Luke 1:75
"In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."
Now let’s go back to Matthew once again. So after the disciples had been commanded to have nothing to do with Gentiles, we go through Christ’s earthly ministry and you have the Sermon on the Mount and all these high moral statements. Which of course, are certainly profitable. But for us we maintain that there’s no doctrine of Grace in the Four Gospels, as they were still under the Law. But the symbols and parables or metaphors are there “IF” we have ears to hear and eyes to see in order to discern the spiritual meaning. As Jesus spoke allot of this about the things that were to become but not in plan language.
But there’s still a lot to learn. Just like we’re finding out in this Epistle of Hebrews. Now, I’m going to bring you all the way up to chapter 16 which is the end of Christ’s earthly ministry. And even though they are as yet up in Northern Israel, at the headwaters of the Jordan River, Caesarea Philippi. Yet, they’re soon going to be making their way south and up again to Jerusalem for the Passover and the Crucifixion. All has to be fulfilled as given in the Covenants, promises and the Law in what was called the last days or as an everlasting covenant and in both Christ is the subject as the everlasting and as the covenant. Which is meant to tie Him and the Last Passover meal into what is called the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, Jesus being the Lamb of God's choosing. Because in Him all the Old Testament promises, covenants, the Law and the Prophets find there culmination or completion in fulfillment. Because with His resurrection and ascension is brought in the promised New Covenant of an Everlasting or Endless Life.
Alright, now look what Jesus is doing as we read Matthew 16:13. This is all part of this Gospel of the Kingdom from which the readers of Paul’s Epistles were to move on from, they are instructed to leave it, and to move on to better things.
Matthew 16:13
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’"
What is He asking? Whom do the rank and file think I am, the Hebrews among whom we have been performing miracles, whom we’ve been feeding the multitudes, and healing the sick. Whom do most of those people think I am? And here’s their answer. Look at this. I mean this is shocking. This was the answer.
Matthew 16:14
"And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias, and other, Jeremias, or one of the prophets."
Imagine! After three years of trying to prove to the Hebrew Nation that He was the fulfillment of all those Old Testament promises, covenants and the Prophets. He was their Messiah. He was the Son of God, and they think anything but whom He really is. Now verse 15.
Matthew 16:15-16
"He saith unto them, (remember these are the twelve. Judas is yet included.) but whom say you that I am? (and Peter of course is always the spokesman and so he speaks up) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
What’s the other word for Christ? Messiah! I had the other day someone that was bemoaning the fact that so much of Christendom uses Jesus Christ as a first and last name. Well, I hope you all know better than that. Christ isn’t His last name; it’s His title. And that’s why once in a while you’ll hear me slip in ‘Jesus the Christ’ which is really the most accurate. Because that’s what He was. He was Jesus the Messiah. Or if you want to reverse it, Messiah Jesus, Christ Jesus as His risen state requires as a proper title of position and respect for His divine Authority. He is no longer just Jesus Christ or Jesus the Christ as this was His earthly state or title of position as the Son of man while in our proper estate as a God-child. As we'll see later He's now our High Priest-King and due all respect because of His placement by God the Father of spirits. Who bestowed on Him a name that is above all names.
So now, this is what He’s saying. "Whom do you say that I am? And Peter said, ‘you are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’" Did Peter have it straight? Yeah! he did. And now look what Jesus said.
Matthew 16:17
"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
We are going to cover this same concept a little later in Hebrews chapter 6. Even these disciples fixing their nets on the shores of Galilee and Jesus came by. Now a lot of you know the Four Gospels better than I do. What did Jesus say to them? "Come follow me." Did they ask a ton of questions? Well, did they say, "Who are you? What are you up to? What’s your agenda? What’s in it for me? What did they do?" They dropped their nets and they followed. Why? Because the moment Jesus spoke, God opened up the understanding of these men. "There’s the One we’re looking for. There’s the One Who is fulfilling all the Old Testament promises." And without question, they followed, do you see? They knew that He was the Christ, and so here Jesus makes it so plain. On what basis did they know? God revealed it! He revealed it not by way of an external hearing but rather an internal knowing just as we're to know by what we call inspiration of revelation through the work of the Holy Spirit.
You know if you've followed our postings that we're always using the verse in Acts and we're saying Lord give us Lydias. Why? Because when Paul and Silas had finished presenting this Gospel to those Jewish women there at Philippi, the next verse says:
Acts 16:14
"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God. heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."
No comments:
Post a Comment