Are You Putting Christ First in Your Life?
Last time, (see Pharisaical Falsehoods and the Truth), we saw the apostle Peter identify Jesus as the Messiah.
Now, Jesus reveals the imminent culmination of His earthly mission to the apostles:
From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Mt. 16:21 NLT
Jesus knew this was coming; so, He is willing yielding Himself for you – as was prophesied by Isaiah 700 years prior:
He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief…Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighted him down…pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. Is. 53:3 – 5. NLT
He then divulges the cost of following Him:
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests] and take up his cross daily [express a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living, and if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Lk. 9:23 AMP
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mk. 8:38 NLT
Are you putting Christ first in your life? Obeying God’s will should always come first, regardless of what our personal interests or desires consist of. The God-walk is a road less traveled, because the path is difficult – opposed to the ways of the world and the yearnings of our flesh.
Six days after that conversation, Jesus takes the apostles Peter, James, and John to go pray on a mountain. Whilst doing so, some of His heavenly nature is revealed:
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Lk. 9:29 NLT
He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became white as the light. Mt. 17:2 CSB
Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Lk. 9:30, 31. NLT
This transfiguration of Jesus (the appearance of Christ in His true Spirit form, as He was prior to His earthly incarnation and how he will appear at the end of time), really spooked the three apostles.
In addition, they were amazed at seeing the divine transformed presences of Elijah (signifying the office of the Prophet) and Moses (the office of the Law). They were transferring the legitimacy of their offices to Jesus.
Peter is so shaken that he begins to babble incoherently. And to make matters more challenging, the sky explodes with a booming voice:
…suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” Mt. 17:5 CSB
Nothing like receiving the ultimate stamp of authority.
…think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses…Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant…But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. Heb. 3:1 – 3, 5 & 6. NLT
When the apostles finally rise from the ground, they find that Moses and Elijah had disappeared. They join up with Jesus and return to the other apostles, whereupon they find some of them arguing with a few scribes in front of a large crowd.
Christ asked about the nature of the argument, but before He could get an answer, He was approached by a man with a demon-possessed son, one that the apostles could not cast out. He pleads with Jesus:
“The demon has often thrown him both into the fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Mk. 9:22 AMP
Jesus responds:
“What do you mean, ‘if I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mk. 9:23 NLT
The man answers back:
“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mk. 9:24 NLT
Christ is once again pointing to the necessity of first having faith, before God can move on your behalf. The father had faith but declared that it was weak. Our ever-merciful Savior exorcises the demon.
Jesus and the Twelve enter a nearby house whereupon the apostles asked Him why they could not cast the demon out. He answers:
“Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. [But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.] Mt. 17:20 AMP
He is saying that they didn’t exercise the faith that they had in previous successful exorcisms. And Jesus is telling them even if they had a little faith, (a mustard seed is very small), but are actively cultivating it with a true commitment to God, nothing would stand in their way.
Interestingly though, Jesus is revealing that some demons are mightier than others – as in this case, where prayer and fasting was also required.
Christ and the boys return to the city of Capernaum, whereupon a tax collector approaches Peter and asks him if Jesus had paid the Temple tax. Peter answered in the affirmative. He goes to Jesus, but before he can ask Him anything, He had read Peter’s mind:
“What do you think Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt [from taxation].” Mt.17:25, 26. AMP
What Jesus is saying, is that the Temple tax is for God, and that He, being the Son of God, was exempt from paying a tax to His Father. Yet, Christ is also a peacemaker. He says to Peter:
“However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay for both of us.” Mt. 17:27 NLT
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Rm. 13:1 NLT
And it happened in exactly that way…
Jesus never forgets anything. He now asks the apostles what they were arguing about when He had returned to them after His transfiguration. True to human nature, they were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in heaven.
Christ teaches them a multi-faceted lesson:
“Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Mk. 9:35 NLT
He then placed a child in the center of the apostles and further expounds on His opening statement:
“…unless you repent [that is, change your inner self – your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 18:3, 4. AMP
The message hadn’t sunk in yet for the apostle John, who approaches Jesus and boasts:
“Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” Mk. 9:38 NLT
Sounds like the makings of a denomination, yes? The apostles were trying to stop a man from doing Jesus’ work because he wasn’t one of the ‘good old boys.’ That’s not going to fly with Christ. He gives them a small admonishment:
“Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterward speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ – truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.” Mk. 9:39 – 41. CSB
Jesus is saying that His ‘church’ consists of all those who follow Him – period. I personally believe that the concept of different denominations would have been abhorrent to Christ. He finishes His lesson to the apostles by returning to the example of the child:
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one these who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.” Mt. 18:5 – 7. NLT
Far better to stick by Jesus…
Goodnight and God bless.
Building Better Americans 55
Pharisaical Falsehoods and the Truth
Many of Jesus’ followers, (not the apostles), deserted Him because they found His teachings to be too radical and or / obtuse (see Have You Eaten the Flesh and Drank of the Blood?).
Their difficulties in comprehension were due to their hardened hearts and their refusal to exercise faith.
Simultaneously, those who doubted Jesus the most, the Pharisees, came to Him again, to manipulate Him into violating Mosaic Law, which would be blasphemy. For example, one of them approached Christ and asked a question:
So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.” Mk. 7:5 NLT
The Pharisees had also invented litanies for how to eat, how to use and clean cooking utensils, and for discerning the proper place to sit at a table. These inventions were mandated for one to remain ‘pure.’ Here, they were to discern whether Jesus was teaching the apostles to disobey Pharisaical law. In response, He lambastes them:
“Isaiah prophesied correctly (Is. 29:13) about you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrine human commands.
Abandoning the command of God, you hold onto human traditions…You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition!” Mk. 7:6 – 9. CSB
The apostle Paul addressed this subject as well:
So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world…? Col. 16, 17 & 20. NLT
Jesus was alluding to the worthlessness of their traditions.
The Pharisees claimed that they spoke for God, when in fact, they were modifying His word, which is verboten to Jehovah:
“You must not add anything to what I command you or take away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you.” Dt. 4:2 CSB
There are consequences for the people who comply with the Pharisees or others like them:
This is what the LORD says, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future…But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.” Jer. 17:5 – 8. NLT
Christ then rips the Pharisees with another example:
“For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ (Ex. 20:12) and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ (Ex. 20:17).
“But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” Mk. 7:10 – 13. NLT
To paraphrase, the Pharisees often laid claim to a man’s wages for the Temple, rather than let him care for his parents if they needed it.
Further vilifying the Pharisees, Jesus calls out to a crown of people and tells them to gather around Him as He has His final say about this matter:
“It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” Mk. 7:15 NLT
Afterwards, the apostles took Jesus to a nearby house and asked Him to clarify what He had just said to the crowd:
“Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)
“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mk.7:18-23. NLT
(We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Is. 64:6 NLT)
The devil cannot force you to do anything. He can only suggest. Thus, if you transgress the word of God, you are doing it of your own free will. You are responsible for your actions…
Jesus then traveled to the region of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). It was only 1 of 2 trips that He ever made outside of Israel. There, a Phoenician woman approach Him and begged Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. He replied:
“I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.” Mt. 15:24 NLT
The Gentile woman was aware of this but was undeterred due to her faith in Christ. Unlike the lies that spew forth from the Jewish Pharisees, she knew the TRUTH. The Phoenician worshipped Jesus and continued to plead for her daughter.
Jesus repeats His mandate from His Father, but from a different angle:
“It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” Mt. 15:26 NLT
Yet, the woman persisted in her prayer and pleas, (required for effective prayer), and she replied:
“That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.” Mt. 15:27 NLT
We can see that Christ is moved by her entreaty by listening to His response:
“Dear woman,’ Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. Mt. 15:28 NLT
Afterwards, Jesus traveled to His second Gentile destination – the Decapolis, which was a region consisting of 10 cities spread across the countries of Jordan, Palestine, and Syria.
During His travels, a crowd, 4000 in number, brought their sick, and all were healed. These Gentiles glorified Jehovah; and isn’t that why Christ came?
The crowd followed Him for 3 days without food. Jesus took 7 loaves of bread and fed the 4000.
Jesus and His apostles returned to the region of Galilee, only to be accosted once more by the Pharisees. They asked Him for a supernatural sign to prove that He is the Messiah. He answered the question similarly as when they had asked Him in an earlier encounter (Mt. 12:39):
“Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Mt. 16:4 NLT
He is referring to His upcoming 3-day miracle of His death and resurrection.
Next, Christ and the boys set sail for the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee, whereupon He healed a blind man. Then they traveled onto the district of Caesarea Philippi, located in the northernmost aspect of Israel. When they arrived, Jesus asked His apostles to tell Him who the people thought He was. They replied:
“Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Mt. 16:14 CSB
Then, he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Mt. 16:15 NLT
Peter answers:
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Mt. 16:16 NLT
Jesus responds:
“You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
“And I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Mt. 16:17 – 19. NLT
What Jesus is saying to Peter is that he could not have divined His true nature unless God opened his spiritual sight. He is also exercising a little wordplay with Peter’s name. His full name was Simon Peter. ‘Peter’ is translated from the Greek word ‘petros,’ meaning ‘rock.’
Jesus is alluding to Peter’s rock-like faith, the kind of foundational faith He will build His church upon. (This is the first time the word ‘church’ is used in the Bible. It is interpreted from the Greek ekklesia, meaning a ‘Christian assembly.’)
What Jesus is not saying, is that Peter has a more special relationship with Him as opposed to the other apostles. They all (except for Judas Iscariot) has equal authority in the church. Thus, all held the keys to the Kingdom.
You too can hold your key. It’s always about the faith…
Goodnight and God bless.