OVERVIEW:

The Servant’s suffering (chapter 14:1-15:20); the Servant’s death (chapter 15:21-41); the Servant’s burial (chapter 15:42-47); the Servant’s resurrection (chapter 16:1-18); the Servant’s ascension (chapter 16:19-20).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Chapters 14 through 16 in today’s reading break down into two neatly formed sections:

• The last six PLACES in the Servant’s WALK.
• The last four EVENTS in the Servant’s WORK.

First of all, let’s make our way through the last six PLACES in the Servant’s WALK:

Place #1 – In the town of Bethany. (14:1-11) It was here that Jesus was WORSHIPPED. This account lets us know that Jesus appreciates worship that is “out of the box”! (14:3) Jesus has already revealed the events of the His suffering and death, and nobody seemed to care. (10:32-34) Nobody appeared to have been compassionate enough to even question what He meant! The only question in the disciples’ minds was where they would be sitting in the kingdom. (10:35-41) But, then there was Mary. Rather than wait to use her precious ointment to anoint the body of her Savior after His death (14:8), Mary is passionate to lavish her love, adoration, and worship on Him while He was in her midst. Do recognize that when our worship is “outside of the box” and out of the “mainstream”, it will cause the “mainstream” to have the same response toward us that they had toward Mary: “They murmured against her”. (14:5)

Place #2 – In the upper room. (14:12-26) It was here that Jesus was BETRAYED. What an incredible contrast! Coming off the heels of this glorious act of worship in 14:1-11, Mark records the most hideous act of treason! One of our Lord’s very own disciples would betray Him. What must have been going through our Lord’s mind and heart as He spent these final hours with His disciples, knowing full well that as He handed the bread that represented His body to Judas, the hands that reached out to receive it were the very hands that, in only minutes, would reach out to receive the money for offering the body of Christ to be crucified.

Place #3 – In the garden of Gethsemane. (14:27-52) It was here that Jesus was FORSAKEN. Peter is a classic example of the old adage, “Talk is cheap.” Again, knowing full well what Peter would do in the next few hours, Jesus invites him, James, and John to go further than the rest of the disciples (14:33), allowing them to enter, not only another level of information, but another level of intimacy with their Lord. How sad, that at the very time that our Lord, in His humanness, most needed the love and support of His friends (14:34), He was forsaken. First, the “intimate three” (Peter, James, and John) slept through His deepest sorrow (14:37), then verse 50 adds, “And they all forsook him, and fled.” Note that the real battle Jesus faced, however, was won before He ever got to the cross! It was the battle fought in Gethsemane between “My will” and “Thy will.” It is, likewise, in the “Gethsemanes” of our life, that battles are won or lost.

Place #4 – In the high priest’s palace. (14:53-72) It was here that Jesus was DENIED. Not only was Jesus plotted against by the chief priests and the council; lied about by the very ones He had come to redeem; but vehemently denied by the very one who vehemently vowed that he would die himself before denying Him! A quick overview of Peter’s track record through Mark’s Gospel reveals that Peter:

• ARGUED when he should have SUBMITTED. (8:32-33)
• TALKED when he should have LISTENED. (9:5-7)
• SLEPT when he should have PRAYED. (14:37-38)
• FOUGHT when he should have SURRENDERED. (14:47)
• DENIED when he should have WITNESSED. (14:66-71)

We read those things and are tempted to criticize Peter until we realize that he sounds a whole lot like us! Note also, that Peter was remorseful and repentant (14:72) and forgiven (John 21).

Place #5 – In Pilate’s hall. (15:1-20) It was here that Jesus was CONDEMNED. In order to be condemned to death, the Jewish council recognized that they had to find some way to convince Pilate that Jesus had been guilty of a capital offense. (John 18:31-32) There was only one possibility, and that was to twist Jesus’ claim to be King as a statement against Rome’s authority, making Him appear as a political revolutionary. Pilate recognizes, however, that the accusations of the chief priests were all bogus and born out of envy. (15:10) Pilate, hoping to avoid having to make a controversial decision concerning Jesus, offers to release one prisoner, either Barabbas or Jesus, thinking that the people certainly would never choose to release someone guilty of murder! The chief priests, however, had “worked” the people ahead of time (15:11), and they cry out for the release of Barabbas, and for Jesus to be crucified (15:12-14). Verse 15 is tremendously revealing: “And so Pilate, willing to content the people…” Mark it down, being a people-pleaser will invariable lead to unbelievable and unthinkable compromise!

Place # 6 – On Golgotha. (15:21-41) It was here that Jesus was CRUCIFIED. Mark provides us a time sequence of the crucifixion:

• “The third hour” (15:25) – 9 a.m. – Jesus was nailed to the cross.
• “The sixth hour” (15:33) – 12 noon – Darkness for the next three hours.
• “The ninth hour” (15:34-37) – 3 p.m. – Jesus’ final words; and then He “gave up the ghost.”

The last section of Mark’s Gospel presents the last four EVENTS in the Servant’s WORK:

• Event #1 – The Servant’s DEATH. (15:21-41)
• Event #2 – The Servant’s BURIAL. (15:42-47)
• Event #3 – The Servant’s RESURRECTION. (16:1-18)
• Event #4 – The Servant’s ASCENSION. (16:19-20)

OVERVIEW:

The Servant’s paradoxes (chapter 10); the Servant in Jerusalem (chapters 11-12); the Servant unveils the last days (chapter 13).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we pick up in chapter 10 today, Jesus continues His teaching ministry. The Gospel of Mark centers around what Jesus DID, but not to the exclusion of what He TAUGHT. In this chapter, Jesus reveals that His wisdom is different than the world’s, and different from our own natural inclinations. As Jesus teaches in this chapter, His teaching centers around five key paradoxes:

Paradox #1 – Two shall be one. (10:1-12) Jesus reveals that God’s intention in marriage has always been ONE man and woman, for ONE lifetime, because they have become ONE flesh. Jesus reveals that God has not changed His position about the sanctity of marriage. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), divorce was only ever a concession because of the hardness of men’s hearts (Mark 10:5), and the ensuing remarriage that typically follows a divorce leads to adultery (Mark 10:11-12). Choose wisely.

Paradox #2 – Adults must become as children. (10:13-16) We are constantly striving to get children to act like adults. Jesus said that entrance into the kingdom of God necessitates adults becoming as children. Obviously, Jesus is referring to adults becoming child-LIKE, not child-ISH.

Paradox #3 – The first shall be last; and the last first. (10:17-31) This passage reveals at least four things that keep people from genuine salvation:

Though not known by name, this “rich young ruler” has become infamous in the fact that he is the only man in Scripture who ever came to Jesus, and went away worse than he came. Sadly, many through the centuries have been just as close to the King and entering His kingdom, yet followed this young man down the same “sorrowful” and “grievous” path of life (and death!)

Paradox #4 – The greatest of all is the servant of all. (10:32-45) It certainly isn’t true in the world’s economy, but it most certainly is in God’s! The greatest example of this truth, as the passage reveals, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (10:45) Philippians 2:5-11 provides an incredible explanation of this paradox. Though our Lord Jesus Christ has always eternally existed in perfect equality with the Father in the Godhead, He humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant. He not only humbled Himself by becoming a man, but by dying as a man. But His humility wasn’t just that He died, but the fact that He died the most humiliating death of all, “even the death of the cross.” It was that very servanthood that caused the Father to exalt Him as the absolute greatest of all, and that has caused us to exalt Him to the place of Lordship in our lives!

Paradox #5 – It is the blind who see, and the seeing who are blind. (10:46-52) The scribes and Pharisees thought that they could see perfectly in the spiritual realm, when in reality, they were completely blind. This physically blind man, however, had perfect vision in the spiritual realm. Don’t forget to factor into this paradox the fact that Jesus said that one of the chief characteristics of Christians in our day is that we think we see perfectly in the spiritual realm, when in reality we are completely blind. (Revelation 3:17-18)

As we move into chapter 11, recognize that we are already moving into the last eight days of Jesus’ life. Again, because this Gospel is written to Gentiles, rather than spending time focusing on citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, like Matthew did in addressing the Jews, Mark makes a beeline toward that glorious truth that allows Gentiles to become citizens of the kingdom of God: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. From a “big picture” standpoint, chapters 11 through 13 record events that present Christ, the “servant of all,” in three of His primary offices:

• The Servant is presented as KING. (11:1-11)
• The Servant is presented as JUDGE. (11:12-26)
• The Servant is presented as PROPHET. (11:27-13:37)

Note that in chapter 13, Jesus prophesies concerning the final week of years (7 years) from Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) that we call the Tribulation Period. In this passage He unveils:

• The first half of the Tribulation in 13:5-13.
• The middle of the Tribulation in 13:14-18.
• The last half of the Tribulation in 13:19-27.

Note also the “four watches of the night” in 13:35:

• 1^st watch – Called “Even” (i.e. “Evening”) – From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• 2^nd watch – Called “Midnight” – From 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.
• 3^rd watch – Called “Cockcrowing” – From 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.
• 4^th watch – “Morning” – From 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

In terms of church history, the approximate dates that coincide with these “four watches of the night” are as follows:

• 1^st watch – “Evening” – From c. 33 A.D. to c. 533 A.D.
• 2^nd watch – “Midnight” – From c. 533 A.D. to c. 1033 A.D.
• 3^rd watch – “Cockcrowing” – From c. 1033 A.D. to c. 1533 A.D.
• 4^th watch – “Morning” – From c.1533 A.D. to c. 2033 A.D.

We are living in the very final minutes (and maybe even seconds!) of the final watch of the night. Take special note of Jesus’ final words in chapter 13: “And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH!”

OVERVIEW:

The Servant teaches (chapter 7:1-8:26); the Servant reveals that suffering leads to glory (chapter 8:27-9:13); the Servant reveals that power comes from faith (chapter 9:14-29); the Servant reveals that service leads to honor (chapter 9:30-50).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

For the past several days we’ve been laying down the pieces that will give us the “big picture” of Mark’s Gospel. Today, let’s begin by pulling all the pieces together into a concise, easy-to-open package.

1. Information About the Author.

• His name: Mark

• His name means: “A Defense”

• His mother’s name is Mary. (Acts 12:12)

• He is also called John. (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37)

• He is also referred to in scripture as Marcus. (Colossians 4:10, Philemon 1:24; 1^st Peter 5:13)

• His uncle is Barnabus. (Colossians 4:10)

• He was a minister or servant on Paul’s first missionary journey. (Acts 15:48)

• He quit the team (45 A.D.) (Acts 13:13)

• He was rejected by Paul as a participant on the second missionary journey. (Acts 15:48)

• He became profitable for the ministry again (66 A.D.) (2^nd Timothy 4:11)

• He was a convert of the Apostle Peter. (1^st Peter 5:13)

• Facts About the Gospel

• Approximate date of writing: 57-63 A.D.

• Written from: Jerusalem

• Dates of the recorded events: 26 A.D. – 33 A.D.

• Theme: Christ as the Willing Servant

• Christ is seen as: The Servant of the Lord

• Key Verse: Mark 10:45

• Key Words: Straightway (19 times); Immediately (17 times)

• Chapters: 16, Verses: 678, Words: 15,844

• Features of This Gospel

• This Gospel refers to Christ as Lord only two times in contrast to the other three gospels which refer to Christ as Lord a total of 73 times.

• This Gospel lets us know not only WHAT Christ did in His earthly ministry, but HOW He did it.

• This Gospel contains 11 fulfilled prophecies.

• A Simple Outline of This Gospel

• The Servant’s WORK (Chapters 1-10)

• The Servant’s SACRIFICE (Chapters 11-16)

Allow me to offer a few “pithy” comments as we move through today’s reading:

• 7:1 – As soon as you see the scribes and Pharisees approaching, you can bank on it–it ain’t gonna be good!
• 7:7 –This little definition will let you know that the scribes and Pharisees live on in many Bible-believing churches. The tell-tale sign is that they “teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” They pride themselves in their “holy standards”, and see themselves as those who champion God’s word, while Jesus says they actually “make the word of God of none effect through [their] tradition.” (7:13)
• 7:15 – It’s not the stuff we put in our mouths that God is concerned about, it’s the things that come out of our mouths!
• 7:20-23 – As in every sin situation, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart!”
• 7:34 – This is an unbelievably powerful glimpse into God’s heart. Check this out… before Jesus heals this guy, “He sighed.” What’s that “sigh” about? Jesus recognizes that it wasn’t supposed to be this way! Sickness, disease, handicaps, etc., are all part of the curse of sin that we invited upon ourselves.
• 8:12 – This is a different “sigh” here. This is the “how-proud-can-these-Pharisees-get” sigh!
• 8:14 – The disciples get themselves a little worked up because there’s only one loaf of bread in the boat between them all, and fail to realize that the very “Bread of life” is in the boat! (We can’t be too harsh on them, however, we do it just about every day.)
• 8:29-33 – It is amazing that people can be used of God in one breath (Matthew 16:17), and used of Satan in the next! Don’t forget that. (Remember, it’s just as true about me and you as it is for the person you just thought of!)
• 9:5-7 – With a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth, Peter is spouting off, talking for the sake of talking! (9:6) You just gotta love how the Father interrupts him: “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” If I may paraphrase, “Yeah, yeah, Peter, thank you for your wonderful ideas, but it’s not time to talk right now, it’s time to listen!” I wonder how many times, on a daily basis, God would like to speak a similar rebuke to us!
• 9:29 – Maybe this prescription is what it will take for God to answer that unanswered prayer request that you believe to be His will!
• 9:31-32 – We call this “selective hearing.” (Ladies, you know that we men have a bad case of it!) We hear what we want to hear, and don’t hear what we don’t want to hear.
• 9:33-35 – Remember, as Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14–22; 2^nd Timothy 3:1–2), we are characterized biblically by the love of SELF! Sometimes rather than “denying ourSELVES” (8:34), we have simply traded arenas where self vaunts itself. Before coming to Christ, we vaunted ourselves in the WORLD. Many times, after coming to Christ, we vaunt ourselves in the CHURCH! Oh, God, help us! (see 3^rd John 9)
• 9:43-48 – The Jehovah’s False Witnesses would have us believe that hell is nothing but the grave. Dig up any grave anywhere on this entire planet, however, and you’ll not find it burning with unquenchable fire!
• 9:50 – Is there anyone with whom you need to seek peace today?

OVERVIEW:

The Servant conquers a storm (chapter 4); the Servant conquers demons (chapter 5); the Servant sends out His disciples (chapter 6).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Because the narrative nature of the Gospels makes them relatively easy to understand, our comments yesterday focused on the “big picture” of Mark’s Gospel, and how it fits into God’s plan to present the Lord Jesus Christ “to the Jew first (the Gospel of Matthew) and also to the Gentile (the Gospel of Mark)”. (Romans 2:10) Today we will center our attention on the unique authorship of this book.

As in Matthew, there is no specific verse that states that Mark is actually the author of this Gospel. God did promise, however, to preserve His words, and that certainly would include the title of the books! Very simply, we know that Mark is the author because God said that this book is “The Gospel According To St. Mark”! Because of the testimony of Papias, one of the very early “Church Fathers”, it is commonly believed that Mark received the “eyewitness” information from the Apostle Peter, who according to 1^st Peter 5:13, had won Mark to Christ and discipled him.

From the book of Acts we learn that Mark is the surname of the author and that his first name is actually, John. Acts 12:12, 25 and 15:37 state very clearly, “John, whose surname was Mark.” John Mark came from a Christian family. The first time that he is mentioned in the Bible being in connection with his mother, whose name was Mary, who had opened her home for prayer when Peter had been imprisoned by Herod. (Acts 12:1-2) His mother’s brother was Barnabus, which, of course, meant that John Mark was his nephew. (Colossians 4:10)

When Barnabus and Saul (soon to be Paul) returned from Jerusalem in Acts 12, John Mark accompanied them to Antioch. (Acts 12:25) Later, when Barnabus and Saul were sent out of the church of Antioch on their first missionary journey, John Mark was included as a part of their missionary team. (Acts 13:4-5) Not long into their journey, however, John Mark had had “enough”, and headed back home. (Acts 13:13)

The Scripture doesn’t say why he went home. Perhaps it was tougher than he thought it was going to be. Maybe the pace was too fast, the persecution too intense, the demonic activity too freaky. Maybe he was just plain old homesick! For whatever reason, he went home, and Paul quietly determined, never again!

Sometime later, when Paul and Barnabus were about to head out on their second missionary journey, Barnabus had determined that John Mark would accompany them again. (Acts 15:36-37) Paul looked at the WORK of God and said, “This WORK is too important to God for us to give him a second chance!” (Acts 15:38). Barnabus looked at the CHILD of God, and said, “This SERVANT is too important to God for us NOT to give him a second chance!” Who was right? Your answer will probably be determined by your personality and the gifts of the Spirit you possess. Regardless, the contention between Paul and Barnabus concerning John Mark was so sharp, they decided to part ways. (Acts 15:39-40)

But in time, something tremendously significant had taken place in this sensitive young man’s life. In Colossians 4:10-11, John Mark (Marcus) was with Paul, and Paul calls him a “fellow-worker”. He’s with him again in Philemon 24, where Paul calls him his “fellow-labourer”. At the end of Paul’s life, he specifically requests his presence, stating, “for he is profitable to me for the ministry”. (2^nd Timothy 4:11) It may have been Paul’s rejection that arrested John Mark’s attention to see how serious God’s work actually is that God used to change him into a faithful servant. Or, it may have been Barnabus’ ministry of consolation (see Acts 4:36) that carefully restored him, and gently groomed him into a place of usefulness and profitability in Christ’s service. Or, maybe it was solely the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God working through John Mark as he wrote this Gospel that bears his name, revealing to him what true servanthood really is, as he was confronted with it through the life and death of his Saviour. Or, it could have been a combination of all three things! In whatever way it happened, praise the Lord, John Mark became a faithful, useable, profitable servant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Have you blown a major opportunity (or opportunities) to serve the Lord in your past? Have you been prone to discouragement, and defeat in your service for Christ? Are you in need of a second chance… a third… or even a fourth? Allow the restored, renewed, and revived ministry of John Mark, through this Gospel God used him to pen, to point you to the one true model of servanthood, our Lord Jesus Christ!

OVERVIEW:

The Servant presented (chapter 1); the Servant in action (chapter 2); the Servant assisted (chapter 3).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we made our way through the Gospel of Matthew we were clearly able to see that everything in that entire book was written to JEWS to present Jesus Christ as the KING. In perfect contrast, everything we will see in the entire Gospel of Mark is written to GENTILES to present Jesus Christ as a SERVANT.

Because the Gospel of Mark is written to GENTILES, it has several distinctive features:

1. It does not begin with a genealogy because Gentiles are not typically preoccupied with Jesus’ lineage. They have little interest because they have no blood connection with Abraham or David.
2. It does not have an abundance of quotes or references to the Old Testament as did Matthew, because Gentiles are typically unfamiliar with the Old Testament. Mark builds his case not on “signs” and “scripture” like Matthew, but on the most powerful piece of evidence in a Gentile court – eyewitnesses! (Mark 10:46; 14:3; 15:21; 16:1) It is also the only Gospel that gives an explanation of Jewish customs and teachings that a Gentile might not be familiar with. (Mark 12:18; 7:3-4; 14:12; 15:42)
3. It is the shortest of the four gospels, because God knows that Gentiles typically have a short attention span, and are more interested in action than words (i.e. “action movies” are popular not because of their plot, but because of their action. Romans found it entertaining to go to the coliseum to watch the gladiators–it’s action!) Therefore, Mark emphasizes Jesus’ actions more than His teachings. For example, whereas Matthew took three entire chapters to record the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Mark totally skips the sermon, which chronologically, would have taken place in chapter 1, and goes directly to the action that followed the sermon.
4. It moves quickly and directly to the main event of the book: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, which of course, is the main purpose for a Gentile reader. Mark’s emphasis is on being a citizen of the “kingdom of God”, not being a citizen of the “kingdom of heaven”. Note that 40% of this gospel deals with the last eight days of Jesus’ life. That is what is significant to Gentiles.

Because the Gospel of Mark is also written to present Jesus Christ as a SERVANT, it likewise, possesses several distinctive features that reflect that emphasis:

1. No genealogy is listed in Mark, not only because of its Gentile audience, but because the record of the birth of a servant is unimportant and insignificant.
2. The key words in this gospel are “straightway” (19 times) and “immediately” (17 times). These are words used to describe the actions of a servant. A servant simply does WHAT he is told, WHEN he is told! The WORDS of a servant pale in comparison to his WORKS. It is interesting to note that it is only in the Gospel of Mark that the hands of Jesus are prominent. (Mark 1:31; 6:2; 8:23, 25: 9:27) Hands are symbolic of the work of a servant.
3. The key verse in the book, Mark 10:45, portrays Christ’s servanthood: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Note that this verse also provides a perfect outline of the Book:

• The Servant’s Work (chapters 1-10)
• The Servant’s Sacrifice (chapters 11-16)

Though Mark clearly presents Christ as a Servant, it is more than apparent that the Holy Spirit directed Mark to emphasize the deity of Christ. At least five times the “Servant of all” (Mark 10:43-44) is referred to as “Son of God”, “Son of the Most High God”, and “Christ, the Son of the blessed” (Mark 1:1; 3:11; 5:7; 14:61; 15:39). To confirm His deity, Mark records over 20 of Christ’s miracles, demonstrating His supreme power and authority over demons, disease, death, and nature. (1:21-28; 1:29-31; 1:32-34; 1:40-45; 2:3-12; 3:1-6; 4:35-41; 5:1-20; 5:25-34; 5:22-24, 35-43; 6:31-44; 6:45-50; 6:51-54; 7:24-30; 7:31-37; 8:1-9; 8:22-26; 9:2-10; 9:14-29; 10:46-52; 11:12-14, 20-26; 16:1-11; 16:19-20)

OVERVIEW:

The King’s trial (chapter 26:57-27:26); the King’s suffering and death (chapter 27:77-66); the King’s victory (chapter 28).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Based on Hebrews 9:16-17, we will actually enter the New Testament in our reading today: “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” Though that is foreign to our typical thinking about the Gospels, we have learned that applying this biblical principle is key to keeping our bearings in what we commonly refer to as the New Testament.

Today’s reading is rich and full and running over with many things worthy of commentary. Because most of those comments you could make yourself, perhaps the best investment of our time today would be in discussing the time factors involved in the last week of our Saviour’s life on the earth.

Traditionally, most have taught through the centuries, that Jesus died on what we call “Good Friday”. The tradition was handed down, however, through the Roman Catholic Church. That, in and of itself, does not necessarily make it wrong (because they also believe and teach concerning the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, His bodily resurrection, etc.) but anything handed down through that church should always raise about ten trillion red flags!

Note: May I go on record here by saying that I absolutely love Roman Catholics…but I absolutely hate their church! To date, a full one-sixth of the world’s population professes to be Roman Catholic. While this system refers to itself as “Christian” (the word Catholic actually means “universal Christianity”), they propagate what 2^nd Corinthians 11:4 calls, “another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel”! The Roman Catholic Church damns people’s souls to Hell, while its followers think they are following the Jesus of the Bible! This church is damnably deceptive, and that is the reason for such strong, and seemingly harsh sounding statements. (See how Jesus’ commends the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-2 for their “harsh” stance against such false teaching!) Our hearts truly should break for people trapped in that system, and we must constantly be looking for and praying for opportunities to be able to love them past the blinders (2^nd Corinthians 4:4) the enemy is using to hold them captive in his snare (2^nd Timothy 2:26).

Now, back to the discussion at hand. The key problem with the death of Christ taking place on “Good Friday” is that Jesus said in Matthew 12:40, “For as Jonas (Jonah) was THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (See also, Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:63; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:46; John 2:19). Obviously, if Christ died on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. and was in the grave before 6:00 p.m., there is not enough time for Him to have been in the grave for three days and three nights. The way that most well-meaning people who love God certainly as much as I do, (and to be quite honest, are much more intelligent than me!) get around this, is saying that in the Jewish mind of Jesus’ day, any portion of a day was considered the whole. That may well be the case, and may well have been what Jesus had in mind; I’ve just always had a hard time with how specific Jesus seemed to be about the whole “three days and three nights” thing!

Instead of “Good Friday,” however, let’s consider a “Bad Wednesday” scenario, which fits the biblical timeline far better. (Don’t worry, I’m not the kook that “invented” this line of reasoning, and there are many others who agree with this timeline that has been suggested by Warren Wiersbe and others.) Keep in mind as we walk through these final days of Jesus’ life, that the Jewish day began at sundown the previous day (i.e. “the evening and the morning we’re the first day” – Genesis 1:5).

• Friday: Jesus came to Bethany six days before Passover (John 12:1).

• Saturday: Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19 – “on the next day”).

• Sunday: Temple cleansed, fig tree cursed (Mark 11:12-18).

• Monday: Parables, questions, Olivet discourse (Matthew 21:23-25:46).

• Tuesday: Preparation for Passover (Matthew 26:2 – “after two days”).

• Wednesday: Upper room events; Gethsemane; arrest; trials; crucifixion (Matthew 26:20-27:58).

• Thursday: The Passover Sabbath, “an high day” (John 19:31); in tomb.

• Friday: Women brought spices when Passover Sabbath was past (Mark 16:1).

• Saturday: The regular weekly Sabbath.

• Sunday: Christ arose sometime after sunset that evening (remember, “evening and the morning”), and the empty tomb is discovered early Sunday morning.

Certainly, the most important thing is not what we believe about WHEN Christ died, but THAT we believe Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. It is just that this question surfaces just about every Easter. Hopefully, this will help.

In light of the fact that the “Friday” timeline was passed down through Roman Catholic tradition, be careful, because the 7^th Day Adventists would like for you to believe that moving the day of worship from Saturday (the Sabbath, the 7^th day of the week) to Sunday (the 1^st day of the week) was also a tradition passed down through that false system, and that God never intended Christians to worship on Sunday, but on Saturday. That, too, is a false teaching! The “first day of the week” as the God-ordained day of worship for Christians, can be substantiated by the following biblical reasons:

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1. Because we are Christians and not Jews. (Exodus 31:13 – the Sabbath is a sign between God and Israel)
2. The Lord rose from the dead on “the first day of the week”. (Matthew 28:1)
3. The Holy Spirit came down on the first day of the week. (Acts 2)
4. The disciples met on the first day of the week. (Acts 20:7)
5. New Testament giving is to be brought on the first day of the week. (1^st Corinthians 16:1-2)

OVERVIEW:

The King’s return (chapter 24:1-25:46); the King’s preparation (chapter 26:1-56); the King’s trial (chapter 26:57-27:26).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The first verse in today’s reading is tremendously significant: “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.” (24:1) We could say that once Jesus (the “glory of the Father”–John 1:16), “departed” out of the temple, He would not return again, and that the temple was doomed for destruction. Just as in 1^st Samuel 4:19–22, it’s as if Jesus had written “ICHABOD” over the door, which means “the glory is departed.” Jesus walks out and immediately begins to talk about the temple’s destruction. (24:2)

Verse 3 of chapter 24 is also tremendously significant. After leaving the temple, Jesus and His disciples make their way to the Mount of Olives, and there they ask Him a very important question. They say, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” What is so incredible, is that as they ask this question about the time of the second coming, Jesus is sitting in the exact place where His foot will first touch when He comes!!! (See Zechariah 14:4). Wow! Does God have a sense of humor, or what?!

Chapter 24 is one of those key places in Matthew where people allow themselves to get spiritually disoriented and doctrinally discombobulated. Notice, the context here has nothing whatsoever to do with the church! By the time the events Jesus is about to describe take place, the “parenthesis” of the church has already been raptured out (1^st Thessalonians 4:13-17), and Daniel’s 70^th week has kicked in. The events He describes in chapter 24 and 25 have nothing whatsoever to do with the Church Age, but will be fulfilled during the Tribulation Period, the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7). In fact, the very signs Jesus describes are listed in this exact order during the opening of the first six of the Seven Seals in Revelation 6:1-16, which also describes the Tribulation Period.

1^st Sign (Matthew 24:5) – FALSE CHRIST = 1^st Seal (Revelation 6:1-2).

2^nd Sign (Matthew 24:5) – WAR = 2^nd Seal (Revelation 6:3-4).

3^rd Sign (Matthew 24:7) – FAMINE = 3^rd Seal (Revelation 6:5-6).

4^th Sign (Matthew 24:7) – PESTILENCE = 4^th Seal (Revelation 6:7-8).

5^th Sign (Matthew 24:8-9) – MARTYRDOM = 5^th Seal (Revelation 6:9-11).

6^th Sign (Matthew 24:29) – CHANGES IN SUN, MOON & STARS = 6^th Seal (Revelation 6:12-16)

Once we identify the context of Matthew 24, some verses start making a whole lot more sense. For example:

• 24:13 – “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Remember, God will be dealing with “believers” differently in the Tribulation Period than He did in the Church Age. Those who call upon the name of the Lord during the Tribulation Period will not be sealed with the Holy Spirit as they are in this dispensation (see Ephesians 1:10-14). “Believers” in the Tribulation Period must endure to the end in order to be saved. That is, if they take the “mark of the beast” (Revelation 13:11-18), their destiny in the lake of fire will be forever sealed.
• 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Wow, we hear this one a lot! People will say things like, “The sooner we get the gospel to all of the nations of the world, we’ll bring the kingdom in!” Whoa, whoa, whoa! First, we don’t preach the “gospel of the kingdom” in this dispensation, and if we did, we would be asking for a curse according to Galatians 1:7-9! Second, the church has already been raptured by the time the 144,000 will fulfill this prophecy in the Tribulation Period!
• 24:31 – “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.” Recognize that this verse is most certainly referring to a rapture, but it is most certainly not the rapture of the church! (1^st Thessalonians 4:13-17) This is a rapture of Jewish saints (Psalm 50:2-5) at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:11-12), just before the Battle of Armageddon. (Isaiah 26:20-21)
• 25:1-12 – This passage is another one people use to teach that a believer in the body of Christ can lose their salvation. A few simple observations can help. Notice that the context is clearly stated in verse 1 as “the kingdom of heaven”. By that statement alone, we already know that we are dealing with a strictly Jewish context. Those involved here are “virgins” (plural), not a “virgin” (singular). “Virgins” are found in the Tribulation Period, not the Church Age (Revelation 14:1-6). The Bride of Christ is a “virgin” (2^nd Corinthians 11:1-13) and is always referred to as one collective “virgin”, never “virgins”. The virgins in the passage do not “marry” anyone, they go to “meet” someone, and the someone they go to meet is already married! (Luke 12:36) Note in verse 13 that it is the “Son of man” coming as a married bridegroom, not the “Son of God” coming for His bride!

Most of chapter 26 is familiar and self-explanatory. As you read it, however, let it minister to you in a fresh, new way.

OVERVIEW:

The King’s judgments (chapter 21:1-22:14); the King’s defense (chapter 22:15-46); the King’s denunciation (chapter 23).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into today’s reading, chapter 21 begins with three signs given to the nation of Israel. (21:1-22) These three signs are then followed by three parables. (22:23-22:14)

Note: Between Matthew 13 and Matthew 25 there are 12 parables on the kingdom of heaven, corresponding to the 12 tribes of Israel. They all deal with Israel’s rejection of her Messiah, and from a doctrinal standpoint, have no application to a Christian in the church age.

The FIRST SIGN Matthew presents is the COMING of the KING. (21:1-11)

This is what we typically refer to as the “Triumphal Entry”, and is the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” In Matthew 21:9, the people quote Psalm 118:26, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Note that this passage is an exact fulfillment of what will take place at Christ’s Second Coming, keeping in mind that at this point, all of the Old Testament conditions and promises could have been fulfilled without the “parenthesis” of the church age. The “mystery of the church” was something that wasn’t revealed until Ephesians 3, and all Old Testament prophecies, as Peter indicated in 1^st Peter 1:10-11, saw no intervening period (i.e. Church Age) between the “sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.”

Note: Through this sign, our Lord revealed Israel’s SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.

The SECOND SIGN Matthew presents is the CLEANSING of the TEMPLE. (21:12-16)

The fact that the temple had become a place of merchandise will give you an idea of Israel’s inward spiritual condition. In God’s eyes, Israel had become a “den of thieves.” Note also that Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 in 21:13, calling the temple “My house”, which, of course, is a tremendous claim of His deity. You gotta love it, when the chief priests and scribes accuse Him of receiving the accolades intended for the Messiah, Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2, a Messianic Psalm!

Note: In this sign, our Lord revealed Israel’s inward SPIRITUAL CORRUPTION.

The THIRD SIGN Matthew presents is the CURSING of the FIG TREE. (21:17-22)

The fig tree, of course, is clearly a picture of Israel (see Matthew 24:32-33; Luke 13:6-10). Notice in this sign, that the fig tree had leaves, but no fruit. The parallel passage in Luke 13:6-10 reveals that the tree actually had three years to bear fruit, but didn’t. By this time in His ministry, Jesus had revealed Himself to Israel for a period of three years, but all they had was an outward show of religion (leaves), but no reality (no fruit).

Note: In this sign, our Lord revealed Israel’s OUTWARD FRUITLESSNESS.

In 21:23-29, Jesus comes into the temple to teach when, while He’s teaching, the chief priests and elders come and question His authority. He answers by pointing them to a question of John the Baptist’s authority. They understood that if they said John’s authority was from heaven, Jesus would ask them why they didn’t get baptized. If they said that John’s authority was from men, the people would have beat the devil out of them (which is exactly what they needed!) The people politely kept their mouths shut, and Jesus politely followed their lead.

Jesus then proceeds into three parables that have to do with the nation of Israel.

Parable #1 – The Parable of the Two Sons. (21:28-32)

The point is, Israel rejected GOD the FATHER!

Parable #2 – The Parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandman. (21:33-46)

The point is, Israel rejected GOD the SON!

Note: Do recognize, however, the future reality of 21:37, “They WILL reverence my Son!” Philippians 2:10-11 says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

Parable #3 – The Marriage Feast. (22:1-14)

The point is, Israel rejected GOD the HOLY SPIRIT! (Acts 7:51)

The remainder of chapter 22 (22:15-46) can be broken down by four key questions that are asked:

• A POLITICAL question about TAXES. (22:15-22)
• A DOCTRINAL question about the RESURRECTION. (22:23-33)
• An ETHICAL question about the LAW. (22:34-40)
• A PERSONAL question about the MESSIAH. (22:41-46)

As we then come into chapter 23, Jesus takes the first 12 verses to explain some things to His disciples and the multitude about the scribes and Pharisees who are sitting right there in the temple with all of the folks he is addressing! Then in verses 14-33, He speaks directly to the scribes and Pharisees. As you read what He says to them, brace for impact! He delivers a series of eight “woes”, or judgments. These “woes” are best seen in comparison and contrast with the eight “Beatitudes” Christ laid down, in chapter 5, in the Sermon on the Mount.

Woe #1 (23:13) – The proud “shut up” the kingdom.

Beatitude #1 (5:3) – The “poor in spirit” inherit the kingdom.

Woe #2 (23:14) – “Devourers” receive “damnation”.

Beatitude #2 (5:4) – “Mourners” receive “comfort”.

Woe #3 (23:15) – The proud send people to “hell”.

Beatitude #3 (5:5) – The meek inherit the “earth”.

Woe #4 (23:16-22) – Those who hunger and thirst for material gain are found empty.

Beatitude #4 (5:6) – Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled.

Woe #5 (23:23-24) – The proud reject mercy because of insignificant details and are judged (i.e. woe!)

Beatitude #5 (5:7) – The merciful shall obtain mercy.

Woe #6 (23:25-28) – The outwardly pure but inwardly rotten will be judged.

Beatitude #6 (5:8) – The inwardly pure (i.e. “pure in heart”) “shall see God.”

Woe #7 and #8 (23:29-33) – Murderers and persecutors of the righteous are “children of them which killed the prophets.” (i.e. the “devil!”)

Beatitude #7 and #8 (5:9-12) – Peacemakers and those who are persecuted for righteousness are called “children of God.”

Chapter 23 closes with Jesus’ heartfelt lamentation over Jerusalem. Notice the last verse! “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me hence forth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (23:39) In other words, as a nation, they won’t see Him again until the time of Jacob’s trouble (Daniel 21:1; Jeremiah 30:7), when in one day (Hosea 6:1-3; Isaiah 26:12-21), the nation of Israel will be converted and healed (Romans 11:26-27; Hebrews 8:8-12) as they recognize that He is, in fact, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and will cry out for His return. (Psalm 44, 68, 74, 79, 83)

OVERVIEW:

The King’s glory (chapter 17); the King’s rebuke (chapter 18); the King’s instructions (chapter 19 verses 1-15); the King’s demands (chapters 19:16-20:34).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

In this week’s reading, we have discussed, in great detail, the importance of keeping your eye on the Jew when dealing with the New Testament. This often confuses people, because they have assumed that since “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” that it all applies directly to them. We could say it this way, however, “Though all of the Bible is written FOR us, not all of the Bible is written TO us.” I like the illustration Jeff Adams uses to make this point:

Suppose I let you read a letter my grandfather wrote to me in which he offered the wisdom and insight he had gleaned through his life on the earth. As you’re making your way through the letter, you come to a part where my grandfather talks about leaving me $100,000 in his will. You immediately stop reading, look over at me, and ask, “When do WE collect OUR money?” I would be very quick to tell you that the letter was addressed to me and intended for me, and that I was simply allowing you to glean from the things my grandfather was seeking to teach me! I think you get the point.

When dealing with the Old Testament and some New Testament books, we as Gentiles, living in the “parenthesis” we call the “Church Age”, must be very careful to keep in mind that we are reading someone else’s mail! We are the church, so we go to the Bible to get our doctrine from the books that are addressed specifically to the church (church epistles), or those that are addressed to men who hold positions of leadership in the church (pastoral epistles).

Now, that doesn’t mean that we can’t glean many things from books like Matthew (written to the Jews to present a Jewish king over a kingdom promised to Jews), or Hebrews (and just take a wild stab at who you think the book of Hebrews is addressed to), or James (you can’t even get past the first verse without being faced with the fact that you’re reading someone else’s mail; it is specifically addressed “to the twelve tribes”!) Again, that’s not to say that we can’t get anything out of these books; it simply means we must make certain that we have “rightly divided the word of truth.” It doesn’t mean that there are not things that apply spiritually to our lives in a devotional sense; it just means we have to be extremely careful! We must keep in mind that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts (at least up to chapter 7) provide us an historical perspective of the first coming of Christ from the standpoint of the nation of Israel. Once the nation of Israel makes their final rejection of their King and His kingdom in Acts 7, a transition takes place in the book of Acts:

By the time these transitions are made and we get to the end of the book of Acts, the church is firmly established, and we move right into the letters written by Paul, to the church. In those books, we are safe. They are written specifically to us, and lay out for us doctrine intended specifically for those of us living in this dispensation. Because of who Paul is (the Apostle to the Gentiles), and because of who the recipients of his letters actually are (churches and pastors of churches), we always need to make certain that anything we are applying to us is something that lines up with what God penned through him (Paul). It was this very principle that caused our brothers and sisters, at times in church history, to be referred to as “Paulicians”. They understood the importance of “rightly dividing the word of truth” and not applying to us something God promised or intended for the Jews or the nation of Israel.

So, how do we know what to apply and what not to apply from the New Testament books written to Jews? A simple rule of thumb is that the things God wants us to apply from these books will be repeated in the writings of Paul. Keeping these things in mind in today’s reading will be helpful. See if you can make the distinction between those things that are specifically related to the Jews and the nation of Israel, and those that also apply directly to us because they are repeated in the Pauline epistles.

Allow me to just mention a few things about the “Transfiguration” in 17:1-8:

• 17:1 – Note that Peter, James, and John are the fulfillment of the strange statement the Lord made at the end of chapter 16, that there were some of the people that were listening to Him there who would be eyewitnesses of the second coming.

• 17:2 – Note the word “transfigured”. In other words, Christ’s “figure” was “transformed”. When He came to this earth, He couldn’t be anything other than what He was, the very glory of the Father. (John 1:16) That glory, however, was veiled in a body of flesh. At the “transfiguration”, Christ rolled back His flesh revealing the “glory of His Father” (16:27) that will be His when He returns to the earth at His second coming. (See Peter’s comments about this in his incredible statement in 2^nd Peter 1:16-18.)

• 17:3 – This is actually the first time Moses stepped foot in the land that was promised to Israel! What a thrill that must have been for him!

• 17:1 – Back to verse one. Notice when this “second coming” pre-fulfillment actually took place! Matthew tells us that is was “after six days”! If we take those “six days” and plug them into the equation God laid out in 2^nd Peter 3:8, it lets us know that the second coming (which this passage is foreshadowing) will be after 6000 years of human history (6 days X 1000). The really astute folk will balk at such reasoning, citing that Luke’s account of the transfiguration says that it was “about eight days” (Luke 9:28). Just consider that the number that is “after six” and “about eight” just might be seven!!! (Just as it is laid out in Genesis 2:1-3!)

• 17:1-5 – Notice also that in this “perfect” and “complete” picture of the second coming, there just happen to be “seven” that are in attendance: Jesus, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, and God the Father.

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. (2^nd 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” (1^st 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” (1^st 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.