(last edited 10/20/07)Jan's Bible Notes
Matthew 9
1-7 Mark and Luke add another interesting detail that is left out here; they came in through the roof. Perhaps Matthew feels the main point of interest to his Jewish audience is the question of blasphemy; what is blasphemy? To speak impiously, to speak evil of. Mt. 27:40-43, John 10:33. So what has He done that in 3, they think He has blasphemed? Read 6. Do they understand that He is claiming to be God? There are many ways to claim this, without saying “I am God.” 5, only God can do what and what? So this healing was to prove His what, 6? Attesting signs and wonders are to prove the God-given authority of the one who does them (Jesus, apostles). They are not an example of how things are now to be on a day-to-day basis. Heb. 2:3-4, II Cor. 12:12. Signs and wonders will also be performed by false prophets and false christs, Mat. 24:24, II Thes. 2:9. (Whose authority do they have?)
Does it say that the man was healed or forgiven on the basis of his friends’ faith? This story is often presented that way. We don’t know if the friends had the faith to bring the sick one to Jesus, or if the sick one had the faith to get his friends to take him. Apparently they all had faith, 2. Does the Bible teach that our faith or our works can save another person? No, each must believe for himself. Compare John 1:12, 3:16. Can burning candles or baptism for the dead save someone else? No. How CAN our faith help someone else?
9 Matthew tells of himself, of his call to follow Jesus. Does he focus on himself in his book? He admits his previous occupation (his questionable past); Mark and Luke tactfully leave that out.
10-13 Here, the disciples must be a small group; they are having dinner. A clash with the Pharisees. What did they think He should be like, if He is really the Messiah? So should Christians just hang around with other Christians and only go to Christian functions? 12, who are the healthy? 13, were the Pharisees righteous? Who was more interested in sacrifices than in compassion? Legalism.
14-15 Where is John? He still has disciples. First mention in the New Testament of the bridegroom. Actually John 3:29 has an earlier reference, by John the Baptist. This is a new concept for the Jews. Where in the Old Testament do we have pictures of the bride and bridegroom, of the choosing of a bride? Song of Solomon, Abraham’s servant sent to find a bride for Isaac. But those are types, foreshadowing, not really “teachings.” Where is the main New Testament teaching about the church as the bride? Eph. 5:25-32. In the Old Testament, Israel is sometimes referred to as the “wife” of Jehovah (often an unfaithful wife). In the New Testament, the church is referred to as the “bride” of Christ. The church is betrothed; the wedding takes place when? Read Rev. 19:1-9. The church and Israel are two separate groups and each has a unique place in God’s plans. What does Jesus prophesy, 15?
Jesus is asked why His disciples do not fast. He answers that they did not "mourn" because the Bridegroom (Himself) was with them, but when He was gone, they would "fast." He equates fasting with mourning, as the Old Testament does. The many Old Testament references use these terms with fasting: weeping, mourning, sin, sackcloth and ashes, humbling themselves, seeking God's favor.
Did God ever command fasting, as part of the Law? Fasting, sackcloth and ashes as signs of mourning and humility were cultural practices in that day, even among non-Jewish people; Dan. 6:18, Jonah 3:5. The Jews adopted it, although God did not command it. Over time, it became an accepted part of Jewish observance.
In Is. 58:5-10, what does God say fasting is about? God tells them what "true" fasting is, what He really requires--righteous living. In other words, God does not require or is not interested in outward rituals or religious observances; He is interested in a right attitude in our hearts, which will result in right living (righteousness). THAT is what He will honor.
Is fasting for today's Christian? Fasting is taught by many churches today. It is justified by the many Bible references to it; most are in the Old Testament but a few are found in the New Testament. Jesus referred to fasting here in the Sermon on the Mount; He did not command that people do it, but He said "when" you fast. Many take this almost as a command, saying, "He didn't say IF, He said WHEN." Note the context of Mt. 6:1-6, 16-18. He is teaching about the concept of doing your good works in secret so that you are not consciously, or even unconsciously, hoping that others will notice what a good thing you did. He is teaching that our motives are just as or even more important than our actions. Also, keep in mind that Jesus was talking to Jews who were still operating under the Old Testament economy, and fasting had become, for some reason, an accepted part of their practice. Not everything in the New Testament is about the church; the church age (the age of grace) did not begin until the resurrection.
So why would the New Testament believer fast? It does not make God more likely to answer our prayers. Do we need to weep and mourn over our sin to seek God's favor? Why not? What is different now than in the Old Testament? Before Christ's substitutionary death on the cross, sin had not yet been paid for; animal sacrifices atoned for sin (temporarily covered it) but didn't bring forgiveness. We now can approach the throne of grace with confidence, Heb. 4:16. We don't need to grovel and seek God with weeping and mourning.
I don't believe that fasting is important for today's Christian, although it has some benefits for health and for practicing self-discipline. Fasting and prayer is mentioned a few times in Acts; we know the apostles and many early believers were originally Jewish and struggled with whether or not to continue many Jewish practices. We don't find fasting mentioned in the Epistles; apparently the early church did not practice it, nor was it commanded.
16-17 What does this picture tell us? What is the new wine? What is the old wineskin? What is the new wineskin? (New covenant, grace; old covenant, law; the church or the church age.) This goes with what He just said in 14-15. Here we have Jesus teaching about what we call dispensationalism. There are different dispensations, time periods in which God deals with man in a certain way. Read John 1:17. Likewise, this reflects the idea that Jesus did not come to fix the old nature; it is unfixable. A new nature is needed for something new that is coming, the indwelling Holy Spirit. So in this picture of the bridegroom and the wineskins, we see Jesus hinting of something new; He still has not yet spoken of His coming death and resurrection, or the salvation that His death will bring.
The rest of the chapter tells of several miracles, 18-25.
18 We have several instances of Jesus raising the dead. Here is a man who had great faith.
20-22 Does Jesus initiate this healing? Of course He did, although we do not see or hear it. Could she get healed without His knowledge or permission or His doing anything?
26 These things were widely known, could not be disputed.
27 Were these blind men Jewish? Apparently so. 28, does He ask this question to all who came for healing? Does He follow a formula in His healing? He emphasizes faith, belief, but every one is different. We can know in general how God works, but He works uniquely in each of our lives. Don’t assume that what He did in someone’s life is exactly the way He will do it in yours.
32 Demon possession. So should we conclude that people who can’t speak are demon-possessed?
34 Is this even logical?
35 Matthew gives the Messiah’s credentials, as we saw in the Old Testament. He tells of the miracles; he tells of people’s reactions. He is saying, “so now you decide who this Man is.” Some conclude that the miracles of Jesus teach that this is now to be expected, that believers should perform these miracles, and should expect miracles in their lives. This is not what He taught; He did give the 12 disciples power, but not all His followers. Rather, we might look at a spiritual application; Jesus is able to change those who are spiritually dead, blind, dumb, etc. If He can do miracles, there is nothing in our lives too hard for Him to handle.
36-38 Usually in the Bible, harvest represents judgment. Here it doesn’t seem to.
Copyright 2003 Jan Young