Signs and Leaven

In today's study from Matthew 16:1-12, we take a look at why the Jews still demanded a sign after all that he had already done and the tag-teaming that was going on between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

You may hear the audio study on SoundCloud or see the video study on YouTube.

Still Seeking Signs

vv.1-4 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.

It's interesting to see how well these guys are working together: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They disagreed on many things, but not in their disdain for Jesus. It is the old expression that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Common enemies create uncommon alliances, e.g., the Russians and the Americans in WW2

Back to the text, the religious leaders were, in essence, saying that they wanted to see a sign from heaven. Why? - They apparently were not convinced by all of the earthly signs he had already did.

Why? - Tradition held that signs done on earth could actually be from Satan, but signs in the Heaven's (from the sky) had to be from God.

I know, that sounds strange, but part of their reasoning was that the Devil was the God of this world, and as such, any miracles done could be attributed to him. Remember that back in chapter 10 and 12, they had already accused him of using Satin to perform is miracles (Mat 12:24; Mat 12:27).

Jesus' Response

Hypocrites! They were willing to accept signs from the fallen world around them (the sky) and yet they were blind to the fact that he was their long_awaited Messiah as foretold in the Scriptures. All of the Old Testament pointed to this moment...and yet, here it is, and they can't see it.

Notice, a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. I believe that he called them this for two reasons: First, they should have known who He was from the Old Testament. Second, because they didn't know the Scriptures, they were instead placing their faith in signs.

Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with signs, but he had already given them enough signs. They were now walking in unbelief. Remember that the two generations in Jewish history who received the most signs where those of the Exodus and those here at the First Advent, and they both rejected him. The bottom line is that signs do not bring people to the faith, and it is not because the signs are insufficient; instead, it is because the darkness of man's heart is even more insufficient.

Jesus Warns His Disciples

vv.5-12 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

Now Jesus warns his disciples about the false teaching of the religious leaders. It's amazing that the disciples were still thinking of physical bread when the Lord mentioned leaven. They surely knew that Jesus didn't need bread to feed people by now. He had just proven that in the previous two great feedings.

On another note, I think that we are too quick to judge the disciples in their short-sightedness in that we can be the same way. I believe that God's hand can be seen all around us, and we too, don't see it routinely. Why? - We are too focused on ourselves and the world around us. 

The Feeding of the 4000

In today's study from Matthew 15:21-39, we review the healing of the Canaanite women, the issue of faith, and the lesson learned from the feeding of the four thousand.

You may hear the audio study on SoundCloud or see the video study on YouTube.

A Gentile’s Request

vv.21-22 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  (22)  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

Lest we overlook it in the text, our Lord walked some fifty miles from Galilee to the area of Tyre and Sidon to encounter this woman. It was not an accident. These were Gentile cities. It was a divine appointment. No such thing as coincidences, my friend.

On another note, it is interesting that at the same time this woman is proclaiming exactly who Jesus is, his own countrymen are plotting his demise.

Jesus Healed Her Daughter

vv.23-28 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.  (24)  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  (25)  Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.  (26)  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.  (27)  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.  (28)  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus is not being cold or rude toward this woman.  He is merely stating his purpose. The term “dog” in v.26, while it was a slur towards the Gentiles; Jesus used it as a term of endearment by saying, “little dogs” (NKJV).

The Point

However, bear in mind, that Jesus did walk fifty miles to heal this woman’s daughter. I believe he purposely used this to show that the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” were in the process of rejecting him while the “dogs” were not. We read no other reason than this as to why Jesus went to this area. It can be said that he simply had a divine appointment with this woman and used it to make a point.

More Healings

vv.29-31 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.  (30)  And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:  (31)  Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

It’s interesting that while faith was mentioned in the healing of the Gentile women in the previous verses, it is not in these healings. As a matter of fact, the faith appears to be more on the part of those who brought them. Point being, Jesus can do anything that he wants to without any preconceived “formula”. But like all healings should be, they glorified God as a result. I believe that all that God does ultimately is to bring glory to himself and not the recipients. Pastor Chuck Smith used to say that when we began taking bows, God removes Himself from the situation.

The Feeding of the 4000

vv.32-39 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.  (33)  And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?  (34)  And Jesus saith unto them,  How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.  (35)  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  (36)  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.  (37)  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.  (38)  And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.  (39)  And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

This miracle, though separate, is essentially the same as the feeding of the 5000 in the previous chapter. John Bonner was the first to point out to me that the disciples not only gave but also received. Cf. 14:20 and 15:37 The point is that God wants to minister as much to us as He does to them that we minister to. Another point to be made is that we cannot out give God!

Thoughts on Acts, Part 4

Some more challenging thoughts on what was happening on the Day of Pentecost from Acts 2:20-41. Again, who was Peter addressing in these verses? Was it the church that you and I are in today? What was he wanting Israel to do and why? What if they had repented? What would have happened next?

You may hear the audio study on SoundCloud or see the video study on YouTube.

v.19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 

Peter fully expected these things to happen next or he would not have said it. Peter was there when Jesus taught Matthew 24! As a matter of fact, Peter is still talking about it in 1 Peter.

v.21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

This verse confuses many because they connect it to the Gospel of Grace. 

v.22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 

This begins the final offer of the Kingdom.

v.23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 

This is prophesied by many Old Testament prophecies. The crucifixion had to happen before any legitimate Kingdom offer could be made.

vv.25-37 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 

Peter uses the Hebrew Scripture from Psa 16:8-11 to show that the crucifixion and resurrection are proof that Jesus was their true Messiah (v.32). He and the other apostles had missed this small detail as well back in  Luk_18:31-34. It is not a good news sermon but is one that is attempting to lead them to repentance. 

vv.38-41 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.   

Many use this as a proof text for the necessity of baptism. However, this is not true in that Peter was not addressing the Church, but Israel, e.g., Act 2:14, Act 2:22, and Act 2:36.

Paul never teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation, e.g., 1Co 12:13. He makes it obvious that it is a baptism of the Spirit and not water. The last mention of baptism is the Bible is found in Eph 4:3-6. 

The Creation Account, Part 4

We wrap up our topical study on the issue of the creation account as found in Genesis, chapter one and two today. We have thus far looked at some of the various views of the creation accounts to point out their weaknesses and strengths. Today, we are going to look at the Biblical View and discuss why it must be true above all else and that anything else we believe must fall in line with that view without contradiction. So far, we have looked at the following views: Mythology, Pictoral Day, Old Earth Creation, Young Earth Creation, Gap Theory, and Naturalistic Evolution.

The final view that needs to be considered is the Biblical View. In other words, what does the Bible say in regards to the creation account? These issues include, but certainly are not limited to, what it says about the uniqueness of man above the rest of God's creation, the origin of sin that requires a Savior, and the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul which point to the fact that they clearly believed the creation account as found in Genesis 1-2. 

In regards to the uniqueness of man, the New Testament teaches that man is the pinnacle of God’s creation in that he was created in the image of God unlike any of the other creatures before him. Millard Erickson says of this, “There is something that gives humanity value from above. The value of humans is not that they are the highest products of the evolutionary process thus far but that the supreme eternal being has made them in his own image. It is not our estimation of ourselves, but the judgment of the holy God that gives us value.”

  

In regards to the origins of sin, the Bible also teaches that man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden when they chose disobedience rather than obedience in regards to the Tree of Knowledge as recorded in Genesis 3. That single act of rebellion brought sin into God’s creation for the first time. As a result of that sin, death came upon all mankind both spiritually and physically. That is why Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And because of the wages of man’s sin that was introduced into the world by Adam and Eve, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Also, the teachings of both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul are predicated on the historicity of the creation account. For example, Jesus’ response to the religious leaders in regards to divorce, Jesus referenced the creation account when he said in Mark 10:6-8, “But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.” Jesus clearly believed in a historical Adam and Eve. Also, the Apostle Paul referred to Adam and Eve on several occasions. When speaking to the Romans he said that “death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come (Rom. 5:14). Also, when speaking to the Corinthians, Paul said that “in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22), and that "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). Also, when speaking to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:13-14 he said, “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” It is also clear that the Apostle Paul believed in the creation account as well. 

In conclusion, after looking at several alternative views of the creation account, the question is now which ones agree with or contradict the writings of the Bible? Most conservatives hold to the view of Old Earth Creationism, Young Earth Creationism, or the Gap Theory. On the other hand, most conservatives categorically reject the Mythological, Pictorial Day, and Naturalistic Evolutionary views.

The reason for these views by conservatives is because Old Earth Creationism, Young Earth Creationism, and the Gap Theory all require an intelligent creator. Of course, they strongly disagree on particulars such as whether the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 should be taken literally, or that something happened between verses 1 and 2, but they all concur that an intelligent creator (God) was involved.

On the other hand, their rejection of the Mythological, Pictorial Day, and Naturalistic Evolutionary views is because those views reject the account in Genesis 1 and 2 as factual, deny the involvement of an intelligent creator, and they embrace Naturalistic Evolution and its view of random mutation and natural selection which contradicts the teachings of the Bible and thus “impugns the authority of Christ and His apostolic witnesses”. 

Just so that you know, I believe that the Young Earth Creation view best aligns with the teachings of Scripture.

The Creation Account, Part 3

We continue our topical study on the issue of the creation account as found in Genesis, chapter one and two. Just to recap, this is based on a paper that I wrote in 2014 for a class called Old Testament Background Studies in Genesis. In it, I briefly looked at some of the various views of the creation accounts to point out their weaknesses and strengths, at least as far as I could discern, and which ones we as Bible-believing Christians should reject and embrace. Again, this study is not meant to be exhaustive, but to serve as a good starting point for the reader to pursue on their own. Last time, we looked at what is called the Pictoral Day, Old Earth Creationism, and Young Earth Creationism. Today, we will look at the Gap Theory and Naturalistic Evolution. 

The Gap Theory first made its way into the mainstream as a result of the printing of the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909. Yes, that beloved reference Bible. This theory assumes a gap of time between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1. It is during this time that they postulate that a pre-Adamic world once existed and was subsequently destroyed in the rebellion of Lucifer and the fallen angels that are referred to in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. 

The reason for this view is found in Genesis 1:2 which says that “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters”. At issue is the word “was” which they believe should be translated as “became”. In other words, the earth became formless and void as a result of some act of judgment in time past. It is in this “gap” of time that they conclude that “all the ages that are demanded by geologists occurred and ended with the glacial age”.   The theory also explains why there is the apparent contradiction in how old science says the earth is and the biblical account.

The theory goes on to surmise that in Genesis 1:3, God starts the process of reparation as described in the six days of creation. The rationale for this view comes from a “desire to reconcile the voluminous scientific evidence for Earth’s antiquity” and still concedes the six literal days of creation.   In the end though, too much of the theory rests on the translation of the word “was” and the questionable use of the phrase “formless and void.”   

Next is the view that is referred to as Naturalistic Evolution. Before 1900, the issue of evolution was a non-controversial subject. Everyone, for the most part, embraced the biblical view of creation either by conviction or conformity. However, the issue of evolution was brought to the forefront by the Progressive Movement in the early 20th Century in a series of court cases that eventually came to be known as the Scopes Monkey Trial.

  

In essence, Naturalistic Evolution teaches that all creation is purely accidental and that no supreme power was involved at all. It presupposes that everything came into existence in a randomly generated sequence through mutation and natural selection. Of course, this view by necessity requires millions, if not billions of years, for these mutations to take place. Charles Ryrie puts it this way, “If one were to reduce the process to a formula it would look like this: M(utations) + N(atural) S(election) x T(ime) = Evolution.”

   

It is interesting that in regards to the necessity of time for the evolutionary process to take place, Tremper Longman points out in his book How to Read Genesis, "Many modern readers stumble over the six days of creation. They ask how it could have happened so quickly. It is interesting to note that before the nineteenth century and the work of Charles Darwin the question was just the opposite. For instance, in the sixteenth century John Calvin encountered skepticism concerning the biblical account because it took God so long to create. The biblical account seemed ridiculous to many readers in the sixteenth century because they knew that God could create instantaneously if he so willed.”

  

Of course, Naturalistic Evolution does have its weaknesses as well. Some of these include issues with mutations that tend to be overwhelmingly useless or even detrimental, natural selection which rarely brings about improvements, time for probability and chance, and the second law of thermodynamics which says that all things move from orderliness to chaos, and yet, it supposes the exact opposite.