OVERVIEW:
The feeding of the five thousand (chapter 14); the condemnation of false prophets (chapter 15); the great confession (chapter 16).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Because of the specific peculiarities of Matthew’s Gospel, each of the past four days we have sought to lay down some foundational understandings to keep us “in bounds” doctrinally. Most of our discussion has focused on the importance of identifying the Jew and the Jewish nature of this gospel, as well as distinguishing between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. Because the information has been coming in pieces, let’s take a few moments to make sure we see how all of the pieces fit together to form the big picture.
The theme of the Bible revolves around a kingdom. The Bible begins with a struggle over a throne (Isaiah 14:13) and it ends with someone sitting on a throne (Revelation 11:15). Everything in between is really nothing more than God moving to put His Son on that throne, and the devil doing everything within his power, not only to stop Him, but to put himself on that throne. (2nd Thessalonians 2:4) The kingdom, as it is described and defined in Scripture, has two distinct dimensions. These two dimensions are delineated in the word of God through the descriptive phrases, the “kingdom of God” and the “kingdom of heaven”. Understanding what and where these kingdoms are as history unfolds through the Bible is, quite simply, the difference between sound doctrine and false doctrine.
The “kingdom of heaven”, sometimes referred to as the “kingdom of Israel” (Hosea 1:4; Acts 1:6), is a literal, physical kingdom on the earth, where a literal king is sitting on a literal throne in literal Jerusalem, ruling and reigning governmentally over the entire literal earth. This is the kingdom Isaiah prophesied would be established by the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 9:6-7) It is interesting to note that the only time the “kingdom of heaven” is mentioned by name in the entire New Testament is in the gospel written specifically to the Jews, the Gospel of Matthew, where it appears 33 times! The fact that this phrase is found exclusively in the Gospel of Matthew certainly must arrest our attention to the Jewish scope of its fulfillment! (Note: This literal earthly kingdom is referred to as the kingdom of heaven because from heaven’s vantage point, God chose the EARTH, which is in the midst of the HEAVENS, as the capital of the universe.)
The kingdom of God, on the other hand, is not a PHYSICAL kingdom. As we seek to allow the Bible to define and describe this kingdom for us, we find that “it is not meat and drink” (Romans 14:17), it is not “flesh and blood” (1st Corinthians 15:50), it does not come “with observation” (Luke 17:20), we cannot say “here it is” or “there it is” (Luke 17:21), and it is not even something that is expressed with “words”, but with “power” (1st Corinthians 4:20). Rather, this kingdom is a SPIRITUAL kingdom that is entered by a spiritual birth (John 3:3-5), and is placed within us (Luke 17:21).
As we have continuously talked about, distinguishing between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven is paramount, because as Jesus sent forth the Apostles in Matthew 10, He sent them to “preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:7) They were, therefore, sent to preach a “kingdom of heaven” message intended specifically for the Jews! (i.e., the nation of Israel) In fact, they were specifically instructed NOT to carry this message to the Samaritans (half Jew/half Gentile), nor to the Gentiles. (Matthew 10:5)
Interestingly, after the nation of Israel received their final offer of the kingdom of heaven, through Stephen’s incredible discourse to the ruling council of Israel in Acts 7, in the very next chapter, Philip is led by the Spirit to preach to the Samaritans! It is important to note, that this is where the transition in the book of Acts actually begins. You will also notice, that at this point in the New Testament, the message switched from the “kingdom of heaven” to the “kingdom of God”. (Acts 8:5, 12)
What this reveals to us, is that we must be very careful concerning the message we preach today! We must not proclaim a kingdom of heaven message in this dispensation, lest we commit the blasphemy Jesus warned about in Revelation 2:9 (functioning like Jews when we aren’t Jews). Likewise, we must be careful not to pattern our methods in this dispensation as we proclaim the kingdom of God, after those who went proclaiming the kingdom of heaven. In this dispensation, we do not follow the model of the Twelve, the Seventy, or even the church in Jerusalem (Acts 2), but rather, we follow the model of the church at Antioch! (Acts 13)
The church at Antioch proclaimed the kingdom of God (the spiritual kingdom), sent out missionaries, and established local churches, because the local church is the vehicle in this dispensation through which our Lord is carrying out His plan to bring worshippers into His spiritual kingdom, and ultimately, into the physical one!
A few comments about some of the verses in today’s reading:
- 14:1 – Herod, like many in positions of power and authority today, fears everything he SHOULDN’T and nothing he SHOULD. He fears John (14:4), the multitude (14:5), and embarrassment (14:9). One thing he DOESN’T fear, is GOD!
- 14:14 – As we behold the sin-sick multitudes all around us, may we, likewise, be moved with compassion!
- 14:24-25 – The storms of life that threaten to overwhelm us, consume us, and destroy us are no problem for Jesus. In the context of the story, maybe we could say, “What threatens to be over our head, is under Jesus’ feet!”
- 16:15-19 – This is a highly controversial passage, and historically, has been a breeding ground for much false doctrine. Keep in mind that “the church” to which Jesus is referring in this passage is built upon “THE” Rock! Not Peter, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!
- Notice what “keys” it was that Peter, the Apostle to the Jews (!!!), actually received in this passage. It was the “keys of the kingdom of heaven”! (16:19) Notice also, that when we move into the early chapters of the book of Acts, that it is still the “kingdom of heaven” message that is being preached, so Peter, with the “keys” to the kingdom, is the predominant voice. Once the final offer of the kingdom was made to the Jewish ruling council through Stephen in Acts 7, however, God immediately makes the transition to the “half Jew/half Gentile” Samaritans in Acts 8. Then, in chapter 9, God calls out the Apostle to the Gentiles (Saul, who would become Paul), and in chapter 10, Saul (Paul) preaches a “kingdom of God” message to Gentiles, like you and me. From this point forward in the book of Acts, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is the predominant voice.