Tuesday, January 26
Read Matthew 22
Think About It:
Here Jesus is teaching of things to come. The period described in this parable must be after His resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 22:11-14 seems like an appendix to the parable, but it is vitally important. The wedding garment was provided by the Host so that everybody was properly attired, and the poor did not feel conspicuous. Salvation is personal and individual. We must accept what God gives us – the righteousness of Christ – and not try to make it on our own.
On Tuesday of Passover week, our Lord’s enemies tried to trap Him by using a series of “loaded” questions. These men were still stinging from the treatment they had received in a series of parables He had given. He had exposed their evil intentions and warned them that they were only asking for judgment. The religious leaders did not enjoy being humiliated before the crowds. They were wholeheartedly bent on destroying Jesus, they hoped to trap Him into saying something that would permit them to arrest Him.
But there was another reason for the questions, one that His enemies did not realize. Jesus was going to die as the Lamb of God, and it was necessary for the Lamb to be examined by the priests before Passover (Exodus 12:3-6). If any blemish whatsoever was found on the Lamb, it could not be sacrificed. Jesus was examined by His enemies, and they could find no fault in Him. In fact, one Pharisee came very close to the kingdom (Mark 12:32-34). Even at the last minute, there is hope for the lost sinner, if he will receive the truth, repent, and believe.
A doctrinal question about the resurrection (22:23-33). Now the Sadducees entered the field and tried their attack. Keep in mind that this group accepted only the authority of the five Books of Moses. They did not believe in the spirit world or the doctrine of resurrection (Acts 23:28). They based their question on the Jewish law of “levirate marriage” from Deuteronomy 25:5-10. The purpose of this custom was to preserve a man’s name should he die without a male heir.
Our Lord was not content to refute the Sadducees’ foolish views about the future life. He also wanted to answer their claim that there was no resurrection, and He didn’t buy referring to Moses! He knew that Moses was the only authority they would accept. He reminded them of Exodus 3:6 where God said to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” By saying “I am” the Lord made it clear that these three men of faith were at that time alive. And by repeating “the God of,” the Lord was saying that He knew them and loved them personally and individually.
An ethical question about the law (22:34-40). Now it was the Pharisees turn. One asked, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment of the law?” This was not a new question, for the scribes had been debating it for centuries.
Jesus quoted the “Shema” (Deuteronomy 6:4), a statement of faith that was recited daily by every orthodox Jew. The confession of faith begins with, “Hear O Israel!” the greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are and have – heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions, service. To love God is not to “have good feelings about Him,” for true love involves the will as well as the heart. Where there is love, there will be service and obedience.
But love for God cannot be divorced from love for one’s neighbor, so Jesus also quoted Leviticus 19:18 and put it all on the same level as the Shema. All of the law of the prophets hangs on both of these commandments.
A personal question about the Messiah (22:41-46). Jesus had now answered three difficult questions. He had dealt with the relationship between religion and government, between this life and the next life, and between God and our neighbors. These are fundamental relationships, and we cannot ignore our Lord’s teachings. But there was a question more fundamental than these, and Jesus asked it of His enemies. “Whose son is the Messiah?” He asked them. As trained experts of the law, they knew the answer: “He is the son of David.” Once they had given this answer, Jesus asked a second question, this time quoting from Psalm 110:1: “The Lord [Jehovah] said onto my Lord [Adonai], ‘Sit now at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.’”
“If the Messiah is the son of David,” Jesus asked, “then how could Messiah also be David’s Lord?” There’s only one answer to this question. As God, Messiah is David’s Lord; as man, He is David’s son. He is both, “the root of the offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16). Psalm 110:1 teaches the deity and the humanity of Messiah. He is David’s Lord and He is David’s son.
The result of this day of dialogue was silence on the part of His enemies. They dared not ask any more questions, not because they had believed the truth, but because they were afraid to face the truth and act on it. Making a decision about Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death. The evidence is there for all to examine. We can examine it defensively and miss the truth. Or we can examine it honestly and humbly, and discover the truth, believe, and be saved. The religious leaders were so blinded by tradition, position, and selfish pride that they could not and would not see the truth and receive it. Please don’t make that same mistake today.
Jesus you are my Lord, I believe you are the Son of God. You came to this earth to save me from a life separated from Your Father, the one true God. Please come in my heart and live there, today and forever. Forgive me of the sins I’ve committed, and I also forgive everyone who has sinned against me. I hold nothing against anyone anymore. Fill me with Your Spirit, fill me with Your truth, fill me with Your love, until You come again. Thank you, Dear Jesus! I am Yours.
Family Time:
- In the parable about the marriage feast, verses 1-14, all the people were gathered hastily so they were not about to prepare or dress up. Yet the king only found one man not wearing wedding clothes. The other guests must have changed into wedding clothes. Where do you think they got them from?
- When verse 12 says the man was speechless, it actually means he had no excuse for not being dressed properly. That tells us the clothes must have been provided by the king. This man refused. He wanted to be in the group at the wedding, but he didn’t want to be like This is like people in church who want to be with Christians, say they are Christians even, but when Jesus looks at their hearts, He doesn’t see the right thing. What about your heart? When King Jesus looks at you does He see your church clothes? Or are you just hanging out with your friends and family but don’t really want Jesus?
- What happened to the man who was not dressed properly? What will happen to you if you are just faking? If you are, ask God’s forgiveness. Ask Jesus to help you put your wedding clothes on.
