SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS OF FALSE BELIEF NEEDS SPIRITUAL LIGHT

Related Articles

FULFILLMENT OF A PROMISE, THEN CONFLICT

April 6, 2023

THE CONCEPT OF ORIGINAL SIN AND THE RESPONSE OF GUILT AND BLAME

April 6, 2023

SYLLABUS for the book of GENESIS

April 5, 2023

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

Matthew 16:1-17
Lesson #40
SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS OF FALSE BELIEF NEEDS SPIRITUAL LIGHT

• Memory verse: Philippians 2:10
• Read Mat 16:1-4 Spiritual blindness
  • The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Him.
    • It is very unusual to see these two groups of religious leaders join together in their opposition to Jesus. They usually opposed each other in belief and policy.
    • The Pharisees lived according to the legalistic detail of the oral and written Law of the scribes while the Sadducees believed only in the written Law of the Bible.
    • The Pharisees believed in angels and the resurrection of the body while the Sadducees did not.
    • The Pharisees were willing to live under any government that would permit them to observe their religious traditions, while the Sadducees were a wealthy group desiring to retain their elite position and, therefore, collaborated with Rome.
    • The Pharisees looked for the Messiah, while the Sadducees did not.
  • They come seeking a sign.
    • In Mat 12:38-40 the scribes and Pharisees asked him for a sign. This time they come with the Sadducees.
    • Jesus gives them the same sign as before, the sign of Jonah.
      • We discussed that sign in Mat 12 as a sign of the resurrection of Christ. (See your notes).
      • Jesus rebukes them for knowing the signs of the weather.
        • They knew the same saying that we know:
        • “A red sky at night is the sailor’s delight. A red sky in the morning is the sailor’s warning.”
      • However, they did not know the spiritual signs of the time.
        • Because of that they missed the first coming of the Messiah.
        • Many people today are in the same category. They do not know the spiritual signs of the second coming of Christ.
  • Discussion: What are some of the signs?
    • The result for the Pharisees and Sadducees:
    • If they could not see God in Jesus, they would never see God.
• Read Mat 16:5-12 The dangerous leaven
  • The disciples receive a very important lesson and a warning.
    • Evidently they were arguing among themselves about the fact that they had no food. Because they were on the other side of the lake in Gentile territory, they would have to buy bread from Gentiles. No orthodox Jew would eat food handled by Gentiles.
    • Jesus used this incident to demonstrate a spiritual lesson:
      • The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 was not just about supplying food for hungry people.
      • It was about faith in Jesus as the bread of life for both Jew and Gentile.
        • Remember that the feeding of the 5,000 was to feed Jews while the feeding of the 4,000 was to feed Gentiles.
        • 12 baskets full = Jews, God’s people
        • 7 baskets full = Gentiles make the kingdom of God complete.
  • In order to extend the kingdom of God and minister to people in all parts of the world, the disciples must not see people in racial/ethnic categories of Jew and Gentile.
    • The disciples were not to be like the Pharisees and Sadducees always seeking a material sign.
    • The disciples must not be overly concerned about material things.
    • The disciples must beware of the “leaven of the pharisees“. What was that?
      • Remember that leaven is a symbol of sin and evil.
      • Therefore, the leaven of the Pharisees means = the legalistic, self-righteousness, hypocritical nature of the Pharisee system of religion.
      • It is easy to make any religion into a legalistic system of rules that divide people and bring bondage.
• Read Mat 16:13-17 Spiritual enlightenment
  • Caesarea-Phillipi
    • Jesus is in a Gentile area because opposition among the Jewish leadership is growing and He needs more time training his disciples.
      • Caesarea-Phillipi is about 25 miles north east of the Sea of Galilee.
      • It was outside the domain of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, and in the domain of Philip the Tetrarch.
    • Jesus’ important question, “Who do men say that I am?”
  • The importance of the location regarding this question:
    • Caesarea-Phillipi was a place of numerous religious associations.
      • The area had many temples for Syrian Baal worship (at least 14 temples).
      • A deep cave was thought to be the birthplace of the god Pan. Pan was the god of nature.
        • The legends of the gods of Greece gathered around this area.
        • That cave was the source of the Jordan River which watered the land of the Jews.
        • A great temple of white marble was built here by Herod the Great dedicated to Caesar as god.
    • Why do you think Jesus asked who people thought He was?
      • He knew what people said about Him.
      • Each person must discover for himself what is truth regarding all the other religions of the world.
      • Each person must decide for himself who Jesus is.
      • The disciples must come to a personal decision just as you and I must make a personal decision.
  • The responses:
    • John the Baptist
      • Because both Jesus and John the Baptist preached repentance, some people thought Jesus was a reincarnated John the Baptist.
      • They did not know that the two men had grown up together.
      • Also they did not know that there is no such thing as reincarnation.
    • Elijah
      • In Mal 4:5, the Jews were looking for the return of a person like Elijah before the Messiah would come.
      • Jesus tells us this prophecy was fulfilled the first time by John the Baptist. (Mat 11:12-15 See your notes.)
      • It will be fulfilled again a second time by one of the two witnesses before the second coming of Christ. (Rev 11)
    • Jeremiah
      • The Jews believed that before they were taken to the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah took the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense out of the temple and hid them in a cave on Mt. Nebo.
      • They thought that Jeremiah would return and restore the ark and the altar to the temple before the Messiah would come. (2 Maccabees 2:1-12.)
    • One of the prophets
      • Besides Elijah and Jeremiah returning before the Messiah comes, 2 Esdras 2:18 says Isaiah and Jeremiah will come.
      • The books of Maccabees and Esdras are non-inspired Apocryphal books.
  • God had been silent for 400 years as there were no prophets of God between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Now people recognized God speaking through Jesus.
  • Why is Peter’s confession important?
    • Everyone must make a personal decision for Christ to be saved.
    • Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.”
      • The name “Christ” (in Greek) is the same as “Messiah” (in Hebrew), meaning = the anointed one.
      • There are 2 Old Testament concepts about the Messiah:
        • =1= The concept of Daniel (Dan 7)

The Messiah would be a Savior to save men from sin.

The Messiah would reign eternally.

The Messiah’s kingdom would be eternal in heaven.

The title used to convey this concept = “the son of man”

• • • • • =2= The concept of David (2Sam 7:11-16)

The Messiah would be a governmental ruler to save the Jews from their enemies.

The Messiah would reign on earth for a period of time. (1,000 years)

The Messiah’s kingdom would be temporal on earth.

The title used to convey this concept = “the son of David”

• • • • Jesus tells his disciples to tell no one he is the Messiah (20).
        • Opposition by Jewish leaders to the concept of Daniel.
        • Opposition by Satan to the concept of Daniel.
        • Opposition by Roman authorities to the concept of David.
  • What do we learn about Jesus from Peter’s confession?
    • The King is the anointed one that will fulfill both concepts of the Messiah.
    • A person can know who Jesus is only through a revelation from God. (17) (See also Joh 16:13-15).

Homework

Matthew 16:18-28

• Application of Mat 16:1-17
  • Are you living in spiritual blindness like the Pharisees were or are you living in spiritual enlightenment like Peter was?
  • Write how you know this for sure.
• Preparation for Mat 16:18-28
  • Read Mat 16:18-20
    • What powers and responsibilities are given to Peter because of his confession in Matthew 16:16 and why?
    • What do these powers and responsibilities mean to you and to your life?
• Memory verse: Eph 3:7