THE BOOK OF MARK,
Chapters 1-16
CHAPTER ONE
1:4: “John did baptize in the wilderness” = Here is my Mathew. 3:1 Note: Here is my Luke 1:80 & 3:10 Notes: “[46] The life of John, although passed in the wilderness, was not inactive. His separation from society did not make him gloomy and morose, neither was he unreconciled with his lonely life of hardship and privation. It was his choice to be secluded from the luxuries of life, and from depraved society. Pride, envy, jealousy, and corrupt passions seemed to control the hearts of men. But John was separated from the influence of these things, and, with discerning eye and wonderful discrimination, read the characters of men. He lived in the quiet retreat of the wilderness, and occasionally he mingled in society; but would not remain long where the moral atmosphere seemed to be polluted. He feared that the sight of his eyes and the hearing of his ears would so pervert his mind that he would lose a sense of the sinfulness of sin. A great work was before him, and it was necessary that he should form a character unbiased by any surrounding influence. It was necessary that his physical, mental, and moral conditions should be of that high and noble type that would qualify him for a work which required firmness and integrity, that when he should appear among men he could enlighten them, and be instrumental in giving a new direction to their thoughts, and awakening them to the necessity of forming righteous characters. John would bring the people up to the standard of Divine perfection. He studied the peculiarities of minds, that he [47] might know how to adapt his instructions to the people.”
“John did not feel strong enough to stand the great pressure of temptation he would meet in society. He feared his character would be molded according to the prevailing customs of the Jews, and he chose the wilderness as his school, in which his mind could be properly educated and disciplined from God’s great Book of nature. In the wilderness, John could the more readily deny himself and bring his appetite under control, and dress in accordance to natural simplicity. And there was nothing in the wilderness that would take his mind from meditation and prayer. Satan had access to John, even after he had closed every avenue in his power through which he would enter. But his habits of life were so pure and natural that he could discern the foe, and had strength of spirit and decision of character to resist him.” 2SP:46-47.
“God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be prepared for a special mission. But the austerity and isolation of his life were not an example for the people. John himself had not directed his hearers to forsake their former duties. He bade them give evidence of their repentance by faithfulness to God in the place where He had called them.” DA:150.
“John did not make his home in the cities and villages. From childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, he lived in the wilderness.” ST, February 18, 1897.
“Christ’s life had been so retired and secluded at Nazareth that John had not a personal acquaintance with Him, and he did not positively know that He was the Messiah. He was acquainted with the circumstances of His birth, and he believed Him to be the promised One. The secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Nazareth, in which He gave no special evidence of His Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether He was indeed the One for Whose Coming he was to prepare the way. John, however, rested the matter in faith, fully believing that God would in due time make it plain. The Lord had shown him that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by a distinct sign; when this should be done, then John could present Him to the world as the long-expected Messiah, the Lamb of God that was to take away the sin of the world.
“John had heard of the sinless character and spotless purity of Christ. His life was in harmony with what the Lord had revealed to him respecting one that was among them whose life was without the taint of sin. John had also seen that He should be the example for every repenting sinner.” RH, January 21, 1873.
1:7: “There cometh one mightier than I” = Here is my Matthew 3:11: “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.
1:8: “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost” = See Acts 2:4.
1:9: “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John” = Here is my Matthew 3:13 Note: “Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the circumstances of the birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other. Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.” DA:109.
“When Christ presented Himself for baptism, John recognized Him at once as the superior One revealed to him. He discerned, in the Person and deportment of Christ, a character above every other man he had ever seen. The very atmosphere of His presence was holy and awe-inspiring. Although he knew Him not as the Messiah, yet never had such a holy influence been realized by John from any one as when in the presence of Christ. He felt the superiority of Christ at once, and shrank from performing the rite of baptism to One Whom he knew to be sinless. Many had come to him to receive the baptism of repentance, confessing their sins and crimes; but John could not understand why the only sinless One upon the earth should ask for an ordinance implying guilt, virtually confessing, by the symbol of baptism, pollution to be washed away. He remonstrated with Christ, acknowledging His superiority, and refused to administer the ordinance, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?’ With firm and gentle authority, Jesus waives the refusal of John and his plea of unworthiness, saying, ‘Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.’
“Christ came not confessing His Own sins; but guilt was imputed to Him as the sinner’s substitute. He came not to repent on His Own account; but in behalf of the sinner. As man had transgressed the Law of God, Christ was to fulfill every requirement of that Law, and thus show perfect obedience.” RH, January 21, 1873; 2SP:59.
1:10: “Spirit like a dove” = Here is my Matthew 3:16 Note: “Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the circumstances of the birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other. Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.” DA:109.
“When Christ presented Himself for baptism, John recognized Him at once as the superior One revealed to him. He discerned, in the Person and deportment of Christ, a character above every other man he had ever seen. The very atmosphere of His presence was holy and awe-inspiring. Although he knew Him not as the Messiah, yet never had such a holy influence been realized by John from any one as when in the presence of Christ. He felt the superiority of Christ at once, and shrank from performing the rite of baptism to One Whom he knew to be sinless. Many had come to him to receive the baptism of repentance, confessing their sins and crimes; but John could not understand why the only sinless One upon the earth should ask for an ordinance implying guilt, virtually confessing, by the symbol of baptism, pollution to be washed away. He remonstrated with Christ, acknowledging His superiority, and refused to administer the ordinance, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?’ With firm and gentle authority, Jesus waives the refusal of John and his plea of unworthiness, saying, ‘Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.’
“Christ came not confessing His Own sins; but guilt was imputed to Him as the sinner’s substitute. He came not to repent on His Own account; but in behalf of the sinner. As man had transgressed the Law of God, Christ was to fulfill every requirement of that Law, and thus show perfect obedience.” RH, January 21, 1873; 2SP:59.
1:11: “a voice from Heaven” = Here is my Matthew 3:17 Note: Also, “lightning’s flash from the cloudless heavens.” ST, April 5, 1883, paragraph 6 (1ST:340); ST, August 4, 1887, paragraph 6.
“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.
1:12: “the Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness” = 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.
1:13: “forty days” = 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.
1:14-15: “the kingdom of God” = “As the message of Christ’s first Advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His Second Advent announces the kingdom of His glory.” DA:234.
1:16-20: “straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him” = Here is my Matthew 4:18-20 Note: According to these accounts, we have very little information as to why they forsook all and followed Jesus. However, if we read Luke 5:1-11 we learn better why besides just the testimony of John the Baptist.
1:17: “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men” = Here is my 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.
1:20: “the hired servants” = Here is my Matthew 4:22 Note: “left the ship and their father” = According to Mark’s account, they also left “the hired servants,” Mark 1:20. Research shows that the fishermen of Galilee during the time of Christ ran a very profitable business, with many employees. And that their goods were sold as far away as Egypt.
Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34: “Let us alone” = “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.
Mark 1:25; Luke 4:35: “hold thy peace” = 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.”
1:29: “come out of the Synagogue” = 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.
1:40: “there came a leper” = 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.
1:41: “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.
1:44: “say nothing to any 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 those things which 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.”
SDA’S, 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.”
CHAPTER TWO
2:3: “one sick of the 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.
2:4: “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. . . 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:292-293.
“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.
2:12: “immediately he arose” = 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.
“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.
2:15: “many publicans and sinners” = 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.
2:16: “saw Him eat 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.
2:17: “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.” 2ST:402; 3ST:270, 392; 4ST:283; ST, August 18, 1890; ST, March 18, 1903.
2:18: “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.
2:21-22: “old garment” = 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” = Here is my Matthew 9:16-17 Note: “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.
2:27: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” = Another way to structure this verse is to read it like this: “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man.” The Hebrew word for “man” in Mark 2:27 is “anthropos,” which literally means, “mankind; a human being.”
“made” = The word “made” in this verse is the Greek word “ginomai,” which means literally “created.” Thus, Jesus is instructing His audience about something that they already knew, that the Sabbath was made during creation week itself.
“The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was instituted in Eden. After God had made the world, and created man upon the earth, He made the Sabbath for man.” 3SG:295.
“Man was not made to fit the Sabbath; for the Sabbath was made after the creation of man, to meet his necessities.” RH, May 30, 1871.
“ ‘The Sabbath was made for man,’ to give him rest and peace, and remind him of the work of his Creator, not to be a grievous burden.” 2SP:196.2.
“The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment, sanctified by God, was given to man as the memorial of the creation of the world and all things therein. Ever since the institution of the Sabbath in Eden, Satan has made a determined effort to destroy this memorial, and in its stead to institute a spurious sabbath, in order that the memorial of God’s great and wonderful works might be lost from the mind, and there be brought about a worldwide apostasy against God’s Law.” 5MR:88.1; 19MR:244.2.
CHAPTER THREE
3:2-6: “heal him on the Sabbath day” = Here is my Matthew 12:10-15 Note: 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.
3:4: “Is it Lawful to do good on the Sabbath days” = Here is my Matthew 12:12 Note: “There are ministers today who teach that the Son of God broke the Sabbath and justified His disciples in doing the same. They take the same ground as did the caviling Jews, although ostensibly for another purpose, since they hold that Christ abolished the Sabbath.” 2SP:199.2.
“It was a maxim among the Jews that a failure to do good, when one had opportunity, was to do evil; to neglect to save life was to kill. Thus Jesus met the rabbis on their own ground.” DA:286.
3:6: “Herodians” = 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.
3:10: “He had healed many” = Here is my Matthew 10:1 & 8: “The way in which Christ worked was to preach the word, and to relieve suffering by miraculous works of healing. But I am instructed that we cannot now work in this way; for Satan will exercise his power by working miracles. God’s servants today could not work by means of miracles; because spurious works of healing, claiming to be Divine, will be wrought. For this reason the Lord has marked out a way in which His people are to carry forward a work of physical healing, combined with the teaching of the Word. Sanitariums are to be established, and with these institutions are to be connected workers who will carry forward genuine medical missionary work.” NL:105.
3:14: “He ordained twelve” = Here is my Matthew 10:1: “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.
3:18: “Simon the Canaanite” = Here is my Matthew 10:4 Note: Luke 6:15 puts it this way, “Simon called Zelotes,” thus teaching us that the phrase, or word, “Canaanite,” literally means that he was a Zealot, and one that caused problems for the Roman soldiers. Thus, geography, which was normal in those days for what we would consider to be a last name today, is not meant here.
According to “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible:” “The Kanaites, or Zelotes, were a set of men, who, in imitation of Phinehas, who slew Zimri and Cozbi in the very act of uncleanness, when they found any persons in the act of adultery, idolatry, blasphemy, or theft, would immediately kill them without any more ado: this they did, from a pretended zeal for the honour and glory of God: nor were they accountable to any court of judicature for it; yea, such an action was highly applauded, as a very laudable one: under this specious name of Zealots, innumerable murders, and most horrible wickedness were committed, both before, and during the siege of Jerusalem, as Josephus relates.”
3:22: “He hath 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.
3:29: “blaspheme 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, p. 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.”
3:31-32: “There came then His brethren and His mother” = Here is my Matthew 12:46: “The sons of Joseph, His brethren, enlisted Mary to go with them; for they knew that His love for her would add to their influence in seeking to prevail upon Him to be more prudent. They felt that their own honor was compromised in the criticisms that came upon Jesus. They were not at all pleased with His startling denunciations against the religious leaders of the Jews, and felt the reproach that came upon them in consequence of their relation to Him. They knew what a great tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. His Words previous to their coming to seek to compel Him to cease this manner of doing had thoroughly aroused them. . . The Pharisees were filled with madness against Him, and they had made their threats to the brethren of Christ as to what they would do. . . His brethren knew that they were seeking to find occasion against Him, and they felt that in the works He had spoken, He had given occasion enough. They must make some determined effort to prevent Him from uttering words that would not only involve Him in difficulty, but bring down upon His family the denunciations of the Pharisees.” ST, October 1, 1896.
“His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called. . . Being older than Jesus. . .” DA:86-87.
“The life of Christ was marked with respect, devotion, and love for His mother. She often remonstrated with Him, and sought to have Him concede to the wishes of His brethren. His brethren could not persuade Him to change His habits of life in contemplating the works of God, in manifesting sympathy and tenderness toward the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate, and in seeking to alleviate the sufferings of both men and dumb animals. When the priests and rulers came to Mary to persuade her to force Jesus to give allegiance to their ceremonies and traditions, she felt much troubled. But peace and confidence came to her troubled heart as her Son presented the clear statements of the Scriptures in upholding His practices. At times she wavered between Jesus and His brethren, who did not believe that He was the Sent of God. But evidence was powerful and abundant that His was a Divine character. She saw Him sacrificing Himself for the good of others. She saw Him meeting the people where they were. She saw Him constantly growing in grace and knowledge, and in favor with God and man.” ST, August 6, 1896.
“In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter’s trade and thus honored all labor.” ST, July 30, 1896; TMK:30.
“While Christ was working at the carpenter’s bench, others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing, they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit which was there.” AH:443.
3:33: “Who is My mother, or My brethren” = Here is my Matthew 12:48 Note: “The sons of Joseph were far from being in sympathy with Jesus in His work. The reports that reached them in regard to His life and labors filled them with astonishment and dismay. . .
“His friends felt that He was wearing Himself out by his incessant labor; they were unable to account for His attitude toward the Pharisees, and there were some who feared that His reason was becoming unsettled. His brothers heard of this, and also of the charge brought by the Pharisees that He cast out devils through the power of Satan. They felt keenly the reproach that came upon them through their relation to Jesus. They knew what a tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. They decided that He must be persuaded or constrained to cease this manner of labor, and they induced Mary to unite with them, thinking that through his love for her they might prevail upon Him to be more prudent.” DA:321.
“While Jesus was still teaching the people, His disciples brought the message that His mother and His brothers were without, and desired to see Him. He knew what was in their hearts,” DA:325.
CHAPTER FOUR
4:3: “Behold, there went out a sower” = Here is my Matthew 13:3 Note: “In plain sight are the sowers and the reapers, side by side, the one casting the seed, and the other harvesting the early grain. The fruitful valleys, and the hill sides are clothed in beauty. The barren rocks are seen upon the beach, and the birds make the air vocal with their music. The sea-fowls skim upon the surface of the water. Jesus takes this opportunity to draw lessons from nature that will sink into the minds of His listeners. He employs the scenery about Him to illustrate His Doctrine, so that in the future, whenever these objects are presented to their eyes, their thoughts will revert to the lessons of truth drawn from them by Jesus. They will be daily reminders of the precious instruction which they had received from Him.” 2SP:233.1.
“His followers were mortified that the learned and wealthy were not the most willing to accept Jesus as their Saviour. They felt the stigma that attached to their Master, because it was the poor, the afflicted, and the humbler class generally, who became His disciples. Why, they asked themselves, did not the scribes and Pharisees, the teachers in the schools of the prophets, acknowledge that He was the long-looked-for Messiah? It was to meet this doubt and discontent that Jesus spoke this parable.” 2SP:235.
“. . . in the parable of the power, He had illustrated the doctrine He had come to the world to teach.” 2SP:236-237.
“Thus Christ represents the characters of those whom He came to teach, in a brief and comprehensive parable. . . The parable of the power plainly sets forth the tendencies of the human heart, and the different classes with which Christ had to deal, and also explains the reasons that His ministry was not more successful in its immediate effects.” 2SP:241.
4:5: “stony ground” = 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.
4:12: “lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” Here is my Matthew 13:15 Note: Jesus is here quoting Isaiah 6:10 (see also Isa. 29:10), and especially Isaiah 44:18, where Isaiah continues along the same reasoning. This hiding of the truth was a judgment for unbelief, as happened during Isaiah’s ministry. The images of “seeing” and “hearing” refer to knowledge of God’s revelation.
Refusing to look and to listen would mean that the people’s hearts were hardened. No matter how much they saw of Jesus’ miracles, or heard of His teaching, they never would be able to understand because they had deliberately chosen to reject Him. Jesus shows what happens when people see but do not observe what is happening; when people hear but do not hearken. The bottom line is, that God will punish them for their willful contempt.
In a side note: This Old Testament reference given by Jesus from Isaiah 6:10 is the only quotation in the Book of Matthew which is actually from Jesus’ mouth. Other such quotations are given by Matthew about Jesus.
4:13: “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.
4:15: “these are they by the way side, where the word is sown” = Here is my Matthew 13:19 Note: “Christ, the Sower, scatters the seed. There are the worldly ones, whose hearts are like the hard-beaten highway, insensible to the teachings of Divine wisdom. They love not the requirements of God, and follow their natural impulses. Many are convinced as they listen to the important lessons of Christ. They believe His Words, and resolve to lead holy lives, but when Satan comes with his evil suggestions, they are overcome before the good seed has fairly sprung into life.
“Had the soil of the heart been broken up by deep repentance for sin, they would have seen how wicked was their selfish love of the world, their pride and avarice, and would have put them away. The seeds of truth would have struck deep into the fallow ground prepared for them in the heart, and would have sprung up and borne fruit. But evil habits had so long held sway over their lives that their good resolutions had vanished before the voice of the tempter.” 2SP:238.
“If life moves smoothly with this class, if their way is never crossed, if all things are in harmony with their inclinations, they appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation; they cannot endure reproach for the truth’s sake. The good seed that had sprung into so flourishing a plant, withers and dies because it has no root to sustain it in the time of drought. The very thing which should have caused the fibers to strike down deeper and send up more vigorous growth, parches and kills the whole plant. . .
“These persons could cultivate and enrich the soil of their hearts, if they would, so that the truth would take deeper hold; but this involves too much patience and self-denial. It costs them too much effort to make a radical change in their lives. They are easily offended by reproof,” 2SP:239.
“The seed sown by the wayside represents the Word of God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer. Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the heart that becomes a highway for the world’s traffic, its pleasures and sins. Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is ‘hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.’ Heb. 3:13. The spiritual faculties are paralyzed. Men hear the Word, but understand it not. They do not discern that it applies to themselves. They do not realize their need or their danger. They do not perceive the Love of Christ, and they pass by the message of His grace as something that does not concern them. As the birds are ready to catch up the seed from the wayside, so Satan is ready to catch away the seeds of Divine truth from the soul. He fears that the Word of God may awaken the careless, and take effect upon the hardened heart.” COL:44.
4:16-17: “sown on stony ground” = Here is my Matthew 13:20-21 Note: “Many hearts respond to the voice of truth, but they do not properly receive and cherish it. They give it a place in the soil of the natural heart, without preparing the ground and rooting out the poisonous weeds that flourish there, and watching every hour in order to destroy them should they again appear. The cares of life, the fascination of riches, the longing for forbidden things, crowd out the love of righteousness before the good seed can bear fruit. Pride, passion, self-love, and love of the world, with envy and malice, are no companions for the truth of God. As it is necessary thoroughly to cultivate the soil that has once been overgrown with weeds, so it is necessary for the Christian to be diligent in exterminating the faults that threaten his eternal ruin. Patient, earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus, can alone remove the evil tendencies of the natural heart. But those who have allowed their faith to be overcome by the growth of Satan’s influences, fall into a worse state than that which they occupied before they heard the words of life.” 2SP:240.
“The seed sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil. The plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it soon perishes. Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced, and appear to be bright converts, but they have only a superficial religion.” COL:46.
4:18-19: “sown among thorns” = Here is my Matthew 13:22 Note: “The gospel seed often falls among thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be choked. The thorns will come to be the crop, and will kill out the wheat. Grace can thrive only in the heart that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and the work of purification must advance continually. If the heart is not kept under the control of God, if the Holy Spirit does not work unceasingly to refine and ennoble the character, the old habits will reveal themselves in the life.” COL:50.
4:20: “good ground” = Here is my Matthew 13:23 Note: “The parable of the sower plainly sets forth the tendencies of the human heart, and the different classes with which Christ had to deal, and also explains the reasons that His ministry was not more successful in its immediate effects.” 2SP:241.2.
4:27: “spring up and grow” = “The seed here spoken of is the Word of God sown in the heart and made fruitful by Divine grace. If the truth takes root in the heart, it will sooner or later spring into life and bear fruit. The life and character will show the nature and quantity of the seed sown. But the work of cultivating is the work of a life-time. The principles of truth once planted in the soul, are to be carried out in the daily duties of life. The growth of Christian character is gradual -- like the advancement of the natural plant through its various stages of development. But nevertheless the progress is continual. As in nature, so it is in grace, the plant must either grow or die.” 2SP:244.
4:31-32: “grain of mustard seed” = Here is my Matthew 13:31-32 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.
“is less than all the seeds” = Here is my Matthew 13:31-32 Note: It is argued that hear the Bible (Jesus is stupid) is in error, for the “mustard seed” is not the “smallest of all seeds,” as most false newer translations put it, which then brings in the problem, making Jesus not the Creator of it. However, the Greek word for “least” is “mikros,” which means, “Small; little.” The comparative degree Greek word is “mikroteros,” meaning, “smaller; less;” which is the opposite of “megas,” which means “large.” As we can see, the word does not mean “smallest.” Even if you insist that it does (for some Satanic reason), this is a “parable,” and a “parable” is designed to make a point; the size of the “mustard seed” not being that point.
When it comes to Mark’s account of this “parable,” he states that it “is less than all the seeds.” This is easily explained by seeing Matthew’s account here, which means, “is less [valued] than all the seeds.”
To then argue that the text is arguing about size because the “mustard seed” grows into a tree, which is large, is pushing the point. It needed to grow to some sort of size in order to house “fowls.” Or in other words, the righteous whom God will bring with Him to Heaven because they placed value in His Word (which is what the seed represents). That size is only pertinent to the point that when people place value upon God’s Word (the “mustard seed”), then it will grow; no value, no growth.
When you get right down to it, the point is one must plant the “seed.” Jesus is discussing the “sowing” of “crops,” i.e., “His Word” such that people may be brought into the Kingdom, and not which “seeds” in the world are the “smallest.”
“fowls of the air” = Granted, this implies a safe haven. However, here is my Matthew 13:31-32 Note: “birds of the air come and lodge” = Most consider the “birds” to be gentiles who accept the Jewish Messiah and join the ranks of Judaism/Christendom. By contrast, the birds in the parable in Matthew 13:4, are of a corrupting influence. Thus, they could also be representative of corruption entering into the Church.
4:37: “a great storm of wind” = Here is 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.
4:38: “pillow” = “a coil of rope for His pillow,” 10MR:349; 21MR:371.
“carest thou not that 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.
4:38-39: “there was a great calm” = 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.
4:40: “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no 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.
CHAPTER FIVE
5:2: “a 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.”
5:6: “worshipped Him” = 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.
5:12-13: “swine” = Here is Matthew 8:31-32 Note: “[333] But the purposes of Christ were not thwarted. He allowed the evil spirits to destroy the herd of swine as a rebuke to those Jews, who, by raising these unclean beasts for the sake of gain, had transgressed the Command of God. Had not Christ restrained the demons, they would have plunged into the sea, not only the swine, but also their keepers and owners. The preservation of both the keepers and the owners was due alone to His merciful interposition for their deliverance. Furthermore, this scene was permitted to take place that the disciples [334]
“might witness the cruel power of Satan upon both man and beast. The Saviour desired His followers to have a knowledge of the foe whom they were to meet, that they might not be deceived and overcome by his devices. It was also His will that the people of that region should behold His power to break the bondage of Satan and release his captives. And though Jesus Himself departed, the men so marvelously delivered, remained to declare the mercy of their Benefactor.” 4SP:333-334; GC:515.
“[340] In causing the destruction of the swine, it was Satan’s purpose to turn the people away from the Saviour, and prevent the preaching of the gospel in that region. But this very occurrence roused the whole country as nothing else could have done, and directed attention to Christ. Though the Saviour Himself departed, the men whom He had healed remained as witnesses to His power. Those who had been mediums of the prince of darkness became channels of light, messengers of the Son of God. Men marveled as they listened to the wondrous news. A door was opened to the gospel throughout that region. When Jesus returned to Decapolis, the people flocked about Him, and for three [341]
“days, not merely the inhabitants of one town, but thousands from all the surrounding region, heard the message of salvation. Even the power of demons is under the control of our Saviour, and the working of evil is overruled for good.” DA:340-341.
5:17-20: “pray Him to depart. . . he departed” = 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.
5:24: “Jesus went with him” = 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.
5:25-28: “touch but His clothes” = 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.”
5:26: “suffered many things of many physicians” = Here is my Luke 8:43 Note: 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.
5:28: “If I may touch” = Here is my Matthew 9:22 Note: “Christ in His infinite love knowing her heart’s desire, moved in her direction. . . Her faith was not in the garment, but in the virtue which the garment covered.” ST, October 25, 1899.
Mark 5:30; Luke 8:45: “Who touched My clothes” = “[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.
Mark 5:33; Luke 8:47: “the woman fearing and trembling” = “She feared that her act in touching His garment had been one of presumption,” ST, June 1, 1904; MH:61.
5:34: “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.
5:38: “He cometh to the house of the ruler” = 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.
5:41; 7:34; 15:34: “Talitha cumi” / “Ephphatha” / “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” = These verses show us clearly that Jesus spoke in Aramaic. See Mark 10:25 Note.
5:42: “straightway the damsel arose” = “[534] As she had been sick only [535] a short time, and was raised immediately after death, the Pharisees declared that the child had not been dead; that Christ Himself had said she was only asleep.” DA:534-535.
5:43: “He charged them straitly that no man should know it” = 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 SIX
6:7: “two and two” = 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.
6:8: “staff” = 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.”
6:11: “shake off the dust under your feet” = Here is my Matthew 10:14 Note: Here is an exert from my Bible Study: “CULT, RECOGNIZING A.” IF THEY TEACH that you should shun, disconnect, or whatever wording you want to use for this activity, then it is questionable. In other words, it depends on how it is done. For example, Jesus taught in Matthew 10:14 (see also Mark 6:11 & Luke 9:5; 10:11, then see Acts 13:51 & 18:6 were Jesus’ converts actually put this instruction into practice) that when you go to talk to people not of your belief system that you are to “shake off the dust of your feet,” if they will not listen or receive your teachings. In other words, you tried to help them but they were not interested.
Clearly notice that this is speaking of people outside of your belief system, not inside. The instruction procedure for someone inside your organization is found in Matthew, Chapter 18, and is for those who are now questioning or going against what the body of believers has established as their belief system. That instruction is to attempt to persuade them to reconsider their actions.
Notice that it is not designed to be in any way forceful or degrading. It does not teach that you are to shun or disconnect from family, long established friendships or acquaintances. This would be counterproductive to the later possibility of converting or reconverting these individuals and ultimately the growing of your organizations faith system.
NOTE: If the organization teaches that when someone disconnects from them and that they are then to harass, badger, bully, pester, stalk, hound, or any other type of word or action you can think of, then they are a cult. In other words, find out what happens when you attempt to leave before you join.
“This act was calculated to impress the people with the importance of the gospel message, and with the fact that it could not be slighted or rejected with impunity. The great Teacher declared to His disciples, with startling emphasis, that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for the city that refused to hear them.” 2SP:257.
“They were not to do this from motives of resentment or through wounded dignity, but to show how grievous a thing it is to refuse the Lord’s message or His messengers.” DA:489.
6:13: “oil” = Here is my James 5:14-15 Note: Here is given instruction as to what to do if “any [be] sick among you.” See Mark 6:13 where this was done as a normal practice.
“You inquire if we should pray for none that are sick except those in the third angel’s message, or pray for all that shall make application, et cetera. It is those that are among us. God had shown me those who keep God’s Commandments are to have nothing to do [in anointing and special prayer] for the sick of those who are daily trampling them underfoot unless it is in some special case where souls are convicted of the truth and are decided to move out upon it. The partition wall between Commandment keepers and those who trample them underfoot should be kept.” EY:404.
“Praying for the sick is a most solemn thing, and we should not enter upon this work in any careless, hasty way. Examination should be made as to whether those who would be blessed with health have indulged in evil speaking, alienation, and dissension. Have they sowed discord among the brethren and sisters in the Church? If these things have been committed they should be confessed before God and before the Church. When wrongs have been confessed, the subjects of prayer may be presented before God in earnestness and faith, as the Spirit of God may move upon you.” 4BIO:40.5.
6:14: “That John the Baptist 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.
6:17: “bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake” = Here are my Matthew 4:12 & 14:3 Notes: “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.
“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.
6:22: “when the daughter of the said Herodias came in” = Here is my Matthew 14:6 Note: This was Salome (see my Note on Mat. 2:1). She is called the “daughter of Herodias” because her real father was Philip, whom Herod Antipas had taken Herodias from.
6:23: “half of my kingdom” = Here is my Matthew 14:7 Note: “The unnatural exhilaration which intemperance gives to the mind and spirits, lowers the sensibilities to moral improvement, making it impossible for holy impulses to affect the heart, and hold government over the passions, when public opinion and fashion sustain them. Festivities and amusements, dances, and free use of wine, becloud the senses, and remove the fear of God. . . Salome was decorated with costly garlands and flowers. She was adorned with sparkling jewels and flashing bracelets. With little covering and less modesty she danced for the amusement of the royal guests. To their perverted senses, the enchanting appearance of this, to them, vision of beauty and loveliness charmed them. Instead of being governed by enlightened reason, refined taste, or sensitive consciences, the lower qualities of the mind held the guiding reins. Virtue and principle had no controlling power.” RH, March 11, 1873.
“[77] When the great day arrived, and the king with his lords was feasting and drinking in the banqueting hall, Herodias sent her daughter, dressed in a most enchanting manner, into the royal presence. Salome was decorated with costly garlands and flowers, sparkling jewels and flashing bracelets. With little covering, and less modesty, she danced for the amusement of the royal guests. To their perverted senses, she seemed a vision of beauty and loveliness, and charmed away the last remnants of self-respect and [78]
“propriety. Instead of being governed by enlightened reason, refined taste, and sensitive conscience, the baser qualities of the mind held the guiding reins. Virtue and principle had no controlling power.
“The mind of Herod was in a whirl. His faculties were confused, judgment and reverence were dethroned. He saw only the hall of pleasure, with his reveling guests, the banquet table, sparkling wine and flashing lights, and the young girl in her voluptuous beauty dancing before him. In the recklessness of the moment he was desirous to make some display which would exalt him still higher before the great men of his kingdom; and he rashly promised, and confirmed his promise with an oath, to give the daughter of Herodias whatever she might ask.” 2SP:77-78.
6:24: “What shall I ask” = Here is my Matthew 14:8 Note: “Salome was shocked. She did not understand the hidden revenge in her mother’s heart, and at first refused to present such an inhuman request; but the determination of the wicked mother prevailed. Moreover, she bade her daughter make no delay, but hasten to prefer her request before Herod would have time for reflection.” 2SP:78.
6:27-28: “beheaded him [John the Baptist]” = Here is my Matthew 14:10-11 Note: “The frivolities and dissipation of a single night had caused the sacrifice of one of the greatest prophets that ever bore a message from God to men.
“Herodias received the gory head with fiendish satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and thought that Herod’s conscience would be no more disturbed. But her calculations were greatly in error; no happiness resulted to her through her crime. Her name became notorious and abhorred because of her inhuman act, while the heart of Herod was more oppressed by remorse than it had been by the condemnation of John. And the very act which she imagined would rid the world of the prophet’s influence, enshrined him as a holy martyr, not only in the hearts of his disciples, but of those who had not before ventured to stand boldly out as his followers. Many who had heard his message of warning, and had been secretly convinced by his teachings, now, spurred on by horror at his coldblooded murder, publicly espoused his cause and declared themselves his disciples. Herodias utterly failed to silence the influence of John’s teachings; they were to extend down through every generation to the close of time, while her corrupt life and Satanic revenge would reap a harvest of infamy.” 2SP:81.
John perfected his character: “He [speaking of Satan] had been unwearied in his efforts to draw away the Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender to God; but he had failed. And he had failed to overcome Jesus.” DA:224.
“God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him.” DA:224.5.
6:29-30: “the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things” = Noting that the word “apostles” here, meaning Jesus’ apostles.
Here is my Matthew 14:12 Note: “With saddened hearts the disciples of John had borne his mutilated body to its burial. Then they ‘went and told Jesus.’ These disciples had been envious of Christ when He seemed to be drawing the people away from John. They had sided with the Pharisees in accusing Him when He sat with the publicans at Matthew’s feast. They had doubted His divine mission because He did not set the Baptist at liberty. But their great sorrow, and for guidance as to their future work, they came to Jesus, and united their interest with His. They too needed a season of quiet for communion with the Saviour.” DA:361.
6:30: “told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught” = Here is my Matthew 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.
6:38: “five, 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. Here is my Matthew 5:1 Note for the possible reason: From 6T:88 we read: “When the great throngs gathered about the Saviour, He would give instruction to the disciples and to the multitude. Then after the discourse the disciples would mingle with the people and repeat to them what Christ had said. Often the hearers had misapplied Christ’s Words, and the disciples would tell them what the Scriptures said and what Christ had taught that they said.”
“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.
6:45-46: “while He sent away the people” = Here is my Matthew 14:22 Note: “[378] In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. . . They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. . . Violence and insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. . . Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss the people. Never before had a Command from Christ seemed so impossible of fulfillment. The disciples had long hoped for a popular movement to place Jesus on the throne; they could not endure the thought that all this enthusiasm should come to nothing. . . [379]
“They protested against the arrangement; but Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never before assumed toward them. They knew that further opposition on their part would be useless, and in silence they turned toward the sea. Jesus now Commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner is so decisive that they dare not disobey. The words of praise and exaltation die on their lips. In the very act of advancing to seize Him their steps are stayed, and the glad, eager look fades from their countenances. In that throng are men of strong mind and firm determination; but the kingly bearing of Jesus, and His few quiet Words of Command, quell the tumult, and frustrate their designs. They recognize in Him a power above all earthly authority, and without a question they submit.” DA:378-379.
Judas “[718] was first to take advantage of the enthusiasm excited by the miracle of the loaves. . . [719] It was he [Judas] who set on foot the project to take Christ by force and make Him king.” DA:718-719.
6:49: “supposed it had been a spirit” = Here is my Matthew 14:26 Note: “. . .when their hearts were subdued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they humbly prayed for help, it was given them. At the very moment they believed themselves lost, a flash of lightning revealed the figure of a man walking toward them upon the water. An unspeakable terror seized them. The hands that had grasped the oars with muscle like iron, relaxed their hold, and fell powerless by their sides. The boat rocked at the will of the waves, while their eyes were riveted upon this vision of a man stepping firmly upon the white-capped billows.
“They thought it must be a spirit, which omened their immediate destruction.” 2SP:267.
6:50: “it is I” = Here is my Matthew 14:27 Note: The phrase “It is I” is another way of translating the Greek phrase “ego eimi,” which means “I Am.” It is the exact equivalent of Exodus 3:14, “I Am That I Am,” as the “LXX” confirms.
6:52: “miracle” = The definition of a “miracle,” according to the Roman Catholic religion, is, “An event that creates faith.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
7:3: “wash their hands” = Here is my Matthew 15:2 Note: “[395] Among the observances most strenuously enforced was that of ceremonial purification. A neglect of the forms to be observed before eating was accounted a heinous sin, to be punished both in this world and in the next; and it was regarded as a virtue to destroy the transgressor. . . [396] Whenever the message of truth comes home to souls with special power, Satan stirs up his agents to start a dispute over some minor question. Thus he seeks to attract attention from the real issue.” DA:395-396.
7:5: “traditions of the elders” = Here is my Matthew 15:2 Note: These traditions are believed to be given by Moses to the 70 elders of Exodus, Chapter 24, in addition to what Moses had written down in the Torah (the first five Books of the Bible), However, see below.
Tradition tends to grow in its requirements; whereas truth is always constant; “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.
From “Albert Barnes Notes On The Bible” we read: “They [the Pharisees] supposed that when Moses was on Mount Sinai two sets of laws were delivered to him: one, they said, was recorded, and is that contained in the Old Testament; the other was handed down from father to son, and kept uncorrupted to their day. They believed that Moses, before he died, delivered this law to Joshua; he to the Judges; they to the prophets; so that it was kept pure until it was recorded in the Talmud. In these books these pretended laws are now contained. They are exceedingly numerous and very trifling. They are, however, regarded by the Jews as more important than either Moses or the prophets.”
Notice also that our Lord does not disagree where this instruction truly came from when they state: “transgress the tradition of the elders,” throwing it back at them with what they truly should be obeying -- “why do ye also transgress the Commandment of God by your tradition?” Verse 3. See Isaiah 29:13.
Just so you better understand where this concept or doctrine comes from, by translating the word “they [the scribes and pharisees]” instead of “he [Moses],” this comes to us from Catholic doctrine. They state that it is the “chair” that has the authority. This is how our KJV was somewhat indoctrinated with when translating some of these passages (try to understand the state of the dead properly). When the Pope sits in the “chair,” then anything he states from that “chair” is from God and is now new doctrine. For you must obey the “chair.”
7:7: “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” = See Matthew 15:9; Colossians 2:8 and specifically Colossians 2:22.
7:11: “Corban” = Meaning, an “offering.” According to Lightfoot, this was “a formula common among the Jews on such occasions; by which the Pharisees released a child from supporting his parents; and even deemed it sacrilege if he afterwards gave any thing for their use.”
7:19: “purging all meats” = See my Bible Study: “DIET, DINNING GOD’S WAY.”
7:24-29: “a certain woman” = Here is my Matthew 15:21-28 Note: It is interesting to notice how many times our Lord actually encouraged this woman, as opposed to the at first glance reading of His supposed harshness (see Ellen Whites remarks below). As an example, “But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs,” verse 26. The actual Hebrew word used was not “dogs,” but “kunarion,” meaning literally, “puppies.” This is encouraging, for most people would associate “puppies” as something that is cute and cuddly; as opposed to a mangy old “dog” that scavenges about the streets of Jerusalem in search of a free meal.
“[302] But Jesus received the importunities of this representative of a despised race in the same manner as the Jews would have done; this was not only to prove the faith and sincerity of the woman, but also to teach His disciples a lesson of mercy, that they might not be at a loss how to act in similar cases after Jesus should leave them and they could no longer go to Him for personal counsel. Jesus designed that they should be impressed with the contrast between the cold and heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced by His reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which He would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by His subsequent granting of her petition in the healing of her daughter.
“Although Jesus was apparently indifferent to her cries, yet she did not become offended and leave Him, but still had faith that He would relieve her distress. As He passed on, as if not hearing her, she followed Him, continuing her supplications. The disciples were annoyed at her importunity and asked Jesus to send her away. Their sympathies were not aroused by her distress. They saw that their Master treated her with indifference, and they therefore supposed that the prejudice of the Jews against the Canaanites was pleasing to Him. But it was a pitying Saviour to Whom the woman made her plea, and, in answer to the request of the disciples to send her away, Jesus said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Although this answer was in accordance with the prejudice of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the [303]
“disciples, which they afterward understood as reminding them of what He had often told them: That He Came to the world to save all who would accept Him. Whoever sought the Saviour, ready to believe on Him when He should be manifested to them, were of the lost sheep whom He had come to gather in His fold.
“The woman was encouraged that Jesus had noticed her case sufficiently to remark upon it, although His Words conveyed no definite hope to her mind, and she now urged her case with increased earnestness, bowing at His feet and crying, [verse 22 qouted]. . . Jesus, still apparently rejecting her entreaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of the Jews, answered, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.’ This was virtually asserting that it was not just to lavish the blessings brought to the favored people of God upon strangers and aliens from Israel. This answer would have utterly discouraged a less earnest seeker. Many would have given up all further effort upon receiving such a repulse, and would have gone away feeling humiliated and abused, beyond all patience; but the woman meekly answered, [[verse 27 qouted].” 2SP:302-303.
“[303] While favoring God’s people with rich [304] and bountiful gifts, would not Jesus bestow upon her one of the many blessings He gave so freely to others? While confessing that she had no claim upon His favor, she still plead for a crumb from His bounty. Such faith and perseverance were unexampled. Few of the favored people of God had so high an appreciation of the Redeemer’s benevolence and power. . . [304] The Saviour is satisfied, He has tested her confidence in Him, and He now grants her request and finishes the lesson to His disciples.” 2SP:303-304.
“[304] This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought while on this journey. It was for the performance of this very act that He went into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. He wished to relieve the afflicted woman, and at the same time to leave an example, in this work of mercy toward one of a despised people, for the benefit of His disciples [305]
“when He should be no longer with them. He wished to lead them from their Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people. This act of Christ opened their minds more fully to the labor that lay before them among the Gentiles. Afterward, when the Jews turned still more persistently from the disciples because they declared Jesus to be the Saviour of the world, and when the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down by the death of Christ, this lesson, and similar ones which pointed to a gospel work unrestricted by custom or nationality, brought a powerful influence to bear upon the representatives of Christ in directing their labors.” 2SP:304-305.
From DA:400-402 (see also ST, September 9, 1897) we read: “[400] This woman had heard of the prophet, Who, it was reported, healed all manner of diseases. As she heard of His power, hope sprang up in her heart. Inspired by a mother’s love, she determined to present her daughter’s case to Him. It was her resolute purpose to bring her affliction to Jesus. He must heal her child. She had sought help from the heathen gods, but had obtained no relief. And at times she was tempted to think, What can this Jewish teacher do for me? But the word had come, He heals all manner of diseases, whether those who come to Him for help are rich or poor. She determined not to lose her only hope.
“Christ knew this woman’s situation. He knew that she was longing to see Him, and He placed Himself in her path. By ministering to her sorrow, He could give a living representation of the lesson He designed to teach. For this He had brought His disciples into this region. He desired them to see the ignorance existing in cities and villages close to the land of Israel. The people who had been given every opportunity to understand the truth were without a knowledge of the needs of those around them. No effort was made to help souls in darkness. The partition wall which Jewish pride had erected, shut even the disciples from sympathy with the heathen world. But these barriers were to be broken down.
“Christ did not immediately reply to the woman’s request. He received this representative of a despised race as the Jews would have done. In this He designed that His disciples should be impressed with the cold and heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced by His reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which He would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by His subsequent granting of her petition.
“But although Jesus did not reply, the woman did not lose faith. As He passed on, as if not hearing her, she followed Him, continuing her supplications. Annoyed by her importunities, the disciples asked Jesus to send her away. They saw that their Master treated her with indifference, and they therefore supposed that the prejudice of the Jews against the Canaanites was pleasing to Him. But it was a pitying Saviour to Whom the woman made her plea, and in answer to the request of the disciples, Jesus said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house [401]
“of Israel.’ Although this answer appeared to be in accordance with the prejudice of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the disciples, which they afterward understood as reminding them of what He had often told them, -- that He came to the world to save all who would accept Him.
“The woman urged her case with increased earnestness, bowing at Christ’s feet, and crying, ‘Lord, help me.’ Jesus, still apparently rejecting her entreaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of the Jews, answered, ‘It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.’ This was virtually asserting that it was not just to lavish the blessings brought to the favored people of God upon strangers and aliens from Israel. This answer would have utterly discouraged a less earnest seeker. But the woman saw that her opportunity had come. Beneath the apparent refusal of Jesus, she saw a compassion that He could not hide. ‘Truth, Lord,’ she answered, ‘yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ While the children of the household eat at the father’s table, even the dogs are not left unfed. They have a right to the crumbs that fall from the table abundantly supplied. So while there were many blessings given to Israel, was there not also a blessing for her? She was looked upon as a dog, and had she not then a dog’s claim to a crumb from His bounty?. . .
“The Saviour is satisfied. He has tested her faith in Him. By His dealings with her, He has shown that she who has been regarded as an outcast from Israel is no longer an alien, but a child in God’s household. As a child it is her privilege to share in the Father’s gifts. Christ now grants her request, and finishes the lesson to the disciples. Turning to her with a look of pity and love, He says, ‘O woman, great is thy faith: [402]
“be it unto thee even as thou wilt.’ From that hour her daughter became whole. The demon troubled her no more. The woman departed, acknowledging her Saviour, and happy in the granting of her prayer.
“This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought while on this journey. It was for the performance of this act that He went to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He wished to relieve the afflicted woman, and at the same time to leave an example in His work of mercy toward one of a despised people for the benefit of His disciples when He should no longer be with them. He wished to lead them from their Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people. . .
“When He said, ‘I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,’ He stated the truth, and in His work for the Canaanite woman He was fulfilling His commission. This woman was one of the lost sheep that Israel should have rescued. It was their appointed work, the work which they had neglected, that Christ was doing.
“This act opened the minds of the disciples more fully to the labor that lay before them among the Gentiles. They saw a wide field of usefulness outside of Judea. They saw souls bearing sorrows unknown to those more highly favored. Among those whom they had been taught to despise were souls longing for help from the mighty Healer, hungering for the light of truth, which had been so abundantly given to the Jews.”
Mark 7:33; 8:23; John 9:6: “spit” = The account contains certain affinities to the Creation story, in that of God forming the first man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Thus, Jesus is just providing clay to supply to the blind man what was missing from the womb.
Why “spit,” since our Lord could merely speak and His will would be done? According to Jewish tradition the spittle of the first-born son had healing power. As unusual as this may seem to us, Jesus took advantage of it by demonstrating that He is the true First-Born of the true Father by using spittle in His method of healing. However, in John’s account, this was also done upon the Sabbath day (John 9:14). In other words, Jesus was violating Pharisaical law; on purpose. To make mud from dirt from one’s spital was to create something upon the Sabbath day. That was breaking the Pharisaical law. Jesus is teaching that one needs to have free will in order to serve God in how they believe they should serve God; as opposed to following man-made church laws. The Church should teach what God teaches and leave the decision to the individual.
7:37: “were beyond measure astonished” = 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.
And 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.
CHAPTER EIGHT
8:1-9: “I have compassion on the multitude” = Here is my Matthew 15:32-39 Note: Earlier, Jesus had fed the 5,000 in Galilee. Now He does a similar miracle in the Decapolis region, to the east of the Lake of Galilee. It may be possible that to the disciples the amazing and unexpected thing was not that Jesus could supply the bread, but rather that He would do so for Gentiles.
8:11: “a sign” = Here is my Matthew 16:1 Note: By doing the miracle it would force Him to begin what they thought would be the true Messiah’s ministry; that of kicking out the Romans. If He did not perform a miracle, than it would prove He was not the true Messiah.
“That which led the Jews to reject the Saviour’s work was the highest evidence of His Divine character. The greatest significance of His miracles is seen in the fact that they were for the blessing of humanity. The highest evidence that He came from God is that His life revealed the character of God. He did the works and spoke the Words of God. Such a life is the greatest of all miracles.” DA:406.5.
8:15: “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” = Read Luke 12:1.
8:22-26: “they bring a blind man unto Him” = See my Bible Study: “CHRIST, THE HUMANITY OF.”
8:23: “spit” - See my Mark 7:33 Note.
8:27: “Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi” = Here is my Matthew 16:13 Note: “Jesus and His disciples had now come into one of the towns about Caesarea Philippi. They were beyond the limits of Galilee, in a region where idolatry prevailed. Here the disciples were withdrawn from the controlling influence of Judaism, and brought into closer contact with the heathen worship. Around them were represented forms of superstition that existed in all parts of the world. Jesus desired that a view of these things might lead them to feel their responsibility to the heathen. During His stay in this region, He endeavored to withdraw from teaching the people, and to devote Himself more fully to His disciples.” DA:411.
8:29: “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.
8:31: “He began to teach them” = 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.
8:33: “Get thee behind me, Satan” = Here is my Matthew 16:23 Note: Jesus countered Peter with this statement, not because he was trying to protect Jesus, but because he was attempting to steer Jesus. Thus, he was no longer following Jesus, but he was telling Jesus what to do. The fact that Marks account shows Jesus turning to His disciples before he rebukes Peter indicates that Jesus wanted all to know not to treat Him in this manner.
“ ‘Get thee behind Me Satan.’ Let Me come close to My tempted one. Satan hath desired thee, that he might sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” SpM:60.4.
8:34: “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.”
CHAPTER NINE
9:1: “there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death” = 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.
9:2-3: “Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John” = 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.
9:4: “Elias with Moses” = 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.
9:5: “Peter answered” = 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.
9:9: “tell 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.
9:14: “the scribes questioning with them” = “And in the crowd there were scribes who made the most of this opportunity to humiliate them. Pressing around the disciples, they plied them with questions, seeking to prove that they and their Master were deceivers. Here, the rabbis triumphantly declared, was an evil spirit that neither the disciples nor Christ Himself could conquer. The people were inclined to side with the scribes, and a feeling of contempt and scorn pervaded the crowd.” DA:427.
9:15: “greatly amazed” = On account of that remaining luster and glory which was on His countenance, through His transfiguration, and not yet wholly gone off; like that which was on the face of Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai (Exo. 34:28-30; see also Acts 6:15).
“The night of communion with the Heavenly Glory had left its trace upon the Saviour and His companions. Upon their countenances was a light that awed the beholders. The scribes drew back in fear, while the people welcomed Jesus.” DA:427.
9:17: “dumb spirit” = 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.
9:18: “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.
Mark 9:20; Luke 9:42: “the spirit tare him” = “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.
9:23: “If thou canst believe” = “He feared that what the scribes asserted was true, and that Jesus Himself could not overcome so powerful a devil. Jesus perceived his dispirited condition and sought to inspire him with faith. He addressed him thus,” 2SP:334.
9:24: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” = “Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, ‘Lord, I believe help thou mine unbelief.’ You can never perish while you do this -- never.” ST, October 25, 1905; DA:429; FLB:23; MH:65.
9:29: “This kind” = Here is my Matthew 17:20 Note: “Jesus answered that it was because of their unbelief, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred Word that had been committed to them. They had not fitted themselves for their holy office by fasting and prayer.” 2SP:335.3.
9:32: “they understood not” = “Although Peter had been long with the Master, he had a very imperfect conception of the plan of salvation. He did not desire to see the cross in the work of Christ; but it was through the cross that life and hope were to come to dying men.” RH, April 7, 1891.
9:33-34: “He asked them. . . who should be the greatest” = Notice that, even though Christ was warning them of future events (verse 31), the “disciples” missed their opportunity to understand it; for they were thinking of themselves instead of listening to Jesus. How often we place our needs before our Lords desires for our lives.
9:42: “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.
9:43: “better for thee to enter into life maimed” = Here is my Matthew 5:29-30 Note: Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice. That which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul. If something is as useful or dear to you as a hand or eye, if it hinders or slackens you in the ways of God, renounce all intercourse with it, be it person or thing. Our Lord wanted to show the heinousness of the crimes committed; to express an abhorrence of them; and to deter persons from them; and to show that it is better that the hand be cut off, or it should be more eligible to the person himself to have it cut off, than to be guilty of such evil. Our Lord thus directs us to what is most proper and fit to be done; even to part with what is ever so near and dear, rather than to be drawn into evil by it. Thus, it is better to part with everything here, even if it is useful and pleasurable, if it is detrimental to you, and rather enjoy what is spiritually good, and ultimately, enter into and enjoy eternal life.
To actually cut ones hand off would not necessarily change the attitude of the offender (notice also that only the “right eye,” is mentioned, see Matthew 5:29, leaving the left one to do its duty if there is no heart attitude change). For as one might put out his eyes without in the least quenching the lust to which they ministered, our Lord certainly means that we are to strike at the root of such unholy dispositions, as well as to cut off the occasions which tend to stimulate them. And the bottom line is that victory over the desires of the heart must be attended with painful exertions. But it must be done. Everything is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them.
All our senses and powers must be kept from those things, which lead to transgression. Jesus is powerfully pleading for self-mastery. It is not the mutilating of the body that Christ enjoins, but control of the body against sin. The Hebrews, like others, were accustomed to represent the affections of the mind by the members or parts of the body, Romans 6:13; 7:23. Thus, the bowels denoted compassion; the heart, affection or feeling; meaning the reins, understanding, and secret purpose. An evil eye denotes sometimes envy, as in Matthew 20:15, and sometimes an evil passion, or sin in general. In Mark 7:21-22 we read, “out of the heart proceedeth an evil eye.” In this place, as in Second Peter 2:14, the expression is used to denote strong adulterous passion, unlawful desire, or wicked inclination. The right eye and hand are mentioned because they are of most use to us, and denote that, however strong the passion may be, or difficult to part with, yet we should do it.
We must shut our senses against dangerous objects to avoid the occasions of sin, and deprive ourselves of all that is most dear and profitable to us, in order to save our souls, when we find that these dear and profitable things, however innocent in themselves, cause us to sin against God.
“Anything by which we fall, or are ensnared, is applied to morals, and anything that is used as the means to which we fell into sin, or by which we are ensnared. Christ’s design was to teach that the dearest objects, if they cause us to sin, are to be abandoned; that by all sacrifices and self-denials we must overcome the evil propensities of our nature, and resist our wanton imaginations. Not one moment’s truce with an evil passion or a sinful appetite should be entertained. If you indulge them, they will gain strength, and you shall be ruined. Bottom line: what our Lord is really doing is dramatizing the seriousness of offending the Father, and to be free of sin.
“Any habit or practice that would lead into sin, and bring dishonor upon Christ, would better be put away, whatever the sacrifice. That which dishonors God cannot benefit the soul.” DA:439.
9:44: “worm” = There is nothing in the Hebrew word “sholex,” translated as “worm,” that even remotely justifies the popular explanation equating “worm” with “soul,” a fact almost universally recognized by all Bible commentators, whatever they may think personally about the state of man in death. Jesus is actually quoting Isaiah 66:24 which clears this subject up very quickly: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”
There we have it! These bodies, or “carcases” as Isaiah puts it, are indeed dead, for that is what a carcase is; it is the body without the breath. Jesus does not quote the first part of Isaiah 66:24 because the Jewish mind already understood what happens to a man after he is dead; and so does a good Bible student. See the Bible study on death. How can it be that the “carcase” still burns but the fire is not quenched, and what is its true meaning and purpose if they are already dead? It is because the PROCESS of punishing the wicked (“unquenchable/everlasting/eternal fire,” and “everlasting punishment” “for ever and ever”) that will not last forever, but the PERMANENCE and RESULT will last forever. Even if the fire kindled by God Himself did last forever throughout the eternal ages, what purpose would it serve to burn dead “carcasses?”
9:50: “salt has lost his saltness” = 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 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.
CHAPTER TEN
10:4: “suffered to write a bill of divorcement” = Here is my Matthew 19:7 Note: According to Mark’s rendition (Mark 10:4) the wording is “suffered,” or better, “allowed.” However, Matthew uses the Greek word “entellomai,” meaning, “to order; command to be done.”
As we know by now when dealing with the Pharisees, they are trying to entrap Jesus. Therefore, we must first recognize, as did our Lord, that Moses did not “command” “divorcement.” They have misquoted what Moses really did say. They are not looking for truth, they are not looking to learn, but to divide the audience by entrapping Him. We must always realize that whenever Satan is quoting Scripture that there is always a “hook” in his analogy or question.
In a side note, God “allows divorce,” or better, the intent for God allowing divorce, was to protect the innocent party.
There were two dividing belief’s that prevailed at that time about divorce among the Jewish communities. The Torahbelief is that any reason is justified (see Deu. 24:1-4 & Isa. 50:1). Whereas, the other reason and only justifiable cause was for fornication; adultery (Jer. 3:8). Thus, in the Pharisaical mind they are going to alienate at least one half of the Jewish crowd away from Jesus.
However, Jesus takes them to Genesis 2:24 (see verse 5), thus bringing them back to the originally God ordained plan. The only thing that should ever separate a man and a woman in marriage would be the violating of God’s Law (through adultery), and thus, God would divorce them.
Characteristics of a Divine marriage are:
1) It was/is Divinely appointed.
2) No part of the Law could be changed to allow any type of division (even adultery does not change the Law but breaks it).
3) It’s a physical union. A man and a woman become “one flesh,” just as we are to become “one with God,” giving our entire being to Him in diet and service.
4) It is a permanent union that is not to be broken in any way. There should be no prenups or trial marriages (living together before marriage).
5) It is to be a union between one man and one woman; regardless of what the courts or phycologists might come up with.
10:5: “For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept” = Read Malachi 2:14-16.
10:11-12: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. [12] And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” = This is very interesting, in that this instruction does not follow the original instruction in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which is spelled out and followed in Matthew 5:31-32. What do I mean? The instruction in Deuteronomy states that you first must find “some uncleanness in her,” verse 1 [i.e., not a virgin; commits adultery; and according to Paul in First Corinthians 7:10-16, that an unbeliever depart, or in Deuteronomy’s case, a none Jew depart; or they admit they were not a Jew or Christian in the first place; or change their mind later]. Then second, you must “write her a bill of divorcement,” also verse 1. Then third, after doing steps one and two, you can “send her out of his house.” Only by performing these three steps can you be allowed to divorce your wife (or husband according to Matthew). This same process is again repeated in verse 3.
What we discover in the Matthew’s account is this process spelled out just as Jesus gave it to the Israelites in the desert. However, in Mark’s account, Jesus must be speaking of a different situation. Here, Jesus says, if you put away your wife, notice, without divorcing her, and then go “marry another,” you, not the wife, are committing “adultery against her.” And the same is true for the wife.
10:13: = “brought young children to Him” = 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.
10:14: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not” = Here is my Matthew 19:14 Note: “He Himself had drawn them into His presence. One weary mother had left her home with her little ones clinging to her. As she went on her way, she met a neighbor, and made known her errand, and created a desire in her neighbor, and made known her errand, and created a desire in her neighbor’s heart to have Christ also bless her children. Thus several mothers came together, leading their little ones along. Some of the children had passed beyond the age of babyhood to childhood and youth.” ST, April 9, 1896; DA:511-512; MH:41.
“Some of the weary little ones fell asleep in His arms, resting their heads upon His bosom.” ST, March 3, 1909; BEcho, March 16, 1903.
“In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be the heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children would listen to Him, and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were worldly wise and hard-hearted. In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of Heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after-years would spring up and bear fruit unto eternal life.
“It is still true that children are most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to Divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years.” YI, November 3, 1908; DA:514; LHU:182; MH:42.
“But if you treat your children only with sternness, if you forget your own childhood, and forget that they are but children, and try to make them perfect, and make them men and women in their acts at once, you will close the door of access which you might otherwise have to your children, and you drive them to open a door for injurious influences, to affect their young minds, and before you awake to their danger, their minds have been poisoned by others. . . Satan works through young associates to influence and corrupt the minds of each other. It is the most effectual way he can work. Young associates have a powerful influence over one another.” RH, January 20, 1863.
Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child” = 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.
10:17: “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.
10:21: “take up the 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.”
10:22: “went away grieved” = 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.
Mark 10:25; Matthew 19:24; Luke 18:25: “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” = 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.
10:37: “Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand” = Here is my Matthew 20:21 Note: Here is my Revelation 3:21 Note: See my Bible Study: “THRONES, GOD’S.”
“The reward is not given to all who profess to be followers of Christ, but to those who overcome, even as He overcame. We must study the life of Christ, and learn what it is to confess him before the world. No one can confess Christ unless the mind and Spirit of Christ are in him.” RH, April 22, 1862.
“The dissension’s which frequently arose among the disciples as to which of them should be greatest, were generally created by Judas. On this occasion this spirit led to the request of James and John.” RH, October 5, 1897, paragraph 7 (3RH:505).
“The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who on earth has drunk most deeply of the spirit of His self-sacrificing love. . . This spirit was made manifest in the life of Paul.” DA:549.
10:45: “to give His life a ransom for many” = According to Psalm 49:7 no “man can by any means redeem his brother.” But here Jesus states that He came “to give His life a ransom for many.” Since only God can do this, Jesus is claiming to be God.
10:46: “Bartimaeus” = That is, the son of Timeus; which comes from the Greek word, “tame,” which means, “foul in a religious sense: defiled, infamous, polluted, pollution, unclean,” leading some to think that this signifies that Bartimaeus was the son of a blind man. If so, he was the blind son of a blind father, which made the case even worse, and the cure even more wonderful.
10:50: “casting away his garment” = Notice that Bartimaeus cast “away his garment,” which was used as the means for catching the money that was donated to his blind livelihood. And, “his garment” was also the status, or identification of who and what his livelihood was. Therefore, Christ’s commendation of his “faith,” verse 51, is seen even more clearly, in that Bartimaeus was casting off his means of living in the faith that Christ would enable him to pursue a new (way of) occupation.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
11:1: “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.
11:7: “He sat upon him” = Here 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.
11:8: “many spread their garments 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.
11:8-10: “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” = Here is my Matthew 21:8-9 Note: “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” = Hear is my Luke 19:38-40 Note: “rebuke Thy disciples” = Compare with Matthew 21:9 and verse 38 here. What is being quoted is Psalm 118:24-26. In Psalm 118, we tend to think of “This is the day” as any day. But in reality, what the Pharisees understood, and why they were asking our Lord to “rebuke” His “disciples,” was because they understood the “This is the day” as referring to the Messiah Who would be fulfilling this prophecy. Thus, by accepting this worship, the “disciples” were, to the Pharisees, giving credit to Jesus as being the Messiah, and as such, the “disciples” were, to the Pharisees, committing blasphemy.
“[385] . . . this occasion was intended by Jesus to call public attention to Him as the world’s Redeemer. . . He would enter Jerusalem. . . [386] to faintly prefigure the glory of His future Coming to the world as Zion’s King. It was the purpose of Jesus to draw attention to the crowning sacrifice that was to end His mission to a fallen world.” 2SP:385-386.
11:9: “Hosanna” = Here is my Matthew 21:9 Note: “It was God’s design that each event in the closing days of the Saviour’s life should be so plainly marked that no power could cause it to be forgotten. In the vast multitude surrounding the Saviour were the evidences of His miracle-working power. The blind whom He had restored to sight were leading the way. The dumb whose tongues He had loosed, shouted the loudest hosannas, the cripples whom He had healed leaped for joy, and were most active in breaking the palm branches and waving them before Him. Widows and orphans were exalting the name of Jesus for His works of mercy to them. The loathsome lepers who had been cleansed by a Word, spread their garments in the way.” GHA:60.
11:12-14 & 20-21: “a fig tree” = According to some, in verse 13 Jesus doesn’t know something about the fig tree, and therefore is not Divine. However, we know that He was just doing this to teach His disciples a lesson. Plus, Jesus proves His Divinity in Matthew’s account, “And presently the fig tree withered away.” Matthew 21:19. And Mark’s account in verse 20, when His disciples “saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.”
Here is my Matthew 21:19-20 Note: For explanations of why Jesus would curse this “fig tree,” see Jeremiah 8:13 & Hosea 9:10-17.
“The other trees in the fig-orchard were also destitute of fruit; but their boughs were leafless, therefore they raised no expectations and caused no disappointment. These leafless trees represented the Gentiles, who made no boasts of superior piety. In them the Words of the Scripture find an application, ‘the time of figs was not yet.’ But while the Jews in proud self-confidence stood forth assuming superiority to all others, the Gentiles were in a measure feeling their want and weakness,” 3SP:18.3; ST, February 21, 1878.
“It was not a common thing in the East for a fig tree to present full foliage so early in the season. It is the nature of the fig tree for the fruit to make its appearance before the leaves. Therefore upon a tree covered with leaves one might expect to find well developed figs. . . This instance in the ministry of Christ was a singular one. It was unlike His ways and works. We trace His life, and see that His acts were ever performed to restore, not to destroy. . .
“It was the purpose of Christ that this fig tree should teach His disciples a lesson. He desired to impress upon them the true state of Jerusalem, and her final doom; and to do this He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of Divine truth. Just before this Christ had made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For the second time He had cleansed the temple, driving out from its courts the traffickers. . . That tree flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ was a symbol of the Jewish nation, who had been separating from God until, in their pride and apostasy, they had lost their power of discernment, and knew not their Redeemer.” ST, February 15, 1899.
“The treatment of the barren fig-tree by the Saviour of the world, shows how all pretenders to godliness will be treated. He pronounced upon it His withering curse, and left it seared and sapless, rejected by God. This tree represents the Jews, who refused to respond to the Love of Christ. Despite all the privileges and opportunities granted them, they brought forth only briers and thorns, -- no fruit to the glory of God. This blighted tree was a parable to the house of Israel, -- a most impressive lesson. It is also a lesson to the professed followers of Christ in every age. Reaching through all time, it speaks in unmistakable language to all formalists and boasters of godliness who stand forth to the world with high profession, but are utterly devoid of that vital piety which alone God recognizes as fruit. . . Fruitless professors, sad indeed is your fate; for the open sinner stands in a more favorable position in the sight of God. ” RH, January 11, 1881.
“The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel’s doom. For this purpose He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of Divine truth. . .
“All the trees in the fig orchard were destitute of fruit; but the leafless trees raised no expectation, and caused no disappointment. By these trees the Gentiles were represented. They were as destitute as were the Jews of godliness; but they had not professed to serve God. They made no boastful pretensions to goodness. They were blind to the works and ways of God. With them the time of figs was not yet. They were still waiting for a day which would bring them light and hope. The Jews, who had received greater blessings from God, were held accountable for their abuse of these gifts. The privileges of which they boasted only increased their guilt.
“Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food. So He had come to Israel, hungering to find in them the fruits of righteousness.” DA:583.
11:15: “cast out them that sold and bought in the temple” = 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.
11:17: “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.
11:18: “the scribes and chief priests heard it” = “Prejudice is even stronger in the hearts of men now than in Christ’s day.” DA:587.
CHAPTER TWELVE
12:1-9: “He [Jesus] began to seak unto them by parables” = 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.
12:9: “What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do” = 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.
12:10-11: “The Stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner” = Here is my Matthew 21:42-44 Note: “[597] In quoting the prophecy of the rejected stone, Christ referred to an actual occurrence in the history of Israel. The incident was connected with the building of the first temple. While it had a special application at the time of Christ’s first advent, and should have appealed with special force to the Jews, it has also a lesson for us. When the temple of Solomon [598]
“was erected, the immense stones for the walls and the foundation were entirely prepared at the quarry; after they were brought to the place of building, not an instrument was to be used upon them; the workmen had only to place them in position. For use in the foundation, one stone of unusual size and peculiar shape had been brought; but the workmen could find no place for it, and would not accept it. It was an annoyance to them as it lay unused in their way. Long it remained a rejected stone. But when the builders came to the laying of the corner, they searched for a long time to find a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place, and bear the great weight which would rest upon it. Should they make an unwise choice for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered. They must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, of frost, and of tempest. Several stones had at different times been chosen, but under the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces. Others could not bear the test of the sudden atmospheric changes. But at last attention was called to the stone so long rejected. It had been exposed to the air, to sun and storm, without revealing the slightest crack. The builders examined this stone. It had borne every test but one. If it could bear the test of sever pressure, they decided to accept it for the cornerstone. The trial was made. The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position, and found to be an exact fit. In prophetic vision, Isaiah was shown that this stone was a symbol of Christ. [Isa. 8:13-15; 28:16.].” DA:597-598.
12:12: “feared the people” = Here is my Matthew 21:46 Note: “God put His restraining power upon the priests, and they were unable to carry out their murderous designs. When they sought to stir up the people by accusing and denouncing Christ, they found that the public sentiment was in His favor.” ST, February 17, 1898.
“against them” = Here is my Matthew 21:45 Note: In this parable the Jewish leaders were very familiar with Isaiah, Chapter 5, verses 1-7, which explains Matthew, Chapter 21, verse 45.
“Unwittingly they had pronounced their own doom. Jesus looked upon them, and under His searching gaze they knew that He read the secrets of their hearts. His Divinity flashed out before them with unmistakable power. They saw in the husbandmen a picture of themselves, and they involuntarily exclaimed, ‘God forbid!’ ” PK:712.
12:13-14: “Herodians. . . they” = 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.
12:17: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” = Read Matthew 22:21.
“they marveled” = 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.
12:18: “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.
12:23: “whose wife shall she be” = 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.
12:24: “Do ye not therefore err” = Here is my Matthew 22:29 Note: “He did not charge them with hypocrisy as He had charged the Pharisees, but with error of belief.” 3SP:49.
12:28: “Which is the first commandment of all” = Here is my Matthew 22:36 Note: See Deuteronomy 6:5-7; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:17-19; Romans 13:9.
The lawyer’s question most likely arose from the tradition of the rabbis to arrange all the Commandments by order of importance. If two commands appeared to be in conflict, the one assumed to be more important took the priority over the other and left a person free to violate the less important one. The Pharisees particularly exalted the first four precepts of the Decalogue as being more important than the last six, and as a result, they failed when it came to matters of practical religion.
“The Pharisees had exalted the first Four Commandments, which point out the duty of man to his Maker, as of far greater importance than the other Six, which point out the duty of man to his fellow-man. In consequence they greatly failed of practical godliness, and in the relations and duties of life. Jesus had been charged with exalting the last Six Commandments above the first Four, because He showed the people their great deficiency, and taught the necessity of good works, deeds of mercy and benevolence, and that a tree is known by its fruits.” 3SP:51.
“Jesus had shown the people their great deficiency, and had taught the necessity of good works, declaring that the tree is known by its fruits. For this reason He had been charged with exalting the last six Commandments above the first four. . . since all the Commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one Precept can be broken. . .” DA:607.
12:30-31: “thou shalt love. . . Thou shalt love” = Here is my Matthew 22:37-40 Note: See Christs answer also in Luke 10:37.
The Law that we in reality have broken is the Law of “Love.”
“Love to God comprehends love for those who are formed in His Own image.” 3SP:52.
“All the Ten Commandments are embodied in these two specified. The first takes in the first four Commandments, which show the duty of man to his Creator. The second takes in the last six, which show the duty of man to his fellow-man. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the prophets. They are two great arms sustaining all Ten of the Commandments, the first four and the last six. These must be strictly obeyed.” RH, March 18, 1880.
12:32: “Well, Master, Thou hast said” = “This scribe had received a deeper and broader view of the principles underlying the sacred precepts than he had ever before possessed, and he responded to the Words of Jesus with unfeigned earnestness:” 3SP:53.
“This response from one of the scribes, the plain statement of his convictions, was more than the scribes and Pharisees thought to hear. Truth that condemned their own traditions and example had been expressed by Christ, and voiced by one of their own number. . . the scribe had the moral courage to speak the truth before the frowning Pharisees,” ST, September 22, 1898; ST, January 25, 1899.
12:34: “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God” = “[53] Here was a Pharisee who had some idea of what constitutes true religion; that it is not in outward ceremonies and vain display, but in humble obedience and love to God, and unselfish regard for others. The readiness of the scribe to acknowledge the reasoning of Jesus as correct, the decided and prompt response to that reasoning which he made before the people, manifested an entirely different spirit from [54] that shown by the priests and rulers in their questioning.
“The wisdom of the Saviour’s answers convicted the scribe. He knew that the Jewish religion consisted more in outward acts than inward piety. He had some sense of the unworthiness of merely ceremonial offerings, and the continual flowing of blood in expiation of sin, while the object of the offering was foreign from the mind. The principles of love and true goodness of heart appeared to him of more value in the sight of God than all these rites. The heart of Jesus went out in pity to the honest scribe who dared to face the frowns of the priests and threats of the rulers, and speak the honest convictions of his heart.” 3SP:53-54.
“[54] The scribe was near to the kingdom of God, in that he recognized deeds of righteousness to be more acceptable to God than burnt-offerings and sacrifices. Yet he still needed to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. All the religious service of the Jews was of no value whatever unless connected with living faith in Christ Jesus, Who was the Substance of which that service was the shadow. Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father’s Law contained something deeper than [55] mere authoritative commands. The Moral Law contains the Gospel in principle.” 3SP:54-55.
Mark 12:42; Luke 21:2: “two mites” = “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.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
13:4: “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.
13:6: “many shall come in My name” = 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.
13:8: “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” = 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.
13:9: “they shall deliver you up” = 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.
13:12: “brother shall betray the brother to death” = Here is my Matthew 24:10 Note: Christians turning in Christians.
13:14: “the abomination of desolation” = Here is my Matthew 24:15 Note: Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20: “Abomination of desolation” = Luke 21:20 = Jerusalem compassed with armies. See also: Daniel 8:11; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mark 13:14; Revelation 13:14. See my Bible Study: “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, THE[UNDER SDA].”
13:15-16: “not go down into the house” = 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.
13:17 & 19 & 24: “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).
13:21: “Lo, here is Christ” = Here is my Matthew 24:23-28 Note: This verse and others should teach you that there is no “Secret Rapture.” See my Bible Study: “RAPTURE THEORY, THE.”
13:22: “false prophets” = Here is my Matthew 24:11 Note: “False teachers are just as active in our day as they were in the days of the apostles. Satan has many agents, and they are ready to present any and every kind of theory to deceive souls, -- heresies prepared to suit the varied tastes and capacities of those whom he would ruin.” ST, March 27, 1884.
“{Verse quoted} This sign is a sign of the Second Advent. Satanic agencies will be prepared to deceive and to delude.” ST, February 20, 1901.
13:24-25: “after that tribulation” = 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.
13:26: “clouds” = Here is my Matthew 24:30 Note: The “clouds” equals the angels (see Psa. 68:17; Matthew 16:27; 25:31; Luke 9:26; Second Thessalonians 1:7), as opposed to with His saints at the Third Coming (see First Thessalonians 3:13 & Jude 1:14).
13:27: “to the uttermost part of heaven” = Here is my Matthew 24:31 Note: Poor Rapture Theorists. See my Bible Study: “RAPTURE THEORY, THE.” This does not mean the “Third Heaven,” which is Heaven itself where God dwells, as defined by Paul in Second Corinthians 12:2. To derive and contrive that conclusion is to misunderstand both the state of the dead and more importantly, the false doctrine of when we are truly raptured. Even verse 30’s “heaven” is known not to be the “Third Heaven.” Thus, the context should tell you that this verse is not speaking of God’s dwelling place, for He has left that Heaven to Come here to receive the redeemed.
13:28: “parable of 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.
13:32: “neither the Son” = Here is my Matthew 24:36 Note: Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Mark 13:32: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of Heaven [“neither the Son” Mark’s account], but the Father only” = All research has stopped, all reason has been tossed out, and blindly we believe that God, i.e., the Divine part of Jesus, does not know something. How absurd! However, according to John 16:30: “You [Jesus] know all things.” And John 21:17: Lord [Jesus], Thou knowest all things.”
The Greek for “knoweth” is “G1492; eido,” which in this instance is used as a verb, and as such, can be translated as, “to see; but more properly translated as, “maketh known.” Compare with, and not adding the word “not” after these phrases, for it is not there in the original: Mark 1:34, “they knew,” Mark 2:10, “ye may know,” Mark 5:6, “when he saw,” Mark 5:14, “to see,” Mark 5:16, “they that saw,” Mark 5:22, “When he saw,” Mark 6:48, “he saw,” Mark 7:2, “when they saw,” Mark 9:1, “they have seen,” Mark 9:8, “they saw,” Mark 9:9, “they had seen,” Mark 9:14, “he saw,” Mark 9:15, “when they behold,” Mark 9:20, “when he saw,” Mark 9:38, “we saw,” Mark 10:19, “Thou knowest [Jesus speaking],” Mark 10:38 & 42, “Ye know [Jesus speaking],” Mark 11:20, “they saw,” Mark 11:33, “We cannot tell,” Mark 12:14, “we know,” Mark 12:24, “because ye know,” Mark 13:14 & 29, “ye shall see,” Mark 13:32, “knoweth,” Mark 13:33 & 35, “ye know,” Mark 14:67, “when she saw,” Mark 14:68 & 71, “I know,” Mark 15:32, “we may see,” Mark 15:36, “let us see,” Mark 16:5, “they saw.”
In looking at the Greek for Mark’s 13:32 word “knoweth,” we find “eido,” meaning “know” or “cannot tell.” The other Greek word before “eido” is “ou.” This little Greek word is significant in that it appears before the vowel “know” and means “not,” or “cannot.” However, since “ou” appears before “know” it should be translated properly by standard Greek rules, such as “cannot tell,” instead of “knoweth.” In other words, Christ will not tell us until sometime before He Comes “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God,” First Thessalonians 4:16.
A popular thought process amongst Christian apologists is that “The Humanity of Christ does not know; But the Divinity of Christ does.” It sounds good at first approach. But to ascribe Christ’s Humanity as being anything less than the God [all-knowing]/Man [less than God] is to lower God from His proper place as being God.
It is stated in First Thessalonians 5:4: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Agreed, the context and concept are that you would be prepared. But it also denotes a possible knowing. Consider that the ones in “darkness” are the lost, while the ones “not in darkness” know when it is “even at the doors,” Matthew 24:33. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.
The following was penned by James White in WLF:5: “It is thought by many, that this passage proves that men are never to know the time. But if it proves this, it likewise proves, that the Son of God, Himself, is never to know the time; for the passage declares precisely the same concerning Him, that it does concerning angels and men. But can any person believe that our glorious Lord, to Whom all power in Heaven and earth is given, is, and will remain ignorant of the time until the very moment that He Comes to judge the world? {1847 JW, WLF 5.1}
“If not, then certainly this text can never prove that men may not be made to understand the time. An old English version of the passage reads, ‘But that day and hour no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in Heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.’ {1847 JW, WLF 5.2} {THERE YOU HAVE IT. This is the true meaning and correct translation of the passage. The Father will be the One announcing Christ’s Second Coming}.
“This is the correct reading according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word know {Greek, “eido” or “oido,” meaning -- “know, cannot tell, know how, wist, behold, look, perceive, the verb know, and the verb see”} is used here, in the same sense as it is by Paul in 1Co. 2:2. {“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” In other words, he was determined to know Jesus Christ personally, for himself, on a very personal basis. By contrast, Paul was not teaching that he did not know anything else}. Paul well understood many other things, besides Christ and Him crucified, but he determined to make known nothing else among them {except Jesus Christ}. So in the passage first quoted, it is declared that none but God the Father, maketh known the day and hour; that is, the definite time of the Second Coming of His Son. And this necessarily implies that God makes the time known {and not the Son}.” {1847 JW, WLF 5.3} 1847 JW, WLF 5.1-3.
In regards to mankind’s telling of our Lord’s Coming, if we look at Luke 19:43-44, we can see that our Lord wants us to know and be ready for “the time of thy visitation.” Here are the verses: “(43) For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, (44) And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Although this is speaking of the Jewish nation not knowing the timing of Christ’s First Coming, this has a dual application, in that it implies that we should know and be ready for that time. And how can we be ready if we don’t know the time?
We are to be “watchman” to alert the people (Eze. 3:17). We are told to “know when the time is near,” Matthew 24:33; Luke 21:8. If we consider all of the context of Matthew, Chapter 24, verses 42-51, we can understand that Jesus is speaking of those who are tangled up with the cares of this world that are not watching and ready. Whereas, the righteous are always in readiness.
Consider this line of reasoning from 4SP:444-445. According to this Book, “[444] a decree will finally be issued. . . [445] to put them to death.” Moreover, as we move on to page 452, we read: “As the time appointed in the decree against God’s people comes, the inhabitants of the earth unite to destroy the disturbers of their peace. In one night. . . {Now let us reason together. How many nights? Only ONE night. Therefore, the death decree has a certain time and date when the wicked will} rush upon their prey. {She continues with} But {BUT WHAT!}.” She then describes the Second Coming of Christ and declares on page 458: “The voice of God is heard from Heaven declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.”
Also, EGW saw in vision that we would know the time: “About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future. And I saw the time of trouble, such as never was, -- Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob’s trouble {probation has closed}, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God. Just before we entered it {before the Close of Probation}, we all received the Seal of the Living God {the “sealing” is the Close of Probation}. Then I saw the four Angels cease to hold the four winds {God’s protection removed from earth}. And I saw famine, pestilence {plagues begin to fall} and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion. Then we cried to God for deliverance day and night till we began to hear the bells on Jesus’ garment {Sanctuary language}. And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest {Most Holy Place}, and as He came out we heard the tinkling of bells, and knew our High Priest was Coming out {Second Coming}. Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming.” DS, March 14, 1846. See also: AG:356; CET:58; CCh:33; DD:49; EW:14; EW(1851):15; ExV:17; FLB:182; GC88:640; GC:640; Hvn:30; LDE:272; LS:65; Mar. 287; ML:344; OFC:335; 1SM:75; 3SM:112; 4SP:458; 1SG:205; 2SG:30; 1T:59; 16MR:176; WLF:14 [especially see this one]; WLF:19; DS, January 24, 1846; RH, July 21, 1851 par. 2 & 13; Broadside1, April 6, 1846 paragraph 2 & 8; Broadside3, April 7, 1847;
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! The 144,000, the only ones alive during the “time of Jacob’s trouble,” will know the “day and hour of Jesus’ Coming,” because it is the same day and hour as published in the “death decree;” and this is also when God Comes to rescue His people from the wicked.
However, from RH, March 22, 1892 we read: “We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the Coming of Christ.” See also: 6BC:1052; Ev:221; 1SM:188; 1888:958; YRP:329; Mar:136. She writes this because we will not know the time of Christ’s Coming until certain end time events take place, i.e., “The Death Decree” date.
LDE:33 adds this little notice: “We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the Coming of Christ. . . Why has not God given us this knowledge? -- [Here is the true reason] Because we would not make a right use of it if He did.” This is speaking of those before the Close of Probation and before the Time of Trouble.
Also, from 1SM:189.2 we read: “. . .but no one will be able to predict [I believe this is the true reason in line with the quotes above] just when that time will come; for ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man.’ You will not be able to say that He will Come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His Coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.” However, you will know the date and hour once the “Death Decree” gives us the date and time.
And these: “The exact time of the Second Coming of the Son of Man is God's mystery.” DA: 633; FLB:344; LDE:33; Mar:151; SW, October 3, 1905 par. 6.
Here is RH, July 21, 1851: “Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ Coming. The living saints, 144,000, in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.” See also: 1T:59; WTF:14; EW:15; DS, January 24, 1846; Broadside1, April 6, 1846; 1EY:261 (1BIO:57); CET:58; LDE:272; LS:65; ExV:10; Mar:287.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
14:1: “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.
“sought how they might take Him by craft” = 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.
14:3: “Simon the leper” = Here is my Matthew 26:6 Note: “Simon had led into sin the woman he now dispised. She had been deeply wronged by him.” DA:566.5.
“But Simon felt himself more righteous than Mary, and Jesus desired him to see how great his guilt really was. He would show him that his sin was greater than hers, as much greater as a debt of five hundred pence exceeds a debt of fifty pence. {DA:566.5}
“Simon now began to see himself in a new light. He saw how Mary was regarded by One who was more than a prophet. He saw that with keen prophetic eye Christ read her heart of love and devotion. Shame seized upon him, and he realized that he was in the presence of One superior to himself.” DA:566.5-567.1.
“a woman having an alabaster box” = Here is my Matthew 26:7 Note: Read John 11:2, which places this Mary at the home of Mary of Bethany; thus being, Mary of Bethany and not Mary of Magdala. See my Bible Study: “MARY MAGDALENE.” Also, the same under “SDA.”
14:6: “why trouble ye her” = Here is my Matthew 26:10 Note: “In all that Christ said to His disciples, there was something with which, in heart, Judas disagreed. Under his influence the leaven of disaffection was fast doing its work. The disciples did not see the real agency in all this; but Jesus saw that Satan was communicating his attributes to Judas, and thus opening up a channel through which to influence the other disciples. . .
“Yet Judas made no open opposition, nor seemed to question the Saviour’s lessons. He made no outward murmur until the time of the feast in Simon’s house. When Mary anointed the Saviour’s feet, Judas manifested his covetous disposition. At the reproof from Jesus his very spirit seemed turned to gall. Wounded pride and desire for revenge broke down the barriers, and the greed so long indulged held him in control. This will be the experience of everyone who persists in tampering with sin. The elements of depravity that are not resisted and overcome, respond to Satan’s temptation, and the soul is led captive at his will.” DA:720.
“Judas boldly expressed his disapprobation at such a wasteful extravagance. . . Judas, [was] the prime instigator of this disaffection,” 2SP:376.
14:7: “ye have the poor with you always” = Here is my Matthew 26:11 Note: When Jesus said “ye have the poor always with you,” He was in the poorest town in the nation, i.e., Bethany. Bethany literally means, “the house of poverty.”
“It is the duty of other Churches to help us in our efforts in this missionary field. The selfish and stingy may say, ‘I am tired of this continual solicitation for means; will it never cease?’ No, never, never! until Christ shall clothe Himself in garments of vengeance, and the fiat shall go forth from His lips, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. When our Heavenly Benefactor forgets our returning wants; when God forgets to be gracious, and none of His gifts flow into our barns, our granaries, and our cellars, -- then may we plead an excuse for withholding our offerings. . . In this instance, Christ teaches His followers that they should bless the needy with their substance and render back to God in gifts and offerings the blessings He has bestowed upon them.” RH, January 4, 1881.
14:8: “she is come aforehand to anoint My body to the burying” = 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.
Mark 14:13; Luke 22:10: “a man bearing a pitcher of water” = 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.
14:22-25: “as they did eat” = 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.
14:24: “testament” = The Hebrew is, “diatheke” meaning a “contract,” therefore, a better translation would be “covenant.”
14:26: “sung an hymn” = Here is my Matthew 26:30 Note: According to Jewish custom at the time, most likely this was the second portion of the “Jewish Hallel,” sung at the completion of the Passover meal. This hymn was composed of Psalms 113-118.
14:26-27: “[26] they went out into the mount of Olives. . . [27] All ye shall be offended because of me” = 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.
14:32: “Gethsemane” = Here is my Matthew 26:36 Note: A “Gethsemane” is used to crush olives in order to extract the oil from them; just as Christ was “crushed” at Gethsemane and the Biblical symbol of “oil” was extracted from Christ, i.e., The Holy Spirit.
“The Redeemer, in company with His disciples, slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane. The Passover moon, broad and full, shone from a cloudless sky. The city of pilgrim’s tents was hushed into silence.
“[94] Jesus had been earnestly conversing with and instructing His disciples; but as He neared Gethsemane He became strangely silent. His disciples were perplexed, and anxiously regarded His countenance, hoping there to read an explanation of the change that had come over their Master. They had frequently seen Him depressed, but never before so utterly sad and silent. As He proceeded, this strange sadness increased; yet they dared not question Him as to the cause. His form swayed as if He was about to fall, His disciples looked anxiously for His usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest. . . [95] Twice His companions prevented Him from falling to the ground.” 3SP:94-95.
“At the thought of the grievous character of the guilt of the world, Christ felt that He must go apart, and be alone. The hosts of darkness were there to make sin appear as extensive, deep, and horrible as possible. In his hatred of God, in falsifying His character, in manifesting irreverence, contempt, and hatred toward the Laws of His government, Satan had made iniquity reach unto the Heavens, and it was his purpose to swell iniquity to such great proportions, that atonement should seem impossible; so that the Son of God, Who sought to save a lost world, should be crushed beneath the curse of sin. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 3}
“The working of the vigilant foe in presenting to Christ the vast proportions of transgression, caused such poignant pain, that He felt that He could not remain in the immediate presence of any human being. He could not bear that even His disciples should witness His agony as He contemplated the woe of the world. Even His most dearly loved friends must not be in His companionship. The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man’s Substitute, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 4}
“In the garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man’s stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:’ but if there be no other way by which the salvation of man may be accomplished, then ‘not as I Will, but as Thou Wilt.’ Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from Heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony. The power that inflicted retributive justice upon man’s Substitute and surety, was the power that sustained and upheld the suffering One under the tremendous weight of wrath that would have fallen upon a sinful world. Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God's Law.” BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 3-5; 2PRC:155-156; 5BC:1102.
Here is my Exodus 25:32 Note: Just as the “candlestick” was “beaten” and olive oil was used for its fire, so Jesus was pressed into submission in the garden of Gethsemane. For Gethsemane in the Hebrew means, “olive oil press” and in the Greek, “oil press.” The soiled garments of the priests were never washed, but used as wicks for the candlestick. Thus the purification process is seen.
14:33: “sore amazed” = This new experience of Christ actually coming to the point foreseen by Him, were He directly faces the struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, amazed Him in that it enriched the human soul of our Lord. The weight of human sin that was so soon to be placed upon Him was so overwhelming and amazing that it is no wonder that it follows with the fact that He began “to be very heavy,” followed by verse 34.
14:36: “Abba, Father” = Literally, “Father My Father.”
“take away 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.
14:37: “He cometh” = Here is my Matthew 26:40 Note: “[10] The disciples roused from their slumber to find their Master standing over them in a state of mental and bodily anguish such as they never before had witnessed. They saw the grief and agony of His pale face, and the bloody sweat upon His brow, for ‘His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men’ [Isa. 52:14]. The disciples were grieved that they had fallen asleep, so that they could not pray and sympathize with their suffering Lord. They were speechless with sorrow and surprise. The suffering Son of God leaves His disciples, for the power of darkness rushes upon Him to the earth. . . [11] In these sleeping disciples He sees a representation of a sleeping Church.” Sufferings of Christ, pages 10-11; ST, August 14, 1879.
“At first they had been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified, wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. They had prayed as they heard the strong cries of the Sufferer. They did not intend to forsake their Lord, but they seemed paralyzed with a stupor which they might have shaken off had they continued pleading with God.” 4ST:217; RH, July 7, 1910, paragraph 9; DA:688.
“The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. In the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress. The One Who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves.” DA:686.
14:40: “when He returned” = Here is my Matthew 26:43 Note: “They looked upon His face with fear, for it was stained with blood.” GHA:71; 3SP:99.
14:42: “Rise up, let us go” = Here is my Matthew 26:46 Note: “The countenance of Christ wore and expression of calm dignity. The traces of His recent agony were not visible.” Sufferings of Christ, p. 15; GHA:71; 1PRC:362; 3SP:102.
“Those last solemn, momentous hours were spent by our Saviour in speaking words of comfort and assurance to His disciples, and then all united in a hymn of praise.” RH, November 1, 1881 paragraph 11.
“Instead of expressing the sadness of their hearts by the mournful measure of some solemn lament, they sung, as was customary on that occasion, the joyful Hallel, which abounded in expressions of faith, of gratitude, and of lofty praise: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.’ What a prelude to the agony in Gethsemane, the abuse and mockery of the judgment hall, and the awful scenes of Calvary, were those last hours spent in chanting the praises of the Most High!” RH, November 1, 1881 paragraph 12.
14:43: “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.
14:50: “all forsook Him, and fled” = Here is my Matthew 26:56 Note: “When the disciples saw that Jesus did not deliver Himself from His enemies, but permitted Himself to be taken and bound, they were offended that He should suffer this humiliation to Himself and them. They had just witnessed an exhibition of His power in prostrating to the ground those who came to take Him, and in healing the servant’s ear, which Peter had cut off, and they knew that if He chose He could deliver Himself from the murderous mob. They blamed Him for not doing so, and mortified and terror-stricken by His unaccountable conduct they forsook Him and fled.” 3SP:105.
14:53: “they led Jesus away” = 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.
14:61: “He held His peace” & “Art Thou the Christ” = Here is my Matthew 26:63 Notes: See Isaiah 53:7.
“Jesus stood calm and serene before the high priest, while the eyes of the multitude were upon Him, and the wildest excitement prevailed around. For a moment Caiaphas looked upon the Captive, struck with a sudden admiration for His dignified bearing. A conviction came over him that this Man was akin to God. The next instant he banished the thought, scorning the suggestions of his [116] own mind. Immediately, his voice was heard in sneering, haughty tones, requesting Jesus to work before him one of those mighty miracles which had given Him such fame among the people; but his words fell upon the ears of the Saviour as though He heard them not.” 3SP:115.
14:62: “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.
“ ‘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.
“ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and Coming in the clouds of Heaven” = Special Resurrection. See Daniel 12:2; Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:70; Revelation 1:7.
Here is my Matthew 26:64 Note: “right hand of power” = According to Luke 22:69 & First Peter 3:22, this is “the right hand of God.”
In regards to “Son of Man,” Jesus uses this title often. But it is not until this exchange until we can fully understand that Jesus was referencing Daniel 7:13, of which Caiaphas recognized that Jesus was clearly claiming to be Deity.
“For a moment the Divinity of Christ flashed through His guise of humanity; and the high priest quailed before the penetrating eyes of the Saviour. That look seemed to read his hidden thoughts, and burn into his heart; and never in after-life did he forget that searching glance of the persecuted Son of God.” 3SP:120.
In regards to “clouds,” here is my Matthew 24:30 Note: The “clouds” equals the angels (see Psa. 68:17; Matthew 16:27; 25:31; Luke 9:26; Second Thessalonians 1:7), as opposed to with His saints at the Third Coming (see First Thessalonians 3:13 & Jude 1:14).
14:63: “the high priest rent his clothes” = Here is my Matthew 26:65 Note: See Leviticus 21:10.
“When the condemnation of Jesus was pronounced by the judges, a satanic fury took possession of the people. The roar of voices was like that of wild beasts. They made a rush toward Jesus, crying, He is guilty, put Him to death! and had it not been for the Roman soldiers, Jesus would not have lived to be hanged upon the cross of Calvary. He would have been torn in pieces before His judges, had not Roman authority interfered, and by force of arms withheld the violence of the mob.” 3SP:122.
“[708] A high priest was not to rend his garments. By the Levitical Law, this was prohibited under sentence of death. Under no circumstances, on no occasion, was the priest to rend his robe. It was the custom among the Jews for the garments to be rent at the death of friends, but this [709]
“custom the priests were not to observe. Express Command had been given by Christ to Moses concerning this. Lev. 10:6. Everything worn by the priest was to be whole and without blemish. . . By those beautiful official garments was represented the character of the great antitype, Jesus Christ. By rending his garments, Caiaphas made of no effect the Law of God to follow the tradition of men. A man-made law provided that in case of blasphemy a priest might rend his garments in horror at the sin, and be guiltless. Thus the Law of God was made void by the laws of men.” DA:708-709.
14:65: “cover His face” = 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.
14:66: “Peter was beneath in the palace” = 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.
14:67: “she looked upon him, and said” = See my Mark 14:66 Note.
14:71: “to curse and to swear” = Here is my Matthew 26:74 Note: “The disciples were noted for the purity of their words, and Peter, to deceive, and convince them that he was not one of Christ’s disciples, denied it the third time with cursing and swearing.” 1SG:49.2.
14:72: “when he thought thereon, he wept” = 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; 3ST:416; 3SP:111; ST, November 11, 1897.
“He [Peter] fell prostrate upon the very spot where his Lord had sunk beneath His inexpressible weight of woe. . . If they had spent that mournful period in the garden in watching with the dear Saviour, and in prayer to God, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength; he would not have denied his Lord.” 3SP:111.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
15:1: “the whole 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.
“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, “Antiquities,” 20:9.
15:2: “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.”
15:7: “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.”
“[143] Pilate, in the vain hope of exciting their pity, that they might decide this was sufficient punishment, now caused Jesus to be scourged in the presence of the multitude. The pale Sufferer, with a crown of thorns upon His head, and stripped to the waist, revealing the long, cruel stripes, from which the blood flowed freely, was then placed side by side with Barabbas. Although the face of Jesus was stained with blood, and bore marks of exhaustion and pain, yet His noble character could not be hidden, but stood out in marked contrast with that of the robber chief, whose every feature proclaimed him to be a debased and hardened desperado.
“Pilate was filled with sympathy and amazement as he beheld the uncomplaining patience of Jesus. Gentleness and resignation were expressed in every feature; there was no cowardly weakness in His manner, but the strength and dignity of long-suffering. Pilate did not doubt that the sight of this Man, Who had borne insult and abuse in such a manner, when contrasted with the repulsive criminal by His side, would move the people to sympathy, and they would [144] decide that Jesus had already suffered enough. But he did not understand the fanatical hatred of the priests for Christ, Who, as the Light of the world, had made apparent their darkness and error. . . Pilate, losing all patience with their unreasoning cruelty, cried out despairingly, ‘Take ye him,’ ” 3SP:143-144.
15:11-13: “the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas” = Here is my Matthew 27:20 Note: “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.
15:13-14: “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: “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Don’t miss this point: “for he that is hanged is accursed of God.” You see, the Jews believed in the non-immortality of the soul. In other words, when you die there is no life after death, unless you were raised in the future resurrection (to immortal life). Therefore, they would now have this Jesus being “accursed,” because He was hanged upon a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal. 3:12; 1Pe. 2:24), thus having no place in the resurrection of the righteous.
Now understand and consider this. In the Jewish understanding (and it should be ours), when a man is stoned, he has the opportunity of repenting and being reconciled to God before death. But a man who is hanged on a tree was deemed “worthy” to be put to death, and considered to be “accursed” of God. It was an irrevocable sentence, and what we would call in the New Testament, the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost (Mat. 21:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26; 1Jo. 5:16). In other words, he could not repent, nor have any hope or part in the future resurrection. He had to face what we call, the “Second Death.”
Now that we understand this, we can see more clearly Isaiah, Chapter 53, and it can take upon itself even more meaning and significance. Especially take notice of verse 4, where this individual is considered “smitten of God,” ye rather, “cursed,” as becomes even more clear when we get to verse 8, where God’s Word does not mingle with words, stating that Messiah would be “cut off,” just as in Daniel 9:26.
The Jewish expression “cut off” is literally another way of saying “eternal death,” or, the “Second Death,” with no hope of being resurrected. Now here is my point. When the Jews were asking the Romans to Crucify Christ, they were not just asking for His death, they were asking for God to “curse” this Man and condemn Him to the “Second Death.” This is why the conversion of a Jew is an even more remarkable event. When the Disciples later on preached Christ resurrected to the Jews, what was going on in their minds was: “You expect us to believe in a crucified One; are you kidding; The Man Who is accursed by God; One Who was hanged on a tree?”
Even Christ felt the depth and significance of what dying on a tree meant (the “Second Death”). It truly meant total separation from God, for we hear Him crying out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46. Satan said to God: “You expect Your subjects to submit all to You, but You do not submit all to (for) them.” Here we can clearly see that Jesus did, dying the “Second Death” for us.
“But many who had then shouted His praise, because it was popular to do so, now swelled the cry of ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ ” 3SP:152.
“The same rebellion and hatred against Christ will be in the hearts of men at His Second Advent. If Christ’s Second Coming should be in the same humble manner as at His First Advent, reproving sin, and commending virtue and holiness, where there was then one voice raised, crying, Crucify Him! crucify Him! there would be thousands in this apostate age. Infidelity in regard to Christ’s being the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world, will increase and spread to an alarming degree previous to His Second Coming. Satan has lost none of his skill and power which he has been exercising in past time. He can better deceive man now than at Christ’s First Advent.” 4aSG:118.
15:14: “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.
15:15: “Him, to be crucified” = 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.
15:17-19: “a crown” = Here is my Matthew 27:29-30 Note: Here is my Revelation 12:1 Note: The Greek word for “crown” used here is “stephanos,” meaning a “crown of victory.” Like that portrayed in Revelation 12:10, as opposed to a “kingly crown,” as found in verse 3, which is translated from the Greek word “diadema.” It is interesting to note that although the Roman soldiers thought they were putting, as it were, a kingly crown upon the head of Christ in Matthew 27:29, Matthew uses the Greek word “stepanos” to denote the “victors crown” “of thorns” given to Christ, considering Jesus to be victorious even in this humiliating event.
“crown of thorns, they put it upon His head” = “It was difficult for the angels to endure the sight. They would have delivered Jesus out of their hands; but the commanding angels forbade them,” 1SG:50.
“[53] Jesus had many sympathizers in that company, and His answering nothing to the many questions put to Him amazed the throng. To all the insults and mockery not a frown, not a troubled expression was upon His features. He was dignified and composed. He was of perfect and noble form. The spectators looked upon Him with wonder. They compared His perfect form, His firm, dignified bearing, with those who [54]
“sat in judgment against Him, and said to one another that He appeared more like a King to be entrusted with a kingdom than any of the rulers. He bore no marks of being a criminal. His eye was mild, clear and undaunted, His forehead broad and high. Every feature was strongly marked with benevolence and noble principle. His patience and forbearance were so unlike man, that many trembled. Even Herod and Pilate were greatly troubled at His noble, God-like bearing.” 1SG:53-54.
“It was not enough that the Saviour of the world, faint with weariness and covered with wounds, must be subjected to the shameful humiliation of such a trial; but His sacred flesh must be bruised and mangled to gratify the satanic fury of the priests and rulers. Satan, with his hellish army had gained possession of them.” 3SP:143.
“The blood drops of agony that from His wounded temples flowed down His face and beard were the pledge of His anointing with ‘the oil of gladness’ (Heb. 1:9) as our great high priest.” DA:734.
15:20: “crucify Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:31 Note: “God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was One with the Father.” ST, March 26, 1894.
15:21: “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.
15:22: “Golgotha” = 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.
15:23: “vinegar” = Here is my Matthew 27:34 Note: “Jesus thirsted in His agony; but they heaped upon Him additional insult, by giving Him vinegar and gall to drink.” 1SG(1858):60.
“In another prophecy the Saviour declared, ‘Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.’ Psalm 69:20, 21. To those who suffered death by the cross, it was permitted to give a stupefying potion, to deaden the sense of pain. This was offered to Jesus; but when He had tasted it, He refused it. He would receive nothing that could becloud His mind. His faith must keep fast hold upon God. This was His only strength. To becloud His senses would give Satan an advantage.” DA:746.
“Roman soldiers, touched with pity as he looked at the parched lips, took a sponge on a stalk of hyssop, and dipping it in a vessel of vinegar, offered it to Jesus. But the priests mocked at His agony.” DA:755.
“He received it not” = Here is my Matthew 27:34 Note: Don’t you think that our Lord knew what was being given to Him? Of course! Thus, the lesson here is that alcohol is not to be taken under any circumstance, let along casual drinking.
15:24: “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.
15:25: “the third hour” = Jewish time began at 6:00 A.M. Therefore, this would be 9:00 A.M.
“they crucified Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:35 Note: See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
“[58] Jesus murmured not; [59] but groaned in agony.” 1SG:58-59; EW:176..
“They made His death as shameful as possible.” 1SG:59.
“Treason against the Roman government was the alleged crime for which Jesus was executed, and persons put to death for this offense were taken down by the common soldiers and consigned to a burial ground reserved exclusively for that class of criminals who had suffered the extreme penalty of the law.” 3SP:173.1.
“The wounds made by the nails had gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands.” 3SP:185.
“Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the Heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the Heavenly beings. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the Heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the Heavenly world was broken.” DA:761.2.
“As soon as Christ was nailed to the cross, it was lifted by strong men, and with great violence thrust into the place prepared for it. This caused intense suffering to the Son of God.” GHA:80; 3SP:154-155; 1SG:59; DA:745.
“. . .the Father hid from His Son His face of pity, comfort, and Love.” YI, June 14, 1900, paragraph 3.
15:26: “the superscription of his accusation was written” = 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.
15:27: “two thieves” = 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.
15:32: “they that were crucified with Him” = 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.
15:33: “sixth hour. . . darkness” = Here is my Matthew 27:45 Note: 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.
15:34: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God” = See also my Mark 5:41 Note.
Here is my Matthew 27:46 Note: At the “nineth hour” [3 P.M.] the priest would blow the trumpet, signifying that the lamb had been slain for the sins of the people. And how fitting it is that our Lord Jesus, at the “nineth hour” when the priest is about to blow the trumpet, would cry out for all Israel to hear, “It is finished.” This is the only time in scripture Jesus calls to His Father as God. Why? Because He became sin for us, represented us fully and completely, i.e., became/is us.
15:37: “Jesus cried with a loud voice, and 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.
“gave up the ghost” = The actual Greek word used here is “ekpneo.” A more literal translation would be, “expired.”
15:38: “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” = 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.
15:40: “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses” = Here is 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.”
And 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.
15:42: “it was the preparation” = Friday = Preparation day; the day before the Biblical Sabbath. See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
15:45: “gave the body to Joseph” = Here is my Matthew 27:57 Note: “The scales fell from his {Nicodemus’} eyes, and faith took the place of doubt and uncertainty {remembering the prophecy, “If I be lifted up”}. Beams of light streamed from the secret interview in the mountain and illuminated the cross of the Saviour. In that time of discouragement and danger, when the hearts of the disciples were failing them through doubt and fear, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, came forward and obtained the Lord’s body from Pilate, and Nicodemus, who at the first came to Jesus by night, brought a hundred pounds’ weight of myrrh and aloes. These two men with their own hands performed the last sacred rites, and laid the body of the Saviour in a new sepulchre where never man lay before. These lofty rulers of the Jews mingled their tears together over the sacred form of the dead.
“[135] Now, when the disciples were scattered and discouraged, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. He was rich, and he employed his wealth to sustain the infant Church of Christ, that the Jews thought would be blotted out with the death of Jesus. He who had been so cautious and questioning, now, in the time of peril, was firm as the [136]
“granite rock, encouraging the flagging faith of the followers of Christ, and furnishing means to carry on the cause. He was defrauded, persecuted, and stigmatized by those who had paid him reverence in other days. He became poor in this world’s goods, yet he faltered not in the faith that had its beginning in that secret night conference with the young Galilean.” 2SP:135-136.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
16:4: “the stone was 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.
16:9-20: ALL VERSES = In most modern Bible translations today you will find a footnote that states that all of these verses were “added later.” Nothing could be further from the truth. History teaches us that doubt was generated via the “Alexandrian Codices.” The main argument for the getting rid of these verses came from Westcott and Hort in their work, “Greek Translation of the Bible.” See my Bible Study: “BIBLE, FALSE MAKERS OF.” The facts are, these words were not “added later,” they were “taken out” by the Gnostics.
Also, historically, Church fathers such as Irenaeus (first century historian), Hippolytus (second century historian), and others quote these verses extensively. For those who like the oldest Codex’s that are available for us today, it is in the “Syriac Peshitta” (second century), and the “Curetonian Syriac” (third century), from which came the translation of the Curetonian Gospels, which are represented as not being translated from the Greek (the “Alexandrian Codices”). Did they know something that our modern-day translators (perversions) don’t? Even the Latin versions (typically translated by Jerome, example, the “Latin Vulgate”), corruptible as they are, also include these verses. The “Gothic Version,” of 350 A.D. contains them. And all of the Egyptian versions. The Armenian versions contain them (but that moves us into the fifth century so I will stop there).
Therefore, it is astonishing to me how that one Codex, which is excessively relied upon to rid the Bible of these verses, can outweigh the testimony of about 2300 other Manuscripts and Codex’s that have these verses included in them (not taken out; it is now only recently been discovered that the original “Alexandrian Codices,” did include these verses). Therefore, if you want to be like the Gnostics and start canceling things in the Bible that don’t agree with your theology, or go against your will and not God’s Will, then ignore the evidence I have just given you and don’t look up any more evidence yourself for the keeping of these verses and the teaching found therein. Better still, that you discover the doctrine (testimony) that is contained in them and ignore the Satanic intervention.
16:15: “Go ye into all the world” = “. . . strength to resist evil is best gained by aggressive service,” AA:105.
16:16: “born of water” = See my Bible Study, “BAPTISM, PROPER BIBLICAL.” This is not only physical baptism, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit (compare Acts 18:25 with 19:3-6).
Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9: “He was received up into Heaven” = “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.