Matt 16-17 Parables

 Let's pick up where we left off…Parables.

Mat 17:22-23 

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men; 23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised up. And they were exceeding sorry. 

1. Vs22-23 Natural Jesus is delivered up into the hands of men and killed. And raised up on the third day

2. Vs22-23 What might this say about the spiritual body of Christ?

Mat 17:24-27

24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? 25 He saith, Yea. And when he came into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers? 26 And when he said, From strangers, Jesus said unto him, Therefore the sons are free. 27 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

1. Vs24 The half shekel?

Exo 30:13-15 

13 This they shall give, every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel for an offering to Jehovah. 14 Every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of Jehovah. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.

Note: The church desires their congregation to tithe. Why note the shekel of the sanctuary also?

2. Vs24 Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel?

3. Vs25 Yes he does

4. Vs25 Jesus seems to beat Peter into the house for a reason. Prob a teachable moment for Jesus.

5. Vs25 What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers?

1. Kings of the earth? 

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array,  And the rulers were gathered together,  Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:

2. From Psa 2-2

Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves,  And the rulers take counsel together,  Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,

3. From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute?

1. Didn't God tell the Jews to collect the shekel  of the sanctuary?

2. What might Jesus be suggesting about the Jewish religious leadership by calling them "the kings of the earth"? They are corrupt

4. From sons or strangers? Is the idea that corrupt people extract tolls from strangers?

6. Vs26 Peter says "from strangers". Jesus says "therefore the sons are free". What does this mean?

1. Both he and Peter technically don't need to pay the half-shekel.

2. Technically what does the sanctuary point to? God/Jesus And here's there with them so shouldnt He be exempt?

1. Isa 8:14-15 

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

7. Vs27 but so we don't cause them to stumble? 

1. Maybe now is not the time to draw the battle lines

2. Maybe they are still required to follow the Old testament law until Jesus death on the cross

8. Vs27 go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that FIRST cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

1. What does this mean?

Mat 16:1-4

1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But he answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed. 

1. Vs1 Why do the Pharisees and Sadducees usually show up? To test or trap

2. Vs2-3 When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times. Meaning?

3. Vs4 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. 

1. Evil and adulterous generation?

2. Seeketh after a sign

3. What is the sign of Jonah?

1. 3 days and 3 nites in the belly of whale?

2. Jumping willingly overboard to save the crew?

3. Ninevites repent after hearing Jonah's message but soon return to their former sins and eventually are destroyed?

Mat 16:5-12

5 And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread. 6 And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread. 8 And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread? 9 Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 12 Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 

1. Vs5 The disciples get to the other side (of the lake?) and realize that they forgot to take bread.

1. Maybe they forgot to leave themselves a reminder?

2. Vs6 Jesus seems to overhear them and says "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

1. Why?

2. What is leaven? Good or bad?

1. Vines: metaphorically of corrupt doctrine, of error as mixed with the truth

3. What is the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus is speaking of from vs 1-5?

1. Seeking a sign

2. Unbelief

3. Improperly discerning the spiritual signs of the times

4. Any more?

4. So why would Jesus wait until the disciples get to the other side and recognize that they forgot bread to spring on them: "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

1. Don't tell…maybe the context will tell us.

3. Vs7 So the disciples reason among themselves, saying, "We took no bread."

1. Why?

4. Vs8 Jesus perceives it and says "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread?"

1. "O ye of little faith" is a pet nickname that Jesus has for His disciples. Uses it 5x times in gospels only to his disciples

2. "Why deliberate among yourselves because he have no bread?" Thoughts?

5. Vs9 Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How many were left?

1. 12 full baskets

2. What does 12 represent? Sons of Jacob, 12 disciples, walls of new Jerusalem

1. Bullinger- is a perfect number, signifying perfection of government, or of governmental perfection. It is found as a multiple in all that has to do with rule. 

6. Vs10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How many were left?

1. Seven full baskets

2. What does 7 represent?

1. great number of spiritual perfection via the Holy Spirit

7. Vs11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

1. Does Jesus reveal the riddle? No

8. Vs12 Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

1. Do the disciples understand? It doesn't appear that they do

2. What is the riddle?

1. Joh 6:51 

I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.

3. Jesus IS the living bread. Let's plug this back into the parable.

1. Remember: 

Jesus = the bread (or the living bread)

4. The leaven of the Pharisee's and Sadducees was:

1. Seeking a sign

2. Unbelief

3. Improperly discerning the spiritual signs of the times

5. Were the disciples guilty of the leaven of the Pharisee's and Sadducees? Yes

1. Certainly UNBELIEF

2. And inability to discern the spiritual signs of the times

1.  of His feeding of the 5000

 

2. Of His feeding of the 4000.

3. Inability to understand the spiritual application of Jesus' words.

1. And the simple fact that the disciples DID bring bread with them, the living bread. 

2. And even if they didn't bring natural bread with them, the living bread has the ability to create natural bread for them, if necessary.