Matthew
11
Five women are mentioned in Jesus' family tree
descendant (son, family) of David,
descendant (son, family) of Abraham. [Matthew uses the same Greek phrase as the Greek translation of the Books of Moses for the Hebrew word toledot. This word is used to mark a new section and a "continuing story" in Genesis, see ; ; ; ; etc. The word clearly links this gospel with God's great plan of salvation throughout the Bible. The first verse summarizes how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament's expectation of the Messiah who would come from the line of King David. The genealogy begins with Abraham, the father of the Israelites, through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
In Jewish culture, women are held in high esteem. There were female judges, and two books are named after women. However, it is unusual for their names to appear in genealogies, see ; . It is noteworthy that Matthew chooses to highlight the following five women in particular: - Tamar, who disguised herself as a prostitute and had children with her father-in-law Judah, see .
- Rahab, who went down in history as "Rahab the harlot," see .
- Ruth, who lost her husband at a young age, see .
- Bathsheba, who was tricked into an affair with David, see .
- Mary, who suffered persecution and slander because few believed in the virgin birth, see .
The number five stands for grace. What grace it is that Jesus' human genes included people who had experienced the worst situations imaginable.]1) Abraham to David
[The first part has fourteen links between Abraham and David. Thirty names are mentioned, including repetitions and Serach, see , who is not included in the family tree. Of these, 27 are men and three are women.] 2Abraham begot Isaac,
Isaac begot Jacob,
Jacob begot Judah and his brothers,
3Judah begot Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar [Judah's daughter-in-law involved in a complicated relationship history, see ],
Perez begot Hezron,
Hezron begot Ram,
4Reem begot Amminadab,
Amminadab begot Nahshon,
Nahshon begot Salmon,
5Salmon begot Boaz, whose mother was Rahab (Gk. Rachav) [a pagan who welcomed the Israeli spies in Jericho, see ],
Boaz begot Obed, whose mother was Ruth [a Moabite who accompanied her mother-in-law Naomi back to Judah, see Ruth 1-4],
Obed begot Jesse (Isaiah),
6Jishai begot David, the king. [Both "David" and "king" are in the definite form in Greek, which gives extra emphasis. Literally: "Davidthe, kingthe".] 2) David to captivity [The second part has fourteen links between Solomon and Jehoiachin, David is mentioned again but is not counted as a link. Thirty names are mentioned, including the repetition of David and Bathsheba's husband Uriah, who is not included in the family tree. Of these, 29 are men and one is a woman.]
David begot Solomon, whose mother [Bathsheba; Hebr. Batsheva] was the wife of Uriah [whom David stole from him, see ],
7Solomon begot Rehoboam (Rechavam),
Rehoboam begot Abijah (Avijam),
Abijah begot Asa,
8Asa begot Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat begot Joram,
Joram begot Uzziah [here Matthew skips three generations – Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, see ; ; ],
9Uzziah begot Jotham,
Jotham begot Ahaz,
Ahaz begot Hezekiah,
10Hezekiah begot Manasseh,
Manasseh begot Amon,
Amon begot Josiah,
11Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers [here Jehoiakim is skipped over, see ],
at the time when the people were carried away to Babylon [; ].3) From captivity to Jesus
[The third section has fourteen links from Jehoiachin to Jesus. Jehoiachin is counted in both this and the previous list. Twenty-seven names are mentioned, including the repetition of Jehoiachin. Of these, 26 are men and one is a woman.] 12After the exile in Babylon:
Jehoiachin begot Shealtiel,
Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel,
13Zerubbabel begot Abiud,
Abiud begot Eliakim,
Eliakim begot Azor,
14Asor begot Zadok,
Zadok begot Achim,
Achim begot Elihud,
15Elihud begot Eleazar,
Eleazar begot Mattan,
Mattan begot Jacob,
16Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary [Miriam];
through her was born Jesus, who is called the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ). [In Greek, Joseph is in the definite form to give emphasis. Mary is the Greek form of the Aramaic name Mariam (from the Hebrew Miriam). Here there is a nice connection to the first covenant and Moses, who received the teachings and commandments from God. The woman chosen to give birth to the Messiah, who fulfills the Torah, is named Mirjam – the same name as Moses' sister! It was she who watched over Moses and saved his life, see .]
17
from Abraham to David fourteen generations,
from David to the captivity in Babylon fourteen generations, and
from the captivity in Babylon to the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) fourteen generations. [The Hebrew culture that Matthew addresses is fond of numbers and linguistic symmetry. The choice of the number fourteen may be due to the fact that it is twice the number seven, which represents completeness. Fourteen is also the Hebrew numerical value of David's name, see also .
There are differences compared to Luke's genealogy, see . Matthew sometimes skips a few links to achieve literary symmetry with three groups of fourteen generations in each group. The Greek word gennao, translated as "begot," can also mean "ancestor" and does not necessarily mean that the son is a direct descendant. Other differences are that Matthew starts with Abraham, the ancestor of the Jews, and seems to relate Joseph's kinship to David. Luke, on the other hand, goes all the way back to Adam and Eve through Mary, to emphasize that he is the Savior of all mankind. In the next chapter, Joseph is mentioned by name, while Mary is referred to as the child's mother.
Christ is a transcription of a Greek translation of the Hebrew Mashiach, which means "the Anointed One." In the prophetic books, people waited for the Lord's Anointed One to save the people of Israel. Matthew wants to show that Jesus is this anointed king who has come!]The birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7)
18The birth of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) happened like this: When his mother Mary was (had become) betrothed to Joseph [i.e., when the marriage vows had already been exchanged], it turned out – before they came together [as husband and wife] – that she (literally: her womb) was pregnant through (from/by) the Holy Spirit [the Holy Spirit]. 19But since Joseph, her [future] husband, was righteous and did not want to expose her to disgrace (to be publicly shamed) [and to general ridicule], he decided to divorce her secretly [privately and quietly] (to release her; to set her completely free). [The Jewish betrothal was so binding that a letter of divorce was required to break it, see .] 20But while he was thinking (reasoning back and forth) about all (these things), behold, an angel of the Lord (messenger – Gk. aggelos) appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary [Miriam], your wife, for what has been conceived (brought forth, produced – Gk. gennao) in her is from (has its origin in) the Holy Spirit. 21And she will give birth (produce; bear – Gk. tikto) to a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he will save (rescue, deliver) his people from their sins." [Through the betrothal, the marriage had already been formally contracted. The angel urges Joseph not to hesitate to consummate the marriage. The name Jesus comes from the name Joshua, which in Hebrew is composed of JHVH (the name of God, probably pronounced Yahweh) and Hosea, which means "one who saves." Jesus literally means "JHVH is salvation," "JHVH's salvation," or "JHVH saves/redeems."] 22All this happened (has happened) so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah] might be fulfilled, who said: 23"Behold, the virgin [the young, unmarried woman – who has not yet been with any man; Gk. parthenos]
shall conceive (literally: 'bear/have in the womb') and bear (Gk. tikto) a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel." []
Which translated [from the Hebrew immanu el, see ] becomes: "God with us" []. [Literally, the last phrase is: meth hemon ho Theos – With us God. He who is God is now with us. The Greek preposition meth also indicates a change that occurs as a result of something. Matthew quotes from the Greek translation Septuagint, where the Hebrew word for young woman (Hebr. almah) is translated as parthenos, meaning a virgin who has not been with a man.
The context in Isaiah is about a child who would be born during the reign of King Ahaz (735-715 BC) and before the boy was more than 2-3 years old, the enemies would be defeated by Assyria, see , . In Hebrew thought, prophecies have multiple fulfillments. In Judaism, this prophecy was interpreted early on as referring to a future Messiah.] 24When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord (messenger) had commanded him and took his wife to himself, 25but did not touch (literally: know) her [they did not have marital relations] until she had given birth (Gk. tikto) to a son. And he named him Jesus.Wise men from the east
Some kind of phenomenon occurs in the starry sky around the time of Jesus' birth. This causes astrologers from the East to travel to Judea. The star seems to disappear, only to reappear once they have arrived in Jerusalem, see Matt. 2:9.
Some time has now passed since Jesus' birth, and the family is living in a house, probably in Bethlehem, see , which refers to "the house." They have also been to the temple, see . According to , this should happen forty days after birth. If the wise men traveled from Babylon, it was a distance of about a hundred miles, but it could have been twice that if they came through the desert from the Persian Gulf, which took about two to four months. Jesus is at least a few months old, probably around a year old when they come to him. This may explain why Herod adds an extra year to the estimated age and, to be absolutely sure of getting rid of Jesus, kills all children under the age of two. It is worth noting that the wise men did not ask for the newborn prince, which would have been natural if a child had been born to King Herod. They ask for the king who has been born. From the very beginning, Jesus was king!] 3When King Herod heard this, he was upset (worried, frightened), and all of Jerusalem with him. 4When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Anointed One [the king] (Messiah, Christ) was to be born. 5They replied, "In Bethlehem in Judea, for thus said [wrote] the prophet []: 6'You Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler (leader)
who will be a shepherd for my people Israel.' " 7
As early as 3500 BC, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia began observing the stars. Around 1200 BC, the Babylonians had further developed the art and produced a star catalog. The picture shows one of five clay tablets from Babylon with inscriptions in cuneiform script predicting Jupiter's orbit using advanced mathematical models. These were found in the 19th century and are dated to 350-50 BC.
A strange celestial phenomenon took place in 7 BC. The two largest celestial bodies, Jupiter and Saturn, passed very close to each other – not just once, but three times in the same year (May 29, November 29, and December 6). A clay tablet found 50 km north of Babylon refers to this triple phenomenon, which was already known to Babylonian astronomers in the 3rd century BC. The planets meet in the constellation Pisces – a sign associated with Judea. For astrologers, this must have signaled that something big was happening – that a king would be born. Even in the Middle Ages, several Jewish rabbis pointed to this sign as the birth of the Messiah. This great conjunction, which was last visible in 2020 and before that in 1226, 431, and 372 CE, will next occur in 2080. Chinese sources describe the observation of a comet with a prominent tail in 12, 5, and 4 BC. The Jewish historian Josephus recounts that a comet – now known as Halley's Comet – stood still over the city of Rome for several days in 12 BC in connection with the death of Marcus Agrippa. A comet's tail may seem to point to a specific place on Earth. There are also Asian astronomical observations of a strong and stationary light (a supernova) between March 10 and April 7 in 5 BC.
Even if there were a natural explanation for the star that led to the place where Jesus was born, it cannot be ignored that all this was specially coordinated by God himself – he who radiates light and glory, and just as he led the people of Israel forward and stopped over certain places, see ; , he now shows the way to his beloved Son.] 11When they [the wise men] entered the house, they saw (found) the child (a child of infancy – Gk. paidion) [probably about a year old, so no longer an infant – Gk. brephos, see ] with Mary [Miriam], his mother, and they bowed down (fell on their knees in humility) and worshipped (praised) him. When they had opened their treasure chests, they brought forth (offered) gifts to him []: gold [; – speaks prophetically of Jesus' kingship] and
incense [represents the sweet aroma of a sacrifice – speaks prophetically of Jesus' sinless life] and
myrrh [used in embalming – speaks prophetically of his death].
12After being divinely instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, they took another route home to their country. [The verb form suggests that the wise men had sought God's guidance and that they received an answer in a dream.]The Flight to Egypt
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View from the slope at Herodium, one of the fortresses built by Herod the Great. It is very possible that it was from this place that he gave the cruel order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. In the middle of the picture you can see the palace area "Lower Herodium". Behind the hill lies Bethlehem.
Herod was known for his large construction projects, of which Masada, Herodium, Caesarea Maritima and the temple in Jerusalem are the most prominent. However, he is also notorious for his suspicion and cruelty. He had three of his sons killed, and even his wife Mariamne. The Jewish historian Josephus writes that when Herod was on his deathbed in Jericho, he became concerned that no one would mourn him. He therefore gathered all the influential Jewish leaders in the country at the Jericho horse racing track and ordered his soldiers to kill everyone there when he died. In this way, he wanted to ensure that there would be national mourning at his death, even if it was not for him. Fortunately, his sister Salome (Salome I) canceled this insane order after his death. Ironically, Herod died during the Jewish festival of Purim.]Back to Israel and Nazareth (Luke 2:39)
19When Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go [back] to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are now dead." 21So he got up, took the child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel. [Herod the Great died in Jericho in the spring of 4 BC. He was 69 years old. His tomb may be located at a monument found in 2007 at his palace Herodium just outside Bethlehem. At this time, there were many revolts and unrest in the country.] 22
View from Safed, the highest city in Galilee. The name Galilee comes from the Hebrew word galil, which means round or rounded, probably describing the hilly landscape with mountains that "undulate" like waves. The Hebrew word for wave is galim.
The Judean desert with hills and mountains between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.
[The expression kingdom of heaven (Gk. basileian ton ouranon) is found only in the Gospel of Matthew and is used synonymously with the kingdom of God (Gk. basileian tou theou) used by the other Gospel writers. The paraphrase reflects the Jewish pious custom of not writing out the name of God. This is to be expected in a text aimed primarily at Jewish readers, as the Gospel of Matthew is. Even in today's English-Jewish literature, the word "God" is not written, but rather "G-d" without vowels.] 3For he is the one who is spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, as [the prophet Isaiah refers to when he] says: A voice of one crying (urging) in the wilderness (desert, wasteland):
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight (even) [make way for the Lord]." [Quotation from from the Greek translation Septuagint. Matthew changes the quotation from "the paths of our God" to "his paths". A call to repent and walk in his well-trodden and familiar paths, see also .]
4John wore clothes (a cloak) made of camel hair and had a leather belt around his waist. [He was reminiscent of the prophet Elijah, see . Later in the Gospel of Matthew, these two prophets are clearly linked, see .] His food was locusts and wild honey [common food in the wilderness, see ]. 5Jerusalem and all of Judea and the districts around Jordan came out to him [in increasing numbers]. 6They allowed themselves to be baptized by him in the Jordan River while confessing (openly acknowledging) their sins [just before baptism when they stood in the water]. [The Greek word for baptism is baptizo, which literally means "to dip into." There is a difference between John's baptism of repentance and the baptism of believers in the name of the Lord Jesus, see . John's baptism was preparatory and was about repentance from sin, not necessarily in connection with confessing Jesus as Lord. Believer's baptism only takes on its full meaning after Jesus' resurrection, see . In baptism, the believer identifies with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, see . This act shows that one dies to oneself, buries one's old sinful nature, and becomes a new creation in Jesus. Baptism is preceded by personal repentance and a change of heart and is accompanied by the promise of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who gives the power to live the new life, see ; .]Bear fruit worthy of repentance
[The religious leaders in Jerusalem had previously sent servants with questions to John, see . It seems that these answers were not sufficient, because they now came out into the desert themselves to see what attracted so many people there.] 7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism. When he looked at them [and saw through their false motives], he said to them: "You brood of vipers! [He associated them with death, and with Satan himself who deceived Eve through a serpent.] Who has convinced you that you can escape the coming wrath? 8Then bear (produce) [such] fruit as belongs to (is worthy of; is consistent with) repentance (the changed mindset) [of a heart that no longer loves sin]. 9Do not begin to say to one another [do not take pride in your religious heritage by saying]: 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10The axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is stronger than I. I am not even worthy to take off his sandals [which was a slave's task]. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12He has his shovel in his hand to clear (clean) his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that cannot be extinguished."
The three largest Jewish religious groups were:
Pharisees – followed strict external rules in order to achieve piety and equated the rabbis' interpretations with the writings of the Old Testament. Pharisee means "separated."
Sadducees – accepted the entire Tanakh in the same way as the Pharisees, but not the oral teachings (Mishnah and Talmud). They also did not believe in anything supernatural such as angels or life after death, see . They were in the majority in the Sanhedrin and more positive towards the Roman state than the Pharisees. The word Sadducee probably derives from a high priest named Zadok.
Essene – were a strict, closed group who lived apart from society, often in isolated and deserted places. One of these places is believed to be Qumran (where the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 also led to increased knowledge about this group). They are not mentioned in the New Testament, but according to the Jewish historian Josephus, there were a total of about 4,000 followers in the country. He also mentions the "Gate of the Essenes" in the southwestern corner of Jerusalem, which, together with other references, shows that the group was also present in Jerusalem. The origin of the name is not entirely known, but it may mean "makers/creators" of the Torah or derive from a Hebrew word for "outside."
In addition to these, there were many different political and religious groups such as the Zealots (), Sicarii (), Herodians (; ; ) and Samaritans (; ; , ; ).
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The Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee.
Between Jerusalem and Jericho lies this mountainous and barren wilderness.
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1) Turn stones into bread
3Then the tempter [the devil, the deceiver] came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread (food)." [Not a direct quote, but if stones can become Abraham's children () or give the Israelites water in the desert (), then they could also become bread and satisfy Jesus' hunger. When the first Adam was tested, it was also about eating (). The devil did not doubt that Jesus was the Son of God (), but rather questioned what kind of son he would be.] 4But he [Jesus] answered and said, "It is written []: Man shall not live by bread alone [as his sole/only source of nourishment],
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." [The Greek preposition dia, translated here as "from," has the meaning: through, between, across, back and forth to the other side, see .]
2) Throw yourself down from the temple
5
The highest point of the temple is the southeast corner of the temple area, perhaps it was here that the devil led Jesus.
He will command his angels [to watch] over you
and they will lift you up in their hands
so that your foot will not strike against any stone." [The devil omits the last part, "in all your ways," from the quotation in , which says, "He will command his angels to protect you in all your ways." It was not part of God's plan for Jesus to throw himself down from the temple and perform a spectacular miracle. When we walk in God's way, His protection is also with us.]
7Jesus enlightened (Gk. phemi) him: "It is also written []: You shall not test (tempt) the Lord your God."
3) Worship me
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The Mount of Temptation, the place where, according to tradition, Jesus was taken by the devil to be tempted.
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You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only (only – Gk. monos) shall you serve (worship)."
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and ministered to him. 12
Jesus moves from his hometown of Nazareth to Capernaum, where he lives in Peter's house.
Show in atlas
15[You] the land of Zebulun and Naphtali [corresponding to upper and lower Galilee],
the sea road [the trade route Via Maris],
the land beyond [west of] the Jordan,
the Galilee of the Gentiles:
16The people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
upon those who sit in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. [Matthew quotes freely from Isaiah's prophetic words about the Messiah written in 700 BC. He changes the quotation from "walk" to "sit," describing an even greater despondency and apathy than in Isaiah's day. The Hebrew name for Capernaum is Kfar Nachum. It is the same name as the prophet Nahum. The meaning is "Nahum's village" or, more literally, "the village of comfort."] 17From then on, Jesus began to preach [and continued with the same theme as John the Baptist, see ] and said: "Repent (change your way of thinking and acting),
for the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) is near."
[The phrase "From that time on Jesus began" is also found in and marks a shift in Jesus' life. Here in chapter four, his public ministry begins. In chapter 16, a turning point occurs and the journey toward the cross and resurrection begins.] 18
Somewhere south of Capernaum, in the area around the fishing village of Tabgha, Jesus called several disciples.
Magdala was discovered by chance in 2009 when a hotel was to be built just north of Tiberias. Magdala had been buried under mud for almost 2,000 years. One of the finds was the best-preserved synagogue from the time of Jesus. Road works in December 2021 led to the discovery of a second synagogue just 160 meters from the first, but on the other side of Route 90.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Chapters 5-7) (Luke 6:20-26)
Jesus taught here on one of the mountain slopes on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum.
Invitation – come up!
The Beatitudes – true happiness
[Jesus begins by talking about joy. All the beatitudes are taken from different parts of the Psalms. In Matthew 23, there is a parallel with verses directed at the spiritual leadership, which had done the opposite in every respect. The Greek word for blessed, makarios, describes an inner joy and satisfaction that is independent of external circumstances. Originally, the word meant "rich," but later came to denote happiness, joy, and blessing. The eight beatitudes are framed by the phrase "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (verses 3 and 10). They are divided into two groups. The first four beatitudes have Greek words that all begin with the letter p (poor, mourning, meek, hungry). Both verses 3-6 and verses 7-10 consist of 36 Greek words. The structure is also reinforced by a chiastic pattern with verb forms.] 2Then he opened his mouth (he began to speak) and began to teach them, saying: 3"Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable – "rich") are those who are poor (the poor – Gk. ptochos) in spirit ["the spiritual beggars"]
– for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (the reign of the heavens). [Here and in , the present tense is used – the kingdom of God currently belongs to those who humble themselves before God and those who are persecuted for their faith, see . There are two words for poor in Greek: penes and ptochos. Penes describes a day laborer who works hard every day to support his family. Ptochos, which is the word used here, means that someone is totally destitute and lacks any ability to help himself. The only thing left to do is beg. Jesus is therefore looking for "spiritual beggars" who, in faith and humility, reach out their hands to receive God's grace – completely dependent on God's power for one day at a time!] 4Blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are those who mourn (Gk. pentheo) [weep over sin, injustice, and the sad state of the heart] – for they shall be comforted (encouraged, strengthened; receive joy). [; ; ; ] 5Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are the meek (patient, humble – Gk. praus) [those who can convey God's strength and power with gentleness]
– for they shall inherit the earth (the land) [Israel, see ]. 6Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are those who hunger (Gk. peinao) and thirst for righteousness [desperately long to be right with God]
– for they shall be [completely] satisfied. [] 7Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are the merciful [those who act kindly and compassionately]
– for they shall receive mercy (be shown grace). [] [Jesus promises those who are merciful exactly what they themselves already live by, namely mercy. Jesus emphasizes the same principle even more sharply in . See also ; .] 8Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are the pure in heart
– for they shall see (experience) God. [; ] 9Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are those who create peace (the peacemakers) [who boldly bring together into a whole on God's terms]
– for they shall be called children (sons) of God. [; ; ]
10Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (have suffered persecution for righteousness' sake) [because they have done what is right in God's eyes]
– for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of heaven). [] [After these eight beatitudes, Jesus repeats and elaborates on the last point about persecution. Jesus addresses his followers and instead of saying "Blessed are they," he says "Blessed are you."] 11Blessed (happy, blessed, enviable) are you when [every time someone]
insults (mocks, reviles) you
and persecutes you (causes you suffering)
and lies and says all [kinds of] evil things (slanders you and makes false accusations) against you
for my sake (because of me). [The only reason for these attacks is your confession of Jesus.]
12Rejoice [always] and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets [who were] before you." ["Rejoice and be glad" is the conclusion of , but it also applies to this entire passage, which began in . In the first nine verses (all of which begin with "blessed"), the word "and" is not used between each sentence. This usage is a way of emphasizing the conclusion itself more than each individual example.] 13"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness (strength, quality, becomes foolishness), how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out [like gravel on the roads] and trampled underfoot by people. [Pure salt, sodium chloride, as we use it today, cannot lose its saltiness. However, this was not the case with the salt extracted from the Dead Sea in Jesus' time. This mineral-rich salt could be leached out if exposed to moisture in the environment. The word for "loses its saltiness" can also mean "foolishness" and is translated as such in and . Christianity so influenced by the world that Jesus no longer exists becomes foolishness. Salt enhances flavor, prevents decay, and arouses thirst. In the same way, a Christian should influence their surroundings in a positive way. A Christian's speech should always be friendly, seasoned with salt, see . Salt was also used as a nutritional supplement to increase the harvest, see . A Christian with "saltiness" also gives vitality! Sodium chloride is the only mineral that crystallizes as cubes. In the Old Testament, the meeting place with God in the Holy of Holies was a cube (; ). The new Jerusalem that is to come is also a cube (, ). In between, God dwells in people who are the salt of the earth.]A city on a mountain
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View from Capernaum, where you can see today's Tiberias lighting up the sky.
The commandments – more than just outward actions!
17Do not assume (think) that I have come to abolish the teachings [the Books of Moses – Gk. nomos] or the prophets. [Jesus does not abolish any part of the Old Testament.] I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill (complete, give full meaning and significance). 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away (change, transform), not the smallest letter (Gk. iota), not even the smallest stroke (Gk. keraia) of the teaching [the Books of Moses] will pass away (change), not until everything has happened. [Before everything God has foretold has come to pass and all shadows have been fulfilled, see ; ; .] [The smallest letter in Greek is iota. The equivalent in Hebrew is the letter yod, which resembles our comma (י). Yod in turn consists of three parts, where the smallest line going down is called kotz in Hebrew. It is likely that the Gk. keraia refers to that line. In rabbinical literature, these two Hebrew words (kotz and yod) are mentioned together. What is meant is that not even the smallest detail in Scripture should be changed, not even as little as the smallest part of the smallest letter.] 19Whoever abolishes (removes) even the smallest of these commandments (instructions) and teaches people to do the same shall be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens). But whoever keeps these commandments and teaches others to do so shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens)." [The following passage, verses 21-48, contains six parts, all of which begin with: "You have heard it said." Jesus has just said that he will not abolish the written teaching, see . Instead, he corrects the rabbinical interpretation of the Torah with the additions and excuses that had been made, i.e., not what had been written, but what had been said. The seventh and final point is the exhortation to be perfect, see .]1 (of 7) Anger and unforgiveness are equated with murder (Luke 12:57-59)
21
View from the southern part of the Old City of Jerusalem over Gehenna, or the Valley of Hinnom, which in recent years has been illuminated with spotlights that change colors. The valley is associated with the abominable child sacrifices to the idol Molech that took place there, see Jer. 32:35.
'You shall not murder.
Whoever commits murder will not escape judgment.'
22But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: Anyone who is angry with his brother (is resentful and refuses to forgive),
cannot escape judgment.
[Some manuscripts have the addition "without cause," see .]
Anyone who says to his brother, 'You are worthless' (a derogatory term for 'stupid'),
cannot avoid being brought before the Great Council [Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court].
Anyone who says, 'You are a fool,'
cannot avoid [the death sentence in] the burning Gehenna (hell). [Gehenna is a Greek loanword from Hebrew. It is the name of the southern valley of Jerusalem, the Valley of Hinnom. It was here that children were sacrificed to the idol Molech, see ; . The place is also a place of judgment where evil kings will be judged, see . In the 13th century, a legend arose that it was here that the city's waste was burned in a constantly burning fire. It cannot be ruled out that the city's waste may have been dumped in this and other valleys. However, it is more likely that Jesus, in a context that speaks of murder, see , is alluding to child sacrifices and the coming final judgment of those guilty of these abominable acts, see ; .] 23Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you (if there is an unresolved conflict between you), 24leave your gift there before the altar and go first and be reconciled with your brother; then come back and offer your gift. 25Hurry to settle with your opponent (the one who accuses you) while you are still on the way [to court]. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the guard, and you will be put in prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny [the smallest Roman coin, a fragment]."2 (of 7) Unclean looks are equated with infidelity (Matt 18:8-9, Mark 9:43-48)
27"You have heard it said [heard the Pharisees' interpretation of the commandment in ]: 'You shall not commit adultery (be unfaithful to your spouse).'
28But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: anyone who deliberately looks at a woman with lust (desire, giving rise to impure sexual motives) has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29Therefore: [What should one do if tempted in the sexual realm?] If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna (hell). 30If your right hand leads you astray, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than for your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna (hell)." [This saying is not literal but a hyperbole, i.e., an exaggeration. Jesus does not teach self-mutilation, for even a blind man, or a man with one arm, can have impure sexual thoughts. The conclusion is to counteract sin by all means: do not expose yourself to tempting situations, throw away things that lead to sexual sin, etc. The solution is not to blame the woman and force her out of the place of worship. It is not the woman's beauty, but the man's lack of self-control that is the problem. Jesus says to the man: "it is your eye," take responsibility for it.] 31"It has been said [you have heard the Pharisees' interpretation of the commandment in ]: 'Anyone who wants to divorce his wife must give her a letter of divorce.
32But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: whoever divorces his wife – for any reason other than unfaithfulness – causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." [God's original plan was that people should not divorce. Marriage is "until death do them part," see ; . The only reason for divorce for believing couples is adultery. Paul also mentions a case where one person is saved and the other wants a divorce; in that case, it cannot be prevented, see . God hates divorce, see , because he personally knows the deep pain it causes, see . The subject recurs in the Gospel of Matthew, see .]4 (of 7) Honesty and integrity in our speech
33"You have also heard that it was said to the ancients (the forefathers) [heard the Pharisees' interpretation of the commandment in ]: 'You shall not bear false witness (swear falsely), but fulfill your promise before the Lord.'
34But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: do not swear at all. Not by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36Nor swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your yes be yes and your no be no! Anything more than this comes from the evil one." [The Pharisees had developed sophisticated systems to protect their integrity when making religious vows. Instead of promising something in the name of God, they swore an oath to the earth, Jerusalem, etc. In this way, they had not technically sworn by God's name and could therefore, they believed, break their promise without breaking God's commandment.]5 (of 7) Do not take revenge (Luke 6:29-31)
38"You have heard it said [heard the Pharisees' interpretation of the commandment in ]: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' [This law originally applied to property and regulated the court's punishment so that it did not exceed the crime. The Pharisees misused this verse to justify personal revenge without legal trial.]
39But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: Do not resist an evil person. [Do not take the law into your own hands and seek revenge.] If someone strikes (slaps – Gk. rhapizo) you on the right cheek,
turn the other cheek to him as well. [It is impossible for a right-handed person to strike someone on the right cheek with a fist. One can only strike the other person's left cheek. This suggests that it is not a normal fist strike that is meant, but a contemptuous blow with the back of an open right hand against someone's right cheek. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that a more unusual Greek word meaning "to slap" someone is used here. If someone provokes with a derogatory blow or biting sarcasm, the person who has been struck should not retaliate. To prevent a vicious circle of escalating hatred, evil should not be repaid with evil, see . This verse does not teach that a Christian should silently accept blows. When Jesus was struck in the face by the temple guard, he asked a question that was a rebuke, see . John also uses a different Greek word (Gk. dero) for to strike than here.]
40If anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic (a shirt-like long undergarment),
let him also take your cloak (your outer garment). [If someone was unable to repay a loan, the cloak could be taken as collateral, but had to be returned before sunset, see . Not only giving up the cloak, but also starting to take off one's undergarments in court would be surprising. Nudity was taboo in Judaism, and the shame fell less on the person who was naked than on those who saw it or caused it, see .] 41If anyone forces you to go [with him and carry his luggage and equipment] one Roman mile [1.5 km],
then go with him two [3 km]. [According to Roman law, government employees could force anyone to carry luggage and equipment one Roman mile, which is equivalent to 1.5 km. One example is Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry Jesus' cross, see .] 42Give to those who ask you for something, and do not turn away from those who want to borrow from you." [In , those who are able are urged to lend to their neighbors. The commandment is not to close one's heart to the poor. However, nowhere does the Bible urge anyone to go into debt in order to help someone else. Both the one who asks for help and the one who is asked and says no must ensure that greed is not the motive, see .
The Books of Moses contain a fine combination of market economy and planned economy. Every 7th year, loans were canceled and the land was left fallow (). The 50th year was a jubilee year, and families got their land back (). This system ensured that even if the parent generation had failed financially, there would be a reset. Children and grandchildren did not suffer because of the mistakes of the previous generation. As the seventh year approached, few were willing to lend money because there was a high risk of not getting it back. This is the background to Jesus' statement that greed should not be behind a decision to deny someone a loan or help.]6 (of 7) Love not only your friends but also your enemies (Luke 6:27-28, 6:32-36)
43"You have heard it said [heard the Pharisees' interpretation of the commandment in ]: 'You shall love your neighbor (your fellow man) and hate your enemy. [The last part, 'hate your enemy,' is not included in Leviticus. This was an addition by the stricter Pharisees of the Shammai school. It was assumed that the commandment 'love your neighbor as yourself' automatically meant that you should hate your enemy.]
44But I say to you [and perfects the meaning]: Love your enemies [always show those who are openly hostile selfless and generous love] and pray for those who persecute you. [; ; , ] 45Then you will show yourselves to be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Don't even tax collectors (publicans) do the same? [The Jews who allied themselves with the Romans to collect taxes and customs duties from their compatriots were among the most despised. They also often exploited their position for their own gain.] 47If you only greet your brothers (with respect and reverence), what is so special about that?
Don't the Gentiles do the same? 7 (of 7) Be perfect
48You shall therefore be perfect (wholehearted, made perfect, mature), just as your heavenly Father is perfect." [; ] [This last sentence summarizes all six previous points. God is perfect, and he demands perfection. Jesus does not raise the bar to weed out those who are not good enough. He does so to make us realize that we cannot do it without his grace. The author C. S. Lewis sums this up nicely in his book "Is There a God?" where he writes: "No man knows how bad he is until he has made a very serious attempt to be good."]True righteousness
61[Jesus continues to teach the crowd and his disciples, see :] "Be on your guard (think about this)! When you practice righteousness [which includes giving, praying, and fasting], do not do it to be seen by others. If you do [if that is your motive], you will have no reward [reward to expect] from your Father in heaven." [This verse does not contradict , because the motive there is to give glory to God.]Give gifts for the right reasons
2Therefore, when you give a gift (alms – Gk. eleemosune; when you want to do charity out of compassion; give to the poor), do not trumpet it out (in the same way) as the hypocrites do [i.e., those who pretend and only put on a show] in the synagogues and in the streets to be noticed (praised, honored) by people. I tell you the truth: They have received their reward. 3No, when you give a gift (alms) [when you practice charity out of compassion] – do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4[this] so that your gift (alms) may be hidden (Gk. kryptos) [that your compassion may always have the opportunity to occur and work inwardly in secret]. Then your Father, who sees [he who is always watchful of what is and what happens] in secret, will [openly] reward (recompense) you." [The same concluding phrase recurs after the teaching on prayer and fasting in and similarly in . Some manuscripts have a few additional words en to phanero (in the visible) in all three places.] 5"And when you pray (want to pray) [worship, fellowship, and converse with God], you should not be like the hypocrites (those who pretend and only put on a show). For they love (have a strong friendship love for) to stand and pray in the synagogue and on the street corners to be seen by [impress] people. I tell you the truth: They have received their reward. 6No, when you pray (want to pray) [to commune with God, see ], go [then] into your chamber (your most private room; your treasure chamber), close your door, and then pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father, who sees [he who is always watchful of what is and what happens] in secret (Gk. krypto), will [openly] reward (compensate) you. [The Greek word proseuchomai describes prayer as worship, devotion, and intimacy with God, see verses 5, 6, 7, and 9. Here Jesus speaks specifically about individual prayer and the attitude of the heart, but that does not exclude communal prayer, see ; ; ; ; . Usually, people prayed in the upper room or on the roof, see ; . Here, a special word is used for chamber, Gk. tameion. It describes an inner room where the most valuable possessions were kept, see , . The word is related to the verb temno, which literally means "to divide/distribute" and could be interpreted as goods and assets being divided and distributed from a storehouse. Jesus suggests that heavenly treasures and riches are conveyed to the supplicant in prayer.] 7But when you pray, do not babble (repeat meaningless words) as the pagans do, for they believe (think, consider, assume) that because of their many words [their flow of words and much talk] they will be heard. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows (has seen) what you need before you ask him. [In , the unusual Greek word battologeo is used, where the last part of the word is logos (word, reasoning). Batto can be traced back to the name Battus, which could refer to the king of Cyrene (who is said to have stuttered) or a writer known for his long and boring poems. However, the meaning is heartless, mechanical prayers that are repeated over and over again.] 9Therefore, pray like this: [Since verses 5-6 talk about the personal relationship and verses 7-8 talk about not repeating prayers, the prayer that follows is a "template," i.e., a model for how we can pray. Jesus offers his disciples the opportunity to approach the Father in confidence, confess his greatness, and then present their human needs. These are simple and honest prayers that come from the heart and touch the Father's heart.] Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be thy name (hallowed be thy name). []
10Thy kingdom come (come/establish your kingdom)!
Thy will be done (your will be done), as in heaven, so also on earth. [Verses 9-10 are a chiasm framed by two phrases with heaven/sky. At the center are three verbs, two passive imperatives surrounding an active imperative. The central phrase is literally: "Come your kingdom." The prayer moves from the heavens to the earth. The plural form in describes God as the God of the entire universe, see . The literal meaning of the root pa in the Greek word for father, , is someone who nourishes, protects, and sustains, see also . Gk. hagiazo means to sanctify and set apart as special and precious – that is, to revere God's name, which signifies all that He is and stands for. God's kingdom, where Jesus is the Anointed King, consists of righteousness, peace, and joy, see . Here on earth, we humans have been given authority to rule – in heaven, God's will is done in full.] 11Give us this day our daily [physical and spiritual] bread. [The Greek adjective epiousios (describing the bread) appears only in the Lord's Prayer. In addition to "daily," it can also refer to "morning daily" or refer to quantity, as in the Syriac translation Peshitta, which reads: "the bread we need." Our heavenly Father is the source of our sustenance, see ; ; ; ; , , ; .] 12And forgive us [release us from] our debts (Gk. opheilema),
as we also have forgiven those who are indebted to us (literally: as we also released our debtors). [To forgive (Gk. aphiemi) means to send away, let go, refrain from, and remit. It is God who forgives first, but for that forgiveness to be lasting, we cannot bear injustices against other people. This is clarified in a comment immediately after the prayer in .] 13And lead us not into temptation (trial),
but deliver us (pull us to you; free us) from the evil one (evil). [Gk. peirasmos has a broad meaning of both trial and temptation. The nuance between the English words does not exist in Gk. God himself tempts no one, but it is the evil one and our flesh that tempt us to sin, see ; . That is why we need to pray. On the other hand, the Spirit can lead us into situations where our faith is tested, see .] [Later manuscripts have a concluding praise that is similar to .] For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. [Jesus explains about the crucial importance of forgiveness:]
14For if you forgive men their trespasses (missteps, crimes – Gk. paraptoma),
your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15but if you do not forgive people,
neither will your Father forgive [you] your transgressions (missteps, crimes)." [In verses 14-15, the word "debts" used in is not used, but rather a word whose verb form means "to fall by the wayside." People's transgressions (conscious or unconscious) are missteps that cause them to fall short of doing what is right according to God's commandments. If we ask God to forgive our debts (), but at the same time refuse to forgive the missteps and transgressions of others, the consequence will be that God cannot release us from our debt or forgive our missteps, see ; .]Fasting correctly
16"And when you fast [during times when you choose to fast], do not be like the hypocrites [the hypocritical who only act like actors]. For they look gloomy and disfigure their appearance to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth: They have received their reward. 17No, when you fast, anoint your head [with olive oil] and wash your face [behave as usual] 18so that you do not show [to] people that you are fasting, but [only to] your Father who is in secret (invisible – Gk. kryphaios). Then your Father, who sees [he who is always watchful of what is and what happens] in secret (invisible), will [openly] reward (compensate) you." [Orthodox Jews fasted two days a week, Monday and Thursday. Not anointing oneself was an outward way of showing sorrow, see . Anointing oil on the head brings to mind joy and celebration () – God's presence is inviting and joyful, see . The admonitions in these verses are directed against the gloomy attitude toward fasting and the motive to "show" it to people (which here mainly refers to non-believers). There is no prohibition here against talking to other believers about prayer and fasting. On the contrary, the early church prayed and fasted together before important decisions, see ; .]Exhortations
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures (precious things; storehouses of riches) [here] on earth,
where moths and rust [still] destroy and where thieves [constantly] break in and steal,
20but store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [Jesus refers to .]
[Now Jesus addresses each person directly:]
21For where your treasure [what you value most] is, there your heart will be also. [It was common to build storage buildings to store possessions that were investments for the future. These often consisted of expensive clothing (which moths destroyed) and metal art objects (which rusted). In Greek, there is a play on words in verses 19-20 – the verb for gathering, thesaurizo, shares the same root as the noun for treasure/treasures, thesauros. In English, this could be illustrated as follows: "Do not gather your collections here on earth, but gather your collections in heaven."]The eye – healthy or sick
22The lamp of the body (light source – Gk. luchnos) is the eye. [The eye reflects the attitude of the heart.] If your eye is healthy (clear, focused, generous)
then your whole body will be full of light. [In a pure heart with pure motives, God's light flows in all areas, see . The word healthy can also mean generous, see . This contrasts with a "sick" eye in the next verse. A healthy eye is generous toward others. The word sound also means unclouded and focused. Since talks about not being able to serve two masters, it is about serving God wholeheartedly. The same word for lamp is also used in , see also .] 23If, on the other hand, your eye is diseased (evil, envious)
your whole body will be full of darkness.
If the light within you is darkened,
how deep is the darkness! [The word sick (Gk. poneros) means something that is corrupt and worthless, but also has the meaning of evil and envy, see . Those who view what others have "generously" and keep their eyes fixed on God become content and grateful for what they actually have, while those who are selfish and look at others "jealously" embitter their inner selves.] God and money
24No one can serve two masters.
Either he will hate one
and love the other
or stick with (be close to) one
and despise (not prioritize) the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon (treacherous riches, money, wealth). [The chiastic pattern in makes the center and emphasis of the verse loving and holding fast to God. That is the basis for serving him.] 25Because of this [that one cannot serve both God and mammon, see ], I say to you: Do not worry ["be torn apart" – do not stress] about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [] 26
A bird flying over the Sea of Galilee early in the morning as the sun rises.
There is also a connection to the next verse, which Jesus' listeners were familiar with. Those who unravel spun yarn do so between their index finger and thumb and around their elbow, which corresponds to a cubit.] 28When it comes to clothing, why do you worry? Study (examine carefully, learn from) the lilies (wildflowers) of the field, how they grow. They do not work (labor hard to the point of exhaustion) or spin. 29I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor (glory) was dressed like one of them. 30If God clothes the grass of the field, which today is green and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you? How little (short-lived) faith (faithfulness, trust) you have! 31Therefore, do not worry (do not be anxious) and say, 'What shall we eat? ' or 'What shall we drink? ' or 'What clothes shall we wear? 32All these things the Gentiles seek (strive for, ask for), and your heavenly Father knows [truly] that you need all these things. 33No, seek first (long for, ask for, and strive for) his kingdom (kingdom, rule) [the kingdom of God] and his righteousness (right, justice), and all these things [others – food, drink, and clothing as well, see ] will be added to you. [The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, not food and drink, i.e., it does not consist of outward things, see .] 34Therefore, do not worry (do not be concerned) about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have its own worries (concerns; will take care of itself). Each day has enough trouble of its own (evil, wickedness, difficulty – Gk. ; literally: enough for the day is its own evil)."Do not be too quick to criticize others (Luke 6:37-42)
71[Jesus continues to teach:] "Do not judge (criticize, slander) others, and you will not be judged. [Do not judge other people's motives and outward behavior, how they give, pray, and fast, as discussed in the previous chapter.] 2For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.The eye—the speck and the log
3Why do you focus on the speck (splinter, sawdust, grain) in your brother's eye, without even considering (being aware of) the log in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck (splinter, sawdust, grain) out of your eye,' when you have a beam in your own eye? 5You hypocrite (who only puts on a show for others), first take the beam out of your own eye, then you will see clearly and take the splinter (the stick, the sawdust, the grain) out of your brother's eye." [The Greek word for judging, krino, can be used in both a positive and negative sense. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 that it is not our place to judge those who are not members of the church – they need to hear the gospel! However, we are encouraged to judge: ourselves (), the fruit of false prophets (), what is preached (), prophetic words (), the qualifications of a church leader (), and a Christian who sins against you (). Jesus says in : "Do not judge by appearances, but judge fairly." We should judge/evaluate, but not superficially or hastily!]Do not cast pearls before swine
6"Do not give what is holy [sacrificial meat consecrated and set apart for God] to the wild dogs.
Do not throw your pearls before swine.
They [the swine] will trample them underfoot
and [the dogs] will turn and tear you to pieces." [The sacrificial meat in the temple was consecrated to God and belonged to him. In the Bible, dogs are often a symbol of pagans. In this context, "do not give what is holy" means not to judge and point out what is holy to someone who does not understand its value.
Unlike the sacrificial meat that was consecrated to God, "your pearls" refers to something more personal, probably our innermost dreams and thoughts. In the Bible, pigs are often a symbol of something unclean. In , mocking, foolish people are likened to pigs. The conclusion is to be careful with whom you share your innermost thoughts and dreams.]Persistent prayer yields results (Luke 11:9-13)
7"Ask [ask again and again], and it will be given to you.
Seek [search and investigate again and again], and you will find.
Knock [knock again and again], and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks [and continues to ask], he receives [willingly and actively accepts],
and whoever seeks [and continues to search and investigate], he finds [always more],
and for whoever knocks [and continues to knock], it will be opened (opened up). [Based on the parallel passage in Luke (), we know that Jesus has just told a parable about how obvious it is that a friend will open the door, even if you knock in the middle of the night and ask for bread. Verses 7-8 each have six verbs arranged symmetrically in triplets. The active present tense (keep asking, seeking, and knocking) shows that this is about persistent prayer. The passive future tense (will be given and will be opened) in frames and indicates that God is the subject, i.e., he is the one who will answer prayer and he is the one who will open doors. This is reinforced by the fact that the last verb in is also in the passive form. The Greek words for finding and opening are used in both verses, but the words differ at the end of the first stanza in each verse: in , the word is for giving/allocating (didomi), while has the word for receiving and accepting (lambano). The verb forms show that what is given (in the passive form) here is urged to be willingly received (in the active form). See also .] 9Is there anyone among you who gives his son a stone when he asks for bread, 10or gives him a snake when he asks for a fish?
11If you then, who are evil (bad, corrupt; morally depraved) [are full of spiritual pain and pressure – which follows all toil], understand (have understood) how to give your children good (good) [useful and joyful] gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give what is good to those who [constantly, time and again] ask (request) him! 12Therefore [because your Father in heaven is good and generous, see ]: Whatever you want people to do for you,
you should also do for them.
For this is [the sum of] the teaching [the Books of Moses – Torah] and the prophets. [This verse has come to be called 'the golden rule' and is a paraphrase of , which Jesus calls the second greatest commandment, see . Those who listened to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount must have known the great rabbi Hillel, who a generation before Jesus' time summarized the teaching of the Books of Moses with the words: 'Do not do to your neighbor what you yourself hate. This is the whole Torah – the rest is commentary.' Unlike Hillel's, Isocrates' (436-338 BC) and other Greek rhetoricians' versions of the golden rule, Jesus' exhortation does not contain any prohibition. There is a big difference between avoiding doing harm and actively putting yourself in another person's situation and doing good! The Golden Rule compels us to act and ask ourselves the question: 'How would I like to be treated?]
Invitation – walk the path
[Here are three examples that are thematically related to .] The narrow or broad way
13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide (broad; malleable, changeable) is the gate
and spacious [like a broad expanse of land without fixed boundaries]
is the road that leads to destruction,
and many are those who enter through it.
14Too narrow is the gate
and narrow (compressed) [by the pressure of self-denial, see ]
the way that leads to life [God's rich and eternal life],
and few find it (seek and discover it)." [It takes no effort to live according to the ways of the world, but it takes discipline and training to walk in God's way, see ; ; ; , ; . The word for gate used here in verses 13-14 is Gk. pyle. It describes the main gate into a city or kingdom, see ; .] 15"Be on your guard against false prophets [people who claim to speak inspired by God and to speak on his behalf, but do not]. They come to you dressed as lambs [in pious outward expressions], but inside they are ravenous wolves [hungry to plunder and destroy]. 16By their fruit you will clearly recognize them.
Surely you don't pick
grapes from thornbushes
or
figs from wild thistles? [The word for thornbushes (Gk. akantha) comes from the word for extremes (Gk. akmen) and describes something that is drawn to the extreme point, like a spike or thorn. Symbolically, it can refer to teachings that emphasize only one side of the truth. Thistles are weeds that burn and prick, and whose nature is to crowd out other plants. Thorns and thistles figuratively describe the words and ways of false prophets.] 17In the same way, a healthy tree bears good (beautiful, healthy) fruit, while a diseased (rotten) tree bears bad (rotten, evil) fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore, you will clearly recognize them [the false prophets] by their fruit. 21Not everyone who says (is in the habit of saying) to me, 'Lord, Lord' [the repetition shows a clear commitment to Jesus], will enter the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens), but only those who do (are in the habit of doing) the will of my heavenly Father. 22On that day [at the end of time when Jesus will judge all people], many [the false prophets, see ] will say to me: 'Lord, Lord,
[The repetition indicates that they truly believed they were doing God's will.]
have we not prophesied (preached, spoken with inspiration)
in your name,
and cast out demons
in your name,
and done many mighty works (miracles, powerful deeds)
in your name?'
23Then I will openly say to them: 'I never knew (had no personal relationship with) you; depart from me, you who act lawlessly [sin – who reject and replace God's law with your own].'
[It is possible to do the right things and build a Christian ministry without knowing Jesus. The relationship with Jesus, the rock, must be the foundation of everything a Christian does.] 24
The foundation and base determine how well a structure can withstand the stresses of a storm.
25The rain fell [from above]
and the floods came [from below with flooding]
and the winds blew
and beat against the house [which was attacked from all sides] – yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on (was built on) the rock. 26Anyone who hears [actively listens to] these words of mine but does not do [actively act on] them can be likened to a foolish (slow-witted, indifferent) man [without a grasp of reality] who built his house on sand. 
Wadi Amud.
27The rain came [from above]
and the flood came [from below with flooding]
and the winds blew
and beat against the house [which was attacked from all sides] – and it fell, and its fall was great [loud, surprising – it collapsed with a great crash]." [Adjacent to the site of the Sermon on the Mount is the Wadi Amud valley. It stretches from the high-altitude city of Safed down to the Sea of Galilee, a difference in elevation of over 1,000 meters. Most of the year, the riverbed is dry, but after heavy rainfall, it fills with rushing water. The listeners could surely imagine the two house projects, one high up on a cliff and the other down on the sand in the riverbed. They could see in their minds the winter storms with rain, the rushing spring flood, and the winds that tore down the house on the sand and swept it away. Sand often symbolizes that which is changeable, human opinions and teachings. The same storms – trials in all areas of life – strike both the righteous and the unrighteous. The difference is that the wise not only hear, but also do what Jesus teaches, see also verses 21-23. Those who choose to build their lives and ministry on Jesus have a firm foundation both in this life and in eternity.] 28When Jesus had finished this discourse [the entire Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7], the people were amazed at his teaching (they had a sudden awakening, their entire previous worldview was challenged), 29for he taught as one who had authority and not as their scribes [who mostly quoted other rabbis].Jesus has power over diseases
81When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. [In the following section up to , Matthew presents nine stories that demonstrate Jesus' power. They are arranged in groups of three, with sections about discipleship in between.] 2Suddenly, a leper (the word describes a number of different skin diseases) came up and fell down (on his knees with his head to the ground) in worship before him and said, "Lord, if you want (desire, long for), you can cleanse me." [Those who had this type of disease were excluded from society and lived in colonies outside the cities. The Jews avoided contact because it made them unclean, see . The Greek word lepra is a general term for various types of skin diseases that spread. Most Bible scholars believe that it is not the leprosy that exists today, also known as Hansen's disease. The reason it is often translated as leprosy is that both diseases affect the skin. Since the disease was incurable and contagious, it was also considered a symbol of sin, see, for example, .] 3Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I want to (I desire with all my heart). Be clean." Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice that Moses prescribed [for your healing, see ], as a testimony to them." [This is the first of several occasions where Jesus urges those who have been healed not to tell anyone, see ; ; ; . Here, the reason is probably that the man should obey the law. Another reason is that the attention surrounding the miracles would lead the people to want to make Jesus king by force, see . This happens on several occasions and forces him to withdraw to deserted places, see ; .]2 (of 3) An officer's servant is healed (Luke 7:1-10, 13:28-29)
[In Luke's longer description of the same event, which uses 186 words compared to Matthew's 124 words, it is clear that the officer does not speak directly to Jesus but uses messengers, see . Matthew simplifies in the same way we do today when we say that a high-ranking person is talking to someone, without mentioning the messengers and interpreters who are present.] 5As Jesus was entering Capernaum, a Roman officer (centurion, leader of eighty soldiers) approached him and asked for help: 6"Sir, my servant is lying paralyzed at home and is in terrible (unbearable) pain." 7Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8The Roman officer replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed (completely free, restored). 9I myself am a man who [daily] stands under the command of others and has soldiers under me. If I say to one of them, 'Go,' he goes, or to another, 'Come,' he comes, and if I say to my servant, 'Do this,' he does it." 10When Jesus heard this, he marveled [Jesus is amazed and astonished] and said to those who followed him, "I tell you the truth (truly, amen), I have not found (met/encountered) [such] great (extensive) faith in (close to – Gk. para) anyone in Israel. 11I tell you: Many will come from the east and west [Gentiles from all corners of the earth] and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens). 12But the children of the king will be cast out into the darkness outside. There will be loud weeping and gnashing of teeth (there is anxiety, hatred, and evil; the word describes physically shaking with pain)." 13Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go, it shall be as you believe." At that moment, his servant was completely healed (free, cured).3 (of 3) Peter's mother-in-law and other sick people are healed (Mark 1:29-34, Luke 4:38-41)
[The following event takes place on a Saturday, after the service in the synagogue, see . Jesus had his base in Peter's house in Capernaum during his active time in Galilee. Peter's wife, his mother-in-law, and his brother Andrew also lived in the house. Peter's wife accompanied him on his later journeys, see . The Hebrew name for Capernaum is Kfar Nachum. It is the same name as the prophet Nahum. The meaning is "Nahum's village" or, more literally, "the village of comfort."] 14When Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [She was probably suffering from malaria; see Luke's more detailed description in .] 15Then he touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and began to serve him (prepare and serve food). [In it says that she served "them." She experienced a supernatural quick recovery and began to serve food to everyone there, especially to the one who had healed her, which Matthew focuses on here.] 16When evening came, many who were under demonic influence (demonized, tormented, and possessed by demons) were brought to him. Jesus drove out the spirits with a word (by speaking to them), and all who were sick were also healed. [The Greek word for "healed" is therapeuo, which describes a gradual improvement leading to complete healing. Here, the people are healed at once, while at other times it can take some time, see .] 17This happened so that what was said through the prophet Isaiah [Isaiah 53:4] would be fulfilled: "He took upon himself our weaknesses (illnesses, limitations) and our diseases (chronic, incurable illnesses) he bore."The demands of discipleship (Luke 9:57-62)
18Jesus saw that a large crowd had gathered around him, and he gave orders to cross over to the other side [of the lake]. 19A [lonely] scribe came up and said to him [as they were about to leave], "Teacher (Gk. didaskalos), I want to follow you wherever you go." 20Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." [Jesus had a home in Capernaum, even though it was not his own. On a deeper level, this refers to the fact that our true citizenship is not here on earth but in heaven, see .] 21
Tombs along the slope of the Mount of Olives.
Jesus has power over Satan
[The three miracles in 8:23-9:8 demonstrate Jesus' power over storms, demons, and sickness.] 23Jesus got into the boat (a larger boat) and his disciples followed him. 24Suddenly a violent storm (literally "earthquake," emphasizing that it was an uncontrollable force) arose on the lake, so that the waves were breaking over the boat. Despite this, Jesus was asleep. 25They came to him and said, "Save us, we are perishing." 26He said to them, "Why are you afraid? How little (short-lived) faith you have!" Then he got up and spoke sternly to the winds and the lake, and it became completely (totally) calm. 27The men [the disciples in the boat, and other people in other boats, see ] said in amazement, "Who is he (where does he come from, what kind of man is he)? Even the winds and the lake obey him!" [The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains and lies two hundred meters below sea level. Under the right air temperature conditions, powerful hurricane-force winds can quickly arise when warm air moves in from the desert. This is a well-known phenomenon. In 1992, three-meter-high waves crashed into the coastal city of Tiberias.] 28
It may have been here, just south of Kursi on the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee, that Jesus freed two men from demons and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slopes.
A roof is being built in the traditional way in the open-air museum "Nazareth Village" in Nazareth.
©Nasareth Village
In his joy over his salvation, he threw a big party at his home, see . When Matthew himself describes this, he does not include the grand details, but only that Jesus was at dinner in his house.] 10When Jesus was at table in his house, many tax collectors (publicans) and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12When Jesus heard this, he said, "It is not the healthy (strong) who need a doctor, but the sick (weak). 13Go and learn what this [quote from ] means: 'I desire mercy [a willingness to help those in need],
not sacrifice [religious ceremonial rites].'
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." [Just as it is natural for a doctor to move among sick patients, Jesus is close to people who have realized that they are not righteous but know that they are sinners and need repentance. Luke's rendering of the same quote makes it clear that it is a matter of turning away from the path of sin when one accepts Jesus' invitation and wants to become his follower, see .] 14Then John [the Baptist's] disciples came to him and asked, "We and the Pharisees often fast [orthodox Jews fasted regularly on Mondays and Thursdays], but your disciples do not fast?" [Perhaps Matthew's feast happened to fall on such a fast day.] 15Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests [the groom's friends who are responsible for organizing the festivities] mourn as long as the groom is with them? But the time (days) will come when the groom is taken from them, and then they will fast. [The bridegroom was a common Jewish metaphor for God. Jesus identifies himself as the bridegroom who is with them, which is exactly what the name Immanuel means, see .] 16No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak (garment). If they do, the patch will tear away from the cloak, and the tear will be worse. 17Nor does anyone pour new wine into old wineskins (leather bags), because in that case the wineskins would burst and the wine would spill out, and the wineskins would be ruined (unusable). No, new wine is poured into new wineskins [which are malleable, Gk. kainos, the focus is on the quality of the bag rather than its age] and both are preserved." [Wine bags were made of leather and were not used to preserve wine, but only to transport it. In the same way, a believer should be a bearer of the Holy Spirit.]Jesus continues to heal
1 (of 3) A woman is healed and a girl is brought back to life (Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56)
[Now follows a series of three events in which Jesus heals people. Jesus' power is often clearly manifested in everyday life when he encounters people.] 18While Jesus was speaking to them, a ruler [Jairus, who was the ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum, see ] came and fell down before him (worshipped him – Gk. proskuneo) him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live again." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and his disciples followed. 20
In the crowd around Jesus, the woman touches the hem of his cloak. The painting, called "Encounter," is in a chapel in Magdala. The chapel is designed like a synagogue and is located on the lower floor of the large church "Duc In Altum" (Latin for "put out into the deep," from Luke 5:4), built in 2014. The floor of the chapel is the stone pavement excavated from the fish market of the city, which is several thousand years old.
Like all Jews, Jesus wore tassels on the four corners of his outer garment. The tassels, Hebrew tsitsit, were always visible to remind people of the 613 commandments in the Torah, see . Like many other regulations, the tassels had sometimes become merely a religious status symbol, which Jesus condemned, see .
The reason why the woman wanted to touch the tassel may be the Bible verse in which states that "the sun of righteousness," referring to the coming Messiah, "shall arise with healing in its wings." The word often translated as "wing" is the same word used for "corner" in , where the commandment to wear four tassels on the "corners" of one's clothing is instituted. The corner tassel is also a symbol of power and authority. When David cut off the corner tassel of Saul's robe, he had taken the king's authority, see . Another example is Ruth, who asked Boaz to spread his cloak over her, see . When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus' cloak, she touched Jesus' power and authority. Normally, the person the woman touched would become unclean; instead, it is the woman who is healed and cleansed.] 22
Even today, Jews wear tzitzit. Today's tassels consist of 8 threads with 5 knots. The reason is that the numerical value of the Hebrew word tzitzit is 600, which added to 8 and 5 equals 613.
2 (of 3) Two blind men receive their sight
27As Jesus continued on from there [from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler], two blind men followed him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28When he came to the house [Peter's house in Capernaum where he was staying], the blind men came to him. Jesus asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They replied, "Yes, Lord." 29Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith (trust), let it be done." 30Their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about this." 31But they [disobeyed his command and] went out and spread the news about him throughout that region. [Neither this healing nor the raising of Jairus' daughter took place openly among the people, but in private, see . It seems that Jesus did not want to spread the word about the healings that confirmed that he was "the Son of David," the Messiah who was to come. Jesus knew that they wanted to make him king by force, see .]3 (of 3) A mute is healed
32Just as they were leaving, a man who was demon-possessed and mute was brought to him. 33When he had cast out the evil spirit, the mute spoke. [The same symptoms can have different causes. The Bible distinguishes demonic influence from purely physical ailments and diseases, see . The cause of this man's speech impediment was demonic. The Greek word kophos refers to both deafness and muteness. Here it refers to the ability to speak, since the man begins to speak when he is freed.] The people were amazed (shocked) and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." 34But the Pharisees said, "It is with the help of the prince of evil spirits that he drives out evil spirits."Workers for the harvest (Luke 10:2-3)
35
Cities and roads in Galilee in Jesus' time. The map of the Roman Empire is based on data from Pelagios and can be found at www.bibelatlas.se.
first Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew, his brother,
[then] James, the son of Zebedee,
and John, his brother,
3Philip
and Bartholomew [Bartolomaios, Hebrew name, "son of Talmais". This is probably the same person as Nathanael, who is mentioned together with Philip, see . In that case, he came from Cana, see ],
Thomas [Hebrew word meaning "twin", see ; ]
and Matthew, the tax collector (publican) [the author of this gospel],
James, son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus [Judas, not Iscariot],
4Simon "the Zealot" (fanatic, zealot, nationalist, Selot) [literally "Simon kananaios," the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek term zealot, both words meaning "the devoted, zealous, fanatical," may also indicate that he was involved in the Jewish resistance movement against the Roman Empire before becoming a disciple of Jesus]
and Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray him. [Matthew mentions the apostles in pairs, which is consistent with them being sent out "two by two," see . Three groups emerge when the apostles are listed. Simon, Philip, and James are always mentioned as the first names in each group, see ; ; .] [The following teaching that Jesus gives to his disciples, verses 5-42, is the second of the five discourses that Matthew recounts.] 5Jesus sent out (Gk. apostello) these twelve and commanded them: "Do not enter the ways [area] of the Gentiles or any Samaritan city. [The Samaritans were descendants of the ten northern tribes. The Samaritan faith followed a similar version of the Torah where the site of the temple was Gerizim, not Jerusalem, see .] 6Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [The first mission was directed to the Jews, who are God's physical and visible people here on earth, see . After Jesus' resurrection, the call was extended to all peoples of the world, see . The Israelites are likened to sheep that have gone astray, the disciples are called to be shepherds, pointing out that the King of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus, is near.] 7As you go, proclaim (proclaim) that the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of heaven) is near. 8Heal the sick (weak, powerless), raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give (give as a gift, freely, without asking for payment or anything in return for what you yourselves have received as a gift). 9Do not bring (literally "do not acquire," i.e., you do not need to prepare and delay your departure by gathering) gold, silver, or [even] copper [coins, the lowest denomination] in your belts [which were often pleated cloth belts where money was kept]. 10Do not take a leather bag [with provisions and luggage] for the journey, not two sets of clothing, not [an extra pair] of sandals or a staff. For the worker is worth his food [provisions]. 11When you enter a city or village, search carefully for someone who is worthy (suitable, fitting), and stay there [in that house] until you move on. 12When you enter a house, greet it. [The greeting of peace was probably: "Peace be with you!", see . Jesus also greeted the disciples with that phrase in the upper room, see .] 13If the house is worthy [which it was if they welcomed the two apostles and their message], the peace you wish will come upon it. But if it is not worthy, your peace will return to you. 14If they do not receive you or listen to your words, leave that house or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more tolerable for the regions of Sodom and Gomorrah [] on the day of judgment than for that city. [The Jews considered pagan areas to be defiled and even the ground unclean. Orthodox Jews therefore demonstratively shook the dust from their clothes and sandals when they returned to the Holy Land from a trip to non-Jewish areas. Jesus now uses the same symbolism and equates a Jewish city in Galilee, which did not want to know the disciples, with a pagan city. This exhortation from Jesus seems to have been practiced later as well, see ; .] [When they were sent out in Galilee, there was no direct persecution, but Jesus prepares them for what is to come later. These words still apply today to a disciple of Jesus who is sent out on his mission:] 16Behold, I send you out as sheep among [surrounded by] wolves. Therefore, be wise (smart, insightful, thoughtful, astute) [cunning, discreet, and vigilant] as serpents and innocent (literally: unadulterated – i.e., pure) [unfalsified and sensitive] as doves [without ulterior motives]. [; ; ]
[In his teaching, Jesus uses four different animals, each with distinctive characteristics. The sheep and the wolf are well-known images, see ; ; . The serpent (introduced in ) was cunning and sowed doubt that caused man to fall. With its forked tongue, it is often associated with speech and the power of the tongue (). Among people who, like wolves, want to attack (), believers should be like serpents, i.e., question ideologies and ways of thinking that are not from God and cast doubt on false beliefs. But all this should be done in an innocent and pure way, not in the way of the world. Paul is completely in line with this when he brings up and talks about tearing down strongholds and demolishing thought structures and every high wall that rises up against the knowledge of God, see .] 17Be on your guard against men, for they will drag you before courts and synagogues, and they will flog (whip, beat) you. 18You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, which will result in your testifying [telling about me] to them and to the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over (betray you), do not worry about what you are to say or how you are to say it. It will be given to you at that moment, 20and it will not be you speaking, but your Father's Spirit speaking through you. [Here, the Gk. word is used, which refers to speaking with an audible voice, cf. the Gk. word , which refers more to producing words and sentences.] 21A brother will betray his [own] brother to death, and a father his [own] child (a family member). Children will rise up against their parents and kill them. 22You will be hated by everyone [people from all categories and social classes, even in close relationships] because of my name, but whoever stands firm (keeps the field, remains with undiminished faith) until the end will be saved (rescued, freed, healed, secure, preserved). 23When they persecute you in one city (literally: 'this city'), flee to another. I tell you the truth (truly, amen): You will not get through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. [Verses 17-23 deal with persecution. As is often the case with prophecy, there can be several fulfillments; some in the near future, but also in the more distant future. The Acts of the Apostles describes how the church is persecuted, see ; ; . The last part, "before the Son of Man comes" (which is only found in the Gospel of Matthew), is not clearly defined. There are various interpretations, some of which are:
• That Jesus "comes in the near future" and catches up with the disciples when he himself goes out (), in a similar way to when he sent out the seventy-two to every city he was going to visit (). • That he "comes in glory" and reveals himself to the disciples (). • Jesus' resurrection when he "comes to the Father." • The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, see . • In and , similar phrases about persecution are used as here before Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple 40 years later (), when he "comes to judge" Jerusalem.
• Both before and after mentioning persecution in this speech, Jesus also mentions the final judgment (verses 15, 28, 32), in which case it may refer to "his second coming" (; ) – that there will still be people in these villages and cities in Israel who have not accepted Jesus as the Messiah and their Savior.
• A reference to the fact that the mission in the cities of Israel (among the Jews) will continue until he returns.
Regardless of the exact meaning, the point is still clear. Persecution would not be able to stop the mission. Rather, it would lead it in new directions and spread the gospel.
Regardless of the exact meaning, the point is still clear. Persecution would not be able to stop the mission. Rather, it would lead it in new directions and spread the gospel.] 24A disciple is not above his teacher [is not greater than his master], and a servant is not above (is not greater than) his master. 25It is only natural that the disciple should meet the same fate as his teacher, and the servant the same as his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub [the devil, perhaps referring to the Hebrew "Baal Sebub" which means "lord of the flies," see ], how much more will they call his servants so. Fear God, not people (Luke 12:2-7)
26Therefore, do not fear them [who accuse you of doing the devil's work, see ]. There is nothing hidden (overshadowed, obscured) that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed (kept secret) that will not be known. [The text is both a warning that all evil deeds will be revealed and an encouragement that good deeds will be known.] 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what I whisper in your ear, shout from the rooftops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (hell). 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? [A small Roman copper coin worth 1/16 of a denarius, i.e., less than half an hour's wages. The word was also used figuratively for something very cheap and corresponds to our expression "a pittance."] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father [knowing or approving it]. [The original text omits the verb here. Depending on theology, translators often fill in "without your Father knowing that they fall to the ground" or "without it being his will that they fall to the ground." Looking at the context, God knows the smallest transaction in the market, he has counted the hairs on every person's head, and so he also knows when a sparrow falls dead. Death did not exist in creation before the Fall and is not God's will. It can be dangerous to use this verse as the basis for a doctrine, whether for or against predestination, because the word "will" is not found in the original greek text.] 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered (counted, enumerated). 31So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows. [Just as Jesus showed in the Sermon on the Mount that there are only two paths: one narrow and one broad, see , there are only two options: to confess or not to confess Jesus. The rest of Jesus' speech is about how the relationship with Jesus affects human relationships.] 32Whoever confesses (acknowledges, wants to be known) me before men, I will also confess (acknowledge, be known) him before my Father who is in heaven [on the day of judgment, see ; ]. 33But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. 34Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (a smaller, shorter sword used in close combat). [The peace that Jesus gives is between God and man, see . We are urged to strive for peace with all people, see , but not everyone wants that, see . It is not God's will, nor is He the cause of division, but it is inevitable. It is a conflict between light and darkness, between God's children and the devil's children, and this conflict even reaches members of the same family. When a person is saved and lives in the light, the contrast to their former life in darkness becomes very apparent. Former friends can become enemies when they feel judged, see .] 35I have come to set (divide into two parts, separate)
a son against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a [future or newlywed] daughter-in-law (bride – Gk. numphe) against her mother-in-law.
36A man will have his own family as enemies. [Quote from . One group is father and mother, and on the other side son, daughter, and a newly married daughter-in-law. The word bride is used. Since Hebrew culture has a more binding engagement than today's Western tradition, an engaged woman is considered a bride for a period of one year. The term "newlywed wife" is also used. It seems to be the younger generation that has accepted Jesus and the older generation that is opposed to him. Before Jesus returns to establish the millennial kingdom on Judgment Day, the gospel may divide generations, see also ; ; .] 37Anyone who is more attached to (feels a greater emotional bond with) their father or mother than with me is not worthy of me. Anyone who is more attached to their son or daughter than with me is not worthy of me. [Later in , Jesus says that one must hate one's family and one's own life in order to follow him. In Jewish culture, these sayings, which are exaggerations, are common and are called hyperbole. Even in English, one can say, for example, that one loves red houses but hates yellow ones, thereby expressing a preference for one color over another without literally hating the other.] 38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow (adhere to) me is not worthy of me. [A disciple must be prepared to face hatred not only from their own family. Just as a criminal had to carry the crossbeam to his own crucifixion amid mockery and contempt, a Christian must be prepared to suffer, and if necessary, even die for Jesus. Compromising your faith in Jesus in order to live as pain-free a life as possible means losing your life with him. It is possible to gain the world but lose one's soul, see . In the midst of all this, there is also Jesus' grace; Peter denied Jesus but was restored, see ; .] 39Whoever finds (satisfies, protects) his life (his soul – Gk. psuche) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (his soul) for my sake will find it [will share in God's higher quality of life]. [Before sending out his disciples, Jesus assures them that following him is worth everything. Receiving Jesus is synonymous with receiving God, but not everyone will meet Jesus in physical form. Some will have to take a stand for or against Jesus when they see his disciples. Here, the passage ends with an optimistic view that the disciples will indeed be well received on their journey. Those who receive them are also promised God's peace and blessing upon their homes, see verses 11-14.] 40Whoever receives (welcomes) you,
receives me,
and whoever receives me,
receives the one who sent me. 41Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward.
Whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward. 42Whoever gives one of these little ones [simple followers of Jesus] even [something as simple as] a cup of cold water because he is a disciple,
truly I tell you, he will not lose his reward." 111When Jesus had finished giving the commands (detailed instructions) [to the twelve apostles], he went on from there [presumably out of Capernaum] to teach and preach in their cities [in Galilee]. [Where did Jesus go? It is likely that he followed the twelve in a similar way to when he sent out the seventy-two, see . When the apostles had finished, they returned to Capernaum and told Jesus everything they had done and taught, see . Matthew does not group all events chronologically, but rather thematically.]John the Baptist's question (Luke 7:18-35)
2
High up on the mountain, the remains of Herod's fortress Machaerus can be seen on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. In the background on the other side is the Judean desert.
©Khaled Al-Bajjali
Jesus' answer
4Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive their sight,
the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed (healed),
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news preached to them. [References from ; ; . Encouragement came from seeing what Jesus was doing at that moment and from the Prophets with whom John was well acquainted, see .] 6Blessed (happy, blessed) is the one who does not take offense (become hurt) at me." [This warning was probably directed mostly at John the Baptist's messengers and the people who stood around listening. It may seem offensive that Jesus responded to John the Baptist in this way. Why did God not intervene with power and glory and free John from his chains? When God acts in a way that is different from what people imagine, it can easily become a stumbling block. Jesus gives an example of the difference between John and Jesus' appearance, see verses 16-19.]Jesus confirms John's ministry
[The people who heard John's question (see verses 2-3) may have begun to question John's ministry and everything he preached (see ). This may have prompted Jesus to now confirm John's prophetic ministry and speak well of him.] 7As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the people about John: "What kind of spectacle did you expect to see in the desert? A reed swaying in the wind? 8No, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine (luxurious, soft) clothes? No, those with fine clothes are usually found in royal palaces. 9What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet (more special, more important). 10It is about him that it is written: 'Behold, I send my messenger before you,
he will prepare the way for you.' []
11I tell you the truth, among all those born of women [], no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) is greater than he. [A new era with the age of the church is about to dawn. In God's kingdom, the least has now been given greater privileges than the great forerunner John the Baptist.] 12Ever since the days of John the Baptist [when he began preaching in the desert and crowds came there, see ] until now, the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) has been stormed (pushed forward), and strong people are trying to take it (seize it, plunder it, steal it) by force. [Some translations have "the kingdom of heaven is stormed," while others have "the kingdom of heaven presses forward." The word can be interpreted negatively as trying to take it by force, or positively as eagerly pressing forward. The meaning seems to be that when John began to preach that "the kingdom of God has come near," an eager longing arose among the people to seize it, but not everyone did so in the right way, i.e., through a change of heart and faith in Jesus. Many resorted to wrong methods, so that Jesus even had to hide that he was the Messiah and forbid his disciples and others to tell about him. The word "by force" is the same word used in when they wanted to make Jesus king by force.] 13For all the prophets and the teaching [the Books of Moses – the Torah] have prophesied (spoken inspired by God) up to John, 14and if you are willing to receive (accept) it, he is Elijah who was to come [as foretells]. 15He who has ears, let him hear (listen, think about what you have heard). 16What shall I compare this generation to? They are like little children sitting in the marketplaces (gathering places) and calling out to their companions: 17'We played the flute for you [played wedding],
and you did not dance.
We mourned [played funeral],
and you did not lament (beat your breast to show sorrow).' [An unspiritual person who does not hear, see , is likened to an immature child who wants God to dance to her tune and conform to her whims. Verses 16-19 form a chiastic pattern. John's more ascetic appearance is likened to a funeral. Jesus' joyful gospel is likened to a wedding with flutes and dancing, see .] 18John came,
and he neither eats nor drinks [with others], and people say,
'He is possessed.'
19The Son of Man came,
and he eats and drinks [it is a wedding atmosphere, see ], and then they say:
'Look, what a glutton and drunkard (fond of wine), a friend of tax collectors [known for using questionable methods and grabbing for themselves]
and sinners (those who actively live in sin).'
Nevertheless, the works of wisdom [children] have been proven righteous." [Jesus did eat and associate with people who did not have a good reputation, see , but he was neither a glutton nor a drunkard. These two words are often used in pairs in the Bible, see ; . Many later manuscripts have children instead of deeds, but this is most likely a harmonization with . If you look at Aramaic versions, you will see that the word used there is deeds, but it is similar to a word for children.]The kingdom of heaven is hidden from the wise of this world (Luke 10:13-15)
20
Korazin was completely destroyed in an earthquake around 370 AD. Even today, the black lava stones at this site bear witness to how Jesus' prophetic words were fulfilled.
Woe to you, Bethsaida! [Jewish city along the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee.]
For if the mighty works (miracles, powerful wonders) that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [two pagan cities in Phoenicia on the Mediterranean], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum [Jesus' hometown], will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades (the realm of the dead). For if the mighty works that have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be standing today. 24
View from the ruins of the city of Korazin. Three kilometers further down lies Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.
"I thank (praise, openly confess) you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned (know-it-alls) and revealed them to those who are like infants (immature, ignorant, helpless, unable to speak yet). 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27All things have been committed (handed over) to me by my Father. No one knows (has full personal experience of) the Son except the Father, and no one knows (has full personal experience of) the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses (wishes) to reveal him. 28Come to me, all [you] who labor [work hard constantly] and are burdened (have been weighed down) [under the load of imposed burdens and religious duties], and I will (I will) give you rest (peace, refreshment). [The Greek word anapauo, with its meaning and its ongoing active verb form, can be translated as: 'I will always give rest/a well-deserved break'. Jesus quotes , saying that in God's presence and will there is rest.] 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me [become my disciples], for I am gentle and humble in heart. Then you will (will) find rest (peace, refreshment) for your souls [], 30for my yoke is easy (well-suited for its purpose; good, pleasant; filled with joy), and my burden (load) is light." [A yoke was made of wood and placed over the necks of two oxen pulling a plow or cart. It was common to pair an experienced ox with a younger animal. The yoke symbolizes service, obedience, and submission. Jesus is the experienced "drawer" who takes on the heavy burden. He is the Master who invites us to voluntarily and actively enter under his yoke to serve, obey, and submit to him. By joining ourselves to Jesus, we avoid toil and labor in our own strength.] 121At that time [sometime when Jesus was working in Galilee], Jesus was walking through the grain fields on one of the Sabbath days. [Sabbath is in the plural. It may refer to the regular weekly Sabbath, Friday evening to Saturday evening, or one of the high Sabbaths that begin and end the feasts. This event probably took place on the way to a meeting in the synagogue on a Saturday morning or during one of the holidays surrounding the weekly festival of Shavuot, since it was harvest time, see .] His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn and eat. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath." [It was permissible to pick and eat both fruit and grain from someone else's field for one's own needs if one was hungry, see . Eating food was also not forbidden on the Sabbath. The problem was that, according to the rabbinical interpretation of the commandments in the Books of Moses, the disciples were both harvesting and threshing when they plucked the ears of grain and rubbed them between their hands. To be sure not to perform any work, devout Jews therefore prepared food on Friday afternoon before the Sabbath. It is likely that Jesus' disciples followed these Jewish customs, see , but here they were traveling and could not prepare any food.] 3Jesus answered them: "Have you not read [in ] what David did when he and his men [fled from Saul to the city of Nov, where the tabernacle was at that time, and] became hungry? 4He went into the house of God, and they ate the showbread, which neither he nor his men were allowed to eat, but only the priests. [The showbread was twelve loaves, each made from 15 cups (3.5 liters) of flour, which were baked once a week. They symbolized the presence of the Lord in the temple.] 5Or have you not read in the teaching [the Books of Moses – the Torah] that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple break the Sabbath without being guilty of any crime? [] 6But I tell you: Here (in this place) you see what is greater than the temple. [Jesus likens himself to God's tabernacle, see . It was not the tabernacle itself that was holy, but God's presence in the tabernacle. If it was permissible for the servants of the sanctuary to show mercy to David's men in an emergency, and if the priests who work on the Sabbath do not violate the Sabbath commandment, then it must also be permissible for Jesus' disciples to "harvest" and "prepare" a little food along the way.] 7If you had understood what this [quote from ] means: "I desire mercy [a willingness to help those in need], not sacrifice [religious ceremonial rites],"
you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." 9Then Jesus went on and entered their [the Pharisees'] synagogue [in some town in Galilee on another Sabbath, see ]. 10There was a man there with a withered (paralyzed) hand. Because they wanted something to accuse Jesus of, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" 11He answered them [with a short parable]: "Which one of you, if you have a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath [the weekly Sabbath or a high Sabbath during a festival], would not grab it and pull it out? 12How much more is a man worth than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as healthy as the other. 14Then the Pharisees went out and plotted [not whether to kill him, but] how to kill him. 15Jesus, knowing this [their intention to get rid of him], withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all. [The Greek word for heal is , which describes a gradual improvement leading to complete healing.] 16He strictly warned them not to spread the word about him (make him widely known). 17This was so that the words of the prophet Isaiah would be fulfilled []: 18Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased (who is the delight of my soul).
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim (declare) justice (render a just judgment) to the nations (all ethnic groups).
19He will not quarrel (argue) or cry out in a loud voice,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20A stalk that has been completely crushed he shall not break off,
and a smoldering wick he shall not extinguish,
until he has brought justice (passed a fair judgment) to victory. 21In his name, the peoples (nations, all ethnic groups) shall have their hope (trust). [After a tour of Galilee, Jesus is now probably back in his hometown of Capernaum. People flock to the house where he is staying, probably Peter's house.] 22Then a demon-possessed man was brought to him. The man was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both speak and see. 23All the people (the crowds, the common people) were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" [The Savior and Messiah they were waiting for.] 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This [man] does not cast out demons [with God's help], but by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he does it." [Beelzebub literally means "lord of the flies," another name for Satan. They could not deny that a miracle had taken place, but accused Jesus of being the devil's tool.] 25But Jesus understood their thoughts and said to them: A divided kingdom cannot stand"A kingdom that is divided (because of internal strife) will be destroyed, and no city or house (family) that is at war with itself can stand.
26If Satan drives out Satan, he has come into conflict with himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27If I drive out demons with [the help of] Beelzebub, with whose help do your sons drive them out? They will be your judges. [When they accused Jesus of using satanic power, they were also accusing their 'own sons' – their own countrymen. All of Jesus' disciples were Jews. It may be that the high priest Skevas is one of those Jesus is speaking to here, in which case he is referring to Skevas' seven sons who were involved in exorcism and occult spells, see .] 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29How can anyone enter and plunder a strong man's possessions unless he first binds him? Then he can plunder his house. 30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven [it is in God's nature to forgive, see ], but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." [Anyone who believes they have committed this sin has most likely not done so. This statement was directed at the Pharisees who said that God's goodness was the work of the devil. To deny God's goodness is to deny God Himself, see . In it says that teachers will be judged more severely. Jesus is forced to issue this warning to the most influential religious teachers of the time, who were leading people astray by teaching that Jesus was of demonic origin. The sharp warning to the false teachers is nicely balanced with one of the Bible's strongest promises to people who seek repentance and forgiveness in : "All sins and blasphemies will be forgiven."]The tree and its fruit
[Jesus continues to speak to the Pharisees. He again uses a parable that a tree does not bear fruit other than its own kind, and one can know the tree by its fruit, see .] 33"If you consider (judge) the tree to be good,
then the fruit is good,
and if you consider the tree to be bad,
then the fruit is bad,
for by its fruit you know the tree.
34You brood of vipers [cunning and with a deadly bite]! How can you who are evil speak good things? For out of the abundance (overflowing) of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35A good person brings out (produces) good (good things) from his good storehouse (from his treasure; his treasure chamber),
and an evil person brings out (produces) evil (evil things) from his evil storehouse. 36But I tell you: Every fruitless (empty, meaningless) word (Gk. rhema) that people speak [] they will give account (report) for on the day of judgment. 37For by your words (reasoning – Gk. logos) you will be acquitted (justified), and by your words (Gk. logos) you will be condemned (judged guilty)."An evil generation demands a sign (Luke 11:29-32)
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we want to see you perform a sign [a miracle proving that he was sent by God]." 39He replied,
"An evil and unfaithful generation [a generation morally unfaithful to God] demands a sign, but they will receive no sign except the sign of Jonah. 40For just as the prophet Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart (inner) of the earth for three days and three nights. [Jesus' death when he was laid in a tomb, in the heart of the earth, and his resurrection on the third day are foreshadowed by Jonah, who was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights before he was cast ashore, see . It is interesting that Jesus so explicitly states that this is the only sign they will receive. In Jewish terminology, the day always begins in the evening, see , , . Matthew is careful to quote Jonah verbatim with "three days" followed by "three nights." The prophetic shadow image fits nicely if the day Jesus hangs on the cross (from nine o'clock to three o'clock when he dies) is counted as the first of the three days. The expression "three days and three nights" does not necessarily mean exactly 72 hours. The Bible does not give an exact account of when Jesus rose, only that the tomb was empty at dawn on the first day of the week, Sunday, see .
Pesach is always celebrated on the 14th of Nisan and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th of Nisan, see . The third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the 17th of Nisan. The days of the week vary from year to year. However, in the year 30 CE, the 17th of Nisan is a Sunday. That year, Sunday also coincides with the Feast of Firstfruits, bikkurim, see . There are two traditions for the sacrifices surrounding this feast. According to the Pharisees, the firstfruits sacrifice should take place in the evening (at the beginning of the day), while the Sadducees believed it should take place in the morning. Since the latter were in the majority in the Sanhedrin, the wave offering probably took place early on Sunday morning. Imagine if, at the same time as a sheaf was waved in the temple as a firstfruits offering, the news spread that Jesus had risen, see . That would have been a clear sign of Jonah! In the 80s AD, when the rabbinical tradition for this feast was adjusted, it was decided that bikkurim should never fall on a Sunday, precisely so that it could not be linked to Jesus' resurrection.] 41Nineveh's people [the pagan Assyrians] will rise at the judgment together with this generation [who did not want to believe] and become its judgment. For they repented at Jonah's proclamation [], but here is something greater than Jonah. 42The queen of the South [; ] will rise at the judgment
together with this generation and be its judgment. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom, but here is something greater than Solomon."The return of an evil spirit (Luke 11:24-26)
[Jesus now returns to the event that started this whole discussion – the man who was freed from a demon in . Jesus wants both the man and those listening to him in the house to understand that it is not enough to be freed. Man always has a master over him; if it is not Jesus, it is the devil.] 43"When the unclean spirit leaves a person, it wanders through waterless (dry) places looking for a place to rest but finds none. 44Then it says, 'I will return to my house that I left. ' When it comes and finds it empty and tidy and neat (prepared), 45it goes away and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this evil generation." [Jesus' statements and conflict with the Pharisees also led his family to believe that he was out of his mind, so they came from Nazareth to take him away by force, see .] 46While Jesus was still speaking to the people, his mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside and wanted to talk to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." 48But he replied to the one who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching out his hand [not only toward the twelve, but toward all who were there listening to his teaching], he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."JESUS SPEAKS IN PARABLES
This is the third of Jesus' five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel. The discourse contains eight parables:
1. The parable of the sower (verses 3-9) – explained (verses 18-23).
2. The kingdom of heaven is like wheat and weeds (verses 24-29) – explained (verses 36-43).
3. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed (verses 31-32).
4. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven ().
5. The kingdom of heaven is likened to treasure in a field ().
6. The kingdom of heaven is likened to pearls (verses 45-46).
7. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a net (verses 47-48) – explained (verses 49-50).
8. The parable of the master of the house ().
Of the six parables about the kingdom of heaven, the first begins with the sowing of good wheat and evil weeds. The last one is about the harvest at the end of time, when the righteous are separated from the wicked. The four parables in between probably describe the time between sowing and harvest. Jesus explains the first two and the seventh parable in detail. The others must be interpreted, both from the context and in light of the parables that have been explained. When well-known symbols from the Old Testament are used, their traditional interpretations carry extra weight in understanding them. This is especially true here in the Gospel of Matthew, since it is aimed at Jewish readers. If Matthew did not consider it necessary to explain the symbols, they were probably well known.
Jesus teaches the people 131That same day, Jesus went out from the house [Peter's house in Capernaum] and sat by the lake.
2A large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore.The parable of the sower – four types of soil (Mark 4:1-9, Luke 8:4-8)
[Jesus often uses parables to illustrate spiritual truths through practical examples from everyday life. There are about thirty different parables in the Gospels. This is the first one, and says that it is the basis for all the parables that Jesus tells.] 3He spoke to them in many parables. He said: "A sower went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seeds fell along the path,
and the birds came and ate them up. 5Some (exactly the same seeds, with the same conditions) fell on rocky ground,
where they did not have much soil,
and they sprang up immediately because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched,
and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Others (exactly the same seeds, with the same conditions) fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Others (exactly the same seeds, with the same conditions) fell on good soil and bore fruit,
some a hundredfold (more than was sown) [],
others sixtyfold,
and some thirtyfold. 9He who has ears, let him hear (listen attentively, take in and understand my teaching)." [Jesus explains the parable in verses 18-23. Israel has a subtropical climate. They sow during the autumn rainy season and harvest in the spring before the dry, hot summer. The image for this parable is a field with a well-trodden path running straight through it. At the outer edges toward the mountain, the soil is thinner, and thorns grow toward the ditch edges. A sower spreads seeds by hand. The different types of soil are not visible to the naked eye because the entire field has recently been plowed. The parable does not say anything about the proportions of good and bad soil, but generally speaking, a field consists mostly of good soil.] 10Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11He replied, "You have been given the gift of knowing the mysteries (secrets, hidden plans) of the kingdom of heaven (kingdom of the heavens), but the others have not. 12For whoever has [spiritual knowledge] will be given more [insight and understanding], and it will be added to them, but whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13That is why I speak to them in parables: because they see [have the ability to see] but do not perceive, and hear [have the ability to hear] but do not understand. 14They fulfill Isaiah's prophecy: You will hear (again and again) but not understand,
you will see (repeatedly) but not perceive. 15For the heart of this people has grown dull (thick, hard, unfeeling),
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they cannot see with their eyes
or hear with their ears
or understand in their hearts and turn (return)
and be healed (restored, renewed) by me. [Quote from , based on the Greek translation. Central to this is the word eyes, which is framed by ears. The outer frame is the heart.] 16Blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. 17I tell you the truth (truly, amen): Many prophets and righteous people have longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." 18"Now listen [with ears that are open] to [the meaning of] the parable of the sower.
19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the road. [The Greek word for road (hodos) can also mean habitual ways of thinking, thought patterns, i.e., preconceived notions and misconceptions of God's word. These become a hard surface that prevents the seed from penetrating the soil.]
20What was sown on rocky ground (with only a thin layer of soil) is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21However, it has not taken root within him, and he only endures for a time. As soon as he encounters suffering or persecution for the sake of the word, he immediately falls away. 22What was sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but worldly cares and deceitful riches choke the word, so that it bears no fruit. [The root word for thorns is extremes. There is a connection to teachings that emphasize a single truth one-sidedly, see .] 23But the seed sown on the good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, and bears fruit, a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold."Three Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven
1 (of 3) The parable of the wheat and the weeds
24He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) [God's kingship, which originates in heaven, already exists everywhere where Jesus is Lord, and will one day be manifested throughout the earth when Jesus returns] can be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25
On the left is false wheat, poisonous ryegrass, which is very similar to real wheat until harvest, when it darkens instead of turning yellow. The small picture shows the ripe fruit.
Mustard seeds are 1-2 millimeters in diameter and the bush can grow to a height of 2-3 meters.
3 (of 3) The parable of the yeast (Luke 13:20-21)
33He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) is like yeast (sourdough) that a woman hides (mixes – Gk. ekgrupto) in three measures (Gk. saton – equivalent to 13 liters) of flour [a total of about 40 liters] until the whole dough has leavened [been affected by the yeast]." [There are several different interpretations of these two parables. The first and most obvious is that the kingdom of God grows, both like a mustard seed and like dough. Looking at the context, these two parables are embedded between the parable of "the weeds and the wheat" and its explanation. The main theme of that parable is that there is false wheat that is allowed to grow alongside the real wheat. In other words, there are people who call themselves Christians but are not. Jesus says in that at the end of the age, angels will gather and remove from his kingdom all who are stumbling blocks (who cause others to sin) and live in lawlessness.
In light of that explanation and the fact that the word "tree" is used for the mustard bush, the mustard seed may represent false, disproportionate growth. The outer parts of the tree, far from the trunk, even become home to birds that take away God's word from people, see verses 4 and 19. This may symbolize external attacks on the kingdom of God. In Ezekiel and Daniel, there are parables where the birds in the tree symbolize people in a kingdom, see Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6; Daniel 4:12-21. If this interpretation is applied, it is consistent with both good and evil people being sown into the kingdom, see .
Throughout the Bible, leaven is an image of false teachings, and in this case, Jesus predicts that heresies that spread evil from within may creep in. Jesus warns against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which is their false teaching, see . The Pharisees did not live as they taught, and the Sadducees were a privileged, wealthy elite who had misunderstood both the Scriptures and the power of God, see and . Three measures of flour bring to mind , where a woman, Sarah, bakes bread from three measures of flour in preparation for the Lord's visit to Abraham. Throughout both Jewish and Christian history, unleavened bread represents true communion with God. Before the Jewish Passover, all leaven is removed from the houses, see , and in the Christian Eucharist, bread has a central significance. It is therefore a serious matter when the person responsible for baking the bread "hides" leaven that destroys communion with God.]The purpose of the parables (Mark 4:33-34)
34Jesus spoke all these things to the people in parables; he did not speak to them without using a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world [Gk. apo kosmos katabole – i.e., from the Fall when God's orderly world system was destroyed]."
[Quoted from , written by Asaph.]
[Although Jesus had already explained why he spoke in parables to the people, see verses 10-17, Matthew emphasizes this with a reference from the Old Testament. Since Jesus used different teaching styles later on, the statement that Jesus only used parables mainly refers to this teaching occasion, see e.g. ; .]Jesus teaches the disciples individually
36Then he sent the people away and went into the house [presumably Peter's house, where Jesus lived while he was working in Galilee]. The explanation of the parable of the wheat and the weedsHis disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
37He answered [and explained the parable from verses 24-30]: "The one who sows the good seed
is the Son of Man.
38The field
is the world.
The good seed
is the children of God (the sons of the kingdom).
The weeds
are the children of evil (the sons of the evil one).
[There will be evil people who call themselves 'Christians', see .] 39The enemy who sowed it
is the devil.
The harvest
is the end of the age (completion).
The reapers
are angels. [Gk. aggelos, meaning messenger, probably refers to God's angels whom he will send out, see .] 40Just as the weeds [which resemble the true wheat] are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will then send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin (people who cause others to sin) and all lawbreakers (those who do what is wrong), 42and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (there will be anxiety, hatred, and evil, literally "shaking with fear"). 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom [an allusion to ]. He who has ears, let him hear (listen attentively, take in and understand my teaching)."Three Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven
1 (of 3) The Parable of the Treasure in the Field
44[Jesus continues to teach the disciples individually:] "The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) [which is everywhere where his will is done] is like a precious treasure hidden in a field. A man finds it and hides it again, and in his joy [at the discovery] he goes and sells everything he owns and buys that field."2 (of 3) The Parable of the Merchant and the Pearls
45"The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) can also be likened to a merchant (a traveling buyer) who searches for precious pearls. 46When he finds a precious pearl, he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it." [At first glance, it may seem as if salvation is likened to a treasure and a pearl, and that man must sell everything to buy it. However, if we look at the three parables that Jesus explains, it is God who is the main character and the one who acts. It is God who is the man who sows the good seed in the first two parables, and he is the one who reaps at the end of the age, see verses 37 and 49. It is therefore likely that the man who finds the treasure in the field is God himself and that the merchant who seeks pearls is also God. The treasure is found in the field, which was previously a picture of the world, see . God is the one who seeks people's hearts. The price is paid with Jesus' life on the cross.
In the Old Testament, Israel is often referred to as God's special treasure, see . If the treasure is a picture of Israel, the pearl may be a picture of the church. In the sea, pearls are created when a grain of sand accidentally enters a mussel. The small grain of sand irritates the mussel, which encapsulates it layer upon layer, and the pearl grows. This is a beautiful image of how Jesus, who was the "stumbling block," becomes the cornerstone on which the church is built. Pearls are not mentioned in the Old Testament, but they were not unfamiliar to the disciples. Merchants imported them from far away, from areas around the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. The sea often symbolizes the nations of the world, and that is where God's church is found.]3 (of 3) The parable of the net
47"The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) [God's kingship from above] can also be likened to a dragnet that is cast into the sea and catches fish of all kinds. 48When it is full, it is pulled up on the beach and the good fish are put into baskets, but the bad ones are thrown away." [A dragnet is a large net that is pulled in toward the beach in a semicircle. The net can be a picture of the gospel and the kingdom of God sweeping across the earth. Just as the net collects all kinds of fish, the gospel reaches all peoples and nations. At the time Jesus shared this parable, only Israel had been touched by the gospel, but Jesus indicates that before he returns, the whole world will have heard the gospel.]The explanation of the parable of the net
49"So shall it be at the end of the age (this era). The angels shall go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous, 50and throw the wicked into the fiery furnace. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (there will be anxiety, hatred, and evil, literally 'so filled with terror that one physically shakes with fear')." [Jesus teaches that in the midst of the congregation there are both true Christians and those who have never accepted Jesus as their Lord. It is not enough to belong to a congregation or do good deeds – it is about knowing Jesus.]The parable of the master of the house – how to preach about the kingdom of heaven
51"Have you understood all this [all these parables about the kingdom of heaven in chapter 13]?" They answered him, "Yes, Lord." 52Then he said to them, "Every scribe [expert in the Old Testament] who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) must be like a householder (a wealthy man, a family man) who can bring out of his storehouse both new and old things."[A preacher of the gospel who has accepted God's kingship and submitted himself to King Jesus and allows his commands to prevail should generously and freely share old truths but in new forms, with new illustrations so that God's word can be applied. The phrase "new and old" may also be a Jewish expression that simply means "great abundance," i.e., that he has great knowledge of God's word.] 53
The entrance to a modern reconstruction of the Nazareth synagogue in the Nazareth Village open-air museum.
Torso of a female dancer in a thin dress. This Roman copy of a Greek original from 475–450 BC is located at the Altes Museum in Berlin.
Jesus withdraws
13
The northern part of the Sea of Galilee seen from the mountains on the eastern side.
Moonlight over the northern Sea of Galilee.
Jesus walks on water. Painting by Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky.
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, coming toward Jesus. 30But when he saw (felt, experienced with his senses) how strong the wind was, he became afraid. When he began to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save (help, rescue) me!" 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and said, "How little faith you have, why did you doubt (were you losing your faith, were you torn between two opinions)?"[That statement may seem strange. Compared to the other disciples who remained in the boat, Peter had great faith! The word oligos can mean small, but also short-lived. The compound word oligo-pistis describes Peter's faith as small or rather short-lived. The problem Jesus addresses is Peter's unstable faith, which has high peaks and deep valleys. First he thinks Jesus is a ghost, then he walks on water only to doubt again and begin to sink. The word for doubt here is edistasas, which is only used here and in .] 32When they [Peter and Jesus] got into the boat, the wind died down. 33Those in the boat worshiped him (bowed in humility, fell on their knees, kissed his hand in reverence) and said, "You are truly the Son of God!"Jesus heals the sick in Gennesaret (Mark 6:53-56)
34
The fertile plain of Gennesaret north of Magdala.
Human traditions and God's commandments are not always the same thing (Mark 7:1-23)
151
Ceremonial hand washing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
"Why do you yourselves break God's commandments (instructions) because of your tradition [the oral tradition with statutes and rules on how to interpret God's commandments]? 4God has said [in one of the Ten Commandments, see ; ]:
'Honor (value, respect) your father and your mother,'
and [where the violation of this commandment according to is]:
'Whoever reviles (curses) his father or mother shall be put to death. 5But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, 'What I could have helped you with, I will give as a temple offering,' 6then he need not honor his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God because of your tradition. [The Hebrew name for this temple offering is korban, see . This was a type of vow offering where the giver committed to giving a gift at a later date, but managed the money until the vow was fulfilled. According to the rules, the giver was released from the responsibility of providing for his parents, which clearly violated the commandment to honor one's parents.] 7You hypocrites (actors)! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said []: 8This people approaches me with their lips (they say the right things),
but their hearts are far from me. 9Their worship is completely meaningless (vain),
for they teach human doctrines." About clean and unclean
10He called the people to him and said to them, "Listen and understand! 11What defiles a person (makes them ceremonially unclean and prevents contact with God) is not what goes into the mouth. It is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person." 12Then the disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees [the top leaders from Jerusalem who had come all the way here] took offense (were shocked, turned against you) when they heard this word [what you said, ]?" 13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. [May refer to the parable of the weeds in .] 14Leave them alone (don't worry about them)! They are blind leaders of the blind. If one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit." 15Peter spoke up and said to him, "Explain this parable to us." [What defiles a person, in .] 16Jesus said, "Are you also [indoctrinated in the same mindset as the Pharisees and] without understanding (unable to draw your own conclusions)? [Jesus urges his disciples to use their intellect.] 17Do you not understand that everything that enters the mouth passes through the stomach and is expelled from the body? 18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles a person. 19For from the heart come: evil thoughts,
murder,
adultery (a married person who is unfaithful in their marriage),
fornication (illicit sex, an unmarried person who has sex with someone else), [The Greek word porneia is used here, and the root word means "to sell oneself into slavery." Pornography is a compound word made up of this word porneia and grafo, which means "something written or drawn." Pornography is a description, either in text or graphically, of someone selling themselves sexually.]
theft,
perjury (false testimony),
abusive language (insulting, harshly contemptuous speech). [All seven categories are in the plural in the original text. The word "and" is not used between each point. This usage shows that it is not only these seven points that defile a person; they are just a few examples.] 20This is what makes a person unclean. But eating without washing your hands does not make a person unclean." Jesus withdraws to Tyre and Sidon
The faith of a Canaanite woman (Mark 7:24-30)
21
Jesus travels west to the area around the coastal city of Tyre.
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Roman/Greek bronze statue from antiquity depicting a girl holding a puppy. Dated from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. Located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Jesus' statement is the crescendo and climax of this passage. It is also reinforced by a chiastic pattern around the expressions great/little faith, which has its center here:
"How little/short-lived is your faith" – addressed to the disciple Peter.
"O woman, your faith is great" – addressed to a non-Jew and a woman!
"How little/short-lived faith you have" – addressed to the disciples.] At that moment, her daughter was healed (cured).Back to Galilee via the Decapolis
29
Jesus moves from the coastal cities in a circle and then walks along the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee.
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They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish." 35Then he told the people to sit down on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks to God. [Jesus probably recited the Jewish blessing Hamotzi: "Blessed are you, Lord, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."] He broke the loaves and gave the pieces to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37Everyone ate and was satisfied. Then they gathered seven large baskets full of the leftover pieces. [Here, a different word for basket is used than in the miracle of the 5,000 men, see . These seven baskets were large baskets; the word is used, for example, in , and could hold a person.] 38Those who had eaten were 4,000 men, besides women and children. 39Then he sent the people away, got into the boat, and went to the region of Magadan. [On the western side of the Sea of Galilee, just north of Tiberias.] [What are the differences between the two miracles of feeding?
The first miracle for 5,000 is found in all the Gospels, see ; ; ; . It has more of a Jewish character. The number five stands for grace. Jesus, who is the bread of life, brings grace, first and foremost to the Jewish people, and wants to satisfy the spiritual hunger of the twelve tribes of Israel, represented by the twelve baskets that were left over.
The miracle for the 4,000 is described here in and in . It is directed to all the peoples of the earth. The miracle takes place on non-Jewish soil, and the number four, used to refer to the four corners of the earth, symbolizes the whole earth. The number seven stands for perfection, and the seven baskets, together with the healing that preceded the miracle of the loaves, show God's ability to meet all the needs of all people.
Of all Jesus' miracles, only two, the miracle of the loaves for the 5,000 and the resurrection, are recounted in all four Gospels. Important truths and events are often emphasized through repetition in the Bible. John is the one who most clearly connects the spiritual dimension of the miracle of the loaves and fishes when, just a few verses later, he includes Jesus' statement: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (see ).]The religious leaders want to see a sign in order to believe (Mark 8:11-13, Luke 12:54-56)
161The Pharisees and Sadducees came to him. [This is the first time that these two Jewish groups, which had widely differing views on the word of God, now came together to Jesus.] They wanted to test him (tempt and trap him) and demanded to see a sign from heaven [something spectacular that would prove that he was sent by God]. 2He replied, "In the evening you say, 'The weather will be fine, because the sky is red,' 3and in the morning, 'Today will be stormy, because the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away. [Matthew has previously explained in how the prophet Jonah's stay in the belly of the fish is a picture of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day.] 5When the disciples crossed over [from the western side] to the other [northern] side of the lake, they forgot to bring bread. [They leave Magdala in haste, forget to bring bread, and set out in the boat to the north side of the Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida, see .] 6Jesus said to them, "Be on your guard (beware) against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." [Leaven is bread dough containing yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Fresh yeast was not usually used; instead, a piece of leavened dough saved from the previous baking was kneaded into the new dough, which was then left to rise. Just as leaven affects the whole dough, false teachings affect the whole congregation, see .] 7[The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant.] They discussed among themselves [about physical bread] and said, "It must be because we did not bring bread that he is bringing up this subject now." 8Jesus noticed what they were talking about and said, "Why are you discussing that you have no [physical] bread? What short-lived (little) faith you have! 9Do you still not understand anything? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many small woven baskets you had left over? [12 baskets, see .] 10Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you had left over? [7 baskets, see .] 11How can you think that I was talking about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12Then they understood that he was not warning them about the leaven in bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13
Here, by the cliff and the water source near Caesarea Philippi, Jesus taught his disciples about the position and authority of the church.
At the Banias Nature Reserve, as the site is called today, there is a sign with a painting showing what the Temple of Pan may have looked like in Jesus' time.
"If anyone wants to follow (walk behind) me
he must deny (completely reject; say no to; renounce) himself [his own agenda]
and take up his cross
and follow me (be/walk with me on the road) [become my disciple]. [Jesus had previously spoken of 'taking up one's cross' in connection with discipleship, see . Now the words become even more real for the disciples, see ; . At the end of the verse, the Greek has another word for following (namely akoloutheo), which means to walk the same path as or walk together on the road with.] 25For whoever wants to save (would like to preserve) his life,
will lose (destroy; totally ruin) it,
but whoever loses (would now lose) his life for my sake,
he will save (he is the one who will preserve) it. [Gk. psuche denotes both life and soul, but must be understood and used based on its context in verses 25-26, see also . To 'deny oneself' in is not about a lack of self-esteem. Jesus' followers have reason to have better self-esteem than anyone else. The fatherly love God feels for his children is enormous and is not based on deeds but on childhood, see Gal 3:26, etc. Through the Beatitudes, Jesus shows what it means to belong to the kingdom of God and receive the heavenly reward, see Matt 5:3-12. In light of this, we understand that self-denial is about crucifying our own selfish interests and ambitions and putting God and his kingdom first. The same sharp distinction is made in , where Jesus explains that one cannot serve both God and mammon.] 26What good is it for a person to gain the whole world and [at the same time] lose (forfeit) their life (their soul)? What can a person give in exchange for their life (as a ransom for their soul)? 27The Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory (honor, majesty) of the Father, and then he will reward (hold accountable) each person according to his lifestyle (deeds, habitual actions)." 28"I tell you the truth (truly, amen): Some of those standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." [Possible explanations for this verse are that it refers to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. However, it is more likely that it is a prediction of the next event a week later, when three of the disciples will see a glimpse of Jesus in his glory in his kingdom, see . It can hardly be a prediction of Jesus' second coming, since Jesus never claimed to know the time of this, see . At the Ascension, the disciples pressed him for an answer as to when he would establish the kingdom, but Jesus asked them to focus instead on being useful here and now, see .] 171
The picture was taken just outside Nazareth, looking east towards Mount Tabor (Tavor) rising alone on the Jezreel Valley.
Jesus tells others for the second time that he will die (Mark 9:30-32, Luke 9:43-45)
22When they were gathered again in Galilee [back near Capernaum, see ], Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man will be handed over to men, 23and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised." Then they were very sad.Back to Capernaum
24When they returned to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?" [There were three types of taxes: local tax/customs duty on goods, the Roman Empire's income tax, and the Jewish temple tax. In addition to this, tithes and offerings were also given. During the time of the Second Temple, the temple tax was half a shekel, which was equivalent to two drachmas, the basic Greek coin. The value was equivalent to two days' wages. It was a voluntary annual gift to cover the costs of temple service, see . The last day of payment was at the end of March, and applied to all men between the ages of 20 and 50. The fact that only Peter and Jesus pay this tax may indicate that the other disciples were under the age of 20. It was not uncommon to begin following a rabbi at the age of 13.] 25He replied, "Yes." When Peter was back home [in the house], Jesus asked him before he had a chance to say anything, "What do you think, Simon? Do earthly kings demand customs duties and taxes from their sons or from others?" 26Peter answered, "From others." Jesus said to Peter, "Then the sons are free. 27But so that no one will take offense at us, go down to the lake and cast a hook. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch. There you will find a silver coin (Gk. stater – equivalent to four drachmas). Take it and leave it for you and me. [This is the fourth of Jesus' five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel.] 181At about the same time [that Jesus spoke to Peter about paying the temple tax in a supernatural way, see ], [the other] disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest (has the highest rank; is most important) [in comparison with others] in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens)?" [Based on the parallel passage in , Jesus asks them what they have been talking about on the way. The answer is delayed, but finally they sheepishly admit that they had been discussing who was the greatest. This time it was specifically about Peter's position in relation to the other disciples. The internal ranking was a recurring topic of conversation. It is brought up again in and just before Jesus' death in . The entire passage (verses 2-18) is Jesus' answer to the question of who is the greatest. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is like a weak and vulnerable little child who needs the Father's protection.] 2Then he [Jesus] called a little child to him, placed the child among them 3and said,
"I tell you the truth, unless you change [repent – change direction, i.e., go the other way] and become like little children, you will not [under any circumstances] enter the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens). 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself [bows down and takes a lower position] like this little child is the greatest (literally: the greater) in the kingdom of heaven (in the kingdom of the heavens). [A little child is completely dependent on its parents for its survival. Great in the kingdom of God is the one who humbles himself before God and puts his trust in him.] 5And whoever receives (would welcome/accept) such a little child [i.e., a true disciple of Jesus] in my name, he receives (welcomes, accepts) me. [Here, the Greek word paidion is used, which describes a small child up to school age. Jesus is in Peter's house in Capernaum, see , so it could even be that it is Peter's children that Jesus brings forward to teach about humility in an illustrative way.] 6
Olive press in Nazareth Village built in the same way as in Jesus' time. This larger model was powered by a donkey connected to a yoke.
8If your hand [tempts you to do wrong] or your foot leads you astray [to go to a place that tempts you to sin],
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame
than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
9If your eye causes you to sin [by looking at something that tempts you to sin],
pluck it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to enter life with one eye
than to have two eyes and be thrown into the burning Gehenna (hell). [Jesus is not teaching self-mutilation, but is saying that it is necessary to remove things that lead us astray, even if they are dear to us.] 10See that you do not despise (look down on, think badly of) any of these little ones. [Jesus had called a child to him, see , and now uses it in his practical teaching as an image for a disciple of Jesus.] I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my heavenly Father (they are always in his presence)." [It was a common Jewish belief that every person had a guardian angel. The Bible does not say much about this, but Matthew's Jewish readers probably understood this verse in that way. What we do know is that angels stand before God, see . The Father sees his children and will not tolerate anyone leading them astray.] 11[ is missing in the earliest manuscripts: "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." See also .]The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)
12"What do you think about this? [Surely it is like this?] If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains and go out to look for the one that is lost? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14In the same way, it is also the will of our heavenly Father that none of these little ones [a follower of Jesus, see ] should be lost."Conflict management (Luke 17:3)
[Jesus continues to teach his disciples. In , he says that snares, seductions, and temptations are inevitable. It is therefore only a matter of time before someone says or does something that hurts another believer, even in a Christian environment. The reason Jesus is teaching about forgiveness and how relationships can be healed and restored at this particular moment is that some of the disciples had probably been speaking ill of Peter and his leadership behind his back, see . It is clear that Peter is the one who feels hurt, because he asks how many times he should forgive, see .] 15"But if your brother (a sibling, another believer) sins (errs; makes a mistake) against you [then follow these steps]:
- Go [then] away and rebuke him privately, between you and him [point out his fault with convincing, solid evidence]. If he chooses to (if he should) listen to you, you have won [back] your brother. [It is important that the person who has been hurt actually clarifies exactly what has hurt him; often, the guilty party may not know that his behavior hurts other people. Greek has a word for going away that means withdrawing without drawing attention to oneself.]
-
16But if he refuses to listen to you, take one or two others along, so that 'every word (statement) may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses' [].
17And if he refuses to listen to them [and heed their sound admonitions], tell it to the church. [The dispute now becomes public.] But if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
[Do not associate with him, but love him, see ; ; .] 18I tell you the truth: Whatever you bind (would forbid to happen) on earth
shall be bound (shall have been forbidden to happen) in heaven.
Whatever you loose (would allow to happen) on earth,
shall be loosed (shall have been allowed to happen) in heaven. [The scribes used the terms bind and loose when deciding what was right and wrong in various situations. Something 'bound' was forbidden, while something 'loosed' was permitted, see . Here, it is about the church leadership having the mandate to resolve conflicts in the church, see . The church should do everything it can to resolve conflicts between people. When a party involved chooses the path of forgiveness and restoration, that person is 'loosed'. Similarly, those who do not want to repent of their sins are 'bound'. Immediately after this, in verses 19-20, Jesus talks about the importance of being united in prayer. A decision must first be bound or loosed in heaven before it is enforced here on earth.]
19Again, I tell you the truth: If two of you agree (Gk. symphoneo – to be in harmonious agreement regarding) to ask for (request; demand) anything [whatever everyday dispute it may be here] on earth, it shall be given to them through (literally: it shall happen to them near/close to/with) my Father, who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in (towards) [have gathered for the purpose of honoring] my name, there I am among them." [The phrase "in my name" has the somewhat less common preposition eis (in, into, to, towards, for) in Greek. The meaning then becomes that if even two brothers in faith jointly want to reach Jesus – the goal of their hearts' unity – the promise of his presence stands firm. Here, it should first and foremost be interpreted based on the context before (verses 15-18) and after (). The expression "two or three" is repeated from , where the second step in conflict management is described (according to the Scriptural principle of testimony, see ). In , the word pragma is used, which indicates that it is a matter of fact/dispute (). It is as if Jesus really wants to emphasize the possibility of this step of grace – that through his presence he wants to confirm and bless believers as they resolve a conflict, even before it escalates to the point of involving the entire congregation.] How many times should one forgive? (Luke 17:4)
21Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times can my brother sin against me and still be forgiven by me? As many as seven times?" [According to the rabbinic tradition based on , it was enough to forgive someone three times. The fourth time someone did the same wrong to you, you did not need to forgive them, because their repentance was not considered genuine. Peter now suggested more than double that. The number seven also stands for perfection.] 22Jesus answered him, "I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy-seven times." [The expression "seventy-seven" can correspond to the number 490 or 77. Regardless of how it is translated, both numbers represent unlimited forgiveness!] [The number "seven," mentioned by Peter, and Jesus' answer "seventy-seven" bring to mind the Book of Genesis, where both numbers are mentioned in the story of Cain, the brother murderer. His descendant Lamech had inherited Cain's propensity for violence and was also boastful and driven by a desire for revenge. If anyone hurt him, he would take revenge "seventy-seven" times, see , . A Christian should therefore be as inclined to forgive as Lamech was to take revenge. Just as Lamech wanted the punishment to exceed the crime, forgiveness should far exceed the crime.
The number 490 also brings to mind the Jubilee year. Forgiveness should be like one big Jubilee year where everything starts over again! There are three Sabbaths in the Books of Moses: the day of rest, the year of rest, and the Jubilee year. Every seventh day, people should rest from their work. Every seventh year, the land should rest, see . Both of these sabbaths were temporary, but every 49th year, after seven sabbatical years, is a jubilee year. Then the earth rests, slaves are freed, everyone regains their property, and all debts are forgiven, see . Ten times forty-nine speaks of unlimited forgiveness.]A parable about forgiveness
23
Jesus uses the highest numerical value and the highest currency unit of the time in his parable about the debt that we humans have been forgiven by God.
On the way to Jerusalem (Mark 10:1)
191
Although it is a longer journey east of the Jordan River, via the Pereen landscape, many Jude chose this route to avoid passing through Samaria.
Both Galilee and Judea were west of the Jordan River, with Samaria in between. Samaria's version of Judaism was considered blasphemous and unclean. For this reason, the Jews avoided the area, even though it meant a longer journey to walk east of the Jordan River via Perea for the three annual feasts in Jerusalem. The journey took a week, and people often traveled together in groups for protection against robbers and wild animals. Here it is described how Jesus followed the traditional route, but there are occasions when he took the road through Samaria, see ; .]On marriage and divorce (Mark 10:2-12)
[In Matthew's thematic compilation, Jesus' teaching on divorce naturally follows immediately after he has spoken about humility and forgiveness. This placement clearly shows that God always wants restoration and reconciliation first and foremost; divorce is the last resort. Views on divorce varied among the different Jewish groups: - The strict Essenes who lived in the desert forbade divorce altogether.
- Rabbi Shammai allowed divorce in special cases.
- Rabbi Hillel had a liberal view and allowed divorce for a variety of reasons, even something as trivial as burnt food.
- Rabbi Akiba went so far as to say that a man could divorce his wife if he found a more attractive woman.
It is possible that people wanted Rabbi Jesus to take a stand on the issue and thus disappoint one group or another. There may also have been an underlying motive to get Jesus to say something that would provoke the Roman leaders. The execution of John the Baptist was a direct consequence of his critical statements about Herod Antipas' divorce and remarriage, see .] 3Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him (tempt and trap him) and asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason (is there any legal reason for divorce)?" 4He replied, "Haven't you read that the Creator made them male and female from the beginning?" []
5And he continued: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one (be united, inseparable) flesh (Gk. sarx). [Quote from .] 6They are no longer two, but one flesh.
What God has joined together, let no one separate." 7They asked, "Why then did Moses command the man [in ] to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?"[It is not entirely clear what "dislike" in refers to. Some believed that anything about the wife that caused the husband discomfort was "dislike" and reason enough for divorce, while the more strict believed that it referred to sexual infidelity. Others argued that the choice of words, together with , means that it cannot refer to infidelity in marriage, since this was punished by stoning, see e.g. where they want to stone a woman who has committed adultery. In that case, the divorce law Moses refers to concerns sexual sin before marriage during betrothal, which was the case in when Joseph believed Mary had been unfaithful.] 8He replied, "Because your hearts are so hard, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9I tell you: Anyone who divorces his wife for any reason other than adultery and marries another commits adultery." [God's original plan was that people should not divorce, and therefore the idea is that those who are born again – Jesus' followers – should not divorce either. Marriage is "until death do them part," see ; . As in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sets a higher standard than the law of Moses. The only reason for divorce for believing couples is unfaithfulness. Paul also mentions that if one spouse is saved and the other wants to divorce, then you cannot prevent it, see . God hates divorce, see , because he personally knows the deep pain it causes, see . The whole issue is a dilemma because, on the one hand, it is wrong to divorce at all, and on the other hand, it is wrong to apply the ideal image of marriage in a legalistic way, see Jesus' response to the adulteress in . It is interesting that in the next passage, Jesus highlights and blesses the children, who often suffer in a divorce, see .] [It is not only the Pharisees who are surprised by Jesus' response.] 10The disciples said, "If this is the position of a husband toward his wife [if the requirements for allowing a divorce are so high, see verses 3 and 9], then it is better not to marry at all." 11But Jesus said, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given [given the gift of God to live unmarried]. 12[There are three categories:]
[Congenital:] There are those who are born eunuchs. [Physically or mentally incapable of marriage.]
[Forced:] Others have been made eunuchs (castrated) by people. [Literally, but also figuratively, for various reasons not married.]
[Voluntary:] Others have chosen to become eunuchs [to abstain from marriage] for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens).
Those who can accept this may do so." [Jesus anticipates that not everyone can understand that marriage is not for everyone. However, Jesus emphasizes that relatively few are called to live in celibacy; it is a special calling. It was God who looked at sinless man and said that it was not good to be alone, see . Paul, who advocated that those with this special calling should remain unmarried in , also said that it was a demonic teaching to forbid marriage, see .] [Jesus has just answered questions about divorce and marriage. The next topic concerns children, whom Jesus values greatly. Since it is the children who suffer when their parents separate, it is wonderful to see how Jesus welcomes them into his arms.] 13Then people brought children (aged 2-11) to him, wanting him to lay his hands on them and pray [for blessings] over them. The disciples rebuked (prevented, spoke sternly to) them. [Believing that Jesus had more important things to do, or that the children were not important to him, the disciples sent the parents away.] 14Then Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) belongs to such as these." 15He laid his hands on them [each of the children].
Then he left there. 16Then (suddenly, unexpectedly) a person came up to him and asked, "Teacher, what good [what good deeds] must I do to have eternal life?" [The man was young and rich, see , . He was also a leader, probably a synagogue official, see .] 17Jesus replied, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good [and that is God]. But if you want to enter into life [God's abundant and authentic life – i.e., the very essence and meaning of life], keep (follow, watch over) the commandments." 18He asked, "Which ones?"
Jesus replied, "You shall not murder [],
you shall not commit adultery [],
you shall not steal [],
you shall not bear false witness [lie in court] [],
19honor (show respect for) your father and your mother []
and you shall love your neighbor (your fellow man) as yourself []." 20The young man [around 20-40 years old] said, "I have kept all these since my youth, what am I lacking (Gk. hustereo)?" [The question he seems to be asking is why he has not yet found peace in his heart, even though he has tried to keep the commandments. The Greek word hustereo was used, among other things, to describe falling behind and not reaching the goal in a running race.]+E2625 21Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect [and truly love your neighbor as yourself, as the man claimed he did, see ], go and sell what you own and give to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me." [Such an outward action would require an inner transformation. Jesus knew where the man's heart and treasure were: in his wealth, see .] 22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions (owned a lot of land and property). 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens). 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." [The comparison between the largest common animal in the Middle East and the smallest opening in a common object illustrates that it is humanly impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven unless God intervenes, see . The camel is also used in the parable of straining out gnats and swallowing camels, see . During the Middle Ages, a legend arose that a low and narrow gate in the wall of Jerusalem was called "the eye of a needle," but there is no evidence that such a gate was in use during Jesus' time.] 25When the disciples heard this, they were astonished (they were completely overwhelmed and amazed) and said, "Who then can be saved [rescued from eternal death]?" 26But Jesus looked at them and said [then replied]: "For (close to; among – Gk. para) people this is impossible [human strength cannot save, see ], but for (close to; with) God all things are possible (all things/things possible)." [The Greek preposition para describes someone/something that is right next to, with, among, or alongside. See also ; ; .] 27Then Peter answered and said, "Behold, we have left everything to follow you [unlike the rich young man, see ], what shall we have?" 28Jesus answered them, "I tell you the truth, when everything is restored (born again), the Son of Man will sit (down) on his throne of glory (honor, praise). And then you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. 29Everyone who has forsaken (had to abandon) house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields to follow me will be rewarded many times over and receive eternal life as their inheritance. 30Many who are [now] first will be last, and many who are [now] last will be first." [The next paragraph, , explains this statement about "the first" and "the last" through a parable about vineyard workers who all receive the same wage regardless of when they started working that day.
, "forfeited children," must be seen in context. It can mean choosing not to marry and have children for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, see . On the other hand, if you are married, Jesus has just spoken about marriage and the high value of children, see verses 5 and 13. One of the requirements for becoming a church leader is that you take care of your own family, see ; . So the verse cannot be talking about abandoning one's children for the sake of the gospel! It was Peter who said that he had left everything to follow Jesus, unlike the young, and presumably unmarried, rich man, see . Jesus' answer is directed primarily at Peter. He was probably the eldest of the twelve disciples and the only one of them who we know for certain was married. Being a disciple meant that he actually had to leave his family for periods of time. At the same time, we see Jesus' care for him. When Peter is called, he catches a huge haul of fish, which provides well for his family, see . Jesus also chooses to make Peter's house in Capernaum the base for his mission in Galilee, thereby giving Peter plenty of time with his family. When the children are older, Peter's wife accompanies him on his missionary journeys, see .]The wages of the first and last vineyard workers
[Jesus tells a parable to illustrate the statement in : "The first will be last, and the last will be first." God is likened to a vineyard owner who hires seasonal workers to bring in the grape harvest.] 201"The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) can be likened to a landowner (a large farmer, a family man) who went out early in the morning [at dawn around six o'clock] to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed with them on a daily wage of one denarius [the usual daily wage for a worker] and then sent them to his vineyard. 3Around the third hour (nine o'clock in the morning) [Jewish time is counted from sunrise at six o'clock in the morning], he went out again and saw other men idle in the marketplace (Gk. agora). 4He said to them, 'You also go into my vineyard, and you will receive a fair wage.' So they went there. 5Around the sixth hour (midday) and the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon), he went out again. 6Even at the eleventh hour [five o'clock in the afternoon, an hour before sunset and the end of the working day], he went out. When he saw some others standing there, he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day (without work)?' 7They answered him, 'Because no one has hired us. ' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard. 8When evening came [at six o'clock, see ], the owner of the vineyard said to the foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages. Start with the last ones and end with the first ones. 9Those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (five o'clock) came and received a denarius each [a day's wage]. 10When the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but each of them also received one denarius. 11When they received it, they grumbled (whispered irritably in a low voice) to the landowner, 12and said, 'Those who came last have only worked for an hour, yet you treat them the same as us who have carried heavy burdens all day and toiled in the heat of the sun. 13Then he answered one of them and said [personally to him]: 'My friend, I am not treating you badly (hurting you). Didn't we agree on one denarius per day? 14Take what belongs to you and go. It is my will (desire) to give the last ones as much as you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I want with what is mine? Or is your eye darkened by evil [is your heart filled with evil and envy] because I am good (generous)?' [Jesus does not use the usual word for friend and mutual friendship, Gk. philos, but hetairos, which can be translated as comrade or companion. The word was used in Judaism for someone who was qualified to be a religious teacher but was not yet officially ordained. Jesus' use of this word here may indicate an outstretched hand; Jesus wants to be a friend, but the friendship needs to be confirmed. The other two times the word is used in the New Testament are and . On both occasions, it turns out that the other party has evil intentions.] 16So those who are [now] last [then] will be first, and those who are [now] first will be last." [Some manuscripts also have: Many are called (invited), but few are chosen. The phrase is found in .]Jesus tells them for the third time that he will die (Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-34)
[Jesus and his disciples are in the Jordan Valley, near Jericho, see . Jesus now predicts his death and resurrection again. He began to speak more openly about this, see ; . Thematically, this is related to how "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last." Jesus, the firstborn of creation, see , would be treated as the lowest of all criminals and crucified, but then rise again and be set above all other names, see .] 17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside (to speak to them privately). There, along the way [as they walked forward], he said to them: 18"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. 19They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, but on the third day he will rise again."James and John seek positions (Mark 10:35-45)
20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee [Salome, see ; ] came to Jesus with her sons [James and John, two of Jesus' twelve disciples, see ]. She knelt down and asked him for something. 21He asked her, "What do you want?"
She said, "Promise me that my two sons will sit next to you in your kingdom, one on your right and one on your left." [The two most prominent places in God's kingdom.] 22Jesus replied [now addressing James and John], "You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"
They replied, "Yes, we can." 23Then he said, "You will drink my cup, but the places at my right and left are not mine to give. They will be given to those for whom my Father has prepared them." [It is clear that James and John did not understand what they were asking for. Only Jesus can bear the sin of the world. "Drinking the cup" is a metaphor for going through suffering, see ; . However, Jesus predicts that they will suffer for their faith later. James was beheaded, see ; and John was deported to the island of Patmos, see . A similar discussion about who is greatest also takes place on the last evening with Jesus before his crucifixion, see .] 24When the ten [other disciples] heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers (they felt deep pain and anger because something wrong had happened). [Their dissatisfaction was rooted in jealousy and the same desire to be first, so Jesus took the opportunity to teach them all about true service.] 25Jesus called them [all] to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them (exercise oppressive dominion), and those in high positions (powerful) use their power to oppress them (they rule as tyrants over the peoples). 26It shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to be great among you shall be your [the others'] servant (Gk. ), 27and whoever wants to be first among you should be your [others'] slave (Gk. doulos), 28just [in the same way] as the Son of Man did not come to be served (Gk. diakoneo), but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." [; ] 29
Herod the Great built the new Roman Jericho just south of the old city of Jericho.
Another difference, which is not a contradiction, is that Matthew writes that there were two blind men, while Mark and Luke write that there was only one. Of the two men who received their sight, they choose to focus on the one blind man named Bartimaeus, see ; .] 30There [between the old city of Jericho and the new Roman Jericho] two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 31The people sternly rebuked them (gave them a clear warning) to be quiet, but they cried out even louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 32Then Jesus stopped and called them to him and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33They answered him, "Lord, open our eyes." 34Then Jesus was filled with compassion for them and touched their eyes, and immediately they could see, and they followed him. 
The farm in Starby outside Ängelholm is home to Northern Europe's largest model of Jerusalem. The villages of Bethphage and Bethany are located east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.
"Hosanna (save us now) Son of David!
[The heir to David's kingdom, God's promised Messiah.]
Blessed (worthy of praise) is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
[The one whom the Lord has chosen to be our king.]
Hosanna in the highest (heaven)!" [During the Passover feast, people sang from , the so-called Hallel psalms. Here they sing the verses , adding the words "Son of David" and praising Jesus as the Messiah.]
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred (in an uproar, shaken), and people asked, "Who is this?" 11The people answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." [It was already late when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. He saw everything that was going on there and then left Jerusalem to spend the night in Bethany, where he spent the nights, see . Matthew, in his more thematic presentation, does not include this but continues with the main theme of Jesus entering the temple. This also fulfills , where the Lord will suddenly come to his temple. Jesus also begins to fulfill , which states that there shall be no "merchants" in the temple.] 12Jesus went to the temple [the next day] and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13He said to them, "It is written:
'My house shall be called a house of prayer.' []
But you have made it
'a den of thieves.'" [Jeremiah 7:11] [The religious leaders had robbed the people on several levels. Financially, by charging high fees for exchanging money and buying sacrificial animals, but also spiritually, by not leading people to a personal relationship with God.]
14The blind and the lame (lame, deaf, crippled) came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15When the chief priests and the scribes saw all the remarkable things he was doing and heard the children shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant 16and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus replied, "Yes, have you never read the words: 'You have made the voices of children and infants a song of praise to you'? [] 17He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and stayed there for the night.The disciples see the withered fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-24)
18[Mark, who gives more details, recounts how on Monday morning Jesus cursed a fig tree that had only leaves but no fruit. It is already dark when they return, and it is not until the next morning that the disciples see how the tree has withered from the roots, see , . Matthew, who writes more thematically, weaves together the event that took place in two stages over two days. Note that he writes "in the morning" without specifying which morning, so there is no contradiction. In the morning [the previous day], when he returned to (was on his way back into) the city [Jerusalem to cleanse the temple], he became hungry.]+E2705 19He saw a fig tree by the road and went up to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again." Immediately the tree withered. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? The Bible does not answer this directly, but both the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree are two highly symbolic acts. At this time of year, the tree should have had fruit. The fig tree produces green fruit before the leaves appear, and if there was no fruit now, it would not bear fruit that year. This tree appeared to have a large harvest on the outside, but on closer inspection, it was completely fruitless – the tree was hypocritical. The fig tree is a picture of Israel, see ; ; ; , and religious hypocrisy is something that always receives Jesus' sharpest rebuke. 20When the disciples saw this [the day after Jesus spoke to the fig tree, see ], they were amazed (surprised, shocked) and asked, "How could the fig tree wither so quickly?" 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth (truly, amen), if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what happened to the fig tree, but you will also be able to say to this mountain [and Jesus now takes as an example the Mount of Olives where they are]: 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea [the Mediterranean Sea]', and it would happen. 22Whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive, if you believe." [Jesus uses the incident with the fig tree to teach the spiritual principle of faith, prayer, and answered prayer. Just as the tree withered from the root at once, but it took time for the result to become visible in the foliage, God receives the prayer and answers at once, but it may take time for the result to manifest itself in the natural.]Jesus in the temple – his authority is questioned (Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8)
23When he had come to the temple and was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him [interrupted his teaching] and asked: "What authority do you have to do this? And who gave you that authority?" [They are probably referring to Jesus' actions the day before when he drove out those who were buying and selling, but also to earlier events such as his entry into the temple and the children's praise of him. The answer is, of course, simple – he is doing his Father's will. However, such an answer would lead to Jesus being accused of blasphemy. The religious leaders' question is not an innocent inquiry but a trap, which Jesus easily sees through.] 24Jesus replied, "I also have a question for you, and if you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism that John baptized with, where did it come from? From heaven or from men?"
They deliberated among themselves (discussed among themselves): "If we answer, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him? 26But if we say, 'From men,' we will have the people against us (we must fear the people), for all men consider John to be a prophet." 27Therefore, they answered, "We don't know." [The Jewish leaders were stuck in a dilemma of their own making. However, they do not ask, "What is true?" or "What is right?" but rather, "What is safest for us?" Not taking a stand is the path often taken by hypocrites and those who simply follow the prevailing opinion. Neither Jesus nor John did so, see ; . Jesus refuses to play their game.] Jesus said to them, "Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things."1 (of 3) The Parable of the Two Sons
[Jesus asks the chief priests and elders of the people:] 28"What do you say about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'My son, go and work in the vineyard today. 29The boy replied, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 30The father turned to the second son, who replied, 'Yes, sir' [Yes, I will go], but he did not go. 31Which of these two did the will of his father?" [It is noteworthy that the second son says "sir" and not "father." This is an allusion to the high priests' wrong attitude toward God. Instead of a child's love and close relationship with his father, they were full of flattering false humility.] They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came and showed you the way to righteousness, but you did not believe him. The tax collectors and prostitutes believed him, and you saw it, but even then you did not repent and believe him."2 (of 3) The Parable of the Wicked Vineyard Workers (Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19)
Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv lies Yad Hashmona. Here there is a biblical garden with, among other things, an agricultural watchtower, built as in biblical times. The village was founded in 1971 by eight Finnish volunteers.
A man (a wealthy landowner, father of a family) planted a vineyard [which is a picture of Israel, see ]. He built a wall around it, dug a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased the vineyard to vine-dressers (vineyard workers) and went on a journey. 34When harvest time approached, he sent his servants [three of them, see ] to the vineyard workers to collect his share of the harvest. [The vineyard workers who leased the land were expected to give a certain portion of the harvest to the owner as rent.]
35
A carved wine press. This wine press, which is several thousand years old, is believed to have belonged to Naboth, see 1 Kings 21. It was found during excavations in Jezreel in 2013 and is one of the largest found in Israel to date.
41They [the chief priests and elders] answered him, 'Those wicked men will meet a wicked death. He will lease the vineyard to other vineyard workers who will give him his share of the harvest at harvest time. 42Jesus said, "Have you never read what is written in the Scriptures []: The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
The Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes. [The cornerstone is the first stone in the building, to which all the other stones are aligned.]
43I tell you, this is why the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but whoever the stone falls on will be crushed." [Jesus refers to Old Testament imagery in which the Messiah is likened to a stone. The image of a stumbling block is found in , and the stone that crushes is found in , .] 45When the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they understood that he was talking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the people, who considered him a prophet.3 (of 3) The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Luke 14:16-24)
[This is the third parable that Jesus gives in response to the questions of the religious leaders when he was teaching in the temple during the last week of Passover, see . In the previous two parables, Jesus confronted the religious leaders with the fact that they had not been faithful to their mission. Here, in the last parable, Jesus shows them that they will also lose the privilege of serving in God's kingdom.] 221Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2"The kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) can be compared to a king who arranged a wedding feast for his son. [In Jewish parables, "king" was often a euphemism for God. The king's son is Jesus. According to the custom of the time, an invitation was sent out a few years before the wedding, without a specific date. When the time approached, a second invitation was sent out to say that the feast was ready. In the parable, the servants are all prophets and men of God whom God sent to the people of Israel in the Old Testament. They had sent out the first invitation. The wedding feast was approaching, and John the Baptist and Jesus had sent out the second invitation that the feast was ready.] 3He sent his servants to call those who had already received the invitation to the wedding feast, but they refused to come. 4Again he sent out servants. [The king showed more patience than expected.] He commanded these other servants to say to those who had been invited, 'I have prepared the lunch [literally: 'the first meal of the day'; breakfast or early lunch], my oxen and fattened calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!' [The king wanted everyone to be there from the beginning of the wedding, which often lasted up to seven days.] 5But they ignored (took lightly) the invitation. One went to his field (farm), another to his business. 6Some others seized the king's servants [who brought the invitation], and beat and killed them. 7Then the king was seized with anger, sent his soldiers, had the murderers killed, and burned down their city. [The messengers were met with two reactions: apathy and hatred. Burning down a defeated city was common military practice at the time. It may be Jerusalem that Jesus prophetically refers to; forty years later, Jerusalem was burned down by Roman armies. When people choose to reject God's protection, earthly armies are sometimes allowed to become instruments in his hand, see, for example, the Assyrian armies in .] 8Then he said to his servants, 'Everything is ready for the wedding, but the invited guests have proven themselves unworthy [by the way they responded to the invitation]. 9Go out and stand at the crossroads [where there are many people] and invite everyone you see to the wedding.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they found, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11When the king came to see the guests (looking down on them, as from a theater balcony), he saw a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes. [It is likely that the host offered the guests wedding clothes because they came directly from the roads. Refusing the clothes offered was therefore an insult to the host. The wedding clothes may be an image of the righteousness of Jesus that is given as a gift, see ; ; .] 12He said to him, 'My friend, how did you get in here without [choosing to accept] wedding clothes? The man was completely speechless. 13Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind his hands and feet and cast him into the darkness outside. ' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (there is anxiety, hatred, and evil, literally "pure physical shaking with fear"). 14[Jesus concludes with a proverb-like expression:] Many are called (invited), but few are chosen [have chosen to accept]." Question 1 (of 4) – The Pharisees' question about taxes (Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26)
[Now follow four questions asked by different people. In the Haggadah (the collection of texts in which the order of the Jewish Passover meal is written down), there are four questions that are asked and answered. Matthew's choice to include four questions, here during Passover week, is a clear connection that Matthew's Jewish readers could not fail to see.] 15Then the Pharisees went away and planned how they could get Jesus to say something for which they could arrest him. 16They sent their disciples together with Herod's supporters [those who supported the then Roman king Herod's family] to Jesus.
They said, "Teacher, we know that you love the truth (you are true) and you teach God's way (teach how to live) correctly. You do not seek anyone's approval, and you treat everyone equally. 17So tell us, what is your opinion on this matter? Is it right (according to God's commandment) to pay [individual and annual] taxes to Caesar (the emperor) or not?" [Many Jews interpreted the commandment given by the Lord, not to have a foreign king over them in their land, as an excuse not to pay taxes to the Romans, see .] 18
A denarius depicting Emperor Tiberius (reigned 14-37 AD).
If a man dies childless, his [younger unmarried] brother shall marry the widow
and raise up offspring for his brother. [A correct summary of , which guarantees the livelihood of a childless widow in a society where she would otherwise be forced into begging. The custom also preserves the name of the deceased husband. These marriages are called levirate marriages, from the Latin word "levir," meaning brother-in-law. The custom already existed before Moses received God's commandments and instructions on Mount Sinai, see ; .]
25There were seven brothers here with us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, his brother took his wife. 26The same thing happened to the second and the third, and to all seven. 27Last of all, the woman died. 28Which of the seven will she be the wife of at the resurrection? All of them have been married to her." [The Sadducees wanted to show the absurdity of a resurrection using this example, which they had probably used as an argument in earlier discussions with the Pharisees. The example may come from a story from the Apocrypha, Tobit 3:7-15, where a woman married seven men without having children. They assumed that the resurrected body would be like the current human body, see also Paul's reasoning on the same subject in .] 29Jesus answered them, "You are wrong (have strayed from the truth) because you neither understand (know) the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30In the resurrection [in the resurrected life with resurrected bodies], people do not marry or are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. [Jesus also mentions angels in passing, whom the Sadducees did not believe in.] 31As for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you [in ]: 32'I am [not was] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living!" 33When the people [in the temple courtyard] heard this, they were amazed at his teaching (they were completely overwhelmed, astonished).Question 3 (of 4) – What is the greatest commandment? (Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28)
34When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees [literally "shut their mouths"], they gathered together again. [The Pharisees had first been silenced and were now trying again to find a way to trap Jesus.] 35One of them, a lawyer [Gk. nomikos – expert in interpreting the Law], asked him a question to test him: 36"Teacher, which is the greatest (literally: the great) commandment in the teaching [the Law – Gk nomos]?" 37He replied: "You shall [selflessly and generously] love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind (intellect – Gk. dianoia)."[The quote is from . The commandment involves the whole person. The Hebrew text quoted contains a series of nouns and ends with an adverb (which specifies the only adjective in the source text and verse) – thus, 'your strength' can therefore literally also mean your abundance or your passion. Matthew and Luke translate it with the Greek word for mind, see , while Mark uses the Greek words for both mind and strength, see , .]
38This is the great [greatest] and first (most important) commandment. 39The second [the one that comes next] is similar to it: 'You shall [selflessly and generously] love your neighbor (your fellow human being) as yourself.' []
40On these two commandments hang (rest) all the teaching [everything in the Books of Moses] and the prophets." [Everything has its starting point in these two commandments (Hebrew: mitzvot) from the Third and Fifth Books of Moses. These two commandments summarize the entire Scripture. Nomos is a broad term meaning teaching, norm, law, and can refer to the entire teaching of the Bible or just the Books of Moses, which is the case here. Throughout the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint), the Gk. word nomos is used for the Hebr. word torah. The Greek word order is: holon ho nomos (the whole teaching) – kremamai (hangs) – kai hoi prophetai (and the prophets). Literally, this illustrates how the books of Moses and the prophets balance on either side of the verb "hangs"!]Question 4 (of 4) – What do you think about the Messiah? (Mark 12:35-37, Luke 20:41-44)
[Before the Pharisees had time to leave, after three attempts to trap Jesus with questions, Jesus takes the initiative and raises the core question: Who is the Messiah? Christ is the Greek transcription of the Hebrew Messiah, which means "the Anointed One."] 41While the Pharisees were gathered there, Jesus asked them a question, 42and said, "What do you think about the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)? Whose son is he?"
They replied, "David's son." 43He said, "How then can David, through the Spirit (inspired by the Holy Spirit), call him Lord, saying, 44'The Lord [Yahweh – God the Father] said to my Lord [God's Son, the Messiah]:
Sit at my right hand,
until I have put your enemies under your feet.'[Quote from , which is a coronation psalm, composed to be used when a new king ascends the throne. It is messianic and describes how God the Father crowns Jesus. Hebrew uses two different words for Lord, first Yahweh and then Adonai.] 45If David calls him Lord, how can he be David's son?" 46No one could answer Jesus' question. From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions. 231
During excavations in Korazin in 1926, "Moses' chair" was found. Even today, this type of seat is used on certain occasions in synagogues and has its counterpart in the "pulpit" as a symbol of preaching and textual interpretation.
They widen their prayer shawls
and enlarge their corner tassels. [The prayer straps refer to the leather straps with small boxes containing Bible verses, Hebr. tefillin, which were tied to the head and arm. All Jewish men wore corner tassels, Hebr. tzitzit. They were attached to the corners of their cloaks to serve as a constant reminder of the commandments, see . Jesus wore such tassels, see , but for many scribes and Pharisees, they had become status symbols. The larger the tassel, the more righteous the wearer.] 
Orthodox Jews interpret the commandment in Deut. 6:8 "to engrave the words on your arm and forehead" literally. Every weekday before morning prayer, a leather capsule is attached to the arm and one above the forehead. The two small black leather capsules are called "tefillin" and contain parchment scrolls with verses from the Torah.
©British Boardcasting Corporation
and the foremost places in the synagogues [with the opportunity to look out over the congregation],
7and [the respectful] greetings in the marketplaces
– and to be addressed (called) 'rabbi' (teacher, see ) by the people. [Jesus now shifts focus from talking about the scribes and Pharisees to addressing the crowds (at the temple) and his disciples directly, see .] 8But you are not to be called rabbi [do not let people put you on such a pedestal],
for one is your Teacher – and you are all brothers (Gk. adelphoi). 9And do not call anyone [here] on earth your father [title of the patriarchs and former teachers],
for one is your Father – he who is in heaven.
10Neither should you allow yourselves to be called teachers (leaders, guides, mentors),
for one is your Teacher – the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).
[This is the only time Gk. kathegetes is used in the NT, which today would correspond to the title professor.] 11But the greatest (literally: the greater) among you shall be your [others'] servant (Gk. diakonos). [] 12Whoever [nevertheless] exalts himself [in arrogance and pride],
will be humbled [humiliated; will be forced to bow down],
and whoever humbles himself,
will be exalted (honored)." [Soon Jesus will exalt a widow who gave of her poverty, see ; .]Jesus is dismayed with the spiritual leadership (Luke 11:39-42, 11:44, 11:47-52)
[In the following points, Jesus expresses deep despair over the decline of spiritual leadership. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave eight blessings to the righteous, see . Now follow seven parallel opposite verbs.] 1) You close the kingdom of heaven to others13"Woe to you [expression of intense despair], scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You close [through your double standards the door to] the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) to (right in front of) people. You yourselves do not enter, and you prevent those who want to enter from doing so. [In contrast to the first blessing that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are poor in spirit, see , the first verse goes to those who shut people out from the kingdom of heaven and a genuine relationship with God. : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widows' houses and make long prayers for show, therefore you will receive greater punishment" is missing in most Greek manuscripts and early translations. The verse was probably added later to harmonize with and .]
14 2) You lead people astray
15Woe to you [expression of intense despair], scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You travel across land and sea to make someone a proselyte (a Gentile who has converted to Judaism), and when he has become one, you make him a child of Gehenna (one who belongs to hell), twice as bad as yourselves. [In contrast to the blessing on the meek who will inherit the earth, see .]3) You only prioritize the material
16Woe to you [expression of intense despair],
you blind leaders. [Here, the term "hypocrites" is not used, but rather "blind guides," the same language used in .]
You say, "If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing. But if anyone swears by the gold in the temple, he is bound by his oath. 17You blind fools, which is greater (more valuable), the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound by his oath. 19You blind people, which is greater (more valuable), the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20Therefore, whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21Whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells there. [; ] 22Whoever swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. [In contrast to the blessing on those who 'hunger and thirst for righteousness' who will be completely satisfied, see .]4) You show no compassion
23
Mint in a garden in Jerusalem.
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You tithe [according to ] your [smallest spices] your
mint,
dill
and cumin,
but neglect the more important (heavier) parts of the teaching [Torah]:
justice,
mercy
and faithfulness (belief).
These are the things you should do, without [therefore] neglecting the other [giving tithes]. [The scribes and Pharisees had completely wrong priorities. Jesus mentions three minor spices in comparison with justice, mercy, and faithfulness – three areas that have to do with morality and the attitude of the heart, see .] 24You blind leaders, who strain out gnats and swallow camels! [Probably from an Aramaic play on words between 'camel' (Aramaic gamla) and 'gnat' (Aramaic galma). Both of these animals were unclean animals, see , , . Orthodox Jews strained their wine so as not to accidentally swallow a gnat.] [In contrast to 'the merciful' who will receive mercy in .]5) You are full of greed and gluttony
25Woe to you [expression of intense despair], scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed (plunder) and intemperance (completely lacking self-control). 26[Jesus, who always wants repentance, now addresses them personally.] You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup, and then the outside will also be clean. [Contrast with the blessing to the 'pure in heart' in .]6) You are lawless
27Woe to you [expression of intense despair], scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You are like whitewashed tombs. On the outside they look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all (every kind; every form of) uncleanness. 28It is the same with you, you appear to be righteous [selfless and pure] before men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy (pretense) and lawlessness (wickedness). [Contrast with those who 'make peace' in .]7) You persecute the righteous
29
Tomb monuments from Jesus' time on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. On the left is Jacob's tomb, which is a family tomb for the priestly family of Hezir. In the middle is the tomb of Zechariah.
you hypocrites (who only put on a show for others).
You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorial stones of the righteous, 30and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part in shedding the blood of the prophets. [At the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Kidron Valley there are several tomb monuments remaining from the time of Jesus. They have had different names during different periods of time, and today the three most famous ones are called the tombs of Absalom, Zechariah, and Jacob. It is interesting that the name Zechariah is mentioned in . It is not unlikely that these are the tombs that the Pharisees were building at that time, and to which Jesus refers when he utters these words in the temple area, just nearby.] 31By saying this, you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers! [Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!] [Contrast with those who 'suffer for righteousness' in .]Summary conclusion
33
Religious leaders who are hypocrites receive harsh criticism from both John the Baptist and Jesus and are likened to poisonous snakes.
©Anders Wester
Jesus' heart for the people of Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35)
[After the seven verses, verses 13-36, Jesus concludes his speech in the temple courtyard with the following words:] 37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem [the repetition of the name describes a strong emotional attachment]. You who habitually murder the prophets and stone those who are sent to you (as messengers)! How many times have I wanted (longed to) gather (protect) your children, as a hen gathers (protects, warms) her chicks under her wings, but you have refused. 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate (devoid of its own resources) [without God's protection]. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until the day when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. '" []JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT THE FUTURE (chapters 24-25)
The destruction of the temple is predicted (Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6)
[This is the fifth and last of the five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel, see ; ; ; .] 241As Jesus was leaving the temple [temple area] and walking away, his disciples came up and pointed out (wanted him to admire) the temple buildings [the architecture and grandeur of the buildings]. 2He replied, "Yes, you see all this, don't you? But I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; everything will be destroyed." [Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, which occurs in 70 AD].The disciples' questions about the end times
3
View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
- When will all this happen [the destruction of the temple, see ]?
- What will be the sign
of your return
and the end of the age?
[The rest of chapter 24 and the whole of chapter 25 are Jesus' answers to these two questions.]+E2803 4Jesus answered them:
"Be on guard (be careful) so that no one deceives you. 5Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ),' and they will deceive many (lead many astray). [Many religions and false messiahs are the first sign.] 6[There will be political unrest:] You will hear (Gk. akouo) about wars and reports (rumors, news, threats; literally: hearing – Gk. ako) of wars. Make sure you are not frightened (surprised, worried; startled by a sudden sound or event – Gk. throeo),
for this must happen, but it is not the end.
7People (ethnic groups) will rise up against people,
and kingdom against kingdom. [Also signs in nature:]
There will be:
famine (food crisis; crop failures)
and earthquakes [sea storms, tsunami waves] in various places.
[Some manuscripts also include the word epidemics here, the word is found in .]
8All these are just the beginning of birth pains (the first labor pains before a new birth). [Persecution of Christians:]
9Then they will deliver you up to suffering (persecution; to be beaten) and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10Then many [who have followed me and said they love me] will be offended (fall away, abandon the one they should obey and trust), and they will betray one another and hate one another. [Many false prophets:]
11Many false prophets will arise and deceive many (lead many astray). [Lack of love:]
12Because of the increasing lawlessness (opposition to the law, relativism where there is no right or wrong), selfless, giving love will grow cold (gradually cool down, be blown out) in most people (literally 'the many', the majority). [The word for 'grow cold' means to breathe and blow and gradually cool something down. The love probably refers to love for God, but also includes a growing lovelessness in the world. Paul describes how people are becoming more and more heartless, self-centered, and money-loving in . The expression "the many" may refer to "all people" in or "many" who previously believed, see .] 13But those who stand firm to the end will be saved (rescued, freed, healed, secure, preserved). [The gospel is spread throughout the world:]
14This gospel (the good news) of the kingdom (kingship) will be preached (proclaimed, spread) throughout the inhabited part of the earth as a testimony to all peoples (nations), and then the end will come. 15"When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation,' standing in the holy place [the temple in Jerusalem] – the prophet Daniel spoke of this [in ], whoever reads it understands – 16then those who live in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17Those on the roof should not go down to get anything from their houses [the stairs to the roof were on the outside of the house], 18and those who are in the field should not go back to get their cloaks. [Daniel's prophecy in primarily referred to an event that was fulfilled in 168 BC when Antiochus IV Epiphanes built a pagan altar to Zeus in the temple. Since Jesus refers to this prophecy, something similar will happen again, and many Bible scholars point to the following two events: - The destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 CE.
- A future event when the Antichrist tries to take God's place of worship in the temple, see ; .
The Greek phrase in , often translated as "blasphemous abomination," literally means "a terrible event" or "a detestable person who desecrates the holy temple and destroys it."] 19It will be terrible for those who are pregnant or nursing in those days. 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress (Gk. thlipsis megale – a great tribulation) [great hardship, terrible suffering and pressure], such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, and indeed will never be again [never happen again]. 22Unless those days were shortened, no flesh (Gk. sarx) [no human being; no living thing] would survive. But for the sake of the elect [God's chosen people], those days will be shortened. 23If anyone then says to you, 'Here is the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)' or, 'There he is,' do not believe it. 24For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25Then remember (be mindful) that I have told you this beforehand. 26 If they say to you, 'He is in the desert,' do not go there, or 'He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning comes from the east and is seen in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [Jesus' second coming will be just as sudden and visible to everyone across the earth.] 28Where there is a dead body, there the eagles (vultures) gather." [This proverb is based on , the point being that eagles (or vultures, as the word can also mean) can be seen circling their prey from a long distance. When Jesus returns, it will be seen from afar and it will be obvious. The verse before uses the analogy of lightning that is visible to all, see . The image of a carcass also speaks of death and difficult times, which characterize the end of tribulation. The dead body can also be an image of Jesus, and the eagles his followers who gather around him. Jesus himself uses similar imagery earlier, see .] [Jesus now returns to the second question about the signs before his second coming. The day when Jesus returns to establish his kingdom on earth will not go unnoticed. Great signs will occur before Jesus sets his feet on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, see .] 29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days: 'The sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
[Quotations from ; ; ; and others concerning God's judgment upon the world.]
The stars will fall from the sky [; ],
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'
30Then [immediately after the tribulation of the last days] the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. [The sign may be the sun and stars in , or something else. Regardless of the exact meaning, it is something that everyone will see.] All the tribes of the earth will mourn (raise cries of lamentation, beat their breasts in despair to show grief). They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[Partial quote from .]
31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other [from all over the world]."When will Jesus return? – You can know approximately (Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33)
32"From the fig tree you can learn the following parable (comparison): As soon as the branch on the tree becomes soft and the leaves sprout, you know that summer [and harvest time] is near. 33When you see all these things [all these signs described in ], you know in the same way that he is near, that he is right at the doors [ready to come]. [Here, doors are in the plural. This may refer to a double door or that his arrival is a process in several stages.] 34I tell you the truth (truly, amen): This generation (this people) will not pass away until all this happens. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." [The Greek word for generation, genea, means both "generation" and "people." The same "generation" that heard Jesus utter these words would also witness the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem 40 years later in 70 CE, which must have felt like the end of the Jewish people or even the end of the world. This promise also means that the Jewish people will be preserved as a "people" until Jesus' return, see .] 36"But as for that [exact] day and hour (moment) [when Jesus will return to establish the kingdom], no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the return of the Son of Man. 38In the days before the flood, people lived as usual [busy with their lives], eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 39they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away – so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two men will be in the field [busy with outdoor work – herding cattle, plowing, sowing, or harvesting],
one will be taken and one will be left behind.
41Two women will be grinding at the mill,
one will be taken and one left behind. 42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [Here, two common tasks for men and women at that time are described. The expression 'one will be taken and one left behind' can be interpreted in two ways. Does it mean 'taken away' and saved from judgment, or 'taken away' to judgment? Jesus has just taken an example from the days of Noah, where Noah is saved and those who remain are judged, see verses 37-39. This suggests that 'taken away' is something positive. At the same time, the wording in this example is that the wicked were "carried away" to judgment, see . The entire passage is about Jesus' return, see , and how Jesus will gather the elect from the four corners of the earth, see . In this larger context, it is therefore something positive to be left behind when Jesus comes. Regardless of interpretation, the main point Jesus wants to emphasize is that vigilance is required, something that recurs in the next example, see verses 43-44. Jesus' return will come unexpectedly, in the midst of everyday chores. There is a clear separation between the righteous and the unrighteous.] 43But you understand that if the master of the house knew when the thief was coming at night, he would stay awake and not allow anyone to break into his house. 44Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour (time) when you do not expect him."1 (of 3) The parable of the good and evil servants —be busy with the task (Luke 12:41-48)
[Now follow three parables, all about servants waiting for their master's arrival. They are addressed to believers who are waiting for Jesus' return. The message is to be busy with the task, to be passionate, and to be a faithful steward.] 45"Who is the faithful and wise (sensible, spiritually discerning) servant whom his master has appointed to supervise the servants and give them their food at the proper time? 46Blessed (happy, fortunate) is that servant who [is faithful and] does what he ought to do when his master comes. 47Truly I tell you (I speak the truth to you): he will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48But if that servant is wicked and says in his heart, 'My master is delayed,' 49and begins to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink with drunkards, 50then his master will come on a day when he does not expect him and at a time he does not know 51and cut him down and assign him a place with the hypocrites (who are only putting on a show). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (there is anxiety, hatred, and evil, literally 'shaking with fear')." [; ]2 (of 3) The Parable of the Virgins—Be Alert!
251[Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives and continues to answer his disciples' questions about his second coming and the end of the age, see Matt 24:3. This is the second of three parables about the church before Jesus returns.] Then, at that time [before Jesus' second coming, at the end of the age], the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) can be likened to ten virgins who took their torches (Hebrew: lampas) and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, ungodly) and five were wise (sensible, spiritually clear-sighted). 3The foolish ones took their torches but did not bring any [extra] oil. 4The wise ones took bottles of oil along with their torches. 5When the bridegroom delayed, they all became sleepy (drowsy) and fell asleep. 6At midnight, a cry was heard: 'Here comes the bridegroom, go out and meet him. 7Then all the virgins got up and prepared their torches. 8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil, for our torches are going out. 9The wise ones replied, 'No, there would not be enough for both us and you. Go instead and buy some from those who sell oil. 10While they were gone to buy [oil], the bridegroom arrived. Those who were prepared went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. 11Later, the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us immediately. 12He answered and said, 'I tell you the truth (amen), I do not know you (have no personal relationship with you).' 13Therefore, be on your guard (ready, stand up), for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come." [At a wedding in Jesus' time, the legal part takes place first at the bride's family home. Sometime during the evening, the bride and groom arrive and all the guests go to the banquet hall. It is dark and lamps are needed. Some of the bridesmaids are not prepared and do not have enough oil for the whole journey. On festive evenings like these, the shops stayed open longer so that more oil could be bought. The parable is about being spiritually prepared. It is not possible to live on someone else's preparation; each person is responsible for their own spiritual life. Many different suggestions have been made as to what the oil represents: good deeds, faith, grace, the Holy Spirit. None of these can be bought, so it is difficult to allegorize the oil, nor is it necessary for understanding.]3 (of 3) The Parable of the Talents—Good and Bad Stewardship (Luke 19:12-27)
[Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives and continues to answer the disciples' questions about Jesus' second coming and the end of the age, see . This is the third and final parable about the church before Jesus returns.] 14"In the same way [as the previous parable of the ten virgins, which is about being awake, ready, and praying when Jesus returns], it [the kingdom of heaven] can also be likened to a man who was going on a journey. He called his servants and entrusted his possessions to them (for them to manage). 15To one he gave five talents [equivalent to 82 years' wages],
to another two talents [equivalent to 33 years' wages]
and to another one talent [equivalent to 16 years' wages]. [In Old Testament times, a talent was a unit of weight of about 30 kilograms. In Jesus' time, a talent also became a unit of currency. A silver talent was worth 6,000 denarii, and a gold talent 30 times more. A denarius was a worker's daily wage, so a talent was a large sum of money – conservatively estimated at around 500 000 US dollars.] He gave each one according to their own (unique) ability, then he left and went abroad. 16The one who had received five talents immediately began to manage the money (invest, buy, and sell)
and generated a profit of five talents more. 17The one who had received two talents did the same
and they generated a profit of two.
18But the one who had received one talent went and dug a hole in the ground
and hid his master's money. 19After a long time, the master of the servants returned and wanted to settle accounts [begin the joint accounting – Gk. sunairo, see ] with his servants (slaves, serfs – Gk. doulon). 20The one who had received five talents came and presented five more, saying, 'Master, you entrusted me with five talents. Here are five more that I have earned.' 21His master said to him, 'Well done, you are a good (honest) and faithful (trustworthy) servant [a servant who has faith]. You have been faithful in small things (with small amounts), I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master. 22The one who had received two talents came forward and said, 'Master, you entrusted me with two talents. Here are two more that I have earned.' 23His master said to him, 'Well done, you are a good (honest) and faithful (trustworthy) servant [a servant who has faith]. You have been faithful in small things (with small amounts), I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master. 24The one who had received one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard (cruel, unreasonable) man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter. 25I was afraid, so I went and hid your talent in the ground.' 26Then his master answered him, 'You wicked and lazy servant. If you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed, 27then you should have deposited my money in a bank [dared to hand it over, not tried to keep it for yourself, at least done the minimum required], so that I could get back what was mine with interest when I came home. [Interest rates in the Middle East at that time were high, up to 50%. In Jesus' time, there was an upper limit of 12% in the Roman Empire.] 28Therefore, take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents [who has the best ability to manage it]. 29For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30Cast the worthless servant into the darkness outside. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (there will be anxiety, hatred, and evil, literally shaking with fear)."The final judgment
31
A sheep pen at the open-air museum in Nazareth Village.
35I was hungry, and you gave me food.
I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.
I was a stranger (unknown, new to a context)
and you invited me in (were hospitable to me, invited me to be part of your social circle).
36I was naked (wearing only underwear) and you clothed me.
I was sick (weak, bedridden) and you visited (cared for, helped) me.
I was in prison, and you came and visited me.' 37Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40Then the King will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 41Then he will also say to those on his left [the goats, see ]: 'Depart from me, you who are cursed (who are under a curse), into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [Here is the reason, the justification for my decision:] 42I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat.
I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.
43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.
I was naked and you did not clothe me.
I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44Then they will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you? 45Then he will answer and say to them, 'I tell you the truth, because (to the extent that) you did not do it for any of these least ones, you did not do it for me. 46These will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (God's abundant life)." 261When Jesus had finished his speech [answering the questions about the last days, see ], he said to his disciples [as they sat on the Mount of Olives on Tuesday afternoon]: 2"You know that in two days it will be Passover (Pesach), when the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." [The word Passover is an English adaptation of the Hebrew word pesach, see . Passover is celebrated in memory of the exodus from Egypt, and how the angel of death passed over the houses whose doorposts had been marked with the blood of a lamb sacrifice. It began after sunset on the 14th day of the first month of Nisan, which is probably Thursday evening according to the most common Jewish calendar at that time.]The religious leaders plan to kill Jesus
Model of Jerusalem seen from the southwest. The large building on the left is the house of the high priest Caiaphas.
30 silver coins.
The Last Supper
20
In Jesus' time, people reclined at the table during festive meals. The picture shows the dining room, triclinium, in a fine Roman house. The picture was taken at the museum in the Spanish city of Zaragoza (Caesaraugusta).
An artist's depiction of a fine meal in a triclinium, which consisted of three couches arranged in a U-shape. The name comes from "tri," meaning three, and "kline," meaning couch.
I will strike (kill) the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
[Jesus quotes freely from .]
32But after my resurrection, I will go before you to Galilee." 33[The disciples and Peter as their spokesman, see , oppose Jesus' words.] Peter answered him, "Even if everyone else falls away (takes offense, abandons) because of you, I will never fall away." 34Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." 35Peter [who was only a few hours away from denying Jesus] answered him, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." All the other disciples said the same thing. 
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him to Gethsemane to pray.
©FreeBibleImages.org
Jesus prays for the first time
39He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup [suffering and punishment for the sins of humanity, see ] pass from me. But not as I will, but as you will." 40When he returned to his disciples [Peter, James, and John] and found them asleep, he said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me even for one hour? 41You must watch (be awake, alert) and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation! The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [the sinful nature can easily be tempted]."Jesus prays a second time
42He went away again and prayed a second time, "Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." [The question confirms the inevitability of Jesus' death as already prophesied, see .] 43When Jesus returned, he found them asleep again. Their eyes were heavy with sleep.Jesus prays a third time
44So he left them and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same words. 45Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, "Yes, you are still sleeping and resting. But now the hour has come when the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners. 46Get up, let's go! The one who will betray me is near." [Jesus probably saw the torchlight of the large crowd approaching.] 47
During the night, Jude and a large crowd with swords and clubs come to arrest Jesus.
©FreeBibleImages.org
Here, too, the usual word for friend and mutual friendship, Gk. philos, is not used, but rather hetairos, which can be translated as comrade or companion. The word was also used in Judaism for someone who was qualified to be a religious teacher but was not yet officially ordained. Jesus' use of this word here may indicate an outstretched hand; Jesus wants to be a friend, but the friendship needs to be confirmed. The other two times the word is used in the New Testament are in and . In both of these verses, it turns out that the other party has evil intentions.] Then they came up and seized Jesus and held him. 51
Peter draws his sword.
©FreeBibleImages.org
The high priests' judgement: "He is guilty!" Painting by Nikolai Ge.
They [the chief priests who were gathered in the Sanhedrin] replied, "He deserves death." 67Then they spat in his face [an expression of the utmost contempt] and struck him, and some slapped him 68and said, "Prophesy to us, O Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)! Who was it that struck you?" [Matthew describes two events happening in parallel. While Jesus is being interrogated in one of the rooms by the highest Jewish leaders and confesses himself as the Son of God, Peter is asked a few simple questions by a lowly servant girl, and he denies Jesus.] 69Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard [warming himself by a fire with the servants of the house and the temple guards, see ]. One of the maids came up to him and said, "You were also with Jesus from Galilee." 70But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about." 71He went out to the gate [the main entrance to Caiaphas' house]. There another woman saw him and said to those standing nearby, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72He denied it again and swore an oath [which meant that he promised in God's name that what he was saying was true]: "I don't know that man." 73A little later [an hour, see ], those standing there [at the gate] came up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them too. It can be heard in your accent (speech)." [Up in Galilee, they spoke a broader, more rural dialect that was impossible to hide.] 74Then he began to curse [wishing himself cursed by God if what he said was not true] and swore again [by God's name and then said], "I do not know that man." At that moment, a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said [in ]: "Before a [single] rooster crows, you will deny me three times," and he went out and wept bitterly. 271
At the top left, adjacent to the temple area, is the Antonia Fortress. A possible location for Golgotha is just outside the wall, to the left in the picture.
©Tony Larsdal
They replied, "What is that to us? It is your business." 5
Jude tree (Cercis siliquastrum). According to tradition, it was a tree of this kind that Jude Iscariot hanged himself from.
"They took the thirty pieces of silver,
the price set on him,
the price at which some Israelites had valued him,
10and gave them as payment for the potter's field,
as the Lord commanded me." [Matthew, who is careful to show how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies, quotes freely from , which mentions the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem. He also includes parts of , where thirty pieces of silver are thrown into the temple for the Lord, who is likened to the potter. Matthew mentions only the greater prophet, Jeremiah, as his main source.] [Matthew now returns in his narrative to Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate in Antonia Fortress just north of the temple area. His main goal with the interrogation is to see if Jesus has broken Roman law, i.e., if he has attempted to seize power from the emperor.] 11Jesus was now brought before the governor [Pontius Pilate]. The governor asked him, "So you are the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You say so (those are your words, not mine)." 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders [who were there and probably read out a long list of accusations of how he had broken both Jewish and Roman law, that he was a dangerous traitor to the Roman Empire, a rebel, a false messiah, etc.], he did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear how much (what serious accusations) they are accusing you of?" 14But he did not answer him, he did not say a word. This greatly surprised the governor [Pontius Pilate]. [Normally, the accused would defend himself with Eastern zeal.] [During the interrogation with Pontius Pilate, it emerges that Jesus is from Galilee. Pilate then sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, since Jesus had been most active in his territory. There, Jesus is interrogated and then sent back to Pontius Pilate, see .] 15
Ecce Homo ("behold the man" in Latin), Antonio Ciseris' depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a wounded Jesus to the people of Jerusalem.
The Hebrew initial letters form the tetragrammaton JHVH, see [John 19:20-22].
"This is Jesus [of Nazareth],
King of the Jews." [The four Gospel writers all mention that the sign read "King of the Jews." However, they choose to include different parts of the introductory words. This is not a contradiction; rather, together they give the full picture. The sign probably had the following text: "This is Jesus from Nazareth, King of the Jews," which is the sum of , and .] 38
Golgotha, outside the city walls. The Antonia Fortress and the temple are visible in the background.
©Tony Larsson
Inside the tent, in the first compartment called the Holy Place, was the table of showbread on the right and the candlestick on the left, and at the far end was the altar of incense. The veil was the thick curtain that separated the Holy of Holies where the ark stood.
In the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you can visit a rock-cut tomb from this period. It is older than the tomb in which Jesus was laid and cannot be the new, unused tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had cut out, see Matt. 27:60.
The tomb is sealed and guarded
62The next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day [for the weekly Sabbath or one of the feast days of Passover], the chief priests and the Pharisees went together to Pilate 63and said, "Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive, he said, 'After three days I will rise again. 64Therefore, give orders that the tomb be guarded for three days, so that his disciples do not come and steal him away and then tell the people that he has risen from the dead. Then the last deception will be worse than the first." [Throughout the accusations against Jesus, Matthew has referred to "the chief priests and the elders," but here it is "the chief priests and the Pharisees" who come to Pilate. The Pharisees were part of both groups that asked Jesus for a sign, and he responded with the promise of "the sign of Jonah," see ; . It is probably this group that is now thinking back on this prediction.
The Jewish leaders probably came to Pilate early the day after the day of preparation, since he held court in the morning hours. The day of preparation often refers to Friday, which is a day of preparation for the Sabbath, which begins in the evening at sunset. In that case, "the day after" is sometime between Friday evening and Saturday evening, and then probably the morning hours of the Sabbath. However, the day of preparation can also refer to Passover on the 14th of Nisan or the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is the 15th of Nisan.
To compare with something we are familiar with, Sunday is always a red day in our calendar. National Day can fall on any day of the week and is also a red day. If it falls on a Saturday, there will be two red days in a row, but it can also fall on a Sunday, in which case the holidays coincide.] 65Pilate replied, "You have a guard. Go and make sure that it [the tomb] is guarded in the way you think best." 66They went and protected the tomb by sealing the stone [with a Roman seal, see ], and the guard was posted to keep watch. [The expression "you have a guard" could mean that they already had a guard force, referring to the Jewish temple guards who were under the high priests. However, it is more likely that Pilate granted a Roman guard of at least four men to be at their disposal, perhaps some of the Roman soldiers who had been involved in the execution of Jesus and who were available.
A Roman guard force consisted of at least four soldiers, as they needed to cover the night shifts, from six in the evening to six in the morning, which were divided into four three-hour shifts. When Peter is imprisoned in , sixteen soldiers are assigned to guard him, so it is not unlikely that of the nearly 600 soldiers who were there to prevent unrest in Jerusalem during the Jewish Passover, four, sixteen, or more were assigned to prevent possible riots around Jesus' tomb.] 281
Mary examines the empty tomb.
©3D: Mikael Sundberg / Teckenpedagogerna.
The guard's report
11While they were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests what had happened. 12After they had gathered together with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13and said, "Say that his disciples came during the night and took the body while you were asleep, 14and if the governor hears about it, we will take care of it and make sure that you will not be harmed." 15They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this rumor has spread among the Jews to this day. [It was punishable by death for a Roman soldier to sleep on duty. It took a large sum of money and a sure guarantee that they would not be harmed if the guards were to agree to this offer.]CONCLUSION
16
Late afternoon on one of the hills on the western side of the Sea of Galilee.
"All authority (all power to rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Then go [travel from place to place]:
Make (train) disciples of all nations (ethnic groups; peoples)
when [by] you baptize (immerse – Gk. baptizo) them
in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20and instruct (teach, train) them to keep (observe) [carefully listen to] everything I have commanded you.
And see (take note of) [remember], I am with you always, even to the end of the age (the completion of the age)." [The main command to "make disciples" is preceded by first going out and followed by the task of baptizing new disciples and training believers. In Jesus' command, all verbs are in the active form, which shows that this is always relevant – until Jesus returns.]
In what year and on what day of the week did Jesus die?
The Gospel accounts, Old Testament typology, calendars, and traditions can help us determine the year and day of the week on which Jesus died.
Jesus' words and the texts of the Bible are true. However, there are different views on which day the Last Supper took place, and consequently which day of the week Jesus was crucified. The Core Bible leans toward and , which indicate that the meal took place before the feast, but see ; . There are four spring feasts that have been fulfilled exactly, which suggests that Jesus was the Passover lamb, see . When it comes to traditions, it is complicated. Over time, Christian traditions have been created and Jewish traditions have been adjusted to distinguish between the Jewish and Christian Passovers so that they never coincide.
The dates of the feasts in the calendar must also correspond with the statement that the tomb was empty on the first day of the week (which is a Sunday). The three most common suggestions for a possible range are the years 27, 30, or 33 CE; all other years in this period fall on a Monday or Saturday, which cannot be reconciled with the empty tomb on a Sunday.
In 27 and 30 AD, the 14th of Nisan falls from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon, and in 33 AD, it falls from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon. Based on ; , , 30 AD is most likely. In the Kärnbibeln table in , and the headings in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, the days follow the year 30 AD. Jesus then ate the Last Supper on Wednesday evening. That year, the Passover lamb was sacrificed in the temple at three o'clock on Thursday afternoon, which would have been at the same time that Jesus died on the cross, as suggested by the shadows, see . This also allows for exactly three days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) and three nights (Thursday/Friday, Friday/Saturday, and Saturday/Sunday) in the tomb.
There are different traditions and views, but the common and most important thing is that Jesus is risen and alive today!
