Bethlehem, and Joseph was looking for anyplace to lodge as he was obviously late in arriving over anyone else.
“manger” = The Greek word for “manger” here is “phatme,” which is translated as “stall” in Luke 13:15. With this better understanding of the word, we can know that Jesus was born where the cattle were kept. In fact, since Jesus is the one using the word, and since Jesus should know where He was born, this has to be the correct understanding of the word.
2:8-9: “shepherds” = “These were good men, and as they watched their sheep by night, they talked together about the promised Saviour, and prayed so earnestly for His Coming that God sent bright messengers from His Own throne of light to teach them.” GHA:32.
“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. But the angels, with the glad tidings of the birth of the Saviour, are sent to the humble shepherds, and not to the learned Jews, who profess to be the expounders of prophecy; for they have no heart to receive it.” 2SP:17.3.
2:9: “the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them” = “They could not, at first, bear the radiance of glory, which attended the whole Heavenly host, to break upon them suddenly. One angel only appears to the gaze of the watching shepherds to dissipate their fears, and make known their mission. As the light of the angel encircles them, the glory rests upon them, and they are strengthened to endure the greater light and glory attending the myriads of Heavenly angels.” 2SP:18; RH, December 17, 1872.
“[364] . . . in my dreams these words were spoken to me: ‘Look at these clouds. It was first such clouds as these that enshrouded the Heavenly host who proclaimed to the shepherds the birth of the world’s Redeemer. I awoke and looked. . . [365] and there were the two large white clouds, as white as snow. They were distinct, separate clouds, but one would approach and touch the other, and for a moment blend together, then they would separate, and remain as distinct as before. They did not disappear, but continued in sight throughout the forenoon.” AY:364-365.
“Suddenly the heavens are lighted up with a brightness which alarms the shepherds. They know not the reason of this grand display. They do not at first discern the myriads of angels that are congregated in the heavens. The brightness and glory from the Heavenly host illuminate and glorify the entire plain. While the shepherds are terrified at the glory of God, the leading angel of the throng quiets their fears by revealing himself to them. . . They could not, at first, bear the radiance of glory, which attended the whole Heavenly host, to break upon them suddenly. One angel only appears to the gaze of the watching shepherds to dissipate their fears, and make known their mission. As the light of the angel encircles them, the glory rests upon them, and they are strengthened to endure the greater light and glory attending the myriads of Heavenly angels. . .
“as the bright glory disappears, and the angels return to Heaven, they are all aglow with the glad tidings, and hasten in search of the Saviour. . . The events which had but just transpired, have made indelible impressions upon their minds and hearts, and they are filled with amazement, love, and gratitude, for the great condescension of God to man in sending His Son into the world. The shepherds spread the joyful tidings everywhere, of the wondrous glory they had seen, and the celestial praises they had heard from the lips of the Heavenly host.” RH, December 17, 1872.
“. . . the heavens illuminated with light, which enshrouded the Heavenly host who heralded the Advent of Christ to the humble shepherds.” RH, December 24, 1872.
2:11: “is born this day” = “Just as Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, yet born of a woman, Holy Scripture is also of supernatural origin, yet delivered through human beings.
2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” = This concept has been misunderstood for centuries, in that, this is not about “peace on earth among nations.” This is a truce between the war existing between Heaven and earth. Let me explain. We have sided with the enemy (Satan), and we have been held hostage by him, and the angels are declaring that mankind is about to be rescued. Messiah is Coming to negotiate the sale of the human race through the giving of His blood; which will give Him the keys to hell and death in exchange for His blood.
“This song was first song in Heaven by the angels, when they learned that Christ would save fallen men.” 3ST:22.
“God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the Law that in obeying them we might have joy. When at Jesus’ birth the angels sang, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’ they were declaring the principles of the Law which He had come to magnify and make honorable.” ST, March 29, 1910; SW, August 11, 1908; DA:308; FLB:85.
2:15: “as the angels were gone away from them” = “As the angels disappeared, the light faded away, and the shadows of night once more fell on the hills of Bethlehem. But the brightest picture ever beheld by human eyes remained in the memory of the shepherds.” DA:48.2; CSA:6.5.
2:22: “when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished, “they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord” = “About forty days after the birth of Christ {Lev. 12:1-4}, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, and to offer sacrifice. This was according to the Jewish {God’s} Law, and as man’s substitute Christ must conform to the Law in every particular. He had already been subjected to the rite of circumcision as a pledge of His obedience to the Law.” DA:50.
The Feast of Trumpets (in our September; beginning of the New Moon) announced the birth of Jesus, which would take place 15 days later, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles (when God will Tabernacle among us). See my Bible Study, “CHRIST, THE BIRTH MONTH OF.”
2:24: “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” = This was done in accordance with the instructions in Leviticus 12:6. She must bring her offering before “the door of the tabernacle,” in order to be able to enter into the Sanctuary. And Luke 2:24 tells us that Mary brought the poor man’s offering, “A pair of turtledoves,” also designated in Leviticus 12:6. This would confirm that the Magi (wise men) had not yet shown up with their expensive gifts. Therefore, the instructions of Herod to have babies killed who are “two years old or younger,” makes total sense, in that our Lord was just about that old when the Magi showed up.
“[36] This blood of the ‘Passover’ represented to the Jews the blood of Christ. . . Christ is called our Passover. . . 1 Corinthians 5:7. . . So as each family in Israel brought the eldest son to the temple, they were to remember how the children had been saved from the plague, and how all might be saved from sin and eternal death. The child presented at the temple was taken in the arms of the priest, and held up before the alter. . .
“Then after it was given back to the mother, its name was written in the roll, or book, that contained the names of the first-born of Israel. So all who are saved by Christ’s blood will have their names written in the Book of Life. . . [37]
“Little did the priest think that he was then holding in his arms the Saviour of the world, the High Priest of the Heavenly Temple. But he might have known; for if he had been obedient to God’s Word, the Lord would have taught him these things. At this very time there were in the temple two of God’s true servants, Simeon and Anna. Both had grown old in His service, and He showed them things that could not be made known to the proud and selfish priests.” GHA:36-37.
2:32: “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” = “In these words he was applying to Him a prophecy familiar to all Israel. {Isa. 49:6 quoted}.” DA:465.
2:38: “redemption” = The term “redemption” translates from the Greek word “apolutrosis,” which is a derivative from the Greek word “lutron,” which in Biblical times was understood as the “ramson,” or “price of release” paid in the marketplace for the purchase of a slave. The meaning of redemption is clarified by our Lord’s words: “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom [lutron] for many.” Matthew 20:28. See also Mark 10:45.
2:40: “grace” = Of the 67 verses and 69 occurrences of the word “grace,” “Strong’s Number,” “H2580,” in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “chen” is translated as, “grace, or favor,” except where it is translated as “pleasant (Pro. 5:19), gracious (Pro. 11:6), precious (Pro. 17:8).”
In the New Testament it occurs in 147 verses with 156 occurrences, “Strong’s Number,” “G5485,” being translated as “grace (first used in Luke 2:40), favor (Luke 1:30; 2:52; Acts 2:47; 7:10 & 46; 25:3), gracious (Luke 4:22), thank (Luke 6:32 & 33 & 34; 17:9; 1Ti. 1:12; 2Ti. 1:3), pleasure (Acts 24:27; 25:9), thanked (Rom. 6:17), thanks (1Co. 15:57; 2Co. 2:14; 8:16; 9:15), liberality (1Co. 16:3), benefit (2Co. 1:15), gift (2Co. 8:4), joy (Phm. 1:7), thankworthy (1Pe. 2:19), acceptable (1Pe. 2:20).”
It is commonly taught in protestant theology that “grace means, “The free unmerited favor of God towards mankind.” However, the New Testament Greek work for “grace” is “charis,” and a better definition would be, “God’s Divine influence upon our hearts which is reflected in one’s life.” This definition is confirmed in the Biblical contextual meaning of grace as found in Titus 2:11-12, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” In other words, New Testament “grace” is an INPUT/OUTPUT process. See also First Peter 20 where it is translated as “acceptable” to confirm this definition. The same meaning can be found in the Old Testament by seeing Deuteronomy 24:1 & Ruth 2:2.
In an example, when you have a Biblical definition of a word, such as “faith” in Hebrews 11:1, we should use that as our understanding of any Biblically used word.
2:42: “twelve years old” = Jewish custom teaches that manhood begins at the age of 13. This is when the ceremony of “Bar Mitzvah” is performed. But Christ here shows us that the age of accountability is 12.
“Christ did not enter upon His public ministry for eighteen years after this {Meaning He was 29 1/2 to 30 years old; see my Luke 2:23 Note}, but He was constantly ministering to others, improving every opportunity offered Him. Even in His childhood He spoke words of comfort and tenderness to young and old. His mother could but mark His words, His spirit, His willing obedience to all their requirements.” 5MR:103.3.
“The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of Heavenly things. The very words which He Himself had spoken to Moses for Israel He was now taught at His mother’s knee.” DA:70.
2:43-46: “Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it” = “This should be a lesson to those who are following Christ. If they neglect watchfulness and prayer, and become careless, they may, in one day lose Christ; but it may take many days of anxious, sorrowful search to find Him again, and to enjoy the peace of mind and consolation of His grace that they lost through vain talking, jesting, joking, and evil speaking, or even neglect of prayer.” 2SP:32; DA:83.
2:46: “three days” = This is representative of the “three days and three nights” that Christ would be in the grave, apparently lost to us. But in His resurrection, He is once again found. See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
“This should be a lesson to those who are following Christ. If they neglect watchfulness and prayer, and become careless, they may, in one day lose Christ; but it may take many days of anxious, sorrowful search to find Him again, and to enjoy the peace of mind and consolation of His grace that they lost through vain talking, jesting, joking, and evil speaking, or even neglect of prayer.” 1SP:32.
“After the celebration of the Passover, they sought Him sorrowing three days. When He should be slain for the sins of the world, He would be separated from them, lost to them, for three days. But after that. . . be found of them,” 2SP:36-37; RH, December 31, 1872; 5BC:1118; TMK:29.
“asking them questions” = “The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah speaks of the Saviour’s death, and Jesus read this Chapter, and asked its meaning.” GHA:44.
2:47: “were astonished” = The Greek word is “existemi,” and literally means, “completely outside the mind.”
“The doctors, and expounders of the Law, always taught the people publicly upon especial occasions. It was upon one of these occasions that Jesus gave manifest proofs of superior wisdom, penetration, and mature judgment. The people were more surprised because the parents of Christ were poor, and He had not received the advantages of education. The question passed from lip to lip, Whence has This Youth such wisdom, having never learned? While the parents of Christ were in search of Him, they saw large numbers flocking to the Temple; and as they entered It, the well-known voice of their Son arrested their attention. They could not get sight of Him for the crowd; but they knew that they were not mistaken, for no voice was like His, marked with solemn melody. The parents gazed in astonishment at the scene. Their Son, in the midst of the grave and learned doctors and scribes, was giving evidence of superior knowledge by His discreet questions and answers. His parents were gratified to see Him thus honored. But the mother could not forget the grief and anxiety she had suffered because of His tarry at Jerusalem, and she, in a reproving manner, inquired why He had thus dealt with them, relating her fears and sorrow on His account.” 2SP:33.1
2:48: “they [Joseph and His mother] were amazed” = “In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter’s trade, and thus honored all labor. . . His parents listened in amazement as they heard His searching inquiries. Jesus was taking advantage of the providential occasion that had opened to Him to diffuse light. He had led the rabbis and teachers to speak of the prophecies concerning the appearing of Messiah. They had presented their view of the matter, speaking of the wonderful elevation that this blessing would bring to the Jewish nation; but Jesus presented the prophecy of Isaiah, asking them the meaning of those scriptures that brought to view the humiliation, suffering, and death of the Son of God. Tho taking the attitude of a learner, Christ imparted light in every Word He uttered. He interpreted the Scripture to the darkened mind of the rabbis, and gave them clear light in regard to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. The sharp, clear questions of the child learner brought a flood of light to their darkened understanding. The truth shone out as the clear shining of a light in a darkened place, as He received and imparted the knowledge of the plan of salvation. . .
“The doctors and the wise men were amazed at the questions of the child Jesus, and desiring to encourage such a student of the prophecies, they sought to draw out the knowledge He had obtained. Joseph and Mary were as much astonished, as they heard the wise answers of their Son, as were the learned men themselves. When there was a pause in the conversation, Mary, the mother of Jesus, approached her Son, and asked, {verse 48 quoted}. Divine light shone through humanity as Jesus lifted His right hand and asked, {verse 49 quoted}.” ST, July 30, 1896; TMK:30; DA:78-79.
2:49: “How is it that ye sought Me” = Or better in the Greek, “How did you search for Me?” If they would have contemplated Christ’s overall mission, they would have searched the temple first.
“This pointed question was to lead them to see that if they had been mindful of their duty, they would not have left Jerusalem without Him. . . But these words modestly reflect back the censure upon themselves, in reminding them that, if they had not permitted themselves to be engrossed with matters of no special importance, they would not have had the trouble of searching for Him.” RH, December 31, 1872; 2SP:33.
“But these words modestly reflect back the censure upon themselves, in reminding them that, if they had not permitted themselves to be engrossed with matters of no special importance, they would not have had the trouble of searching for Him.” 1SP:34.
“wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business” = “. . . as they understood not His words, He pointed upward.” ARA:272; 4RH:164; GHA:44; DA:81; SpTB09:11.
“Mary knew that Christ did not refer to His earthly father, Joseph, but to Jehovah. She laid these things to heart, and profited by them.” 1SP:34.
“It was so natural for the parents of Christ to look upon Him as their own child, as parents commonly regard their children, that they were in danger of losing the precious blessing which daily attended them in the presence of Jesus, the world’s Redeemer. As Christ was daily with them, His life in many respects as other children, it was difficult to keep before them His sacred mission, and the daily blessing of having committed to their charge and parental care, for a while, the Son of God, whose Divinity was vailed with humanity. His tarry in Jerusalem was designed of Him as a gentle reminder to them of their duty, lest they should become indifferent in a greater degree, and lose the sense of the high favor God had conferred upon them.” 2SP:35.1.
SDA’s, Compare the above with this statement: “In the answer to His mother, Jesus showed for the first time that He understood His relation to God.” DA:81.
“Jesus was acquainted with hearts. He knew that, as the crowd returned in company from Jerusalem, there would be much talking and visiting which would not be seasoned with humility and grace, and the Messiah and His mission would be nearly forgotten. It was His choice to return from Jerusalem with His parents alone; for in being retired, His father and mother would have more time for reflection, and for meditation upon the prophecies which referred to His future sufferings and death. He did not wish that the painful events which they were to experience in His offering up His life for the sins of the world, to be new and unexpected to them.” RH, December 31, 1872.
“[35] Not one act in the life of Christ was unimportant. Every event of His life was for the benefit of His followers in future time. This circumstance of the tarry of Christ in Jerusalem teaches an important lesson to those who should believe on Him. Many had come a great distance to keep the Passover, instituted that the Hebrews might keep in memory their wonderful deliverance from Egypt. This ordinance was designed to call their minds from their world-loving interests, and from their cares and anxieties in relation to temporal concerns, and to review the works of God. They were to call to mind His miracles, His mercies and Loving-kindness, to them, that their love and reverence for Him might increase, and lead them to [36]
“ever look to Him, and trust in Him in all their trials, and not turn to other gods.
“The observance of the Passover possessed a mournful interest to the Son of God. He saw in the slain lamb a symbol of His Own death. The people who celebrated this ordinance were instructed to associate the slaying of the lamb with the future death of the Son of God. The blood, marking the door-posts of their houses, was the symbol of the blood of Christ which was to be efficacious for the believing sinner, in cleansing him from sin, and sheltering him from the wrath of God which was to come upon the impenitent and unbelieving world, as the wrath of God fell upon the Egyptians. But none could be benefited by this special provision made by God for the salvation of man unless they should perform the work the Lord left them to do. They had a part to act themselves, and by their acts to manifest their faith in the provision made for their salvation.
“Jesus was acquainted with hearts. He knew that, as the crowd returned in company from Jerusalem, there would be much talking and visiting which would not be seasoned with humility and grace, and the Messiah and His mission would be nearly forgotten. It was His choice to return from Jerusalem with His parents alone; for in being retired, his father and mother would have more time for reflection, and for meditation upon the prophecies which referred to His future sufferings and death. He did not wish that the painful events which they were to experience in His offering up His life for the sins of the world, to be new and unexpected to them. He was separated from them in their return from Jerusalem. After the celebration of the Passover, they sought Him [37]
“sorrowing three days. When He should be slain for the sins of the world, He would be separated from them, lost to them, for three days. But after that, He would reveal Himself to them, and be found of them, and their faith rely upon Him as the Redeemer of the fallen race, the Advocate with the Father in their behalf.
“Here is a lesson of instruction to all the followers of Christ. He designed that none of these lessons should be lost, but be written for the benefit of future generations. There is necessity of carefulness of words and actions when Christians are associated together, lest Jesus be forgotten of them, and they pass along careless of the fact that Jesus is not among them. When they are aroused to their condition, they discover that they have journeyed without the presence of Him Who could give peace and joy to their hearts, and days are occupied in returning, and searching for Him Whom they should have retained with them every moment. Jesus will not be found in the company of those who are careless of His presence, and who engage in conversation having no reference to their Redeemer, in Whom they profess their hopes of eternal life are centered. Jesus shuns the company of such, so also do the angels who do His Commands. These Heavenly messengers are not attracted to the crowd where minds are diverted from Heavenly things. These pure and holy spirits cannot remain in the company where Jesus’ presence is not desired and encouraged, and His absence not marked. For this reason, great mourning, grief, and discouragement exist. Through lack of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they have lost all that is valuable. The Divine rays of light emanating from Jesus are not with them, [38]
“cheering them with their Loving, elevating influence. They are enshrouded in gloom, because their careless, irreverent spirit has separated Jesus from their company, and driven the ministering angels from them.
“Many who attend meetings of devotion, and have been instructed by the servants of God, and been greatly refreshed and blessed in seeking Jesus, have returned to their homes no better than they left them, because they did not feel the importance of praying and watching thereunto, as they returned to their homes.” 2SP:35-38.
CHAPTER THREE
3:1: “fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” = 27 A.D., the beginning of Christ’s ministry. This can easily be determined by the irrefutable evidence as supplied by coins of the time. It is well established when the “Battle of Actium” was, in B.C. 31. The coin labeled as “RPC, 4270,” identifies the Alpha year (year one) of Tiberius as in the 45th Actian year following the “Battle of Actium” in September 2nd, B.C. 31, which brings his reigning year as 14 A.D. The coin labeled as “RPC, 4330,” identifies the Gamma year (year three) of Tiberius as in the 47th Actian year following the “Battle of Actium,” in September 2nd, B.C. 31, which brings us to 16 A.D. Tiberius began to reign in 12 A.D. Twelve plus fifteen equals 27. See my Bible Study: “CHRONOLOGICAL CHART.”
“Herod the tetrarch” = Here is my Matthew 14:1 Note: 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.
3:2: “John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” = See my Luke 1:80 & 3:10 Notes.
3:4: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” = It is not fitting for a king to be jolted by a rough road. So Christ’s Coming is to be preceded by roadwork of His people.
3:8: “begin not to say within yourselves” = Here is my Matthew 3:9 Note: “The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness.” DA:309.
3:9: “cast into the fire” = Here is my Matthew 3:10 & 12 Note: 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.
3:10: “What shall we do then” = “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.
3:16: “One mightier than I cometh. . . fire” = See Acts 2:4.
Here is my Matthew 3:11 Note: “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.
3:21: “praying” = According to DA:112 this is what Jesus prayed: “He pleads with the Father for power to overcome their unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and in their behalf to conquer the destroyer. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son.”
3:22: “a voice” = Here is my Matthew 3:17 Note: Also, “lightning’s flash from the cloudless heavens.” 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.
3:23: “Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age” = In the Greek text, the context supplies the object. The key to understanding the true age of our Lord is found in this verse and a correct understanding of the Greek; specifically, the Greek word translated as “about;” that being, “hosei.” If you cross reference this Greek word to other texts where it is used, a better understanding of it becomes clearer. See its use in Mark 14:21 (“about five thousand”) and other places, and you can see that it literally means, and should be translated as, “Jesus Himself began to be nearing thirty years of age.” Greek is a mathematically exact language. In other words, Jesus was nearing, but had not yet reached, His thirtieth year. Therefore, at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, He was “about” (“nearing”) between 29 1/2 to 30 years of age.
This can also be proven mathematically by seeing my Bible Study: “CHRIST, BIRTH MONTH OF,” in which I prove His birth date to be B.C. 2. Or see my Bible Study: “CHRONOLOGICAL LAYOUT (ADAM TO 2000 A.D.),” in which I then prove Christ’s date of His death as being 31 A.D. Since geologist’s and chronologists do not count zero year, this puts Christ age at death as being 33 1/2.
Also, according to John 2;20, the “Jews” responded to Jesus by telling us that the “temple” was built “Forty and six years” ago. Historically we know that Herod began the building of that temple in B.C. 19. Counting the zero year (Jewish reckoning; they are just counting years here), that would bring us to 27 A.D.; the beginning and baptism of our Lord’s ministry.
By contrast, according to Numbers 4:3, Christ would need to be 30 years of age in order to begin His High Priesthood ministry, as described in Hebrews 5:6 & 10; 6:20; 7:11 &17 &21, “after the order of Melchisedec.” This is why He did not start His ministry before He reached the age of 30.
“Christ had sojourned in the world for thirty-three years,” 3SP:250; RC:67. See Numbers 4:3.
“Son of Joseph” = See my Jeremiah 22:30 Note. We are talking about Jewish customs and economy here. In the official records in the Temple at Jerusalem, Jesus was registered as the first-born of Joseph and Mary; meaning He is the Son of Joseph (see Luke 2:21).
It must be realized that the prophecy of a Coming Messiah did not specify whether or not He would come through the father or mother. However, the obvious prophecy is that He would come through the “line of David,” Second Samuel7:12; First Chronicles 17:11; Psalm 132:11; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25; fulfilled in Matthew 1:1; 9:27; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:30; 13:22-23. Thus, Matthew’s account follows the kingly linage of Messiah.
Therefore, what is Luke’s account a record of? Luke follows the eventual adoptive account of Messiah through Joseph adopting Mary’s child. That an adoptive child, according to Jewish law, inherits all of the possessions of the adoptive father, please re-read the Book of Ruth.
“After handing It back to Its mother, he inscribed the name ‘Jesus’ on the roll of the first-born. . . and when he enrolled the child’s name, he was enrolling the name of One Who was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy.” DA:54.
According to Jeremiah 22:28-30 God stated, “Write this man childless.” This “man Coniah,” verse 28, was “Jeconiah,” “Coniah” being just another one of Jeremiah’s names. He was the last king of David’s line. What is significant here is that if this prophecy is to come true, the line of the Messiah would be cut off, and Christ could not have Come to redeem us. Therefore, how is this fixed?
The meaning is not that Jeconiah was “childless,” for he had Salathiel, but that the royal lineage would be cursed. If we follow the lineage of David, as seen and recognized by Matthew’s account, in his First Chapter, we come to verse 16which states that, “Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary.” Note that Matthew lists Joseph as “the husband,” and not as “the father,” except in a legal sense. Thus, the royal lineage (Joseph’s) meets the true blood lineage (Mary’s) reuniting royalty to the blood lineage. Now Jesus can be the King that He really is, but also in His humanity, the (our High) Priest that He really is. The true Priestly/King.
Therefore, we have to go back to the account in Numbers 26:3 and find Zelophehad, who had five daughters and “no sons.” What we learn here is that in the Torah, there is an exception to the rules of lineage. And when we get to Joshua 17:4 we see these daughters taking advantage of this. When they married, their father Zelophehad adopted their husbands as if they were his own sons. What this does is anticipates the lineage of our Lord. How? According to Matthew’s lineage, Joseph was the son-in-law of Eli. Whereas, in Luke’s account (3:23), the Greek word used to describe Jesus’ lineage, is “nomizo,” for what is translated as, “was supposed,” meaning, “reckoned as by law.” So, the real meaning comes out as being properly translated as Joseph being the “son-in-law of Eli.” Thus, the only way out of this problem is to have Joseph to be inherited by Eli as his son, making Jesus a rightful inheritor, or heir of the lineage.
“Which was the son of Heli” = Meaning, not that Joseph was the son of Heli, that is, “Eli,” (“Heli” being from the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name rendered in English as “Eli”) for he was the son of Jacob, according to Matthew 1:16. Joseph was the son of Eli, in that he married Eli’s daughter Mary. That Mary was the daughter of Eli can be seen by the way the Jews speak of one Mary, the daughter of Eli, by whom they seem to design the mother of our Lord: for they tell us of one, “that saw, Mary the daughter of Eli,” “T. Hieros. Sanhedrin,” fol. 25. 3, continuing, “in the shades, hanging by the fibres of her breasts; and there are that say, the gate, or, as elsewhere, the bar of the gate of hell is fixed to her [referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus] ear.’’ “Ib. Chagiga,” fol. 77. 4.
Also, it is totally acceptable in Jewish terminology, that the term “son of,” can either mean “son of,” or “son-in-law of.” Among the Hebrew people the terms for “father” and “son,” “mother” and “daughter,” “brother” and “sister,” et cetera, were commonly used to include a more distant relationship than the words imply in the English. Therefore, Luke’s account is actually Mary’s genealogy, the Humanity lineage of Christ, while Matthew’s genealogy is the Kingly lineage of Christ.
To further clarify, Luke carefully avoids stating that Jesus was the son of Joseph (believing Him to be the Son of God). However, his using of the parenthetical expression, “as was supposed,” not only implies the absence of direct blood relationship but suggests as well that legally and popularly Jesus was considered the son of Joseph, even though now Luke is going to trace the lineage through Mary.
That Biblically the husband of the bride can be adopted by the father of the bride, see Numbers 32:41; First Chronicles 2:21-23 & 34-35; Ezra 2:61; Nehemiah 7:63.
It is also possible that Mary was the only child of Heli, and by marrying her, Joseph became the legal son and heir of Heli, which would be in harmony with the provisions of the levirate marriage law as given in the time of Moses (see Deu. 25:5-9; Hebrews never permitted women to enter into their genealogical tables, whenever a family happened to end with a daughter. Instead of naming her in the genealogy, they inserted her husband, as the son of him who was, in reality, his father-in-law).
Another explanation is that Luke’s account differs from Matthew’s in that Matthew traces the line through David’s son, Solomon, to Coniah, or Jeconiah, a man upon whom God pronounced a curse (see Jer. 23:28-30). Therefore, although Joseph was technically in line to take the throne, if indeed there was a throne being given, spiritually he couldn’t do so because his line had been cursed. Therefore, Luke traces the line through Mary, upon whose line no curse was rendered.
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.
Now we can ignore the traditional Christian explanation to an extent, in that “Luke is the genealogy of Mary, while Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph.” In fact, both are the genealogy of Christ, our Lord; one being the Kingly line (Matthew), while the other being the Priestly line (Luke).
To conclude then, the Jacob of Matthews account (1:16), was the true father of Joseph, the husband of Mary; while Heli of Luke’s account (3:23), was the father-in-law of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
3:35-36: “Sala. . . Cainan” = Sala is said to be the son of Cainan, and he the son of Arphaxad, whereas Sala was the son of Arphaxad (Gen. 10:24; 11:12), and there is no such man as Cainan found there. Thus, we are given another name is the genealogical lists; all-be-it not necessarily in the correct order.
CHAPTER FOUR
4:1: “was led by the Spirit” = Here is my Matthew 4:1 Note: 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.
4:2: “He did eat nothing” = Here is my Matthew 4:2 Note: “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, p. 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; 5BC:1079.
4:3: “If Thou be the Son of God” = Here is my Matthew 4:6 Note: “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.
“command this stone” = Here is my Matthew 4:3 Note: 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.
4:4: “Man shall not live by bread alone” & “but by every Word of God” = Here is my Matthew 4:4 Note: See Deuteronomy 8:3.
“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 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.
4:5: “shewed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world” = Here is my Matthew 4:8: 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.
4:5-6: “The devil. . . will I give Thee. . . for that is delivered unto me” (“kingdoms; power; glory”) = The devil could not claim that it is his and Christ be silent unless it was true. What is VERY interesting to note is that in the prayer taught to the disciples, Christ’s ending statement gives it back to God, i.e., “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13.
4:6 & 9: “If Thou be the Son of God” = Here is my Matthew 4:6 Note: “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.
“[94] 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.
4:7: “worship me” = Here is my Matthew 4:9 Note: 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.
4:8: “it is written” = This is the second time our Lord states this in Luke’s account. It is phrased a little different in Matthew’s account. Therefore, see my Matthew 4:7 Note. However, the principle of answering with Scripture is clearly set forth when Luke points out that our Lord, in all three temptations of the Devil, uses, “it is written” (see Luke 4:12 where it is stated as: “It is said,” the first occurrence being in Luke 4:4).
4:9: “set Him on a pinnacle of the temple” = Here is my Matthew 4:5 Note: “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.
4:12: “It is said” = Here is my Matthew 4:7 Note: 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.
4:16: “as His custom was” = By the time of Christ, the Jews were holding a weekly Divine worship service on the Sabbath. Those who lived in Jerusalem would attend special prayer services in the temple, where the liturgy was different from what it was on the other days of the week. Jews who lived in other parts of the world developed the synagogue as a place of social gathering and worship. On Sabbaths, as long as a minimum of ten males was present (a minyan), a Divine worship service could take place.
4:17: “there was delivered unto Him the Book” = “[110] At the close of the service, Jesus rose with calm dignity, and requested them to bring Him the Book of the prophet Esaias. . . [111] the people were thrilled with the wisdom and power of His Words and responded to them with fervent amens and praises to the Lord. Jesus had not been educated in the school of the prophets, yet the most learned Rabbis could not speak with more confidence and authority than did this young Galilean.
“His impressive manner, the mighty import of His Words, and the Divine light that emanated from His countenance, thrilled the people with a power they had never experienced before, as Jesus stood before them, a Living expositor of the prophet’s Words concerning Himself. But when He announced: ‘This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears,’ the minds of His hearers were brought back to consider what were this Man’s claims to the Messiahship -- the highest position that man could occupy.
“The interest of the congregation had been thoroughly awakened, and their hearts had been stirred with joy; but Satan was at hand to suggest doubts and unbelief, and they remembered [112] Who it was that addressed them as the blind, and the captives in bondage who needed special aid.” 2SP:110-112.
4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me” = This comes to us from Isaiah 61:1 (see also Mat. 11:5).
“There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed their sick.” SC:11; ST, June 17, 1889; BTS, January 1, 1909; PaM:283.
“to the poor” = The “Tanach” translates it as, “to the humble.” This is a better translation of the Greek word “ptochos,” as Jesus is quoting Isaiah 61:1, which translates as, “unto the meek.”
“To set at liberty them that are bruised” = Tese words are not in Isaiah 61:1. Or they are and we have lost them. Or our Lord added them in order to better explain the passage more fully, because we do find this phrase in the “Septuagint” Version of Isaiah 58:6, from whence they seem to be taken. Or else He borrowed it from Isaiah 42:7.
4:19: “acceptable year of the Lord” = This refers to the Sabbatical year, i.e., the year after the seventh, that is, the seventh year, i.e., the Jubilee year; which is the fiftieth year after the seven Sabbaths of years, i.e., Pentecost. On the Sabbath for the land see Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 19:9-10; 25:6; Deuteronomy 24:19-22. On the remission of debts owed by fellow citizens see Deuteronomy 15:16.
On the release of slaves see Exodus 21:2-6 & Deuteronomy 15:12-18. On the restoration of land to its original owner see Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-55; 27:16-25; Numbers 36:4. That this text that Christ read from the Book of Isaiah (61:2) refers to these sabbatical institutions is clear by the context, which Jesus surely emphasized; that being the liberation of the “poor,” “brokenhearted,” “captives,” “blind [better -- prisoners],” and “bruised.”
4:20: “And He closed the Book” = “But why did not Christ finish the statement recorded in Isaiah? Why did He omit the clause, ‘and the day of vengeance of our God?’ The latter portion of this sentence was just as much truth as the first part; and Christ did not deny the truth by His silence, by with-holding a portion of His own words given to His chosen prophet. But this last clause was that upon which His hearers delighted to dwell, and which they were inclined to practice, pronouncing judgment upon all who were not of their religious faith. Instead of giving to the people words of truth and righteousness and forgiveness, they had taught them that God hated all the heathen world. The paternal character of God had been misrepresented, and buried beneath human traditions.” ST, January 14, 1897.
4:22: “Is not this Joseph’s Son” = Here is my Matthew 13:55 Note: 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.
4:23: “He said unto them” = “But Jesus now showed them a sign of His Divine character by revealing the secrets of their minds.” 2SP:112.
“Physician, heal thyself” = “But the physician. . . occupies a position even more responsible than that of the minister of the gospel.” 5T:439.
4:28: “filled with wrath” = They were not only “filled with wrath” because of the gentile receiving honor over the Jewish nation, which here Jesus points out, but more importantly and missed by many, and as to the cause to want to kill Him (verse 29), was because of His claim of being that Messiah that was to Come and was here now in the form of Him (verse 21).
“They now scorned the faith and reverence with which Jesus had at first inspired them, and they refused to acknowledge that this Man, Who had sprung from poverty and lowliness, was other than a common Man. They would own no king who came unattended by riches and honor, and who stood not at the head of imposing legions.
“[114] Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled their minds, and they cried out against the Saviour with wrath and hatred. The assembly broke up, and the wicked people laid hands upon Jesus, thrusting Him from the Synagogue, and out of their city, and would have killed Him if they had been able to do so. All seemed eager for His destruction. They hurried Him to the brow of a steep precipice, intending to cast Him headlong from it. Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones and dirt at Him; but suddenly He disappeared out of their midst, they knew not how, or when. Angels of God attended Jesus in the midst of that infuriated mob, and preserved His life. The Heavenly messengers were by His side in the [115]
“Synagogue, while He was speaking; and they accompanied Him when pressed and urged on by the unbelieving, infuriated Jews. These angels blinded the eyes of that maddened throng, and conducted Jesus to a place of safety.” 2SP:114-115.
4:29-30: “But He passing through the midst of them went His way” = “A contention arose among themselves as to what they should do with Him, when the angels again hid Him from the sight of the multitude,” 1SG:36.
“. . . angels blinded the eyes of that maddened throng, and conducted Jesus to a place of safety.” 2SP:115.
4:34: “Let us alone” = Here is my Mark 1:24 Note: “There was a man in the Synagogue who was possessed of the spirit of Satan. He broke in upon the discourse of Jesus with a piercing shriek, that chilled the blood of the hearers with a nameless terror. . . Satan’s object in leading his wretched victim to the Synagogue, was to distract the attention of the people from Jesus to the paroxysms of the poor sufferer and prevent the Words of truth from reaching the hearts of the people.” 2SP:177.
“The sufferer tried to appeal to Jesus for help, but when he opened his lips, the demon put words in his mouth so that he shrieked out in an agony of fear,” 2SP:178.
“. . . this demon was the same evil spirit that had tempted Him in the wilderness.” 2SP:180.
“[255] All was now confusion and alarm. The attention of the people was diverted from Christ, and His words were unheeded. This was Satan’s purpose in leading his victim to the synagogue. . .
“The mind of this wretched sufferer had been darkened by Satan, but in the Saviour’s presence a ray of light had pierced the gloom. He was roused to long for freedom from Satan’s control; but the demon resisted the power of Christ. When the man tried to appeal to Jesus for help, the evil spirit put words into his mouth, and he cried out in an agony of fear. The demoniac partially comprehended that he was in the presence of One Who could set him free; but when he tried to come within reach of that mighty hand, another’s will held him, another’s words found utterance through him. The conflict between the power of Satan and his own desire for freedom was terrible. [256]
“He who had conquered Satan in the wilderness of temptation was again brought face to face with His enemy. The demon exerted all his power to retain control of his victim. To lose ground here would be to give Jesus a victory. It seemed that the tortured man must lose his life in the struggle with the foe that had been the ruin of his manhood. But the Saviour spoke with authority, and set the captive free. The man who had been possessed stood before the wondering people happy in the freedom of self-possession. Even the demon had testified to the Divine power of the Saviour.
“The man praised God for his deliverance. The eye that had so lately glared with the fire of insanity, now beamed with intelligence, and overflowed with grateful tears. The people were dumb with amazement.” DA:255-256.
“Thou Jesus of Nazareth” = “[178] By his own sinful course, this man had placed himself on the enemy’s ground, and Satan had taken possession of all his faculties, so that when the gloom of his understanding was pierced by feeble rays of light from the Saviour’s presence, the conflict between his desire for freedom and the devil’s power threw him into terrible contortions, and drew from him unearthly cries. The demon exerted all his hellish power to retain the control of his victim. To lose ground here would be to give Jesus a victory. He Who had, in His Own Person, conquered the prince of the power of darkness in the wilderness of temptation, was now again brought face to face with His enemy.
“It seemed that the tortured man must lose his life in the terrible struggle with the demon that had been the ruin of his manhood. Only One power could break this cruel tyranny. Jesus spoke with a voice of authority and set the captive free. The demoniac spirit made a last effort [179]
“to rend the life from his victim before he was forced to depart. Then the man who had been possessed stood before the wondering people happy in the freedom of self-possession. In the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, before the assembled congregation, the prince of darkness was again met and conquered. And even the demon had testified to the Divine power of the Saviour, crying, ‘Thou Jesus of Nazareth!’ ” 2SP:178-179.
“[179] It was not according to the will of God that this man should be visited with so terrible an affliction as to be delivered wholly into the hands of Satan. The secret source of his calamity, which had made him a fearful spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself, was in his own life. The pleasures of sin had fascinated him, the path of dissipation had looked bright and tempting, he had thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a disgust and terror to the world and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent in innocent folly; but once on the downward path, his feet rapidly descended till he had broken the laws of health and morality.
“[180] Intemperance and frivolity chained his senses, the fine qualities of his mind were perverted, and Satan stepped in and took absolute control of him.” 2SP:179-180.
4:35: “hold thy peace” = Here is my Mark 1:25 Note: The Greek is “phimoo,” which literally means, “be muzzled.” Jesus uses this same term (Command; notice Jesus is Commanding them; He is not saying, The Lord rebuke the) when He quiets the storm in Mark 4:39, “be still,” and Luke 4:35, “Hold thy peace.”
4:38: “He [Jesus] arose out of the Synagogue” = Here is my Mark 1:29 Note: Take notice that all these miracles were done upon the Sabbath day, which further maddened the Pharisees.
“Their influence prevented many from applying to Jesus for relief from their infirmities upon the Sabbath day. They feared being stigmatized as transgressors of the Law. But no sooner had the sun passed out of sight in the west than a great commotion ensued. The diseased flocked to Jesus from every quarter. Those who had sufficient strength came by themselves, but a much larger number were borne by their friends to the great Physician.” 2SP:181.1.
CHAPTER FIVE
5:1: “lake of Gennesaret” = Called also the “Sea of Galilee” and the “Sea of Tiberias.” “Gennesaret” was the more ancient name of the lake, taken from a small territory or plain of that name on its western borders. See Numbers 34:11 & Joshua 19:35, where, after the Hebrew orthography, it is called “Chinnereth.”
5:3: “He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s” = “[182] The disciples had not yet fully joined themselves to Jesus to be co-laborers with Him. . . [183] Jesus frequently dismissed them to visit their homes and rest,” 2SP:182-183.
5:4-8: “He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” = The Greek for “net” here is “diktuon,” and can be translated in the singular as “net,” or in the plural as “nets.” The word occurs 12 times in the Bible and is translated 50 percent as “net” and “nets,” respectively.
Most likely Jesus here, aligning with the poor faith of the disciples at this point, only used the singular form. This can also be deduced, in that verse 6, is then translated as only one “net” being at the breaking point; and in verse 5, Peter states that he will let down “the net,” singular, as our Lord Commanded.
“The discourse ended, Jesus turned to Peter, and bade him launch out into the sea, and let down his net for a draft; but Peter was disheartened. All night he had taken nothing. During the lonely hours he had thought of the fate of John the Baptist, who was languishing alone in his dungeon. He had thought of the prospect before Jesus and His followers, and of the ill-success of the mission to Judea, and the malice of the priests and rabbis. Even his own occupation had failed him; and as he watched by the empty nets, the future had seemed dark with discouragement. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.’
“Night was the only favorable time for fishing with nets in the clear waters of the lake. After toiling all night without success, it seemed hopeless to cast the net by day; but Jesus had given the Command, and love for their Master moved the disciples to obey. Simon and his brother together let down the net. As they attempted to draw it in, so great was the quantity of fish enclosed that it began to break. They were obliged to summon James and John to their aid. When the catch was secured, both the boats were so heavily laden that they were in danger of sinking.
“But Peter was unmindful now of boats or lading. This miracle, above any other he had ever witnessed, was to him a manifestation of Divine power. In Jesus he saw One who held all nature under His control. The presence of Divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net, Peter fell at the Saviour’s feet exclaiming, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
“Alto Peter said to Christ, ‘Depart from me,’ he still clung to the Saviour’s knees, feeling that he could not be parted from Him. ‘And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.’ When they had brought their ships to land, Peter and his companions forsook all, and followed Jesus. Thus were these humble fishermen called by the God of Heaven to their life-work.” ST, May 6, 1908; DA:245-246.
“Peter was thoroughly disheartened; not only was he sorrowful because of the death of John the Baptist, and his mind tortured with unbelief in consequence of that event, but he was discouraged in regard to his temporal prospects.” 2SP:185.
5:8: “Depart from me” = “But even as he spoke, he was clinging to the feet of Jesus, and would not have been willing for the Saviour to take him at his word, even if he had attempted to do so. . . These four disciples {Andrew; Peter; James; John} were more closely associated with Jesus in His earthly life than any of the others.” 2SP:185.
“. . . yet he clung to the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from Him. . . It was after Peter had been led to self-renunciation and dependence upon Divine power that he received the call to his work for Christ.” DA:246.
5:10: “from henceforth thou shalt catch men” = See Matthew 4:19 Note: “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.
5:12: “a man full of leprosy” = Here is my Matthew 8:2 Note: “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.
5:13: “put forth His hand, and touched him” = Here is my Matthew 8:3 Note: 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”).
“be thou clean” = Here is my Matthew 8:3 Note: “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.
5:14: “tell no man” = Here is my Matthew 8:4 Note: “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 for thy cleansing, according as Moses Commanded, for a testimony unto them” = Here is my Matthew 8:4 Note: 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.”
5:17: “the power of the Lord was present to heal them” = Notice that the Lord’s healing power was there to heal the “Pharisees and doctors of the Law.” But only those who have faith -- see my verse 20 Note -- that can take advantage of it.
5:18: “a man which was taken with a palsy” = Here is my Matthew 9:2 Note: “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.
5:20: “their faith” = Notice that it is because of the “faith” of the friends of the “man which was taken with a palsy,” verse 18, that Jesus healed him. Most likely, based upon our Lord’s statement, that the man with the palsy started out with having faith in his friend’s faith about Jesus.
“palsy” = Here is my Matthew 9:2 Note: 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. . . [294] 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.
5:25: “immediately he rose up” = Here is my Matthew 9:7 Note: “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.
“his own house” = Here is my Matthew 9:7 Note: “[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.
5:26: “they were all amazed” = Here is my Matthew 9:8 Note: “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.
5:29: “Levi made him a great feast” = “Matthew was wealthy, but he was willing to sacrifice all for his Master. He had many friends and acquaintances whom he was anxious should become followers of Jesus, and he was desirous that they should have an opportunity to meet Him. He felt certain that they would be charmed with His pure and simple doctrine, taught without ostentation or display.
“He accordingly made a feast at his own house and called together his friends and relatives, among whom were a number of publicans. Jesus was invited as a Guest, in Whose honor the feast was prepared. He, with His disciples, accepted the courteous invitation, and graced the banquet with His presence. The envious scribes and Pharisees, who were ever watching and following the movements of Jesus, did not lose this opportunity of seeking to condemn the cause of Christ.” 2SP:188.
“a great company of publicans and of others” = Here is my Matthew 9:10 Note: “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.
5:30: “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners” = Here is my Matthew 9:11 Note: “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.
5:32: “I came not to call the righteous” = Here is my Matthew 9:13 Note: “[189] 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.
“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.” ST, August 18, 1890 (2ST:402; 3ST, 270 & 392); ST, March 18, 1903 (4ST:283).
5:33: “the disciples of John” = Here is my Matthew 9:14 Note: “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.
5:36-37: “an old. . . new wine” = Here is my Matthew 9:16-17 Note: “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.
CHAPTER SIX
6:1: “on the second Sabbath after the first” = See my Bible Study: “MONTHS, BIBLICAL,” in order to better understand Jewish Months. This would be the month of Nisan, Nehemiah 2:1; Esther 3:7 (originally Abib = Exo. 12:1-2), which is our April. And since it is “the second Sabbath” this is most likely on (for sure near) Passover.
According to “Albert Barns Notes On The Bible,” we have this explanation: “This phrase has given great perplexity to commentators. A ‘literal’ translation would be, ‘on the Sabbath called ‘second first,’ ’ or second first Sabbath. The word occurs nowhere else. It is therefore exceedingly difficult of interpretation. The most natural and easy explanation is that proposed by Scaliger. The ‘second day’ of the Passover was a great festival, on which the wave-sheaf was offered, Lev. 23:11. From ‘that day’ they reckoned ‘seven weeks,’ or seven ‘Sabbaths,’ to the day of Pentecost. The ‘first’ Sabbath after that ‘second day’ was called the ‘second first,’ or the first from the second day of the feast. The ‘second’ Sabbath was called the ‘second second,’ or the second Sabbath from the second day of the feast; the third the ‘third second,’ etc. This day, therefore, on which the Saviour went through the fields, was the first Sabbath that occurred after the second day of the feast.”
6:6-11: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it” = 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.
6:13: “He chose twelve” = Here is my Matthew 10:1 Note: “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.
6:20: “Blessed be ye poor” = Here is my Matthew 5:3 Note: 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.
6:21: “Blessed are ye that weep” = Here is my Matthew 5:4 Note: “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.
6:22: “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you. . . for the Son of man’s sake. = See Psalm 34:15 & Matthew 5:10.
6:31: “as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” = Here is my Matthew 7:12 Note: 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?
CHAPTER SEVEN
7:1: “Capernaum” = Here is my Matthew 8:5 Note: “[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.
7:3: “he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews” = “[316] The Jewish elders who recommended the centurion to Christ had [317] shown how far they were from possessing the spirit of the gospel. They did not recognize that our great need is our only claim on God’s mercy. In their self-righteousness they commended the centurion because of the favor he had shown to ‘our nation.’ But the centurion said of himself, ‘I am not worthy.’ His heart had been touched by the grace of Christ. He saw his own unworthiness; yet he feared not to ask help. He trusted not to his own goodness; his argument was his great need. His faith took hold upon Christ in His true character. He did not believe in Him merely as a worker of miracles, but as the Friend and Saviour of mankind.” DA 316-317.
7:14: “touched the bier” = According to Thayer’s Greek Definitions, Jesus “touched” the “receptacle for keeping the bones of the dead,” or “the funeral couch.” And according to Strong’s, Jesus touched the “coffin.” Had Jesus “touched” the dead body itself, He would have been ceremonially “unclean” for “seven days,” Numbers 19:16. In addition, this was a funeral procession and not someone who had just died.
7:19: “John calling” = Here is my Matthew 4:12 Note: “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.
“Art Thou” = Here is my Matthew 11:3 Note: “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.
7:22: “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard” = Here is my Matthew 11:4 Note: = “[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.
“the dead are raised” = Here is my Matthew 11:5 Note: “The dead are raised. . . His voice reached the ears of those who were dying, and they arose and became strong.” ST, May 29, 1893.
7:23: “offended” = Here is my Matthew 11:6 Note: 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.
7:24: “A reed shaken with the wind” = Here is my Matthew 11:7 Note: “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
7:25: “A man clothed in soft raiment” = Here is my Matthew 11:8 Note: 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.
7:26: “much more than a prophet” = Here is my Matthew 11:9 Note: 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.
7:28: “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” = Here is my Matthew 11:11 Note: “[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.
“he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater” = Speaking of John the Baptist. Here is my Matthew 11:11 Note: 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.
“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.
“[84] 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.
7:37: “brought an alabaster box of ointment” = Here is my Matthew 26:12 Note: “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.
7:42: “which of them will love him most” = “[381] 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 [382] 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:381-382.
7:44: “said unto Simon” = “The proud Pharisee had considered that he had sufficiently honored Jesus by inviting Him to his house; and in his self-consequence had neglected to show Him the proper regard due to so exalted a Guest, and to One Who had wrought upon him a miracle of mercy. Jesus encouraged acts of heart-felt courtesy, and the woman, whose gratitude and love was expressed in her act of attention, was highly commended by the Saviour:” 2SP:382.
“[382] Simon’s eyes were opened to his neglect and unbelief. He was touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before all the guests. He perceived that Jesus did not wish to exhibit his guilt and his want of gratitude to others, but desired to convince his mind by a true statement of his case, and to subdue his heart by pitying kindness. Stern denunciation would have closed the heart of Simon against [383] repentance; but patient admonition convinced him of his error and won his heart. He saw the magnitude of the debt which he owed his Lord, and became a humble, self-sacrificing man.” 2SP:382-383.
CHAPTER EIGHT
8:2: “Mary called Magdalene” = See my Bible Study: “MARY MAGDALENE.” SDA’s, See my Bible Study, “MARY MAGDALENE [UNDER SDA].”
8:5: “sower” = Here is my Matthew 13:3: 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 sower, He had illustrated the doctrine He had come to the world to teach.” 2SP:236.3.
“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.
8:6: “a rock” = Here is my Matthew 13:5 Note: “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.
8:19: “His mother and His brethren” = Here is my Matthew 12:46 Note: “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.
“[86] His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called. . . [87] 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.
8:22-25: “wondered” = Here is my Matthew 8:25-27 Note: “[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.
8:23: “storm of wind” = See my Matthew 8:24 Note: 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.
8:24: “we perish” = Here is my Matthew 8:25 Note: “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.
8:25: “Where is your faith” = Here is my Matthew 8:26 Note: 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.
8:27: “a certain man” = Here is my Matthew 8:28 Note: 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.”
8:28: “a loud voice said” = Here is my Matthew 8:29 Note: “[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.
8:32-33: “they besought Him” = Here is my Matthew 8:31-32 Note: 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.
8:39: “He went His way” = Here is my Matthew 8:34 Note: “[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.
8:42: “as He went” = Here is my Matthew 9:19 Note: “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.
8:43: “spent all her living upon physicians” = It is interesting to note that some Bible commentators have noted the carefulness and defense of Luke towards his profession, that of being a physician, in this text. They note how Mark, in Mark 5:26, relays this incident, having this certain woman needing healing and “had suffered many things of many physicians [not a good report, but against physicians altogether is the feeling of the text], and had spent all that she had, and was noting bettered but rather grew worse.” Whereas Luke, most likely attempting to defend, or justify his fellow professional colleagues, merely states that this same woman “had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.” In other words, they had done all that they could, but this was an incurable type of disease.
8:44: “touched the border 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.”
8:45: “Who touched Me” = Here is my Mark 5:30 Note: “[320] The blessed Redeemer could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless crowd. He well knew all the circumstances of the case, and would not pass such confidence and trust without comment. [321]
“He would address to the humble woman words of comfort that would be to her a well-spring of joy. He would address to the humble woman words of comfort that would be to her a well-spring of joy.” 2SP:320-321.
8:47: “she came trembling” = Here is my Mark 5:33 Note: “She feared that her act in touching His garment had been one of presumption,” ST, June 1, 1904; MH:61.
8:48: “thy faith hath made thee whole” = Here is my Matthew 9:22 Note: “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.
8:51: “He came into the house” = Here is my Matthew 9:23 Note: “[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.
8:56: “He charged them that they should tell no man” = Here is my Matthew 9:30 Note: 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.
CHAPTER NINE
9:2: “He sent them to preach” = Here is my Matthew 10:5 Note: “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.
9:3: “staves” - Here is my Matthew 10:10 Note: 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.”
9:6: “preaching the Gospel” = Here is my Matthew 4:23 Note: 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. However, according to that verse, that had not yet taken place, and yet here they are, “preaching the Gospel.” 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.
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.
9:7: “that John was risen from the dead” = Here is my Matthew 14:2-3 Note: “The Lord followed Herod as is described in Deuteronomy, [Deu. 28:65-67 quoted].” RH, April 8th, 1873; 2SP:83.1.
9:10: “told Him all that they had done” = Here is my Mathew. 14:13 Note: “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.
9:13: “five loaves and two fishes” = Here is my Matthew 14:15 Note: 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.
9:20: “whom say ye that I Am” = Here is my Matthew 16:15 Note: “That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour’s work was the highest evidence of His Divine character.” DA:407.
9:22: “Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things” = Here is my Matthew 16:21 Note: “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.
9:23: “take up his cross” = Here is my Matthew 16:24 Note: 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.”
9:25: “Naum” = This “Naum” is referring to the prophet Nahum.
9:27: “there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” = Here is my Matthew 16:28 Note: 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.
9:28-29: “He took Peter and John and James” = Here is my Matthew 17:1-2 Note: 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.
9:30: “Moses and Elias” = Here is my Matthew 17:3 Note: 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.
9:33: “Peter said unto Jesus” = Here is my Matthew 17:4 Note: “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.
9:36: “told no man” = Here is my Matthew 17:9 Note: “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.
9:40: “they could not” = Here is my Matthew 17:16 Note: “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.
9:42: “the devil threw him down, and tare” = Here is my Mark 9:20 Note: “Jesus permitted Satan to exercise his power thus over his victim, in order that the people might better understand the nature of the miracle He was about to perform, and be more deeply impressed with a sense of His Divine power.” 2SP:334.
9:50: “he that is not against us is for us” = “Every true, self-sacrificing worker for God is willing to spend and be spent for the sake of others. . By earnest, thoughtful efforts to help where help is needed, the true Christian shows his love for God and for his fellow beings. He may lose his life in service. But when Christ comes to gather His jewels to Himself, he will find it again.” 1SM:78.
“The fact that one does not in all things conform to our personal ideas or opinions will not justify us in forbidding him to labor for God.” DA:438.1.
9:51: “received up” = This Greek word for “received up,” i.e., “analepsis,” only appears once in God’s Word. Therefore, it is difficult to break it down, for surely our Lord at this point was not preparing to go to Heaven, even though “analepsis” literally means, “a taking up; ascension; to receive up; the act of being taken up.” However, as is often the case with other Greek words, “analepsis” is related to “hupsoma,” meaning, “an altitude; the act of taking up, death,” and also to “katabasis,” meaning, “descent.” Therefore, it should be better translated as, “the act of going up.” And in this case, Jesus was in the act of going up to Jerusalem; not going up into Heaven.
9:52-53: “sent messengers before his face” = “Upon one occasion, Christ sent messengers before Him into a village of the Samaritans, requesting the people to prepare refreshments for Himself and His disciples. But when the Saviour approached the town, He appeared to be passing on toward Jerusalem. This aroused the enmity of the Samaritans, and instead of sending messengers to invite and even urge Him to tarry with them, they withheld the courtesies which they would have given to a common wayfarer. Jesus never urges His presence upon any, and the Samaritans lost the blessing which would have been granted them, had they solicited Him to be their guest.” BS:49.
9:54: “wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven” = “. . . seeing Mount Carmel in the distance, where Elijah had slain the false prophets, they said, [statement in verse quoted]. . . There can be no more conclusive evidence that we possess the spirit of Satan than the disposition to hurt and destroy those who do not appreciate our work, or who act contrary to our ideas.” DA:487; RH, Feb. 7, 1899.
9:57: “a certain man” = Here is my Matthew 8:19 Note: “[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.
9:58: “Son of Man” = Here is my Matthew 8:20 Note: 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.
9:61: “another also said” = Here is my Matthew 8:21 Note: “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.
CHAPTER TEN
10:1: “the Lord appointed other seventy also” = See Exodus 24:1 & 9; Numbers 11:16.
“The disciples were to precede Christ, and prepare the way before Him, as John had preceded and prepared His way.” ST, June 25, 1896.
“These disciples had been for some time with Him, in training for their work. When the twelve were sent out on their first separate mission, other disciples accompanied Jesus in His journey through Galilee. Thus they had the privilege of intimate association with Him, and direct personal instruction.” DA:488.
10:8-9: “say unto them” = “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; Letter 119, April 14, 1905 (to the members of the Nashville Church).
10:13: “Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you” = Here is my Matthew 11:21 Note: 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 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.”
10:18: “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven” = See Revelation 12:4.
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 shall I do to inherit eternal life” = Here is my Matthew 19:16 Note: “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.
10:26: “What is written in the Law” = “In answering the question, ‘What is written in the Law?’ the lawyer passed over all the mass of ceremonial and ritualistic ordinances as of no value, and presented only the two great principles on which hang all the Law and the prophets, and Jesus commended his wisdom,” ST, July 16, 1894.
10:29-35: “who is my neighbour” = This question, although maybe attempting to avoid even having responsibility to any neighbor, brings out the point that clarification needed to be given in regards to who one’s neighbor is. However, most ignore the fact that the other aspect is also present. One must understand Who God is in order to identify correctly who one’s neighbor is and how they are to be treated. Therefore, having a correct understanding of the character of God will bring a better understanding of who one’s neighbor is. See my Matthew 7:12 explanation.
“The scene was presented in parable form, but had been a true transaction to the letter, and quite a number knew this to be fact.” 21MR:190.
“In answer Christ related an actual occurrence of which His hearers knew.” RH, October 10, 1899.
“In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus presented His Own Love and character. The life of Christ was filled with works of love toward the lost and erring. The human family, the lost race, is pictured in the suffer, left naked, bleeding, and destitute. Jesus takes His Own robe of righteousness to cover the soul, and whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” ST, July 23, 1894.
“The Levite was of the same tribe as was the wounded, bruised sufferer.” RH, January 1, 1895; WM:47.
“The priest and the Levite who had passed by on the other side were in the company that listened to Christ’s words.” DA:499.
10:37: “He that shewed mercy on him” = “The lawyer would not, even now, take the name Samaritan upon his lips, and he made answer, [statement in verse quoted].” DA:503.
10:41: “thou art careful and troubled” = “That which Jesus indicated that Martha needed, was a calm, devotional spirit, a deeper anxiety to learn more concerning the future immortal life, and the graces necessary to spiritual advancement. She needed less anxiety for earthly things, which pass away, and more for Heavenly things, which affect the eternal welfare of the soul. It is necessary to faithfully perform the duties of the present life, but Jesus would teach His children that they must seize every opportunity to gain that knowledge which will make them wise unto salvation.” 2SP:359.
10:42: “good part” = “[359] Careful, energetic Marthas are needed for this time, who will blend with their prompt, [360] decisive qualities that ‘better part’ of which Christ spoke. A character of such combined strength and godliness is an unconquerable power for good.” 2SP:359-360.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
11:2: “Our Father” = Here is my Matthew 6:9 Note: 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” = Here is my Matthew 6:9 Note: “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.
Luke 11:9; Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it shall be given you” = Here is my Matthew 7:7 Note: “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.
11:10: “every one that asketh receiveth” = Here is my Matthew 7:8 Note: “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.
11:14: “the people wondered” = Here is my Matthew 9:32-34 Note: 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.
11:15: “He casteth out devils through Beelzebub” = Here is my Matthew 12:24 Note: “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.
“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.
11:23: “not with Me” = Here is my Matthew 12:30 Note: 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 par. 15.
11:42: “mint and rue and all manner of herbs” = Here is my Matthew 23:23 Note: The “Talmudic Law of Tithing”(“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.
11:50: “blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world” = I believe this means that we can apply this to Abel as being a prophet?
11:51: “the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple” = Here is my Matthew 25:35 Note: 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.”
“It shall be required of this generation” = Here is my Matthew 23:36 Note: “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.
CHAPTER TWELVE
12:10: “blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost” = Here is my Matthew 12:31-32 Note: 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.”
12:16-21: “He spake a parable unto them” = “By the parable of the foolish rich man, Christ showed the folly of those who make the world their all. This man had received everything from God. . . He did not realize that God had made him a steward of His goods that he might help the needy. He had a blessed opportunity of being God’s almoner, but he thought only of ministering to his own comfort.” COL:256.
12:27: “Consider the lilies” = If you put a lily under a microscope, it looks like a bunch of diamonds put together.
12:50: “baptism” = Baptism in this verse refers to the coming of overflowing waters of Divine judgment. It also implies the baptism of death (see Romans 6:3-4).
“straightened” = Greek, “sunecho,” meaning, “to be in constraint, distressed, perplexed.”
12:51: “division” = Don’t be concerned that there is “division.” Be concerned whether or not you are on the right side of the “division.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
13:1: “whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” = From “John Gills Exposition of the Bible:” “These Galileans were very likely some of the followers of Judas Gaulonitis, or Judas of Galilee; see Acts 5:37 who endeavoured to draw off the Jews from the Roman government, and affirmed it was not lawful to give tribute to Caesar; at which Pilate being enraged, sent a band of soldiers, and slew these his followers; who were come up to the feast of the Passover, as they were offering their sacrifices in the temple, and so mixed their blood with the blood of the Passover lambs.”
Or, from “Albert Barns Notes On The Bible,” “That is, while they were sacrificing at Jerusalem, Pilate came suddenly upon them and killed them, and “their” blood was mingled with the blood of the animals that they were slaying for sacrifice. It does not mean that Pilate ‘offered’ their blood in sacrifice, but only that as they were sacrificing he killed them.”
13:11: “there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years” = “The woman had not been possessed in spirit, but the Lord had suffered Satan to exercise his will in bringing disease upon her; for God was demonstrating the character of His kingdom before the whole universe of heaven. This opportunity must be given Him to reveal the character of apostasy. The inhabitants of worlds unfallen could view in this case the attributes of Satan and the character of God.” ST, April 23, 1896.
13:14: “the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation” = “Tho the rebuke of Jesus brought reproach upon His adversary, and tho the people rejoiced because of all the glorious things that were done, yet the ruler never forgave Christ for departing from the maxims, customs, and commandments of men, with which the rabbis had burdened the law of God and obscured its spiritual significance.” ST, April 23, 1896.
13:16: “ought not this woman. . . be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day” = The imagery of losing on the Sabbath a victim bound by Satan’s bonds recalls to mind Christ’s announcement of His mission “to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” Luke 4:18.
13:18-19: “a grain of mustard seed” = Here is my Matthew 13:31-32: “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.
13:20-21: “again He said” = Here is my Matthew 13:33 Note: “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.
“leaven” = Here is my Matthew 13:33 Note: 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.
13:24: “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” = Here is my Matthew 7:13-14 Note: 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.
13:32: “to day and to morrow, and the third day” = “I do cures to day [first year] and to morrow [second year], and the third day [third year, and or, raised the third day] I shall be perfected.” Or, Christ was referring to His 3 [1/2] years of ministry before that happens.
13:35: “your house is left unto you desolate” = Here is my Matthew 23:38 Note: “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.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
14:1-4: “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.
14:12-14: “when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” = “In choosing the guests for his feast, the Pharisee had consulted his own selfish interest. Christ said to him, [verse quoted]. . .
“[220] Christ was here repeating the instruction He had given to Israel through Moses. At their sacred feasts the Lord had directed that ‘the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat, and be satisfied.’ Deut. 14:29. These gatherings were to be as object lessons to Israel. Being thus taught the joy of true hospitality, the people were throughout the year to care for the bereaved and the poor. And these feasts [221]
“had a wider lesson. The spiritual blessings given to Israel were not for themselves alone. God had given the bread of life to them, that they might break it to the world.
“This work they had not fulfilled. Christ’s words were a rebuke to their selfishness. To the Pharisees His words were distasteful. Hoping to turn the conversation into another channel, one of them, with a sanctimonious air, exclaimed, ‘Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.’ This man spoke with great assurance, as if he himself were certain of a place in the kingdom. His attitude was similar to the attitude of those who rejoice that they are saved by Christ, when they do not comply with the conditions upon which salvation is promised. His spirit was like that of Balaam when he prayed, ‘Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.’ Num. 23:10. The Pharisee was not thinking of his own fitness for Heaven but of what he hoped to enjoy in Heaven. His remark was designed to turn away the minds of the guests at the feast from the subject of their practical duty. He thought to carry them past the present life to the remote time of the resurrection of the just.
“Christ read the heart of the pretender, and fastening His eyes upon him He opened before the company the character and value of their present privileges. He showed them that they had a part to act at that very time, in order to share in the blessedness of the future. [Following parable quoted].” COL:220-221.
14:16-24: “Then said He unto him” = Here is my Matthew 22:1-14 Note: “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.
14:18: “I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it” = Who buys a “piece of ground” before first evaluating it?
14:19: “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them” = Who buys “oxen” before determining if they are useful?
14:20: “I have married a wife” = The bottom line is that with these three excuses (verses 18-20), these preferred persons, “them that were bidden,” verse 17, did not want to come.
14:26: “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.
14:34: “salt is good” = Here is my Matthew 5:13 Note: 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 call of the “Salty” is to go to the “dunghills” of the world.
“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.
14:35: “dunghill” = See my Luke 14:34 Note.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
15:All: Jesus tells three parables, of which the First Two are designed to set up the Third.
Let me prove my point: First of all, where are the “sheep” lost? In the “wilderness.”
And where is the one piece of “silver” lost? In the “house.”
Our Prodigal Son was lost in the wilderness but became lost in his own house.
Secondly, where was the “sheep” found? In the “wilderness.”
And where was the coin found? In the “house.”
Is this not our case? Our Lord woos us while we are in the “wilderness” of sin and blesses us when we come to His “house.”
Thirdly, how is the sheep found? By going out into the wilderness.
And where is the coin found? By searching diligently in the house.
In our Third Parable, the one where Jesus wants us to understand His main point, Jesus points out that our “younger” son is lost in the “wilderness,” while the “elder son” is lost in the “house.”
In the First Parable, there is a one in one-hundred chance of finding the sheep. In the Second Parable, there is a one in ten chances of finding the coin. So, it is that you have better odds of finding a person lost in your own house than out in the wilderness.
Therefore, consider the odds of our Third Parables prodigal son.
In our First Parable, the “sheep” has no sense of it being lost. And in the Second Parable, the coin simply has no sense. Thus, it was for both sons in the Third Parable.
In the First Parable, our “sheep” is ungrateful nor understanding that it was even lost. The same is true of the coin in the Second Parable. So, it is with the “elder son” in the Third Parable.
See if you can apply other relating things in these three parables and you will discover how our Lord leads us to increasing truths.
The bottom line and good news of all of these parables is that Jesus loves lost people and will do anything to find them.
15:4: “an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them” = Here is my Matthew 18:12-13 Note: These are the best texts to conclude that there are other worlds besides ours in God’s universe. The key here is that of “the ninety and nine which went not astray.”
Take note that there are other worlds according to this verse and Hebrews 1:2.
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 Matthews 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.
“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.
“The sheep that has strayed from the fold is the most helpless of all creatures. It must be sought for by the shepherd, for it cannot find its way back. So with the soul that has wandered away from God; he is as helpless as the lost sheep, and unless Divine Love had come to his rescue he could never find his way to God.” COL:187.
“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.
“If one of these little ones shall be overcome, and commit a wrong against you, then it is your work to seek his restoration. Do not wait for him to make the first effort for reconciliation.” DA:440.
“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.
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.
15:7: “I say unto you” = “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons (in their own estimation), which need no repentance.” ST, January 15, 1894; ST, May 24, 1899; 4ST:37.
15:8-10: “she lose one piece” = “The lost coin represents those who are lost in trespasses and sins, but who have no sense of their condition. They are estranged from God, but they know it not. Their souls are in peril, but they are unconscious and unconcerned. In this parable Christ teaches that even those who are indifferent to the claims of God are the objects of His pitying love. They are to be sought for that they may be brought back to God. . .
“This parable has a lesson to families. In the household there is often great carelessness concerning the souls of its members. Among their number may be one who is estranged from God; but how little anxiety is felt lest in the family relationship there be lost one of God’s entrusted gifts. The coin, though lying among dust and rubbish, is a piece of silver still. Its owner seeks it because it is of value. So every soul, however degraded by sin, is in God’s sight accounted precious. As the coin bears the image and superscription of the reigning power, so man at his creation bore the image and superscription of God; and though now marred and dim through the influence of sin, the traces of this inscription remain upon every soul. God desires to recover that soul and to retrace upon it His own image in righteousness and holiness.” COL:194.
15:12: “divided unto them his living” = Notice that the Father gave to both sons, thus the accusation in verse 29, “thou never gavest me a kid,” is not true.
15:20: “his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran” = For an elder, in eastern culture, to rise and go running to a younger person, was against the trend of society; and was actually considered to be an abomination. For one thing, the manner of dress, i.e., a skirt, would have to be raised in order to run, thus exposing one’s self. The elder would in effect be humiliating himself.
Therefore, the true nature of our Heavenly Father comes forward when we better understand eastern culture and societal traits of Biblical times. Our Father takes upon Himself the humility that should have been and was upon his returning son. It is also to be noticed that while the son is slow to return, i.e., walking, the Father is in a rush to insure the returning son His unsurpassed Love. Other things to notice is that this is the only occurrence in the Bible where hast of the Father is used in a good sense. Also, the Father was ever at the ready, watching diligently for any sign of His sons return, and loses no time when the slightest movement towards Him is noticed.
From the Bible Commentary, “Vincent’s Word Studies,” Vincent cites Trent, who speaks of this eastern proverb: “Who[so] draws near to me (i.e., God) an inch, I will draw near to him an ell [i.e., a large distance]; and whoso walks to meet me, I will leap to meet him.”
15:22: “best robe” = Not just any “robe,” but the “best robe” that the father owned -- helping to make the older brother jealous when he should have been just as joyful as was the father. The Greek for “robe” is “stole,” meaning a “robe that went down to the feet,” “a long robe.” Some Bible commentators have taken this “robe” to be the “robe of Christ’s righteousness,” since total repentance is involved here. See Isaiah 61:10 & Zechariah 3:4-5; Revelation 3:18. In ancient times robes were “status symbols” of wealth. The father is showing his prodigal son that he [the father] no longer considers his sons poor condition; for in returning home his son is now rich again.
“put a ring on his hand” = Rings in those days represented authority. The “father” was transferring his authority over to this son. This is the real reason the older, more supposedly by his standards son, was so upset.
“shoes on his feet” = In Christ’s day, “shoes” were worn by free men not slaves. Christ here shows the true depravity of this son by pointing out that the prodigal had reached the depths of the nature of sin, i.e., slavery. And in the father, Christ shows that only the Father (the One Who was sinned against) has the right to exalt such a slave of sin, to the position of a free man.
15:28: “he was angry” = “By the elder son were represented those unrepenting Jews of Christ’s day, and also those Pharisees in every age, who look with contempt upon the publicans and sinners.” 2PRC:251; GCB, December 1, 1895.
“How true a representation was the action of this elder son of unrelenting and unbelieving Israel, who refused to acknowledge that the publicans and sinners were their brethren, who should be forgiven, and should be sought for, labored for, and not left to perish, but led to have everlasting life!” 3ST:95.
“By the elder son were represented the unrepenting Jews of Christ’s day, and also the Pharisees in every age, who look with contempt upon those whom they regard as publicans and sinners. Because they themselves have not gone to great excesses in vice, they are filled with self-righteousness. Christ met these cavilers on their own ground. Like the elder son in the parable, they had enjoyed special privileges from God. They claimed to be sons in God’s house, but they had the spirit of the hireling. They were working, not from love, but from hope of reward. In their eyes, God was an exacting taskmaster. They saw Christ inviting publicans and sinners to receive freely the gift of His grace -- the gift which the rabbis hoped to secure only by toil and penance -- and they were offended. The prodigal’s return, which filled the Father’s heart with joy, only stirred them to jealousy.” COL:209.3.
15:31: “all that I have is thine” = Notice that even though the younger child has returned, he will not receive any more money or goods. The parent is being a parent; and at the same time the parent is affirming the older brother that his service is appreciated and has not gone unnoticed; as the son was implying in verses 29-30.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
16:1-13: “And the lord commended the unjust steward” = This is one of those difficult Biblical passages, in that it is hard for us to accept that our Lord would commend this supposed “unjust steward” in what seems to be unethical business practices. Also, that our Lord “commended the unjust steward,” verse 8, for it.
Let’s break this down verse by verse since this is so out-of-character of our Lord. Therefore, He must be making a point (teaching).
16:1: “And He [Jesus] said also unto His disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.” Keep this in mind: that this “unjust steward” was already known to be “unjust,” i.e., “he had wasted his [masters] goods,” verse 1. Therefore, when he lowered the debt owed to his master, he was only doing an act similar to what he had done before.
16:2: “And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.” Here is a threat that his actions have been found out and he “mayest be no longer {a} steward.”
16:3: “Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship[here he already knows he cannot justify himself and he will lose his stewardship. Are we not of the same accord? “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.]: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.” He states of himself that he “cannot dig” or “beg.” The truth is, he is lazy. It is not that he cannot, it is that he will not. To “beg” he is “ashamed.” This is the language of his pride, as the former of his slothfulness. It is not a natural, but a moral disability that he labors under. This intimates that we cannot get a livelihood for our soul’s future by any labor in this world; nor indeed do anything to purpose for our souls by any ability of our own. Therefore, we must make of our livelihood, not friendship with “mammon of unrighteousness,” but friendship with the ways of our Lord; Who is the only path to Heaven.
16:4: “I am resolved what to do [he figures out what to do], that, when I am put out of the stewardship [again, realizing that of himself {ourselves} he is guilty before his lord {we, our Lord}], they may receive me into their houses.” Included in our Lord’s later commendation {verse 8} is the fact that the “unjust steward” did it so that he could later {such as spiritually speaking of the “time of trouble”} be accepted by the deters. This is supported by verse 4: that “they may receive me into their houses.” That would mean that later, when he might need their help, they would assist him because he assisted them. Our Lord commends him for this in verse 9: “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.”
16:6: “And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.” This makes the “unjust steward look good to his new friends here, but he is also cheating his master, as again in verse 7.
16:8: “And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely [It must be noticed that our Lord refers not to the fraudulent actions of this “unjust steward,” but to the policy of making friends. Our Lord is not angry at his knavery, because He was pleased with his ingenuity. Notice also, that our Lord does not commend him because he had done falsely to his master, but because he had done wisely for himself. However, the bottom line principle our Lord is trying to teach His listeners here is found in verses 10-13; with verse ten being the foundation of all four verses: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”]: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
16:9: Verse 9 is also very KEY to understanding this passage correctly, and very well may be the key to understanding it at all. The only “everlasting habitations” is Heaven Itself. Therefore, let’s look at this verse properly: “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail [rather, when ye “die”], they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” The only “friends” Who can receive us into “everlasting habitations,” or Heaven, are the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. And They are The only true “Friends” of those who are “unrighteousness,” for They are The only Ones Who died or allowed Someone to die for the “unrighteous.” These then, are The “Friends” we must secure.
Also, “mammon” should be spelt with only one “m.” It is a Chaldee word, meaning “riches,” in regards to monetary means, i.e., money. It occurs only in this Chapter and in Matthew 6:24. During our lifetime our means must be so used as to please God and to lay up eternal treasure. If we use it as a trust of the Lord, we will secure such a “Friend.”
Therefore, let’s look at verse 9 again: “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends [The Father, Son and Holy Ghost] of the mammon of unrighteousness [money, that is often used incorrectly, but you handled it as to the Lord]; that, when ye fail [die], they [The Father, Son and Holy Ghost] may receive you into everlasting habitations [Heaven; Jesus here exhorting us to provide for our comfortable reception to the happiness of another world, by making good use of our possessions and enjoyments in this world].”
The things of this world are the “mammon of unrighteousness,” or the false “mammon,” not only because often gained by fraud and unrighteousness, but also because those who trust to it for satisfaction and happiness will certainly be deceived. Also, by making good use of our Lord’s “mammon,” it cannot cry out against us in that day when our Lord Comes to bring us into His “everlasting habitations.” Because, “that when ye fail,” verse 9, is better translated as the Ethiopic version reads: “or rather, when ye leave that, that is, when ye die.” This goes along with verse two when our Lord says to the “unjust steward:” “for thou mayest be no longer steward,” meaning one day he will “die” being held accountable for his deeds. “For the wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23.
It is interesting to note that the wisdom of the men of this world to manage their money in order that they may be able to benefit their children hereafter, and not for the present only, is commended by our Lord, in that Christians should be doing the same for Heavenly treasures in the future. Therefore, world lings put it out to interest, buy land with it, or put it into some other type of investment fund. As such, our Lord admonishes us to so learn of them in order to make use of our money so as that we may be the better for it hereafter in another world {Heaven}, as they do in hopes to be the better for it hereafter in this world, or the better for their children.
When push came to shove, the “unjust steward” sacrificed the things of this world, lowering the price to be paid to his master, for the things of the future. How much more should we who hope to gain a future in the abodes of Heaven sacrifice our money for Heavenly ventures?
16:10: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Herein may lie the entire reason for the telling of this parable. Our Lord wants us to be faithful, trustworthy “stewards.”
Also, verse 11 tempers that with, if you cannot be faithful in earthly things, how can you be trusted to be faithful with Heavenly things?
16:11: “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches [The right to abide in Heaven forever]?”
16:12: “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s [The wealth of the world is God’s. Therefore, “another man’s” would be God’s gifts.], who shall give you that which is your own?” The statement “your own” is referring to Heaven. It should be ours. But because we continue to sin, we sacrifice the right to abide there.
16:13: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Verse 13 could also be our Lord’s main point in the telling of this parable. Therefore, anything else derived from this parable must be tempered with that in mind, to be a steward of the one and only Living God.
16:14 & 15: “covetous” = Money hungry; based upon the parable above which the “Pharisees” “derided Him” for.
“that which is highly esteemed” = Would then be “money.” But not money in and of itself, but verse 13 comment about the love of money and using it improperly.
16:16: “the Law and the prophets” = That “the Law and the prophets” refers to the Old Testament scriptures please read: Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Certainly, we understand that the New Testament was not written yet. John 1:45: “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Acts 13:15: “And after the reading of the Law and the prophets (New Testament not available yet) the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying. . .” Romans 3:21: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Once we understand that, this verse is clarified by the parallel passage in Matthew 11:13: “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”
Those Scriptures, all written by prophets, foretold the Coming of both John the Baptist and Jesus. But all true prophets with their prophecies of Christ’s first coming would be fulfilled with John. The Old Testament writings obviously continue with authoritative existence (especially the dual prophecies), but all the prophecies about Jesus’ First Coming came to a focus as John began to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. This is what Jesus meant when He said at the beginning of His ministry, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.” Mark 1:15.
Just as this statement does not mean that this is Christ’s Second Coming and probation has closed, so “prophesied until John” does not mean there will be no more prophets after John. Otherwise Paul would be lying when he speaks authoritatively about one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (future tense, 1Co. 12:10) as being the gift of “prophecy.” What the text does mean is that they would not prophecy of Christ’s future “first” advent. The prophets and their prophecies in the Old Testament now culminate in the Humanity of Christ. If there is any question as to the cancellation of the Law of God, He wrote that with His Own finger, not the prophets, so see the next verse and Matthew 5:18.
Here is my Matthew 11:13 Note: 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.
16:17: “Law” = Which “law?” Read my explanation above first. I believe Jesus made Himself clear that “the prophets” prophecies culminated in the preaching of John. In other words, they were basically finished with their work when John the Baptist and Jesus came upon the earthly seen. Therefore, Jesus wanted to also make Himself very clear, lest some get the wrong conception of what He was teaching, that the “Law” of Moses is separate from “the prophets,” i.e., “The Law and the prophets,” verse 16. Therefore, He makes this statement in verse 17. In fact, if He hadn’t the Jews would have been all over Him for canceling that which they (and we should) believe to be Holy (portions of which, such as the Sanctuary services, would be culminated in the Messiah, but not all of the “Law” of Moses would finish its work).
16:19: “a certain rich man” = The Rich man’s name is “Dives,” SW:12.
16:20: “Lazarus” = Means, “God has helped.”
16:19-31: “a certain rich man” = A misunderstanding of this section of Scripture comes from a lack of understanding of what happens, according to Scripture, after a man dies. See my Bible Study: “DEATH, THE TRUTH ABOUT.”
What this parable is really about is that the rich man is representative of the Jewish nation; while the beggar represents those whom the Jews were supposed to give the Gospel to. The beggar understood that the Jewish nation had the truth, but was pushed away by them. The point being, that God’s people were so full of the knowledge of the Gospel, but only shared crumbs of it, and that begrudgingly. In the end, God will hold them accountable for what they did not do with the truth God had given them to share.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
17:2: “little ones” = Here is my Matthew 18:6 Note: “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.
17:6: “faith” = Faith is not an amount, it’s a choice.
17:12-18: “a Samaritan” = The fact that Jesus calls the one a “stranger,” well indicates that he the “Samaritan” of verse 16, and the only “Samaritan” of the ten.
SDA’s: NOTICE THE PLURAL OF “SAMARITANS” BUT THE SINGULAR IN 3T; HR; RH: ”This circumstance happened just on the outskirts of the village. . . These lepers were made up of Jews and Samaritans, and the prejudice that existed between them was broken down by this terrible malady, and, doomed to death, they associated together. The lepers were not ignorant of Jesus. They had heard of His wonderful works of mercy, and how He had healed those who were in the same condition as they were themselves. . . The nine did not report themselves but went on their way satisfied that they were restored.” ST, June 25, 1896.
“And this man was a stranger [“Samaritan,” verse 16]. The other nine were Jews. For the sake of this one man who would make a right use of the blessing of health, Jesus healed the whole ten.” 3T:179; HR, October 1, 1872 (page 92); RH, May 28, 1914; CH:349.
17:26: “as it was in the days of Noe” = Here is my Matthew 24:37 Note: 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.
17:27: “they married wives, they were given in marriage” = “As in the days of Noah, one of the signs of these times is a passion for injudicious and hasty marriages.” RH, March 24, 1868.
17:31-36: “in that day” = Bible scholars know this mutual (exact happening at the same time) event to be the Second Coming of our Lord. That these verses can be pieced together to prove a “round earth” can be seen by identifying that some are “upon the housetop [In the late morning, when it is still cool],” some are “in the field [middle of the day],” some are “in one bed,” previously stating, “in that night,” while some “women shall be grinding together [preparation of the meals for the day; therefore, this is normally done in the morning].” Consequentially, this shared, or reciprocal, or joint event, i.e., the Second Coming, proves a “round earth.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
18:1-8: “He spake a parable. . . a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man” = “Christ presented this parable to reveal the injustice then being shown, and which would soon be shown at His trial. He would have His people in all times realize what little dependence can be placed on earthly judges in the day of adversity. . . From the parable God would have us learn to respect the cause of the poor.” ST, September 8, 1898.
Although verse one states that this was a “parable,” Mrs. White shows us that these were real events that our Lord used in “parable” form so as to prevent any reactions of the players: “It was Christ Who gave the pleading widow courage and determination before the judge.” COL:175.
18:8: “When the Lord Cometh, will He find faith on the earth” = Some say that this is never answered. But that is not correct. “When the Lord Cometh” would indicate that this is during the end times. Thus, we must look to the end times in order to find an answer. And that would be in the Book of Revelation. If we go to Revelation 14:12 we find, “Here is,” or in other words, “Here they are.” And what are they doing? The ones that Jesus finds and that answers His question, and that His hearers should know, is that the ones who will be saved, are “they that keep the Commandments of God, and [have] the faith of Jesus.”
“The question is asked, When the Lord Cometh, will He find faith on the earth? Faith, then, has become almost extinct.” SpTA06:22.
18:11: “prayed thus with himself” = Notice who he is praying to.
18:13: “would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven” = “The sense of need, the recognition of our poverty and sin, is the very first condition of acceptance with God.” COL:152.
18:15: “brought unto Him also infants” = Here is my Matthew 19:13 Note: 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.
18:17: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child” = Here is my Mark 10:15 Note: Our attitude toward children reveals much about us. To communicate with children requires that we go outside the world of our own self; we have to listen and seek to understand a wholly different reference point. Thus, people who are wrapped up in themselves cannot get close to children. Likewise, people who are always looking to gain some benefit or advantage for themselves from any encounter will have little time for children.
The fact that Jesus was so open to children and they to Him speaks volumes about the Master as One Whose life flowed out to others, regardless of status. Likewise, the disciple’s attitude to the children who were being brought to Jesus shows how much they need to grow in self-forgetfulness and blessing to others. There’s an innocence to children, an openness, a trusting and humility in them that followers of our Heavenly Father need to have in their own lives. Children, in their innocence, are much less likely than adults to judge or to manifest prejudice toward others. Children are helpless, totally depending upon the mercy and love of those who can do for them what they cannot do for themselves. No wonder Jesus told us that we need to be like them.
18:18-22: “All these have I kept” = Here is my Matthew 19:16-21 Note: “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.’
“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.
18:23: “he was very sorrowful” = Here is my Matthew 19:22 Note: “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.
18:25: “it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, 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 NINETEEN
19:5: “Zacchaeus” = “He felt deeply the need of repentance, of making restitution to those whom he had unjustly taxed, and of whom he had demanded exorbitant rates. . . Zacchaeus could hardly think that he had heard aright. He was overwhelmed with the condescension of the great Teacher in choosing his home as the place of His abode. It had been in his power to oppress those from whom he was appointed to gather the taxes. He was convicted that his practice was out of harmony with the Old Testament Scriptures. He knew the Scriptures, and under the influence of the words that had been reported to him, that had come from the lips of the great Teacher, he had become aware that he was a sinner in the sight of God. He began at once to follow the conviction that had taken hold upon him, and to make restitution to those whom he had robed. . . In restoring fourfold for what he had taken in extortion, he was following the word of the prophet when he said [verse 8 quoted]. ST, June 11, 1896. See Exodus 22:1 & Second Samuel 12:6.
19:9: “forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham” = Or, “even though he also is a son of Abraham.” Jesus was teaching that even Jews needed to be saved and that being born into the family of Abraham did not give you a ticket to Heaven.
Luke 19:12-27; Matthew 25:14-30: “A certain Nobleman” = Christ.
“went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom, and to return” = The “far country” would be Heaven.
Notice in this account, the reason He left was: To be a “king” over a “kingdom,” which He received (verse 15). Each servant received the same amount of talents, yet the result is the same as Matthew’s account. Notice also, that even though He received and became king of another kingdom (Heaven), He comes back to the one where He bestowed talents (earth). Not that He did not bestow talents upon those He left in the first place (Heaven). But the point is, where talents are bestowed, an account of those talents is expected.
Luke 19:13: “servants” = Christians.
Luke 19:14: “His citizens hated Him” = All are “citizens” because everywhere is God’s kingdom. Unfortunately, most earthly “citizens” “will not have this Man to reign over” them.
Luke 19:15: “He was returned” = Christ’s Second Coming.
“know how much” = Everyone is called into account.
Luke 19:20; Matthew 25:18; Romans 1:21: “which I have kept laid up in a napkin” = Here is my Romans 1:21 Note: “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.
Luke 19:21: “reapest that thou didst not sow” = 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.
Luke 19:22: “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant” = Not only his actions, which were found to be faulty in the “Investigative Judgment,” but also from his “own mouth.” See my Bible Study: “JUDGMENTS, THE THREE FINAL,” under SDA.
Here is my Matthew 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.
Luke 19:26: “every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away” = Heaven will be unimaginable joy; while eternal death takes away everything.
19:27: “slay them before Me” = All the wicked will eventually perish “in the lake which burneth with fire,” Revelation 21:8 (see also Rev. 19:20), for not following Jesus.
19:29: “Bethany” = Here is my Matthew 21:17 Note: “On its {the Mount of Olivet} sloping descent was Bethany, where He had often found repose at the house of Lazarus.” 3SP:251.
19:35: “upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon” = Hear is my Matthew 21:7 Note: “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.
19:36: “they spread their clothes in the way” = Here is my Matthew 21:8 Note: “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.
19:36-38: “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” = Here is my Matthew 21:8-9 Note: “. . . this occasion was intended by Jesus to call public attention to Him as the world’s Redeemer. . . He would enter Jerusalem. . . 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.
19:38-40: “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.
19:42-44: “If thou hadst known. . . this thy day. . . because thou knewest not the time of the visitation” = See my Psalm 18:24 Note. Notice that the reason Jesus (God) condemns the Jewish nation, and that Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., is because the Israelites did not “study to shew thyself approved,” Second Timothy 2:15, in an effort to understand prophesy. They were supposed to understand “the time of thy visitation,” i.e., in First Coming of their Messiah. Does it then not stand to reason that we should know ours, i.e., the Second Coming of Christ?
19:42: “unto thy peace” = “. . . ‘unto thy peace!’ Then came a pause, for the Saviour was reluctant to pronounce the irrevocable sentence.” ST, July 26, 1899.
19:44: “because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” = Jesus is stating here that the Jewish Nation should have known when the First Coming of Christ would be. Specifically, Daniel 9:24-27.
19:45: “cast out them that sold therein” = Here is my Matthew 21:12 Note: “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.
19:46: “My house is the house of prayer” = Here is my Matthew 21:13 Note: 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.
CHAPTER TWENTY
20:9-16: “this parable” = Here is my Matthew 21:33-46 Note: 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. . . 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. . . [597] 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.
20:16: “He shall come and destroy these husbandmen” = Here is my Matthew 21:41 Note: “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.
20:21: “they asked Him” = Here is my Matthew 22:16 Note: 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.
20:25: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s” = Here is my Matthew 22:21 Note: “[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.
20:26: “they marvelled at His answer, and held their peace” = Here is my Matthew 22:22 Note: “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, par. 11.
20:27: “Sadducees” = Here is my Matthew 22:23 Note: “[44] 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.
“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.
20:33: “whose wife of them is she” = Here is my Matthew 22:28 Note: “[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.
20:38: “For He is not a God of the dead” = Actually, God is a God of all the “righteous dead.” The truth is that God distinguishes between those that die and those that will eventually “perish,” in what Revelation calls, the “second death,” Revelation 2:11 & 20:6 & 14 & 21:8.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
21:2: “two mites” = Here is my Mark 12:42 Note: “There are but few as poor as the widow who gave her two mites as an offering to God. The gift was small, yet it was all her living, and she was commended by the Master. He regarded the two mites of the poor widow as a greater contribution than the rich gifts of the wealthy. He did not measure the value of the offering by its amount, but by the motive, the cheerfulness and purity of the action. Although this small contribution was mingled with the thousands in the treasury, it was not lost to the eye of the great Giver of all good. That little rill which started in the two mites has gathered to itself other tiny streams from thousands of sources, and has had an influence to rebuke selfishness and encourage the giving of larger sums.” RH, January 4, 1881.
21:3: “this poor widow” = Here is my Matthew 12:43 Note: “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.
21:7: “when shall these things be” = Here is my Matthew 24:3 Note: 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.
21:8: “many shall come in My Name, saying, I Am Christ” = Here is my Matthew 24:5 Note: = “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.
21:9: “by and by” = Literally, “immediately,” i.e., “right-away.”
21:10: “Nation shall rise against nation” = Here is my Matthew 24:7 Note: 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.
21:11: “famines, and pestilences” = Here is my Matthew 24:7 Note: Most likely man induced, or well planned out, as the “nations” attempt to wipe out Christianity.
21:12: “they shall lay their hands on you” = Here is my Matthew 10:17 Note: “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.
21:16: “betrayed both by parents, and brethren” = Christians turning in Christians.
21:20: “Jerusalem compassed with armies” = Here is my Matthew 24:15 Note: “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].”
21:20-21: “let them which are in Judaea flee” = Here is my Matthew 24:15-18 Note: 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.
21:23: “in those days” = Here is my Matthew 24:19 Note: This is a common Old Testament expression related to end time events (see Jer. 3:16; Joel 3:1; Zec. 8:23).
21:24: “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” = Here is my Romans 11:25-26 Note: When the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, probation is ended for both Jews and Gentiles. In other words, the end of probation for all peoples.
And here is my Revelation 11:2 Note: “tread” = The Greek is “pateo,” which is the same exact word used in Luke 21:24, indicating that Luke’s “trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,” is speaking of the same event.
Breaking this verse down, the “mystery” spoken of by Paul here, is that the “blindness in part is happened to Israel.” In other words, they did not see Christ as the[ir] Messiah. Therefore, the message was then given and accepted by the Gentile world (converts; about 34 A.D. see my Bible Commentary on Daniel 9:24-27). Thus, the fulness of the Gentiles began a little after the death of Christ and will end, as according to Matthew 24:14, when “this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world,” meaning probation is ended for both Jews and Gentiles.
The use of the word “till” or “until,” does not always indicate that a change in the condition (or character) is to take place when the point referred to is reached. Daniel “continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.” Daniel 1:21. Yet we read of Daniel in vision in the third year of Cyrus (Dan. 10:1). In other words, Daniel did not complete his service in Daniel 1:21.
David says of Christ, “He shall not be afraid, until He see His desire upon His enemies,” Psalm 112:8. Shall we conclude that He will then become alarmed? The meaning here is that He will not be afraid at any time, for He will never have any occasion for fear. Another example would be: “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth.” Isaiah 42:4. He will certainly not become discouraged when the judgment is set in the earth. See also Matthew 5:18 and Philippians 1:10.
Paul quotes from Psalm 69:21-28 in Romans 11:8-10, and verse seven gives us a clear indication that not all of those calling themselves Israel will be saved (refer to the Ten Virgin parable in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 25 for an example).
My point is, that there is no indication that the Jewish nation retakes its original state of being God’s chosen people. Neither is any nation mentioned as taking their place (see my Bible Study: “ISRAEL’S REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY DOCTRINE”); and therefore, the Close of Probation for the world must be the application here.
21:25: “signs” = Here is my Genesis 1:14 Note: The “them” being the sun and the moon. They are to be for “signs,” i.e., the Hebrew being, “oth,” meaning literally or figuratively, in the sense of appearing: “a signal” as in a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, token, et cetera, evidenced in a “mark or miracle.” Let’s discuss a “miracle.”
One of the most important “signs” that the sun and moon are to give is the Second Coming of our Lord (Isa. 5:30; 13:9-10; 24:21-23; Eze. 31:7-8; Joel 2:10 & 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Zep. 1:15; Mat. 24:29; Luke 21:11 & 25 [Here in Luke our Lord calls it a “sign” of His Coming]; Rev. 6:12; 8:12). Let us not miss this as did the Jews in our Lord’s day Who reprimanded them in Luke 12:56. And our Father states the same thing in Jeremiah 8:7 & Ecclesiastes 3:1.
“sun, and in the moon, and in the stars” = Here is my Matthew 24:29 Note: 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].”
First, 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; SW, December 1, 1909; AURA:248, 35.
Sun & Moon = First fulfilled on May 19, 1780: “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 & 18.
21:29-30: “a parable; Behold the fig tree” = Here is my Matthew 24:32 Note: 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.
21:34: “surfeiting” = Many of the new translations (examples, “EMTV” & “Murdock”) translate this Hebrew word, “kraipale” as “carousing,” or “gluttony.” However, the context should stay with the association of words, i.e., stay associated to “drunkenness.” Therefore, “surfeiting” is much more appropriate. It simply means, “excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking.” If I were to translate the Hebrew word to better fit the context and make it simpler and modern I would translate it as, “overeating.”
21:35: “all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” = The exception would be those in Revelation 13:8, and other texts. God will protect those that serve Him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
22:1: “Passover” = Here is my Matthew 26:2 Note: 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.
22:2: “sought how they might kill Him” = Here is my Matthew 26:4 Note: “. . .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.
22:10: “a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water” = Here is my Mark 14:13 Note: This is important, because we might think, “Well, there could be a lot of people carrying ‘a pitcher of water.’ ” However, “men” don’t carry pitchers “of water,” that was/is a woman’s duty. Therefore, it would be easy to notice this “man” such that they could follow him.
22:17-20: “take this” = The Last Supper = Here is my Matthew 26:26-29 Note: “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.
22:20: “testament” = Here is my Matthew 26:28 Note: The Hebrew is, “diatheke,” meaning a “contract.” Therefore, a better translation would be, “covenant.”
22:24: “which of them should be accounted the greatest” = “[84] A contention had arisen among the disciples of Jesus as to who should be most honored in His Kingdom; for notwithstanding the express instruction they had so often received to the [85] contrary, they had clung to the idea that Jesus would establish a temporal kingdom in Jerusalem; and the late demonstrations upon His entering the city, and the manner in which He had received them, revived this belief in their minds. Jesus had checked their aspirations for honor, and now strengthened the lesson by an act of humility and love, calculated to impress them with a sense of their obligations to one another, and that instead of quarreling for place, each should count the others better than himself.” 3SP:84-85.
22:36: “he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one” = It should be remembered that these directions about the purse, the scrip, and the sword were not made with reference to His being taken in the garden, but with reference to their future life.
This verse is better understood by seeing Ephesians 6:17: “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This, then, is not to be considered as a specific, positive “command” to procure a sword, but an intimation that great dangers were before them; that their manner of life would be changed, and that they would need the provisions of a Christian life, “the sword of the Spirit” of God. That the “common” preparation of life consists in money, provisions, and arms is acknowledged by Jesus, and He foretells them of that manner of life by giving them directions commonly understood to be appropriate to it. It amounts then, to a “prediction” that they would soon leave the places which they had been accustomed to, and go into scenes of poverty, want, and danger, where they would feel the necessity of money, provisions, and the means of defense.
All, therefore, that the passage justifies is:
1) That it is proper for people to provide beforehand for their wants, and for their needs.
2) That self-defense is lawful. Men encompassed with danger may lawfully “defend” their lives.
This verse does not prove however, that it is lawful to make “offensive” war on a nation or an individual. It is evident that our Lord never intended to make any resistance, or to suffer a sword to be used on the coming occasion (see Luke 22:51 for that a few verses later; also Mat. 26:53 & 1Pe. 4:1).
Therefore, Jesus obviously had a spiritual meaning in mind. Another thing to keep in mind is that in Luke 22:38, two verses later, His disciples say that they already possessed “two swords. And He said unto them, It is enough.” Therefore, He would hardly be telling them to go out and buy more swords if He there said to them, “It is enough.” So, the bottom line for us today is to realize that the sword of the Spirit is that sword with which those who would be the disciples and followers of Christ must furnish themselves with.
Jesus also teaches that persecutions would come and when they do, “flee,” not fight (see Mat. 10:22-25; John 15:20; 16:33).
22:39: “to the mount of Olives” = Here is my Matthew 26:30-31 Note: “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.
22:42: “remove this cup from Me” = Here is my Matthew 26:39 Note: 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.
“[95] 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:95-96.
“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 My Will, but Thine, be done” = Here is my Matthew 26:39 Note: 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.
22:43: “an angel unto him from Heaven” = “Angels were hovering over the place, witnessing the scene, while only one was commissioned to go and strengthen the Son of God in His agony. The angels in Heaven cast their crowns and harps from them, and with the deepest interest silently watched Jesus. There was no joy in Heaven. They wished to surround the Son of God, but the commanding angels suffered them not, lest, as they should behold His betrayal, they would deliver Him; for the plan was laid out, and it must be fulfilled.” 1SG:47.
“The disciples were suddenly aroused from their slumber by a bright light shining upon and around the Son of God. They started up in amazement, and beheld a Heavenly being, clothed in garments of light, bending over their prostrate Master. With his right hand he lifted the head of the Divine Sufferer upon his bosom, and with his left hand he pointed toward Heaven. His voice was like the sweetest music, as he uttered soothing words presenting to the mind of Christ the grand results of the victory He had gained over the strong and wily foe. Christ was victor over Satan; and, as the result of His triumph, millions were to be victors with Him in His glorified kingdom.” 3SP:101; DA:694.
22:44: “great drops of blood” = See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS & THREE NIGHTS.”
22:47: “Judas” = Here is my Matthew 26:47 Note: “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.
22:52: “thief” = Here is my Matthew 26:55 Note: 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.
22:54: “Then took they Him” = Here is my Matthew 26:57 Note: 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.
22:56: “a certain maid. . . and said” = Here is my Matthew 26:69 Note: “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.
22:61: “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter” = “At that moment Christ looked at Peter, and beneath that grieved look, in which compassion and love for him were blended, Peter understood himself. He went out and wept bitterly. That look of Christ’s broke his heart. Peter had come to the turning point, and bitterly did he repent his sin. He was like the publican in his contrition and repentance, and like the publican he found mercy. The look of Christ assured him of pardon.” COL:154.
22:62: “Peter went out, and wept bitterly” = Here is my Matthew 26:75 Note: “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; 3T:416.2; 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.
22:64: “blindfolded Him” = Here is my Matthew 26:68 Note: “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.
22:66: “into their council” = Here is my Matthew 27:1 Note: “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.
22:67: “Art Thou The Christ” = Here is my Matthew 26:63 Note: 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.
22:70: “I Am” = Here is my Matthew. 26:64 Note: “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.
Matthews account states, “Thou hast said.” = “ ‘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.
22:71: “What need we” = Here is my Matthew 26:65 Note: “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.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
23:1: “Pilate” = Here is my Matthew 27:2 Note: 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, in his work, “Antiquities,” 20:9.
23:3: “Thou sayest” = Here is my Matthew 27:11 Note: Notice that Jesus was, in-a-way, having Pilot confess that Jesus was “King of the Jews.”
23:6: “When Pilate heard of Galilee” = “[134] Besides escaping responsibility in regard to the trial of Jesus, Pilate thought this would be a good opportunity to heal an old quarrel between [135] himself and Herod. He thought that this act on his part would be regarded by Herod as an acknowledgment of his superior authority, and would thus bring about a reconciliation. In this he was not wrong, for the two magistrates made friends over the trial of the Saviour.” 3SP:134-135.
23:8: “when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad” = “[135] When Herod had first heard of Jesus and the mighty works wrought by Him, he was terror-stricken, and said, ‘It is John whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead;’ [Mark 6:16] ‘therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in Him.’ [Mat. 14:2; Mark 6:14]. Herod had never before met Jesus, but he had long desired to see Him, and witness His marvelous power. He was pleased that He was brought to him a Prisoner, for he made no doubt that he could force Him to work a miracle as a condition of saving His life. Herod’s conscience was far less sensitive than when he had trembled with horror at the request of Herodias for the head of John the Baptist. For a time he had felt the keen stings of remorse for the terrible act he had committed to gratify the revenge of a cruel woman; but his moral perceptions had become more and more degraded by his licentious life, till his sins appeared but trifles in his eyes. The men who are capable of the worst crimes are those who have once been convicted by the Spirit of truth, and have turned away from the light into the darkness of iniquity. Herod had very nearly become a disciple of John; but at the very point of decision, he had fallen into the snare of Satan and put to death one whom he knew to be a true prophet.
“As the Saviour was brought before Herod, the rabble surged and pressed about, crying out against the prisoner, some charging Him with [136] one crime and some with another. Herod commanded silence and directed that Jesus be unbound, for he wished to interrogate Him. He looked with curiosity, mingled with an impulse of pity, upon the pale, sad face of the Saviour, which was marked with deep wisdom and purity, but showed extreme weariness and suffering. Herod, as well as Pilate, knew from his acquaintance with the character of the Jews, that malice and envy had caused them to condemn this innocent Man.
“Herod urged Jesus to save His life by working a miracle that would give evidence of His Divine power. But the Saviour had no such work to do. . . Herod urged Him to prove that He was not an Impostor by demonstrating His power before the crowd. He summoned for the purpose maimed, crippled, and deformed persons, and, in an authoritative manner, commanded Jesus to heal these subjects in his presence, urging that if He had really worked such remarkable cures as were reported of Him, He still had power to do like wonders, and could now turn it to His Own profit by procuring His release.
“But Jesus stood calmly before the haughty ruler as One Who neither saw nor heard. Herod repeatedly urged his proposition upon Jesus, and reiterated the fact that he had the power to release or to condemn Him. He even dared to boast of the punishment he had inflicted upon the prophet John for presuming to reprove him. [137]
“To all this, Jesus made no answer either by Word or look. Herod was irritated by the profound silence of the Prisoner, which indicated an utter indifference to the royal personage before whom He had been summoned. Open rebuke would have been more palatable to the vain and pompous ruler than to be thus silently ignored.
“Had Jesus desired to do so, He could have spoken Words which would have pierced the ears of the hardened king. He could have stricken him with fear and trembling by laying before him the full iniquity of his life, and the horror of his approaching doom. But Jesus had no light to give one who had gone directly contrary to the knowledge he had received from the greatest of prophets. The ears of Christ had ever been open to the earnest plea of even the worst sinners; but He had no ear for the commands of Herod. Those eyes, that had ever rested with pity and forgiveness upon the penitent sinner, however defiled and lowly, had no look to bestow upon Herod. Those lips, that had dropped precious Words of instruction, and were ever ready to answer the questions of those who sought knowledge, and to speak comfort and pardon to the sinful and desponding, had no Words for proud and cruel Herod. That heart, ever touched by the presence of human woe, was closed to the haughty king who felt no need of a Saviour.
“The silence of Jesus could no longer be borne by Herod; his face grew dark with passion, and he angrily threatened Jesus; but the Captive still remained unmoved. Herod then turned to the multitude and denounced Him as an impostor. His accusers well knew that He was no Impostor; they had seen too many evidences of His power [138] to be thus misled. . . They had been greatly terrified when Herod commanded Him to work a miracle; for of all things they dreaded an exhibition of His Divine power, which would prove a death-blow to their plans, and would perhaps cost them their lives. Therefore the priests and rulers began to cry out vehemently against Him, accusing Him of working miracles through the power given Him of Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
“Some cried out that He claimed to be the Son of God, the King of Israel. Herod, hearing this, said, in derision, A king, is He? Then crown Him, and put upon Him a royal robe, and worship your King. Then turning to Jesus he angrily declared that if He refused to speak, He should be delivered into the hands of the soldiers, who would have little respect for His claims or His Person; if He was an Impostor it would be no more than He deserved; but if He was the Son of God He could save Himself by working a miracle. No sooner were these words uttered than the mob, at the instigation of the priests, made a rush toward Jesus. Had not the Roman soldiers forced them back, the Saviour would have been torn in pieces.
“At the suggestion of Herod, a crown was now plaited from a vine bearing sharp thorns, and this was placed upon the sacred brow of Jesus; and an old tattered purple robe, once the garment of a king, was placed upon His noble form, while Herod and the Jewish priests encouraged the insults and cruelty of the mob. Jesus was then placed upon a large block, which was derisively called a throne, an old reed was placed in His [139] hand as a scepter, and, amid satanic laughter, curses, and jeers, the rude throng bowed to Him mockingly as to a king. Occasionally some murderous hand snatched the reed that had been placed in His hand, and struck Him on the head with it, forcing the thorns into His temples, and causing the blood to flow down His face and beard.
“Satan instigated the cruel abuse of the debased mob, led on by the priests and rulers, to provoke, if possible, retaliation from the world’s Redeemer, or to drive Him to deliver Himself by a miracle from the hands of His persecutors, and thus break up the Plan of Salvation. . .
“When Herod saw that Jesus submitted passively to all the indignity that was heaped upon Him, preserving an unparalleled serenity through it all, he was moved by a sudden fear that after all this might not be a common man Who stood before him. He was greatly perplexed when he looked upon the pure, pale face of the Prisoner, and questioned if He might not be a god come [140] down to earth. The very silence of Jesus spoke conviction to the heart of the king, such as no words could have done. Herod noticed that while some bowed before Jesus in mockery, others, who came forward for the same purpose, looked into the Sufferer’s face and saw expressed there a look so like a king that they turned back, ashamed of their own audacity. Herod was ill at ease, and, hardened as he was, dared not ratify the condemnation of the Jews; and he therefore sent Jesus back to Pilate.” 3SP:135-140.
23:9: “He answered him nothing” = “[77] In anger, Herod turned to the multitude, and denounced Jesus as an impostor. . . [78] As the wicked king saw Jesus accepting all this indignity in silence, he was moved with a sudden fear that this was no common man before him. He was perplexed with the thought that this prisoner might be a heavenly being come down to the earth.” GHA:77-78.
23:11: “sent Him again to Pilate” = “Herod dared not ratify the condemnation of Jesus. He wished to relieve himself of the terrible responsibility and so sent the Saviour back to Pilot.” GHA:78.
23:18: “Barabbas” = Here is my Matthew 27:16 Note: 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.”
“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.
“[143] 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.
Here is my Matthew 27:20 Note: “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.
23:21: “Crucify Him, crucify Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:22-24 Note: 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: “[22] 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: [23] 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.
23:22: “I will therefore chastise Him” = “[140] Here Pilate exposed his weakness. He had declared that Jesus was innocent of the crimes of which He was accused, yet he was willing to make a partial sacrifice of justice and principle in order to compromise with an unfeeling mob; he was willing to suffer an innocent Man to be scourged, that their inhuman wrath might be appeased. But the fact that he proposed to make terms with them placed Pilate at a disadvantage with [141] the ungovernable crowd, who now presumed upon his indecision, and clamored the more for the life of the Prisoner. Pilate turned to the people, and represented to them that the priests and elders had not substantiated in any degree the charges brought against Jesus. He hoped by this means to raise their sympathy for Him, so they would be willing to release Him. Meanwhile Jesus had fallen through exhaustion upon the marble pavement.” 3SP:140-141.
“what evil hath He done” = Here is my Matthew 27:23 Note: “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.
23:25: “delivered Jesus” = Here is my Matthew 27:26 Note: = “[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.
23:26: “the cross” = Here is my Matthew 27:32 Note: 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” = Here is my Matthew 27:32 Note: 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.
23:27: “bewailed and lamented Him” = This is a good verse to show that not all yelled “Crucify Him.”
23:28: “Daughters of Jerusalem” = “He knew they were not lamenting Him because He was a Teacher sent from God, but from motives of common humanity. He looked upon the weeping women and said, [verse quoted]. . . Many of the very women who were weeping about Jesus were to perish with their children in the siege of Jerusalem.” 3SP:151.
23:30: “they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us” = See Isaiah 2:19; Hosea 10:8; Revelation 6:15-16.
23:31: “a green tree” = The “green tree” equals Christ, while the “dry” tree equals the Nation of Israel that would not accept their Messiah.
“By the green tree, Jesus represented Himself, the innocent Redeemer. God suffered His wrath against transgression to fall on His beloved Son. Jesus was to be crucified for the sins of men. What suffering, then, would the sinner bear who continued in sin? All the impenitent and unbelieving would know a sorrow and misery that language would fail to express.” DA:743.
“The innocent were represented by the green tree.” 3SP:152.
“dry” = The “dry” tree than, would be the guilty.
23:32: “two other, malefactors” = Here is my Matthew 27:38 Note: 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.
“Him to be put to death” = Here is my Matthew 27:31 Note: “God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was One with the Father.” ST, March 26, 1894.
23:33: “Calvary” = Here is my Matthew 27:33 Note: “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.
See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
“they crucified Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:35 Note: “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.
“[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, par. 3.
23:38: “a superscription also was written over Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:37 Note: “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.
23:39: “one of the malefactors” = Here is my Matthew 27:44 Note: “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.
“[156] 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.
Luke 23:40-42; Matthew 27:44: “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.
23:43: “To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise” = For a proper Biblical understanding of what happens to a person after death, see my Bible Study: “DEATH, THE TRUTH ABOUT.”
Some have assumed from this verse that souls go their reward immediately after death, quite contrary to scores of other Bible texts. But notice what’s wrong with this assumption. Jesus told the thief “verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with Me,” but three days later He told Mary that He had not yet ascended to His Father (John 20:17).
So how could Jesus tell the thief that He would be with Him in Paradise that day when He did not even go there Himself? Everything clears up when we consider that the punctuation was added to our Bibles. The translators, with their inproper assumptions of what a Biblical death entails, placed a comma before the word “to day,” when in reality, it should have been placed after “to day.” Then the verse would correctly read: “verily I say unto thee to day (this day), thou shalt be (will be, future tense) with Me in Paradise,” or “I’m telling you to day, you will be remembered and resurrected.” See Acts 19:12.
“[157] Jesus did not promise the penitent thief that he should go with Him, upon the day of their crucifixion, to Paradise; for He Himself did not ascend to His Father until three days afterward. See John 20:17. But He declared unto him, ‘I say unto thee today --' meaning to impress the fact upon his mind, that at that time, while enduring ignominy and persecution, He had the power to save sinners. He was man’s Advocate with [158] the Father, having the same power as when He healed the sick and raised the dead to life; it was His Divine right to promise that day to the repentant, believing malefactor,” 3SP:157-158.
23:44: “sixth hour. . . darkness” = Here is my Matthew 27:45 Note: “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.
23:45: “the veil of the temple was rent in the midst” = Here is my Matthew 27:51 Note: 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.
23:46: “He gave up the ghost´= Here is my Matthew 27:50 Note: “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.
“[183] 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:183-184.
23:52: “This man” = Here is my Matthew 27:57 Note: “[135] 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.
“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.
23:56: “and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment” = See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
Notice that the Sabbath is still observed after Jesus’ death, indicating that He did not teach them to observe a different day, or cancel the Holy Sabbath day.
It is also interesting to note that Jesus spent seven hours upon the cross. He suffered six hours, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. After He died, He “rested,” you might say, for about one hour while Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilot to obtain permission to remove and bury Christ’s body. Thus, Jesus spent six hours suffering (working) and one hour resting (representing the Sabbath rest).
“The disciples rested on the Sabbath, sorrowing for the death of their Lord, while Jesus, the King of glory, rested in the sepulchre.” 1SG:65.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
24:1: “the women” = Here is my Matthew 28:1 Note: 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.
24:2: “the stone rolled away” = Here is my Matthew 28:2 Note: 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.
24:4: “two men stood by them in shining garments” = Here is my Matthew 28:5 Note: 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.
“[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.
24:7: “again” = The “again” is translated as a supplied word here and should be italicized [“again”] if they are going to be consistent. Most Bibles do not show it italicized as such, even though they should. And I don’t know why the translators decided to add it here. The Greek word for “rise” is “anistemi,” which literally means, “rise up,” not “rise again.”
24:10: “Mary the mother of James” = See my Matthew 27:56 Note: This “Mary” is the “wife of Cleophas,” John 19:25. Mark 15:40 clarifies this Mary by listing her son James as “the less.”
Here is my Matthew 28:1 Note: “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.
24:13: “two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus” = “Emmaus” means “Hot Water,” and was about 7 miles from Jerusalem.
We know that the name of one of them was Cleopas (vs. 18). The other may well have been Cleopas’ wife. Why? Three reasons:
1) Another woman would be more likely to get the sepulcher story correct from every angle, by being another woman (see verse 22).
2) The home that they were staying in at Emmaus (verses 28-29), appears to be theirs, as opposed to some acquaintances; making it a couple’s home as opposed to a friendly stopover.
3) A woman would be more likely to have the evening meal (verse 30) prepared.
24:15: “He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven” = Here is my Mark 16:19 Note: “A cloud of glory received Him out of their sight, and at the same moment there floated down to their charmed senses the sweetest and most joyous music from the angel choir.” 3SP:251; ST, October 31, 1895; ST, November 2, 1904; BEcho, August 1, 1887.
“When Christ passed within the Heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. As soon as this ceremony was completed, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents,” AA:38.
“[252] All Heaven was waiting to welcome the Saviour to the celestial courts. As He ascended He led the way, and the multitude of captives whom He had raised from the dead at the time when He came forth from the tomb {Mat. 27:52-53}, followed Him. The Heavenly host, with songs of joy and triumph, escorted Him upward. At the portals of the City of God an innumerable company of angels awaited His coming. As they approached the gates of the City, the angels who were escorting the Majesty of Heaven, in triumphant tones addressed the company at the portals: ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! {Psa. 24:7}’
“The waiting angels at the gates of the City inquire in rapturous strains, ‘Who is this King of Glory?’ {Psa. 24:8} The escorting angels joyously reply in songs of triumph, ‘The Lord, strong and mighty! The Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in! {Psa. 24:8-9}’ Again the waiting angels ask, ‘Who is this King of Glory?’ {Psa. 24:10} and the escorting angels respond in melodious strains, ‘The Lord of hosts! He is the King of Glory!’ {Psa. 24:10} Then the portals of the City of God are widely opened, and the Heavenly [253] train pass in amid a burst of angelic music. All the Heavenly host surround their majestic Commander as He takes His position upon the Throne of the Father.” 3SP:252-253.
“He is seated by the side of His Father on His Throne. The Saviour presents the captives He has rescued from the bonds of death, at the price of His Own life. His hands place immortal crowns upon their brows; for they are the representatives, and samples, of those who shall be redeemed, by the blood of Christ, from all nations, tongues, and people, and come forth from the dead, when he shall call the just from their graves at His Second Coming.” 3SP:253.
24:16: “their eyes were holden” = Why? Because of their lack of faith.
“Their faith had died with the Lord, and their eyes, blinded by unbelief, did not discern the risen Saviour. . . They had lost sight of the precious promises; but when the words spoken by the prophets were brought to their remembrance, faith revived,” RH, November 28, 1878.
24:19: “a prophet” = These disciples of Jesus still did not grasp Who Jesus really was; which is why they are most likely singled out as being worthy to tell the other believers Who and what they will soon experience.
24:25: “fools, and slow of heart” = Jesus calls them/us “fools, and slow of heart.” Why, because they tell Him of the women seeing the angels, but don’t relate the fact that the women had also seen Him risen, (Mat. 28:9; John 20:18) and that Simon had seen Jesus also (verse 34), yet they still did not believe.
24:27: “He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” = “The disciples had been confused by the interpretations and traditions of the priests, and hence their darkness and unbelief in regard to the trial, death, and resurrection of their Master. These misinterpreted prophecies were now made plain to the understanding of the two disciples, by Him who, through His Holy Spirit, inspired men to write them.” RC:28.
24:31: “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him” = “The simple fare was soon ready, and the three took their position at the table, Jesus taking His place at the head as was His custom.
“The duty of asking a blessing upon the food usually devolved upon the head of the family; but Jesus placed His hands upon the bread and blessed it. At the first Word of His petition the disciples looked up in amazement. Surely none other than their Lord had ever done in this manner. His Voice strikes upon their ear as the Voice of their Master, and, behold, there are the wounds in His hands! It is indeed the well-known form of their beloved Master! For a moment they are spell-bound; then they arise to fall at His feet and worship Him; but He suddenly disappears from their midst.” 3SP:213.
“Jesus did not first reveal Himself in His true character to them, and then open the Scriptures to their minds; for He knew that they would be so overjoyed to see Him again, risen from the dead, that their souls would be satisfied. They would not hunger for the sacred truths which He wished to indelibly impress upon their minds, that they might impart them to others, who should in their turn spread the precious knowledge, until thousands of people should receive the light given that day to the despairing disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus.
“He maintained His disguise till He had interpreted the Scriptures, and had led them to an intelligent faith in His life, His character, His mission to earth, and His death and resurrection. He wished the truth to take firm root in their minds, not because it was supported by His personal testimony, but because the typical Law, and the prophets of the Old Testament, agreeing with the facts of His life and death, presented unquestionable evidence of that truth. When the object of His labors with the two disciples was gained, He revealed Himself to them that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight.” 3SP:214.
“When the Life-giver rose from the dead a triumphant Conqueror, and made Himself known unto His disciples, He was of the same size as before His crucifixion. There were no special marks which would at once cause the men of Emmaus to know that He was the Son of God. They did not know Him until He told them Who He was.” 4aSG:119.
24:32: “found the eleven” = Luke might have missed the fact that Thomas wasn’t there and should have said “ten.” Or the Holy Spirit already knew which disciple was to take the place of Thomas and he was present. Or Luke does not care to cover Thomas’ doubting event.
24:33: “returned to Jerusalem” = “Jesus was by their side, but they knew it not. . . They were too happy to notice the difficulties of the rough, uncertain road. There was no moon to light them, but their hearts were light with the joy of a new revelation. They picked their way over the rough stones, and the dangerous ledges, sometimes stumbling and falling in their haste. But not at all disconcerted by this, they pressed resolutely on. Occasionally they lost their path in the darkness, and were obliged to retrace their steps until they found the track, when they renewed their journey with fresh speed. They longed to deliver their precious message to their friends.” 3SP:215.
“The upper chamber was the home of a number of the disciples,” 3SP:220.
24:34: “risen indeed” = The Greek word used here for “indeed” is the same as in Mark 11:32, which is “ontos,” and always refers to something or an event (as in this case) that actually took place.
24:44: “in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms” = According to the “Tanakh,” which equals, the First Five Books of the Bible, or “Torah,” or “Pentateuch;” The prophets consisted of Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel and Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi’ While the psalms contained Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, First and Second Chronicles.
24:45: “Then opened He their understanding” = Jesus gives them a Bible Study, just like He did to those on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). Why? Remember that all of Israel was looking for a concurring Savior; not a suffering Servant.
“Jesus now expounded the Scriptures to the entire company, commencing with the First Book of Moses, and dwelling particularly on the prophecy pointing to the time then present, and foretelling the sufferings of Christ and His resurrection.” RC:36.
24:49: “I send the promise of My Father upon you” = Here is my John 14:16-17 Note: The Greek word Jesus used for “another,” is ”allos,” which literally means, ”another of the same kind,” in contrast to ”heteros,” which means, “another of different kind” or “quality.”
“Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men’s hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His Successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.” DA:669.
“The apostles and their fellow believers were not to be left alone or without help after Jesus ascended to Heaven. An all-adequate Helper was to be with them. ‘By the Spirit,’ He said, He would manifest Himself to them.” DA:670.
“The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. . . The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. [For] There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.” DA:671.
“It was not until after Christ’s ascension to His Father, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, that the disciples fully appreciated the Saviour’s character and mission. After they had received the baptism of the Spirit, they began to realize that they had been in the very presence of the Lord of glory. As the sayings of Christ were brought to their remembrance, their minds were opened to comprehend the prophecies, and to understand the miracles which He had wrought. The wonders of His life passed before them, and they were as men awakened from a dream. They realized that ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. . .’ John 1:14. Christ had actually come from God to a sinful world to save the fallen sons and daughters of Adam. The disciples now seemed, to themselves, of much less importance than before they realized this. They never wearied of rehearsing His words and works. His lessons, which they had but dimly understood, now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became to them a new Book.” DA:506.
“Comforter” = “The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ {John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1Jo. 4:6} His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.” DA:671.
24:50: “as far as to Bethany” = Rather, “toward Bethany.” See Acts 1:12.
24:51: “He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven” = According to Acts 1:9 it would be the “cloud” that did the parting.