Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:15-22
On Tuesday of Passover week, our Lord's enemies tried to trap Him by using a series of' 'loaded" questions. These men were still smarting from the treatment they had received in the series of parables He had given. He had exposed their evil intentions and warned them that they were, only asking for judgment. The religious leaders did not enjoy being humiliated before the crowds. They were wholeheartedly bent on destroying Jesus, and they hoped to trap Him into saying something that would permit them to arrest Him.
But there was another reason for the questions, one that' His enemies did not realize. Jesus was going to die as the Lamb of God, and it was necessary for the lamb to be examined before Passover (Ex. 12:3-6). If any blemish whatsoever was found on the Lamb, it could not be sacrificed. Jesus was examined publicly by His enemies, and they could find no fault in Him.
Of course, this personal interchange between our Lord and the religious leaders was also an opportunity for them to believe and be saved. In fact, one Pharisee came very close to the kingdom (Mark 12:32-34). Even at the last minute, there is hope for the lost sinner, if he will receive the truth, repent and believe.
There are four questions involved in this public discussion, three of them from the enemy, and one from Jesus Christ.
A Political Question about Taxes (Matt. 22:15-22)
The Pharisees and the Herodians were enemies; but their common foe brought them together. The Pharisees opposed the Roman poll tax for several reasons: (I) They did not want to submit to a Gentile power; (2) Caesar was revered as a god; and (3) they had better uses for the money than to give it to Rome. Since the Herodians were the party supporting Herod, they were in favor of the tax. After all, Herod's authority was given to him by Caesar; and Herod would have had a difficult time staying in power without Rome's support.
Palestine was an occupied nation, and the Jews had no special love for their conquerors. Every tax the poor people had to pay was another reminder that they were not free. The Zealots, an "underground" organization of fanatical Jews, often staged protests against Rome. They would oppose any Roman tax.
It is easy to see why the Pharisees and Herodians chose the poll tax as the bait for their trap. It appeared that no matter which side Jesus took, He would create problems for Himself and His ministry. If He opposed the tax, He would be in trouble with Rome. If He approved the tax, He would be in trouble with the' Jews.
Jesus immediately saw through their scheme. He knew that their real purpose was not to get an answer to a question, but to try to trap Him. They were only acting a part, and this made them hypocrites. On this basis alone, He could have refused to answer them. But He knew the people around Him would not understand. Here was an opportunity for Him to silence His enemies and, at the same time, teach the people an important spiritual truth.
Each ruler minted his own coins and put his own image on them. The "penny" (denarius) had Caesar's image on it, so it belonged to Caesar. "Give hack to Caesar what belongs to Caesar," was His reply. "And give back to God what belongs to God." In this simple, but profound reply, Jesus taught several important truths.
Tuesday – 30th April
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:23-33
Christians must honor and obey rulers. This is taught elsewhere in the New Testament (Rom. 13:1 Peter 2:13-17; 1 Tim. 2: 1ff). Christians have a dual citizenship, in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and on earth. We must respect our earthly rulers (or elected leaders), obey the law, pay taxes and pray for all who are in authority.
Christians must honor and obey God. Caesar was not God. While governments cannot enforce religion (Acts 5:29), neither should they restrict freedom of worship. The best citizen honors his country because he worships God.
Man bears God's image and owes God his all. Caesar's image was on the coin; God's image is on man (Gen. 1:26-27). Sin has marred that image, but through Jesus Christ, it can be restored (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3: 10).
The relationship between religion and government is personal and individual. It is right for the people of God to serve in government (remember Daniel and Joseph). But it is wrong for government to control the church, or for the church to control government.
A Doctrinal Question about the Resurrection (Matt. 22:23-33)
In spite of the fact that the Pharisees and Herodians had been worsted, the Sadducees entered the field and tried their attack. Keep in mind that this group accepted only the authority of the five Books of Moses. The Sadducees did not believe in a spirit world or in the doctrine of the resurrection (Acts 23:8). They had often challenged the Pharisees to prove the doctrine of the resurrection from Moses, but the Pharisees were not too successful with their arguments.
The Sadducees' hypothetical illustration was based on the Jewish law of "levirate marriage" from Deuteronomy 25:5-10. (The word levirate comes from the Latin word levir which means "a husband's brother." It has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi.) The purpose of this custom was to preserve a man's name should he die without a male heir. In a nation like Israel, where family inheritance was a major thing, it was important that each family have a male heir. It was considered a disgrace for a man to refuse to raise up a family for his dead brother.
The Sadducees based their disbelief of the resurrection on the fact that no woman could have seven husbands in the future life. Like many people today, they conceived of the future life as an extension of their present life-only better.
But Jesus told them that they were ignorant. They did not know the Scriptures, nor did they know the power of God, which inferred that they really did not know God. There will be no need for marriage in the next life because there will be no death. Therefore it will not be necessary to bear children to replace those who die.
Jesus did not say that we would be angels when we are glorified in heaven. He said we would be "as the angels" in that we would be sexless and not married or given in marriage. The foolish stories we hear and the cartoons we see about people dying and becoming angels are certainly unbiblical.
Wednesday – 1st May
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:34-40
OUR Lord was not content to refute the Sadducees' foolish views about the future life. He also wanted to answer their claim that there was no resurrection; and He did it by referring to Moses! He knew that Moses was the only authority they would accept. He reminded them of Exodus 3:6 where God said to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He did not say, "I was the God of Abraham . . ." for that would mean that Abraham was no more. By saying" I am," the Lord made it clear that these three men of faith were at that time alive. And by repeating "the God of," the Lord was saying that He knew them and loved them personally and individually.
It is a dangerous thing to speculate about the future life. We must rest upon the authority of the Word of God, for only there do we have truth that answers man's questions about the future. The Bible does not tell us everything about the future life, but is does encourage and enlighten us. Jesus answered the foolish, ignorant Sadducees so completely that they were "muzzled" (the word silence in Matt. 22: 34). Even the crowds were astonished and amazed at His answer.
An Ethical Question about the Law (Matt. 22:34-40)
The Pharisees probably enjoyed the embarrassment of their enemies, the Sadducees. One of their number showed respect for the Lord and His answer (Mark 12:28) and asked a question of his own: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" (Matt. 22:36, NASB). We have every reason to believe that he asked the question in sincerity and with a humble attitude.
This was not a new question, for the scribes had been debating it for centuries. They had documented 613 commandments in the Law, 248 positive and 365 negative. No person could ever hope to know and fully obey all of these commandments. So, to make it easier, the experts' divided the commandments into "heavy" (important) and "light" (unimportant). A person could major on the "heavy comandments" and not worry about the trivial ones.
The fallacy behind this approach is obvious: You need only break: one law, heavy or light, to be guilty before God. "For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
Jesus quoted the "Shema" (Deut. 6:4), a statement of faith that was recited daily by every orthodox Jew. (The word "Shema" comes from the Hebrew word which means "to hear." The confession of faith begins with, "Hear, 0 Israel!") The greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are and have-heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions, service. To love God is not to "have good feelings about Him." for true love involves the will as well as the heart. Where there is love, there will be service and obedience.
But love for God cannot be divorced from love for one's neighbor; so Jesus also quoted Leviticus 19: 18 and put it on the same level as the Shema, All of the Law and the Prophets hang on both of these commandments. We might add that the teachings of the Epistles in the New Testament agree with this statement. If a man really loves God, he must also love his brother and his neighbor (1 John 3:10-18; 4:7-21).
Thursday – 2nd May
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:41-46
If we have a right relationship with God, we will have no problems with His commandments. Love is the basis for obedience. In fact, all of the Law is summed up by the command to love (Rom.1 3:8-10). If we love God, we will love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor, we will not want to do anything to harm him.
But Jesus had a deeper meaning to convey in this marvelous answer.
The Jews were afraid of idolatry. When Jesus claimed to be God, they opposed Him because they could not believe it was right to worship a creature. Jesus received worship and did not rebuke those who honored Him. Was this idolatry? No, because He was God! But if the Law commands us to love God and our neighbor then it would not be wrong for the Jews to love Jesus. Instead, they were plotting to kill Him. He had said to them one day, "If God were your Father, you would love Me “ (John 8:42). They accepted the authority of the Law, yet they refused to obey it in their lives.
The scribe who had asked the original question seemed to be an honest and sincere man. Not all of the Pharisees were hypocrites. He publicly agreed with Jesus (Mark 12:32-33). This must have given his fellow Pharisees a fright. Jesus discerned that the man's heart was sincere, and He commended him for his intelligence and honesty. Did the man ever get all the way into the kingdom, when he was so very near? We trust so.
Jesus had now answered three difficult questions. He had dealt with the relationship between religion and government, between this life and the next life, and between God and our neighbors. These are fundamental relationships; and we cannot ignore our Lord's teachings. But there is a question more fundamental than these, and Jesus asked it of His enemies.
A Personal Question about the Messiah (Matt. 22:41-46)
Jesus did not phrase this question as He had when He asked His disciples, "Whom say you that I am?" (Matt. 16:15) These men who had been arguing with Him were not sympathetic with His cause, nor were they honest in their assessment of His credentials. Jesus had to take an indirect approach with His enemies. He made this sound like another theological question, when in reality it was the most important personal question they would ever face.
"Whose Son is the Messiah?" He asked them. As trained experts in the Law, they knew the answer: "He is the Son of David. " Had they been asked, they could have referred to numbers of Old Testament Scriptures, including 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 78:68-72, and Micah 5:2. Once they had given this answer, Jesus asked a second question, this time quoting from Psalm 110:1ff"The LORD [Jehovah] said unto my Lord [Hebrew "Adonai"], 'Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.' "
The Sadducees based their disbelief of the resurrection on the fact that no woman could have seven husbands in the future life. Like many people today, they conceived of the future life as an extension of their present life-only better.
But Jesus told them that they were ignorant. They did not know the Scriptures, nor did they know the power of God, which inferred that they really did not know God. There will be no need for marriage in the next life because there will be no death. Therefore it will not be necessary to bear children to replace those who die.
Jesus did not say that we would be angels when we are glorified in heaven. He said we would be "as the angels" in that we would be sexless and not married or given in marriage. The foolish stories we hear and the cartoons we see about people dying and becoming angels are certainly unbiblical.
Wednesday – 1st May
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:34-40
OUR Lord was not content to refute the Sadducees' foolish views about the future life. He also wanted to answer their claim that there was no resurrection; and He did it by referring to Moses! He knew that Moses was the only authority they would accept. He reminded them of Exodus 3:6 where God said to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He did not say, "I was the God of Abraham . . ." for that would mean that Abraham was no more. By saying" I am," the Lord made it clear that these three men of faith were at that time alive. And by repeating "the God of," the Lord was saying that He knew them and loved them personally and individually.
It is a dangerous thing to speculate about the future life. We must rest upon the authority of the Word of God, for only there do we have truth that answers man's questions about the future. The Bible does not tell us everything about the future life, but is does encourage and enlighten us. Jesus answered the foolish, ignorant Sadducees so completely that they were "muzzled" (the word silence in Matt. 22: 34). Even the crowds were astonished and amazed at His answer.
An Ethical Question about the Law (Matt. 22:34-40)
The Pharisees probably enjoyed the embarrassment of their enemies, the Sadducees. One of their number showed respect for the Lord and His answer (Mark 12:28) and asked a question of his own: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" (Matt. 22:36, NASB). We have every reason to believe that he asked the question in sincerity and with a humble attitude.
This was not a new question, for the scribes had been debating it for centuries. They had documented 613 commandments in the Law, 248 positive and 365 negative. No person could ever hope to know and fully obey all of these commandments. So, to make it easier, the experts' divided the commandments into "heavy" (important) and "light" (unimportant). A person could major on the "heavy comandments" and not worry about the trivial ones.
The fallacy behind this approach is obvious: You need only break: one law, heavy or light, to be guilty before God. "For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
Jesus quoted the "Shema" (Deut. 6:4), a statement of faith that was recited daily by every orthodox Jew. (The word "Shema" comes from the Hebrew word which means "to hear." The confession of faith begins with, "Hear, 0 Israel!") The greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are and have-heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions, service. To love God is not to "have good feelings about Him." for true love involves the will as well as the heart. Where there is love, there will be service and obedience.
But love for God cannot be divorced from love for one's neighbor; so Jesus also quoted Leviticus 19: 18 and put it on the same level as the Shema, All of the Law and the Prophets hang on both of these commandments. We might add that the teachings of the Epistles in the New Testament agree with this statement. If a man really loves God, he must also love his brother and his neighbor (1 John 3:10-18; 4:7-21).
Thursday – 2nd May
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:41-46
If we have a right relationship with God, we will have no problems with His commandments. Love is the basis for obedience. In fact, all of the Law is summed up by the command to love (Rom.1 3:8-10). If we love God, we will love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor, we will not want to do anything to harm him.
But Jesus had a deeper meaning to convey in this marvelous answer.
The Jews were afraid of idolatry. When Jesus claimed to be God, they opposed Him because they could not believe it was right to worship a creature. Jesus received worship and did not rebuke those who honored Him. Was this idolatry? No, because He was God! But if the Law commands us to love God and our neighbor then it would not be wrong for the Jews to love Jesus. Instead, they were plotting to kill Him. He had said to them one day, "If God were your Father, you would love Me “ (John 8:42). They accepted the authority of the Law, yet they refused to obey it in their lives.
The scribe who had asked the original question seemed to be an honest and sincere man. Not all of the Pharisees were hypocrites. He publicly agreed with Jesus (Mark 12:32-33). This must have given his fellow Pharisees a fright. Jesus discerned that the man's heart was sincere, and He commended him for his intelligence and honesty. Did the man ever get all the way into the kingdom, when he was so very near? We trust so.
Jesus had now answered three difficult questions. He had dealt with the relationship between religion and government, between this life and the next life, and between God and our neighbors. These are fundamental relationships; and we cannot ignore our Lord's teachings. But there is a question more fundamental than these, and Jesus asked it of His enemies.
A Personal Question about the Messiah (Matt. 22:41-46)
Jesus did not phrase this question as He had when He asked His disciples, "Whom say you that I am?" (Matt. 16:15) These men who had been arguing with Him were not sympathetic with His cause, nor were they honest in their assessment of His credentials. Jesus had to take an indirect approach with His enemies. He made this sound like another theological question, when in reality it was the most important personal question they would ever face.
"Whose Son is the Messiah?" He asked them. As trained experts in the Law, they knew the answer: "He is the Son of David. " Had they been asked, they could have referred to numbers of Old Testament Scriptures, including 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 78:68-72, and Micah 5:2. Once they had given this answer, Jesus asked a second question, this time quoting from Psalm 110:1ff"The LORD [Jehovah] said unto my Lord [Hebrew "Adonai"], 'Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.' "
Every orthodox Jewish scholar interpreted this to refer to the Messiah. Only the Messiah could sit at the right hand of Jehovah God. Jesus believed in the inspiration and accuracy of the Old Testament Scriptures, for He said that David spoke these words "in the Spirit" (v. 43, NASB). Nobody dared to question the accuracy or the authority of the text. .
"If Messiah is David's Son," Jesus asked, "then how could Messiah also be David's Lord?" There is only one answer to this question. As God, Messiah is David's Lord; as man, He is David's Son. He is both "the root and the offspring of David" (Rev. 22:16). Psalm 110:1 teaches the deity and the humanity of Messiah. He is David's Lord and He is David's Son.
"If Messiah is David's Son," Jesus asked, "then how could Messiah also be David's Lord?" There is only one answer to this question. As God, Messiah is David's Lord; as man, He is David's Son. He is both "the root and the offspring of David" (Rev. 22:16). Psalm 110:1 teaches the deity and the humanity of Messiah. He is David's Lord and He is David's Son.
Friday – 3rd May
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:15-22
When He was ministering on earth, Jesus often accepted the messianic title "Son of David" (see Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15), The rulers had heard the multitudes proclaim Him as "Son of David" when He rode into Jerusalem. The fact that He accepted this title is evidence that Jesus knew Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God. As God, He was David's Lord; but as man, He was David's Son, for He was born into the family of David (Matt. 1:1, 20).
The scholars in that day were confused about the Messiah. They saw two pictures of Messiah in the Old Testament and could not reconcile them. One picture showed a suffering servant, the other a conquering and reigning monarch. Were there two Messiahs? How could God's servant suffer and die? (See 1 Peter 1:10-12.)
Had they listened to what Jesus said, they would have learned that there was only one Messiah, bur that He would be both human and divine. He would suffer and die as a sacrifice for sins. He would then rise from the dead in triumph, and one day return to defeat His enemies. However, these religious leaders had their own ideas, and they did not want to change. If they had accepted His teaching, then they would also have to accept Him as the Messiah; and this they were unwilling to do.
The result of this day of dialogue was silence on the part of His enemies, They dared not ask Jesus any more questions, not because they had believed the truth, but because they were afraid to face the truth. "For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything". (Luke 20:40,NASB). But neither did they have courage to face the truth and act upon it.,
Making a decision about Jesus Christ is a matter of life or death. The evidence is there for all to examine. We can examine it defensively and miss the truth. Or we can examine it honestly and humbly, and discover the truth, believe, and be saved. The religious leaders were so blinded by tradition, position, and selfish pride that they could not-and would not-see the truth and receive it.
We dare not make the same mistake today.
Topic: The King’s Defense
Read: Matthew 22:15-22
When He was ministering on earth, Jesus often accepted the messianic title "Son of David" (see Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15), The rulers had heard the multitudes proclaim Him as "Son of David" when He rode into Jerusalem. The fact that He accepted this title is evidence that Jesus knew Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God. As God, He was David's Lord; but as man, He was David's Son, for He was born into the family of David (Matt. 1:1, 20).
The scholars in that day were confused about the Messiah. They saw two pictures of Messiah in the Old Testament and could not reconcile them. One picture showed a suffering servant, the other a conquering and reigning monarch. Were there two Messiahs? How could God's servant suffer and die? (See 1 Peter 1:10-12.)
Had they listened to what Jesus said, they would have learned that there was only one Messiah, bur that He would be both human and divine. He would suffer and die as a sacrifice for sins. He would then rise from the dead in triumph, and one day return to defeat His enemies. However, these religious leaders had their own ideas, and they did not want to change. If they had accepted His teaching, then they would also have to accept Him as the Messiah; and this they were unwilling to do.
The result of this day of dialogue was silence on the part of His enemies, They dared not ask Jesus any more questions, not because they had believed the truth, but because they were afraid to face the truth. "For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything". (Luke 20:40,NASB). But neither did they have courage to face the truth and act upon it.,
Making a decision about Jesus Christ is a matter of life or death. The evidence is there for all to examine. We can examine it defensively and miss the truth. Or we can examine it honestly and humbly, and discover the truth, believe, and be saved. The religious leaders were so blinded by tradition, position, and selfish pride that they could not-and would not-see the truth and receive it.
We dare not make the same mistake today.
Saturday – 4th May
PRAY FOR MALAYSIA
GET ON YOUR KNEES AND FIGHT LIKE REAL MEN & WOMEN!
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