God’s Standard Of Righteousness

Matthew 5:27-37

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ” (Matthew 5:27-30)

Laws can only deal with actual physical actions, but true righteousness comes from the heart.  While the law forbid committing adultery, Jesus said that just daydreaming about it was in fact adultery in the heart and God looks on the heart.   Since we can’t see what is in aperson’s heart until he acts on it, we cant judge whether a person is righteous or not.  In I Corinthians 4:5, Paul commanded, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

If a person cannot control his eye, it would be better to put it out so his sin did not cause him to go to hell than to wind up in hell because of lust.  In the same way, it would be better to have a hand cut off and go through life without it than to go to hell because one couldn’t or wouldn’t control his hands.  The earthly mutilation would be only temporary, but hell is for eternity.

“It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32)

Because the law was limited to actions and could not produce true righteousness, it allowed people to divorce and remarry, but Jesus said if they divorced, they place their mate in position of potential lust and mental adultery.  If the mate remarried, both she and the new mate were guilty of adultery.  He addressed the issue again when the Pharisees asked his opinion on the subject in Matthew 19:4-9.

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” (Matthew 19:4-9)

Divorce was never part of God’s plan, and was not to be considered unless the mate had committed adultery.  To divorce for any other reason and remarry was to commit adultery oneself, and whoever married the divorced person was guilty of adultery because God has never given mankind authority over marriage, either to marry them or to divorce them.  He has kept that power for himself.

“Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37)

The law forbade their perjuring themselves by breaking their oath.  Jesus said they were not to take the oath in the first place, because God, and not they had the final say in what happened.  They were to limit their commitments to yes and no with no qualifying factors.  To do more was sin.

James 4:13-16 addresses the same point.  “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  It is quite arrogant to believe we can make such commitments without considering God.  We can’t even control the things we use as a basis for our oath.  How can we even consider taking such an oath?

The Law Remains In Effect

Matthew 5:17-26

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

Over the years the Jews had developed different schools of interpreting and administering the Old Testament law.  During Herod’s reign. Hillel and his followers had proposed that some of the laws be modified to fit modern conditions so they would be more palatable to the Sadducees and Romans without offending traditional Jews.  Many Jews were hoping Jesus would approve further changes to make the law more compatible with the current conditions. 

Jesus was very specific in his statement.  His coming did not change the importance of the law at all.  As long as the present world and universe exist, the laws would not change at all.  This is in direct contradiction of the popular belief today that the Old Testament Law no longer applies.

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19-20)

Because they believe the law is no longer applicable, many today believe it is okay to ignore the laws commands.  They accept homosexuality or other prohibited behavior and condemn those who oppose it as unchristian.   Jesus said anyone who broke even the least important of those laws and encouraged others to do so was to be considered unqualified to teach or lead and as not deserving respect.  On the other hand. Those who live in accordance with them were to receive great respect.  Even following the modified interpretations of the Law the Pharisees and scribes used would not be good enough to get one into heaven.

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

While the law could only deal with overt actions such as killing a person, entrance into heaven required a far higher standard.  Just disrespecting a person enough to call him dumb deserves punishment by the court and to call him an idiot implied one was so far from right as to be in danger of going to hell.   It focused on the attitude, not just the actions.

“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.   Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” (Matthew 5:23-26)

Instead of allowing resentments to simmer and lead to the wrong attitude Jesus said we should go work thing out before we even came to the Lord about them.  I Peter 3:7 warns that conflict between husband and wife interferes with our relationship to God.  “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”  I Corinthians 3:3 makes it clear conflict with other Christians indicates an improper relationship with God.  “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

Jesus said it is better to work things out even at a loss to one’s self, than to hold out for what you want, because ultimately you will have to make it good anyway.  In I Corinthians 6:7-8 Paul says, “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Wwhy do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”

Jesus then proceeds to give other examples where just meeting the law does not measure up to God’s standard, but clearly if you are breaking the law, you are outside the boundaries.  Romans 3:20 declares, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”  All the Law can do is show us when we’ve gone too far, it cannot save us.  Never the less, it is still valuable for showing what the boundaries are.  It can never control our thoughts and attitudes.  You can’t legislate righteousness because it isn’t possible to control people’s attitudes and thoughts by passing laws.  That is essentially what Paul said in Galatians 3:20, that the reason why christ had to come was because it wasn't possible to give a law that would make people right. You can, however, set limits on what will be accepted, and that is what moral codes and laws are about.  Attempts to legislate righteousness focus attention on keeping laws, rather than on having a right attitude toward people.

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:1-16

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:1-4)

The Jews had been struggling for independence for over three hundred years, since being conquered by Alexander the Great.   Under Herod they had reached a peak when he had several of the remaining descendants of the Maccabees, the Hasmonean priests, including his wife Marianne killed, and had the Roman Eagle installed in the Temple to remind the Jews who was in charge.  Things didn’t get much better when the kingdom was divided and split among his three sons.

 Finally, in 25 AD, about the time Jesus began his ministry, Pilate was appointed to rule Jerusalem itself in an effort to quell the strife.  Pilate was unaware of Jewish customs and introduced the various Roman gods, creating a surge of opposition.  Realizing he’d made a serious blunder, Pilate removed those idols, but the resentment continued with many Jews feeling God had forsaken them.   The Jews were desperately looking for someone to end Roman domination.   The message of the Kingdom of God being at hand had a powerful appeal.

It was in this setting that Jesus began his ministry.  People were glad to travel long distances to hear messages that promised and end to their problems, and especially when he healed many of their diseases.  The message that those who were feeling put down would inherit the Kingdom and those who were grieving would have their sorrows comforted was exciting, even though it went against the current philosophy.   After all, those who experienced these things would see God’s blessing, and they all thought of themselves as having those problems.

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.   Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  ” (Matthew 5:5-9)

Jesus then focused on the attitude which they had.  The meek, those who didn’t insist on having their way would be blessed by God, one day having the control of the earth.  Those who craved a close relationship with God would experience such a relationship.  Those who were willing to forgive would be forgiven, and those who had a pure heart would see God’s power in their lives.  Those who tried to make and maintain peace would be known as God’s children. 

Their religious and political leaders had been encouraging open rebellion and the use of force to defeat Roman aggression.  Many felt he was recommending a peaceful form of resistance, which forms the basis for Mahatma Ghandi or Martin Luther King’s movements almost two thousand years later.  Almost two hundred years of following the leader’s ideas had produced little results, so they were willing to consider another approach.  Perhaps shaming the Romans was the way to go.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.   Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

Jesus then made it clear he was not talking about peaceful resistance.  The ones who were blessed would be those who actively did what was right in spite of active abuse and mistreatment for doing so.  They were more concerned about pleasing God than what people thought or said or did.  They would be rewarded by God just as the prophets of the past had been, even though many of them had been executed or imprisoned for their refusal to go along with their own religious and political leaders in fighting some perceived injustice.

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matthew 5:13)

Salt is a very important item for human life.  Because excess sodium can cause high blood pressure, there has been a lot of stress on reducing the amount of salt in the diet.  Unfortunately most of the excess sodium comes from other additives to our food, with the result that many people have excess sodium but are deficient in salt, which is vital for proper beating of the heart, as well as proper digestion of food.  In addition salt serves as a potent antibacterial agent and preservative.

Since most of the salt in Israel was produced as a result of evaporation from the dead Sea or of water from the Mediterranean, salt was scarce and expensive.  As a result people frequently used a cheap artificial salt for flavoring their food.  Lacking the beneficial properties of real salt, if the artificial salt lost its flavor, it was no longer of value and was disposed of.   

In changing their focus on gaining their freedom, the Jews had lost the thing that made them pleasing to God.  They were just like the artificial salt that had lost its flavor.  There was no reason for God to care for them.  To reinforce his point, he gave another illustration.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Light makes everything visible and a city on top of hill has nothing to block the light from revealing it.  Placing a light under a large bucket prevents the light from revealing what is there.  Instead men set it up high so it illuminates everything possible.  God had placed the Jews to show the benefits of obeying God.  Their failure to openly serve him was much like putting a bucket over their light.  By openly obeying God, other people would benefit, and would see the benefits to them and desire what they had, turning to God themselves. 

Instead of being embarrassed by how they had treated the Jews, the Romans and others would want to emulate them and experience God’s blessings.  Instead of passive resistance, Jesus was advocating positive obedience.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Matthew 4:12-25

“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (Matthew 4:12-16)

After John’s arrest, as described in Luke 3:19-21, which focused attention on John’s message because of Herod Antipas’ unpopularity, Jesus began his public ministry in Capernaum , on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee in Herod’s dominion.   The Assyrians had removed the people of Galilee and replaced them with other groups, but after Judah returned from Babylon in 535 BC, many of them had returned as well. But they were largely isolated from Jerusalem by Samaria. 

In beginning his ministry there, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2.  “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” 

Matthew and others who were familiar with the passage would recognize that it clearly identified Jesus as the Messiah. Isaiah 9:6-7 declares, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.   Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”  

“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

This was the same message John had preached according to Matthew 3:1-2.  “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…”  Herod’s arrest and subsequent execution of John, making him a martyr created greater interest in Jesus’ message.

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22)

Capernaum is right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and Andrew was one of those who had been present when John announced that Jesus was the Messiah in John 1:40.  Andrew had then introduced Jesus to Peter.  When Jesus asked peter and Andrew to let him use their ship as a platform in Luke 5, they didn’t hesitate.   After finishing his message, he told them to get into deeper water and deploy their nets and they caught so many fish they had to call James and John to help them.   When Jesus asked them to follow him, all four readily agreed.   

  

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.   And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.  And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.” (Matthew 4:23-25)

Jesus went through Galilee Teaching and preaching and healing the sick.  His fame quickly spread From Syria to the north to the ancient Edomite land the Romans called Idumea to the south, as well as eastward into the old lands of Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh known to the Romans as Decapolis.  Many of these people were of mixed blood as a result of the occupation by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Greeks and Romans. 

Because the regulations relating to health were no longer followed various diseases were rampant, and because they had adopted many of the gods of the people around them, creating moral and psychological confusion, demon possession was common.  Desperate for relief, the people flocked to Jesus for healing and instruction in how to cure the problems. 

Satan Tempts Jesus

Matthew 3:13-4:7

“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” (Matthew 3:13-15)

Every year the Jordan overflowed its banks, covering a wide area.  As a result the area was largely uninhabited and that was where John lived and did most of his preaching and baptizing.  Jesus sought John out to be baptized by him.  John had been preaching baptism as a sign of repentance from sin, and while he knew himself to be a sinner, he also knew Christ had no sin to repent of.

When he expressed his concerns to Jesus, Jesus said that it was still fitting that he express his commitment to avoiding sin the same way the other people were.  John acknowledged the truth of the statement and baptized Jesus.

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

All of the people present, including some of those who would become Jesus’ disciples heard God speak from heaven and saw the Spirit descend on him like a dove.  They, as well as John could testify of what they had seen and heard.

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:1-4)

Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness fasting and praying.  That long a period without eating or having personal contact with other people would leave one drained mentally, physically, and emotionally, and Satan chose that moment to make his attack. 

The attack sounds relatively harmless.  Just prove you are the Son of God and get yourself something to eat.  After all, there is nothing wrong with eating.  Jesus had come to experience exactly what it was like to human so he could most effectively serve as our advocate.  Since other people could not just speak food into existence, he would have defeated part of his purpose, as well as yielding to human pride to prove he was God’s son.  Jesus pointed out that there is more to life than just food, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.

“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4:5-7)

The second attack is an overt attack on his pride.  Prove you really are the Son of God.  After all he said he wouldn’t allow you to be hurt.  He even quoted part of Psalm 91 to make it appear the right thing to do.   Unfortunately, pride encourages us to act in our own power rather than yielding to God.   Proverbs 8:13  says, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way…”, clearly defining pride and arrogance as evil.    

To have done as Satan suggested would have placed God in the position of having to choose whether to condone his pride or let him die.  He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 in response.  “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God…”    We don’t have the right to put God in that position.

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ” (Matthew 4:8-10)

Satan’s final attack was to offer him political power.  If he would just worship Satan, he would give him all the political power in the world.  He could make people do whatever he wanted.   Jesus referred to Exodus 34:14 in his response.  “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” 

I John 2:15-16 warns, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Satan tempted Jesus in each of these three areas, the lust of the flesh with his desire for food. his pride of life in daring him to prove he was the Son of God, and the lust of the eyes or pride of possession and power with his offer of political power. 

Satan still uses these same things to get people involved in sin.  How many are seduced to neglect god or even to overt sin by an opportunity to satisfy physical needs or desires like the man who cheats on his taxes or participates in illegal activity to earn a better living for his family.  Others are like the preacher in Arkansas, who died recently after being bitten by a rattlesnake he was handling to prove he had God’s power, tempting the Lord.  Some sacrifice moral or ethical standards to attain financial or political power, believing they can make the world better if they can just get the power.  In doing so they end up worshipping Satan.

“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”(Matthew 4:11)

James 4:7 instructs, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  By submitting ourselves to god, we gain his power to successfully resist the Devil.  When he realizes there is no possibility of winning he will flee to escape defeat, just as he did from Jesus.   

John The Baptist’s Ministry

Matthew 3:1-12

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, Mt 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-2)

 In an effort to prevent further revolts, Ceasar Augustus divided the region Herod had ruled between Herod’s three sons in 4 BC.  Archelaus was over the southern part including Judea, Samaria, and the area along the edge of the Dead Sea known as Idumea, formerly called Edom.  Herod Antipas was given the northern area known as Galilee, and Philip received Lebanon. 

In 25 AD, Judea was separated from Idumea and Samaria in a further effort to bring stability and Pontius Pilate was named as governor.  Pilate insulted the Jews by initially bring in pagan idols and worshipping them in Jerusalem.  When he realized how offended the Jews were he withdrew them.

At the same time, Hillel’s school of interpretation of scripture led to greater power by the Pharisees, with their emphasis on Jewish tradition causing conflict with the wealthy Sadducees, who had largely adopted the Greek philosophy and lifestyle.  John the Baptist began his ministry in the midst of this political and religious turmoil.  His brief ministry and subsequent execution would serve to focus attention on the religious hypocrisy in much the same way that Rosa Parks focused attention on racial discrimination.

In focusing attention, John fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God,” as well as the Malachi 3:1.  “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

“And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4)

The Pharisees wore the traditional robes with special borders to identify them as Jews and phylacteries to demonstrate their spiritual focus, much like the Mormon missionaries in their white shirts and dark trousers or many preachers with their suit and tie.    The Sadducees  usually dressed in Greek style robes of the latest fashion.  By contrast, John was dressed in the cheapest and plainest workman’s clothing, the equivalent of cheap pair of blue jeans and a tee shirt.

The Sadducees feasted on gourmet delicacies from around the world, while the Pharisees ate only the most healthful organic foods available.  John the Baptist ate whatever he could get cheapest, even though most people would consider it just garbage.  Honey produced in carefully cared for hives and removed at ti’s peak had a better flavor and was cleaner than wild honey, and while locusts were everywhere, only those who had nothing else would eat them.

“Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:5-6)

People tend to be attracted to those with whom they most closely identify, and most of the people were not the rich Sadducees or the devout Pharisees.  They could identify with John’s everyday dress and inexpensive food choices.  They listened to what he had to say, and recognized their sin.  Confessing their sin, they were baptized as a demonstration of their repentance and commitment to stop.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.   And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:7-12)

The Sadducees believed the entire Jewish religion was mythological like the Greek religion, and really didn’t matter.  The Pharisees believed that they were okay because they followed the traditions, not realizing that the traditions they learned were far different from the law God had originally given.   Seeing the crowds who flocked to hear John both groups wanted to be part of the movement, just as people who have no interest in country music will flock to a concert simply because it is exciting.

John warned them that going through the motions of confessing their sin and being baptized would accomplish nothing without an actual change in behavior.  Repentance involves more than just saying you are sorry.  Being baptized as a demonstration of repentance with no commitment to real repentance makes a mockery of the baptism.  John baptized with water as a sign of repentance but when Jesus came he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

As he pointed out, God is not so desperate he has to settle for just saying the words.  He is going to examine the reality and cut off what doesn’t measure up.  It is just as true now as it was then.  Christ will separate out those who sincerely believe from those who do not, and destroy those who don’t. 

This is essentially what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, when he said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The Wise Men Sought The Baby King

Matthew 2:1-23

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Jesus was born in the days of Herod.  In 47 BC. Herod helped stop a revolt of the Jews against Rome and was named administrator of Syria and northern Israel by Julius Caesar.  A year later Caesar was murdered and Anthony became emperor.  Herod and his brother Phasael were appointed Tetrarch and the Jewish leader, Hyrcanus was stripped of authority, resulting in a rebellion by the Jews in which Phasael was killed and Herod forced to flee. 

In 41 BC, Herod was ordered to recover control, and was successful.  He married Hyrcanus’ granddaughter Marriane to secure Jewish support and had the high priest deposed and killed.  He was made king and was quite ruthless.   About 32 BC, he had Hyrcanus, Marriane, and all the surviving male members of Hasmonean family killed, appointing his own choices as high priests.

Periodically after the Alexander the Great’s death, different groups had developed new schools of interpretation of the law and under Herod the Pharisee Hillel developed his own school of interpretation.  Many of Jesus’ attacks on the Pharisees were the result of Hillel’s school of interpretation.

By about 10 BC resentment against Roman domination under Herod peaked and he had two of his sons executed for plotting against him.  He desecrated the temple, installing the Roman eagle and designating his own high priest and the people rebelled.  Herod died in 7 BC, and his son Archalaeus succeeded in putting down the rebellion and was named king by the Roman senate in 6 BC.  

About the time he had his own sons executed for plotting against him, a group of educated men from around Babylon arrived seeking for the baby who was to be the future king of Israel, claiming to have seen a star announcing his birth in Babylon.    They were familiar with the prophecies Daniel had made in Babylon and when the star appeared, they associated it with his prophecy in Daniel 9:25.  “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”  Jesus’ birth was to occur four hundred eighty three years after Cyrus the Great gave the order to rebuild Jerusalem, and the date was right.  Most historical timelines place Cyrus’ order about 535 BC.  There is a growing body of archaeological evidence that the reigns of Xerxes I and Darius II were not in facts separate reigns but were a joint reign with their fathers, in an effort to alleviate some of the problems of governing such a large area.   This places Cyrus’s decree about 500-495 BC and coincides with what scripture states.  It is once again evidence that Jesus is in fact the Messiah.   Since there are few Jewish records between the end of Nehemiah in Artaxerxes day and Alexander the Great’s defeat of Babylon in 324 BC, some Jewish historians believe the period never existed.  Based on that position they insist that Christ cannot be the Messiah.

“When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:3)

Facing civil war and plots to overthrow Herod, the Chaldean’s quest stirred up a lot of controversy on both sides.  Because of replacing the old priests with his own picked men and Hillel’s new way of interpreting the scripture, many of the people were unfamiliar with the prophecies, and Herod had to ask where Messiah wa to be born, calling attention to the Chaldean’s quest.

 “And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” (Matthew 2:4-6)

The Priests and scribes referred him to the prophecy in Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”   

“Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” (Matthew 2:7-8)

Hoping to eliminate the threat without precipitating civil war, Herod secretly sought as much information from the wise men as possible, learning that it had taken them almost two years to identify the star and travel to Jerusalem.  He requested that they come back through Jerusalem and let him know where the baby was.

“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:9-11)

The wise men had assumed that the future king would be born in the capitol and that the king would know about it and had asked directions instead of following the star.  When they resumed their journey the few miles to Bethlehem, they discovered the star was still pointing the way and led them to the house where Jesus lay.  They were no longer at the stable where Jesus was born.

“And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Matthew 2:12-15)

Warned by God’s angel of Herod’s intentions, the wise men departed for Babylon by another route instead of going through Jerusalem.  Joseph and Mary took the baby and fled to Egypt for protection, fulfilling the prophecy in Hosea 11:1.  “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” (Matthew 2:16-18)

Angry that the wise men did not obey his instructions, Herod ordered the execution of all the babies under two years old in the region in an effort to kill Christ, fulfilling the prophecy in Jeremiah  31:15.  “Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”  He also touched off the civil war he had been hoping to avoid.

“But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19-23)

After Herod’s death and Archelaus was named king in 6 BC, Joseph and Marry returned to Israel, but fearing that his birth would be remembered, they went to Nazareth rather than to Bethlehem, fulfilling a prophecy of which we have no existing record.