Signs of the End and Exhortation to Watchfulness

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

In the last post, Jesus had been answering the disciples' question about the signs of the coming end of Jerusalem.  They had asked in the same question, as if they assumed it would happen at the same time, what would be the signs of His coming.  This is where it gets very difficult to interpret.  Even Biblical scholars are mixed on the meaning of verses 29 through 31.  I will take them all in context:

(Matthew 24:29) "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

It starts "immediately."  "Immediately" would seem to have to mean regarding the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus said in verse 21 that there would be great tribulation "such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."  The historian Josephus confirmed that never had a city suffered so much as when Jerusalem fell.  Therefore, verse 29 would seem to be saying that immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun would be darkened, etc.  So what would happen immediately after?  The sun would be darkened.  That is a very reasonable thing to happen after the fall of Jerusalem.  The sun would be darkened by the smoke and dust of destruction; likewise, the moon.  But what about stars falling from heaven and the powers of the heavens being shaken?  Those seem like the kind of things that would happen during or at the beginning of the tribulation.  That makes sense if you take the meaning of verse 27 in the last post to be as some suggest that the immediate coming of Jesus would be in the act of destroying Jerusalem in the form of the Roman army sweeping in from the east like lightning and sweeping across it westward.

To continue with the assumption that it is Jesus leading His destruction forces with all the fire and fury of the powers of the heavens, verse 29 said it would happen after the tribulation of those days.  So what would be the tribulation that happened prior to the final destruction of Jerusalem?  It would seem to be wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, persecution, and death.  Then would the sign of the Messiah appear.  Whether it would be an actual visual sign, or just the knowledge that it was Jesus in the fury of the heavens the people observed, there would be the sign of His coming to destroy Jerusalem.  Then all the tribes of the earth would mourn.  This would seem to mean the tribes of Israel, as other countries were not usually said to be divided into tribes.  All the tribes of Israel would certainly mourn as they saw the actual destruction sweep across Jerusalem with the power and fury of heaven. 

Then there is verse 31:  "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  For the first time in my life, I can actually see this in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem.  If the Son of man coming in the clouds with the force and fury of the heavens is symbolic of the Roman army sweeping in, then the same could be said of the angels and trumpets coming with great noise, also symbolic of the judgment coming swiftly upon Jerusalem.  However, the angels will gather His elect.  The trumpet might also represent the call to bring the Christians together to their Lord.

I have to admit, this is the first time in my life I have seen this scripture only in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem.  How many people take these verses literally and interpret them to mean that Jesus will come in the clouds and gather His people up into the sky in a rapture?  Even if this were a true interpretation, it sounds as if it comes after the tribulation.  Therefore, I can see no reasonable interpretation of a pre-tribulation rapture.

There are many early scholars who believe that part of this description of the end does indeed mean the end of the world and Jesus's second coming.  I think a case could be made for that, as well.  Personally, I believe that Jesus had to mean the destruction of Jerusalem through verse 26.  That might be the point where the time changed.  The disciples had also asked what the signs of His coming and the end of the world would be.  They mistakenly thought that all was one and the same with the destruction of Israel.  Jesus had been telling them of the events during the tribulation leading up to the siege that would destroy Jerusalem.  He told them in verse 26 that when false prophets arose claiming that He was to be found on earth at that time, not to believe them.  This might be where He began to discuss His second coming.  "Don't be deceived by a false prophet," I paraphrase Him, "because there will be no doubt when I, the Messiah, return."  In verse 27, He said, "For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

Then there is verse 28:  "For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."  A carcass is a dead thing, as Jerusalem was, so this really seems to be a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem.  Perhaps Jesus's reference to coming as lightning was a parenthetical reason as to why the disciples should not believe that He could be found on earth during the destruction of Jerusalem; and then He returned to the subject at hand, the destruction.  I have read some Biblical scholars who believed this meant just as sure and swiftly as eagles (or vultures) descended on a carcass, just as quickly would the second coming be upon a dead world.  Indeed, in Revelation 19:17-18, written by John some 20 years or more after the destruction of Jerusalem, there is a call to the birds of prey to come feast on the flesh of kings, generals, and all people, in the destruction of the New Testament Babylon.

Following the interpretation that Jesus had switched the topic to His second coming and the end of the world, one has to grapple with verse 29 that begins, "Immediately after the tribulation..."  What tribulation?  The tribulation He had just been talking about was the tribulation in the times leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem.  However, Jesus did say, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..."  The emphasis on "those" is mine.  Perhaps He was referring to the tribulation that would occur before He came as lightning in His second coming.  Then, of course, verses 30 and 31 do seem to relate to His second coming.

One other possibility about that word "immediately," as a thousand years is as a day with our Lord, "immediately" can take on a different meaning, for sure.  I don't really think Jesus would have used "immediately" knowing it would be thousands of years.  However, the same account in Luke adds in Luke 21:24, "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodded down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  In the Expositor's Bible Commentary, it is written:  "It is...sufficiently obvious that the tribulation of those days began with the destruction, or rather with the besieging, of Jerusalem. But when did it end? As soon as the city was destroyed? Nay. If we wish to get some idea of the duration of those days of tribulation, let us turn to the same place in the same prophecy as given by St. Luke...where it clearly appears that it embraces the whole period of the Jewish dispersion and of the standing of the Gentile Church. 'The tribulation of those days' is going on still, and therefore the events of these verses are still future."   

I have to admit that now I tend to believe that this prophecy referred to Jerusalem, but maybe He is talking about both.  So often scripture has a double meaning.  It was written by inspiration of God for our learning (2 Timothy 3:16), so we should learn from the signs the Jews were shown before and after they rejected their Messiah.  Are we not at a point in our time where the world seems to have rejected Him once again, and the true Christians should be watching the signs for His second coming and the end?  Albert Barnes wrote in his Notes on the Bible:  "In his answer he has reference to both events, and his language may be regarded as descriptive of both. At the destruction of Jerusalem, the sign or evidence of his coming was found in the fulfillment of these predictions. At the end of the world, the sign of his coming will be his personal approach with the glory of his Father and the holy angels."

One thing I can see clearly now is that we can't point with assurance to one particular event and say with certainty that it definitely means the end.  However, we have been given warning to watch the times, and there are certainly signs in this stage of our time that the end could be getting close unless enough people turn to God and He intervenes for a time.  Back to Matthew 24, verse 32:

(32) "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when its branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near."

Indeed, our Lord told the disciples that they knew how to discern times; they knew that summer was coming by watching the signs on a fig tree.

(33) "So likewise, you, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors."

In the same manner that they could discern the coming of summer, when they saw the signs that Jesus warned about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, they would know that the end was near.

(34) "Verily, I say to you this generation will not pass till all these things are fulfilled."

Jesus told them that the present generation would not completely pass away until they saw those things fulfilled.  This certainly does sound like all Jesus's prophecies referred to the destruction of Jerusalem only.  However, I have heard it suggested that "this generation" meant the particular generation that witnessed the tribulation suggesting it could be the last generation at the end of the world.  It seems to me that one has to stretch the imagination more to make these prophecies about the end of the world than just accepting them as about the destruction of Jerusalem.  However, like suggested before, there is probably a parallel to end times, as well.

(35) "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

All things of mass and substance would eventually pass away, but Jesus's words were sure and certain.

(36) "But of that day and hour no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

Although they were given many signs of the coming end, no one knew exactly when these prophecies would be fulfilled except Father God in heaven.

(37) "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

I believe the implication is that the world would be found as self-centered and wicked as it was in the days of Noah, and also as surprising and unexpected as the flood was, so would His coming be.  However, those who watched the signs and followed the guidance of their Lord, as Noah did, would be ready.

(38) "For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

There is nothing wrong with eating and drinking and weddings in and of themselves, but I believe the idea is that the people were going along their merry ways, eating, drinking, and having lavish feasts with no notice of the signs of their impending doom.  In Noah's day, there was a huge sign for a very long time; imagine how long it must have taken to build an ark so large as to take on two of every animal on earth, as well as supplies and provisions necessary for keeping them.  People probably bored of seeing Noah working on it every day and apparently took no notice of him finishing it and filling it with animals.  It seems incredulous, but they didn't know a thing until the flood swept them away.  I'm just imagining it raining and people going on with their feasts, thinking nothing of it until it was too late.  So will the coming of Christ be.  Again I am imagining, this time of partying at same-sex weddings, "taking care of" unwanted pregnancies, participating in sex trafficking, pride parades, etc., etc., etc., with no regard to God and His moral law, ignoring the signs and ridiculing those who see them.

I am struck by something else in thinking about Noah's time.  Deducing from the age of Noah and his sons at different points in scripture, it is believed it may have taken as many as 75 years to complete the ark.  Therefore that sign lasted an entire generation according to our time.  That means just because we see the signs, it doesn't mean the end is going to be immediate.  I think in our instant gratification type world, even if we see signs, many people will tire of waiting and want to go on with their worldly plans.  In the third chapter of 2 Peter, the apostle discussed how people would scoff in the end days ridiculing the promise of the Messiah's coming as it had been predicted since the time of their forefathers, and yet everything was as it had been from the beginning.  So how is a Christian to live when a sign can take 75 years or more to come to fulfillment?  I don't believe that we can't feast or marry, but we are to be always ready for the end.  We live holy lives following Christ's example and go on with our Godly missions in life, looking forward to the day when we shall see God.  As the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6:13, having done all to arm ourselves with the armor of God, "having done all, to stand."  One thing we can actively do is to warn others and share the gospel of Christ.  Referring again to Paul in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, it has been noted that when armed with the armor of God with a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, boots with preparation of the gospel of peace, a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God, that the only active weapon is the sword of truth, the word of God.  As I write this, I have to also note that what I called boots, "your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace," may also be seen as active, walking and sharing the gospel and doing God's work.

(40) "Then shall two be in the field; one shall be taken and the other left."

In context with the previous verses, one can plainly see that this is not proof of a pre-tribulation rapture, as many have suggested.  The meaning is rather that so suddenly and unexpectedly would the coming of the Son of man be, that although two people could be working side by side in the field, one could be whisked away without any warning.  This appears to be in reference to the second coming of Christ at the end, but it applies in different ways.  When destruction came upon Jerusalem, Christians were saved from the calamity by the grace of God.  As was discussed in verse 13 in the last post, he who endured to the end would be saved, and Adam Clarke, in his commentary, wrote that Christians did not perish in the destruction of Jerusalem.  When applied to the second coming of Christ, verse 31 above said that the angels would gather together Christ's elect, so it appears the ones taken were the ones saved.  Whether taken away and saved from the judgment, or taken away by death, one thing is certain; there will be a separating of Christians following Christ from those who rejected Him.

(41) "Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left."

This is just another example of the same thing as discussed in verse 40.

(42) "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord does come."

Jesus exhorted His disciples and others to be watchful of the signs.  Whether taken away by destruction or taken away to safety into the arms of a merciful God, we are warned to be always ready, for we do not know when our end will come, nor how.

(43) "But know this, if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken up. (44) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of man comes at an hour you do not expect."

Obviously, if one knew exactly in what three hour period (watch) a thief would break into his house, he would have been prepared to prevent it.  However, seeing that we will not know the exact time Christ will come, we should always be prepared as if it were our last hours.  Christ could be coming at the end of the world as we know it, or He could be coming for our souls as we die.  We have no idea which will happen first or when, so we are warned to always be ready for Jesus.

(45) "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?"

Jesus posed the question to His disciples about who was a wise and faithful servant whom his lord had made ruler over his household to supply provisions when appropriate.  This was, of course, symbolic of the servants Jesus would make rulers over His Christian house who would spiritually feed His flock.

(46) "Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find him so doing."

Jesus declared such a servant blessed when his lord returned and found him faithfully doing what his lord had asked him to do.  Blessed is the man whom the Lord finds faithfully ruling the household of God well.

(47) "Verily, I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all his goods."

I believe the point Jesus is making is that the faithful servant will be rewarded with a higher office, not merely over his household, but over all his property.  A good and faithful servant of God will be rewarded.  As Jesus would tell in a parable in the next chapter, because a good and faithful servant had been faithful over a few things, his lord would make him ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21).

(48) "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' (49) And begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, (50) The lord of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour he is not aware of, (51) And shall cut him in two, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

However, Jesus said, if that servant turned out to be evil instead, and because his lord was gone such a long time, he began to mistreat his fellow servants and began to fellowship with drunkards and such, the lord of his house would return at a time he least expected it.  The evil servant would be cut down and severely punished and counted among the worst of sinners.  Likewise, the servant of God who began to mistreat his fellow Christians and to live a life of sin, would experience much pain and anguish.

Perhaps it is in keeping with Jesus's declaration that no man would know the day or hour of His coming, that we cannot precisely know which event Jesus spoke of in His foretelling of signs, the coming destruction of Jerusalem or His second coming at the end.  We are to always be ready.  However, if we are to always be ready, then why be watchful and observe the signs of the end?  The original word translated as "watch" as in verse 42, is "gregoreuo" and means "to keep awake, be vigilant," even "give strict attention to, be cautious, active."  Watching doesn't mean merely spectating at a distance.  It implies action, ever vigilant, on guard, a fully awake Christian, intently focused on the things of God.  In Revelation, in messages to the churches, God said He hated the lukewarm church of the Laodiceans; actually His exact words were that He wanted to spew them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16).  He actually said that He would prefer them to be cold or hot.  Imagine that!  God actually preferring one to be cold regarding the things of God rather than lukewarm!  He then told them to be zealous and repent.  God desires zealous watchmen on the wall sounding warnings to an unsaved world, conveying truth despite opposition from the world.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem and Gives Signs for the End

Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:

(Matthew 24:1) And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.

At the end of the last chapter and post, Jesus had been lamenting over Jerusalem because He had come to save her, but she had rejected Him, and now she must suffer the consequences.  As He departed from the temple where He had been speaking, His disciples came to show Him all the buildings of the temple, which meant the temple walls themselves and the courts and porches, etc.  The historian Josephus described the walls of the temple and made them sound as if they were quite a site to see.  Some of the stones were 70 feet long and eight feet high!  The enormous stones were said to be white, either of marble, or beautifully painted with variegated colors.

(2) And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Verily, I say to you, there shall not be one stone left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Jesus asked His disciples if they could not consider what was going to happen to the temple.  At the time He spoke these things, no event could seem more improbable than the falling of the temple.  It was vast, rich, splendid, and oh so strong!  However, Jesus told them there was to come a time within their generation, He had said in the last chapter, that their temple would fall and there would not be even one stone left on top of another that had not been thrown down.

(3) As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?"

Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across from the temple where He could sit and have a full view of it.  His disciples came to Him privately, whether that means all the disciples came privately apart from the multitude, or only a few disciples broke away from the other disciples to talk to Him, scripture doesn't really say.  The account in Mark says that there were at least four disciples who came to Him, Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  They seem a bit confused as they asked when the destruction of the temple would be, and what the sign of Jesus's coming and the end of the world would be, as if they would all occur at the same time.

(4) And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no man deceives you. (5) For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and shall deceive many."

Although this has always seemed an end-time prophecy, with the likes of the anti-Christ deceiving many, this is probably an answer relative only to the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus warned the disciples not to be deceived, that there would be many who would come claiming to be the Christ.  Indeed, there were historically recorded at least three so-called anti-Christs during the disciples' time.  Josephus wrote that the land was overrun with them, but there are three of whom we can be certain--Dositheus the Samaritan, Simon Magus, and Theudas.

(6) "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."

Once again, this sounds like a sign of the end times of the world, but taken in context of the question put to Him, I believe this regards the destruction and end of Jerusalem.  Also to repeat, the disciples probably did think that the end of Jerusalem was the end of the world and would bring the second coming of Christ.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote about many wars and rumors of war at that time:  "Under Cureanus the Roman governor, a sedition was raised on the day of the passover, in which twenty thousand perished; after that, in another tumult, ten thousand were destroyed by cut-throats: in Ascalon two thousand more, in Ptolemais two thousand, at Alexandria fifty thousand, at Damascus ten thousand, and elsewhere in great numbers. The Jews were also put into great consternation, upon hearing the design of the Roman emperor, to put up his image in their temple."  Jesus told His disciples not to be troubled, so as to leave the land or stop preaching, for all the things Jesus described would have to come to pass, but it would not yet be the end.  Jesus probably meant that the destruction of Jerusalem would not yet be at its end; however, He might have been telling them that the end of the world would not be at that time.

(7) "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places."

Once again, Dr. Gill wrote:  "And so it was, the Jewish nation rose up against others, the Samaritans, Syrians, and Romans: there were great commotions in the Roman empire, between Otho and Vitellius, and Vitellius and Vespasian; and at length the Romans rose up against the Jews, under the latter, and entirely destroyed them."  Regarding famines preceding the destruction of Jerusalem, Albert Barnes wrote in His Notes on the Bible, "There was a famine foretold by Agabus, which is mentioned by Tacitus, Suetonius, and Eusebius, and which was so severe in Jerusalem, Josephus says, that many people perished for want of food. Four times in the reign of Claudius (41-54 a.d.) famine prevailed in Rome, Palestine, and Greece."  The early Bible commentators I study agree there were also pestilences, "Raging epidemic diseases; the plague, sweeping off multitudes of people at once," wrote Barnes.  "It is commonly the attendant of famine, and often produced by it."  A pestilence is recorded as raging in Babylonia, A.D. 40 by the Jewish historian Josephus.  There is also one recorded in Italy, A.D. 66 by the Roman historian Tacitus.  Both of these took place before the destruction of Jerusalem.  Tacitus and others also wrote of earthquakes that took place in various places at that time.

(8) "All these are the beginnings of sorrows."

Jesus told His disciples these things He foretold were only the beginning of sorrows, suggesting far greater calamities were yet to come before the end.

(9) "Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted, and will kill you; and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake."

Jesus warned His very own disciples that they would be persecuted and killed, and hated by all nations for His name's sake.  Indeed, the disciples were beaten and imprisoned and even killed.  They would be hated by all nations just because they were followers of Christ!  Jesus had warned them of this back in the tenth chapter of Matthew when He sent them out in their Christian ministry.  However, He had also said in His beatitudes in chapter 5 that they rejoice and be exceedingly glad when they were persecuted for their reward in heaven would be great.

(10) "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."

There would be many people including apostates who would fall away when things got difficult, and they would betray one another to save themselves.  They would hate one another; not that true Christians would hate their brethren, but apostates and those who never came to follow Christianity would hate each other and the true followers of Christ.

(11) "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

There would be many men pretending to be prophets or foretellers of future events.  The apostle Paul spoke of some of them in his letters, namely Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17).  Josephus wrote, "The tyrannical zealots who ruled the city suborned 'many false prophets' to declare that aid would be given to the people from heaven. This was done to prevent them from attempting to desert, and to inspire confidence in God."

(12) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Because such false teaching and persecuting iniquity would abound, good people, even Christians, would become shy and suspicious of one another, and alienations would be created.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, stated it perfectly, "The devil is the accuser of the brethren, not only to their enemies, which makes persecuting iniquity abound, but one to another, which makes the love of many to wax cold."

(13) "But he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved."

Those who endured in the profession of faith in Christ through the tribulation and violent persecution by wicked men, and followed His pure and incorrupt doctrines to the end, would be saved.  Biblical commentators have differing opinions on what this form of saving would take.  Some have suggested they would be saved from the destruction of Jerusalem, while others say this means they will be ultimately saved in the end with their souls in eternal glory.  I always assumed it meant the latter, as in most all cases when this is written in the Bible.  However, Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote, "It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape."  That is a fact I never knew!  It reminds me of the six day war in 1967 when Israel was completely outnumbered and the odds totally against her, but she miraculously prevailed with very little loss as compared to her attackers.  There is no denying that throughout history little Israel has remained God's special people and He continues to protect and fight for her.

(14) "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then the end will come."

It is really remarkable to me that this has always been seen as an end-time prophecy for us living now.  Perhaps it is, as God's word always seems to have multiple meanings; after all, the entire Bible is written for our learning.  I can hear even now Bible commentators declaring that now with the internet the gospel has indeed been preached throughout the world.  However, again taken in context, it appears that Jesus was just talking about the end of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  Indeed, we can see from Paul's writings that the gospel had indeed been preached to all the world as it existed at their time (Romans 1:8, Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23).

(15) "When you therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), (16) Then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains."

Once again, I am struck by the fact that many have interpreted this abomination of desolation to still be coming, even though there is a parenthetical exhortation to really understand what is written.  The term "abomination of desolation" doesn't refer to just one thing; it means an "abominable desolation" of the holy city.  Jesus referenced Daniel's prophecy mentioned in several Old Testament verses, but perhaps most understandable is Daniel 9:27, "...he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."  Daniel's prophecy appears to be foretelling a desolate temple that no longer serviced the Lord and an overspreading of many abominations that made the holy city desolate.  Jesus tells His disciples that when they see this happening, those who are in Judaea should flee to the mountains.  Indeed, according to what was written by Adam Clarke in his commentary on verse 13 above, the Christians indeed escaped.

(17) "Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything from his house; (18) Neither let him who is in the field go back to take his clothes."

Jewish houses had flat roofs that were favorable places for resting.  Jesus warned that not only should the people flee, but they should do it without delay, not taking any time to go back for their things.

(19) "And woe to those who are with child and to those who are nursing in those days."

Jesus proclaimed woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers because they would not be able to make their escape as quickly as others.

(20) "But pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the sabbath day."

The destruction was definitely coming.  Jesus did not urge prayer against that.  But He advised that they pray that their flight from Jerusalem not be in the winter when travel would be more difficult, or on the Sabbath when travel was prohibited and they might be seen by non-Christian Jews who would seek to punish them.

(21) "For then shall be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."

Jesus warned that there would be great tribulation the likes of which had never been seen since the beginning of the world.  Imagine, the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah and even more, their terrible bondage in Egypt, nothing compared to what was about to happen.  Jesus said there would never be tribulation as terrible as this again.  That is hard to imagine when one considers the Holocaust during Hitler's reign.  The historian Josephus indeed wrote that never had a city suffered so much during the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus had wept over the city knowing what was soon to happen to it.

(22) "And except those days be shortened, there would be no flesh saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."

Jesus said that the days of the end siege would be shortened or else not one man could survive.  For His elect's sake, the Christians, the days would be shortened to leave a remnant, as God always does.  He never allows His people to be completely destroyed.  Josephus wrote that those who perished in the siege numbered 1,100,000, and that did not include those who were slain in other places.

(23) "Then if any man says to you, 'Lo, here is Christ!' or 'There,' do not believe it."

As the Jews expected the Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression, they would be anxiously looking for Him during these calamities.  Some would proclaim to be Christ and would lure followers, but Jesus said not to believe them. 

(24) "For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders so much so, that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect."

Jesus said there would indeed arise men claiming to be Christ and false prophets claiming to deliver the people from the Romans.  They would show great signs and wonders that resembled miracles wrought by prophets.  Josephus wrote that they were sorcerers and magicians who led people out into the deserts and promised to work miracles to save them.  The great signs and wonders they would perform would be so great that they might have even deceived the elect, "if it were possible."  That is how wondrous those signs would be, but Christ's elect had seen Him, heard Him, and known Him, and would not be fooled.

(25) "Behold, I have told you before. (26) Therefore if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the desert,' do not go there; 'Behold, He is in the secret chambers,' do not believe it."

Whether Jesus meant that He had warned them before about false Christs, or whether He meant that He was telling them these things before they happened so that they would be aware and on guard, the desired result is the same.  They were not to believe any assertions that Christ was present during the destruction of Jerusalem.

(27) "For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."

To me it seems Jesus was saying that when He comes, just as lightning lights up the whole sky, so will His coming be; there will be no mistaking when He comes.  I think He was saying it so that they not be deceived by any other reports of Him, and also in answer to the second part of their question in verse 3 as to the sign of His coming and of the end of the world.  They thought it would all happen at the same time as the destruction of Jerusalem, but Jesus now answers how His coming would be.  It would not be in the various places people would claim Him to be, but there would be no doubt when He came.  However, many of the Biblical scholars I study suggest that what is meant is that He would be in the act of destroying Jerusalem, as the Roman army came in from the east and swept westward over the city.  I prefer my interpretation, but in whatever is meant, it can be said that Jesus would not be found in the city ready to deliver His people from the destruction; Jerusalem was going to be destroyed.

(28) "For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."

I believe Jesus was concluding His declaration that He would not be delivering Jerusalem from her fate.  She was already dead and the Roman eagles were coming for her.  It is written that the Roman armies indeed had eagles on their ensigns.

As this is a long chapter with much commentary, I will stop here in this post, and continue my study of the 24th chapter of Matthew in the next post.  In this first half of the chapter, Jesus has clearly answered the disciples' question about the signs of the coming end of Jerusalem.  

Jesus Teaches Humility, Love for the Lost, and Forgiveness

Continuing a study of the gospels:

(Matthew 18:1) At the same time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

At the end of the last chapter and post, temple tax collectors had asked Peter if his Master paid temple tax, and Jesus had instructed Peter to cast a hook and take a fish out of the sea which had money to pay the voluntary tax.  It was at this same time that the rest of the disciples joined Jesus and Peter, and came to ask Jesus who the greatest was in the kingdom of heaven.  By the kingdom of heaven, they meant the one being set up on earth.  They imagined Jesus was about to set up a temporal kingdom on earth of great splendor, and they wanted to know who would have the most principal office.

(2) And Jesus called a little child to Him, and set him in the midst of them.

At that question, Jesus called a little child to Him, and placed the child in the midst of He and His disciples.  

(3) And said, "Verily, I say to you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus told them that the first step toward entering into His kingdom of grace was to become as a little child, lowly in heart, knowing oneself to be ignorant and helpless, totally dependent on God for all needs.  Unless one was converted and became as a little child in that manner, he could not even enter into the kingdom of heaven, much less rule it.

(4) "Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus said that whoever humbled himself, behaving in a modest manner and preferring others over himself, not treating others with scorn or contempt, not practicing dominion over others, but placing himself among the most lowly, that person would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  When Jesus said to humble oneself as "this little child," He, of course, meant like any child of that age and innocence; He did not mean that there was anything particular about that particular child.

(5) "And whoever shall receive one such little child in My name receives Me."

Jesus furthermore added that whoever received a person with such humility and lowliness of opinion and ambition as that of a little child, meaning a true Christian of a meek, humble, and unambitious opinion of himself, was in fact, receiving Jesus Himself because that one was a true follower of Him.

(6) "But whoever will offend one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea."

By "little ones," Jesus obviously meant those who were as little children and believed in Him; He wasn't referring to all little children, although I am sure they were all quite precious to Him.  However, in this case, He was referring to those who had humbled themselves and followed Jesus.  Anyone offending those Christians, probably especially new or baby Christians, who might be discouraged by such offenses and quit their service to Christ, was guilty of a punishment equal to having a millstone hung around his neck and being thrown into the sea to drown.  After all, having such an opinion of true child-like Christians is having that opinion of Christ Himself, according to what Jesus implied Himself in verse 5.

(7) "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes."

Jesus proclaimed sorrow and misery to the world because of such offenses.  Those offenses must come because of the sin nature and depravity of man, but woe to the one who caused such offenses against Christ and Christianity.  The one who leads others to sin is more guilty than the sinners themselves.  Not only has he given into sin, but he has defiled purity and sought to destroy the souls of others.  I can't help but think about the sad state of some of our leaders who push abortion and homosexual marriage all over the world!  I couldn't help but think also of the offenses that must come to Christ in order that He should become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  They had to come in order to pave the way of salvation, but terrible sorrow and misery awaited those who caused it to happen.  Just because it was God's plan all along for our salvation, in no way means certain people were pre-destined to sin against Christ.  God has always known the future and the hearts of man, and used those things to work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

(8) "Therefore if your hand or your foot offends you, cut them off and cast them from you; it is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."

Jesus repeated what He had already said in a teaching back in Matthew 5:29-30.  If there is something in one's life that is causing him to sin, he must cut it off.  No sense of loss of that thing is greater than the joy of eternal life with Christ!  As the Apostle Paul would later write in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  Jesus wasn't actually suggesting that one start cutting limbs off to keep himself from sinning, but then again, if one is missing limbs or has a disability, could it not be a blessing in disguise that keeps him humble and dependent on Christ?

(9) "And if your eye offends you, pluck it out and cast it from you; it is better for you to enter life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."

Likewise, Jesus said if one's eye caused him to sin, it was better to pluck it out and be saved rather than die an eternal death with two good eyes.  The sense is the same--pluck out whatever is causing one to sin.  The loss of that thing is not worthy to be compared with eternal life with Jesus.

(10) "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father who is in heaven."

Jesus told His disciples to take care not to think of one of the little ones in Christ as beneath them; they were to be careful to receive and not offend the very weakest believer in Christ.  There has been so much damage from those who call themselves Christians to weak believers who see only pride and hypocrisy and want nothing to do with it.  We Christians should reflect Christ as He truly is.  Thankfully, weak believers don't have to rely solely on us.  Jesus said they have heavenly angels who have continual free access to their Father in heaven.

(11) "For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost."

Another and most important reason not to despise the little ones in Christ is because Jesus Himself had come to save the lost souls.  Weak believers in Christ are being drawn by Him, and are a work in progress and very special to Him.  Just as all Christians are, we are all a work in progress never reaching perfection, and at one time in a very lowly place, and most grateful to a loving Christ who saved us anyway.

(12) "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains and seek the one that has gone astray?"

Jesus illustrated with this analogy how important the lost sheep, and likewise the lost soul was.  The good shepherd would leave his ninety-nine obedient sheep and seek out his one lost sheep.  Likewise, we should see just how important the lost soul is to Christ.  He gives it more attention than His souls who are safely His, so we should never despise the lost soul, nor be jealous of attention we might otherwise think not deserving.  None of us are deserving of Christ's gift of salvation!

(13) "And if he should find it, verily, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than the ninety-nine that did not go astray."

Jesus went on to say that if the lost sheep was found, the shepherd rejoiced more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine obedient sheep that did not go astray.  This is like the parable of the prodigal son, which in this account in Luke, Jesus went on to tell.  The brother of the prodigal son was jealous of his father's celebration over his prodigal brother.  The father explained that he, his obedient son, had been with him always, and enjoyed all that he had; but it was a time for celebration in that his brother had been dead, and was now alive again, was lost and now found.  We must be mindful of that.  Followers of Christ have had Him leading them for as long as they have been followers.  We should never despise or be jealous of those who have seemingly been rewarded for their worldly sinful pursuits.  A true follower of Christ should remember what it was like to be lost, and be ever grateful that we were able to live in peace and joy in Christ, despite any circumstances; and furthermore, be glad that one lost so many more years has finally been found!

(14) "Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

Jesus said that like the shepherd who left all his other sheep to find the one gone astray, and rejoiced when he found it, so did the heavenly Father feel about His lost sheep; it was His will that none should perish.  From that, we can extrapolate that we should do all we can to encourage and love and celebrate the little ones in Christ.

(15) "Moreover, if your bother trespasses against you, go and tell him his fault against you and him alone; if he hears you, you have gained your brother."

We are to do all we can to love and encourage and lift up our brothers in Christ, but what about when our brother sins against us, bringing some sort of injury against us?  Jesus gave us the formula here.  First, we are to go and discuss the matter with the brother who sinned against us, just him alone.  If he hears and understands his trespass, then we have saved a brother.

(16) "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."

If the trespasser will not listen and refuses to see his sin, then one is to take one or two more people with him, people that the trespasser would esteem.  By doing this, a thing is established as fact, when two or three agree that it is sure and certain.

(17) "And if he is unwilling to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he refuses to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen man and a publican."

This brother was obviously a Christian brother because the matter was taken to the church if that brother refused to listen to the two or three.  He who condemns the judgment of the church condemns God; therefore if he refused to listen to the church, he was to be thought of as a heathen and a publican, that is profane and void of religion.

(18) "Verily I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Back in Matthew 16 when Jesus told Peter He would build His church, He told him the same thing He now told all His disciples.  In this context, it meant whatever the church as a whole, or the two or three in Christ's name, said should be binding on earth would be supported by God in heaven, and whatever they said should be loosened, would be approved by God.  This, of course, cannot be said of every so-called Christian church because many churches err.  This was the church of the apostles who got their doctrine straight from Jesus Christ.

(19) "Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven."

Jesus reiterated that if just two of the disciples agreed on earth concerning anything they asked for, it would be done by Father God.  Once again, this must be understood as only relating to the disciples who had been given the power by Jesus Christ.  However, the principle of two or three in agreement does appear throughout scripture.  I do believe united prayers are heard.  However, with us now, we don't always know the best outcome for a situation, and often pray for more immediate desires; but the Holy Spirit knows how to pray for the situation:

Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:26-28

(20) "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them."

What a beautiful promise!  Christ is with us when we join together in prayer.  Once again, I have to reiterate that it must be the real Christ's name; no mere teacher or prophet or whatever some religions believe Jesus to be.  He is God incarnate, so when we are gathered in His name, His Holy Spirit helps us to pray for the best outcome according to God's will.  Remember that God is all-good, all-just, all-loving; He can't do anything bad; it's not His nature.  Therefore, we can always trust Him!  It may not look like we have received the answer we want, but His answer is always the best!

(21) Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"

Having heard the rules Jesus gave regarding offences and brotherly reproofs, Peter asked Christ how often he should forgive his brother who might continually sin against him.  That seems a legitimate question, for if a person continually sins, might we assume that he is not sincere about repentance?  Peter asked if seven times was the limit.  Again, a reasonable guess, because the number seven usually represented fullness or completion.

(22) Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you until seven times, but until seventy times seven."

Jesus answered Peter that it was not merely seven times, but seventy times seven times he must forgive his brother.  Elsewhere Jesus explained in more detail that if his brother asked for forgiveness and repented, one must be willing to forgive his brother seventy times seven times (Luke 17:3-4).  Seventy times seven is not meant to be an exact number.  What person would count offenses up to 490, and then refuse to forgive at the 491st offense?  Seven being the number of perfection or completeness, seventy times seven is like saying seventy times completeness, which would mean an infinite number.  We should be willing to forgive a brother as many times as he asks for it, and repents.  While we might think there should be a limit to how many times you can believe a person is sorry and deserving of forgiveness, aren't we glad that Jesus does not number our offenses, and stop forgiving at the 491st offense?

(23) "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a certain king who would take account of his servants."

Jesus began an illustrative parable likening the kingdom of heaven to a king who would scrutinize the accounts of those serving him likely as his revenue collectors, as it will become clear these cannot be seen as ordinary servants.

(24) "And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents."

The king began scrutinizing his accounts, and found that one revenue collector owed him ten thousand talents.  This represented an astronomical amount of money!  Most of the old commentators I study calculated this in the terms of British money, and as Adam Clarke wrote in his Commentary on the Bible, it was, "An immense sum, which, if the silver talent be designed, amounts to 4,500,000 sterling; but if the gold talent be meant which is by far the most likely, then the amount is 67,500,000 sterling, a sum equal to the annual revenue of the British empire!"  A quick Google search of what it would be in today's standards found it to be millions or even billions of dollars, again just meant to represent an astronomical amount.

(25) "But as he was not able to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made."

The man could not pay this astronomical amount, so the king ordered that he be sold, along with his wife and children and everything he owned, as was the custom in ancient times to pay debts.  This, of course, represents sinful man, who could never repay his astronomical debt to his Lord God.  His debt would require his life and everything in it. 

(26) "The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, "Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all."

The man fell face down to the ground, worshipping his king, and begged him to have mercy and patience, and he vowed to pay all he owed.

(27) "Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and released him and forgave him the debt."

The lord or king of that servant was moved with compassion toward his servant who begged for mercy, and he released him and even forgave him his debt.  This represents our Father in heaven who had mercy on us sinners and gave us His son and forgave all our debts.

(28) "But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pence; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'"

That same servant who had been forgiven all then went out and found one of his fellow servants, a brother much like himself, who happened to owe him a hundred pence, which would be about $16 in today's American money.  He violently grabbed the fellow servant by the throat, threatening him and demanding that he pay him what he owed him.  Imagine this as the man who has been forgiven so much by his heavenly Father, and he now refused to forgive someone who owed him so little.

(29) "And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and beseeched him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'"

The original servant who was forgiven all was begged by his fellow servant to have mercy and patience, and he vowed to pay all he owed him.  This could represent the brother in Peter's question who asked for forgiveness.

(30) "But he would not, and went and cast him into prison until he could pay the debt."

The servant who was owed $16 by his fellow servant would not have patience and had his debtor thrown into prison until he paid him.  So what about the brother who had been forgiven so much by his heavenly Father, and refused to forgive his brother so little?  Christ continued:

(31) "So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done."

Fellow servants, or brothers, to both these servants were very much grieved by what they saw the one servant do to the other, so they went and told their lord what had been done.  It seems even his fellow servants could see he did wrong by not forgiving.

(32) "Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, 'O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. (33) Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?'"

Indeed his lord king called the servant to him, and called him wicked because he, the king, had forgiven him so much when he had pleaded with him, yet the servant refused to have compassion on his fellow servant.  Of course, this represents Father God forgiving us so much, and us not forgiving others, who owe us far, far less, in context.

(34) "And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him."

The lord king was very angry with his servant who refused to forgive his fellow servant, and he threw him in prison with torturers until he should pay all he owed him.  This is symbolic of God condemning sinners to hell, those who refuse to accept His deliverance and salvation by demonstrating love and forgiveness for their brothers.  Of course, we could never pay all that is owed our Father God, so hell will be eternal.

(35) "So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, if you from your hearts do not forgive every one of your brothers their trespasses."

Indeed, Jesus finished His parable in answer to Peter, that Father God would not forgive us our sins if we refused to forgive others truly in our hearts, and that means an infinite number of times, as God infinitely and eternally forgives us our debts.  As Jesus said when He taught His disciples how they should pray in the sixth chapter of Matthew, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12); and, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).  Just as our heavenly Father forgives us eternally, we must be willing to forgive infinitely.

I believe the highlights of this chapter are Jesus's teaching on humility, His love for the lost sheep, and the necessity for forgiveness.  We must come to Jesus as little children; the most humble is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus has great love for the lost sheep; they are the ones He came to save.  Christians are safe and secure in Jesus Christ; they have angels in heaven appointed as their guardians.  We must show love for the little ones in Christ, and never look down upon them, for there but for the grace of God were we.  We must be willing to endlessly forgive, as God has infinitely forgiven us.

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).