Pastor Billington's Blog

Matthew 27

With Judas we see what happens when someone gives themselves over to sin. The sin, for one reason or another, ultimately destroys them.

James 1:15 (WEB) “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews because insurrection is one of the crimes that demands crucifixion, and the Jewish leadership want Jesus to be crucified. Jesus submits to the trial, the accusations, the humiliation, and the abuse because He is fulfilling Scripture:

Isaiah 53:7 (WEB) “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.”

And Peter uses Jesus’ example to teach us how we are to behave when unjustly accused:

1 Peter 2:21-23 (WEB) “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who didn’t sin, ‘neither was deceit found in his mouth.’ When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.”

Pilate, while not a righteous man, doesn’t want to put Jesus to death, but he ultimately gives into the Jewish leadership and the crowds. Incidentally, it’s the leadership that incites the crowd to call for Barabbas, a murderer, to be released! How often do we go with the crowd, when we should be standing up for our principles?

Consider this statement: “May His blood be on us and on our children.” Is there anything more chilling than that? The irony is that Jesus shed His blood so that they and their children could have a relationship with God! In truth, just as the blood was put on the doorposts during the first Passover (Exodus 12:12-13), if His blood is really “on us” (because of our belief in Him) then we will be forgiven!

1 Peter 1:18-19 (WEB) “knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ”

The Holy Place in the temple was separated into two parts by the temple curtain. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain except the high priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement he brought blood from the sacrifice to provide atonement for the sins of the people:

Leviticus 16:34 (WEB) “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.”

The fact that the temple curtain was torn in two signifies that Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice and it is only through Him that we can have a relationship with God.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (WEB) “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Thought for the day: We can’t be too thankful for what Jesus has done for us!

Hebrews 13:15 (WEB) “Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.”

Matthew 26

There are a lot a failures in this passage:

• The failure of the priests to recognize their Messiah
• The failure of Judas to follow and support his teacher and Lord
• The failure of the disciples to stand up for Jesus (predicted)
• The failure of Peter to live up to his commitment (predicted)
• The failure of mankind to live for God

The last one is the reason for the foreshadowing during the Passover meal. Jesus uses the bread and the wine as metaphors for His upcoming death on the cross for our sins. Of course it’s not automatic; we must confess our sins and believe in Jesus to be forgiven!

There are warnings here for disciples too. We will all face difficulties in life. After all, Jesus did! And He faced them with grace when He prayed, “not what I desire, but what you desire.” Can we face our own difficulties with that kind of grace? With the understanding that God does allow bad things to happen for a purpose? Are we willing to stand up for God even when bad things happen? Or will we find ourselves denying our Lord and Savior? We would do well to remember that Jesus was willing to endure the worst thing ever so that we could be saved.

Judas betrayed his Lord willingly, with a kiss. He deliberately betrayed Jesus, while pretending to be His disciple. Do we do that? In a way, I think that we can and do. When we call ourselves disciples and yet willingly and willfully do something that we know is sinful, aren’t we betraying Jesus with a kiss? Or perhaps we’re like Peter. Do we hide whose we are because of fear? Fear that we might lose a relationship, a profit, a promotion, or stature?

The call is to be faithful. To stand firm. To be bold. To remain committed. It’s insightful that here Jesus fully reveals Himself to the religious authorities, through both their words and His own. He is the Christ! He is the Son of God! He is the Son of Man who will come on the clouds! Which means He is the Savior, the one who has the power to judge and the power to forgive, and He will be the one that we have to answer to at the end of the age. How can we be so sure? Because the temple of His body was destroyed, but it was raised again after three days!

Though for the day: With all that He has done, with all that He has fulfilled, with all that He is, how can we betray Him?

1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB) “Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

Matthew 25

The main points of these first two parables are fairly clear, even if some of the details are open for interpretation. The parable of the ten virgins teaches us that we need to be ready when the bridegroom (Jesus) comes. The virgins are unmarried bridesmaids. The groom would leave home, go to the bride’s house for the vows, and then there would be a procession back to the groom’s house for a marriage feast. The bridesmaids who weren’t ready ended up missing the feast. The parable of the talents teaches the same thing with a further explanation. We get ready for Jesus’ return by using our gifts and talents for Him while He is away. “Talents” here is literally money, but it serves as a metaphor for us.

One reason that I say interpretation can be challenging is the issue of God being a “hard man.” Do we really believe that of God, or do we simply understand that He has high expectations? I suppose the lazy servant might indeed say that He is a hard man! But we would do well to remember the OAR principle: O(pportunity) + A(bility) = R(esponsibility). God expects us to live and work for Him. The fact that the lazy servant has his talent taken away and the one with the most receives it doesn’t teach that God is unfair. It is instead a reflection of real life. Do we become more proficient in something by not doing it? Of course not! And the ones who use their abilities to the fullest are certainly blessed more and more. Use it or lose it!

How do we understand being locked out of the feast, or thrown out into outer darkness? The simplest way is to see the wicked servant or the foolish virgins as unsaved. That’s easier to swallow with the foolish virgins, but the servant might give us pause. After all, he’s a servant, right? But, in a sense, everyone is a servant of God. He has given us life, talents, abilities, and gifts. If we refuse to acknowledge Him and don’t use what He’s given us in service to Him, how can we expect to be welcomed and blessed?!?!?!

The parable of the sheep and the goats appears to indicate that we are saved by what we do. However, that would contradict the clear teaching of the rest of the New Testament. This passage reminds us that belief changes behavior, and the truly saved will act like it. The Holy Spirit should bring about a change in our lives for the better. The usual practice of unbelievers is uncaring and unloving behavior, but even when they do good deeds their motivation for them will be wrong. With that basic understanding, this passage teaches us that:

• Jesus is coming back.
• It will be climatic!
• It will be a time of judgement.
• Judgment is final.
• The righteous receive eternal life.
• The unrighteousness will receive eternal punishment.
• If our behavior doesn’t match our beliefs, we need to examine ourselves very carefully!

Thought for the day: Paul explains grace and works very clearly for us.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (WEB) “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.”

Matthew 24

So, is this all still future, or has it been fulfilled? I think that it’s important to note that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in AD 70. It was a time of immense tragedy, captured by Josephus in his writings:

“(404) But when they went in numbers into the lanes of the city, with their swords drawn, they slew those whom they overtook, without mercy, and set fire to the houses wither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them, and laid waste a great many of the rest; (405) and when they were come to the houses to plunder them, they found in them entire families of dead men, and the upper rooms full of dead corpses, that is of such as died by the famine; they then stood in a horror at this sight, and went out without touching anything. (406) But although they had this commiseration for such as were destroyed in that manner, yet had they not the same for those that were still alive, but they ran every one through whom they met with, and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies, and made the whole city run down with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of many of the houses was quenched with these men’s blood.” (Wars of the Jews 6.404–406)

The destruction that happened in AD 70 is why some people believe that these prophecies have already been fulfilled. But I think that there are some things here that don’t easily fit into that understanding, and that the disciples’ questions may help us out. It’s possible that all this may be future and we’re still waiting for it. But it’s also possible that Jesus may be answering two questions here: 1) when will these things happen (the temple being destroyed), and 2) what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age. That would explain why some things fit so well with what happened then, and why some things don’t.

And that may help us understand the phrase “this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished,” as well. Those who believe that everything Jesus describes here has already happened don’t have a problem with it. The generation didn’t pass away! They saw it all happen with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This understanding assumes that the description of the Son of Man coming on clouds is a description of judgment and that it’s not meant to be taken literally (24:29-31). However, those who believe all of this is still future think that Jesus meant the generation who will be alive when all these things begin to happen. So, it will all happen relatively quickly, especially on the cosmic timetable, and Jesus will literally and visibly return. But most of the time when “generation” is used the way Jesus uses it here it refers to those who are being addressed, i.e. the generation currently living. If that is the case, then the best way to understand it may be that Jesus is answering both when the temple will be destroyed and when the end of the age will happen (24:3). The temple and Jerusalem being destroyed and much of the turmoil being described will all happen before that current generation passes away. However, the signs of His coming and the end of the age happen later.

When it comes to passages like these the temptation is to believe that we have the right interpretation, and that anyone who believes differently is wrong and maybe even heretical! But the end times have generally been regarded as something that we can agree to disagree on. I don’t think that these are the types of things that we should be dogmatic about. The most important issue regarding the end times is whether or not we believe that Jesus is coming again!

Thought for the day: We need to live in such a way that we are ready for His return, which means we must work while we wait!

Luke 19:13 (WEB) “He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ “

Matthew 23

Among the Sadducees we find rich landowners and powerful priests. They only followed the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) and therefore denied the idea of a bodily resurrection. The Pharisees, in contrast, claimed many scribes and scholars. They accepted the entire Old Testament, but they also believed in an oral law that was passed down from generation to generation to go along with the written law, which is one of the issues we have before us here.

In this section of Scripture Jesus pronounces judgment on the Pharisees. His use of “woe” indicates that He is greatly distressed and suggests that there will be significant consequences for their actions. He condemns their pride, warns them about false teaching and actions, condemns them for making false converts, and gives them an example of how they are twisting Scripture. His words teach us that:

• Whenever a teacher is following the Bible we should do what they say. But we have to be careful and make sure that they aren’t just teaching tradition as truth. We also need to recognize that teachers don’t always do what they say, so we shouldn’t just blindly follow someone’s actions. We need to be discerning about both belief and behavior when it comes to teachers.
• Humility is vital in the Christian life. Terms of respect can even become problematic because they can feed a person’s pride. The best way that we can show respect for a teacher is by following what they say, not calling them a title.
• The greatest “title” of all is servant.
• We all have a responsibility to share about the kingdom with others, but here Jesus focuses primarily on teachers. We can “lock” people out or “let” people in. It all depends on our teaching. Here the Pharisees are condemned because they are so far off the mark they themselves aren’t even in the kingdom.
• We can make things overly complicated when we add to the Scripture. Saying you’ll do something is what is most important. It doesn’t matter what we swear by; in fact, we shouldn’t swear at all! We should just let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no” (Matthew 5:33-37).
• Don’t get so hung up on the little things that you neglect the big ones: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
• Looking good on the outside when you are dirty on the inside is useless. Be clean on the inside and the outside will follow. Don’t allow greed, selfishness, hypocrisy and sin to run your life.
• Pay attention to the teachers that God has given to you now. Make sure that you are listening to the ones who hold fast to the truth that has been preached for thousands of years. Pretending to honor God’s word and his teachers from the past is just hypocritical if you refuse to listen to those who are currently teaching the same things.

Here’s an important note: the Hebrew Bible goes from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, not Genesis to Malachi. When Jesus mentions how they are guilty of the blood from Abel to Zechariah he’s authenticating/recognizing all the books of the Old Testament that we recognize today (with Zechariah being identified as the descendant of his grandfather, Berechiah).

Finally, Jesus gives us some insight into the heart of God, which aches for His people to know and follow Him (37-39). Jesus probably said this lament more than once, and He seems to have felt this frequently. “How often” shows us that there may have been numerous visits to Jerusalem that we know nothing about!

Thought for the day: Paul felt the same way about his countrymen, and we should feel the same about others that we know need Jesus.

Romans 9:1-5 (WEB) “I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.”

Matthew 22

The parable of the wedding banquet is another reminder that if the Jewish people won’t accept their Messiah, then others will! It reveals that although a general call goes out to everyone, not everyone believes.

His parables continue to upset the religious leadership and they seek to trap Him. Taxation was a big issue because people were heavily taxed by Rome. If Jesus sided with Rome He would lose support, but if He sided with the people then the leadership could accuse Him of insurrection. Jesus deftly avoids the issue by showing that He is not trying to establish an earthly kingdom in opposition to Rome. He’s not concerned about money and taxes, they are! This passage is often used to show that Christians have a responsibility to obey civil laws (as long as they are not ungodly) and to pay taxes.

The irony here is that the Sadducees didn’t even believe in a resurrection, but they decide to try to use the idea of the resurrection to trap Jesus. They come up with an absurd question involving a woman and seven brothers based on Deuteronomy 25:5-6. Jesus says that their premise is faulty because marriage relationships are different in the resurrection, and then He goes on to blow their minds. He quotes from Exodus 3:6 to show that there must be a resurrection, and they decide that they shouldn’t ask Him any more questions!

The Pharisees aren’t deterred though. Even though the Sadducees have been silenced, they decided to test Jesus. One of their experts asks Jesus what the greatest commandment in the law is. He responds that Deuteronomy 6:5 is the greatest and then goes on to say that Leviticus 19:18 is like it. The reason that these are the greatest is that all other laws are applications of these two laws of love.

Jesus decides to take matters into His own hands. He has a question based on Psalm 110 (which is the Old Testament chapter the New Testament quotes the most). He asks them if they really believe that the Messiah is the son of David, and when they respond in the affirmative, He asks how it’s possible that David could then call him Lord? Jesus shows them that their understanding is flawed regarding both the Messiah (who was in existence before David), and the nature of God (there is a plurality in the Godhead). No one dares question Him after that!

Thought for the day: Jesus also says that when David wrote Psalm 110 that he was led by the Spirit. That reminds us of the fundamental nature of God’s Word. It is inspired by God. It is given by the Spirit. That’s why we can trust it!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (WEB) “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Peter 1:20-21 (WEB) “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 21

We should once again be amazed at the depth of Matthew’s understanding of the Old Testament. Gleason Archer identifies approximately 60 Old Testament quotations in Matthew, and we find four of them here! An understanding of the entire Bible is important for a mature faith, but we must always remember the New Testament is the key to unlocking the Old.

Here the crowd seems to recognize that Jesus is a king, based upon the cloaks on the road (2 Kings 9:13) and the branches (John 12:13). Matthew helps us to understand that this is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 62:11, Zechariah 9:9). Although the crowd is correct, they misunderstand Jesus’ mission. He is not going to set up an earthly kingdom at this time. That comes later! He is coming to set up a spiritual kingdom and to rule in people’s hearts.

There appear to be two cleansings of the temple. John records one at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and Matthew (as well as Mark and Luke) record the one at the end. This is one of the events during “holy week” that propels the religious authorities to move against Him. There seem to be two problems Jesus is addressing. First, there was a marketplace atmosphere for pilgrims who were coming to worship. Second, the fact that people needed the right kind of currency and proper animals to sacrifice was being abused and they were being cheated. As you can imagine, ordinary people rejoiced at what He was doing, but the religious leadership was not amused. I imagine that God is still upset by these kinds of things today.

Matthew condenses the account of the fig tree from two days into one. Although it speaks directly to the nation of Israel and the coming judgment for their fruitlessness, it can also serve as a warning for us. We should fear divine discipline if we aren’t living for God. His disciples are amazed by what happens, and Jesus uses it as an illustration for prayer. But here is where knowing and understanding the rest of the Bible is important. We are warned in other places that there are things in our lives that hinder prayer, and we are also warned that we are to pray with the right attitude (Psalm 66:18; James 4:3). What we have here is an encouragement to believe in both the goodness of God and the power of prayer. This is not a blanket statement that we get whatever we want! There is only one way to get what we want, and that is to align our prayers with what God wants.

Up until this point Jesus has been trying to keep the religious leadership somewhat at bay for His “hour had not yet come” (a favorite expression of John). That explains why He is somewhat secretive and doesn’t always want others to talk about His miracles. But that has all changed. His time has now come! He is publicly proclaimed as a king with the triumphal entry. He cleanses the temple. He defends His authority. He proclaims that the tax collectors and prostitutes are more righteous than the religious authorities. And finally, He proclaims God’s judgment on the nation for their past refusal to listen to God’s prophets and their present refusal to listen to God’s Son. Is it any wonder that they want to arrest Him?!?!?!?

And it’s the last parable that prompts Jesus to make His ultimate point. Since the majority of Israel’s people and leadership reject their Messiah, the kingdom will be taken from them as a nation and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Jesus is referring to the bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and their inclusion in God’s kingdom. But that doesn’t mean that God completely rejects the Jewish people. The church is made up of both Jew and Gentile, with God accepting all who are willing to believe in Jesus!

Thought for the day: God’s amazing grace is for all people!

Romans 9:23-26 (WEB) “and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.’ “

Matthew 20

I remember living in NYC and seeing day laborers hanging around outside small neighborhood grocery stores. If someone didn’t pick them up early in the day for a job, they would stick around hoping someone would come by later. But you can bet that the ones who got picked up later got paid less than the ones who left earlier!

Not so in our parable. Here Jesus, on the heels of the incident with the rich young man and the ensuing discussion, teaches his disciples that rewards are Gods to give out. They need to be thankful for what they receive, and not jealous of what anyone else gets. If they are serving for rewards they’ll find themselves last, and others who serve with humble hearts will find themselves first. So we shouldn’t be jealous of what other believers receive in this life or the next. We should trust that God is righteous, generous, and gracious in His dealings with us.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus reminds them of what is going to happen to Him when they arrive there. There’s an important reason that Matthew includes it here. It becomes the basis for this entire section that shows Jesus as the perfect example of humility and service. He teaches that “Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve,” and that service ultimately leads to the cross. Jesus also models service and compassion in our passage by healing the blind men by the road. The point being made is that all of Jesus’ followers are called to mimic His example in their lives.

James and John become an important part of this teaching. Mark 10:37 says they come and ask Jesus if they can have the most honored spots in His kingdom, but here it says their mom asks for them. Is this an error? No, it’s just editorial license. It seems that their mom was with them and asked the question on their behalf. Mark doesn’t see the point in bringing their mom into it since it seems it was their idea! Jesus uses this as a teaching moment. The disciples aren’t supposed to be concerned about glory. They are to be concerned about service: “whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.” But there is an interesting sidebar here. Jesus asks, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They think they are, and Jesus agrees. The Bible shows us that they did: James became the first apostolic martyr (Acts 12:2), and John suffered persecution and exile (Revelation 1:9).

Thought for the day: Humility is one of the hallmarks of our Christian service.

Philippians 2:5-8 (WEB) “Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.”

Matthew 19

Rabbis seemed to fall into one of two camps: divorce for any reason or divorce for a cause. Sexual immorality was one cause. Abandonment and abuse were other causes. Was Jesus suggesting that sexual immorality was the only cause? Or is he using it as an example from the contrary party? I think that he was using it as an example, and that he was stressing that there needed to be a legitimate reason for divorcing someone, not just burning a meal (as the divorce for any reason camp taught). When Jesus explained the problem with breaking your vows for just any reason the disciples saw it as a discouragement for marriage. Jesus’ response seems to indicate two things: that it’s natural to marry, but that singleness is a good option if you can keep yourself from sexual immorality.

The disciples try to stop parents from bringing their children to Jesus for prayer, but Jesus rebukes them, and uses the children as an example. We can only enter the kingdom of heaven by becoming like them!

Finally, Jesus teaches us something about riches. A man comes to him and wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He calls Jesus good, and Jesus confronts him about it. He could be trying to butter Jesus up, or he could be sincere. Either way, Jesus encourages him to think about what he just said! The man most likely thinks that he is already righteous precisely because of his wealth. After all, if God is blessing him with wealth, he must be okay. Jesus tells him to get rid of his wealth because he needs to trust in God instead. The disciples are flabbergasted. If wealth isn’t a measure of righteousness, then who can go to heaven?!?!? Jesus replies that it can’t be a result of human effort. It has to be done by God!

Peter’s question may indicate pride or uncertainty. He could be saying, “If the rich can’t make it, how can we?” Jesus assures them that they have a special reward, indicates that all who follow Him will inherit eternal life, and that they will be rewarded for their sacrifices. The rewards could be heavenly or temporal. In truth, when we believe we enter into a family of mutual caring and support and have so much more than we had before!

The final sentence teaches us to not prioritize earthly things. Instead, believers should look at those things with disdain and reap the blessings of the kingdom: “But many will be last who are first, and first who are last.”

Thought for the day: What does it mean that we need to become like little children to enter the kingdom of God? I believe that it means we must understand that we can’t do it on our own. Instead, we need to trust in and rely on our heavenly Father!

Ephesians 2:8-9 (WEB) “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”