Jesus Revealed as the Messiah Discusses His Church with His Disciples

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 16:1) The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and testing desired that He would show them a sign from heaven.

At the end of the last chapter and post, Jesus had just miraculously fed the 4000, and had removed by ship to the coasts of Magdala, which is apparently where this chapter began.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees were two different religious sects, and even though they had opposing views on some things, they were united in their hatred against Christ.  They came to Jesus testing Him, to see if He would show them a sign from heaven.

(2) He answered and said to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather for the sky is red.' (3) And in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowering.' O you hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky, but can you not discern the signs of the times?"

Jesus answered the Pharisees and Sadducees by telling them how they discerned the signs in the skies to determine a weather forecast.  A red sky in the evening was almost universally considered to mean fair weather.  However, a red sky in the morning, the suns' rays shining through lowering clouds, meant foul weather was coming.  Jesus called them hypocrites for they were so learned as to determine a weather forecast by the signs in the sky, but they failed to see the signs before them on earth, the signs that their anticipated Messiah was here in the person of Jesus. 

(4) "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall be no sign given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.

Jesus declared that a wicked and adulterous generation sought a sign.  He called them adulterous because the Jewish people were the chosen bride of Christ but they instead loved the world.  Jesus had already said this same thing to the Pharisees earlier (Matthew 12:30), but it seems they brought the Sadducees along this time to test Him again.  Or perhaps there were Sadducees who had not heard His answer before, and themselves sought a sign.  This account in Mark said that Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit (Mark 8:12) before answering them.  He was apparently greatly affected by their obstinance and spiritual blindness.  It is a sad thing for one to be lost and facing an eternity without God.  Jesus had already in His miracles and preaching shown signs more than sufficient to demonstrate His divine mission and His divinity.  There was only one sign left that had not been shown, and Jesus said He would not show them any more signs, at least not in response to them, until the sign of Jonah.  That, as we learned in Matthew 12:40, was that as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would be three days in His grave, but would then rise again.  He didn't bother further explaining what He meant by the sign of Jonah, as He knew no sign or explanation would suffice for them.  He left them and departed from the coasts of Magdala.

(5) And when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

When Jesus's disciples had come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, having departed Magdala, it was realized they had forgotten to take bread with them.

(6) Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."

Whether Jesus took that opportunity to teach His disciples because they had forgotten bread, or because it was still fresh on all their minds what had just been said to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, Jesus gave His disciples that advice.  They were to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

(7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."

The disciples reasoned among themselves that Jesus was talking about physical bread and the leaven that it might have, because they had forgotten bread.  Up to this point, "leaven" was not a word used to describe doctrine, so the disciples did not immediately understand what Jesus meant.  There were laws about eating bread made by Gentiles, so the disciples may have supposed that Jesus meant they should not get bread from the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

(8) When Jesus perceived it, He said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves, because you have brought no bread?"

Jesus, of course, knew their thoughts or heard them discussing bread, and calling them of little faith, asked why they talked among themselves about having no bread.  Once again, Jesus called them "of little faith," not "no faith;" they certainly had a seed of great faith, but they did not yet understand the limits they had placed on their faith by having just a small amount.

(9) "Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many loaves you took up?"

Jesus asked His disciples if they didn't yet understand what He was talking about.  Did they not remember what He had just done with feeding more than 5000 with only five loaves of bread?  So then how could they possibly concern themselves with bread they left behind?

(10) "Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?"

Jesus asked if they also remembered when He had fed thousands a second time with only seven loaves, and how much had been left over.

(11) "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But you should beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Because they had witnessed both those miracles of feeding thousands with very little, Jesus asked His disciples how it was that they thought He was talking about physical bread.  Why should He be at all concerned about bread, and of course neither should they.  He again told them they should beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  How could they think that He meant leaven in a literal sense?

(12) Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Indeed, at that point, the disciples understood that Jesus could not have meant literal leaven of bread that they were to beware of, but that it was the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees they were to beware.  Like leaven affects an entire loaf over time, so would the false doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees gradually pervade the soul.  That, of course, is why the disciples were to take heed and beware the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they had come to understand that.

(13) When Jesus came to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of man, am?"

There were two places called Caesarea, the original on the northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and Caesarea Philippi, named by Herod's son Philip.  This Caesarea Philippi was actually well inland at the foot of Lebanon at the southwestern base of Mount Hermon.  The word that was translated as "coasts" also means "borders."  Jesus had come to the outer borders or region of Caesarea Philippi when He asked His disciples who men said that He was.

(14) And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

The disciples answered that some thought He was John the Baptist risen from the dead, as Herod thought.  They said some thought He was Elijah, and that was because Malachi had prophesied in Malachi 4:5 that an extraordinary person under the name of Elijah was to come before the Messiah; but that was actually John the Baptist as Jesus said in Matthew 11:14.  Some others thought He was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets because of the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15 that the Lord would raise up a prophet like unto Himself.

(15) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Without any reflection on what they had just told Jesus, He immediately asked His disciples who they thought He was.

(16) And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Very emphatically, Peter answered that He was the Christ, the much anticipated Messiah; the Son of the living God, the one true God, not one of the dead lifeless idols.

(17) And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but My Father who is in heaven."

Jesus called Peter, Simon Bar-Jonah, that is Simon, the son of Jonah.  He told him he was blessed because no man could have told him that, but it could have only been revealed to him by His Father in heaven.

(18) "And I say also to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Jesus at that point said that he was to be Peter, not Simon Peter, not Simon Bar-Jonah, but "Peter," the original word "petros" meaning rock.  Jesus said that on that rock He would build His church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  When Jesus first called Peter to be a disciple, the account in John said that He called him Cephas from the beginning which also meant rock.  This is not to say that Peter alone was the foundation of Jesus's church.  He said on that rock He would build His church.  Jesus was called the foundation stone or the cornerstone in other scriptures, including prophetic ones (Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42, et al.).  Jesus was the cornerstone of the church, but that confession of Peter's would be the foundation of believers.  The disciples could be considered foundation stones for the church, as stated in Ephesians 2:20, "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone."  But again, that same verse stated that Jesus was the cornerstone.  Peter himself in his writings spoke of "lively stones (who) built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5), but the next verse speaks of Jesus being the chief corner stone.  The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's church.  Although the workers of spiritual darkness may seem to rule the world, they can never prevail against Christ's church.  Christ conquered death and Satan, and those of His church will also conquer eternal death because of Him.

(19) "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Although Jesus may have been talking to just Peter at the time, it in no way means that Peter alone had the keys to the kingdom of heaven and he alone was the rock upon which the church was founded.  This the Catholics use as their basis for making Peter their first pope and founder of the church.  Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom, and with these keys, his understanding of the Messiah and His kingdom of heaven on earth, he would open the door of faith to the Jews and even the Gentiles.  The phrases "to bind" and "to loose" were often used by the Jews regarding prohibiting and permitting.  Note Jesus said "whatever" not "whoever;" whatever the apostles taught with regard to laws of the church would be accepted by God in heaven, as they were led by Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Some of the customs of man they would forbid or bind, and some things they would loose or permit, as they, as Jesus did, would be teaching the spirit of the law, not what had become hypocritical legalistic adherence to it.  Once again, these keys were not given to Peter alone, as in a future statement, Jesus would give all His disciples the power to bind and loose (Matthew 18:18).  

(20) Then He charged His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus commanded His disciples not to tell anyone He was the Messiah, as it was not yet time for His death and resurrection, and the fact would be all the more proven after His resurrection.

(21) From that time forth Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised again the third day.

From the time that Peter had confessed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, and Jesus told His disciples He would build His church, He began sharing to them more about what He was to go through.  He said that He must go to Jerusalem, the chief city of Israel, where the sanhedrin sat, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes.  It would not be mere dismissing of Him as before, but with formal, although false, charges, and physical suffering.  He told them He would be killed, but He would rise from the dead on the third day afterward.

(22) Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to you."

Peter, who was of an impetuous spirit, often said and did things on impulse.  He wasn't rebuking Jesus out of any disrespect, but out of deep love and concern, that what Jesus had told them certainly couldn't be allowed to happen.

(23) But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but those of man."

I am sure it was much to Peter's surprise that the Lord turned to him and cried out for Satan to get behind or away from Him.  Christ was not calling Peter, Satan, but was talking to the spirit that had taken advantage of Peter's impetuousness to dissuade Him from His purpose.  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against...spiritual wickedness..." (Ephesians 6:12)  Jesus may have been speaking to Satan, but certainly Peter's words were an offense to Him, because they were not of God, but of carnal man's desire to save himself, or in this case, to save his loved one.  Peter did not take the time to learn from the Lord that this was His divine purpose, but he rashly asserted himself and sought to interfere with it.

(24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Jesus then went on to tell all His disciples that in order to really follow Him, they would have to deny themselves and be willing to bear any affliction or suffering that might come as a result of it.  Note that the Lord said "If any man will..."  He does not force anyone to go through suffering to follow Him, but if they are willing, they must be willing to do whatever is necessary to persevere.

(25) "For whoever will save his life shall lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Jesus told them that whoever fought to save his own life by denying his cross, those afflictions and persecutions that might come his way if he followed Christ, would ultimately lose his eternal life, but whoever denied himself and his own mortal life for Christ's sake would find eternal life.

(26) "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus posed the question to His disciples about what a man really profited even if he gained power over the entire world, if it meant he would ultimately lose his eternal soul.  What was it that a man was willing to give in exchange for his soul?  That is the very real life question every one of us must ask himself.  And we should have great pity for those who choose the world over Jesus, for we understand the end they have chosen.

(27) "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward every man according to his works."

The reason a person may save or lose his soul is because Jesus will most assuredly return to judge all people.  He will return in glory with His angels and with full authority of His Father to recompense every man according to his works on earth.

(28) "Verily, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in His kingdom."

Jesus said that there were some with Him there who would not die until they saw the fruition of Jesus's kingdom on earth, His Christian church.  All except Judas would live to see the Day of Pentecost when His Holy Spirit was poured down in an extraordinary manner, and the Gospel began to be spread throughout the world.  John lived to see the destruction of the temple and the Jewish nation, and the Christian church and its gospel message established throughout the known world.  At the point Jesus was speaking, the "church" was very small and feeble, and not much more than a message, albeit the essential and most important gospel message; but some of His disciples would live to see that all important message grow into a huge religious movement, the Christian church, Christ's kingdom on earth.

In this chapter, we see Jesus's Kingdom on earth expanding.  The disciples had come to realize that Jesus was indeed their anticipated Messiah, and He revealed to them the truth about His coming death and resurrection.  He told them He would build a church against which the gates of hell could not prevail, and that He would give them the keys to that kingdom on earth.  At least some of them would live to see that church grow throughout the known world.  Although Jesus told them that discipleship was costly, they surely were encouraged to know that their employment in the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth would be successful.

Jesus Condemns Vain Traditions of Man and Heals a Gentile

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 15:1) Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, who were of Jerusalem, saying, (2) "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus and His disciples had gone to Gennesaret in Galilee.  According to the same account in Mark, scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem had seen Jesus's disciples eating with unwashed hands, and that is when they came to Him.  They asked Jesus why it was that His disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders, handed down by their ancestors, by not washing their hands before they ate bread.  

(3) But He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"

Jesus turned the question back to the scribes and Pharisees and asked why they transgressed the commandments of God with their traditions of man.

(4) "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor thy father and mother,' and 'He who curses father or mother, let him die the death.'"

Jesus then went on to quote one of the Ten Commandments of the Lord, to honor one's father and mother; and the punishment for breaking that commandment as stated in Exodus 21:17, that whoever cursed his father or mother should be put to death.

(5) "But you say, 'Whoever shall say to his father or mother, "It is a gift by whatever you might have been profited by me."'"

Jesus said that the scribes and Pharisees rather said to their parents that it was a gift to the temple what the parents might have otherwise gotten from them.

(6) "'And honor not his father or his mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition."

Jesus went on to explain that they used that as an excuse not to honor their fathers and mothers, and had thereby nullified the commandment of God by their tradition.  Of course giving to the Lord was good and laudable, but was not intended to be done at the expense of duty to their parents.

(7) "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, (8) 'This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.'"

Jesus called them hypocrites because they pretended to be so religious and holy, but had no qualms about setting aside commandments of God when it suited them.  He then quoted Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13.  What God had said through Isaiah at the time about their forefathers was perfectly applicable at His present time, and a prophetic statement, at that.  The people outwardly worshipped the Lord with their mouths and their words, but their hearts were actually far from Him.  They had no true love for Him, no real faith in Him, and certainly no reverential fear of Him, or else they would not have made a mockery of His commandments.

(9) "'But in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Jesus finished quoting Isaiah, saying that the people vainly worshipped the Lord, teaching the people to observe the traditions of the elders as if they were doctrines delivered by God.

(10) And He called the multitude and said to them, "Hear and understand."

Jesus then turned His attention back to the multitude of people with Him, and exhorted them to hear Him and try to fully understand what He was about to tell them.

(11) "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

Obviously referring to what the scribes and Pharisees had questioned with regard to the disciples eating with unwashed hands, Jesus told the people that it was not what went into the mouth that defiled a man.  Eating with unwashed hands did not defile a man.  Rather it was what came out of the mouth that defiled him.  As Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, "...out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."  What was in a man's heart and came forth in words or deeds was what actually defiled a man, that is, polluted or corrupted him.

(12) Then came His disciples and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?"

The account in Mark states that Jesus's disciples came to Him after He had dismissed the multitude and had gone into a house.  It was then that the disciples asked Him about this saying, and told Him the Pharisees had been offended by it.  I had to chuckle at this, that Jesus would care about the Pharisees being offended at what He said, but the disciples obviously wanted to understand what He had said and meant that was offensive to the religious leaders.

(13) But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up."

Jesus answered them saying that every plant, or doctrine, that was not planted in the heart by God, would be uprooted, turned on its head, by God's truth in His time.

(14) "Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch."

Jesus told His disciples not to concern themselves with the Pharisees.  Jesus called them blind leaders leading the blind.  If they refused to see the truth, they were spiritually blind, and those who followed them who refused to see and understand the truth were also blind.  And if the blind led the blind, both would fall into every ditch that was in the way.  Blind teachers not only destroy their own souls, but those souls that follow them.

(15) Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain to us this parable."

Peter asked Jesus to better explain the analogies He had just given them.

(16) And Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?"

Jesus was grieved by the fact that His own disciples seemed slow to grasp the spiritual meanings in His parables, because, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, they had been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11), and yet they still didn't understand.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible put forth food for thought:  "Is it not strange to hear the disciples asking for the explanation of such a parable as this! The true knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel is a thing more uncommon than we imagine, among the generality of Christians, and even of the learned."  How truly blessed we are when we are given to understand these mysteries of heaven!  

(17) "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast out in the draught?"

Jesus rather rhetorically asked if the disciples did not understand that whatever went into the mouth went down to the belly and out into the privy, or some such sort of outhouse or place where such waste was dumped.  It was at this point that John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, observed "How fair and candid are the sacred historians? Never concealing or excusing their own blemishes."  It's one of the ways that scripture is validated as true.  Someone making up a story probably wouldn't include so many embarrassing details, but the apostles told it like it truly was!

(18) "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile a man."

Jesus meant the words that came out of a mouth, obviously not spittle or vomit or any such thing that might physically spew out of the mouth.  The words a man spoke came from what he believed in his heart, and that is what truly corrupted a man, not what he ate.

(19) "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Jesus went on to name the types of things that proceeded out of the heart.  Evil thoughts precede evil actions, thoughts of hatred and murder, thoughts of sexual immorality, thoughts of covetousness and theft, and thoughts of lies and blasphemies.

(20) "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Those things Jesus listed as thoughts that came from the heart, He said were the things that defiled a man.  Eating with unwashed hands did not defile or corrupt a man.

(21) Then Jesus went from there and departed to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Jesus then went from the land of Gennesaret to the coasts at Tyre and Sidon.

(22) And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

As Jesus came to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a woman came from that region to Him.  The point was made that she was a Canaanite woman.  That region including Tyre and Sidon was part of Canaan in ancient times, and she was so called because she was a descendant of the Canaanites.  I believe the point is that she was a Gentile, not a Jew.  Even so, she had heard the fame of Jesus, and that He was the Son of David, the much anticipated Messiah of the Jews.  She obviously had faith in Him as such, as she cried humbly to Him to have mercy on her.  She told Him her daughter had been sorely possessed by a demon, obviously hoping to have Him heal her.

(23) But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries after us."

Jesus did not answer the woman.  It's not that He didn't hear her, or chose to ignore her, but as always, it was to teach his disciples further, and possibly to test the woman's faith.  Whatever His motive, you can be sure it was for the benefit of His disciples and for those witnesses, including all future readers of this text.  Jesus's disciples came to Him and asked that He send the woman away because she cried after them and was obviously bothersome to them.  Why they would say that, after witnessing Jesus's mercy in healing so many, can only be assumed to be because she was a Gentile.

(24) But He answered and said, "I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

This statement appears to be made to the woman after the disciples asked Him to send her away.  He told her that He had been sent to the Jews, those lost sheep of the house of Israel.  He was their expected Messiah, and He had come to preach the gospel to them.  We know that the gospel would ultimately be shared with all, but that would be basically after He was rejected by His own.

(25) Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me."

The woman pressed on.  She came and worshipped Jesus as Lord God, and begged Him to help her.

(26) But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."

The Lord's salvation was provided for the children of Israel, God's special people.  His answer meant that it was not proper for Him to take Israel's salvation from her, Israel, and give it to the Gentiles, who were viewed as little more than dogs to the Jewish people.  If His words seem harsh and heartless, I believe the purpose was to show Israel what a wonderful gift He had brought to them, His chosen people, and when it was rejected, it was then offered to the "dogs".

(27) And she said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table."

The woman persevered.  She answered that indeed what the Lord said was true.  He had come for the Jews, but even the dogs were able to eat the crumbs from their master's table; obviously what was meant was might there be some crumbs of grace and mercy for her?  

(28) Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith; let it be to you as you will." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus then answered the woman that she obviously had great faith.  She had persisted through all the obstacles Jesus had set before her.  She sought Him with all her heart and soul and she found Him (Deuteronomy 4:29) receptive to her request.  Besides being a lesson for the Jews, Jesus was perhaps testing the faith of the woman to see how real it was.  Even during the Old Testament times, God welcomed the stranger into Israel if he assimilated and conformed to the beliefs and customs of the Jews.  The woman showed her great faith in Jesus and He granted the desire of her heart, and made her daughter well and whole. 

(29) And Jesus departed from there and came near to the Sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain and sat down there.

Jesus departed from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and went near the Sea of Galilee where He went up into a mountain and sat down.

(30) And great multitudes came to Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus's feet, and He healed them.

Great multitudes of people came to Jesus, bringing all their people who were lame, blind, mute, or maimed in any manner, and laid them at Jesus's feet.  Jesus healed them all.  How good, merciful, and patient was Jesus in that multitudes of people would come to Him and just cast their debilitated members before Him, and He healed them all.

(31) Insomuch as the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb speak, the maimed whole, the lame walk, and the blind see; and they glorified the God of Israel.

Even though it looked as if people just cast their outcasts before Jesus, as if He were a genie who would grant their wishes, God's purpose was fulfilled in that the people marveled over those healings and glorified the God of Israel.

(32) Then Jesus called His disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, unless they faint on the way."

Apparently this multitude of people had stayed with Jesus for three days, at which time Jesus called His disciples to Him.  He expressed His compassion for the multitude who had remained with Him all this time, watching His miracles and most likely hearing Him teach.  He said the people had been there all that time with nothing to eat.  They may have had food that they had had on their persons, but Jesus and His disciples had not furnished them with any additional food; and Jesus would not send them away hungry, as they might would faint along their way.

(33) And His disciples said to Him, "Where could we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"

Having witnessed so recently how Jesus fed the 5000, how is it the disciples would have no idea how to feed the present multitude?  But that is what they asked Him; how could they find the bread to fill the multitude?

(34) And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

They answered Jesus that they had just seven loaves of bread and a few little fish.

(35) And He commanded the multitude to sit on the ground.

Just as Jesus had done before when He fed the 5000, He instructed this current group to sit down on the ground.

(36) And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Jesus took the seven loaves and the fish from the disciples and gave thanks to God for the provision.  He then broke bread, which was the custom of the master of a family to do, and then gave the food to the disciples, who in turn, gave to the multitude of people.

(37) And they all ate and were filled, and they took up of the broken meal that was left seven baskets full.

As before, the entire multitude ate and were filled, and seven full baskets of scraps were taken up afterward, more than they started with, as surely one loaf and a small fish would not have filled a basket.  It is interesting to note that there were seven baskets, seven, that number that represented completeness and perfection.  How completely and perfectly had Jesus fed the multitude!  It could also be said that the disciples had the perfect number of loaves to feed the multitude in the beginning.  Jesus alone is sufficient for all needs and He will provide for us perfectly!

(38) And they who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

This time Jesus had miraculously fed 4000 men, besides women and children.  It is very interesting that Jesus performed almost the exact same miracle twice before His disciples.  Remembering that a thing is established at the mouth of two or three witnesses, I believe this was a lesson for the disciples to have faith in God's provision for all their needs, preparing them to go out into the world, teaching and spreading the gospel.  In Christ, there would be bread enough, and even to spare.

(39) And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came to the coasts of Magdala.

Jesus then sent the multitude away fully fed, and He took a ship from where He was near the coast of the Sea of Galilee, and went to the coast of Magdala.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, explained that Magdala was a few miles north of Tiberias, "in the land of Gennesaret, on the western side of the Sea of Tiberias, and directly east of Cana of Galilee." 

The lessons in this chapter are many.  Much can be learned about the traditions of men which are usually contradictive to the commands of God.  Man's vain worship rituals are not pleasing to God, but He searches the heart.  That is one of the reasons why Jesus healed a Gentile in what may be the first instance of Him healing anyone outside of the Jewish faith.  In her heart, the woman knew her daughter's healing would only come from Jesus and she persistently sought Jesus's help until she found it; "seek and you will find."  Finally, we have recorded the second miraculous feeding of thousands demonstrating His care of His poor and needy followers, and that Christ is all we ever need.  

Jesus Feeds the 5000 and Walks on Water; Beheading of John the Baptist

Continuing a study of the gospel accounts:

(Matthew 13:53) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.

In most of chapter 13, Matthew told of Jesus teaching in parables, mostly about the kingdom of heaven.  After He had finished those parables, He departed from there, that is, from the house in which He was, and the city of Capernaum, where He had been spending some time.

(54) And when He had come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where has this man gotten this wisdom and these mighty works?"

When Jesus came to His own country, that is Nazareth, where He had grown up and was educated, He taught in the synagogue there.  The same account in Mark 6:2 tells us that it was on the Sabbath that he taught them in their synagogue.  The people there were astonished at His teaching for they had seen Him grow up there, and would have known about His lack of formal education from whom they would have considered great learned teachers.  They couldn't imagine how "this man" came to have such wisdom.

(55) "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?"

Still wondering how "this man" could have such wisdom, the people discussed how he was only the carpenter's son.  His mother was Mary and His brothers were James, Joses, Simon, and Judas.  They knew exactly who He was, so how could He possibly have such wisdom?  I have to note again how the Catholics have to disregard yet another verse that implies Mary was not the eternal virgin.  Why is that even so important?  I believe in worshipping Mary as completely holy, it somewhat diminishes Christ.  There was no human on earth born to man who was holy and perfect, except for Jesus Christ, and that is because He was God incarnate.  Mary was a blessed woman because God chose her to be the vessel to bring forth the Messiah, but that is where it ends.  She was probably a good woman and a follower of Christ, but not holy and perfect; just like everyone else, her righteousness came from the sacrifice of Christ for her sins, as she surely had, just like every other human on earth.  

Yes, it is true that many times in scripture the term brother indicates a close relation, and not necessarily a brother.  However, in this case, the people were identifying "this man" as the son of Joseph, the carpenter, and Mary, and identifying His brothers.  It seems quite reasonable to believe these were the half-brothers of Jesus, the sons of Mary and Joseph.  The people would not have realized they were only half-brothers because at this point they assumed Jesus was the son of Joseph.  There is no reason not to take this scripture at face value, as there is no other scripture that backs up the claim that Mary remained a virgin all her life.  That is the way one can identify truths in the Bible, and not follow misinterpretations.  The word of God will always be confirmed by two or three scriptures.  "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Corinthians 13:1); and even that passage is repeated several times in scripture.  If there is some obscure passage that can be interpreted different ways, if the one obscure way is not confirmed elsewhere in the Bible, then that is not the right interpretation.

(56) "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then has this man gotten all these things?"

Apparently, the people also knew Jesus's sisters.  They knew where He came from and all His family, so they just couldn't imagine how He had gotten all His wisdom.

(57) And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."

The people were offended by Jesus.  How could "this man" of humble birth and family's lowly means teach them, the proud and arrogant?  Jesus replied to them that a prophet was honored everywhere except in his own country and his own house.  His own countrymen and family had the additional stumbling block of knowing his origins and that prejudiced them against Him.  I can see the truth in this.  If my first cousin whom I grew up with suddenly professed such wisdom and miracles, I'd be wondering about that.  It is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we can know such truths, and have faith in those truths.  "No man can come to Me, except the Father who has sent Me draws him..." (John 6:44).  When Jesus would later ask His disciples who they thought He was, and Peter answered that He was "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus told him he could have only known that through His Father in Heaven and that no mere human could know that (Matthew 16:17).  That is not to say that there is an elect few and that not everyone will be drawn; the Lord is not willing for any of us to perish, but wants all to come to Him (2 Peter 3:9).  He desires and calls us all, but some refuse to listen.

(58) And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Jesus did not do many miracles there because of the people's unbelief and unwillingness to even try to believe.  We will see that He did a few, but not many.

(Matthew 14:1) At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus.

At that time King Herod heard of the fame of Jesus.  This was not the same Herod who ruled at the time of Jesus's birth, but Herod Antipater or Antipas, the son of Herod the First or Great.  He was called a tetrarch because his father had divided his kingdom into four parts, and had bequeathed them to his sons.  Herod Antipater was the ruler of this fourth part, Galilee and Perea.

(2) And said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works show themselves in him."

King Herod said to his servants that this must have been John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, added Mark in Mark 6:16.  His guilty conscience convinced him that Jesus must have been John the Baptist risen again possibly to torment him; and because he had risen from the dead, he was also able to perform miracles.

(3) For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias's sake, his brother Philip's wife. (4) For John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

Matthew then told about how Herod had come to behead John.  Herod had imprisoned John for Herodias's sake, the wife of his brother Philip, and with whom he had taken and lived with in adultery.  John had told Herod that is was not lawful for him to have Herodias, strong words to say to a king; and this angered Herod and he put John in prison.

(5) And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude because they counted him as a prophet.

Herod would have put John to death, but because the people considered John a prophet, he was afraid to go against the people and do so.

(6) But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. (7) Whereupon, he promised with an oath to give her whatever she would ask.

Matthew continued telling how it was that John came to be beheaded by Herod.  It had been at Herod's birthday celebration, and Herodias's daughter had danced for Herod and the guests.  Herod had been pleased with her dancing and had sworn to give her whatever she asked in return for her so pleasing him.

(8) And she, being before instructed by her mother, said, "Give me here John the Baptist's head on a charger."

Herodias's daughter, having been before instructed by her mother, asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter right then, not giving Herod any time to think it over.  Her mother had been greatly angered by John's words against her adulterous relationship with Herod.

(9) And the king was sorry; nevertheless for the oath's sake, and those who sat with him at the meal, he commanded it to be given to her.

The king felt sorrow, perhaps because he realized John was a good man, and he knew him to be highly regarded by the people as a prophet.  However, because he had rashly and foolishly sworn an oath to Herodias's daughter before all his guests who witnessed his oath, he commanded that John's head be given to her.

(10) And he sent and had John beheaded in prison. (11) And his head was brought on a charger and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother.

Herod sent an executioner, so said Mark in his account in Mark 6:27, who beheaded him in the prison.  Then his head was brought to Herodias's daughter, and she gave it to her mother.

(12) And his disciples came and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

John's disciples came and took his body and buried it.  They then went and told Jesus about it.  

(13) When Jesus heard it, He departed by ship to a deserted place away; and when the people had heard of it, they followed Him on foot out of the cities.

When Jesus heard the news about Herod thinking He was John the Baptist risen from the dead, He departed by ship to a deserted place to avoid Herod.  This was not because He feared Herod, but because the time for His death had not yet come.  When the people heard where He had gone, they followed Him on foot out of the cities to the deserted place to which He had gone.

(14) And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.

Jesus "went forth," either out of his ship, or from a secluded place within the deserted place to which He had gone, and saw the great multitude of people, which was about 5000 men, besides women and children, as we are told later.  Jesus was moved with compassion for them, probably seeing that they had traveled so far on foot to come to Him, and knowing their infirmities and that they were lost sheep in need of a good shepherd.  He healed the sick among the multitude.

(15) And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."

When it was evening, Jesus's disciples came to Him and encouraged Him to send the multitude away, because they were in a deserted place and the time for the evening meal had past, and the people needed time to go into the villages and buy themselves food.

(16) But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to depart; you give them something to eat."

Jesus told them that there was no need for the people to be sent away, and He instructed them to feed the people themselves.  I love Adam Clarke's commentary on this verse, in his Commentary on the Bible:

"Should we say, Lord, how shall thy poor, feeble ministering servants feed so many hungry souls as attend thy word! Begin at the command of Jesus - make the attempt - divide what you have - and the bread of God shall be multiplied in your hands, and all shall eat and be satisfied."

(17) And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."

The disciples told Jesus that they only had five loaves of bread and two fish, demonstrating the impossibility of feeding so large a crowd.

(18) He said, "Bring them here to Me."

Jesus instructed His disciples to bring the fish and the loaves to Him.

(19) And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitude.

Jesus instructed the multitude of people to sit down on the grass.  He then proceeded to take the loaves and fish and looked up to heaven, probably raising the loaves and fishes up so that the people could see what He did.  He said a blessing over the food.  He could have performed a miracle without first blessing, but I believe He was teaching the people to be ever thankful of what they had, and to bring their attention to what was about to happen to that food.  After He blessed, He broke the bread, and gave the loaves to His disciples who in turn, gave them to the people, and we can naturally assume that they gave out the fish, as well.

(20) And they all ate and were filled, and they took up the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full. (21) And they who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Miraculously, 5000 men, besides women and children with them, and Jesus and His disciples, all ate and were fully satisfied.  When they took up the scraps that were left, they filled twelve baskets, more than when they began!  Again Adam Clarke had an interesting observation.  It was customary at that time for the Jews to carry a basket with them at all times.  By the number given here, it seems reasonable to assume that each disciple filled his basket with the scraps that remained.  What a beautiful physical reminder that what they gave would be given back with even more!  

(22) And immediately Jesus compelled his disciples to get into a ship and to go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.

After all the people had eaten and the scraps were gathered, Jesus instructed His disciples to board a ship and go to the other side of the sea while He stayed and sent the multitude of people away.

(23) And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up in a mountain apart to pray, and when the evening was come He was there alone.

According to John's account of this event, it took the people some time to finally leave, even after Jesus had instructed them to leave.  At least some of the people were still there the next day, apparently waiting for Jesus's return.  Jesus had gone up in a mountain away from where He had fed the people, to be alone and pray.  It was the next evening that He was still there alone, which might refer to the fact that all the people had finally gone.  

(24) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary.

The next evening when Jesus was alone in the mountain, the ship that held His disciples was in the midst of a stormy sea being tossed about by waves caused by the wind.

(25) And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

The night was divided into four periods or watches of three hours each.  The first watch began about sunset at 6:00 and went till 9:00; the second watch was from 9:00 to midnight; the third from midnight to 3:00 a.m., and the fourth from 3:00 till 6:00 in the morning.  It was sometime after 3:00 in the morning when Jesus walked out on the stormy sea to His disciples' ship.

(26) And when His disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit," and they cried out for fear.

When Jesus's disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were afraid, thinking He must be a ghost or some such apparition, and they cried out in fear.

(27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid."

Jesus spoke immediately to His disciples to calm and reassure them that it was He coming to them, and they should not be afraid.

(28) And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, bid me to come to You on the water."

Peter answered Jesus, saying if it was really Him, to bid him to come to Him on the water.  There are different ways to look at this.  Was Peter doubting the Lord's word, and looking for solid proof?  That is what it appears to be at first glance.  However, digging deeper, observe what it was Peter asked of Jesus.  "If it be Your will, let me walk on the water to you."  He didn't ask Jesus to prove who He was out on the water.  Peter wanted to go to Him on the water, but asked first if He could call him.  We should never rashly and presumptuously rush into dangerous circumstances, but we should be willing to if we are called.  Peter wished to be called to Jesus on the water.

(29) And He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

Jesus, in fact, did call Peter to come to Him on the water.  Peter came down out of the ship and indeed, walked on water to go to Jesus.

(30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, "Lord, save me!"

Peter's faith in the word of Jesus bidding him allowed him to walk on water.  However, when he took his focus off Jesus and onto his surroundings, namely the mighty wind, he faltered and began to sink.  He cried out to Jesus to save him.

(31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

I love the fact that even though Jesus claimed Peter to have little faith, as soon as Peter called on Jesus to save him, He did!  Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught Peter before he sank.  First, He saved him; then He rebuked him.  Note He called him of little faith, not of no faith.  Peter indeed had faith enough to walk on water, but he let his surroundings make him doubt.  That is why Jesus rebuked him; why did he doubt that Jesus would continue to hold him above the water even when the winds got rough?  What a perfect illustration of how we should trust Jesus.  So often, we only have faith just so far; then when things look really bad, we give up on the faith.  Jesus says do not doubt Him!

(32) And when they had come into the ship, the wind ceased.

When Jesus and Peter got back into the ship, the wind ceased, which was undoubtedly by the power of Jesus to calm the wind.  However, He did not calm it until He had gotten back into the ship, as He used it for a lesson in faith for Peter and His disciples who witnessed it.

(33) Then they who were in the ship came and worshipped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

They who were in the ship were not only the other disciples, but most likely the ship's captain and any servants or workers aboard the ship.  This incident surely confirmed to the disciples that Jesus was truly the Son of God, their long awaited Messiah.  However, because the verse said "they who were in the ship" and not "the disciples," I believe it might have meant that the men on the ship other than the disciples came to the realization that Jesus was surely the Son of God.

(34) And when they had gone over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.

When the ship with Jesus and the disciples had crossed over the sea, they came to Gennesaret.

(35) And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent word out into all that surrounding country, and brought to Him all who were diseased.

When the men of Gennesaret had knowledge of who Jesus was and that He was in their country, they sent that word out to all the region, and they brought to Him all who were sick and diseased.

(36) And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment; and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

The people who were brought to Jesus asked only that they be allowed to touch the hem of His garment, as the woman with the issue of blood did in Matthew 9:20.  This demonstrated their great faith that they would be healed by that touch, but also signified their unworthiness to be in His presence.  Indeed, Jesus perfectly healed all who touched His hem.  He not only granted their request, but made them all perfectly whole; He didn't merely partly cure them, He made them perfectly whole.

This chapter covered the beheading of John the Baptist in retrospect, as when Herod heard of Jesus, he assumed He was John the Baptist risen from the dead.  That was his conscience dealing with him because he had killed an innocent man--a man ever faithful to the word of God, even when it meant his life, a man revered by the people; and Herod had him killed because of a rash foolish oath he made to a silly dancing girl, and his pride would not allow him to renege on his word.  It is no wonder his conscience haunted him!  Although many lessons can be learned from the events surrounding John's death, this chapter covers two of the more memorable miracles that Jesus performed--the feeding of the 5000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and Jesus walking on water.  Just as Jesus healed perfectly, He fed the multitude more than enough to fill them all with food left over, demonstrating once again that Christ is all we need (2 Corinthians 12:9) and He supplies us with more than we need (Ephesians 3:20):  "'...My grace is sufficient for you...'" (said Jesus) "...who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..."

This chapter contains what is probably Jesus's most famous miracle, that is walking on water.  He demonstrated that we also have the power to do miracles if He asks us, and if we keep our eyes only on Him, and not our surroundings, which is the world governed by Satan and he will always seek to distract us from Jesus.  Jesus is all we need to persevere, and with Him, in His will, we can do miraculous things (Philippians 4:13).